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Finalists announced for Leeds Sports Awards
Leeds Beckett University's triumphant Men's rugby union team, following their victory over Loughborough University at Twickenham.
The 2016 Leeds Sports Awards, organised by Sport Leeds, will take place at the New Dock Hall at the Royal Armouries on the evening of Thursday 3 March.
Leeds Beckett has three finalists for the awards in the Special Contribution category. The men’s rugby union team, who in 2015 became national student champions, have been nominated in the Special Contribution – Student Sport category, alongside student Matthew Dobson; whilst men’s rugby league coach Paul Fletcher has been nominated in the Special Contribution – Coach of the year (participation) category.
Former Leeds Beckett student and current staff member Claire O’Hara has been nominated in the Senior Achievers – Sportswomen category, whilst the Yorkshire Jets netball team, coached by Leeds Beckett staff member Anna Carter, have been nominated in the Senior Achievers – Club/Team non-professional category.
Dr John Minten, Dean of the Carnegie Faculty and Pro Vice Chancellor at Leeds Beckett University, said: “As leaders in sport, it’s an honour for our University to be associated with the Leeds Sports Awards. Throughout our activities, from an academic, research and teaching perspective right through to coaching and student participation, sport is in our blood and part of who we are as a university.
“There is a lot of sporting talent out there in the city and I’m looking forward to celebrating the achievements of the athletes we all know and love, in addition to showcasing the young athletes and new talent coming through clubs of all types across the region.”
Nominations for the Sportsman of the Year category include England’s Yorkshire Ashes hero Joe Root, diving star Jack Laugher and gymnastics ace Nile Wilson. Three world champions are locked in battle to be named Sportswoman of the Year in cyclist Lizzie Armitstead, diver Becky Gallantree and kayaker Claire O’Hara.
Yorkshire County Cricket Club will take on Leeds Rhinos to be named Professional Club/Team of the Year, with their coaches, Jason Gillespie and Brian McDermott, being shortlisted for the Performance Coach of the Year category.
Leeds City Athletics Club, Leeds Gymnastics Club and netball stars, Yorkshire Jets, will do battle to be named non-professional club/team of the year while the strength of the city’s diving and swimming scene is encapsulated by being responsible for four of the five finalists for the young sportsperson award.
Diver Matty Lee takes on archery ace Joe Fairburn in the male award, with swimming stars Georgia Coates and Layla Black taking on Leeds’s latest young diving star and national champion Lois Toulson for the female award.
Previous winners at the event include: Nicola Adams MBE (Boxing), the Brownlee brothers (Triathlon), Leeds Rhinos (Rugby), Yorkshire County Cricket Club (Cricket), Hannah Cockroft MBE (Athletics), City of Leeds Divers (Diving), and many other professional and amateur athletes, volunteers, coaches and more.
For more information, and to see a full list of award categories to make your nominations, visit www.leedssportsawards.co.uk. The Awards will be judged by an independent panel of sporting partners from across the city.