The Herald Sport team celebrate the greatest New Zealand athletes from this decade.
Richie McCaw
Richie McCaw. Photo / Photosport
McCaw survived the 2003 and 2007 Rugby World Cup disappointments to lead the All Blacks to glory in the next two tournaments. The 2011 triumph was the stuff of legends; McCaw ignoring a broken footto drive an exhausted All Blacks side home in the final against France at Eden Park. Four years later, his All Blacks fended off South Africa in a semifinal before smashing Australia at Twickenham. No player has had a greater influence on New Zealand rugby. He set incredible standards with the Crusaders and All Blacks, and was among the best on the field in virtually every game he played.
Twenty professional wins, two major titles, 104 weeks at world No 1, US$10 million in career earnings ... but probably the most impressive number is 14. That's how old Ko was when she won the New South Wales Open to become the youngest person to win a professional tournament. It was the start of what has been a remarkable run for Ko which saw her win 15 tournaments on the LPGA in the space of six years, including the Evian Championship and ANA Inspiration, two of the LPGA's five majors. Ko also finished second at two majors and third on four occasions during the run while also winning silver at the inaugural women's Olympic event in Rio. She was named as one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in 2014, alongside the likes of Beyoncé, Cristiano Ronaldo, Barack Obama and Serena Williams.
Scott Dixon
Scott Dixon. Photo / Supplied
The 39-year-old is an IndyCar legend, who won three of his five series titles during the decade. His 46 race victories is the most for current drivers, and third best in history behind the legendary AJ Foyt and Mario Andretti.
Ryan Nelsen
Ryan Nelsen. Photo / NZPA
Draws are not a sexy sports item. But the All Whites' feat of drawing with Slovakia, Italy and Paraguay at the 2010 Fifa World Cup finals was a fabulous achievement in the global game. The most extraordinary effort came against world champions Italy, where the Kiwis led before Italy equalised through a fortunate penalty. At the centre of it all was Nelsen, the masterful Blackburn Rovers defender with a dominant personality.
Laura Langman
Laura Langman. Photo / Photosport
Langman is the best netball midcourter of her generation, and has probably surpassed Sandra Edge as the Silver Ferns' finest in that position. The 33-year-old from Hamilton got her due reward in 2019 — a World Cup gold medal at the fourth attempt. She had been absent while playing for an Australian club but was made captain on her 2018 return — that said plenty about her status.
Portia Woodman
Portia Woodman. Photo / Alan Gibson
Women's rugby is on the rise in a new era of professionalism and it found a star in Woodman to add that extra sparkle. The 28-year-old was in the World Cup-winning team two years ago and is a XV-a-side gun, but she makes the biggest mark in sevens. Woodman, the daughter of former Northland and All Blacks wing Kawhena, is a try-scoring sensation on the world circuit, where the Black Ferns dominate.
Brodie Retallick
Brodie Retallick. Photo / Getty Images
The towering lock couldn't find the necessary drive in his home province Canterbury, but it was a different story once he headed north. Retallick was an instant success with the title-winning Chiefs in 2012 and 2013, and gained immediate All Blacks selection. Retallick brought new skills to lock, notably a fine short pass. The 2014 World Player of the Year and World Cup winner is our finest tight forward since Colin Meads.
Samoa-raised Tuivasa-Sheck, an Otahuhu College standout, bypassed the Blues and Warriors to start his NRL career with the Sydney Roosters. A huge workrate and stunning sidestep emerged as the hallmarks of his game, and the struggling Warriors scored a coup with his signature for 2016. Through troubled times, his performances for the Warriors are exceptional, he took on club and country captaincy at a young age, and is the first Warrior to win the NRL's prestigious Dally M award.
