Robbie Manson has won Marlborough’s supreme sporting prize for the second consecutive year.

The Wairau and New Zealand rower was named Marlborough Sportsperson of the Year in front of a 300-strong audience at the Convention Centre on Monday, repeating his 2017 triumph.

After taking out the Sportsman of the Year category, he picked up the main award, which came as something of a surprise to the humble oarsman.

“Last year I broke the world record and didn’t do that this year so I wasn’t expecting so much to win it … it is a huge honour though.

“There are so many talented sportspeople in Marlborough and just to be recognised means a lot. I was just happy to come along and enjoy the night so I feel very proud and privileged to win.”  

Manson began another stunning season by capturing the premier single sculls title at the national rowing champs in February, beginning a season-long dominance over veteran Mahe Drysdale who was also vying for the single seat at the world champs later in the year. 

As well as the single title, Manson won the premier coxless quad and double scull titles at Karapiro, narrowly missing a four-gold haul when the Central RPC eight finished second.

“That was the best nationals I have ever had,” he said. “It was the first time anyone has won the single, double and quad at one nationals since 2006 … so that was personally a big achievement.”

He maintained his form during the early stages of the international season, claiming gold in the Kiwi single at both the second World Cup regatta in Austria, then repeating the dose at the third World Cup event in Switzerland. The latter victory meant he had seen off Drysdale’s challenge and clinched the single seat at the world champs in Bulgaria, where he finished fifth in the A final.

“At the World Cups there was obviously a lot more pressure on this year than last year. In fact there was probably more pressure on me in that Lucerne race than I have ever had in a race in my life. So to pull that off showed me that I could handle it.

“The world champs obviously didn’t go as well as I would have hoped for, but there is a lot of learning to come out of that,” he suggested.

Although not in full training over recent weeks, Manson recently showed he had not lost his form by winning the prestigious Philadelphia Gold Cup event in the USA, edging out Olympic silver medallist Damir Martin from Croatia and Norway’s world champion Kjetil Borch in a photo finish.

Less than .25 second separated the top three in this 750m sprint invitation-only event.

Although Manson mixed rowing with some holiday time in the States, gaining a much-needed freshen-up, he knows the hard work starts again now as he sets off on another huge season with Olympic qualification the big goal.

“You don’t get to this level without a lot of hard work, so now it is really back to the grind.”

He says coming back home is a welcome motivating factor.

“Coming back and rowing on the Wairau motivates me more than anything. Back to where I started … and also realising how far I have come because at no point when I first started rowing did I ever think I would have achieved even half of what I have done.”

“[The Wairau] is just peaceful and relaxing and feels like my river – it’s so nice to be home.”      

Manson was one of five category winners on the night, the others being track athletes Lucy Sheat and Alex Dawson who took out the junior awards, the Marlborough smallbore team, who were named team of the year, and mixed martial arts exponent Gase Sanita, who won the sportwoman of the year title. 

The Marlborough Medal, awarded for a lengthy contribution to Marlborough sport, went to gymnastics stalwart Tony Quirk.

The crowd were treated to a highly-entertaining and motivational speech from Olympic medallist Eliza McCartney, who then indulged in a question-and-answer session with Master of Ceremonies Tony Johnson.

The Marlborough Sports Awards are organised by Sport Tasman, Blenheim Round Table and the Marlborough App.

Major category sponsors are House of Travel, Redwood Trust, WK Advisors and Accountants, MoreFM, Scenic Hotel Group and Craigs Investment Partners.

Associate sponsors are Misty Cove Wines and NZ King Salmon.

Written by Peter Jones, Sport Tasman

Article added: Wednesday 21 November 2018

Photo caption: Rower Robbie Manson has gone back-to-back, winning the Marlborough Sportsperson of the Year award for the second consecutive year.