Ranking the World Cups of 2022
The past year has been a year of World Cups thanks to regular schedules being concertina-d by pandemicdelayed tournaments from 2021.
The success of any cup is based on an interesting pool stage, a few upsets, momentum and a thrilling final – as well as having some relevance in New Zealand. So, here we go, why not rank the seven top tournaments in order of their success?
1. Fifa World Cup
Pool stage: There was just the right balance of surprising results during the early part of the World Cup to keep interest up. Argentina losing to Saudi Arabia was a shock, so too was Japan beating Germany and then there was the drama in the last round of pool play when South Korea sneaked into the playoffs thanks to their 2-1 win over Portugal.
Momentum building: With four games a day, were put on hold for a month and again there were thrilling upsets in the knockout stage, with Croatia beating Brazil and Morocco sending Cristiano Ronaldo out of the World Cup in tears. Shame.
Final: France and Argentina both deserved to be in the final. It was possibly the greatest game of football played and for it to happen in the sport’s biggest stage added to the drama. Any other football game is going to feel slightly hohum after this.
New Zealand involvement: Minimal. NZ referees Matthew Conger and Mark Rule were involved in France’s game against Tunisia and Conger controversially disallowed a last-gasp equaliser by France.
2. Women’s RWC
Pool stage: While the drama of what happened later on at this World Cup may have overshadowed the beginning of it, it’s worth remembering just how terrible the pool stages were. Played only in Auckland and Whangarei, the World Cup didn’t connect with the rest of the country and there was only one meaningful game in pool play, which was when England beat France 13-7.
Momentum building: With games only played at the weekend, it was easy to forget about the RWC during the week, while tripleheaders tested the durability of even the most ardent rugby fan.
Final: Played in front of a soldout Eden Park, the final had everything organisers would have hoped for and made up for what occurred earlier. The final had thrilling tries, controversy around a sending off and a nail-biting finish. Who will ever forget Joanah NganWoo stealing the ball from an England lineout in the final moments to seal the 34-31 win?
New Zealand involvement: The Black Ferns dramatic 25-24 win over France in the semifinals got the entire nation on board for the final and it was undoubtedly the biggest sporting event that took place in NZ this year.
3. Women’s Cricket WC
Pool stage: Staging a World Cup just as New Zealand was coming out of a lockdown wasn’t easy for tournament organisers and for most of the group stage there were limitations around how many spectators could go to games. Seeing so many empty spaces in stands didn’t do much to enhance the TV coverage either.
Momentum building: With there being just one pool, containing all eight teams, it was inevitable that there were some dud games. But there was plenty of good cricket to watch during this period and the last pool game was a thriller, with South Africa achieving the highest successful run chase ever in a Women’s World Cup match, getting past India’s mark of 247 on the final ball. It was a result that knocked India out and put the West Indies into the semifinals.
Final: Australia beat England by 71 runs at Hagley Oval, to win the cup for the seventh time. Alyssa Healy scored 170 as Australia amassed a huge total of 365 from 50 overs and England never came close in their run chase, despite Nat Sciver’s unbeaten knock of 148.
NZ involvement: It was a dreadful cup for the hosts and started with an opening loss to the West Indies. There was also the 141-run defeat to Australia and losses to South Africa and England, and while this wasn’t as embarrassing as Qatar’s run at the Fifa World Cup, it was a disappointing exit by the White Ferns.
4. Men’s T20 World Cup
Pool stage: Given that the T20 World Cup takes place every two years, and the 50-over World Cup is regarded as cricket’s main World Cup, not as much importance should be put on this tournament. However, it does still attract a lot of interest.
Momentum building: While the first round of pool play was largely made up of the minnows, (which is sadly what the West Indies are now) the tournament did come to life during the Super 12, particularly when New Zealand defeated the hosts, Australia, by 89 runs in the first game. But having six teams across the two pools at this stage did stretch things out a bit too much.
Final: England beat Pakistan by five wickets in a surprisingly low-scoring final, with former Sydenham Cricket Club junior Ben Stokes guiding his team to victory.
NZ involvement: The early win over Australia helped the Black Caps finish top of Group 2, but they came unstuck in the semifinals, losing to Pakistan by seven wickets. Kane Williamson didn’t do much to help New Zealand’s cause scoring 46 runs from 42 balls.
5. Men’s Rugby League World Cup
Pool stage: Expanding this World
Cup to 16 teams may have given the appearance that league is growing globally, but anyone who watched Samoa’s 72-4 win over Greece, or Lebanon’s 74-12 mauling of Jamaica knows that’s not true.
Momentum building: Games were on most days during the pool stage, but few were worth watching. The draw was conveniently done to give England the best chance possible to make the final, but those plans came a cropper when they lost to Samoa in the semifinals.
Final: With the Kangaroos beating New Zealand in the semifinals (it really should have been the final if the draw was done properly), there was never much chance of a final between Australia and Samoa being a close-run thing.
NZ involvement: Interest did pick up for the quarterfinal against Fiji. The semi against Australia was big news, but it was all about the Samoan fans in Auckland after they lost.
6. Men’s Softball World Cup
Pool stage: Having just 12 teams at a World Cup and across two pools meant there was no dead weight early in the competition, unlike most of other world cups listed here. Argentina went through Group A as the only unbeaten team, while Canada did likewise in Group B.
Momentum building: Getting through an entire cup of 50 games in two weeks doesn’t leave much time to draw breath.
Final: Australia defeated Canada 5-2 in the final, played in front of 2061 spectators at Rosedale Park. No, they probably weren’t going crazy in Federation Square when the final was over, but a World Cup win is a World Cup win and Australia seem to win plenty of them.
NZ involvement: The Black Sox failed to make it to the Super Round and finished second in the totally meaningless Placement Round. So yeah, disappointing.
7. Women’s Rugby League World Cup
Pool stage: There was only one meaningful game in the pools, which was Australia’s 10-8 win over New Zealand. Everything else was forgettable.
Momentum building: There was momentum all the way through the tournament. Mainly because the players were flogged, having to play every three days, so that the tournament could be crammed into an 18-day window.
Final: After a close match in the pool stages, hopes were high that the Kiwi Ferns could go close to the Jillaroos again in the final. However, Ricky Henry’s team just didn’t turn up and they were blown away 54-4. It was a crushingly disappointing performance from the Kiwi Ferns, who looked impressive up until then.
New Zealand involvement: It seemed like this World Cup was one too many for a lot of Kiwi sports fans. Apart from Stuff, the Ferns were generally ignored.