KEY POINTS:
Injured All Blacks hooker Andrew Hore fought off strong challenges from captain Richie McCaw and resurgent halfback Piri Weepu to take the supreme prize at the 2007 New Zealand rugby awards in Auckland tonight.
Hore, who was presented with the Kelvin Tremain Trophy at the end of the awards show, was earlier named Super 14 player of the year.
In contrast to last year, when New Zealand's World Cup quarterfinal failure meant they were noticeably absent from the podium, the All Blacks tonight took out the team of the year award.
The team had a satisfyingly successful year, winning home matches against Ireland, England and Samoa; retaining the Bledisloe Cup while winning the Tri-Nations; beating Australia in Hong Kong and completing an undefeated Grand Slam tour of the United Kingdom.
Not surprisingly, coach of the year went to All Blacks coach Graham Henry, who masterminded the team 14 wins out of 16 matches this season.
Other All Blacks to pick up awards were Southland captain Jamie Mackintosh, who won the Air NZ Cup player of the year, and Weepu, who took the Maori player of the year award.
New Zealand sevens captain DJ Forbes was again named sevens player of the year, adding the accolade to the IRB sevens player of the year award he won last month.
Auckland speedster Victoria Grant was women's player of the year, Wanganui youngster Cameron Crowley the Heartland championship player of the year, and Hawke's Bay's Zac Guildford retained his age grade player of the year trophy.
A special presentation was made to former All Blacks captain Tane Norton, who also served as NZRU and Canterbury president, for his outstanding contribution to the sport.
The awards judges were former NZRU president John Graham, board member Paul Quinn, television commentator Grant Nisbett, journalist Bob Howitt and NZRU professional rugby manager Neil Sorensen.
Six of New Zealand's most decorated All Blacks were awarded long-overdue test caps in recognition of their first test match at tonight's annual rugby awards in Auckland.
The six represented 60 years of All Blacks who didn't receive test caps when the tradition lapsed in the decades following World War 2. The practice was re-introduced in 1997.
The players honoured tonight were Fred Allen (representing the 1940s), Sir Wilson Whineray (1950s), Sir Brian Lochore (1960s), Andy Dalton (1970s), Buck Shelford (1980s) and Olo Brown (1990s).
More than 400 former players will now be presented with their caps in a series of events over the next two years.
The first of the events will be staged across the main centres during the All Blacks' test season starting in June 2009. Former players will be capped, beginning with players from the 1940s.
New Zealand Rugby Union chairman Jock Hobbs said the families of players who had died would be invited to receive the caps on their behalf.
Of the 414 caps to be awarded, there are thought to be 325 living former All Blacks, with 89 having passed away in the years since their test debuts.
The winners of the 2008 New Zealand rugby awards are:
Age grade player of the year: Zac Guildford (New Zealand under-20, Hurricanes, Hawke's Bay)
Richard Crawshaw Memorial sevens player of the year: DJ Forbes (Counties Manukau)
NZRU referee of the year: Bryce Lawrence (Bay of Plenty)
Women's player of the year: Victoria Grant (nee Blackledge) (Auckland)
New Zealand rugby volunteer of the year: Ken Swain (Horowhenua Kapiti)
Super 14 player of the year: Andrew Hore (Hurricanes)
Tom French Memorial Maori player of the year: Piri Weepu (Wellington)
Heartland Championship player of the year: Cameron Crowley (Wanganui)
Air NZ Cup player of the year: Jamie Mackintosh (Southland)
Team of the year: All Blacks
Rugby coach of the year: Graham Henry (All Blacks)
Outstanding contribution to New Zealand rugby: Tane Norton
Kelvin R Tremain Memorial player of the year: Andrew Hore
- NZPA
