Sports Award winners aren't done yet

Rebecca Scown won the International Sportsperson and the Supreme Award.

Whether straining away in a rowboat, grinding it out on the rugby field, or risking it all on the back of a charging horse, the one common thread for all the recipients at the 2016 Ray White Whanganui Sports Awards is that they love what they do too much to stop.

Giving up or stepping aside is simply not in the vocabulary as several of the award winners on Friday night at the Wanganui Racecourse may still be making trips to the dais despite this season's awards seemingly being their swansong.

Wanganui Chronicle Supreme Award winner and Mitre 10 Mega International Senior Sportsperson Rebecca Scown had been confirmed that day as the sole Rio Olympics medallist to remain in the elite summer training squad - starting her 12th consecutive season in two weeks time.

Even Scown's silver-medal winning pairs partner Genevieve Behrent is taking a year off, along with the gold medallists Mahe Drysdale, Hamish Bond, and Eric Murray.

Scown said she was taking it slow while she enters this new four-year Olympic cycle, but it appears an appearance at Tokyo 2020 at the age of 36 is not off the table.

"If I enjoy it, I'll continue," she said.

"I was very much part of a team for this campaign in Rio.

"I think it's really special I come from Wanganui and get to represent a community that does so well in so many sports."

Scown thanked her coach Dave Thompson, the NZ Rowing management and support staff, and her proud parents.

"Our motto was to create history as an [rowing] eight...for the women of New Zealand.

"I feel very proud of what I've achieved and I"ve represented everybody here."

Nothing was going to keep NZCT National Senior Sportsperson Lisa Allpress from accepting her award - even a broken leg confined in a knee brace.

Allpress suffered a massive setback three weeks ago when she fell and broke her leg in a race in Tokyo, just days before the Melbourne Cup where the 41-year-old had secured herself ride.

"I plonked off at the wrong time," she said.

"I watched the race from a hospital bed and I was very disappointed."

Allpress's planned mount - Pentathlon - came ninth on cup day and with all due respect to jockey Mark Du Plessis, Allpress reckons she could have done better.

"The doctors say 4-6 months [recovery] but I think three months," Allpress vowed.

"I'll be back there and really, really appreciate this [award]."

Allpress also took a moment to speak up for the industry and asking the government to help them out a bit with a tax break.

A jockey can make $90,000 for a maiden race in Japan compared to $7000 at home because of their government's support, she said.

The crowd was also baying for a comeback from Steelform Wanganui rugby captain Peter Rowe.

Rowe had taken the microphone to accept the Ali Arc Senior Team trophy and said they were "blown away" to accept the prize.

"Bring on next year, I reckon, so let's go Wanganui."

That sounded suspiciously like a man reconsidering his public thoughts on retirement after October's Meads Cup victory, and awards MC James McOnie put Rowe right on the spot when he joined retiring rugby announcer Grant McKinnon for an on-stage interview.

"I don't want it to be [over]," Rowe admitted.

"It hasn't been decided. We'll see what happens when the weather turns cold next year."

It was a good night for the rugby boys as Rowe's coach Jason Caskey shared the Mars Petcare Coach of the Year award with one of his former players in Whanganui High School's mixed touch guru Sean Brown.

"It's an honour to be here amongst the nominees and we're both very proud," Caskey said, before going on to thank the WRFU staff and his 28 players.

"It's a team effort and it's way above what I do."

Brown thanked his school and his wife, while acknowledging he had learned a lot about coaching while under Caskey.

"The coaches are definitely the one to put in the effort to put the players in the position to achieve."

Sean Brown and Jason Caskey congratulate each other on co-winning the Coach of the Year trophy.

That sentiment was echoed by Ruhia Tamati as she and Mitchell Millar went on stage to accept the Treadwell Gordon Junior Team award on behalf of the WHS Mixed Touch side.

Year 13 student Tamati talked about joining the team as a Year 9 when they finished 10th at nationals, and it was Brown mentoring them which eventually saw the squad evolve and become the side which won the title this year.

"Your time and effort do not go unnoticed and is appreciated by the touch community," she said to her coach from the stage.

Both WHS students were among six recipients of the Tupoho Sports Scholarship awards, a break in tradition as usually there are four athletes given the annual boost.

"That's in light of the fact of the exceptional standard [this year]," said the Whanau Trust's chairman Ken Mair.

Living up to his own high standard was Marton's Formula First driver Kaleb Ngatoa, who won three national titles in 2016 to earn the Stirling Sports National Junior Sportsperson trophy.

Ngatoa thanked his parents, race team sponsors, and everyone who had supported him over the years.

"I couldn't have done it without you.

"Thank you to Steve King - he was the first person to get me into karts."

Kaleb Ngatoa won the National Junior Sportsperson of the Year trophy.

It was a good night all around for the Rangitikei region as the new Rangitikei Area Distance Riders representatives were delighted with their Stihl Shop Wanganui Club of the Year prize.

The club is looking forward to a big 2017, which will include being hands-on for the NZ Masters Games in February.

David Jones Motors Masters winner Krystine Davies kept her speech simple, thanking Mitre 10 Mega for their parking lot to train, and her support team including coach Gary Clark and training partner Andrew Jones.

Unable to attend to accept their joint Velo Ronny's Bicycle Store International Junior Sportswoman award were rowers Jackie Gowler and Georgia Nugent-O'Leary, due to having a regatta on Saturday.

Also away due to important medical work in Perth was the newest inductee to the Whanganui Sports Hall of Fame in 1988 Seoul Olympic bronze medal winner Nicola (Nikki) Payne.

Father Michael Payne, who had previously felt recognition was long overdue, was proud to accept the induction on his daughter's behalf, saying her time in rowing influenced her to enter medicine and then become a surgeon.

"She's incredibly proud to be from Whanganui and has always regarded the river as being part of where she has come from."