Black Ferns halfback Kendra Cocksedge has won the New Zealand Rugby Player of the Year award.
New Zealand Rugby Women's Player of the Year winner Black Ferns Kendra Cocksedge. Photo: © Photosport Ltd 2018 www.photosport.nz
It's the first time in history a woman has won the Kelvin R Tremain Memorial trophy.
Cocksedge, the 47-Test cap veteran, lead Canterbury to their second successive Farah Palmer Cup title and was a standout performer for the Black Ferns in 2018.
She was also named the New Zealand Rugby Women's Player of the Year for the second time (last in 2015), and won the Fiao'o Faamausili Medal for player of the Farah Palmer Cup.
HISTORY! Kendra Cocksedge is the first ever female Kel Tremain Player of the Year award winner! #ASBRugbyAwards pic.twitter.com/6pC17O9cMh
— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) December 13, 2018
Cocksedge was up against All Blacks Brodie Retallick, Richie Mo'unga and Codie Taylor.
"It means the world and the blood sweat and tears that goes into putting on any type of jersey, when you win awards like this it pays off," says Cocksedge
"It's stepping stones that we are making here and going forward we are going to keep paving the way in the women's game."
"I'm hoping that there is a young me out there somewhere watching and wanting to aspire to want to win an award like this in the future."
The night belonged to New Zealand's women's rugby teams with the Black Ferns Sevens crowned Team of the Year following their double-gold at the Commonwealth Games and Sevens World Cup.
The Crusaders won the National Team of the Year and Auckland's Alama Ieremia was named National Coach of the Year.
Richie Mo'unga was named Super Rugby player of the year after helping guide the Crusaders to back-to-back Super Rugby titles, while his teammate Codie Taylor was named Maori Player of the Year.
All Black Sevens coach Clark Laidlaw was named New Zealand coach of the Year after helping guide the side to Commonwealth Games and World Cup gold.
Scott Curry was named All Blacks Sevens player of the year while Michaela Blyde won the Black Ferns Player of the Year award to go with her World Rugby women's player title.
Glen Jackson was named Referee of the Year while All Blacks great Waka Nathan was awarded the award for outstanding contribution to rugby.
2018 Rugby Award winners:
Fans Try of the Year - Chris Hala'ufia (St Peter's College)
New Zealand Rugby Referee of the Year - Glen Jackson (Bay of Plenty)
Charles Monro Rugby Volunteer of the Year - Irene Eruera-Taiapa (Horowhenua Kapiti)
New Zealand Rugby Age Grade Player of the Year - Tom Christie (Canterbury)
Heartland Championship Player of the Year - Brett Ranga (Thames Valley)
Duane Monkley Medal - Luke Romano (Canterbury)
Fiao'o Faamausili Medal - Kendra Cocksedge (Canterbury)
National Coach of the Year - Alama Ieremia (Auckland)
New Zealand Coach of the Year - Clark Laidlaw (All Blacks Sevens)
Super Rugby Player of the Year - Richie Mo'unga (Crusaders)
Tom French Memorial Māori Player of the Year - Codie Taylor (Ngāti Raukawa / Muaupoko)
Richard Crawshaw Memorial All Blacks Sevens Player of the Year - Scott Curry (Bay of Plenty)
Black Ferns Sevens Player of the Year - Michaela Blyde (Bay of Plenty)
New Zealand Rugby Women's Player of the Year - Kendra Cocksedge (Canterbury)
Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Player of the Year - Kendra Cocksedge (Canterbury)
National Team of the Year - Crusaders
New Zealand Team of the Year - Black Ferns Sevens
