Every year someone new emerges and is going to be the next big thing. The next Jeff Wilson, the new Susan Devoy. But for every Wynton Rufer there is a Reon Sayer. Sports reporter Steve Hepburn looks at some New Zealand sporting prodigies and how it panned out.
Jason Goldsmith
The boy from Te Awamutu once played for New Zealand under-19 in a curtain-raiser and then came on for Waikato in the main game and scored the winning try. And this was when he was at school.
Made the All Blacks in 1988, his first year out of school and looked to have a long career ahead of him. Moved to Auckland the following year.
In his second game for the Auckland side, he shattered his leg and was stretchered off the field.
The break kept him out of rugby for at least a year but in reality his career was over.
Made the New Zealand Colts the next year but was never the same player. Tried a comeback for Bay of Plenty in 1993 but it petered out after a few games. Is still living in Bay of Plenty.
Bernice Mene
Daughter of Sally and Mene Mene, Bernice Mene was nearly 1.8m tall when she was in her first year of high school.
Was a top field athlete like her dad but decided to concentrate her sporting skills on netball, and she was selected in the Silver Ferns when still at high school.
Made her debut in 1993 and, for the next nine years, was rock solid at the back for the Silver Ferns.
Captained the team for a couple of years but the side lost the big one - the world championship in Mene's home town of Christchurch in 1999.
But that was through no fault of Mene, who played to her usual high standard.
Played a season in Dunedin before switching allegiances to the Southern Sting in Invercargill, where she helped the southern side to five straight domestic titles.
Retired in 2002 and married former Black Caps cricketer Dion Nash.
The couple have three children and Mene is involved in netball commentary.
Noel McGregor
McGregor was just 16 years and 86 days old when he played for Otago against Fiji at Carisbrook in March, 1948.
Had made a real impression on the Otago cricketing public and no-one questioned his selection.
Was quickly nicknamed Snippet, for his all-action persona and style, and scored 15 in the first innings against the Fijians. Backed that up with an impressive 71 to help Otago win the game.
This game was not initially a first-class fixture - although 40 years later the head honchos decided it would be a first-class game.
In his debut in what was then seen as a first-class match, McGregor hit the first ball for four and then hit three boundaries in the first over.
McGregor made his debut for New Zealand against a powerful MCC side in 1956. He was part of the New Zealand side which scored the still test-record low of 26 at Eden Park. McGregor managed a solitary run in the 26.
But from those dark days, McGregor emerged and he played a key part in the first test victory by New Zealand, over the West Indies, again at Eden Park.
He caught Everton Weekes on the boundary to help get rid of the last threat to a New Zealand victory. Went on to play in New Zealand's first three test victories.
Ended up playing 90 first-class matches and 25 tests. Had a career which lasted almost 20 years.
Went into cricket administration upon retirement, being a selector for a period and was also heavily involved in bowls.
Sean Fallon
The son of former All Whites coach Kevin Fallon, Sean was a top player in his youth. He played in the old national league for Mt Maunganui as a 15-year-old, and looked to have a big future ahead of him.
Went to Europe when he finished school and had some trials with top clubs. He went to Liverpool and, although it was only supposed to be a visit, he was signed on as an apprentice after impressing in a couple of impromptu training runs.
He eventually spent two seasons as an apprentice and then had one season in the reserves.
But around that time in the 1990s, Liverpool had the likes of Robbie Fowler running around, so it was tough to get a look in.
Fallon picked up a few niggling injuries at just the wrong time and eventually returned to New Zealand.
He played for a few clubs in New Zealand and also had a year in Singapore but his career petered out.
Corney Swanepoel
The butterfly swimmer was full of potential when he first exploded on the scene in the early 2000s.
He was born in South Africa but came to live in New Zealand at an early age.
Competing in the butterfly, he was, of course, immediately labelled the next Danyon Loader, especially when he won a batch of gold medals at world youth events.
Went to the Athens Olympics when he was still not old enough to drink and performed well to make the semifinals.
It looked as though Beijing would be there for the taking in 2008, if he kept on improving.
But straight after Athens his form dropped away and he just could not go fast any more.
He consulted various coaches and other swimming experts, but it did not seem to make much difference.
He thought in his attempt to go fast his stroke had lost its shape.
In Beijing he was second in his heat but in the semifinal could only muster sixth placing, going a slower time than he had recorded in the heat.
Swam well in the relay, as New Zealand finished fifth in the final.
Returned to New Zealand and rather dropped out of the New Zealand scene.
Did not attend the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi and did not make the 2012 Olympic team which went to London - as swimming went on the backburner - despite still being in his mid-20s.
Coached for a couple of years before moving into the insurance business in Auckland.
