Captain Sam Cane is among a trio of nominations for All Blacks Player of the Year at the NZ Rugby Awards on Thursday.
Fresh from leading New Zealand to a Tri-Nations title in his first season as skipper, Cane will contest the evening's top prize with hooker Dane Coles and halfback Aaron Smith.
The Highlanders halfback is in line to be a big winner on the night, also in the running for both Super Rugby Aotearoa Player of the Year and Tom French Memorial Māori Rugby Player of the Year.
Smith will be up against Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu, Crusaders pivot Richie Mo'unga and Hurricanes fullback Jordie Barrett as Super Rugby’s best, while Māori All Blacks captain Ash Dixon and World Sevens Series winner Stacey Fluhler stand in his way for Māori Player of the Year.
As voted each game by Sky TV commentary team, Duane Monkley Medal finalists as the Mitre 10 Cup's best are Hawke’s Bay halfback Folau Fakatava, Auckland outside back Salesi Rayasi and Bay of Plenty fullback Kaleb Trask.
Nominated for the Fiao’o Faamausili Medal (Farah Palmer Cup Player of the Year) are Stacey Fluhler, Waikato teammate Chelsea Alley, and Canterbury's Kendra Cocksedge.
Alley and Cocksedge also join Waikato's Kennedy Simon as nominees for Black Ferns Player of the Year.
Championship-winning teams Tasman, Hawke’s Bay, the Crusaders and Canterbury women have the chance to pick up another piece of silverware, as all are nominated for National Team of the Year.
The nod for Coach of the Year will go to either Crusaders' coach Scott Robertson, Tasman's Andrew Goodman and Clarke Dermody, Waikato FPC coach James Semple or Hawke’s Bay's Mark Ozich.
Ben O'Keeffe, Paul Williams and Mike Fraser are nominated for New Zealand Rugby Referee of the Year.
Full list of nominees:
All Blacks Player of the Year
Sam Cane, Dane Coles, Aaron Smith
Fiao’o Faamausili Medal (Farah Palmer Cup Player of the Year)
Chelsea Alley (Waikato), Kendra Cocksedge (Canterbury), Stacey Fluhler (Waikato)
National Coach of the Year
Andrew Goodman & Clarke Dermody (Tasman), Mark Ozich (Hawke’s Bay), Scott Robertson (Crusaders), James Semple (Waikato FPC)
New Zealand Coach of the Year
Allan Bunting & Cory Sweeney (Black Ferns Sevens), Ian Foster (All Blacks), Clark Laidlaw (All Blacks Sevens), Glenn Moore (Black Ferns), Clayton McMillian (Maori All Blacks)
Super Rugby Player of the Year
Jordie Barrett (Hurricanes), Richie Mo’unga (Crusaders), Aaron Smith (Highlanders), Patrick Tuipulotu (Blues)
Tom French Memorial Māori Player of the Year
Ash Dixon (Ngāti Tahinga), Stacey Fluhler (Tuhoe/Te Arawa), Aaron Smith (Ngāti Kahungunu)
Richard Crawshaw Memorial All Blacks Sevens Player of the Year
Scott Curry, Tim Mikkelson, Ngarohi McGarvey-Black
Black Ferns Sevens Player of the Year
Kelly Brazier, Stacey Fluhler, Tyla Nathan-Wong
Black Ferns Player of the Year
Chelsea Alley, Kendra Cocksedge, Kennedy Simon
National Team of the Year
Crusaders, Hawke’s Bay, Canterbury (FPC), Tasman
New Zealand Team of the Year
All Blacks, All Blacks Sevens, Black Ferns, Black Ferns Sevens, Māori All Blacks
Charles Monro Rugby Volunteer of the Year
Jane Chamberlain (Horowhenua Kapiti), Allen Grainger (Waikato), Scott Kahle (Bay of Plenty)
Try of the Year
Neria Fomai (Hawke's Bay), Jack Jones (Christ's College), Bethel Lutele-Malasia (Napier Boys' High School)
New Zealand Referee of the Year
Mike Fraser, Ben O’Keeffe, Paul Williams
Duane Monkley Medal (Mitre 10 Cup Player of the Year)
Folau Fakatava (Hawke’s Bay), Salesi Rayasi (Auckland), Kaleb Trask (Bay of Plenty)
