Editorial: Sporting minnows stand tall

Sporting years should be, and usually are, about records set, tries scored and wickets taken. Not 2002, however. In both the national obsession and the summer game, happenings away from the field of play dominated as administrators grappled with the demands of professionalism. The New Zealand Rugby Football Union, once so smug about its adaptation to the new era, lost the World Cup sub-hosting rights and committed a series of lesser blunders. New Zealand Cricket, for its part, confronted the first stirrings of player power. And while both sweated, sports long accustomed to being bit players stepped on to centre-stage.

Rugby actually had a more than satisfactory year in playing terms. The All Blacks won the Tri-Nations, the Canterbury Crusaders the Super 12, and the sevens and women's teams retained their world crowns. Yet that record was utterly overshadowed by a World Cup debacle that finally, and correctly, led to the unseating of the rugby union board and the departure of the chief executive. Their incompetence and arrogance cost New Zealand the chance to bathe in, and benefit from, the World Cup spotlight. Attempts to shift the blame to Australia or the International Rugby Board were as unfounded as they were ill-judged. Public outrage, and dismay, was only compounded by succeeding blunders, including the Steve Devine eligibility saga and aborted legal action over the All Black logo.

The Black Caps, likewise, fared well, a test humiliation in Pakistan notwithstanding. New talent was unearthed during a spirited triangular one-day showing in Australia, a test series was won in the West Indies for the first time, and New Zealand cemented its third-best test status. Yet much of that was undermined near year's end by highly dubious pitch preparation for the tests against India and, most seriously, a players' strike. Following the players' eventual backdown, it passed almost unnoticed that the domestic variety had secured an 18 per cent pay rise and nationally contracted players 11 per cent. Whatever public disapproval of the strike, these were not figures to discourage flexing of player muscle.

But amid the discontent, there were sporting endeavours that brought unequivocal joy.

Standout individual performers included boardsailor Barbara Kendall and cyclist Sarah Ulmer, the former for her brilliant comeback to win her third world Mistral boardsailing title and the latter for her brilliant ride to win gold in the 3000m individual pursuit at the Manchester Commonwealth Games.

The best from the teams was provided by the Warriors and the Tall Blacks. The Warriors, fortified by Australian expertise, seized the minor premiership, then succumbed to inexperience in the grand final. The Tall Blacks' fourth placing at the world basketball championships was even more extraordinary, and more firmly in this country's underdog tradition. So was golfer Craig Perks' victory in the Players Championship. Likewise, the All Whites defied expectation by defeating an understrength Socceroos to advance to the Confederations Cup.

In many ways, however, 2002 was an appetiser. Just around the corner are the cricket World Cup, a tantalising America's Cup showdown between Team New Zealand and, most probably, Russell Coutts' Alinghi, and rugby's World Cup. Hopefully, there will be a triumph or three. Likely, there will be despair. Certainly, there will be farewell performances, but perhaps none so poignant as that of Sunline, the queen of the Australasian turf. Yet sport is always bigger than the individual and new stars always emerge - starting today, perhaps, with the Derby meeting at Ellerslie.