Alex Powell - Cricketer Ben Sears
Trent Boult opting out of his NZ Cricket contract in August has opened the door for the Blackcaps to turn to youth in the hunt for our next fast bowler.
At 24, Wellington quick Ben Sears appears to be the first cab off the rank and has already shown he can hit speeds of more than 145kph in limited opportunities for the national side.
Is he the finished product? Definitely not, but Sears needs the opportunity to grow at the highest level, the same way that Kane Williamson, Tim Southee and Boult were able to.
New Zealand cricket's golden generation is coming to an end, so what better time to bring the next wave of players through?
Reece Labuschagne - All Black Mark Telea
North Harbour and Blues fans have been calling for Mark Telea's selection for the All Blacks for some time now, and if his recent test appearances are anything to go by, you can see why.
Telea scored two tries on debut against Scotland at Murrayfield and was one of the few bright spots in a disappointing draw at Twickenham.
Telea's inclusion on the All Blacks right wing came at the cost of an inconsistent Sevu Reece and an injured Will Jordan, who has also struggled to string performances together.
While most assume Jordan will slot right back into the No.14 jersey, Telea has all the attributes to become Foster's longtime solution.
He has a more complete game than Jordan, who would be better suited at fullback or as a versatility option from the bench. Telea has the makings of NZ's best wing.
Stephen Foote - Kickboxer Navajo Stirling
Navajo Stirling promises to be the next cab off the City Kickboxing rank to secure a spot in the UFC.
Over the past two years, the 24-year-old Wellingtonian has twice been crowned King in the Ring champion and is making his way down a well-beaten path of former winners to transition to mixed martial arts and take the step to its premier promotion.
CKB head honcho Eugene Bareman believes the Wellington product has the tools to follow in the footsteps of fellow converts Israel Adesanya and Blood Diamond.
During September's King in the Ring, Stirling added a WKBF kickboxing heavyweight world title to his mantelpiece, making another statement of his pedigree.
The next time we see him in action may well be inside an Octagon.
James Regan - NZ Warriors wing Ed Kosi
Kosi was a rare glimmer of hope in another disappointing year for NZ Warriors.
After being dropped - and arguably made a bit of a scapegoat, after their infamous 70-10 Anzac Day defeat at Melbourne - the winger made a great impression at the end of the season.
Kosi, 23, ended up with eight tries in 11 games, including a hat-trick on his Mt Smart debut. By all accounts, he went away after the Storm defeat, worked tremendously hard and reaped rewards at the end of the year.
The challenge now is to build on that and kick on in 2023.
New coach Andrew Webster has made it clear he won't be afraid to inject younger players into his set-up and with some runs already on the board, there's a spot there for the taking.
Will Hewett - Rugby loose forward Peter Lakai
There tends to be one bolter who makes his way into the All Blacks World Cup squad.
In 2015, it was hot-stepping wing Nehe Milner-Skudder. In 2019, it was Luke Jacobson and I see 2023 being no different.
I'm backing it to be Lakai, who had a standout 2022, as he burst onto the scene with Wellington Lions to win Age-Grade Player of the Year at the NZ Rugby Awards. while also being a nominee for the Duane Monkley Medal.
With question marks still hanging over the All Blacks loose forward trio, could the powerful No.8, in his rookie Hurricanes season, burst into Ian Foster's thoughts, and push out the likes of Hoskins Sotutu or Shannon Frizell?
Grant Chapman - Basketballer Dontae Russo-Nance
After debuting as a teenager in the NZ National Basketball league last year, Russo-Nance simply built on his reputation to earn Youth Player of the Year in his second season, while still turning out for St Kentigern College.
Averaging 15.4 points per game, he lead the competition in steals (2.9) to help Auckland Tuatara reach the title game, before falling to Otago Nuggets.
Russo-Nance was named to the All-Star Five at the NBA Basketball Without Borders camp in Australia and will complete his high school eligibility at Oak Hill Academy, a Virginia prep school that produced NBA stars Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony, among many more.
In two years, he will make the choice between pursuing a college scholarship or a pro career, but all indications are he has the potential to follow Kiwis Sean Marks, Kirk Penney and Steven Adams into the NBA.
