Kōrero: Sports reporting and commentating

Winston McCarthy, a legendary rugby commentator who had established his name broadcasting on the 1945–46 'Kiwis' tour of the United Kingdom and Europe, describes a Don Clarke kick during the fourth test match between the All Blacks and the Springboks in 1956. New Zealand was leading the series 2–1, and Clarke's penalty goal took the score to a match-winning 11–0. The final score was 11–5. There was huge public interest in the game, which was attended by a crowd of 63,000. In the absence of television, many thousands of New Zealanders experienced the game through McCarthy's commentary. His description of the kick features his trademark phrase, 'Listen ... it's a goal!'  The photo shows McCarthy during a rugby broadcast at Athletic Park, Wellington, on 27 April 1957.

Transcript

And here is Clarke to take a long range penalty kick for a New Zealand, seven yards inside halfway and I would say 12 yards from his right-hand touchline. Now he's got a kick into a bit of a breeze here. But for a man of his calibre that bit of a breeze might not matter, if it doesn't go particularly high because they say a well hit golf ball into the wind the wind never worries it. Back comes Clarke now, he moves up. He's kicking and it's a long one. Listen...it's a goal! It's a goal! The crowd is going absolutely crazy over on the bank. 11 nil to New Zealand.