Free forward Cane, who was named chief in May, drove an All Blacks side that held the Bledisloe Cup for the eighteenth consecutive season prior to fixing the Tri Nations title recently.
In any case, it was the Black Ferns Sevens who got the Team of the Year grant for a third consecutive time after they asserted the World Rugby Sevens Series as title pioneers when the opposition was sliced short because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Their mentors Allan Bunting and Corey Sweeney were named global mentors of the year, with Super Rugby Aotearoa champion Crusaders’ tutor Scott Robertson named homegrown mentor of the year.
Māori All Blacks commander, Highlanders and Hawke’s Bay whore Ash Dixon won the Tom French Memorial Māori Player of the Year, while his Hawke’s Bay colleague halfback Folau Fakatava was granted the Duane Monkley Medal for the best part in the Miter 10 Cup.
Canterbury halfback Kendra Cocksedge got the Fiao’o Faamausili Medal for Player of the Farah Palmer Cup, while Waikato Captain and midfielder Chelsea Alley was compensated with the Black Ferns Player of the Year.
Previous All Black Bryan Williams was named the current year’s Steinlager Salver in acknowledgment of his commitment to rugby more than fifty years.
“Sam Cane was an impressive pioneer in 2020 and performed so commendably in the dark shirt, while Ash Dixon was a power in each pullover he wore for the current year,” New Zealand Rugby CEO Mark Robinson said.
“It’s incredible to see Sir Bryan perceived for his great commitment to the game, both on and off the field, with the Steinlager Salver. He is a genuinely meriting beneficiary.
“The Black Ferns Sevens keep on setting the norm with their exhibitions, and we anticipate seeing what they and the All Blacks Sevens can accomplish one year from now.”
-RNZ
