Halberg Awards - Yachties to go head to head in Team award

by Halberg Foundation and Sail-World on 11 Jan 2017 Two top New Zealand Olympic crews have been pitted against each other in the Team category in the 2016 Halberg Awards.

Hamish Willcox is also nominated in the Coach category.

Four teams have been selected to contest the Team of the Year award category. They include two Olympic champion crews - the Men’s 49er Sailing (Peter Burling and Blair Tuke) and Rowing Pair (Hamish Bond and Eric Murray) along with silver medallists; the Cycling Team Sprint (Eddie Dawkins, Ethan Mitchell and Sam Webster) and the 470 Sailing crew (Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie).

The Buddle Findlay Coach of the Year Award includes the 2015 winner - All Blacks coach and World Rugby Coach of the Year Steve Hansen. Hansen is up against Hamish Willcox who led the Men’s 49er Sailing crew to Olympic success in Rio, Gordon Walker who guided Lisa Carrington to a Rio Kayaking Gold and Bronze medals and Jeremy McColl who directed Pole vaulter Eliza McCartney to her first Olympics and a Bronze medal.

The Halberg Awards judges of former athletes, coaches and sports journalists selected the shortlist from 87 nominations for the six categories. The winners will be announced at the 54th Halberg Awards ceremony, held on Thursday 9 February 2017 at Vector Arena in Auckland and televised live on SKY SPORT.

Other awards presented during the ceremony include; New Zealand’s Favourite Sporting Moment (public vote category), Sport New Zealand Leadership and Lifetime Achievement. Inductees into the Sports Hall of Fame will also be made at the event.

The annual Halberg Awards is the major fundraiser for the Halberg Disability Sport Foundation, the charity set up by Olympic champion Sir Murray Halberg (ONZ) to enhance the lives of physically disabled New Zealanders.