The New Zealand Year of Sport: Athletes from Black Ferns, Ko and Comm Games among the standouts

From top left: Black Ferns Stacey Fluhler and Theresa Fitzpatrick, golfer Lydia Ko, cyclist Aaron Gate and para-swimmer Joshua Willmer.
Photo: photo sport

The Black Ferns are crowned the queens of women’s rugby, Lydia Ko reigns supreme in golf, while New Zealand athletes shone at the Commonwealth Games – these were among the athletes who celebrated particular successes in 2022.

Looking back on another memorable sporting year for Kiwis, it’s hard to top the Black Ferns’ sixth Rugby World Cup title, clinched after a disastrous 2021 and late coaching change.

From last-minute lineout heroine Joanah Ngan-Woo to inspirational co-captain Ruahei Demant and charismatic full-back and full-back Ruby Tui, the Black Ferns opened many people’s eyes to the exuberance of women’s football, especially after their vibrant 34-31 -Victory England in the final.

The awards are already flowing. At the World Rugby Awards in Monaco, Demant was named Women’s 15s Player of the Year, Tui won Women’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year and Wayne Smith won the Coaching Award.

The team must be seen as favorites for team of the year and top honors when the Hillary Awards are decided next year, while Tui, who leads the Eden Park crowd after the momentous win, is among the strong contenders for favorite sporting moment must belong in 2022.

The Black Ferns’ victory capped a successful event in Aotearoa with record attendances at women’s games and television viewing (1.3 million watched the final), despite the financial loss of the event.

The Black Ferns are crowned champions after a thrilling finale at a sold-out Eden Park.
Photo: Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz

It was also an important year for snow sports. Zoi Sadowski-Synnott won gold in slopestyle at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, becoming New Zealand’s first Winter Olympics gold medalist. She followed that up with a silver medal in the Big Air event.

Nico Porteous won gold in the men’s freeski halfpipe, while Corey Peters won the gold medal at the Beijing 2022 Paralympics in the men’s seated downhill and silver in the men’s seated super-G.

Zoi Sadowski-Synnott and Nico Porteous in Beijing.
Photo: Photosport/Tommy Pyatt

Exciting year for Ko

New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko finished the year as world No. 1 after notching three LPGA Tour wins and nine other top five finishes in 2022.

Her wins included the largest first-place prize in women’s golf history ($3.2 million) for winning the season-ending Tour championship in Florida in November.

Ryan Fox ended a good season on the World Tour, finishing second in the rankings and winning three tournaments.

Steven Alker finished the year as the world’s top golfer over 50 and won the Charles Schwab Cup after leading the standings for the final 21 weeks of the season. He won four titles and had an impressive 18 top 10 finishes in 23 events played.

Steven Alker is the world’s top over-50 golfer for 2022.
Photo: PHOTO SPORTS

Gate leads New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games

New Zealand’s athletes achieved the country’s highest tally of medals to date at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in late July.

The athletes won a record 20 gold medals and 49 medals overall.

The cyclists established themselves as the most dominant team at the London Velodrome, led by the superb performances of Aaron Gate, who won four gold medals, becoming the first Kiwi to accomplish the feat in a single game.

Ellesse Andrews joined an exclusive club of athletes as a three-time gold medalist, having won in the keirin, individual and team sprints.

Ellesse Andrews impressed in the sprints at the Commonwealth Games.
Photo: SWPix

New Zealand squash pairing Paul Coll and Joelle King were outstanding, with Coll winning gold in singles while King took silver. The pair won gold in mixed doubles and King also partnered with Amanda Landers-Murphy in women’s doubles, with the pair defending their title from four years ago.

Lewis Clareburt caused quite a stir at his second Commonwealth Games, winning two gold medals – the men’s 400m medley in a game record and the men’s 200m butterfly.

Veteran Dame Sophie Pascoe won gold in the women’s S-9 100m freestyle event – her only event at the Games.

Para swimmer Joshua Willmer won gold in a stunning finish to the SB8 men’s 100m breaststroke final, where the 17-year-old snatched victory from the silver medalist by milliseconds with a dying breath.

Tom Walsh and Jacko Gill shared the podium in the men’s shot put, with Walsh taking gold and Gill taking silver.

Shot putter Tom Walsh, left, and Jacko Gill.
Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz

Toa Samoa win hearts

Toa Samoa might not quite be able to beat Rugby League World Cup favorites Australia – but the prowess of their performance impressed fans at Manchester Stadium and supporters around the world, including in Auckland.

After shocking Tonga and England to reach the final, Toa Samoa went down 30–10 to Australia at Old Trafford, with crowd support for Toa Samoa largely.

There were street parades and motorcades in support of the team in many cities in Australia, Aotearoa and the United States.

Hundreds of people gathered in Ōtara town center in South Auckland, waving Samoan flags.

Despite the result, community leader Jerome Mika said Samoa still won.

“I’m so proud of the boys, it’s just great to see our nation reach the final of the World Cup.

“The Samoan community here is very proud. We won the hearts and minds of our people.”

Meanwhile, Australia ended New Zealand fans’ hopes as the Kiwis lost in the semi-finals while the Kiwi Ferns were beaten in the final.

A Toa Samoa fan.
Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi

Special year for van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen sealed his third Australian Supercars title when he won the inaugural Gold Coast 500 race in October.

Kiwi and co-driver Garth Tander also clinched a second Bathurst 1000 win as a duo earlier in the month.

Van Gisbergen also won the very last race at Pukekohe in September, hailing it as one of the greatest achievements of his Supercars career.

Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen celebrates another win.
Photo: PHOTO SPORTS

Golden pair of riders

The country is the golden couple of international eventing, with Tim Price ending the season ranked world No. 1 and Jonelle Price ranked No. 2.

Tim won the British Open at Gatcombe while Jonelle Price won the Les 5 Etoiles de Pau in France with Grappa Nera.

At the World Eventing Championships in Italy in September, Tim won individual bronze while the New Zealand team also finished with bronze. The result also guaranteed New Zealand a place in team eventing at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The twin bronzes were the country’s first medals at the biannual championships in 12 years.

Tim Price has plenty of reasons to give the thumbs up after finishing the year as the world’s top eventer.
Photo: PHOTO SPORTS

Crusaders, Wellington and Canterbury women’s rugby titles

The Crusaders beat the Blues to win their 11th super rugby title in June. The Blues went into the Super Rugby Pacific final at Eden Park as favorites, hoping to win their first title in almost 20 years but were outplayed.

Veteran half-back Kendra Cocksedge ended her provincial rugby career with Canterbury’s dominant win over Auckland in the Farah Palmer Premiership final in September.

Wellington ended a 22-year drought by beating Canterbury in the final to become the provincial rugby national champion.

Other highlights:

• Auckland sprinter Portia Bing became the first Kiwi to make it to the women’s 400m hurdles semifinals at a World Championships – she competed in Eugene, Oregon in July. She was also the first New Zealand athlete in a hurdles race to make it through the heats at a global championship in 54 years.
• The Tall Blacks qualified for next year’s FIBA ​​Basketball World Cup after defeating Jordan in Auckland in August. The event is co-hosted by the Philippines and Japan.

Kerri Gowler (left) and Grace Prendergast after winning the pairs final at the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games.
Photo: PHOTO SPORTS