The All Blacks have won the supreme award three times – that’s as many as were handed to rower Rod Waddell.
Rowing has bagged the supreme title 12 times, compared with rugby’s six – Ron Jarden, Don Clarke and Wilson Whineray being the only individual rugby players to get the top gong. Black Ferns players? Nope.
Herald sportswriter Michael Burgess argued this week that “the awards have prioritised medals, podiums and trophies. Win something and you’re in.”
He called for the awards to broaden their lens to consider context and overall excellence.
“Over the years, many fine accomplishments have been ignored by the awards, almost airbrushed from history. That needs to change. It’s time for a category that recognises those who excel on a worldwide stage, particularly in the most popular sports.”
Burgess said there should be a new category: Best Achievement in a Global Sport.
The Halbergs' relentless focus on Olympic sports means many of the sporting achievements that resonate strongest among grassroots New Zealanders are overlooked. League seldom gets a look-in.
The awards offer a reflection of the inequities in our society and within our sporting codes.
Each year’s shortlist in every category is heavily dominated by Pākehā sportspeople and coaches. That’s a snapshot that sits uneasily alongside the demographics at the grassroots level of our sporting activities.
There has not been a female on the shortlist for coach of the year since Noeline Taurua won the award in 2020.
The athletes and coaches who have made the Halberg shortlists over the years — and, indeed, the ultimate winners — are all worthy of praise. But there are other deeds we must also salute.
Young deserves certainty in selection
It sometimes doesn’t feel like it, but these are golden summers for Black Caps fans.
There was a time, not so long ago, when a selection dilemma for the Black Caps revolved around management being unable to find batters of sufficient quality to handle the rigours of international cricket. Fans would describe it in more blunt terms.
Nowadays, a selection dilemma means we have too many match-winning, world-class batters to fit in the team.
With Rachin Ravindra missing the Champions Trophy opener against Pakistan, perennial seize-a-chance guy Will Young was selected as an opener and duly scored a century.
In deciding the opening partnership before Monday’s match against Bangladesh, the selectors must consider the prospects of rising star Ravindra (ODI average 40.4), Young (44.8) and Devon Conway (45.1).
A couple of decades ago, all three could pretty much name what spot they wanted in the lineup for tests and limited-overs.
It’s instructive to compare today’s batting resources with the top order that took the field when the Black Caps beat India in the final to win the Champions Trophy in 2000. That day, Craig Spearman (who averaged 18.7 and was regarded as something of a short-form specialist), Nathan Astle (34.92), Stephen Fleming (32.4) and Roger Twose (38.8) set the platform for victory.
Today’s side has Kane Williamson (49.2) and Daryl Mitchell (49.3) at three and four.
In the funny old world of cricket selections, form – and even a very impressive average – might not be enough to get you into the side. Nonetheless, Young has served his time as a fill-in and now deserves to know he has a settled place in the team.
