KEY POINTS:
Failures dominate the top 10 sporting moments of the year but some individual successes give us reason to be hopeful for next year.
nzherald.co.nz reflects on what 2007 will be remembered for.
1. All Blacks crash out of World Cup - again
This was it. After 20 years of waiting 2007 was meant to be the year the All Blacks finally brought the Webb Ellis trophy back to New Zealand. The All Blacks' three wise men, Graham Henry, Steven Hansen and Wayne Smith, got everything they asked for in preparing for the World Cup in France - and after three years of conquering the rugby world, who would argue with them? But at the end of the day, rest, reconditioning, rotation and the millions of dollars poured into the campaign could not give the team what it so desperately needed - a drop goal!
2. Team New Zealand
After disposing of Italian syndicate Luna Rossa 5-0 in the Louis Vuitton Cup final, expectation was building that Team New Zealand might wrestle the Auld Mug back from Alinghi. And although Alinghi retained the Cup by a 5-2 margin, the Kiwis constantly tested the Swiss and produced some of the closest racing in America's Cup history. More importantly, the Grant Dalton-led team restored pride into the Black Boat and raised the hopes of a successful challenge for the 33rd America's Cup (whenever and wherever that may be).
3. Valerie Vili wins gold at World Champs
Valerie provided one of the few New Zealand sporting highlights of 2007 with gold in the shot put at the World Athletics Championships in Osaka, Japan. Valerie had to overcome the death of her father, Sid, as well as shoulder surgery before her winning throw of 20.54m. Her sights are now firmly set on August next year when she aims for gold in Beijing.
4. Chappell-Hadlee whitewash
Any victory against Australia is an achievement for the Black Caps, let alone three-in-a-row. And you before say the Aussies were missing some key players, let's look at the players they did have - Matthew Hayden, Glenn McGrath, Michael Hussey, Nathan Bracken, Phil Jaques, Shaun Tait, Mitchell Johnson - all world class. But it was the way these games were won which makes this rank so highly. A 10-wicket thrashing in Wellington and two 300-plus run-chases in Auckland and Hamilton. What more is there to say.
5. Henry re-appointed
Despite telling everyone to judge him on his failed World Cup attempt, Graham Henry was re-appointed All Blacks coach for a further two years, sending his main competitor, and bookies favourite, Robbie Deans over to the Wallabies. Mark July 26 in next year's calendar for the opening Bledisloe Cup test to find out whether the New Zealand Rugby Union made a mistake or not.
6. Warriors back in playoffs
Sparked by inspirational captain Steve price and dynamic fullback Wade McKinnon, the Warriors returned to the NRL playoffs after a three year absence. And they didn't just sneak into the eight, they finished fourth. At 33, Price was in the form of his career and among the best in the NRL, while McKinnon's length-of-the-field kick-returns left the 30,000 strong crowds at Mt Smart stadium saying "Brett who?".
7. Coxless four/Mahe Drysdale
Hamish Bond, James Dallinger, Eric Murray and Carl Meyer defied the odds in September and beat the highly fancied Dutch and British crews to gold at the world championships in Munich. No other crew was expected to challenge the Netherlands and Great Britain, who have dominated this event for the past couple of years, but they now have a new member at the top.
Drysdale won his third successive world championship gold medal in Munich and will almost be expected to bring home gold if he goes to Beijing. We say 'if' because Drysdale faces a possible challenge by former Olympic champion Rob Waddell for the only single scullers berth at the Games next year.
8. Cricket World Cup
Remembered for all the wrong reasons. Cricket's showpiece in the Caribbean was anything but as it was marred by poor crowds, match fixing allegations and, of course, the mysterious death of Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer. Numerous theories have surfaced into how he died but the actual cause of death is still unknown. For all that matters, Australia won their third consecutive final, while the Black Caps, once again, stumbled in semifinals.
9. Netball World Champs
The final nail in our sporting coffin for 2007. Ferocious home crowd support wasn't enough to get the Silver Ferns to world championship glory. In the final they pushed the Australians close, coming within one goal in the final quarter, and had their opportunities to take the lead but just couldn't clinch it.
10. Beckham in NZ
Soccer went through a mini-revival at the back-end of 2007, culminating in the arrival of David Beckham and his LA Galaxy for an exhibition match against the Wellington Phoenix. More than 30,000 fans turned up to the Cake Tin to see Becks strut his stuff and he didn't disappoint.
