Yes, a great result on Saturday and a great day for NZ Football. I missed the game but was very pleased to see the headline the next day.

What a game. One of the most fantastic sports games I have watched on TV. Pure Drama!!! Gutted I wasn't there. Now I will have to get SKY TV for the World Cup next year!!!

What a game. One of the most fantastic sports games I have watched on TV. Pure Drama!!! Gutted I wasn't there. Now I will have to get SKY TV for the World Cup next year!!!

Sorry I got so excited I posted my comment around fifty times!!! Should help the comment average though.

Yep, kind of ironic (a.) the N.Z Football team is 100% Kiwi born players these-days and the All Blacks just 66% - so much for being a bunch of poms! (b.)SPARC continues to fund Rugby as one of its chosen elite sports, despite its pitiful recent record at World Cups and ignore football (largest junior sport in the country) Rugby League (current World Champs) and turn a blind-eye to the sports reliance on mercenary overseas players, rather than home-grown talent it supposedly supports (c.) given a whistle and a refs uniform most Kiwi rugby fans would do a better job reffing a football game than the sport they love but no longer have a clue what’s going on rules wise (d.) it took a football crowd to teach N.Zers what 'sporting atmosphere' is.

Go The All Whites!

Paul.

Yes kiwi atheist but at least all of the All Blacks play in New Zealand. Most of the All Whites dont even play in New Zealand!!!
Secondly, neither Soccer New Zealand or NZ rugby league actually applied for money from SPARC for 2010 and SPARC did give $250,000 for the All Whites qualifying campaign.
SPARC have an almost impossible job and the current system works well. You cant just give money to someone who might be good by forcing athletes to get to a certain level it puts a bit back on the athletes. Look at womens hockey. They missed funding last year for poor performances but then worked hard this year and have earned their funding back. Good on them!!!

Ozy see where you are coming-from mate but SPARC have made a rod for their own back by placing some ‘targeted’ sports on a pedestal over others.

Yes, good on them for seeing N.Z Women’s Hockey was on the way up and re-introducing their funding.

But in the same way SPARC cut Women Hockey’s funding after a poor Olympic Games we should have seen Rugby have its funding cut after their dismal performance at the pinnacle of their sport – The World Cup.

That’s if the funding system was fair and equitable but not all sports are created equal in this country - and that's my point.

Don't understand what NZers playing football overseas for a living has to do with this? That's the reality of professional sport.

They still return to play for N.Z which is what 'islanders' playing in N.Z should do -if they put loyalty before the $.

N.Z Rugby actively touts for players in 'the Pacific', changes eligibility rules to let them get into teams.

N.Z Football doesn't do so and that's why N.Z Football team is 100% Kiwi born.

See ya.

Paul.

You are correct not all sports are created equal.

Some sports people, who obviously have talent, do have to work far to hard for money. Others get it like a cash tree in their back yard!!