From championship winners to big losses and lip suction on the podium, there’s plenty to write about, so without the intro of the famous Ennio Morricone theme tune, let’s take a peek at more of the ‘Good, Bad and Ugly’ of sport.
THE GOOD
Dalefield just know how to get the job done, peaking at the pointy end of the season and ruining Northern United’s party and unbeaten season with a 3–2 win in Saturday’s final to hoist the Wellington Premier Women’s trophy for the fifth time in eight years.
Testament to a great bunch of talented young women and the hard work of the coaching and management team of Mike and Karen O’Connor and Katherine Reisima.
St Matthew’s claimed their second straight Intercity Secondary Schoolgirls Hockey Championship, beating Feilding High School 6–5. It was the start of a great few days for Emma McLeod, who was also part of the Dalefield team, and along with Melissa Hansen, Ocean Bartlett, Georgia Atkinson, and Gemma Sims, picked up major district cricket contracts.
Wairarapa-Bush overcame late withdrawals and lack of game-time action to soundly beat East Coast 46–12 in the opening
round of the North Island Heartland Women’s Rugby Championship.
World Rugby’s appeals committee banned England captain Owen Farrell for four games, meaning the boofhead will miss the first two games of the World Cup. At last, the whistle has blown on the serial offender. Hey, Owen, arms are used in tackles!
Put the foot to the throttle and rev up for the return of the Supercars, coming to Taupō in April 2024, with 100000 fans, including this old bugger, expected to roar into the central North Island for the petrolhead bonanza.
While I’ve got the smell of burning rubber, how good is Hayden Paddon? He and co-driver John Kennard became the first non-Europeans to power their way to the European Rally Championship despite their rally being toppled when he slammed into a tree on the final day of the penultimate event in the Czech Republic.
On two wheels, triple world championship Courtney Duncan scrambled in the heavy sand in the Netherlands but still held on to a 16-point lead with one round to race in the World Women’s Motocross Championship.
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak – is there a better finisher in either of the rugby codes?
A hat-trick for the Warriors against Manly, taking his tally to 21, many with spectacular diving finishes with little wriggle room in the corners, showed he is right up there.
Spain 1–0 winners over England in the Women’s Football World Cup! Simply too classy and too good – end of story!
THE SAD
A slight deviation to mark the passing of noted sports journalist and NZ Sports Hall of Fame diehard Ron Palenski. Over the years, I had a few chats with Ron – a true gentleman, a devout Otago-ite and a fountain of knowledge of most things sport.
THE BAD
Copthorne Wairarapa-Bush were outplayed by a North Otago team who played extremely well in winning 50–3 – a result bordering on ugly. Wai-Bush coach Reece Robinson wasn’t holding back, conceding his team played very poorly at times, and the ‘Old Golds’ capitalised. Just a bad day at the office?
The Kiwis form at the Athletics World Champs in Hungary! Our three high profile pole vaulters and high jumper Hamish Kerr failing to make finals, they should have comfortably leapt into. Offset somewhat by Zoe Hobbs missing the 100m women’s final by 0.01 seconds and Geordie Beamish finishing fifth in the 3000m steeplechase in only his eighth race in the event.
For the second championship in a row, it looks like Tom Walsh’s fourth in the shot put might be our best result.
Sir Steve Hansen assisting his good mate Eddie Jones with the Wallabies for three or four days. Whatever Shag’s reason, it isn’t a good look from one of our coaching greats. BJ would be turning in his grave.
THE UGLY
The Black Caps lost to the UAE for the first time in a T20 international in Dubai. Bad batting, bad bowling, bad fielding, and three bads adds up to an ugly!
And saving the ugliest for last – Spain’s football president Luis Rubiales smacking an unwanted kiss on the lips of midfielder Jenni Hermoso during the medal ceremony after their victory in the World Cup, while coach Jorge Vilda’s wandering hands appeared to inappropriately touch a female assistant coach’s chest in the celebrations after the final whistle. C’mon guys, give yourself a Liverpool kiss each and resign.
