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The Silver Ferns have claimed New Zealand’s top sports honours for 2019 at the 57th ISPS Handa Halberg Awards - during a ceremony at Spark Arena in Auckland last evening. 

The Netball World Cup winning team claimed the ISPS Handa Team of the Year award before being presented the supreme Halberg Award by Governor-General of New Zealand and Halberg Foundation Patron, Dame Patsy Reddy and ISPS Handa Ambassador Richie McCaw. 

The Silver Ferns were recognised for winning the Netball World Cup to claim the ISPS Handa Team of the Year award edging out the Black Ferns Sevens, BLACKCAPS, the Women’s Double of Olivia Loe and Brooke Donoghue and Women’s Eight rowing crews.

10 awards and a Sports Hall of Fame inductee were presented during the live ceremony to honour and celebrate New Zealand sporting achievement in 2019. Hosted by the Halberg Foundation, the event was also the major fundraiser for the charity set up by Olympic athletics champion Sir Murray Halberg (ONZ).

Israel Adesanya was named the ISPS Handa Sportsman of the Year after becoming the UFC Middleweight Champion title in 2019. He claimed the honours ahead of shot putter Tom Walsh, motor racing driver Scott McLaughlin and BLACKCAPS captain Kane Williamson.

Lisa Carrington won the High Performance Sport New Zealand Sportswoman of the Year for the fourth consecutive year. The canoe racer who claimed two world titles in 2019 collected the award ahead of Silver Ferns captain Laura Langman, snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott and motorcross rider Courtney Duncan.

Sophie Pascoe claimed the ISPS Handa Para athlete/team of the Year category for the seventh time. The Para swimmer who won four gold medals at the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships was named ahead of fellow Para swimmer and Wheel Black Cameron Leslie, the Para cycling team of Emma Foy and Hannah van Kampen, and Para shot putter Lisa Adams.

Noeline Taurua was named the Buddle Findlay Coach of the Year award. The Silver Ferns coach who led the team to World Cup victory was named ahead of Gordon Walker (canoe racing), Eugene Bareman (mixed martial arts) Gary Hay (rowing) and Roly Crichton (Para swimming). 

Alice Robinson won the Sky Sport Emerging Talent award and a $10,000 cheque from Sky Sport. The ski racer who won gold in the giant slalom at the FIS Alpine World Cup edged out swimmer Erika Fairweather, cyclist Laurence Pithie and the sailing crew of Seb Menzies and Blake McGlashan.

The Silver Ferns winning the Netball World Cup was chosen as New Zealand’s Favourite Sporting Moment of 2019 - the only award voted on by the public.

During the ceremony, Dame Noeline Taurua was presented with the Sport New Zealand Leadership Award. Former All Black Sid Going was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame. Yvonne Willering was also recognised with the Lifetime Achievement Award for services to netball.

The Awards were created by Olympic champion Sir Murray Halberg (ONZ) in 1963 to honour sporting excellence and as a major fundraiser for the Halberg Foundation - his charity which aims to enhance the lives of physically disabled young New Zealanders by enabling them to participate in sport and recreation.

The Halberg Foundation has a team of Advisers around the country who connect physically disabled young people to sport and recreation opportunities, they also deliver an inclusion training course on adapting physical activity and assist clubs, schools and organisations to provide inclusive events and programmes. The Halberg Games is a three-day national sports competition for physically disabled young people.

57th ISPS Handa Halberg Awards full list of winners and finalists                        

Halberg Award (supreme) winner: Silver Ferns (netball)

ISPS Handa Team of the Year winner: Silver Ferns (netball)
Finalists: Black Ferns Sevens (rugby), BLACKCAPS (cricket), Women’s Eight (rowing), Women’s Double - Olivia Loe Brooke Donoghue - (rowing).

ISPS Handa Para athlete/team of the Year winner: Sophie Pascoe (Para swimming)
Finalists: Cameron Leslie (Para swimming, wheelchair rugby) , Emma Foy and Hannah van Kampen (Para cycling), Lisa Adams (Para athletics).

High Performance Sport New Zealand Sportswoman of the Year winner: Lisa Carrington (canoe racing)
Finalists: Courtney Duncan (motorcycling), Laura Langman (netball), Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (snowboarding).

ISPS Handa Sportsman of the Year winner: Israel Adesanya (mixed martial arts)
Finalists: Kane Williamson (cricket), Scott McLaughlin (motorsport), Tom Walsh (athletics).

Buddle Findlay Coach of the Year winner: Dame Noeline Taurua (netball)
Finalists: Eugene Bareman (mixed martial arts), Gary Hay (rowing), Gordon Walker (canoe racing), Roly Crichton (Para swimming).

Sky Sport Emerging Talent winner: Alice Robinson (ski racing)
Finalists: Erika Fairweather (swimming), Laurence Pithie (cycling), Seb Menzies and Blake McGlashan (yachting).

New Zealand’s Favourite Sporting Moment winner: Silver Ferns (netball)

Sport New Zealand Leadership Award winner: Dame Noeline Taurua (netball)

Hall of Fame inductee: Sid Going (rugby)

Lifetime Achievement Award winner: Yvonne Willering (netball)

Named after Olympic champion Sir Murray Halberg (ONZ), the ISPS Handa Halberg Awards is the country's pre-eminent event to honour and celebrate New Zealand sporting excellence.

It also provides the Halberg Foundation with a flagship fundraising opportunity for Sir Murray's charity, which aims to enhance the lives of physically disabled New Zealanders by enabling them to participate in sport and recreation.

Images: The Halberg Awards (top) and the Awards' recognition of the Silver Ferns (below).

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