TVNZ News has been able to add the most prestigious prize in sports journalism to a record haul of honours in 2009.

The International Rugby Board has announced that Noel Murphy has been awarded the Vernon Pugh Award for Distinguished Service and Chia-Seng Lin the IRB Development Award.

The New Zealand Sports Journalists Association Inc has announced the finalists for the 2009 Sir Terry McLean National Sports Journalism Awards sponsored by SPARC.