Tuke had a star studded year along with his team mate Peter Burling, which included being named the New Zealand Sailors of the Year and 2015 International Sailing Federation World Male Sailors of the Year.  The 2016 49er class World Championships was another title the record breaking sailors won and in the process becoming the first sailors to win four consecutive 49er class World Championships.

Blair and Peter were co-captains of the New Zealand team at the 2016 Rio Olympics where they won gold in the 49er class with two races to spare and by an overall 43 point margin - the most dominant win of any of the sailing classes.

Earlier in the evening Tuke had won the Steinlager Pure Sportsman of the Year Award with the Sportswoman of the Year being awarded to Paralympic cyclist Emma Foy.  Foy competes as a cyclist with a visual impairment and races on a tandem with cyclist and pilot Laura Thompson.

At the UCI Paracycling Track World Champs in Italy, Emma won Gold in the Women’s B 3km Individual Pursuit and 4th place in the Women’s B 1km Time Trial . Emma was an emerging Para-Cycling star of the New Zealand Rio Paralympic team where she competed in four events on the track and road. Emma won silver in the 3km Individual Pursuit on the track, bronze in the Road Race, placed 4th in the 1km Time Trial on the track and placed 4th in the 30km Time Trial on the road.

The highly sort after Garry Frew Memorial –Kauri Club Northland Junior Sportsperson of the Year Award, which included a $1,000 grant went to Northland rugby player Sam Nock. As half back Sam has already clocked up 17 caps for the Northland NPC team since his debut in 2015. He was a member of the Blues Super Rugby team and a member of the New Zealand Under 20 team that competed in the Under 20 World Cup in England where he was a standout player.

The Brian Maunsell Memorial Service to Sport Award went to long serving football volunteer Barry Chappell who has been a stalwart within the Northern Football Federation for over 30 years. His dedication to the game and the community was recognised with Life Membership of the Federation at their 2016 AGM.

Holding the prestigious New Zealand Football Referee Badge he officiated at some of the highest levels in the country throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s. During these decades, Barry would regularly referee matches back-to-back each Saturday, and has always been willing to fill-in at short notice to ensure the integrity of the game. For over 20 years, Barry has been the rock for which the Northland Referee’s Group have relied upon for guidance, recruitment and mentoring.

The Rowsells Collision Repair Leadership in Sport Award went to table tennis legend James Morris.

James is highly respected throughout the world in the sport of table tennis. Having formerly been a multiple New Zealand singles champion James has done many years of coaching at all levels, and is now a prominent and influential leader in the sport through his role as President of the Oceania Table Tennis Federation.

The Oceania Table Tennis Federation consists of 24 countries which makes up part of the International Table Tennis Federation – with James leading this massive organisation.

As President, James is fully involved in the International Table Tennis Federation meetings which are held in various parts of the world. This also included, being on the jury, at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

Carlrine Gillespie from Dargaville took out the Pacific Motor Group Official of the Year Award with her services to the sport of swimming.  Carlrine is the Technical Committee Convenor for Swimming Northland,  which assists with the training, qualifying and upskilling of swimming technical officials. She officiated at all club carnvials, regional championship meets and the Swimming Auckland Age Group Championships. Carlrine then went on to officiate at the New Zealand Open Water Championships, the New Zealand Zonal Championships, Junior Championships, Open Championships and the Oceania Championships in Fiji.

The New World Regent Coach of the Year was won by Simon Mayne who has coached Paralympic swimmer Cameron Leslie, since 2007. When they got together they decided to try a new event, the SM4 150 Individual Medley and in their first full year together Cameron won a “shock” gold medal in a record time in the new event at the Beijing Paralympic Games in 2008, a feat they repeated four years later at the London Paralympic Games. In September this year they represented New Zealand at the Rio Paralympic Games and again won Gold in the SM4 150 Individual Medley.   

The NorthCloud Masters Sportsperson of the year Richard Pehi won numerous medals at both the New Zealand Waka Ama Sprint Championships and the World Championships. Richard competes in Masters 40-49 category and won gold in the Open Elite W6 500m and in the masters 40 W1 500m, an individual event

The Sport NZ Club of the Year Award was a joint award to be shared by the Kaeo Rugby and Sports Club and Kaikohe Rugby Football and Sports Club. Such is the calibre of the work done by both these Clubs that this year the judges were unable to separate the two finalists. It was felt that their level of contribution to, and engagement with their community, as well as how well they looked after their members, was very similar.

The Northern Advocate’s People’s Choice Award for the favourite ‘Olympic Moment’, which was voted by the public, went to Paralympian Cameron Leslie while winning Gold and setting a new world record in the 150m Individual Swimming Medley. In securing gold, Leslie achieved a rare three-peat after winning the event in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012.

Northland Legends of Sport Inducted

Two Legends of Northland Sport, Andrew Bennie (Equestrian) and Arthur Parkin (Hockey) were inducted to make a total of 28 athletes to have been inducted since it began in 2004.

Andrew Bennie who hailed from Kaitaia represented New Zealand in equestrian at both the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games. Bennie was part of the successful New Zealand Olympic team in Seoul to take the bronze medal in the 3-day Eventing competition alongside Mark Todd and Margaret Knighton. Now based in the United Kingdom Bennie is a highly accomplished dressage judge and had the honour of officiating at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio in the very same Olympic event he competed in back in 1984 and 1988.

Arthur Parkin became the 28^th Northland Legend of Sport to be inducted. Although Arthur was successful in many sports it was for his hockey feats that he was acknowledged. Beginning his hockey in Northland, Arthur represented his province in the Hatch Cup before going on to captain the Whangarei Boys High School 1^st Hockey XI. Arthur represented New Zealand at four Olympic Games from 1972 through to 1984 and was part of the successful team that won gold in 1976 and went on to captain the New Zealand team in 1984.

Olympic Pin Presentation

Sport Northland on behalf of the Olympic Committee was invited to present the Olympic pins and certificates to first time Olympians. New Zealand’s most successful Olympian Ian Fergusson was on hand to make the presentation on behalf of Sport Northland.

Olympian Number 1290 – Trent Jones, BMX. Trent spent his early years in Northland where he discovered BMX riding in an inter-school challenge and was hooked. He was selected in the New Zealand BMX team to compete at the 2016 Olympics where he placed 13th out of the 32 competitors.

Olympian Number 1325 -Brooke Neal, Hockey. Brooke, who plays as a defender for the Northland NHL team, was a member of the Black Sticks that competed at the 2016 Olympics where they finished fourth.

Olympic Participation Pins were then presented to Northland Olympians who competed at the Olympic Games for the second time.

Olympian number 1180, Northland hockey’s Stacey Michelsen

Olympian number 1221 Kerikeri yachtsman Blair Tuke

Check the full list of winners ...  Click here