Two fantastic pieces of sports news today, one that's going to happen and one thank goodness that's about to be buried.

The awarding of the FIFA 2023 Women's World Cup to the joint Australia-NZ bid is the best news the sport's had here since the All Whites qualified for South Africa in 2010.

This is simply massive. Hosting any FIFA event is huge. The money to be generated, the exposure the sport gets, the global viewing figures, the worldwide interest and subsequent tourism opportunities, there is no better sporting event to stage than anything that is associated with and totally funded by that cash cow called FIFA.

For NZ Football, it's another golden opportunity to cement the status of the sport here as one of the most popular played as well as capitalising on the glamour and glory that only a World Cup of anything can truly capture.

Congratulations to everyone involved both here and across the Tasman. The amount of wheeler-dealing, back-handers, trade-offs & promises made just to get to the start line beggars belief.

To clinch the contest is nothing short of miraculous, and probably a little dubious but heh, we've won it let's not ask too many questions about how we've done it.

Equally worth celebrating is the latest word out of Australia that this idiotic idea of an All Blacks-Kangaroo clash has hit the skids. Good. 

Because it is utter nonsense. Just drivel. Who exactly wants this again? Apart from a few administrators eyeing up a potential payday, no-one else is interested. 

The All Blacks play rugby. The Kangaroos play league.  These are two completely different sports played under different rules requiring different EVERYTHING.

Thanks for the idea but no thanks. Save your clown act for the circus. We are sports fans. We want games, not gimmicks.