Rugby: Stacey Fluhler and Aaron Smith lead New Zealand Rugby awards nominations

New Zealand's Stacey Fluhler scores, during the semifinal between New Zealand and France, during Day two of the World Rugby Sevens 2020 in Hamilton. Photosport

Sevens dynamo Stacey Fluhler and All Blacks halfback Aaron Smith are each a chance of taking out three awards at the New Zealand Rugby Awards.

The list of nominees has been revealed, ahead of the announcement on Thursday in a Covid-restricted TV-only event.

Fresh from leading the All Blacks to the Tri Nations victory in Australia, captain and loose forward Sam Cane is among the nominees for All Blacks Player of the Year, alongside hooker Dane Coles and halfback Smith.

Smith is also in the running for the Tom French Memorial Māori Rugby Player of the Year, as is Māori All Blacks Captain and hooker Ash Dixon and World Sevens Series winner midfielder Fluhler.

A breakthrough season for Fluhler also sees her a nominee for Black Ferns Sevens Player of the Year, along with playmaker Kelly Brazier and halfback Tyla Nathan-Wong. Fluhler is also in the running for the Fiao'o Faamausili Medal, nominated alongside Waikato teammate centre Chelsea Alley and Canterbury halfback Kendra Cocksedge, who are also both nominated for Black Ferns Player of the Year, along with Waikato loose forward Kennedy Simon.

After claiming the World Series Sevens title for the first time since 2014, Co-Captains Scott Curry and Tim Mikkelson are nominated for the Richard Crawshaw Memorial All Blacks Sevens Player of the Year award alongside Ngarohi McGarvey-Black.

Highlanders halfback Smith also gets the nod for Super Rugby Aotearoa Player of the Year, as does Blues Captain Patrick Tuipulotu, Crusaders playmaker Richie Mo'unga and Hurricanes fullback Jordie Barrett.

The stand-out performers from Mitre 10 Cup, as voted each week by Sky commentators, will be in the running for the Duane Monkley Medal. The finalists for that award are lively Hawke's Bay halfback Folau Fakatava, Auckland outside back Salesi Rayasi and Bay of Plenty fullback Kaleb Trask.

Championship-winning teams the Crusaders, Tasman, Hawke's Bay and the Canterbury Farah Palmer Cup side will have the chance to pick up another piece of silverware as all are nominated for National Team of the Year.

All teams in black that took the field in 2020 will be in the running for New Zealand Team of the Year, and their respective coaches nominated for New Zealand Coach of the Year.

The National Coach of the Year nominees include the Crusaders' Scott Robertson, Tasman's Andrew Goodman and Clarke Dermody, Waikato FPC coach James Semple and Hawke's Bay's Mark Ozich.

Ben O'Keeffe, Paul Williams and Mike Fraser are nominated for New Zealand Rugby Referee of the Year.

The community award for Volunteer of the Year sees nominations for Allen Grainger (Waikato), Scott Kahle (Bay of Plenty) and Jane Chamberlain (Horowhenua Kapiti).

With public voting now closed, the hotly contested Fans Try of the Year has been narrowed from a long list of 10 to three. Fans have put Hawke's Bay's Neria Fomai, Christ's College's Jack Jones and Napier Boys' High School's Bethel Lutele-Malasia in the top three.

Three awards will be announced on the night – the NZRPA Kirk Award, the Steinlager Salver and the Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Player of the Year.

The full list of nominees are:

Fans Try of the Year
Neria Fomai (Hawke's Bay)
Jack Jones (Christ's College)
Bethel Lutele-Malasia (Napier Boys' High School)

New Zealand Referee of the Year
Mike Fraser (Wellington)
Ben O'Keeffe (Horowhenua Kapiti)
Paul Williams (Taranaki)

Charles Monro Rugby Volunteer of the Year
Jane Chamberlain (Horowhenua Kapiti)
Allen Grainger (Waikato)
Scott Kahle (Bay of Plenty)

NZRPA Kirk Award
Announced on the night

Steinlager Salver
Announced on the night

Duane Monkley Medal (Mitre 10 Cup Player of the Year)Folau Fakatava (Hawke's Bay)
Salesi Rayasi (Auckland)
Kaleb Trask (Bay of Plenty)

Fiao'o Faamausili Medal (Farah Palmer Cup Player of the Year)
Chelsea Alley (Waikato)
Kendra Cocksedge (Canterbury)
Stacey Fluhler (Waikato)

National Coach of the Year
Andrew Goodman and Clarke Dermody (Tasman)
Mark Ozich (Hawke's Bay)
Scott Robertson (Crusaders)
James Semple (Waikato FPC)

New Zealand Coach of the Year
Allan Bunting and Cory Sweeney (Black Ferns Sevens)
Ian Foster (All Blacks)
Clark Laidlaw (All Blacks Sevens)
Glenn Moore (Black Ferns)
Clayton McMillian (Maori All Blacks)

Super Rugby Player of the Year
Jordie Barrett (Taranaki, Hurricanes)
Richie Mo'unga (Canterbury, Crusader)
Aaron Smith (Manawatu, Highlanders)
Patrick Tuipulotu (Auckland, Blues)

Tom French Memorial Maori Player of the Year
Ash Dixon (Ngāti Tahinga, Hawke's Bay)
Stacey Fluhler (Tuhoe/Te Arawa, Waikato)
Aaron Smith (Ngāti Kahungunu, Manawatu)

Richard Crawshaw Memorial All Blacks Sevens Player of the Year
Scott Curry (Bay of Plenty)
Tim Mikkelson (Waikato)
Ngarohi McGarvey-Black (North Harbour)

Black Ferns Sevens Player of the Year
Kelly Brazier (Bay of Plenty)
Stacey Fluhler (Waikato)
Tyla Nathan-Wong (Northland)

Black Ferns Player of the Year
Chelsea Alley (Waikato)
Kendra Cocksedge (Canterbury)
Kennedy Simon (Waikato)

All Blacks Player of the Year
Sam Cane (Bay of Plenty)
Dane Coles (Wellington)
Aaron Smith (Manawatu)

National Team of the Year
Crusaders
Hawke's Bay
Canterbury (FPC)
Tasman

New Zealand Team of the Year
All Blacks
All Blacks Sevens
Black Ferns
Black Ferns Sevens
Maori All Blacks

Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Player of the Year
Announced on the night