All Black Beauden Barrett and partner Hannah Laity at the ASB Rugby Awards. Photo / Getty Images
All Black Beauden Barrett and partner Hannah Laity at the ASB Rugby Awards. Photo / Getty Images
The world's best rugby player is now confirmed as New Zealand's best rugby player.
At a glittering black tie affair in Auckland last night, All Blacks No 10 Beauden Barrett, the 25-year-old, the only man to score tries in the finals of a Rugby World Cup and Junior World Championship,won the coveted Kelvin Tremain Memorial Trophy (succeeding Ma'a Nonu in 2015) for his quality work with the Hurricanes and the All Blacks in 2016.
Barrett was the leading points scorer in both Super Rugby (223), for which he also annexed the player of the year gong, and the Rugby Championship. In all, he racked up 152 points in 2016 for the All Blacks, team of the year for the sixth straight season.
The event was something of a bonanza for the Barrett family, with younger brother Jordie, who toured as an apprentice with the All Blacks last month, scooping the age grade and Mitre 10 Cup player of the year awards.
The utility back showed his full array of skills in June for the New Zealand Under 20s, and then chalked up 123 points to help Canterbury to another Premiership crown.
Dane Coles, the world's best hooker, who was in line for the supreme award, played the best rugby of any player with Maori blood, and the Ngati Porou rake duly clinched the Tom French Memorial Cup.
Steve Hansen, already with the World Rugby coach of the year honour to his credit, claimed an unprecedented fifth successive New Zealand coach of the year title.
Jordie Barrett scooped the age grade and Mitre 10 Cup player of the year awards. Photo / Photosport
New Zealand Rugby (NZR) chairman Brent Impey congratulated all award winners, adding that the annual event was an opportunity to celebrate rugby from community to the elite level.
"There is something very special in recognising our best people on the field alongside the people who give their very best off it," said Impey.
"That support at the community level is a key reason rugby is thriving. Registered player numbers now tip 155,000, with solid increases in the number of young players, women and girls picking up the ball."
Those who were recognised for their off-field service were Gary Donovan of Auckland's Suburbs club, 2016 Gallaher Shield champions. He took the Charles Monro volunteer of the year award, named after the 19th century founder of rugby in New Zealand.
Dane Coles won the Tom French Memorial Maori player of the year. Photo / Photosport
Veteran television producer Gavin Service is the recipient of the 2016 Steinlager Salver, which recognises an outstanding contribution to the game. Service was a pioneer of live television rugby coverage in New Zealand. His involvement in televising rugby in New Zealand began in 1978 as a producer and he went on to direct nearly 200 tests. Service has always been at the forefront of innovation internationally. In recent years he has seamlessly integrated new techniques, including spider cam, into rugby coverage.
The New Zealand Rugby Players' Association Kirk award was presented for the first time, to former Blues, Chiefs, Auckland and Northland loose forward Justin Collins, who has made a significant contribution on behalf of professional players as a long-serving board member of the NZRPA, not to mention in 273 first-class matches.
Selica Winiata is New Zealand Rugby women's player of the year. Photo / Photosport
Sarah Goss (sevens) and Selica Winiata (overall) won the women's awards, the latter proving, with her prolific tryscoring feats for the Black Ferns, that she was unlucky to miss the cut for Rio, where the Black Ferns Sevens won a silver medal.
The 19-year-old Rieko Ioane capped a remarkable year by winning the Richard Crawshaw Memorial All Blacks Sevens award, scoring 28 tries during the 2015-16 World Sevens Series.
Young Wanganui wing Te Rangatira Waitokia is the Mitre 10 Heartland Championship Player of the Year. He burst onto the scene this year, scoring 12 tries, with a four-try bag against Poverty Bay. Waitokia was rewarded with selection to the New Zealand Heartland XV that played New Zealand Marist and toured Fiji last month.
Isaiah Punivai's try for Christ's College against Christchurch BHS in their televised annual interschool match was a beauty, and clinched the try of the year amid some stiff competition.
The judging panel comprised Brent Anderson, Mike Eagle, Tony Johnson and Graham Mourie.
