Black Ferns hot favourites for ASB Rugby Awards

Black Ferns skipper Fiao'o Fa'amausili lifts the World Cup. Photo / Getty Images

The Black Ferns are set to finish their remarkable year in style after being nominated for team of the year at the ASB Rugby Awards, a category in which the All Blacks are conspicuous absentees.

A couple of weeks after their recognition at World Rugby's glittering awards evening in Monaco, the world champion women's team will be favourites to win New Zealand Rugby's team of the year award at the Sky City convention centre on December 14.

Against them are the Crusaders, who won their eighth Super Rugby title with a final victory over the Lions in Johannesburg in August and the New Zealand under-20 team, who won their world championship in Georgia in June.

Despite maintaining their No1 world ranking for another year and being nominated for World Rugby's team of the year, the All Blacks failed to make the cut.

The surge in the women's game which culminated in the Black Ferns' remarkable come-from-behind win over England in the World Cup final in Belfast in August is significant.

Significantly, too, first five-eighth Beauden Barrett, World Rugby's player of the year for the second time running, was not nominated for New Zealand Rugby's player of the year award. Rieko Ioane, World Rugby's breakout player of the year, Sam Whitelock, and Black Fern and New Zealand sevens player Sarah Goss are the players nominated and Ioane will be the favourite for this category after a remarkable 12 months for the powerful wing.

Whitelock, who shone as the Crusaders captain on their run to the title, has also been nominated for the New Zealand Super Rugby player of the year alongside team-mate Richie Mo'unga and Hurricanes midfielder Ngani Laumape.

In what will be one the most keenly contested categories, the head coaches from all three champion teams — Glenn Moore (Black Ferns), Scott Robertson (Crusaders) and Craig Philpott (under-20s) — have been shortlisted for coach of the year. All Blacks coach Steve Hansen, who made World Rugby's shortlist, has not made the cut.

In a new category to celebrate women in the game, the Farah Palmer Cup player of the year will be awarded the newly-created Fiao'o Fa'amausili Medal, named after the veteran Black Ferns captain who announced her retirement this year.

"New Zealand rugby teams are in internationally dominant form, with the Black Ferns, Black Ferns Sevens, New Zealand under-20s and All Blacks all retaining their No1 world rankings," said New Zealand Rugby chief executive Steve Tew.

"The Black Ferns, despite some challenges, won a World Cup against very strong opposition, while the Crusaders achieved a very rare championship win playing abroad."

The introduction of the Duane Monkley Medal, named for the Waikato loose forward considered one of the unluckiest players not to make the All Blacks, will recognise the top Mitre 10 Cup player.