HOW DID WE DO IN OUR TIPS FOR 2023?
ANDREW VOERMAN
The Football Ferns get their first Fifa Women’s World Cup win against the Philippines. Correct.
Arsenal won’t win the English Premier League despite being first at Christmas. Correct, they finished second.
Trent Boult will be included in the Black Caps’ Cricket World Cup squad. Correct.
ROBERT VAN ROYEN
Scott Robertson signs off with another Super Rugby crown. Correct.
Ian Foster bows out as All Blacks coach with a quarterfinal exit.Wrong, they made it to the final.
Black Caps fail to qualify for the semifinals. Wrong.
PAUL CULLY
Jamie Joseph will be the next All Blacks coach. Wrong.
Women’s sport will rule again. Correct, thanks to the Fifa women’s World Cup. Super Rugby will improve, but a ref will decide the Rugby World Cup. Correct.
RICHARD KNOWLER
James McDonald has stunning 2023.
Correct.
Six Nations remains a boring competition.
Correct, it was pretty much decided when Ireland beat France in round two.
Jordie Barrett locked in as All Blacks’ first choice second-five. Correct.
SAM WILSON
England will finally win a football World Cup. Wrong, England lost to Spain in the final.
Brendon McCullum’s England to win back the Ashes. Wrong.
Oleksandr Usyk will dethrone Tyson Fury. Wrong, but the fight will happen in February.
ZOË GEORGE
New Zealand Rugby will hit their 40% board diversity quota. Correct.
The Football Ferns will switch white shorts for black and start a global movement. Correct.
NZ Rugby will close the gender pay gap … kind of. Correct.
JOSEPH PEARSON
England to win the Fifa Women’s World Cup and show the blokes how it’s done (again). Wrong.
France to win the men’s Rugby World Cup after the All Blacks crash out in the quarterfinals. Wrong and wrong.
Ben Stokes returns to England’s ODI team to win the World Cup. Right and wrong. Stokes did return to the England ODI team, but they didn’t win the World Cup.
IAN ANDERSON
Lisa Carrington announces a surprise retirement. Wrong.
Dan Vettori new Black Caps coach. Wrong. Lydia Ko enters LPGA Hall of Fame. Wrong.
BRENDON EGAN
Australia edge the Silver Ferns in Netball World Cup final. Right and wrong. Australia won the World Cup, but the Silver Ferns finished fourth. Philadelphia Eagles triumph over Buffalo Bills in the Super Bowl. Wrong, the Eagles lost to the Chiefs.
The Wellington Saints rebound from 2022 stinker to win title. Wrong.
TONY SMITH
Zoi Sadowski-Synnott and Nico Porteous jointly win Halberg Award. Sort of right, they both won the women’s and men’s awards respectively, but the overall award went to Sadowski-Synnott. Football World Cup gives Kiwis a glimpse of the huge potential of elite women’s sport. Correct.
And, from the Fantasy Files, Ian Foster opens a press conference with, “four more years boys”. Wrong, very wrong!
MAT KERMEEN
Israel Adesanya to gain a rematch with UFC middleweight champion Alex Pereira and re-claim the belt he lost. Correct, but he did lose it again afterwards.
Crusaders signing Christian Lio-Willie to go to another level in Super Rugby Pacific. Correct, he became a regular for the Crusaders.
Warriors miss out on finals. Wrong, they reached the Preliminary finals.
DAVID LONG
Shaun Johnson to retire. Wrong.
Iga Swiatek to dominate women’s tennis again. Wrong, Swiatek only won the French Open.
Shane van Gisbergen will win the Supercars title for the third year in a row and fourth overall. Wrong.
FRED WOODCOCK
Football Ferns to make history and qualify for the knockout phase of the Fifa Women’s World Cup. Wrong.
Lydia Ko to qualify for golf’s Hall of Fame at the age of 26 but not retire. Wrong and right, she hasn’t qualified for the Hall of Fame, but didn’t retire.
Zoi Sadowski-Synnott to clean up at the Halberg Awards. Correct.
AARON GOILE
Nick Kyrgios wins a Grand Slam. Wrong, he was injured for the entire year.
The Sydney Roosters stop a Penrith Panthers hat-trick. Wrong.
Kane Williamson hits his highest test score. Wrong, he scored 215 against Sri Lanka in March, but his highest score remains 251.