News of New Zealanders via Global Media

Breaking Waves

Breaking Waves

The Auckland-based team set to compete in Australia’s National Basketball League has been christened the New Zealand Breakers, after consultations with players and public. According to Tall Blacks star Pero Cameron – who has been lured…

Captain Kirk

Captain Kirk

Aucklander Kirk Penney is one of the brightest stars on the American college basketball circuit. Penney captains and is the highest point-scorer for the Wisconsin Badgers, a team he has lead into the top 16. A…

Age No Barrier

Age No Barrier

16-year-old New Zealander Chris Pither came second in the Formula Ford Track Attack at Albert Park, Melbourne. Pither has been racing since the age of seven, and already has three national karts titles to his credit….

Joining the Hoop

Joining the Hoop

A NZ team is to join Australia’s National Basketball League next year, in a move sure to raise the sport’s profile even higher in this country. The Auckland-based franchise is yet to announce its name and…

The Woman with the Whistle

The Woman with the Whistle

Kirstin Daly has been made the first woman in Australasia to coach a men’s basketball team at national level. The former NZ women’s captain is to take the helm at Hawke’s Bay. Says club management; “[The…

Owens Takes Top Title

Owens Takes Top Title

NZ’s Carol Owens has taken over as women’s squash world No.1 after the retirement of Australia’s Sarah Fitzgerald. The Women’s International Squash Players’ Association announced the new rankings after Owen’s win at February’s Arader & O’Rourke Tournament…

Sir Ed Reflects

Sir Ed Reflects

Sir Edmund Hillary is celebrating the 50th anniversary of his Everest climb with a round of fundraising for The Himalaya Trust. “When I look back over my life, I have little doubt that the most worthwhile…

Owens Squashes the Competition

Owens Squashes the Competition

NZ’s Carol Owens has won her sixth Kuala Lumpur Open Squash Championship, taking her world title count to an impressive 21. Owens crushed Australian rival Natalie Grinham 9-3 9-0 9-2 in the women’s final in Malaysia.

Miles Ahead

Miles Ahead

NZ athlete Nick Willis continues to run rings around his American college-mates. The University of Michigan student clocked the nation’s fastest 3,000m time for the year to date at January’s Red Simmons Invitational. Ironically, it was Willis’…

Elevator Not Included

Elevator Not Included

NZ runners Jonathan Wyatt and Melissa Moon won the men’s and women’s categories at the World Towerthon in Malaysia. The event involves an 800m run from the Kuala Lumpur Tower entrance, followed by a grueling climb…

Sun Sets on “The People’s Horse”

Sun Sets on “The People’s Horse”

NZ mare Sunline, Australasia’s grand lady of racing and a champion that uniquely inspired anthromomorphic devotion, ended her five-year domination of Australian tracks with a brave final run at October’s Cox Cup. The winner of 32…

Running Man

Running Man

Lower Hutt born Nick Willis is the University of Michigan’s latest star athlete. Still in his freshman year, he is already the No. 2 cross-country runner on campus. The best seems yet to come; according to…

“It’s All About That Fern”

“It’s All About That Fern”

The Cinderalla New Zealand Tall Black’s sensational hoop dreams soared as they hustled and impressed their way into the semi finals of World Championships (Indianapolis). Sports Illustrated calls them the ‘thunder from

Gold, Silver and Bronze Fern

Gold, Silver and Bronze Fern

All-comers finished in the green and gold shadow of Australia, but New Zealand completed a successful Commonwealth Games campaign, finishing a credible 5th on the medal table, with 11 golds in rugby sevens, cycling (Sarah Ulmer…

Snell Still Streaks Ahead

Snell Still Streaks Ahead

Sebastian Coe reminisces about the grand days of athletics, when athletes focused on ambitious all-round feats. For a middle- distance runner, “no championship season was complete without a tilt at the 800m-1500m double.” He cites NZ legend…

Greatest Games’ Moments

Greatest Games’ Moments

An Observer run-down of the 10 greatest Commonwealth Games’ moments gives two spots to NZ achievers. No. 4: one of the finest middle distance races run, the 1974 1,500m race between John Walker and Tanzania’s Filbert Bavi…

Haka Mancunian Style

Haka Mancunian Style

New Zealand athletes received a special welcome on their arrival at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester. After getting the green light from the Maori Minister of Education, students from Tarvin Primary School (Cheshire) performed an enthusiastic haka…

Chop Till You Drop

Chop Till You Drop

NZ axemen Jason Wynyard and David Bolstad came out ahead in the points race at the 8th Annual Ducks Unlimited Great Outdoors Festival in Memphis, Tennessee. Over 72,000 people attended the Festival, with the Stihl Timbersports stage…

Young Man and the River

Young Man and the River

Fly-fishing enthusiast Andy Pietrasik raved about his recent trip to the rivers of the South Island. Following his guide up the river in search of fish made him feel like “Ernest Hemingway’s shadow,” so perhaps…

Wonder Mare

Wonder Mare

NZ-bred wonder mare Sunline is set to race on in the spring, poised to continue a record breaking run of victories. Presently Sunline is one race short of the record for group one wins set by…

Paralympics Gold

Paralympics Gold

New Zealand’s only representatives at the Paralympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Rachael Battersby and Steve Bayley, do their country proud winning four gold and two bronze medals between them. “We didn’t have too many expectations”,…

Conquerors’ Offspring in Everest Assault

Conquerors’ Offspring in Everest Assault

Forty-nine years and a generation or two on, Peter Hillary, son of Sir Edmund, and Tenzing Tashi, grandson of Norgay, will make their own assault on Mount Everest next month to launch a year of celebrations…

Everest Celebrations

Everest Celebrations

Sir Edmund Hillary’s 54-year old son Peter will attempt to ascend Mount Everest this month, as Nepal approaches 50th anniversary celebrations of Everest’s first successful ascent in 1953.

These Limbs Were Made for Climbing

These Limbs Were Made for Climbing

Kiwi mountaineer Mark Inglis successfully completes the journey to NZ’s highest peak, Mt Cook, without a piece of kit he’d come to take for granted on all previous expeditions – his legs. “With my artificial limbs…

Chopper

Chopper

Jason Wynyard, New Zealand’s World Champion Axeman, along side countryman and defending champion Dave Bolstad, is featured in an article previewing the STIHL Timbersports Series. “Lumberjacking: the epitome of sportsmanship… gain an understanding…

One Love

One Love

Anna Kournikova, “the tennis temptress whose courtships tend to garner more attention than her shot selection”, completes her 99th WTA tour singles event – the Auckland Classic – in the same way she ended the previous…

Celebrity Race

Celebrity Race

Former Olympic 100m champion Linford Christie narrowly beats rugby star Jonah Lomu in a 50m novelty race set up to promote next year’s Commonwealth Games in Manchester. “When he pushed out of the block I thought, he’s been…

Kiwi Success Not So Ethereal in Melbourne Cup

Kiwi Success Not So Ethereal in Melbourne Cup

Melbourne Cup winner Ethereal continues a proud tradition of winning New Zealand horses as well as opening a new chapter in Cup history. For the first time a female trainer, Shelia Laxon from Cambridge, is behind…

Hoop Dream

Hoop Dream

The Tall Blacks NZ Basketball Team has shocked Australia, winning their 3-game series to earn a place among the world’s top basketball nations at the World Titles next year. Says NZ coach Tab Baldwin: “Today, it’s a…

Granted Respect

Granted Respect

“About a third of the 96 professional sailors competing in the Volvo Ocean Race are New Zealanders. But only one, Grant Dalton, commands instant recognition and awed respect from his international peer group as well as his…

Six Months in a Leaky Boat

Six Months in a Leaky Boat

Has the round the world race – now the Volvo Ocean Challenge – lost its edge? Sir Peter Blake thinks so. “In the 1970s, adventurers in leaky oilskins set out to sea in yachts that by…

Galaxy Star

Galaxy Star

NZ professional soccer player Simon Elliot kicked his first goal of the season – and ensured his Los Angeles Galaxy team victory in front of 17, fans.  

Blyth Spirit

Blyth Spirit

“Blyth Tait headed a clean sweep for New Zealand when he rode his Olympic and world champion, Ready Teddy, to win the Burghley Pedigree Horse Trials.”  

Rip Roaring History

Rip Roaring History

Surfer Maz Quinn has made history: he’s the first New Zealand surfer to qualify for the Surfing Professionals’ World Championship Tour. “This is a huge result for Maz and for New Zealand sport in general,” says NZ…

Kiwi Driver Up to Speed

Kiwi Driver Up to Speed

“When Scott Dixon first came to Chicago Motor Speedway two years ago, he was an 18-year-old competing in the developmental Indy Lights series. At Sunday’s Target Grand Prix, he was outdriving the veterans on the CART circuit.”…

Big Jump

Big Jump

“New Zealander St Steven completed a rare double and put himself in contention to be named Australia’s champion jumper for 2000-01 with his win in the $120,000 A.V.Hiskens Steeplechase at Moonee Valley yesterday.”

Once More Around the Track

Once More Around the Track

Driving-man New Zealander Scott Dixon turns twenty-one, old enough to have a drink to celebrate being the youngest-ever winner in major open-wheel racing.  

Riding High

Riding High

Kiwi wonder-kid jockey Michael Walker rides  for Aussie trainer Lee Freedman at the Anniversary Cup in Queensland.  

Van Dyke Taken to Heart

Van Dyke Taken to Heart

Former South African International Netballer Irene Van Dyke picks up public choice player of the year as New Zealand fans claim her as one of their own.

International Peak

International Peak

New Zealand-born Rhys Millen drives over the competition, posting a record-breaking 11 minutes, 58.53 seconds in the 79th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.  

Jolly Jodphurs

Jolly Jodphurs

“Suave, tanned and wearing tight white jodphurs,” New Zealander Peter Grace is Britain’s best polo coach, teaching the rich and trendy to swing mallets and retain a firm seat at Ascot Park Polo Club.  

Gentleman Amateur

Gentleman Amateur

Mourning the days when tennis players had urbanity and looked like professors, Howard Jacobson, first time Wimbledon-watcher turns to the past for solace: “Bored with it, I take a turn around the museum and spend…

Kitchen Cleans Up

Kitchen Cleans Up

Kiwi Shelly Kitchen squashes the opposition, taking out the YTL Women’s Open title. The win was the second in a row for Kitchen, also the winner of the Singapore Open.  

Tri-series Netted

Tri-series Netted

New Zealand wins over it’s down under rivals to win tri-nations series.  

Riding High

Riding High

New Zealand riders let their legs do the talking for the Pittsburgh Cycling Club.  

Bugger Knocked off for Nearly Fifty Years

Bugger Knocked off for Nearly Fifty Years

It’s 48 years since Sir Edmund and Tenzing put themselves on the roof of the world.  

Captain Cayless

Captain Cayless

Sydney laments 22-year old Nathan Cayless’s decision to follow his Maori heritage home and captain the New Zealand league side.  

Running Man

Running Man

Adrian Blincoe, promising young NZ middle-distance runner, helps the Villanova Wildcats to a historic victory in the Men’s Distance Medley at the NCAA Penn Relays.  

Marathon Mania

Marathon Mania

The Times previews the mania of marathon running and the annual London race with a history of jogging and the Kiwi who changed the way the world thinks about running. In advocating that “running is not only…

Kiwis in League

Kiwis in League

Former New Zealand league international Dean Bell eyes fellow kiwi Frank Endacott’s job as coach for Wigan: “When Frank’s finished with the job, I want it”.  

Running Hard

Running Hard

Friends of edge-bred Paul Hewitson “lionise his iron constitution. After one bachelor party that ended at 5am, Hewitson slept for an hour then rose for a 15-mile jaunt. When insomnia strikes, he gets up and runs to…

Runner’s Trots

Runner’s Trots

An urgent need for the toilet is the most common reason long-distance runners pull out mid-race, according to a New Zealand Medical Journal study.  

Fast and Blur

Fast and Blur

New Zealand Olympic playmaker Mark Dickel, shooting it up for Australian NBL team the Victoria Titans moves at two speeds – “fast and blur”.

Majors Story (Almost)

Majors Story (Almost)

The amazing story of Travis Wilson: “A New Zealander needing only four years to reach the highest level of America’s national pastime? That would have been a made-for-TV movie.” Also, Wilson has a “huge future,” says 

Still The Best

Still The Best

Leilani Joyce remains squash #1, trailed by New Zealand-based world champion Carol Owens.  

Kiwi Brave

Kiwi Brave

“The sight of New Zealand’s Travis Wilson in an Atlanta Braves uniform seems as bizarre as anything you might see in Disney World. Especially when you consider that until four years ago Wilson had never played…