We embraced our own - holding our breath and urging the teams on for weeks, whether at home alone, with mates, in pubs and clubs, or at dedicated viewing centres.
We whooped and yahooed when Richie McCaw and team brought us jubilation. And hearts broke when Dean Barker's tears flowed. We felt his pain and were generous - emotionally and financially - for the team's second place.
And all those proud and talented Kiwi sportsmen thanked us for supporting their courage and talent live, via the state broadcaster - no matter what the time of day. In turn, we wouldn't have missed it for quids.
Quite simply, life isn't such an unending ticker-tape parade of national excitement that we can afford to miss any high points. This year's Grammys is one of those times.
We don't get regular reminders that dreams should be pursued and that New Zealanders can foot it in the big league no matter how small or how isolated our island nation.
But on Monday week we won't be glued to the telly as Lorde's big year reaches a climax at Los Angeles' famous Staples Centre.
Our Australian cousins will be able to watch it live, and I reckon they will cheer as Lorde and Little take their banquet seats in the glare of global media alongside A-list musicians and legends including David Bowie and Paul McCartney.
At least the creative pair will have their respective sets of parents with them, as it happens, rather than waiting four hours for the delayed local coverage.
For the rest of us there's not even live streaming on the internet despite TVNZ upping its digital ad media profits by 20 per cent in the past year and selling a healthy part of its taxpayer assets to SkyCity casino.
For the rest of us, there'll be no chip and dip, no cursing idiots who phone during the announcements, no silent prayers that these two Kiwis will deliver us a glorious reason to whoop and celebrate being us.
And be aware that executives at TVNZ will be able to see it live. I would put the rent on bosses along with favoured staff and clients holding a party at the Hobson St HQ when the broadcast signal beams in from the States.
There could even be a few children sneaked in, probably female ones.
Lorde is a parent's dream for a role model. Not only has the Takapuna teen slogged at her goal since age 12, she has also held her ground against making the quick-buck compromise of performing songs not her own, and resisted Katy Perry's invitation to be part of the superstar's world tour.
The way Lorde comports herself with confidence, intelligence, humility and self-awareness is a credit to her and to her folks and to those creatives around her - especially Little.
Teenagers can be annoying yet the 30-year-old producer is being lauded by the industry for his nous, niceness and talent in bringing the best out of Lorde's lyrics and voice then adding to them.
Lorde is Time magazine's current Most Influential Teenager in the World, and is featured on Forbes magazine's 30 Under 30 global list for "making a difference".
What more evidence does TVNZ need to live up to its legacy position of telling our stories?
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