Rugby: Consistent Read up for two rugby awards

Kieran Read of the New Zealand All Blacks in action. Photo / Getty Images

Canterbury and New Zealand No 8 Kieran Read has been rewarded for his consistently top performances this year by being nominated as a finalist in two major national rugby awards.

Read is a finalist for player of the year in the Super 14 and national player of the year awards.

Crusaders' prop Owen Franks and Blues' halfback Alby Mathewson are the other contenders for the Super 14 player of the year award while All Blacks skipper, Richie McCaw, and All Blacks lock Brad Thorn are Read's rivals for the Kelvin R Tremain Memorial player of the year award.

Southland captain and prop Jamie Mackintosh, Hawke's Bay hooker Hikawera Elliot and Canterbury centre Robbie Fruean are the finalists for player of the year in the national provincial championship.

T winners will announced at a function at The Langham Hotel in Auckland on December 16.

The team of the year award is expected to be another keenly contested category as an extended field of five teams all won international championships or series in 2010.

They are the New Zealand under-20 team (Junior World Champions), Black Ferns (IRB Women's Rugby World Cup Champions), New Zealand Sevens (Delhi Commonwealth Games gold medallists), New Zealand Maori (unbeaten in their centenary series) and the All Blacks (unbeaten in the mid-year tests before winning the Tri-Nations without losing a game).

Coach of the year contenders are New Zealand Maori coach Jamie Joseph, under-20s coach Dave Rennie, Black Ferns coach Brian Evans, New Zealand Sevens coach Gordon Tietjens and All Blacks coach Graham Henry.

The judges for the awards are former All Blacks captain and former New Zealand Rugby Union president Andy Leslie, NZRU board member and former All Blacks captain Graham Mourie, commentator Grant Nisbett and former All Black and current NZRU general manager community and provincial union rugby, Brent Anderson.

The national rugby awards finalists are:

NZRU age grade player of the year: Tyler Bleyendaal (Canterbury and New Zealand under-20), Liaki Moli (Auckland and New Zealand under-20), TJ Perenara (Wellington & New Zealand schools).

Richard Crawshaw Memorial sevens player of the year: Kurt Baker (Taranaki), Lote Raikabula (Manawatu), Sherwin Stowers (Counties Manukau).

Referee of the year: Nick Briant, Nicky Inwood, Bryce Lawrence.

Women's player of the year: Carla Hohepa (Otago), Justine Lavea (Auckland), Melissa Ruscoe (Canterbury).

Volunteer of the year: Don Berry (North Harbour), Ron Howard (Counties Manukau), Hilton Williams (Horowhenua-Kapiti).

Super 14 player of the year: Owen Franks (Crusaders), Alby Mathewson (Blues), Kieran Read (Crusaders).

Tom French Memorial Maori player of the year: Liam Messam, Ngai Tuhoe (Waikato, Chiefs, New Zealand Mori, All Blacks), Hosea Gear, Ngati Porou (Wellington, Hurricanes, New Zealand Mori, All Blacks), Piri Weepu, Whakatohea (Wellington, Hurricanes, All Blacks).

Heartland championship player of the year: Josh Collier (North Otago), Tim Perry (Mid Canterbury), Peter Rowe (Wanganui).

NPC player of the year: Hikawera Elliot (Hawke's Bay), Robbie Fruean (Canterbury), Jamie Mackintosh (Southland).

Team of the year: All Blacks, Black Ferns, New Zealand Maori, New Zealand Sevens, New Zealand under-20.

Coach of the year: Graham Henry (All Blacks), Jamie Joseph (New Zealand Maori), Dave Rennie (New Zealand under-20 team), Gordon Tietjens (New Zealand Sevens), Brian Evans (Black Ferns).

Kelvin R Tremain Memorial player of the year: Kieran Read (Canterbury, Crusaders, All Blacks), Richie McCaw (Canterbury, Crusaders, All Blacks), Brad Thorn (Canterbury, Crusaders, All Blacks).

- NZPA