The All Blacks and the Black Ferns Sevens will go head-to-head at the 2018 New Zealand Rugby Awards.
Both sides are up for Team of the Year, in a three-horse race alongside the All Blacks Sevens at the awards ceremony in Auckland on December 13.
The Black Ferns Sevens have enjoyed a stellar year, winning Commonwealth Games gold, the World Cup, the IRB World Series title and five tournaments along the way. They were recognised by the NZ Olympic Committee earlier this week, taking out the coveted Lonsdale Cup.
The men's side also topped the podium on the Gold Coast and won a second consecutive World Cup.
A couple of new categories have also been introduced for 2018, with the debuts of National Team of the Year and Coach of the Year awards.
The Crusaders, Auckland and Thames Valley will compete for the national team title, with Auckland coach Alama Ieremia, the Crusaders' Scott Robertson and Canterbury women's Kieran Kite in the running for best coach.
On an individual level, Black Ferns halfback Kendra Cocksedge, and All Blacks Richie Mo'unga, Brodie Retallick and Codie Taylor have all been nominated for the prestigious Kelvin R Tremain Trophy for Player of the Year.
Cockesdge is also in the running for Women's Player of the Year, along with Aroha Savage and Selica Winiata.
Head coaches from New Zealand teams - Allan Bunting (Black Ferns Sevens), Steve Hansen (All Blacks) and Clark Laidlaw (All Blacks Sevens) have been shortlisted for New Zealand Coach of the Year.
Super Rugby Player of the Year will go to one of the Crusaders' Richie Mo'unga and Matt Todd, or the Chiefs' Solomon Alaimalo, while the Duane Monkley Medal will be contested by Auckland's TJ Faiane, Canterbury's Luke Romano or Waikato's Fletcher Smith.
2018 NZ RUGBY AWARD NOMINEES
Fan's Try of the Year
Kelly Brazier (Black Ferns Sevens)
Chris Hala'ufia (St Peter's College)
Richie Mo'unga (Crusaders)
Referee of the Year
Glen Jackson (Bay of Plenty)
Richard Kelly (Taranaki)
Rebecca Mahoney (Wairarapa Bush)
Rugby Volunteer of the Year
Irene Eruera-Taiapa (Horowhenua Kapiti)
Steve Webling (Taranaki)
Kim Wheeler (King Country)
Age Grade Player of the Year
Sam Darry (Canterbury)
Tom Christie (Canterbury)
Risaleaana Pouri-Lane (Tasman)
Kaleb Trask (Bay of Plenty)
Heartland Championship Player of the Year
Craig Clare (Wanganui)
Brett Ranga (Thames Valley)
Willie Wright (South Canterbury)
Duane Monkley Medal
TJ Faiane (Auckland)
Luke Romano (Canterbury)
Fletcher Smith (Waikato)
Fiao’o Faamausili Medal
Kendra Cocksedge (Canterbury)
Krysten Cottrell (Hawke’s Bay)
Jackie Patea-Fereti (Wellington)
National Coach of the Year
Alama Ieremia (Auckland)
Kieran Kite (Canterbury Women)
Scott Robertson (Crusaders)
New Zealand Coach of the Year
Allan Bunting (Black Ferns Sevens)
Steve Hansen (All Blacks)
Clark Laidlaw (All Blacks Sevens)
Super Rugby Player of the Year
Solomon Alaimalo (Chiefs)
Richie Mo'unga (Crusaders)
Matt Todd (Crusaders)
Tom French Memorial Māori Player of the Year
Sarah Goss (Ngāti Kahungunu)
Rieko Ioane (Ngāpuhi / Te Whānau ā Apanui)
Codie Taylor (Ngāti Raukawa / Muaūpoko)
Richard Crawshaw Memorial All Blacks Sevens Player of the Year
Scott Curry (Bay of Plenty)
Vilimoni Koroi (Otago)
Regan Ware (Bay of Plenty)
Black Ferns Sevens Player of the Year
Michaela Blyde (Bay of Plenty)
Kelly Brazier (Bay of Plenty)
Sarah Goss (Manawatu)
New Zealand Rugby Women’s Player of the Year
Kendra Cocksedge (Canterbury)
Aroha Savage (Counties Manukau)
Selica Winiata (Manawatu)
Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Player of the Year
Kendra Cocksedge (Canterbury)
Richie Mo'unga (Canterbury)
Brodie Retallick (Hawke’s Bay)
Codie Taylor (Canterbury)
National Team of the Year
Auckland
Crusaders
Thames Valley
New Zealand Team of the Year
All Blacks
All Blacks Sevens
Black Ferns Sevens
Newshub.
