New Zealand Rugby announced today that the top provincial players will now be recognised by two new awards.

The Duane Monkley Medal will be awarded to the Player of the Year in the Mitre 10 Cup. In a move that hits much closer to home, our own Fiao’o Fa’amausili will have the top honour inscribed with her name  for the best player in the Farah Palmer Cup.

This is a much deserved honour for Fa’amausili given her contribution to the game at club, provincial and international level.

Fiao’o is currently away captaining the Black Ferns in her 5^th Women’s World Cup and is set to become the first Black Fern to reach 50 test caps. On her return to the Auckland Storm set-up, she is in-line to become the first woman to 100 provincial caps, looking to add another milestone to her already bulging CV.

Steve Lancaster, New Zealand Rugby Head of Provincial Unions, said of both Fa’amausili and Monkley:

“Their commitment, leadership and passion for the game is everything these competitions stand for and it will be a great privilege for our best players to be awarded a medal in their honour."

"Although these players proudly wore their own provincial colours, there is no doubt their contribution to the spirit and legacy of the national provincial competitions, can be celebrated by all unions."

In more changes to the awards system, the Player of the Year will now be determined by a season-points system, with match officials picking their players of the match awarding three points, two points and one point for the game’s top three performers.  A season scoreboard will keep track of the tally, with the players sitting at the top of each chart to be announced as the winners at the ASB Rugby Awards on 14 December.  Previously, the provincial player of the year has been determined at the end of the season by a judging panel.  

The new awards system mirrors the AFL's Brownlow Medal, where points are awarded to the top three players in every match throughout the season.

It wouldn’t be a surprise, however, come season’s end, if our very own had her name on the award already bearing her name.