Nominations are being sought for the Norwood New Zealand Rural Sports Awards.
This is the seventh year the awards will honour the athletes, volunteers and administrators who make rural sports possible.
Organisers expect to receive nominations for sports as varied as wood chopping, shearing, horse riding, tree climbing, shooting, highland heavies, gumboot throwing and fencing.
Convenor of judges and Olympic medallist rower Nathan Twaddle said given the disruptions of covid-19, the awards in 2023 will be for achievements in both 2021 and 2022.
A new award that is being offered is the Future Post Rural Sportsperson with a Disability.
“We want to ensure our awards are open to everyone. The new award will ensure those rural sports athletes with disabilities are recognised.”
Norwood chief executive Tim Myers said the awards recognise those who are passionate about heritage sports.
“Every year, it is awe-inspiring to hear the stories and achievements of rural sports athletes, many of whom are world champions in their discipline,” Myers said.
“It’s also heartening to hear about the dedication of rural sports administrators to their sports. Many of them are the glue that keeps heritage sports alive in rural New Zealand today.”
Nominations are now open for:
• The PTS Logistics New Zealand Rural Sportsman of the Year Award
• The Skellerup New Zealand Rural Sportswoman of the Year Award
• The Fonterra Young New Zealand Rural Sportsperson of the Year Award
• The Levno Outstanding Contribution to New Zealand Rural Sports Award
• The Courtesy Ford Lifetime Legacy Award
• Future Post Rural Sportsperson with a Disability
Two other awards will be announced on the night of the Norwood New Zealand Rural Sports Awards:
• The Sir Brian Lochore Memorial Award for Outstanding Sportsperson from a Rural Background – finalists and the winner are announced on the night of the awards.
• The Norwood Supreme New Zealand Rural Sportsperson Award – judges select one overall winner to go home with the Supreme Award.
Nominations close at 5pm on January 23 and finalists will be announced in February 2023.
The awards will be presented at a gala function at Awapuni Racecourse on Friday, March 10, during the New Zealand Rural Games Weekend in Palmerston North.
Nominations can be made here.
