5 sporting legends who visited NZ at peak of powers

Tiger Woods came down under to play the 2002 New Zealand Open.

1 Tiger Woods

The American may have faded from the limelight over the last few years, but there was a time when he was one of the biggest sporting names in the world. During that period he came down under to play the 2002 New Zealand Open, helped by the persuasion of former caddy Steve Williams. At the time he was ranked the world's No1 golfer, and already had seven majors to his name. Woods struggled in the windy conditions and almost missed the cut, though he paid back a portion of his massive appearance fee by attracting huge crowds to Paraparaumu.

2 George Best

For many football pundits, Best ranks alongside Pele and Diego Maradona as one of the greatest players in history. He came to New Zealand at the peak of his powers, on an end-of-season tour with Manchester United in 1967. The Red Devils had just won the First Division title, and also included Bobby Charlton, Dennis Law and Nobby Stiles. They beat an Auckland selection 8-1 before smashing New Zealand 11-0 three days later.

3 Rod Laver

For many, Laver is the greatest tennis player of all time. He remains the only male player to do the Grand Slam twice, winning all four major tournaments in the same year. The Australian was a regular visitor to Auckland during the 1960s, and featured at the New Zealand Open on several occasions. In 1969 - the year when he would complete his second (and arguably most impressive) grand slam - he played at the Auckland tournament, losing to fellow Australian great Tony Roche in a four-set final.

4 Stirling Moss

The British motor racing great was a regular visitor to these shores in the late 1950s and early 1960s to take part in the New Zealand Grand Prix. Moss had 16 wins (and 24 podium) finishes from 66 Formula One starts, and finished second four times (and third a further three times) in the drivers' championship standings. Of all his appearances in New Zealand, a masterful win in driving rain at Ardmore in 1962 stands out.

5 Bjorn Borg

Rafa Nadal may have superseded his records at Roland Garros but Borg is still regarded as one of the best to hold a tennis racquet. He won both the French Open and Wimbledon in three consecutive years and a total of 11 grand slams. Borg played at Stanley St in 1974, just a few months before his first triumph at Roland Garros. The Swede was top seed for the New Zealand Open, and beat Onny Parun 6-4 6-3 6-1 in the final.