Otorohanga sportspeople and volunteers were celebrated at Wednesday’s 2019 The Lines Company Otorohanga District Sports Awards held at the Otorohanga Sports Club.
 
The Bulklines Otorohanga Men’s A Football Team won the Team of the Year award an impressive three years in a row after winning the Waikato BOP Championship league in the 2019 season and gaining promotion to the WaiBop Federation league for 2020.
 
Cortez Ratima won the Emerging Talent award after a huge year playing for the 2019 NZ Maori Under 20s rugby team, co-captaining the NZ Secondary Schools Sevens team, being a member of the Otorohanga Sports Premier A Team and the 2019 Waikato Chiefs Under 20’s and Development Team, and playing for the Waikato Under 19s.  
 
Marrianne Walton picked up the Coach of the Year award for her commitment to developing umpires to their full potential, coaching umpires at all levels from beginner to New Zealand award.
 
Otorohanga Sports Club’s rugby union player Haereiti Hetet was awarded the Sportsperson of the Year award. Haereiti was a member of the 2019 NZ Maori All Blacks and the 2019 Waikato Rugby ITM Cup Team. A proud, committed member of the Otorohanga Sports Club Premier A Rugby Team, Haereiti was awarded with the Rhys Pevreal Award, Best Team Member 2019.
 
Sport Waikato CEO Matthew Cooper was very pleased with the high calibre of nominations, finalists and winners this year.
 
“What an amazing array of talent we have in the Otorohanga district – the dedication to their chosen sport is evident. And where would our sportspeople be without the fantastic support of the many talented coaches, administrators, officials and supporters,” Cooper 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 30th January 2020 at Claudelands Conference and Event Centre, Hamilton.
 
2019 Winners:
 

Administrator of the Year Craig Thomas
Club of the Year Otorohanga Football Club
Coach of the Year Marrianne Walton
Emerging Talent Cortez Ratima
Innovation in Sport & Recreation Trust Power Otorohanga Friday Night Netball
Secondary School Sportsperson of the Year Erin Hunt
Official of the Year Jo Butcher
Sportsperson of the Year Haereiti Hetet
Team of the Year Bulk Lines Otorohanga Men’s A Football Team
Service to Sport Recipients Dorothy Carr, Emma Telfer, Judy Board
 
View all photos here

Ends.
 
 
For further information, contact:
 
Gilly Alexander | 027 289 9807 or email gillya@sportwaikato.org.nz
 
 
Summary of winners:
 
 
Administrator of the Year: Craig Thomas, Trust Power Otorohanga Netball Centre
Craig is the Junior Coordinator for the Trustpower Otorohanga Netball Centre. Craig's positive leadership has seen more parents becoming involved with netball, in particular Future Ferns, especially dads. The centre has seen huge growth in the Future Ferns programme, going from low numbers in previous years to over 75 tamariki taking part this year.
 
Club of the Year: Otorohanga Football Club
The Otorohanga Football Club has a strong committee working hard behind the scenes. The results are clear with player membership at a record high level, continued investment in youth players, coaching staff and playing facilities, and excellent promotion. The excellent results of all three senior teams are a tribute to the work of the committee. The Otorohanga Summer Soccer League sees over 200 participants playing over the summer months making football a year-round sport in Otorohanga.
 
Coach of the Year: Marrianne Walton, Trust Power Otorohanga Netball Centre
Marrianne coaches’ umpires at all levels from beginner to New Zealand award.  Qualifications gained by umpires within the Otorohanga Centre this season include two Centre theory exam passes, one Centre practical award, one Centre practical award endorsement, two Zone practical awards, one New Zealand theory exam pass and one New Zealand practical award.
 
Emerging Talent: Cortez Ratima, Otorohanga Sports Club, Rugby Union
Cortez has had a huge year; he played for the 2019 NZ Maori Under 20s rugby team, co-captained NZ Secondary Schools Sevens team, was a member of the Otorohanga Sports Premier A Team and the 2019 Waikato Chiefs Under 20s and Development Team, and played Waikato Under 19s.
 
Innovation in Sport & Recreation: Trust Power Otorohanga Friday Night Netball
After over 50 years of Saturday netball, a traditional Saturday sport, netball in Otorohanga changed to Friday night. Origins of the project came from a decrease in number of players in the centre, specifically in the children's grades. In 2018 they ran a trial of senior competition on Friday night. This gained a huge amount of support from the community and at the 2019 AGM it was passed by our members to change all centre netball to Friday night. The changes we made have increased the number of players in all grades and seen the highest number of boys under the age of 12 playing in the centre.
 
Secondary School Sportsperson of the Year: Erin Hunt – Otorohanga College
Erin was a member of the Northern Districts U17 Indoor Cricket team, winners of the National Championship. She is also Waikato Valley Under 18 Girls co-captain, a member of the Northern District Under 18 Girls team, and Northern District Emerging Spirit A team, as well as Otorohanga College 1st XI Girls co-captain.
 
Official of the Year: Jo Butcher – Trust Power Otorohanga Netball Centre
Jo umpires premier grade netball in Hamilton and Te Awamutu, as well as all grades in Otorohanga and Te Kuiti. She umpired at the Waikato Bay of Plenty Zone Secondary School tournament and age-group rep tournaments. Jo's umpiring has gone from strength to strength in the last couple of seasons, culminating in her attaining her New Zealand Umpires C Award in August of this year.
 
Service to Sport Recipient: Dorothy Carr, Trust Power Otorohanga Netball Centre
Dot has been a member of Otorohanga Netball since the age of eight, beginning as a player and moving into coaching while at training college in 1989. She is currently President of the Trustpower Otorohanga Netball Centre, having held this position for over ten years. Organisation, professionalism, time management, communication, inclusiveness, passion, an ability to work effectively with minimum sleep – just a few of Dot’s vast skillset. Dot is passionate about netball development in the wider community, not only for her own family but for many of the tamariki within our community as well as the friends she has made along the way.
 
Service to Sport Recipient: Emma Telfer, Otorohanga Football Club
Emma has been involved in many sports committees and community organisations over the past 15 years in our district. Previously serving on the Otorohanga Netball Committee for many years, Emma is currently involved with the Otorohanga Football Club as Club House Manager and executive committee member, filling many roles for the club. Emma is secretary of the North King Country Junior Football Association where she has pushed and facilitated in representative teams. Emma is a teacher at Kio Kio Primary School and a driving force behind all school sport; she recently led a successful week at AIMS games in Tauranga. Emma is involved with the Combined Otorohanga Primary Schools (COPS) initiative facilitating many multi school sports days for students throughout the year.
 
Service to Sport Recipient: Judy Board, Wharepuhunga Community, Hockey
Judy is a ‘senior hockey player’ who has been playing competitive hockey for many, many years and still competes at events all around the world. Judy travels far and wide to play the game she loves and helps with the sport whenever she can. Judy is such a great role model to young hockey players – a fit, active, competitive 65+ year old still playing and giving back to the sport she loves. Judy recently returned from the Australian Masters Games in Adelaide where her team won a silver medal. Earlier in the year she competed at the Grandmaster European Cup in Belgium and won silver also.
 
Sportsperson of the Year: Haereiti Hetet, Otorohanga Sports Club, Rugby Union
Haereiti was a member of the 2019 NZ Maori All Blacks and the 2019 Waikato Rugby ITM Cup Team.  A proud committed member of the Otorohanga Sports Club Premier A Rugby Team, Haereiti was awarded with the Rhys Pevreal Award, Best Team Member 2019.  Haereiti has lived in Otorohanga all his life and completed his schooling locally, his Rugby playing career started at primary school and progressed through Otorohanga College, he has played for Otorohanga Sports club at Junior, under 21, premier B and Premier A levels  and has represented King Country through the age groups. 
 
Team of the Year: Bulk Lines Otorohanga Men’s A Football Team
Bulklines Otorohanga A were winners of the Waikato BOP Championship league in the 2019 season, gaining promotion to the WaiBop Federation league for 2020. The team were dominant in the league, recording 17 wins, four draws and one loss. The team scored 102 goals and conceded just 17 in the 22 matches played.

See all the photos

2019 The Lines Company Otorohanga District Sports Awards winners announced!

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