Each year, we honour not only our members' extradorinary efforts and accomplishments, but the spirit of camaraderie that defines us as dragon boaters. 

2023 ADBA Sports Awards, 15 July 2023

Check out the photographs here: https://www.adba.co.nz/gallery/11075/

2023 Coach of the Year - Chris Stone (City Dragons)

Finalists

• Bruce Li (Dragon Riders)
• Serena Tiaiti (Steel Dragons)
• Tia Drodroagi (Lion Dragon Boat Club)

2023 Team Manager of the Year - Kerrin Brown (Lion Dragon Boat Club)

Finalists

• Kate Ward-Smyth (Hauraki Blues)
• Laura Johns (City Dragons)
• Narelle McAllum (Random Jaffas)
• Sandy Timoti (Steel Dragons)

2023 Captain of the Year  - Nico Archer (Hauraki Blues)

Finalists

• Phil Wakelin (Random Jaffas)
• Ricky Greaves (Lion Dragon Boat Club)
• Rosemary Geard (Busting With Life)

2023 Rookie of the Year (New Award for 2023) - Alyce "Toretto" Kaume'afaiva (Steel Dragons) and Oscar Te Kii (Lion Dragon Boat Club)

Finalists

• Michelle Wang (Dragon Riders)
• Wendy Whitten (Lion Dragon Boat Club)

2023 Chair's Award - Chris Stone (City Dragons)

2023 Volunteer of the Year - Tony Lindquist (Random Jaffas)

2023 Sweep Recognition

• Steven Lee - Level 4 (Randon Jaffas)
• Linda Ashton - Level 3 (Busting With Life
• Andrea Partington - Level 3 (Pink Dragons)
• Adrian Grant - Level 3 (City Dragons)
• Brand Bezuidenhout - Level 3  (Waitemata Warriors)

 

2021 ADBA Sports Awards, 8 May 2021 

2021 Coach of the Year ~ Shane Harris (Steel Dragons) 

Finalist ~  

• Leslie Ash (Busing with Life)

• Stuart Fausett (Random Jaffas) 

2021 Team Manager of the Year ~ Liz Butcher (Pink Dragons)  

Finalist ~  

• Laura Johns (Harewa Taniwha)

• Liz Butcher (Pink Dragons)

• Sandy Timoti (Steel Dragons)

2021 Captain of the Year ~ Jane Rutherford (The Jaffettes) and Liz Horne (Pink Dragons) 

 Finalist ~  

• Jane Rutherford (The Jaffettes) 

• Liz Butcher (Pink Dragons) 

• Ricky Greaves (Lion Dragon Boat Club)

2021 Novice Coach of the Year ~ Heather Bisset (Tsunami, Lion Dragon Boat Club) 

Finalist 

• David Price (Waitemata Warriors)

• Lisa Keeley (Komodo Dragons)

2021 Novice Sweep of the Year ~ Andrea Partington (Pink Dragons)  

Finalist 

• Brand Bezuindenhout (Waitemata Warriors)

• Steven Lee (Komodo Dragons)

 

2021 Special Recognition Award  ~ Lisa Burd, Rhys Duncan, Susan Rae (Feature Movie - The Pinkies Are Back) 

The Special Recognition Awards recogning outstanding service to the promotion of dragon boating in Auckland.   

 

2021 Sweep of the Year ~  Leslie Ash (Busting With Life)  

Finalist 

• Alisha Zanetich (Tsunami, LDBC and Auckland Women's Premier / Senior B Reps)

• Deb Camplin (The Jaffettes)

• Leslie Ash (Busting with Life, Auckland Womens Senior C Reps)

2021 Volunteer of the Year ~ Liz Butcher   
 
2021 Chairman's Award ~ Holly Claeys (Komodo Dragons)

2021 Honorary Life Memberships 

The award of Honorary Life Membership recognises long-term commitment and who have made a substantial contribution to the ADBA Committee and Association. 

• Alisha Zanetich, serving since April 2008 
• Chris Stone, serving since April 2009 
• Marion Hammond, serving since June 2009 

 

2020 ADBA Sports Awards, 16 May 2020 

2020 Coach of the Year ~  Sooupu Perese (Lion Dragon Boat Club, Head Coach Black Dragons and Akl Junior Reps, Epsom Girls Grammar, Pink Dragons) 

Finalist 

• Bill Lomas (Sky Dragons)

• Leslie Ash (Busing with Life)

• Shannon Garside (Komodo Dragons)

• Sooupu Perese (Lion Dragonboat Club, Pink Dragons, Epsom Girls Grammar School, Auckland Junior Reps, the NZ Black Dragons Premier Team)

 

2020 Team Manager of the Year ~ Narelle McAllum (Black Dragons and Random Jaffas)  

Finalist 

• Holly Claeys (Komodo Dragons)

• Liz Butcher (Pink Dragons)

• Narelle McAllum (Random Jaffas & The Black Dragons - Premier Mixed Crew)

• Rach Versloot (Lion Dragon Boat Club)

• Sandy Timoti (Steel Dragons) 

 

2020 Captain of the Year - Linda Ashton (Busing with Life)  

Finalist 

• Holly Claeys (Komodo Dragons)

• Liz Butcher (Pink Dragons)

• Narelle McAllum (Random Jaffas & The Black Dragons - Premier Mixed Crew)

• Rach Versloot (Lion Dragon Boat Club) 

• Sandy Timoti (Steel Dragons)

2020 Volunteer of the Year ~ Tery Hardwicke  (AADR & Auckland Regionals Timekeeper )  

2020 Most Improved Team of the Year ~  Air NZ 

2020 Novice Sweep of the Year ~  Tania Scurr  (Komodo Dragons & Dio Girls Grammar)  

2020 Chairman's Award ~ Gary Sin (ZoMBIEs) 

 

 

2019 ADBA Sports Awards, 11 May 2019 

2019 Coach of the Year ~ Bill Lomas (Sky Dragons) and Sooupu Perese (Lion Dragon Boat Club, Head Coach Akl Reps, Epsom Girls Grammar, Pink Dragons) 

Finalist ~  

• Bill Lomas (Sky Dragons) 

• Leslie Ash (Busting With Life)

• Ricky Greaves (Auckland Representative Squad) 

• Sooupu Perese (Auckland Representative Squad, Lion Dragon Boat Club & Epsom Girls Grammar School)

 

2019 Team Manager of the Year ~ Holly Claeys (Komodo Dragons)  

Finalist 

• Gary Sin (ZoMBIEs)

• Holly Claeys (Komodo Dragons)

• Rachel Versloot (Lion Dragon Boat Club)

• Toni-Talita Fraser (The Jaffettes) 

• Narelle McAllum (Random Jaffas)

 

2019 Captain of the Year ~ Serena Tiaiti (Hauraki Blues)  

Finalist 

• Phil Wakelin (Random Jaffas) 

• Ricky Greaves (Lion Dragon Boat Club)

• Serena Taiti (Hauraki Blues) 

• Renee Hart (ZoMBIEs)

 

2019 Volunteer of the Year ~ Toni-Talita Fraser (The Jaffettes)  

2019 Most Improved Team of the Year ~ Sky Dragons 

2019 Novice Sweep of the Year ~ Bruce Lee  (Dragon Riders)  

2019 Chairman's Award ~ Andrew Wilcox (Air NZ) 

2019 Special Recognition Award  ~ Deb Stevenson  (Busting With Life)

2019 Honorary Life Membership - Sooupu Perese, serving since April 2008 

 

 

2018 ADBA Sports Awards, 12 May 2018 

2018 Coach of the Year ~ Deb Camplin (The Jaffettes)

2018 NOVICE Coach of the Year (New Category) ~ Anna Lum (Random Jaffas) 

2018 Team Manager of the Year ~ Rachel Versloot, Lion Dragon Boat Club 

2018 Captain of the Year ~ Ricky Greaves, Lion Dragon Boat  

2018 Novice Sweep of the Year - Carol (Caz) Hill 

2018 Volunteer of the Year - Hauraki Blues 

2018 Most Improved Team of the Year - Komodo Dragons

 

2017 ADBA Sports Awards, 20 May 2017 

2017 Coaches of the Year ~ Leslie Ash (Busting With Life) and Shannon James (Komodo Dragons) 

2017 Team Manager of the Year ~ Leslie Ash (Busting With Life) 

2017 Captain of the Year ~ Steph Chaney (The Jaffettes)

​2017 Novice Sweep of the Year ~ Jo Ward (Komodo Dragons)  and Lavi Stewart Anitone (Sky Dragons & Rutherford College) 

2017  Volunteer of the Year ~ Bruce Slaughter (via Hauraki Blues) 

 2017 Most Improved Team - Air NZ 

2017 Chairman's Award ~  Deb Stevenson, Events Manager 

2017 ADBA Frontiers Award ~ Presented to those teams that competed internationally - this year Pink Caps 

 

2016 ADBA Sports Awards, 23 July 2016 

2016 Coaches of the Year ~ Leslie Ash (Busting With Life) and Tim Grimley (Random Jaffas)

2016 Team Manager of the Year ~ Leslie Ash (Busting With Life) 

2016 Captain of the Year ~ Kerrin Brown (Hauraki Blues) 

​2016 Novice Sweep of the Year ~ Vinesh Reddy (Latitude & Rutherford College) 

2016 Volunteer of the Year ~ Doug Gillespie (Air NZ) 

2016 Most Improved Team  ~ Fresh on the Boat 

2016 Chairman's Award ~  Pip Winchester 

Pip has spent countless hours restoring our fleet of 14+ dragon boats, 2 safety boats plus trailers, 4 trolleys, 2 dragon boat trailers.  Not to mention shipping equipment all over the country to assist our other regions and supporting the NZDBA.   

2016 ADBA Frontiers Award ~ Presented to those teams that competed internationally 

• For qualifying and competing at the 2016 Club Crew World Championships in Adelaide ~ Lion Dragon Boat Club, Hauraki Blue, The Jaffettes, North Shore Dragons. 
• For competing in the International Hong Kong Dragon Boat5 Festivel ~ Random Jaffas​ 

 

2015 ADBA Sports Awards, 18 July 2015 

2015 Coach of the Year ~ Sooupu Perese (GE Force, Epsom Girls Grammar, Pink Dragons, Lynfield College, Lion, The Jaffettes) 

2015 Team Manager of the Year ~ Shannon James (North Shore Dragons, Komodos Dragons) 
 
2015 Captain of the Year ~ Phil Wakelin (Random Jaffas) 

2015 Novice Sweep of the Year ~ Natalie Fowlie 
  
2015 Volunteer of the Year ~ Brent Newton 
 
2015 Most Improved Team of the Year ~ The Jaffettes (Prem A Women's) and GE Force (Prem A Mixed) 

2015 Chairman's Award ~ Alisha Zanetich 
 
2015 Chairman's Special Mentions ~ Sooupu Perese, Deb Stevenson and Clayton Downes 

 

2014 ADBA Inaugural Sports Awards, 14 June 2014 

2014 Coach of the Year ~ Ricky Greaves (AWDBC) 

2014 Team Manager of the Year ~ Jo Greaves (Lion) 
 
2014 Captain of the Year ~ Deb Camplin (AWDBC) and Claire Rawkins (The Jaffettes) 

2014 Novice Sweep of the Year ~ Fane Usali 
 
2014 Volunteer of the Year ~ Kitty Keenan-Britts 
 
2014 Most Improved Team of the Year ~ Pink Dragons 
 
2014 The Chair's Award ~ Ricky Greaves