Fusitu'a And Demant Take Top Honours At Blues Awards
Following a breakout season, Fusitu'a was honoured with the club's top accolade, named as the Better Blues Company Player of the Year.
A model of professionalism, discipline, and growth, Fusitu'a cemented his spot in the starting XV with consistent, high-impact performances throughout 2025. His tireless preparation and attention to detail set the benchmark within the Blues environment.
Meanwhile, talented playmaker Demant capped off an incredible season by being named nib Blues Player of the Year.
With her vision, composure, and game-winning instincts, she played a defining role in the nib Blues' campaign that saw them win back-to-back Super Rugby Aupiki titles.
Her Player of the Match performance in the Super Rugby Women's Champions final capped off one of many standout moments in a stellar year.
In other awards, AJ Lam was named nib Players' Player of the Year - an award voted on by his teammates to reflect character, effort, and consistent contribution.
A work horse on and off the ball, Rieko Ioane took out CMC Markets Back of the Year, while Ricky Riccitelli was named MG Forward of the Year for his consistency in the engine room.
For the women, Portia Woodman-Wickliffe was named 2degrees nib Blues Back of the Year, following a shift to the midfield this season.
Maama Vaipulu earned Barfoot & Thompson nib Blues Forward of the Year, recognised for her unmatched work rate and impact.
Braxton Sorensen-McGee won Komatsu nib Blues Rookie of the Year and Women's Fans' Player of the Year after a sensational debut season, which included a Black Ferns debut.
Xavi Taele was named Blues Rookie of the Year, while Beauden Barrett was the Men's Fans' Player of the Year.
2025 BLUES AWARDS WINNERS
nib Blues Player of the Year
Ruahei Demant
Better Blues Company Player of the Year
Joshua Fusitu'a
nib Players' Player of the Year
AJ Lam
2degrees nib Blues Back of the Year
Portia Woodman-Wickliffe
CMC Markets Blues Back of the Year
Rieko Ioane
Barfoot & Thompson nib Blues Forward of the Year
Maama Vaipulu
MG Blues Forward of the Year
Ricky Riccitelli
Komatsu nib Blues Rookie of the Year
Braxton Sorensen-McGee
Hello Fresh Blues Rookie of the Year
Xavi Taele
Blues Supporters 4Life Fans' Player of the Year
Beauden Barrett and Braxton Sorensen-McGee
KFC Community Award
Katelyn Vaha'akolo
Lockton Development Player of the Year
Cohen Norrie
NZ Funds nib Blues Team Member of the Year
Amy Courtney
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NZ Herald
3 days ago
- NZ Herald
Second person claims freak injury by rugby crossbar at Auckland's St Peter's College
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NZ Herald
25-07-2025
- NZ Herald
Gisborne kayaking, surf lifesaving great Liz Thompson stepping back
'We had an adults' group under way. We lost some of the equipment they were using in Cyclone Gabrielle but they are growing again ... I'll enjoy paddling with them.' Thompson is president of Waikanae Surf Life Saving Club – the first woman to hold that position – and is the first and so far only woman to be made a life member of the club. In his book, A Shade of Blue – A Touch of Gold, on the history of Waikanae SLSC from 1950 to 2000, Dick Glover reflected on candidates for the unofficial title of Waikanae 'Lifesaver of the Century'. In his opinion, five members stood out. 'There is really only one candidate for the women's title and that must be Liz Thompson, nee Blencowe,' Glover wrote. 'Liz's phenomenal record was that, since the inception of women's ski racing at national level, she was placed either first or second in a ski event in every one of the 15 seasons between 1983 and 1998. 'When her results in surf swims and leading role in R & R [rescue and resuscitation] are taken into consideration, she won 14 New Zealand titles and was placed second or third in 24 other events. 'Add to that her encouragement and coaching of young women competitors on top of personal training, a career as a policewoman promoted to sergeant and the onset of motherhood in the mid-90s. The mind boggles at how Liz could juggle so many facets in her life and remain a top competitor.' The other four in Glover's shortlist were Bruce Adams, Grant Bramwell, Alan Thompson and Barry McLean, with McLean getting the author's nod as Waikanae 'Lifeguard of the Century'. Liz Blencowe married Alan Thompson in 1991. Outspoken and driven, Olympic double gold-medallist Thompson could be a handful for officialdom, but Blencowe was a world-class athlete in her own right and they met on equal terms. Working together and separately as required, they built on solid foundations to establish Poverty Bay Kayak Club as a force in New Zealand canoeing. They met before the 1980 Moscow Olympics, when New Zealand canoeists competed in the Australian national championships. Alan Thompson was one of three Kiwi canoeists who competed in the Moscow Games (team coach was Gisborne's John Grant ... he and Thompson adapted running coach Arthur Lydiard's training methods to canoeing). Blencowe had been nominated for the Australian team by her sport – Australia competed in the boycott-affected Games under the Olympic flag – but she did not make the Olympic committee's selection. Their paths crossed again in 1982 at international regattas in the lead-up to the world championships. While European athletes went home between regattas, the New Zealanders, Australians and North Americans hung around the venues, because home was too far away. 'We got to know quite a few of them,' she said. 'I came to Gisborne at the end of '82. I had got to know Alan and the rest of the group. Not a lot was happening in the way of squad for me to train with in Melbourne [her base at the time]. I wanted a fresh outlook. I could have gone to Hungary, but I didn't speak the language, and getting into Hungary was a bit iffy at the time.' It came down to Canada or New Zealand, and Alan was a 'big factor' in her choice to come to Gisborne. Liz Thompson has her game face on, racing for Waikanae Surf Life Saving Club in a surf ski event during her competitive heyday. She returned to Australia for the selection trials for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and was the only woman picked to paddle for Australia at the Games. Women competing in individual events then had only a 500m race in Olympic kayak sprint racing and Liz finished eighth in the final. Back in Gisborne, Alan was keen to have Liz as part of a women's programme. 'He brought in Blair Campbell as coach and recruited three ski paddlers from Ōtaki,' Liz said. 'I had to teach them how to paddle a kayak. 'The boys had done really well. Brian Wilson and Benny Hutchings were the coaches, and Grant [Bramwell], Alan [Thompson] and Robbie Jenkinson were among the paddlers training together. 'Kayak club members used to train from Bill De Costa's section at the end of Fitzherbert St. The woman next door used to let us use her hose to wash the mud off. 'Then the Kiwanis club got behind us and built a clubhouse at Anzac Park. It was opened in 1985. When the girls from Ōtaki arrived, we had changing rooms and hot showers ... amazing facilities.' Kayaking and surf lifesaving co-existed in Liz and Alan's sporting world from 1983 to 2000, with coaching taking a steadily increasing share of their time. From featuring in the lifesaving medal tallies primarily as an individual competitor, Liz Thompson partnered up-and-coming athletes in the double ski, winning nationals gold with Jackie Callahan twice and Leigh Webster three times, and silver with Kristen Glover twice. The first double ski win with Webster, in 1995, came early in Thompson's pregnancy with daughter Kim, and the third, in 1998, came when son Quaid was 5 weeks old. At the latter carnival, Thompson was also a member of silver-medal-winning teams in the women's taplin relay and women's six-place. She gained particular satisfaction from coaching Rachel Beale in the lead-up to her victory in the women's under-19 surf ski in the national champs at Ōakura in 2000, and being handler for Webster when she won the women's ironperson race in the nationals at Gisborne's Midway Beach in 2001. And apart from a few years off when her children were small, she's done her bit on beach patrols. Thompson was born in Mackay, North Queensland, on January 10, 1961. The family lived further south, in a town called Sarina, which didn't have a hospital. A brother, David, is three years older. Their father Lou worked for Kraft Foods and was in Queensland 'for something to do with Vegemite'. Mother Pat was a swimming coach and physical education teacher. When Thompson was 2, the family headed back to Melbourne, her parents' hometown. Pat Blencowe used fun and familiarity in her swimming lessons. She let children get familiar with the water by playing in it and when she introduced them to swimming, it was breaststroke first. In her own swim coaching for Waikanae SLSC, Thompson adopted her mother's approach and didn't teach freestyle until her charges had mastered the 'lifesaving breaststroke'. When Quaid was 7, and about to compete in a breaststroke race, Thompson explained the stroke in terms she had used teaching it to him: 'Open-the-curtains arms and squash-mosquito legs'. 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Otago Daily Times
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