Wednesday night saw a number of Otorohanga sportspeople and volunteers recognised at Sport Waikato’s 2018 The Lines Company Otorohanga Sports Awards held at the Otorohanga Club. Mark McKenzie from Otorohanga Football Club took out Coach of the Year after an exceptional year with his team Bulkines Otorohanga A Football Team winning the Waikato A Division and Waikato Knockout Cup in 2018 – an historic double for the team.
Bev Watts was awarded Administrator of the Year for dedication to growing the Otorohanga Districts Junior Rugby club from the ground up. She is passionate, reliable, organised and has exceeded the growth of junior numbers. Jo Butcher picked up the Official of the Year award for her commitment to netball umpiring, recently being appointed to the New Zealand Under 17 Tournament at Palmerston North.
Otorohanga College student Erin Hunt won the award for Secondary School Sportsperson; she is a rising talent in cricket and a Waikato Valley and Northern Districts Under 18 representative player. Erin was also a member of the Northern Districts Indoor Cricket team who were winners at a national tournament.
Sport Waikato Regional Capability & Events Coordinator Gilly Alexander was very pleased with the high calibre of nominations, finalists and winners this year.
“We have some really amazing talent in the Otorohanga district, and it’s evident that the determination from all our sportspeople is really paying off. And of course those sportspeople could not do what they do without the fantastic support of the many talented coaches, administrators, officials and supporters,” Alexander said.
Congratulations to all nominees and eligible winners who will now be considered as finalists for the Brian Perry Waikato Regional Sports Awards to be held on Thursday 31st January 2019 at Claudelands Conference and Event Centre, Hamilton.
2018 winners:
Service to Sport: Hano Green, Mike Jones, Bernard McDowell, Dawn McDowell, Bubba Mulligan-Green, Missy Puu
Administrator of the Year: Bev Watts
Coach of the Year: Mark McKenzie
Official of the Year: Jo Butcher
Club of the Year: Otorohanga Football Club
Team of the Year: Bulk Lines Otorohanga Men’s A Football Team
Secondary School Sportsperson of the Year: Erin Hunt
Sportsperson of the Year: Jamie Walker
Emerging Talent: Raiki Willison
Summary of winners:
Service to Sport Recipient: Hano Green, Power Pulling
Known for his iron grip and a huge passion for the sport of Power Pulling, Hano has over 20 years of service chalked up. Huge in stature it’s no wonder he turned out on the Boards for his clubs as an Anchor, Semi and Skip, bringing the house down wherever they pulled throughout the country on regional and national stages representing his club and his country. Hano and his crew make regular appearances at tribal events during the Waikato-Tainui Games and the Te Kawau Maro o Maniapoto Hui a Iwi, also known as the Maniapoto Games. We acknowledge them on behalf of Maniapoto Iwi.
Service to Sport Recipient: Mike Jones, Golf
Jonesy’s volunteering began with coaching his son’s college rugby team, then he later came out of retirement to coach grandson Tori’s very successful team. He is very proud of the fact this little Otorohanga team beat all of the Auckland teams in an Upper-North Island tournament and got to the final against Pukekohe. The team had a sterling few years under Jonesy.
The Waitomo Golf club and Otorohanga Golf section have received many years of volunteer service from Jonesy. It may have been organising national or North Island chartered club tournaments or selecting and managing teams to travel to tournaments around the country; he always tried to accommodate everyone. As Waitomo Golf Club committee member and club Captain he did a huge job, running tournaments and competitions, prizegivings, club days and many other events. As onsite caterer he was the go-to person in all situations.
Service to Sport Recipient: Bernard McDowell, Golf & Dawn McDowell, Equestrian
Dawn and Bernie were made life members of the Otorohanga Pony Club in 2017 for the 35 plus years they have both dedicated to reviving and keeping the club alive for future generations. Dawn has served as President, secretary/treasurer, committee member and one of a small team who stepped in to bring the club back to life when closure was looming. As a keen rider and equestrian, herself, Dawn organised the very popular annual Pony club treks which often meant three days or more in the saddle out in various remote locations. The McDowell’s hosted an open One Day Event on their farm for over 10 years.
Bernie has also given many years of his time to Waitomo Golf Club, serving on committee as Club Captain, President, organiser of representative teams and many other tasks. A truly unique and admired character, our Bernie, famous for his ‘can do anything’ and ‘we’ll give it a go’ attitude, fixing mowers and tractors and taking to trees dangling from a rope with his chainsaw swinging, a Health and Safety nightmare by today’s standards but good old Bernie always got the job done.
Service to Sport Recipient: Bubba Mulligan-Green, Power Pulling
Bubba has been around the Boards for more than 20 years and has been a member of many successful teams in her time as a puller. Her vast experience has been well received, from a Skip to a facilitator, mentor and trainer. Many tribal teams can say they have been successful in their designated events under Bubba’s leadership. Te Kawau Maro o Maniapoto Trust and the Iwi thank Bubba for her services.
Service to Sport Recipient: Missy Puu, Power Pulling
Missy has been involved in various sports from softball to rugby and rugby league and has always been around to ensure that her children, grandchildren and their friends have a voice and an opportunity to participate in as many sports as they can. Often seen at many sport forums and bringing her views to the table, Missy has always put others before herself. Te Kawau Maro would particularly like to thank Missy for the many years of service she has provided to her iwi of Maniapoto and Waikato for sharing her experience of Power Pulling at Regional and National competitions. Missy has been a formidable contender on the boards and has anchored for the best in New Zealand.
Administrator of the Year: Bev Watts – Otorohanga Junior Rugby
Bev is the Otorohanga Districts Junior Rugby administrator coordinating 140 children ranging from 5 years to 13 years. Included in her duties are organising coaches, arranging transport, distributing and collecting gear, liaising with King Country Rugby for draws and referees, and organising rep teams and tournaments.
Coach of the Year: Mark McKenzie – Otorohanga Football Club
Mark is coach/manager of Bulklines Otorohanga A Football team, winners of the Waikato A Division and Waikato Knockout Cup in 2018, an historic double for the team. Mark has an excellent knowledge of the game and laws of football. He has a calm and controlled nature, and this spread throughout the team in a positive way.
Official of the Year: Jo Butcher – Otorohanga Netball Centre
Jo was appointed to the New Zealand Under 17 tournament at Palmerston North this year which is testament to her work ethic and commitment netball umpiring. Jo undertakes the coaching of umpires in both Otorohanga and Te Kuiti. Added to this Jo is also Treasurer for the KCE Otorohanga Netball Centre.
Club of the Year: Otorohanga Football Club
The Otorohanga Football Club had an outstanding year in 2018, achieving a remarkable double of winning the Waikato Football A Division title as well as the Waikato Cup knockout competition (defending the Cup that they won for the first time in 2017). The Club has maintained its strong growth with over 60 registered senior players in winter (three senior teams) and over 200 registered Summer Soccer players (18 teams).
Team of the Year: Bulk Lines Otorohanga Men’s A Football Team
The team produced a historic double of winning Waikato Football's two major titles, the Waikato A Division as well as the Waikato (knockout) Cup. The team has now gained promotion to the Waikato Bay of Plenty Football League, which they will play in in 2019.
Secondary School Sportsperson of the Year: Erin Hunt – Otorohanga College
Erin is Waikato Valley and Northern Districts U18 Representative cricket player. She is a member of the Northern Districts Indoor Cricket team who were winners at a national tournament. Erin is a rising talent in cricket, coaches say she is a pleasure to coach.
Emerging Talent: Raiki Willison – Otorohanga Sports Club
Raiki is in the New Zealand Open Men’s Touch team for the Open Trans-Tasman Series, selected through regional and provincial representation and trials. He was also identified at the Youth/Open National tournament to attend the 2018 Youth World Cup trials for the U20 NZ Team to Kuala Lumpaur, Malaysia.
Sportsperson of the Year: Jamie Walker – Otorohanga Football Club
Jamie was player/coach of the Otorohanga Football Club's flagship team, Bulklines Otorohanga A and was recently announced as winner of the Waikato A Division player of the Year, a well-deserved award after a stellar season. This was voted on by players and officials throughout the Waikato region.
Winners Photos
All Photos