Tag Archives: Rugby League

Rugby League Farewells Legendary Olsen Filipaina

Rugby League Farewells Legendary Olsen Filipaina

Pioneering Kaikohe-born rugby league great Olsen Filipaina has died at the age of 64. Filipaina was a trailblazer, George Clarke writes in a story published online at Australia’s 7News, becoming one of the first…

Dominant Victory for Māori Ferns in Townsville

Dominant Victory for Māori Ferns in Townsville

NZ Māori Ferns “delivered an emphatic 24-0 win over the Indigenous All Stars” in “a thoroughly one-sided” contest played out in Townsville, Todd Balym writes for NRL News. Not only did the Māori side keep…

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck – Future Rugby League Star

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck – Future Rugby League Star

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck has the potential to become “one of New Zealand’s greatest ever players” proclaims David Long in the Sydney Morning Herald. The New Zealander, who grew up in South Auckland said he never wanted…

Kiwis Win Four Nations Title in Wellington

Kiwis Win Four Nations Title in Wellington

New Zealand secured their second Four Nations title as Shaun Johnson shone in a thrilling 22-18 win over Australia at Westpac Stadium in Wellington. New Zealand have proven that they are worthy of calling themselves…

Aussies Shocked at Star Kiwi Omissions

Aussies Shocked at Star Kiwi Omissions

Australian eyebrows are being raised quizzically at the Kiwi league team announced to face the Kangaroos in the annual Anzac Day test match this Friday. With an injury list as long as a video…

Kiwis: Half a Century of Points Not Good Enough

Kiwis: Half a Century of Points Not Good Enough

Much sterner tests lie ahead but the New Zealand Rugby League team delivered an encouraging start to its defence of the World Cup with a 50-0 romp over the Cook Islands. The one-sided win…

Marshall Shows Them

Marshall Shows Them

Whakatane-born league star Benji Marshall’s goal-kicking “sparked a remarkable come-from-behind win over the Warriors at fortress Leichhardt Oval” beating the Auckland team 24-22. “The experience of Marshall, 27, both with the ball in hand…

Buying Into The Warriors

Buying Into The Warriors

New Zealand billionaire Owen Glenn has taken a stake in the New Zealand Warriors. Glenn and major shareholder Eric Watson announced the new ownership structure of the Warriors would give them each…

Roosters Snap Up Otahuhu Star

Roosters Snap Up Otahuhu Star

Auckland schoolboy 18-year-old fullback/winger Roger Tuivasa-Sheck has been snapped up by the Sydney Roosters. Tuivasa-Sheck has starred in both rugby codes at schoolboy level and recently represented New Zealand’s national schoolboy rugby union team…

Tempting Players Back Home

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

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…

More Presence than Santa

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…

Knight, Might & Right

Knight, Might & Right

It was Saturday morning. My usual weekday routine is to get up around…

Dynamic Blair Now a Tiger

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…

New Zealand Cradle for League

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…

New Face of League

New Face of League

Wests Tiger Benji Marshall “is the new face of rugby league” according to The Sydney Morning Herald, having been “chosen as the man to front the code as the game prepares for a new…

Kiwis in a League of their own

Kiwis in a League of their own

The Kiwis took an exhilarating victory from the Kangaroos at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium, winning the Rugby League Four Nations by four points in the game’s final minutes (with a spectacular final minute try and…

Sons change codes

Sons change codes

The sons of former Kiwis captain Hugh McGahan and ex-All Blacks skipper Tana Umaga have chosen to play league rather than pursue representative careers in union. Matt McGahan, 17, and Cade Umaga, 16, are…

Super Contract for Tony

Super Contract for Tony

Former New Zealand international utility player Motu Tony, 29, has signed with UK Super League club Wakefield Trinity Wildcats. Samoan-born Tony has had spells with rugby union clubs Hull and Nottingham since, as well…

Exciting Appointment

Exciting Appointment

Huntly-born rugby league half-back Jeremy Smith, 29, who currently plays for the UK team Salford City Reds, has signed a one-year contract with another British club, the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats. Smith, who can play…

Working class knight

Working class knight

Wellington-born Peter Leitch, known to his fans as the “Mad Butcher”, has received a knighthood in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours. Leitch, a butcher, former gravedigger and avid rugby league fan, says…

To Sign or Not to Sign

To Sign or Not to Sign

Twenty-four-year-old Aucklander Sonny Bill Williams is facing a sporting dilemma: does he play for the All Blacks at next year’s Rugby World Cup or sign a $6 million three-year deal with French side Toulon?…

Afghan Warrior Signs Up

Afghan Warrior Signs Up

Seventeen-year-old Afghan refugee Omar Slaimankhel has signed a two-year contract with the Vodafone Warriors and “after surviving the kind of dangers his family has endured, playing rugby league must seem like a stroll in…

Briefing to Incoming Ministers

Briefing to Incoming Ministers

The wonderful thing about those of us who enjoy democracy, we are currently told, is that we enjoy the fruits of an orderly and peaceful transfer of power between governing regimes. I’ve got to tell…

2008 Rugby League World Cup Haka

2008 Rugby League World Cup Haka

Take a look at the Haka from the 2008 Rugby League World Cup final.

Watch This Space

Watch This Space

Former All Black star Jonah Lomu believes he is back to his physical peak and will not rule out a return to rugby – or even a switch to rugby league. “It’s irrelevant what everyone else…

The Things that Bind Us

The Things that Bind Us

Let’s recap. This korero, ‘Nga Kupu Aroha’, Words of Love, started in September 2004 outlining an already year-long NZ community quest to reduce the demand for crystal methamphetamine (‘P’) amongst some of…

Break In

Break In

Coach Jeff Green is confident that the NZ Breakers’ status in Australia’s National Basketball League will be similar to that currently enjoyed by rugby league team, the NZ Warriors. “One team, one country … The country’s…

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…

“Foreign Britain”

“Foreign Britain”

“And then there is my ridiculous fantasy that if we are to become a foreign land it might be New Zealand, where, unlike our own benighted Scotland, they know how to play rugby. (Big Hint to…

League of its Own

League of its Own

League in the UK: “mullets, mud and Maoris”.  

Vagana Bio

Vagana Bio

New Zealander Joe Vagana, “one of the best packmen in the world”, is set to be a star with English club Bradford Bulls.  

Vagana Captured

Vagana Captured

The Bradford Bulls League team have extra muscle in the form of 18-stone Joe Vagana, ex-Warriors. “Joe’s capture will send ripples across the game,” says Bradford coach Brian Noble.  

Special League

Special League

The New Zealand team “ran out of juice” in the final, according to Frank Endacott, but they received praise from England’s coach for their semi-final performance: “I thought New Zealand were a bit special,” said John Kear….