Controversy over All Whites' Halbergs win

HA!.. managing a feat unequalled by any other team to be produced in this nations history..in the worlds most watched and most highly paid sport, taking on a pool that featured the reigning World Cup champions, with nations out ranking us by 20-30 places... and coming out of it with out being beaten, scoring goals that the world said would never be scored..against keepers paid more than our entire teams annual gross earnings a year per season on his own.. showing a level of class and team work that made the heart warm just to see it, and made the nation proud to be Kiwi.. watching 11 men play out of their skin, putting everything on the line for one goal..If that's not high achievement in his "book", then with all due respect.. i think its time he ordered a new "book". I Love Rugby, I have played since I was 5, I am a staunch AB's supporter and if you prick my finger, you'll find a liquid red and black substance known as Cantabrian pride.. BUT...while our beloved national sport is played and watched by Millions and played by Hundreds of Thousands of people across the globe gaining momentum, with every passing year.. Football is watched by an audience of Billions.. played by Millions possibly Billions.. Nobody can take away from the AB's what they did last year.. they played great fottie.. dominating the opposition and doing us proud... but on a world stage.. its a side show.. i hate to admit it.. but at the moment, Rugby isn't played enough or watched enough to be considered a major sport. Finally, we have a team doing well on a world stage.. achieving to a world standard.. and we would be nothing short of ignorant to award the All Whites anything less than top Honours for what they did for New Zealand sport last year. If this particular judge doesn't agree that the All Whites success (and it is nothing short of success) is worth celebrating, then perhaps it is time that he stepped aside.

what about the black ferns?

Maybe Dick's spot could be taken by a household name like Ryan Nelsen

For all those wonder what the comparission of NZ drawing the 3 matchs of their group stage, it's a little like this in rugby terms

Moldova or Tunisia, drawing against South Africa, Scotland and Samoa in the group stage of this years RWC.

After reading through all the comments I think Nats comment "I'm not a big soccer fan but in 15 years time I will remember the All White's result at the world cup. I doubt I'll remember the achievements of the other contenders."

This is probably the best example of how this showed sporting excellence. I have no argument that other NZ teams performed well this year and made me proud to be a Kiwi, but the result that will sit in my mind for years to come is the All Whites at the World Cup. I hope that come next year’s awards we are celebrating our Black Caps or AB's achievements on the world stage and that they too can leave us with some lasting memories.

I agree with Dick here, when I heard the results I thought, what? They didn't win anything except the right to play in the world cup, even that was made easier for them with Australia being included in the Asia group not Oceania. No offence to the All Whites, they did show they can stand tall with the rest of the world given the megre resources we have and the great work that Ricki Herbet did with the team is worthy of a reward.

If the halbergs is a vote of popularity or the teams affect on the country, instead of actual winning then the All Whites probably win hands down, but if its based on winning then maybe it should have gone to a different team.

Obviously Dick Taylor doesn't know the true achievement The All Whites did on a global scale. I love rugby like the next Kiwi, but let's admit it's a small kettle of fish. I was in Italy when the world cup game was on, It was the same as of the Allblacks drew with Italy in Union. I was a very proud Kiwi when we got into the World cup and I'm hoping we get into the next. Go the mighty Allwhites and Ricky Herbet you are a legend! Machester City forever!!!

The criteria have always been a bit unfathomable. Both rugby and league are pretty minor sports on the world stage. The All Whites exceeded all expectations and confounded all the experts. What they achieved was special for the whole country and was something we had never achieved before. Winning the tri-nations is a pretty mundane achievement, it happens at least two or three times in every four years while there is only one world cup. Dick Taylor has just embarrassed himself. Rugby people all need to take a look at themselves if they think being small minded is that important.

Maybe resigning was a little dramatic but I agree with what he's saying. Sure the All Whites were exciting to watch and the results were unexpected but the Halberg shouldn't be given out for "most improved" or "surprisingly mediocre". We have sports teams that are consistently winning, the All Whites didn't come close.

The rest of em should resign too. What a joke, the soccer team? Really so all you have to do is draw your games??? Now if they had say beaten spain or something then they may have been eligible but cmon....