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Jake is Australia's best coach

Jake White may have lost out to Ewen McKenzie in the race for the Wallaby job, but he has been voted as Australia's best Super Rugby coach.

The former World Cup-winning Springbok coach's Brumbies side also won the team of the year gong.

After missing out on finals in 2012 due to a last round loss to the Blues, the Brumbies progressed to the Final in 2013.

After more than 30,000km of travel in the fortnight preceding the final the Brumbies put up a gallant fight in the Final against the Chiefs in Hamilton, only to fall agonisingly short from a heroic Super Rugby title.

It has been an incredible turn around for the Brumbies under White, who took his side from 13th place with just four wins in 2011 to seventh place and 10 wins in his first season in 2012.

White further improved his side's performance this year finishing the tournament in third position overall with 10 wins and two more competition points than the previous season.

Wallaby star Michael Hooper was Thursday voted the Australian Super Rugby player of the year, beating George Smith and Will Genia.

The openside flank polled 21 votes, four more than Smith and Genia, to become the first Waratahs player to win the honour since Phil Waugh in 2001.

Hooper, 21, who joined the Waratahs from the Brumbies at the start of the season, played the first two Tests against the British and Irish Lions before he was displaced in the final Test by the more experienced Smith.

Hooper polled votes in nine rounds of the competition, with four of those matches rated as man-of-the-match performances.

Smith, who came out of international retirement to play in a second series against the Lions, polled 17 votes along with scrumhalf Genia.

Former Rugby League international Israel Folau was named rookie of the year in his first season in Union.

Unlike the previous two seasons that saw the Reds dominate the awards the Brumbies, Waratahs and the Reds all shared the trophies on offer.

Rod Davies was awarded the Try of the Year on behalf of the Reds, after he finished off an incredible length of the field effort in their Round 10 match against the Sharks at Suncorp Stadium.

Positioned just five meters out from their own try-line, Reds scrumhalf Will Genia decided to roll the dice and run the ball, passing to flyhalf Quade Cooper. Some quick thinking and quick hands from Cooper provided outside centre Chris Feauai-Sautia with enough space to break down the far side. Damaging wing Digby Ioane gave chase in support and took a well-timed pass to continue the Reds flying move down the wing.

The man who started it all, Genia, received the ball back from Ioane just 30 meters out from the line and when he hit the 22 put in a well weighted cross-field grubber kick to wing Rod Davies who finished off an incredible 20 seconds.

Steve Walsh won his second Australian Referee of the Year Award, joining former referees Stuart Dickinson and Andrew Cole as a back-to-back winners.

Player of the Year recipients

2013 – Michael Hooper

2012 – Will Genia

2011 – Will Genia

2010 – Quade Cooper

2009 – George Smith

2008 – George Smith

2007 – George Smith

2006 – George Smith

2005 – Chris Latham

2004 – Chris Latham

2003 – Joe Roff & Chris Latham

2002 – Stirling Mortlock

2001 – Phil Waugh

2000 – Chris Latham

1999 – Joe Roff

1998 – Stephen Larkham & John Eales

Coach and Team of the Year recipients

2013 – Jake White (Brumbies)

2012 – Ewen McKenzie (Reds)

2011 – Ewen McKenzie (Reds)

2010 – Chris Hickey (Waratahs)

2009 – Chris Hickey (Waratahs)

2008 – Ewen McKenzie (Waratahs)

2007 – Laurie Fisher (Brumbies)

2006 – Ewen McKenzie (Waratahs)

2005 – Ewen McKenzie (Waratahs)

2004 – David Nucifora (Brumbies)

2003 – David Nucifora (Brumbies)

2002 – David Nucifora (Brumbies)

2001 – Eddie Jones (Brumbies)

2000 – Eddie Jones (Brumbies)

1999 – John Connolly (Reds)

1998 – John Connolly (Reds)

Rookie of the Year recipients

2013 – Israel Folau

2012 – Joseph Tomane

2011 – Nick Phipps

2010 – Pat McCabe

2009 – Laurie Weeks

2008 – Tyrone Smith

2007 – Lachie Turner

2006 – Benn Robinson

2005 – Peter Hewat

2004 – Nic Henderson & Drew Mitchell

2003 – Matt Giteau

2002 – Van Humphries

2001 – David Croft

2000 – Phil Waugh

1999 – Nathan Sharpe

1998 – Chris Whitaker

Referee of the Year recipients

2013 – Steve Walsh

2012 – Steve Walsh

2011 – Stuart Dickinson

2010 – Stuart Dickinson

2009 – Stuart Dickinson

2008 – Stuart Dickinson

2007 – Stuart Dickinson

2006 – Scott Young

2005 – Andrew Cole

2004 – Andrew Cole

2003 – Peter Marshall

2002 – Stuart Dickinson

2001 – Peter Marshall

2000 – Wayne Erickson

1999 – Stuart Dickinson

1998 – Scott Young

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