Happy New Year!

2026 promises so much, what it delivers though is unknown.

That is the glory of sport.

Most of us won’t get to attend the Winter Olympics, the FIFA World Cup, Formula One, the All Blacks tour of South Africa, the men's and women’s T20 World Cup, major golf, Grand Slam tennis, the list is endless. We probably won’t get to one or any of these events in person, but we will engage through the magic of TV.

Sport really is the only true reality television out there. Live, unedited. The chaos of human competition, the unhinged passion, the random hand of injurious fate, weather, all within the rigid structure of the rule of the game - even in that space sits the ever-present frailty of human refereeing intervention.

No-one knows with certainty what will unfold over the next 12 months, but we do know as fans that we will ride the full gamut of emotion. We will experience despair, fervour, grief, unbridled joy, shock, horror, tears, screams of delight, relief....the works.

And amongst this I’ll be here on the wireless reporting on it all, interviewing the key athletes, administrators, coaches and of course talking to you, the fan, on Sportstalk.

This year is my 25th year in this seat, I’m so grateful and pumped to still be here.

My enthusiasm is the same as it was when I started way back when, I’m looking forward to another year of the wonderment of sport and what it brings.

Embrace the unknown ahead, because that’s where the magic is.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NZ Herald reporter Ben Francis spoke to Hamish McKay from the World Darts Championship in London to give updates on the most promising players, and the rise in popularity darts is experiencing.

"The amount of people that are starting to play darts now is amazing. Darts, if you look at some of the numbers at Sky Sports, and this is in the UK for example, it's the 2nd most-watched sport behind the Premier League football," he said.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington Firebirds all-rounder Logan van Beek joined Hamish McKay to chat about being 11 wickets away from becoming the all-time Super Smash wicket taker ahead of today's 4:25pm game between Wellington and Central Districts.

The record is currently held by ex-Cricket player Andrew Ellis who retired from his 18-year career in 2020.

"I'll be giving him a message if I do overtake him because he was, he was my, you know, my mentor back in the Canterbury days," van Beek said.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.