Alice Soper: The unoffical New Year Honours list of women’s sport

(L-R) Te Kura Ngata-Aerengamate, Lydia Ko and Kendra Cocksedge all played starring roles in a bumper year for women's sport in 2022. Photos / Photosport

While you stack the clinking recycling and decide whether the ham from Christmas is still okay for a sandwich, I will say one last fond farewell to 2022 with an unofficial New Year’s honours list. This blockbuster year provided many moments to choose from but here are those I will be celebrating.

Calling it as they see it

Despite it now being 2023, there were still plenty of firsts to celebrate, particularly in the commentary box. There was Vania Wolfgramm, who called the Farah Palmer Cup with baby Seth on her knee, while Honey Hireme-Smiler was the first wahine to commentate a Warriors game in the NRL.

Katey Martin and Les Elder stepped off the pitch and into their punditry gigs with ease. Martin had shown she had the goods through earlier outings and Elder had her experience as Black Ferns captain to draw from. Their seamless transition to the box meant their codes didn’t even get a chance to miss them.

Sky Sport commentator Honey Hireme-Smiler. Photo / Photosport

Speaking truth to power

Two of the investigative reviews that landed in women’s sport in 2022 were for rugby and cycling. Te Kura Ngata-Aerengamate called for the change that was needed in the Black Ferns environment, knocking the first of a series of dominos that resulted in a famous victory.

Meanwhile, Jessie Smith spoke plainly to the challenges still facing the cycling community. A friend of the late Olivia Podmore, Smith highlighted the need for a strong athlete voice in decision making by using her own in the wake of her sports review.

Good Fellas

A number of moments in 2022 were made all the more special by the support of good men. Craig Harvey’s collaboration with Dame Hinewehi Mohi to bring Wa Poi to life at the Rugby World Cup was chief amongst them. Harvey helped give women’s sport a taonga we will surely see flying in the crowds in years to come.

When the challenges around mums playing in the Farah Palmer Cup were brought to Northland chief executive Cameron Bell, he caught the ball and ran with it. Acknowledging that this was an area in need of improvement, Bell worked alongside players such as Charmaine Smith to find a budget and a way forward. We need more sports administrators like him.

The sight of swinging poi has now become synonymous with Black Ferns games. Photo / Photosport

Going off script

There were plenty of fantastic post-match interviews in 2022 and more than half were delivered by Rugby World Cup star Ruby Tui. Her impromptu karaoke with the crowd as the Black Ferns were crowned world champions was a moment that will be remembered long after I forget the final score.

Lydia Ko blew everyone’s minds by reminding folk that periods exist and, spoiler alert, can be uncomfortable. It was the casualness in which she made these remarks which helped normalise a conversation that surely should no longer be so taboo.

Zoi Sadowski-Synnott’s dad Sean deserves special mention for his unfiltered hype. His interview after she won New Zealand’s first gold medal at the Winter Olympics was simply iconic.

Black Ferns fan favourite Ruby Tui celebrates a try during the Rugby World Cup. Photo / Photosport

League of their own

2022 saw the retirement of a number of giants of New Zealand women’s sport. Rugby said goodbye to Kendra Cocksedge and her predecessor Emma Jensen, both signing off with wins for their province and Cocksedge adding another trophy for her country. Bay of Plenty duo Elder and Renee Wickliffe also called time, but not before Elder called Wickliffe’s World Cup win.

Martin decided a Cricket World Cup at home was a good full stop on a decades-long career. Dame Valerie Adams will now only be throwing down on the High Performance Sport New Zealand boardroom table, having retired from shot put, and Katrina Rore announced she was finished with international netball duties.

Dame Valerie Adams after winning her final Olympic medal in Tokyo. Photo / Photosport

All of these titans retire with legend status. They leave their code better than they found it and will likely do much more to shape the future of sport.