In the award ceremony’s 15 year history no one has won the Samoan Sports Awards Sportsman of the Year as well as the Supreme Award until Jerome Kaino was given this honour at the Awards Ceremoeny held in Auckland over the weekend.
The powerful flanker also won the New Zealand Rugby Player of the Year Award and was a finalist for the IRB Rugby Player of the Year after being regarded as the All Blacks’ leading performer in winning last year’s Rugby World Cup.
Kaino, 28, now joins the likes of David Tua, Tana Umaga and Beatrice Faumuina who have won the Samoan Sports Awards Supreme title twice.
The crowd that came to support Kaino included rugby legends Michael Jones and Va’aiga Tuigamala, NZ Rugby President and former Auckland and Manu Samoa coach Bryan Williams and Auckland Mayor Len Brown amongst others.
The awards recognised the milestone achievements of Malil ‘Mils’ Muliaina and Brian Lima, and inducted All Black legend ‘Smokin Joe’ Stanley, James Leuluai and Netballer Joan Hodson (nee Solia) in to the Samoan Sports Hall of Fame.
Other winners included:
Overall Sportsperson of the Year
Jerome Kaino
Senior Sportsman of the Year
Jerome Kaino
Senior Sportswoman of the Year
Fiao’o Fa’amausili
Pacific Sportsperson of the Year
Valerie Adams
Junior Sportsman of the Year
Joseph Parker
Junior Sportswoman of the Year
Sulu Tone-Fitzpatrick
Coach of the Year
Pat Lam
Administrator of the Year
Jerry Seuseu
Reverend Sio Community Service Award
Buck Stowers
Samoan Sports Association Hall of Fame
Joe Stanley, James Leuluai and Joan Hodson
International achievement recognition
Malili ‘Mils’ Muliaina and Brian Lima
Source: MSN News
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