Norwood NZ Rural Sports Awards finalists named

Photo / File

A stellar line-up of rural sport athletes, representing an array of disciplines, have been announced as finalists for New Zealand's premier celebration of rural sports — the Norwood New Zealand Rural Sports Awards.

Sir Brian Lochore, chair of the New Zealand Rural Sports Awards Judging Panel, says the Norwood New Zealand Rural Sports Awards is about celebrating traditional sports and the people who keep events running year-in and year-out in the towns and settlements across New Zealand.

Craig Wiggins announces the Norwood Rural Sports Awards finalists on the Country:

"This year's finalists come from a range of rural sporting disciplines, including tree climbing, fencing, shearing, rodeo, endurance horses, wood chopping, gumboot throwing and, for the first time, egg throw and catch." "It's a fantastic line-up of finalists, aged from 11 to 77, from those at the pinnacle of their sport internationally to those who have supported and enabled others in rural sports for generations," Sir Brian said.

The finalists in the five prestigious award categories are:

Norwood New Zealand Rural Sportsman of the Year: Corey Church (Rotorua) — Rodeo; James Kilpatrick (Tauranga) — Tree Climbing; Shane Bouskill (Waipawa) — Fencing; John Kirkpatrick (Napier) — Shearing.

Skellerup New Zealand Sportswoman of the Year: Maryanne Baty (Gisborne) — Shearing; Chrissy Spence (Morrinsville) — Tree Climbing.

Fonterra Young New Zealand Rural Sportsperson of the Year: Rebecca Birkett (Taumarunui) — Endurance Horses; Tegan O'Callaghan (Doubtless Bay) — Rodeo; Robbie Hollander (Dairy Flat) — Egg Throwing and Catching.

Federated Farmers Contribution to the New Zealand Rural Sports Industry: Jason Semenoff (Hikurangi) — Wood Chopping; Nick Liefting (Auckland) — Fencing; Jude McNab (Owaka) — Shearing.

The inaugural Toyota Lifetime Legacy Award: Paul van Beers (Porangahau) — Fencing; Hugh McCarroll (Whangamata) — Shearing; Elizabeth Mortland (Taihape) — Gumboot Throwing.

Sir Brian says 2018 is the second year the awards have been held and they are only possible because of the generosity of sponsors and supporters.

Tim Myers, Chief Executive Officer at C B Norwood Distributors, says rural sports have been a key part of New Zealand life for generations.

"We're proud to help highlight the hard work and dedication of our rural athletes but also the organisers of rural sports — the volunteers who make events happen," he says.

"They're the true heroes in the towns and settlements across New Zealand."

Nominations for the awards were made by rural sports associations from throughout Aotearoa.

The Awards Dinner is held on Friday, March 9 at Awapuni Function Centre in Palmerston North, the night before the Hilux New Zealand Rural Games in Palmerston North where nominees and winners will be competing.