Cricket
Racing
Rugby
Tennis
Football
Combat Sports
Sport Nation
Basketball
League
Motorsport
Golf
Other Sports
Arise, Dame Lydia: Ko recognised in New Year Honours for 2025
Sam Ackerman • December 31st, 2024 5:00 am
Lydia Ko‘s golden year has finished with a final flourish of success, becoming New Zealand’s latest sporting Dame in the 2025 New Year Honours list.
Ko has been made a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to golf, one of several New Zealand sporting contributors to feature in the latest batch of honours.
It’s the cherry on top of a phenomenal 12 months for New Zealand’s most successful golfer.
Ko’s quest to complete her full set of Olympic medals culminated in finally winning gold at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, adding to her bronze from Tokyo (2020) and silver medal from Rio (2016) to become the first golfer in the modern era to achieve all three medals at three different Olympic Games.
It set in motion Ko achieving another long-awaited career goal - enough ranking points to qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame, the youngest to achieve that feat. Hot off her Paris success, Ko lifted her major tally to three when she won the Women's British Open at the famed St Andrews. She finished the year with the NZ Olympic Committee's Lonsdale Cup for her achievements in 2024, the second time winning the prize.
She's also the youngest person ever to win a professional golf tour event and youngest person ever to win an LPGA Tour event. Following several wins on the LPGA Tour in 2015, she became the youngest player ever to be ranked No. 1 in professional golf and was named Halberg Sportswoman of the Year.
Two former All Black coaches were also recognised, with Ian Foster (services to rugby) and John Hart (services to sports governance) made Companions of the NZ Order of Merit.
Photo: Photosport
Foster’s head coaching tenure of the ABs between 2020 and 2023 was one that polarised rugby fans across the country, his position scrutinised in the court of public opinion on a regular basis. As Head Coach, he led the All Blacks to retain the Bledisloe Cup, the Freedom Cup, and the Rugby Championship each year from 2020 to 2023, and steered the All Blacks into the 2023 Rugby World Cup final before suffering defeat at the hands of the Springboks, finishing with a 70 percent win rate.
Also taken into account were his achievements as assistant coach of the national side from 2012-2019 under Sir Steve Hansen, which included the 2015 Rugby World Cup win, as was his time as Chiefs Super Rugby coach (2004-2011) and more than 100 games as a player for Waikato.
Hart - who coached the All Blacks from 1996-1999 - was already an Officer of the NZ Order of Merit for services to rugby, but his latest mention in the honours list goes across a far broader sporting contribution.
Hart has been instrumental in the growth of the NZ Golf Open from a foundation to a high-profile international event, now regarded as one of the top three tournaments in Australasia. He was the Chair of the NZ 2011 Group which oversaw the management of hosting the 2011 Rugby World Cup Tournament, was the Executive Director of the Warriors during the 2005-2011 NRL seasons and has served as Director of the Blues Board since 2018, working as a mentor to players and coaches, and founded the Blues Family Foundation which raises funds to continue development of rugby around the region.
Photo: Photosport
All Blacks great Sam Whitelock has become an Officer of the NZ Order of Merit for services to rugby and the community. In 2023, he retired as the most capped All Blacks player ever, with 153 appearances by his retirement. He captained the All Blacks on 18 occasions, and the Crusaders Super Rugby team for three seasons. He also served as an Ambassador for Farmstrong, a nationwide wellbeing programme for the rural community.
Joining Whitelock an an ONZM is Marguerite Christophers, who has dedicated more than 25 years to people with disabilities and Para sport before retiring this year. Since 2009, she has shaped and improved classification for athletes with disabilities, helped national sport organisations understand the needs and requirements of classification, trained classifiers and upskilled athletes and coaches.
A hugely popular member of the racing community is among the new Members of the NZ Order of Merit - with Noel Harris acknowledged for services to the thoroughbred racing industry.
Lachie Marshall (water polo) and Gary Trail (jiu jitsu) have also been appointed as MNZOM, while Colin Campbell (horse racing and governance), Sally Davies (hockey and nursing), Peter Hensman (cricket and the community), David Richmond (sport, particularly athletics and cricket), and Phyllis Weir (cricket and horticulture) have been awarded the King’s Service Medal.
