NZ’s Jonathan Paget Wins Badminton
New Zealander Jonathan “Jock” Paget, 29, became only the second person to win the Badminton horse trials at the first attempt, says The Telegraph. Paget, a former bricklayer who only started riding at 18,…
News of New Zealanders via Global Media
Words of Praise for Lions Coach
World Cup-winning former All Blacks skipper Graham Henry believes New Zealander Warren Gatland, 49, is the perfect choice as Lions coach. “Warren is an outstanding coach with a wealth of experience,’ says Henry,…
Britten Bike Revs Up for Isle of Man Lap
One of the most iconic racing motorcycles of all time, the Britten V1000, brainchild of Christchurch-born John Britten, returns to the track on 26 August as part of the inaugural Classic TT Races…
Kentucky Eventing Win for Nicholson
Seven-time New Zealand Olympian Andrew Nicholson, 51, has won the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event in the United States. Nicholson maintained his lead after the cross-country riding Quimbo, jumping a careful clear round in the…
Sean Maitland: Scotland Rugby’s Newest ‘Kilted Kiwi’
Sean Maitland, ex-Canterbury Crusaders and now Scotland rugby winger has one of his two wishes. He’s just been selected for the 2013 British and Irish Lions tour of Australia. Whether he gets the other…
Waddell Says Glasgow Will Host ‘amazing’ Games
Rob Waddell, head of the New Zealand Commonwealth Games team, told The Scotsman he is confident that Glasgow will host an ‘amazing’ Games next year. Speaking at the end of a four-day visit, Rob…
Pat Lam Relishes Leading Connaught Rugby
Pat Lam is looking forward to coaching Connaught, one of four Irish teams in rugby’s Heineken Cup, writes Gerry Thornley, in The Irish Times. In Galway for only eight days, Lam told Thornley he…
Persistent to the Chequered Flag
It’s hard to ignore New Zealand IndyCar driver Scott Dixon’s consistency, according to the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin’s Robert Morales. “After an up-and-down first four years in IndyCar, he has not finished lower…
Meteoric Rise for Victory Star
Twenty-one-year-old Melbourne Victory attacker Hamilton-born Marco Rojas has won the Johnny Warren Medal as the A-League player of the year, doubling the amount of votes second-placed Italian soccer legend Alessandro Del Piero, 38, received….
All-American from Taranaki
Originally from Waitara, Terai Sadler, 20, who plays basketball for Crowder College in Missouri, “can claim something no other Lady ‘Rider has – and perhaps very few around the nation – she’s the school’s…
Michigan Ace
Christchurch-born Barrett Franks, 21, is playing the “best tennis of his collegiate career” for the University of Michigan. Franks’ talent was widely known in New Zealand. Such talent earned him a spot on the…
Man from the Deep
Thirty-two-year-old New Zealander William Trubridge, holder of 15 freediving world records, knows intimately the literal depths of the planet’s waters, Matthew Link writes for The South China Morning Post. “With no…
Alongside Her Idol
Top-ranked amateur golf player in the world, New Zealander Lydia Ko, 15, partnered with American professional Michelle Wie at Mission Hills Country Club in California, where the first major of the women’s…
Flat tack for Oxford
The 10th ever New Zealander competed in the historical Easter Oxford & Cambridge Boat Race, rowing for the Oxford side. Sam O’Connor, 25, never thought it possible for a kid from Christchurch to contest…
On the Way to His NBA Dream
Seven-foot-tall Rotorua-born Steven Adams plays basketball for the University of Pittsburgh. “A 19-year-old with size-19 shoes, inhabiting a new world, enjoying a pit stop on the way to his NBA dream.” A “compelling” story…
King of the Hill Returns
New Zealand racing legend Rod Millen “conqueror of Pikes Peak – the world’s ultimate hillclimb event, is one of those rare men who competes in cars that he conceived and built.” Millen, “a firm…
Absolutely the Real Deal
Christchurch-born teenager Scott McLaughlin, 19, continues to impress with slick showing in Albert Park V8 Supercars Challenge warm-up. McLaughlin, a Garry Rogers Motorsport driver, was impressive in the opening practice sessions of the Challenge…
Erakovic Scores WTA Title
‘Run up the flags. New Zealand finally has a winner again,’ said Bob Greene of World Tennis Magazine. He was talking about Marina Erakovic winning her first World Tennis Association (WTA) title. The win…
Ryan Nelsen Scores Coaching Position
Former All Whites skipper Ryan Nelsen, has his first-ever coaching job, at Toronto FC. He faces a huge task trying to turn the club around, writes Sonja Cori Missio in The Guardian. Nelsen was…
First in Memphis
Marina Erakovic, 24, has became the first New Zealander, since Belinda Cordwell in 1989, to win a Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) title, lifting her first career trophy with a truncated triumph over third-seeded German…
Sonny Bill Eyes Up World Cup
Sonny Bill Williams, New Zealand’s most versatile sportsman, may be available for New Zealand for the 2013 Rugby League World Cup says Brad Walker, in The Age. Williams plays for the Sydney Rooster rugby…
NZ Women’s Cricket Player Issues ‘Wakeup’ Call
Susie Bates, New Zealand women’s cricket captain, was named Player of the Tournament at the 2013 women’s Cricket World Cup. Bates scored 407 runs in the competition, and was named captain of the tournament’s…
Lydia Ko ‘Just Incredible’
Steve Williams says he’s almost lost for words when it comes to fellow Kiwi Lydia Ko’s achievements, according to The Age. Williams has caddied for Tiger Woods, Greg Norman, Raymond Floyd and now Adam…
Cup Hope in Culture
Team New Zealand can’t match billionaire Larry Ellison’s budget in the America’s Cup this year so it’s relying on sailing nous for what managing director Grant Dalton sees as a last chance to reclaim…
Looking Back at the Beginning
In the year of McLaren’s 50th anniversary celebrations, a new short film directed by leading Swedish music-video maker Marcus Söderlund, sheds light on McLaren’s very human back-story – namely that of New Zealander Bruce McLaren,…
Unleashing the Brapp
“A.J. Fairbairn mashes the 1966 Ford GT Mark II’s throttle, unleashing the brapp of its NASCAR V-8 as it echoes off the safety walls of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” Todd Lassa writes for Motor…
On the Wing for Scotland
Tokoroa-born Sean Maitland, 24, made his Scotland debut against England in the RBS 6 Nations Championship opener against England on 2 February at Twickenham, scoring the first try of the match. Maitland qualifies for…
Another Record Pocketed
Professional pool player Macau-based Rocky Lane has broken his own jump-shooting world record time, potting 15 pool balls from the table in 11.29 seconds. New Zealand-born Lane is newly invited as…
Century and a Win
Black Cap Kane Williamson, 22, finished unbeaten on 145 from 136 balls before New Zealand fielded their way to a 27-run victory over South Africa in Kimberley. New Zealand secured their first series victory…
Half a Century of Legend
Fifty years ago, New Zealander Bruce McLaren launched a company that has gone on to become one of the greats of world motorsport and on 2 September this year, McLaren…
Where No Man Has Gone Before
New Zealand world record-breaking freediver William Trubridge, 32, is one of the few people on the planet who can dive deeper than WWII submarines without coming up for air. Trubridge talked to Bob Simon…
Tourism At Speed
New Zealand’s newest cross-country Te Araroa Trail is the perfect challenge for British ultrarunner Jez Bragg, 31, who plans to run the track – from Cape Reinga to Bluff – in 50…
Head Coach Role For Soccer Star
Former All Whites captain and Tottenham Hotspur player Ryan Nelsen, 35, has been signed with Toronto FC as head coach. Christchurch-born Nelsen is no stranger to Major League Soccer (MLS), having captained American team…
Solo Protest Paddle Completed
New Zealand-born surfer and activist Dave Rastovich has completed his 350km solo protest paddle mission from Taranaki to Piha, to raise awareness for the nearly extinct Maui’s dolphin and the hazards that seabed mining…
Trail Running Trend Speeds Up
“It is the perfect new year challenge – a week’s journey on foot and at speed through New Zealand’s fairytale valleys,” The Financial Times’ Jonathan Thompson writes. “It is, to put it mildly, a…
Rethinking Team Rankings
Economist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New Zealander Niven Winchester, who studies sports rankings as a hobby, argues that The National Football League (NFL) should rank teams more the way rugby does. Winchester calculates…
Speed Demon Wins In US
New Zealand Paralympic skier Adam Hall, 25, was at Copper Mountain, Colorado for the 2012-13 IPC Nor-Am Cup, where he won two silver medals in the men’s standing competition. Dunedin-born Hall says he likes…
Holding It In For A World Record
Free divers, like New Zealander William Trubridge, 32, are taking extreme sports to new depths, while ever mindful of not being shark bait, reports The Sydney Morning Herald’s Emma Partridge. Trubridge continues to hold…
Knock Out For Life
New Zealand All Black and kickboxer, Hastings-born Hika Elliot, 26, unbeaten in 62 fights, will square off against Australian league player Paul Gallen in the Fight For Life boxing charity event in Auckland on…
Player Of The Year
All Black Dan Carter has been named player of the year in London at the 2012 International Rugby Board (IRB) awards, with Steve Hansen winning coach of the year and the All Blacks the…
Foiled By Fourth Best
New Zealand, the world’s No 1-ranked side, was defeated by England 38-21 at Twickenham, bringing the All Blacks’ unbeaten run of 20 back-to-back wins to an end. It was England’s first win over New…
Nebraska’s Prize Prospect
Huskers point guard prospect New Zealander Tai Webster is considered the prize of Nebraska coach Tim Miles’ first recruiting class. ESPN.com rates Webster as a four-star recruit with the following summation: “Webster is a…
Murdoch Memorialised
Before taking care of business in Wales, the All Blacks made a pilgrimage to the hotel where one of their own went down fighting before disappearing without trace, the Daily Mail reports. They went…
Our Inimitable All Black Captain
Captain “fantastic” Richie McCaw has led the “all-conquering All Blacks” to a 20th successive match without defeat beating Wales 33-10 at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff. No player in world rugby is better in…
Irish Coaching Role for Smith
New Zealander Darren Smith has been named the new Ireland women’s hockey national coach. Napier-born Smith, 39, takes up the role following six years as assistant coach to the New Zealand men’s team who…
When in Rome
The All Blacks continued their European Tour, taking on Italy in Rome on Saturday. Despite winning by a comfortable 42 points to 10 the Italians made the All Blacks work hard for the win,…
All Blacks Kick the Scottish
The All Blacks have enjoyed a great start to their European Tour, beating Scotland 51-22 at Murrayfield on Sunday. Despite a competitive Scottish side, the experienced All Blacks team played in a different league,…
Diamond Blacks Qualify
“Starved of funding, given little public attention, and overshadowed by a more popular close cousin, baseball has had it rough in New Zealand, the sport’s chief executive Ryan Flynn concedes. But all that could…
Impressive Role Reversal
On 10 November New Zealander Glen Jackson will jog out at Twickenham to referee England’s opening autumn Test versus Fiji. It will be Jackson’s first tier one international and represents one of sport’s more…
Wildcat Spark Plug
Hawkes Bay basketball player Everard Bartlett, 26, is fast establishing a reputation as Perth’s spark plug, emerging as yet another scoring weapon for the Wildcats as it looks to build on an impressive 3-0…
Revival Vest a Finalist
The James Dyson Award has nominated 22-year-old Victoria University graduate James McNab as one of 15 finalists in its 2012 design competition. After the death of McNab’s friend Jacob Beck-Jaffurs, who suffered a shallow…
Vertigo Top Yacht
New Zealand has won awards at the latest International Superyacht Society (ISS) Design Awards, held in Fort Lauderdale in Florida. The winner in the category ‘Sailing yacht 40m +’ was won by the ketch,…
Epic Story About Epic Men
A new book about New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay’s ascent of Mt Everest “is one of courage, perseverance and jingoism”, author Justin Cartwright writes for The Observer. “Mick Conefrey’s moving book…
Super Swap for Winger
Canterbury Crusaders winger Sean Maitland, 24, has signed a contract with Super Rugby side Glasgow Warriors and could be eligible for the national team immediately due to his Scottish grandparents. “We’re delighted to be…
Farewell to a Favourite
Sir Wilson Whineray, who captained the All Blacks 67 times between 1957 and 1965, has died in Auckland, aged 77. Judged by renowned rugby writer Terry McLean as the greatest of All Blacks captains,…
Even Harder on Himself
“It would be hard not to describe McCaw as one of rugby’s greats,” Emma Stoney writes for The New York Times. “He is the captain of the most successful team in…
