The New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame will hold another induction ceremony at the Halberg Awards next month. Who could be next to join the ranks of the champions inside the Dunedin Railway Station? Hayden Meikle looks at some candidates.
Rugby
Surely, his time has come.
Jonah stands for so much more than the 63 tests he played for the All Blacks. He was the most destructive, electrifying player the sport of rugby had seen, and he made a global impact unmatched before or since.
Rugby and cricket
Goldie was probably good enough solely as a rugby player, a dazzlingly skilled all-round winger or fullback, to make it into the Hall.
Add in his exploits in cricket, where he became a rare dual international in the modern era, and it's a no-brainer.
Football
The first New Zealand team to qualify for the World Cup, and one of the great stories in New Zealand sport. The 2010 heroes in white got better results, but the 1982 lads were the first. Their induction would help remedy the shameful situation of football having but one member (Wynton Rufer) in the hall.
• 1996 ALL BLACKS
Rugby
The 1905-06 All Blacks (the Originals), the 1924-25 All Blacks (the Invincibles), the 1987 All Blacks (first World Cup winners) and the 2NZEF team (the Kiwis) are all in the Hall of Fame. The 2011 team will get there eventually. But don't forget Sean Fitzpatrick's 1996 team, the first to win a series in South Africa.
• GLEN DENHAM
Basketball
Another sport with only one member (Stan Hill) in the hall. There is a fair case for our GD, the heart and soul of the Tall Blacks for a decade.
• CHRIS CAIRNS
Cricket
Has "too much baggage", according to a colleague. But put aside the years of attitude problems, under-achievement and injury.
Cairns scored 3320 test runs and took 218 test wickets, and added 4950 runs and 201 wickets in one-day internationals. His statistics stack up.
• DEAN BELL
Rugby league
Yet another sport poorly represented in the hall (four, to athletics' 28).
Bell was a leading Kiwi and also played a key role in getting the Warriors established.
• AARON SLIGHT
Motorcycling
One of the great characters of New Zealand sport. Slight had 87 podium finishes, including 13 wins, in the world superbike championship.
• BERNICE MENE
Netball
Just four players, plus a coach, plus two teams.
That sums up netball's contribution to the Hall, and the sport has had only one induction in the last 13 years. Hard to go past Southern Sting and Silver Ferns great Mene.
Otherwise, the 2003 world championship-winning Silver Ferns deserve a look.
• HAMISH CARTER
Multisport
The vast majority of New Zealand's Olympic gold medallists are already in the hall. Expect Carter to get there sooner or later.
Softball
The Colin Meads of the diamond.
• NEROLI FAIRHALL (posthumous)
Disabled sport
Just one person - Eve Rimmer - has been honoured in this category. Archer Fairhall was the first disabled athlete to compete in the Olympic Games, two years after winning gold at the Commonwealth Games.
• PETER BELLISS
Bowls
Three world titles, plus six national titles.
Broadcasting
Winston McCarthy needs some company in the "news media" section of the Hall. If not Quinny, then who? Veitchy? Sumo? TJ?
• THE BUSHWHACKERS
Wrestling
Woooooaahhhhhh, yeeeeaaahhhhhhh.
OK, the Bushwhackers were "sportsmen" as much as the scripted world of professional wrestling is "sport". And they weren't fit to lick the boots of the Hart Foundation, the Rockers, Demolition or the British Bulldogs in the golden era of tag teams. But Luke and Butch were great fun, and gave us Kiwi kids a connection to the old WWF.
• Not yet eligible but will surely be in one day
Stacey Jones (rugby league), Sarah Ulmer (cycling), Valerie Adams (athletics), Beatrice Faumuina (athletics), Richie McCaw (rugby), Dan Carter (rugby), David Fagan (shearing), Michael Campbell (golf), Barbara Kendall (yachting), Georgina and Caroline Evers-Swindell (rowing), Rob Waddell (rowing), Sean Marks (basketball), Kirk Penney (basketball), Scott Dixon (motorsport), Daniel Vettori (cricket), Brendon McCullum (cricket), Irene van Dyk (netball), Ryan Nelsen (football).
