D'Arcy Waldegrave: The exciting promise of 2026 sport

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.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldgrave from News TALKSB Happy New Year.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
You have to say that at this time of year,
don't you what? We're three days into it. It promises
so much what I'd like to think, So what it
delivers is the great unknown. That's the glory of sport.
It's the only true reality TV that there really is,
is it not? What most of us won't get to tend?

(00:35):
The Winter Olympics, the FIFA World Cup, Formula one Races,
the All Blacks Tour of South Africa, the men's and
the women's T twenty World Cup, Major Golf, Grand Slam, tennisly,
the list is endless. We probably won't get to one
or any of these events in person, but we will

(00:56):
engage through the magic of TV, and sport really is
the only true reality television out there. It's live, it's unedited,
the chaos of human competition, the unhanged passion, the random
hand of injurious fate, the weather, all within the rigid

(01:18):
structure of the rule of the game, and even that
space sits the ever present frailty of human refereeing intervention.
It's got us surround that is the rules of the game,
that is the timing of the game, and that's where
that reality comes from. But we don't know what's going
to happen, and that's why we engage, that's why we

(01:40):
love it so much. No one knows with any certainty
what will unfold over the next twelve months, but we
do know as fans that we will ride the full
gamut of emotion. Will experience despair, grief and unbridled joy,
and shock and horror, have tears to will be screens

(02:02):
of delight, There will be palpable relief, the absolute works.
And amongst all of this, all of this, I'll be
here on the wireless, reporting on it all, interviewing the
key athletes, the administrators, the coaches, and of course talking
to you the fan, because that's what it's all about,

(02:24):
ask the fan on Sports Talk on a week daily basis.
I bring this up because this year it's going to
be my twenty fifth year in the seat, twenty five years.
At the end of this year of reporting on sport
on the Wireless, I am so incredibly grateful, absolutely pumped

(02:45):
and still super enthused to do this and get to
call this a job. It's not really work. It's paid fun.
I appreciate the fact that you listen. I appreciate the fact,
and I hope that you will continue to listen over
this year as we look to uncover all of the
wonderful stories and again, as I say, the emotion of sport,

(03:10):
and we've got to embrace the unknown of what's happening
over the next twelve months, because that is where the
magic is. I'm so glad to be here. I'm so
pleased to be doing this and paying my tax in
this strange and unusual manner. My wish for twenty twenty
six is things do not change. I don't really do

(03:32):
New Year's resolutions. Well, I know it is on a
weekly basis. I'll turn up to this building and revel
in the wonder and the magic of sport. I am
such a lucky man. I hope you all get the
same joy I get. And whatever you do through twenty
twenty six, be it family, be at work, entertainment, whatever

(03:52):
it is, because this is it. I often say this.
I'll take today, for example, the third of January twenty
twenty six. This is the only third of January twenty
twenty six. This is it. You've got one chance, one opportunity,
and that is today, So embrace it. Make the best

(04:13):
you can, because there will never be another third of
January twenty twenty six ever. Again, this is your only
chance and this year, this is the only twenty twenty
six we will ever have. Make the most of it.
Enjoy it for what it is, don't take it lightly,
take it with joy and pleasure, and carry on listening

(04:33):
to all of us here at news Talk ZB. We
love what we do and we love the fact we
can share it all with you out there in radio land.
And that is it.

Speaker 1 (04:45):
For more from the Your Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave.
Listen live to News Talk said BE on Saturday mornings,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio