By Michael John Oliver
There may have never been a bigger year for news than 2011. And the sporting year was just as huge.
We’ve dipped into the 3 Sport archives to find the most popular sport videos of the year.
The All Blacks win the 2011 Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup fever gripped New Zealand in September and October, as fans up and down the country hoped, and prayed, and begged, and begged some more for the All Blacks to win only their second world cup in 24 years.
And they delivered. Just. A torrid French side made the home team work for the William Webb Ellis trophy.
But the country came alive when Richie McCaw hoisted it high into the Auckland night, winners once again. You can almost taste the happy. Click here for the video.
The Warriors reach the NRL grand final
Little-fancied heading into the knockout stages, the Warriors coloured the NRL surprised when they made only their second grand final, facing a dominant Manly.
Dispute a dogged effort, the Warriors were ground out of the game, ruing a myriad of missed chances. Manly were deserved victors, but the future is bright for the men from Auckland. Click here for the video.
Barcelona wins the 2011 Champions League final
Heavily touted as the battle between Barca’s Lionel Messi and Man U’s Wayne Rooney, the match couldn’t have been more one-sided, as Barcelona danced to a 4-1 win at Wembley.
Messi was at his mercurial best, as the La Liga champions ran rings around the Manchester United defence.
Rooney managed to pin back a goal for United, but it wasn’t enough, as Barcelona reigned supreme in Europe once again. Click here for the video.
The 2011 Fight for Life
The much-anticipated return of the Fight for Life saw the best of rugby and league go toe-to-toe to raise funds for the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
And it lived up to its billing, with the guys and girls knocking each other about (with the girls stealing the show).
The main event may have been a bit of a dud, but with more than $160,000 being banked for the night’s charity, the event was anything but. Click here for the video.
Breakers win the ANBL
The Breakers stormed into the second game of their three-match final series against the Taipans as red-hot favourites. But they fell tragically short of sewing up their maiden ANBL title.
So with the series squared, the teams returned to the den that is the North Shore Events Centre for the deciding clash. And the home side put on a master class.
Kirk Penny, Tom Abercombie, and the rest of the team wrote their names into New Zealand sporting history by becoming the first Kiwi side to win an Australian competition. Click here for the video
Manny Pacquiao beats Juan Manueal Marquez
It was billed as the decider, the put-up-or-shut-up finale of a rivalry many think Manny ‘Pac Man’ Pacquiao is lucky to be on top of.
Hell, just ask Juan Manueal Marquez. He thinks he was screwed out of two wins in their previous two bouts.
So for one final time, the two donned gloves and went toe-to-toe, Pacquiao winning, again, by a split decision. Click here for the video.
Fernando Torres’ scores his first goal for Chelsea
Torres’ controversial split from Liverpool in favour of English Premier League rivals Chelsea didn’t come cheap.
The man picked as one of the best strikers in the game left the mercysiders on the back of a 50 million pound transfer fee, the largest in Premier League history.
Out of form, and out of touch, Torres was out of luck for much of his stint at Stanford Bridge. This made his opening goal all the sweeter. Click here for the video.
Fernando Torres misses an open goal for Chelsea
Fifty million pounds can buy you many things. Accuracy, however, isn’t one of them.
Down 3-1 with eight minutes to go, Fernando Torres was fed a gorgeous ball by Ramires, and had nothing but an open goal in front of him…
… But he didn’t make it, and the Old Trafford faithful let him know all about it. Click here for the video.
Crusaders make the Super Rugby final
In the wake of the devastating Christchurch earthquake, the Crusaders efforts can’t be understated.
This was the team without a home, who travelled nearly three times around the world, and came within a whisker of winning the Super Rugby title.
After a mammoth effort against the Stormers in Cape Town, the Richie McCaw-led side fell short of beating a rabid Reds side inside the cauldron called Suncorp Stadium. Click here for the video.
India wins the 2011 Cricket World Cup
The All Blacks weren’t the only team to break a world cup drought in 2011.
After years of pining for the right to be called the world’s best, India’s cricketers grabbed their first world cup in 28 years by beating Sri Lanka, and becoming the first country to win the title on home soil.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir were the heroes for the home side, scoring 91 and 97 respectively en-route to winning the final. Click here for the video.
Queensland wins the 2011 State of Origin
In front of a record 52,498 screaming Queenslanders at Suncorp Stadium, one of the all-time greats bade farewell to State of Origin the only way a players wants to: by winning.
After winning game one, and losing the second to a resurgent NSW side, it was the maroons who were all muscle and pump in the decider.
Queensland ran in six tries to NSW’s four to run out 34-24 victors, and give the hoarsest voice in sport a dream send-off. Click here for the video.
The BlackCaps beat Australia
Handsomely dealt to in the first test at the Gabba, the Blackcaps were on a hiding to nothing in the second test in Hobart.
And after a characteristic batting collapse, the Kiwis bowlers rallied around an inspired Doug Bracewell to skittle the Aussies in their second innings, the home side falling seven runs short of pulling off a victory.
It was the Blackcaps first win over Australia in a test since 1993, and the first on Australian soil since 1985. Click here for the video.
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