The All Blacks captain Sam Cane is one of three contenders for the All Blacks player of the year, after the nominations for the New Zealand Rugby awards were announced today
The other nominees are hooker Dane Coles and halfback Aaron Smith.
All Blacks skipper Sam Cane (right) and Aaron Smith (centre) are in line for the All Black Player of the Year award. Photo: Photosport Ltd 2020
The nominees for Black Ferns player of the year are Chelsea Alley, Kendra Cocksedge and Kennedy Simon.
Aaron Smith is also in the running for the Tom French Memorial Māori Rugby Player of the Year, as is Māori All Blacks Captain and hooker Ash Dixon and World Sevens Series winner midfielder Stacey Fluhler.
A breakthrough season for Fluhler also sees her a nominee for Black Ferns Sevens Player of the Year, along with playmaker Kelly Brazier and halfback Tyla Nathan-Wong.
Fluhler is also in the running for the Fiao'o Faamausili Medal, awarded to the Farah Palmer Cup player of the year alongside Waikato teammate centre Chelsea Alley and Canterbury halfback Kendra Cocksedge.
The Hurricanes Jordie Barrett, Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu, Crusaders Richie Mo'unga, and Highlander Aaron Smith are the contenders for Super Rugby player of the year.
After claiming the World Series Sevens title for the first time since 2014, Co-Captains Scott Curry and Tim Mikkelson are nominated for the Richard Crawshaw Memorial All Blacks Sevens Player of the Year award alongside Ngarohi McGarvey-Black.
All national side that took the field in 2020 will be in the running for New Zealand Team of the Year.
National Coach of the Year nominees include the Crusaders' Scott Robertson, Tasman's Andrew Goodman and Clarke Dermody, Waikato FPC coach James Semple and Hawke's Bay's Mark Ozich.
The winners will be announced on Thursday evening.