Australia's half-year sporting report

Now well into July, we’re closer to the end of 2022 than the start of it, so it seems the perfect time to look back at the past six months of Aussie sport.

I will give a school-like grade to as many sports as possible based on how Aussies have done, how Aussie clubs have done and how the Australian national teams have done.

Give your opinion in the comments, and let’s hope for some more sporting success in the second half of this year.

Rugby union: A-

The Wallabies kicked off their 2022 quite late, just last weekend, with an impressive win against England. In the second Test, which England won 25-17, Australia were slightly sluggish and gave away far too many penalties, but they were very clinical and exciting when they attacked. In the inaugural Super Rugby Pacific competition, both the Brumbies and Reds reached the final eight, while Force and Rebels came in the two places below the qualification zone. Reds were unlucky in the draw, losing to eventual champions Crusaders, but the Brumbies fared better, losing in the semi-finals by one point to the Blues. It was slightly better than expected, especially considering the disappointing Super Rugby Trans-Tasman.

Cricket: B*

The final two Ashes tests were in January of this year, and the Aussies finished the series with a draw and a win. The T20 side did well in February, beating Sri Lanka 4-0 in the series. Then came the Pakistan Tests and another win, but the same could not be said about the ODI series between those two nations. It’s been a mixed bag since then, beating Pakistan and Sri Lanka (twice) in T20s but losing another ODI series to Pakistan, and of course you have the ongoing tests against Sri Lanka. Overall it’s been pretty good. If you ignore ODIs against Pakistan, then it’s been almost perfect.

(Photo by Daniel Pockett – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)

Football: B*

If you look at how we got to World Cup qualification, then maybe it wasn’t great, but the objective was achieved when at times it didn’t look likely at all. The Socceroos have won three, lost two and drawn one game so fair in 2022. However, the only ones that Aussie fans will care about will be thoes important final two wins. Even more important will be the games to come in November.

Basketball: A

After a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, the Boomers have continued their fine form into 2022, winning all five of their FIBA World Cup qualification matches so far. China, Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) and Japan were all dished aside two times each, the Aussies going from strength to strength.

Golf: B

Golf kicks us off with the individual sports. Adam Scott won an award different to any other he will ever receive in his career, becoming a Member of the Order of Australia last month. Cameron Smith tasted success early in the year, winning the Tournament of Champions, the first PGA event of the year, and set the course record while he was at it. In March he beat Anirban Lahiri to the Players Championships. After this, he rose to world No. 6, the highest he’s been in his career, where he remains today.

Swimming: B*

In May, Ariarne Titmus broke the women’s 400m freestyle world record in the Australian championships. In Budapest, at the World Aquatics Championships, Australians won 19 medals, six of them gold, finishing fourth in the medal table. It was a slight decrease from 2019, when 23 medals were won. Among the medal winners were usual champions, Elijah Winnington, Zac Stubblety-Cook and Kaylee McKeown.

Athletics: C*

Australia won the 2022 Oceania Athletics Championships with more than double the gold medals of second-placed New Zealand and 50 more medals than them overall. Nine podiums and zero wins was Australia’s 2022 Diamond League record, at least until the Stockholm meeting. Three wins and three podiums were added to that tally in the Swedish capital. However, it did take a while to get that first win, with hopes that it would come earlier.