Plenty has happened in the sporting world over the past year. Chris Rattue looks back at the winners and losers, the weirdest and most wonderful moments from 2024.
Kiwi Sportsperson of the Year: Chris Wood
At the age of 33, the veteran Kiwi striker is having his finest season inthe English Premier League, the world’s most glamorous football competition.
His run of goals has pushed unfancied Nottingham Forest into the top four for now, giving them a shot at playing in Europe next year.
To see a Kiwi up with Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah on the game’s elite goalscoring list is amazing. And Wood keeps turning up for the All Whites.
A Kiwi sports legend has been made in 2024.
Runner up: Lydia Ko
Olympic golf gold, Hall of Fame entry and the British Open title, her third major trophy. It didn’t get any better than that in a year…until Chris Wood came along. (But Ko is a shoo-in to win the big Halberg gong).
International sportsperson of the year (1): Controversial Caitlin Clark
The rookie sensation has (allegedly) changed the face of women’s basketball and thus women’s sport - her x-factor has led to an incredible boom. But many players, and others, feel Clark gets too much limelight because she is white.
Bottom line: Clark, who plays for the Indiana Fever, has initiated one of the most spectacular leaps forward in the history of women’s sport. Or is she getting too much credit? Her impact can’t be ignored though.
International sportsperson of the year (2): Shohei ‘Shotime’ Ohtani
The Japanese baseball superstar is primarily a pitcher but was unable to take the mound while recovering from injury this year, he was a batting and base running sensation for the LA Dodgers.
Weirdest story of the year: Shohei Ohtani’s missing millions
Shohei’s assistant nicked loads of the baseballer’s money for gambling purposes.
Most disturbing story: A Sinner?
Italian Jannik Sinner is a wonderful tennis player, and the best in the world, but the ongoing saga around two failed doping tests is disconcerting. WADA appealed his clearance, with the arbitration sports court hearing due in February.
A startlingly close finish across the track, as American Noah Lyles pipped Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson by such a close margin that Lyles thought he had missed out.
“I think you got that one big dog,” Lyles told Thompson after the Paris thriller.
Top Kiwi sports team: The Olympic squad
Hamish Kerr, Ellesse Andrews, Lisa Carrington et al. Ten golds, 20 medals. Amazing.
Finn Butcher won gold in the inaugural Olympic Games canoe slalom kayak cross. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Best Olympic event: Pole vault
Love it. The shock early departure of highly touted Brit Molly Caudery was Olympic drama at its best.
Weirdest international sportsperson of the year: Raygun
A sort of modern-day Eddie the Eagle (kids, ask your grandparents). Australian Rachael Gunn no doubt headed to the Olympics full of pride and hope, but returned as an international joke thanks to her bizarre efforts in the breakdancing competition.
Most significant world sports departure: Rafael Nadal
Spain’s tennis superstar and clay court king who never stopped competing has stopped competing.
Significant local departure: Western Springs Speedway
After nearly a century in the heart of Auckland, the speedway has been shunted off to Waikaraka Park in Onehunga from next year. In its heyday, the speedway drew massive crowds to the Springs and was a unique part of Auckland life.
Western Springs Stadium and Park in Auckland. Photo / Jason Dorday
Most significant rugby departures: New and old
MacDonald quit as All Blacks assistant coach during Scott Robertson’s first year. Sevens superstar Portia Woodman called it a day with the Black Ferns.
Best Kiwi U-turn: The Silver Ferns
Under fire coach Noeline Taurua engineered a series victory over once-mighty Australia, shortly after the Ferns had crashed to a disappointing home series defeat against England. In the process, the Kiwis scored three wins in a row over the Aussies for the first time in nearly two decades.
Worst Kiwi U-turn: The cricketers
Tim Southee’s Black Caps were crushed by Sri Lanka, then new captain Tom Latham’s team scored one of the biggest surprises in the history of cricket, beating India at home by 3 - 0. This involved the unleashing of a rare beast - a dominant New Zealand spin bowling attack.
Next up… another U-turn, a home series defeat against an England team that came here with a pretty average bowling attack. Very hard to figure.
Best hidden Kiwi sports secret: The White Ferns
Who would have guessed? Amelia Kerr starred as they beat South Africa in the T20 World Cup cricket final in Dubai.
Most wonderful weekend
It all happened at once in late October…New Zealand won the women’s T20 World Cup, triathlete Hayden Wilde won the final World Series race in Spain, Team New Zealand completed their America’s Cup victory over Britain in Barcelona, the Silver Ferns beat Australia in the opening Constellation Cup game, brand new Auckland FC won their inaugural A-League match against Brisbane…and for good measure, Liam Lawson had a top 10 Formula One finish in Texas.
Best Kiwi Olympic memories: It’s not just about winning
The Black Ferns gold medal opening and Hamish Kerr’s legendary high jump performance led the way…except I can’t get the triathlon out of my head. Hayden Wilde looked to have gold in the bag but was run down by British legend Alex Yee. Wonderful drama.
Best Kiwi story (hopefully): Red Bull Formula One prospect Liam Lawson…
…to be continued.
Biggest international story (1): The continuing influence of Middle East money…
…to be continued (forever)
Biggest international story (2): Taylor Swift
Swift’s relationship with Kansas City’s NFL great Travis Kelce generated publicity for American Football that it could only dream about.
The Super Bowl drew a record audience, thanks to a big jump in watching women aged 18 to 24. (Swifties apparently had less of a telling effect on the presidential election though).
The Swift-Kelce relationship has been described as the biggest cultural event of the year.
Biggest flop (1): The America’s Cup
Lost its magic.
Biggest flop (2): The Warriors
Wah, wah, wah.
Biggest flop (3): New Zealand sport
Sky Sport’s domestic menu of low-level sport often played on remote paddocks, interspersed with inconsequential Australian fare, tells a story.
Most revealing internet statistic: A Premier League victory
No, not the English Premier League. We’re talking cricket’s Indian Premier League.
The IPL was the leading sport in Wikipedia’s page views for the year. The IPL came in sixth with 24.6 million views, just behind some bloke named Donald Trump.
Fastest Tongues: The Warriors
Have they become a protected species by an NRL grateful for what the Auckland club did during the pandemic?
The NRL has missed a major opportunity by not awarding New Zealand a second franchise already.
Convoluted claims from Warriors chief executive Cameron George that New Zealand needs more time to build a game capable of sustaining a second NRL team are insultingly self-serving.
The Warriors have enjoyed 30 years as the only club in this country and made a hash of it. And now they want five or 10 years more?
Shaun Johnson of the Warriors looks on amongst dejected Warriors players during their 66-6 loss to the Gold Coast Titans. Photo / Photosport
Biggest shock: Manchester City’s collapse
The previously untouchable English Premier League champions have completely collapsed, apparently unable to perform when they don’t have the injured defensive midfielder Rodri on board.
Most confusing: The All Blacks
New coach Scott Robertson was supposed to be a breath of fresh air. He wasn’t. The All Blacks are not all that bad, but they’re not all that good. As in, little has changed.
Best watch: Test rugby
Still fantastic to watch, even if the game is battling elsewhere. Great stadiums, packed, help.
Most promising newcomer: All Blacks rookie Wallace Sititi
Remember Jonah Lomu and Christian Cullen…claustrophobic rugby desperately needs more X-factor. The free-running loose forward Sititi is far from the finished article, but the superstar potential is there
Weirdest moment of the year: Scottie Scheffler’s arrest
The world’s best golfer - by far - was arrested and handcuffed during the PGA Championship, in Louisville.
The arresting officer had been dealing with traffic following the death of a tournament volunteer and felt Scheffler wasn’t obeying his directions. Charges were quickly dropped.
Most depressing departure: Football Ferns coach Jitka Klimkova
More trouble at the mill for our national women’s football side, with the Czech coach quitting her long contract amid controversy including a workplace investigation. There is so much potential in women’s football but New Zealand is an underperforming disaster zone.
Most surprising debut: Auckland FC
On a long unbeaten run to open their A-League account, including six straight wins and the first five without conceding a goal. The football world will hardly take notice, but we’re impressed.
Chris Rattue has been a journalist since 1980 and is one of the most respected opinion writers in New Zealand sports journalism.
