/news/sport/rss 九一星空无限 Wed, 15 Oct 2025 17:58:26 Z en /news/sport/all-blacks-lock-patrick-tuipulotu-ruled-out-of-northern-tour-due-to-shoulder-injury/ /news/sport/all-blacks-lock-patrick-tuipulotu-ruled-out-of-northern-tour-due-to-shoulder-injury/ Patrick Tuipulotu will miss the All Blacks’ northern tour as he is set to undergo surgery to repair a shoulder injury.  The test veteran was part of the 36-man squad named yesterday but this morning was replaced by Blues teammate Sam Darry.  It’s a strange situation for the 32-year-old to have been named in the team one day, then withdrawn the next. An All Blacks representative told the Herald it was due to the results of Tuipulotu’s medical assessment coming back after the squad had been named.  Tuipulotu had been playing with a shoulder niggle sustained while playing for the Blues. It was said to have settled early in the All Blacks’ season, but would flare up on occasion. However, the injury got to the point of needing a medical assessment to determine the best way to address the pain. It was determined that surgery would be needed, which would sideline the lock for six months.  It then became a case of timing. Missing the upcoming Grand Slam tour means he will be able to return during the Super Rugby Pacific season and build into next year’s All Blacks campaign. Had he gone ahead with the tour and had surgery afterwards, he risked missing the entire Super season.  The representative said Tuipulotu, All Blacks coaches and Blues coaches were all part of the decision-making process as to when the best time for surgery would be.  It’s a second injury blow of the season for Tuipulotu, who first suffered a facial fracture during the opening Rugby Championship victory in Cordoba. That ruled him out of the defeat to Argentina the following week, along with the two tests against the Springboks.  He returned to the squad for the Bledisloe Cup tests, coming off the bench in both tests.  Tuipulotu, along with Beauden Barrett, were the only two players in the All Blacks squad who started in the 2016 defeat to Ireland in Chicago.  His withdrawal from the tour provides an opportunity for Darry, who has been strong for Canterbury in the NPC this season after a shoulder injury of his own saw him miss the entire Super season.  The 25-year-old made six appearances for the All Blacks in Scott Robertson’s maiden season as coach but had yet to crack the squad in 2025. He was expected to be named in the All Blacks XV squad named today, which will also head to Europe for three fixtures in November.  Mon, 13 Oct 2025 22:37:25 Z /news/sport/pay-this-guy-5-million-legendary-coachs-plan-to-lure-reece-walsh-to-nz-rugby/ /news/sport/pay-this-guy-5-million-legendary-coachs-plan-to-lure-reece-walsh-to-nz-rugby/ Legendary rugby league coach Sir Graham Lowe believes New Zealand Rugby should make a $5 million bid to lure Reece Walsh to the 15-man code to play for the All Blacks. Walsh is one of the NRL’s biggest stars and produced a Clive Churchill-medal winning performance to lead the Brisbane Broncos to their first premiership in 19 years, when they beat the Melbourne Storm 26-22 earlier this month. With more than 630,000 followers, the 23-year-old has the biggest following on Instagram in the NRL, more than most teams – including nearly 200,000 more than the New Zealand Warriors. While Walsh’s time in New Zealand has been limited to just his brief stint with the Warriors, he is eligible for the All Blacks through his birth mother, who hails from Hastings. Walsh has had a limited relationship with her as he was raised by his father and stepmum. Lowe feels Walsh is the best young player he’s ever seen, a bold statement considering his credentials, having coached the Kiwis and Queensland. Speaking to Herald NOW’s Ryan Bridge, Lowe said New Zealand Rugby needs to throw everything it has at Walsh. “The Warriors won’t be able to get him over here because of the salary cap in the NRL, but I think there’s an opportunity for the New Zealand Rugby Union,” Lowe said. “The going rate for the stars is a million-plus. Pay this guy $5 million a year. Anywhere else in the world, it’s chicken feed. It’s chicken feed anywhere else in the world. Make a big statement about him. Sir Graham Lowe feels paying $5 million for Reese Walsh would be a bargain for New Zealand Rugby. Photo / Dean Purcell “He’s the best young player I’ve ever seen. He’s just, he’s something special. The excitement he brings is fantastic. I reckon get him over here ... He’ll bring 10,000 people on his own. “Between where I live and the local coffee shop, I think I’ve been asked at least 20 times by old ladies about who’s this young fella, this brilliant young fella who paints his fingernails and he plays for the Broncos.” While it’s a bold idea, realistically it will be hard to pull off as Walsh is locked up until the end of the 2029 NRL season. On top of that, Walsh has little to no experience in the 15-man code. Walsh was a member of the Broncos, but signed for the Warriors in a bid to seek first-grade football. He was initially set to join in 2022, but with the Warriors struggling for players after relocating to Australia, he joined the club early. He went on to play 38 games for the Warriors before being granted an early release from his contract to move back to Brisbane after a breakdown in his relationship, and he didn’t want to live in another country away from his daughter. Walsh has been named in the Australia Kangaroos squad for the first time for their three-test tour of England, which gets under way later this month. Mon, 13 Oct 2025 01:16:12 Z /news/sport/injuries-force-changes-as-all-blacks-name-side-for-grand-slam-tour/ /news/sport/injuries-force-changes-as-all-blacks-name-side-for-grand-slam-tour/ The All Blacks have welcomed just one new face into their squad for the upcoming Grand Slam tour, with George Bell returning to the environment. Of the 36-strong squad, Bell is the only player who was not in the squad for the Rugby Championship to be named, replacing Canterbury teammate Brodie McAlister as the third hooker. There is just one uncapped player named in the squad, with prop Tevita Mafileo the lone player yet to make his test debut. Mafileo replaces Tyrel Lomax (thumb), who is out with injury. Tupou Vaa’i has also been ruled out of the tour with a knee injury, with Josh Lord joining the locking department in his place. Beauden Barrett returns to the squad alongside Damian McKenzie as the first five-eighths’ options, after being ruled out of the end of the Rugby Championship campaign due to a shoulder injury. Ethan de Groot and Caleb Clarke also return to the squad after being ruled out of the All Blacks’ win in Perth earlier this month. Lomax, Tupou Vaa’i, Timoci Tavatavanawai, Noah Hotham, Emoni Narawa, Ollie Norris, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Asafo Aumua and Stephen Perofeta were all unavailable for selection. The All Blacks will kick off their Grand Slam campaign against Ireland at Soldier Field in Chicago. The fixture is a rematch of the 2016 showdown in which Ireland claimed their first-ever win over the All Blacks. The team will then travel to the UK to meet Scotland, England and Wales. It will be the first time in 15 years that the All Blacks have been on a Grand Slam tour, with New Zealand Rugby defining a Grand Slam as a touring Southern Hemisphere team defeating all four home nations. “There is a lot of history that has led up to this opportunity for our group, so we will be honouring and taking inspiration from the feats that have come before us,” All Blacks coach Scott Robertson said. “The rematch against Ireland at Soldier Field will be a huge occasion, and then facing some of the Northern Hemisphere’s best at their home grounds is a fantastic challenge for us. We are looking forward to this very special tour.” All Blacks squad for northern tourHookers: Codie Taylor, Samisoni Taukei’aho, George Bell. Props: Ethan de Groot, Tamaiti Williams, Fletcher Newell, Pasilio Tosi, George Bower, Tevita Mafileo. Locks: Scott Barrett (captain), Patrick Tuipulotu, Fabian Holland, Josh Lord. Loose forwards: Samipeni Finau, Simon Parker, Ardie Savea, Du’Plessis Kirifi, Wallace Sititi, Peter Lakai, Luke Jacobson. Halfbacks: Cortez Ratima, Cameron Roigard, Finlay Christie First five-eighths: Beauden Barrett, Damian McKenzie. Midfielders: Anton Lienert-Brown, Jordie Barrett, Quinn Tupaea, Billy Proctor, Leicester Fainga’anuku. Outside backs: Rieko Ioane, Leroy Carter, Caleb Clarke, Sevu Reece, Will Jordan, Ruben Love. Unavailable for selection: Tyrel Lomax, Tupou Vaa’i, Timoci Tavatavanawai, Noah Hotham, Emoni Narawa; Ollie Norris, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Asafo Aumua, Stephen Perofeta. 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, 13 Oct 2025 00:52:18 Z /news/sport/samara-maxwell-secures-historic-world-series-mountain-biking-crown/ /news/sport/samara-maxwell-secures-historic-world-series-mountain-biking-crown/ New Zealand mountain biker Samara Maxwell has become the first Kiwi to win the UCI MTB Cross-Country World Series title after the final round in Canada today. While World Champion Jenny Rissveds (Sweden) was in a class of her own to claim the final round at Mont-Sainte-Anne near Quebec today, likewise the 23-year-old Kiwi finished in a commanding second place. It was more than enough for the Taupō rider to secure the overall title in the 10th and final round of the world series that began in April in Brazil, with six further rounds in Europe and the final two in North America. Maxwell has finished on 2341 points for the season with five race wins, and finishing on the podium in nine of the 10 rounds to secure the overall honours. She finished 91 points clear of Rissveds with a whopping 451 points back to Alessandra Keller (Switzerland) in third overall. “It’s been an incredible season and now it is time to learn from this season, rest, recover and trust the process and be excited,” said Maxwell. The young New Zealand rider began the final round with a 143-point lead in the series, that had shrunk with the stunning late season form from Rissveds. Maxwell has often bided her time this season, using her climbing ability to work her way through the field. But today the Kiwi pushed hard from the start and as Rissveds scorched away in the lead, the Kiwi rider likewise put daylight back to the chasing pack. She opened a significant gap to the chasing pack of nearly two minutes before Great Britain’s Evie Richards closed on the final lap for third. Maxwell’s Decathlon Ford team manager Stephane Tempier was full of praise. “Sammie was very strong through out the season. We started the season looking for podiums and then she was in the lead. “It was a long season and hard to keep strong after the world championships and the fight was until the final stages. Today she was very strong and smart and focused. She had to finish in the top eight but she was too strong. “The World Cup is very difficult from March to October, so important with the head and the body to go through to the final race.” Maxwell was thrilled with her achievement, although it has not fully sunk in. “Every race you are only as good as your last race. You look at the podium today and it is so easy to not finish on the podium – it is never taken for granted,” she said. “Even today with a one-minute gap going up the last climb I could have got eighth. That is the beauty of mountain biking, you just never know. That is the beauty of it. “I was just in one of those zones today – after the first lap I thought this is me, I am going solo and see if I can hold it and just sitting on that limit the whole time.” Maxwell said she was also proud of stepping back from the sport last year to recalibrate her health and wellbeing and prepare for a massive 2025 season, not just for herself, but the performances from young riders across all disciplines. “It has been such an incredible season for mountain biking in New Zealand and I am just excited to see what we can do with the next generation. The future is exciting.” Results: Female elite: Jenny Rissveds (SWE) 1:20.35, 1; Samara Maxwell (NZL, Decathlon Ford) 1:24.05, 2; Evie Richards (GBR) 1:24.42, 3. Final points: Maxwell 2341, Rissveds 2250, Alessandra Keller (SUI) 1890. Female Under-23: Amelie Mackay (Christchurch) 24. Season overall: 37. Male Under-23: Ethan Rose (Trek Future, Christchurch) 23. Season overall: 28. Sun, 12 Oct 2025 20:55:55 Z /news/sport/the-coach-who-reignited-hawke-s-bay-rugby-peter-russell-rip/ /news/sport/the-coach-who-reignited-hawke-s-bay-rugby-peter-russell-rip/ Rugby coach Peter Russell, most credited with reviving Magpies’ fortunes with an historic first NPC top division semi-final in his first season at the helm Hawke’s Bay in 2007, died suddenly on Thursday, aged 62. Hawke’s Bay’s first-ever top division semi-final within his first few months earned him the honour of NPC Coach of the Year. Russell was a star on the rise when he came to Hawke’s Bay and tackled the job of developing a team from that which finished 9th in the sudden elevation to the 14-team elite level of the Air New Zealand Cup the previous season. As a Wellington under-19 and colts coach from 1995-1999 Russell’s teams recorded 38 wins from 41 games, his four years as senior coach took MSOP to three Wellington championship titles, and then coached Wairarapa Bush to win the last NPC third division title in 2025 and the first Heartland championship in 2006. In Hawke’s Bay he introduced an 18-year-old Zac Guildford to NPC rugby, successfully applying to the New Zealand union for dispensation to start a player so young at that level. Rugby: Ex-Magpies man pipped for Lions coaching job ... Magpies who ?? Peter Russell goes to the top !! - NZ ... RUGBY: Costly call horrifies Russell Rugby: Hawke's Bay no longer a surprise package - NZ ...The Magpies beat Waikato in a quarterfinal, and reached the semi-finals, Russell labelling Guildford as a future All Black and setting the path for a five-season Magpies coaching career of 66 games, including 40 wins, and culminating in a bottom-half Championship division final win in 2011 over Manawatu, having during the season beaten three premiership sides. During the tenure he was an assistant coach in Super Rugby with the Highlanders in 2009-2010. He was three times named the Hawke’s Bay Sports Awards Coach of the Year, and afterwards headed for the UK he was Head Coach at Newcastle Falcons, taking the club back to first division rugby in the first season by winning the RFU Championship. After two years he headed for Japan, and later returned to New Zealand where he coached the Manawatu Turbos in 2019-2022. He also had more than a decade as a lead coach at the International Rugby Academy New Zealand (IRANZ). Tributes on Friday included a Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union post, saying the union was saddened to hear of the sudden passing of a coach who alongside assistant Tom Coventry “reignited Hawke’s Bay Rugby.” “The legacy of this period set the standard for which future Magpies teams have continued to strive to uphold,” the post said. A post from the Greytown club of his roots in Wairarapa said that after “a remarkable career and countless achievements as a professional coach and servant of the game”, Russell chose to “bring his whānau home, to give back, to share his knowledge, and to pour his passion into our club and community.” Fri, 10 Oct 2025 06:18:00 Z /news/sport/josh-jacomb-highlanders-sign-taranaki-playmaker-for-super-rugby/ /news/sport/josh-jacomb-highlanders-sign-taranaki-playmaker-for-super-rugby/ The Highlanders have bolstered their future first five-eighths stocks with the signing of Taranaki playmaker Josh Jacomb for two years beginning in 2027. Jacomb has played back up to Damian McKenzie at the Chiefs since his debut in 2024, but will take his talents south after one more season in Hamilton. His opportunities for the Chiefs have been limited with just nine starting appearances over the last two years. Jacomb said he has learnt a lot playing under McKenzie. “Working alongside someone like D-Mac, but I feel I’m ready to take the next step in my career and hopefully play a more prominent role. I believe a move to the Highlanders is the best place for me to do that. I know that I will have to continue to work hard as they already have some good young talent down there, but I am genuinely excited by the prospect of playing for the Highlanders.” Highlanders head coach Jamie Joseph said Jacomb has untapped potential that the Highlanders can help him realise. “He’s hungry, driven, and ready to lead. We’re very excited to see what he can accomplish with us and also what he can contribute to our team performances over the coming seasons. I think this is a strong signing for us and aligns perfectly with our broader club strategy of building depth and competition in all positions growing individual players and the team as a whole.” As well as starring in Taranaki’s Ranfurly Shield win over Tasman in 2024, Jacomb has also played for the All Blacks XV and the Barbarians in their loss to the Springboks in June. Jacomb has been in scintillating form for the ‘Naki in this year’s NPC, including a 30-point haul in their rout of Auckland at Eden Park. The Highlanders struggled to lock down a first-choice first five-eighths this season, the duties shared between Cameron Millar and Taine Robinson with Ajay Faleafaga also providing back up on the bench. – RNZ Wed, 08 Oct 2025 01:36:22 Z /news/sport/speedway-community-loses-champion-riders-ryan-terry-daley-nick-edmonds-in-double-tragedy/ /news/sport/speedway-community-loses-champion-riders-ryan-terry-daley-nick-edmonds-in-double-tragedy/ The motorcycle speedway community is mourning the loss of iconic racers Ryan Terry-Daley and Nick Edmond, who tragically died in separate incidents in the past week. Both riders were well-respected in their disciplines and were affiliated with Auckland’s Rosebank Speedway. It’s understood Terry-Daley, 31, died in a car crash near Auckland over the weekend, while Edmonds was in his 50s and was involved in an accident. Terry-Daley was a two-time North Island solo champion and three-time New Zealand champion and spent some time competing in the lower levels in the UK. Upon returning to New Zealand, he helped and mentored many of the up-and-coming riders and won the Rosebank Speedway club champs last year by a significant margin. Interim general manager of Speedway New Zealand, Zoe Irons, described Terry-Daley as a “really good human”. “He really enjoyed his racing,” Irons said. “He enjoyed every part of it from the mechanical aspect of it to the racing part of it. “It’s a cool concept, isn’t it? Racing a bike for a living. If that’s your passion, it’s an amazing thing to be able to go and do it for a job, but you have to be fearless because these bikes have got no brakes. They accelerate as fast as a Formula One car because of their power-to-weight ratio. Ryan Terry-Daley. Photo / Rosebank Speedway “He got to live his dream out. He was a good human and just such a likeable lad.” British Speedway also paid its respects to Terry-Daley. “Ryan was a regular in the UK for around a decade, racing predominantly in the NDL [third division] for the likes of Mildenhall, Coventry, Stoke, Plymouth and Leicester,” it said in a statement. “His spell with the Lion Cubs in 2019 saw him part of the team which lifted the NDL title, and although he was no longer racing in the UK, he continued to compete in New Zealand. “Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this very sad time.” Edmonds was considered a legend in sidecar racing, which took him around the world, competing in England, Europe, the USA and Australia, even representing New Zealand at the World Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme level. Rosebank Speedway president Brian Guptill said Edmonds was somebody very passionate about the sport. “After all this time on sidecars, he was in the process of putting a flat-track bike together to come out racing this season on a flat-track bike,” Guptill said. Nick Edmonds. Photo / Rosebank Speedway “He would spend 30 hours a week plus helping another ... competitor to get their sidecar ready for the season. “Nick was awesome with his New Zealand titles and everything else that he did.” The Rosebank Speedway, which recently had its lease extended by five years, with the option for a further five, will use its first meet of the season on October 19 to pay its respects to Terry-Daley, while plans are in place to honour Edmonds in early November. Last month, the speedway community also lost Alan “Moon Goon” Luoni, who had an involvement of over 45 years in the sport, mainly in Whanganui. Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news. Tue, 07 Oct 2025 07:49:47 Z /news/sport/shane-van-gisbergen-wins-nascar-cup-race-in-charlotte-for-fifth-win-of-season/ /news/sport/shane-van-gisbergen-wins-nascar-cup-race-in-charlotte-for-fifth-win-of-season/ Shane van Gisbergen has proven yet again why he’s the king of the streets after securing his fifth win of the Nascar season at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Kiwi driver had a scare at the end with a rear tyre issue, but held on to finish 15s clear of Kyle Larson in a race where he started second and led 57 of the 109 laps on a course called The Roval, a hybrid road course/oval. He celebrated the win with his trademark celebration by kicking a rugby ball into the stands. While it was jubilation for van Gisbergen, it was heartbreak for his Trackhouse Racing teammate Ross Chastain, who was eliminated from the Nascar Cup Series playoffs on the last lap. Van Gisbergen had already been eliminated from the playoffs which is now down to eight drivers. But with victories at the Roval, Watkins Glen International, the Chicago Street Race, Sonoma and Mexico City, van Gisbergen is one win from tying Jeff Gordon’s record of six consecutive road or street course wins (which was set in 1999-2000). The 36-year-old, who already holds the record for most Cup wins by a foreign-born driver, will have his next shot at history in the March 1, 2026 race at Circuit of the Americas. There are five rounds left in this year’s championship, with the next race in Las Vegas next weekend. Those still in contention for the title heading into the round of eight are Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, William Byron, Chase Briscoe and Chase Elliott. Mon, 06 Oct 2025 01:56:43 Z /news/sport/biggest-crowd-of-season-hoped-for-as-magpies-get-a-playoff-match-at-mclean-park/ /news/sport/biggest-crowd-of-season-hoped-for-as-magpies-get-a-playoff-match-at-mclean-park/ The Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union has switched into big-match mode, chasing the biggest Magpies crowd of the season for the team’s NPC quarter-final on Saturday night. The rights to a McLean Park home playoff came in a combination of the Magpies’ 38-10 win over Manawatū in Palmerston North and Taranaki’s 34-14 loss to Canterbury in Christchurch on Sunday, as the 10-week regular season ended at the weekend. It’s the Magpies’ first home playoff since 2021, but they go to the park with four consecutive losses to Taranaki, including two years ago in the Bay’s only first-division final in 50 seasons of NPC rugby. Early predictions are for a bumper crowd on an expected warm weekend, with temperatures possibly about 16C during the game, which starts at 7.10pm. The Magpies’ biggest crowd in five home matches to date this year was 6212 on September 6 for a 45-19 win over defending champions Wellington, who this year failed to make the top-eight post-season places, along with usual fellow heavyweights Auckland. “We need a crowd of at least 10,000,” Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union commercial manager Dan Somerville said. “We need them to come along and help get the team over the line. It could be the last home game this season.” Public ticket sales open on Tuesday at 10, with a 24-hour early-bird 20% discount on seats in non-premium areas of the ground. To keep their hosting hopes alive, the Magpies had to beat the Manawatū Turbos in Palmerston North on Saturday night. As hot TAB favourites, captain Tom Parsons’ team triumphed on a wet ground with a six-tries-to-two victory. Centre Anaru Paenga-Morgan scored in the third minute, after fullback Zarn Sullivan carved neatly through the Manawatū defence to set the ball up close to the line. It was a sign of things to come, with Sullivan figuring in almost every try as the Magpies dominated the left flank. Left wing Neria Fomai scored in the 29th minute and Sullivan grabbed one of his own just on halftime, when the Magpies led 21-0. They had to wait until the 15th minute of the second half before hooker and co-captain Jacob Devery, coming on as a substitute, scored the Magpies’ near-prerequisite bonus-point fourth try as they drove towards a seventh NPC win in 2025. Manawatū scored two unconverted tries, to hooker Vernon Bason and wing James Tofa (his eighth of the season), sandwiching a piece of extra skill from Magpies No 8 Devan Flanders entering the last quarter, Flanders toeing ahead as a pass dropped on to his boot and chasing the ball to score. Fomai scored his second try and fourth of the season in the 76th minute. First five-eighths Lincoln McClutchie’s four conversions took him to 36 points in four appearances this season since first assuming the No 10 shirt in the injury absence of first-choice Harry Godfrey. There was also a big game from prop Pouri Rakete-Stones, back from injury but limping from the field late in the match. Meanwhile, Poverty Bay, with Wairoa players Ngahiwi Manuel and Keanu Taumata starring, were denied a Heartland Championship Meads Cup semifinal after a dramatic 29-24 loss to Wairarapa Bush in Masterton. It started with both on 23 points, the home side in sixth place and Poverty Bay in seventh, knowing a win for either could take them as high as second place. On the artificial turf in Masterton, hooker Manuel scored two tries and flanker Taumata one as Poverty Bay led 24-17 with five minutes to go and trailed for only eight of the 80 minutes of ordinary time. The home side’s converted try in the 76th minute tied it at 24-24, a 60m penalty goal attempt just missed and a try in extra time claimed their fourth place and a Meads Cup semifinal against No 1 side Mid-Canterbury in Ashburton. Poverty Bay will play a Lochore Cup semifinal against North Otago in Ōamaru. Doug Laing is a senior reporter for Hawke’s Bay Today based in Napier for 38 years, covering most aspects of news and sport. Mon, 06 Oct 2025 01:15:56 Z /news/sport/reece-walsh-inspires-brisbane-broncos-to-nrl-premiership-glory-over-melbourne-storm/ /news/sport/reece-walsh-inspires-brisbane-broncos-to-nrl-premiership-glory-over-melbourne-storm/ Storm 22 Broncos 26 Reece Walsh produced one of the finest performances of his career as the Brisbane Broncos mounted a second-half comeback to beat the Melbourne Storm 26-22 and win their first NRL premiership in 19 years. Walsh claimed the Clive Churchill Medal with a try, three assists and saving three more, as the Broncos claimed their seventh premiership in front of 80,223 fans in Sydney. First-year Broncos coach Michael Maguire also joins the history books as he joins Wayne Bennett, Chris Anderson, Jack Gibson, Tim Sheens and Phil Gould as the only coaches to have won titles with two clubs, having also triumphed with the South Sydney Rabbitohs in 2014. In a repeat of the 2006 decider, which the Broncos won 15-8 to claim their last premiership, Brisbane had to overcome the loss of both playmakers Adam Reynolds and Ben Hunt, as well as a 10-point deficit, to secure victory. The Storm, who were also beaten in last year’s decider, looked the better of the two sides in the first half but barely fired a shot in the second until the final moments of the contest, where they had one last roll of the dice to win it all. The Broncos made a dream start to the final when they won a penalty after just the third tackle, and on the ensuing set, Walsh put Deine Mariner through to score the opening try of the game under the posts in the second minute, although the winger came very close to stepping over the dead-ball line while trying to bring it closer to the posts. But it didn’t take long for the Storm to respond, as they spread the ball to the right edge before Nick Meaney made an excellent run, beating three defenders to score and level the match. Deine Mariner of the Broncos celebrates scoring a try. Photo / Photosport That try gave the Storm all the momentum and, after back-to-back sets on the goal line, they eventually converted when Eli Katoa pounced on a Jahrome Hughes grubber kick for their second try after 16 minutes. Walsh was put on report for a shoulder charge and, after turning down the chance at a penalty goal, the Storm were rewarded when Will Warbrick crashed over in the corner. Walsh didn’t let the error affect him, as he inspired the Broncos back into the match with a powerful run any front-rower would be proud of, breaking three tackles to score his side’s second. But it was the Storm who had the final say of the half when Hughes stepped his way past three defenders to score under the posts and give Melbourne a 22-12 lead at the break, the highest-scoring first half in NRL grand final history. The Storm thought they’d made the perfect start to the second half, but Tui Kamikamica lost the ball over the line while trying to gather a Cameron Munster grubber, and the Broncos made them pay, with Gehamat Shibasaki scoring minutes later. Adam Reynolds of the Broncos is hugged by Broncos coach Michael Maguire. Photo / Photosport. Disaster then struck for the Broncos when captain Reynolds limped off with a calf injury while chasing down a kick, and shortly after Brisbane thought they’d have a chance to level the match when Josiah Karapani crossed the line, but Walsh’s offload in the lead-up travelled forward. But after a crucial turnover by Ezra Mam, the Broncos struck with back-to-back tries to Marriner and Shibasaki to lead by four heading into the final 20 minutes. The Broncos then lost Hunt in the last 10 minutes after he was knocked out attempting a tackle. Storm forward Trent Loiero was sin-binned for a dangerous tackle in the final minutes, as the Broncos held on to secure victory. It capped off a memorable day for the Broncos after their NRLW team also won their grand final, beating the Sydney Roosters 22-18, their first premiership in five years. Kiwi Ferns centre Mele Hufanga won the Karyn Murphy Medal after scoring a game-winning try for the Broncos. Storm 22 (Nick Meaney, Eli Katoa, Will Warbrick, Jahrome Hughes tries; Meaney 3 cons). Broncos 26 (Deine Mariner 2, Gehamat Shibasaki 2, Reece Walsh tries; Adam Reynolds 2 cons, Walsh con). HT: 22-12. Sun, 05 Oct 2025 21:17:58 Z /news/sport/lawsons-pit-gamble-fails-as-he-endures-difficult-weekend-in-singapore/ /news/sport/lawsons-pit-gamble-fails-as-he-endures-difficult-weekend-in-singapore/ A Liam Lawson pit stop strategy gamble failed for Racing Bulls, as the Kiwi was forced to settle for 15th in Formula One’s Singapore Grand Prix. Returning to the scene of his maiden points two years earlier, Lawson endured a difficult weekend, in which he could only set the 14th-best time in qualifying after crashing in both the second and third practice sessions. And while the Kiwi drove admirably to make his first set of tyres last 49 of the 62 laps at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, relying on others making mistakes to net any gains was always going to be a risk. Lawson had been as high as eighth place before his pit stop, but was left with too much to do without any intervention, as all 20 drivers managed to cross the finish line. This isn’t the first time this season a strategy gamble hasn’t paid off for Lawson. In Japan, Racing Bulls banked on rain that never arrived, before the Italian Grand Prix had him as the only driver to start on soft tyres, To rub salt into Lawson’s wounds, Williams’ Carlos Sainz made use of the same strategy, but was able to emerge from the pits in 14th, before taking advantage of faster tyres to finish 10th and claim the final point, having gone one lap longer than the Kiwi in his first stint. “We just went very, very long [and] stayed out most of the race on that set of mediums,” Lawson said. “Honestly, I don’t really know, I need to have a look at what happened. Carlos was behind me, and then he ended up finishing 10th. “I came out behind the train, and he was in front of the train. I need to have a look why. “It’s frustrating, but for me, the damage was mostly done yesterday. Something to reflect on, for sure, going forward. “The pace was decent, but not quite good enough – but I think it was good enough for points, had we started higher.” At the front of the grid, Mercedes’ George Russell converted pole position into his second victory of the season, after leading for the majority of the race. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took second place, bringing an end to his run of successive victories after Monza and Azerbaijan. McLaren, meanwhile, sealed the constructors championship, as Lando Norris completed the podium in third, with Oscar Piastri in fourth. However, even after retaining their status as world champions, McLaren do face an internal battle to keep both drivers happy. An opening-lap incident saw Norris overtake Piastri after contact at turn two, but no team orders were given to return the place. That comes after the Italian Grand Prix, where Piastri was ordered to let Norris pass him after a slow pit stop, in the interest of fairness. Singapore cuts Piastri’s championship lead to 22 points from Norris, while no changes were made to the constructors championship order. Lawson’s Racing Bulls teammate Isack Hadjar was not able to convert a top 10 start into points, as engine issues saw his eighth-placed start turn into crossing the line 11th. Meanwhile, the Kiwi’s 2026 seat rival, Yuki Tsunoda, was 12th, after he started 13th – one place behind Lawson. Rain an hour before lights out left water on the surface in the second and third sectors, as turn 13 saw several drivers troubled on the formation lap. Starting 12th, following Williams’ twin qualifying disqualifications, Lawson initially lost a place to Tsunoda off the start line, but was able to claw it back into turn three, as the Red Bull driver fell as far down as 17th when he was passed by cars on slower tyres. With four Drag Reduction System (DRS) zones available on the Marina Bay Street Circuit, Lawson kept within a second of Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg on the opening laps, and put himself in position to try and overtake. Liam Lawson leads Alpine's Franco Colapinto at the Singapore Grand Prix. Photo / Red Bull At the same time, with Alpine’s Franco Colapinto and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll behind Lawson on soft tyres, the Kiwi was able to breathe a tad easier, given the pair couldn’t push on the more temperate compound. A yellow flag on lap seven temporarily halted Lawson’s attack on Hulkenberg, disabling DRS to see the Sauber move out of overtaking range by lap 11. Pit stops, then, became key for any chance of the Kiwi moving up the field. On lap 21, Lawson gained a position when Hadjar pitted, and then moved inside the top 10 on lap 24 when Haas’ Ollie Bearman did the same. And as Lawson passed the 30 lap mark, then 35, and then 40, it became clear that Racing Bulls were hoping for a safety car to effectively give the Kiwi a free stop with cars having to slow behind him. At the same time, Stroll, making his soft tyres last 40 laps, began to create a gap behind Lawson, which was more than seven seconds by the time the Aston Martin stopped for the first time. Once Stroll did pit, Lawson came under attack from Sainz and Alonso, as that seven-second gap became less than one. On lap 48, Alonso got around both to move ninth, as the hope for a safety car faded for Racing Bulls and Williams. On lap 49, Racing Bulls finally gave up the ghost, and called Lawson into the pits, dropping the Kiwi from eighth to 19th, to leave 12 laps to make up as many places as possible on a set of soft tyres. With any realistic chance for a points finish scuppered, Lawson was able to overtake four drivers to move from 19th to 15th, getting around Ocon, Gabriel Bortoleto’s Sauber and both Alpine cars, but was ultimately left to rue the practice mistakes that saw him qualify so far back. Formula One will now take a week off, before returning later this month for the US Grand Prix at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas. Singapore Grand Prix finishing order George Russell – Mercedes Max Verstappen – Red Bull Lando Norris – McLaren Oscar Piastri – McLaren Kimi Antonelli – Mercedes Charles Leclerc – Ferrari Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin Sir Lewis Hamilton – Ferrari *5 second penalty Ollie Bearman – Haas Carlos Sainz – Williams Isack Hadjar – Racing Bulls Yuki Tsunoda – Red Bull Lance Stroll – Aston Martin Alex Albon – Williams Liam Lawson – Racing Bulls Franco Colapinto – Alpine Gabriel Bortoleto – Sauber Esteban Ocon – Haas Pierre Gasly – Alpine Nico Hulkenberg – Sauber Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016. Sun, 05 Oct 2025 20:50:07 Z /news/sport/all-blacks-v-wallabies-further-improvement-required-for-grand-slam-tour-after-abs-end-rugby-championship-with-tough-win/ /news/sport/all-blacks-v-wallabies-further-improvement-required-for-grand-slam-tour-after-abs-end-rugby-championship-with-tough-win/ Book-ending their turbulent Rugby Championship with successive victories over the Wallabies suggests the All Blacks are slowly learning but after again conceding the southern hemisphere crown to South Africa, and suffering significant scars along the way, further improvement is required. Back-to-back wins against the Wallabies at Eden Park and Perth, where the All Blacks banked a bonus point in their 28-14 success, will allow Scott Robertson’s men to exhale during a three-week break before returning for their four-match grand slam tour in November. On a wet night the All Blacks rode through an early onslaught from the Wallabies to notch a record 11 straight victories over their closest foe. The performance, led by a man of the match effort from Quinn Tupaea at centre, wasn’t perfect or pretty in difficult conditions. The All Blacks lacked polish and discipline in the first half. They were helped by two yellow cards to the Wallabies and their loss of influential enforcer Will Skelton after 14 minutes to a head knock. But, when it mattered, the All Blacks were increasingly dominant in the second half. Not long after Robertson witnessed his team shake their frustrating inconsistency, though, the Springboks secured their first successive Rugby Championship titles on superior points differential – thanks to their blowout victory in Wellington – after their four-point win against the Pumas at Twickenham on Sunday morning (NZT). While the All Blacks retained the Bledisloe Cup, failing to reclaim the Rugby Championship title, alongside their maiden defeat in Argentina and their heaviest loss in history against the Springboks in Wellington, casts an unflattering light on their tournament. As he reflected on the team’s Rugby Championship campaign, All Blacks captain Scott Barrett acknowledged the mixed emotions. “It’s pleasing to finish the Rugby Championship with a win like that. It wasn’t pretty but we hung tough tonight in greasy conditions and adapted,” Barrett said. “Throughout this Rugby Championship we’ve learnt we need to front up every week when you put the All Blacks jersey on. A couple of times we clearly didn’t do that. Those are tough lessons. This group has a few scars from that. “We want to have a refresh before we head up north and chase a grand slam. We’ll celebrate a couple of little things tonight like Will Jordan’s 50th and George Bower’s first professional try and look forward to getting home.” After riding the fluctuations of the demanded highs and confounding lows attached to this unpredictable and highly competitive tournament, Robertson took satisfaction from the All Blacks marking a record run against the Wallabies. “It means a lot because we’ve had a few things we wanted to keep the tradition and history on. Other teams have set this up so we wanted to keep it going,” Robertson said. “We knew the importance of this match for them. They wanted to turn that record, especially here in a state where you don’t get too much footy, and with the emotion around James Slipper’s last game. We came prepared for that. “The mental toughness and grit that we showed to stay in the whole game. In the past games we probably would’ve let teams back in but the bench that came on made a big difference and we managed to finish a really tough game.” Leroy Carter impressed on the wing with his highly involved work-rate and third try from three starts. On the other edge, Leicester Fainga’anuku savoured his return to the test scene after two years in France with trademark power carries. Jordie Barrett sparked the All Blacks with two grubbers in the first half and Peter Lakai, in his maiden start at No 8, seized his chance too. No one, though, enhanced their claims in Perth more than Tupaea. With two tries, the first he finished following a rebound off Barrett’s head, the second from Jordan’s quick tap after fending off Wallabies flanker Tom Hooper, a sound defensive display while injecting his direct ball carrying presence, Tupaea defied his lack of familiarity with the centre role to send a statement of intent after replacing Billy Proctor. “It’s a position I haven’t played a lot. I got a lot of confidence from my midfield partners this week – Billy, Anton [Lienert-Brown] and Rieko [Ioane] – so I’m pretty pleased with that performance,” Tupaea said. “It was a surprise. Monday clarity I was running on the wing again and my name got called on Tuesday morning at centre with no heads up. I was all over my detail. I thought I trained there very well this week so I had a lot of confidence going into the game. I’m happy to play anywhere for this team – 12, 13, or 22 – I just want to be out there. “Defensively there’s a lot more space to cover. You saw I had to chase down Max Jorgensen a few times. I’m not used to that but there’s more space on attack which is nice. “We wanted to be physical, fearless and use our forwards up front with the likes of myself and Leicester who are keen to get downhill on the carry. I think we showed that tonight.” Having seemingly delivered a definitive step forward in the last two weeks, the next quest for Robertson’s All Blacks is to continue that trajectory to prove they have turned the corner. Further evidence, at this point, is required. “It’s something we’ve spoken about. We haven’t backed up well,” Tupaea said. ”We’ve had big performances at Eden Park and then fell off the week after so it’s very satisfying for this group. It’s nice now to have three weeks off and with that performance, it’s a good stepping stone into the northern tour.” Sat, 04 Oct 2025 20:17:48 Z /news/sport/all-blacks-v-wallabies-world-media-reacts-to-all-blacks-bonus-point-win-in-perth/ /news/sport/all-blacks-v-wallabies-world-media-reacts-to-all-blacks-bonus-point-win-in-perth/ How the world’s media reacted to the All Blacks’ 28-14 win against Australia at Optus Stadium. All Blacks v Wallabies rivalry ‘at its most one-sided’ Tom Decent, Sydney Morning Herald The Wallabies and All Blacks rivalry is officially at its most one-sided after the men in gold slumped to a record 11th consecutive defeat to their trans-Tasman rivals in a bruising second Bledisloe Test in Perth. Hopes of a fairytale farewell for James Slipper were dashed as the Wallabies fell 28-14 in front of 60,113 supporters in their final home game of the year. Australia’s bid to secure a vital top-six world ranking before December’s World Cup draw remains in limbo. Between 1967 and 1978, the Wallabies endured 11 matches without a victory against New Zealand (10 losses and a draw), but are now 0-11 against the All Blacks since 2020. A dreadful Australian lineout performance in slippery conditions – the Wallabies gave away three of their first five throws – cruelled any momentum or field position they managed to build. All Blacks ‘far from perfect’ Louis Chapman Coombe, PlanetRugby Scott Robertson’s side were far from perfect, but four tries and three Damian McKenzie kicks were enough to steer them to a record-breaking 11th successive win over Australia, further tightening their grip on the Bledisloe Cup. They didn’t have it all their own way, though, with Australia in the fight right until the final whistle. New Zealand were now out for the kill, looking to make sure of an 11th-straight win over their nearest and dearest. A string of penalties gifted them possession in the Wallabies 22, resulting in replacement prop George Bower powering over and bringing the curtain down on an enthralling Rugby Championship tie. Perth performance a ‘step back’ for Wallabies Ian Ransom, Reuters Quinn Tupaea scored two tries as New Zealand fended off Australia 28-14 in rainy Perth on Saturday to give themselves a chance of Rugby Championship glory. Having replaced Billy Proctor in the number 13 jersey, Tupaea rewarded coach Scott Robertson’s faith with two well-taken tries to put the All Blacks up 17-9 at halftime. A week after pushing the All Blacks in a 33-24 defeat at Eden Park, Perth was a step back for Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies who failed to deliver prop James Slipper the win he deserved in his 151st and final test. Australia had their chances but managed only one try to Len Ikitau in the final quarter, with their decision-making often awry and their line-out a mess for much of the night. They have now slumped to 11 successive defeats against their Trans-Tasman rivals, blanked 2-0 in the bilateral Bledisloe Cup. Flyhalf Tane Edmed, given the number 10 jersey at the expense of James O’Connor, started brightly but ended up having another forgettable night. Wallabies ‘their own worst enemies’ Christy Doran, the Roar A tournament that started with such hope for the Wallabies finished disappointingly in the wet after being well beaten by the All Blacks 28-14 in Perth on Saturday night. By going down to their trans-Tasman rivals, the All Blacks not just went back-to-back against the Wallabies after their hard-fought win last weekend in Auckland, but made it 11 wins on the trot against their neighbours – a winning streak that dates back to 2021. On a wet night at Perth’s Optus Stadium, the Wallabies were their own worst enemies and ensured it was a miserable evening for their home fans. Joe Schmidt’s men gave away 14 penalties and lost two of their best in 2025 to yellow cards. Rubbing salt into the wound, Tom Hooper’s yellow card for an illegal cleanout came after Allan Alaalatoa dived over to score what would have been one of the Wallabies’ best team tries all year. Unlike other tests this year, the Wallabies couldn’t blame anyone either despite Englishman Matthew Carley being hot on the whistle all evening. ‘Not always inspired’ Florian Porta, Rugbyrama Forced to win to keep a chance of winning the title, the New Zealanders ensured the bare minimum against Australia. Not always inspired, the All Blacks were able to show realism and patience to get the attacking bonus point in the last seconds. As attractive as they were clumsy, the Wallabies made too many mistakes to hope to topple their opponents. After a first penalty missed by Damian McKenzie, Tane Edmed adjusted his kick to unlock the Australian counter. On the restart that followed, the Wallabies made a mistake and immediately offered an opportunity to the New Zealanders who went into touch. After a feint of the ball carried, Leroy Carter picked up the ball and finished strongly. Thanks to a penalty conceded by the All Blacks, again on the restart, Edmed reduced the gap. Allan Alaalatoa then thought he had put his team back in front but saw his try finally disallowed for an illegal clearance by Tom Hooper, sanctioned with a yellow card. A numerical inferiority perfectly managed since Edmed even allowed his team to go ahead thanks to his boot. Australia seemed to be on top but struggled to translate their dominance on the scoreboard. Quite the opposite of New Zealand, who took advantage of two Australian inaccuracies to strike. Accompanied by the rain on the return from the locker room, the thirty players showed clumsiness. Stunned by this missed end of the first half, Australia multiplied the fouls, allowing McKenzie to widen the gap with his foot. All Blacks ‘broke their form fluctuations’ Liam Napier, NZ Herald On a wet Perth evening the All Blacks delivered their first back-to-back victories of this year’s Rugby Championship to notch a record run of successive wins against the Wallabies. Missing starters Caleb Clarke, Beauden Barrett, Ethan de Groot and Tupou Vaa’i through injuries, the All Blacks rode a 17-9 halftime lead to record 11 wins in a row against the Wallabies to eclipse their previous best stretch from 2008-2010. Inconsistency has been the major frustration for the All Blacks this season after a win and a loss against both Argentina and the Springboks. Finally, after securing the Bledisloe Cup for a 23rd straight year at Eden Park last week, Scott Robertson’s men broke their form fluctuations to hand the Wallabies three straight defeats. Quinn Tupaea, after impressive cameos off the bench in recent weeks, led the All Blacks with a man of the match performance from centre – a position he hasn’t started in for the Chiefs in five years. Tupaea imposed his direct presence from the outset to set up the opening try for Chiefs teammate Leroy Carter. He then scored two tries before Rieko Ioane replaced him midway through the second half. Leicester Fainga’anuku marked his return to the test scene for the first time in two years with one notable damaging run from the left wing where he bumped off Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii. And in the other big selection call, Peter Lakai performed strongly in his maiden start at No 8. Sat, 04 Oct 2025 19:15:18 Z /news/sport/sailgp-cadiz-black-foils-in-fight-for-finals-spots-as-sailgp-season-reaches-penultimate-event/ /news/sport/sailgp-cadiz-black-foils-in-fight-for-finals-spots-as-sailgp-season-reaches-penultimate-event/ Consider Geneva an opportunity missed for the Black Foils.  After winning the opening race of SailGP’s maiden voyage on the lake in Switzerland, they weren’t able to reproduce the feat. Instead, they found themselves finish in eighth place for the event which equalled their worst result since joining the league.  The event was a learning experience, as teams sailed with only three on board in the extremely light conditions which meant on the rare occasion that the boat got foiling, they had to do the work of the usual six-strong crew.  “It’s difficult. You have to multitask, but it’s the same for everyone and we quite enjoyed the challenge,” Black Foils wing trimmer Blair Tuke told the Herald.  “We sailed some great races, but also some quite badly executed races too, which cost us dearly, really, in the end.”  With the result, the New Zealand crew fell from first to third on the season leaderboard with just a three-point buffer on the next best team.  Heading into the penultimate event of the season in Cadiz, Spain, this weekend, the Black Foils were looking to solidify that position in the top three, with only the three best teams at the season’s end competing in the grand final shootout.  Blair Tuke: "It couldn't have worked out worse." Photo / Michael Craig  After 10 events of the season, the 12-strong fleet has been whittled down to a point where – barring penalty points – only four teams can realistically qualify for the top three.  Australia lead the way on 76 points, ahead of Great Britain on 75. The Black Foils are then on 73, with season four champions Spain on 70. The next best team is France on 56 points.  France can mathematically work their way into the top three with two regattas left, but would likely need to win both events and have two of the teams above them perform uncharacteristically poorly.  “Obviously, Geneva, it went from being what could have been a really good weekend for us to a disaster, really, in the end. It couldn’t have worked out worse with the way the points unfolded in that last race, but that’s the way it goes,” Tuke said.  “You’ve got to be better than that and execute when it matters. We didn’t, and we paid the price dearly because the way the points fell, we were on the wrong side of it. We’ve been on the other side plenty of times too, where we just make it in, but this one really cost us.  “There’s plenty to take out of it. A lot of sailing in a three-person configuration, so we’re definitely a stronger unit for it now and we’ve just got to look forward to trying to execute a great weekend here.”  In three previous visits to Cadiz, the Black Foils have finished mid-fleet in fourth, sixth and fifth, but have won races at the venue in the past. In season four, it was their first event back on the water after a collapsed wingsail saw them miss an event and a half.  “We know this place, we like sailing here. It’s the fourth time visiting Cadiz, so it’s important as we go into the penultimate event that we put a good weekend together and go into Abu Dhabi with confidence and with points on the board.”  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, 03 Oct 2025 02:32:06 Z /news/sport/all-blacks-v-australia-live-commentary-from-optus-stadium-on-newstalk-zb/ /news/sport/all-blacks-v-australia-live-commentary-from-optus-stadium-on-newstalk-zb/ The Bledisloe Cup is back in storage for another year but the Rugby Championship remains up for grabs for all four teams going into the final round.  The All Blacks and Australia are set to clash once again, following on from New Zealand’s 33-24 victory last week at Eden Park.   They’re facing off at a sold-out Optus Stadium in Perth and 九一星空无限talk ZB will be bringing you all the action.  Join Elliott Smith from 10:30pm on Saturday as he’ll be providing live commentary from the ground at Optus Stadium.  Listen live on 九一星空无限talk ZB or iHeartRadio. Fri, 03 Oct 2025 00:36:28 Z /news/sport/asb-classic-government-puts-5m-towards-roof-for-manuka-doctor-arena/ /news/sport/asb-classic-government-puts-5m-towards-roof-for-manuka-doctor-arena/ The Government has today announced a $5 million investment in a new Centre Court roof for Auckland’s Manuka Doctor Arena.  The covered venue will mean an end to rain cancellations and delays and assist in attracting players, with many other short and long-term benefits.  “I’m thrilled our recent support package for major events and tourism will help secure the future of this important sporting asset for Auckland and New Zealand,” Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston said.  “Stanley St is an iconic venue and has played host to at least a million spectators over the years, with hundreds of matches from high-profile tennis stars including Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Serena Williams.  “Today’s investment not only future-proofs Centre Court against the weather but also expands the types of events which can be held there, attracting more visitors and supporting our economy.  “It will also increase seating capacity and give more Kiwis the chance to experience world-class sporting action.”  The Government’s $5m investment will support Tennis Auckland in co-funding its Centre Court Roof project, estimated to cost $15m and planned for completion in 2027.  Artist's impression of the proposed roof at Manuka Doctor Arena, home of the ASB Classic. Graphic / Supplied  Earlier this year Auckland Council agreed an initial injection of $1.5m towards the overall project, which encompasses 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.  ASB Classic organisers were also aware that the size of centre court 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.  The new roof will also provide an indoor concert option for the city.  Artist's impression of a concert under the proposed roof at Manuka Doctor Arena. Graphic / Supplied  This is the first infrastructure investment announced in the Government’s new $70 million Major Events and Tourism Package, designed to energise the events sector, boost visitor numbers, and drive economic activity across New Zealand.  “If we want to continue to attract world-class events to New Zealand, we need to have world-class facilities to go along with them,” Upston said.  “Tennis Auckland already works really hard to promote and host what is a showpiece sporting event for New Zealand.  “This roof will mean more certainty for organisers, players and fans alike, and I love that we’re able to announce baseline funding to support it.  “Upgrading existing events and tourism infrastructure like this bolsters associated activities in our cities and regions and improves the overall visitor experience.  “This is a first announcement, but local communities and businesses up and down the country will benefit significantly as we make further decisions, particularly around our hugely popular cycle trails.”  The planned interior under the proposed roof at Manuka Doctor Arena, home of the ASB Classic. Graphic / Supplied  According to Tennis Auckland chief executive Rohan West, they had little choice but to build a roof.  It needs to safeguard the future of the ASB Classic fortnight, given the constant threat of potential new tournaments in Australia, Asia and the Middle East.  The extended area will bring other side benefits, with space for two fullsize basketball, volleyball or netball courts, four 3x3 basketball courts and an international-standard futsal court.  “It will open up the Manuka Doctor Arena centre court for far more community sports events and third-party sports activities,” said West.  Demolition of the Robinson stand began in August. Beyond that will be landscaping, retaining walls, drainage works, power and data ducting, and everything else necessary to get the site ready.  At tournament time in January, a temporary grandstand will be 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.  “It’ll be a far better experience,” said West. “Better views, higher [seat] backs, more comfortable.”  The new structure will also include a luxury section, with plush seats and food and drink delivered to the stand, named the Pohutukawa Terrace.  The entire redevelopment, encompassing the roof, has been costed at $15m.  Thu, 02 Oct 2025 21:01:30 Z /news/sport/tab-racing-club-to-close-as-entain-focuses-on-core-betting-business/ /news/sport/tab-racing-club-to-close-as-entain-focuses-on-core-betting-business/ The TAB Racing Club is set to wind down, with the business case for the experience-based programme no longer stacking up for operator Entain Australia and New Zealand. Modelled off sister company Ladbrokes’ popular Racing Club, the TAB Racing Club was launched last year, giving members the chance to experience the thrill of racehorse ownership without the cost. It has been well-patronised, with about 18,000 New Zealand TAB customers joining the club. They have experienced several highlights over the past year, starting with their first win at Ascot Park last November when Bella Ragazza scored for trainer Robert Dennis. The Mark-Walker-and-Sam Bergerson-trained In Haste has been a standout for the club, carrying their silks to victory in two of her four starts and finishing runner-up in the Group 3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie last month. The TAB Racing Club’s latest victory came this past weekend when Transcend posted her second consecutive win for trainers Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray at Te Rapa, much to the delight of several club members, who got to experience the full race-day ownership experience. While the club has been a hit, it requires a $2.5 million annual investment to operate and Entain has decided that business model is no longer viable. “This is a disciplined, responsible decision that allows us to get back to basics – selling bets and delivering strong returns to the New Zealand racing industry,” Entain Australia and New Zealand chief executive Andrew Vouris said. “We are focused on our core business of responsibly selling bets and creating innovative products, while ensuring the horses are well cared for with their new owners, and our customers enjoy the experiences they’ve already secured,” Vouris said. “This decision is about discipline, focus and doing what’s right for the long term – winning, but not at all costs.” The TAB Racing Club currently has 28 thoroughbred and standardbred horses in its ownership and Entain has commenced a process to sell the club’s horses, which involves independent appraisal. It said animal welfare will be a key priority as part of this process. Entain said it will honour all existing Racing Club experiences through to the end of New Zealand Cup Week in Christchurch in November. – LOVERACING.NZ 九一星空无限 Desk Thu, 02 Oct 2025 00:36:13 Z /news/sport/black-caps-v-australia-rachin-ravindra-ruled-out-of-chappell-hadlee-series-with-facial-laceration/ /news/sport/black-caps-v-australia-rachin-ravindra-ruled-out-of-chappell-hadlee-series-with-facial-laceration/ Rachin Ravindra has been ruled out of the Black Caps’ Chappell-Hadlee series with Australia, after suffering a facial laceration in training. The 25-year-old collided with an advertising hoarding during a fielding drill on Tuesday, and suffered a deep cut that has required stitches. Acting captain Michael Bracewell had labelled Ravindra as “touch and go” after the accident, but the Black Caps will take no risks. The all-rounder was in line to bat at No 3 for the Black Caps in the three Twenty20 matches, but will now leave the squad to heal. “We’re all really disappointed for Rachin to be forced to miss the series,” coach Rob Walter said. “Rachin is obviously an important player for us, but his health and wellbeing is our top priority, and so the decision was made to send him home to recover with an eye to being available for the England series in two weeks’ time.” Wellington’s Tim Robinson looms as the likely replacement for Ravindra in the batting order, with wicketkeeper Tim Seifert and Devon Conway looming as the contenders for the top three spots. All-rounder Jimmy Neesham has been called into the New Zealand squad to replace Ravindra, at a time where the Black Caps are finalising their stocks for next year’s Twenty20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. “We’re lucky to be able to call on Jimmy who brings all of his experience and all-round capabilities,” Walter continued. “It’s going to be a big night at Bay Oval and I know we’re all looking forward to getting the Chappell-Hadlee underway.” Australia have also been hit by injury before Wednesday’s series opener. All-rounder Glenn Maxwell suffered a fractured wrist while bowling in the nets, and has returned to Australia, with his place taken by wicketkeeper Josh Philippe. Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016. Wed, 01 Oct 2025 01:40:38 Z /news/sport/all-blacks-v-wallabies-eroni-clarke-on-how-he-hid-national-anthem-performance-from-family-ahead-of-bledisloe-cup-opener/ /news/sport/all-blacks-v-wallabies-eroni-clarke-on-how-he-hid-national-anthem-performance-from-family-ahead-of-bledisloe-cup-opener/ Eroni Clarke has faced countless high-pressure moments in his career, but none quite like secretly preparing to sing the New Zealand national anthem before the opening Bledisloe Cup test. He had to keep it a secret from his family, including his son, All Black Caleb Clarke, for two weeks. There were emotional scenes at Eden Park on Saturday before the All Blacks hosted the Wallabies when Clarke started belting out God Defend New Zealand, and it wasn’t until the English verse when his son realised who was singing, reducing him to tears. The pair had a brief exchange prior to the haka and then Clarke missed his son scoring the opening try of the test after three minutes, which the All Blacks went on to win 33-24 to retain the Bledisloe Cup. Clarke, who works as a Pasifika engagement manager at New Zealand Rugby, was approached by the events team and asked him if he’d be interested in singing, recalling his appearance on The Masked Singer in 2022. After attending a sound check before the South Africa test at Eden Park, he was then asked if he would consider doing it against the Wallabies – and Clarke jumped at the opportunity. Speaking to Jason Pine on 九一星空无限talk ZB’s SportsTalk, Clarke said he nearly blew his cover on a few occasions trying to keep the secret from his family. Caleb Clarke (centre) pictured as his father and ex-All Black Eroni Clarke sings the national anthem. Photo / Photosport “I wanted to surprise my wife, my kids and my wider family,” Clarke said. “From a player’s perspective, I just wanted Caleb to focus on the game. “I didn’t want it hanging over him that his dad was going to be singing the anthem or have him thinking about that while he was warming up. So, I thought, ‘I’ll surprise him and let him focus on that.’ “It was quite a challenge, practising the national anthem at home in little bits and pieces. I nearly blew my cover a couple of times.” In typical Auckland fashion, Clarke was late because of the traffic and had to be whisked away from his family upon arriving, which also nearly blew his cover. Once on the field, the 56-year-old, who played 24 matches for the All Blacks during his career, tried to stay hidden to ensure his son didn’t see him. “I look back to my playing days and I’m a wreck off the field, but when I’m on the field and it’s kickoff, I’m at my calmest,” Clarke said. “As we got through the song, I didn’t know how Caleb was reacting, but I really loved hearing the Eden Park crowd singing our national anthem so beautifully. “I went to walk off, but I just thought to turn to my right, there he was walking towards me, tears in his eyes. “He goes, ‘you didn’t tell me, dad’. And I turned to him and said: ‘That’s right, son. Now it’s your turn. Go and play. Give it your best’.” Clarke said he has been inundated with messages since the occasion and he even felt his phone going off while singing. He then had to walk back to his seat in the corporate area, where he was hosting some Pasifika sponsors, and in that time he missed the opening try of the game, scored by his son in his first test of the year. “I didn’t realise until I got back to my seat and my wife turned to me and said ‘It was your son who scored the try’,” Clarke said. “I just thought, wow, that couldn’t have been scripted any better.” Victory for the All Blacks saw them lock away the Bledisloe Cup for a 23rd consecutive year. They face the Wallabies again in Perth on Saturday in their final match of the Rugby Championship. Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news. LISTEN ABOVE Tue, 30 Sept 2025 05:15:55 Z /news/sport/black-caps-v-australia-rachin-ravindra-in-doubt-for-opener-after-freak-field-accident/ /news/sport/black-caps-v-australia-rachin-ravindra-in-doubt-for-opener-after-freak-field-accident/ Black Caps all-rounder Rachin Ravindra could be in doubt for the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy series opener tomorrow after a fielding drill mishap. Ravindra collided with an advertising hoarding, cutting his face. “He just had a little bit of a cut to his face. I think he’s being assessed at the moment, it’s too early to tell what sort of impact that will have on him, but hopefully it’s just a minor graze and he’ll be out there tomorrow with us,” stand-in captain Michael Bracewell said today. Left-hander Ravindra was set to bat at three in the series. Tim Robinson or Bevon Jacobs are the likely options to replace him if he’s ruled out. “We’re sort of just trying to narrow down the thing with Rachin,” Bracewell said when asked about the make-up of the Black Caps’ XI. “He’s going to be touch and go. It’s thrown a little bit of a spanner in the works. I can’t confirm anything, we’re still waiting on how he pulls up.” Ravindra also suffered a facial injury from a fielding mishap before this year’s Champions Trophy, but came back to score centuries against Bangladesh and South Africa as the Black Caps lost the tournament final to India. Australia meanwhile have ruled out Glenn Maxwell after he fractured his forearm in the nets while bowling. Maxwell has been replaced by Josh Philippe who was player of the series in Australia A’s recent series win over India. Tue, 30 Sept 2025 00:58:24 Z /news/sport/all-blacks-xv-coach-jamie-joseph-says-player-depth-will-be-tested-on-northern-hemisphere-tour/ /news/sport/all-blacks-xv-coach-jamie-joseph-says-player-depth-will-be-tested-on-northern-hemisphere-tour/ All Blacks XV coach Jamie Joseph admits the depth in some positions will be well tested on their Northern Hemisphere tour in November. Joseph, the Highlanders Super Rugby coach, has been named to lead the side on their three-match tour. The squad will be largely made up of those players not selected for the All Blacks’ end-of-year tour and several top NPC players. Joseph has met with the All Blacks coaching staff and said the alignment with them was crucial. “Ultimately, my job is to help Razor [Scott Robertson] develop the next tier of player that can go into the team,” Joseph said. “The All Blacks have succession plans in terms of depth charts for players right down to the under-20s.” Joseph said the challenge for him was to develop players in every position, but he highlighted the front row. “If you take nine front-rowers out of the stocks [for the All Blacks’ end-of-year tour], then our job is to develop the next nine guys, so that if they get injuries then they can step up and play test-match footy. “So when you look at 18 front-rowers, then there is a bit of a way to go to make sure they’re ready for test-match footy.” Joseph knows a lot of factors have to be taken into account before his touring side will be finalised. “Rugby teams are forever changing because of injuries and the form is the form and there are currently a bunch of guys that aren’t in the All Blacks that get a chance to show what it takes to be an All Black. “If the injury rate isn’t too bad then we’ll have a strong team but I’m not too fussed in terms of who is going to be available. “It is my job that through the NPC we have every position covered if we get those injuries.” Joseph admits that last weekend they lost to injuries three or four players who had been on their charts and therefore as a coach he needs to be flexible. The All Blacks XV squad will be announced on October 14, with the team heading to England on October 24. He said not a lot of coaching would be done prior to the tour. “My core role is to bring the players together and making sure we play to our potential and ultimately go out there and win.” All Blacks XV 2025 schedule Sunday, November 2 All Blacks XV versus Barbarians, Gtech Community Stadium, Brentford, kick-off 1.15am NZT (13.15 GMT). Sunday, November 9 All Blacks XV versus England A, The Recreational Ground, Bath, kick-off 1.15am NZT (13.15 GMT). Sunday, November 16 Details TBC – RNZ Tue, 30 Sept 2025 00:53:39 Z /news/sport/ufc-320-carlos-ulberg-eyes-spot-as-title-fight-back-up-a-week-after-knockout-win-in-perth/ /news/sport/ufc-320-carlos-ulberg-eyes-spot-as-title-fight-back-up-a-week-after-knockout-win-in-perth/ Business first, celebration second. As Carlos Ulberg stood in the UFC octagon, Perth crowd going wild after his first-round knockout win over Dominick Reyes, it wasn’t the fans the Kiwi light heavyweight addressed first. After cutting a promo for the broadcast cameras, the 34-year-old made a beeline for UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell cageside to discuss his next move. Ranked at No 3 in the division, on a nine-fight winning streak and a first-round knockout of a two-time title challenger in his first main event, Ulberg is in the box seat to be the next man to get a shot at the crown. But it’s a shot he’s ready to take much sooner than anyone could have anticipated. With the light heavyweight title being contested in Las Vegas this weekend, Ulberg told the Herald he was ready to go again. “I said to Hunter when I was in the cage, I said, ‘hey, fly to me to Vegas and I will be the back-up for the title fight.’ He said he will chat to the guys and it could be a possibility, but we can definitely fly to Vegas, so they’re going to put me on the next flight to Vegas.” Carlos Ulberg knocked Dominick Reyes out in the main event at UFC Perth. Photo / Getty Images It was a premeditated move. Ulberg admitted as much, saying he went into Sunday’s bout against Reyes prepared to compete in back-to-back weeks. That doesn’t just mean getting into the octagon to fight, but cutting weight as well. While non-title fights allow athletes to weigh in one pound above their weight class, there is no such wiggle room with the belt is on the line. Ulberg weighed in at championship weight – 205lbs – against Reyes. Even if he doesn’t get the call-up, to be officially confirmed as the back-up fighter to Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira for a title shot, Ulberg will have to make that mark on the scales again this week. It’s a move often used by the UFC to ensure they have a contingency plan in place should one of the athletes in a title fight be forced out during fight week. Carlos Ulberg has offered to be the back-up to the UFC light heavyweight title fight in Las Vegas on Sunday. Photo / Finn Little “The opportunity is always going to be there, but I want it now and I know that I’m ready for it,” Ulberg said of volunteering to be the back-up just a week after he had fought. “I don’t think anyone’s ever done this, and it’s all about breaking the rules, man. I want to be the first one that had had a fight and [then] the next week fight for the title. Records, man, that’s what I’m trying to break.” Against Reyes, Ulberg did everything he needed to in order to confirm himself as a title contender. He was sharp, avoided damage and made a statement with the finish. “With this fight particularly, I didn’t want to go to a second round. If I had to, then all good, but with Reyes, I figured out his range a lot earlier. Whenever the guys are in there with me, they understand. “I said this earlier. I said, when he feels my power, he’s going to understand. I think he felt the first hook and he knew that he didn’t want to walk into that again.” As for who he’d rather fight for the title, Ulberg only had one thing on his mind. “I’m going to be the backup. I believe that I’m going to fight next weekend.” 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, 29 Sept 2025 02:14:07 Z /news/sport/mccausland-durie-backs-nweke-s-plea-for-dame-noelines-silver-ferns-coaching-return/ /news/sport/mccausland-durie-backs-nweke-s-plea-for-dame-noelines-silver-ferns-coaching-return/ Silver Ferns interim mentor Yvette McCausland-Durie says she wasn’t caught off guard by shooter Grace Nweke’s public outcry for Dame Noeline Taurua to return to her role as coach for the upcoming Constellation Cup against Australia. Nweke made the plea in the post-match ceremony after New Zealand’s last-second 57-56 win over South Africa in Invercargill on Sunday night, which saw them claim a Taini Jamison Trophy series sweep. The campaign has been overshadowed by the decision to drop Taurua 10 days out from the first test, after several players voiced concerns over an unsafe environment. That led to a review and, after Netball New Zealand was “unable to resolve” the issues, Taurua was stood down, a decision which many former players including Larua Langman disagreed with. While some players have danced around the matter, Nweke made her intentions clear, declaring to Taurua: “We love you and we miss you and we want you back here.” With three weeks until the first test against the Diamonds on October 17 in Melbourne, attention now turns to whether those matters can be resolved as the Silver Ferns look to defend their title. Speaking to the Country Sport Breakfast on Gold Sport, McCausland-Durie said she supports any decision backed by the team. “There’s always been that bubbling of real challenge for players like Grace, who deeply believes in having Noeline there,” McCausland-Durie. ”I’ve just wanted to respect those relationships that have existed. “There obviously has been and continues to be a process to work through with Netball New Zealand and with Noeline, and my role has been about how do we get them on court, make sure they’re united and collective and where they’re heading, and that’s been our focus.” McCausland-Durie had been out of the coaching game for two years when she got the phone call to take charge of the Silver Ferns for the series. After finishing up with the Central Pulse in 2023, her focus had been re-opening Tipene St Stephens school in Auckland, which she did earlier this year with her husband Nathan Durie, where they serve as co-principals. The players have a week off at home before entering a five-day camp to prepare for Australia, so it’s likely a decision on Taurua will need to be made before then. Following the Constellation Cup, there is also a tour of the UK, so any changes will need to be finalised sooner rather than later. McCausland-Durie was non-committal on whether she would take the reins again if called upon. “I’ve always been here to make sure that we could do what we can do to uplift and uphold the Silver Ferns,” McCausland-Durie said. “I have enjoyed that process, but have never, you know, come in to go, right, I want to take the job. I don’t know all the detail, and I’ve chosen not to, whether that’s ignorant or not. “It’s a process that’s running, it’s not something that we’re in charge of or in control of, so just allow that process to work its way out.” If Nweke has it her way, it’s clear that Taurua would be back. “I think it’s remiss to celebrate this success without acknowledging our Noeline Taurua and the work she’s done for this team,” Nweke said on Sky Sport, as she tried to hold back the tears. “It’s been really hard for this group, obviously with the change, and adjusting on the fly, and I’m so proud of the girls for banding together to put out a performance and take it three-zip. “A special thank you to Yvette and La, who have come in to support this group, who have been able to lead our group and keep us together. We could not have done this without them, so we’re very blessed to have them support us. “Noels, you’ve done so much for this group, and the work you’ve done this whole year, you deserve to be here and we want you back.” Mon, 29 Sept 2025 01:30:36 Z /news/sport/ryder-cup-result-europe-hold-off-usa-fightback-to-win-ryder-cup/ /news/sport/ryder-cup-result-europe-hold-off-usa-fightback-to-win-ryder-cup/ Europe have retained the Ryder Cup, winning it on American soil for the first time since 2012 despite just one singles victory on the final day. Thirteen years ago, it was the Miracle at Medinah but today it was the Americans who almost pulled off their own miracle at Bethpage Black after trailing by the biggest ever margin going into the singles matches. After struggling for the first two days, the USA took it down to the final four matches before Shane Lowry secured the vital half point needed when he shared his match with Russell Henley. Ludvig Aberg was the only European to win a match as the Americans took out six matches with five ties that could have easily swung either way. Luke Donald becomes the first captain to win the Ryder Cup both home and away. The Europe team celebrate with the Ryder Cup after winning the 2025 event at Bethpage Black. Photo / Getty Images “I’m extremely proud to be part of this team. I’m extremely proud of every single one of the players, the VCs, the captain,” Europe’s Rory McIlroy said. “All the backroom support staff. This was an unbelievable collect effort. As soon as we won in Rome we turned around and put our attention to trying to do something that everyone thought was pretty impossible to do. Not just win it in America but win here in New York. It’s been an amazing week.” Europe began the day needing two and a half points to secure the 14 needed to retain the Ryder Cup and that changed to two points before the first match when Viktor Hovland withdrew from his match with Harris English due to a neck injury. Under a captain’s agreement, when a player withdraws through injury, the singles match is halved. A rule the USA may want changed for future events considering how close it came. Much like the opening two days, very quickly there was blue across the leaderboard with Europe leading four of the first match matches, including Matt Fitzpatrick going out to five-up over Bryson DeChambeau through seven holes. But it turned red as America finally found some fight and with six of the 11 singles matches through the front nine - the home team were leading four to two and they finished the stronger. First Cameron Young sank a birdie on the 18th hole to beat Justin Rose by 1 up before Justin Thomas did the same, to edge Tommy Fleetwood 1 up at the last. With Xander Schauffele thrashing European star Jon Rahm 4 and 3 it was suddenly game on. Ludvig Aberg was the only European to get a win, beating Patrick Cantlay 2 and 1 while DeChambeau pulled off a remarkable comeback to share the match with Fitzpatrick. The match-up between world No 1 Scottie Scheffler and No 2 Rory McIlroy didn’t really live up to the hype, with Scheffler coolly closing it out at the last. JJ Spaun won the rookie match-up against Sepp Straka 2 and 1, leaving the USA needing four wins from the final four matches to complete the comeback. However, with Henley leading Lowry at the last hole, the Irishman made a key birdie putt to secure the Ryder Cup. “I’ve been so lucky to experience amazing things in this game...that was the hardest couple of hours of my life.” Lowry said. “I just can’t believe that putt went in. I said to Darren [caddie Darren Reynolds] walking up 18 ‘I have a chance to do the coolest thing in my life here’. The Ryder Cup means everything to me. I won the Open in Ireland, it was amazing a dream come true but Ryder Cup for me is everything. To do that today on the 18th green in front of everyone.” It looked like the first Ryder Cup draw since 1989 was on the cards until Tyrrell Hatton earned a half point in the penultimate match with Collin Morikawa which confirmed the win for Europe. Hatton admitted he was hoping it wouldn’t come down to him. “To be honest it was one of the hardest days I’ve felt on the golf course. Going out in the 11th match, you’re hoping everything is wrapped up but you still want to take pride in your individual record. But the US lads put up an incredible fight. It was to be expected. They are amazing players. “Selfishly I was really hoping it wouldn’t come down to me and the last five, six, seven holes were just horrible to be honest. But at the end of the day I’m just so happy we managed to win.” Europe 15 USA 13- Europe win Ryder Cup Singles matches Robert MacIntyre halved Sam Burns Tyrrell Hatton halved Collin Morikawa Rasmus Hojgaard lost to Ben Griffin 1 up Shane Lowry halved Russell Henley Sepp Straka lost to JJ Spaun 2 and 1 Rory McIlroy lost to Scottie Scheffler 1 up Matthew Fitzpatrick halved Bryson DeChambeau  Ludvig Aberg beat Patrick Cantlay 2 and 1  Jon Rahm lost to Xander Schauffele 4 and 3 Tommy Fleetwood lost to Justin Thomas 1 up Justin Rose lost to Cameron Young 1 up Viktor Hovland halved Harris English - Hovland withdrew with injury Sun, 28 Sept 2025 23:26:27 Z /news/sport/former-national-champion-tennis-player-dies-in-auckland-aged-94/ /news/sport/former-national-champion-tennis-player-dies-in-auckland-aged-94/ Four-time national tennis singles winner and pioneer of the sport in New Zealand Judith Tinnock has died in Auckland aged 94. In 1954 Tinnock also became one of the first New Zealand women to ever compete at the prestigious Wimbledon tennis tournament. She had to travel for six weeks on the Ruahine passenger ship in order to compete, her family told the Herald. Playing under her maiden name Burke, she reached the third round of the singles, along with the quarterfinals of the women’s doubles with Heather Robson, and her prize was five pounds. Judith Tinnock was a multi-time national champion, winning four singles titles which saw her become the number one ranked player in New Zealand. Photo / Milford Tennis Club Her biggest achievement was playing on centre court at the All England Club, and reaching the semi-finals of the mixed doubles with Mark Otway - which qualified them both as members of the Last Eight Club, an exclusive club for tennis players who have reached the quarterfinals or better. Tinnock’s daughter Angela said the family is “very proud” of her achievements. She was a multi-time national champion, winning four singles titles which saw her become the number one ranked player in New Zealand. She also won four doubles titles with Elaine Stephan. Tinnock kept playing the sport into midlife and her later years, winning still more titles playing in the seniors division. Tinnock passed away at her home in Albany, Auckland on September 16 and a celebration of her life is being held in Torbay on Monday afternoon. Catherine Woodward from the Milford Tennis Club, where Tinnock was a member for more than 70 years, described her as an “amazing lady” who was gracious and welcoming to all. Judith Tinnock with former NZ pro Marina Erakovic at the Milford Tennis Club in 2019. Photo / Supplied Tinnock’s death comes weeks after the passing of Evelyn Webster, who was the first New Zealand woman to play at Wimbledon. Competing under her maiden name Attwood, she played on four occasions from 1951-54. Born in Taranaki in 1931, Tinnock made the move to Auckland to pursue opportunities in tennis. She came from a sporty family - her older brother Peter Burke played 12 games for the All Blacks, including three tests. He then went on to coach the All Blacks during the infamous 1981 Springboks tour. Former NZ tennis pro Shelley Bryce (L) with Judith Tinnock (R). Photo / Milford Tennis Club After returning from Wimbledon, she married New Zealander Bill Tinnock, who competed in the men’s coxed four at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, and won medals at the 1950 and 1954 Empire Games. The couple ran the local chemist in Torbay for several years, had two children and were married for nearly 62 years until Bill’s death in 2017, the same year her brother died. In 2018, Tinnock was given the honour of breaking ground at the official ceremony held to launch the start of construction at the redeveloped Milford Tennis Club. Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news. Sun, 28 Sept 2025 21:53:00 Z /news/sport/all-blacks-v-wallabies-world-media-reacts-to-bledisloe-cup-opening-win-for-hosts-at-eden-park/ /news/sport/all-blacks-v-wallabies-world-media-reacts-to-bledisloe-cup-opening-win-for-hosts-at-eden-park/ How the world’s media reacted to the All Blacks’ 33-24 win against Australia at Eden Park. ‘Utterly frustrating’ Jonathan Drennan, Sydney Morning Herald The Eden Park fortress holds for another year and the Bledisloe Cup will stay in New Zealand. That was an utterly frustrating test; sometimes it is the hope that gets you in sport. The Wallabies were absolutely in contention to win this, but fell short. The Wallabies remain without a win at Eden Park since 1986 and their chance of winning the Bledisloe Cup is also gone. The Wallabies could not get on the right side of referee Andrea Piardi all game, particularly at the breakdown with a late yellow card to Harry Potter being a cruel loss when the winger was competing for the ball on his feet. There were parallels to the loss against Argentina in Sydney, a bad start and an inability to win the aerial contest. Costly simple errors also haunted them, notably with James O’Connor missing touch with a penalty on the 53rd minute that completely swung the game back to New Zealand. There are causes for optimism; it’s a sell-out in Perth next week in the return test, Will Skelton and Rob Valetini are back. There is absolutely no reason they cannot win their final test of the Rugby Championship against New Zealand. ‘Whistle happy’ referee costs Wallabies Christy Doran, the Roar Heartbreak again. The All Blacks’ Eden Park fortress remains after holding off a brave Wallabies side 33-24 in Auckland on Saturday evening. Joe Schmidt’s men trailed by just two points in the 70th minute after Carlo Tizzano scored, but the men in black landed the match-winning blow five minutes later as Cam Roigard returned from injury to score under the posts and kill off the Wallabies’ Bledisloe Cup hopes. By winning, the All Blacks extended their winning run at Eden Park to 52 tests. It also ensured the All Blacks held on to the Bledisloe Cup for a 23rd straight year ahead of next weekend’s sold-out clash in Perth, which also acts as the Rugby Championship finale. The Wallabies weren’t helped by a whistle-happy Andrea Piardi – the same Italian referee who was the man in the middle of the controversial and heartbreaking loss to the Lions in Melbourne – who came down hard on the men in gold in the second half. Several 50-50 calls went the way of the All Blacks, including the penalty and subsequent yellow card to Harry Potter for hands in the ruck that led to the match-winning blow. ‘Refereeing was a big talking point’ Lachlan Harper, Channel Nine The All Blacks’ unbeaten streak at Eden Park has extended to 52 matches after a 33-24 win over the Wallabies in the first Bledisloe test. New Zealand’s win means the Bledisloe Cup has been retained, having not lost it since 2003. With seven minutes remaining and the All Blacks leading 26-24, the Wallabies looked like they were a chance. However, winger Harry Potter was yellow-carded for his work in the ruck as the All Blacks attacked. The refereeing was a big talking point in commentary, with the Wallabies penalised 14 times compared to New Zealand’s 10. Potter’s yellow card was particularly contentious, with his attempt to pilfer judged to have come after the ruck was formed. Ultimately, discipline is what cost the Wallabies with the All Blacks kicking three penalty goals. All Blacks hold off Wallabies fightback Nick Mulvenney, Reuters Cam Roigard scored two tries on his return from injury as the All Blacks held off a Wallabies fightback to prevail 33-24 in a hard-fought Rugby Championship test on Saturday and maintain their grip on the Bledisloe Cup for another year. Tries from Caleb Clarke, Leroy Carter and scrumhalf Roigard gave New Zealand an early 17-point lead, but Australia, who last held the Bledisloe Cup in 2003, were within two points of the lead when flanker Carlo Tizzano crossed 11 minutes from time. Wallabies winger Harry Potter was shown a yellow card in the 73rd minute, however, and the All Blacks made the most of the extra man to send Roigard in for his second try and extend their unbeaten run at Auckland’s Eden Park to 52 tests over 31 years. The victory also sent New Zealand to the top of the Rugby Championship standings ahead of Argentina’s clash with South Africa in the penultimate round of the competition later on Saturday. All Blacks ‘made to work hard’ David Skippers, PlanetRugby The All Blacks were made to work hard before clinching a 33-24 triumph against a spirited Wallabies side in their Rugby Championship test at Eden Park on Saturday. In a fast-paced and entertaining encounter, both sides stayed true to their attacking roots although the hosts got the rub of the green in the end as they outscored their opponents by four tries to three. Cam Roigard led the way as he crossed for a brace of tries while Caleb Clarke and Leroy Carter also crossed the whitewash for the All Blacks. The host’s other points came via a penalty and a conversion from Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie added a conversion and two penalties. For Australia, Billy Pollard, Harry Potter and Carlo Tizzano dotted down while their other points came via the boot of James O’Connor, who succeeded with three conversions and a penalty. The victory means New Zealand extend their unbeaten record at Eden Park to 52 tests while they also retain the Bledisloe Cup for the 23rd successive year. The men in black also move to the top of the Rugby Championship table for the time being with South Africa and Argentina set to face off later on Saturday. ‘Ray of light for the All Blacks’ Liam Napier, NZ Herald After their darkest day, a ray of light for the All Blacks. Further evidence is required on the basis of their patchy form this season but by banking the Bledisloe Cup for a 23rd straight year and extending Eden Park’s fortress status for the second time in three weeks, the All Blacks released the pressure valve for now at least. We’ve witnessed a similar scene countless times in the past 22 years. The All Blacks, backs to the wall after their heaviest defeat in history against the Springboks in Wellington, returning to their spiritual home in need of a decisive response against the familiar foe. The backlash, reaction, onslaught, duly arrived as the All Blacks rattled off three tries in 24 minutes to fashion a seemingly commanding 17-point lead. But, unlike previous fragile yet overconfident Wallabies outfits, Joe Schmidt’s men have developed a depth of character and resilience this year. With the lion’s share of front-foot ball, the All Blacks should have put the Wallabies away much earlier. But as they have in every match this season, the Wallabies refused to surrender. Carlo Tizzano’s try with 11 minutes remaining closed the gap to two points and sparked nervous tension from the 46,437 crowd, only for Potter’s yellow card to kill off hopes of another late great Wallabies’ comeback. When Jordie Barrett and Quinn Tupaea combined for a slick inside ball to send Cam Roigard over for his double, the All Blacks could finally breathe. The Bled is safe for another year. Sat, 27 Sept 2025 20:04:02 Z /news/sport/england-claim-women-s-rugby-world-cup-title-beating-canada-in-final/ /news/sport/england-claim-women-s-rugby-world-cup-title-beating-canada-in-final/ Alex Matthews scored two tries as tournament hosts and favourites England ended their long wait to win a third Women’s Rugby World Cup title with a 33-13 victory over Canada in a Twickenham final on Saturday. Victory in front of a record crowd of 81,885 gave England their first world title since defeating Canada 21-9 in the 2014 final in Paris - a match in which No 8 Matthews played - and third in total following their 1994 triumph. This success also extended England’s record run to 33 consecutive wins, with the Red Roses having won 63 of their past 64 matches - the lone blemish a defeat by New Zealand in the Covid-delayed 2022 final. In the post-match trophy presentation Canada’s Sophie de Goede was named World Rugby women’s player of the year while Black Ferns winger Braxton Sorensen-McGee was named breakthrough player of the year. It was a much-needed win for an England side whose temperament had been repeatedly called into question after five defeats by New Zealand in the previous six World Cup finals. England enjoyed a significant 21-8 half-time lead after outscoring Canada, appearing in just their second final, three tries to one in the opening 40 minutes. Canada’s Asia Hogan-Rochester opened the scoring as early as the fifth minute before England hit back through Ellie Kildunne, Amy Cokayne and Matthews. First five-eighth Zoe Harrison converted all three of those tries in front of a crowd that comfortably surpassed the previous highest attendance for a stand-alone 15-a-side women’s international of 58,498 at Twickenham for England’s 2023 Six Nations match clash against France. England’s forward power proved increasingly telling and lock Abbie Ward’s try early in the second half put the Red Roses in command at 26-8 before Matthews, after a period of sustained Canada pressure, scored her second try 11 minutes from time. England and Canada, first and second in the world rankings respectively, were unchanged from their semi-final wins, with Canada hugely impressive in dethroning double defending champions New Zealand 34-19 and England less convincing in defeating France 35-17. Canada, who launched a crowd-funding campaign to help bolster their dreams of World Cup glory, struck first against the Red Roses - the best-resourced team in the women’s game. Hogan-Rochester’s well-judged grubber kick gave Canada excellent field position, with the Maple Leafs then disrupting the ensuing England line-out before the left wing sprinted in down the touchline. Goal-kicking lock de Goede was unlucky to see her conversion bounce back off the post. Canada’s lead lasted just two minutes, however, as England hit back through Kildunne, the world player of the year. The fullback, fresh from two tries against France, left two defenders in her slipstream as a typical slalom run saw her score a superb try between the posts. England’s forwards, with Sadia Kabeya outstanding, then scored in familiar fashion when a driving maul ended with hooker Cokayne being shoved over for a 19th-minute try. Even though Canada, with several players at clubs in England’s Premiership Women’s Rugby competition, knew what was coming their way, they were unable to deal with their opponents’ forward power in the 26th minute. Halfback Natasha Hunt peeled away from the base of an advancing England scrum and nearly scored herself before releasing Matthews, who dived over for a try. De Goede landed a simple 34th-minute penalty to cut England’s lead to 13 points. It seemed England had another driving maul try minutes later but it was disallowed for offside following a review by the television match official. But England did have a fourth try in the 50th minute, when, following several close-range drives, Ward powered over Canada’s line. England, however, were soon reduced to 14 players when hooker Hannah Botterman was yellow-carded for dump-tackling Canada veteran Karen Paquin. Hogan-Rochester made the advantage count, exploiting an overlap out wide to score her second try of the final in the 53rd minute to cut England’s lead to 26-13. Canada, with Botterman still in the sin-bin, kept pressing for another try only to spoil a promising position near England’s line with a knock-on from a tap penalty. Matthews then put the result beyond doubt, driving low and hard, for a try converted by Harrison as England posted a 14th consecutive win over Canada. Canada have been training with headphones on to prepare for the raucous atmosphere during the Women’s Rugby World Cup final against England at Twickenham. An expected 82,000 sell-out crowd in London will break the attendance record for a women’s rugby match, with the majority set to be roaring on England. Canada wing Asia Hogan-Rochester revealed the unusual training technique being used ahead of the final. “We did a really cool training exercise of just putting headphones on so we couldn’t hear each other and just really focusing on communication,” she said on Wednesday. “We’re kind of a team that reads each other’s minds when we play so I’m just really excited for it. We’re locked in. “I feel like after a certain amount of thousands, it’s all just noise and you can’t hear each other either way.” Hogan-Rochester represented Canada at last year’s Paris Olympics, when 66,000 watched the opening day of the women’s rugby sevens programme at Stade de France. Canada’s squad initially had crowd noise from a football match played into their ears during the experimental training session. But, due to problems syncing the sound, a large speaker was brought in, with the headphones kept on to continue hindering communication. “Just to get used to the noise and not being able to hear each other because we know that will be a factor,” Canada head coach Kevin Rouet said. “It was just to also change the synergy of the practice, having more fun and releasing the pressure. It was just an idea. Whether it works or not, we will never know.” Canada will be aiming to cause a major upset at Twickenham. They have never won the World Cup, losing their only previous final against England in 2014. England are aiming to lift the trophy for the third time, having lost the previous two World Cup finals against New Zealand. “This squad definitely plays without limits. There’s no perfect game of rugby but I feel there’s still so much to give from the team,” said Hogan-Rochester, whose side shocked New Zealand in the semi-finals. Sat, 27 Sept 2025 19:35:30 Z /news/sport/black-ferns-v-france-allan-bunting-s-side-claim-women-s-rugby-world-cup-bronze/ /news/sport/black-ferns-v-france-allan-bunting-s-side-claim-women-s-rugby-world-cup-bronze/ Black Ferns 42 France 26 The Black Ferns have finished on a high. After crashing out of the Rugby World Cup title hunt in the semifinals, the New Zealand side beat France 42-26 in the playoff for the bronze medal. For all the disappointment last week, the performance against France was much more akin to what Allan Bunting’s side were capable of – at least for 60 minutes of the contest. And as for the bronze medal match being tagged as the match no one wants to play by fans and pundits, the Black Ferns embraced one more opportunity to perform in this cycle. The closure of the Black Ferns’ World Cup campaign brings with it some questions about what the next cycle might bring. Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, who came out of retirement to help their cause this year, was teary-eyed on the sideline after being replaced in the 57th minute. The statuses of Georgia Ponsonby, Alana Bremner and Amy Rule for 2026 are all up in the air as they head to England to play in the 18-round Professional Women’s Rugby competition which runs into June. Coaching roles are up for renewal. In a test where both sides were playing with the freedom of teams with nothing to lose, that played right into the Black Ferns’ wheelhouse. Playing with more decisiveness and conviction than they displayed against Canada, they were not shaken by the early French pressure. Eventually, things started flowing for the New Zealand side and they put points on the board quickly. After a shaky outing against Canada, fullback Renee Holmes was back to her best in a player of the match performance, winger Braxton Sorensen-McGee again showed her finishing ability, Logo-I-Pulotu Lemapu-Atai’i Sylvia Brunt was smart with ball in hand, while Jorja Miller constantly pressured the breakdown looking to turn the ball over. It was far from a perfect outing. Defensively they were ripped open several times, with several missed first-up tackles and France finding space behind the Black Ferns’ defence with some smart chip kicks. In the final 20 minutes, the French gave the Black Ferns a taste of their own medicine, backing themselves with ball in hand and scoring tries in quick succession to cut into what was a massive deficit at that point. With the win, the Black Ferns hold on to their spot at No 3 in the world rankings, behind finalists Canada and England. For the fourth time in six tournament outings, the Black Ferns conceded the first points of the game. After testing the New Zealand side with her decision-making and kicking early, it was impressive veteran halfback Pauline Bourdon Sansus who scored the first try of the game after 10 minutes. That lead lasted less than five minutes, as a slick inside pass from Brunt set Ruahei Demant up for a try under the posts. Tries to Brunt, Holmes and lock Laura Bayfield saw the Black Ferns take a 26-7 lead into the break. Two tries to Sorensen-McGee and a penalty from Holmes saw that lead pushed out to 39-7, before France scored three tries in 10 minutes to close the gap. Ultimately, the Black Ferns’ lead was far too much to run down as they closed out the win to end their season on a high. Black Ferns 42 (Braxton Sorensen-McGee 2, Ruahei Demant, Logo-I-Pulotu Lemapu-Atai’i Sylvia Brunt, Renee Holmes, Laura Bayfield tries; Renee Holmes 3 cons, 2 pen) France 26 (Pauline Bourdon Sansus, Lea Champon, Gaby Vernier, Emilie Boulard tries; Carla Arbez con, Lina Tuy 2 cons) HT: 26-7 Sat, 27 Sept 2025 19:30:56 Z /news/sport/all-blacks-v-australia-live-commentary-of-the-bledisloe-cup-test-on-newstalk-zb/ /news/sport/all-blacks-v-australia-live-commentary-of-the-bledisloe-cup-test-on-newstalk-zb/ The Bledisloe Cup is back for another year, with the Wallabies looking to get their hands on it for the first time since 2003. Daytime test rugby. Eden Park record back on the line. The great rivalry continues for the 180th time on Saturday.  Both teams are coming off a loss, with the All Blacks seeking to bounce back from their worst-ever loss to South Africa a couple weeks ago.  Get your fill of the action on 九一星空无限talk ZB, starting with a very special build up to the match, Jason Pine broadcasting live from the All Blacks Fan Zone at Eden Park from 3pm.  Once the game kicks off, join Elliott Smith, Piney, and Ant Strachan for live commentary, both teams grappling for the victory.  And when all is said and done, join Piney once more for the post-match cooldown and share your thoughts on how it all played out.   Listen live from 5pm on 九一星空无限talk ZB or iHeartRadio.  Fri, 26 Sept 2025 01:58:22 Z /news/sport/severe-weather-watches-in-place-as-all-blacks-test-faces-rain-threat/ /news/sport/severe-weather-watches-in-place-as-all-blacks-test-faces-rain-threat/ Severe weather is predicted for most of New Zealand from today and could impact the All Blacks test against the Wallabies at Eden Park. Strong wind watches, with gusts of 100km/h possible, have been issued for much of the central part of the South Island, as well as Wellington and Wairarapa. MetService also expects a freezing night ahead for the South Island, with road snowfall warnings issued for Milford Rd, the Crown Range Rd, Lindis Pass, Haast Pass, Arthurs Pass and Lewis Pass. A line of heavy showers is also expected to hit the South Island, with a risk of thunderstorms because of fast-moving fronts passing over the country. “During spring, fronts line up like waves in the sea. There will be blustery northwesterly winds and decent showers,” MetService meteorologist Michael Pawsley said, “especially for western parts, as each one rolls through. “As winds strengthen, the swell will also pick up, so keep a close eye on the marine forecast if you’re looking to take the boat out.” The rain is likely to reach Auckland in time for the All Blacks’ first Bledisloe Cup test against Australia on Saturday. MetService said it will be a sunny morning, but those going to the game might need a raincoat to prepare for the line of showers that will move across Auckland in the evening, with thunderstorms and wind gusts also possible. More rain is expected to hit the South Island on Sunday alongside warmer temperatures for Christchurch and Kaikōura, which might hit 21C, and Napier and Hastings which are predicted to hit 24C. Plenty of wind and rain is expected across New Zealand this weekend. Photo / MetService “Sunday looks to be a great set-up for warmer temperatures in eastern regions thanks to the Foehn effect,” Pawsley said. “This happens when rain falls on the West Coast and Southern Alps, it releases heat. The warm, dry air then descends on the Canterbury Plains. “This Foehn wind mirrors what occurs in the Alps of Europe.” Thu, 25 Sept 2025 04:12:33 Z