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Cape Town - Black Ferns scrumhalf Kendra Cocksedge made history on Thursday when she became the first woman to be crowned the New Zealand Player of the Year.
According to the All Blacks’ official website, Cocksedge - a 47-Test cap Black Fern - is the first woman to receive the Kelvin R Tremain Memorial award.
In sublime form in 2018, Cocksedge emerged the winner of the prestigious award from a strong field of nominees featuring All Blacks Brodie Retallick, Richie Mo’unga, and Codie Taylor.
She was also named the New Zealand Rugby Women’s Player of the Year - her second time (last in 2015) winning that award - and won the Fiao’o Faamausili Medal for player of the Farah Palmer Cup.
The awards cement her status as the most outstanding player in fifteens rugby in New Zealand - male or female - in 2018. She joins an impressive alumnus of previous winners including Sam Whitelock, Beauden Barrett, Ma’a Nonu, Brodie Retallick, Kieran Read and Richie McCaw.
The Black Ferns Sevens were crowned the New Zealand Team of Year - their first time winning the honour after a remarkable year with double-gold at the Commonwealth Games and at the Rugby World Cup 7s.
This year’s expanded awards celebrated the best of provincial and Super Rugby teams with back-to-back Super Rugby champions, the Crusaders, winning the inaugural National Team of the Year and Auckland head coach Alama Ieremia named the National Coach of the Year.
It was a huge night for the Crusaders whose flyhalf Richie Mo’unga saw off his team-mate Matt Todd and the Chiefs’ Solomon Alaimalo to win Super Rugby Player of the Year; Crusaders and All Blacks hooker Codie Taylor was named the Tom French Memorial Maori Player of the Year, and Crusaders and Canterbury lock Luke Romano was awarded the Duane Monkley Medal for player of the Mitre 10 Cup.
Full list of award winners:
Sky Television Fans Try of the Year
Winner: Chris Hala’ufia (St Peter's College)
Nominees: Kelly Brazier (Black Fern Sevens), Richie Mo'unga (Crusaders)
New Zealand Rugby Referee of the Year
Winner: Glen Jackson (Bay of Plenty)
Nominees: Richard Kelly (Taranaki), Rebecca Mahoney (Wairarapa Bush)
Charles Monro Rugby Volunteer of the Year
Winner: Irene Eruera-Taiapa (Horowhenua Kapiti)
Nominees: Steve Webling (Taranaki), Kim Wheeler (King Country)
New Zealand Rugby Age Grade Player of the Year
Winner: Tom Christie (Canterbury)
Nominees: Sam Darry (Canterbury), Risaleaana Pouri-Lane (Tasman), Kaleb Trask (Bay of Plenty)
Mitre 10 Heartland Championship Player of the Year
Winner: Brett Ranga (Thames Valley)
Nominees: Craig Clare (Wanganui), Willie Wright (South Canterbury)
Duane Monkley Medal
Winner: Luke Romano (Canterbury)
Nominees: TJ Faiane (Auckland), Fletcher Smith (Waikato)
Fiao’o Faamausili Medal
Winner: Kendra Cocksedge (Canterbury)
Nominees: Krysten Cottrell (Hawke’s Bay), Jackie Patea-Fereti (Wellington)
National Coach of the Year
Winner: Alama Ieremia (Auckland)
Nominees: Kieran Kite (Canterbury FPC), Scott Robertson (Crusaders)
New Zealand Coach of the Year
Winner: Clark Laidlaw (All Blacks Sevens)
Nominees: Allan Bunting (Black Ferns Sevens), Steve Hansen (All Blacks)
Super Rugby Player of the Year
Winner: Richie Mo'unga (Crusaders)
Nominees: Solomon Alaimalo (Chiefs), Matt Todd (Crusaders)
Tom French Memorial Maori Player of the Year
Winner: Codie Taylor (Ngati Raukawa / Muaupoko)
Nominees: Sarah Goss (Ngati Kahungunu), Rieko Ioane (Ngapuhi / Te Whanau a Apanui)
Richard Crawshaw Memorial All Blacks Sevens Player of the Year
Winner: Scott Curry (Bay of Plenty)
Nominees: Vilimoni Koroi (Otago), Regan Ware (Bay of Plenty)
Black Ferns Sevens Player of the Year
Winner: Michaela Blyde (Bay of Plenty)
Nominees: Kelly Brazier (Bay of Plenty), Sarah Goss (Manawatu)
New Zealand Rugby Women’s Player of the Year
Winner: Kendra Cocksedge (Canterbury)
Nominees: Aroha Savage (Counties Manukau), Selica Winiata (Manawatu)
Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Player of the Year
Winner: Kendra Cocksedge (Canterbury)
Nominees: Richie Mo’unga (Canterbury), Brodie Retallick (Hawkes Bay), Codie Taylor (Canterbury)
National Team of the Year
Winner: Crusaders
Nominees: Auckland, Thames Valley
New Zealand Team of the Year
Winner: Black Ferns Sevens
Nominees: All Blacks, All Blacks Sevens
Previous Kelvin R Tremain award winners (last 10 years):
2017 - Samuel Whitelock
2016 - Beauden Barrett
2015 - Ma’a Nonu
2014 - Brodie Retallick
2013 - Kieran Read
2012 - Richie McCaw
2011 - Jerome Kaino
2010 - Kieran Read
2009 - Richie McCaw
2008 - Andrew Hore
?? Congratulations once more to Kendra Cocksedge, the first ever female to win the Kel Tremain Player of the Year award!#ASBRugbyAwards pic.twitter.com/MYVDJdTA4z
— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) December 13, 2018
And the winner of the @skysportnz Fans Try of the Year is.......Chris Hala'ufia from St Peter's College!#ASBRugbyAwards pic.twitter.com/9buTzTJQr8
— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) December 13, 2018
?? What a night at the #ASBRugbyAwards!
— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) December 13, 2018
Catch up on all the history-making action here ???? https://t.co/OKGLYQayHL pic.twitter.com/ADJsxZW9d8
