Unsung Hero People’s Choice Award: Time to Vote

Each year, the Southland Sports Awards presents a Southland Times People’s Choice Award.

This year it will again be called the Unsung Hero Award and will be voted for by you, the public.

The award is intended to honor those tireless individuals who have given much to their sport, or sports, and have done so for the most part with little fanfare.

Below are details on this year’s finalists, as well as the poll to cast your vote for. The winner will be announced at the Southland Sports Awards 2022 on July 8.

Andrea Beggs

The term that goes beyond that fits well with Central Southland College sports coordinator Andrea Beggs.

Central Southland College has one of the highest sports participation rates among Southland schools and much of that can be attributed to Beggs’ enthusiasm and willingness to step up when needed.

Beggs has introduced programs to make inactive children active in school.

Beggs has been instrumental in growing the number of rugby union teams at Central Southland College from two to nine. She has also invited children from other schools – Fiordland College, Northern Southland College and Aparima College – to ensure they have the opportunity to play rugby.

Beggs was a key figure in organizing the Blair Vining Pack the Park rugby event in Winton in January 2019, which was followed by a celebration. It raised a significant amount of money to get the Central Southland First XV team to Australia for a tour.

Beggs is now a trustee for the Blair Vining Sports Foundation, which helps children at Central Southland College with their sports.

Shaun Fitzgibbon

Shaun Fitzgibbon made his debut for the Southland senior men’s cricket team in 2004 in Alexandra against Otago Country and for the next 17 years contributed significantly with the gloves as a wicketkeeper, as a top-order batsman, and for a stint as captain of the team.

He played a key role in the leadership of the Southland team when it defeated the Counties by 10 wickets in 2018 to claim the Hawke Cup for the first time since 1992.

Fitzgibbon retired from playing for Southland in 2020 but returned to coach the team last year after long-serving coach Steve Jackson stepped down.

However, Fitzgibbon still plays at club level for his Marist club and is also on the board of the Southland Cricket Association.

William Impelmans

William Impelmans was only a member of the Southland Mountain Bike Club for a short period of time, but his impact on the sport will be long-lasting.

Impelmans spent hundreds of volunteer hours on the Bluff Hill Motupohe mountain bike trails, often alone and unknown to the club and his partner.

He also actively worked with younger riders coaching and guiding them on mountain bike experiences in Southland and Otago.

I’ve spent many weekends taking them to the top of Bluff Hill.

In 2021, Impelmans was named Southland Mountain Bike Club’s Volunteer of the Year for his dedicated work.

Tragically, Impelmans, 37, died in February after being seriously injured while mountain biking in Cardrona.

Nightcaps golf team

Six years ago, the 100-year-old Nightcaps Golf Club faced the likely prospect of closing with just seven members playing. Fast-forward to 2022 and the club is now home to one of Southland’s most notable sporting dynasties.

In August 2016, Nightcaps’ challenged Winton to the Laing Shield and won. It came at a time when rumors of the golf club’s land renting out accelerated due to the battle for playing members.

The Laing Shield is golf supremacy for male players in Southland.

Six years later, the club still has the shield and defends it 58 times and most importantly, the discussion about closing the Night Caps course has disappeared.

Nightcaps club captain, Stu Dobbie, is convinced that Laing Shield’s fairy tale saved the club.

Nightcaps play membership is now close to 40.

To cast your vote for the Southland Times Unsung Hero People’s Choice Award 2022, visit southlandtimes.co.nz online