Black Caps Victorious
Three famous victories in a row have seen the Black Caps complete a “black-wash” of the world champion Australians and claim the Chappell-Hadlee series. Over a period of six days the Black Caps broke a number of…
News of New Zealanders via Global Media
World Firsts for NZ Ref
North Canterbury’s Nicky Inwood made history this month as the first woman to officiate in a Six Nations women’s rugby match and the first to referee at England’s Twickenham Stadium. The 37-year-old controlled the match between…
Medal Haul for Touch Blacks
NZ won two gold and two silver medals at last month’s Touch World Cup in Stellenbosch, South Africa. The Touch Blacks’ mixed over-30 and mixed open teams won their respective finals, while the men’s and…
Home Town Tribute
A memorial to legendary All Black captain Dave Gallaher is being planned in his home town of Ramelton, Ireland. The Dave Gallaher Society is proposing the transformation of a bottle recycling waste ground into a walled…
Astle Bows Out
Nathan Astle has retired from international cricket as one of NZ’s most successful ever batsmen, just six months before the 2007 World Cup. In his twelve year career he has accumulated a total of 11,792 Test…
NZ’s Home of Motorsport
Taupo’s inaugural A1 Grand Prix meet for the World Cup of Motorsport was a huge success, with 80,000 spectators packing the stands. Adding to the experience, Team NZ placed third overall in what was the first…
Japan Nets All Black Great
Former All Black John Kirwan has signed a two-year contract to coach Japan’s national rugby team. Kirwan will lead the side in its World Cup efforts this year, with plans to hone 6 elite players down…
Haka Faux Pas #46
The haka continues to be flavour of the month in international marketing circles. This time, an English women’s rugby team has caused controversy by including an image of a topless haka in their fundraising calendar. Canterbury Women’s…
Life of a Legend
A film based on the life of NZ motorsport legend Bruce McLaren is rumoured to be in the works. According to Grand Prix website, the production has been linked to “some of those…
Sailing Event a “Kiwi Blackwash”
This year’s 420 World Championships have been described as a “Kiwi blackwash” after NZ sailors took out all podium positions in both the Open and Women’s events. Carl Evans and Peter Burling, Simon…
Black Beauty Takes the Bridge
NZ A1 Grand Prix driver Jonny Reid has set a new record for the fastest crossing of the Auckland Harbour Bridge. Reid crossed the bridge seven times, reaching speeds of over 160km/h. Police traffic controllers had…
WrightSpeed
NZ sheep farmer turned e-car entrepreneur Ian Wright features in an AFRMagazine story on the rise of the electric car. Wright’s prototype vehicle — the Wrightspeed X1
Home Soil Advantage
NZ has been named the new host of the 2007 world netball championships, after Fiji lost the rights following its recent military coup. The event has been moved from July to November to allow NZ time…
Black Beauty Takes Two
The Indonesian round of the A1Grand Prix saw a historic double victory for NZ, with “BlackBeauty” driver Jonny Reid winning the 47-lap feature race as well as the sprint race earlier in the…
Another Title for Kitchen
NZ’s Shelley Kitchen has won her twelfth Women’s International Squash Players Association (WISPA) title, beating Tegwen Malik of Wales 3-1 in the World Tour’s Oslo Open in Norway. Adding to the pleasure, it was Kitchen’s 27th…
All Blacks Depart Europe Undefeated
The All Blacks completed their European end-of-year tour with a comprehensive victory at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, overcoming the Welsh 45-10. The result, means that the All Blacks finish the 2006 season with 13…
Capping Off a Great Year
Following their seven-try, record-breaking victory last week against the French in Lyon, the All Blacks continued their run of success in Paris against the host nation at the Stade de France. Despite the French side showing…
The Imblackables
In the French rugby stronghold of Lyon, the All Blacks demolished the home side and second-ranked team in the world 47-3. Dubbed “The Imblackables” by Le Midi Olympique, as a defensive unit the All Blacks were flawless….
Kiwis Fly in Wellington
Putting a week of controversy behind them, the Kiwi rugby league team put the English away in emphatic style over the weekend 34-4 at Wellington’s Stadium. The result puts pressure on England, who must now win…
Superstar in Waiting
Kiwi basketball sensation Jessica McCormack, 17, has signed with the University of Washington in Seattle, The 1.94m teenager won a Commonwealth Games silver medal this year with the Tall Ferns, for whom she has…
The Money’s on Efficient
NZ-bred horse Efficient has been dubbed “racing’s next big thing” in the Australian press after winning the AU$1.5 million Victoria Derby at Flemington. The three-year-old gelding’s win earned him the right to enter the Melbourne…
Former AB and Famous Father
Former All Black Brian Fitzpatrick has died aged 75. A sturdily built five eigths, Fitzpatrick was a strong runner and tackler. He made two tours with All Black sides in the early…
Going the Distance
NZ distance runner Kim Smith came second in the Continental Fifth Avenue Mile, held in New York on 30 September. The 24-year-old was a four-time National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) champion while at Providence College in Rhode…
NZ Cricket Patriarch Remembered
Walter Hadlee, involved in NZ test cricket from the start has died in Christchurch aged 91. A productive and aggressive batsman, Hadlee played 11 Tests for NZ, eight of those as captain, and later served as national…
More medals for Vili and Willis
NZ athletes won two medals at the IAAF World Cup of Athletics in Athens this month. Valerie Vili followed up her Commonwealth Games gold by winning the women’s shotput event, with a throw of 19.87m. Fellow…
Three in a Row for Black Ferns
NZ’s Black Ferns have won their third successive women’s rugby World Cup, beating traditional rivals England 25-17 in the final. The tight defensive match was a virtual replay of the 2002 final against England, which NZ…
Holland Ahoy
New Zealander Ron Holland is one of the world’s top naval architects. Based in the small Irish sailing port of Kinsale, his latest project is designing and building a 190-foot, $50 million superyacht Ethereal for Sun…
All Blacks 7, Opposition 0
The All Blacks remain undefeated in 2006 having secured both Bledisloe and Tri-Nations trophies after a ferocious Eden Park test against Australia on 19 August. The victory puts Graham Henry’s team on the verge of breaking…
Earthrace Is On
Kiwi Peter Bethune is now part way through a 30-city world tour aboard Earthrace, his unique biodiesel-fuelled powerboat. Since leaving NZ, Earthrace has visited Samoa, Vancouver, Portland, Seattle, Hawaii and San Francisco on its mission to promote…
World Descends on Rotorua
Rotorua’s Mt Ngongotaha played host to the UCI World Mountain Bike Championships from August 23-27, the first time the event has been held in the southern hemisphere in ten years. The Rotorua cycling community had campaigned for…
Kiwi Creation Joins World’s Supercars
NZ’s first supercar, the Hulme.F1, secured a rare invitation to show at Britain’s prestigious Goodwood Festival of Speed. The annual event showcases the latest designs by big names Ferrari, Maserati and Aston Martin, as well as…
One for the True Fan
In the era of selling Britney Spears’ used chewing gum on eBay, Adidas has released a limited edition All Blacks poster containing DNA samples from every member of the national team. According to Chris…
History Maker Remembered
International archery associations and Olympic committees have paid tribute to Neroli Fairhall, who has died aged 61. Fairhall won a gold medal in archery for NZ at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in…
Return to Peak Form
Commonwealth Games medallist and Olympian, Greg Henderson, marked his return to form with a convincing win at the inaugural Commerce Bank Reading Cycling Classic in Philadelphia, USA. Riding for the Health Net-Maxxis team, Henderson beat Uzbekistan’s Sergey…
Rowing World Comes to Waikato
NZ has secured the hosting rights for the 2010 World Rowing Championships. The event will be held at Lake Karapiro in Cambridge, Waikato, with Hamilton acting as the official host city. Lake Karapiro previously hosted the championships…
Career High for Cunningham
NZ’s up-and-coming Indy racing star, WadeCunningham, pulled out a thrilling win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Freedom 100 event. The 21-year-old led all 40 laps, setting an average speed record of 295.48km/h
Fast Inductee
Kiwi legend Burt Munro is one of nine new members selected for induction into Ohio’sMotorcycle Hall of Fame this year. The Invercargill native set a land-speed record on his customised 1920 Indian Scout at…
ABs at the Top of UK Game
Former All Blacks Carlos Spencer and Justin Marshall lead the nominations for the Professional Rugby Players’ Association (PRA) player of the year award. Described by The Independent as godlike and “the union game’s answer to Diego Maradona”,…
One to Watch
Debbie Tanner claimed the first major victory of her career at the 26 ITU Ishigaki World Cup triathlon in Japan. UK veteran Michelle Dillon and fellow Kiwi Samantha Warriner came second and third respectively….
Race with a Difference
February 22 saw the official launch of Earthrace, a 100% biodiesel fuelled boat aiming to set a new world record for circumnavigating the globe. The brainchild of Pete Bethune, Earthrace is a charitable foundation promoting the…
Records Broken, Legends Born
New Zealand won 31 medals – 6 gold, 12 silver and 13 bronze – at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. 200m butterfly victor Moss Burmester became the first NZ man to win gold in the…
2005 Campbell’s Year
Golfer Michael Campbell has been named NZ’s Sportsperson of the Year for 2005 after winning both the US Open and the World Matchplay Championship in Britain. It is the second time Campbell has won the country’s…
JK on Growing the Game
The Observer talks to All Black legend John Kirwan about his globetrotting ways and aspirations to coach in the UK. “Kirwan was a travelling rugby player long before it became the fashion it is today ……
World to Come to Waikato?
NZ has officially placed its bid to host the 2010 world rowing championships at Lake Karapiro in Waikato. “It’s our turn,” says RNZ chief executive Craig Ross. “NZ rowing has never been…
End of One Era, Beginning of Another
All Black captain Tana Umaga has officially retired from the game aged 34, with a stellar career behind him. “Already he has been admitted by his countrymen into the exclusive band of great NZ captains, along…
Black Caps Start as They Mean to Go On
The Black Caps made a fine start to their 2006 season, cruising to victory in the five-match ODI home series against Sri Lanka. NZ won the deciding third match at Jade Stadium by five wickets. Nathan…
Revved Up for ’06
2005 was an incredibly successful year for NZ motorsport, as TMC reports in its annual review. Two of the top three places in the world MX1 motocross championship were filled by New Zealanders, with…
Billiards Hall of Famer
NZ billiard legend Rocky Lane has made the sport’s Internet Hall of Fame thanks to his undefeated world record in jump shooting. In October 2005 Lane cleared all 15 balls off the table in 14.16…
2005: Year of the All Black
The All Blacks’ decisive win over Scotland on December 2 made them the first NZ side since 1978 and the first team since Australia in 1984, to complete a “grand slam” of the UK and Irish…
A Victory for the Underdogs
Not to be outdone by their rugby union counterparts, NZ’s national rugby league side achieved a momentous Tri-Nations win against traditional rivals England and Australia. The BBC describes the NZ’s 24-0 victory over Australia in the…
Battle Cries
Even more upsetting than giving the World Cup to New Zealand or losing a match to the All Blacks currently seems to be facing their new “throat slitting” haka. British media are feverishly objecting to New…
All Black Domination
The All Blacks have continued their domination of their Northern hemisphere tour with a 23-19 victory over England. Easy victories over Wales and Ireland were useful opportunities for trying out new playing combinations, but…
Next Stop Commonwealth Games
NZ won the New South Wales 100m Relay Championship at Sydney Olympic Park on November 19, breaking a NZ national record in the process. Led by Olympic representative Chris Donaldson, the winning team also included Dallas…
Five Million in the Stands
Despite widespread international media opinion that we would be out in the first round, New Zealand has won the bid to host the 2011 Rugby World Cup. After South Africa’s unexpected removal from the running, New…
Golden Year for Silver Ferns
2005 has proved an incredible year for NZ netball, with the Silver Ferns winning all eight of their international tournaments. The latest came with a definitive Tri-Series victory over Jamaica and Barbados. “We certainly wanted to…
A Winning Formula on and off the Field
Hyde Pride, Washington’s only all-African American school rugby side, has a Kiwi connection that extends beyond its game of choice. Established in 1999, the team at Hyde Leadership Public Charter School has been sponsored by the…
