2020 Wellington Rugby Community Award Winners
Last night, Wellington Rugby celebrated its 2020 club season with the 5th annual Community Rugby Awards. Held at the Toitu Poneke Community & Sports Centre, more than 200 members of the Wellington rugby community and guests celebrated the year’s achievements.
Oriental Rongotai were the big winners on the night claiming five awards, including their women’s team earning Club Team of Year following an exceptional season, going unbeaten and being awarded maximum points in the Rebecca Liua’ana Trophy competition.
Four new awards were introduced to recognise the Women’s High Performance Unit Best Performer, Women’s High Performance Unit Member that best embraced the programme’s philosophy, Women’s Club Rookie of the Year and Men’s Club Rookie of the Year.
Long serving administrator Pete Scott secured the most prestigious award of the night and was acknowledged with the Lifetime Contribution Salver for his significant and meaningful service to rugby in Wellington over several decades.
The full list of Award Winners is:
AWARD | WINNER(S) |
Women's Sevens Player of the Year | Grace Steinmetz |
Men's Sevens Player of the Year | Esi Komaisavai (Northern United) |
Women's HPU Best Performer | Fa'asua Makisi (Oriental Rongotai) |
Women's HPU Best Philosophy | Jackie Patea-Fereti (Petone) |
Al Keown Award | Caleb Delany (Old Boys University) |
Ken Comber Memorial Cup | Hugo Plummer (Tawa) |
Dewar Shield | Old Boys University |
Sir William Perry Memorial Trophy | Oriental Rongotai |
Junior Rugby Volunteer of the Year | Craig LeQuesne (Western Suburbs) |
Senior Rugby Volunteer of the Year | Wayne Smith (Petone) & Graeme Hardie (Stokes Valley) |
Referee of the Year | Richard Gordon |
Club Coach of the Year | Barry Luke (Eastbourne U85kg Restricted) |
Club Team of the Year | Oriental Rongotai Women |
Women's Club Rookie of the Year | Josephine Falesita (Oriental Rongotai) |
Men's Club Rookie of the Year | Aidan Morgan (Marist St Pats) |
Women's Best & Fairest Player Award | Montana Heslop (Old Boys University) & Ayesha Leti-I'iga (Oriental Rongotai) |
Billy Wallace Memorial Trophy | Bruce Kauika-Petersen (Northern United) & Sam Reid (Old Boys University) |
WRFU Lifetime Contribution Salver | Peter Scott |