Master of Sports
Sonny Bill Williams is a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to sports. “SBW,” who has played in both Australia and France, turned down big money offers from other teams to join the New…
News of New Zealanders via Global Media
Filly Claims Barnstorming Win
“Scarlett Lady gave boom New Zealand apprentice James McDonald his first Group One win in Australia when she came with a barnstorming finish to claim the Queensland Oaks,” reported the Herald Sun. “The…
All-Conquering Juniors
The New Zealand under-20 rugby team “are accustomed to chewing up all before them” and chew they did, winning the Junior World Cup final, beating England 22-33 in the final in Padova, Italy. The…
Landing Airborne Records
Fearless Taupo BMX rider Jed Mildon has landed the world’s first ever triple backflip. A representative of the Guinness Book of Records was on hand to witness and approve the dangerous trick. Mildon sped…
Board Made Bespoke
Wellington-based tailoring firm Working Style will make 1 bespoke suits for the management team of the International Rugby Board this year after winning a six-figure contract normally reserved for European companies….
McCaw and Carter’s Pledge
“For once, the phrase ‘Four more years’ will be music to the ears of New Zealand rugby fans,” Emma Stoney writes for The New York Times. “Those three little words brought relief and…
Living Up To Its Nickname
Crewing an America’s Cup 8-foot yacht, NZL41, on Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour is the crowning glory of Edmonton Journal travel editor Karen Booth’s North Island trip. “With more than 1, private yachts, Auckland…
Still Part of the Team
The world’s “most influential player” All Black captain Richie McCaw signs again to 2015. McCaw recommitted to his country and the Canterbury Crusaders Super 15 team with a four-year contract that will allow him…
Sevens Secrets Analysed
New Zealand has clinched the 21/11 HSBC Sevens World Series at Twickenham, taking their tally to nine World Series titles with a tournament to spare. By any standards in modern sport, their…
London Irish Deals
All Blacks second row Bryn Evans has signed a two-year deal with London Irish. The Hastings-born lock, who plays for Super Rugby team the Hurricanes and Hawke’s Bay in New Zealand’s domestic…
In The Nick of Time
Two-time Olympian triathlete Kris Gemmell from Palmerston North has won his first Memphis in May Olympic Triathlon in one of the closest finishes in the event’s 28-year history. Gemmell finished 61 seconds…
Aiming for Competitive Edge
“In what is probably a bit of mid-life crisis I have come up with a solution — trying to get fit and up to speed to play a competitive game of cricket again,” former…
Cricket Star Scales Everest
Former New Zealand wicketkeeper Aucklander Adam Parore has reached the top of Mt Everest. Parore, who represented New Zealand in cricket for more than a decade, climbed the world’s highest mountain to…
Keeping His Shirt On
All Blacks fly-half Dan Carter has announced he has signed a four-year contract to stay in New Zealand after this year’s Rugby World Cup while retaining an option to play overseas for a short…
Californian Yellow Jersey
Cyclist Greg Henderson has claimed the third stage of the Tour of California completing the 192.2km road race from Auburn to Modesto in 5 hours 14 minutes 29 seconds. Juan Jose Haedo of Argentina…
Passion for the Game
What is immediately obvious about John Kirwan, coach of the Japanese rugby side, is his passion for the game that has given him a living for the past 28 years. Auckland-born Kirwan,…
One Opportunity to Get It Right
“’Martin Snedden the former international cricketer now charged with delivering the Rugby World Cup to New Zealand, is clock-watching; has been for the best part of three years,’ the Telegraph’s Paul Ackford writes. ‘We’ve…
Southee Signs with Essex
Northern Districts bowler Tim Southee has signed with Essex for this year’s Twenty2 campaign, which begins in June. Whangarei-born Southee has played 19 Twenty2 internationals for his country, taking 22 wickets with best figures…
Breakers Outdo Taipans
The New Zealand Breakers have thrashed the Cairns Taipans 71-53 to claim Australia’s National Basketball League title in front of a capacity crowd at Auckland’s North Shore Events Centre. The Breakers are the first…
Winning Race Plan
Whangarei-based professional triathlete Samantha Warriner’s greatest moment came just three months after undergoing surgery to fix a career-threatening case of super ventricular tachycardia. Somehow fortune and great doctors smiled on Warriner….
All Blacks May Win Again
Graham Henry’s team will end their series of Rugby World Cup chokes when they host the global tournament for the first time since 1987 believes former Springboks coach Jake White, the man…
Sailor Makes Sporting Rich List
CEO of Oracle Racing Russell Coutts is New Zealand’s highest paid athlete and the only sailor to make the ESPN sporting rich list of athletes from 182 countries. Wellington-born Coutts has won the America’s…
Shift in Strength
Following this year’s World Cup, All Black and Crusaders lock Mosgiel-born Brad Thorn will play for Japanese club Fukuoka Sanix Blues. Thorn, a key component of the All Blacks’ engine room for 5 tests,…
Future in a Gold Shirt
Little-known New Zealand back Mark Harris, that Reds coach Ewen McKenzie recruited to the club this year, has been earmarked as a future Wallaby after a fine start to the year and because his…
Smeltz Joins Perth Glory
New Zealand international Shane Smeltz has “ended weeks of speculation about his future by joining Perth Glory as the club’s marquee player,” Peter Kogoy writes for The Australian. “In one of the recruiting coups…
Top of His Game
All Black Dan Carter has been offered a near-£4million, three-year deal by Jacky Lorenzetti, the millionaire owner of Paris club Racing Metro, which would make him the highest paid player in rugby. Lorenzetti, who…
Another Star Has Been Born
Twenty-one-year-old Stone Brothers Racing driver Shane van Gisbergen had a day he will remember forever earning his maiden victory in the Hamilton V8 Supercars race. Auckland-born Van Gisbergen has come agonisingly close to his…
Diving Without Boundaries
“Shouts of ‘Breathe! Breathe! Breathe!’ pierced the tropical air and echoed off the limestone precipice around Dean’s Blue Hole, a vertical cavern plunging 66 feet, a cobalt blue pool of seawater surrounded by crystal-clear…
Personal Race Track Antics
New Zealand racing competitor and vehicle designer Rod Millen has unveiled his new mile-long asphalt driveway — which doubles as a hillclimb racetrack — in a video which shows Millen behind the wheel of…
London Olympics Prospect
Christchurch-born professional triathlete Andrea Hewitt has placed third in the Dextro Energy ITU World Championship Series triathlon in Sydney. Hewitt is currently ranked sixth in the world. Hewitt, who was sixth after the 15-metre…
World Cup One Big Carnival
Former All Blacks captain Sean Fitzpatrick recommends his favourite haunts ahead of this year’s Rugby World Cup, which he says “will be not so much a sporting event as a national carnival.” Take, for…
Toppling The Big Gun
Raglan’s Billy ‘The Kid’ Stairmand knocked out American 1-times world champion surfer Kelly Slater from the Telstra Drug Aware Pro at Surfers Point in Western Australia inflicting the shock upset on the superstar after…
Don’t Mention Reconditioning
“Mention the words rest, reconditioning and Rugby World Cup in the same sentence to New Zealanders, and they are likely to break out in a cold sweat,” New York Times reporter Emma Stoney writes….
New Zealand Cradle for League
According to this year’s Australian NRL media guide, which lists the birthplace of each first grade and Toyota Cup player, New Zealand has overtaken Brisbane as a cradle for rugby league top-graders, with 67…
Versatile Move
Auckland Blues versatile back Jared Payne is moving to Ulster on a three-year contract where he will play at either wing, centre or full-back. A former New Zealand Under-21 international, Payne made his Super…
Mooloolaba First Place
Whangarei-born Nicky Samuels has won the Mooloolaba Triathlon ITU World Cup event beating a strong international field taking her first victory at this level. Samuels led from the start of the second-stage 4km bike…
Jimmy Choux a Winning Freak
Hastings jockey Jonathan Riddell “is actually making some money after years of racing for scraps,” Andrew Eddy writes for The Age. Earlier this month, a cheque of $65, was deposited into his account after…
Slaying the Cricket Giants
The Black Caps head into the semifinals of the World Cup after beating South Africa by 49 runs at Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka. Man-of-the-match Jacob Oram took two brilliant catches and captured…
Just Like Everybody Else
“The world’s best rugby player” Dan Carter talks exclusively to The Telegraph about how he fled for his own safety during last month’s earthquake in Christchurch, and about how he helped the city in…
Breakers Beat the Kings
Star shooter Kirk Penney netted 26 points for the New Zealand Breakers against the Sydney Kings in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL), with the New Zealand team winning 91-86 in Auckland. Both sides…
Century-Old Tradition To Go On
The All Blacks may continue to perform the haka at international matches after coming to an agreement with the tribe that created it, Ngati Toa Rangatira. There had been fears their chanting days were…
Tighthead Replacement for Ulster
Auckland-born tighthead John Afoa has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract which will see him join Ulster in the autumn as soon the World Cup ends. Afoa is a direct replacement for 31-year-old Springbok BJ Botha…
Erakovic Wins Title in Mexico
New Zealand tennis No. 2 Marina Erakovic won her 1th ITF singles title in the final of the US$25, ($NZ34,) Irapuato Challenger tournament in Mexico on March 14. The 23-year-old, ranked 287 in the…
Motivated to New Heights
New Zealand-born Dylan Hartley has received a lot of stick in the Six Nations but, instead of snapping back, England’s hooker tells The Independent’s Chris Hewett how he’s been motivated to hit new heights….
Downhill Game-Changer
Auckland-based Mike Hodgkinson’s 57kg off-road Mountain Moto is a “game changer” according to motorcycle blog 2Wheel Tuesday, and “takes the best of downhill mountain bikes, paired with a 125cc engine making for an unbelievable…
Learning Curls From the Best
Nelson Ede is the development officer for the only dedicated indoor curling rink in the Southern Hemisphere, which is located in Naseby, Central Otago. Ede is currently in Canada at the 211 Tim Hortons…
Henderson Aims for Yellow
Professional cyclist Dunedin-born Greg Henderson won the second stage of the Paris-Nice cycling race in Amilly, France, on March 7, outsprinting Australia’s Matthew Goss and Russia’s Denis Galimzyanov. “It was a very fast sprint…
Most Influential Player Ever
Jonah Lomu, “a defender’s worst nightmare” is “rugby’s ‘most influential’ figure the sport has ever seen”, taking the number one spot of Stephen Jones’ Top 2 Countdown in a 12-week series featured in The…
Competitive Nature
“He is an All Black legend, regarded as an inspirational skipper within New Zealand’s proud Test rugby union history,” Stathi Paxinos writes for The Age. “And now at the age of 37, Tana Umaga…
Couldn’t Ask For More
New Zealand has clinched their second win at the Cricket World Cup beating Zimbabwe by 1-wickets at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmadabad. Opener Brendan Taylor top-scored with 44 for Zimbabwe but when he…
Dynamic Energy
Aucklander Bob Storey, a former army officer and rugby player, was one of 13 rookies racing at the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Anchorage, Alaska, held over the weekend of March 5-6. Storey…
Everest of Fishing
“New Zealand’s South Island is a trout hunter’s dream,” Cathy and Barry Beck write for the magazine Fly Rod and Reel magazine. “In this land of big fish and gin-clear water, guides tell you…
Goal Overshadowed
West Ham defender Auckland-born Winston Reid has spoken of his sadness at the deadly earthquake that rocked Christchurch hours after the Hammers had booked their place in the last eight of the FA Cup…
Easy Opening Match
The Black Caps have begun their World Cup campaign with a resounding win over Kenya, who had “no answer to some outstanding New Zealand bowling, which was full and accurate.” Paceman Hamish Bennett took…
Jet-ski World Record
An Auckland man has set a world record for the distance covered by jet-ski within a 24 hour period. Jeremy Burfoot rode his Sea-Doo jet-ski 2,287km during his record breaking session on Lake Karapiro….
Running to a New Record
A New Zealander has successfully run the fastest half-marathon by a woman on American soil. Kimberley Smith won the women’s section of the New Orleans half marathon by over three minutes, completing the course…
