/news/sport/rss 九一星空无限 Sat, 17 Jan 2026 15:41:13 Z en /news/sport/former-all-blacks-wing-grant-batty-dies-aged-74-in-queensland/ /news/sport/former-all-blacks-wing-grant-batty-dies-aged-74-in-queensland/ Former All Blacks, Wellington and Bay of Plenty winger Grant Batty has died, aged 74.  It’s understood Batty passed away on Friday in Queensland, where he had been living for several years.  Batty played 53 matches and 15 tests for the All Blacks during his career between 1972 - 1977, scoring four test tries.  He was often one of the smallest men on the field, standing at 1.65m tall and weighed 65kgs.  Batty made his debut for Wellington in 1970 and after just five senior matches, he was picked to pay in the All Blacks trial. Two years later, he made in test debut against Wales in Cardiff.  His last test try was arguably his most famous. When facing the British and Irish Lions in Wellington, he intercepted a pass thrown by Trefor Evans and despite a crippling knee injury, ran over 50m to score in a 16-12 win.  The try is one of three favourite tries he scored out of 45 dotted down for New Zealand. His second try, against the Barbarians in 1973, and his second try against NSW, 1970 in Sydney, make up the others.  Former All Black Ian Kirkpatrick told the Herald it was a huge shock when Batty’s wife called to share the devastating news. The pair were very close from their playing days together and had been in recent communication.  Ian Kirkpatrick (left) and fellow All Blacks stars of the 1970s, Sir Bryan Williams and Grant Batty are pictured with Kirkpatrick's niece, East Coast MP Dana Kirkpatrick, at a fundraising luncheon held in Auckland. Photo Dana Kirkpatrick  In 2014, Herald rugby reporter Wynne Gray named Batty in his 100 Greatest All Blacks list who he described as a “feisty dynamo.”  “The small man who loved big challenges and was pronounced a sporting freak by All Black coach JJ Stewart, headed off into some unfulfilling business ventures,” Gray wrote.  “Batty had been a whizz-kid at school in the Wairarapa and that prompted the Rugby Almanack to pick him as one of their promising players after playing for Wellington in his first year out of school.  “Batty was posted further out in the Wellington backline where he was a target for regular roughhouse attention. He never shirked the contest and his career flourished when he was shifted to the wing for the NZ Juniors trip to Australia in 1972.  “He wanted to play halfback which may explain his choice of Sid Going, another small muscular man, as the most talented All Black he ever played with.  “That launched his test career and the memories of his extraordinary acceleration and braking power, the jaunty walk, the Zapata moustache and the tinder dry temper. Batty was entertainment plus, a bristling powder keg who loved to mix it and drew crowds into his world.”  After hanging up the boots, Batty won the NZ Superstars series three years in a row before moving to Queensland where he turned his skills to coaching.  Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.  Sat, 17 Jan 2026 02:50:41 Z /news/sport/scott-robertson-s-exit-world-media-reacts-to-axing-of-all-blacks-coach/ /news/sport/scott-robertson-s-exit-world-media-reacts-to-axing-of-all-blacks-coach/ 九一星空无限 of Scott Robertson’s exit from his role as All Blacks coach produced wide-ranging commentary from rugby pundits around the world.  ‘Neither should have been appointed captain’  Stuart Barnes, The Times  “It is worth wondering what would have happened had the brilliant back-row forward [Ardie Savea] been captain of the team, acting as the link between the players and the coach. Instead, Robertson appointed the sturdy Scott Barrett, also a Crusader, as skipper. Barrett is the only All Black to have been twice dismissed wearing the Silver Fern. Red cards aside, the other thing that [Sam] Cane and Barrett have in common is that neither should have been appointed captain of the All Blacks.  “In a country that has given the rugby world Richie McCaw, arguably the greatest captain in the history of the sport, it is breathtaking that either of these men should have been selected ahead of Savea.”  ‘Huffing and puffing’  Robert Kitson, The Guardian  “As much as England’s 33-19 win was a striking result, New Zealand were transparently not their usual forbidding selves. Whatever Razor was muttering into the ears of his backs, in particular, was definitely not working; when an All Black backline looks so visibly short of cohesion and rhythm, there is trouble at mill.  “Add to that the humbling 43-10 defeat at home by a rampant South Africa, the heaviest in the All Blacks’ 120-year history, plus a first-ever loss in Argentina and the review was never likely to be cosy.  “On the flip side, for all their huffing and puffing, New Zealand are still ranked second in the world, ahead of England and Ireland. It is way too early, accordingly, to write them off as 2027 World Cup contenders in Australia. As South Africa have proved in the past, a mid-cycle jolt can sometimes concentrate minds and prove highly beneficial.”  Scott Robertson shelters form the rain ahead of this year's Bledisloe Cup test against Australia, in Perth. Photo / SmartFrame  ‘Far bigger problems below the surface’  Daniel Schofield, The Telegraph  “Whoever the man is at the top, there are far bigger problems below the surface. On England’s 2024 tour to New Zealand, I was struck by how little the All Blacks’ series resonated with the man on the street – or specifically with a series of taxi drivers who I used as my census. In Auckland, the popularity of the NRL franchise Warriors completely outstrips that of the Blues in Super Rugby while, all over the country, there is evidence of declining participation rates (although this is a problem that is far from unique to New Zealand)."  ‘Great expectations’  Gavin Mairs, The Telegraph  “The first task for whoever succeeds Robinson [sic] will be to address the concerns of senior players, including Savea, with the knowledge that time is running out before the World Cup in Australia next year.  “Robertson’s appointment in 2024 was accompanied with great expectations, given his superb record with the Crusaders, but he failed to replicate that form with the national side.”  ‘A superpower in decline’  Mike Henson, BBC  “The All Black brand is based on over a century of dominating rugby union, which has seen them transcend the sport and become a global cultural phenomenon.  “That a small country with a population of a little over five million is, by some distance, the most consistently successful in the history of the men’s game is an astonishing achievement that has spawned a whole cottage industry in management gurus claiming to explain their over-performance.  “But, with Robertson’s dismissal on Thursday, there is a sense of a superpower in decline.”  ‘Unable to find the crucial fixes’  Sam Bruce, ESPN  “From an inconsistent attack, a severe issue under the high ball, and a failure to finish games off, Robertson was simply unable to find the crucial fixes he needed to convince not only the NZR board, but also the country’s passionate fans, that he was capable of righting the All Blacks’ course by October 1 next year.  And it’s clear that those most important to that cause, his players, had already made up their mind, too."  Fri, 16 Jan 2026 03:17:14 Z /news/sport/asb-classic-sebastian-baez-stuns-top-seed-ben-shelton-in-auckland-quarter-finals/ /news/sport/asb-classic-sebastian-baez-stuns-top-seed-ben-shelton-in-auckland-quarter-finals/ Top seed Ben Shelton is out of the ASB Classic.  The American has fallen at the quarter-final stage, beaten in straight sets by Sebastian Baez (Argentina) on Friday. World No 39 Baez, who is the seventh seed here, is on a hot run after winning all three United Cup matches to start the week. But it was a strangely off-colour display by world No 8 Shelton, who struggled to build any momentum in the 7-5, 6-3 loss.  It’s Shelton’s first defeat (from 13 matches) against Argentine players and just the third time in 21 attempts that Baez has beaten someone ranked inside the top 10.  Rain halted the match on Thursday night, with Baez ahead 7-5, 0-1. The contest continued in bright sunshine on Friday, with the players walking on to court at 12.15pm. But the signs were not good from the start, as Shelton was broken in his first service game after a loose backhand.  Baez seemed to have an answer for everything, at one stage running down a drop shot from the opposite corner of the court. Shelton was trying to bring his full armoury, with some wicked serves and big shots, but was erratic and plagued by constant errors.  He had a chance to break back at 3-4 down, but Baez defended the opportunity before the pivotal ninth game. Shelton was a bit careless, while Baez managed another of his trademark drop shots and the American was soon in trouble at 15-40.  The 23-year-old saved one match point with a booming 197km/h serve but that was the last of the resistance. On the next point he shanked a backhand, with the ball flying off the frame and into the air, which summed up his unfortunate day.  Michael Burgess has been a Sports Journalist for the New Zealand Herald since 2005, covering the Olympics, Fifa World Cups, and America’s Cup campaigns. He is a co-host of the Big League podcast.  Fri, 16 Jan 2026 01:56:50 Z /news/sport/all-blacks-coaching-ardie-savea-player-revolt-not-behind-scott-robertson-s-exit-nzr-chairman-david-kirk-says/ /news/sport/all-blacks-coaching-ardie-savea-player-revolt-not-behind-scott-robertson-s-exit-nzr-chairman-david-kirk-says/ Scott Robertson’s exit as All Blacks coach was not a consequence of any kind of player revolt, New Zealand Rugby chairman David Kirk asserts. In a bombshell move to begin 2026, Robertson has vacated his position as the All Blacks’ head coach just over halfway through his contract, and less than two years out from the next World Cup hosted by Australia. Robertson brought with him the prospect of recreating the success he had with the Crusaders – eight championships in eight seasons - but the 51-year-old was not able to translate those results into the test arena. In the two years since his appointment, the All Blacks have suffered seven defeats from 27 matches and already seen assistant coaches Leon MacDonald and Jason Holland leave their positions. Following last year’s Northern Tour, Robertson was reviewed poorly by New Zealand Rugby’s (NZR) high performance programme and a number of senior players, up to 20 of whom were canvassed at the end of last year. The highest profile of those, the Herald understands, is Ardie Savea. Although Savea was contracted until the end of next year, the Herald understands the 32-year-old was exploring his options to either remain with Japanese club Kobe Steelers – with whom he’s currently on sabbatical – or a European side unless changes were made to the All Blacks coaching group. However, fronting media in the hours after Robertson’s departure was confirmed, Kirk said any speculation Savea led a campaign against his coach is misplaced. Instead, Kirk put Robertson’s exit down to the All Blacks’ trajectory towards the 2027 World Cup “not being on track” and said change has to be made to allow the next coach as much time as possible to get to grips with the role before the tournament. “There was definitely no revolt,” Kirk said. “The players were very measured and thoughtful in their responses. It’s very unfair to say that Ardie somehow led something, not at all. “He expressed public opinions. Some of those opinions were not agreed with by other players. Others would have been somewhat aligned with them. “All of the players are individuals, make their own decisions, and analyse things in ways that are appropriate for them and the team. “It’s a real red herring to think of Ardie having been influential in this decision. He absolutely was not. “[Savea’s] contracted to us until the end of 2027. I would definitely expect to see him in a black jersey.” Depending on the selections of the next All Blacks coach, Savea could also find himself as captain, with Kirk outlining the decision on the side’s leadership rests with Robertson’s replacement. Regardless, the 1987 World Cup-winning halfback outlined that the All Blacks’ class of 2026 will get on with the job at hand, notably building towards four tests away to South Africa and the inaugural Nations Championship, beginning later this year. “We’ve spoken to the leadership group before the announcement,” Kirk said. “Their reaction was, they just absorbed it. “I know this from personal experience: players are players, you get on with it. You want to impress the coach, you want to be seen to be someone seen to be contributing. “I think the players, all players, just get on with whatever environment they’re in.” Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016. Thu, 15 Jan 2026 05:49:45 Z /news/sport/black-caps-v-india-overlooked-daryl-mitchell-shines-to-give-new-zealand-a-chance-at-history/ /news/sport/black-caps-v-india-overlooked-daryl-mitchell-shines-to-give-new-zealand-a-chance-at-history/ As Daryl Mitchell sat down to front India’s media, having just anchored the Black Caps’ seven-wicket victory in Rajkot, the first set of questions put to him pinpointed exactly how underrated New Zealand’s No 4 is. “Do you have any comments on KL Rahul’s innings?” While Mitchell had walked off with an unbeaten 131 runs in New Zealand’s 286-3, Indian wicketkeeper Rahul had made 112 not out in defeat. Walking to the wicket at 99-2, Mitchell adeptly handled India’s spinners to reach 50 in just 52 balls, and needed another 44 to turn that into triple figures. Considering the Black Caps have never won a One-Day International (ODI) series in India, victory in Rajkot puts them within touching distance of history, heading to Indore on Sunday. The three-match series is now 1-1 after New Zealand lost the first game. And yet, as Mitchell’s press conference quickly showed, the focus continues to revolve around India, given the huge audience their team brings to the sport. It’s symptomatic not just of cricket’s commercial interests, but of how Mitchell has slipped under the radar as an all-format player. This was his eighth ODI century, in just 58 matches - all batting in the middle order. Of those eight, three have come against India, in foreign conditions. Now with a stranglehold of the No 4 spot vacated by Ross Taylor – arguably New Zealand’s greatest ODI batter – Mitchell’s average of 56.73 runs per innings is a marked improvement on his predecessor. Despite that, the 34-year-old’s place as one of the game’s modern white-ball titans seems to be consistently overlooked. At last month’s Indian Premier League auction, Mitchell was ignored at a base price of roughly NZ$386,000. At the same time, Australia’s Cameron Green and England’s Liam Livingstone, both with inferior all-format records to Mitchell, sold for $4.78 million and $2.5m respectively. Mitchell, though, doesn’t play for money. After being forced to wait until his late 20s to play for the Black Caps, he knows where his priorities lie. “I just love playing for my country,” he said after the match. “I love travelling the world and playing international cricket. New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell celebrates after scoring a century during the second one-day international (ODI) cricket match between India and New Zealand in Rajkot, western India. Photo / AFP “I’m very lucky to do that across all three formats. My job is to help us win games of cricket, and luckily I was able to do that tonight.” The Rajkot victory was by no means a one-man performance, though. Mitchell combined in stands of 162 with Will Young (87) and an unbroken 78 from 58 balls with Glenn Phillips (32 not out). Young’s efforts in particular should give the Black Caps reason to smile. The 33-year-old was one of just two players to take part in every ODI New Zealand played in 2025, along with stand-in captain Michael Bracewell. In those 18 matches, though, he managed just 320 runs at an average of less than 19. Tellingly, of those runs, 107 came in one innings against Pakistan. Batting in a No 3 spot that has long been Kane Williamson’s by right, Young’s display in Rajkot will be a significant weight off his shoulders. Mitchell understood exactly how important Young’s contribution was. “I love batting with Youngy,” he said. “We’ve done it several times now. “We have some good fun while we’re out there, but we also get in the contest and get pretty competitive with the opposition. “The way Youngy played today was brilliant. He soaked up the new ball, which looked challenging. He was able to find ways to keep rotating [the strike] and getting the odd boundary here and there. “It was seriously good fun batting with him, and nice to get the job done.” Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016. Thu, 15 Jan 2026 02:16:40 Z /news/sport/netball-new-zealand-announces-jane-patterson-as-interim-chief-executive-chelsea-lane-as-head-of-high-performance/ /news/sport/netball-new-zealand-announces-jane-patterson-as-interim-chief-executive-chelsea-lane-as-head-of-high-performance/ Netball New Zealand has confirmed two new appointments to its leadership team, in the wake of Jennie Wylie’s departure as chief executive at the end of 2025.  As the national body searches for a new chief executive, Jane Patterson will step into the role on an interim basis, beginning on January 19.  Netball NZ’s chief commercial officer David Cooper had been acting as chief executive since Wyllie’s exit.  Patterson is experienced in leading a sporting body on an interim basis, having recently completed a similar assignment with Badminton New Zealand at the end of last year.  Prior to that, Patterson had also worked as New Zealand’s chief operating officer for the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup, as well as executive roles with Ironman Asia Pacific, and as chief executive for the 2007 Netball World Cup.  “Since first playing netball at the age of 7, I’ve carried a deep respect for the game and its proud place in New Zealand sport,” she said.  “Stepping into this role comes with a real sense of responsibility, and I’m committed to working alongside our staff, the board and the wider community to ensure the organisation remains strong, united and focused for the future.  “My immediate focus as interim CEO is to provide stability, clarity and support across the organisation. This is a time to listen, to connect with our staff and communities nationwide, and to ensure netball is well positioned for the future – both on and off the court.”  In recognition of her contribution to sports administration, Jane was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in 2016, and later an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in 2023.  Elsewhere, Chelsea Lane has also joined Netball NZ as the head of high performance for the Silver Ferns, in support of the returning Dame Noeline Taurua.  Lane boasts an impressive high-performance CV, with NBA outfits the Atlanta Hawks, and recently with the all-conquering Golden State Warriors. More recently, Lane has also been part of New Zealand Cricket’s high-performance programme, as well as with Basketball New Zealand.  “Chelsea’s proven ability to align performance, people and culture will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen the Silver Ferns programme,” said Dame Noeline.  “I’m looking forward to working closely with her as we prepare for the challenges and opportunities ahead.”  Wed, 14 Jan 2026 23:34:46 Z /news/sport/all-blacks-coach-scott-robertson-departs-his-role/ /news/sport/all-blacks-coach-scott-robertson-departs-his-role/ All Blacks coach Scott Robertson is departing the role two years into the job. New Zealand Rugby (NZR) issued a statement confirming Robertson is finishing in his position. In the statement, chair David Kirk said: “The mid-point in the Rugby World Cup cycle is the right time to look at the All Blacks’ progress over the first two seasons. The team are set to play a significant 2026 schedule and the tournament in 2027 remains the key goal. “We’ve taken an extensive look at the team’s progress on and off the field and have subsequently had discussions with Scott on the way forward. Both NZR and Scott agree it is in the best interests of the team that he depart his role as Head Coach.” Kirk acknowledged Robertson’s contribution to the All Blacks. “On behalf of New Zealand Rugby I would like to thank Scott for his contribution to the All Blacks. As always, he has continued to put the All Blacks first and we respect that he has done the hard but right thing in agreeing to depart. “His passion for the team as both a player and coach is evident and his commitment to and involvement in rugby in New Zealand at every level over a long period is significant. We wish him well for the future.” The statement said NZR was starting its search for a replacement. Robertson’s exit comes a day after the Herald reported a possible player revolt and a scathing end-of-year review. Last December, the Herald revealed widespread internal frustrations from players and support staff following the All Blacks’ failed Grand Slam tour. That feedback has now come through loud and clear in the All Blacks internal review, leaving NZR hierarchy under serious pressure to deliver sweeping coaching changes. The Herald understands the most critical feedback of the All Blacks coaching, culture and environment stems from senior players, with frustrations building throughout Scott Robertson’s two-year tenure. All Blacks coach Scott Robertson at Cardiff ahead of last year's match against Wales. Photo / SmartFrame Robertson and his leading assistant Scott Hansen are among those to receive critical feedback. Issues have been evident on the field with the All Blacks displaying wild inconsistencies, third-quarter fades, struggling attack, high-ball vulnerabilities and defensive lapses. The departure of two assistant coaches, Leon MacDonald and Jason Holland, in the past two years also sparked concerns. Robertson’s contract was scheduled to run through until the 2027 Rugby World Cup. Highlanders and All Blacks XV coach Jamie Joseph would be favourite to replace Robertson as head coach. In Chicago, in October, Kirk told the Herald the All Blacks coaching unit was still “finding their feet a bit”. Those comments came before the All Blacks’ victory against Ireland in the US city, and the loss against England on the UK leg of the tour. “They’ve played very well at times, and they haven’t played as well at times,” said Kirk. “They know that better than anyone else. It’s been a bit inconsistent, and I know that the coaching group is not happy with that. The players aren’t happy with that. “We are looking for – and New Zealand is looking for – increasing consistency, improving consistency from the team.” He said NZR management and the board appointed the coach and group, and “then we support them”. “We obviously have a high-performance review system, which is happening on a regular basis. It happens after major events and at the end of each year. “We take that very seriously but the board is not there to reach into management’s purview and start having opinions about coaches or coaching processes partway through years. Our job is to govern the game, not manage it.” The All Blacks have a big year ahead with the inaugural Nations Championship kicking off in July with France, Italy and Ireland visiting New Zealand followed by an eight-match tour of South Africa including four tests against the world champions. Since his appointment after the 2023 World Cup in France, Robertson has led the All Blacks in 27 tests, for 20 victories with seven defeats at a success rate of just over 74%. Predecessor Ian Foster’s win rate was 69.6%. Wed, 14 Jan 2026 21:57:09 Z /news/sport/asb-classic-ben-shelton-overcomes-scare-to-reach-auckland-atp-quarter-finals/ /news/sport/asb-classic-ben-shelton-overcomes-scare-to-reach-auckland-atp-quarter-finals/ Ben Shelton opted for a rare first at the ASB Classic on Wednesday – and it paid off for the American star. Shelton is a biggest name at this year’s men’s tournament, so it was unusual to see him stepping out for the opening match of the day at 11.30am. In the long history of the ASB Classic and its predecessor the Heineken Open, it’s believed that the top seed has never played in that slot, with the marquee names usually placed in the mid-afternoon, or often, the first match of the evening session, which suits broadcasters and ensures a larger crowd. But the world No 8 requested the early start, in a conscious move, for his second round-match against Argentine Francisco Comesana. “Yeah, the sun can get a little bit tricky in the afternoons here,” explained Shelton. “So, either you play the night match or you play first on and it’s good sometimes, especially when you’re playing back-to-back to back-to-back days possibly. “If you’re in the finals here, you got to play every day of the week and it’s good to be on the day schedule if that is the case. [If] you get on the night schedule, you have to come back every single day, it can get difficult.” The move worked for Shelton, as he completed an impressive 7-5, 6-4 win over gritty Argentinean Francisco Comesana in 1h, 42m. It wasn’t always vintage Shelton – who looked rusty in his first match of the year and took time to find his range on his serve and forehand – but it was encouraging. World No 68 Comesana, with a distinctive fluorescent pink racket, also stepped up with some clean hitting and often forced Shelton to play another shot. “It wasn’t perfect,” said Shelton. “I didn’t expect it to be. I competed well and I got better as the match went on. I played a solid match, not getting broken and breaking twice is clean for me.” USA’s Ben Shelton on his way to victory against Francisco Comesana, of Argentina, at the ASB Classic. Photo / Photosport The turning point came with Shelton serving at 4-5 in the first set. Some loose tennis gave Comesana two set points at 15-40, as the crowd wondered if Shelton was going to continue his quirky record of never having won his first ATP outing of the year. The 23-year-old saved one with a thunderous serve, then saw a net cord drop the right way for the other. But Comesana forced another break point with a brilliant backhand pass, before the pivotal moment of the match. After another net cord, Shelton played an angled drop shot which Comesana anticipated, but the Argentine sent his backhand long with the line open. That was the reprieve – before Shelton held with a 188km/h ace. “I got lucky on one of those [set] points,” admitted Shelton. “I feel like I came up with the goods on the other two. And sometimes that’s all it takes, one point to swing a set and that’s what happened [on Wednesday]. Tennis is a game of very small margins and some days that’s not going to go my way. [On Wednesday] it did and I’m just happy that I have the opportunity now to improve on some things.” Shelton broke in the next game – accompanied by a big yell of “C’mon!”, as his coach, father Bryan and girlfriend, footballer Trinity Rodman, were on their feet. He then converted his second set point with a wide ace. The next set was more comfortable – with Shelton mostly in control – as he never gave up a break opportunity and forced three of his own. The American played some incredible shots – including a backhand down the line that seemed to defy physics – and displayed his all court game, happy to advance to the net. “[Those are] things that I’ve been working on,” said Shelton. “I’m volleying really well, doing a lot of stuff well at the net and I want to utilise that, take advantage of it and put pressure on the other guy. It’s a big part of my game plan.” Wednesday’s match feels like a key result for Shelton, who will only get better from here. He took last year’s early exit – at the hands of Jakub Mensik – hard and now looks well placed for a run here, though his quarter-final opponent, seventh-seed Sebastian Baez, has impressed across his first two matches and overwhelmed Jenson Brooksby 7-5, 6-0 on Wednesday. “My forehand went in and out at different times in the match and I’m looking at shoring that up, becoming more sure of myself on the first ball forehands and forehands on the rally,” said Shelton of his targeted improvements. “I hit my backhand extremely well and if I can cut out a few of those unforced errors on the forehand, I’m really feeling confident about the way I play.” Michael Burgess has been a Sports Journalist for the New Zealand Herald since 2005, covering the Olympics, Fifa World Cups, and America’s Cup campaigns. He is a co-host of the Big League podcast. Wed, 14 Jan 2026 02:42:41 Z /news/sport/all-blacks-review-ardie-savea-future-in-doubt-as-nz-rugby-faces-player-revolt/ /news/sport/all-blacks-review-ardie-savea-future-in-doubt-as-nz-rugby-faces-player-revolt/ Pressure is mounting on New Zealand Rugby to instigate major changes to the All Blacks coaching team after a scathing internal review and with serious doubts hovering over Ardie Savea’s future in the black jersey. Last December the Herald revealed widespread internal frustrations from players and support staff following the All Blacks’ failed Grand Slam tour. That feedback has now come through loud and clear in the All Blacks internal review, leaving New Zealand Rugby (NZR) hierarchy under serious pressure to deliver sweeping coaching changes. The Herald understands the most critical feedback of the All Blacks coaching, culture and environment stems from senior players, with frustrations building throughout Scott Robertson’s two-year tenure. All Blacks head coach Robertson and his leading assistant Scott Hansen are believed to be at the centre of the critical feedback. Ardie Savea is understood to be exploring options to play in Europe. Photo / Photosport World-class loose forward Savea, who captained the All Blacks several times in Scott Barrett’s injury absence last year, is among those believed to be seriously unhappy. Multiple sources have told the Herald that Savea is exploring discussions to stay on with Japanese club Kobe beyond this year – or join a European club, with Irish club Leinster believed to be a possible destination. Unless major coaching changes are made, Savea may not return to the All Blacks. At this stage, though, he remains contracted through to 2027 and NZ Rugby expects he will return from Japan. Savea is believed to have delivered strong feedback to NZR chairman David Kirk on last year’s Grand Slam tour. The 32-year-old is, however, far from alone in his dissatisfaction with the way in which the All Blacks are being run. One senior Blues player is also understood to have declined an invitation to join the All Blacks in their final test of the year in Cardiff from the All Blacks XV. Issues have been evident on the field with the All Blacks displaying wild inconsistencies, third-quarter fades, struggling attack, high-ball vulnerabilities and defensive lapses. Two assistant coaches, Leon MacDonald and Jason Holland, voluntarily departing in the last two years sparked red-flag concerns too. But the latest stinging feedback from within – with communication, trust, strategy and selection all believed to have been raised – cannot be glossed over. With NZR chief executive Mark Robinson concluding his six-year tenure in December, general manager of community rugby Steve Lancaster assuming the reins in an interim capacity and the next NZR boss yet to be appointed, the timing of the leadership handover enhances pressure on the national body to tackle the storm brewing within the All Blacks. While the NZR board will have some say on the All Blacks coaching team, chairman Kirk sits in the kingmaker seat with the biggest decision of his role thus far. With a daunting six-week tour of South Africa featuring four tests against the world champion Springboks looming in August and September, NZR must address the All Blacks’ issues or they could face a backlash from disgruntled players. Liam Napier is a Senior Sports Journalist and Rugby Correspondent for the New Zealand Herald. He is a co-host of the Rugby Direct podcast. Wed, 14 Jan 2026 02:03:40 Z /news/sport/ufc-seattle-israel-adesanya-to-return-against-joe-pyfer-in-main-event/ /news/sport/ufc-seattle-israel-adesanya-to-return-against-joe-pyfer-in-main-event/ At this point in his mixed martial arts career, Israel Adesanya is just looking for a good time. In the main event of UFC’s card in Seattle on March 29, he’s sure to find one. The UFC’s only two-time middleweight champion will return to action after more than a year out of the octagon against No 15-ranked Joe Pyfer. Speaking late in 2025 at a Q&A at Thailand’s Bangtao Muay Thai and MMA gym, run by the Hickman Brothers Frank and George who have a long association with Adesanya, the 36-year-old said he had reached a new time in his career. “For me, it’s not about belts anymore. I’ve got two shiny belts at home. They look good. But I just want to fight. I just want to do things like I did on the way to the belt,” he said. “I still fought really well when I was defending the belt, but I want to fight more freely. I want to try some risky s*** like I used to. Remember the [Brad] Taveres fight? At the end of the first round, I went for an imanari roll, and I failed. I want to try s*** like that again.” In that sense, Pyfer serves as an intriguing opponent for Adesanya. The 29-year-old American holds a 15-3 record (6-1 UFC) with 13 wins by finish (nine knockouts, four submissions). On his way into the UFC, Pyfer became the poster boy for rising prospects – his second-round TKO win over Ozzy Diaz on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022 earning him a contract with the promotion. “If you want to get into the UFC and this is where you want to be, act like Joe Pyfer,” White said in awarding Pyfer a contract. “Be Joe Pyfer. Be excited to be here. Be fired up to fight. Try to finish the fight, try to win. Be Joe Pyfer and you will get into the UFC.” Pyfer has maintained that relentless approach in his time as a UFC fighter, however the only blemish on his record across those seven bouts has been a unanimous decision defeat to Jack Hermansson. That was the only time Pyfer has fought an opponent ranked in the top 15, with Adesanya – currently ranked at No 6 – being the second. The bout will be Adesanya’s first since February last year, when he fell to a second-round TKO loss after making a strong start. Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits. Wed, 14 Jan 2026 01:28:59 Z /news/sport/savaglee-s-return-delayed-as-te-rapa-favoured-over-ellerslie-super-sprint/ /news/sport/savaglee-s-return-delayed-as-te-rapa-favoured-over-ellerslie-super-sprint/ Outstanding four-year-old Savaglee will be allowed to miss next week’s $700,000 Sistema Railway at Ellerslie’s Karaka Millions meeting. It is not that anything is amiss with last season’s Three-Year-Old of the Year, but trainer Pam Gerard and his connections think the stallion will be better suited by resuming the BCD Sprint at Te Rapa two weeks later. Savaglee hasn’t raced since finishing second in the Australian Guineas at Flemington last March and Gerard has been very open about the fact the Railway on Saturday week was only an option and never his main aim. He trialed well at Ellerslie when third in an open catchweight on Sunday, but Gerard believes he will be better with another trial before kicking off his new campaign at Te Rapa on February 7. “We were happy with his trial, but fresh up into a Group 1 with only one trial is a big ask,” she told the Herald. “We think two trials will have him fitter for the BCD Sprint and 1400m is more his trip. “So he will trial again at Matamata next Wednesday, then head to Te Rapa.” While having last season’s 2000 Guineas winner in the Railway next week would have been a nice bonus, the Group 1 loses little with his withdrawal as he was rated a $10 chance in what will be a stacked field. The Railway is headed by Australian sprinters Jigsaw and Arkansaw Kid along with Crocetti and Alabama Lass, who quinellaed the Railway last year, and two-time Group 1 winner Grail Seeker. Several of those will back up in the BCD Sprint along with Savaglee, defending champion Here To Shock and home track hero First Five in what will be one of the races of the season. Safely through the BCD Sprint, Savaglee will return to Melbourne with his first target likely to be the Futurity Stakes over 1400m at Caulfield on February 21. “All going well, we can then look at the All-Star Mile at Flemington on March 7,” Gerard said. Both the Futurity and All-Star Mile give Savaglee chances at an all-important Australian Group 1 victory to seal his commercial stallion value on both sides of the Tasman. While Savaglee won’t be heading to Ellerslie next week, his two star three-year-old stablemates Affirmative Action and Romanoff will be there on Thursday morning as they prepare for the $1.5 million Karaka Millions Three-Year-Old on Saturday week. They will be part of a team of talented horses who gallop on the course proper on Thursday as part of their preparations for next week’s mammoth twilight meeting. “Affirmative Action will gallop with one of Te Akau’s horses, but Romanoff won’t need much and will probably just do some quiet work by himself to have a look around Ellerslie,” Gerard said. Even more of the Karaka Millions night favourites will be at Ellerslie for course proper track work next Tuesday, including many of the Australian-trained horses starting at the meeting four days later. ** Favourite Legarto will start from barrier 2 in the $500,000 Harcourts Thorndon Mile at Trentham on Saturday. The high-class Matamata mare will carry 58kg in the 1600m, which has been downgraded to a Group 2, and while she will be conceding at least 3.5kg to her rivals, she has fared better in the draws than second favourite Queen Zou, who has drawn barrier 12. Saturday’s meeting also hosts the $200,000 NZB Gold Trail Stakes and the $150,000 Totara Lodge Trentham Stakes, which has attracted a strong field of stayers, many using it as their final lead-up to the Wellington Cup on January 31. Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals. Wed, 14 Jan 2026 00:49:10 Z /news/sport/asb-classic-big-serving-giovanni-mpetshi-perricard-sets-up-cam-norrie-clash/ /news/sport/asb-classic-big-serving-giovanni-mpetshi-perricard-sets-up-cam-norrie-clash/ Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard believes he can have the biggest serve in ATP tour history – and it’s not hard to imagine. In his first ever outing at the ASB Classic on Tuesday, the Frenchman offered a brutal display of power and precision against Spanish veteran Roberto Bautista-Agut. He sent down 22 aces – and often topped 220km/h with the serves down the middle – in the 63 76(2) victory. Though he is continuing to develop his all round game, the serve is the obvious focus, given its potency. He hit nearly 600 aces on tour last year (596), after gaining 532 free points the same way in 2024. The 22-year-old also broke a Wimbledon record with a 253km/h thunderbolt and managed a second serve there that topped 220km/h. “Sometimes the speed is not the main thing,” said Perricard. “It can be the accuracy and to be very precise. But if I’m reaching between 800 and 1,000 aces per year, it’s going to be good.” As shown on Tuesday, it’s a fearsome weapon, delivered from his 2.03m height, generating velocity and bounce. The key for his future growth will be improving everything else, especially his slice backhand and his movement. “We’re working on the different aspects of the game,” said Perricard. “I trust the process.” Perricard, who grew up in Lyon, exploded onto the tennis scene in 2024. Starting the year ranked 205, he was inside the top 30 by the end of the season, after claiming two titles – including the WTA 500 event in Basel – and reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon. It was always going to be difficult to back up – but Perricard was solid if so spectacular in 2025 and comes into this year ranked No 63.“ It was a mix of everything. It was some ups, some downs, more downs than up,” said Perricard. “But it is what it is. I did some mistakes. I’m young. I’m still learning.” Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard has brought his power game to the ASB Classic. Photosport Perricard made a promising start to the new season against two-time Auckland champion Bautista-Agut, who can be a difficult opponent with his accuracy and experience. The first set was over in 36 minutes, though the second was more of a battle. Perricard looked on course – serving for the match at 5-4 – before he was broken, to the crowd’s surprise. “I [wasn’t] really thinking about losing the game,” said Perricard. “I was very upset, of course, but he did a great game. He was present, he changed his mentality for this game and that was tough for me.” But Perricard rebounded immediately, giving Bautista-Agut no chance in the tiebreak, as he sprung to a 6-1 lead before converting his third match point. On Wednesday Perricard who face hometown favourite Cam Norrie in the third match of the day session. They have never faced each other on tour, though Perricard vividly recalled a practice session ahead of the 2022 French Open. “I was around 500 in the world and he was top 10,” said Perricard. “I did a warm-up for his match. He won and he asked me to do it another one, but I wasn’t in Paris. It’s going to be interesting. He was and he’s still a good player. He did some great things. He won Indian Wells, he was top 10. It’s a good match up for me to see if I have the level to beat those guys.” 2024 champion Alejandro Tabilo (Chile) is also through to the second round, after a comfortable 64 62 win over Camilo Ugo Carabelli (Argentina). Michael Burgess has been a Sports Journalist for the New Zealand Herald since 2005, covering the Olympics, Fifa World Cups, and America’s Cup campaigns. He is a co-host of the Big League podcast. Tue, 13 Jan 2026 07:16:31 Z /news/sport/asb-classic-casper-ruud-on-return-to-auckland-golf-in-new-zealand-and-impending-fatherhood/ /news/sport/asb-classic-casper-ruud-on-return-to-auckland-golf-in-new-zealand-and-impending-fatherhood/ Casper Ruud is hoping for better this time around. The world No 12 does not have fond memories of his time on court in Auckland, tumbling out of his maiden appearance at the ASB Classic in his first match in 2023. It wasn’t so much the result, though that too would have stung, but the way the tournament unfolded. The 2023 event was badly impacted by poor weather, with organisers forced to move matches indoors where they were played with no fans in attendance. As players come to the Auckland tournament looking to get into some sort of groove on the outdoor hard courts in preparation for the Australian Open, 2023’s expedition to Auckland did not serve its purpose for the Norwegian. “Fingers crossed that it’s better this year,” Rudd said. “It’s been great this weekend so hopefully it stays the same. I think it’s a great tournament. It’s the only time you have a chance to visit country of New Zealand, as it’s so far away typically for us Europeans. “I love spending time here and I’m here because I want to and I would like to come and give it another chance and see if it can be a good lead up to Melbourne.” Coming into his fourth ASB Classic, Ruud is yet to win a main-draw match at Stanley Street. In 2018, Ruud progressed through qualifying before falling to Robin Haase in the first round of the main draw. He exited at the same point in 2020, when he was beaten by eventual champion Ugo Humbert. Wanting to make amends in the tournament wasn’t the only reason Ruud wanted to return to New Zealand – and won’t be the only reason he might come back in the future. Off the court, the second seed has enjoyed his time in the country and, in large part, the quality of golf courses on offer. “As a golfer, I know they have great golf courses here,” he said after playing nine holes at Royal Auckland and Grange on Saturday. “Two years ago, we went up to Te Arai, which is just next to Tara Iti, which is one of the world’s most famous golf courses. So, hopefully one day I can get out on Tara Iti. It’s one of the courses on my bucket list. So, there’s definitely a big chance that I will come back.” As the second seed in the tournament, Ruud gets a first-round bye and won’t be in action until the round of 16 begins on Wednesday. That match could turn out to be a blockbuster for fans should defending champion and crowd favourite Gael Monfils get through his first-round match against Fabian Marozsan, with the winner meeting Ruud in their next assignment. Things could, however, change in an instant for the Norwegian. The 27-year-old and his partner Maria Galligani announced in September they were expecting their first child, and Ruud indicated his daughter could arrive in the coming weeks. “Honestly, she can come anytime now,” Ruud said. “So, I mean, hopefully I get to stay for the rest of the tournament, but you never know. I might get a call and be on the plane back home out of here. It’s no short trip back home, so hopefully she stays in for a few extra weeks and I can be there for the birth.” Ruud and Galligani were also planning their wedding for later in the year but, for the moment, he said his focus was on his work. “It will be a really fun year, but you know, those things, if we put those things aside and think about tennis, I think it can be an exciting year. “Last season was, in a way, not what I was hoping for, but at the same time I really played some good tennis when I played well and I got two titles last year. “[I’ll] try to play more like I did those two weeks for this season coming up now.” Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits. Mon, 12 Jan 2026 03:17:46 Z /news/sport/winter-olympics-alice-robinson-reflects-on-fis-world-cup-success-ahead-of-hectic-schedule/ /news/sport/winter-olympics-alice-robinson-reflects-on-fis-world-cup-success-ahead-of-hectic-schedule/ A lot of big moments are about to happen for Alice Robinson.  As she casts her gaze forward to what is a hectic schedule of events, the Kiwi alpine skier does so having already made the current campaign a milestone one.  In mid-December, the 24-year-old became the first New Zealander to win an alpine speed event at a World Cup when she raced to victory in the Super-G in St Moritz, Switzerland. Not her preferred discipline, the win was Robinson’s first Super-G World Cup podium.  It only took a week for her to add a second.  Finishing runner-up at the World Cup in Val d’Isere, France, the following week saw Robinson go into the new year already with three World Cup wins, the other two in giant slalom (GS) – her preferred event, with another podium in both disciplines.  Granted, she didn’t finish 2025 or begin 2026 as she would have liked, posting two did-not-finish results either side of the new year. But as she prepared to compete at the World Cup in Zauchensee, Austria this weekend, Robinson was looking forward to another opportunity to get to work as her schedule picked up towards the Winter Olympics in February.  “It was a pretty crazy start to the season. A lot of big successes, which is awesome. I’m feeling really happy. I think I struggled a little bit the last couple weeks; obviously, I had a crash in GS, which was disappointing, but other than that, it’s been pretty special,” Robinson told the Herald.  “There’s still quite a lot of racing to go before the Olympics, but there’s a lot to look forward to and a lot of big moments are about to happen.”  With a schedule over the next month that Robinson summed up as “pretty nuts”, there will be plenty of opportunities for the Kiwi to compete. Over the next few weeks, Robinson will race in Austria, twice in Italy, the Czech Republic and Switzerland across the GS, Super-G and downhill disciplines, before arriving back in Italy for her third Games.  “After the last couple of GS races, there’s two more races before the Olympics and I’m wanting to really execute good skiing in those next two. That’ll put me in good stead for Cortina.  “But other than that, I’m just trying to kind of stay with my process and my plan going into every race and just trying to execute my best skiing.”  While Robinson’s focus is on building, this weekend doubles as a final opportunity for other Kiwi athletes to earn their places in the New Zealand team for the Games.  Currently, the team is eight-strong, however Snow Sports New Zealand head of high performance Luke Hetzel told 九一星空无限talk ZB’s Nick Bewley that it was expected the team would grow after this weekend’s World Cup event in Aspen, Colorado.  “There’s a few athletes who are on the bubble or not yet selected and we should see a new round of selections come out ... next week, to finish naming the team,” Hetzel said.  “We should see that coming out into the news around the 19th, 20th. We’ll have a good few more athletes to put on the team.”  Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.  Fri, 09 Jan 2026 22:18:37 Z /news/sport/ashes-five-things-we-learned-from-australia-s-4-1-series-win-over-england/ /news/sport/ashes-five-things-we-learned-from-australia-s-4-1-series-win-over-england/ Australia sealed a 4-1 Ashes win over England with a five-wicket victory in the final test at Sydney on Thursday.  AFP Sport looks at five key takeaways from the series.  Death of Bazball?  England came to Australia with genuine hopes of a first away Ashes series win since 2010-11 with their aggressive “Bazball” approach.  But it quickly unravelled on treacherous batting pitches and in the face of consistently good Australian bowling.  They slumped to 2-0 down after six days of cricket with eight-wicket defeats in Perth and Brisbane, and the knives came out for coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes.  Former England skipper Michael Vaughan said the gung-ho style was “all becoming a bit too predictable” while long-time BBC broadcaster Jonathan Agnew declared “Bazball is dead”.  When Stokes spent more than four hours defying Australia in the first innings of the third test in reaching his slowest 50 it appeared the Bazball brand of attacking cricket may have fizzled out.  McCullum to face music  McCullum leaves Australia with questions over whether he should keep his job, although Stokes is almost certainly safe.  Head of cricket Rob Key will also have to face the music for a tour marred by claims England were under-prepared and lacked discipline, with a mid-series beach break and drinking session heavily criticised.  Revelations that Harry Brook clashed with a nightclub bouncer in Wellington hour before an ODI against New Zealand will add to the pressure on the Kiwi coach.  Stokes has urged England chiefs to keep faith with McCullum, warning against knee-jerk changes.  “I can’t see there being someone else who I could take this team [with] from where we are now to even bigger heights,” he said.  “We’re both pretty keen on carrying on doing what we are doing.”  Brendon McCullum's England side struggled in a 4-1 series defeat against Australia. Photo / Getty Images  Head-spinning  Australia lost one long-established opener but found another.  When Usman Khawaja suffered back spasms in the first test at Perth, Travis Head was promoted from five and slammed a rapid-fire, match-winning 123.  He stayed at the top of the order for the rest of the series, crunching further swashbuckling centuries in Adelaide and Sydney, with his position now seemingly cemented.  The 39-year-old Khawaja made a successful comeback in the third test at No 4 for the injured Steve Smith, but the writing was on the wall and he announced his decision to retire after his 88th test in Sydney.  Head’s opening partner Jake Weatherald failed to fire, with selectors still searching for a settled top two more than two years since David Warner called it quits.  Australia depth  Australia’s superior bowling depth was on full display during the series, with even a depleted attack able to wrestle England into submission.  Injured pace spearhead Josh Hazlewood played no part at all while Pat Cummins was only able to don the Baggy Green in Adelaide and regular stand-by Sean Abbott was also unavailable.  It was left to the evergreen Mitchell Starc to carry the load and he was ably supported by Scott Boland throughout, with Brendan Doggett, Michael Neser and Jhye Richardson all playing their part.  Stokes admitted they were outplayed by Australia’s attack, crediting their “amazing execution” with the ball as key to the series result.  “There’s a big difference between what Australia have been able to do with the ball compared to what we’ve been able to,” he said. “We own that.”  Class tells  The cream usually rises to the top and once again veterans Joe Root and Steve Smith demonstrated why they are in a class of their own.  Root plundered his first century on Australian soil under huge pressure to get the monkey off his back and followed it up with another.  Smith expertly captained Australia in four of the five tests while blasting his own ton.  With 286 tests and more than 24,000 runs between them, milestones once again fell.  Root joined Ricky Ponting on 41 test hundreds with only Jacques Kallis (45) and Sachin Tendulkar (51) ahead of him, while Smith’s 13th Ashes ton was more than anyone bar Donald Bradman.  Root, 35, hinted in Sydney he could be back for another tour in 2029, while Smith, 36, has given no indication he is ready to up stumps.  – AFP  Fri, 09 Jan 2026 01:43:40 Z /news/sport/sports-minister-to-investigate-incident-at-asb-classic-tennis-where-croatian-supporters-were-stopped-from-wearing-fan-gear/ /news/sport/sports-minister-to-investigate-incident-at-asb-classic-tennis-where-croatian-supporters-were-stopped-from-wearing-fan-gear/ The Minister for Sport and Recreation, Mark Mitchell, has issued a please explain after passionate Auckland tennis fans were forced to turn their Croatian football shirts inside out to attend the ASB Classic.  Joseph Erceg and his friend Nevin Simic went along to Tuesday’s afternoon session to watch Croatian player Donna Vekic in her first-round match.  But their day took a turn before they stepped inside the Stanley St stadium.  As they went to scan their tickets, the pair were informed by security that wearing national sports shirts was not allowed, and were ordered to turn their Croatian shirts inside out. Their national flags were also confiscated.  Seeking an explanation, Erceg said security staff told them the restriction was because of a new policy introduced by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) after last month’s Bondi Beach massacre. However, the security guard could have confused that with the Ukraine war, because there have been recent initiatives from global tennis authorities surrounding that conflict.  Erceg said he was baffled by the encounter, noting there was no information online indicating that sporting jerseys were banned. After asking if there were any shirts inside the venue that could be purchased, he said they were told to “go to Kmart and buy a shirt”.  To avoid further tension, the pair turned their shirts inside out and entered the venue, where they were repeatedly questioned by fellow patrons about why they were dressed that way, and they were stunned by the number of fans wearing other nations’ jerseys.  Following the confusion, a spokesperson for the Minister for Sport said: “While it is a matter for WTA, the minister is seeking advice from Sport NZ” on what had occurred with Croatian fans at the ASB Classic.  Sports Minister Mark Mitchell, here at the National Manu Champs, wants answers over the ASB Classic incident. Photo / Zach Quin  Mitchell’s office said he will be able to provide further comment when more information comes to hand.  Yesterday, a spokesperson for the tournament confirmed there was not a restriction on fans wearing sports attire.  The spokesperson said yesterday that because there was no record of the incident, they wouldn’t be able to provide further comment.  However, today an ASB Classic spokesperson clarified the error lay with the security team, and acknowledged the incident had occurred.  “In an isolated incident on Tuesday, this policy was misinterpreted by a security guard. This was addressed, and the correct interpretation has been clearly reinforced across the security team.”  The spokesperson said tour rules mean flags are prohibited from the stadium, but this does not apply to clothing, including T-shirts or other apparel.  “No patrons would be prevented from entering the venue on the basis of what they are wearing, unless it is inappropriate or offensive. This week has seen many supportive fans attending matches wearing a wide range of national attire,” the spokesperson said.  “The ASB Classic remains committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all spectators.”  A Croatian tennis fan was made to turn his shirt inside out by security staff at the ASB Classic.  An American fan had a similar experience last year at the ASB Classic.  The fan, who didn’t want to be named and is a dual US-New Zealand citizen, said they were asked to remove their jacket, which had an American flag on the back of it, before entering the stadium.  The back of the jacket only became visible after they removed their backpack. They were told they weren’t allowed to show the flag or the country, and had to put it in their bag or in the car.  The fan was disappointed after then seeing a man sitting in the corporate section with a hat covered in the stars and stripes.  Last night, a large Filipino contingent at the tennis to cheer on Alexandra Eala – who went on to beat Vekic – wore sporting gear and carried flags inside the stadium.  Some Filipino fans did reach out to the Herald to say their flags were also taken upon entry.  Erceg said he has tried to contact tournament organisers about how he was treated, but has yet to get a reply.  He said he spoke with other Croatians inside the venue who had encountered the same issue at the gate, including an 82-year-old who flipped his top back around upon entry.  Fans with a Filipino flag at the ASB Classic.  Tournament security firm Executive Security Group did not answer questions about the incident.  Instead, the company’s director, Darren Morton, said any inquiries should be directed to Tennis Auckland.  Attempts to contact Tennis Auckland were redirected to ASB Classic organisers.  The Herald has contacted the WTA for comment.  Following the unauthorised jersey snub at the ASB Classic, the city’s football team, Auckland FC, have come to the party.  After reading the Herald’s initial story, Auckland FC have offered Erceg and Semic complimentary Black Knight Lounge tickets to their next home game on January 24 against the Central Coast Mariners.  Auckland FC are currently top of the A-League standings.  Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.  Thu, 08 Jan 2026 01:14:26 Z /news/sport/black-caps-five-players-under-injury-cloud-as-experienced-t20-world-cup-squad-named/ /news/sport/black-caps-five-players-under-injury-cloud-as-experienced-t20-world-cup-squad-named/ Black Caps coach Rob Walter is confident his team will be fit and ready for the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup despite a third of the squad being under an injury cloud a month out from the tournament in India and Sri Lanka.  New Zealand’s 15-man squad was unveiled on Wednesday, which has opted for experience over youth, but there will be concern around the fitness of several players.  Batters Finn Allen (finger/hamstring) and Mark Chapman (ankle), bowlers Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry (both calf), and captain Mitchell Santner (adductor) are all undergoing return-to-play plans.  Chapman, Henry and Santner are all expected to be fit for the upcoming tour of India which begins on January 11 with three one-dayers followed by three T20s.  Walter is adamant everyone will be ready to go for their first match on February 8.  “Fortunately we still got a bit of time before the tournament starts,” Walter said.  “It’s about just giving all of those guys the best opportunity to get ready and prep for a World Cup.  “There’s continuous conversations with the medical team and the player themselves to understand where everyone is, and we’re hopeful at this stage and confident that the guys will be ready for the World Cup.  “Everyone has got a very clear plan and chipping away. The World Cup is a special moment, so everyone will be working really hard to be ready.”  Ferguson’s injury will likely cause the most concern; it has ruled him out of the Big Bash where he was set to play for the Sydney Thunder. The 34-year-old is on a casual playing contract and last played for New Zealand in November 2024.  Black Caps coach Rob Walter is confident Lockie Ferguson will be fit despite being under an injury cloud. Photo / Photosport  He joins fellow fast bowlers Will O’Rourke, Nathan Smith and Blair Tickner on the sidelines, while Ben Sears is making his return to play through the Super Smash.  Ferguson and Henry’s partners are due to give birth during the tournament, so there is a chance they will be granted short-term leave, which could elevate Kyle Jamieson, who has been named as a travelling reserve, into the attack.  Despite the injuries, the Black Caps pose a strong seam attack which also includes Adam Milne and Jacob Duffy, the lone first-timer in the squad which boasts 1064 T20 international caps.  There are two specialist spinners in captain Santner and Ish Sodhi, while Michael Bracewell, Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips will provide all-rounder coverage.  Walter says he’s pleased with the balance of the squad.  “You need to cover all bases, which is obvious, but sometimes can be tricky when you have a 15-man squad,” Walter said.  “Our all-rounders are mostly in the spin space, so we do cover all spin, with our batting options as well there. And then we wanted to make sure we had a strong pace bowling battery given our opposition in the pool phases.  “It’s a neat balance, I think, with the spin and seam options, and it’s obviously always important to have a seam bowling all-round option to just get the balance right where required if we were to go 3-3 balance or a 4-2 split.”  Rob Walter will coach the Black Caps at a World Cup for the first time. Photo / Photosport  There is no room for Zak Foulkes, Bevan Jacobs and Tim Robinson, who have all been named in the Black Caps’ T20 squad for their three-match series against India, starting on January 22, which precedes the ODI’s.  At the last T20 World Cup in the Caribbean, New Zealand didn’t make it out of group play, losing to the West Indies and Afghanistan.  Walter says the team doesn’t need any extra motivation on the big stage.  “I know that missing out in the last World Cup was certainly something that the guys that hurt the guys,” Walter, who coached South Africa in the 2024 tournament, said.  “This team is really always about representing the country well, and they felt that we didn’t get that right.  “I don’t think there’s extra motivation because I don’t think you need extra motivation in a World Cup. You’re just as motivated as you possibly can be.  “We’ve been perennial semi-finalists and finalists for a long period of time across all formats. We always want to be better, but importantly want to represent well.”  New Zealand will start their 2026 World Cup against Afghanistan before facing the UAE, South Africa and Canada, with the top two teams from the group qualifying for the Super Eights.  Black Caps’ T20 World Cup squad: Mitchell Santner (c), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Adam Milne, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi.  Kyle Jamieson has been named as a travelling reserve.  Black Caps’ T20 World Cup schedule:  V Afghanistan, February 8, 6.30pm at Chennai  V UAE, February 10, 10.30pm at Chennai  V South Africa, February 15, 2.30am at Ahmedabad  V Canada, February 17, 6.30pm at Chennai  Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.  Tue, 06 Jan 2026 23:55:47 Z /news/sport/asb-classic-kiwi-monique-barry-can-t-hide-emotions-after-first-round-exit/ /news/sport/asb-classic-kiwi-monique-barry-can-t-hide-emotions-after-first-round-exit/ If you are looking for the essence of devastation in sport, that was Monique Barry after her first-round loss at the ASB Classic on Tuesday.  The Kiwi wildcard wasn’t expected to win – by any stretch – as she was a $19 outsider at the TAB before the match, with a massive gulf of more than 640 ranking places between her and German opponent Ella Seidel. But she had acquitted herself well in previous appearances on this court – with a mix of fight and finesse – and was hoping for a similar level this year.  But it didn’t happen, as she was steamrolled 6-2 6-1 by Seidel in just 62 minutes and an emotional Barry couldn’t hide her post-match disappointment. As the tears started to well up, she felt she had let herself down.  “I know my level and it didn’t show [on Tuesday],” said Barry. “The last couple of years it has been showing. I love playing here and I love the crowd, but I just didn’t feel like anything was really working, so it’s a little bit frustrating and I wish I could have shown people a little bit more.  Barry had her moments – but not nearly enough – though still enjoyed the supportive atmosphere on centre court.  “I was just trying to do what I could on each point and hope to find some rhythm, but I just couldn’t find that,” said Barry. “[But] I kept trying every point and trying to find something to smile about out there.”  Barry always faced an uphill task, coming off a difficult 2025 season. The year had started well – with the best win of her career when she beat then World No 137 Ena Shibahara in the first round of qualifying. She acquitted herself well the next day, losing in two tight sets to a player ranked just outside the top 200.  But from there, it was tough. She accumulated a 10-27 win/loss record last year, with only one victory against a top-500 player, while her best results were quarter finals at Wagga Wagga and Mildura. Playing on the lower reaches of the ITF is a grind, though the 23-year-old has always had an admirable work ethic.  But Tuesday was a big opportunity, in just her fourth outing at WTA level. The world No 726 Barry was broken early, before raising big cheers when she broke back with some aggressive play. But she struggled to live with the power generated by No 84 Seidel, who closed out the set in 38 minutes.  The second bracket was more one-sided, though the Kiwi got a big cheer when she won the sixth game, after pulling out an audacious forehand volley minutes earlier. But Seidel converted her second match point, as Barry walked off court with a rueful wave.  Despite the chastening experience, Melbourne-based Barry is determined to be back.  “It inspires you because you want to be out there and you want to be playing that [level] all the time,” Barry said. “You just have to go back out there and work harder to try and get to that level and see what you need to do to get there. I’m going to start my preseason after this because I haven’t had much of a break this whole year since the last ASB Classic, so this is my time to go back out and train for a few weeks.”  In the first centre court match of the day, British wildcard Katie Boulter made a solid start to the New Year after what she admitted had been a “challenging” 2025 season. Boulter was as high as No 24 in the world 12 months ago but is now 106. The 29-year-old has since changed coaches – hiring the former mentor of Maria Sharapova, Michael Joyce – and is determined to make a fresh start. She was impressive for long periods on Monday, overcoming Ukraine’s Yuliia Strarodubtseva 6-3 6-3 with a mix of power and accuracy, while also saving 11 break points.  “There was some good tennis, obviously things to improve on, but for the first match of the season, I’m very pleased,” Boulter said.  Michael Burgess has been a Sports Journalist for the New Zealand Herald since 2005, covering the Olympics, Fifa World Cups, and America’s Cup campaigns. He is a co-host of the Big League podcast. Tue, 06 Jan 2026 03:03:30 Z /news/sport/asb-classic-venus-williams-adds-surprise-doubles-entry-with-elina-svitolina-at-wta-event/ /news/sport/asb-classic-venus-williams-adds-surprise-doubles-entry-with-elina-svitolina-at-wta-event/ A chance conversation has led to Venus Williams making a bonus appearance at the 2026 ASB Classic. The American legend, who was already one of the biggest drawcards in the singles draw, will now also play doubles in Auckland, as a late entry to the team entrant. And she will be part of a glamour pairing, alongside tournament top seed and world No 14 Elina Svitolina, in what will be a feature of Monday’s session. It’s an unplanned highlight for organisers and came about in a serendipitous way, after tournament director Nicolas Lamperin ran into Williams’ husband Andrea Preti on Friday. “Venus was practising on centre court and we were having a casual conversation, standing on the [players] balcony,” Lamperin told the Herald on Sunday. “All of a sudden he was telling me that he pushed her to play doubles at the [2025] US Open because initially she didn’t want to play, and how successful that had been and how the crowd got behind her. “Then he said if there’s any opportunity for her to play in Auckland then I’m sure she would consider it. I told him we had a [doubles] wild card available so let me know who she wants to play with and we can speak to players.” Lamperin was given two names later that day but one was focusing on singles and the other was already in the doubles field. As a longshot, Preti then suggested Svitolina. “I called Elina straight away and she said yes,” said Lamperin. “She hasn’t played doubles for years – since 2021 - and it’s not something she usually does. But this is a unique situation and it’s hard to say no to Venus Williams.” Williams is recognised as one of the greatest doubles exponents of all time, with 14 wins from 14 grand slam finals, all alongside sister Serena, to go with her seven major singles titles from 16 finals overall. Lamperin isn’t sure if the new pair will be able to train together – “possibly not” – and they will make do with a warmup before they go on court. The match is likely to be the third match of the day session on Monday, with both Williams and Svitolina to have their first round singles on Tuesday. Venus Williams married Andrea Preti in December. Williams, who returned to the WTA tour last July after almost two years away, will face eighth seed Magda Linette. The Polish world No 54 is a tough draw, though Williams is an unknown quantity. “With Venus, anything can happen,” said Lamperin. “She hasn’t played since the US Open, but at the same time, she’s had an amazing career and we know how professional she is. She’s been the first one here every day, training at eight o’clock in the morning.” Williams was granted an Australian Open wildcard on Friday, where she will become the oldest female singles participant in the tournament’s history. Svitolina, who reached the final here in 2024 – beaten by Coco Gauff in three sets – will face French world No 76 Varvara Gracheva in the first round of singles, while highly rated young American Iva Jovic (No 35) has drawn a qualifier. At 17, Jovic is seen as the next big thing and has already won a WTA title, after her triumph in Guadalajara last year. Fellow youngster Alexandre Eala (No 53), who is a sporting sensation in her native Philippines, will face Croatian Donna Vekic (69) in what is arguably the standout match of the first round. Vekic reached the Wimbledon semifinals in 2024, before taking the silver medal at the Paris Olympics a month later, while 20-year-old Eala already has some big scalps to her credit, including Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek. Local wildcard Monique Barry has drawn German world No 86 Ella Seidel. Any clash at this level will be tough – given Barry has a ranking of 664 and spends most of the year on lower level ITF tournaments - but the New Zealander had some good results in 2025 and will be confident of being competitive. “She showed us a lot of really good things last year,” said Lamperin. “I’m looking forward to see how much improvement she’s made in her game. Obviously, when you play top 100 players, it’s always a tough match but she has a bit more experience now.” ASB Classic Women’s Singles draw[1] E. Svitolina (UKR) vs V. Gracheva (FRA) [WC] K. Boulter (GBR) vs Qualifier [WC] M. Barry (NZL) vs E. Seidel (GER) S. Kartal (GBR) vs [6] J. Tjen (INA) [3] I. Jovic (USA) vs Qualifier P. Udvardy (HUN) vs S. Bejlek (CZE) Qualifier vs Qualifier Qualifier vs [8] P. Stearns (USA) [5] M. Linette (POL) vs [WC] V. Williams (USA) A. Parks (USA) vs E. Cocciaretto (ITA) C. Osorio (COL) vs P. Marcinko (CRO) D. Vekic (CRO) vs [4] A. Eala (PHI) Xin. Wang (CHN) vs C. McNally (USA) [WC] S. Stephens (USA) vs R. Zarazua (MEX) Qualifier vs J. Grabher (AUT) F. Jones (GBR) vs [2] E. Navarro (USA) ASB Classic Women’s Day 1 scheduleCENTRE COURT starts at 11.30am [3] I. Jovic (USA) vs [Q] G. Knutson (CZE) [7] Xin. Wang (CHN) vs C. McNally (USA) After suitable rest A. Eala (PHI) / I. Jovic (USA) vs [WC] E. Svitolina (UKR) / V. Williams (USA) Night session - not before 6:00 PM F. Jones (GBR) vs [2] E. Navarro (USA) [WC] S. Stephens (USA) vs R. Zarazua (MEX) GRANDSTAND Court - starts at 11.30am P. Udvardy (HUN) vs S. Bejlek (CZE) [Q] S. Costoulas (BEL) vs [Q] W. Osuigwe (USA) [Q] K. Quevedo (ESP) vs [8] P. Stearns (USA) [Q] S. Kraus (AUT) vs J. Grabher (AUT) COURT 1 starts at 11.30am Haverlag (NED) / M. Lumsden (GBR) vs I. Martins (BRA) / L. Pigossi (BRA) S. Santamaria (USA) / Q. Tang (CHN) vs S. Aoyama (JPN) / M. Linette (POL) [3] Y. Xu (CHN) / Z. Yang (CHN) vs [WC] M. Barry (NZL) / E. Tse (NZL) Michael Burgess has been a Sports Journalist for the New Zealand Herald since 2005, covering the Olympics, Fifa World Cups, and America’s Cup campaigns. He is a co-host of the Big League podcast. Sun, 04 Jan 2026 20:34:28 Z /news/sport/luke-littler-wins-back-to-back-darts-world-championship-titles-with-dominant-display-over-gian-van-veen/ /news/sport/luke-littler-wins-back-to-back-darts-world-championship-titles-with-dominant-display-over-gian-van-veen/ Luke Littler has produced one of the most dominant performances in world darts championship final history to etch his name alongside the sport’s best ever by winning back-to-back world titles. The 18-year-old has beaten Dutchman Gian van Veen 7-1 with a 106.02 average which sees him retain the coveted Sid Waddell trophy and the £1 million ($2.3m) prize, the biggest in darts’ history. “It feels amazing,” Littler told Sky Sports as the crowd at Alexandra Palace, London, roared. “The prize money is life-changing. Even for this tournament, the first round was doubled. This win has increased that gap from Luke Humphries and I’m in the clear for No 1. “The first time was so nice, I had to do it twice.” Littler becomes just the fourth back-to-back Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) champion alongside Phil Taylor, Adrian Lewis and Gary Anderson. He is also the first since Anderson completed the feat in 2016. His second victory in only his third appearance at the London tournament means that only Taylor, with 14, and Michael van Gerwen, on three, have more PDC world titles than Littler. He also joins just Taylor, John Part, Lewis, Anderson, van Gerwen and Peter Wright in having won the biggest prize in all of darts on more than one occasion. What promised to be a tight contest between two of the sports’ young stars proved anything but as the Englishman was relentless, barely giving his opponent a chance after losing the opening set. Littler threw 16 180s, 19 140s, a 46% success rate on the doubles, with four ton-plus finishes including a 170 and a 147 checkout to seal the win. Both players missed multiple darts to claim the opening set, before van Veen pinged double four to hold throw. The Dutchman then missed a shot at double eight to claim the second, but missed and Littler capitalised by taking the set and he didn’t look back. The result caps off a stunning 12 months for Littler after he won his first world title. He’s since gone on to capture the UK Open, World Matchplay, World Grand Prix and Grand Slam along with success at the Australian and New Zealand Darts Masters. While it was a disappointing result for van Veen, he can hold his head high after a breakthrough tournament where he has risen to No 3 in the world, which will likely see him appear in Auckland later this year. His new ranking means he’s now the top-ranked Dutch player in the world, surpassing van Gerwen who had held the title since 2012. “He played phenomenal,” van Veen told Sky Sport. “He put me under pressure every leg, every set, and I missed too many chances today to make it a game. “He’s a fantastic player which is why he’s world number one by a margin now. That’s why he’s back-to-back world champion.” Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news. Sun, 04 Jan 2026 00:34:44 Z /news/sport/a-proper-race-teen-record-breaker-chases-1000m-record-at-home/ /news/sport/a-proper-race-teen-record-breaker-chases-1000m-record-at-home/ Breaking records is in Sam Ruthe’s DNA. The teenage running sensation spent most of 2025 smashing numerous age-grade records across multiple middle and long distances and he plans to start the new year by adding another scalp to his list. The 16-year-old will suit up in the 1000m race in Saturday’s Tauranga Twilight event, where he will look to beat the Under-19 and U20 record on his home track. James Ford currently holds the U19 record of 2m 23.48s, set in Monaco in 2024, while the U20 record has been standing since 2007 when Carl Mackenzie ran 2m 22.00s in Wellington. Lots will depend on the conditions on the evening with racing to commence at 6.10pm, but Ruthe has been putting in the hard yards at training with his coach Craig Kirkwood and is determined to break the mark. However, it won’t be easy as he will face some tough competition from top French runners Felix Rivet and Josue Le Cadre, who are also competing in the event. Ruthe said this race “will be a proper race”, unlike the 800m or 1500m records he set, when he ran those races solo, only competing against the clock. “Josue is one of the best 800-metre runners and has a better time than I do. He’s 23 and is an experienced racer so I’m looking forward to lining up with him. “Craig thinks I can get those if the weather is good but the main thing is going out and having a really hard race against some great competition and I’m looking forward to doing that at home.” With a busy 2026 calendar, Ruthe said he’s excited at the prospect of competing on his home track. “Craig sets out my training and racing plan and he figured out a way that I could race at my home track,” Ruthe said. “I get to race at big meets away from home so to have an event like Tauranga Twilight organised locally with a field like we are going to have is exciting. “It will be only race for the rest of the season at home and it will be great to be able to warm up and race with friends. I have races in Hastings and Whanganui afterwards and then fly to the USA to race indoors in Boston and North Carolina.” The Tauranga Twilight event will feature 21 events across para, junior and senior athletes. Sam Ruthe in action in Timaru. Ruthe’s sister Daisy Ruthe, the New Zealand Secondary Schools Junior 1500m champion, will compete in the 1000m women’s race. Sam Ruthe has been in scintillating form over the past 12 months, highlighted by breaking two records at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Track and Field Championships in Hastings. He broke the 1500m record by eight seconds, previously held by Commonwealth Games runner Richard Potts since 1989, before setting a new benchmark in the 800m discipline. Last March, aged 15, the Tauranga Boys’ College student became the youngest person to run a sub-four-minute mile, becoming the 49th New Zealander to break the milestone target in Auckland, in 3m 58.35s. Olympian Sam Tanner helped lead Ruthe in the second half of that race, setting the pace for the teenager towards the finish line. Ruthe finished second behind Tanner in 3m 58.35s, with third-placed Ben Wall also breaking the four-minute mile to become the 50th New Zealander to do so. Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news. Wed, 31 Dec 2025 02:03:42 Z /news/sport/fight-of-his-life-former-aussie-cricket-star-in-coma-with-meningitis/ /news/sport/fight-of-his-life-former-aussie-cricket-star-in-coma-with-meningitis/ A former Australian cricket star is in an induced coma after being diagnosed with meningitis. Damien Martyn was rushed to a Brisbane hospital from his Gold Coast home after becoming unwell after lying down to rest on Boxing Day, Code Sports reported. Close friend and former Australian cricket Adam Gilchrist said on behalf of the family that Martyn was receiving treatment for meningitis. “He is getting the best of treatment and Amanda [Martyn’s partner] and his family know that a lot of people are sending their prayers and best wishes,” Gilchrist said. It is thought he could be brought out of his coma in the next few days. Former Australian cricketer Damien Martyn has been placed in an induced coma after being diagnosed with meningitis. Photo / X Former AFL player Brad Hardie said on his 6PR radio show the 54-year-old was in the “fight of his life” and the situation was “serious”. “Damien Martyn, the champ from WA, fantastic batsman … unfortunately took ill on Boxing Day and currently is residing in a Queensland hospital and he is in for the fight of his life,” Hardie said. “I’d like everybody to certainly have their best wishes and positive thoughts for Marto. God give him strength.” Elsewhere, former teammate Darren Lehmann posted to X, sending love and prayers his way. “Keep strong and fighting legend. Love to the family xxx.” Martyn played 67 tests for Australia, 208 ODIs and four T20 international games. He scored over 4000 runs in test cricket with an average of 46.4, with 23 centuries and over 5300 runs in ODIs. He faced New Zealand in 12 test matches, scoring a total of 728 runs against the Black Caps and a high score of 165 in March 2005, the highest score of his career against any opponent in international cricket. The match at the Basin Reserve in Wellington ended in a draw and was the second of Australia’s three-match tour of New Zealand in 2005. Martyn became Western Australia’s youngest ever captain at 23 years old in 1993 after moving to the state from Darwin and played a part in Australia’s 2003 World Cup victory. Symptoms of meningitis in adults and children A stiff, sore neck. A sensitivity to light, or a dislike of bright lights (an early warning sign of meningitis). A severe headache. If the child or adult is difficult to wake, or in a drowsy and confused state. A fever, sometimes accompanied by cold hands and feet. Aching sore joints. Vomiting – a common symptom of meningitis in both children and adults. Convulsive fits or seizures. Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:37:47 Z /news/sport/it-has-to-be-auckland-fc-target-revenge-after-bizarre-home-loss-to-newcastle-jets/ /news/sport/it-has-to-be-auckland-fc-target-revenge-after-bizarre-home-loss-to-newcastle-jets/ Revenge is on the mind of Auckland FC, and they are not afraid to spell it out ahead of Thursday’s game against the Newcastle Jets. Modern sports teams can often be cautious ahead of matches, diving into cliches, particularly the favoured “we are just focusing on ourselves” mantra. But Auckland FC are clearly still hurting from the surprise A-League loss to the Jets at the end of November and are desperate to seek retribution, with assistant coach Danny Hay making that clear this week. “It has to be [about revenge],” said Hay. “We know we owe them one, after them being the only team that beat us. We don’t like losing games and we particularly don’t like losing games at home.” Even upon reflection, the clash a month ago was one of the strangest days in the club’s history. Newcastle came to Go Media Stadium sitting last on the A-League ladder and left with a 2-1 victory, with a long period of the second half played on a flooded pitch, after torrential rain. The result represents just the third time in 19 matches that Auckland have tasted defeat at their fortress. The previous two losses, both last season, had come to a hot Western United team that would finish third on the ladder and an experienced Melbourne Victory team that managed a finals ambush, replicating their efforts in Wellington a year earlier. Whereas this one, on the surface, made no sense. But it also epitomises Newcastle’s win or bust campaign, from their young squad of gunslingers, who have scored more goals (20) than any other A-League team. Newcastle have enjoyed some memorable wins, including toppling Sydney FC two weeks ago, smashing Melbourne Victory in round two and overwhelming the Phoenix in the capital. However, alongside that they have lost six matches and conceded a league-high 22 goals. Hay admitted that Auckland FC had been caught out last time, as they dropped their guard and were punished. “We don’t think we prepared as well mentally as we usually do and the boys were just a little bit off,” Hay said. “There were probably a few factors in that. [And] the deluge in the second half, with half a metre of rain didn’t help. But [Newcastle] are a very good team, they deserved to win and were the better side.” Callan Elliott dejected after a rare Auckland FC home loss. Photo / Photosport There will be no complacency this time, from neither players nor staff. That was shown in an intense session on Tuesday, with plenty of drills to negate Newcastle’s attacking threat, especially in transition. “We know when we are in possession, they are a very dangerous team,” explained Hay. “They counter, they have a lot of pace, so we need to make sure our rest defence is spot on. That has been a focus in our buildup.” The Auckland FC squad enjoyed an unexpected recent hiatus, after their Sydney FC match (scheduled for December 27) was postponed due to problems with the pitch at Leichhardt Oval, which shelved their travel plans for Christmas Day afternoon. “It was a good surprise,” said goalkeeper Michael Woud. “Obviously we wanted to play Sydney but to be able to spend Christmas at home was a nice little reward for us being top of the table. It probably wasn’t ideal in terms of momentum – after the impressive win over Western Sydney Wanderers on December 19th – but was a definite boost for the playing group, with some of the Australian players and non-Auckland-born men making a quick trip back to see families and friends. The serious business starts again on Thursday, with Auckland determined to start 2026 on the right note. Coach Steve Corica, who missed Tuesday’s training session due to illness, should have a full squad to pick from, with all those in the casualty ward back from injury. “We want to win,” said Hay. “We want to pick up three points, with the run that we are on and we know we have a big crowd turning up.” Auckland FC home defeats, October 2024-December 2025 December 21, 2024: v Western United 1-4 May 24, 2025: v Melbourne Victory 0-2 (semi-final) November 29 2025: v Newcastle Jets 1-2 Michael Burgess has been a Sports Journalist for the New Zealand Herald since 2005, covering the Olympics, Fifa World Cups, and America’s Cup campaigns. He is a co-host of the Big League podcast. Tue, 30 Dec 2025 22:52:08 Z /news/sport/burst-tyre-and-speed-probed-after-anthony-joshua-crash-in-which-two-people-killed/ /news/sport/burst-tyre-and-speed-probed-after-anthony-joshua-crash-in-which-two-people-killed/ Pictures and videos circulating online and also shared by local state authorities showed a shirtless Joshua – a British national of Nigerian heritage – grimacing in pain as he was helped step out of the car. Others showed a mangled wreckage of a black sports utility vehicle. His promoter Matchroom said the boxer’s “close friends and team members” Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele were killed and Joshua himself was taken to hospital “for checks and treatment”. Nigerian police said the two victims died “at the scene”. Joshua’s family hails from the southwest Nigerian city and he is known to visit there when he is in the country. Tue, 30 Dec 2025 22:14:28 Z /news/sport/beyond-grateful-former-all-black-shares-fresh-baby-news-after-heartache/ /news/sport/beyond-grateful-former-all-black-shares-fresh-baby-news-after-heartache/ Former All Black Liam Messam has announced some exciting baby news, saying he is “beyond grateful” after a recent heartache. In an Instagram post sharing the news, Messam, 41, said he was set to welcome his new baby in June next year. He shared an ultrasound image of his and his partner Monique Corbett’s baby-to-be, along with a photo of his mother. He appears in the image with his mother, Wanda Messam, and the pair can be seen smiling alongside each other. “Although God has called a life home, he has sent a new life to soften the heartache and remind us that love doesn’t end, the circle continues. “Beyond grateful,” Messam said on Instagram. He has had a decorated rugby career, playing for the All Blacks 46 times, including winning a Rugby World Cup title, also claiming two Super Rugby titles with the Chiefs and two Commonwealth Games gold medals with the All Blacks Sevens. After stepping away from the All Blacks in 2015, Messam had stints in the Japanese Top League, represented New Zealand once again at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games with the All Blacks Sevens, returned to his beloved Chiefs to become their all-time most-capped player, and headed to France to link up with Toulon in the top 14 before officially retiring from rugby in 2022. Messam currently boxes professionally and competes in ironman events. Tue, 30 Dec 2025 01:59:36 Z /news/sport/ex-heavyweight-champion-anthony-joshua-injured-in-crash/ /news/sport/ex-heavyweight-champion-anthony-joshua-injured-in-crash/ Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has suffered “minor injuries” in a fatal car accident that killed two people, Nigerian police said. Pictures circulating online showed a shirtless Joshua – a British national of Nigerian heritage – surrounded by what appeared to be broken window glass on the seats around him. The circumstances around the wreck are “currently being investigated”, said police in Ogun state, just north of Nigeria’s economic capital Lagos, which throngs with visitors from across the country and diaspora each December. Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn told Daily Mail Sport he was on a family holiday and “awoke to the news of this incident”. “We are trying to contact Anthony and in the meantime we don’t want to speculate on how he is but thankfully he appears OK from what I have seen in the images,” he said. Police said the wreck, in which two people in Joshua’s car were killed, occurred around 11am on Monday (local time), in the town of Makun, along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway. A shirtless Anthony Joshua could be seen grimacing in pain after the crash. Photo / X Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said that the Lexus Joshua was riding in “was suspected to be travelling beyond the legally prescribed speed limit on the corridor, lost control during an overtaking manoeuvre and crashed into a stationary truck... by the side of the road”. However, a witness who gave his name as Kunle told AFP: “The truck was not stationary when the accident happened.” “People rushed to help without even knowing those inside the car,” the 27-year-old said. “It was when we got there we realised it was Anthony Joshua that’s inside.” The FRSC said that Joshua’s car was towed to the police station in nearby Sagamu. Joshua’s family hails from the southwest Nigerian city and he is known to visit there when he’s in the country. Photos released by the FRSC showed a totalled black SUV, and what appeared to be blood on the road. Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has been injured in a highway accident in Nigeria in which two people died. Photo / Giorgio Viera, AFP An AFP reporter on the scene Monday evening saw the 18-wheeler truck that Joshua’s car was said to have hit being towed off the highway. ‘More important than boxing’ Police said two people “lost their lives at the scene”. The names of the victims have not been released but a spokesman for the Ogun state governor said preliminary reports indicated they were “two male foreign nationals”. Police said the crash occurred in the town of Makun, along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway. Photo / X Sharing a photo of himself with Joshua on social media, President Bola Tinubu wrote: “As a sportsman, you have always shown courage, discipline, and unwavering love for our country.” Earlier this month Joshua knocked out YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in a Netflix-backed bout in Miami. “Life is much more important than boxing. I am praying for the lost lives, AJ and anyone impacted by today’s unfortunate accident,” Paul said Monday on X. The former Olympic champion Joshua has since been linked with a fight against compatriot and fellow former world champion Tyson Fury. Joshua’s last fight before the match with Paul was a fifth round knockout loss to fellow Briton Daniel Dubois in September last year. - Agence France-Presse Mon, 29 Dec 2025 22:10:09 Z /news/sport/conway-gives-up-franchise-t20-cash-to-push-for-black-caps-world-cup-spot/ /news/sport/conway-gives-up-franchise-t20-cash-to-push-for-black-caps-world-cup-spot/ As the race for Black Caps spots at next year’s Twenty20 World Cup goes down to the wire, Devon Conway will take a hit in the pocket to put himself in the best position to reach the tournament. Despite bursting on to the scene as a key cog in all formats for New Zealand at the end of 2020, Conway’s stocks have dwindled in the shortest format amid the rapidly changing nature of T20 cricket. In particular, with the Black Caps boasting the likes of Finn Allen, Tim Seifert and Rachin Ravindra as their prospective top-order starters, to go with Tim Robinson as an able deputy, a player of Conway’s ability might not even be needed. But that doesn’t mean his stocks in T20 cricket have diminished, by any means. Earlier this year, the 34-year-old picked up a contract worth 325,000 rand (just over $33,000) to join Durban’s Super Giants in South Africa’s SA20. However, with SA20 payments being handed out on a pro-rata basis, Conway will lose a chunk of that fee by only playing his side’s first four matches, before linking up with the Black Caps as they prepare for the T20 World Cup with two white-ball series in India. Conway, along with Kane Williamson, departs New Zealand for South Africa on Boxing Day, but will miss his side’s final five regular-season matches, before the Black Caps assemble for the ODI opener on January 11. “There’s no doubt how much he wants to play for the Black Caps,” coach Rob Walter said of Conway. “He’s made that pretty clear. “There was an opportunity presented that he could come and join us, which is awesome. “It’s certainly worked out well for everyone that he was able to do that.” Having Conway available in India is a huge boost for the New Zealand side after the left-hander hammered a career-best to end the test summer. Devon Conway raises his century against the West Indies at Bay Oval. Photo / Photosport After threatening to make a huge score all summer, with half-centuries against the West Indies in Nelson, Napier and Wellington, at Tauranga he plundered 227 and 100, giving him the third-most runs scored by a Black Cap in a single test. And albeit coming in a different form of the game, those test runs in conjunction with Conway’s record in the Indian Premier League for Chennai Super Kings – 1080 runs at an average of 43.20, with 11 half-centuries – should put him firmly into contention for the World Cup. That is tied in with the top-order logjam, though. Even taking into account Williamson’s retirement in the shortest format, New Zealand’s options are still very strong. With Allen, Seifert and Ravindra locked in, Conway and Robinson could go head-to-head for the last spot. Potentially in Conway’s favour is that he is able to keep wicket, placing him as cover for two roles for the tournament. Meanwhile, both Allen and Seifert are unavailable for the series as they have contracts in Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL). Seifert, 31, began the season with a brutal 102 for the Melbourne Renegades against the Brisbane Heat – his fifth century in T20 cricket. Allen, 26, has also had a solid start to the 2025-26 season, and hammered a 38-ball 79 – laden with eight sixes – for the Perth Scorchers, also against Brisbane. And despite not initially being named to tour India, Walter is optimistic the pair can join the squad before the World Cup, provided their Big Bash seasons end early. “Hopefully they’ll come in for the back end of those T20s, once their BBL commitments are finished,” Walter continued. “I’m sure we’ll see them at the back end of those T20s. Would we have liked them for the whole series? Of course. But that’s not how the international world works anymore. “I’m happy they’ve been playing well in the Big Bash. All you can ask is that guys are playing competitive cricket and doing well. “Both of those two have started excellently well.” The Black Caps tour of India runs from January 11 to February 1, before the T20 World Cup begins on February 7. Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016. Tue, 23 Dec 2025 23:12:54 Z /news/sport/why-max-verstappen-disagreed-with-red-bull-demoting-liam-lawson/ /news/sport/why-max-verstappen-disagreed-with-red-bull-demoting-liam-lawson/ Four-time Formula One champion Max Verstappen has explained why he disagreed with Red Bull’s decision to demote Liam Lawson, just two rounds into this year’s season. The Kiwi has done enough to secure a seat with sister team Racing Bulls for next year, following a topsy-turvy campaign. Lawson started the year as Verstappen’s teammate, but was axed in favour of Yuki Tsunoda. The Japanese driver himself has subsequently been demoted by Red Bull, with Isaak Hadjar promoted from Racing Bulls for next year. Instead, Tsunoda has been named as Red Bull’s reserve driver for 2026. In the senior Red Bull team, Lawson crashed out in Melbourne, after being left out on slick tyres in the rain, and finished outside the points in Shanghai after qualifying last for both the sprint and the Grand Prix. Liam Lawson was demoted to Racing Bulls just two rounds into the season. Photo / Red Bull The Kiwi found his groove at Racing Bulls. A fifth-place finish in Azerbaijan highlighted his campaign. Verstappen told Swedish outlet Viaplay that two grands prix were not enough of a chance for Lawson to prove himself. “Because ultimately, someone is giving up their chance ... yes, then you’re ruining [that chance] at a top team,” he said. “I have to say that Liam has done well at Racing Bulls. “You could also say, ‘just leave it, I don’t care anymore’, but two races is far too early to make a decision. In the end, Yuki got in, and that shows how difficult it was.” Tsunoda finished 17th in the championship, only accruing 30 points across his 22 rounds. Red Bull dropped behind McLaren and Mercedes to finish third in the Constructors’ Championship this year. While winners McLaren give equal treatment to both Drivers’ Championship winner Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, Red Bull clearly favour Verstappen as their primary driver. The Dutch competitor still believes Red Bull has the right approach. “If I were the team boss myself, I would always put a clear number one and two in place,” Verstappen said. “But of course, a number two who still scores enough points to compete for the constructors’ title. But a clear number one and two.” Nathan Limm has been a journalist with 九一星空无限talk ZB and the NZ Herald since 2020. He covered the Netball World Cup in Cape Town in 2023, hosts The Big League Podcast and commentates rugby and netball for Gold Sport. Tue, 23 Dec 2025 22:55:57 Z /news/sport/new-zealand-cricket-chief-executive-scott-weenink-resigns/ /news/sport/new-zealand-cricket-chief-executive-scott-weenink-resigns/ New Zealand Cricket chief executive Scott Weenink has resigned from the role.  He is the second CEO of a major sports organisation to leave their job in as many days after Netball New Zealand chief executive Jennie Wyllie resigned.  Weenink, a former first-class cricketer was announced in the role in August 2023, replacing David White.  “I have advised the Board that I will step down as CEO of New Zealand Cricket on 30 January 2026,” he said in a statement.  “After careful consideration, it has become clear that I hold a different view from several Member Associations, and the CPA, on the future priorities for NZC, including the long-term direction of the game and the best role for T20 cricket in New Zealand. Given these differences, I believe it is in the best interests of the organisation that new leadership takes NZC forward from here.  Weenink, who was initially a corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions lawyer, came into the role with executive and governance experience in the funds management, financial services, private equity, telecoms/technology, infrastructure, and sports industries.  At the time Weenink said “it was a great honour” to be offered the role.  Last month, RNZ reported Weenink was said to be “fighting for his survival” in his role, amid a political power struggle over the future shape of the domestic game and a bid by a private consortium to establish a new T20 franchise competition.  Thu, 18 Dec 2025 20:34:33 Z /news/sport/asb-classic-t%C4%81taki-auckland-unlimited-confirms-final-5m-for-manuka-doctor-arena-s-new-centre-court-roof/ /news/sport/asb-classic-t%C4%81taki-auckland-unlimited-confirms-final-5m-for-manuka-doctor-arena-s-new-centre-court-roof/ Tātaki Auckland Unlimited has announced the final $5 million towards the Tennis Auckland Roof Project. The $5m capital grant completes the $15m fund required to upgrade the Manuka Doctor Arena’s new Centre Court roof. The announcement comes less than a month before the 2026 ASB Classic, a key event for the Auckland economy. The covered venue will mean an end to delays and rain cancellations and help attract players. The arena will also be able to host a wider range of indoor sporting events, entertainment and other community activities. Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown is delighted the project, planned for completion in 2027, will go ahead. “This needs to be done,” Brown said. “I’ve been at too many events ruined by rain. This is about making sure we have venues at a standard for world-class events to continue.” Tātaki Auckland Unlimited (TAU) CEO Nick Hill said the announcement supports Auckland’s reputation as a premier international events destination. “By jointly supporting a permanent roof over centre court, we are protecting those benefits, ensuring certainty for event organisers and audiences and strengthening an important facility that serves Aucklanders year-round,” Hill said. “Auckland Council Events will have a stronger footprint at the venue, ensuring Aucklanders can more clearly see the council’s role in supporting major events that bring people together and generate value for the region.” The grant follows the Government’s investment of $5m in October, and Auckland Council’s agreement to an initial injection of $1.5m. Artist's impression of the proposed roof at Manuka Doctor Arena, home of the ASB Classic. Graphic / Supplied Part of the revamp includes the demolition of the Robinson stand, the enlarging of the court and capacity to meet ATP Tour standards and – eventually – the erection of a permanent canopy roof over the arena. The centre court currently doesn’t meet current tour standards. As players get more athletic – and are serving more strongly and hitting harder – the existing dimensions have come under pressure. In 2023, the ATP Tour revised its minimum court length standards to 40.23m, more than 3m longer than Auckland’s 36.95m. The new surface will cover 41m – allowing players more room to receive booming serves and groundstrokes. Tennis Auckland chief executive Rohan West said they had little choice but to build a roof. “Tennis Auckland sincerely thanks Tātaki Auckland Unlimited and the Auckland Council for this vote of confidence,” West said. “As a major and long-term partner of Tennis Auckland, the ASB Classic and the Manuka Doctor Arena as a venue, this funding provides certainty for the project. “We are very excited for the future and are ready to greenlight the next phase of the project. We can’t wait to get things underway.” Demolition of the Robinson stand began in August, with work beyond that including landscaping, retaining walls, drainage works, power and data ducting, and everything else necessary to get the site ready. The 2026 ASB Classic, which starts on January 5, will have a temporary grandstand installed, with a capacity of just over 1000. West points out that the scaffolded grandstand is a model used at other notable tournaments, including Queens in London and Monte Carlo. The new structure will also include a luxury section, with plush seats and food and drink delivered to the stand, named the Lexus Terrace. Thu, 18 Dec 2025 02:55:11 Z