News of New Zealanders via Global Media

Sevens Heaven for Home-crowd

Sevens Heaven for Home-crowd

NZ’s rugby sevens team delighted a 32,000-strong crowd in Wellington, beating England 38-26 to win their first home series in four years. NZ now lead the 11-leg International Sevens series with 68 points, followed by Fiji and…

Black Caps’ Dark Horse

Black Caps’ Dark Horse

Stephen Fleming will come out looking good no matter where NZ places in this year’s Cricket World Cup. So says Johannesburg’s The Star, which included the Black Caps’ captain in their official “World Hunks XI.” “One…

Miles Ahead

Miles Ahead

NZ athlete Nick Willis continues to run rings around his American college-mates. The University of Michigan student clocked the nation’s fastest 3,000m time for the year to date at January’s Red Simmons Invitational. Ironically, it was Willis’…

Rugby as it Should Be

Rugby as it Should Be

Former All Black captain Ian Kirkpatrick was a guest of honour at the 30th anniversary of 1973’s legendary NZ vs. Barbarians match. Dubbed “rugby’s Mona Lisa,” the Barbarians’ victory is viewed by many as the most thrilling…

Kiwi vs Kiwi

Kiwi vs Kiwi

Team New Zealand will face the Swiss challenge Alinghi in the America’s Cup finals in February, setting up a match up between Alinghi skipper Russell Coutts and his understudy when he was at the helm of…

The Next Big Swing

The Next Big Swing

Dunedin golfer Mahal Pearce has registered on the international radar after a close win at January’s NZ Open. Pearce – already dubbed “the man with the million-dollar swing” – finished just two strokes ahead of Brett Rumford….

Superb, Eh?

Superb, Eh?

New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming played the “innings of his career when his team most needed it”, scoring 133 not out, to lead the Black Caps to a comprehensive 9 wicket win over hosts South Africa…

Interislanders Cruise to Victory

Interislanders Cruise to Victory

Kevin Biggar and Jamie Fitzgerald of Team Holiday Shoppe won the epic Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race from the Canary Islands to Barbados in record time, despite their boat being capsized 40 hours into the event. The pair’s…

“Fairway to Heaven”

“Fairway to Heaven”

“Spectacularly gorgeous NZ a bargain for golfers” (Detroit Free Press). Golf-mad travel writer scours the length of the country for the best greens available – from the golden beaches of Kauri Cliffs to mountain views at Lake…

Schnack Attack

Schnack Attack

“They have lured away many of NZ’s best sailing minds and talents in the quest for the Cup, but they are all still chasing one Kiwi who did not budge and whose mind and talents may…

Golden Boy

Golden Boy

In a rare coup for a Kiwi, Warrior Stacey Jones has been awarded rugby league’s top honour: the Golden Boot. The trophy represents the sports media’s pick for best player in the world. Andrew Johns, Golden Boot…

“Billionaires Behaving Badly”

“Billionaires Behaving Badly”

Uncooperative wind and weather has made for a rather patchy America’s Cup series so far. Luckily, viewer-distraction has been provided in the form of feuding billionaires. Sports Illustrated: “Yachting has never been a sport for the masses, but…

Almost Sevens Heaven

Almost Sevens Heaven

A “ferocious all-around display” saw NZ win the first leg of the International Rugby Board World Sevens Series in Dubai. NZ defeated Samoa 36-0 to take their fourth straight victory in the event. The same form didn’t…

Fox Gives the Hard Word

Fox Gives the Hard Word

SMH enlists an outside view on recent Wallabies’ performances from All Black legend Grant Fox. The verdict? Not good: “There doesn’t appear to be a lot of blooding of new talent going on at the moment,…

The (Edge) Spirit of a Sailor

The (Edge) Spirit of a Sailor

USA Today ponders Kiwi dominance of the America’s Cup. “No matter that the boats will fly the flags of Switzerland and the United States. The men at the helm are Kiwis, New Zealanders, “mates.” Kiwis are…

Kiwi’s Cup

Kiwi’s Cup

“America’s Cup? Why, we call it the Kiwi’s Cup now!” An encounter with “a proper cocky Kiwi” sees Post writer Angus Phillips ruminate over this auld mug called the America’s Cup. This year’s competition sees New Zealanders…

Pinetree Chews the Fat

Pinetree Chews the Fat

“If you want a snapshot of the way rugby used to be, there is no more impressive monument to the past than Colin Meads, a man as straight as he was hard.” The Observer talks rugby,…

Surf’s Up in Cornwall

Surf’s Up in Cornwall

Waikato University’s resident surf expert – Dr Kerry Black – is helping create waves in Cornwall, where a £6 million proposal for constructing an artificial reef is currently under negotiation. Black and his team of marine…

All Black Mana Enhanced

All Black Mana Enhanced

“Playing New Zealand means battling against the myths, legends and history of the All Blacks. In this professional era the aggression, determination and sheer ferociousness of the New Zealand game make them so hard to beat.” English…

America’s Cup: Billionaires and Espionage

America’s Cup: Billionaires and Espionage

“Yacht racing has been compared to tearing up $10 bills while standing in the shower. In the case of America’s Cup racing, make that $1,000 bills.” Time Magazine delves into the high rolling depths of…

Elevator Not Included

Elevator Not Included

NZ runners Jonathan Wyatt and Melissa Moon won the men’s and women’s categories at the World Towerthon in Malaysia. The event involves an 800m run from the Kuala Lumpur Tower entrance, followed by a grueling climb…

Sun Sets on “The People’s Horse”

Sun Sets on “The People’s Horse”

NZ mare Sunline, Australasia’s grand lady of racing and a champion that uniquely inspired anthromomorphic devotion, ended her five-year domination of Australian tracks with a brave final run at October’s Cox Cup. The winner of 32…

King of Greece Honours King of Sailing

King of Greece Honours King of Sailing

Sir Peter Blake has been posthumously awarded the prestigious Olympic Order for his services to sport. Honorary IOC member, the former King Constantine of Greece, presented the award to Blake’s wife, Pippa, at the Emsworth Sailing Club….

Vegas Pays Up

Vegas Pays Up

Golfer Philip Tataurangi had the first US PGA Tour win of his career at the Las Vegas Classic, beating Australia’s Stuart Appleby by one shot. The 32-year-old pulled out his best round ever – 10 under…

Running Man

Running Man

Lower Hutt born Nick Willis is the University of Michigan’s latest star athlete. Still in his freshman year, he is already the No. 2 cross-country runner on campus. The best seems yet to come; according to…

ABC: Auckland Billionaire’s Club

ABC: Auckland Billionaire’s Club

Warren St. John backgrounds the moguls and money questing for the America’s Cup, pondering at the ‘pet projects’ of sporting tycoons like Larry Ellison: “they have hired the best sailors money can buy, sometimes moving them…

Warriors

Warriors

The New Zealand Warriors averted an Australian national emergency by falling at the final hurdle in their proud and historic run to the National Rugby League Grand Final, losing to Sydney Roosters 3-8. From ruin two…

Auckland Holding its Breath

Auckland Holding its Breath

The 2002 America’s Cup challengers series has begun (click here for BBC, CNN coverage), launched with fanfare on the streets of Auckland. The competing teams paraded through the central city, the Swedes blasting ABBA,…

The Future is All Black

The Future is All Black

Tours to the Northern Hemisphere winter by the The All Blacks, Wallabies and Springboks saw some interesting pre-World Cup square offs with NZ, France and England (!) jostling for  favouritism at the whistle. The match…

Shared Victory

Shared Victory

Living up to expectations, Georgina and Caroline Evers-Swindell powered to gold at the 2002 World Rowing Championships in Seville, continuing a strong lineage of NZ international rowing achievement. Winning comfortably, the twins knocked more than three seconds…

Success on the Surf

Success on the Surf

Team NZ/Hawaii had an impressive surf canoe win in the Steinlager Henry Ayau Men’s International Race, Maunalua, Hawaii. TNZH broke the course record by 10 minutes under conditions described as “perfect.”

Warriors Minor Premiers

Warriors Minor Premiers

“Kiwis break a few hearts.” The New Zealand Warriors continue an impressive NRL season by finishing top of the table and taking out the minor pemiership (and a $100,000 bonus for the club) – meaning…

Land of the Great Big Tout

Land of the Great Big Tout

Australian fly-fishing convert Margie Blok declares NZ an angler’s paradise. Blok describes her chopper ride into the inaccessible headwaters south-east of Lake Taupo as yielding “the ultimate fly-fishing experience”: “…the hypnotic noise of the river and the…

“It’s All About That Fern”

“It’s All About That Fern”

The Cinderalla New Zealand Tall Black’s sensational hoop dreams soared as they hustled and impressed their way into the semi finals of World Championships (Indianapolis). Sports Illustrated calls them the ‘thunder from

Ashes to Ashes

Ashes to Ashes

The heart-stopping (breaking?) Bledisloe battles are becoming enshrined in Ocker sporting lore: “Once, Australians could rattle off virtually every ball of an Ashes cricket series. Now it is Bledisloe Cup rugby.” According to Spiro Zavos, the battle…

Sculling Sisters

Sculling Sisters

NZ twins Georgina and Caroline Evers-Swindell continue to impress on the international rowing circuit. The pair won gold at July’s World Cup in Munich and are tipped to do the same at next month’s World…

Sevens Heaven

Sevens Heaven

Kiwi dominance impresses at Manchester where they prove themselves masters of the form: “New Zealand dominate seven-a-side rugby the way that Lance Armstrong lords it over cycling, Tiger Woods bestrides the world of golf and…

Tri-Nations Champions

Tri-Nations Champions

The All Blacks positioned themselves to take the Tri-nations title for the first time since 1999 with a gripping and eventful tussle with the Springboks (including a spectator who took the game into his own hands). The…

Gold, Silver and Bronze Fern

Gold, Silver and Bronze Fern

All-comers finished in the green and gold shadow of Australia, but New Zealand completed a successful Commonwealth Games campaign, finishing a credible 5th on the medal table, with 11 golds in rugby sevens, cycling (Sarah Ulmer…

Snell Still Streaks Ahead

Snell Still Streaks Ahead

Sebastian Coe reminisces about the grand days of athletics, when athletes focused on ambitious all-round feats. For a middle- distance runner, “no championship season was complete without a tilt at the 800m-1500m double.” He cites NZ legend…

Haka Mancunian Style

Haka Mancunian Style

New Zealand athletes received a special welcome on their arrival at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester. After getting the green light from the Maori Minister of Education, students from Tarvin Primary School (Cheshire) performed an enthusiastic haka…

Greatest Games’ Moments

Greatest Games’ Moments

An Observer run-down of the 10 greatest Commonwealth Games’ moments gives two spots to NZ achievers. No. 4: one of the finest middle distance races run, the 1974 1,500m race between John Walker and Tanzania’s Filbert Bavi…

“Oh the Shame”

“Oh the Shame”

Crys the Sydney Morning Herald. In a great weekend for trans-Tasman rivalry the All Blacks put one hand on the Beldislode Cup with a tough 12-6 victory over the Wallabies in atrocious conditions in Christchurch and the…

America’s Cup Build-up

America’s Cup Build-up

Team NZ captain Dean Barker beat ex-boss Russell Coutts 3-0 in the Swedish Match Cup finals. Coutts is heading Alinghi, Switzerland’s America’s Cup challenger. In other Cup news, Team New Zealand launch the first of…

Luck of the Irish?

Luck of the Irish?

Michael Campbell rose to 16th in the world rankings and received a timely boost before the upcoming British Open by winning the European Open and half a million Euro winner’s cheque. But the Maori-NZer with the…

Surfing on the Web

Surfing on the Web

Sailor Graham Dalton (older bro of Grant) has set up an educational website where children can watch his yacht “Hexagon” circumnavigate the globe as part of the Around Alone race yacht race beginning 15th September. Hexagon was…

Voice of Rugby’s All-time XV

Voice of Rugby’s All-time XV

Great rugby commentator Bill Mclaren names his all-time greatest XV for The Times. Featuring three All Blacks: the “New Zealand totem” Colin Meads, the legendery skills of Zinzan Brooke, and “one of the great international captains” Sean…

Windies Wiped Out

Windies Wiped Out

Confirming their 3rd place ranking in the ICC World Test Cricket Championship the Black Caps achieved a remarkable milestone with their first ever test series victory against the West Indies on…

Advance New Zealand Unfair

Advance New Zealand Unfair

Lead paragraph to Australian Yachting editorial: “What is it with New Zealanders? Not only do they bash us at rugby (both literally and metaphorically) and regularly make off with the Melbourne Cup, they also have the hide,…

Chop Till You Drop

Chop Till You Drop

NZ axemen Jason Wynyard and David Bolstad came out ahead in the points race at the 8th Annual Ducks Unlimited Great Outdoors Festival in Memphis, Tennessee. Over 72,000 people attended the Festival, with the Stihl Timbersports stage…

Domination

Domination

“It is apparently not enough that New Zealand have just waltzed away with their third successive World Sevens Series title. So complete was their domination of the Emirates-sponsored London leg of the International Rugby Board’s season-long tournament…

Young Man and the River

Young Man and the River

Fly-fishing enthusiast Andy Pietrasik raved about his recent trip to the rivers of the South Island. Following his guide up the river in search of fish made him feel like “Ernest Hemingway’s shadow,” so perhaps…

Canterbury Crusaders Find Rugby Holy-land

Canterbury Crusaders Find Rugby Holy-land

“New Zealand’s Crusaders put up a persuasive case as world rugby’s champion provincial team with their unbeaten sweep through the Super 12 series” … sealing the tournament with a dominant 31-13 win over the ACT Brumbies. Earlier the…

Sir Peter Blake Honoured at World Sport Awards

Sir Peter Blake Honoured at World Sport Awards

Sir Peter has been posthumously given both the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award and the Laureus Sport for Good Award at the 2002 World Sports Awards in Monte-Carlo. Sir Peter, was a founding member of the Academy…

Rugby Sevens World Champions

Rugby Sevens World Champions

New Zealand won the World Rugby Sevens series title for the third consecutive year, wrapping up the series with a convincing 29-5 victory over South Africa in the Malaysia Sevens final. Said coach Gordon Tietjens: “I am…

AB Old Boy’s Coaching Club: JK, Buck, Gatland

AB Old Boy’s Coaching Club: JK, Buck, Gatland

All Black legend, winger John Kirwan, to take over as coach of the Italian national team from NZer Brad Johnstone – this includes touring Italy through his homeland where playing for the ABs he scored…