Australia clinch top 10-place in Global and Per Capita Cup 2015
“Lies, damned lies, and statistics”, as Disraeli would have it? Not when GSN comes to the party.
If you had a sneaking feeling that 2015 was a pretty good year for Australian sport…you weren`t wrong.
Australia maintained its record of finishing within the top ten nations in the Global Cup for the 8th consecutive year, equalling its best ever 7th-placed finish (2008). For the third time (2008, 2012) Australia also finished in the top ten (8th) in the Per Capita Cup. The Netherlands (2014) remain the only other country to have achieved the feat even once.
The year began with a dramatic extra-time victory in the Asian Football Confederation Cup (men) over South Korea, a result that saw Australia lead the world in GSN’s rankings…at least for January. More was to follow, with World Cups in Cricket (men) and Netball (women). Jason Day’s emotional PGA victory (Golf) was an individual highlight.
Overall in 2015 Australia topped GSN statistics in a record four sports (Cricket, Netball, Surfing, Track Cycling), finished second in three others (Rugby, Snooker, Swimming), and third in two more (BMX, Water Polo). Australian Men finished 5th, a remarkable achievement, and the women just outside the top ten (11th).
There were also disappointments. The pain of losing The Ashes to England (Cricket), and a World Cup Rugby final to a brilliant All Blacks team remain.
More significantly the death of the much-loved national cricketer, Phillip Hughes, (struck in the head while batting in late 2014) cast a dark pall over a usually exuberant sporting summer. Surfer Mick Fanning`s brush with white death at J-Bay also reminded the country that there is more to life than sport.
Australian intellectual Donald Horne may have famously, and disparagingly, asserted that "sport to many Australians is life, and the rest a shadow”; he was wrong…sport`s just a beautiful part of it. Bring on 2016.
