The Golden State Warriors may be the best in NBA history and Barcelona may be the most storied club in football – but the All Blacks beat out both to be crowned the world’s top sports team in Berlin this morning.
The All Blacks picked up the Team of the Year award at the Laureus Sports Awards. The awards are considered the top yearly international sports accolades.
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The award was given to the New Zealand after they became the first team to win back-to-back Rugby World Cups, in England, last year.
Alongside legendary skipper Richie McCaw, last year’s All Blacks featured a number of players that would arguably feature in an all-time New Zealand XV such as Conrad Smith, Ma’a Nonu and Dan Carter.
The All Blacks had been nominated for the award five times before, but never won it. Joachim Loew, manager of 2014 FIFA 2014 World Cup champions Germany – and reigning Team of the Year, presented the title to All Blacks coach Steve Hansen, and McCaw.
“We’re a little country from a long way away and just to be nominated and be among people like you is pretty amazing,” McCaw said, at the awards ceremony in Berlin.
“The fact you’re recognised alongside teams like Barcelona is pretty cool. When I was in America, when I had time off in 2013, I went to watch the Golden State Warriors versus the New York Knicks and [Stephen] Curry scored 50-something points on his own.
“Then a couple of years later you see him dominate and win the NBA, so it’s pretty surreal really to be mixing alongside some of these superstars.”
That wasn’t the only award for New Zealand, with Carter picking up the Comeback of the Year gong. Carter, who now plays club rugby in France, came back from a serious pre-World Cup injury to be named Man of the Match in the World Cup final victory over Australia in London.
Tennis players Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams picked up the Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year awards in a ceremony hosted by former Ghostbuster Bill Murray.
