With less than a week to go in the 14th year of the 21st century, it is time to look back at what has been quite an eventful and era-defining year for New Zealand sport - and myself as a sports blogger and follower.
One thing's for certain, sports blogging and following will not be the same following the departure of prominent New Zealand sports blogger,
Scotty Donaldson, from our shores to greener pastures in Ecuador in pursuit of happyness with his new wife.
Even if and when Scotty returns to New Zealand, this definitely marks the end of an era - our last ever sports game together was the 2nd day of the 2nd test between the Blackcaps and West Indies.
Alas, there is more to sport than a man who looks like Rhys Darby and life thankfully goes on.
2013 may have lacked the glory and glamour of the previous years - after all, 2012 was Olympic year and the year before that was Rugby World Cup year - but it was still a pretty decent year for New Zealand sport.
For a small country pushing just over 4 million people, the level of success achieved and enjoyed is still absolutely remarkable - a sign of how much Kiwis love their sport, whether it is participating, playing or following it.
Our most successful sporting successes of 2013 on the international front, were no doubt Valerie Adams, Lydia Ko Hamish Bond/Eric Murray, and the All Blacks. I'll mention the ABs eventually but first must mention our women - add Lauren Boyle, Sophie Pascoe and the New Zealand Womens Sevens team. Indeed, 2013 was the year which saw New Zealand's women match the men on the sports field in terms of success and highlighted our remarkable ability to produce men and women athletes of equal and high calibre.
Valerie Adams continued to boost her position as our number 1 track and field athlete as she dominated womens' shotput - her success now untroubled by drug controversy which took down her formerly-great rival from the Belarus. But her limelight as New Zealand's number 1 could be moving towards teenager Lydia Ko who decided to turn professional after much success as an amateur and has had quite a start to life as a pro.
Lydia Ko must surely be the person to watch in 2014 as she embarks on her first ever professional season in the USA.
Speaking of the USA, another young Kiwi is looking to spread his wings and soar there - Steven Adams is continuing his introduction to the big time with the Oklahoma City Thunder, featuring prominently in his first season as the Thunder look to make a return to the Finals.
Then of course, there are the All Blacks. The fact that the ABs have such a tremendous winning record means that we've gotten used to saying the same things about them at the end of each non-RWC season, but the ABs of 2013 definitely deserve the highest praise. Statistically, they finished 100% but there was more to that record as the reigning world champions went from strength to strength and played some sumptuous attacking rugby to compliment their mean defence. What is more impressive is that the ABs achieved it with plenty of youngsters (Piutau, Cane, Barrett, Luatua, Retallick, etc.) complimenting the very experienced members of their team - no other team in the world now can name 3 test centurions - McCaw, Mealamu and Carter - in their starting lineup when fit.
There were quite a few other notable New Zealand successes on a more domestic level with the Chiefs and New Zealand Breakers successfully defending their titles for the 2nd and 3rd seasons in a row respectively - the Chiefs will be hoping to emulate the Breakers' success next season and given how much they have stengthened for 2014; they've signed Mils Mulia'ina back from Japan as well as unwanted Whopper Jamie Mackintosh from the Highlanders.
It's a shame it doesn't look like the Breakers can go four in a row - they're currently struggling to find the form that got them to three ANBL titles since the departure of head coach, Andrej Lemanis at the end of last season.
Some mention should also go to Canterbury's ITM Cup team too - they won their 6th title in a row, tying Auckland's record from the late 80s and early 90s. Wellington again were the side on the wrong end of the ledger, and again at home, despite having finished the season top of the Premiership and having lost only one regular season game.
Indeed, New Zealand's beloved provincial game was a South Island affair with Tasman, South Canterbury and Mid Canterbury winning all the silverware at stake - Tasman were definitely the surprise story of the year; New Zealand's youngest union completed their remarkable turnaround from near insolvency to earn the right to play the big guns in next season's Premiership thanks to some scintillating rugby.
It's a shame that the provincial game appears to be getting the least coverage in its history with much of the media almost showing total disdain and neglect for our grassroots competition and breeding ground for future Super Rugby and international players (I say international, as it seems more and more that the next Irish, English, Scottish and heaven forbid, Australian stars have spent some time running around Okara Park or Lansdowne Road). Our provincial competition may be almost back to amateur days but it has never been in better health - even if the crowds aren't turning up to grounds, unions are in pretty good health for the first time since the global financial crisis plunged many of them into the red back in 2009.
And then there's the Ranfurly Shield which had one of its busiest seasons on the road in its history - Otago being part of that journey was definitely my sporting highlight of the year.
The romance with the Shield is very much alive as evident with the way Otago, Hawkes Bay and Counties Manukau reacted when they won the shield, turning up to grounds in record numbers to see their sides defend the shield for the first time in so long. Otago and Hawkes Bay may not have been able to muster a successful defence but the effect on their communities was immense and positive.
I guess this is a good time to segway to disappointments of the year.
For once, the Blackcaps don't quite fall into this category. Indeed, I think their season has been fairly satisfactory bar a disappointing one day international series defeat in Bangladesh - their form in the longest form of the game has been encouraging and improvement has been clear to see on the field on the back of a promising fast bowling lineup comprised of Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Neil Wagner which appears to be working very well. The Blackcaps finally won their first home test series against a top 8 nation in 7 years - funnily enough it was the Windies they beat in their last home test series win all those summers ago - but it could have come earlier had managed to claim that big scalp in England - they just couldn't quite get out Panesar or Anderson on that epic last day of the last test at Eden Park.
The Warriors and Kiwis probably could be considered disappointments of the year but one must consider a) the Warriors had a new coach and play in the toughest professional sports competition in the world, and only just missed out on the top 8, b) the Kiwis did make the World Cup Final and played the Kangaroos who have always consistently been the best international rugby league team in the world. Ok, the way both sides capitulated is disappointing but perhaps to be expected given their history at the business end.
How about the All Whites? Again you have to consider that they did have to play 20th ranked Mexico for a place in the World Cup Finals with preparation comprised of their last competitive fixture being in June and friendly matches against American club sides playing in lower grade competitions. It was always going to be a tough ask even against the worst Mexican international side in history - one that just about struggled to finish 4th in their regional qualifying group. Think Russia playing the All Blacks for a place in the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals.
Ok, their performances weren't what we'd expected them to be but it was always going to be tough to expect the same players to deliver the same tactics from 4 years ago - just as well that Ricki Herbert is stepping down, as New Zealand football definitely needs a new direction to ensure 2010 isn't the last World Cup for another 28 years.
Ultimately, the disappointment of the year had to be the failing to win the America's Cup despite holding match point for a record 7 days. Yes Team New Zealand did us proud and couldn't do much against the financial power of the hosts who could quickly add a critical improvement in no time to turn around the series, but Dean Barker and his men definitely had their chances to wrap up the series and bring the Auld Mug back to Auckland.
The most galling was that match on the afternoon of Friday, September 20 (Saturday morning NZ time) where Team New Zealand were 1000 m ahead of Oracle only for the race to be called off with 90% of it complete due to a ridiculous rule regarding the time limit (races had to be 40 minutes for TV purposes).
Perhaps the disappointment should lie in the way the rules were set up to favour the hosts. Morally, we would have been still toasting the return of the Auld Mug even after these months. Alas, luck definitely deserted us during that week in September, and Oracle completed the most sensational comeback in sporting history as they rallied to win the series 9-8.
So that was 2013. Bittersweet as usual. There is plenty to look forward to in 2014 - the World Cup of football being one of them even if New Zealand is not involved, along with the prospect of the record for most wins in a row up for grabs for the ABs.
Bring it on!
