America's Cup winning helmsman Peter Burling will be missing from the Sportsman of the Year category at this year's Halberg Awards.
Yachting New Zealand were set to nominate Burling for the Sportsman of the Year gong, but Team New Zealand turned down the approach, preferring to only accept TNZ's nominationfor the Team of the Year award.
Team New Zealand COO Kevin Shoebridge has confirmed that the America's Cup winning team does not want Burling, who helmed Team NZ to victory in Bermuda in June, to be elevated above the team.
"The America's Cup was a team effort, that included 90 different individuals, some who you'll never hear of, but a lot of them are very skilled and were key to the success of that campaign," Shoebridge told Radio Sport.
"We were informed by Yachting New Zealand that they wanted to nominate the team, and we figured that if there was any recognition, that's the way we'd like to receive it."
Shoebridge highlighted the nomination of Burling and Blair Tuke for the Team of the Year award in 2016 as a similar scenario to what they faced this year.
"In our mind, it's like looking back to last year. You wouldn't have thought ever about splitting them up and nominating one over the other, and we see it as no different for this."
"Pete would be the first one to agree with us, Pete is all about team as well, as we are."
