TheSportsCampus

The All Blacks' dramatic win in the Rugby World Cup has made them strong contenders to be nominated for the 2012 Laureus World Team of the Year Award, along with a host of other blue chip challengers following a superlative year of sport. The Laureus World Sports Awards is recognised as the premier honours event in the international sporting calendar and the Awards Ceremony provides a high profile focus as stars of the sporting world come together to salute the finest sportsmen and sportswomen of the year. The winners will be unveiled during a globally televised Awards Ceremony in London on Monday, February 6.

Proceeds from the Laureus World Sports Awards directly benefit and underpin the work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, which supports 89 community sports projects around the world that have helped to improve the lives of more than one-and-a-half million young people.

The All Blacks, the national rugby team of New Zealand, ended 24 years of disappointment when they beat France 8-7 in a tense final in Auckland to win the Rugby World Cup for the second time. Winners of the very first World Cup in 1987, the All Blacks have been favourites to win on many subsequent occasions, but have missed out. Their victory helped to lift the spirits of a nation hit by successive tragedies in the Christchurch Earthquake and the Pike River mine disaster.

Football has produced three strong contenders. FC Barcelona, under coach Pep Guardiola, won the Champions League and the Spanish League in the 2010/11 season. The highlight of another memorable year was the 3-1 win against Manchester United in the Champions League final at London's Wembley Stadium. It is the fourth time Barcelona have won Europe's leading club competition and the third time in six seasons. Their most celebrated player is Lionel Messi, who scored 53 goals in all competitions.

Thousands of flag-waving fans welcomed the Japan Women's Football Team home as the nation's first ever World Cup winners. Japan stunned defending champions Germany 1-0 in the quarter-finals and beat the United States in a penalty shootout in the final. Captain Homare Sawa was awarded the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball for being the top scorer and best player. Coach Norio Sasaki had motivated his team by showing them film of the areas devastated by March's earthquake and subsequent tsunami which inspired them to produce extraordinary results.

Uruguay were winners of the Copa America for a record 15th time, one ahead of Argentina and seven ahead of Brazil. It was their first success since 1995. Striker Luis Suarez was voted Best Player after scoring four goals. Inter Milan's Diego Forlan scored two goals in the 3-0 final win over Paraguay.

The England Cricket Team became No 1 in the world after a spectacular 4-0 series win against former top team India during the summer. Under captain Andrew Strauss and coach Andy Flower, England's rise to the top has been relentless. From May 2009, they have been undefeated. Eight England players were nominated for the annual International Cricket Council Awards – James Anderson, Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook, Andrew Strauss, Graeme Swann, Chris Tremlett and Jonathan Trott. Batsman Trott was named Cricketer of the Year and Cook was voted Test Cricketer of the Year.

The India Cricket Team won the Cricket World Cup in April, defeating Sri Lanka by six wickets in the final in Mumbai. Over 33,000 spectators watched the final, plus an estimated worldwide TV audience of more than one billion. India's delight in their success in the One Day game was rather dulled during the summer when they lost their No 1 ranking in Test cricket to England, following the 4-0 series defeat.

In an excellent year for Chinese sport, the highlight was the performance of the China Table Tennis Team, under head coach Liu Guoliang. China won all five gold medals in the World Table Tennis Championships in Rotterdam in May. It was the eighth time that the Chinese team have had a clean sweep. With an estimated 300 million players and an unrivalled programme of elite development, China currently has complete dominance in the sport. Another 100% performance came from the China Diving Team, who became the first team to win all ten gold medals at the World Championships.

Red Bull won the Formula One World Constructors Championship for the second straight year in 2011. They also won the individual drivers' title through Sebastian Vettel. Their second driver Mark Webber finished third. Although the team is based in the United Kingdom and uses a French Renault engine, it is registered in Austria and is the first Austrian team to win the title. The team is owned by Dietrich Mateschitz, co-founder of drinks company Red Bull, and team principal is Christian Horner.

In the United States, Dallas Mavericks, under coach Rick Carlisle, won their first ever NBA title, beating favourites Miami Heat, a team featuring superstars LeBron James and Dwayne Wade. Dirk Nowitzki became the first European-born player to receive the Most Valuable Player Award in the NBA Finals, as the Mavericks beat Miami 4-2 in the best-of-seven series.

Green Bay Packers became Super Bowl champions for the fourth time after Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdown passes and Nick Collins returned an interception to secure a 31-25 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Capping one of the greatest post-seasons for any quarterback, Rodgers guided the Packers to their first NFL championship in 14 years. Auburn Tigers became US college football champions after defeating Oregon Ducks in the National Championship game. In their team was Cam Newton, winner of the Heisman Trophy, awarded to the outstanding player of the year, who was later drafted as first pick for Carolina Panthers. The team is currently coached by Gene Chizik.

Boston Bruins defeated Vancouver 4-3 in the best-of-seven finals to capture their first Stanley Cup ice hockey championship since 1972. Vancouver had led the series 2-1 and 3-2, but lost the last two games to allow the Bruins to secure the cup amid emotional scenes.

The France Men's Handball Team became the first team in 37 years to retain the World Handball Championship, after beating Denmark 37-35 in a thrilling extra time final. They are also the current reigning European and Olympic champions and their victory made them the only men's national handball team in history to have won four major titles in a row and only the third, along with Romania and Sweden, to have won four world titles in total. Three players on the team, Jérôme Fernandez, Thierry Omeyer and Didier Dinart, are now three-time world champions.

Rugby legend and Laureus World Sports Academy Member Sean Fitzpatrick said: "As a former New Zealand captain and World Cup winner, I am obviously delighted that the All Blacks won the World Cup and I hope that the Media Selection Panel nominates them for this year's Awards. However I think this is an incredibly strong year for team sport and I think it is going to be a very competitive category. The England cricket team has turned their fortunes round in two years and Barcelona just seem to produce great performances year after year. I can't wait to see who the Media Selection Panel will choose as their six Nominees. Whoever they select, it's going to be a difficult decision for the Academy to pick this year's winner."

The Laureus World Sports Awards, which recognise sporting achievement during 2011, are the premier honours on the international sporting calendar. The names of the six Nominees for the Laureus World Team of the Year Award, as voted by the Laureus Media Selection Panel, will be announced on December 15. The eventual winner will then be chosen by the 47 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, the living legends of sport honouring the greatest athletes of today.