The try Bay of Plenty's Kelly Brazier scored during the Women's Gold Medal Rugby Sevens Match against Australia at this year's Commonwealth Games is up for Try of the Year. Photo / Getty Images
The try Bay of Plenty's Kelly Brazier scored during the Women's Gold Medal Rugby Sevens Match against Australia at this year's Commonwealth Games is up for Try of the Year. Photo / Getty Images
When Bay of Plenty's Kelly Brazier boosted most of the length of the field during April's Commonwealth Games women's sevens gold medal match against Australia to score the winning try, there was no doubt it would continue to be a highlight long after the event.
Fast forward to December and that try is one of three up for the Sky Television Fan's Try of the Year award as part of the 2018 ASB Rugby Award nominees. She is up against the Crusaders' Richie Mo'unga and St Peter's College's Chris Hala'ufia.
Brazier is one of many Bay of Plenty's rugby stars who continue to prove the region is home to the country's biggest names in rugby, with locally based teams, players and coaches well represented in this year's 2018 ASB Rugby Awards nominations.
New Zealand Rugby revealed the nominations for the 2018 ASB Rugby Awards yesterday. The winners, as judged by Graham Mourie, Matt Sexton, Mike Eagle, Dr Farah Palmer and Tony Johnson, will be announced at the 2018 ASB Rugby Awards at Auckland's Sky City Convention Centre on December 13.
This year sees the introduction of modified awards to recognise teams representing New Zealand and those representing Super Rugby Clubs or provincial unions, including two coaching categories and two new team categories.
Head coaches from New Zealand teams including Allan Bunting from the Bay of Plenty-based Black Ferns Sevens and Clark Laidlaw from the Bay of Plenty-based All Blacks Sevens have been shortlisted for the ASB New Zealand Coach of the Year. They are up against All Blacks coach Steve Hansen.
Those two local teams, which became back-to-back Rugby World Cup Sevens champions and Commonwealth Games Gold medallists are nominated for the adidas New Zealand team of the year, up against the All Blacks.
The national men's sevens team competes in Cape Town this weekend following their tournament win in Dubai in their HSBC World Sevens Series opener while the women's national squad, who also won their second tournament of the series in Dubai last weekend, have returned to New Zealand.
Bunting said the travelling team get a week off but everyone else trains through, with everyone getting a two-week break over Christmas and the New Year. That leave however, will be a very active but self-directed break so everyone can return to training excited and refreshed in the new year, ready for their next tournament at the New Zealand Sevens in Hamilton at the end of January.
"It's the first time we'll get to play at home in front of our families and that and, you know on home ground, that's really special for us," he said.
"I know the players are really looking forward to it and it's going to be a highlight in our next year."
Kaleb Trask is nominated for the New Zealand Rugby Age Grade Player of the Year award. Photo / Getty Images
Other Bay of Plenty rugby representatives up for awards include Glen Jackson (New Zealand Rugby Referee of the Year nominee), Kaleb Trask (New Zealand Rugby Age Grade Player of the Year), Scott Curry and Regan Ware (Richard Crawshaw Memorial All Blacks Sevens Player of the Year), Michaela Blyde and Brazier (Black Ferns Sevens Player of the Year).
New Zealand Rugby (NZR) chief executive Steve Tew said 2018 had been big year for rugby, highlighting both sevens teams in becoming the first teams to win back-to-back Rugby World Cup Sevens titles in addition to gold at the Commonwealth Games.
2018 ASB Rugby Award Nominees
Sky Television Fan's Try of the Year – Top Three Finalists
Kelly Brazier (Black Ferns Sevens - Bay of Plenty)
