Sir Bob Charles became the country's first major golf champion in 1963; Michael Campbell held off a guy called Woods to follow in Charles' steps six years ago.
New Zealanders standing alone against the world and succeeding. Down this way we love that.
In 1995, Sir Peter Blake oversaw the one victory in sports at which New Zealand compete at top level, yet which seemed beyond our grasp.
The America's Cup became New Zealand's cup for eight years. Red socks, Sir Russell Coutts et al.
In matters purely rugby, the 1987 World Cup victory is up near the top, New Zealand sportsmen doing supremely well at the sport in which we'd long reckoned to have ruled the world, unofficially.
Lovely memories, which have been rekindled to death over the past six weeks.
But back then, no one really knew how the Webb Ellis Cup would mushroom as it has.
Those were amateur days and it was great fun. And too many New Zealanders simply assumed the cup would become a semi-permanent fixture on the nation's mantelpiece.
This triumph will always hold a favoured place among those special moments. Why? Because it was a victory for the nation. It happened in New Zealand's back yard so it will resonate with a greater personal feeling than those other five-star moments overseas. Call it the "we were there" factor.
Sure the All Blacks were outstanding, all power, precision, pace, planning and purpose. Now there's a second group of players to join the boys of '87. So too the cup organisers, who put together a first-class operation, which was difficult to fault.
Rugby is the game that matters more to New Zealanders than any other, from those mildly interested to the fanatical.
So most of all this should be remembered as the event which - in a year marred by tragedy - drew a collective smile and rousing cheer.
It has been New Zealand's cup and last night the nation received the perfect sign-off.
