Van der Kaay had an outstanding year placing third at the Kinloch ITU Sprint Triathlon Championships and was the first New Zealander home, and in World Triathlon Series events, she placed 21st and 16th.
 
Great Lake Taupo Hockey Club was awarded Club of the Year for the growth of their facilities as well as increasing numbers of representative players, with two players being selected for Under 18 Midlands teams and one for the New Zealand U18 Men's Development Team.
 
Sport Waikato Taupo District Coordinator Christine Turton was very pleased with the high caliber of nominations, finalists and winners this year.
 
“We have had an amazing spread of talent across all categories this year, and it’s great to see the hard work and determination from all our sportspeople really paying off. And those sportspeople could not do what they do without the fantastic support of the many talented coaches, administrators, officials and supporters,” Turton said.
 
Eligible winners are now considered for the Brian Perry Waikato Regional Sports Awards on Thursday 1st February, 2018 at Claudelands Conference and Event Centre, Hamilton.
 

2017 winners:

Service to Sport: Steve Currie, Rod Hornsey, Raewyn Ireland, Stu Martin, Murray Reid, Maggie Sando
Administrator of the Year: Jo Martin
Coach of the Year: Robyn Harrison
Team of the Year: Taupo-nui-a-Tia College 1st XI Boys’ Hockey Team
Junior Sportsperson - Team: Josh Tiplady
Junior Sportswoman - Individual: Sammie Maxwell
Junior Sportsman – Individual: Hugo Cameron
Sportsman of the Year: Brad Groombridge
Sportswoman of the Year: Nicole van der Kaay
Club of the Year: Great Lake Taupo Hockey Club
Official of the Year: Stephen Holdsworth
Premier Sportsperson of the Year: Nicole van der Kaay
Taupo Sports Advisory Council Outstanding Contribution to Sport recipient: Peter Roberts
 
Ends.
 
For further information, contact:

Sport Waikato Taupo District Coordinator Christine Turton
027 226 5281 or email taupo@sportwaikato.org.nz
 
 

Summary of winners:

 
Administrator of the Year: Jo Martin
In 2017 Jo was the Taupo Netball Centre's junior coordinator, future ferns' coordinator and a club board member. The junior programmes involved approximately 600 children from year one to eight. Due to the numbers, Jo needed to recruit and train volunteers to assist with delivery of this popular programme.
 
Official of the Year: Stephen Holdsworth
As a cycling official, Stephen was head commisaire at the 2017 Oceania Track Championships, the World Masters Games and the National Age Group Time Trials. He was commissaire at the Elite Nationals , and the Age Groups' National Track and Road race events.
 
Coach of the Year: Robyn Harrison
Robyn is coach of the Taupo-nui-a-Tia College 1st XI Boys' Hockey Team, winners of the National Founders Cup Tier 3 Secondary School Tournament and the Bay of Plenty Secondary Schools' Competition. In 2018 this team will compete in the top tier for Rankin Cup at the National Secondary Schools' Hockey Tournament.
 
Team of the Year: Taupo-nui-a-Tia College 1st XI Boys' Hockey Team
As winners of the Tier 3 Founders Cup at the New Zealand Secondary School Tournament, the boys' hockey team have been promoted to the Tier 1 and 2 Rankin Cup and India Shield Tournament for 2018. Five players represent the Bay of Plenty or Midlands region and one player has been selected in the New Zealand U18 Men's Development squad.
 
Club of the Year: Great Lake Taupo Hockey Club
In 2017 the hockey club installed a new, Olympic grade $250 000 turf. Taupo representative players made up nearly 40% of the 13-18 year old representative players in the Bay of Plenty teams. Two players were selected for U18 Midlands teams and one for the New Zealand U18 Men's Development Team.
 
Junior Sportsperson of the Year (team sport): Josh Tiplady
Josh was a member of the New Zealand U17 Volleyball Team that played in Melbourne against Australian teams. He play in the U20 Bay of Plenty Men's Volleyball Team that won silver at the Natioanl Tournament and also played in the National Secondary Schools' Championships.
 
Junior Sportswoman of the Year (individual sport): Sammie Maxwell
In 2017 Sammie place 1st in the U17 age group at both the Mountain Bike New Zealand Championships and the New Zealand Secondary Schools' Mountain Bike Championships, competing in fields of 4 and 6 respectively. She was 1st female in five Nduro winter and summer series races and the Crater Classic mid-course race.
 
Junior Sportsman of the Year (individual sport): Hugo Cameron
Hugo has been selected by Snow Sports New Zealand for the New Zealand Freeride Team. In the New Zealand Freeride Tour Hugo gain two seconds and one fourth, which saw him secure second place overall. With a Junior Men's Worldwide seeding of 13 from 312 registered athletes, Hugo has been invited to the 2018 World Junior Freeride Championships.
 
Sportswoman of the Year & Premier Award winner: Nicole van der Kaay
Racing in the open elite section, Nicole placed third in the Kinloch ITU Sprint Triathlon Championships and was first New Zealander home. In World Triathlon Series events Nicole place 21st and 16th, in World Cup events she placed fourth, fifth and 13th and won two Asian Cup events.
 
Sportsman of the Year: Brad Groombridge
Brad competes in three motorcycle disciplines. He was first in the National Cross Country event and second in the National Enduro event. In placing first in the Iron Man epic 4 hour cross country Brad was also first overall beating all the teams as well as the individuals competing.
 
Taupo Sports Advisory Council Outstanding Contribution to Sport recipient: Peter Roberts
Our recipient of the 2017 Outstanding Contribution to Sport has been involved in his chosen sport in Taupo since 1972. Over the past 45 years he has dedicated many hours to administrative and management roles as well as refereeing duties on the field of play. Since 1989 our recipient has been instrumental in organising and maintaining a strong referee network in Taupo and has been referee coach since 2000. He has written hundreds of reports on visiting and local referees, helping to develop and improve their skills. His knowledge and experience has assisted the development of refereeing in the King Country province. He has been the appointment manager of King Country rugby games since 2006. Our recipient is a life member of the Taupo Rugby Football Sub-union, the King Country Rugby Referees Association and the Taupo Referees Association.  His passion and dedication to his sport has ensured that rugby in Taupo continues.
 
Service to Sport: Steve Currie
Steve has been an integral part of Tri Sport Taupo since the club’s inception. He is a long standing committee member, records all the club statistics, puts together the club’s annual calendar, creates plans for and measures the club night races and the annual Kinloch triathlon. Each year Steve collates the list of Erin Baker and Cameron Brown recipients for the sports awards and he has competed in all 35 of the Erin Baker Olympic distance triathlons.
 
Service to Sport: Rod Hornsey
Rod joined the Taupo Rugby Club committee at the AGM in 1998, remaining a member for 5 years. He then went on the sub-union committee and was made a life member in 2011. Rod has manned the scoreboard at Owen Delany Park for the last 19 years and has been involved in the Tiny Black programme for the last 10 years. Over the year’s Rod has dedicated much of his time to rugby. He has a vast knowledge of the game and is a constant face in the scoreboard house.
 
Service to Sport: Raewyn Ireland
Raewyn is the founder and head instructor at the 20 year old Taupo Aikido Club. She has been training aikido for almost 37 years with hundreds of students trained in this time. Raewyn achieved her Go dan 5th black belt last year, becoming one of the few New Zealand women to do so. Her dedication to the club and its student has seen Raewyn become one of New Zealand’s longest standing practitioners of this Japanese self-defence art.
 
Service to Sport: Stu Martin
Stu has been a representative cricket player at a local, provincial and national level. He has coached for more than 16 years from junior through to Northern Districts representative level. He has been instrumental in initiating a pathway for cricket players from Taupo junior level to premier Bay-wide cricket. Stu's passion for cricket continues to inspire all those around him; from a board level through to the young players he manages and coaches.
 
Service to Sport: Murray Reid
Murray has been involved with Taupo Athletics since 1985.  From 2000 he has continued to support and be involved without any family members involved.  Murray is the club starter and supports all children who attend Taupo Athletics with his knowledge of athletics. His long service to Taupo Athletics has allowed the club to continue to move ahead and provide a relatively cheap sport option for children within the Taupo community.
 
Service to Sport: Maggie Sando
Maggie has been the secretary and treasurer of Taupo Athletics club for the last 9 years.  She not only takes care of the logistics of the club but also on a weekly basis has supported the club.  Maggie will regularly be seen on a Thursday evening raking the sand pit and assisting children in long jump. For many years Maggie was the force behind the Taupo ribbon day and encouraged participation in the opportunities that athletics offers children.