Sizzling slopes
There are just 30 days before our women hit the slopes of Milano Cortina for the Winter Olympics. Kiwi snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott is the defending slopestyle champion and has reached new heights — including landing the world’s first triple cork in a women’s slopestyle competition. Queenstown alpine skier Alice Robinson had a dream start to the season and Ruby Star Andrews is continuing her rise. American great Mikaela Shiffrin is heading to her fourth Olympics and is always one to watch.
Glasgow games
While the Commonwealth Games might be scaled back to just 10 sports this year, expect women to be to the fore of many of those. Swimming always has a big following and the women’s 400m freestyle could be intriguing following the retirement of Australian Ariarne Titmus. Whether it is the track or the field, athletics is the other one that is high on the list. Many athletes will warm up through the word indoor championships and the Diamond League circuit, and New Zealanders, including Maddi Wesche, Zoe Hobbs and Eliza McCartney, will be hoping to lay their stakes in the ground.
Netball saga
The Silver Ferns have to move forward from their rollercoaster 2025. Noeline Taurua is scheduled to return as head coach — after her shock standing down last year — and will need to quickly regain the players’ trust as they search for Commonwealth Games glory. They won bronze in Birmingham in 2022, and while they appear to have the easier pool in Glasgow, it could cause trouble when it comes to playoff time. Netball across the board will be intriguing this year with top players heading to Australia for the domestic season and a new boss taking charge after Netball New Zealand chief executive Jennie Wyllie stepped down late last year.
World Cup glory
The White Ferns created history when they won the T20 World Cup in 2024, as did India when they won the ODI World Cup on home soil last year. Could more magic be in the air for another team at the T20 World Cup in England and Wales later this year?
Bigger test
Women’s rugby has attracted more attention in recent years, leading to a WXV Global Series being launched this year. The series, which was previously played in a three-tier format, will run from 2026-28 featuring 18 teams across two competitions. The top 12 teams, including the Black Ferns, will play up to six games during September and October. Another six emerging teams will play an annual tournament. The Black Ferns, who traditionally meet Australia, Canada and the US in a Pacific Four series to start the year, are scheduled to play the Wallaroos in August and South Africa in September, before hosting France for three tests in October.
Stickin’ it
The Black Sticks have booked their spot at the Hockey World Cup in Belgium later this year. But they get to start their build-up on home soil and Dunedin fans get to relish having international hockey back at their home turf. The Black Sticks will play Japan, the US and a New Zealand A side at the McMillan Centre starting on January 21. Korea and India were forced to withdraw due to scheduling conflicts with a World Cup qualifier.
Tracking trends
Women’s sport continues to explode in viewership numbers across the board from the Rugby World Cup to the Euros. Women have demanded more money — including in the WNBA pay deal, which is ongoing — and more sponsorship deals. Time magazine named Caitlin Clark (2024) and A’ja Wilson (2025) as recent athletes of the year — could a threepeat be on the cards? Most areas are trending for more growth and more eyes on women in sport in 2026.
