Taufa claims top prize at College Rugby League awards

Above: St Paul's College playmaker Michael Angelo Taufa won the the Premier 1st XIII Player of the Year award. Below: Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate star Monika Fakaosilea claimed the Girls' MVP award.

Players, coaches, managers and match officials from the 2019 SAS College Rugby League competitions were recognised on Monday afternoon at an awards ceremony held at Mount Smart Stadium.
 
St Paul's College playmaker Michael Angelo Taufa was the big winner, picking up the Premier 1st XIII Player of the Year award after helping his school to the title last Friday.
 
The 16-year-old also topped the competition in points scored.
 
Taufa's St Paul's College teammate Jonah Palota-Kopa was acknowledged as the top try scorer, while Southern Cross Campus mentor Rod Ratu claimed Coach of the Year and Katie Spraggon (Manurewa High School) Manager of the Year.
 
Taufa and Palota-Kopa were also among those selected in the Team of the Year, with that side to face a Vodafone Warriors invitational squad on Wednesday, August 21 at Mount Smart Stadium #2.
 
Matthew Grannis was named the premier competition's top referee after taking control of last week's final at Mount Smart Stadium.
 
Fifteen-year-old Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate star Monika Fakaosilea claimed the Girls' MVP award, capping off a big year in which she also won the Auckland U16 Girls' club title with Otahuhu.
 
Fakaosilea's school coach Rowena Pati was recognised as the competition's best.
 
Leon Marsters (Birkenhead College) and Feao Asiata (Lynfield College) were the second-tier Senior A competition's top points scorer and top try scorer respectively, with Whangaparaoa College winning the Fair Play Award.
 
The on-field dominance of St Paul's College at U15 level carried through to the awards, with Jessiah Tanoai named the Player of the Year and the coaching duo of Sam Tanielu & Geraint Tagalou winning Coach of the Year.
 
Westlake's Penny Fletcher took out Manager of the Year.
 
Vodafone Warriors prop Bunty Afoa, a St Paul's College old boy, and NRL Women's players Tanika-Jazz Noble Bell and Georgia Hale spoke at the awards, along with Warriors' general manager of football, Brian Smith.
 
2019 SAS COLLEGE RUGBY LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS:
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Girls' 9s
Manager of the Year | Marie Sua (Aorere College)
Coach of the Year | Rowena Pati (Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate)
Most Valuable Player | Monika Fakaosilea (Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate)
 
Girls' 9s Team of the Year | Ashley Porter (Papatoetoe High School), Melody Magele Fuli (Auckland Girls' Grammar School), Charlie Kamuhemu (Auckland Girls' Grammar School), Monika Fakaosilea (Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate), Holly Spargo (Green Bay High School), Mary Solovi (Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate), Glory Aiono (Aorere College), Shyna Ugapo (Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate), Losalina Moala (Manurewa High School)
 
Senior A
Top Try Scorer | Feao Asiata (Lynfield College)
Top Points Scorer | Leon Marsters (Birkenhead College)
Manager of the Year | Kau Tepaki (Western Springs College)
Coach of the Year | Nathan Stockman (Whangaparaoa College)
Fair Play Award | Whangaparaoa College
 
Boys' U15 9s
Manager of the Year | Penny Fletcher (Westlake Boys' High School)
Coach of the Year | Sam Tanielu & Geraint Tagalou (St Paul's College)
Most Valuable Player | Jessiah Tanoai (St Paul's College)
 
Premier 1st XIII
Referee of the Year | Matthew Grannis
Top Try Scorer | Jonah Palota-Kopa (St Paul's College)
Top Points Scorer | Michael Angelo Taufa (St Paul's College)
Manager of the Year | Katie Spraggon (Manurewa High School)
Coach of the Year |Rod Ratu (Southern Cross Campus)
 
Premier 1st XIII Team of the Year: Moala Graham-Taufa (Mt Albert Grammar School), Kiardyn Hatch (Westlake Boys' High School), Lani Graham-Taufa (Mt Albert Grammar School), Levi Atiga (St Paul's College), Junior Moli (Southern Cross Campus), Xavier Stevens-Teo (Southern Cross Campus), Michael Angelo Taufa (St Paul's College), Xabian Payne (Kelston Boys' High School), Vaka Sikahele (St Paul's College). Isaac Matalavea-Booth (Pakuranga College), 11 Jonah Palota-Kopa (St Paul's College), Kina Kepu (Aorere College), Shade Shepherd (St Paul's College).

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The First XIII of the Year for 2019.