I feel isolated from New Zealand sport here in Scotland and get my fix by surfing the 'net to find out what is going on in the great little sporting nation that tends to box above its weight.
The Six Nations doesn't rock my world, but it sounds like the New Zealand franchises aren't doing too well in the opening Super 14 games so perhaps it's best I'm not there to experience the disappointment.
What does make the sports news tends to follow the theme of "Show me the money or, if you don't show me the money, I'm going to someone who does".
Auckland lost the Tua-Cameron fight to Hamilton, which is gaining a reputation as a provincial town capable of hosting major sporting events.
How sad that Auckland City Councillor Aaron Bhatnagar can't understand that not all sporting events have to appeal to Remuera residents to be considered a valid event.
Boxing, like league, has working-class roots and there would have been a lot of support for the two homegrown boys.
Oh well, Auckland's loss is a Hamiltron gain (once again).
Sparc also announced its high-performance investment plan for the 2012 London Olympics, with swimming slip-streaming behind the big five Olympic winners: cycling, rowing, athletics, triathlon and yachting.
Politically, New Zealand Cricket will be rubbing its hands together, pocketing $25 million in television rights from the Indian test series but it is still too scared to stand up to the ICC and has asked the New Zealand Government to hold its hand by imposing a travel ban to Zimbabwe.
Is it hoping this will save it from a $3 million fine from the ICC? Individually, the oval-ball codes are releasing some players from their contracts early, refusing to give others a code-hopping sojourn in Japan (Benji Marshall), and considering non-playing sabbaticals for some (Ali Williams).
Amid all this financial focus, I felt a brief moment of national pride when I read Danny Lee had won the Johnny Walker Classic and is keen to challenge Tiger Woods in June.
As Michael Campbell said, it would be great to see three generations of New Zealand golfers - Sir Bob Charles, Michael Campbell and Danny Lee - at the New Zealand Open.
The Korea Times described Danny Lee as a Korean-born New Zealander. Does that take the shine off his win a little? Not at all.
The latest 2006 Census revealed that the Asian population in New Zealand is the fastest-growing ethnic group, having increased by 50% since 2001 to be the third-largest ethnic group (9.2%).
More interestingly, about 23% of people living in New Zealand were born overseas, and almost one-third have been living in the land of the long white cloud for four years or less.
Demographically, Danny Lee, who moved to New Zealand with his family in 2003 and became a naturalised New Zealander in 2008, is representative of New Zealand's population, and I'll bask in his reflected glory just as I did when Nick Willis won bronze in Beijing, even though he is based overseas.
In terms of representing our multicultural face on the international sporting stage, the latest statistics from the NZRU also reveal that there are only 17 professional rugby players in New Zealand born overseas: seven were born in Samoa, four in Australia, three in Tonga, two in Fiji and one in American Samoa.
That is about 12% of professional franchise players born overseas. Australia appears to have taken over New Zealand's reputation as a "Pacific player poacher" and has started to tap into New Zealand's talent pool as well. A reality in a global player market.
All we need to complete this multicultural picture is for a golfer from the Pacific Island New Zealand community to win at Augusta, and a rugby player from the Asian New Zealand community to don a Super 14 franchise jersey.
Let's hope the 10 Olympic medals aimed for in 2012 also represent our ever-increasing multicultural face as a nation.
