Watkins makes it into top 16 in sexy sportswomen poll

White Ferns captain Aimee Watkins has been named by Yahoo!Xtra in the top 16 Sexiest Women in Sport.

Voting has started for the poll and now it’s your turn to place your vote at http://www.blackcaps.co.nz/news/international/1/watkins-makes-top-16-have-your-say/7063/article.aspx

Voting finishes tomorrow – Friday 21 May.

Initially there were 50 sportswomen named in Yahoo!Xtra’s poll, however the team at the website had the difficult task of choosing the top 16.

Watkins said it is great to be recognised and the poll is a positive thing for women’s sport. "It's great to have a poll like this which helps boost women's sport," she said. “Hopefully it will have a positive effect for women's cricket.”

Watkins goes up against the likes of American Indy driver Danica Patrick, Australian swimmer Stephanie Rice and fellow Kiwi BMXer Sarah Walker.

"I'm thrilled to be put in the same category as Olympians, well known tennis players and a race car driver,” Watkins said.

Yahoo!Xtra’s sports editor Mike Kilpatrick said it’s nice including the White Ferns’ captain.

“It’s not fair that our amazing home-grown stars are constantly ignored within New Zealand. So we wanted to celebrate not only their looks, but their sporting prowess too,” he said. “Aimee Watkins, in particular, is a fantastic example of someone who combines elegance and beauty with a talent we should all be proud of.”

Kilpatrick rebuffed claims the Sexiest Women in Sport poll was based purely on looks. “A lot of other ‘sexy’ lists appear to focus solely on looks but I like to think we’ve found a group of beautiful women who not only excel at their sport but have the ability to get even better in the future.”

Aimee Watkins now heads to Devon to play cricket. She hopes the profile of the poll will in turn boost the White Ferns and get more people cheering on the talented team. “I hope to see many more faces out supporting us next summer,” she concluded.