World champion rower Storm Uru is the supreme winner of the 2007 National Māori Sports Awards.

Te Tohu Tākaro o Aotearoa Charitable Trust hosted the prestigious black tie ceremony at the Energy Events Centre in Rotorua.Uru beat a world-class field of finalists to take the title of senior Māori sportsman for the second year in a row before accepting the supreme award – the Albie Pryor Memorial Māori Sportsperson of the Year.

Uru is currently one of the sport’s top lightweight scullers.He took a bronze medal in the under-23 world championships in 2005, a gold medal in 2006 – a feat he repeated in Strathclyde in 2007.Originally from Invercargill, the Ngāi Tahu athlete trains at Lake Karapiro and will attempt to qualify in the lightweight double scull for the Beijing Olympics in 2008. 

The 2007 winners and special award recipients are:

Māori Sports Hall of Fame Inductees – Te Whare Matapuna o te Ao Māori: Wayne (Buck) Shelford (Ngāpuhi), Rugby; Waimārama Taumaunu (Ngāti Porou), Netball; Wynton Rufer (Ngāti Porou), Soccer

Special Award – Tohu Motuhake

Stacey Jones (Ngāpuhi), Rugby League

Māori World Champions Awards

Jason Wynyard (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Maniapoto), Wood chopping; Karmyn Wynyard (Tainui), Wood Sawing; Dion Lane (Tainui), Wood chopping; Storm Uru (Ngāi Tahu), Rowing; Ramona Belmont (Ngāti Kahungunu), Cue Ball; Luke Thompson (Ngāpuhi), Tae Kwon Do; Mihi Wells (Ngāpuhi), Body Boarding

Māori Sports Administrator of the Year – Maui Tikitiki-a-Taranga

Ani Haua (Ngā Ruahine, Ngāti Rauru, Maniapoto), Māori Rugby

Disabled Māori Sports Person of the Year – Te Toihuarewa

Matthew Lack (Whakatōhea), Wheelchair Racing

Māori Sports Coach of the Year – Te Maru o Tūmatatenga

Yvette McCausland–Durie (Ngāti Awa), Netball

Best Community Initiative Award – He Oranga Poutama

Tū Toa Charitable Trust – Massey University/Correspondence School

Māori Sports Media Award of the Year – Te Reo o te Para Whakawai

Te Kauhoe Wano (Te Ati Awa, Ngāti Awa), Toa TV – Airini Mason documentary for Māori Television

Junior Māori Sportswomen of the Year – Te Tamāhine-a-Papatuanuku

Susie Bates (Ngāi Tahu), Cricket/Basketball

Junior Māori Sportsman of the Year – Te Tama-a-Ranginui

Zac Guildford (Ngāti Kahungunu), Rugby

Senior Māori Sportswomen of the Year – Hineahuone

Ramona Belmont (Ngāti Kahungunu), Cue Sports

Senior Māori Sportsman of the Year – Te Tama-a-Tanenuiarangi

Storm Uru (Ngāi Tahu), Rowing

Albie Pryor Memorial Māori Sports Person of the Year – Rongomaraeroa

Storm Uru (Ngāi Tahu), Rowing