The Ponsonby Heroes say they're honoured at being named gay sports team of the year at the GABA Charity Auction last Sunday. The team received the award from the Brett Sheppard Memorial Sports Trust, set up in honour of champion sportsman Brett Sheppard who passed away in 2002. The award is the icing on the cake in a season which has seen several highlights for the team, including a resounding victory over the Brisbane Hustlers in the first Trans-Tasman gay rugby match in September, and three player awards from the Ponsonby District Rugby Football Club, who awarded Dave Tuki with player of the year, Dean Knight with most consistent player and Sean Aucamp with best new player in the social teams category. The Sheppard award gives a much-needed financial boost to the team's coffers. "In an amateur or social sport, sponsorship often means the difference between an event and a team surviving or having to fold," Aucamp says. "The extra income can be used to pay for a new kit, transport costs or costs which players could otherwise not afford themselves." The team hopes it can rely on the continued support of the community in 2005, with sponsorship and fundraising applications starting early in the new year.
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Sunday, 12th December 2004 - 12:00pm