King’s Birthday Honours 2023

Former All Blacks captain Andy Leslie.
Photo: Photosport

Rugby is the big winner is the sports community with the announcement of the Kings Birthday honours.

Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit

Andy Leslie

Decades of service to rugby and the community have been recognised with former All Blacks captain Andy Leslie made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of merit in the Kings Birthday honours list.

Leslie captained the All Blacks in the 1970’s and also represented New Zealand in softball and water polo.

For the past 20 years he’s also been involved in community development, youth and sports administration.

Leslie was president of New Zealand Rugby from 20087 to 2009 and holds life memberships of a number of rugby organisations and clubs.

He’s been a strong advocate for amateur sport in Aotearoa and has played a leading role in the development of community facilities in Lower Hutt.

He was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2001.

Photo: Photosport Ltd 2021 www.photosport.nz

Opie Bosson

Leading New Zealand jockey Opie Bosson (Ngati Whakaue, Rangiwewehi) has been made an Offficer of the New Zealand Order of merit.

Bosson, 42, has been involved with thoroughbred racing for much of his life and has recorded over 1800 race wins, including 91 group one races in New Zealand and various group one races overseas.

Top wins include the Karaka Milliion six times, the Auckland Cup, Australian Oaks, Caufield Cup, Australian Derby, Singapore Derby and Singapore Gold Cup.

Bosson holds the record for most wins in a season for a New Zealand jockey at 128.

Bosson began as an apprentice with Te Akau Racing in 1995 and is recognised for his rare longevity in the racing industry.

Opie Bosson.
Photo: Alan Lee / www.photosport.nz

Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit

Ruahei Demant

Photo: Aaron Gillions / www.photosport.nz

Black Ferns World Cup winning co-captain Ruahei Demant has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Demant, 28, made her debut for the New Zealand women’s rugby side in 2018 and has played 26 tests, 11 of them as captain.

She co-captained the Black Ferns to World Cup success in Auckland last year and was named Women’s 15’s player of the year by World Rugby in 2022.

Barry Pickering

Former All Whites goalkeeper Barry Pickering for his life long service to football, made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Pickering, 64, played 20 internationals for New Zealand and was member of the 1982 World Cup squad – the first All Whites side to qualify for the global tournament.

He played over 200 national league games named Player of the Year seven times.

He’s been club administrator at Petone Football Club for nearly 30 years and has coached at both senior and junior level.

He was inducted into the Hutt Valley Sports Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Wellington Football Hall of Fame in the following year.

Amy Satterthwaite

Photo: PhotoSport / John Cowpland

Amy Satterthwaite has been a part of the New Zeland Cricketing Community for 20 years as a player, captain, mentor and coach.

Satterthwaite, 36, made her debut for the White Ferns in 2007 and went on to play 145 one day internationals, 111 T20’s, including 13 ODI’s and 12 T20’s as captain.

She retired from the international stage in 2022.

Kennedy Simon

Photo: Photosport / Alan Lee

Kennedy Simon (Tainui) co-captained the Black Ferns to World Cup success along with Ruahei Demant last year.

Simon, 26, made her debut for the Black Ferns in 2019 and was named Black Ferns player of the Year in 2021.

She has represented New Zealand in Sevens since 2018 having made her representative debut for Waikato in 2013.