Otago rugby\u2019s rising star has received another accolade.<\/p>\n
Dynamite halfback Dylan Pledger (Ng\u0101ti T\u016bwharetoa) was named junior sportsman of the year at the New Zealand Maori Sports Awards at T\u016brangawaewae Marae on Saturday night.<\/p>\n
Pledger had an almost fairytale rise to prominence in 2025.<\/p>\n
He had another exceptional campaign for the New Zealand under-20 team, who made the final of the world junior tournament, before setting the NPC alight with a series of dazzling performances for an exciting Otago team that made the NPC final for the first time in 20 years.<\/p>\n
Pledger is already widely considered a future All Black, but he will first need to dip his toe into Super Rugby with the Highlanders for the first time.<\/p>\n
World champion powerlifter Karlina Tongotea won the Albie Pryor Memorial M\u0101ori sportsperson of the year award.<\/p>\n
Tongotea, a 32-year-old GP, won her second world title before setting a record in the 76kg class at the World Games in China.<\/p>\n
Her record was set at 620kg, a combination of her successful attempts at the three powerlifting disciplines: squat (230kg), bench (130kg) and deadlift (260kg).<\/p>\n
She was also named M\u0101ori sportswoman of the year.<\/p>\n
Kiwis and Canberra Raiders prop Joseph Tapine was named sportsman of the year, Black Ferns starlet Braxton Sorensen-McGee claimed junior sportswoman honours, swimmer Cameron Leslie won the para-athlete award, and the New Zealand Maori under-18 rugby girls were named team of the year.<\/p>\n
Canterbury NPC champion Marty Bourke (coach), rugby referee Ben O\u2019Keeffe (official), and football identity Gordon Watson (administrator) also won awards.<\/p>\n
Finally, Olympic canoeing great Lisa Carrington was inducted into the M\u0101ori Sports Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n
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