Kaino crowned king of Kiwis
1 Dec 2011
Jerome Kaino has been named New Zealand’s Player of the year while Bryce Lawrence has been awarded the country’s best referee prize.
Kaino was heavily-tipped to win the IRB Player of the Year accolade following his consistent performances for the All Blacks, but was eventually beaten to the award by France captain Thierry Dusautoir, On Thursday, Kaino received some consolation in the form of the Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Player of the Year trophy.
The Super Rugby Player of the Year award went to Wyatt Crockett, who was a shock omission from the All Blacks’ World Cup squad. Predictably, the All Blacks won Team of the Year and mentor Graham Henry was named Coach of the Year.
Despite his consistently poor showing in the World Cup quarterfinal game between Australia and South Africa, as well as the shocker in the Super Rugby play-off match between the Crusaders and the Sharks, Bryce Lawrence was acknowledged as New Zealand’s Referee of the Year.

48 Comments
1 Dec 2011, 13:11 pm
jerome dragon…
not so bryce
1 Dec 2011, 13:14 pm
“Predictably, the All Blacks won Team of the Year and mentor Graham Henry was named Coach of the Year.” – tood balckadder should’ve at least got a mention here for guiding the Crusaders to a final not having played a single home game and maintaining something like an 85% win ratio in 2011.
1 Dec 2011, 13:15 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-2: fark me – todd blackadder!
1 Dec 2011, 13:29 pm
Surely this isint an accurate article? bryce? no way, surely someone got the names mixed up.
1 Dec 2011, 13:32 pm
disgusting really.
the player no.
the ref yes.
1 Dec 2011, 13:37 pm
Well..one cannot take a Kiwi award too seriously can one.
After all Carlos Spencer even admits that the place is too small for him.
Ho hum.
1 Dec 2011, 13:40 pm
Kiwi’s would have got more cred if they hadn’t awarded a best ref this year, because they were all a disgrace, or perhaps recognised a female ref instead?
1 Dec 2011, 13:59 pm
NZ can only have one ref then.
1 Dec 2011, 14:59 pm
Bryce did a fine job I saw nothing wrong in his QF performance bokke just forgot how to score after years of being coached by a clown who selected fatboys and mates instead of form players.
1 Dec 2011, 15:05 pm
Aussies and Kiwis are incapable of producing quality test referees.
Australians because they don’t truly understand the sport of RU persistently attempting to pull it towards the rules RL and NZ because they are so narrow-minded, defensive and insular that balance and fairness repeatedly take a back seat to the one-eyed demands of the home crowd.
It takes more worldly nations with a greater sense of fair play to produce quality referees, of which one Wayne Barnes is a great example.
1 Dec 2011, 15:06 pm
Oh and congrats to the American Samoan, did his little nation proud.
1 Dec 2011, 15:24 pm
Are you Phukk!ng with us… Bryce Lawrence – how distasteful can you get?
Well done Kaino – it was a close call between him and Nonu.
1 Dec 2011, 16:33 pm
Bryce Lawrence just edged the guy who reffed the 3rd team game between Auckland Grammar and Christchurch boys.
Some bystanders believe the result was rigged.
1 Dec 2011, 16:34 pm
So, New Zealand’s rugby elite sat down and thought about it carefully and came to the conclusion that they have no better referee than Bryce Lawrence.
Not unexpected and yet staggering all at the same time – like being shot in the face, I imagine (haven’t yet had the pleasure).
1 Dec 2011, 16:37 pm
But in all seriousness, New Zealand and Australia need to sort their refs out.
When Bryce Lawrence and Stuart Dickinson are your best representatives, you know you have serious problems. Its like having a leper working as a masseuse.
Maybe they can have one or two refs each year ref games in the Vodacom or Currie Cup. At least that way they’ll get experience and get to know our players.
1 Dec 2011, 19:23 pm
I assume from the bulk of the comments on here, SARU wont be handing out a coach of the year award for 2011.
1 Dec 2011, 20:13 pm
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-10: we produce quality players . those that cant play produce quality refs
@Brads(Brads)-16: yeah PDV for SA coach of the year
1 Dec 2011, 20:29 pm
@Qrest(Qrest)-9: Can’t tell if you’re a troll or just stupid……probably both, hence my confusion
1 Dec 2011, 20:31 pm
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-10: bitter much?
“…balance and fairness repeatedly take a back seat to the one-eyed demands of the home crowd” almost right.
Balance and fairness take a back seat to winning
4 more years
1 Dec 2011, 20:31 pm
@Brads(Brads)-16:
Absa Coach of the Year
John Mitchell (MTN Golden Lions)
Duh…
1 Dec 2011, 21:19 pm
Jerome Kaino deserving of his award. NZ’s best true blindside since Allan Whetton. As for Bryce Lawrence, we all know he is a joke and a blight on any game.
1 Dec 2011, 21:26 pm
@Te Rangatira(Te Rangatira)-21: how bout jerryCollins?!?! not a fan of either of whettons
1 Dec 2011, 21:41 pm
haha, the perfect footnote to the most amateur world cup since 1987.
everyone knows it, everyone saw it.
*** you nzru c un ts.
the rest of you kiwis have a nice day ok?
1 Dec 2011, 21:54 pm
@rangerman(rangerman)-23: thanx @hole. u keeping whinging
4 more years
1 Dec 2011, 23:29 pm
Agree with most of the comments. Kaino yes. Well done Jerome. Bryce is a mystery, but overall this was not a great year for referees.
1 Dec 2011, 23:45 pm
@stormer in a teacup(stormer in a teacup)-25: what i couldnt understand is Mark Lawrence not making the WC?!? Kaplan was great, Joubert will be one day, but MarkLawrence is the best ref now and to top it off he’s retired from international rugby. Lawrence must have at least another decade in him worth of reffing years.
2 Dec 2011, 01:49 am
@Qrest(Qrest)-9:
In the land of the blind, the one-eyed is king!
2 Dec 2011, 02:06 am
@man1a(man1a)-22:
Jerry didn’t play for Auckland……………..sorry.
2 Dec 2011, 02:08 am
@Te Rangatira(Te Rangatira)-21:
Yes not a fan of Gary Whetton too.
2 Dec 2011, 02:25 am
@Great White Shark(Predawn)-6:
King Carlos definitely a man of the world, still remember him when he played for Waihou College a little hick school in the 1990 National secondary 7s Final against Jonah and Wesley College.He was a true entertainer with all the skills destined for big things. Thankfully he seems to be doing well and is appreciated in SA .
2 Dec 2011, 02:54 am
Bryce had a fine year barely had a poor game and was very fair in the QF. Bokke would do themselves a favour in looking inward for reasons they failed. Clown coaches, fatboy hasbeen captains, aging relics in the tight five, overweight unfit fullbacks called in late from cheeseeating holidays in southern France, tactics from the 50s.
In 95 bokke was beaten fair and square in the SF only to be gifted a home final appearance by a referee who couldn’t keep up with plan and refused to award the frogs a rightful last minute winning try. In 99 they were awful. In 03 they were ejected in the QF again in turmoil. In 07 they won by beating England twice, Fiji and Argentina – wow.
Failure has always been someone else’s fault, while success is shear brilliance and not luck. What a joke.
2 Dec 2011, 03:02 am
ah honest Bryce. When honest Stu Dickinson retired, I guess the gap had to be filled.
On Kaino – awesome player – I especially loved his un-refereeed off his feet play and pathetic throw forward in the 75th minute of the final
One good thing about the AB’s winning this rigged cup is:
At least we probably won’t have to endure an asinine, ultimately un-enforced rule change to sustain the ‘superior style’ of the All Black Show
2 Dec 2011, 04:37 am
@Qrest(Qrest)-31:
Don’t cloud the issue with a volley of mostly irrelevant facts. Many respected and independent rugby persons with no barrow to push for South Africa found Bryce Lawrence’s display in the QF inept.
I say again, in the land of the blind, the one-eyed is king – and that applies as much to Bryce Lawrence as it does to you, Qrest.
2 Dec 2011, 05:02 am
@rangerman(rangerman)-23:
Does not matter what happened in the QF. What matters is who won the final.
As explained to me in 2007 on here, no one remembers a bad reffed game at the RWC during a QF match. All they remember is who is the world champs.
And thanks i am having a nice day, how about you?
2 Dec 2011, 06:18 am
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-11:
lol , hope your not trying put the slight boot in over poaching?
How many foreigners now play in your leagues over there?
I have noticed and its becoming more and more the poached players that play in the England side.
But you are right, we are very proud of our Kiwi boy. Been here since the age of 4.
2 Dec 2011, 06:31 am
Why don’t you Kiwi’s stop bitching and comment on the revolution happening in your rugby as set by the foreward thinking Melbourne Rebels?
http://www.ruggaworld.com/2011/12/02/new-zealand-follow-revolutionary-rebels-business-model/comment-page-1/#comment-482025
2 Dec 2011, 07:40 am
Lol New Zealand is the laughing stock of the rugby world! Bryce Lawrence ref of the year! lol That must be the biggest joke ever! FAIL
2 Dec 2011, 09:19 am
Here is a ref that gets pulled from the rest of the WC because of his woeful performance in not one, but two crucial games. The IRB deem his performance to be so poor that they punish him by leaving him out of the 6 Nations too. And you one eyed Kiwis want us to believe that the fault lies with us? Fckoff, ek sê.
2 Dec 2011, 09:38 am
Kaino should have also been IRB Player of the Year
Just desserts with NZ player of the year
Less said abt Bryce the better
2 Dec 2011, 09:38 am
@Sasuke(Sasuke)-37:
In your world maybe.
Bryce Lawrence is a top ref, as proven by him being awarded the gong for top ref.
2 Dec 2011, 09:44 am
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-39:
The awards are a crock of S_hit.
They are simply gongs to recognise what the highest achievement was according to outfit presenting them.
Lets change the scenario.
Christchuch did not have an eathquake, The Crusders were able to play all games at home, and won the S15.
The AB’s were beaten in the final of RWC by France
Guess who would have been the team of the year?
2 Dec 2011, 12:46 pm
Well done Jerome, Ted , Wyatt and most specially Bryce.
All Awards well deserved over the course of 2011.
2 Dec 2011, 12:50 pm
@Brads(Brads)-41:
If.
Thing is Brads it’s not if ………………………..AB’s did win.
End of.
2 Dec 2011, 16:04 pm
If Bryce Lawrence is their best NZ rugby is in deep, deep SH 1 T!
2 Dec 2011, 17:06 pm
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-35: ?
I’m just congratulating the American Samoan on being New Zealand’s best player.
3 Dec 2011, 08:15 am
@Qrest(Qrest)-31: “while success is shear brilliance” – a deliberate pun, or just a woolly headed response?
3 Dec 2011, 10:00 am
Well done Brycie, truly deserved… got the japies good and proper, Dad must be so proud…
Kaino, awesome and totally deserved, has really matured as a player..
got to laugh at Biggles, one only need look over his rugby and cricket teams to see his hypocrisy…
it is funny though, now our team is more successful then his at WC’s he has absolutely nothing to cling to… hilarious stuff..
3 Dec 2011, 12:06 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-47:
BH changes his mind as much as his nappies get changed.
Wasnt if BH saying that ranking and winning means nothing and its all about the RWC?
Didnt he say also that the RWC is where you face the best teams, where the opposition put the best team on the park?
Funny how we won the RWC with a #10 that was actually away fishing for whitebait before the game.
Not even our best team won the RWC.
BH says alot but he actually misses the full truth.
NZ was the biggest supplier of coaches and players in the RWC.
Yet its us that poach?
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