The judging panel, led by Lady Mary Peters, selected Furness as the overall winner. Special mention was made of the achievements of Paralympic Gold medallists Bethany Firth and Jason Smyth, as well as the Tyrone’s Senior Football team’s remarkable All Ireland Football Championship success.
“In a year packed full of sporting achievement, the remarkable success of the Northern Ireland women’s international team really stood out for the panel,” said BBC Sport NI executive editor Neil Brittain.
“Rachel has been a truly inspirational sports star, leading by example in that team that has gone from strength to strength. She may have been injured for the play-off decider but one of the most memorable images of 2021 is her cheering her team-mates on from the side-lines with her crutches in the air.
“She battled back from that setback to break the record for international goals, and I have no doubt that in doing so, she has inspired a generation of young girls and boys to take up the game.”
Alongside Brittain on the judging panel were Olympic gold medallist Lady Mary Peters, Kenny Archer (Irish News), Darren Fullerton (Daily Mirror), Jim Gracey (Sunday Life Sports Editor) and panel chair, Thomas Kane (BBC Sport NI).