Semi-Final of Brutal Beauty
“This was the All Blacks as they would love the world to see them: tough, mean, committed and ruthless in every department,” the Guardian’s Robert Kitson wrote after New Zealand smashed Australia with “brutal…
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Wright Has the Edge
Cantabrian and Black Caps coach John Wright “is the coach best placed to lift the Australian team” and has “an affable manner that conceals toughness and a fund of cricketing sense”, according to The…
Swinging Over the Uprights
“You have to love a country that combines two of the greatest sports,” Universal Sports blogger Buzz McClain proclaims. “Rippon Vineyard and Winery is on Lake Wanaka in Central Otago; they make a gorgeous,…
Weepu Does us Proud
New Zealand has secured its place in the Rugby World Cup semifinals with a comfortable 33-10 victory over 2007 third-placed team Argentina at Auckland’s Eden Park, which was packed with a crowd of 57,912….
Qualifying for English Squad
Dannevirke-born Rangi Chase, 25, has been named Super League’s Man of Steel as the competition’s best player, ahead of inclusion in England’s Four Nations train-on squad. The Castleford star has opted to qualify for…
Sprinting for World Cup Status
Top New Zealand road cyclist and seven-time Tour de France veteran Julian Dean, 36, will join new Australian team GreenEDGE for the 2012 season. “With the quality of the team named, I’m confident we’ll…
Swinging Up the Ranks
New Zealand’s Danny Lee, 21, the 2008 US Amateur champion, has won the WNB Golf Classic for his first second tier United States Nationwide Tour title, beating former Georgia star Harris English with a…
Sick Paddling Earns Gold
Rotorua paddler Sam Sutton, 23, is still the fastest extreme kayaker in the world, defending his title with a new course record of 55.84 seconds at the Adidas Sickline Extreme Kayak World…
Tempting Players Back Home
“New Zealand’s incredible dominance of rugby league in recent years is paving the way for a second team to enter an expanded NRL competition,” Daily Telegraph sports editor-at-large Phil Rothfield says. “Exactly 10…
Warriors Prepare for Battle
The Warriors have touched down in Sydney in preparation for Sunday’s NRL grand final having defied the odds to win against the Storm last weekend. Despite claims the team is favoured to win the…
Revelling in Rugby Fervour
“International commentators have revelled in New Zealand’s embracing of the , calling for the small nation to get a chance to host again — regardless of the financial drawbacks for the International…
Milestone Made at Eden Park
“After being awarded a special commemorative cap for becoming the first man to reach 100 All Black caps, captain Richie McCaw told over 60,000 fans at Eden Park that now French demons have been…
More Presence than Santa
Warriors cult hero Manu Vatuvei averages more than 70m a game from inside his own half, providing the type of quick play-the-balls that ignite Warriors marches upfield. “ arguably the most powerful man…
Soccer Challenges the Union
“You don’t have to follow rugby to know that the national team of New Zealand, the All Blacks, are the undisputed kings of this sport,” Wall Street Journal reporters Lucy Cramer and Jonathan Clegg…
Sharing the Medals
Linda Villumsen, cycling for New Zealand, earned silver in the elite women’s race against the clock at the 2011 UCI Road Championships in Copenhagen, while New Zealand cyclist James Oram won a silver medal…
Top of the Podium for Dixon
New Zealand speedster Scott Dixon driving for Ganassi Racing, has won the IndyCar Series’ Indy Japan 300 mile auto race at Twin Ring Motegi in Motegi. And if there’s one word that describes Dixon…
Rock ‘n’ Roll Running
Papakura-born athlete Kim Smith, has broken her personal US all-comers record winning the Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon in 67:10, seven weeks out from the ING New York City Marathon. “I knew I…
Sensitive Golfing
In the space of three weeks this winter, Cape Kidnappers Golf Course was honoured as the most environmentally sensitive golf course in New Zealand, and by GOLF Magazine as the 33rd ranked golf course…
Pass Mark Against Blossoms
All Blacks coach Graham Henry has given his team a pass mark following their 83-7 thrashing of Japan in the Rugby World Cup Pool A match on 16 September. Henry said the…
Worldwide Audience Wowed
“New Zealand were impressive in spots as they got their Rugby World Cup off to a winning start,” according to the Guardian’s Barry Glendenning who gives an in-depth minute-by-minute analysis of the All Blacks…
Understanding Sporting Passion
Award-winning Wellington-born filmmaker Julian Shaw’s “emotive” 211 documentary Cup of Dreams is recommended to Australians so they may gain some insights on how the All Blacks can be beaten in the Rugby World Cup….
World Cup Road Trip
“Ox and his mates are hitting the road to watch their beloved All Blacks play in the Rugby World Cup, making a trip they’ve been working on for months,” Nick Perry explains. “Shortages of…
Smashing Out a World Record
Rotorua-born Valerie Adams has won shot put gold at the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea hurling a huge 21.24m, a world championship record-equalling throw and Adams’ third successive world shot put title. The…
Roughrider Home to Play
New Zealand basketball player Jordan Hunter, who is currently a sophomore at Missouri’s Crowder College playing at point guard for the Crowder Lady Roughriders, has received and accepted an invitation to play for her…
Towering Leader at Inside Centre
Tana Umaga is named at inside centre for the Telegraph series ‘Greatest Rugby World Cup XV’. “ status as a towering leader is not in doubt, as he captained the side to 19 wins…
All Eyes on New Zealand
Social media is being used to help ensure the whole planet can keep up to date with Rugby World Cup action. As New Zealand seems like the end of the earth to many people,…
Rugby Jersey Ruckus
When the All Blacks revealed late July the shirts the team would wear for the Rugby World Cup, which begins in September, it was a proud moment for Adidas, the designer of the uniform…
Everyone is in on It
From Nelson to Dunedin, The Sydney Morning Herald’s Mark Chipperfield nominates the highlights of the Rugby World Cup — on and off field. “New Zealand may not be the birthplace of rugby union football…
Portuguese Win for Emirates
Emirates Team New Zealand, with Dean Barker at the helm, won the first America’s Cup World Series (ACWS) regatta in Portugal with a dramatic come-from-behind move in the winner-take-all fleet race on 14 August….
Big Names Hit Slopes
The world’s largest winter competition, the 1% Pure New Zealand Winter Games, have begun in the Southern Alps with more than 1 winter sports atheletes from over 5 countries participating in the…
American Underdogs Join In
“With the zest notable to rugby players on and off the field, the Americans are delighted to be heading to the home of the All Blacks, with their Maori in-your-face war dance, the Haka,”…
Surge of Visitors for World Cup
Despite a strong New Zealand dollar, international rugby fans haven’t been deterred from organising travel to New Zealand for this year’s Rugby World Cup. The most recent figures forecast 1, more visitors than previously…
Defining Great on Eden Park
New Zealand has beaten Australia 3-14 to claim a record ninth straight Tri-Nations victory, and the Bledisloe Cup, at Auckland’s Eden Park. The World Cup favourites scored tries through Ma’a Nonu, Keven Mealamu and…
Hottest Jockey on the Planet
Nineteen-year-old Cambridge jockey James McDonald is the hottest teenage rider on the planet after a remarkable 12 months of smashing records in New Zealand. McDonald now has his sights on Melbourne’s feature cups double….
Glad to be Red
New Zealand-born forward Jeremy Kyne will play a backup role for the Canadian side at this year’s Rugby World Cup. Canada is extremely well stocked in the back row and he beat out some…
World First of Turf
The world’s first permanently enclosed, natural turf stadium has been completed in Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr stadium to replace the famous Carisbrook House of Pain. The first game of rugby will be held under what…
Taking Care of Carter
Swathe and swaddle him in bubblewrap and don’t drive over any potholes but every time Dan Carter goes into a tackle, a few more threads get fidgeted out of the upholstery writes Mark Reason…
Awe-Inspiring Lines in Wanaka
Day two of the 211 World Heli Challenge, held in the Southern Lakes area, from 27 July through 11 August, saw athletes going “huge with awe-inspiring cliff drops that had the spectators…
Running Them Ragged
“New Zealand produced a dazzling display to run South Africa ragged in an emphatic Tri Nations victory at Wellington’s Westpac Stadium,” reported England’s Daily Mail. The All Blacks crushed the Spring Boks 4-7, with…
Soprano in the Scrum
New Zealand soprano Hayley Westenra has been snapped with a number of burly rugby players, after she was named as the official voice of the Rugby World Cup for audiences in the UK. Westenra’s…
Californian Upset
New Zealand No 1 Marina Erakovic stunned top-seeded and defending champion Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 at the Stanford Classic in California to reach her second quarterfinal of the year. The 23-year-old…
Sailing World Champion
Tauranga sailor Sam Meech has won the Laser Standard Youth World Championships in La Rochelle, France. Of 12 races sailed in the world championship, Meech won eight and finished second in another three. In…
Time For a Change
Tiger Woods says goodbye to long-time caddie Steve Williams after twelve years, 13 majors and 72 tournament wins. Woods and Williams, have been together since 1999. “I want to express my deepest…
Getting Shirty
The New Zealand Rugby Union says it has no qualms with England wearing a black strip at this year’s Rugby World Cup. The Rugby Football Union said England will wear a black kit in…
Dynamic Blair Now a Tiger
New Zealand test forward Whangarei-born Adam Blair, has signed a four-year deal with the West Tigers, to start in the next NRL season. The signing of the Melbourne back-rower/prop has been one of the…
Winning Ways in Edmonton
Taupo double Olympic medalist Bevan Docherty has won gold at the Edmonton ITU Triathlon World Cup. “This course seems to treat me well. I enjoy racing here,” Docherty said. “But the reality is I…
Podium Regular
Classed as the world’s best freeskier, at just 19 Wanaka-born Jossi Wells has already jumped off more mountains and stood on more podiums than most other sportsmen of his age. Wells excels in slopestyle,…
Shot Putting Machine
Auckland 16-year-old Jacko Gill has smashed his own world youth shot put record by nearly half a metre with a throw of 24.35m at the world youth championships in Lille. Gill had three throws…
Fantastic Mr Carter
“ is up to its knees in the slurry that oozes through the earth, a city of condemned houses and broken people,” Telegraph journalist Mark Reason writes. “But rugby goes on. This is New…
Focus on Winning
Described as the world’s best number 1, All Black Dan Carter is focused on one thing: winning. And not just the William Webb Ellis Trophy at the Rugby World Cup, but also as part…
Kirwan’s Japanese Goal
“It’s been five years since coach John Kirwan, an All Blacks hero from the rugby stronghold of New Zealand, took the helm of the Japanese team,” Shuhei Nomura writes for Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun….
Beats Nine-to-Five
Hamilton-born cyclist Brett Tivers has won the Fond du Lac Bicycling Gran Prix Men Pro ½ in Wisconsin, a 9-minute race around the city’s downtown streets. “It’s a good sport,” Tivers said about cycling….
Living His Dream
At the age of 12, Wellingtonian Cole Peverley, who currently plays at midfield for Charleston Battery in South Carolina, travelled to Europe for a youth tournament in 2. He played so well that professional…
On a Whole Other Level
“Getting to rub shoulders with world-class rugby stars like Richie McCaw and Dan Carter is just one of the many benefits young players from around the world are experiencing at the Canterbury and Crusaders…
Audain’s Professional Legacy
Thirty years ago this month Auckland-born Olympic middle and long distance athlete Anne Audain accepted $1, for winning a 15km race in Oregon, launching a lucrative road-racing career while forever changing the sport of…
Pitching For the Cardinals
Christchurch baseball player Alex Dawson, has been pitching for the midget AAA St. Albert Cardinals team and has already experienced some of the major differences between baseball in New Zealand and Canada….
