Australia often prides itself on fighting out of its weight division when it comes to sport, and rightly so. With a population of around 27 million, Australia manages to win a disproportionately high number of events on the world stage. New Zealand, with a population of around 5 million has previously, and emphatically in recent weeks, screamed "hold our beers!"
The small twin islands in the South Pacific have gone on a recent splurge of success across a gamut of sporting conquests. The mighty All Blacks crushing Japan 64-19 over the weekend would barely rate a mention at any other time, so blasé are we about their dominance, but it added a cherry on top of a list of spectacular recent wins.
Let's start with the cricket, where New Zealand, missing its greatest ever batsman with Kane Williamson out injured, won their first ever Test series in India. After shaking the cricket world by dismissing the hosts for 46 in the first innings of the first Test, the Black Caps went on to win by 8 wickets. With India ensuring that the conditions were more spin friendly for the second Test, New Zealand won by 113 runs, with off-spinner Mitchell Santner claiming a career best 13 wickets. Indian cricket now finds itself in a frenzy of self-doubt with a much-hyped tour of Australia looming.
Not to be outdone, New Zealand's women claimed their first ever ICC Women's T20 World Cup. Despite coming into the tournament on the back of a series of losses, the White Ferns were able to find enough form to hobble into the finals before beating West Indies in the semifinal and upsetting South Africa for the trophy.
In the Constellation Cup where netball powerhouses New Zealand and Australia clash for virtual world dominance, the Silver Ferns have absolutely smashed the Diamonds. The series, which has run every year since 2010, except for a COVID-marred 2020, has only been won by New Zealand twice. This year they snatched the trophy in emphatic style, dominating the Diamonds in the first three of four Tests.
In sailing, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Club has wrapped up its fifth America's Cup victory. The famous event, which stretches back to 1851, is held every three or four years and has become the pinnacle of yacht design and racing, with teams investing over $100 million each to defend or challenge for the Cup. New Zealand has now won the last three America's Cups, guaranteeing its status among the greatest yachting nations on earth.
On top of these international victories, the New Zealand Breakers moved into third position on the NBL ladder with a crushing victory over the Sydney Kings. In the A-League, newly minted Auckland FC pulled off an early contender for upset of the year with a 1-0 win over Sydney FC, and not to be outdone Wellington Phoenix travelled to Perth to beat the Glory 2-0. The A-League season is very young, but the New Zealand teams currently sit in first and second place on the ladder.
Which brings us to a chilly afternoon in Christchurch when New Zealand rugby league had two chances to pile onto the mountain of sporting glory.
First up the Kiwi Ferns faced the Jillaroos in front of a growing crowd at Apollo Projects Stadium. The last time these two sides met, the Kiwis Ferns sprung a 12-6 upset in Melbourne to claim the 2023 Pacific Cup. The opening exchanges were everything you'd expect from this bitter rivalry, with neither team able to break through during the opening 30 minutes. As halftime loomed, veteran Ali Brigginshaw drew the defence from dummy-half to send Tiana Penitani crashing over. With fullback Tamika Upton stepping up in the second half, the Jillaroos were able to secure a hard-fought 14-0 victory.
Similarly, the last time the men's teams met, the Kiwis had upset Australia 30-0 in Hamilton to claim last year's Pacific Cup. New Zealand rugby league teams always compete well against the Kangaroos, but no one expected such a shellacking in a final. So, with both sides missing key players, there was an air of expectation wafting through the stands in Christchurch.
Australia blew its chance to score the opening try early when Angus Crichton dropped the ball over the line while attempting to ground it with one hand. It took a 40-metre Lindsay Collins charge to break the 0-0 deadlock in the 15th minute, before the Kiwis levelled the scores at 6-all with a determined Jamayne Isaako try in the corner in the 26th minute. Zac Lomax scored the next two tries for Australia, before some brilliant footwork from Will Warbrick made a contest of it with 16 minutes remaining.
With Australia leading 16-10 and under enormous pressure, fullback Dylan Edwards cut through the defence on halfway before sending Mitchell Moses on a run to the line which wrapped up the victory and a place in the Pacific Cup final in two weeks.
New Zealand's run of sporting glory had come to a momentary halt, at least in rugby league terms. The Black Caps step out again on Friday in Mumbai hoping to wrap up an historic 3-0 series victory over India, while the formidable All Blacks embark on their tour of the Home Nations, starting with a Nov. 2 clash with England at Twickenham. The Silver Ferns have a shot at an unprecedented 4-0 victory over the Diamonds when they meet again on Wednesday night, while the New Zealand teams continue on their merry way in the NBL and A-League.
The mantle of most overachieving sporting nation seems firmly within New Zealand's keeping for now. Let's see what Australia can do with the Wallabies on a tour of their own, the cricketers set to host India in a five-Test series, and the Kangaroos and Jillaroos into their respective Pacific Cup finals.