Australia beats New Zealand in Netball World Championship... (LINK)
November 20th 2007 06:57
The favourites Australia have beaten the holders New Zealand to win World Netball Championships in Auckland.
The reigning champions have lost the title they won four years ago in Jamaica. New Zealand has struggled all year against a rejuvenated Australian team with a number of new players in key positions.
The Silver Ferns were beaten 38-42, after beating Jamaica in a titanic semi-final where New Zealand only came out on top in the last few minutes. Australia, on the other hand were too good for England in the other semi-final.
Jamaica has beaten England in the playoff for third and fourth.
After a great start against Australia the Silver Ferns started to drift a little in the middle stages but mounted a strong finish, but basic errors have denied them from beating an Australian team with about only a 65% success rate in goal shooting.
It was a true international battle - but there are no prizes for coming second. Four more years New Zealand.
Many New Zealand sports fans have lamented the failures of our teams in the Cricket World Cup, the America's Cup Yachting, the Rugby World Cup, and now the Netball World Championships. These are actually minor sports on the world stage.
Actually New Zealand has competed very well this year in world class events. Valerie Vili is the Women's Shotput World Champion, and Mahe Drysdale the World Championship single sculls rowing champion for the second year in a row, no pun intended.There have been other successes too.
New Zealand like its big cousin, Australia, punches well above its weight in the world sport arenas.
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