Excitement Looms with Upcoming Laureus World Team of the Year Award

In rugby, it may not have made up for losing to France in the quarter-final of the 2007 Rugby World Cup, but 2008 was a wonderful year for the New Zealand All Blacks as they re-established themselves as the top team in the world. They won the Tri-Nations Series against Australia and World Champions South Africa, then they completed an autumn Grand Slam in the British Isles, beating Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England. The All Blacks were named International Rugby Board Team of the Year and their coach Graham Henry was voted Coach of the Year.

In cricket, South Africa became the first team in 16 years to win a Test Series in Australia. If they had won the final game in Sydney, they would have taken over the No. 1 world ranking from the Australians. During the year, South Africa won 11 out of 15 Tests, losing just two matches. They won the Test series in England and drew in India.

Captained and coached by Australian spin legend Shane Warne, the Rajasthan Royals cricket team won the inaugural Indian Premier League, despite being regarded by some as one of the weaker teams in the league. The team lost its first match by nine wickets, then recovered for an 11-3 winning record to qualify for the play-offs. They beat Delhi in the semi-finals and Chennai by three wickets in the final in June.

Double Olympic gold medallist Edwin Moses, Chairman of the Laureus World Sports Academy, said: “The Olympic Games produced some memorable moments. As well as producing a great Games, the Chinese certainly delivered on the medal count. And as a former track runner myself, I thought the performances of the Jamaican sprinters were amazing. Having Franz Beckenbauer and Bobby Charlton as Academy members, I know just what a great year it was for football. Whichever six teams are nominated from whichever sports, the Academy is going to have a truly great list of nominees to vote for.”

There is a two-part voting process to find the winners of the Laureus World Sports Awards. Firstly, a Selection Panel of the world’s leading sports editors, writers and broadcasters from over 120 countries votes to create a shortlist of six nominations in various categories including Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year, Laureus World Team of the Year, Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year and Laureus World Comeback of the Year.

The members of the Laureus World Sports Academy then vote by secret ballot to select the winners. The Laureus Academy is the ultimate sports jury, made up of 46 of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of all time, who have made an outstanding contribution to world sports.

The Laureus Academy members also vote for the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability and the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year, the nominations for which are made by specialist panels.

The 2008 Awards Ceremony in St. Petersburg, held in the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was attended by global figures from sports, entertainment, business, and fashion. In addition to members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, among the guests present were Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone, England football coach Fabio Capello, Russian swimming star Alexander Popov, Paralympic "Blade Runner" Oscar Pistorius and Tour De France winner Alberto Contador. From the world of entertainment there was Kim Catrall, Cuba Gooding Jnr, Dennis Hopper, and Kyle MacLachlan. Among the legends of sport who were present to receive awards were tennis legends Roger Federer and Justine Henin, British racing driver Lewis Hamiton, wheelchair tennis star Esther Vergeer and members of the South African team, which won the Rugby World Cup.

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