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The Men’s Rowing Pair of Hamish Bond and Eric Murray have taken the supreme honours at the 52nd Halberg Awards at Vector Arena in Auckland tonight.
The 2014 World Rowing Male Crew of the Year was named the ‘Halberg Disability Sport Foundation Team of the Year’ before claiming the Halberg Award honours.
To win the supreme award Bond and Murray headed off other Halberg Award contenders including 2013 supreme award winner Lydia Ko who claimed the ‘High Performance Sport New Zealand Sportswoman of the Year’ for a second year. Blackcaps captain and ‘High Performance Sport New Zealand Sportsman of the Year’ winner, Brendon McCullum and ‘Halberg Disability Sport Foundation Disabled Sportsperson of the Year’ winner, Mary Fisher were also in line for the top honours of the night.
Bond and Murray won the Men’s Pair at the 2014 World Rowing Championships and been undefeated in this event since 2009. In 2014 the Olympic champions also entered another discipline - the Men’s Coxed Pair – winning the world title and setting a new world record in the process. It was the first time in 13 years that any rowing crew had won two world titles in the same year. The pair were presented the supreme award by NZ Olympic Chef De Mission and Halberg Disability Sport Foundation Trustee Rob Waddell.
To take the ‘Halberg Disability Sport Foundation Team of the Year’ honours Bond and Murray edged out the Kiwis, Auckland City FC, the Men’s Team Sprint of Ethan Mitchell, Eddie Dawkins and Sam Webster and the 49er yachting crew of Peter Burling and Blair Tuke.
Lydia Ko, who in 2014 won three LPGA Tour events, the inaugural race to CME Globe and finished the year with a number two world ranking, claimed the High Performance Sport New Zealand Sportswoman of the Year Award ahead of three other world champions Valerie Adams (athletics), Lisa Carrington (canoeing) and Emma Twigg (rowing).
Blackcaps captain Brendon McCullum who scored a triple century in 2014 and the most test runs be a New Zealander in a calendar year won the High Performance Sport New Zealand Sportsman of the Year category ahead of All Blacks captain Richie McCaw, world champion cyclist Sam Webster, NBA rookie Steven Adams and World Rugby Player of the Year Brodie Retallick.
Para-Swimmer Mary Fisher took home the Halberg Disability Sport Foundation Disabled Sportsperson of the Year Award. Fisher, who won six gold medals at the Pan Pacific Para-Swimming Championships, took the honour ahead of three time winner Sophie Pascoe, Para-Skier Corey Peters and Para-Cyclist Emma Foy with pilot Laura Fairweather.
The nation’s sports fans chose Brendon McCullum’s record 302 against India as New Zealand’s Favourite Sporting Moment of 2014 - the only Halberg Award category determined solely by public vote.
Cycling coach Anthony Peden, who guided the Men’s Team Sprint to the 2014 World Championship title and a Commonwealth Games Gold medal, was named the SKY SPORT Coach Of The Year.
Cyclist Regan Gough received the Emerging Talent award and a $10,000 sporting scholarship. The category, designed to identify and assist a young athlete in their quest to become an Olympic, Paralympic and/or World Champion, and hopefully one day win the Halberg Award was closely contested by Eliza McCartney (Athletics), Sam Gaze (Cycling) and Zoe McBride (Rowing).
During the awards ceremony former Kiwis captain Stacey Jones and Olympic champion boardsailor Barbara Kendall were inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame. Kendall also received the Sport New Zealand Leadership Award.
Dawn Jones was recognised with the Lion Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award for services to netball. She was presented the honours by Lady Sheryl Wells.
The annual Halberg Awards is the major fundraiser for the Halberg Disability Sport Foundation, the charity set up by Olympian Sir Murray Halberg (ONZ), which aims to enhance the lives of physically disabled New Zealanders by enabling them to participate in sport and recreation. This includes providing hundreds of Activity Fund grants annually to physically disabled young people for adaptive sports equipment, lessons and camps.
