Fresh from celebrating the people and clubs that make our community game so great, in our third and final episode of the Awards, we switch our focus to the NPC and FPC teams, celebrating the season that was 2021!

Tonight, four Awards were on offer for our high-performance teams, with the Most Promising Player of the Year and Player of the Year Awards on offer for the FPC women, and Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year Awards on offer for the NPC men.

Patterson Cup for Most Promising Women’s Player of the Year

On offer for the most promising women’s player of the year, the Patterson Cup is a relatively new addition to the Canterbury Rugby Awards, setting out to identify a talent who represents Canterbury with pride in all facets of the game.

This year’s winner of the Award, HSOB’s Jorja Miller, displays all these attributes, as she put together a seriously impressive 2021 season.

Backing up Miles Toyota Cup success with CGHS over the last four seasons, Jorja made the switch this year to women’s rugby, helping HSOB return to the top 4 of the Canstaff Women’s competition and earning herself selection in the Canterbury FPC side for the first time.

Following her debut against Auckland, with highlights on both sides of the ball with a try saving tackle and scoring the match’s final try, Jorja became a mainstay in the matchday 23, only missing one game due to injury.

Creating a formidable loose forward duo with Lucy Jenkins, Jorja helped to create a dangerous turnover combo, proving her skills and value to her FPC teammates.

“It’s been an awesome year with all the girls, and it was great to get out there and play alongside some talented players.” said Miller.

“It’s always been a goal of mine (to play FPC), coming from Timaru, I always wanted to make this team and add to the legacy.”

Currently in Mount Maunganui with the Black Ferns Sevens programme, it’s clear to see why Jorja has been recognised as our most promising women’s player this year, as a young career continues to blossom in front of our eyes.

Women’s Player of the Year

A stalwart of the Farah Palmer Cup side despite being only 20, Lucy Jenkins has had an impressive year in which she made sure she was one of the first names on the team sheet.

A workhorse around the park, Lucy was an integral part of the FPC team’s run to the final, regularly amongst the leaders in tackles and turnovers, playing the flankers role to perfection. Lucy also found herself on the try scoring list this season, even scoring the opening try in the final.

Although Lucy made the iconic number seven jersey her own this season, it is a testament too to her versatility in which she played at lock in the final, putting herself consistently out of her comfort zone for the team.

“I’ve done a lot of mental skills this year and have grown in confidence as a person, helping me to flourish more on the field.” Jenkins said.

“There’s some legends on this trophy so I’m certainly honoured to be recognised and I want to keep striving to be like them.”

With a spot in the new Matatu side to look forward to next year, Lucy Jenkins is definitely a name to remember for the future after becoming the deserved winner of the Women’s Player of the Year.

Men’s First Year Player of the Year

Stepping up to the NPC squad due to injuries, Corey Kellow came into the side and made an instant impression, scoring with his first touch of the ball.

Following that, Corey has been a great asset to the Canterbury side, ending the season as the incumbent number 7.

The Lincoln University boy adds his name to long list of previous winners, something not lost on the 20-year-old.

“It’s good to see the names on the Award, so it’s pretty cool honour to get it and to add my name to list.” Kellow said.

“It’s been a great learning opportunity for me to learn from the best so I’m really grateful.”

Always putting his body on the line, it will come as no surprise that Corey will be involved in Super Rugby next season, as a young career looks set to blossom in the red and black jersey for years to come.

Canterbury Rugby Supporters Club Player of the Year

The old adage is you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but Luke Romano keeps proving otherwise, in a season with multiple game defining performances.

Luke leads from the front in a young team, using his experience to compliment those around, perfectly shown in the Tasman game, where the team put in an impressive performance in wet weather. The Hurunui man even got the tusks out as he helped the team reach the semi-finals for the 17^th time in 19 years.

For Luke, it’s an honour to be recognised by his teammates and the supporters club once again, with Romano a previous winner of the Award in 2018.

“It’s always good to be recognised by your peers, it gives you a humbling feeling and that’s why you play the game with your mates, and everything I do is to try and be the best possible teammate too.” said Romano.

“It’s not just an Award for me however, but also one to all the people that have helped get me here, from my club coaches, right through to the other age grade rep teams, and it’s a big thank you to all those who have given me a hand.”

Off to represent the Blues in Super Rugby Pacific, Luke will look to take this year’s impressive form through till 2022 as another big year of rugby awaits.

Article added: Thursday 25 November 2021