Glover and Stanning crowned World Rowing Female Crew of the Year

Britain's Helen Glover and Heather Stanning have been named as the World Rowing Female Crew of the Year ©Getty Images

British pair Helen Glover and Heather Stanning have been named as the World Rowing Female Crew of the Year by the sport’s governing body to cap off another remarkable year for the reigning Olympic and world champions.

The duo are unbeaten since they took gold at their home Olympic Games in London three years ago and continued their reign of dominance by defending their title at the World Championships in Aiguebelette, France in September.

Stanning and Glover, who finished at the summit of the individual World Rowing Top 10 rankings, beat off competition from the United States women’s eight, comprised of Katelin Snyder, Heidi Robbins, Tessa Gobbo, Kerry Simmonds, Emily Regan, Lauren Schmetterling, Amanda Polk, Meghan Musnicki and Victoria Opitz.

Kim Crow, another rower to end the season unbeaten and who reclaimed her world title after finishing second at the 2014 World Championships in Amsterdam, was also nominated.

The men’s prize went to Frenchmen Jeremie Azou and Stany Delayre, who have won 36 of their 37 races together, following their dominant season, during which they remained unbeaten.

The pair came together in 2012 before Delayre suffered a training injury in a collision with another boat which nearly caused him to be paralysed the same year.

He was able to launch a remarkable recovery and the duo produced another superb performance to win the lightweight double sculls race at their home Championships in Aiguebelette.

Switzerland’s lightweight men’s four team of Mario Gyr, Simon Niepmann, Simon Schuerch and Lucas Tramer and Croatian brothers Valent and Martin Sinkovic also reached the final shortlist but ultimately fell short.

French duo Jeremie Azou and Stany Delayre have scooped the Male Crew of the Year prize ©Getty Images

Israel’s Moran Samuel, who bounced back after earning silver at the 2014 World Championships in Amsterdam to win gold at this year's event in the AS women's single sculls race, scooped the World Para-rowing Crew of the Year prize following a breakthrough year which included her first world title.

Erik Horrie of Australia, last year’s victor, was nominated for the award along with compatriots Gavin Bellis and Kathryn Ross, winners of every major TA double sculls race since 2013.

While the Sinkovic brothers couldn’t quite claim the Male Crew of the Year prize, Nikola Bralic, who guided the pair to World Championships gold, landed the Coach of the Year award.

Azou and Delayre’s coach Alexis Besancon and Ian Wright, Switzerland’s men’s four head, were shortlisted.

The final award, the 2015 Distinguished Service to Rowing, was given to Germany’s renowned boat builder Klaus Filter.

All of the award winners will receive their prizes at the 2015 World Rowing Coaches Conference gala dinner in Sarasota, Florida tomorrow.