Olympic Champion Charlotte Caslick has capped off a stellar year by being awarded the Shawn Mackay Award for Qantas Women’s Sevens Player of the Year at the John Eales Medal awards night in Sydney.
Caslick, who guided the Australian women’s sevens team to its maiden HSBC Sevens World Series victory and then scored seven tries during the team’s successful Olympic gold medal campaign in Rio, headlined the night’s winners from Queensland.
St.George Queensland Reds and Wallabies scrumhalf Nick Frisby picked up the Asteron Life Super Rugby Try of the Year, with the panel finding him most responsible for Jake McIntyre's try during the drawn Reds vs Blues Super Rugby game at Suncorp Stadium in March.
Elsewhere, Megan and Anthony Elliot, the pioneers of the Modified Rugby Program which was set up in partnership with the Queensland Rugby Union, were presented with the Nick Farr-Jones Spirit of Rugby Award.
2015 Queensland Rugby Hall of Fame inductee Alec Evans received the Joe French Award for his lifetime service to Australian Rugby.
2016 John Eales Medal Awards
John Eales Medal: Michael Hooper
Qantas Wallabies Rookie of the Year: Dane Haylett-Petty
Qantas Wallabies Try of the Year: Drew Mitchell (most responsible for Adam Ashley-Cooper's try), Australia v Argentina, Twickenham Stadium, 2015 Rugby World Cup Semi Final
Australia’s Choice – Qantas Wallaby of the Year: Michael Hooper
Wallabies Hall of Fame: John ‘Jack’ Ford, John Solomon, Peter Johnson
Asteron Life Super Rugby Player of the Year: Sean McMahon, Melbourne Rebels
Asteron Life Super Rugby Team of the Year: Brumbies
Asteron Life Super Rugby Coach of the Year: Stephen Larkham, Brumbies
Asteron Life Super Rugby Rookie of the Year: Reece Hodge, Melbourne Rebels
Asteron Life Super Rugby Try of the Year: Nick Frisby (most responsible for Jake McIntyre's try), Queensland Reds v Blues, Suncorp Stadium, Round 4
Super Rugby TNT Referee of the Series: Angus Gardner
Buildcorp National Rugby Championship Player of the Year: Irae Simone, Sydney Rays
Australian U20s Player of the Year: Tyrell Lomax
Shawn Mackay Award Qantas Men’s Sevens Player of the Year: Ed Jenkins
Shawn Mackay Award Qantas Women’s Sevens Player of the Year: Charlotte Caslick
Women’s XVs Player of the Year: Ashleigh Hewson
Joe French Award: Alec Evans
Nick Farr-Jones Spirit of Rugby Award: Megan and Anthony Elliot
Roger Vanderfield Award - Referee of the Year: Angus Gardner
HSBC Volunteer of the Year: Deon Norval, Uni Norths Owls Rugby Club, ACT
HSBC Lifetime Volunteer of the Year: Dougal Whitton, Canberra Royals Rugby Club, ACT
HSBC Young Volunteer of the Year (U25): Hayden Croghan, Palmyra Rugby Club, WA
Geoff ‘Bunter’ Shaw Community Coach of the Year: Kylie Dawson, Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School Rugby, Tamworth, NSW and NSW Central Norths Rugby
