1959 Sporting Heroes to Feature at 2009 Awards

02 December 2009

Media Release

1959 Sporting Heroes to Feature at 2009 SPARC TP McLean National Sports Journalism Awards

Some of the biggest names in New Zealand sport will be the special guests at the 2009 SPARC Sir Terry McLean National Sports Journalism Awards dinner in Auckland on Friday (December 4).

As in recent years the New Zealand Sports Journalists Association (Inc) has themed the awards dinner and this year has chosen to celebrate 50 years of Great New Zealand Sporting Memories – featuring the 1959 All Blacks, winners over the touring British lions in that thrilling series, and Bruce McLaren who at Sebring became the first Kiwi to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix event.

There are still 14 survivors of the 1959 All Blacks team and ten will be at the dinner. Keeping the Bruce McLaren legacy alive will be his sister Jan, Chris Amon, one of the Big Three Kiwi motoring aces from that era and motoring journalist Eoin Young.

Joining them will be a number of other Kiwi sporting achievers past and present at the 30th TP McLean Sports Journalism Awards at the Spencer on Byron Hotel Takapuna, the 7th under the patronage of SPARC as the principal sponsor.

The 1959 All Blacks at the dinner include Adrian Clarke, Nev MacEwan, Bruce McPhail, Mark Irwin, Ralph Caulton, John McCullough, Tiny Hill, Dick Conway, Tuppy Diack and Sir Wilson Whineray. Adding to the occasion will be Bob Scott (1949), Sid Going (1969) and Stu Wilson (1979). Also expected to attend are Jeremy Christie and Aaron Scott - members of the 2009 All Whites who qualified for next year’s football World Cup plus Paul MacDonald, Simon Dickie, Mark Burgess, John Sparling, Sam Malcolmson, Earl Thomas, John McIntyre, Mike Stanley, Nicki Turner, Buck Anderson and Roy Williams.

More than 220 entries were received across the 13 categories for this year’s TP’s. One of the category winners will go on to take the overall Sports Journalist of the Year title which includes a $2,000 cash prize from SPARC.

ENDS

© Scoop Media