Editorial: Why no sport during holiday season?

Opinion

The past week, the first of the long summer holiday, the country has basked in glorious weather. Christmas has passed, the beach resorts are full, the water warm. Only one thing is missing. Sport.

Where is the sport that used to be a constant part of the summer? New Zealand cricket can no longer attract an opponent, it seems, for the briefly traditional Boxing Day test. Pakistan, recently here, has gone to Australia to play just such a match there.

Here cricket languishes, its domestic competition unable to attract the interest it held for many years, when its continuous radio commentaries were one of the familiar sounds of summer.

This week, had it not been for Auckland's racing carnival, the days would have been devoid of popular events.

If cricket cannot find a new fixture to fill the week between Christmas and New Year it is offering a golden opportunity to some other sport - the sort of opportunity tennis will enjoy over the next two weeks when its international tournaments will be almost the only game in town.

Less glamorous sports are constantly complaining they get so little public attention. With foresight and effort they could have had their moments this week.

It requires more than timing, of course. Competitions have to be designed in a way that catches sports-followers' imagination. Competitors have to be readily recognisable and represent places with which fans can identify.

It is not easy to find the right formula; even rugby in this country is struggling to come up with something that will refresh interest. But it is a task enthusiasts in any sport should relish.

The window might not be open for long. Cricket is probably not ready to give up its post-Christmas place in the sun. But it needs to fill this space, quickly.