Ooh Ah Umaga!
A Rugby Heaven feature charts Tana Umaga’s meteoric rise from early flirtations with rugby league to becoming the All Black’s first Pacific Island captain. “Bob Marley would have seen another rebel in Tana Umaga, a fellow Rastaman,…
News of New Zealanders via Global Media
Down but Not Out
Greg Henderson won the 6.25 mile New York City Cycling Championship in miserable conditions, despite suffering a crash half way through the race. “Anything can happen in a crash. It all depends on how you land,”…
Pure Gold
NZ’s Olympic team kept viewers at home on tenterhooks, waiting until the second week of the Games to begin the medal haul. Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell took gold in the double sculls rowing, Sarah Ulmer beat…
Money Makes the Cup Go Around
Alinghi syndicate head Ernesto Bertarelli has provided Team NZ a multimillion dollar “no-strings” loan to ensure their presence at the 2007 America’s Cup. “In view, the regatta would lose some of its appeal without us,” said…
In Their Own League
The “Kiwi Super League invasion” continues, with NZ Test centre David Vaealiki signing to Wigan, and Warriors prop Jerry Seu Seu to join the competition next year. Ali Lauitiiti (Leeds), Motu Tony (Castleford), Richard Swain (Hull), David…
Living Legend
Guardian film writer Diana Dobson visits Whangara, home of the Ngati Konohi people and inspiration behind Witi Ihimaera’s Whale Rider. Rather than touring the location made famous by Niki Caro’s film adaptation, Dobson focuses on the local…
Kiwis Clean Up
NZ riders took top honours at the first British Championship motorcycle race, with Josh Coppins winning the title and 19-year-old Ben Townley finishing in second place. “It was a smooth run all the way and I…
Pre-Games Victory
Auckland athlete Nathan Richmond won his first ITU World Cup triathlon in Newfoundland, Canada. The Corner Brook event is regarded as one of the toughest on the international circuit. “This win proves that I am a worthy…
Silver Bullet
Kiwi Jo Aleh won silver at the ISAF World Youth Championships in Poland, finishing second in the Laser Radial class. “I’m stoked!” she said in Scoop. “It was a hard regatta with such different conditions, it’s been tricky sailing…
AB’s Win “By Strangulation”
The All Blacks beat Australia 16-7 in miserable Wellington conditions to retain the Bledisloe Cup for the first time in seven years. Guardian: “For all the major effect the elements had in ruining this contest as a…
Guardian: “NZ Near One-day Perfection”
The Black Caps cruised to victory in the NatWest ODI tri-series against England and the West Indies, beating the latter by a resounding 107 runs in the final. Daniel Vettori was named Man of the Match for…
Ferns End 15-year Drought
The Silver Ferns crushed traditional rivals Australia in a historic 3-0 series win – their first clean sweep against Australia since 1989. The Ferns won the final match 53-46, after trailing for much of the game. Australian…
Jumping Off Point
Billionaire US adventurer Steve Fossett continues to attempt to break the world glider altitude record from his South Island base in Omarama. Wind levels have been unsatisfactory so far.
Supercaddie
New York Times profiles Tiger Woods’ right-hand man, Kiwi Steve Williams. “If Tiger Woods wanted a meek caddie, he would not have hired Steve Williams … Powerfully built, meticulously prepared and fiercely loyal, Williams has successfully partnered…
All Blacks 3-0 Start for 2004
Two crushing wins over England and a scratchy performance against Argentina started the Graham Henry-coached, Tana Umaga-led 2004 All Blacks. Coverage from The Independent on the victories at Carisbrook, Eden Park, and Hamilton. Next…
Junior All Blacks Victorious
Ireland was “forced to acknowledge New Zealand’s continuing supremacy” at the IRB U-21 World Championships in Scotland, going down 47-19 to the junior All Blacks. NZ’s stellar performance included a hat-trick of tries by flanker Tony Koonwaiyou….
Ironwoman
Lynley Allison won her first Ironman title at the 2004 Ironman USA Coeur d’Alene triathlon in Coeur d’Alene. She finished a full 10 minutes ahead of second place getter Heather Gollnick (US), after taking an unshakeable lead…
“Crazy Kiwi” Charges Hard
Christchurch surfer Doug Young won the ‘Deep Throat’ award at the 2004 Red Bull Big Wave event in South Africa. The ‘Deep Throat’ prize goes to the “hardest charger” – the surfer who braves the biggest, messiest waves without…
A Race of Extremes
John O’Loghlen (NZ investment banker at Goldman Sachs, NY) and Rosa Volz (Wellington IT worker) were the first non-Mongolian man and woman respectively to finish the 42km Mongolia Sunrise to Sunset Marathon, “one of the toughest and…
Back on Track for 2007
Team NZ has finally announced its challenge for the 2007 America’s Cup in Valencia, Spain, thanks to a multimillion dollar sponsorship deal from Dubai-based Emirates Airlines. The syndicate has missed two previous confirmation dates due to lack…
Craig Puts Middlesex to the Spear
Ex-Black Cap Craig Spearman broke W.G Grace’s record for the best ever innings in an English county cricket match, hitting a staggering 341 runs for Gloucester against Middlesex. The legendary Grace made 318 not out for Gloucester…
Kiwis Make it 5 in a Row
NZ held on to its world series rugby sevens crown for the fifth year in a row, despite losing 22-19 to England in the final of the London leg. The Kiwis had already reached an unassailable position…
Jack Foster, 71
Legendary marathoner Jack Foster died after a cycling accident south of Rotorua. He was the marathon silver medallist at the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, where he set his personal best time at the age of…
Back to Back Wins at ‘The Glens’
Kiwi driver Scott Dixon of Target Chip Ganassi Racing has won the Watkins Glen Indy Grand Prix for the second consecutive year. Dixon’s win – his first for 2006 – moves him up two…
Ulmer, Henderson, Cycle to Victory.
New Zealand cyclist Sarah Ulmer took control of the hotly contested 300m individual pursuit when she broke the world record by two 10ths of a second in 3:31.157, to win the World Championship. Greg Henderson also…
Bruce Reihana: Players’ Player
Former All Black wing, Bruce Reihana, was named the English premier league’s Professional Rugby Players’ Association (PRA) Players’ Player of the Year in May. The 28-year-old Northampton Saints star was the English Premiership’s joint top try-scorer at the…
Docherty Takes on the World … and Wins
Bevan Docherty won gold at the 2004 Triathlon World Championship in Funchal, Madeira. Fellow Kiwis Hamish Carter and Shane Reed came in at 6th and 7th place, respectively, with Samantha Warriner finishing 13th in the women’s event. Debbie…
Black Sticks Blitz
The NZ women’s hockey team emerged victorious from its 4-Test series against India in May. The Kiwis took an unbeatable lead by drawing the third Test after winning the first two.
Jonah, His Story
Rugby icon Jonah Lomu is back in the news thanks to the release of his highly-anticipated autobiography, Jonah My Story. The Age praises the “simple yet emotionally taut language” Lomu uses to portray his rise from troubled and…
Hero’s Exit for Cairns
Chris Cairns retired from international Test cricket with a bang on the Black Caps tour of England. In the second Test he beat Viv Richards’ previous record of 84 Test sixes, knocking four sixes and 10 fours…
Crumpton Chicago-bound
Shireen Crumpton won the 42.2km Canberra Marathon in impressive style, crossing the line a full 16 minutes before second place-getter Helen Verity-Tolhurst of Queensland. Crumpton’s victory earns her a starting place at the prestigious Chicago Marathon in October….
The Wright Stuff
John Wright led India to a historic Test series win against traditional rivals Pakistan – the side’s first on Pakistani soil. The former NZ player is the first non-Indian to coach the national cricket team. …
Multi-tasker
“Double internationals – people who represent their country at more than one sport – are rare. Someone who represents his country on the sports field and also stands on it to sing the national anthem is…
Baby Blacks Sweep the Field
NZ won its fourth title in six years at the IRB Under-19 World Championship in Durban, with a convincing 34-11 victory over France. NZ made four tries to France’s one, with fullback Miah Nikora supplying 14 points…
History Made by “Best Side Ever”
31 March 2004 – The NZ Black Caps have leaped from 8th place to 3rd in world one-day cricket rankings thanks to their first ever series win over South Africa. “It feels great,” said captain Stephen Fleming…
Sticking it to the Competition
Both the NZ men’s and women’s hockey teams have qualified for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. It will be the fourth time the women’s team (the Black Sticks) have competed at the Games. Says goalkeeper Helen…
Stars in the Making
NZ athletes contributed to an international domination of America’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Indoor Championships in mid-March. Kim Smith – running for Providence – lapped all but one of her competitors in the 5,000m, breaking a…
Black Sox Sock it to the World’s Best
The NZ Black Sox beat Canada 9-5 to win the World Softball Championships for the third year running. Mark Sorenson came out of retirement to earn his fourth gold medal, leading his team to victory with a…
Home Turf Win
NZ cruised to the top of the International Rugby Sevens table with a resounding 33-15 win over Fiji in the Wellington series final. Matua Parkinson, who had assumed the captaincy due to the unavailability of both Karl…
Quality Export
Former Wellington Saints player, Calum MacLeod, is the latest Kiwi basketballer to be snapped up by the US college league. The 20-year-old – who stands a fraction under 7 feet – has been accepted at Seattle’s Gonzaga…
Sun Shines on Black Caps
The Black Caps won a thrilling one-day international series against Pakistan 4-1, with captain Stephen Fleming leading by example. Highlights included an unbeaten century by Scott Styris in the first match, another by…
Sir Bob Farewelled in Almost Perfect Symmetry
NZ golfing great, Sir Bob Charles, made his last ever appearance at the NZ Open – an event he won for the first of 4 times as an 18-year-old amateur in 1954. Said Charles, prior to…
Down Under Up-and-coming
CNN profiles the rash of Australasian talent currently infiltrating PGA ranks. Included in its top ten are two NZ golfers, “since to North Americans they’re Down Under, too” – Michael Campbell (world ranking 45) and Phil Tataurangi…
Over but Not Quite Out
No.1 women’s squash player, Carol Owens, retired from her professional career on a high note by winning her second World Open title in December. Owens may still represent NZ at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne: “I don’t think…
‘Queen of the Green’ will be Missed
Millie Khan, one of NZ’s best-loved and most successful sportspeople, died unexpectedly of a heart attack in Rotorua aged 65. Khan took up lawn bowls at 38 and was representing NZ 9 years later. She won silver…
The World Breaks left to Raglan
The final of the 2003 Oxbo World Longboard Championships was held near Raglan, November 6-16. The prestigious US$50,000 event saw top competitors from the US, Australia, Brazil, South Africa and Hawaii surf Manu Bay’s famed left-hand…
Black Day for ABs
After starting as promising co-favourites the All Blacks finished a disappointing third in the 2003 World Cup being knocked out in the semi-finals 22-10 by a more professional and committed Wallaby performance. England defeated Australia 20-17…
Where Angels Tread
Time magazine special on exotic bike tours recommends Butterfield & Robinson’s NZ adventure, ‘Cloud Walk.’ After cycling Fox Glacier, participants are ferried to Mt Cook via helicopter: “There, from above the cloud line, visitors can look down…
Catch Me if You Can Merriman
NZer Stefan Merriman won the 250cc two-stroke class riding for Australia at the 2003 International Six Days’ Enduro in Fortaleza, Brazil. “The three-time world champion was an intimidating force on his Honda CRE250 two-stroke machine, easily…
End of a Long Innings
Gordon Lindsay Weir, the world’s oldest surviving Test cricketer, died in Auckland on October 31 aged 95 years and 151 days. Known in cricketing circles as ‘Dad,’ the right-hand batsman and medium-pace bowler played 11 Tests for…
Twin Engined Sculls
Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell received the International Rowing Federation’s Female Rower or Crew of the Year Award at the annual FISA Coaches Conference in Athens this month. The twins won their second consecutive world championships title in…
Go Karting Cunningham
Auckland teenager Wade Cunningham added to NZ motorsport’s current winning streak by claiming the world karting championship crown in Sarno, Italy. According to Kartsport NZ spokesman, Ross McKay, the 19-year-old’s victory is “unprecedented in the history of NZ motorsport ……
Galloping Grylls
NZ jockey Gary Grylls won the AU$90,000 Geelong Classic astride Penitentiary, despite lagging nearly 20 lengths behind leader North Face rounding the home turn. Grylls on his steed: “He was travelling well and I could see…
Supertramp
13-year-old Christchurch schoolgirl, Kimberley Shea, won gold at the 2003 Trampoline and Tumbling World Age Group games in Hanover, Germany. Shea came first in the 13-14 Women’s Double Mini Trampoline discipline. Her routine included the single most difficult…
Kiwis Tie Down Kangaroos
The Kiwis convincingly defeated the Australian Kangaroos with a rousing 30-16 victory in a rugby league test at North Harbour Stadium in Auckland. Led by the hat-trick of tries by Clinton Toopi (a trans-Tasman record) and another…
Day of Thunder for Dixon
Scott Dixon, 23, racing for the Target Chip Ganassi Racing Team, claimed the Indy Racing League title in Fort Worth, Texas. It was his first attempt on the circuit. Finishing 2nd in the season’s nerve-racking final…
