Well, I got to tell you fellas about New Zealand's national team performance at World Cups in football/soccer, cricket & rugby union but the All Whites have qualified the Football/Soccer World Cup twice in 1982 (Led by the late English born Steve Sumner & featuring the likes of future All Whites coach Ricki Herbert, Wynton Rufer (Full name: Wynton Alan Whai Rufer) & Frank van Hattum when it was held in Spain & lost all 3 against Brazil (5 time world champions in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 & most recently in 2002 & the only soccer playing nation to appear in every Soccer World Cup tournament since 1930), Scotland & the Soviet Union) & most recently in 2010 (Led by former Millwall & Blackburn Rovers player Ryan Nelsen & featuring the likes of Mark Paston, Ben Sigmund, Tony Lochhead, Winston Reid, Ivan Vicelich, Simon Elliott, Shane 'Smeltzy' Smeltz, Chris Killen, Leo Bertos, Rory Fallon, Michael McGlinchey, Tommy Smith, Chris Wood, Jeremy Christie & Jeremy Brockie when it was held in South Africa & went undefeated after 3 drawn games against Slovakia, Italy (Winners of the 1934, 1938, 1982 & 2006 tournaments) & Paraguay) while the Black Caps (Who have appeared in all Cricket World Cups since 1975 along with 6 other cricket playing nations (Who have all won cricket world cups before) such as Australia, England, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka & the West Indies) have never won the Cricket World Cup (Led by Brendon McCullum & featuring great players such as Martin 'Guppy' Guptill, Kane 'Kano/Nosi' Williamson, Ross 'Rossco' Taylor, Grant Elliott, Corey Anderson, wicket-keeper Luke 'Roncs' Ronchi, Daniel 'Dan' Vettori, Tim Southee, Trent 'Boulty' Boult & Matt Henry (Who was called up to the squad before the semifinal match against South Africa to replace the injured Adam Milne) & they came so close in the final 2015 against co-hosts Australia (5 time Cricket World Cup winners in 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007 & most recently in 2015) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne before appearing another final in 2019 led by Williamson & featuring great players such as Guptill, Henry Nicholls, Taylor, James 'Jimmy Neesh' Neesham, Latham, Mitchell Santner, Boult, Henry & Lockie Ferguson when they came agonizingly close in the 1st ever super over against hosts England (Winners of the last Cricket World Cup in 2019) at Lord's in London) while the All Blacks (Who have appeared in every Rugby World Cup tournaments since 1987 along with 10 other rugby playing nations such as Argentina, Australia, Canada, England, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Scotland & Wales) have won the men's Rugby World Cup 3 times (First it was 1987 (Led by David 'Kirky' Kirk & featuring great players such as Steve McDowall, Sean 'Fitzy' Fitzpatrick, the late John 'Drakey' Drake, Murray Pierce, the Whetton twin brothers of Gary & Alan 'AJ', Michael 'Iceman' Jones, Wayne 'Buck' Shelford, Grant 'Foxy' Fox, Craig 'Greeny' Green, Warwick Taylor (Father of former All Black Tom), Joe Stanley, John 'JK' Kirwan & John 'Kipper' Gallagher when they beat France (Hosts of the 2023 Rugby World Cup who have never won a Rugby World Cup (Lost to both New Zealand in 1987 & most recently in 2011 & the Wallabies in 1999) in the final at Eden Park in Auckland) then 2011 (Led by Richard Hugh 'Richie' McCaw & featuring great players such as Tony 'Woody' Woodcock, Keven 'Kevvy' Mealamu, Owen Franks, Brad 'Thorny' Thorn, Samuel 'Sam' Whitelock, Jerome Kaino, Kieran 'Reado' Read, Piri Weepu, Aaron 'Cruds' Cruden, Richard 'Kaks' Kahui, Ma'a 'Skux' Nonu, Conrad 'Snakey' Smith, Cory 'CJ' Jane, Israel 'Izzy' Dagg, Andrew 'Horey' Hore, Ben Franks (Brother of Owen), Ali Williams, Adam 'Thommo' Thomson, Andrew 'Andy' Ellis, Stephen 'Beaver' Donald & Sonny Bill 'SBW' Williams when they took on France again at Eden Park in Auckland just like in 1987 & won it after 24 long years) & most recently in 2015 (Against trans-Tasman neighbors Australia (Winners of both Rugby World Cups in 1991 & most recently in 1999) in the final at Twickenham in London, England which resulted in a famous victory to successfully defend the William Webb Ellis trophy & featuring great players such as McCaw, Joe Moody, Dane 'Colesy' Coles, Owen Franks, Brodie 'Guzzler' Retallick, Whitelock, Kaino, Read, Aaron 'Nugget' or 'Nuggy' Smith, Daniel 'Dan' or 'DC' Carter, Julian 'Jules' or 'The Bus' Savea, Nonu, Smith, Nehe 'Skudz' Milner-Skudder, Ben 'Bender' or 'Ben from accounts' Smith, Mealamu, Ben Franks, Charlie Faumuina, Victor Vito, Sam Cane, Tawera 'TKB' Kerr-Barlow, Beauden 'Beaudy' Barrett & Williams).
So that is my 392nd blog of the year 2021 (MMXXI) & my 12th of this year (And there is 8 left until I reach 400 blogs + I did a hat-trick of blogs today so that's good).
No comments:
Post a Comment