2022 in Review: September
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By Aiden McLaughlin
Confusion and frustration surround the Taini Jamison Trophy series between the Silver Ferns and Jamaica. Jamaica’s arrival into New Zealand is delayed, after the team failed to receive their passports back from Washington, USA, in time, after visas were issued. Originally a three-test series, with the opening two tests in Hamilton, it was rejigged into a two test series, held exclusively in Auckland, with Jamaica adding coach Connie Francis to the team sheet as well the retired Carla Borrego and Romelda Aiken, who had given birth six weeks earlier, to the squad. The Silver Ferns won the tests 70-45 and 75-35 respectively.
The All Blacks wrap up the Rugby Championship by winning their last three matches: one against Argentina and two against Australia. The Bledisloe Cup victory in Melbourne was controversial however as referee Matthieu Raynal’s last-minute decision to penalise Australia for time wasting in front of their goalposts saw the All Blacks awarded a scrum, from which Jordie Barrett scored the match-winning try.
The Farah Palmer Cup reaches its conclusion with Hawke’s Bay defeating Otago 24-20 in the Championship final in Clutha and Canterbury beating Auckland 41-14 to secure the Premiership.
After 14 consecutive defences of the Ranfurly Shield, Wellington wrestle the Log o’ Wood away from Hawke’s Bay, winning 19-12 at McLean Park.
The Blackcaps travel to Cairns for an ODI series against Australia, but, apart from flashes, fail to fire, losing the series 3-0.
On the back of their bronze medal at the T20 competition at the Commonwealth Games, the White Ferns travel to the West Indies where they defeat the hosts 2-1 in their three match ODI series.
The All Whites lose back-to-back games against Australia; 1-0 in Brisbane and, in their first home game for nearly five years, 2-0 at Eden Park. The Auckland fixture marked Winston Reid’s final international appearance. In the post-match press conference, Chris Wood says New Zealand Football would be ‘absolutely silly’ not to extend head coach Danny Hay’s contract when it expires at the end of October.
The Wellington Phoenix women’s side appoint a new head coach less than 10 weeks before the start of the new A-League women’s season as Gemma Lewis leaves to join the Welsh Football Association. She’s replaced by her assistant Natalie Lawrence.
In domestic football, Auckland United win the Kate Sheppard Cup, beating Northern Rovers 1-0 and Auckland City win the Chatham Cup, defeating Eastern Suburbs 1-0.
In New York, Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek win the men’s and women’s singles titles at the US Tennis Open, becoming the first players, both born in the 2000’s to win the tournament’s singles titles.
At the age of 40, and after winning 103 ATP singles titles and 20 Grand Slam singles titles, Roger Federer announces his pending retirement from tennis, with the Laver Cup in London his swansong. In his final match, he teams up with long-time rival and friend Rafa Nadal in a doubles match that ends in defeat against Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe.
In golf, the United States beat an international team missing high flying Kiwi Ryan Fox 17.5-12.5, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Fox, at 47th, was ranked higher in the world than five of Trevor Immelman’s six captain’s picks (and Mito Pereira, one of the automatic qualifiers).
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