The All Sport Breakfast: Recent Episodes
Newstalk ZB
Join Newstalk ZB's D'Arcy Waldegrave as we kick start your Saturday Morning with The All Sport Breakfast.
The NRL's top four are log-jammed as the battle for a top two spot ramps up ahead of the finals.
With four and a half rounds to go, the Panthers and Roosters sit level on 36 points, the Warriors on 34 and the Sharks have 32, but face the Dragons tomorrow night.
The Warriors strengthened their push for the top with a decisive win over the Panthers last night – 28-12.
Former Warrior Motu Tony joined D’Arcy to recap the match.
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A scratchy first outing for the All Blacks to open their tour of South Africa.
They've needed a late surge to shake off the Stormers for a flattering 38-21 win in Cape Town.
The match was locked at 14-all before the All Blacks scored four tries in the final 15 minutes as the visitors finally tired.
All Blacks Assistant Coach Tana Umaga joined D’Arcy to review the match.
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It wasn’t pretty, but the All Blacks managed to claw their way to victory in the opening match of the Greatest Rivalry Tour.
Poor discipline saw them concede three yellow cards, but in the end, they claimed a 33-14 win over the Stormers.
Former All Black Wyatt Crockett joined D’Arcy to review the action.
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Scene set. Questions answered.
Last night the Warriors stood up to be counted. All week I'd been speaking my truth on-air: if the Warriors couldn't beat Penrith at Mt Smart, they didn't deserve to be in the NRL title conversation.
They do now.
They do so on the back of some outstanding contributions, that of the returning half Luke Metcalf and newfound centre staple Leka Halasima.
Luke’s return showed what this team had been missing, and with all due respect to Martin and Boyd, Metcalf brings to the halves attributes not consistently displayed by the former. This is not to throw shade at the other two 7's, who in their own right have provided a lot for the fans to celebrate.
But there was magic on display last night, from a player who had spent so long on the bench his backside was burning a hole in the pine.
He did enough to secure his role for the duration of the season whilst simultaneously giving coach Webster a guilt headache.
Halasima, Leka the Centre, continues to excite and surprise in the role he has surely made his own. As a 20 year old, his promise is immense. I shudder to think what this phenom is capable of.
Along with those two stars, the team's performance as a whole got me thinking that...
Y'know, it might actually be...
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The 2026 NPC season has kicked off with a bang.
Tonight’s prime time viewing is the next chapter in the storied rivalry between North and South, with Auckland heading across the Strait to take on Canterbury.
Xavi Taele is starting at centre for Auckland, and joined D’Arcy to preview the clash.
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The NRLW Warriors are starting their season on a roll, winning three of their four opening matches.
Tomorrow afternoon they’re taking on the Titans during Magic Round in a huge 3v4 clash, aiming to cement their spot on the ladder.
Prop Annetta Nu'uausala joined D’Arcy to preview the match.
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After a rough loss to the Bulldogs last weekend, the Warriors are back at their home away from home, taking on the Gold Coast Titans.
A bounce back is crucial to remain within touching distance of the top two spots.
Assistant Coach David Tangata-Toa joined D’Arcy to discuss last week’s performance and the upcoming clash.
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We’re nearing the end of the Sal’s NBL, with the first of two semi-finals tipping off this afternoon.
The Auckland Tuatara have secured a top spot on the ladder with their final regular season game, which let them bypass the elimination round and head straight into the semi-finals.
Zach Riley, a guard for the Tuatara, joined D’Arcy to preview the semi-finals.
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It had to happen, didn't it? The NZR sabbatical policy chooks have come home to roost.
The excellent Gregor Paul, NZ Herald rugby scribe, penned a wonderful piece around the madness of the union's veteran player edict, designed to help tourniquet the bleeding of experienced players to big moneyed clubs around the globe. It didn't stop the flow; it just temporarily rerouted it.
In their haste to stop senior All Blacks departing to wealthier climes, the dreaded sabbatical clause was triggered – a way for players to cash in on their All Blacks success without fleeing for the money on a permanent basis. This concept helped NZR avoid having to pick players from overseas; the last bastion of AB player central control.
On the face of it, the clause appeared to be a pragmatic way to ensure the continued access to 70+ test veterans and stop the increasing pressure of income accelerated player loss.
As I've often pointed out, the wording of the clause is more than problematic, it's just plain wrong. A sabbatical is a rest or break from work; an extended period of time intentionally spent on something that's not your routine job. So, most players aren't on a mental and physical break from the rigours of the game, they're just on a sanctioned cash grab.
Ardie Savea has made the most of this opportunity, opting to chase the money as opposed to hitting pause. As a result, he's rooted. The best way to counter that exhaustion is to... give him more time off, to make up for all of the time he's already taken off. Instead of travelling with HIS team to the republic for the biggest tour in living memory, he's having a bit of a lie down. Weird.
If anything positive arises from this nonsense saga, it will be a serious reworking of that easily abused clause, which in rugby parlance, is no longer fit for purpose.
And in case you think this is an Ardie beat up, it's not. He was presented with an opportunity and took it. I'd do the same.
The issue is with NZR, but the huge swathe of changes made within the halls of power will hopefully usher in a new way of thinking and acting, leaving dramas like this back in the past. Where they belong.
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A third straight Commonwealth Games medal —and a second career gold— for Kiwi weightlifter David Liti.
He's won in Glasgow, courtesy of a combined 389-kilo lift in the 110+ K.G. division.
He joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to chat about his success.
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Ryan Fox. What's left to add? The tsunami of Fox has flooded New Zealand's media landscape, sweeping all other sport stories away. Which netball must be most appreciative of. I'd focus on that long-term slow-motion locomotive derailment, but I need positivity this morning, not more handwringing around that fall from grace. Stand down.
Back to Ryan. The plaudits coming his way are richly deserved. No sportsperson encapsulates what Kiwis believe to be who we are, more than this reluctant golfing icon. Because he is an icon now. His success, and the manner of, at the Open, has catapulted him into our sporting iconography. His dad-bod and bandy legged charge up the 18th is a picture we’ll never forget.
The beauty of the guy with a swing akin to a lumberjack having a crack at a pine, is his ambivalent attitude to how he is seen. Not one funk given. Like the famous meme, "Behold the field in which I grow my funks, lay thine eyes upon it, and see that it is barren".
He drinks too much red wine, likes a pie, doesn't mess around on the tees, fairways or greens. Pragmatic in his approach - see ball, hit ball. There is nothing self-important or superior about him or his game. And the global golfing community has bought into it as well. He's a human, warts and all, which reflects the majority of golfers. Out there, having a good time, playing golf for the love of it.
He's very approachable from a media standpoint too, although I expect with his stratospheric profile now, that will understandably change. I've never had an issue locking him in for a chat, and he's never offered anything less than his authentic self.
I spoke with him a couple of years back as he was finding his place in the upper echelon of golf, appearing in major tournaments had started to become a regular occurrence. I asked him if he felt he belonged at that level yet, and how important that was for his game. He said he'd finally started to feel that he did, and it was. No longer starstruck or overwhelmed (not that he ever looked like he was), he felt then that this was his world, his space and he deserved to be there.
Now the world knows what he had grown to know.
And it hasn't changed him.
Outfunkingstanding.
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The NRLW Warriors put on a clinic last weekend in their first match of the season at Mount Smart Stadium crushing the Cowboys 42-4.
They are back in action tomorrow afternoon - when they take on the Eels in Sydney.
Metanoia Fetalaiga is a prop for the side, she joined D'Arcy to discuss.
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We've reached the final round of the NZNBL, and the Auckland Tuatara are hunting for a top two spot in order to get a first round bye in the playoffs.
They take on the Taranaki Airs tomorrow afternoon in what is a must-win if they are to have any chance to secure that spot.
Josh Dilling is a point guard for the Tuatara, he joined D'Arcy to discuss.
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Super Rugby Aupiki has reached its climax with the 2026 Grand Final looming this afternoon.
The Blues Women will be taking on Matatū at One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch.
Amarante Sititi is starting in the loose forwards for the Blues, she joined D'Arcy to discuss.
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The Warriors picked up another good win last weekend, having beaten the Dragons 20-12 at Mount Smart Stadium.
Tonight, they take on the Bulldogs in another important clash to remain second on the table.
Richard Agar is an assistant coach of the Warriors, he joined D'Arcy to discuss.
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It's been a tough season for the Botany Swarm this year in the New Zealand Ice Hockey League, as they currently sit at the bottom on the NZIHL ladder.
However, they could still find themselves in the playoffs if they manage to get two wins over their opponents the Canterbury Red Devils this weekend.
Kyle March is playing for the Swarm, he joined D'Arcy to discuss.
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The World Cup may be over, but the football action isn't slowing down.
Auckland FC are beginning their pre-season tomorrow afternoon when they take on a huge club in English football - Tottenham Hotspur.
Cam Howieson is a midfielder for the Kiwi side, and he joined D'Arcy to preview the big match.
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The Auckland Tuatara are riding high as we head into the final two games of the NBL season.
They’re sitting at the top of the table after claiming victory over the Manawatu Jets last night, winning 108-91.
The team is now set to face the Canterbury Rams tomorrow afternoon, so Head Coach Cam Gliddon joined D’Arcy to preview the match and discuss the season to date.
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The NRLW Warriors had a bit of a stumble last weekend, losing 42-16 to the Raiders in their second Premiership clash.
Tonight they have their first hit out at Mt Smart Stadium, taking on the Cowboys from 5:15pm.
Mya Hill-Moana, prop for the Warriors, joined D’Arcy to preview the clash and chat about her move to the squad from the Roosters.
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Last weekend saw the Warriors bounce back after a couple of tough losses with a dominant 32-6 win over the Wests Tigers.
They’re back at home tonight, taking on the Dragons in a match they’ll need to win in order to snatch back the second-place spot and keep the heat on the table-topping Panthers.
Tanner Stowers-Smith is coming off the bench for tonight’s clash, and joined D’Arcy to preview it.
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To Wah or not to Wah?
Tonight Auckland city hosts international rugby union and a bit of Aussie club rugby league. On the face of it, and with that description, it should be a no-brainer around which fixture should command your attention.
The All Blacks are number two in the world, taking on the number three ranked Irish in a game that defends the All Blacks’ almost unbelievable unbeaten Eden Park record. 32 years, 52 games without tasting defeat. Impressive.
The Warriors, near the top of the NRL ladder (3rd after last night's games) are hosting some roadkill at Mt Smart. The Dragons have all the fire of a cigarette butt at the bottom of a schooner, currently languishing in last place and lucky to be there.
Plainly, fans of league will be front and centre with the NRL fixture, fans of union will be fully focused on the Nations Championship clash, but what about the undecided?
The All Blacks are frontrunners as their game kicks off at 7:10, the Wahs beatdown commences at 7:35.
A nose in front from the All Blacks – then the race tightens.
Off the playing surface, Wahs fans are a much more exciting proposition than All Blacks fans. The fear of loss chokes the environment up; the tension crushes the joy of the experience, at the ground and on telly.
Rugby fans find it hard to celebrate. League fans are triggered by anything, especially in a crowd, and there's no better crowd in NZ sport than the massive one at Mt Smart. This vibrancy smashes its way out of the telly and spills cheap beer on the floor.
On the playing surface, if the Irish win and topple the All Blacks’ tower of invincibility, that's not an upset at all. There is a sense that this new look All Blacks team should have enough to hold the Irish at arm's length, but we all know how frail the All Blacks’ grasp on significant results have been over the last few years, so losing the Eden Park streak isn't at all out of the question. Do really want to watch that?
Conversely, to beat down the emerald barbarians at the gate will bring enormous pride and a sense that Rennie might actually be on to something. Didn't work for Razor though, did it? His 2025 Eden Park South African defiance was remarkable, but the next week we saw possibly the worst performance in All Blacks living memory.
As for the Wahs, there's not a comp in the world as close as the NRL. The Dragons are toilet this year, but as we saw on Thursday night when the Bronco whipping boys conjured up a win versus the table topping Panthers, upsets are commonplace. So the Wahs could lose, but they could also open up a can of whup-ass on St George.
Still undecided? Try this... is a Warriors team on the way up a better experience than an All Blacks side still trying to find their lost mojo?
The choice is yours, whatever you decide, turn off your phone so social media or your mates don't wreck the delayed experience for you.
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Much like the All Blacks, Ireland have started the Nations Championship off strong – claiming victory over Australia and Japan.
They’re travelling to Eden Park this weekend, aiming to crack open the Fortress and break the All Blacks’ 52-match unbeaten streak.
Former Irish midfielder Gordon D’Arcy joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to discuss the upcoming match.
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Despite a shaky first half in last week’s clash with Italy at Wellington’s Hnry Stadium, the All Blacks managed to secure a 47-17 victory.
However, they won’t have the luxury this week, taking on Ireland —the third ranked team in the world— at Eden Park, where they have a 52-match unbeaten streak on the line.
Josh Lord is starting at lock for the All Blacks tonight, and joined D’Arcy to preview the clash.
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Fresh from their triumph against England, the Black Caps are back in action with another series.
They’re set to face the West Indies in a five match ODI series, with the first match beginning at 6:30 tomorrow morning.
Bowler for the side, Jayden Lennox joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to preview the series.
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The West Auckland Admirals have experienced a good season so far, sitting second on the NZ Ice Hockey League table.
This weekend they’re taking on the Dunedin Thunder in a double header that’s crucial in ensuring they maintain their spot.
Justin Daigle, captain of the Admirals, joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to discuss.
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A week off has done the trick for the Warriors, after a return to the winner's circle in league's NRL.
Despite making 15 errors in a sometimes disjointed display, they've still eased away to a 32-6 win away to the Tigers in Sydney.
Richie Barnett, former Kiwis captain and NRL commentator, joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to review the match.
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The Festival of Football is taking place in Auckland today, with three Kiwi gridiron sides taking on three Australian sides at Trust Arena.
The marquee fixture is between the Iron Blacks and the Aussie side, and it’s the first time since 2003 that the match will be played on New Zealand soil.
Following last year’s narrow 20-16 loss over on the Gold Coast, the Iron Blacks will be eager to get one over our neighbours across the ditch.
Captain of the Kiwi side, Ala Kaufana joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to chat about the upcoming clash.
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Dave Rennie’s era of the All Blacks got off to a strong start last week with a 34-32 win over France at Christchurch’s One NZ Stadium.
It was the opening round of the inaugural Nations Championship, and now they’re heading to Wellington for their second clash – this time against Italy.
Despite losing to Japan last week, the All Blacks aren’t writing Italy off as an ‘easy beat’.
Hooker for the Kiwi side, Codie Taylor joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.
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Ego is a dog of an affliction.
But required at the highest level of sport – unless of course you’re Kane Williamson, who had an ego-ectamy as a kid.
The inner voice that drives superstar athletes to the altitude that asphyxiates mere mortals has a dark side.
When is enough, enough?
Case in point, the phenomenal career of one of tennis’ trip of GOATs, Novak Djokovic, and the shuffle away from City Kick Boxing by potential UFC hall of Famer Israel Adesanya.
Novak got rolled this morning by one of the new generation of men's players who is scrambling around in the foothills of his grand slam ascent, Jannik Sinner. No surprise of course that he would dispose of Novak with relative ease in the semifinals at Wimbledon.
Novak is still a superb player, but in his fixture with Father Time, the tyranny of age is moving him toward game, set, and match. Tantalisingly close to securing a record that will most likely never be touched, a quarter of a century of Grand Slam titles, Novak’s ego is in the driver’s seat, refusing to let him bow out with dignity, egging him on slam after slam, in hope of snaring his 25th title. His best chance has come and gone, when Sinner and Alcaraz didn't feature in the French Open. The gate was open, but was shut in his face by Fonseca. Ouch.
Israel is on a similar course. The once darling of the most ferocious sport the world has known, has a career whose moon is waning, and as much as he can’t or won’t admit it, Father Time has a rear naked choke hold on him and is unlikely to let go. The Style Bender has walked from the gym that propelled him to superstardom (or did he propel the gym into orbit?) in what can only be seen as a last-ditch attempt to launch him back into title contention again.
Self-belief, id, ego, whatever you call it, is an essential arrow in the quiver of the sporting colossus, one that is tempting to nock again, but is best left unshot in the fading light of the setting sun in an athlete's career.
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The Hurricanes Poua finally broke the duck last weekend – winning their first Super Rugby Aupiki match since 2024.
This weekend they’re set to take on the Blues, and are eager to keep the momentum rolling and pick up another win.
Iritana Hohaia, halfback for the side, joined Adam Cooper to discuss their win and preview the upcoming clash.
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The Auckland Tuatara are flying high – currently sitting atop the NZNBL table with two games in hand over the second-placed Southland Sharks.
Tonight they’re back in action, facing the Tauranga Whai in another big match.
Josh Leger will be playing tonight, and is also marking his 50th appearance in the Rapid League, and so he joined Adam Cooper for a chat.
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The NRLW Warriors are kicking off their season this weekend, hosting the Bulldogs at Waikato’s FMG Stadium.
Harata Butler is a prop for the side, and joined Adam Cooper to preview the weekend’s match.
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A new-look All Blacks side is taking to the field today for the first time in 2026 – coach Dave Rennie’s first match at the helm.
They’re taking on France in the opening match of the Nations Championship, and all eyes will be on One NZ Stadium as the game kicks off just after 7.
Peter Lakai is playing blindside flanker tonight, and joined Adam Cooper to preview the clash.
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After a strong showing in the first day of the third test against England, the Black Caps have not seen as much success in day 2.
Heading to the crease at 363/4 they would have liked to get up towards 500 runs but were bowled out for 438, with the only real contribution coming from Tom Blundell with 30 of 67.
The English batted well to round out the day - Ben Duckett scored a quickfire 113 of 99 balls while Jacob Bethell and Joe Root are still at the crease sitting on 74 and 21 respectively. They closed the day sitting on 223/2.
Jon Norman is a cricket commentator with talkSPORT in England, he joined Adam to discuss.
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The New Zealand Under 20 rugby side's World Championship campaign is set to begin tonight as they take on Japan in Kutaisi, Georgia.
Bradley Tocker is playing on the blindside for the side, he joined Adam to discuss.
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After 10 rounds of action, the ANZ Premiership Grand Final is tonight and it's clear it's being contested by the two best teams this season.
The Northern Mystics and the Southern Steel are facing off at The Trusts Arena in Auckland with hopes of being crowned the 2026 champion.
Michaela Sokolich-Beatson is the captain of the Mystics, she joined Adam to discuss
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The Warriors got back on track over the weekend as they ran out 38-20 winners over the Cowboys at One NZ Stadium in Christchurch, but they face a massive test this weekend.
They are set to take on the high-flying Dolphins in a 2nd v 3rd clash that could prove pivotal as they head into the back end of the NRL season.
Richard Agar is an assistant coach of the Warriors, he joined Adam to discuss.
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The Blues have gotten off to a strong start to the 2026 Super Rugby Aupiki season picking up back to back wins.
They edged past the Chiefs Manawa in a thriller in Hamilton last weekend 27-26, however this weekend will be their biggest challenge of the season so far.
They take on Matatu in a grand final rematch at the All In round in Pukekohe and there will be stars all over the park.
Maia Roos is the captain of the Blues, she joined Adam to discuss.
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It is do or die for the All Whites this afternoon at the FIFA World Cup.
They've shown promise in both matches to date, but their 3-1 loss to Egypt on Monday put a major dent in their hopes of pushing past the group stage.
Their toughest challenge of the tournament awaits them, as they are taking on the number 10 ranked Belgium in what is a must-win game.
Ben Sigmund is a former All White who played in the last World Cup in 2010, he joined Adam to preview the match.
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The Black Caps have a whopping lead over England at stumps on Day three of the second cricket test at The Oval.
Henry Nicholls is unbeaten on 119, helping New Zealand to 252 for three – a lead of 352 runs with seven second innings wickets in hand.
Jon Norman, commentator for talkSPORT in England, joined Adam Cooper to recap the day.
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It’s coming down to the wire in the ANZ Premiership.
The Southern Steel are taking on the Mainland Tactix in tomorrow’s elimination final, both teams vying for the spot in the Grand Final against the Mystics.
Steel Head Coach Wendy Frew joined Adam Cooper to discuss the tournament.
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The Black Sticks have made it to the semifinals of the FIH Nations Cup – remaining unbeaten throughout the pools.
They’re set to take on the United States tonight, clashing at North Harbour Hockey Centre for a spot in the final.
Captain Olivia Shannon joined Adam Cooper to preview the game.
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The Super Rugby Pacific Grand Final has arrived – the champion set to be crowned tonight.
The Hurricanes are hosting the Chiefs at Wellington’s Hnry Stadium – aiming to put an end to their title drought stretching back to 2016.
Hurricanes Centre Billy Proctor joined Adam Cooper to preview the clash.
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The Warriors stumbled into a second consecutive loss last week, falling 10-8 to the Sharks.
This weekend will see them travelling down the Christchurch for their first match in the city’s new stadium – clashing against the Cowboys tomorrow afternoon.
Fullback for the Warriors, Taine Tuaupiki joined Adam Cooper to discuss.
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Tonight will see Super Rugby Pacific crown a new champion.
The Hurricanes and Chiefs are battling it out for the title at a sold-out Hnry Stadium in Wellington.
The Chiefs are heading south, with hopes of defeating the ‘Canes and claiming their first title since 2013 – the team falling short in their last three finals.
Chiefs lock Josh Lord joined Adam Cooper to preview the clash.
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The White Ferns are back in action.
They begin their T20 title defence tomorrow over in England with a series against the West Indies.
Sophie Devine joined D’Arcy to preview the campaign.
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The Warriors are fresh off a bye week after a narrow 20-18 loss to the Panthers.
They’ve returned home after 56 days away and are preparing to take on the Sharks tonight.
Assistant Coach Slade Griffin joined D'Arcy to discuss their recent loss and the upcoming match.
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The final round of the ANZ Premiership has arrived and the finals roster has been locked in.
However, the top spot on the ladder —which guarantees a spot in the final— is still up for grabs, and with a win over the Waikato BoP Magic, the Northern Mystics could secure the spot.
Shooter for the Mystics, Maia Wilson joined D’Arcy to preview the final game.
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This is peak Kane Williamson
Last night New Zealand’s greatest test batsmen called it a day.
He scuppered the ship.
The Kiwi batting GOAT decided, whilst sitting on the deck at Lords, that he’d put a fork in it. He’s done.
This is him to a tee. The Holy Grail of test batting, 10,000 runs, was beckoning. One last chance to topple the Ockers at their place was there. The opportunity to wind up an incredible career at home with a nationwide celebration against the might of India was right in front of him.
Many reasons to soldier on.
But that ain’t Kane.
He was never there to feather his own nest, to lord it up with dominant numbers, to wave his bat in the air and say look at me.
He was almost embarrassed to celebrate his milestones.
His personification of the humble Kiwi sportsman was all about what he could do for the team, how his contribution affected the greater good – which was always the Black Caps.
He’s moved on at the top of his game. His decision, not an enforced move, his call alone. No-one else.
In his delightfully understated manner, he said “playing that last game at Lord’s is kind of cool.”
He goes quietly into the night, putting the team he has so much respect for, ahead of himself.
Peak Kane Williamson.
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The Super Rugby Pacific semi-finals are well underway – the Chiefs have claimed their spot in the big dance, but the clash to decide their opponents is still yet to come.
The Blues have limped their way to the finish line after losing four straight games, and are now tasked with a massive challenge – taking on the title-favoured Hurricanes at home.
Assistant coach Greg Feek joined D’Arcy to preview the clash.
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New Zealand’s biggest motocross race is taking place in Foxton this weekend – the 63rd annual NZ Grand Prix.
The event was originally set to take place in January, but stormy weather washed out the track and saw the race postponed and moved to a new track that can handle any potential downpours.
Josiah Natzke, currently ranked second in the country, is among the competitors, and joined D’Arcy to preview the event.
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The Auckland Tuatara are riding high, currently sitting atop the NZNBL table.
They’re heading to Taranaki this weekend to take on the Airs – aiming to use the game to solidify their place.
Shooting guard for the Tuatara, Isaac Davidson joined D’Arcy to preview the game.
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A mixed start to the NZ Ice Hockey League for the West Auckland Admirals, with three wins and three losses under their belts.
They’ll be aiming to pick up a couple more wins this weekend when they take on the Canterbury Red Devils in a double header.
Vice Captain Flynn Hayward Jones joined D’Arcy to preview the weekend.
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Things are coming down to the wire for the Northern Stars.
With only two rounds left in the ANZ Premiership, the team will need to win both if they’re to have any chance of making it into the finals.
They’re taking on the Southern Steel tomorrow afternoon in what’s set to be a tense game as they currently sit just one spot above the Stars on the ladder.
Stars midcourter Claire O’Brien joined D’Arcy to discuss the situation.
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The Blues have stumbled to the Super Rugby Pacific finish line.
But after losing three straight matches heading into the playoffs, they still have a chance to make history tonight.
They’re travelling to Christchurch tonight, aiming to be the first team in 33 attempts to beat the Crusaders on their home ground.
Assistant coach Paul Tito joined D’Arcy to preview the clash.
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It was a disappointing showing from the All Whites on Wednesday afternoon, the team suffering a 4-0 loss to Haiti.
However, their biggest match is still yet to come, as they look to hit out one final time before the FIFA World Cup kicks off.
They’re set to take on the number four ranked side in the world, England, for the first time since 1991.
Attacking midfielder Ben Old joined D’Arcy to preview the clash.
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The tail end of the ANZ Premiership is fast approaching, and the Southern Steel are well placed – currently sitting in second on the table.
Tomorrow afternoon will see them host the third placed Northern Mystics – a match they’ll have to win if they want to keep their spot.
Vice-captain Georgia Heffernan joined D’Arcy to discuss the situation.
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Super Rugby Pacific has reached its final round and the playoffs are looming.
The Blues are set to take on the Chiefs in a high-stakes clash they might need to secure the third place spot in the first round of the playoffs.
With the Crusaders’ victory over the understrength Hurricanes, the Blues will also need to win tonight’s match to lock in a home qualifying final.
Blues Centre Back Xavi Taele joined D’Arcy to preview the match.
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Halfway through the NZ NBL, the Franklin Bulls are holding onto the final playoff spot, currently sitting in sixth place.
They’re set to take on the second-ranked Auckland Tuatara at home tomorrow and will certainly be seeking an upset.
Bulls guard Jace Carter joined D’Arcy to preview the game.
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I get it. Within the loose structure of Super Rugby Pacific edicts, the allowance for teams to ‘pull a Hurricane’, as it will be known from this point on, is readily available.
If a team deem it to be prudent to rest players for a fixture, they can. Tonight the Chiefs are ‘pulling a Hurricane’ against the Blues.
Finishing at the top of the table, in a position where the result of the final round robin game cannot affect the team’s final series placement, has afforded both the Hurricanes and the Chiefs the opportunity to rest key players for their final games versus the Crusaders and the Blues. Which of course both teams did.
Legal, understandable, and accepted by most. The chance to rest tired carcasses and minds, which is insane, the season is short, this is not an NRL 27-week journey. It’s 16. With byes.
Yes, this is unusual, it’s not often, if ever, that the first and second teams find themselves in a space where their final games have no bearing on their final round robin placement.
I expect that forcing teams to play their top 23 would be nigh on impossible to police, so we are stuck with abominations like last night’s pie fight. The clown. The Crusaders-Hurricanes clash should have presented the sold-out stadium with a stunning display of top rugby from some of the best players the game has to offer. The fans at home on the couch should have been treated to a high-quality exchange, celebrating the dizzying heights of our national game. But they weren’t.
We were served up a lukewarm plate of leftovers, masquerading as a restaurant quality main. Sure, some key ingredients still made their way to the plate, like Sevu Reece having a field day at Te Kaha, sorry Tahi Aotearoa Whare Hākinakina, no, um One New Zealand Stadium.
The integrity of Super Rugby Pacific was compromised last night, and I’d suggest that tonight’s Battle of the Bombays will be no different.
The ‘Canes deserved to be spanked last night, and I hope the Blues dish up the same punishment to the Chiefs this evening.
The fans should feel ripped off, the coaches ashamed. That’s not high-quality sport entertainment. That was an abomination.
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The Warriors are on a hot streak as their biggest game of the season looms.
They picked up their 7th win in a row last week against the Dragons, and are set to take on the powerhouse Penrith Panthers tomorrow night in a top of the table clash.
Assistant Coach Richard Agar joined D’Arcy to preview the match.
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The Auckland Tuatara have had a strong start to the NZNBL season.
They’re currently sitting second on the table, and will be wanting to continue their winning ways when they take on the last-placed Tauranga Whai later tonight.
Centre for the team, Chris Johnson joined D’Arcy to preview the game and discuss the differences between the NZ game and the US one.
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The Warriors are running red hot in the NRL, having picked up their fifth win in a row in last weekend’s Magic Round.
They claimed a decisive win against the Broncos, 42-12.
They’re back in action tonight, taking on the last place St George Illawarra Dragons.
Coach Stacey Jones joined D’Arcy to preview the match.
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Moana Pasifika could be running out for the final time at home tonight, and channelling all of their emotions into statement performance against the Queensland Reds this afternoon.
It’s been a challenging season for the team and their future is looking increasingly dire, but they’ll be aiming to put on a strong performance in front of their fans.
Head Coach Tana Umaga joined D’Arcy to discuss the clash and the emotions surrounding it.
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The Northern Mystics’ have put together a solid ANZ Premiership campaign in the season so far.
Last weekend saw them defeat their cross-town rivals, the Northern Stars, 57-51, solidifying their third place spot on the table.
Tomorrow afternoon they’re taking on the Central Pulse, and captain Michaela Sokolich-Beatson joined D’Arcy to preview the clash.
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It’s a massive day for football in New Zealand.
In their second ever season, Auckland FC has qualified for the A-League Grand Final – the first men’s team to qualify in New Zealand’s history.
Their dominant performance against Adelaide last weekend locked them into the final, and now they’re set to face Sydney FC at a sold-out Mt Smart Stadium tonight.
Forward Jesse Randall joined D’Arcy to preview the clash.
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All hail AKLFC. The Auckland football side have gone one better than their inaugural season by booking a place in the A-League final.
Arguably they have trumped last year’s season already. Trumped as in surpassed, not as in the tangerine coloured, tiny handed narcissist.
They’ve packed out Mt Smart Go Media Stadium for the final, which from tonight on will be known as The Go Media Port after the intense fan base the team has whipped up. They've put football on the lips of sports fans across the motu, they’ve created an energy around Australasian sport that Super Rugby must be crying over, a vitality that the Warriors have finally tapped into and The Big Bash, aahh, yeah, nah, not yet.
This is not only a triumph for football, but a resounding celebration of the power of money. So it is a bit Trumpy, right?
The team hit the ground running, with the flames at their feet, propelled by the required largesse of a billionaire. It has yet to be determined if titles can be bought here but following in the footsteps of many a hugely successful football team, the smell of an oily rag will not fuel any team on the road to the promised land.
This is not a negative thought. This is steeped in the reality of professional sport. It’s not title buying, it’s arming your team with as much hi-tech ordinance as possible. The A-League salary cap is one thing, an archaic, creaky and vaguely efficient mechanism to ensure on-field parity, but the real financial flex comes with the ability to fund everything else. Well-resourced if you will. Staff, equipment, facilities. Although as chief payroll executive Bill Foley found out, much to his surprise (not ours), no amount of money can oil the wheels of Auckland city’s stadium development vehicle.
All of that aside, the game promises so much. Victory is the only acceptable outcome, but to not enjoy the fixture for whatever it brings, regardless of the result, is insane.
Revel in it, roll in it like a pig in mud, cheer, laugh, scream.
Have fun, because sport is far too important to take seriously.
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The New Zealand Ice Hockey League is officially under way.
It kicked off last weekend, but today will see the Botany Swarm start off their season with the first game of a double header against the Dunedin Thunder.
Captain of the side Michael Attwell joined D’Arcy to preview the season.
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Last week saw the Blues fall flat in their battle with the Crusaders at One NZ Stadium.
The home team claimed a comfortable victory, 36-20, with the Blues’ performance falling short.
But there’s no time to rest, as tonight they take on the high-flying, table-topping Hurricanes – a must-win match if they want a chance at a top two finish.
Blues hooker Bradley Slater joined D’Arcy to preview the clash.
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Auckland FC have reached the grand final in their second A-League season.
The Black Knights picked a great time to record their first-ever win in Adelaide, downing United 3-nil to win the tie 4-1 overall.
Former All White Fred de Jong joined D’Arcy to unpack the team’s victory.
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After a week off to rest, the Warriors are back in action tomorrow.
They’re facing off against the Brisbane Broncos in their own backyard at this weekend’s Magic Round.
Assistant Coach Slade Griffin joined D’Arcy to preview the clash.
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The Northern Stars are looking to turn things around after a narrow loss to the Tactix last week.
They’re set for the Northern Derby, facing off against the Mystics in a game that could have playoff implications moving into the second half of the ANZ Premiership.
Shooter Amelia Walmsley joined D’Arcy to preview the clash.
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Belief is high in the Wellington Phoenix women's camp as they chase A-League football history in Melbourne tomorrow.
They meet Melbourne City in the grand final, seeking to secure a first title by any New Zealand team.
Defender Lucia Leon joined D’Arcy to discuss the potentially history-making match.
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The Blues’ new Chief Executive Karl Budge has already marked his tenure with some bold statements. His brazen desire to hijack the wildly successful Super Round from Christchurch is an audacious move for the administrator who has an enviable record of success across the sports he has been involved in, notably tennis’ ASB Classic.
Like the target on the back of the Super Round, arguably a revery based dart, his pronouncement that the Blues home base Eden Park should be the teams’ superpower is as fanciful as the Super raid.
It’s unlikely that the Blues could regularly stuff the park to near capacity, such is the palpable lack of success the team has experienced, and the yawning emptiness that the stadium presents when a meagre crowd is in attendance.
However, even though Karl’s pipe dream appears to be based on ambition cloaked in hope, the mere fact that he has approached this matter with such unabashed positivity, speaks volumes for his ‘why not?’ philosophy in sport management.
Along with the Hurricanes owner’s calls for mass change in the Super Rugby ownership arena, the broom that has gone through NZR and the fresh approach in Super Rugby navigation, I dare say the want for an acceleration in Blues attendance-based passion isn’t as sky-based pie as we would think.
Karl also has a key ally in the limitless enthusiasm and drive of Eden Park CEO Nick Sauntner.
If the Blues are to rise again and bring the ever-expanding Auckland populace along for the ride, these to blokes are the men to do it.
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Midseason momentum is on the line as we head into round 5 of the ANZ Premiership.
The Northern Mystics are set to take on the Central Pulse in Poriua this evening following on from last weekend’s win over the Tactix.
Mystics goal shoot Maia Wilson joined D’Arcy to preview the game and chat about her shift from the Stars to the Mystics this season.
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Super Rugby Pacific got off to a strong start this week, with the Chiefs and Crusaders claiming victory last night.
The Crusaders beat the Blues 36-20 at their new stadium in Christchurch, while the Chiefs outlasted the Reds in Brisbane, winning 31-21.
Sky Sport Rugby Commentator Tony Johnson joined D’Arcy to review the two games and look forward to tonight’s clashes.
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A bad memory is fuelling Auckland FC in their bid for a maiden A-League football final.
They host Adelaide United at Mt Smart in the first leg of their semifinal tonight – the stage where they stumbled last campaign.
It's kicking off at 6pm, and Auckland’s right back Callan Elliot joined D’Arcy to preview the clash.
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It’s a major weekend for the Wellington Phoenix women.
90 minutes are standing between the team and the A-League Grand Final – the Nix sitting at a one goal deficit heading into the second leg of the semifinal against the Brisbane Roar.
Midfielder Emma Pijnenburg joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to discuss leg one and look ahead to tomorrow’s clash.
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Auckland FC’s unlikely journey toward A-League supremacy continues this evening as the plucky lads out of Penrose look to roll Adelaide in the first leg of their semi final series.
Fingers crossed that the faithful turn up to scream and shout and spit and drink and cheer and chant AKLFC to a victory, to set up next week's return leg.
The faithful will turn up I’m sure, the faithful being the Port, the gang of supporters that have been a constant since the team's inception. As for the rest, we’ll know early this evening.
Plainly, the A-League's tone-deaf pricing of last week’s thrilling knock out fixture versus Melbourne City was injurious to the spectating body count, the warm prop attendance was a depressing 11,000ish.
There were mitigating factors, such as the clash with local football and the unexpected nature of the game. AKLFC fluffed their lines against Sydney the previous week and instead of having a week off, they were thrown into an elimination match.
The most telling issue though was the insane ticket pricing that cut the casual fanbase off at the knees. AKLFC had words with the league and this evening's match hasn’t been cash coshed by the governing body, so hopes are high that the stands are heaving come 6pm.
But could the reduction in crowd numbers from last year's phenomenal count be as simple as second year syndrome? Auckland casual sports fans are notorious for their flaky attendance record and the team, although flirting all season with top spot, hardly provided consistent top results. The hardcore fans turned up, but the casual fan is where the growth will always be and this area I’d suggest has been lacking.
Like a cute new puppy at Christmas that everyone wants to cuddle, a year down the track, after some chewed slippers and a couple of accidents on the carpet, the interest wanes somewhat. Not hessian sack style, but close....
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One last clash before the New Zealand Ice Hockey League gets underway.
The season starts next week, but before that, the Botany Swarm are facing off against the Auckland Mako tomorrow evening.
Kyle Jonsson is captaining the side this weekend, and joined D’Arcy to preview the game.
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The UFC is Down Under this weekend, Fight Night kicking off in Perth later tonight.
A raft of City Kickboxing fighters are competing at the event.
Fresh off a round-two knockout back in January, Australian Cam Rowston will be back in ring this weekend, and joined D’Arcy to discuss the event.
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The Northern Stars have bounced back after their first loss of the season.
They claimed victory over the Central Pulse last weekend in a close match in Wellington.
They’re back home this weekend, taking on the currently bottom of the table Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic.
Stars Captain Mila Reuelu-Buchanan joined D’Arcy to preview the clash.
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Listen. Really carefully. Stretch your eardrums as taut as they can be.
Can you hear the tears falling? Can you hear the plaintive wails of loss? The bass string twang of heart strings snapping?
No, no you can’t. No one cares. No pity, no deep sense of bereavement.
LIV Golf is on its knees. Head bowed, waiting for the rush of blade driven air as the scimitar flashes through the fleshy neck of the rebel golf league.
It looks like Gordon Gekko was a little off the mark – greed doesn’t necessarily work.
The Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund has walked from one of their sport washing escapades after sinking a reported US$5 billion into their version of the sport over the last five years.
This dalliance has made some players an extraordinary sum of money walking around on grass for 54 holes. Fourteen times a year. On a cost per wear basis, it made financial sense, but the exercise’s cost was never about money, it was about the price of someone's soul.
Plainly, morals can become a tradable commodity and I’m sure the players who collapsed at the altar of blood money can sleep well at night, betwixt their hand stitched 10,000 count Egyptian long-staple cotton sheets on mattresses stuffed with riyal.
Whether this collapse is a harbinger of further sport washing decay is yet to be determined, surely their seemingly bottomless pit of filthy lucre isn’t starting to show signs of a floor?
They still have boxing and football, F1, sailing, and cricket I suppose. And rugby? Not yet.
Good luck to them.
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The Warriors are flying high – sitting second on the ladder after a tense victory over the Dolphins.
It was a tough battle in the second half, the New Zealand side coming from behind to claim the win, 20-18 at Hnry Stadium.
Now they’re crossing the ditch to take on the Paramatta Eels in another important clash – Adam Pompey returning to the side following a disciplinary stand down.
He joined D’Arcy to preview the clash.
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It was a rough run home for Auckland FC as they ended the regular A-League season with a five-game winless streak.
As a result, Adelaide United jumped them to land in second place, relegating the Black Knights to an elimination final against reigning champions, Melbourne City.
Auckland FC midfielder and club MVP Louis Verstraete joined D’Arcy to preview this must-win match.
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Finishing halves strong is a key focus for the Blues as Super Rugby Pacific approaches its business end.
The Aucklanders conceded 26 of their 33 points to the Reds in the last 10 minutes of each half at Super Round, a week after conceding 21 points to the Highlanders in the same time frame.
This weekend they’re travelling across the bridge to take on Moana Pasifika at North Harbour Stadium.
Stephen Perofeta is making his starting return to the side after sitting out since round three, and joined D’Arcy to preview the clash.
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The Warriors strong start to the season has continued.
Despite some defensive struggles at the end of the second half, they claimed a victory over the Gold Coast Titans last week.
They’re taking on the Dolphins this weekend, travelling to Wellington to play at a sold out Hnry Stadium.
Assistant Coach Slade Griffin joined D’Arcy to preview the clash.
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The Blues are taking the lessons of what works at Forsyth Barr Stadium as they play under the roof in Christchurch for the first time tonight.
They meet the Queensland Reds in the second game of the day and third game of the weekend and play the Crusaders at the same ground in a fortnight.
Kade Banks is getting his first start on the wing tonight for the Blues, and joined D’Arcy to preview the match.
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A bitter disappointment for Auckland FC, as their performance against the Central Coast Mariners last weekend ruled them out of the Premiers Plate race.
But the Plate isn’t the be all end all, and a victory in tomorrow night’s game would lock them into second place and let them skip straight to the semifinals.
Dan Hall, defender for Auckland FC, joined D’Arcy to discuss.
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Parakiore. Ngā Puna Wai. Hagley Oval and now Te Kaha.
Ōtautahi Christchurch now has the full deck of first class, top notch, bee’s knees sporting facilities.
It will be, if it’s not already, the envy of the country.
This has not come without a fight, there are citizens of that city that really didn’t want a bar of any of it, or the price tag they came with. But good things come to those who ask and in One New Zealand Stadium’s case, those who wait.
The stadium at Te Kaha is the jewel in Christchurch's sporting crown. The paragon, the masterpiece, the crowning glory, the pièce de résistance.
Plainly, these facilities were all borne of the calamitous quake of 2011, a city defining disaster that flattened the metropolis in the blink of an eye. A barely comprehensible natural disaster which the city will carry in its hearts and minds for generations to come.
Although it has taken many years for the populace to haul itself back to its feet physically and mentally – the reconstruction, redevelopment, and reimagining of their proud town have been stunning. Uplifting even.
Sport is the beating heart of Canterbury. Unless you've lived there, which I did for the first 30 years of my life, you can’t possibly grasp the deep-seated passion that drives the outrageous success that the red and black athletes have sustained for, well, forever.
This continuum of achievement has never waned, and now with the proliferation of world class sporting facilities, it’s incomprehensible that it won't continue.
Tahi Aotearoa whare hākinakina kei Te Kaha.
What a stunner.
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A major rowing regatta is taking place this weekend at Orewa Beach – the NZ Beach Sprint Championships.
With beach sprints having been named an Olympic discipline going forward, the event will be garnering plenty of interest.
Holly Chaafe is one of those competing over the weekend, and joined D’Arcy to discuss the event.
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The Black Ferns got their dedemption for last year’s Rugby World Cup semi-final in last week’s clash against Canada.
A decisive 36-14 victory has seen them effectively wrap up PAC 4, but the work isn’t quite over yet.
They’re facing off against Australia tonight over on the Sunshine Coast – Justine McGregor, winger for the Black Ferns, joined D’Arcy to preview the clash.
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The Auckland Tuatara’s season got off to a winning start.
They dispatched their cross-town rivals, the Franklin Bulls, 115-95 on Saturday night at Eventfinda Stadium.
Tonight they’re slated to face the Southland Sharks and will be hoping to keep their momentum building.
Tuatara guard Zach Riley joined D’Arcy to preview the clash.
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The Black Ferns started off the PAC 4 tournament on a high note.
They kept the US on the back foot, landing a comfortable 48-15 victory against the side.
They’ll be aiming to right past wrongs in their next match, facing off against Canada for the first time since their loss in last year’s Rugby World Cup – Canada claiming the win 34-19.
Black Ferns lock Maiakawanakaulani Roos joined D’Arcy to preview the clash.
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Auckland FC are still in the running for the Premiers Plate, with just two rounds to go in the season.
After dropping points in a 2-2 draw with the Melbourne Victory, they’ll need a win over the Central Coast Mariners in order to keep the pressure on the Newcastle Jets.
Auckland FC Striker Sam Cosgrove joined D’Arcy to reflect on the loss and look ahead to tomorrow’s clash.
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The ANZ Premiership is well and truly underway.
The Northern Mystics stumbled against the Auckland rivals, the Stars, in the tournament's first round last week, ending the game with a narrow 63-59 loss.
They’re looking to turn it around early in the season when they take on the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic tonight.
Mystics Captain Michaela Sokolich-Beatson joined D’Arcy to preview the game.
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The demise of Moana Pasifika is not a good story. The conscious uncoupling of the club from Super Rugby Pacific doesn’t come as any surprise though.
Not a bad idea, but the execution was awful. The team were hog-tied from the get-go.
The slow slide of the side started at inception and even though the tenuous grasp the franchise had on its position showed shadows of sustained grip on its place in the program, Moana Pasifika was only ever heading south.
Unsupported, underfunded, unwanted, unable to provide players with a solid path on the route to I don’t know where. A place holder franchise, without a genuine and consistent home paddock, a holding pen for athletes before they were herded into a flock shepherded by NZR, or a northern team, or for Savea, Japan.
The idea was wonderful, a home for the huge numbers of Pasifika players who couldn’t find contracts in other super franchises, another chance to tap into this seemingly endless resource. Except the Fijians. Another nonsense in this rudderless Pacific journey. Professional rugby contracts at the top level need to be earned, not distributed out of necessity.
The Blues, the traditional home of AKL based Pasifika, saw them as a parasite. The public didn’t know what they stood for. The players loved the idea, but as soon as they showed promise, they were off to greener pastures.
I’m sure that being owned by PMA, the Pasifika Medical Association, wasn’t helpful either. Again, good intention, but problematic as one of the key sponsor veins to tap into over the years for oval ball codes has been everything that Pasifika health doesn’t need. Fast food and liquor, right?
Arguably the only positive was the astonishing arrival of Ardie Savea, who brought eyeballs and bums to the games, but it was all for nothing as the gun for hire promptly upped sticks and buggered off to cash in, sorry expand his horizons, play with his global whanau, I dunno, whatever.
This not a punch down on a mortally wounded group, it’s just a naked precis of an experiment that had a good heart, but a terrible respiratory system.
Super Rugby needs to drop the Pacific moniker and revert to type. Super Rugby works just fine, and now with 10 teams it works even better. Back to the old school when the comp was vibrant and crisp.
Super 10 anyone?
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The Warriors made a statement last week.
They ended their 17 game losing streak against the Melbourne Storm in a dominating fashion, claiming a 38-14 victory.
However, this weekend they’re up against a bogey team as the Gold Coast Titans travel to Mt Smart with the intent to upset.
Edge forward for the Warriors, Marata Niukore joined D’Arcy to discuss the match.
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The 2026 New Zealand NBL season kicked off this week and the Auckland Tuatara are getting their season underway tonight.
They’re slated to take on the Franklin Bulls and will be aiming to get things off to a roaring start.
Power Forward Tom Vodanovich joined D’Arcy to preview the season.
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The ANZ Premiership will get underway tonight, and fans are stoked to finally focus on the sport again after the drama with Netball New Zealand.
Tomorrow afternoon will see the Stars and the Mystics go head-to-head in a northern derby at Auckland’s Pulman Arena.
Northern Stars Head Coach Temepara Bailey joined D’Arcy to preview the clash and the beginning of the season.
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Tonight will see a monster top of the table Super Rugby Pacific clash play out.
The Blues are travelling to the capital to take on the Hurricanes at Hnry Stadium – both teams are on four game winning streaks, and the Blues will be looking to make a statement in the pivotal match.
Winger Codemeru 'Cody' Vai joined D’Arcy to discuss his rookie season to date and preview the clash.
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The Warriors have hit a slump.
After a 3-0 start to their NRL season, they’re on a two game skid after major losses to the Wests Tigers and Sharks.
It doesn’t get any easier for the side as they face the Melbourne Storm tonight – a team they’ve lost 17 straight matches to.
Assistant coach Richard Agar joined D’Arcy to discuss the clash.
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The battle for the Premier's Plate is heating up and Auckland FC is still in the mix.
With three matches left in the regular season, tonight’s matchup against the fourth place Melbourne Victory is crucial to remaining within touching distance with League leaders the Newcastle Jets.
Logan Rogerson, attacker for Auckland FC, joined D’Arcy to preview the match.
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The Black Ferns are back in action for the first time this year.
Tomorrow morning they’re taking on the United States in the first match of the PAC 4 series in Sacramento, California.
Hannah King, first five for the Black Ferns, joined D’Arcy to preview the clash.
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Much has been made of the return of Shannon Frizell. The weapons-grade blindside is on his way home from Japan in an attempt to gain selection for the All Blacks’ World Cup squad.
Along with Richie Mo’unga, NZR has a couple of quality footballers returning to the fold, rugby moths attracted to the 2027 World Cup flame. Leicester Fainga’anuku returned for the same reason, Brodie Retallick has been linked to a possible comeback too.
Is this a bad thing? Will these returnees threaten the hold NZR has on their players in regards to leaving Super Rugby to access the stupid money in the northern hemisphere? Will this force their hand around the restrictions placed on these players around international selection? Will this herald an open season on NZ rugby talent?
No to all of the above.
NZR’s currency is World Cup success. That’s it. Pure and simple.
In 2027, the best 33 NZ rugby players should be picked to hunt down and snare William Webb Ellis’ Trophy. To suggest that making that grade requires several seasons in our domestic competitions flies in the face of the reality of professional sport. The want for rugby to become a true global game says that the players must be free to ply their trade in all four corners of our pale blue dot.
NZR make the rules for their international representation. They are not a World Rugby edict.
NZR should look favourably on players who choose to stay to keep Super Rugby and NPC relevant and attractive, but no cutting off of noses to spite faces here.
The players who choose to leave will have to fight their way back in, whatever route they choose, and should they scoot away for the pound or euro or yen, as sure as I wear a singlet and ie faitaga, the next generation of AB superstars will rise from the ashes of the departees.
If you love something, set it free...
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A bit of sporting action has been added to this year’s Easter Show.
Thousands of people are expected to attend the festivities at the Auckland Showgrounds, and this year they’ll be able to witness a BMX showcase, headlined by a legend in the sport.
Jed Mildon, the first person to land a triple backflip on a BMX, will be performing and mentoring some exciting young Kiwi riders.
He joined D’Arcy to discuss the event.
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Speedway is back in action in Auckland tonight.
Challenging conditions over the last few weekends saw the events pushed back, but tonight is set to host the Auckland Saloon Champs as well as an Easter Fireworks Spectacular and a Demolition Derby.
Scott Landsdown is racing this evening, and joined D’Arcy to preview the event.
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This weekend is light on Super Rugby action, but the Chiefs are still facing a looming clash against the Waratahs tonight.
After two tough matches over in Australia, the Kiwi side will be looking to put on a strong performance at home.
Chiefs prop Ollie Norris joined D’Arcy to preview the clash.
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Wednesday saw the White Ferns make history in their second ODI against South Africa.
They chased down a mammoth 347 to win by two wickets, anchored by a true captain's knock of 179 from Amelia Kerr.
This leaves the series tied at 1-1, with the decider taking place later today.
Batter for the side, Suzie Bates joined D’Arcy to discuss the series so far.
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Easter is a strange time. For many reasons. I won’t do a deep dive into the relevance of compulsory days off attached to a particular belief code, I thought we were a secular society, but it is what it is right? I’ll take the break.
The idea that folk have a long weekend, loosely associated with an archaic concept, is music to most people's ears. A time to reconnect with family, hang out with friends or hide in a dark room watching sport – whatever floats your boat.
The CEO of Super Duper Rugby Pacific, Jack Mesley, joins Piney on Weekend Sport this afternoon to discuss the peeled back nature of this weekend's round.
Three games. That’s all. A captive audience, some with nothing to do, others hiding from their families, some needing to feed their footy habit.
You could sensationalise this by saying 40% of the fixtures have been torched, but with such a slim comp, 40% is only two games.
Still. Over the ditch in the NRL, the games have been stretched over five days. Full noise, full steam, full Easter long weekend programme. Yes, the NRL have the teams to do it with eight games to juggle, but even with five games, you’d hope that Super Rugby could capitalise on the long weekend.
Negligent? Pragmatic? Meh?
I’m very interested in what Jack Mesley has to say about this scheduling. With him in charge, the competition has embraced the warm props (the attending fans) and the couch bound eyeballs, so I’m presuming there is logic behind this threadbare showing.
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The Wellington Phoenix are well and truly back in the race to the A-League playoffs.
After picking up back-to-back wins over the Perth Glory and Brisbane Roar before the international break, they’re set to take on the Melbourne Victory tomorrow in another must-win game.
Centre back for the Phoenix, Bill Tuiloma joined D’Arcy to discuss their run.
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The Warriors will be looking to right the course after suffering their first setback of the NRL season.
Last Friday saw them fall to the Wests Tigers, losing 32-14 at Mt Smart Stadium.
They'll be aiming to return to their winning ways when taking on the Sharks tomorrow afternoon.
Second rower Jacob Laban joined D’Arcy to discuss the clash.
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A setback to the All Whites Football World Cup preparations, going down 2-nil to Finland at Eden Park.
The Finns scored from a corner after 25 minutes and added a second late in the game.
They’ll be facing Chile at Eden Park on Monday – their final home encounter before the FIFA World Cup later this year.
Former All Whites Coach Ricki Herbert joined D’Arcy to reflect on last night’s defeat, and look ahead to the next clash.
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The White Ferns wrapped up their T20 series against South Africa in style, a dominant 92 run victory in the final match resulted in them winning the series 4-1.
Now a three match ODI series against the Proteas is looming to wrap up the team’s home summer.
Captain Amelia Kerr played a fantastic knock in the final T20 clash, hitting a career high of 105, and she joined D’Arcy to reflect on her form and look ahead to the ODI series.
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The Warriors winning streak has come to an end.
They stumbled last night in their clash against the Wests Tigers at Go Media Stadium, losing their first game of the season 32-14.
The Warriors started hot, scoring two quick tries to take a 10-0 lead, but the Tigers struck back, outscoring the Warriors 32-4 throughout the rest of the game.
Former Kiwis player and rugby commentator Richie Barnett joined D’Arcy to review the game.
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Last night's Warriors loss illustrated how incredibly difficult it is to gain and keep ascendancy in the NRL.
The result also reaffirmed —underlined, in bold, and in italics— that the crazed notion the Warriors fan base have clung to for generations, this is our year, can only ever be applied retrospectively, i.e., that was our year. Not a question for the future, but a statement of the past.
In the NRL, 5% off is all it takes for a team to be made to look a little ‘village’ in the wash up.
Even the perennial great teams of the comp can get their pants pulled down in a flash, exposing their tender buttocks to the world.
The Warriors didn't get trousered last night, nor were they embarrassed, it was an almost confused display from a team that appeared to not have a great understanding of what was happening to them on the park.
So far this season they had done an impressive job of leaving the previous week’s result in the past —where it belongs— and focusing only on the present. The display against the Tigers though smacked of a team that had a sneaky look at the press and started believing that it was indeed their year.
There are upsides to the limp showing of course. No-one got stretchered off or fell afoul of the judiciary. The 6-7 pairing had a game to bed in their combo, even though it looked like neither player was sure which way to roll to keep the duvet in place.
They need to park that game, reload, and charge on.
It wasn’t a disaster; it shouldn’t have any bearing on the season as a whole.
Don’t ever forget, ‘our year’ should only ever be a season to look proudly back on, not a dangerous roll in a soothsayer's suit.
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Last weekend saw the Northern League football tournament get underway for 2026.
Auckland City started strong, claiming victory over their rivals Western Springs, 3-0, and are back in action this afternoon as they take on the Eastern Suburbs at home.
Mario Ilich is captain of the side, and joined D’Arcy for a chat.
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The Blues are flying high after coming up from behind to defeat the Waratahs 35-20 last weekend.
There’s silverware on the line as they’re set to take on the Fijian Drua tonight, the teams competing for the Joeli Vidiri Memorial Trophy for the first time.
Vidiri was a Fijian international who played for the Blues between 1996 and 2001, in which he scored 43 tries in 61 games for the franchise.
Sam Darry is captaining the Blues tonight, and joined D’Arcy to preview the match.
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Auckland FC have continued their strong charge to the finish line in the A-League.
They picked up a massive win last weekend against the top of the table Newcastle Jets and are back home this week to take on Macarthur this afternoon.
On top of that, five of their players have been named in the All Whites side for their World Cup warm up fixtures next weekend. One of those players is Callan Elliot, and he joined D'Arcy for a chat about it.
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Super Rugby Pacific rolls on this weekend.
A few thrilling clashes have already passed, with the Hurricanes stunning the Highlanders 507, and the Brumbies celebrating James Slipper’s 203rd Super Rugby match in style with a 33-24 win over the Chiefs.
Tonight, Moana Pasifika is taking on the Crusaders while the Blues cross the ditch to Syndey for a clash against the Waratahs.
Rugby Commentator Tony Johnson joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to look back on the previous matches and preview tonight's clashes.
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King of the Ring action returns this weekend with the Super Cruiserweights taking the spotlight at Eventfinda stadium tonight.
Dhcamad Armstrong will be fighting in the event and he joined D'Arcy to preview the tournament.
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The White Ferns are back on track.
After losing their second T20 clash to South Africa, they put on a strong performance last night at Eden Park to take a 2-1 lead in the series.
They now have the chance to wrap the series up cleanly tomorrow in Wellington.
Sophie Devine hit an unbeaten 55 off 38 balls in an unbeaten 84-run partnership with Maddy Green, and joined D’Arcy Waldegrave for a chat.
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The Warriors are flying high after going two for two to start their NRL season.
They claimed a 42-18 victory over the Roosters in Round 1 and defeated the Raiders 40-6 in Round 2 – both games won at home.
Tonight is their first away game of the season, facing the Newcastle Knights across the ditch.
Assistant Warriors Coach Richard Agar joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.
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Let’s talk about joy.
Releasing the demons of expectation, the pressures of desire, the need to justify sporting existence through results alone.
To be fair, this all sounds a bit new age, a bit woowoo, counter to the traditional muted celebration of living the grind, suffering to succeed.
Increasingly, sportspeople are eschewing the concept of the strong silent athlete assassin, an unsmiling, full focussed, dead shark eyed harbinger of your defeat.
I believe this comes from the acceleration of women’s sport.
Over the last 25 odd years, I’ve watched the rise and rise of their game. The increase in media coverage, the sponsorship, the exponential growth in income, the positive narrative change, the acceptance that women’s sport is not men’s sport in a different uniform.
Wāhine bring a change in perception. Their game is neither better nor worse. Comparative size, strength, speed are no longer the determiners of quality. The paradigm adjustment is bringing a new and uplifting look at sport. It’s bringing a whole new set of achievement parameters.
Results are still incredibly important; they are after all the reason to play at the highest level. They are still the why, but the how has evolved.
In my years of broadcasting, women bring a glow of positivity to their chosen sport and choose to express that. They speak freely of their ups and downs, wholly unafraid to bring emotion to the fore. By and large they are in touch with their inner spirit and are not encumbered by showing it.
An absolute of sport is this: loss is not only inevitable, it is the dominant result in sporting theatre. There is one champion. There is one gold medallist, there is one world record holder. The rest are merely cogs in the wheel.
To travel the distance, there must be joy, if not, the exercise is pointless.
Strive to win, play the game. You want to win, but don’t need it. Your experience has given you everything.
Don’t judge your worth on the final result.
Celebrate the adventure. Your game, your experience, your decision.
Keep smiling.
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The Warriors have won two on the trot to start off their NRL season for the first time since 2018.
Last night’s 40-6 thrashing of the Raiders followed on from a decisive victory over the Roosters last week.
Scores were locked at six-all due to the wet conditions, before the Warriors laid on a six-try blitz in the second spell.
Former Warrior Motu Tony joined Piney to review the clash.
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It's time for the final manu showdown.
After 12 events across New Zealand and Australia’s Gold Coast, the Z Manu World Champs Grand Final is taking place this weekend on Auckland’s waterfront.
Jahrome Rapata-Taipari was the winner of the Whangarei qualifier, and joined Piney ahead of today’s Grand Final.
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The Black Caps are hopping straight from one challenge to another.
They’re fresh off the plane after the T20 World Cup and are preparing for a five set T20 series against South Africa, beginning Sunday.
It’s a double header, with the White Ferns also taking on the South African team.
Black Cap Cole McConchie joined Piney to reflect on the World Cup and look ahead to the South Africa series.
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The Blues will be aiming to keep their momentum rolling after a 29-13 victory over the defending champions, the Crusaders, at Eden Park last weekend.
They’re at home again this Sunday when they take on their cross-town rivals, Moana Pasifika.
Loose forward Malachi Wrampling is looking to make his debut, and joined Piney to discuss the match.
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The Crankworx mountain biking festival is well and truly underway, with plenty more action to come over the weekend.
The event offers a range of elite competitions, participatory events, and cultural celebrations, catering to every level of rider.
This year, athletes are battling for crucial points in the King & Queen of Crankworx standings.
Australian mountain biker Jackson Frew is competing in this year’s event, and joined Piney to chat about it.
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Auckland FC is facing a huge task this weekend.
They’re set to take on the table topping Newcastle Jets in a game that holds plenty of importance heading into the final six rounds of the A-League.
Sam Cosgrove, a striker for the Auckland side, joined Piney to preview the clash.
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The richest horse race in New Zealand is taking place today.
Ellerslie Racecourse is hosting the NZB Kiwi this afternoon, as part of Champions Day in Auckland.
Ellerslie’s CEO, Paul Wilcox, joined D’Arcy to discuss the event.
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Is this the Warriors’ year?
The team put on an emphatic performance, smashing the Sydney Roosters 42-18 in their NRL season opener last night.
Chanel Harris-Tavita grabbed two of the Warriors seven tries, as they refused to settle on their 22-6 halftime lead.
Former Captain Tohu Harris joined D’Arcy to unpack the clash.
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A major Super Rugby Pacific clash is looming.
The Blues are back at Eden Park, set to take on the Crusaders in a primetime match up tonight.
The Crusaders will be looking to keep their momentum rolling after a dominant showing against the Chiefs last weekend, while the Blues will be aiming to bounce back after a final play defeat to the Brumbies.
Lock for the Blues, Josh Beehre joined D’Arcy to preview the clash.
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Kiwi golfer Nick Voke is in touching distance of the lead after two rounds of the Japan-Australasia Championship in Auckland.
Voke's carded a six-under par second round to sit in second position at eight-under for the tournament, one shot behind joint leaders Kohei Okada and Jay Mackenzie.
He caught up with D’Arcy after coming off the green yesterday for a chat about how he’s tracking so far.
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The South Africans couldn't remove their World Cup back monkey; can the New Zealanders jettison their shoulder riding chimp? The Indian cricketers have a similar issue with New Zealand, the little team that continue to embarrass the dominant force in world cricket.
The Proteas problem of choking in big moments at global white ball tournaments has long been an itch that can’t be scratched. After cruising through the World Cup prelims, unbeaten until the semi-final versus the Black Caps, the Africans, full of rightful confidence, held on so tightly to expectation that they strangled the life out of any chances they had.
They slumped when it mattered, the oxygen required to operate at such a level of competition, was sucked from them, not only by the miserly bowling from NZ, but by the suffocating nature of unrealised potential. They didn’t choke, they self-asphyxiated, as impossible as that may sound.
The Black Caps may well stumble at the last hurdle, the monkey on their back not being one that chokes the life out of them, it’s the one that whispers in their ear, you’re not good enough. Constantly reminded by the world that they have no right to be at the sharpest end of tournament with their tiny population and almost non-existent player base, they have been so close, and short of the Nairobi Champions Trophy win a quarter of a century ago, never pushed through to claim the major title that has beckoned.
India has a different, but equally stressful issue. New Zealand has become a thorn in their side, that’s been there so long it’s gone septic. When it really matters, India can’t put New Zealand away. All the money in the world, an incomprehensibly vast population comparison and a governing body that will stop at nothing to stack the odds in India’s favour, yet New Zealand regularly gets up their face and embarrasses them.
The next layer of pressure for the Indian side is the weight of expectation they must carry. At home, in front of 130,000 fans in the Ahmedabad Stadium, defending champions who may be the first team to go back-to-back in T20 World Cups and the first team to win the T20 World Cup at home.
Does any of this matter come Monday morning? It shouldn’t. Do past performances really dictate future outcomes? Strictly speaking they don’t, but they do play on the minds of competitors.
Who deals with these mind shadows the best will surely hold the trophy aloft.
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Auckland FC have found some form over the last few weeks, including a 5-0 demolition of the Wellington Phoenix, and a 3-0 victory over Melbourne City.
This Sunday they’re set to take on the Perth Glory – a team that defeated them earlier this year.
D’Arcy was joined in studio by Jake Girdwood-Reich and Lachie Brook, a midfielder and a winger for Auckland FC, to preview the match.
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A big athletics meet is taking place in Auckland this weekend – the Trackstars Meet.
Tonight some of the biggest track and field athletes will be hitting The Trusts Arena, vying for the title of Track Star.
One of the competitors is running prodigy Sam Ruthe, who joined D’Arcy to preview the event and chat about the early stages of his career.
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This week the Moana Pasifika Super Rugby Pacific franchise conceded that their round 9 fixture against the Chiefs will not take place in the Kingdom of Tonga. Short of a last-minute significant sponsorship deal, the game will be played in either Pukekohe or Rotorua. This will be the second time in as many years that the Auckland based team will be unable to ply their trade on the friendly islands.
This is wretched news for the fans in Tonga. To have a Super game in their backyard would be a sporting highlight for the populace, to be denied again is heartbreaking for the team (according to CEO Debbie Sorenson) and for the rugby mad fans across the archipelago, all 170 islands....or the 40-odd inhabited ones at least.
Emotionally difficult, but fiscally impossible. Even if they could extract 600 k of sponsorship blood out of the stone of our embattled economy, it would be irresponsible to use that money to spend 80 minutes playing rugby in front of 10,000 people. It makes no sense. And it wouldn’t make any dollars either.
The $600 k is based on the cost of the broadcast; a figure Sky TV won’t assist with. Really? That much? Look at the NPC, they film that on a potato, surely they could drastically reduce costs, shoot an inferior product for the good of the people of Tonga.
Playing there is a wonderfully romantic notion, and I commend Manu Pasifika for having a crack, but the reality is that that trip to Nuku’alofa is a nice to have, nothing more, nothing less - and that’s the long and short of it. Manu Pasifika may represent the islands, but with a Pasifika population in Auckland of 400, 000, this where the focus of the club should be.
Tamaki Makaurau is the hotbed of Pacific rugby talent. This city is where the eyeballs are, where the crowd numbers should be and where their success will be built.
Sure, as an aspirational exercise for the kids of the Kingdom – you've got to see it to be it – it would be a significant exercise, but beyond the moth filled pockets of Moana Pasifika.
I’m under the impression that the king of Tonga is worth a few sheckles, maybe hit him up to cover the costs?
Regardless, it’s not going to happen soon, if it should happen at all.
That’ll do.
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The Tall Blacks are back in action over in the Philippines as they play a series of World Cup qualifying matches. They won their first matchup against the Philippines early yesterday morning and will look to make it two from two when they take on Guam tomorrow night.
Judd Flavel is the head coach of the Tall Blacks and he joined D'Arcy to discuss.
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This weekend the Manu World Champs hits the Auckland waterfront for the first of two qualifying rounds in the city of sails.
Piri Weepu, former All Black and now ambassador for the Manu World Champs joined D'Arcy to discuss.
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The NZ golf open rolls on with the third days play getting underway later today.
Yesterday afternoon D'Arcy caught up with Dan Hillier, a pro golfer representing New Zealand at the open shortly after hopping off the green for the day to discuss how he's been going at the tournament and what it means to compete in New Zealand.
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Theres another exciting night of racing lining up at Waikaraka Park this evening. Tonight racers will be competing for the NZ Modified Grand Prix, with the Auckland street stock champs also in action.
Brad Lane won the modified dirt cup last weekend and will be racing tonight, and he joined D'Arcy this morning to discuss the competition.
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The Black Caps have stumbled in their final Super 8 match at the T20 world cup overnight against England, losing by 4 wickets. The Black Caps set a target of 159/7 led by strong contributions from Glenn Phillips (39) and Tim Seifert (35) but no one was able to push on for a big total.
They looked to have the game in the bag with England requiring 43 off the final 3 overs, but an expensive Glenn Phillips over conceded 22 runs putting New Zealand on the back foot. A strong partnership of 44 for the seventh wicket between Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed sealed the match for England.
D'Arcy was joined by Rachin Ravindra shortly after the match to discuss.
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Last weekend Auckland FC put on a statement performance in the New Zealand derby against the Wellington Phoenix running out 5-0 winners in Wellington.
This weekend they are back home when they take on Melbourne City later today.
Jesse Randall is an attacker for Auckland FC who at the moment is also at the top of the goal scoring standings. He joined D'Arcy to discuss the derby and look ahead to tonight's game.
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Some of the country's best track and field talent will be on show in Christchurch this afternoon as the city hosts its annual International Track Meet.
Tom Walsh, Nick Palmer, Anna Grimaldi, Lisa Adams, and Tiaan Whelpton are all set to compete in their respective events.
Shot putter Nick Palmer has the home crowd advantage, and joined D’Arcy to preview the event.
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We’re rolling into the second week of Super Rugby with a blockbuster New Zealand derby.
The Chiefs are heading down to Dunedin to face off against the Highlanders this evening.
The Highlanders will be aiming to keep their momentum going, after last weekend’s victory over the defending champion, the Crusaders.
Attack coach Cory Brown joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.
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Kiwis are hitting the waves as the Ocean Swim series returns to the Bay of Islands.
There’s a range of different races this weekend, with something for anyone.
Brent Foster, former Commonwealth Games and Ironman competitor, is one of those swimming – he joined D’Arcy to discuss the event.
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Uh oh. Trouble at mill. Trouble on the slopes. Trouble with five-time Olympic medallist Zoi Sadowski-Synnott. I hasten to add, not trouble of her doing – I don’t believe that she has a troubling bone in her body.
The NZ press has jumped on a perceived error within the judging panel, who placed the Kiwi in silver medal position after her final slopestyle run. It was by a snowflake, a mere .35 of a point behind eventual winner, the Japanese rider Mari Fukada.
Two-time British Olympian Aimee Fuller has told TNT Sports that she believes the final decision was controversial and the judges got it wrong.
“I think there was injustice in the results of today’s women’s slopestyle final, a real shame to see that progression wasn’t rewarded on this instance.”
Progression being the key word here —a buzz word that has long hovered around snowboarding— which is the ability, drive, and necessity to continue to raise the quality and difficulty of tricks in the Slopestyle, Half pipe, and Big Air.
Aimee makes some valid points around the application of scores through each section of Zoi’s run, the final three jumps being the crux of the criticism. Technically sound on the rails from the Kiwi, but progressively superior in the air. Pushing the boundaries successfully and cleanly, a level above the eventual gold medallist.
If I was being picky, Zoi’s dismount on the third rail, the front side lip slide with a 270 pretzel out, was a metre or two early and that may have cost her. But the main gripe from Fuller rests with the glamorous final three jumps.
I’m no judge, I haven't slid in 15 years, and when I did ride, I was a sloppy try hard, so it’s probably a bit rich for me to comment.
This debate around an athlete besmirched can be whittled down to one thing: the vagaries of judging.
As beautiful and gobsmacking as judged events can be, it’s a subjective bunfight and really has no place at an Olympic level.
Highest, fastest, longest, strongest, etc.
Measured not judged.
The athletes know this, are comfortable with this, and understand the complexities and perceived injustices of the process.
Yet they still compete.
They accept, smile, and move on.
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The Breakers could still earn a basketball prize this season when they face the Adelaide 36ers in Sunday's Ignite Cup final on the Gold Coast.
They ended the ANBL regular competition in seventh after beating the ninth-placed Taipans 115-84 in their final match.
The Ignite Cup took place throughout the regular season, and there are some serious cash prizes on the line.
Parker Jackson-Cartwright, point guard for the Breakers, joined D’Arcy to discuss the game.
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The 2025/26 A League season will see our third New Zealand derby play out, with Auckland FC taking on the Wellington Phoenix at Sky Stadium tonight.
The Black Knights will look to make it 6-0 against their southern rivals and build some momentum as they head into the back half of the season.
Auckland FC coach Steve Corica joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.
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Auckland needs sporting events. As many as possible. As big and flash and shiny as they come.
The oft rumoured State of Origin has been teasing the populace for many a year. Rumours are still thick on the ground; this time it’s thought that the announcement will be as early as this month. Great if it happens, but it will be a one off I’d suggest, great for a stellar tourist weekend for the 09, but not the long term locked down major sporting event the city yearns for.
We have the ASB Classic. An annual tennis-fest to be proud of, long may it be a staple of the summer.
The annual All Black fixture at Eden Park.
Then crickets.
The insects, not the test version which the city is incapable of hosting. It’s hardly big or shiny either right?
I’m not sure it’s sport, but the hugely popular Black Clash cricket sportainment event is in the Bay.
No big motorsport event in AK, although there were attempts at bringing Formula E here, but that got quashed before it had a chance to plug in. Supercars? Taupo and Christchurch. The World Rally Championship has been and gone; it is now a rarely realised pipe dream.
Sevens rugby is long dead. Aotearoa’s major golf tournament is in Queenstown.
PDC darts? At least we’ve pinched that back from the Tron. Surfing’s World League? Raglan.
No America’s Cup, thanks Grant.
All of this points to one thing, the Auckland leg of the Sail GP.
If the government and Auckland city don’t fight tooth and nail to keep this rapidly expanding global event here on the sparkling Waitemata, somebody will need to get in the sea. These opportunities to host a major sporting event like this as a rare as a summer without poo on our beaches.
Secure it and secure it long term.
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Sail GP is in full swing this weekend at the Waitemata Harbour in Auckland with 12 teams from across the world competing.
In last year's edition of the competition the Great Britain team took home the glory winning the competition. Hannah Mills was part of that team as the strategist. She joined D'Arcy to discuss the weekends action.
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The Super Rugby season is officially underway with the first two games happening last night. The Highlanders edged past the Crusaders in a thriller 25-23 while the Waratahs put on a dominant performance against the Reds 36-12
There's a three game slate this evening but we are going to look at the prime time match happening between the Blues and the Chiefs at Eden Park tonight.
Both teams will be wanting to make a statement to begin the season and get their campaigns underway with a victory.
Zarn Sullivan is the fullback for the Blues, and he joined D'Arcy to discuss the match.
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The Sail GP buildup continues as the second round of the competition gets underway today in the Waitemata Harbour in Auckland.
Melanie Roberts is the race director. She has been managing all of the events since it began in 2019. She joined D'Arcy to discuss what she has seen change and evolve throughout her time, what conditions are looking like for this weekend and what is the most difficult part of being the manager.
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Tomorrow afternoon there is a huge game going down at FMG Stadium in Waikato, the NRL All Star Game. The game is competed between the Maori All Stars and the Indigenous All Stars.
Briton Nikora is a second rower for the Maori All Stars and he joined D'Arcy to discuss the match.
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A huge multisport event got underway this morning in the South Island the iconic Coast to Coast race. The race spans 243km beginning at Kumara Beach on the West Coast and finishes at New Brighton Beach in Christchurch.
Hamish Elliot is competing at the event, he won in 2024 and was a runner up in 2025. Hamish joined D'Arcy to discuss the race.
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It's a big weekend in Auckland this weekend with the second round of the 2026 Sail GP season taking place in the Waitemata harbour over the weekend. 12 teams from across the globe have descended on Auckland for what's set to be an exciting weekend of racing.
D'Arcy kicked off the show at the event by chatting with Blair Tuke. He is the co-CEO and wing trimmer for the New Zealand team named the Black Foils and they discussed the event and what it means for the New Zealand team to be competing after the disaster in Perth a few weeks ago.
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A major athletics meet is taking place tomorrow in Auckland – the Sir Graeme Douglas International.
The meet covers a wide range of track and field events, attracting competitors from across the country, including Paralympian Anna Grimaldi.
She won a gold and a bronze at the Paris Olympics, in the 200m and 100m respectively, and will be competing tomorrow in the para women’s 100m.
Grimaldi joined D’Arcy to preview the event.
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The Perth 7s are kicking off tonight – the fourth stop of the 2025/26 rugby 7s circuit.
The Black Ferns Sevens put on a dominant display in Singapore last weekend, running through the pool stages and semi-final before dominating Australia in the finals, 36-7.
They’ll be aiming to string together another dominant tournament and continue to build their lead over Australia in the series standings.
Jorja Miller joined D’Arcy to look back on their success in Singapore and look ahead to Perth.
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After a Super Smash-induced hiatus, the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield returns to the Eden Park outer oval.
The Auckland Hearts are set to take on the Central Hinds in the first of two matches today, and will hope to hit the ground running with a strong performance.
Fast bowler for the Hearts, Bree Illing joined D'Arcy to preview the test.
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Auckland FC was unable to get themselves back on track last weekend, falling in the final moments to the Perth Glory – 2-1.
They’ll be raring to return to their winning ways this weekend in their home game against Sydney FC, aiming to put their troubling start to the year behind them.
Central defender for Auckland FC Jake Girdwood-Reich joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to preview the match and discuss the team’s performance thus far.
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Joy. Respect. Aroha.
This is snow sport.
For the most part, those three words sum up the Winter Olympics.
The crotch dropped pants and laissez-faire attitude of the snowboarders and skiers in big air, slopestyle, and halfpipe at the winter medal fest is a beacon of this state of mind.
To watch the encouragement and enthusiasm of the competitors as they celebrate every athlete up against them, is to understand the primary driver of these extraordinary humans.
Genuine celebration of success oozes out of every pore as the next big trick is stomped, which is a frequent occurrence in these snow sport disciplines, based on the oft used word, progression. The constant evolution we witness shows no sign of abating, each run promises to amaze and astound and push the boundaries of the sport.
Don’t get me wrong, these athletes are fiercely competitive, risking life and limb for their country, they are relentless in their quest for victory. But they leave that for their run, the rest of the time, from the sideline, they are expressing support, excitement and joy.
Rock stars the lot of them.
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Feet are hitting the ground tomorrow in Auckland.
The Coatesville Half Marathon is the third race in the five-event Auckland Half Marathon Series and features a mix of challenging terrain and stunning views.
Jasmine Finney is taking part in tomorrow’s race, and joined D’Arcy to preview it.
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The 2026 Winter Olympics are beginning.
It kicked off with the opening ceremony earlier this morning, snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott and Freeski athlete Ben Barclay selected as the flagbearers for New Zealand.
New Zealand’s Chef de Mission Marty Toomey joined D’Arcy Waldegrave for a chat heading into the Games.
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A big weekend for racing fans.
The New Zealand Grand Prix is kicking off at Otago’s Highland Motorsport – one of the only two national grand prix events currently not part of F1.
It’s the 70th edition of the race and also serves as the Grand Final of the Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy.
V8 Supercar driver Ryan Wood is taking part this weekend, and he joined D'Arcy to discuss the race.
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HYROX is back for 2026.
The race combines eight 1km bouts of running and eight workout stations, and participation has nearly doubled since it debuted in New Zealand last year – rising from 6000 to nearly 11,000 athletes.
Kiwi Dexter Buchanan took second place at the Men’s Pro in Melbourne, and joined D’Arcy to explain more about the event.
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Auckland FC’s patchy form has continued into 2026 with a draw to the Central Coast Mariners last week.
The game ended 2-2 after Auckland conceded a late goal.
They’ll be hoping to return to their winning ways this weekend when they cross the ditch to take on the Perth Glory at home.
Central midfielder Louis Verstraete joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to preview the match.
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The Canterbury men will contest their sixth consecutive Grand Final in cricket's T20 Super Smash after trouncing Auckland by nine-wickets in Christchurch.
The Kings rolled the Aces for just 106 in 18.4 overs.
Canterbury opener Chad Bowes then thumped an unbeaten 59 off 31 balls to secure victory with a whopping 9.3 overs to spare.
They'll face the Northern Brave in this afternoon's title decider at the same venue.
Head Coach Peter Fulton joined D’Arcy to reflect on last night’s clash, and look ahead to today’s Grand Final.
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A major sporting event is taking place this weekend in Dunedin – the Masters Games.
It’s the 37th edition of the event, and with over 60 sports on offer, it caters to every athlete who wants to get involved.
Former All Black Kees Meeuws is an ambassador for the event, and joined D’Arcy Waldegrave for a chat.
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Auckland is hosting the Canoe Slalom Oceania Championships this weekend, and with ICF ranking points on the line, all competitors will be determined to put on a good show.
Finn Butcher, Kiwi Olympic Gold Medallist, is one of the competitors, and he joined D’Arcy for a chat ahead of the Championship.
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I’m for the old guy. Being an old guy myself, I’ll be cheering for Novak Djokovic in tomorrow's Australian Open final.
But why? It’s just not the fact that Novak is at level 38 (better than saying 38 years old) and is going toe to toe with one of the next generation of tennis superstars, nor is it a lifelong fanboy situation. I’m not a fan.
Really, in the case of a lot of tennis players, he’s hard to like.
His anti-vax status, as fashionable as it’s become, still beggars' belief. Please, don’t message me defending his decision, he’s entitled to do what he wants with his carcass, hell, he can burn books too if that’s his thing.
My support of him in this final boils down to one thing, and aptly it’s as self-centred as a lot of tennis players are, it comes down to my desire to witness history.
Novak has risen to demigod status not only in tennis, but sport full stop. But he can still go up a notch.
Roger Federer rightly has a place in the holding pen of tennis goats, as does Rafa Nadal and Andre Agassi. Serena Williams, Steffi Graf, and Margaret Court are chewing cud there too.
Novak already has a golden slam (all titles and an Olympic gold) as does Steffi Graf. He’s the only male triple career slam holder (Steffi Graf has 4), he has a non-calendar year Grand Slam as well.
Tomorrow though, he could move out of the holding pen into the paddock. All alone. If he captures a record 25th Grand Slam he will become the true GOAT.
I want to see him make tennis history.
That’s why I'm cheering for Novak.
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Auckland FC defender Dan Hall admits it's been frustrating that the side have struggled to keep the ball out of their net this season.
The Black Knights have only managed four clean sheets during the current A-League campaign and have conceded six goals in their last four games.
Hall believes if his reigning minor premiers can improve their defence, it will help their attack.
He told D’Arcy Waldegrave that as a defender, you pride yourself on clean sheets, which haven’t been there as much as last season.
“So that’s obviously something to work on.”
Auckland FC host the Central Coast Mariners at Mount Smart from 5pm.
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New Zealand’s oldest sporting event is setting sail this weekend.
The 186th edition of the Auckland Anniversary Regatta is taking place this weekend – an event eagerly anticipated by sailors and spectators alike.
Chair of the Regatta, Bill Lomas joined D’Arcy to preview this weekend’s action.
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The Black Caps bowlers have copped a hammering on route to a thumping seven-wicket win loss in the second T20 cricket international against India.
The boundary was consistently peppered and cleared as the hosts cruised to a target of 209 with almost five overs to spare.
Mitch Santner top scored for the Black Caps with a solid knock 47 off 27, while Ish Sodhi was the pick of the bowlers 34/1 off 3 overs.
Tim Seifert played in the match today and joined D'Arcy to break it down.
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It’s a huge day today in the world of horse racing.
The Karaka Millions is descending on Auckland’s Ellerslie Racecourse – one of the country’s richest races.
CEO of Auckland Thoroughbred Racing, Paul Wilcox joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to preview the event.
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It’s a summer full of hockey for the Women’s Black Sticks, as they compete with the US, Japan, and New Zealand A in the three-nation, four-team series.
They’re set to take on Japan later today with the finals taking place tomorrow.
Mezzy Surridge is a striker for the Black Sticks and scored a goal in their last match on Thursday. She joined D'Arcy to discuss the series and look at what to expect this afternoon.
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An iconic meet in the world of athletics is happening tonight – the Cooks Classic in Whanganui. The event covers a range of track and field codes, with track races ranging from 100m to a mile as well as some field events.
D'Arcy was joined by one of the superstars competing, Sam Tanner to discuss.
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Gregor Paul, a colleague of mine here at NZME, the home of Newstalk ZB and the New Zealand Herald, wrote this about the just announced All Blacks v Springboks match in Baltimore:
“This seems to me to be the most egregious money-grab in rugby’s history: a decision that sells the genuine rugby fan short, compromises the physical well-being of the players and disrupts the nostalgic narrative of this being a traditional tour.”
These are all fair points.
I enjoy Gregor’s writing. I love his succinct summary of the state of New Zealand rugby. His irascible Celtic mindset regularly holds a candle to the feet of NZR, for that we should be grateful.
That sentence I referred to, bristling with indignation, maybe accurate and grim but sadly that’s what rugby is and will continue to be.
NZR have a duty of care with regards the financial security of our national game and recent history suggests they’re trying hard to plug the fiscal leaks in the game, with the likes of the controversial and still-to-be-proven-astute Silverlake dive into the murky swamp of private equity.
The fact that home test matches are dwindling in frequency, that players are being squeezed physically at every juncture, and that tradition has been pushed in front of a bus is of no surprise.
Like Formula 1 drivers of the 50’s and 60’s, the modern rugby player is expendable and although they won’t be killed as a result of their working conditions, if they burn out too early, never mind, here’s another one to fill the breach.
Some players appear intent on doing it to themselves, the much vaunted and demanded sabbatical, a concept based on rest and recovery, is now just a cash grab greedily swallowed by players with no apparent care for their own physical health.
Bigger squads, higher player turn over, all drenched in money – all acceptable in the current rugby climate.
Gregor is sadly right, but that’s the nature of progress. If that’s what we call this.
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New Zealand’s fastest racing category is under way.
Round 2 of the Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy is currently taking place in Taupo, following on from an intense race at Hampton Downs.
Louis Sharp is one of the young Kiwi drivers aiming for a top spot, and joined D’Arcy for a chat about the event.
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The third youngest finalist in the modern history of the men's ASB Classic wants to put his name alongside the greats.
Czech 20-year-old Jakub Mensik will face seventh-seed Sebastian Baez in the final from 2pm.
NZ Herald Sports Journalist Michael Burgess joined D’Arcy to preview the finals.
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Kiwis are hitting the water —literally— with the Manu World Championships well under way.
With the Grand Final set for March, today marks the fifth qualifier, taking place in Whangarei.
Event Director Scott Rice joined D’Arcy for a chat about the championship and how it’s managed to pick up so much traction in such a short time.
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Kiwi sprinter Tiaan Whelpton is breathing down the neck of another New Zealand record.
The Cantabrian is racing with the national 4x100 relay team, looking to break the 38.99 national best in tonight's Potts Classic in Hawke's Bay.
He joined D’Arcy to preview the event, delving into the team’s preparations for the race.
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One last shot to secure victory in India.
The final match in the ODI series between the Black Caps and India is tomorrow, the scores currently tied at 1-1, India having taken the first match and New Zealand the second.
Black Caps batter Will Young joined D’Arcy Waldegrave tomorrow night’s clash.
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Oceania’s first professional football league has finally arrived.
The OFC Pro League is kicking off today with two clashes, one between Vanuatu United and Bula, and the other between Auckland FC and South Island United.
Captain of the Auckland FC side, Tass Mourdoukoutas joined D’Arcy for a chat about the competition and what it could mean for the club.
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Driving back from the glory of Otamure campsite on Thursday and my phone started squawking and honking and whistling and buzzing like a fridge. Being on holiday still, kind of, I ignored it. I eventually acquiesced to its frantic whirring and beeping and pulled over to check out what the electronic cacophony was signalling.
Bloody hell! Scott Razor Robertson had been given the Spanish archer. The El-bow.
Stunned? Taken aback? Incredulous?
D) All of the above.
I’d rather this story broke on Tuesday before my first talkback shift of 2026, but I think this story has more legs than The Grand Old Duke of York’s men, that’s the old army, not the modern version, so we have plenty to talk about in the coming days, weeks, or months even on Sportstalk.
My number one thought was this: is David Kirk the new Steve Tew?
This sudden ejection of the All Blacks coach was decisive, without warning, and is a sign of where the power really lies at NZR, and it’s not with the coaching staff or players. The buck stops at the top. It’s their game, it's been poorly handled and that will not be tolerated. BOOM. DCM.
Whether you agree with the guillotine drop or not, there’s no coming back. The head is in the basket; no amount of glue or duct tape is reattaching it.
That’s leadership right there. That’s Steve Tew. Love him or hate him, he was definitely the boss, and that’s the path David Kirk has taken as the Chair of the board.
No fannying about. No swathes of grey. No yeah nah maybe, which had become a hallmark of NZR in recent times.
Firm, decisive.
It starts at the top, and it’s wonderful to see iron fist leadership returning to our national game.
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What a blackeye for Grant Dalton.
Peter Burling's move to Luna Rossa says so much about their relationship, or the strained nature of it at least.
It was a shock when Peter elected to walk away from negotiations with Team NZ, a bigger shock that he’s now tied his colours to the mast of Luna Rossa’s AC75.
His exact role is not yet known, to us anyway, and should the protocol stop him from climbing on board, I really don’t think that matters. His ability to point his dinghy in the right direction is plainly off the scale, that in itself would be a kidney punch to TNZ, but it’s what he brings off the briny deep that will have the rest of the fleet a little freaked out.
The amount of intellectual property Pete has stuffed in his noggin I’d say is unmatched across the America's Cup. His mana alone in the sailing world casts an enormous shadow over any regatta, his presence within the Italian set up will lift their performance just knowing he’s there.
I’m surprised in that, as a new parent, I figured he would continue to maintain full engagement in Sail GP, a competition he has full skin in, and be dad the rest of the time. He says he’s looking forward to the family lifestyle in Italy, so obviously the demands of Luna Rossa are nowhere near as oppressive as life in a corrugated iron shed with Grant.
He’s going to be able to breathe, to live, to be his own man.
Dum vivimus vivamus.
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Happy New Year!
2026 promises so much, what it delivers though is unknown.
That is the glory of sport.
Most of us won’t get to attend the Winter Olympics, the FIFA World Cup, Formula One, the All Blacks tour of South Africa, the men's and women’s T20 World Cup, major golf, Grand Slam tennis, the list is endless. We probably won’t get to one or any of these events in person, but we will engage through the magic of TV.
Sport really is the only true reality television out there. Live, unedited. The chaos of human competition, the unhinged passion, the random hand of injurious fate, weather, all within the rigid structure of the rule of the game - even in that space sits the ever-present frailty of human refereeing intervention.
No-one knows with certainty what will unfold over the next 12 months, but we do know as fans that we will ride the full gamut of emotion. We will experience despair, fervour, grief, unbridled joy, shock, horror, tears, screams of delight, relief....the works.
And amongst this I’ll be here on the wireless reporting on it all, interviewing the key athletes, administrators, coaches and of course talking to you, the fan, on Sportstalk.
This year is my 25th year in this seat, I’m so grateful and pumped to still be here.
My enthusiasm is the same as it was when I started way back when, I’m looking forward to another year of the wonderment of sport and what it brings.
Embrace the unknown ahead, because that’s where the magic is.
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NZ Herald reporter Ben Francis spoke to Hamish McKay from the World Darts Championship in London to give updates on the most promising players, and the rise in popularity darts is experiencing.
"The amount of people that are starting to play darts now is amazing. Darts, if you look at some of the numbers at Sky Sports, and this is in the UK for example, it's the 2nd most-watched sport behind the Premier League football," he said.
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Wellington Firebirds all-rounder Logan van Beek joined Hamish McKay to chat about being 11 wickets away from becoming the all-time Super Smash wicket taker ahead of today's 4:25pm game between Wellington and Central Districts.
The record is currently held by ex-Cricket player Andrew Ellis who retired from his 18-year career in 2020.
"I'll be giving him a message if I do overtake him because he was, he was my, you know, my mentor back in the Canterbury days," van Beek said.
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It's been an exciting match of test cricket so far at the Bay Oval between the Black Caps and the West Indies.
After going into bat first the Black Caps put a mammoth score on the table of 575/8 before declaring spare headed by a 323 opening run partnership between Devon Conway and Tom Latham that nearly lasted the entire first day.
Conway top scored with 227, followed by Latham with 137 and finally Rachin Ravindra put on an unbeaten 72 to keep the score board pressure rolling.
After being put into bat to end the second day the West Indies fought back with a good batting performance ending on 110/0 heading into day three later today.
Mark Richardson is a former Black Cap and broadcaster with TVNZ commentating the game and he joined D'Arcy to look ahead to the days play.
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The PDC World Darts Championship got underway last week and will continue through to the start of January 2026.
Colin Lloyd is a former professional darts player who spent nearly two years ranked number 1 in the world. He joined D'Arcy to give a tournament update as it enters week two.
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The North v South T20 series is currently underway in Nelson. The competition is a best of three series contested between the top domestic talent in women's cricket across the North Island and South Island regions.
The South Island women won the first game on Thursday by 5 wickets, but the North Island side won the second by two runs in a rain affected match.
It sets up an exciting conclusion that is set to get underway at 11am today.
Polly Inglis is a White Fern and representative of the South Island, she joined D'Arcy to chat about the series.
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The fifth round of the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield gets underway today.
The Auckland Hearts are set to take on the Northern Brave in a top of the table clash that also serves as the first of two matches taking place this weekend.
Prue Catton is a player for the Hearts, and she joined D'Arcy for a chat about the clash.
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It’s the opening weekend for Open Wheelers at Waikaraka Speedway.
Midgets, Sprintcars, TQs, and ¼ Midgets are on the cards in what’s set to be an exciting night of racing.
Michael Pickens is a long-time speedway driver and joined D'Arcy to discuss the event.
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After a long season, we’ve finally reached the business end of the National League.
Auckland City FC and Wellington Olympic are set to clash this afternoon in the finals in Wellington, in what promises to be an exciting game.
Mario Ilich is the captain of Auckland City, and he joined D'Arcy to preview the match.
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Two familiar foes are facing off in this weekend’s finals for the Premier Hockey League.
The Tridents and the Falcons are set to clash this afternoon in a rematch of last year’s final, in which the Falcons came away victorious.
Ella Hyatt Brown plays for the Tridents and joined D’Arcy to preview the game.
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It's finals weekend in the Tauihi Basketball competition with the Tauranga Whai travelling down to Christchurch to take on the Mainland Pouākai.
The Whai made it through with their 82-76 victory over the Tokomanawa Queens while the Pouākai claimed their spot by defeating the Southern Hoiho 99-92.
Tane Bennett is the head coach of the Whai, and he joined D'Arcy to preview the game and reflect on their season to date.
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The Breakers are having a bit of a mid-season resurgence.
After a rocky start to the season, they’ve now won three games in a row, and will want to keep their streak rolling when they take on the South East Melbourne Phoenix tonight.
Breakers shooting guard Sean Bairstow joined D’Arcy to preview the clash.
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I was fortunate enough to talk with Greg Barclay this week.
Greg Barclay served as the chair of the ICC for four years (2020-2024), a position he also held at NZ Cricket (2016-2020). He now sits on the board of NZ Rugby. It’s fair to say that Greg is very well schooled in the vagaries of our summer game and sport administration in general. Greg also had a stint as an independent director on the board of International Rugby League.
Greg, a measured and experienced administrator, made some very astute points around the turgid and weighty situation that NZC has found itself in over the future of its T20 programme.
The game is in a state of flux.
There are many self-interested parties pulling the game in different directions, with a CEO who finds himself on the rack, being stretched like a medieval torture victim. An uncomfortable situation for Scott Weenink to find himself in. Uncomfortable enough to take a week off. Whether this was planned leave or a convenient escape is a moot point. He’s not there, that’s all we can be certain of.
Plainly, a calm and considered process must be followed in order to arrive at a conclusion that is the best for the whole game, not just the gifted few who play cricket at the elite level.
Greg said this T20 space has been with NZC for over 15 years. NZ is now the only player in world cricket that doesn’t have a competition akin to the major pro leagues.
He made point that even without that foothold, has NZ Cricket actually suffered?
NZC is adamant that the Super Smash is about player development, nothing more, nothing less. The results and position the Black Caps hold on the international scene suggest that in this space, the Super Smash has hit all its marks.
Begs the question really, in grand scheme of things, and while the international calendar is still in flux itself, does anything need to change?
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There’s an exciting volleyball event taking place just across the Harbour Bridge this weekend – the North Harbour Open.
It’s a two-day beach volleyball tournment with national ranking points up for grabs.
Competitor James Sadlier was part of the winning duo last year and joined D’Arcy to discuss the event.
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The Jeff Crowe Cup has kicked off in Auckland, and there’s a massive game set for this weekend.
Unbeaten to start the season, Cornwall is taking on their neighbours in a key early season clash.
Adrian Dale is the head coach of Cornwall, and he joined D'Arcy to discuss the game and the season so far.
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The Breakers picked up their first consecutive victories this season with their win over the Sydney Kings in Hamilton on Wednesday night.
They’re looking to keep the momentum rolling as they return to Spark Arena tonight to face the Tasmania JackJumpers.
Breakers centre Rob Loe joined D’Arcy for a chat ahead of the game.
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The Wellington Phoenix have had a rough run in the New Zealand derby thus far, losing all four meetings to Auckland FC.
However, they’ll be hoping to change that in tonight’s clash at Mt Smart Stadium – the place they suffered a 6-1 loss to the Black Knights in the final derby last season.
Phoenix defender Dan Edwards joined D’Arcy to preview the match.
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The Whangamata Classic is the pinnacle event to start off the Surf Life Saving summer, with lifeguards travelling from all over the country and beyond to take part.
Zac Franich is the general manager of sport for Surf Life Saving and he joined D'Arcy to discuss the event.
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Persistence. Talent. Desire. Results. And an unerring belief and love for what you do.
Hayden Paddon is back in the World Rally Championship, eight years after last competing at the highest level of the sport.
The Kiwi peddler, along with long-time collaborator and navigator John Kennard, has been given a third share of Hyundai’s third entry into next year’s global championship.
Thierry Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux will contest every round of the championship, with Dani Sordo, Esapekka Lappi, and Hayden Paddon sharing the third car. Hayden will kick off the season in Monte Carlo next year, the first round of the 2026 Championship, and one of the most iconic rallies on the calendar.
Since he departed the world scene not on the best terms with Hyundais world rally team, Hayden has not stopped developing his craft, or the cars he campaigns in in rallies across the world. No sulking, no what ifs, just full focus on the task at hand.
Speaking with Hayden a year ago after he won the European Rally Championship for the second consecutive year, as it happens, when he won the first of the two, he became the first non-European rally driver to do so. Hayden told me he believed the WRC ship had well and truly sailed and he was looking at his current campaigns and the development of his primary interest outside of the driver's seat, the electric Hyundai Kona EV. This is pioneering work in the electric rally car space.
Although Hayden’s tenure with Hyundai’s international rally arm faltered, he stuck with the manufacturer here in New Zealand, showing loyalty to the brand. That, along with keeping his sword razor sharp by competing at the highest level he could, he has reignited his rally career.
Persistence. Talent. Desire. Results. And an unerring belief and love for what you do.
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It’s a big weekend in football with the second NZ derby of the season kicking off tonight at Mt Smart Stadium.
Auckland FC have dominating proceedings, winning all four matches, including a 6-1 demolition job the last time the two sides faced off in Auckland.
However, the most recent match, a 2-1 Auckland victory, was a tense contest with the Black Knights holding on to win with only nine players on the field.
Michael Woud, Auckland FC’s goalkeeper, joined D’Arcy to preview the match.
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The newly redeveloped Waikaraka Speedway is opening this weekend and they’re pulling out all the stops.
On the docket are Super Saloons – saloons, stock cars, and of course, fireworks.
Super Saloon racer Craig Cardwell joined D’Arcy to preview the event.
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Black Foils skipper Peter Burling has returned to the wheel ahead of the SailGP Grand Final.
He's been cleared to return having missed the second training session in Abu Dhabi after cutting his finger while investigating an equipment issue.
Burling reclaimed the helm and took a full part in practice racing held overnight.
Strategist for the team, Liv Mackay joined D’Arcy to preview the final race of the year.
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The World Rugby Women’s Sevens series gets underway this weekend, with the first round taking place in Dubai tonight.
Stacey Waaka is a forward for the Black Ferns Sevens side, and she joined D'Arcy to discuss how the team is looking ahead of the season opener.
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GODZONE. Peak Kiwi madness.
Currently Chapter 12 of the most berserk race is unfolding in the Marlborough region. This iconic adventure beggars belief.
This year's edition, over 615 kilometres, encompasses many disciplines, not a great deal of sleep, and the tyranny of navigation for the four member teams competing, all operating under the intense stress of fatigue and sleep deprivation.
They mountain bike, trek, packraft, kayak, and canyon on a course that takes in 16000m of ascent.
The race is expected to take five days for the frontrunners.
One of the absolute legends of global adventure racing and 7-time winner of GODZONE is Nathan Fa’avae. This man has finally stepped away from the race, leaving Chris Forne, 10-time champion, to soldier on with Simone Meyer, 7-time winner Sophie Hart, and 5-time Coast to Coast champion Simone Maier. Sam Clarke is also with the team.
But the Fa’avae name will still be present in the race, with daughter Tide competing in a team of teenagers. The next generation is here.
The teams don't know where they are going until just before the race commences, another twist in the tale of GODZONE.
The race has been staged over some of the most stunning regions Te Waipounamu (the South Island) has to offer. Wanaka, Mt Cook Aoaraki, Fiordland, the race even went north once too, 2021 in Rotorua.
It’s a celebration of the magnificence of our extraordinary home, an event we should all be proud of.
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Auckland FC are back in action tomorrow afternoon, taking on the Newcastle Jets at Mt Smart Stadium.
They're looking to put on a stronger performance this week after stumbling to a 1-1 draw against Brisbane, and keep their undefeated start to the season alive.
Dan Hall is a defender for Auckland FC, and he caught up with D'Arcy to preview the match.
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One of the largest cycling events in the country is happening this weekend in Taupo - The Lake Taupo Cycling Challenge.
The event is already well and truly underway, with the first cyclists starting at 1.30am this morning.
Hayden Dickason is the director of the event, joining D'Arcy to discuss.
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One of the toughest adventure races is currently underway in Marlborough – the GODZONE event.
It’s the 12th chapter of the GODZONE race, which began at 5pm Thursday night, and the first racers aren’t expected to reach the finish line until Tuesday.
Adam Fairmaid is the director of the event, and he joined D'Arcy to get everyone up to speed on what's been happening in the race.
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Time to get your togs on.
The Ocean Swim series gets underway this weekend, with the first event taking place in Nelson later today.
Dan Feist is the event director, and he caught up with D'Arcy to preview this afternoon’s event and the series as a whole.
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We’re heading towards the business end of the National League Championship, and every game counts in the race to the final.
Auckland City are taking on the Wellington Phoenix Reserves this afternoon, in a must win match if they’re to stand a chance in making it to the final taking place in three weeks’ time.
Mario Illich is the captain of Auckland City and joined D'Arcy to preview the game.
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The Hockey Premier League continues this weekend with a couple of exciting matchups – one of which being the Tridents clash against the Mavericks in Whangarei.
George Muir, Black Sticks and Tridents player, caught up with D'Arcy to discuss the season so far and preview their match later today.
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The Black Caps have secured their eleventh straight home ODI series win.
In a thrilling ending, they claimed victory over the West Indies in Napier by five wickets.
There’s just one more game to go in the series, the Black Caps looking to sweep their opponents and keep the momentum rolling into their next series, beginning in early December.
Nathan Smith is a seam bowling all rounder for the Black Caps, and he caught up with D'Arcy to discuss his bowling and the game later today.
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Auckland FC return to action this weekend after the international break.
They made quite the statement in their last clash, the NZ derby against the Wellington Phoenix, winning 2-1 despite only having nine players on the field.
This weekend will see them take on the Brisbane Roar, looking to cement their place at the top of the A-League ladder.
Auckland FC Coach Steve Corica joined D’Arcy to look back at the derby performance and preview tomorrow’s clash.
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A revamped All Blacks side have been tasked with ending the year on a high.
After a disappointing showing at Twickenham, they’re looking to maintain an almost 72-year unbeaten legacy against Wales on Sunday morning in Cardiff.
Elliott Smith caught up with All Blacks loose forward Wallace Sititi to recap the previous clashes and look ahead to the final clash of the season.
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Tomorrow morning the All Black 2025 season will be extinguished.
Although that is a generous term as the season hardly caught fire. From time to time there was a spark that threatened to ignite the team, bringing forth hell fire, engulfing the opposition, sucking their oxygen, charring them beyond recognition, blazing a trail to victory. But not this year. Nor last year.
Any sniff of their former fire starter glory was a smoky nostril tease, a hint of the scorched earth policy the team once dispensed with impunity.
Not anymore.
This is not the team of days gone by. This is not the team standing on the shoulders of the giants of All Black teams of old. The teams that built the legend of New Zealand rugby.
Don’t get me wrong, they are not a poor team. At times they poke their head out of the mire of mediocrity they’ve found themselves in and give us a taste of days gone by, but for the most part, they’re a team that is capable of great moments, but incapable of piecing these moments together for a display of consistent dominance.
There is nothing that Sunday mornings selection can do to change the course of this distressing narrative.
Thrash Wales? Sure, but it’s only Wales.
Show a defined turnaround from the piecemeal offerings to date? The player make up is so different from the team that wilted in the face of England, we’ll be none the wiser as to the development of the group as a whole.
The most depressing part of this slow collapse of the AB dynasty is the resignation of the fanbase that this is as good as gets.
The fire that burns twice as bright, burns half as long, but the All Blacks did burn so very, very brightly.
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F5000 hits the track this weekend, with the first of four rounds setting off at Mansfield in Fielding.
Graeme Lawrence is a former racer in F5000 but still has skin in the game, as his old car is being driven by competitor Anna Collins.
Graeme caught up with D'Arcy to preview the event.
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The All Blacks are facing the next hurdle in their journey towards a Grand Slam, this weekend at Twickenham.
England have struggled against the All Blacks recently, not having defeated them since their 19-7 win at the 2019 World Cup semifinal in Yokohama. Their run against the All Blacks at Twickenham is even worse, with their last home victory occurring in 2012.
Chris Ashton is a former English winger who was a try scorer in England's last victory over the All Blacks back home, and he joined D'Arcy to preview the match.
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The Auckland Hearts are set to get their season of domestic cricket underway with the first round of the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield kicking off today.
They’re set to take on Otago in the first of ten one day fixtures – a rematch of last year’s final.
Maddy Green, White Fern and member of the Auckland Hearts will be playing her 100th Hallyburton Johnstone Shield match, and caught up with D’Arcy for a chat about the competition and opening fixture.
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Runners in Queenstown are hitting the road this weekend, preparing for the pinnacle running event – the Queenstown Marathon.
This year is set to be the biggest rendition of the event to date, with more than 13,000 registered participants across five distances, and nearly 4,000 runners competing in the full-length marathon.
One of those competitors is Olympic canoeist Max Brown, who is running as part of a fundraiser for Miracle Feet – he caught up with D'Arcy to preview the event.
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This third clash of the All Blacks Northern Tour is kicking off tomorrow morning – arguably the biggest test so far.
They’re taking on England at their home ground of Twickenham, in front of what’s set to be a loud, passionate crowd of over 80,000 fans.
The All Blacks will be looking to continue their dominant streak, not having lost to the home side at Twickenham since 2012.
Simon Parker is starting at blindside flanker on Sunday morning, and caught up with D'Arcy to preview the test.
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Yardstick. Barometer. Criterion. Whatever you call it, tomorrow’s test match against the most irritating team in world rugby will determine how Scott Robertson’s tenure to date will be judged.
With no respect whatsoever to the Welsh, the Twickenham bunfight will seal the Grand Slam or leave another dirty smudge in Razor’s copybook, which has already attracted a fair amount of filth this year. The phenomenal melt down in Wellington against the Springboks and the Pumas mess will be conveniently overlooked should this season end with Grand Slam success, although imagine rolling the English then getting mugged with a leek the next week. That too would eclipse the South African and Argentine embarrassments, right?
The first half of Razor’s reign has been punctuated by inconsistency as he has attempted to settle into life in the international arena. His much-referenced armour chink has always been his lack of experience in the rarefied air of global test match confrontations. It’s more than fair to say that as sign posted as this issue has been, Robertson has still struggled with direction in this space.
He has been conservative with his selections, but he’s also given characters a decent shot at retaining their jersey even if they haven't set their matches on fire, Damien McKenzie and Billy Proctor for example. He’s also ushered some players out the back door, goodbye Ioane, Sotutu, and Reece, and introduced some potential long-term superheroes in the form of Holland, Parker, Sititi, and Lakai.
He’s also overseen some truly awful second half stats and his collection of cards would look great at the Armageddon expo, but bloody awful in the sheds.
As it stands, his half term report is a B, but knocking on the door of an A-, dependent on the Twickenham exchange.
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The Hockey Premier League gets underway this weekend, with four sides from across the country taking part in the six round competition.
The Central Falcons get their season underway when they take on the Hauraki Mavericks in Napier.
D'Arcy spoke with Black Sticks and Falcons striker Hope Ralph to discuss the opening match and the competition as a whole as it enters its second year.
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The 6th and final round of the 2025 New Zealand Rally Championship goes down this weekend, this time with the Rally of Whangarei.
Caleb MacDonald is behind the wheel, and he’ll be looking to close out the year by winning his first championship.
He caught up with D'Arcy to preview the event and delve into a crash that looked to derail his championship aspirations
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It’s now the 7th round of the GJ Gardiner Homes Tauihi Womens Basketball competition, and the Northern Kahu have struggled a bit to date, remaining winless.
On Sunday they take on the Southern Hoiho at Eventfinda Stadium and will be looking to put on a strong performance and pick up their first win of the season.
Haliegh Reinoehl is a Power Forward for the Kahu, and she joined D'Arcy to preview the game as well as chat about her life in New Zealand.
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A major game of international rugby league is on the horizon. Tomorrow afternoon the Kiwis and Toa Samoa face off in the grand final of the Pacific Championships in Sydney.
After a dominant display over Tonga last weekend, winning 40-14, the Kiwis will look to build on that performance as they take on Samoa again.
D'Arcy spoke with Kiwis prop Moses Leota to preview the match.
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It's New Zealand derby day in the A-League and with both Auckland FC and the Wellington Phoenix sitting unbeaten and in the top 4, its shaping up to be another cracker.
Auckland currently hold the bragging rights, having won all three encounters last year, but that adds to the atmosphere as the Phoenix will be looking to spoil the party at home.
Sam Cosgrove is a Striker for Auckland FC and he joined D'Arcy to reflect on the season so far and look ahead to the clash tonight.
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More derbies.
The energy around today’s Phoenix v Auckland FC derby points to one thing: the A-League has got it right with the introduction of a second NZ team to their competition.
Which begs the question, why aren’t there more in other Australian competitions where New Zealand has a stake?
The answer, I presume, would be something like “it’s an Aussie comp, you’re lucky to have one team there, sit down and shut up”. Which is understandable, because it’s true – what’s in it for Australia? Eyeballs? Jersey sales? Broadcast rights? More sponsorship dollars? Stiffer competition?
Basketball and rugby league are plainly the targets here, as both sports already have a Kiwi presence in Aussie leagues – the NBL and the NRL.
The Breakers were the gold standard for a while and with the accelerated growth of the game here and the undeniable global reach of the game, this should lean into another franchise in NZ.
The NRL is screaming for another New Zealand team. The powers that be over the ditch appear to have zero interest in further expansion though. To say the NRL have little or no respect for NZ league is an understatement. They’d rather set up camp in Papua New Guinea. The federal cash sweetener is the only obvious reason as to why they would, nothing else makes sense. Also, the NRL hate us, and have shown time and time again that lip service is all they are capable of.
So it’ll never happen, in either league. Big Bash? Netball? Unlikely, but it won’t stop me dreaming of a day where the excitement around today’s A-League derby is replicated in other sports.
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Game two of the All Blacks’ Grand Slam tour goes down tomorrow morning as they take on Scotland at Murrayfield.
Scotland are looking like a much stronger team this year, led by key playmaker Finn Russell with many thinking they have a chance to beat the All Blacks for the first time in their history.
Du'Plessis Kirifi is coming off the bench for the All Blacks and he caught up with D'Arcy to discuss life on tour and preview the match.
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No ifs, buts or maybes. No excuses. No shoulda coulda woulda.
Scott Robertson needs to come home from the Northern tour undefeated.
4 zip. Grand Slam in tow.
Am I expecting too much? Hell no.
This is Razor’s mid-term exam. After being awarded a 4 year contract by NZR, an oddity in itself, the faith must be repaid. Repaid to the NZR but most importantly to the fans.
Granted, World Cup victory is the ultimate measure of any international rugby team’s worth, a multitude of 4-year cycle result sins can be erased with success in one tournament, but NZ rugby fans won’t wait that long to taste Razors pudding. The proof of his tenure’s success is how tasty the spoonful is at the end of this tour. Soured by only one defeat will leave us all asking questions of the chef.
This is a mini–World Cup. The last pool game, then a quarter, a semi and the final. Not that the Welsh will be in the WC final but hey.
Short of the locks, this team is the best that the AB’s can muster. Their edge has been keenly sharpened on the whetstone of a pulsating and competitive Rugby Championship. They’ve had a couple of weeks off to breathe and reset, a swag of cavalry has returned and now we wait to see if Robertson has unlocked the door to international coaching success.
He’s had a couple of years. He’s trialled many a player, many a game plan. He’s had his share of failures, the much maligned fourth quarter impotence for example, his inability to retain coaching staff, and he oversaw arguably the worst 40 minutes of All Black rugby in recent memory, the horror show in Wellington against the Springboks. So he’s been given rope, plenty of rope, what’s he going to do with it? Tie himself in knots, fashion a noose, who knows.
I do know though, that 4 nil is a necessity for this side and this coach, and no correspondence will be entered into.
Scott Robertson needs to come home from the Northern tour undefeated.
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The second year of the NextGen NZ Championship gets underway this weekend, after a successful first season of motorsport last summer.
The first race weekend of the season goes down at Hampton Downs Raceway.
Broc Feeney, the man at the top of the pile in the V8's so far this season is racing at the event and he caught up with D'Arcy to talk about the series.
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The Kiwis are back in action this weekend in the third round of the Pacific Championships. They are set to take on Tonga at Eden Park on Sunday afternoon.
They will be looking to make it two from two in the competition and set up a rematch with Samoa in the final next weekend after beating them 24-18 in round 1, meanwhile Tonga will be looking to bounce back after suffering a disappointing defeat 34-6 against Samoa last weekend.
Matt Timoko is starting at centre for the Kiwis and he spoke with D'Arcy about the match.
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With the massive test match tomorrow morning its only right to hear from the other side of the world in Ireland.
Gordon D'Arcy is a former Irish international who played 82 tests between 1999-2015. He also represented the British and Irish lions across two tours.
Gordon caught up with D'Arcy to share his thoughts on the match.
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This Sunday the Auckland marathon is happening which brings thousands of people from across the country to Auckland for the pinnacle running event.
Achilles NZ is an organisation that is working to making all running events accessible for disabled people across the country. They organise regular training for their athletes with a number of them signing up for the marathon this weekend.
Maia Lewis is the National Manager of Achilles NZ and she caught up with D'Arcy to discuss the event and how Achilles NZ is getting involved.
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Auckland FC picked up their first win of the A-League season in their first hit out at Mt Smart last week when they defeated Western Sydney 1-0. They will look to make that two in a row when they face off against Adelaide United at home once again.
Cameron Howieson is a midfielder for Auckland and he spoke with D'Arcy to preview the match.
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A big test match looms tomorrow morning. All Blacks vs Ireland, Soldier Field Chicago. The site of the All Blacks first defeat to the men in green 9 years ago. It sparked a tightly contested rivalry between the two sides, with them splitting the last 10 matches at 5 wins a piece.
The All Blacks will be looking to get their grand slam started with a win.
Leicester Fainga'anuku is coming off the bench for the All Blacks and he caught up with D'Arcy to preview the game.
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The first two series for the Black Caps have been troubled with repeated bad weather and cricket fans will be praying it stays away for the 3 ODI's coming up against England over the next week.
Adam spoke with G Lane, head of the ACC to preview the ODI's and touch on the cricket scheduling throughout this 'spring' of cricket.
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After a 0-0 draw to start their second A-League season Auckland FC return home this weekend as they take on the Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday afternoon.
Louis Verstraete is a midfielder for the Black Knights and he spoke to Adam to preview the clash.
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The Silver Ferns suffered another heavy defeat on Wednesday night, losing 68-51 to Australia in Sydney. If they are to keep the Constellation Cup they must win the first game in the New Zealand leg of the series in Hamilton on Sunday night.
Adam spoke with Silver Fern midcourter Kate Heffernan to preview the third match of the series on Sunday.
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This Labour Weekend's Twizel Hard has reached its 40th birthday with three events to choose from across the long weekend, a mountain bike, kayak and off-road run.
Dean Nelson is the chairman of the event and he spoke with Adam about what's in store this weekend.
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A big motorcross event is happening this weekend with the Hard Adventure Enduro going down in and around Taupo over the long weekend. With 150 riders taking part its setting up to be a thrilling day of motorcross.
Sean Clarke is the director of the event and he spoke with Adam to tell us more about the Hard Adventure Enduro.
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We have reached the end of the NPC season with a southern derby final going down tonight between Canterbury and Otago. The two form teams of the competition met earlier in the comp, when Otago wrestled the Ranfurly Shield away from the Cantabs and will looking to pull of the upset again.
Christian Lio-Willie is the number 8 for Otago and he caught up with Adam to preview the game.
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The Breakers picked up their second win of the season and clawed their way off the bottom of the ladder last night, defeating the Jack Jumpers however they face a short turn around. They take on Melbourne United over the ditch on Sunday afternoon.
Adam spoke with Breakers assistant coach Mario Dugandzic to discuss the win as well as look ahead to Sunday afternoons matchup.
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The Kiwis international rugby league season gets underway on Sunday afternoon as they are set to take on Samoa at Mount Smart Stadium.
Jeremy Marshall-King is a hooker for the Kiwis and he spoke with Adam about his year at the Dolphins, Australia not taking part in the competition as well as previewing the match.
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The A-League season for Auckland FC gets underway later tonight as they are set to take on Melbourne Victory in a rematch of last years semi final.
Lachlan Brook is one of the newest signings for Auckland FC this season and he caught up with Adam to discuss the upcoming match, why he joined Auckland FC and his aspirations for selection in the Australian side for the upcoming FIFA world cup.
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The Heartland Championship has reached grand final weekend, with North Otago hosting Horowhenua Kapiti in the Lochore final and Mid Canterbury hosting Thames Valley in the Meads final.
Kevin Hare is a Heartland Championship enthusiast, and he spoke with Adam to preview the finals this weekend.
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The first half of the NPC grand final equation was solved last night with Otago defeating Bay of Plenty. Their opponent will be decided tonight in the second semi final between Hawkes Bay and Canterbury.
Hawkes Bay will be wanting redemption, having made it all the way to the final two seasons ago but falling just short. Tom Parsons is the captain of the Magpies and he spoke with Adam to preview the semi final clash and reflect on the season the team has had.
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The next series in the spring of cricket gets underway later tonight, with the Black Caps set to take on England in the first of a 3 match T20I series in Christchurch.
Michael Bracewell has relinquished the captaincy for this back to white ball captain Mitch Santner, but still plays an integral role in the side. He caught up with Adam to preview the match.
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The NZ Junior Girls Rugby Festival is taking over Wellington this weekend.
Organised by Global Games, the event sees 62 teams from across the country travel down to Lower Hutt’s Fraser Park for a three-day competition.
D’Arcy was joined by the tournament’s founder, Tyrone Campbell, to preview the event.
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Today an epic event hits the Taupo Great Lake Trail.
The Taupo Ultramarathon is a sold-out event that takes competitors all around the great lake trail, runners covering anything from 24km all the way up to 100km.
Aaron Carter is the organiser of the event, and he caught up with D'Arcy to talk about it.
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They had to work for it, but the White Ferns managed to secure their first victory of the Women’s ODI World Cup overnight, beating Bangladesh by 100 runs.
Sophie Devine, the hot hand with the bat who picked up another score of 50+ in the match caught up with D'Arcy straight after the game to discuss their victory.
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The Breakers finally broke the duck on Wednesday night, picking up their first win of the season over the Illawarra Hawks at home.
They'll want to keep the momentum rolling, with another home match set for Sunday afternoon against the South East Melbourne Phoenix.
Izaiah Brockington is a shooting guard for the Breakers, and he joined D'Arcy to reflect on the win and look ahead to Sunday afternoon.
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The 5th round of the New Zealand Rally Championships is going down this weekend in the Bay of Plenty.
It’s a new route this year in an area that hasn’t been raced in for over two years – visiting some iconic stages in the Matahina forest that were made famous in the 90’s and early 2000’s.
Competing in the Championship is Dean Buist, who joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to preview the event.
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The greatest spectacle in racing? Nope, that’s the Indy 500. The race that stops a nation? Nah, that’s the Melbourne Cup. The great race? Yeah, that’s it – the Bathurst 1000.
The magnificence of the mountain is back. The 1000km Supercar squirt around Mt Panorama just outside the NSW town of Bathurst gets its rev counter red-lining tomorrow afternoon just before 2. Six hours of man and machine savaging the circuit, originally built as a sedate mountain drive for tourists.
This will sound a bit a bit geeky, so be it.
A constant source of fascination for me is the astonishing propinquity of the lap times across the field.
Consider this. Qualifying yesterday threw up this: over one lap, 6.213 kilometres, the first six cars were separated by one tenth of a second. Brodie Kostecki’s provisional pole position time was 0.0064 of a second quicker than the number 2 placed driver Broc Feeney.
Six and four-tenths of a thousandth of a second. Over 6.2 kilometres.
Different cars. Different teams. Different set ups. Different lines. Different drivers. Separated by essentially a click of the fingers.
Get on your phone and try to start and stop your stopwatch to the same nth. I’d hazard a guess you can’t.
It’s insane. It amplifies the how the teams wring every last millisecond of performance out of the equipment, the track, the driver, and they can’t really be split.
Then they do it for over six hours through rain and shine, tyre wear, equipment failure, and the odd errant marsupial.
Mental.
It’s all the fun of the circus, or a leisurely drive in the country, which was what the road was built for.
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The last Auckland NPC team standing, Counties Manukau is faced with a huge task.
They’re travelling down south to take on the number one seed Canterbury in the fourth quarter final this Sunday afternoon.
They started rough, losing their first five games but turned it around, winning five on the bounce and scoring at least 48 points in each of the last four games – including a massive win against Tasman last night to lock themselves into the playoffs.
Dalton Papali'i is playing number 8 on Sunday afternoon for the Steelers, and he spoke with D'Arcy to preview the match.
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MAXX North Harbour International is a prestigious Badminton event, showcasing elite talent from three continents – including top ranked international athletes and the best players in New Zealand, with competitors from 15 countries taking part.
The event is going down at the Badminton North Harbour centre, having begun on the 1st of October and running through till tomorrow.
D'Arcy spoke with the Chief Executive of North Harbour Badminton Glenn Cox to find out more about the event.
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The Farah Palmer Cup has reached its final week, with the Premiership final going down this afternoon between Waikato and Canterbury.
Waikato bounced back after a round 1 loss to Auckland to beat them in the semifinal rematch, while Canterbury defeated a valiant Manawatu side.
D'Arcy spoke with the captain of the Waikato side Mia Anderson to talk about the team and preview the huge clash going down this afternoon.
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Last weekend the NSW Warriors ended their campaign in dominant fashion, defeating the NSW Dragons 30 - 12 and claiming the NSW Cup.
That victory earned them one more week, as they’re set to take on the champions of the Queensland competition, the Burleigh Bears, to kick off rugby league's grand final Sunday at Accor Stadium.
Kalani Going is the starting lock for the NSW Warriors, and he spoke with D'Arcy to preview the massive game they have coming up on Sunday.
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You can’t blame New Zealand Cricket for the weather.
Last night the Australian men’s T20I team retained the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy when the 2nd of 3 matches was called off due to the aaaaah atmospheric conditions. Yeah, it rained.
The 3rd game, a dead rubber if you will, is likely to follow the same path and the series will be won by Mother Nature 2-1.
Can’t blame NZC for the weather. You can blame them for the scheduling though.
It’s almost as insane as giving McLean Park in Napier a fixture. A drought breaker if you will, a temptation for the weather gods that won’t be ignored.
The spring of cricket has hardly bounced into action. If anything, the opening salvo has recoiled. The tantalising prospect of a rare visit from the best team in the world has been dampened. Or in the case of game one, frozen out of the picture, with the players, umpires, ground staff, commentary teams, and crowd left asking themselves hard questions. For the crowd, the primary question would have been: why did we bother?
NZC has backed themselves into this corner, desperate to provide the national side with time in the middle before next year's World Cup (yup, another one) whilst juggling the demands of franchise T20 cricket and essentially ignoring the concept of a summer of cricket, the traditional season in which we celebrate and immerse ourselves in the game.
To be fair, NZC is a cork in the cricketing waters, and they do a reasonable job of making some acceptable purses from the pig's ear they've been given. But when the cream of the touring matches are set down for spring and the Proteus tour and the only real inbound summer action is confined to 5 ODIs, one wonders where the home fans sit in the pecking order. Evidentially, over the last few summers, based on scheduling, not as high up the chain as we’d like.
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The Breakers were unable to break the duck last week, leaving them sitting 0-3 in the NBL season.
It doesn't get any easier for the side as they travel to Sydney, set to take on the Sydney Kings later tonight.
D'Arcy caught up with Taylor Britt, a point guard for the Breakers, to reflect on how the seasons been going and preview tonight's clash.
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New Zealand’s premier domestic football competition kicked off last week.
Ten clubs from across the country are taking part in the National League Football competition, with Western Springs qualifying through their win in the Northern League.
They kicked off their campaign with a 3-0 win over Western Suburbs last week, and are facing a tough challenge this week as they take on Chatham Cup winners Wellington Olympic away from home.
D'Arcy caught up with Western Springs captain Reid Drake to preview the matchup.
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We’ve reached the final round of the Rugby Championship and everything is still up for grabs in the most competitive tournament in quite some time.
The All Blacks are set to take on the Wallabies in Perth late tonight and although the Bledisloe is locked away for another year, the All Blacks will be desperate to show some consistency and win two in a row for the first time this tournament.
D'Arcy spoke with Quinn Tupaea, the starting All Blacks centre tonight, to preview the game.
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The Breakers have had a rough start to the year, two defeats starting off the 2025/26 NBL season.
They’re aiming to get back on track tonight and claim their first victory in their clash with the Perth Wildcats.
Breakers shooting guard Reuben Te Rangi joined D’Arcy Waldegrave for a chat about how the team’s faring in camp, and preview tonight’s game.
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The Wallabies look like a different team in 2025, currently leading the Rugby Championship following split results against the Springboks and Argentina.
They’ll be looking to put on a dominant showing against the All Blacks and breach the Fortress, ending a 31-year unbeaten run in the process.
Stephen Larkin, a former Wallabies Five, was part of the last Australian side to claim the Bledisloe Cup back in 2002.
He joined D’Arcy to give an Australian perspective ahead of tonight’s clash at Eden Park, offering some insights into what they may do to try defeat the All Blacks.
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The Warriors may have been taken out of the NRL playoff picture, but their NSW Cup side has made the final after a dominant season.
They take on the Dragons in the Grand Final – the team they lost their Major Semi Final clash to just two weeks ago.
The team is littered with talent, with several of the named players having spent time in the first grade side this year.
One of those players is Sam Healey, and he joined D’Arcy to preview the final clash.
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The Silver Ferns have put on two good performances in the Taini Jamison series so far, beating South Africa 77-51 in Auckland and 70-58 in Napier.
However, there is still one match to go, and the team will be looking to cap off the series with another strong win in Invercargill as the Constellation Cup looms.
D'Arcy caught up with Silver Ferns defender Kelly Jackson to touch on the series and discuss how the team is looking heading into the third game.
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It’s test day – the All Blacks are set to take on the Wallabies in the first Bledisloe Cup test tonight at Eden Park.
Our Eden Park record is on the line yet again and with the Rugby Championship open for the taking, this is a crucial test for the All Blacks as they look to get back on track.
D'Arcy was joined by All Blacks replacement halfback Cortez Ratima to preview the game and get a feel for what went down in the All Blacks camp off the back of the devastating Springboks loss two weeks ago.
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Few people would revel in All Black defeat this evening – New Zealanders that is.
Joe Schmidt, Mike Cron, and Tom Donnelly are three Kiwis that would.
Two of those three are as good as the best in their trade.
Two of those guys should really have their colours tied to All Black masts.
Two of those fine men are living proof of the cumbersome nature of the NZR.
The last few years has seen the most powerful brought to their knees, the collapse of an empire if you will, not unlike the implosion of the American dream under the iron —albeit tiny— fist of Trump.
The clumsy approach of the union, particularly the maladroit power transition in the coach's box, has seen the best talent they’ve had access to flip the bird and set up shop in Australia.
Schmidt, a reluctant international coach and great friend of Ian Foster, would rather reanimate the Wallabies than lend his talent to the Robertson-lead All Blacks. Mike Cron, the scrum coach guru, has shot the gap too, his ‘exit’ interview with me on ZB was telling, his frustration over handling of the Foster/Robertson turmoil was palpable. He even swore on-air. Sheesh.
With their trophy cabinet ransacked, their CEO exiting stage left and a mercurial AB side, a loss at the last bastion of All Black dominance would further erode the mystique of the jersey – if it hasn’t dissipated already.
Not freaked out by now, how you like these apples.
In the Rugby Championship to date, the All Blacks lead the missed tackle count, lost the most turnovers, have scored the fewest points, the fewest clean breaks, meters made, and defenders beaten.
I take no joy from these words, I’ve been a huge fan of Razor and quite possibly he may well be redeemed as the season unfolds, possibly a world cup in a couple of years, but it’s difficult to watch what's unfolding and not feel the cold hand of creeping death choking the positivity out of you.
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The second most prestigious bowls event is taking place in Auckland this weekend – the Molecheck Women’s Open Singles. The event is sold out, with 96 entries being played across 6 clubs in Auckland.
Headlining the event is a first appearance in the competition for Tayla Bruce.
She's a world champion lawn bowler, and she caught up with D'Arcy ahead of the event to preview what's going down on the green this weekend.
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The South Island Endurance Series is a circuit-based Motor Racing Series that kicks off this weekend, with the first round at Ruapuna Park in Christchurch.
D'Arcy caught up with Ronan Murphy, a driver who competes in the series to preview the weekends action.
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Junior Rugby is taking over Taupo this weekend.
120 teams and over 10,000 supporters are flocking to Owen Delany Park for the New Zealand Junior Rugby Festival by Global Games. The teams feature from almost all provinces in New Zealand, as well as two teams from Australia.
D'Arcy spoke with event founder Tyrone Campbell to learn all about it.
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Heartbreak for the Black Ferns as their reign as world champions comes to an end.
They've been beaten 34-19 by Canada in their semi-final in Bristol – Canada surging to a 24-7 advantage at half-time with four first half tries.
It's the first time New Zealand have been beaten in a knockout game since 1991.
D’Arcy spoke with NZ Herald’s Alice Soper live from the ground in the aftermath of the loss, to get her reaction to how it all played out.
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The Silver Ferns will need to set all distractions aside as they take on the South African Proteas in the first Taini Jamison Trophy clash.
All eyes will be on the team to see how they perform with all the noise that’s surrounded them over the last few weeks.
Ahead of the first clash, D’Arcy caught up with Silver Ferns defender Karin Burger to preview the game and discuss her efforts to remain focused on winning the series.
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After a sluggish start to the season Auckland have now won two on the bounce and will look to make it a third when they take on South Auckland rivals Counties Manukau later today.
Counties Manukau are on the same streak, and will be bolstered by returning All Black halfback Cam Roigard who comes off the bench.
Ahead of the pivotal clash, D'Arcy spoke with Auckland and All Blacks winger Caleb Clarke to preview the game and find out if he has any messages from the All Blacks coaching staff ahead of the first Bledisloe Cup test next weekend.
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Hamish Kerr and Geordie Beamish gave sports fans a reason to grin from ear-to-ear this week – two great New Zealanders making their mark on the global stage.
In the 3000m steeplechase Geordie shook up the athletics world by mowing down double Olympic winner Soufiane El Bakkali, who was chasing his third consecutive global title.
Hamish ladled cherries on his high jump cake, adding the World title to his Olympic title, the Diamond League title, Commonwealth title, and the World Indoor title.
With the likes of Walsh, Tanner, Hobbs, Wesche, McTaggart, etc, up with the best in athletics world, a golden age may well be blossoming.
John Stewart, former CEO of Athletics NZ told me over 20 years ago that the biggest issue the sport had wasn't lack of talent, it was lack of athletes. He said that they taught the kids how to run, jump and throw, but as they matured, they left for other sports that benefitted enormously from the base that athletics had given them.
Olympic and World Championship success is the harbinger of continued participation in track and field. The thought of Kiwi athletes dominating the world stage was a pipe dream, aside the middle-distance glory days and the outrageous success of Val Adams, victory was a rare occurrence. These unicorns hardly stimulated the youth.
Now though, the narrative isn’t how competing as a junior will set the youth up for careers in other sports, it’s about setting up the next generation for triumph at Olympic and World Championship level.
Athletes like Kerr and Beamish have proven that we can compete with, and beat, the very best in truly global pursuits.
Running, jumping and throwing doesn’t cost a heap, and there’s not a concussion in sight.
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Arsenal-X hits Eventfinda stadium in Auckland this weekend.
It is the only hybrid combat sport event in the country where fighters from MMA and Kickboxing meet. Each round the skillset changes with rounds being contested in boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, and MMA.
D'Arcy spoke with New Zealand heavyweight and one half of the main event, Dhcamad Armstrong, to discuss what a hybrid combat sport event actually is and preview his upcoming matchup.
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New Zealand's bid for promotion in tennis' Davis Cup begins in their World Group II tie against Georgia in Palmerston North this afternoon.
The winning nation will progress to the Group I playoffs.
Non-playing captain Artem Sitak joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to preview the event.
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Can the All Blacks claim victory at the capital?
On the back of the 24-17 victory at Eden Park they’ll will be wanting to follow that up with another strong performance at Sky Stadium tonight, sweeping the Springboks on home soil.
Ahead of the test match D'Arcy caught up with All Blacks assistant coach Tamati Ellison to see how things are in the All Blacks camp.
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The Warriors have qualified for finals football for the second time in the last three seasons.
Finishing 6th on the ladder has resulted in a home elimination final, the team facing the four-time defending champions, the Penrith Panthers.
D’Arcy caught up with the Warriors’ assistant coach Slade Griffin ahead of the clash to see how the team’s looking heading into their biggest game of the season thus far.
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It’s been quite the week for Netball New Zealand. The walls came crashing in on Wednesday when it was announced that super coach Noeline Taurua was stood down in the shadow of an investigation into the Silver Ferns high performance programme and environment.
The statement was as abrupt as it was unexpected.
Netball went into a tailspin as the whole sport, from deep inside to the exterior, flailed about trying to make sense of what had just happened.
And we couldn’t.
It was a mess. It was clumsy at best, although negligent would be a better description of the handling of the situation. I will give them this though, the lid was well and truly sealed on this chaos. Short of those deep in the interior of this schism, no one knew, or at least no one leaked anything. Then the can sprang open, and the snake popped out to everyone's shock.
I understand that at the heart of this issue is an employment tussle, making it difficult to share details of the rupture, but the lack of any detail surrounding the slow collapse of the relationship between the coach, the players, and the administration, leaves huge holes in the narrative. The executive team should’ve done better. They’ve given themselves a black eye.
What happens in a vacuum such this? People build their own story. They take loose ends and string them together, creating a macramé mess that ties the sport in knots.
There are reckons everywhere. Outrage in some quarters, confusion in others. That the CEO Jenny Wylie was on leave and the chair Matt Whinery was left to face the music created more angst.
The whole process was, and still is, being poorly managed.
Netball NZ has taken a number of body blows over the past few months, is this the one that will floor the organisation, leaving them prone on the canvas?
Only time will tell.
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After a 3-0 pool play, the Black Ferns are back in action tonight.
They’re taking on South Africa in a quarter-final match up at the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
Coming off a 40-0 shutout of the Irish last weekend, the Black Ferns will look to put on a strong performance and progress through to the semifinals next weekend.
D'Arcy caught up with Black Fern hooker Georgia Ponsonby ahead of the quarter final to preview the match.
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It’s Game Day, the All Blacks set to take on the Springboks for a second time tonight at Wellington’s Sky Stadium.
To get the South African perspective, former Springbok and the man who kicked the winning drop goal in the 1995 Rugby World Cup final, Joel Stransky, caught up with D'Arcy for a chat ahead of another massive test match.
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The underdogs claimed the victory last week.
Southland has won the Ranfurly Shield for the first in in 14 years with their defeat of Waikato, 25-10, but their first challenger may be the fiercest test of the season as Canterbury aims to take the Shield back.
D’Arcy Waldegrave was joined by Southland Stags Captain Sean Withy ahead of the game to discuss what bringing the Shield home means to the region.
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The Black Sticks women are looking to create more goalscoring chances in this afternoon's second Oceania Cup hockey fixture against Australia in Darwin.
New Zealand striker Olivia Shannon says they want to back up their 1-nil win in the opener.
Shannon joined D’Arcy Waldegrave for a chat ahead of the second match to discuss scoring the winning goal, and their relationship with the men’s side.
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The Springboks are confident despite the All Blacks’ undefeated streak at Eden Park.
The Rugby Championship clash is hotly anticipated, both rugby heavyweights having shown vulnerability with a loss apiece.
Matt Pearce, Super Sport Commentator and voice of South African Rugby, joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to give his perspective ahead of the showdown.
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After defeating Nelson Suburbs 3-0, Auckland United have clinched their spot in the Chatham Cup final against Wellington Olympic.
It all goes down at 1pm this Sunday afternoon at North Harbour Stadium in a double header with the Women’s Kate Sheppard Cup Final – in which Auckland United has also claimed a spot.
D'Arcy caught up with Auckland United Captain Ross Haviland to preview the match and highlight what it means to the club having both teams in the pinnacle finals of club football in New Zealand.
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History is weighing heavily on the All Blacks, as they seek to defend their over 30 year long undefeated streak at Eden Park.
They’re facing the Springboks tonight in what’s likely the biggest test of the 2025 calendar.
Newstalk ZB’s voice of rugby Elliott Smith caught up with starting first five Beauden Barrett at the team naming press conference on Thursday to get his thoughts on the upcoming clash and the learnings to come from the Argentina loss.
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The biggest test of the 2025 calendar has come, with the All Blacks taking on South Africa tonight at Eden Park.
Regardless of the result, history will be made, either by the All Blacks continuing their undefeated streak at Eden Park, or by the Springboks breaking the record and cementing their dominance on the world stage.
D'Arcy spoke with All Blacks replacement hooker Samisoni Taukei'aho about the magnitude of this test match, his selection, and the expectations of the coaching staff.
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Are we watching the most spectacular slow motion sports team collapse of the ages?
The protracted spiral of the Warriors has been stunning.
Last night’s stumble against the Sea Eagles wasn’t surprising, or frankly that upsetting, as this team has made fluffing their lines an art form.
The myriad of ways the Penrose Mud Dogs have managed to soil their bed sheets is impressive, the mercurial manner in which they play is rollercoaster exciting, sadly the car always seems to part ways with the track, leaving a smouldering wreck for the coaching staff to pick through.
Cruel? Sure. Not as cruel as having your hopes slowly eroded throughout the back end of the season. Death by a thousand cuts. Spectacular one moment, spectacularly bad the next.
The only comfort here is that this is not an outlier. This is not unusual. This is life as a Warriors fan. If you expect anything else, you’re new to the bandwagon and you’d better get used to it.
To be fair, the NRL is an incredibly tough comp to win. It took Cronulla 50 years to win a title. 50. And they’re based in Sydney.
The Wahs must deal with many a hurdle, the endless trans-Tasman flights being one. They’ve had a pretty rude casualty list. They tend to be rhubarbed by the officials. They’re used as a stepping stone back to Australia for promising young talent. The list, like the team, staggers on.
The beauty here is the Forrest Gump in them. At any given time, their box of chocolates might produce a gem, this is why we keep watching.
Oh, and they’re our team. That’s why we follow them. We don’t follow them because we know they’ll win; we follow them because they’re ours. As distressing as it can be, it’s part of being fan.
It’s looking sad AF right now, but hey, dum spiro spero. While I breath, I hope.
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A controversial knock-on call has left the Warriors' NRL top four hopes hanging by a thread as they fell 26-22 to the Eels at Mt Smart.
The Warriors —who at one stage faced a 16-point deficit— stormed back in the contest, only to have a late Adam Pompey try that would've seen them take the lead denied by the bunker due to a knock-on in the kick chase.
D’Arcy Waldegrave was joined by NZ Herald Sports Journalist Ben Francis to break down the action.
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The women's Rugby World Cup is well and truly underway, with the second round of action beginning later on tonight.
The Black Ferns had a strong showing in their opener, beating Spain 54-8, but understandably had a little rust with it being their first match in 7 weeks. They’ll be looking for an improved performance to pick up their second win against Japan on Monday morning.
Ahead of their round two fixture, D'Arcy caught up with forwards coach to Dan Cron to discuss what he liked and disliked about their first game, how their younger players are adapting, and how this World Cup is different to ones he has experienced in the past.
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Tauranga is gearing up to host 14 thousand junior athletes in Australasia's biggest junior sporting event.
The Zespri AIMS Games have grown every year since 2004 – with 431 schools now competing in 27 sports throughout the week.
Tournament director Kelly Schischka joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to run through what we can expect throughout the week.
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The NRLW Warriors are looking to snap a 2 match skid as they come up against the Dragons. They’re currently sitting 7th on the table, and a win is crucial in keeping their playoff hopes alive.
D'Arcy talked to Patricia Maliepo, ex Black Fern and current NRLW Warriors five eighth, to preview this weekend's match up, and discuss how she found the transition between Rugby Union and Rugby League.
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Auckland are looking to pick up their first win of the season.
They’re sitting on 0-4, and are set to face Wellington – a side who’s title defence has gotten off to a shaky start, sitting at 1-3.
Caleb Clarke joined D’Arcy Waldegrave ahead of the match for a chat about what Auckland needs to do to turn their season around.
Plus, they touch on the messages Clarke’s received from the All Blacks staff around his return to rugby, having not played since the Blues’ semifinal loss to the Crusaders earlier in the year.
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The famous All Blacks collector cards have been a staple of children’s breakfast routine for generations. Hopefully the infamous ability of the All Blacks to collect cards won’t be as ingrained as the cereal freebees.
This is getting beyond an inconvenient truth of international rugby for the nation’s male first 15. When recidivist action becomes a predictable part of behaviour, it becomes a habit. We know how difficult habits can be to break.
Those indiscretions have cost the team dearly, last week’s sloppy defeat at the hands of Los Pumas underlined and emphasized it in bold italics.
Granted, the Argentines played well, but I can’t accept that as a primary driver for their unlikely victory, although their consistent pressure and more disciplined play was impressive.
Los Pumas didn’t win that game, the All Blacks lost it. They were clumsy, out of phase with each other, and showed ill-discipline bordering on recklessness, which is essentially just stupidity pretending to be bravery.
The iconic 1971 film Vanishing Point had this memorable line, “This radio station was named Kowalski, in honour of the last American hero to whom speed means freedom of the soul. The question is not when's he gonna stop, but who is gonna stop him”.
I feel the same about the All Blacks’ questionable red card/yellow card spiral.
The question is not when it’s going to stop, but who’s going to stop it?
The malaise they are, and we are, experiencing could be explained many ways. Is it the overly judicious refereeing phalanx? The apparent inability of the players to switch from the perilous red head space to the measured blue head zone? The coaching staff not providing the foundations for a stoic and immovable state which will not, cannot be shaken even under duress?
You choose. Like most disasters though, this card chaos is not a result of one action, it’s a combined effort across numerous areas.
Calling it a disaster may seem heavy handed, but when this rapidly evolving habit costs the team a world cup, it will be seen as such.
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The Northern League sees Auckland City and Auckland United face off in an all-important match this weekend.
The two teams are level in points as they battle for a spot in the national league.
D'Arcy caught up with Auckland City captain Mario Ilich ahead of the clash to preview what to expect from his side and what they need to do for the win.
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The New Zealand Rally Championships continue this weekend with the fourth round taking place in the Coromandel.
Featuring iconic Coromandel routes, it's an exciting weekend for both racers and spectators.
D'Arcy spoke with NZ Rally Championship racer Jack Stokes to preview the event and discuss his career as a rally driver.
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The All Blacks opened their Rugby Championship campaign with a dominant win, but they’ll be aiming to keep the ball rolling as the Springboks clash looms.
With the rematch against Argentina set for tomorrow, All Blacks forwards coach Jason Ryan joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to discuss the key messages going into the second test, the selections, and the need for consistency.
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The Women’s Rugby World Cup has officially kicked off, with England’s clash against the USA.
D’Arcy Waldegrave caught up with NZ Herald columnist Alice Soper as she waited in line to enter the stadium.
She broke down the event and touched on some of the key Black Ferns players as they seek to defend their title.
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The NRLW Warriors slipped up last weekend, falling to the Raiders 20-16.
Despite their numbers being reduced to 11 partway through the first half, they kept in the fight and remain in the Top 6.
Sunday sees them face off against the Sharks, and D’Arcy Waldegrave caught up with 2nd Row player Shakira Baker to discuss the matchup and her transition from rugby union.
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The Warriors have got their season back on track and broken their three-match losing streak, however, their race to the Top 4 is heating up.
They’re facing off against the Gold Coast Titans this weekend, a team they haven’t beaten since Round 23 in 2023.
D'Arcy spoke with Warriors assistant coach Richard Agar ahead of tonight's clash to break down what the team needs to do to pick up a win over our rivals on the Gold Coast.
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Is the devil in the detail?
Yesterday NZR proudly released the news that they have finally got their long-negotiated broadcast deal with Sky TV across the line.
On the face of it, the deal looks good for all concerned. The All Blacks, Super Rugby, and the Black Ferns are all tied up for five years, driving subscription numbers for the pay TV behemoth. Those products are what Sky, and realistically the subscribers, really desire.
The free-to-air deal provides those unwilling or unable to pay for satellite TV a taste of domestic rugby through the exploits of the teams in the NPC, with some Farah Palmer Cup and Heartland Championship games thrown in. The vehicle for this is TVNZ, which in lieu of Sky TV’s recent purchase of the Three network, appears out of alignment with the pay TV monster’s trajectory. The Three deal not only arrived too late for consideration (I presume), and in eyeball terms, TVNZ has a greater reach, with a larger and less complex method for New Zealanders who aren’t tech savvy or have no interest in multiple platforms.
The ointment fly is the additional All Black matches that fall outside of the World Rugby test requirements. As yet unscheduled but more than likely to occur, these ‘extra’ matches involve the revenue generating fixtures such as the American-based games. This is where more ‘fat’ for NZR lives. These matches will likely be sold off to the highest bidder, think DAZN or Netflix, so if we want to watch, we’ll be paying. Again.
I will. I have to. I want to. But is this the thin end of the future pay wedge for AB fans?
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The grand final series in the New Zealand Ice Hockey League gets underway this afternoon, with the Sky City Stampede taking on the Botany Swarm in Auckland.
D'Arcy Waldegrave spoke with Sky City Stampede coach Cam Frear, previewing the upcoming series and discussing how the competition has risen to a new level of competitiveness in 2025.
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The Chatham Cup, New Zealand footballs premier knockout tournament has reached the semi-finals.
Auckland United are taking on Nelson Suburbs and Eastern Suburbs are playing Wellington Olympic.
Auckland United captain Ross Haviland caught up with D'Arcy hours before taking the field to preview their clash against Nelson Suburbs.
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The All Blacks coaching crew feel they're finding their mojo in their second year in charge.
Heading into tomorrow morning's Rugby Championship opener against Argentina in Cordoba, assistant coach Jason Holland says they have real confidence in the direction they're heading.
He told D’Arcy Waldegrave that they’re really sure on how they want to play the game now, and what’s important in terms of who can do what on what parts of the field.
“I think you can continue to see some real consistency.”
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The NRLW Warriors are on a roll, winning two on the bounce and finding themselves in the top 6.
This weekend they face off against the NRLW Raiders down at their home away from home, FMG Stadium in Hamilton.
NRLW Warriors second rower, Kaiyah Atai sat down with D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss her recent re-signing until the end of the 2027 season, preview the game, and talk about the growth of Women's Rugby League in New Zealand.
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The Bunnings NPC continues to roll on, the prime-time game this week a clash between North Harbour and Hawke’s Bay.
D’Arcy Waldegrave caught up with North Harbour captain Tom Savage to preview the showdown and delve into how his side can build on their last two performances.
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I applaud the Warriors for picking up two points last night against the Dragons. Applauding the points. That’s about it.
Sure, there were meritorious efforts from some individuals, some masculine grind was shown, but the effort was marred by sloppy mistakes, terrifying concentration lapses, and an inability to put away a team reduced in numbers through HIA protocols.
If I was being a stern father, I’d say the Warriors didn’t win that, the Dragons lost it.
But the rot has been temporarily stopped. But does rot, like rust, ever sleep?
Herald league scribe Michael Burgess used the term winning ugly, apt, because two points is two points, regardless of the manner in which they were collected.
The much celebrated, indeed required, top four spot is theirs, with three teams well outside of the eight to come, destiny is in their own hands. The question is what has this team retrieved from their calamitous last few weeks which dragged their confidence through the mud and severely tested their depth across numerous positions? To reach deep into the uncomfortable reality of an elongated results skid, and sit with the pain, will be instrumental in their next three matches.
They have shown just enough to suggest that they can keep the barbarians from the gate and hit the finals ground running with flames licking at their feet, but those flames may well burn them beyond recognition if they stumble in their dash to the end.
Like most Warriors seasons —or games— the fans will be tortured with possibilities to the last.
There is no such thing as a comfortable game in Warriors-land, this reality won’t cease.
As the Mad Butcher titled his book: What a Ride, Mate!
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Today’s All Star Panel features Newstalk ZB Sports News Director Clay Wilson and Sky Sport Commentator Jeff McTainsh. On today’s agenda:
Mo'unga returns! How much pressure does it place on Barrett and MacKenzie?
Can the Wahs save their season and remain in the top 4? Or are they toast?
Can we read anything into the Black Caps domination of Zimbabwe?
When are we going to give up on NZ hosting State of Origin?
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The Snow Sports New Zealand (SSNZ) Freestyle series is well and truly underway, with the next event being held this Sunday at the Remarkables in Queenstown.
Scott Palmer, the Competitive Pathway Manager of SSNZ, joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to break down the competition.
He touched on how it operates, what tracks are available for people to try, and the development of the sport in New Zealand.
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It’s crunch time in the New Zealand Ice Hockey League this weekend, with the Botany Swarm and West Auckland Admirals facing off in a two game semi-final series.
D’Arcy Waldegrave caught up with Botany Swarm Captain Michael Attwell to preview the series – delving into how the semi-final will impact the final, and how the team is looking heading into the most important games of the season thus far.
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The V8 Supercars is headed to Queensland this week, set to race at the Ipswich Super 440.
Kiwi driver Ryan Wood joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to preview the event – discussing his experience at the track, development as a driver, and his run home towards the championship.
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The Warriors are aware that a dangerous road lies ahead if they're to earn their place in the NRL's top four.
That begins with tonight's clash against the third-placed Bulldogs in Sydney – the only top eight side from their five remaining games.
Warriors hooker Sam Healey joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to discuss what the team needs to change after last week’s disappointing loss, the impact of injuries on the side, and how having an experienced hooker in the former of Wayde Egan has aided his development.
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A tough first-up clash for the Auckland Storm to kick off rugby's Farah Palmer Cup against defending champions Waikato at College Rifles this afternoon.
The two sides last met in last year's semi-final, with Waikato storming to a 69-12 victory.
Captain Eloise Blackwell joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to dicuss the team’s preparations for the season ahead.
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It was a dramatic start to the 2025 Bunnings NPC, with Auckland’s narrow loss to Waikato at Eden Park – 36-35.
The team started strong, with new captain Anton Segner opening the scoring in the fifth minute, but they were unable to hold back the Tron, who landed four tries in the last twenty minutes.
Segner joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to discuss how they’ll bounce back this weekend, and their plan to take on Canterbury as the away underdog.
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4 thousand for 3.
Okay, that’s a little over the top, but it represents the chasm between Zimbabwe’s test cricket team and the rest.
Overnight the Black Caps turned the screws on the hopelessly out classed Africans, piling on the runs at Bulawayo, at stumps NZ had extended their lead to 476, amassing 603 for the loss of 3. Centuries for Conway, Nicholls, and Ravindra, with the latter two still at the crease, represents a sound flogging after only two days of cricket.
If this was softball, the mercy law would’ve sent them all home.
The oft used phrase in circumstances such as this is ‘you can only play who’s been put in front of you’, which is accurate but wholly depressing when this game has been given faux test status. This should never have been the case. This should have been part of a New Zealand A tour, which it essentially is when the lineup is taken into account. The Black Caps are without a number of their go to first XI yet are still poleaxing the opposition.
The match is not part of the World Test Championship which further erodes any import the game thought it had.
We all understand that Zimbabwe cricket needs to be nursed along, but is this exchange benefitting them or merely serving as a reminder of how poor Zimbabwe cricket is?
This series isn’t helping anyone. The fresh Black Caps aren’t being exposed to any clear and present threats, the older and returning players inflating their averages, essentially masking the efficacy of their input. It may pump up their tires but with little test cricket on the horizon, is there a point to it?
This series should never have been afforded test status.
Still, it’s cricket in whites, so I’ll watch it. Tragic.
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Hundreds are hitting the ground running at a brand new course this weekend.
The NZ Cross Country and Relay Championships are taking place at Christchurch’s Hagley Park, with 530 athletes competing.
Defending Champion Connor Melton is racing on his home soil, and joined D’Arcy Waldegrave for a chat about the event.
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A huge third day of week one of provincial rugby's men's NPC.
Taranaki is putting the Ranfurly Shield on the line tonight with a clash against Northland.
Northland is hoping to host the Shield over the summer, heading into their first clash of the season with some serious amp.
Rivez Reihana joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to preview the season and touch on what it means to take on the defending champions in the opening match.
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The Warriors women are looking to shore up their defensive line in Sunday's NRLW Magic Round contest against the Cowboys in Newcastle.
They've conceded 86 points across four games, tied for the second-most in the competition.
Lock Laishon Albert-Jones joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash and talk about how they plan to pick things up again from their third loss of the season.
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Sneakers are hitting the ground this morning in Taupo, as the country’s longest-standing running and walking event kicks off.
The Taupo Marathon will see around 5000 people hit the streets and race around the lake.
Director of Total Sport and race organiser Aaron Carter joined the show to discuss the swell in participation events like this are seeing, and shares a few details for those keen to jump in last minute.
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NPC’s 2025 season has gotten underway and the south is gearing up for one of rugby’s most passionate rivalries this weekend.
Stag Day —as the fixture has become known— sees Otago take on Southland for the opening of their campaigns. Last year Southland came out on top with a 22-13 victory in front of a crowd of over 7000.
Stags player Scott Gregory joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to discuss the hotly anticipated content and take a look at the team’s focus for the season.
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Ask and you shall receive.
During the week, stand-in Warrior's skipper Kurt Capewell told media that what the Wahs needed to do was to get back to their style of footy.
Be careful what you wish for right?
Last night they did. A perfect example of Warriors football. Brilliant one minute, wretched the next.
Free flowing, awe inspiring movement followed by a clunk-a-thon.
Accurate aggressive defence backed up with turnstile slop.
Wrestling defeat from the jaws of victory.
Which is exactly what the Warriors dished up last night. In a fixture which loomed as pivotal to their wobbling season, questions were posed by the Dolphins, the answers weren’t what we wanted, but to a degree, expected.
Granted, the Dolphins provided stout defence and must be lauded for scrapping their way to two competition points without Herbie Farnworth and playing the last 7 minutes a man down. Surely though Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf couldn’t have seen the harem-scarem last minute offensive flood that pinched victory at the death.
The Wahs’ early season heroics are but a memory as they face a potentially treacherous run home. With arguably the comps best fixtures lined up for a final thrust, confidence now must surely be at the lowest ebb this season.
This is not entirely of their own making, with the continued menace of injuries now kicking their door in, but last night's display down the stretch, although initially showing great heart, revealed an alarming albeit predictable side of the Penrose Muddogs.
Like most Warriors seasons, the dreaded mathematical chance rears its ugly head - not of reaching the finals, but falling out of the top 8.
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It’s a battle of the North and South in today’s football quarter final.
Auckland United is facing off against Christchurch United in the first of the Chatham Cup quarter finals, the Auckland team heading down south for the clash.
Captain Ross Haviland has made over 250 appearances for the Auckland side, and joined D’Arcy Waldegrave ahead of the match.
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Two teams are taking to the ice, aiming to get one step closer to gold.
The Auckland Steel are facing the Dunedin Thunder in the 2025 NZ Women’s Ice Hockey League Championship semi-final.
The Steel have won three championships in their history, and their captain Jamie Jones joined D’Arcy Waldegrave for a chat about their strategy when it comes to such a pivotal game.
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Warriors coach Andrew Webster admits they possess no intimidation factor over the visiting Gold Coast Titans when the two NRL sides meet today at Mt Smart.
The Titans beat the Warriors twice last year, highlighted by a 66-6 drubbing across the Ditch – one of the worst results in the Auckland club's history.
They’ll have the chance to avenge themselves this evening, and forward Jacob Laban joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to discuss their key focuses in the clash.
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Positive signs for the Black Caps with both bat and ball in their final T20 tri-series group game against Zimbabwe in Harare.
New Zealand claimed a 60-run win over the hosts, defending 190 for six by rolling Zimbabwe for 130, including four for 12 to spinner Ish Sodhi.
They’re looking to cap their so-far perfect run – a win cementing new coach Rob Walter’s first series at the helm.
Batter Daryl Mitchell joined D’Arcy Waldegrave from Zimbabwe for a chat.
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The Northern Mystics are backing themselves to combat a Mainland Tactix outfit flushed with fresh confidence in tomorrow's ANZ Premiership grand final in Auckland.
They advanced directly to the grand final after claiming their third Minor Premiership, with a record of nine wins and one loss.
The Tactix dominated the second half of the elimination final against the Pulse in Christchurch, fight back from six goals down in the second quarter.
Mystics goal attack Filda Vui joined D’Arcy Waldegrave for a chat ahead of the showdown.
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The 33 have been named.
Last night in Upper Hutt the athletes charged with winning the World Cup were announced.
33 wāhine from across our fine motu were named as the Black Ferns to carry on New Zealand’s outstanding record at the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
There were disappointments, notably the omission of one of the stars of the last tournament, the irrepressible Ruby Tui. I’m told Ruby was celebrating the loudest, cheering on the women picked, not sulking over her non selection. This says a lot to me about the sisterhood, the whanau, the strong bond between these women.
And they’ll need it. Back in the halcyon days, the Ferns were the gold standard. They dominated the game, winning six titles. The first two world tournaments, won by the USA and England, didn’t have official recognition from the IRB (now World Rugby), but they have since been retrospectively given official status.
In 1998 the Ferns became champions of the world.
They have only been beaten once in the comp since then, and that was at the hands of England in 2014.
Last time out they shook up the world at home, riding their luck past France in the semi then beating the English in a pulsating final at a chocka Eden Park.
Joanah Ngan Woo was the hero that day, swiping a line out ball on her own line to stop the English surge in its tracks.
An astonishing end to a spectacular tournament. The energy in the stadium was like nothing I have experienced in a big international rugby fixture. The testosterone that dominates All Black matches, the collective fear of defeat, the barely contained masculine rage didn’t exist. It was pure joy. It was a rugby crowd as it should be.
Let's hope that continues in England as New Zealand strut their stuff and win again.
Not defend their title, win it all over again.
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The Warriors women started off strong, claiming a win over Parramatta last Sunday.
Centre Tysha Ikenasio got on the scoresheet last weekend and is hoping for a repeat when they face the Knights tomorrow.
The former sevens player joined Adam Cooper to discuss their strategy off the back of their success, and how she’s finding the switch from sevens to league.
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The Southland Sharks are aiming to keep the Wellington Saints from claiming their 13th national title this weekend.
They’re clashing in the NBL Grand Final – the Saints hosting the Sharks at TSB Arena in Wellington.
Sharks Captain Alonzo Burton joined Adam Cooper to discuss his fifth season with the team, entering the final as the underdogs, and the team’s approach to claiming the championship title.
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Padel is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world – a racquet sport combining the elements of tennis and squash.
The Padel New Zealand tour is hitting Wellington this weekend, the tour designed to bring players of all levels together.
Luke Neira, founder of Padel Wellington, joined Adam Cooper for a chat about the growth of the sport, encouraging players to get involved.
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Wrexham AFC has arrived in the capital, ready to take on the Wellington Phoenix.
Midfielder for the Welsh side, Elliot Lee, joined Adam Cooper to delve into the club’s transformation and their smash hit Disney+ series ‘Welcome to Wrexham’.
He also touches on his ambitions as a footballer, and what to expect from this weekend’s A-League class.
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With one final test on the agenda, the All Blacks will be aiming for a clean sweep against France.
They’re running with a largely changed team, including the late switch out of Reiko Ioane due to injury.
ZB rugby commentator Elliott Smith caught up with halfback Cortez Ratima for a chat about starting in front of his home crowd in Hamilton, and the team’s aim to maintain their winning streak.
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The Lions are ready to roar to life when they face the Wallabies in their opening test match tonight.
The British and Irish side have won all five of their warm-up matches across the ditch and will face the Wallabies for the first time since 2013.
Legendary former Wallaby David Campese joined Adam Cooper to analyse the Australian team named for the first match of the three test series – is it understrength?
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Today’s All Star Panel features rugby commentator Ross Bond and sports broadcaster Rikki Swannell. On today’s agenda:
- Did the All Blacks underestimate the under-strength French side in Dunedin?
- How reflective will today’s Black Ferns clash be of their readiness for the World Cup?
- Is it fair that players have to pay to compete in age grade tournaments?
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Front row Cheyenne Tuli-Fale has returned for the Auckland Premier Rugby Final, as two-time champions Ponsonby take on Marist in hopes of maintaining their winning streak.
She joined Adam Cooper for a chat about the growth and development of premier grade rugby over the season, and rising competition standards.
Tuli-Fale played for Blues Aupiki in the 2025 season and had a taste of the black jersey in the Black Ferns XV team facing the Black Ferns last weekend.
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The Warriors are facing a few hurdles when it comes to Sunday’s NRL clash.
With two back-to-back losses and their starting halfback out with an injury, they’ll be looking to turn things around.
Loose forward Erin Clark joined Adam Cooper ahead of the clash the West Tigers, to discuss if the team are ready to take a step up and return to winning ways.
They also discussed Tanah Boyd's debut in the No. 7 jersey, and he gave his thoughts on the State of Origin clash.
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The Central Pulse are determined to do a fallen teammate proud and make the ANZ Premiership playoffs.
The three-time champions need to beat the Magic in Tauranga on Saturday to fend off a late challenge from the Steel to make the Top 3.
Midcourter Maddy Gordon joined Adam Cooper to preview their final round robin clash.
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Despite Will Jordan's star turn at right wing for 79 minutes of the opening test against France, the All Blacks have decided against repeating the dose in the second test.
Jordan will start at fullback on Saturday in Wellington, with Reiko Ioane moving over to the left wing and Emoni Narawa replacing an injured Caleb Clarke on the right.
ZB’s Voice of Rugby Elliott Smith caught up with Jordan when the team was announced earlier this week, discussing the line up changes, switching jersey numbers, and what the All Blacks are expecting from France in match two.
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The French are busy this weekend, with the Tour de France kicking off tonight in Lille.
21 stages, 3,338 kilometres, it’s a gruelling test of endurance.
Christchurch’s Laurence Pithie has been selected to compete by German team Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe – competing for the first time.
The 22 year old is set to become just the 19th New Zealander to compete since the event began in 1903, and he joined Nick Bewley for a chat ahead of the race.
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It's been nearly five years, but the wait is almost over for the Warriors women who will return to the NRL-W tomorrow afternoon.
Their opening match is against the defending champions the Sydney Roosters, with kick off at 1.50pm.
Their first home game is next weekend in Hamilton.
Starting halfback Emily Curtain joined Nick Bewley ahead of her club debut for a chat about the upcoming season.
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Tonight sees the All Blacks face off against France in the first test of the 2025 Season.
Hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho has been named as a reserve, and sat down for a one on one with Elliott Smith ahead of the action.
They chatted about an injury forcing Taukei’aho out of the game for 2024, and how the birth of his first child impacted his perspective in life.
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New Zealand has surged to an historic quarter-final win against Switzerland at basketball's Under-19 World Cup in Lausanne.
Down by six points at halftime, the junior Tall Blacks won 84-70 - the first time they've made the semi-finals of the global event in this age group.
The team joins the 2002 Tall Blacks, who came fourth at the world championships, and the 2024 U17 side, as the one of the few teams to make it this far at the Basketball World Cup.
Former Tall Black Casey Frank joined Nick Bewley to unpack the team’s success.
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An international rugby double header is kicking off this afternoon in Whangarei.
The Black Ferns are taking on the Black Ferns XV from 1:05, followed by the Māori All Blacks clash against Scotland from 3:35.
Antonio Shalfoon is set to make his debut for the Māori side, and joined Nick Bewley for a chat about playing for the team and his unreal 2025 season so far.
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This week’s panel features Rugby Writer Jamie Wall and Newstalk ZB Sports Journalist Dean McLachlan. On the agenda this weekend:
- Are Moana Pasifika in big trouble?
- Violence and abuse on the sidelines
- Kai Kara-France, our next superstar?
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The Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic intend to shut down the Southern Steel's tried and tested connections in this afternoon's crucial ANZ Premiership matchup in Invercargill.
The hosts have former Tactix teammates Aliyah Dunn and Kimiora Poi, plus Kate and Georgia Heffernan.
Both sides are competing for the third playoff spot, with just three rounds to go in the regular season.
Captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.
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The Warriors believe they're striking the Broncos just as the NRL giants are getting their mojo back.
The 4th placed Wahs are in Brisbane to tackle the Broncos from five o'clock this evening, knowing the home side has jumped to 7th on the ladder after two much-needed wins.
Warriors assistant coach Richard Agar says the six-time premiers are a hard team to scout.
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The Māori All Blacks are aiming to be both brutal and fleet-footed in tonight's clash against a Japan XV in Tokyo.
The match day 23, which features eight newcomers, has only had two trainings amid the travel to Japan after being named on Tuesday.
But first-time captain Kurt Eklund wants the team to play in typical Māori fashion, playing with power and pace.
The match is underway from 9.05pm.
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Bravo Horowhenua Kapiti Rugby Football Union.
The union, along with the full support of all concerned parties, have taken a stand against the scourge of the game. In fact, the scourge of sport full stop.
The unprecedented step of postponing an entire weekend of rugby, across all grades, is a case of the mouse that roared. This little provincial union, based in Levin, has acted on a promise, has backed up a threat, has drawn a line in the sand.
Tired of the increasing rhetoric of rage emanating from the sideline, they have made a stand. Not on my watch. Not on our sidelines. Not in front of our children.
It may seem like taking a gun to a knife fight, an overreaction to a small number of ferals who choose to behave like animals, but it’s not. It’s the act of a union who has the moral strength to attempt to bring a narrative of respect and decency back to our national game.
This weekend, hundreds of players will hit pause on their season because of the actions of a few. This will eventually, I believe, trigger a groundswell of fans of the game, who will no longer tolerate the actions of a few.
This is not a ‘thoughts and prayers’ moment. This is a small voice that has been heard all over the country, that I’d hope will embolden other unions to follow suit.
For one person to stand up to a sideline goon is difficult, but when many take the same stand, the power will be transferred from the transgressor to the greater good.
The regrettable part of this is not that it must happen, which is a sad indictment on sporting fandom, but that it has been pioneered by a small union in the heartland.
Horowhenua Kapiti RFU shouldn’t have to take the weight of this on their shoulders, this is not their issue. NZR is the custodian of the game, they are the wheelhouse, this is their responsibility. It’s a black mark on their organisation that this boil must be lanced by a small union, not by the people charged with running the game.
HKRFU wrote in their release, the standard you walk past is the standard you accept. As a nation of sports fans, we must no longer accept the misguided rage from the sideline.
Surely we’re better than that.
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This week’s panel features Nathan Limm and Ross Bond. On the agenda this weekend:
- The Crusaders and Chiefs are clashing for the Super Rugby Pacific title
- The Warriors are facing an underpowered Panthers team
- Is Auckland City FC facing humiliation on the world stage?
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The Warriors aren't underestimating an understrength Penrith Panthers line-up in today's NRL showdown at Mt Smart.
The four-time defending champions are without their State of Origin reps, with travel difficulties from Perth not allowing them to play.
Warriors assistant coach Stacey Jones says even without the likes of Nathan Cleary and Isaiah Yeo, the Panthers are a threat.
Warriors fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.
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The Mystics aren't fretting about a short turnaround between ANZ Premiership matches.
The northerners pipped the Magic on Monday to maintain second place on the ladder, and the defending champs meet the same opponent in Hamilton this afternoon.
Mystics Head Coach Tia Winikerei joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.
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The Chiefs are confronting their unwanted record in Super Rugby finals ahead of tonight's decider against the Crusaders in Christchurch.
Defeats to tomorrow night's hosts in 2021 and 2023 as well as a loss to the Blues last year paint an ugly picture for the visitors.
However, the team won both of their regular season contests comfortably, and are entering the final with a points differential more than 120 points better than any other team.
Assistant Coach David Hill joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.
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What a blackeye for Grant Dalton.
Peter Burling's move to Luna Rossa says so much about their relationship, or the strained nature of it at least.
It was a shock when Peter elected to walk away from negotiations with Team NZ, a bigger shock that he’s now tied his colours to the mast of Luna Rossa’s AC75.
His exact role is not yet known, to us anyway, and should the protocol stop him from climbing on board, I really don’t think that matters. His ability to point his dinghy in the right direction is plainly off the scale, that in itself would be a kidney punch to TNZ, but it’s what he brings off the briny deep that will have the rest of the fleet a little freaked out.
The amount of intellectual property Pete has stuffed in his noggin I’d say is unmatched across the America's Cup. His mana alone in the sailing world casts an enormous shadow over any regatta, his presence within the Italian set up will lift their performance just knowing he’s there.
I’m surprised in that, as a new parent, I figured he would continue to maintain full engagement in Sail GP, a competition he has full skin in, and be dad the rest of the time. He says he’s looking forward to the family lifestyle in Italy, so obviously the demands of Luna Rossa are nowhere near as oppressive as life in a corrugated iron shed with Grant.
He’s going to be able to breathe, to live, to be his own man.
Dum vivimus vivamus.
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The Crusaders are wary of losing momentum in tonight's Super Rugby final showdown against the Chiefs in Christchurch.
The Chiefs had a points differential of plus 231 after the regular season, more than 120 points better than any other team.
Crusaders wing Sevu Reece joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.
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This week’s panel features Gold Sport Rugby Commentator Hamish McKay and Aiden Mclaughin. On the agenda this weekend:
- Mark Robinson’s calling it time
- The Super Rugby Finals format
- SBW v Paul Gallen - What's going on?
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The Stars are determined to fix their starts as they look to rectify consecutive thrashings in the ANZ Premiership.
The South Auckland-based side host the Steel at Pullman Arena this afternoon.
They're coming off 21 and 17-goal hidings at the hands of the Magic.
Stars midcourter Lisa Mather says they have to come out hot.
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Multiple World kickboxing champion and UFC veteran, Blood Diamond is intent on writing the final chapter of his storied combat career by taking his third King in the Ring Crown this weekend at Auckland’s EventFinda stadium.
The 110-fight veteran has built a legendary career that includes multiple world titles, UFC appearances, and two King in the Ring triumphs.
Victory this weekend will etch his name in history as only the third triple champ alongside his lifelong training partner Israel Adesanya, and fellow City Kickboxing stalwart Nikora Lee Kingi.
D'Arcy Waldegrave catches up Blood Diamond ahead of what may be his last bout.
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Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham admits Super Rugby Pacific's final-four playoffs stage remains their Achilles heel heading into tonight's semifinal with the Chiefs in Hamilton.
The Canberra side have lost four consecutive semis in Aotearoa, and haven't made a final since 2013.
Larkham's been asked if they've learned from those experiences.
The winner will face the Crusaders In next week's grand final.
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The Blues are coming to terms with their title defence being over after the 21-14 semi-final defeat to the Crusaders in Christchurch.
The Crusaders will host either the Chiefs or Brumbies next weekend in the decider, after absorbing a ferocious Blues performance.
The home side trailed 14-nil early and then were forced to park up at their own try-line as the Blues threw 40 phases at them to try and send the game to extra time.
Newstalk ZB Rugby Editor Elliott Smith joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to review the first semi-final.
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The World Test Championship final is heading for quite the finish.
As we sit, South Africa needs 69 runs to get their hands on the Mace, still the coolest trophy in sport.
This means the game will actually get to day 4, a triumph in itself after the first two days where wickets tumbled with T20-like regularity, the game devolving into a war of attrition. It’s as if the players didn’t want to be there, and it’s easy enough to understand why.
In the brave new world of T20 franchise baboonery —the money-soaked technicolour chimpanzees' tea party circus masquerading as cricket— test cricket is increasingly becoming a side show, a curious look back to the days where patience was a virtue. Although most players will run with the line that it is a true test and the pinnacle of the sport, this archaic 5-day concept is growing more and more difficult to justify. Hard core cricket fans will never turn their backs on the glory of the old school, so the long game will always have its place. But as the years tick by, the nature of the diminished human attention span, coupled with the financial and calendar-based stresses of keeping 5-day exchanges afloat, the game will slowly fade.
The new generation of cricketers, with the avalanche of money and lack of hugely demanding physical and mental exertion T20 offers, could hardly be blamed for focusing their talents anywhere but the shortest form.
The WTC, although a laudable concept, still needs to work to hold the attention of fans. A pertinent first move would be to base the final in the top qualifier's backyard. The detached energy of the bemused Lords spectators suggests that they’re there because they’re members, there for the experience, not because the care about the final result.
As a lover of the long game, I hope that the WTC will remain and as time passes, the ICC will develop the series to bring the best of the exchanges to the fore. But with the demands placed on a time poor populace, the obscene money available to the players for little or no effort, and the wholly insignificant nature of the results of franchise T20 exchanges, hope might be all us old fellas have.
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This week’s panel features Paul Allison and Alex Powell. On the agenda this weekend:
- The new Black Caps coach has been named
- Rising complaints over the Super Rugby playoffs format
- Red Bull is giving Yuki Tsunoda time and support - something they didn't give Liam Lawson
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The Southern Steel are looking to redeem themselves after last week’s ANZ Premiership fixture.
They were defeated by the Pulse, falling 45-70 in Invercargill.
Assistant Coach Liana Leota joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.
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The Blues will be fighting to get four of their departing players another week in the jersey when they battle the Chiefs in the Super Rugby playoffs tonight in Hamilton.
Mark Tele'a, Ricky Riccitelli, Harry Plummer and Adrian Choat are all leaving after this season.
Choat says the team's fully aware of what's at stake.
He told D’Arcy Waldegrave they’re all playing for each other, and they’re trying to get the job done as they still have a goal to win the entire competition.
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I’m fascinated by the accelerated criticisms around the finals structure of Super Rugby Pacific.
Granted, the process is not perfect. The matches could have been ordered in manner that may avoid the probability that the Hurricanes-Brumbies encounter result will be essentially of little import.
The nature of qualification where a life is offered to the highest qualifying loser isn’t ideal.
The issue here of course is the number of teams competing. This was foisted upon the organisers after the Rebels folded. That odd number has created the need for an unusual competition structure which has caused much consternation amongst, predominantly, the media. That number of teams though, has also been the making of this Super Rugby this season. As sad as it was to watch the hapless Rebels stumble and fall, their death has resulted in a vibrant competition that has enthralled the masses since day one.
This appears to have been forgotten by the army of enraged media who are now taking potshots at the structure, now that they have tired of celebrating the good.
The powers that be had no idea how the points collection would pan out. They weren't to know who would end up where. Yes, they had control over the placement of the finals fixtures, and have probably acquiesced to the broadcasters timing needs, but Super Rugby Pacific isn’t a charity, bills need to be paid.
There is only one certainty here. There will be one winner. Regardless of how they scale their lofty peak, whatever steps they had to take, none of that matters in the wash up.
The champion of 2025 will be remembered, not how they got there.
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Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan says they can't afford to take the Blues lightly in today’s Super Rugby Pacific qualifying final in Hamilton.
The Chiefs beat the Blues twice this season, although their previous meeting was a one-point win.
McMillan feels they can't read much into the Blues' recent form but acknowledges the threat of the defending champions.
Tonight’s game is a rematch of last year’s final, in which the Blues claimed victory 41-10.
Chiefs scrum-half Xavier Roe joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.
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The Crusaders' home Super Rugby playoff winning record has been extended to 30 consecutive games after a comfortable 32-12 win over the Queensland Reds in Christchurch.
The hosts ran in five tries to two and held the Reds scoreless for 70 minutes.
The result secures the Crusaders a home semifinal next week.
Commentator Tony Johnson joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to review the clash.
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This week’s panel features NZ Herald Sports Journalist Michael Burgess and Sports Commentator Lavina Good. On the agenda this weekend:
- Is the 'Run it Straight' style game a stain on society?
- Violence against referees in local rugby.
- What will Gary Stead's legacy be once he fully retires?
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Our Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan gives us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport.
- The Waratahs are still in with a chance - how?
- Everyone is talking about the players who aren't playing in the NRL
- The Aussies need someone to score some runs ahead of the World Test Championship.
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The Northern Mystics expect to take on a mirror image of themselves when they battle the Mainland Tactix in their ANZ Premiership netball game in Rangiora this afternoon.
The Mystics are unbeaten after three rounds and top-of-the-table with nine points, while the Tactix are second on seven points.
Captain Michaela Sokolich-Beatson points to depth as each team's strength.
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Defending champion Iga Swiatek has powered into the last 16 of the French Tennis Open with a straight sets win over Romania's Jaqueline Cristian.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka, Jasmine Paolini, Qin-Wen Zheng, and Elena Rybakina are also through.
Tennis Correspondent Craig Gabriel joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss the results of the third round from Roland Garros.
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The Crusaders have clinched the second seed in Super Rugby Pacific after a thrilling 33-31 win over the Brumbies in Canberra.
Trailing 31-28 with seven minutes remaining, replacement hooker George Bell dotted down in the 77th minute to snatch victory.
Sky Sport Rugby Commentator Tony Johnson joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss the final round of Super Rugby.
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A home farewell for a quintet of Blues players in tonight's Super Rugby contest against the Waratahs at Eden Park.
Mark Tele'a, Harry Plummer, Ricky Riccitelli, and Adrian Choat are leaving the franchise to head offshore, while Rieko Ioane goes on sabbatical in Ireland.
The defending champions host the Waratahs tonight at Eden Park, needing a win and hoping Moana Pasifika lose to the Hurricanes in the capital later this evening.
The Waratahs could also sneak into sixth if they beat the Blues and Moana also goes down.
Blues player of the year and possible All Blacks bolter Josh Fusitu'a joined D'Arcy to preview the clash.
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The recent explosion of side-show violence masquerading as sport and the associated media coverage has been quite the eye opener. Basically, it's a Darwin Award trilogy. Combat sports’ way of contributing to the awards which recognize individuals who have aided human evolution by removing themselves from the gene pool by dying or becoming sterilized under their own steam.
The first of the new look Darwin Award games was the wince inducing Power Slap. The two people slapping each other game has been around for a while now, created by UFC Empresario Dana White. Nothing subtle about this. One contestant stands still whilst the other contestant slaps them in the face with all the power they can muster. They then trade places. Defenceless. Sitting duck stupidity if you will.
Part two of the ‘can’t look away car crash’ triptych was released onto an unsuspecting public in the form of Run It Straight. An Australian game that has chosen to replicate the collisions found in rugby and rugby league. Zero subtleties here, one contestant runs flat out at the other one, holding a ball to give the exchange some tenuous connection to sport. They collide. That’s it. That’s the game. Dumber than a bag of hammers.
The third instalment of the trilogy is the Dan Hooker driven One Minute Scrap. Dan is a UFC fighter who holds a series of one minute stand up punch ups in his back yard. You have one minute to knock the other participant into next week. Agricultural if you will.
There are common denominators here:
- Appeals to the very baseline of the human psyche. Beat someone up. I’m tougher than you, I win. Straight out of the stone-age.
- The end goal is money. Money. Dirty cash I want you, dirty cash I need you, oh.
- Clickbait. It’s all there to hook straight into the veins of the bored social media hordes. Easy to understand, quick, violent.
- The rules are so incredibly simple, even the most mentally challenged can understand them. Indeed, the contestants appear to be in that same class.
All these pastimes (not sport) are a sad but wholly predictable reflection on the current state of humanity.
But before we get too judgey on this, let’s not forget that in our so-called advanced society, we still resort to war to settle our differences. Physically we’ve left the cave, but mentally we are still very much there.
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This week’s panel features NZ Herald Sports Journalist Bonnie Jansen & Freelance sports journalist Aidan McLaughlin. On the agenda this weekend:
- Can Auckland FC make it all the way to the Grand Final?
- Should Ardie Savea get a look at the All Blacks captaincy?
- Supercars is taking off in New Zealand - this time Christchurch joins the party.
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The Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Squash Open is currently underway at the North Shore Squash Club with some intriguing matches in store across the weekend.
The men's PSA Challenger has its quarters and semis on Saturday and final Sunday while the women's Satellite runs Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
The men's draw involves players such as Northland left-hander Freddie Jameson, who was a finalist at the New Zealand Junior Open this year - but is up against another teen in Auckland's Vihan Chathury who will be playing for New Zealand at World Junior Championships in Egypt in July.
New Zealand Juniors coach Evan Williams joined D'Arcy Waldegrave for an update on the action.
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In ANZ Premiership netball action - the Stars are looking to keep the win-train chugging against the Pulse in Auckland this afternoon.
After a tough loss in round one, the Stars beat the Tactix to get in the win column last weekend.
Stars goalkeeper Lili Tokaduadua joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.
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A blockbuster loose forward match-up looms in tonight's Super Rugby clash between the Chiefs and Moana Pasifika in Hamilton.
All Black teammates Wallace Sititi and Ardie Savea will battle in the trenches, as Moana look to complete the grand slam of wins over New Zealand teams.
Chiefs number eight Sititi says his side can only hope to contain Savea.
Meanwhile, Moana captain Savea says friendship will be put on hold this evening.
Sky Sport rugby commentator Tony Johnson joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the match, and look back at Friday night's games.
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A record number of athletes are preparing for a week of fierce competition at the 2025 Apollo Projects NZ Swimming Championships.
More than 350 athletes will be swimming in the competition which is being held at the Sir Owen G Glenn National Aquatic Centre in Auckland from Wednesday May 21st to Sunday May 25th.
The field will feature a mixture of young talent and seasoned performers, with 17 Aquablacks (NZ representatives) including 7 Olympians and 5 Paralympians competing.
Swimming NZ's new Head Coach Graham Hill joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to update day 4 of the event.
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Our Australian Correspondent, gives us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport! Highlights include:
- Big decision this weekend that could spark at chain reaction.
- There is a battle to avoid the wooden spoon in Super Rugby.
- It's a big weekend for Aussie cricket in Wales.
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The Black Ferns are aiming to put together a complete performance in this afternoon's Pac4 game against the United States in Albany.
New Zealand have beaten Australia and drawn with Canada so far in the campaign.
Halfback Risi Pouri-Lane points to a number of areas her side can improve in.
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Auckland FC are striving for a fast start in this evening's A-League semi-final return leg against Melbourne Victory at Mt Smart.
The Black Knights take a one-goal advantage into the sold-out re-match, the last stop before the grand final.
Coach Steve Corica says a week off ahead of the first leg meant they were a bit rusty...but he doesn't expect that to be the case again.
Auckland FC defender Dan Hall joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview this evening's season-defining game.
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We all know the saying, pressure makes diamonds.
It’s a wonderful theory, a beautiful axiom that is often delivered as a powerful reinforcement of the ability of athletes who exude titanium-like mental strength.
We also know that pressure has the capability to wreak havoc. Pressure in the diving world can lead to nitrogen narcosis, oxygen toxicity and decompression sickness - more commonly and loosely known as the bends.
Far from a precious rock.
So how will Auckland FC behave under the most intense scrutiny that they have ever been subjected to? Melt under the blowtorch? Catch fire and burn to ashes through the concentrated glare of the A-League magnifying glass? Wilt?
It’s fair and right to say that the team have an almost irresistible momentum, their season has been one of almost mythical success, a fairytale if you will. Should they scale their Everest, it will become legend, one of the most extraordinary debut seasons in sport. Should they trip on the Hilary step and roll to their demise, the narrative will be one of a great season, but no cherry.
There is no way of knowing which path this team will take, even with the influence of the uber successful Dan Hall, the hugely experienced Tommy Smith, the gatekeeper Alex Paulsen and the guiding light of one of the best coaches in the game, Steve Corica.
No-one knows.
Don’t fear the unknown, that's where the magic is.
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This week’s panel features Rugby Writer Jamie Wall and Gold Sport Rugby Commentator Paul Allison. On the agenda this weekend:
- Team New Zealand announces Naples, Italy, will host 38th edition in 2027
- Blues vs Moana Pasifika - grandstand sell out!
- Can Auckland FC get the job done?
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Our Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan gives us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport. On today’s agenda:
- A Superstar is about to meet his idol
- Two of Australia’s best compete in this weekend's Super Rugby clash
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Round 2 of the ANZ Premiership opens with the highly anticipated Grand Final rematch between the Northern Mystics and Central Pulse. The last time these teams met, the Mystics took the 2024 Premiership title by a narrow one goal margin.
This afternoon the Pulse will head to Auckland with a point to prove, aiming to cement themselves at the top of the table.
Mystics midcourter Tayla Earle joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.
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The Black Ferns are determined to tidy up their discipline in a bid to avoid back-to-back defeats to Canada in Christchurch.
The two teams meet again this afternoon at the same venue of Canada's only ever win over New Zealand in women's rugby.
The Black Ferns gave away 15 penalties in last week's win over Australia.
Liana Mikaele-Tu'u joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.
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Strong travelling support's motivating Auckland FC for the away leg of their A League semifinal against Melbourne Victory tonight.
Fans have been seen and heard across Australia this season - a big group were at last month's fixture in Melbourne in the league.
Logan Rogerson out of the AKFC camp joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview their clash.
Kick-off's at 9:35pm.
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Moana Pasifika have released an additional two-and-a-half thousand tickets for Saturday's Super Rugby derby with the Blues at North Harbour Stadium.
They've sold out the grandstand, after a breakout year in the Super competition.
Blues First Five Harry Plummer joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss Moana's success and their new cross-town rivals.
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Can the fairy tale continue? The page turning epic that has become Auckland FC’s debut season is closing in on the final chapter. What started out as a wonderful picture-book story of a plucky youngster, the second born of two Kiwi teams in the A-League, striving to do their best as the new kid on the block, has developed into a Roy of the Rovers style graphic novel.
Heroes have been made, stands have been full, chants have evolved, the media has added extra carriages to the band wagon, the Port supporters' mob have become the envy of other sporting teams. The black and blue jerseys have taken centre stage as a symbol of Auckland footballing pride in a city that has regularly chewed through and spat out any thought of a footballing foothold.
What started as a pipe dream has materialised. They have a fanbase. They have results. They have silverware. It looks like they’ll have their very own shiny new stadium soon too. They should have a women’s team – the sooner the better. They play a brand of football that beckons eyes to the game.
They are the poster child of the league.
Auckland FC are tantalisingly close to closing their book as the sporting story of New Zealand and some say regardless of the semifinal and or final results, they have done enough to call their first foray into the world of pro football a success.
But y’know, they haven’t.
What the team has achieved will all fade into fogged oblivion if they can’t bring it home.
Tough call? Hell no. They’ll be thinking exactly the same thing, if they aren’t they can’t call themselves true professionals.
This fairy tale shouldn’t be a Grimm Brothers reminder of the frailty of a championship run.
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This week’s panel features NZ Herald Online Sports Journalist Alex Powell and Gold Sport Rugby Commentator Hamish McKay. On the agenda this weekend:
- New Zealand Rugby suffers a massive loss, despite a record income for 2024
- Go Media Stadium gets the nod over Eden Park
- Are we unlikely to see India and Pakistan play each other in cricket again?
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Our Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan gives us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport. On today’s agenda:
- The Supercars are looking to go even faster this afternoon.
- It’s a big day for the Warriors.
- Can the Brumbies keep going in Super Rugby?
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The 2025 Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally continues this week with round two, competitors heading to Timaru for the South Canterbury Hydraulics Rally South Canterbury.
The one-day event sees competitors tackle a mixture of forestry and public roads on the outskirts of Timaru, before a final blast around the Levels Raceway circuit on Saturday afternoon.
D'Arcy Waldegrave caught up with rally leader Ben Hunt ahead of the day's action.
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Damian McKenzie returns from his hand injury to start for the Chiefs in Saturday's Super Rugby top of the table match against the Crusaders in Christchurch.
McKenzie's return pushes Josh Jacomb back to the bench after a fortnight in the starter's role at 10.
Wallace Sititi also starts for the visitors after two weeks off the bench in his return from a knee injury.
Crusaders coach Rob Penney has plumped for Rivez Reihana at 10 in place of Taha Kemara after his season long injury, allowing James O'Connor to retain his finishing role off the bench.
Hooker Codie Taylor caught up with D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.
Kick off is at 7:05pm - with live commentary on Gold Sport and iHeartRadio.
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Depth is being tested early on in the Central Pulse camp ahead of the start of the ANZ Premiership.
Midcourters Maddy Gordon and Whitney Souness and shooter Khiarna Williams have all battled pre-season niggles.
Coach Anna Andrews-Tasola hopes the problems will be short lived.
The Pulse open their season against the Magic in Palmerston North this afternoon.
Centre pass is at 4pm.
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Black Ferns lock Maia Roos has full confidence in Blues teammate Ruahei Demant to steer the ship at first-five in this afternoon's Pacific Four opener against Australia in Newcastle.
Demant has the ability to play between fly-half and second-five, appearing in the latter position for the Blues in Super Rugby Aupiki.
Roos says the team needs a reliable playmaker to lead a stacked backline.
Kick off is at 5pm - LIVE coverage on Gold Sport.
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NZR generated 285 million bucks last year. Sweet. They also manged to flush $305 million. Oops.
A quick flick of the abacus tells us that $20 million slid down the back of the couch.
Somewhere along the way, something has gone horribly wrong. I’m sure the bean counters are working their way through the figures, looking at the expenditure, trying to shave a bit here and a bit there, but shaving won’t achieve a thing, they need an axe, not a Gilette.
Gregor Paul from the NZ Herald continues to write revealing pieces on the issue, and he’s far from complimentary around NZR’s ham-fisted money management. His dive into these matters is far deeper than mine and revels some fairly alarming numbers associated with NZR’s expenditure.
His Silver Lake work points to what numerous folk were concerned about when NZR sold their pound of flesh to the American fund manager. To put it simply, Silver Lake care about profit, they couldn’t care less about NZ rugby. They just saw some straw-chewing, dungaree-wearing farmers, spun them some grandiose yarns and walked off with a slice of their operation. Boom. Silver Lake will Shylock NZR, and Shakespeare will shake his head.
Part of NZR and SLs brave new world involves the media platform NZR+. It’s costing a bucket load as it gingerly steps its way into the vicious world of streaming. A world that NZR has no experience in and no right or point to be directly engaged with.
I’m sure in time it will be revealed that the inner workings of NZR+ are, well, not working.
Courier companies have one job. Prisons have one job. Focus on that task and I’d say job done. Granted, some courier companies lose packages and some prisoners escape, which beggars belief, maybe pure focus on one exercise would help them out.
NZR have one job. Look after rugby from the grassroots to the superstar ABs.
Stick to your knitting guys, leave broadcasting platforms to broadcasters, and maybe buy yourselves an abacus or two instead of more first-class flights and 5 star hotels for your ruling class.
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This week’s panel features Netball Commentator Jenny Woods and Graeme 'The Sportsfreak' Beasley.
On the agenda this weekend:
- What has gone so wrong for the Indian Panthers basketball side?
- Do World Rugby actually care about 'SVNS' anymore?
- Lisa Carrington is so good, that she can miss a whole season?
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Our Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan gives us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport. On today’s agenda:
- Magic round and the return to common sense.
- Looking at Canberra tonight, and not just because of the election.
- Players are missing big games in Super Netball for weird reason.
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Dunedin is currently hosting the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey Men’s and Women’s World Championship Division IIB Tournaments.
Men’s Ice Blacks Coach Cameron Frear joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss their team's success so far and preview tonight’s clash against Iceland.
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The Bowls3Five Interclub Finals tournament is taking place this weekend at the Royal Oak Bowling Club.
This event features a shortened version of the traditional game, designed to boost participation and increase fan engagement.
Legendary bowler Val Smith joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the tournament.
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Bream Bay United has entered New Zealand's premier national knock-out competition for men's football — the Chatham Cup.
It's the club’s first appearance in the tournament since 1986, and they will take on West Auckland club 'Colo Boys FC' in their opening match.
D'Arcy Waldegrave catches up with head coach Stuart McDonald to talk about the team's return to cup football.
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The Warriors know they'll have to be at their best to take down the Cowboys in tonight's Magic Round contest in Brisbane.
After starting the year with three straight losses, the Cowboys have rebounded with four wins on the trot.
Number six Chanel Harris-Tavita says it's up to him and halves partner Luke Metcalf to drive the team to a fourth straight win over the Cowboys, but he admits their combination is still a work in progress.
Kick-off for the Warriors home match on neutral territory at Suncorp Stadium is at 7.30pm.
Former Kiwis international Daryl Halligan joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.
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Two significant ins for the Hurricanes as they prepare for a crucial home Super Rugby showdown against the Chiefs on Saturday night.
All Blacks hooker Asafo Aumua and lock Isaia Walker-Leawere have both been named to start on their return from concussion layoffs.
The match looms as pivotal in the run to the playoffs, and assistant coach Bard Cooper says they're happy the game is in the capital.
Meanwhile, Chiefs star Damian McKenzie is out for a second straight week with his hand injury.
With Anton Lienert-Brown out injured for the rest of the Super season, Daniel Rona takes the number 13 jersey.
D'Arcy catches up with Hurricanes and All Blacks halfback Cam Roigard ahead of tonight's clash.
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Basketball New Zealand has punched itself in the face.
Broke its own nose, and is trying to tell us it walked into a door.
The barely believable antics of not only the week just gone, but the entire season, and if players I’ve spoken to are to be believed, the pre-season, leads me to think that they are the architects of their own humiliation.
The Indian Panthers were suspended this week after a series of stumbles which eventually lead to them falling over their own feet, leaving themselves prone on the court floor.
Yes, the Panthers has been a problem child, yes, they’ve failed to deliver on court, yes, they’ve treated their staff both on court and off with disdain bordering on exploitation, yes they’ve dragged a wonderful competition into the swamp with them, but no, the blame should not lie solely at their Air Jordaned feet.
Claims from the commission chair Tracey Garland that “careful due diligence” was applied before their inclusion in the league are difficult to swallow. I did some retrospective diligence. A quick skim of the internet around the history of the parties involved with the Panthers (yeah, I’m like an antivaxxer – I did my own research) points to clumsy management and financial chaos. More red flags than a wealthy, good looking hit on Tinder.
Sal's NBL, NZ Basketball, whoever holds ultimate responsibility for this circus needs to stand up and tell us who opened the door and let these 20 clowns jammed into a tiny car in.
They can finger point and obfuscate all they want. The Indian Panthers management are a fast talking, blame laying excuse factory, but if they weren’t in the league, this wouldn't have happened.
Fess up BBNZ, this is a monster you let in, own it.
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This week’s panel features Newstalk ZB Sports News Director Clay Wilson and Freelance Sports Journalist Aidan McLaughlin.
On today's agenda:
- New Zealand Cricket’s bold new move into the United States
- The NRL confirms its 18th team
- Can Auckland FC bring home the chocolates on Sunday?
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Our Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan gives us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport. On today’s agenda:
- From zero to hero in just one week
- Lots of players looking for contracts
- And a new trophy in Super Rugby
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The Auckland Tuatara suffered a heartbreaking 111–110 loss to the Taranaki Airs in a tightly contested Sal’s NBL game in New Plymouth on Monday.
They’ll be looking to rebound at home against the second-placed Canterbury Rams.
Dylan Wilkie joined D’Arcy Waldegrave from the Tuatara camp to preview the upcoming clash.
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The Dettol Northern League heads into Round 7 with a full slate of matches taking place across the northern regions of the North Island - including Northland, Auckland, Waikato, and the Bay of Plenty.
Former All White and football commentator Chris Milicich joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview all the upcoming action.
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Warriors coach Andrew Webster is waxing lyrical about the performance of second rower Kurt Capewell in their 26-12 Anzac Day win over the Newcastle Knights in Christchurch.
It's the Warriors' fifth win of the season, taking them to third on the NRL ladder.
Webster says the left edge performed brilliantly, with Ali Leiataua and Capewell getting try assists.
Former Kiwi's Captain Richie Barnett joined D'Arcy to review the impressive win in the 03.
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Auckland FC coach Steve Corica is well aware of the potential history that beckons at Mt Smart this coming Sunday.
No New Zealand team has lifted silverware in a major Australian league, but the Black Knights are on track to buck that trend by winning the A-League's Premiers Plate.
Corica says a draw or win over Perth to snare the trophy would be a massive achievement, but the big prize is still to be won.
Auckland FC defender Francis De Vries joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview Sunday's match up.
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Confidence from the Crusaders they’ll be able to manage without the services of 64-test Wallaby James O'Connor in tonight's Super Rugby derby against the Highlanders in Dunedin.
Rivez Reihana is coming off the bench, having suffered an ankle injury early in the campaign.
With O'Connor resting, outside back Will Jordan is excited for Reihana to get a run.
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And the Blues got flogged by the Reds.
This fixture should be known as the Purple Smash, as that is what happens when blue and red collide. Last night that wasn't the case, as the Reds turned up in an ocular nightmare of strip, maroon, and dirty gold.
Besides almost confirming that the Blues title defence aspirations are essentially shredded, last night's exchange underlined to the competition two very important aspects of Super Rugby Pacific:
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New Zealand teams are either struggling to travel to Australia, or home advantage in 2025 is more important than we thought.
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If you tackle a player and lift them past the horizontal, you’ll take a skate. 10 minutes, or the rest of the match.
It is one of the stranger stats this year that NZ teams can’t roll Aussie sides over there. Yes, the sample size is limited due to the nature of the draw, but the former easy beats of the comp are no longer cannon fodder in their own backyard. Funny what happens when the talent pool is concentrated.
Does the same apply in reverse, now that Moana Pacifica are watering down the NZ based talent pool? Australia lost a team and went from five teams down to four, New Zealand essentially took the opposite route, increasing from five teams to six. It’s notable that the Blues, the Hurricanes, the Highlanders, and Moana Pacifica have only notched 3 wins apiece so far.
Coincidence or correlation?
On the tackle, Tele’a ran afoul of the law with his aggressive tip on Tim Ryan and was walked for 10, until closer examination upgraded him to red and that basically condemned the Blues to another defeat.
A touch unfair? Possibly, but as a I often tell my 14 year old daughter, control your own narrative. If you don't give someone the opportunity to wreck your day, they can’t. If you tackle someone, don't go through the horizontal, don’t give officials the means to walk you. Because they will.
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Easter weekend sees the New Zealand Netball Mixed Nationals 2025, hosted in partnership with Christchurch Men's and Mixed Netball.
45 teams will battle it out over 4 action packed days to be crowned Mixed Nationals champions.
NZMMNA secretary John Kingi joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the event featuring some of our best men and women athletes from around the country.
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The New Zealand Orienteering Champs, also known as the Nationals, is the top orienteering event in NZ.
Competitors of all ages go for national titles in various categories. It’s a high-quality event with great maps and courses suited for everyone from beginners to the competitive.
Three new areas have been mapped for Nationals 2025, only the relay and knockout sprint are on existing maps.
Commentator and competitor Ed Corey Wright joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss the ins and outs of orienteering.
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Moana Pasifika coach Tana Umaga admits Ardie Savea is in need of his All Blacks rest week after leaving him out of his Super Rugby Pacific side to host the Brumbies tomorrow in Pukekohe.
Sione Havili Talitui will start at openside flanker and also shoulder the captaincy responsibilities.
Umaga says Savea's carrying a few niggles after last weekend's loss to the Blues.
Moana's superstar winger Kyren Taumoefolau joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview their clash against the Brumbies in South Auckland.
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Hurricanes coach Clark Laidlaw is expecting the Force to come out firing in their Super Rugby Pacific clash in Perth.
The Aussie's have a four-point advantage over the 'Canes on the ladder, sitting sixth and eighth respectively.
It's a different story to last year when the Canes —who led the table— crushed the Force 44-14 in Western Australia.
Canes midfielder Peter Umaga-Jensen joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the fixture.
The match kicks off at 9:35pm with Live commentary on GOLD SPORT and iHeartRadio.
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The Warriors are relieved to be back playing on home turf tonight in front of a sold-out crowd.
The Auckland-based NRL side return to Go Media Stadium to face the Broncos, as both sides —who sit inside the top eight— look to bounce back from a loss last week.
Coach Andrew Webster says there's plenty of reasons for fans to be excited for the occasion.
Former Kiwis Captain Richie Barnett joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview tonight's clash.
The match kicks off at 7:30pm.
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Women’s rugby is not unlike the cheese TV commercials. Good things take time.
Last weekend's Super Rugby Aupiki final between the Blues wāhine and Matatu was a great game to watch. It put an exclamation mark on what was a rollicking tournament. The match reflected the strides the women’s game has taken since the inception of Aupiki.
The crowd at Eden Park didn’t rock any foundations but the TV viewer numbers were impressive. 405,000 folk tuned in to watch the best female footballers in the country duke it out and match worthy of their eyeballs was rolled out.
On Thursday night, in atrocious conditions, the Blues laid waste to the Waratahs in the Women’s Super Rugby Champions Final. Again, bugger all in the way of people in the stands (the weather was toxic) and I have no TV numbers, but I’d hazard a guess they would be healthy figures for a Thursday night game that sneaked up on people. Still, it was on, and it was worth a look.
The women’s game is having a growth spurt, and this needs to be appreciated and fostered as the men’s game has essentially had a multi-generational head start.
The game is played differently to the men's version, not unlike the cricketing gender split. It’s not better, nor worse, just different. For those hell bent on direct comparison, I have nothing. A frozen and archaic mindset is not worth fighting against, these people can’t or won’t accept the turning wheels of time, good luck to them.
The top level of domestic women’s rugby is still in an embryonic stage, to judge it based on crowd numbers alone is manifestly unfair, not forgetting how few people turn up to the men’s Super Rugby exchanges on a regular basis.
With further investment the game will exponentially grow. Let’s not forget that New Zealand rugby’s money, regardless of where it comes from, is not just for the All Blacks. It is for the entire game from the grass roots up. NZR has a responsibility to uphold the development of the game across the board. It’s our national game, not just a platform for the men in black.
Water the dirt and flowers last for you.
Good things take time.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features NZ Herald Sports Journalist Michael Burgess and Rugby Writer Jamie Wall.
On this weekend's agenda: What's gone wrong with Burling and Dalton? Super Rugby viewership is growing, and are Moana Pasifika now Auckland's favourite team?
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The Auckland Tuatara have trounced the winless Indian Panthers 114-71 in their New Zealand NBL basketball game on the North Shore.
Meanwhile, the Canterbury Rams defeated the Manawatu Jets 92-81 in Christchurch.
This afternoon sees the Otago Nuggets take on the Wellington Saints at the Edgar Centre in Dunedin.
Nuggets Head Coach Mike Kelly joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss their season so far.
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A record number of runners and walkers will take over Christchurch’s central city this Sunday (13 April) for the largest ever Christchurch Marathon event.
More than 6,700 participants have entered the event across its four distances: the Christchurch Marathon, Half-Marathon, 10 km, and Kids Mara’fun.
That is 27% more than participated in 2024 and is the largest field the event has ever seen.
Event director Calum Nicholson joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss the uptake in runners from the garden city.
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The Taupō Supercars event has gone the way of the home drivers and fans so far.
Kiwi drivers Andre Heimgartner and Ryan Wood have set the fastest pace in the opening two practices.
Heimgartner joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss the return home to the central North Island race.
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New Zealand Rugby believes the women's Super Rugby Aupiki final's scheduling clash with the Highlanders versus Fijian Drua will have little impact on viewership.
The Blues versus Matatū finale at Eden Park on Saturday has been granted a primetime 7.05 pm kickoff, despite the regular season games all being played in the afternoon.
NZR head of women's high-performance Hannah Porter is unconcerned about the battle for viewers with the Highlanders playing at the same time in Dunedin.
Blues and Black Ferns second five eight Ruahei Demant joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview their grand final.
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The Chiefs have dropped to second on the Super Rugby table after an ugly 21-14 loss to the Waratahs in Sydney.
The Crusaders are alone on top of the ladder after surviving a late fightback to beat the Hurricanes 31-24 in Wellington while down to 13 men.
Tony Johnson joined D'Arcy to review Friday night's Super Rugby action.
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Burling and Dalton have split.
Team New Zealand has lost the services of their greatest skipper, the most successful America’s Cup helmsman and the positive face of the team.
Burling has yet to speak of the breakdown, Dalton has been quick to put his side of the story out into the ether – I’m sure in time we’ll hear Burling's view and from there we’ll draw our own conclusions. Let's not forget, there are three sides to every story: your side, their side, and somewhere in between lies the truth.
There are a few considerations to take into account around this divorce.
Sail GP. Burling is the CEO of the Black Foils. The series is the future of high profile, high speed, and high budget sailing. It is a global, regularly staged, easily understood and dynamic series. Burling hasn’t won it, but he’s held aloft the Auld Mug thrice. The pull between Coutts (Sail GP) and Dalton (America’s Cup) for the services of one of the biggest names in sailing may well have reached breaking point and Burling can see the untapped future of the former. The likelihood of either series being content with Burling straddling both events in 2027 is low if not non-existent.
In Sail GP, Burling is the boss, in America’s Cup he isn’t. He’s achieved everything in America’s Cup but has yet to stand atop the GP series.
I’d also think that the prospect of spending the next two years in a warehouse with Dalton doesn’t fill his heart with joy.
Burling can’t race for another America’s Cup team, he doesn’t fit the eligibility criteria, so he’s not being lured away in that sense, but the prospect of an advisory role with a challenger with minimal time away from home and a fat paycheque is not out of the question.
Maybe Burling just can’t stomach the Cup’s absence from New Zealand any longer. He doesn’t want to be party to the face slap that is TNZ’s continued engagement with offshore defences.
And then there’s the most important campaign he has ever been involved in. One where the first few years is of utmost import to get right and fully engaged with. It’s a campaign that means more than any medal, any cup, any fiscal reward.
Pete Burling is a dad. I’d suggest that role is the most instrumental in his decision making.
You can’t get that time back. A man’s got to work, but at what cost?
The Sail GP commitment over America's Cup is a no brainer for me.
Being a dad is the most important role he’ll ever have.
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The Otago Rally is based in the beautiful city of Dunedin and is the first round of the 2025 Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship.
This component of the event features New Zealand’s leading competitors in modern, state-of-the-art 4WD turbo rally cars, including the exciting AP4 and R5 rally cars.
The event also incorporates the International Classic Otago Rally, for pre-1982, 2WD cars, which has grown in leaps and bounds since its inception in 1997, to the point where it is the leading event of its type in the Southern Hemisphere.
Kiwi superstar Emma Gilmour joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the opening day of the rally.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features NZ Herald Online Sports Editor Alex Powell and Gold Sport Rugby Commentator Paul Allison.
On this weekend's agenda:
- Liam Lawsons' big return to the Racing Bulls team
- Have New Zealanders fallen out of love with the America's Cup?
- Spain becomes the frontrunner to host the 2035 Rugby World Cup
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Our Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan gives us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport. On today’s agenda:
- Dylan Walker is stepping up to the plate this weekend, post-Warriors.
- Interest is growing in Australian Super Rugby teams
- A different journey for two Aussie motorsport drivers
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The Black Caps will finish their home summer without the services of top-order batsman Mark Chapman.
Chapman has been ruled out of today's final ODI against Pakistan at Bay Oval with a hamstring injury and was also forced out of game two in Hamilton.
Tim Seifert, who was called in to replace Chapman ahead of the second game, will stay with the squad.
Jacob Duffy joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss his recent form and being announced as the No. 1 in the T20I bowling rankings.
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Moana Pasifika skipper Ardie Savea has pointed to the main area of growth from his side this season as they look for back-to-back Super Rugby wins for the first time in franchise history.
They host the Waratahs in Albany this afternoon, coming off a shock win over the Crusaders in Christchurch.
William Havili joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview their clash against the Tahs.
Kick-offs at 2.05 pm - live commentary on Gold Sport and iHeart Radio.
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It's business as usual for top of the A-League Auckland FC as they face off against Western Sydney Wanderers at Mt Smart this weekend.
They've secured a play-off spot thanks to a 10-game unbeaten streak.
Cam Howieson joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview their round 25 clash.
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As long as you want to, Gary.
He’s not gone yet, but it would appear that the end is nigh for Black Caps coach Gary Stead.
His contract is due to expire shortly, which will possibly signal the end of a very successful tenure.
No, the pinnacle titles haven’t rolled in unabated, but the consistency of results at the very top, across all formats, are impressive.
New Zealand’s men’s cricket first eleven has been in the top table conversation for his whole Black Caps coaching career. Sure, they’ve had some catastrophic results which have set the drums beating for his removal, but poor turnouts are to be expected in international cricket. Australia, India, and England are all capable of blowing a sandshoe sporadically, so it’s not a damning indictment of Stead’s stewardship when the team mount the sidewalk and collect 10 yards of picket fence and some shrubbery. To focus on the smudges during his command would be mealymouthed and small-minded.
Gary has held this team together during the biggest upheaval in world cricket since Kerry Packer threw a sabretooth amongst the pigeons back in the 70’s. The proliferation of T20 leagues and the money they offer has been a massive challenge for all boards, with NZ cricket, aided by a very fluent and pragmatic coach, navigating the choppy waters with aplomb.
He has also achieved across all three formats and may well be the last coach to do so.
To those who roll out the tired, predictable, and myopic line that his success is only due to him inheriting a great team built by Hesson and McCullum, I say this: Yes, he has had access to some of the greats who started under a different regime, but he has also been behind the launch of future greats and the continued development of the meat of the team.
Did he hold on to Southee too long? Did he treat Neil Wagner as well as he should have?
This is nitpicking to me. In the wider picture, the measured and calm Gary Stead has been behind some of the greatest times in New Zealand cricket history.
Whatever he chooses to do, I’ll be behind him %100,
Top coach, top man, great New Zealander.
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Red Bull Racing advisor Helmut Marko has admitted Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen disagrees with their decision to demote teammate Liam Lawson.
The four-time drivers championship winner liked an Instagram post by former F1 racer Giedo [gee-ay-doe - hard g] van der Garde defending Lawson after he was axed in favour of Yuki Tsunoda ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix.
Marko's since confirmed to a German-speaking publication that Verstappen is against the move.
Natham Limm and Hamish MacKay joined D'Arcy Waldegrave on the 'All Star Panel' to review the week's biggest sports stories.
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The Crusaders have been forced into a late change for a second straight week ahead of tonight's Super Rugby match with Moana Pasifika in Christchurch.
Captain David Havili has been scratched with an Achilles tendon niggle. Ethan Blackadder will take the captain's armband.
Dallas McLeod will shift to second-five, Levi Aumua is promoted to centre and Aki Tuivailala has been added to the bench for a potential debut.
Halfback Noah Hotham joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.
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The Black Caps will look to continue their momentum in a different format in this morning's first one-day cricket international against Pakistan in Napier.
New Zealand are coming off a 4-1 triumph in the T20 series over the same opponent.
But batter Mark Chapman says finding success in the three-match ODI series won't be easy.
First ball is at 11am.
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What a week for Liam Lawson.
The kiwi F1 driver has experienced the full force of a truly global sport and not in an uplifting or life affirming manner.
His disconsolate face has been peppering sports pages worldwide as his fall from Formula 1 grace has been intensely documented over 2 short weeks.
His start in the infamously difficult to drive Red Bull RB21 machine (and that’s saying something - none of us could get an average F1 car into gear and moving) has captured the top end of motorsport in a way that hasn’t been seen in some time.
His elevation to the #2 Red Bull seat as teammate to modern great and 4 times consecutive world champion Max Verstappen, was questioned at the time and has now come into full focus as his start has been catastrophic. He hasn’t died, but his results have been appalling.
Extenuating circumstances considered, this is hardly surprising, but the numbers have been considerably worse than most would have expected.
He knows this. RB management know this. They have acted quickly by inserting the hot and cold, temperamental Racing Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda into the seat. Engine manufacturer Honda are believed to have sweetened the deal to the tune of millions of dollars so their man can race in their home Grand Prix in Japan at Suzuka.
Many have suggested that this rapid swinging of the axe shows immense panic, even by Red Bull standards, and is an unjust reaction after such a swift promotion which has come without providing Liam with the tools he needs to succeed - time in the seat before the season began.
It’s a results driven business, but even in this rarified air, Red Bull’s knee jerk reaction is a surprise.
With a disgruntled Max Verstappen and the departure of their peerless designer Adrian Newey among others, this is a team creaking under desperation of their own making, with Liam being a convenient and obvious fall guy.
He’ll bounce back don't worry, but after the hijinks of late last season and the current chaos, I’m not sure Red Bull will at all.
The energy drink empire is going flat. Like Icarus, they're flying too close to the sun and the wax holding together their wings is melting.
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The Taranaki Airs play host to Hawke's Bay Hawks at TSB Stadium in their round three clash.
Sky Broadband Rapid League tips off at 3pm. Sal's NBL game tips off at 4pm.
Taranaki guard Jackson Ball joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to reflect on his impressive form on the big stage.
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Daly Cherry-Evans has officially declined Manly's contract extension offer, again confirming he'll depart at the end of the NRL league season.
A new two-year deal was tabled to the halfback after he suggested leaving or retiring post-2025.
Cherry-Evans will exit as the Sea Eagles' most-capped player after 15 years' service.
Australia Correspondent Jim Dolan joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss all things sport from over the ditch.
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A chance for former Black Cap Neil Wagner to close the latest chapter on his cricketing career in fairytale fashion.
The 64-test seamer's confirmed Northern Districts' final round Plunket Shield match, starting 11am today against Otago in Dunedin, will be his last domestic match in New Zealand.
ND have a seven-point lead in the competition.
Robbie O'Donnell joined D'Arcy to preview the final round and reflect on Wagner's influence on the side.
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Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph is pointing to a contentious scrum penalty as a turning point in their 34-27 Super Rugby Pacific loss to the Brumbies in Canberra.
The Australian side is back in the top four after two late tries overturned what could've been a clutch win for the southerners.
Joseph says there were several moments they let themselves down.
Tony Johnson joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to review Friday night's Super Rugby action.
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BMX New Zealand and Invercargill BMX Club are proud to host and present the 2025 BMX New Zealand National Championships. New Zealand's premier ranking event for BMX racing, to be held on 23 March 2025.
Olympian Rico Bearman joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the event.
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The Blues are adamant they're making strides forward as they look to resurrect their Super Rugby title defence against the Crusaders at Eden Park tonight.
The 2024 champs sit ninth on the ladder with one win from five games, having lost their last two to the Brumbies and Chiefs by a single point.
Angus Ta'avao joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview this evening's clash at the 'Garden of Eden'.
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Drivers at Western Springs Speedway will make their final laps tonight after 95 years of racing at the venue.
After tonight's last set, races will be moved to Onehunga's Waikaraka Park.
There has been some controversy over the move with claims of a lack of consultation.
Speedway Manager John McCallum says tickets for the final event are selling quickly.
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Mixed martial artist Carlos Ulberg is confident a UFC title shot awaits, should he overcome former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz in this morning's fight night card in London.
Ulberg is riding a seven-fight win streak, while Blachowicz will step into the octagon for the first time since July 2023.
Kiwi UFC fighter Navajo Stirling joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the local King in the Ring series this weekend and discuss Ulberg's biggest fight yet.
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Chris Wood has scored a hat-trick in New Zealand's 7-nil thrashing of Fiji in the Football World Cup Oceania Qualifiers semifinal in Wellington.
It means they'll have a shoot-out with New Caledonia in Auckland on Monday for a spot at next year's World Cup.
Former All White David Chote joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to review their semi-final thrashing.
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Looks like the FIFA World Cup is on for the All Whites.
Last night in Wellington the national men’s team pulled Fiji apart, winning 7-zip. No surprise there. They’ll take on New Caledonia on Monday for a ticket to FIFA’s quadrennial powerflex, where they’ll join a quarter of the globes football playing countries.
With the competition expanding to 48 teams, NZ ensures direct entry through Oceania success, with no intercontinental playoff malarkey to endure.
This alters the landscape somewhat.
Previously, All White qualification to the World Cup was hailed as a highlight of NZ’s sporting history. 1982 and 2010 are locked into our sporting pantheon, achievements that almost beggar belief for their remarkable and unlikely path through the maze of qualification. We all have stories around the impossible 1982 journey, the 2010 road which culminated in one of the biggest and loudest nights in Wellington’s history.
Entry to the biggest stage in world sport, which should occur on Monday night in Auckland, will not be met with such enthusiasm, celebration or astonishment. The once rocky and treacherous path has been realigned and tar sealed, complete with an open road speed limit.
This shouldn’t sully the destination, but it won’t be met with the joy and patriotic fervour of days gone by. The All Whites are doing what has been asked.
The qualification celebration goal posts have been moved. They are now group stage celebrations. The gauge of success, the real challenge, the true reflection of triumph at the World Cup is the group stage.
Getting through to the round of 32 becomes the new Holy Grail, only then will this team be spoken of in the same breath as the heroic 1982 and 2010 teams.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Rugby Commentator Paul Allison and NZ Herald Online Sports Editor Alex Powell.
On this weekend's agenda:
Shaun Stevenson's ongoing 'beef' with NZR, Liam Lawson and New Zealand's sudden interest in F1, and do we really need Super Rugby expansion?
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The Auckland Tuatara will begin their fourth season competing in the Sal’s NBL on Saturday night when they host the Franklin Bulls at Eventfinda Stadium.
Their fourth attempt comes with some significant change for the organisation, who have appointed just their second coach in history in the form of ex-player Cam Gliddon and a brand-new management line-up to support him.
Big man Tom Vodanovich caught up with D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview their season opener.
Tip off is at 7.30pm.
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The FIFA Club World Cup Trophy™ will be on display today at Auckland City FC's first competitive match of the year.
They’re hosting Tauranga City FC at Kiwitea Street at 3.00pm in the first game of the Northern League season.
Forward Myer Bevan joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the fixture.
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Happy birthday Auckland FC!
This week the franchise turned one.
My, how they’ve grown.
A diapered bundle of joy, who in the space of merely a year has grown from bonny baby, eyes full of wonder, through a precocious upstart stage and now onto a confident and accomplished youngster – all within a year.
Talk about maturation.
The extraordinary growth spurt has taken the entire A-League by surprise. It’s shocked them as well I’d say.
Potential is one thing. Early bluster another. Sustained growth is something else.
Can the club continue to nourish this accelerated pace and cap off what has been a monumental debut season with the glory of a title? This is an outcome which their fans would prematurely exalt as a distinct possibility, but one the fledgling outfit themselves would daren’t consider.
Many eggs, no chickens yet.
They have turned one, completed their first orbit of the sun.
We’ve all seen shooting stars illuminate the dark, only to burn out and fall, their majestic incandescence leaving just a fond memory.
For the growing legions of fans, who have defined the super nova start of AKFC, let's hope the tail of this meteoric rise only disintegrates fully after lighting up the A-League final.
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The Crusaders won't be taking the Western Force for granted in this afternoon's Super Rugby showdown in Christchurch.
The 14-time Super Rugby champions have bounced back from a poor 2024 where they finished 9th and failed to make the playoffs.
Skipper David Havili says they have to keep standards high because the competition is more even and teams like the Force can surprise.
Kick off is at 4.35pm on Gold Sport and IHeartRadio.
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The Warriors have bounced back in remarkable fashion to stun the Manly Sea Eagles 36-16 in their NRL contest at Mt Smart.
The hosts produced three tries in each half, all converted by Luke Metcalf.
Coach Andrew Webster is thrilled with the bounce back from their disastrous trip to Las Vegas.
Former Kiwis captain Richie Barnett joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to review the win at Mt Smart.
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It's a huge day for the Thoroughbred Racing industry.
Today is a history making day for Thoroughbred Racing in New Zealand.
Auckland Thoroughbred Racing CEO Paul Wilcox tells D'Arcy Waldegrave today's racing is the richest sporting event in New Zealand, with $9 million in stakes on offer.
This is going to benefit the industry as a whole, which I think is great because people have seen through with their glasses, their parochialism for their own clubs, and they understand how good it is for the industry," he said.
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The White Ferns have secured a great win over Sri Lanka in yesterday's ODI match.
Maddy Green left the pitch with a century, and talks to D'Arcy Waldegrave about the match and what's ahead tomorrow.
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The New Zealand Surf Lifesaving championships are underway in Gisborne.
Competitor Claudia Kelly has taken part in swimming, board racing and board rescue, securing her first open title in the surf race.
Claudia talks to D'Arcy Waldegrave about the event.
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Moana Pasifika are taking on the Hurricanes today at 7:05pm.
The team is has lost its last few games, so what are the team going to change?
Moana Pasifika backs coach Seilala Mapusua talks to D'Arcy Waldegrave about what's been missing, Ardie Savea's influence, and what there is to learn from the opposition.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' consists of Rugby Commentator Hamish McKay and Herald Rugby writer Phil Gifford.
On this weekend's agenda... What do people make of Caleb Clarkes' incident, why is the NRL taking its product to Vegas, and the Sky TV chair opens up on rugby rights and DAZN threat.
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Round The Bays are happening tomorrow on Auckland's waterfront.
27,000 people are expected to ascend on Quay street before making their way to St Heliers.
Race Director Henry McLernon talks to D'Arcy Waldegrave.
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The last lap is upon Western Springs Speedway, with the second to last event this weekend.
Celebrating 96 years of excellence with a programme featuring Sprintcars, Midgets, and TQ's.
The main race will feature the Springs Royal 50-lap classic as drivers compete for $40,000 in prizes.
Californian-based driver Jonathan Allard joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the event.
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The Auckland Aces have beaten the Central Stags by 91 runs in the men's one-day elimination cricket final in Dunedin.
The Aces made 327 for nine off the back of an impressive 128 from all-rounder Jimmy Neesham.
Then they bowled the Stags out for 236 in the 44th over, with Neesham taking three wickets.
Auckland go on to face Canterbury in Sunday's final, also at University Oval.
Jimmy Neesham joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the Grand Final.
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Australia have reached the semifinals of cricket's Champions Trophy after their last group game against Afghanistan was abandoned due to rain and a wet outfield.
Chasing 274 to win, Australia were cruising at 109 for 1 in 12.5 overs before the weather had the final say.
Australia Correspondent Jim Dolan joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss the 'farce' that is the Champions Trophy, the NRL in Las Vegas, and why young Americans are turning to the league.
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The New Zealand Ironman is taking place today in Taupō.
The Ironman 70.3, or otherwise known as the half marathon, stands for the total distance covered in miles during the event.
It accounts for a 1.2mile (1.9km) swim, 56mile (90km) bike, and a 13.1mile (21.1km) run.
Former All Black Liam Messam is competing in the race and talks to D'Arcy Waldegrave.
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The Chiefs are loosing their coach Clayton McMillan, but they may be on their way to winning a title.
The team is looking towards three consecutive wins this afternoon.
All Blacks midfielder Anton Leinert Brown talks to D'Arcy Waldegrave about the Chiefs success so far and Clayton McMillan's departure.
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Ok, so the NRL are opening their season in Las Vegas.
Glamourous, brash, glitzy, tasteless.
All show, no substance.
A heaving pit of destitute and broken humans, the odour of loss overcome by the dense and mesmerising stench of money.
Remember, Vegas wasn’t built on winners, it's the epitome of the American nightmare, pipe dreams of wealth and achievement based on blind faith in the devastatingly cruel hand of lady luck.
A mirage of prosperity built on the backs of gangsters, losers, alcohol, drugs and shattered dreams.
What a place to try and gain traction for rugby league.
Peter V'landys, Anthony Abdo and the like obviously want a slice of that platinum pie, possibly the whole dish and believe the golden-paved boulevards of sin city are the right route to travel on.
Tapping into the morally corrupt world of sports betting looks to be the modus operandi of the NRL, which sits comfortably with a sport that spends a lot of it’s time wading through the morass of the darker side of humanity. With clockwork rhythm, the NRL provides the media controversy after controversy, so it will find a bus shelter to sleep under there, I’m sure.
The game won’t get any air to breathe in Nevada, it will be swallowed whole by the monster of entertainment that is Vegas. League will be a side show, an oddity, a curious throwback to the more brutal days of collision sport.
The National Rugby League has chosen to launch their season as far away from Australia as they could go, in a place that has no love for the game, attended by only expats, the wealthy that can afford to fly to and stay in Las Vegas, the corporate gravy train commuters and a couple of bemused and quite probably lost tourists.
Vegas isn’t the USA, it’s a charlatan tourist trap, designed to drain people of their money and dignity, under the carefully manicured guise of fun.
Bravo to the NRL I suppose for trying it on, and good luck to them. Luck being the operative word.
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The New Zealand Rowing Championships is the club championship regatta for New Zealand.
The championships have been held every year since with the exception of two intervals during the World Wars.
Clubs race for the Centennial Oar, Centennial Scull and the top rowing association in eight boat events wins the Hallyburton Johnstone Rose Bowl.
The 2025 New Zealand Rowing Championships will be held on 18-22 February at Lake Ruataniwha.
General Manager of Sport Development at Rowing NZ Jared Cummings joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the final days action.
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A second half lapse has seen the Crusaders be punished 49-24 by the Chiefs in their Super Rugby match in Hamilton.
The red and blacks were stunned into submission in the second half - conceding five tries in 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, Moana Pasifika have been left to rue missed opportunities in their 56-36 Super Rugby loss to the Reds in Brisbane.
The Reds received three yellow cards in the first half and were down to 14 men for 30 consecutive minutes.
Moana could only muster 15 points across the period.
Tony Johnson joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to review Friday night's Super Rugby action.
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The Blues will take on the Highlanders tonight in the second week of Super Rugby, after loosing by 11 points to the Chiefs last week.
Blues player Harry Plumer told D'Arcy Waldegrave the team welcomes the challenge.
"The base of this competition is that you have to take your learnings and move forward pretty quickly because the next opponents just as tough."
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The stats say today's final regular-season Kiwi A-League football derby won't be a high-scoring affair.
Auckland FC have won both encounters to date with the Phoenix, triumphing 2-nil in Wellington in November and 2-1 at Mt Smart in December.
The two teams have two of the top-three defences.
Wellington Nix striker Marco Rojas joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss his return to the side.
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Auckland FC expect the Wellington Phoenix to come out wanting revenge in the third A-League derby this afternoon at Mt Smart.
The Black Knights have won both previous encounters with their Kiwi rivals both home and away.
Auckland defender Nando Pijnaker joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.
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Uh oh.
The murky world of boxing has slung another curve ball, this time in the direction of Joseph Parker.
The kiwi former heavyweight champion of the world, who has gradually punched his way back into contention has had the canvas whipped out from under him ahead of his IBF heavyweight strap clash against Englishman Daniel Dubois.
Set to go tomorrow morning in Saudi Arabia, Dubois has pulled up crook, although the nature of his illness is yet to be determined, it’s enough to keep him out of the squared circle.
At very late notice, Congolese fighter Martin Bakole has been lured in to have a crack.
He’s a monstrous character. His 21 and 1 record speaks enough, with his 16 knock outs coming early. But it’s the assertion from many that he is the most avoided boxer in his division that grabs the attention of most. He’s called the Boogieman of the division, no-one wants a bar of him.
Joe Parker has a history of taking on allcomers and he appears unperturbed by the last minute changeout. Have gloves, will fight, which is not unlike Bukole. The Congolese (who fights out of Scotland), has been described as a throwback, a fighter who doesn’t require time in camp, a fighter who isn’t a sculptured athlete, just a huge man who stands and delivers. He is not a nuanced boxer. Minimal movement, both in body and feet, but with a heavy punch, thrown in combinations, from rather unorthodox outside angles.
Even though he poses a threat, as all the big bangers do, Joe just needs to fight smart, keep moving and wait until Bukole tires. Then move in and finish him off. Parker has greater experience with the long game, a better engine and a measured fight plan that he has applied with precision and due success over his last 2 fights with Zhang and Wilder.
Bakole is a puncher, Parker is a boxer.
As frightening as Bakole is, I'll take the brains over brawn any day.
That’ll do.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Rugby Commentator Paul Allison and Herald Rugby writer Phil Gifford.
On this weekend's agenda:
Is the Mana Pasifika idea any good, New Zealand sevens teams will still be branding INEOS in Vancouver despite legal row, and TVNZ picks up LIV golf - do you have an issue with it?
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Crankworx Summer Series is a mountain bike festival that brings a taste of the Crankworx action to new riding destinations outside of the Crankworx World Tour. It’s the pathway to Crankworx-calibre racing, staged in new, epic locations outside the Crankworx World Tour.
Summer Series festivals bring together pinned locals, top amateurs, and up-and-coming youngsters, while attracting top riders keen to mix, mingle, and drop in.
Canadian rider Ben Thompson joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the event from Christchurch.
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No qualms from Warriors league coach Andrew Webster over a trio missing tomorrow's pre-season trial against the Storm in Hamilton due to the NRL All Stars game.
Co-captain James Fisher-Harris, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad and Jacob Laban will feature for the Māori side against their Indigenous counterparts in Sydney tonight.
Webster says he backs his players on any representative duty.
Kodi Nikorima joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash between the Māori and Indigenous All Stars.
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The Crusaders have overcome early adversity to beat the Hurricanes 33-25 in the Super Rugby Pacific opener in Christchurch.
The hosts went down to 14 men after just four minutes —with lock Scott Barrett yellow-carded— and trailed 14-nil.
Coach Rob Penney has praised his side's fight.
Sky Sport rugby analyst and Commentator Tony Johnson joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to review the two opening games.
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Blues skipper Patrick Tuipulotu has set a major personal goal for himself for the Super Rugby Pacific season, ahead of tonight's opener against the Chiefs at Eden Park.
The All Black is coming off leading his team to their first Super Rugby title in 21 years - returning early from a serious knee injury to play in the grand final.
Tuipulotu hopes he can come through the season unscathed.
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“It’s too early for Super Rugby”. Possibly the most irritating comment in sport.
Stop it. It’s like people who text me during Sportstalk (7-8pm Monday to Friday on this fine station) to complain about an hour of sport talk. A staple of ZB that has sat in that slot for decades. It’s a constant, and will remain so, if you don’t like it, go for a walk.
Same with Super Rugby Pacific. It's started in February-ish forever.
Sport is no longer seasonally locked in.
The global nature and ease of viewer access now has presented fans with a constant diet of what they want, when they want it.
Football does what it wants. I don’t hear complaints about turf billiards in summer. Cricket is restrained somewhat by weather but is played across the world so that matters not. Rugby? To fit everything in, the Super season must start earlier than traditionalists want to accept. Tough. Deal with it.
It’s warmer for the attendees, less likely to be destroyed by wandering bouts of extreme climate variables and fills a hole for the restless sport fan. Most of us are back at work, dealing with the horrors of the 9-5, this year the home cricket season has all but bailed on us, there’s no NRL, from a sports news point of view it’s been a bit skinny. So the timing is perfect to launch a new season.
The new fantasy league has given a new sense of engagement, albeit somewhat belatedly, and in a sparse regular sporting landscape, the super season has put appointment viewing back on the agenda again. There’s something quite comforting in anticipating a structured weekend of rugby.
So, is it too early? No, no it isn’t. It’s right on time.
If it’s too early for you, I’ll give you the tip.
Don’t watch it.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Rugby Commentator Hamish McKay and Sports Journalist Aidan McLaughlin.
On this weekend's agenda: Did TJ Perenara blindside the All Blacks with his 'haka'? Why did Caleb Clarke pull out of Fantasy Super Rugby, and our outpouring of love for the Super Bowl.
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Our Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan gives us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport. On today’s agenda:
- The Aussies are counting cricket records.
- The NRL is back, baby!
- UFC is back down under, and people can't get enough.
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New Zealand's greatest multisport event, the Coast to Coast Longest Day, has started in wet weather on the West Coast.
But a strong tailwind is expected to give the competitors a fast start before headwinds kick in towards the finish at New Brighton beach in Christchurch.
Race expert Brian Ashby says there are some intriguing matchups.
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The Sir Graeme Douglas International will be held on the 9th of February at Douglas Track and Field at the Trusts Arena in Henderson, Auckland. The Sir Graeme Douglas International is a World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze event.
Para-athlete Anna Grimaldi joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview her event in the 100meters.
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It's round 6 of the NextGen NZ Championship, coinciding with the prestigious 69th New Zealand Grand Prix and the electrifying Grand Final of the Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship!
There are a number of categories including the Bridgestone GR86, Summerset GT New Zealand, Napa Formula Ford Championship, NEXEN TYRES Mazda Racing Series & Pirelli Porsche Series.
A rising star out of the American Motorsport scene Nikita Johnson joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the event.
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A new Warriors era without big guns Shaun Johnson and Tohu Harris has started with a 12-all draw against the Cronulla Sharks in Sydney.
Fullback Charnze Nicholl-Klokstad says the NRL Pre-Season Challenge felt quite strange without the retired superstars.
Winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak left the field with a wrist injury 10 minutes into the drawn contest.
Halfback Jett Cleary, the younger brother of Penrith ace Nathan, has his first outing in Warriors' colours, with his father Ivan —Penrith's four-time NRL Premiership-winning coach— on hand to watch.
NZ Herald Rugby League expert Michael Burgess joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss the early season hit out.
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Joe Schmidt is stepping away from his saviour role at the end of this year's Rugby Championship. The good lord giveth, the good lord taketh away.
His decision to leave is of no surprise considering his strong desire to spend more time with his family, which made his initial decision to coach the Wallabies a tad odd. He’d spent a number of years coaching internationally. Had finally given it away to return to New Zealand, only to be lured back into a role he obviously loves and undoubtedly excels in.
He’s given the Wallabies a tiny bit of room to name his successor, choosing to leave the job after the Bledisloe in Perth as opposed to the end of the Lions series.
His time in the role has expressed in action some key points that will leave Aussie rugby feeling A) good about itself and B) terrible about itself.
Within 6 years, the Wallabies will have had 5 coaches. Cheika, Rennie, Jones, Schmidt, and whoever gets the new gig.
As they say, consistently inconsistent. Their selection process has been a crapshoot, no wonder the team’s results have followed suit. The players don’t know what’s around every corner, the administrators don’t even know what a corner is, the fans are know that around every corner is a cul-de-sac. Awful across all metrics.
So, the selection process has been a chaotic pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey exercise without a tail to hold, or an ass to stick it on.
However, there is a resounding positive here, as proven by Schmidt. Despite protestations that Australian rugby lacks the required cattle, after their last Northern Tour, we’ve found out that even though their stock isn’t in ranch-style abundance, they are there.
They just need someone with a clue to set them on their away. A man like Joe.
Is Leon McDonald the man riding in to save the day?
Wouldn’t surprise me at all.
It also wouldn’t surprise me if Aussie Rugby got rid of him before he had a chance to anything at all.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Rugby Writer Jamie Wall and Newstalk ZB Sports Journalist Nathan Limm.
On this weekend's agenda:
Can Moana win a title within five years, who will replace Tohu Harris as Warriors Captain and Dame Sophie Pascoe calls time on her career.
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The women's Super Smash top three have been sorted following a wash-out in the final regular-season match, with Wellington hosting the Northern Brave to determine who faces Otago in the final.
The final men's match has also been abandoned, ensuring the status quo at the top of the table.
The Canterbury Kings will snare third place on run-rate, thereby clashing with the Northern Brave men to earn the right to play the Central Stags in the decider.
Wellington Blaze opening batter Rebecca Burns joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview their elimination final.
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Wellington's Naenae club is playing host to the annual Trans Tasman Bowls International series, with 56 athletes competing over three days across different divisions.
Longtime bowls commentator Kevin Hickland joined D'Arcy to preview the day's action.
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Auckland FC are building a reputation for leaving it late in football's A-League – a trend that has seen them shoot to the top of the men's standings.
Over a third of their goals have been scored after the 80-minute mark, including the injury-time winner in their most recent clash against Western Sydney.
Director of Football Terry McFlynn joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to preview their clash against Macarthur today at Mt Smart from 5pm.
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“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before the fall.”
Israel Adesanya, the Last Stylebender, gets his fight on again tomorrow in Riyadh.
The former middleweight UFC champion finds himself in an unusual situation, he comes from a place of weakness. He has lost his last two fights; indeed, he has only tasted bloodied victory in half of his last eight fights.
A fall from grace? The natural implosion of a shooting star? The pursuing pack catching and tearing apart their prey?
Regardless of how you describe it, the former golden boy of the octagon will enter the fray on Sunday morning as the hunted, cradling the experiential knowledge of repeat defeats.
His opponent also knows the Stylebender’s suit of armour has been dented, compromised. Nassourdine Imavov is a fighter on the up. Three wins on the bounce in ‘24 against top 10 fighters, he sees this exchange as his gateway to a title fight.
An athlete in the ascendancy versus an athlete plateauing.
Israel spoke earlier in his career of how humble he is. That may have been carefully designed rhetoric to offset his larger than life ego, but now he has been humbled. His last two losses, against Strickland and Du Plessis, have crashed his McLaren, torn his Gucci suit and stolen his Rolex.
This fight isn’t pay-per-view, it’s not a title fight. This is an unusual position for the former champ, but a position that will ultimately be the best for his career.
Stripped back, naked if you will, in full glare of his legions of fans and fully exposed to the slings and arrows of those hungry to see him fall, this battle could reignite one of the greatest fighters of his generation or push him into the yawning abyss.
He reached deep into his id the night he first won the middleweight belt, tomorrow morning he’ll have to reach deeper.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Rugby Commentator Hamish McKay and Jason Pine (live from Sail GP).
On this weekend's agenda:
Why has Sail GP grown so quickly? Is Shaun Stevenson the All Black that got away and are rambunctious crowds at the tennis a good thing?
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Our Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan gives us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport. On today’s agenda:
- Plenty of Aussie's still remaining the Australian Open.
- Getting to the pointed end of the Big Bash.
- Women's Ashes might be close, but the Aussie's are still ahead.
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The Vantage Black Sticks Women are back in action against the USA in a two-match series, starting on Sunday afternoon in Auckland.
This series serves as a crucial preparatory phase ahead of the Nations Cup in Chile in February as the team builds towards World Cup qualification against Australia in August 2025.
Coach Phil Burrows caught up with D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview game one.
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The Hot Spring Spas T20 Black Clash in association with Wolfbrook is back in Christchurch for 2025.
Confirmed as team captains – Dan Vettori for Team Cricket and Kieran Read for Team Rugby.
Plus, team Rugby have secured West Indies and Jamaican cricket superstar Chris Gayle as their international wildcard player.
ACC Commentator Matt Heath joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the event from Otautahi.
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SailGP racing on Auckland's waterfront will likely be faster than ever.
The event's expected to draw more than 25 thousand to Waitematā Harbour across the weekend.
An 8,000 seat grandstand has been purpose-built for the event, and a large screen will be up at the Viaduct for those without a ticket.
Global Communications Director Nat Fortier says they're debuting new high-speed foils.
She says the last speed record was just under 100 kilometres an hour and they're seeing the boats hit over that.
D'Arcy catches up with Nat at the media centre on Auckland's waterfront.
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The New Zealand SailGP team is tempering expectations ahead of their home regatta in Auckland starting this afternoon.
After two years racing in Christchurch, this year's event has shifted north to the City of Sails.
Wing trimmer Blair Tuke admits any home field advantage may not be so straightforward.
D'Arcy catches up with Blair ahead of the opening regatta of the year.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Sport News Director Clay Wilson and Rugby Commentator Ross Bond.
The talk of this week - Martin Guptill has announced his retirement, will he be disappointed in the way things played out?
Rugby sevens faces a fraught future with several million dollar losses.
And Warriors captain Tohu Harris has retired due to injury - where does this leave the team?
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The Central Stags have won three out of four matches in the Super Smash, beating the Wellington Firebirds at the Basin Reserve this week.
The team will play the Otago Vaults in Palmerston North tomorrow.
Player Dan Cleaver talks to Adam Cooper about the competition so far and how the team maintain momentum.
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The Athletics season is officially underway as Timaru hosts the traditional Lovelock Classic event today, where records are set to be broken and cash prizes are on the line.
Athletics Commentator Murray McKinnon joins the show to discuss the big names returning to the competition.
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Anticipation is brewing one month out from the Superbowl.
American football giants are down to the wire as they begin play-offs this weekend, with a total of 14 teams remaining - 7 in each bracket.
The Kansas City Chiefs are already through as the top qualifier and are attempting to become the first team to ever win three straight Superbowl's.
North American Correspondent Toby Kerr chats to Adam Cooper about what to look out for as the competition heats up.
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Auckland FC may be flying high on the top of the A-League, but coach Steve Corica is adamant they have more to give.
The Black Knights take on the Glory in Perth tonight, desperate to sow a more attacking mindset and score more goals.
Auckland FC have travelled five thousand, three hundred and 46 kilometres to take on Perth, taking the Distance Derby record off the Wellington Phoenix - by just 91 kilometres.
Defender Dan Hall joined Adam Cooper to update his injury, and the teams chances in the derby.
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- Jim Dolan - Our Australian Correspondent, gives us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport.
- Nick Kyrgios is back for the Australian Open, and everyone is loving it.
- Steve Smith is also back...
- And a new superstar is emerging for the Women's Ashes series starting on Sunday.
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The New Zealand Softball Under 19 girls/boys tournaments are underway for 2025.
The boys tournament is being held at Colin Lawrie Park, Pukekohe and the girls section being held at Surrey Park, Invercargill.
Softball NZ's Community Lead Dave Elder joined Adam Cooper to preview the events.
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The Breakers believe they're in with a decent shout of upsetting the NBL's high-flying Hawks in Illawarra tonight.
The contest with the NBL's top side is the first of four matches in only eight days for the 9th-placed Breakers - two across the ditch; the other two in New Plymouth and Auckland.
Centre Sam Mennenga says they don't need to make wholesales changes after a lean run, just get the fine margins sorted.
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Up to two casualties for the Wellington Phoenix ahead of today's visit to Adelaide United in Football's A-League.
Defender Tim Payne has been ruled out with a recurring foot injury and captain Alex Rufer is in doubt due to illness.
Coach Giancarlo Italiano says they're not yet to decide whether Rufer will play - after he also missed their last outing.
Adam Cooper catches up with Sam Sutton to preview the clash.
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Michael Venus is chuffed to be through to this morning's doubles final at the ASB Tennis Classic with Croatian partner Nikola Mektic.
The Kiwi says he's not short on motivation after enduring heartbreak over the past two years in Auckland.
Adam Cooper caught up with leading NZ Herald Sports Journalist Michael Burgess to preview the days action.
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The Black Caps hierarchy believe the jostling for Champions Trophy selection will ensure no let-up in Saturday's dead rubber One Day International against Sri Lanka in Auckland.
Batting coach Luke Ronchi says all players are well aware the squad for the exclusive eight-team global event will be named on Sunday.
Adam Cooper catches up with all-rounder Daryl Mitchell ahead of their ODI at Eden Park.
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How has game fishing been this unpredictable summer season?
As the weather ramps up so too does the chance of a successful day on the water.
Former Managing Editor of NZ Fishing News Grant Dixon joins the show and talks his best tips, the record breakers and where the hotspots are.
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Black Caps come up against Sri Lanka in the first of three one day international's tomorrow in Wellington.
Young Black Cap is looking ahead to the series and reflecting on his career to this point.
"The support's been amazing from the New Zealand public and previously I'd only played overseas, so it's been awesome to play in front of home crowds and the support we get has been unbelievable."
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The ASB Classic is battling weather delays, having last nights matches cancelled due to rain.
Madison Keys is in tremendous form as she takes a swing at the top prize - down 3-1 she won the next four games.
Could it be a Noami Osaka v Madison Keys match ahead?
Sports Journalist Michael Burgess joins the show.
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The Breakers are coming off a series of critical mistakes after a ‘horrible’ run of losses.
Do the Breakers have enough in the tank to get through and be a significant force in finals basketball?
Breakers player Mitch McCarron talks to D'Arcy about what went wrong, integrating Tacko Fall and what tweaks the coaching staff have made.
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The Midget Championships begin tonight at Western Springs in Auckland.
American Motorsport racing driver Logan Seavey said the event is hugely significant in the sport.
"The Springs is a great track - super tight, but really good racing and we've got some great competition this year, so I'm expecting a pretty exciting race."
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Moth sailing, a single-handed foiling dinghy, is coming to Manly in the Moth World Championships.
Hattie Rogers is a favourite for the competition and talks to D’Arcy Waldegrave about what the race entails.
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Wellington Blaze cricket team is one for one as they head into their second game for the Super Smash this afternoon.
Coach Jonny Bassett-Graham talks to D'Arcy Waldegrave about what the team have learnt so far and what drove them to early success.
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Grace Nweke has punched Netball NZ in the face.
The superstar Silver Fern shooter is off to the Aussie comp, and as a result she will not wear the famed black dress in 2025.
She’ll return to the Kiwi comp and the Ferns after a year of testing herself in the more confrontational Australian Super Netball League. Which technically isn’t a league and labours under the tired ‘Super’ prefix – you’d think after decades of pro sport, the marketing departments across all sports could come up with something better than ‘super’. Whoops, digression.
In essence, Grace is indulging in a sabbatical. More strength to her arm. As a young person, the experience of leaving our shores will be massive, not only for her game, but for her as a human being.
There is nothing inherently wrong with what she is doing. NZ Netball can’t stop her, and she will gain more than she will lose for the experience. Sure, some test caps will go down the gurgler, but her skill base will broaden playing in a more robust competition. Unlike rugby players, who flee the hard knocks of our comps to feather their nest in the limp Japanese set up.
So how does this equate to a punch in the face? Words. The Pen is mightier than the sword etc. The most telling part of her reasoning is this. “I didn’t see any other club in New Zealand being able to tick those boxes for me in terms of growing my game and developing...” and “[I’ve] done all that I can at the club and I just really wanted to challenge myself to grow and be a better netballer at the international level to really add to my skill set. A move would be beneficial to me across the board.”
She’s outgrown the game here. She needs better, to become better.
The moves to upgrade, upskill and reinvent the way Netball NZ manage their competition have been lethargic, if this step from one of the game’s MVPs doesn’t hasten meaningful change, I’m not sure what will.
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Champion New Zealand Jockey Opie Bosson has retired after a several decade career.
The Thoroughbred racing jockey decided it was his time to go after giving all he had to give.
TAB Trackside spokesperson Aidan Rodley said he is one of New Zealand's greatest ever jockeys.
Rodley joins the show to discuss this and what's to come in the following weeks for racing.
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Day two of domestic cricket's T20 Super Smash is done and dusted.
Alexandra played host to the men's and women's doubleheader yesterday between Otago and Canterbury.
The women's game saw Otago go down to Canterbury despite an initially strong start to the season.
"Alexandra, Molyneu Park is a beautiful venue, but one that we left with our tail between our legs actually," Otago Sparks Coach Craig Cumming said.
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Speedway is heating up this summer.
The Midget World Series is underway, with races having already taken place in Auckland on Thursday and set to continue in Tauranga tonight.
11 Time New Zealand Midget Racing Champion Michael Pickins took out the midget class and the 30 lap sprint car titles on Boxing Day at Western Springs.
However, racing at the track is coming to an end after nearly 100 years.
"I can honestly say, I've travelled ... all over racing and been to most tracks throughout the world and there's certainly not a place even close to Western Springs," he said.
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Both Auckland FC and the Wellington Phoenix are in action today as part of a 10 round competition.
Auckland FC are looking to bounce back from their crushing four nil loss last weekend as they play the Central Coast Mariners today, while the Wellington Phoenix are desperate to overcome their loosing streak.
The Wellington Phoenix will host Newcastle at Sky Stadium from 5pm this afternoon.
Seasoned All White Tim Payne is among critical players injured.
"He's somebody that Chiefy [Head Coach] would be desperate to call upon and unfortunately, it seems like for this particular fixture, he's someone that literally is going to be on ice," Sky Sport Commentator Jacob Spoonley said.
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It's an eye to the future for the Black Caps this week as they count down to three 20/20s against Sri Lanka.
Cantabrian Zak Foulkes debuted for the Black Caps this year and has been named among the squad for the series against Sri Lanka.
Foulkes said his focus is to learn "as much as possible" from the more experienced players in the team.
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The Women's Wellington Phoenix are on a 3 game unbeaten streak.
Forward player Olivia Fergusson said the teams win in Adelaide was a shift in momentum and kick started their season.
Fergusson joined the show to discuss what had made for their success so far.
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Whai Basketball Head Coach joins the show to discuss his teams upcoming final.
What is working well for the Tauranga based team?
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Liam Lawson is all everyone can talk about this weekend - The panel discuss his success with Red Bull Racing.
David Nyika has two weeks before he comes up against one of the scariest men in the division, Jai Opetaia.
In the space of three weeks, there are three kiwi fighters fighting for a world title: Joseph Parker, David Nyika and Mea Motu.
The panel discusses the Halberg awards and whether anything non-Olympic has a chance of winning this year.
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Something so special to kiwi's is back again this summer: The Z Manu World Champs.
The competition goes all across the country.
5 qualifiers were in the grand final last summer, and this year that number has doubled.
Scott Rice runs the competition and joins D'Arcy to talk about it.
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The 2024 Night of 5s are taking place tonight, lighting up the Athletics world.
The event runs to 10pm.
Big names to watch out for are Julian Oakley, a three time winner at this event Toby Gaulter and more.
Athletics Commentator Murray McKinnon joins the show.
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White Ferns Captain Sophie Devine joins the show to discuss the upcoming test match against Australia.
Who poses a threat to the kiwi side?
Devine talks about the significance of this match and what bringing home a win would mean.
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Our Australian Correspondent gives us an update on all things Aussie sport.
At 19 Sam Konstaswill get his chance on the pitch in this year’s Boxing Day test.
Rugby Australia wants two big Christmas presents: Phil Waugh admitted he is flexible to talk to Joe Schmidt about extending his time as Wallabies coach.
The broadcast deal comes to an end at the end of next year.
From January 1 Rugby Australia is able to speak with other broadcasters.
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In what will be my last structured rant of 2024, I'll finish on a high. That high is Liam Lawson.
He is following in the footsteps of NZ F1 greats such as Hulme, McLaren and Amon. He is the 10th Kiwi to breathe the rarefied air of Formula 1 and this week he inhaled the deepest breath of all.
The news on Thursday night that the young man raised in Pukekohe had secured a Red Bull contract for 2025, racing for one of the best teams in Formula One, is still sinking in.
After many years of battling through the categories on his way to the Everest of the sport, life just got a whole lot tougher.
From karts to Formula First, through the Toyota Racing Series, Formula 3, the DTM and Formula 2 and some tantalising tastes of Formula 1 through the Racing Bulls team, this hot shoe has steadfastly kept his eyes locked on the prize. Now, after a drawn out
and at times frustrating final run at a permanent seat, he's struck gold. Liam Lawson has arrived.
He's ruffled feathers along the way, proving to many that his attitude and race craft is that of a Formula 1 pilot. Accusations of a lack of respect for the veterans of the sport have been met with measured aggression, a refusal to acquiesce to the insanity of an
experience based hierarchy. He races with his elbows out, knowing that respect in motorsport comes when you beat the other guy fair and square. Names, teams and reputation mean bugger all. Liam is a pure racer, and that's what has taken him this far.
He's at base camp now, this is where his years of toil and his bloody-minded attitude to the sport will need to be concentrated further for his final assault on the summit.
Getting a seat in F1 is one thing, getting a seat in one of the top teams partnering the 4 times reigning champion Max Verstappen is another, but holding on to that seat and being instrumental in Red Bulls return to the constructor's championship, that's the
greatest step he needs to take.
Beyond that? It's not worth thinking about.
His entire life has been focused on this one opportunity.
As difficult as the lead up has been to securing this incredibly rare role, it's been nothing compared to what he faces now.
Formula 1 is immense. It's tied together by billions of dollars. The world is watching as the most insane sporting circus on the planet blasts through almost every continent. There is nowhere to hide. There are no excuses.
For a kid from Aotearoa, whose parents sold their house to pay for what was essentially a pipe dream of a petrol head youngster, this is one of the most outstanding stories in New Zealand sport.
It's had peaks and troughs;it's been many years in the making and now is the time to shine.
The real work starts now.
And I am so here for it.
That'll do.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Rugby Commentator Hamish McKay and Graeme the 'Sportsfreak' Beasley.
On this weekend's agenda:
Has the focus on Tim Southee taken away from the test series against England? Greyhound racing will soon be banned in New Zealand, and has Saudi Arabia won at sport?
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Our Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan gives us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport. On today’s agenda:
- Its all very exciting for the third test... except for the weather forecast
- The silly season continues for the NRL
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A four year wait is nearly over for organisers of the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Taupo.
The event was initially scheduled for 2020 only for it to be cancelled due to the COVID pandemic.
A host of Kiwis are competing in the elite ranks including two-time Olympic medallist Hayden Wilde.
The women's race is Saturday with the men to follow on Sunday.
D'Arcy catches up with Kiwi athlete Jack Moody ahead of the big dance.
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A green carpet has been rolled out at Hamilton's Seddon Park for Tim Southee's 107th and final cricket test, in the third dead rubber against England starting at 11 this morning.
One end of the ground has been named after Southee, which suggests he'll feature – unless some form of cruel joke is at play.
The Alternative Commentary Collective has also organised the attendance of a life-sized camel, in reference to one of his nicknames.
Black Caps captain Tom Latham has acknowledged Southee's value as a bowler and leader across more than 16 years but says his chat and catching in the cordon has added value too.
NZME cricket commentator Andrew Alderson joins D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the third test.
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Seam bowling star Matt Henry doesn't believe the Black Caps have rested on their laurels following the historic 3-nil test series win in India.
New Zealand heads into the third test against England, starting in Hamilton today, desperate to bounce back from two thumping defeats in the opening matches.
Henry says the abrupt change in fortunes isn't due to a lack of will or effort.
Matt Henry catches up with D'Arcy Waldegrave for a full preview of the third test.
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Wellington Phoenix defender Isaac Hughes is refusing to let last week's own goal damper his spirits ahead of this afternoon's clash with Macarthur.
Hughes put the ball in his own net as the Phoenix slumped to a 2-1 defeat.
The 20-year-old from Warrington is focused on helping the Phoenix return to winning ways.
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Congratulations Saudi Arabia. From stone cold motherless last to champion of the world! The Saudi royal family, in the space of only a few years, have won sport. On top of the dais – actually the whole dais is theirs. And the medals too! Gold, silver and bronze. And all of the known world records. And trophies.
It’s been an impressive run from the hitherto unknown sporting demigods.
Dedication? Training? A newfound love of competition? What has driven this kingdom to the very top of sport?
Money.
Nothing more, nothing less. They’ve bought their way into global sporting recognition.
Their medieval treatment of women, immigrant workers, and the rainbow community has been conveniently brushed under a sandhill as the world of sport has clambered over themselves to secure a slice of an inconceivably large oil pie.
It’s grotesque.
The shameless grovelling, the oft repeated peddling of the Saudi ‘want for change’ narrative, the endless photo ops with sporting superstars and Arabian royalty, the convenient mass turning of a blind eye to the arrogant horrors of their ruling class and the shared glee as sporting bodies worldwide roll in the pigs mud of Saudi largesse is hard to accept, but easy to understand.
People are hopelessly greedy.
Any resistance to sportswashing has been swept away by a tidal wave of money, drowning dissent and morals as it floods plains of athletic competition.
Congratulations Saudi Arabia, you’ve won sport.
Just don’t expect me to stick around for the anthems and medal ceremony.
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Our Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan gives us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport. On today’s agenda:
The bowlers have done their bit in the second test, plus the lights go out?
Wide-ranged excitement about the school's athletics carnival.
Rugby league and the never-ending drama.
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The Premier Hockey League is Aotearoa’s elite domestic hockey competition. An annual contest with the best players – four rival franchises in battle for national supremacy.
Played across six weekends starting on 2nd/3rd November 2024, it will culminate in a classic hockey finals day on December 7th in Auckland, North Harbour.
Falcons captain Dylan Thomas joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the final against the Alpiners.
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They're there for the taking.
That's how Phoenix coach Giancarlo Italiano has assessed Auckland FC ahead of this evening's A-League derby at Mount Smart Stadium.
The 'Nix were beaten two-nil when the sides first met, while Auckland are top of the table and unbeaten in five games and Wellington are fourth.
Italiano believes Auckland are lucky to remain unbeaten thus far.
D'Arcy catches up with Phoenix forward Stefan Colakovski to preview the clash.
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This weekend the 2024 Formula 1 season draws to a close at a carpark in Abu Dhabi
The driver’s championship has been sealed by the alpha peddler Max Verstappen.
The real championship, the constructors title, is still up for grabs.
This is where the money is at. This is where the teams attempt to claw back a fistful of the obscene amounts of money they’ve chewed up and spat out through the season.
Red Bull are out of the picture and has been for some time thanks to the ham-fisted and cumbersome efforts of their number two driver, the hapless Mexican Sergio Perez, who is stinking up his seat by virtue of millionaire investments and his ability to flog soft drink to central America. But that’s F1, the best drivers in the world racing against guys only there because of the finance they bring.
The constructer's title is a scrap between Ferrari and McLaren. This is where the fascination lies, the ability of four drivers to justify their seats and show their teams why they’re in F1.
In McLaren, it’s Aussie Oscar Piastri and English silver-spooner Lando Norris. Piastri runs hot and cold, but has picked up a win this year and looks to be talent to be reckoned with over the next few seasons. Norris is a driver who has the skills —three wins in 2024— but not the temperament required to lead a team to the promised land. No surprises for me if he runs out of talent when it really counts.
In Ferrari, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerk are waving the flag for the Tifosi, the maddest and most passionate fans in motorsport, maybe sport full stop.
Sainz has collected a brace of wins, Leclerk has three and is fighting Norris for second in the drivers’ championship, but Sainz appears to be the man who carries calm with him around the tracks.
The scrap between second and third for the drivers could well determine the constructers championship, which peddler can hold his nerve when it really means something.
The problem here is Leclerk got handed a 10 place grid penalty overnight for a new battery pack, which kind of makes my words redundant.
The other bunfight is down the grid between Haas and Alpine, 6th and 7th place up for grabs, the difference in prize money around NZ$15 million.
But for your average Kiwi racecar fan, this weekend is all about Liam Lawson’s last chance to prove his worth and collect a drive for next year’s championship. Lawson v Tsunoda is the scrap that will have my full attention.
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Auckland FC are planning to suck the life out of the Wellington Phoenix when they host their A-League derby this evening.
The unbeaten Black Knights won the first outing between the new rivals two-nil in Wellington, with both goals coming in the dying minutes.
Auckland defender Tommy Smith joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to explain the secrets to their success.
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New Zealand will resume on 86 for five —trailing by 194 runs— on the second day of the second cricket test against England in Wellington.
The visitors scored 280 - with Harry Brook belting 123.
Black Caps all-rounder Nathan Smith says their batters largely delivered with aplomb, including nightwatchman Will O'Rourke.
NZME Cricket Commentator Andrew Alderson joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the second day.
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What a day to soil your whites.
Yesterday the Black Caps tried in vain to sabotage the first test against England.
Day one could have been better, New Zealand had an opportunity to gain an upper hand, but let it slip with some rash shots which lead to poor dismissals which in turn drained the momentum from a side that knew they should've done better. The day itself wasn't a disaster, but the players know that at the highest level, opportunities to dominate need to be leapt upon and ridden for all they are worth. Not a bad day, but it could’ve been better. Teams attempting to scale the Everest of their sport, in this case the world test championship, will never be satisfied with doing ok. Ok doesn’t win much.
Roll on day 2. NZ set a respectable total then proceeded to whale into the tourists, heading into lunch having extracted 3 English wickets then a fourth shortly after the resumption of play.
Promising but with the asterisk of grass. Ducket was shelled by Latham in the first session and the ability of the Black Caps to complete the catch haunted them for the rest of the day.
6 chances. A half dozen opportunities to push the dagger in and keep twisting. The English rock, Brook, served up 4 opportunities alone, NZ left them all on the turf.
Day one was acceptable, albeit frustratingly so. Day two wasn’t.
Let's hope the adage of bad things happening in three’s doesn’t bear fruit on day 3.
For a team making a valiant attempt at home to qualify for the world test championship final, there will be a nagging fog of disappointment in their shed.
It’s a fresh day, hopefully with freshly laundered whites.
Let's hope the Black Caps buck the trend and don’t brown their pants again...
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Jim Dolan our Australian Correspondent, gives us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport. * Apparently everyone in Australia is loving golf... Expect the players * Its a big wait until the second test match, but is that a good thing? * It's never too early to talk about State of Origin.
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Established in 2021, the National League is Aotearoa New Zealand’s premier domestic football competition, showcasing the nation’s top talent in a two-phase battle for the prestigious title of National League champions. Auckland City take on Birkenhead United at 4pm on Sunday at North Harbour Stadium, to see who will be crowned the 2024 men's national champions. Birkenhead United Coach Paul Hobson joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
King in the Ring’s knack for showcasing the next big thing in Kiwi combat sport will be unfolding again at Saturday night’s 8-man elimination tournament at North Shore’s Eventfinda Stadium. Though the tournament features its usual bevy of New Zealand and international champions competing for the $10,000 tournament prize, the undercard features an 18-year-old champion who represents the new breed in the rapidly evolving world of combat sports. UFC Light Heavyweight fighter and previous winner Navajo Sterling joined D'Arcy to preview the event. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Auckland FC have their eyes set on more A-League history when they host the Newcastle Jets at Mt Smart on Saturday. The newcomers are top of the table and haven't conceded a goal in four games this season. Another clean sheet would see them equal a 17-year-old record set by the Mariners. Auckland FC Midfielder Cam Howieson joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Six dropped catches spoilt New Zealand's fielding and the chance to remove England cheaply on the second day of the first cricket test in Christchurch. The visitors are 319 for five in reply to the hosts’ 348 with Harry Brook 132 and Ben Stokes 37. Brook was spilt four times - Ben Duckett and Ben Stokes survived other blemishes. The culprits, in no particular order, were Tom Latham – times three - Glenn Phillips, Devon Conway and Tom Blundell. Phillips redeemed himself with a one-handed dive to his right at gully to dismiss - and astonish - Ollie Pope on 77. NZME Cricket Commentator Andrew Alderson joined D'Arcy to preview day 3 of the test. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Our Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan gives us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport. On today’s agenda:
- Australia and India have a chaotic day in Perth.
- Its weather v golf at the moment, and weather is winning.
- The Wallabies are drawing eyeballs to the screens.
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The Silver Fern Rally typically runs over seven days in November every second year, and has more than 1050 kilometres of closed road gravel stages, plus about 1800 kilometres of touring.
There are two competition structures, each subdivide into four categories. The Historic Trophy is for ‘Puka’ (or C.O.D) 2WD pre 1985 Cars, and the Challenge Trophy is for all other 2WD Cars that don’t qualify for the Historic Trophy.
D'Arcy Waldegrave catches up with last year's winner James Ford to preview the event.
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A first trans-Tasman trip awaits Auckland FC ahead of their return to A-League football.
Sunday's clash against Macarthur FC in Sydney will be the first time they're seen on a football pitch since their 2-nil Kiwi derby win in Wellington two weeks ago.
Auckland FC defender Dan Hall joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.
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The next generation of talent will get the chance to face England test superstars in a two-day warm-up match at Queenstown’s Sir John Davies Oval this weekend.
The match will serve as preparation for captain Ben Stokes and his side ahead of the three-game ICC World Test Championship series, starting at Hagley Oval next Thursday.
Captain Troy Johnson joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss the opening days action.
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No let up from the All Blacks with a summer break in sight.
That's the view of captain Scott Barrett after coach Scott Robertson stuck with a largely full-strength side for Sunday's final test of the year against Italy in Turin.
Barrett says they're determined to finish the season on a high.
There's five changes to the run on side - four of which are due to injury returnees and absentees.
Sam Cane and Mark Tele'a return from injuries, while Anton Lienert-Brown and Ethan de Groot are in for the sidelined Jordie Barrett and Tamaiti Williams.
Elliott Smith joined D'Arcy Waldegrave live from Turin ahead of the big dance.
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Drink it up test cricket fans. Not the current test between the Aussies and the Indians, the upcoming series right here in our backyard. Besides the slim chance of qualifying for the World Test Championship final, a reason enough to watch in itself, this is it for home test cricket this season. No more. Fill your boots.
I get it, the ICC are intent on squeezing every drop out of their enormous global audience with endless World Cups across their formats, so in order to make the most of these hardly rare opportunities, national bodies are building their schedules around whatever pinnacle event is on the immediate horizon.
We also know that short form cricket is a quicker way into the pockets of the fans, who over time have collapsed their attention spans like every other segment of society – the sugar-hit generation if you will.
Frankly, test cricket is lucky to still be standing, particularly on a cost-per-wear basis. An insanely long format with a huge drain on resources across numerous metrics.
It’s understandable why most organisations outside of the ‘big three’ avoid test cricket wherever they can, whilst simultaneously basking in the glory of days gone by and extolling the virtues of why it’s called a test. A test of skill, a test of concentration, a test of blah blah. If I hear that again, it’ll be too soon. Explanations of why a test is called a test are right up there with the most tired lines in cricket along with “how do you feel” and “they really need a wicket now”.
So, the drive behind the execution of test cricket over our summer is easily explained away, but that doesn’t mean we have to toe the line and accept it. It sucks, it’s a punch in the face for real cricket fans and we don't have to like it. So, cherish the pre-Christmas tour, cradle it for all it’s worth, then brace yourself for a summer of colourful clothes and instant fixes.
Ta da.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Rugby Commentator Ross Bond and NZ Herald Online Sports Editor Alex Powell.
On this weekend's agenda:
Why is Mike Tyson fighting at 58 years of age, Tim Southee calls time on his test career, and there are some big changes for the All Blacks.
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Established in 1929, Western Springs is packed full of racing events that bring the biggest crowds in the area.
There are more drivers than ever before who are due to come to New Zealand this season, so fans will see wheel-to-wheel action from start to finish.
American driver Brady Bacon joins D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview this weekend's International Sprintcar Series - Round 1.
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The winners of the men’s and women’s National League Championship 2024 will be crowned on Sunday December 1st, with both Grand Finals confirmed to take place at North Harbour Stadium in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.
D'Arcy catches up with Myer Bevan out of the Auckland City FC camp, ahead of their match against Napier City Rovers.
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The 8th annual New Zealand Mini Golf Open is taking place on the 16th & 17th of November 2024 in Lower Hutt!
This year's NZ Open is part of the World Adventure Golf Tour - with 1st place overall Pro qualifying for free entry into the WAGT 2025 final in the UK.
Matt Ansley catches up with D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the event.
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All Blacks captain Scott Barrett has vowed to keep the momentum going in the hopes of an unbeaten end-of-year tour.
They’ve signed off preparations for tomorrow’s test against France with their captain’s run overnight at their training base for the week in Paris.
Elliott Smith catches up with D'Arcy from Paris, on the eve of the test match.
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Stand up Tim Southee and take a bow.
Who woulda thunk it that the fresh faced 19 year old that rolled onto McLean Park back in 2008 would retire from the game, on his own terms, versus the team he debuted against all those years ago? He started with a statement, 5-55 and a belligerent 77 not out, and I’d hazard a guess he’ll bookend his career with a bag and a half century against the English in his final game at home in Hamilton.
He’ll probably never shed the 77* he scored in his first test, an innings that he never replicated and hung around his neck for his whole career. At least he is close to a tonne of 6’s hit, making up to a degree for the lack of test runs after such a promising start. But we don’t celebrate Southee the batter, we celebrate Southee the bowler, a man who holds a hatful of records in the game:
- Only player in the world to claim more than 300 test wickets, 200 ODI wickets and 100 T20I wickets.
- He has 164 T20I wickets, the most in world cricket.
- Played in more test wins than any other Kiwi, 46 all told.
- He has the most international wickets for a Kiwi, 770 across all formats.
- The best figures for NZ in ODIs, 7-33 v England at Wellington, 2015.
- The best figures for NZ in T20Is, 5-18 v Pakistan at Auckland, 2010.
- Only New Zealander to take two T20I hat-tricks.
- One of only four players in the world to play 100-plus internationals in all three formats.
He’s captained the side, been a key part of famous victories, and has the best nickname of any international cricketer.
The Sexy Camel is firmly locked into the pantheon of NZ cricket greats, and his partnership with Lovely Trenty across the decades will be remembered as the best new ball duo the country has ever seen.
It’s been a ride Tim, looking forward to watching you end it with a flourish.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Rugby Writer Phil Gifford and Rugby Commentator Paul Allison.
On this weekend's agenda:
What are the odds in the All Blacks' clash against Ireland, have people bought into 'Fast5' netball, and is swearing in sport offensive?
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Our Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan gives us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport. On today’s agenda:
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Australia's cricketing woes continue
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It's a patriotic weekend at the Pacific Nations Cup
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The Wallabies have a superstar debut this weekend.
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The International Rally of Whangārei is part of the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC), one of the premier regional championships in world rallying and is contested by teams from across the world.
Kiwi driver Hayden Paddon joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the final round of the NZ Rally Championships.
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A chance to stake a claim for the soon-to-be-vacated Silver Ferns goal shoot bib looms at the Fast5 World Series in Christchurch this weekend.
Maia Wilson, Martina Salmon, and Saviour Tui will shoulder the shooting responsibilities at the tournament for New Zealand.
The trio —along with Amelia Walmsley— are in the running to replace Grace Nweke in 2025 after her domestic move to the New South Wales Swifts.
Head Coach Yvette McCausland-Durie joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the tournament.
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The sleepless nights following last year’s World Cup quarter-final defeat are spurring on Ireland ahead of this morning’s rematch against the All Blacks in Dublin.
The 28-24 defeat in Paris was the last time the two sides met, and continued Ireland’s record of having never advanced past the last eight at a World Cup.
Flanker Tadhg Beirne says he often thinks about what they could have done differently.
Irish rugby writer Cian Tracey joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Rugby Commentators Hamish McKay and Matt Buck.
On this weekend's agenda: The Haka drama and Joe Marler's comment, the first A-League derby, and has Liam Lawson's 'nice guy' persona worn off?
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Tonga's looking to overcome the effects of a mini-break in tonight's Pacific Championships clash against New Zealand at Mt Smart.
After a strong build-up in Brisbane, Tonga lost to Australia before disbanding while the Kangaroos beat the Kiwis in Christchurch.
Kiwi Prop Griffin Neame catches up with D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.
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Beauden Barrett will have the keys to the All Blacks' attack at Twickenham, after being confirmed to start at 10 against England on Sunday morning.
Barrett —who started the Bledisloe Cup test in Wellington ending a run of eight straight starts at 10 for Damian McKenzie— will start inside his fit-again brother Jordie, who returns at 12.
It's the first time they've played together for the All Blacks in those positions.
D'Arcy Waldegrave catches up with Newstalk ZB Rugby Editor Elliott Smith, ahead of this weekend's test.
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The Breakers are expecting a physical test from the Adelaide 36ers as they look to build a key run of wins.
The side got back on track from their loss in Christchurch with a big 93-87 win in Sydney, despite having four players out injured.
Co-captain Parker Jackson-Cartwright says they weren't physical enough against the Kings, and it's been one of the main things they’re working on.
PJC catches up with D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview their clash at Spark Arena.
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More than 17,000 registered participants are putting the final touches to their race day preparations as the Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Marathon returns this Sunday.
New Zealand’s biggest and most iconic festival of running has proved more popular than ever this year, with total event registrations at their highest since 2014.
Race Director Amy MacCormack joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the event.
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Auckland FC defender Nando Pijnaker is ready to weather a hostile environment when his side visit the Wellington Phoenix in this afternoon's A-League football clash.
The All White is coming off his heroic 97th-minute game-winner in last week's 1-nil win over Sydney FC at home.
Pijnaker is expecting plenty of racket from both fanbases, but will channel his energy into his performance.
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Liam Lawson has created quite the storm since arriving for his second shot at Formula One.
He’s managed to upset all in sundry in the paddock, rubbing veterans up the wrong way with his aggressive attitude, reckless middle finger, and evidence that he has speed to burn. This is the concern for the field, they know he’s quick and he’s not afraid to show it.
Sure, he apologised to Perez after flipping the bird at the Mexican, but he is in no way, shape, or form sorry for what he does on the track. As I’ve been at pains to point out all week, and he confirmed, he’s not in F1 to make friends, he’s there to win races.
Like most sports, F1’s currency is victory. Nothing more, nothing less.
Liam has given everything over the years to get this shot at the world's biggest, fastest, richest, and most storied motorsport category. Now he’s within touching distance of securing an extremely rare seat in F1, he’s not going to back off, he’s not going to meekly acquiesce to the wants of his apparent seniors, he’s going to try and leave them in his exhaust fumes.
Talk of his lack of respect is insane. Respect in motorsport is not earned through reverence, it’s earned through results.
It is not a popularity competition. The greatest drivers in Formula 1 are not feted for their likeability and charm, by and large they’ve not been nice people. They win by any means necessary.
Some may see his digit gesture as a blot on his copybook, but really it was an exclamation mark added to the statement of intent around his season so far.
Liam is his own man, solely focused on the prize, he won’t make way for anyone.
Rage against the Machine’s signature tune, ‘Killing in the Name’, sums him up perfectly, “F**k you I won’t do what you tell me”.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Rugby Writer Phil Gifford and Rugby Commentator Paul Allison.
On this weekend's agenda: What is this All Blacks v Japan test all about? The Comm Games have been chopped in half, and how good have the Silver Ferns been?
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The 2024 Weightlifting NZ National Championships will see all of Aotearoa's best Weightlifters come and battle for the national title in their given weight category.
From debut performances on a national stage to Olympians defending their titles, the WNZ National Champs never ceases to provide inspiration and entertainment for all as we watch some of the strongest athletes do what they do best.
D'Arcy Waldegrave catches up with Olympian David Liti to preview the event.
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All Blacks loose forward Samipeni Finau can't wait to be part of a monster forward pack in this evening's test against Japan in Yokohama.
The front eight weighs in at a daunting 950 kilograms, just 21kgs short of the French test record.
Finau is particularly keen to be reunited with Chiefs teammate and number eight Wallace Sititi, who he says has been a revelation at the international level.
D'Arcy Waldegrave catches up with Samipeni Finau ahead of the test.
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Our Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan gives us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport. On today’s agenda:
- Interesting times for Cricket Australia this week
- A bombshell for the Rugby League expansion bids
- A big test match that no one's talking about
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It’s a chance for Bay of Plenty to reclaim provincial rugby's top honours for the first time in almost half a century.
The Steamers are one game away from winning their first NPC title since its inception in 1976, but have to get past minor premiers Wellington in the capital this afternoon.
BOP Head Coach Richard Watt joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the season finale.
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Auckland FC is after more cohesion in this afternoon's showdown with Sydney FC at Mt Smart.
Both teams won their opening matches of the A-League season, although the Sky Blues have been hampered by a midweek AFC Champions League game in Japan.
Co-Captain Jake Brimmer joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview their second home game of the season.
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The cricketing world is in the process of being turned on its head.
In two days, the Indian home team juggernaut is being declawed, derailed, decommissioned, decimated.
The word juggernaut, as it happens, has Hindi roots, an Anglicised derivation of Jagannath, and a very apt word for the almost unstoppable force that is Indian cricket at home.
After being embarrassed in Bangaluru, the home team cultivated a pitch designed to play to the strengths of the home side, a poppadom-esque surface, waiting to explode on impact when the Indian spin attack delivers its vast array of spin grenades.
This masterplan came undone to a degree when Latham won the toss and elected to bat, dooming the hosts to chasing on a deteriorating wicket.
New Zealand batted manfully, establishing a passable first innings total before Flatline Santner tore the unflappable Indian line-up to shreds. His 7 wickets, not dissimilar to the spell of the other unheralded tweaker in the match, the almost unplayable Washington Sundar, set up an impressive second innings bowling display from the tourists.
Yes, the match is far from over. Writing off the home team’s ability to chase down any total in the fourth innings is foolish, but to suggest that New Zealand aren’t in the driver's seat, is just as reckless.
My enthusiasm around a possible, maybe even probable win, has a touch of premature celebration about it, as the vagaries of this beautiful game can make idiots of us all. But to maintain Santner style reaction to the test match so far is to deny myself the joy of the proceedings to date.
The juggernaut is on the cusp of being decommissioned, a home series loss for the first time in 12 years beckons.
I am so here for it.
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All Black-in-waiting Peter Lakai has declared himself ready for the step-up to test rugby this evening.
Lakai and Hurricanes teammate Ruben Love are poised for debuts off the bench against Japan in Yokohama.
Newstalk ZB Rugby Editor Elliott Smith caught up with Lakai ahead of his test debut.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Rugby Writer Jamie Wall and Graeme 'The Sportsfreak' Beasley.
On this weekend's agenda:
No one seems to care about the America's Cup, a week to remember for New Zealand Cricket, and has the NPC been a success?
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Our Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan gives us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport. On today’s agenda:
- Brisbane are preparing to take on Auckland FC
- It's a big weekend for our test hopefuls
- It's at 'Royal' day at the races
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Mid-Canterbury play Thames Valley in today's Meads Cup Final at Thames.
D'Arcy Waldegrave caught up with Thames Head Coach Joe Murray, to preview the clash.
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The domestic cricket season begins this weekend with Ford Trophy 50-over action underway.
Brad Schmulian, from the Central Districts side, joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview their opener against Auckland.
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Liam Lawson, New Zealand's tenth Formula One driver, has had the world's premier motorsport category in his cross hairs since for as long as he can remember.
In late 2018, at age 16, he joined D'Arcy Waldegrave and Bob McMurray in studio to talk about his hopes and dreams for the wonderful wide world of race cars.
He had just signed up for a drive in the Toyota Racing Series, a series he went on to win in his maiden year. It was that contract that alerted Red Bull to his talent, and the rest is history.
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Waikato are hopeful of a less nervy finish ahead of tonight's NPC semifinal against Wellington.
The visitors had to rely on a defensive masterclass to get past Taranaki in last weekend's quarterfinal, where they held on to a one-point lead over the final 20 minutes.
D'Arcy catches up with midfielder Quinn Tupaea ahead of their Semi-Final showdown.
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The White Ferns are through to the final of the T20 World Cup in the UAE after beating the West Indies by eight runs in Sharjah.
After tallying 128 for nine, New Zealand restricted the Windies to 120 for eight.
Off-spinner Eden Carson was Player of the Match with bowling figures of 3 for 29.
D'Arcy caught up with Sophie Devine to review their history-making performance.
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Oh my!
What a turnaround.
This morning the White Ferns beat the West Indies to secure their place in the ICC Womens T20 World Cup final.
South Africa awaits in a final bereft of the two biggest teams in women’s cricket, the almost peerless Australians and the other perpetual thorn in the side of the Kiwis, England.
This victory represents a changing of the guard at the pointed end of the women’s game here. The transfer of power from the old school to the next generation looked to be a step too far for the side, who had relied on the immense talent of Devine, Bates, and Kerr for some time. This is not to dismiss the contribution of Tahuhu, one of the better stories of redemption in the team, nor the efforts of Green, Halliday, etc. The next tier of players though, had not shown the way forward, and the team had been staggering in transition.
It took the World Cup for previous efforts to crystalize, with the likes of Eden Carson and Georgia Plimmer paying back the faith shown in them.
This morning's game was a ripper but won’t mean much if the title isn't secured on Monday.
A note about Suzie Bates. She took the ball for the final over, after not bowling a ball in the tournament to date – a huge punt, but one that paid dividends as she showed that the veterans are far from a spent force.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Wellington Mornings Host Nick Mills and Newstalk ZB Sports Journalist Nathan Limm.
On this weekend's agenda:
Does anyone care about the America's Cup? Big changes are being made at Wimbledon, and can the Black Caps pinch a victory in India?
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The 2024 National Rugby League Premiership is held over six weekends at different venues across New Zealand.
This weekend, the Auckland Vulcans and Counties Manukau Stingrays will battle it out for the title at Pulman Park.
Counties Captain Jemal Hunt joined Adam Cooper to preview the clash.
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Our Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan gives us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport.
- This weekend is all about Bathurst
- There are interesting times ahead for Rugby Australia... off the field.
- The Summer of Cricket is almost here
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Kiwi Supercars driver Matt Payne is a step closer to achieving a dream pole position at the Bathurst 1000.
The 22-year-old's claimed provisional pole after qualifying, pipping Cam Waters by just 0.0060 seconds.
Motorsport Commentator Eric Thompson joined Adam Cooper to preview the weekend's 'great race'.
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It's being billed as Great Britain versus New Zealand with the 37th America's Cup beginning off the coast of Barcelona overnight on Saturday.
But is it really? And is it something we should still be putting our national pride on the line for?
It's two big money-making syndicates with egos on the line just as much as sailing on the water - with a couple of countries' flags and colours thrown on the AC75 yachts for good measure.
For me, there's a continued sour taste around how this whole regatta's been arranged, most notably around the Barcelona location.
I think the whole ordeal has taken much of the spark off the previous high regard many held Team New Zealand in.
Given the support, engagement, and investment the syndicate received from up and down Aotearoa when the last edition was here in early 2021, Team New Zealand owed it to Kiwis to stage it here again. Not screw around the government support and the many willing to make something happen.
I have enormous respect for the likes of Peter Burling and some of the sailors, and also admire the fact Team New Zealand bases itself in Auckland – that brings employment and financial benefits to the city.
But realistically, it's a syndicate largely backed by a pile of big overseas companies, that reap the financial benefits of using the New Zealand brand without the country itself reaping the full benefits of so called “Team New Zealand”.
The regatta being staged in Barcelona is extremely telling when it comes to the team's priorities.
I may be proven wrong, but I think the overnight TV time slots along with the growing distrust from many Kiwis will be the beginning of the end in terms of this country's odd fascination and engagement with the America's Cup.
Sad, given the joy it's brought so many of us over so many years.
And equally sad that's a situation that could so easily have been avoided.
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Taranaki are three wins away from securing the Ranfurly Shield and the National Provincial Championship title for the year.
They host Waikato in New Plymouth in tonight's quarterfinal, following last week's Shield win over Tasman in Nelson.
Adam Cooper catches up with Taranaki first-five Josh Jacomb ahead of their Quarter Final.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Rugby Journalist Phil Gifford and Commentator Rowena Duncum.
On this weekend's agenda: Dame Patsy stands down from the NZR board, James O'Connor signs with the Crusaders, and the White Ferns stun India at the World Cup.
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Our Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan gives us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport. On today’s agenda:
- It's the big dance in the NRL this weekend
- Supercars is confusing everyone
- Some changes are coming for the Socceroos
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The New Zealand Senior & Junior Open Championships, organised by Table Tennis New Zealand, is a national event that has been held annually since 1934, attracting over 300 players from across the country.
The championship brings together players from all over New Zealand to compete for National titles in a range of events.
Table Tennis NZ CEO Izania Downie joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the event.
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North Harbour halfback Bryn Hall is thrilled a key player is back for the final round of the NPC regular season.
Winger Mark Tele'a will kit-up and look to add star-power against Southland in Invercargill today having been released from the All Blacks.
Despite his international experience, Hall says his transition back to the domestic league wasn't as smooth as anticipated.
D'Arcy catches up with Bryan Hall ahead of their must-win final round game.
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One of the tallest basketballers ever has had his first practice with his new team, the New Zealand Breakers, in Utah.
Former NBA center Tacko Fall is 2.29 meters tall – seven feet six inches.
Fall has joined the Breakers for pre-season games against NBA sides the Utah Jazz, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Coach Petteri Koponen joined D'Arcy Waldegrave out of the states to preview their opening clash.
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The White Ferns have snapped a 10-game losing streak in the T20 format after a 58-run win over India in their opening World Cup game in the United Arab Emirates.
Batting first, New Zealand set a total of 160, led by skipper and player of the match Sophie Devine and her unbeaten 57.
India were bowled out for 102 in their chase.
D'Arcy catches up with Lea Tahuhu to review their victory.
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White, Black, Silver.
All three of our Ferns teams started the weekend looking down the barrel of a gun.
The Silver Ferns are looking to avoid a whitewash in the Taini Jamieson series against England. Not too long ago, the prospect of the netballers losing a series at home versus the Roses wasn’t unthinkable, but it was close. Since 2022 though, the Ferns have only won four out of the eleven clashes, previously it was 93 wins to 18 and 2 draws.
Tough times. Three on the trot at home will be indicative of the shaky ground the Ferns have occupied of recent times. Out of the three sets of Ferns on display, the Silver version is probably the favourites to not lose.
The Black Ferns got wiped in WXV1 by the Irish, a team that was competing in the third-tier last year, albeit winning the WXV3 championship. It doesn’t get any easier for our world champ team as England are up next, a team that have had NZ’s measure since the famous World Cup win at Eden Park. Beyond the tyranny of the English women, the French await.
The Black Ferns are capable no doubt, but money on them to up-end the English wouldn’t be the best sporting investment you'd make. Based on the White Ferns’ rotten T20 run this year, they’d be a safer bet than the cricketers.
So, who turns up in the first of our three Ferns fixtures this weekend and pulls a comprehensive victory out of the bag? The White Ferns. Out of nowhere
This morning they took on and took apart the Indians in their opening T20 World Cup match.
They batted superbly, the bowled with authority, fielded with aplomb. After 10 consecutive T20i defeats, this was the result no-one was expecting, except the team themselves. It was the traditional strength of Sophie Devine that was the lynchpin of the victory, but the entire team turned up, including Georgia Plimmer, who has impressed, and Rosemary Mair too.
One group of Ferns with victory, two to go.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Rugby Commentator Paul Allison and Freelance Sports Journalist Aiden McLaughlin.
On this weekend's agenda:
The All Blacks look for points in the final quarter against Australia, Liam Lawson is the hottest thing in town, and the continued fall of the White Ferns.
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Our Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan gives us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport. On today’s agenda:
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Who will play the Storm in the NRL Grand Final?
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It's a big day in Melbourne for Katy Perry as she headlines the AFL Grand Final.
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All eyes are across the Tasman too.
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The Wallabies might have slumped to 10th in the world rugby rankings but the All Blacks insist that memo has not passed their desks.
The three point loss in the opening Bledisloe Cup test in Sydney saw Australia fall to the diabolical ranking.
Former World Cup winning Wallaby Tim Horan joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the test from Wellington.
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A fresh mindset for the Silver Ferns heading into Sunday's Taini Jamison netball series opener against England in Auckland.
It will be New Zealand's first game since coach Dame Noeline Taurua retained her job after the role was advertised earlier this year.
Silver Ferns midcourter Maddy Gordon says the team have taken a different approach to assessing their play.
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Breakers centre Freddie Gillespie is relishing the competitive nature of his positional group ahead of Sunday's NBL basketball home opener against the Southeast Melbourne Phoenix in Auckland.
Fellow big men Sam Mennenga and Dane Pineau stepped up in the absence of the American during last week's win over the Brisbane Bullets, with the import out due to suspension.
Mennenga led the way with 22 points and 7 rebounds in the victory and Gillespie is far from surprised.
D'Arcy catches up with Freddie Gillespie ahead of their round two clash.
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I want what you’re having.
The Melbourne Storm that is. Penrith Panthers too. Regardless of the result in next week's NRL final, which in all likelihood will be a barnburner versus Penrith, we've been shown that the idea of a rebuilding phase in high end professional sport is a tired and broken concept.
The best teams in the world don’t spend a couple of seasons rebuilding. They do it on the run. They make difficult selection calls, they understand why moving people on before their talent drops off a cliff, maybe brutal, but in the wider and more important picture is essential.
No hanging onto players out of sentiment. Knowing how to handle talent transition. Repaying long-time hardworking juniors when they have served their apprenticeship, not waiting until the elder statesmen is dribbling into a cup.
This starts at the top.
Consistency at a boardroom level with coaching appointments. Almost the antithesis of playing staff, coaches and their philosophies shouldn’t be discarded on a whim, their positions need longevity and ultimate trust. Their ability to identify talent and work it into the team from a junior level needs time to breathe. Faith in their process from the head office needs solidity.
The Panthers, regardless of tonight’s result as they attempt to make a liquid dorsal delicacy out of Cronulla, has shown the importance of consistency of coaching values and growth, which is essential for a team to rebuild as they go. It’s the same for one of the great NRL dynasties, the Melbourne Storm.
NRL teams desire for sugar hits will invariably pay poor dividends, whereas trust in the turtle over the hare has shown to be the best way to secure long term club success.
Andrew Webster’s Warriors were rotten this season, hopefully lessons around knowing when to hold senior players or fold them, will be taken on board and the Wahs too can build a club in the image of the Storm or the Panthers.
Imagine if the Penrose fish heads had shown that required faith in Ivan Cleary all those years ago.
Imagine.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Rugby Writer Phil Gifford and NZ Herald Sports Journalist Alex Powell.
On this weekend's agenda:
The All Blacks v Wallabies, how the Rugby Championship has lost its meaning, and our new fast bowling star.
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Australia rugby coach Joe Schmidt knows how much the Bledisloe Cup means to the All Blacks, now he’s finding out about what it could mean to the Wallabies ahead of tomorrow’s opener in Sydney.
New Zealand claimed the silverware in 2003 and have held the prize since.
Newstalk ZB Rugby Editor and Commentator Elliott Smith joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the test.
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All Blacks openside Sam Cane is determined to wind down his career with an unblemished Bledisloe Cup record.
The former skipper will play his 99th test this afternoon when he runs out against Australia in Sydney.
He says seeing the Cup is just as special now as it was when he debuted in 2012.
Elliott Smith catches up with Sam Cane ahead of Saturday's clash.
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South Canterbury coach Nigel Walsh believes their off-field environment is a major reason for their on-field success in rugby's Heartland Championship.
They're going for a record-setting 37th consecutive win in the competition this afternoon when they take on Horowhenua-Kapiti at Eden Park in Auckland.
Kevin Hare out of heartlandrugby.co.nz joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the latest round of the 'peoples rugby' and Eden Park clash.
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There’s belief the Breakers can take a lot of positives from their winless NBL preseason.
The Kiwi side get their campaign officially underway against Brisbane in Perth, their opponents going in with six of seven preseason wins, including the Blitz tournament.
Guard Mitch McCarron says the consistency wasn't where they want it to be, but there were signs of improvement as the preseason went on.
D'Arcy catches up with Mitch ahead of the season tip-off.
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Mixed martial artist Navajo Stirling has plenty left in the tank following confirmation of his UFC debut in December.
The unbeaten light heavyweight will fight Brit Tuco Tokkos in Tampa - with the bout offered shortly after the Kiwi earned a UFC contract on Dana White's Contender Series last week.
Stirling joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss his recent success and preview the local Arsenal X3 Hybrid Fight Series this weekend.
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The best thing that could happen in the first Bledisloe Cup fixture is a loss for the All Blacks. Or a win for the Wallabies, the same, but different. The ABs could choke it up in the last 20, ergo lose, or the Wallabies could pull a massive hat rabbit and beat up their opposition, therefore win.
The best thing meaning the best way to pump some blood through the veins of the age-old encounter. It would be a marketing dream. It would bring a much-needed story line. It would bring fear, jeopardy, self-doubt and all those other triggering emotions. It would sell the game, it would provide story threads desperately needed for what was once a rugby highlight.
The fact that the Bledisloe Cup is all the All Blacks have left in their trophy cabinet is a good way to generate fascination, but that will only gain real traction if this evening’s game goes the way of the Ockers.
Only then will we get the simultaneous energy of potential and desperation.
Maybe then we’d get a skerrick of emotion from both teams.
It’s a shame to wish ill upon the national side just to elicit genuine emotion and vibrant narratives, but frankly, it’s come to that.
The best we’ve had this week is 2 captains, one saying he’d hate to be the captain responsible for losing the Cup and the other saying the game represents a great opportunity.
Really? Wow, I’d never have guessed. Hold the phone, stop the press. Sensational.
What else have you got? A game of two halves? Full credit to the opposition? Learnings? Moving forward? Process?
Bring on a loss, let’s generate some bloody emotion!
But it’s the All Blacks. It’s rugby. It’s probably asking too much.
I’ll get my coat.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Rugby Writer Jamie Wall and Graeme 'Sportsfreak' Beasley.
On this weekend's agenda... The Black Caps test and the embarrassment to ground staff, the New Super Rugby playoff system is announced, and the Football Ferns finally let go of their coach.
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Our resident Heartland rugby expert Kevin Hare joined the show to preview the fifth-round action from the 'Peoples Rugby' competition.
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The Ford National Hockey Championship hits Palmerston North from 15th–21st September 2024.
The competition is tiered across the men’s and women’s competitions with 'two tiers' in each competition - crowing the National champions.
D'Arcy catches up with GM of the Hockey Network Ken Maplesden to preview the week's action.
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David Nyika claims he feels like a different boxer after over two years under trainer Noel Thornberry.
The Kiwi cruiserweight's set to fight American Tommy Karpency in Auckland tomorrow night, after original opponent Aussie Blake Caparello tested positive for elevated testosterone levels 10 days out from the fight.
Nyika says he's reverted to his natural strengths, notably endurance and the ability to break opponents down.
D'Arcy Waldegrave catches up with former All Black Liam Messam who is fighting on the undercard.
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Auckland Storm captain Eloise Blackwell has said their match against Bay of Plenty in the Farah Palmer Cup this morning is essentially a must win.
The Storm are in need of points against the Volcanix in Tauranga after losing the last two on the trot - which Blackwell says the team's acknowledged.
D'Arcy catches up with Eloise ahead of their 150th first-class game.
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Davis Cup captain Artem Sitak has a plan to take out the doubles match in their tie against Luxembourg in Palmerston North this weekend.
The singles matches featuring Kiwis KP Pannu and Ajeet Rai will headline today as Finn Reynolds and Rubin Statham play New Zealand's doubles match tomorrow.
D'Arcy catches up with Artem to preview the weekend ahead.
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Someone always has a better idea. There is always an expert out there who knows best. Invariably it’s a detached non-stakeholder who claims to know the lay of the land better than the decision makers in the thick of the action. Such as people who understand the vagaries, the implications, the weight of the final call around key arrangements in competition structure and policy.
Yesterday the format for the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season was released from its cage to roam amongst the public and the media.
The criticisms and ‘superior concept’ brigade sprang into action, decrying the masterplan, immediately looking for fishhooks and pulling apart the minutiae, expressing their concern and presenting what in their opinion, would be a superior competition build.
All strength to their arm, but it’s like naming an All Black team, your side doesn’t have to play, and you don’t know the finer details of team dynamics or the mechanics around playbook philosophy.
I’m not suggesting that people’s opinions are not valid or shouldn’t be aired. We’re all entitled to weigh into the discourse as we are the target. We’re the fans, we pay the bills, we’re particularly important. We are the why. I’m merely stating that in this situation, this fraught cobbling together of a scratchy competition, Super Rugby Pacific haven’t just pulled this structure out of a bin at the 2-dollar shop. They are in possession of every piece of a complex puzzle, so surely, they are in the best position to put it together in a manner which takes into account a gamut of requirements.
They have the most to lose here. This isn’t tiddlywinks, this is the preeminent rugby competition of the southern hemisphere.
People are too quick to shoot down new systems. This new format has been designed to enhance the product, not detract from it.
The proof of the pudding will be in the eating, and dessert isn't served until February.
Have a spoonful, and another, finish the dish and see how it tastes.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Rugby News Editor Campbell Burnes and Gold Sport Commentator Hamish McKay.
On this weekend's agenda:
The All Blacks are making a few changes ahead of second test match, South Africa apologies for disrupting the haka, and Israel Adesanya's run-in with a member of the public.
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It’s a chance to create history for the Tasman Mako this evening in the NPC.
They'll challenge Hawke's Bay for the Ranfurly Shield in Napier, having never won the Log o' Wood as an amalgamated union.
Halfback Finlay Christie joined Adam Cooper to preview their historic clash.
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The All Blacks are determined to finish what they start tomorrow morning in Cape Town.
After leading 27-17, New Zealand suffered a final quarter collapse in the Rugby Championship test against the Springboks to lose 31-27.
Captain Scott Barrett says that’s been a focal point this week.
Newstalk ZB Rugby Editor Elliott Smith joined Adam Cooper out of South Africa to preview the game.
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Paul Ifill's in pursuit of back-to-back Chatham Cup football titles - in different coaching colours.
A year after leading Christchurch United to the national club title, Ifill is now Wellington Olympic mentor, who square off with Auckland City for the 2024 title this evening.
Paul catches up with Adam Cooper to preview the final.
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Springboks captain Siya Kolisi is vowing not to give the All Blacks a head start again tonight in Cape Town.
The hosts rallied from 10 points down to beat the tourists last week at Ellis Park.
Kolisi has issued a warning to the All Blacks that they won’t be given that treatment again.
South African Rugby Journalist Brenden Nel joined Adam Cooper to preview the clash.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Rugby Writer Phil Gifford and Rowena Duncum.
On this weekend's agenda: What's up with Leon MacDonald’s pay out? Do the All Blacks have a chance at Ellis Park on Sunday? And is now the right time for Lydia Ko to retire?
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Cycling New Zealand are hosting the 2024 Pump Track National Championships in Havelock North between August 31st - September 1st.
The event comprises the UCI Pump Track World Championship qualifying event on the first day and the Cycling New Zealand UCI Pump Track Nationals on day two.
Organiser Craig Pattle joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to give the low down on the racing.
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Winter sports fans are still descending on the south for the final week of the 11th annual Winter Games.
Hundreds will take part in the largest snow sport event in the Southern Hemisphere, based around Queenstown.
D'Arcy catches up with Alpine Skier Piera Hudson to preview her event.
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The All Blacks insist they’re relaxed whether Springboks veteran lock Eben Etzebeth starts or comes off the bench in tomorrow morning’s test at Ellis Park.
Etzebeth was out initially due to a back injury, before being included on the bench in a mid-week change.
Speculation persists he could yet be elevated to start.
Elliott Smith joins D'Arcy out of South Africa to preview the latest ahead of Sunday's test match.
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The All Blacks are embracing their Johannesburg welcome as they prepare to play at one of the toughest rugby venues on Sunday morning.
Several members of the playing squad and staff are on their first visit to South Africa.
New Zealand coach Scott Robertson played in the 46-40 test defeat at Ellis Park in 2000, but secured the 2017 Super title at the venue as Crusaders mentor.
SuperSport Commentator Matt Pearce joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.
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A moment to savour for para-cyclist Anna Taylor.
The 33 year old's claimed silver in the C-4 women's 3000 metre time trial at the Paris Paralympic Games.
Taylor's endured thyroid cancer, as well as a severe disc prolapse in her back that compressed her spinal cord.
It's New Zealand's first medal of the Games, and she joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to recount her success.
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I’m as big a fan as the next guy when it comes to the All Blacks. Not obsessive like I was in my youth, but the team has occupied an unhealthy space in my brain for as long as I can remember.
In rugby for me, these clashes between the men in black and the African menace have always been the pinnacle of the sport.
Why?
Since their readmission into the international arena in 1992, NZ cosh their rivals with wins. Something to do with home referees without gold watches I’d say. Statistically, the ABs have been the superior team. Ever since they’ve came out of their apartheid induced wilderness, NZ have had the whip hand. 47 v 20 wins with 2 draws. We have superior Tri Nations/Rugby Championship results, crunched them too often at their traditional home of Ellis Park. But the aura around the Springboks has never waned. Notably, they’ve bested us when it really counts in 2 World Cup finals
The Aussies are fun to beat, the English are a team that are awful to lose to, the French are an exercise in who-goddamn-knows, and of recent times the Irish and intermittently the Argentines have been worthy foes. But South Africa?
The Springboks are us. They are bred in a country where the rugby DNA is barbed wire wound around the hearts and souls of the populous. They are hard-nosed and uncompromising in their play. They have unreasonably lofty standards. Their national psyche is inextricably linked to their results. We share rugby controversy, from the divisive and violent ‘81 tour, the Cavaliers ill-conceived misadventure, and the legendary ‘Suzie’ scandal.
Most importantly, rugby is their national sport. It’s our national sport.
These tests are greater than the sum of their parts.
There’s something about these clashes, and I’m all over it
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Rugby Writer Phil Gifford and Graeme 'The Sportsfreak' Beasley.
On this weekend's agenda:
Why can't Leon and Razor just get along? Shaun Johnson gets a royal sendoff at Mt Smart Stadium, and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck turns down the Kiwis to represent Toa Samoa.
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Auckland will be hoping to put rivalry aside ahead of their NPC clash with old foes Canterbury at Eden Park.
The hosts go into this afternoon's clash still hunting for an elusive first win of the campaign, with last week's 27-25 bonus point loss at Otago just keeping them off the bottom of the ladder.
Winger Lolagi Visinia says they're a young team and still testing a few things out, but that's not translating into victories.
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Warriors assistant coach Stacey Jones has ranked Shaun Johnson as one of the greatest players in the club's history.
Mt Smart was renamed to Shaun Johnson Stadium for his final home game against the Bulldogs, with the playmaker's NRL career winding down after 14 seasons.
Jones says his fellow number seven's resilience puts him among the Warriors' elite.
D'Arcy catches up with former Kiwis Captain Richie Barnett to review Johnson's last game.
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Kudos to NZR.
The news of the result of the schism between Razor and Rangi was a huge surprise. What was even more surprising was that no one knew. Keeping a lid on an internal collapse like that is quite the trick. They must be pleased as punch that their process was sealed to the outside world.
There are aspects to this top floor rupture that have been explained away, but they still leave me in an uncomfortable space. How did this unravel so fast? This suggests the due diligence around the appointment of Leon MacDonald was lacking. History tells us that the relationship between both coaches had been uneasy at times, namely the 2017 fissure at the Crusaders when Leon bailed on Scott to move to Nelson for family etc. then in a flash, he arrived on the Blues doorstep. Nothing wrong with that, surely a flag though, albeit a pennant, not a Garrison, but a flag nonetheless.
There was also the vacuum that was the absence of Leon not only in person, but in the press release too. It’s standard fare for the statements issued around a departing figure to include a vanilla line or two wishing the team the best and thanking NZR for the opportunity. Not this time. Read into that what you will. To me this suggests the split was acrimonious, based on more than just a differing in philosophy.
NZR addressed these concerns and are adamant that although the relationship collapse and subsequent departure was unfortunate, there is nothing more to the story. As The Roots hip-hop group titled their 1999 banger of an album, Things Fall Apart.
I’m sure that whatever happened, the positive aspect here is that before the whole festering boil exploded, it was efficiently lanced.
And we definitely know who wears the trousers in the coaching box.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Rugby Commentator Paul Allison and NZ Herald Online Sports Editor Alex Powell. On this weekend's agenda:
The All Blacks look for revenge at Eden Park, Grace Nweke leaves NZ Netball for greener pastures, and LIV Golf might be on the way to Christchurch.
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Our Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan gives us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport. On today’s agenda:
-It’s a big game tonight for someone who's not playing...
-The Supercars return with a veteran.
-The Wallabies seek redemption against the Boks.
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Kiwitea Street is set for a thrilling Chatham Cup semifinal clash on a special day for the club, as Auckland City FC host Birkenhead United on Sunday.
The Navy Blues will also be celebrating the club's 20th Jubilee with a host of former players and staff.
Kick Off is at 2.00 pm at Kiwitea Street, the home of Auckland City.
Striker Angus Kilkolly joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.
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The All Blacks are demanding an edge up front from their forward pack after coming off second-best last week against Argentina.
The 49-match unbeaten run at Eden Park goes on the line tonight against Los Pumas, who are coming off a win at Sky Stadium last week.
Los Pumas have been belted the following match both times after beating the All Blacks in both 2020 and 2022.
Newstalk ZB Rugby Editor Elliott Smith joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the test.
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Southland are expecting a physical battle against Hawke's Bay as the hosts gear up for their first Ranfurly Shield defence of the season.
The Stags will be looking to use momentum from last weekend's 22-13 win over Otago, as they aim to reclaim the log o' wood for the first time since 2011.
Captain Sean Withy says they will be keeping an eye on Hawke's eye-rolling mauls.
Sean catches up with D'Arcy Waldegrave ahead of their Ranfurly Shield clash.
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All Blacks hooker Codie Taylor is imploring his side to not let Argentina off the hook should the chance present itself in tonight's Rugby Championship rematch at Eden Park.
A series of lead changes in the first match at Sky Stadium saw Los Pumas deny the All Blacks a chance to build a lead with consecutive tries.
Taylor says they simply need to be better at that.
Newstalk ZB Rugby Editor Elliott Smith catches up with Codie Taylor ahead of the historic test match at Eden Park.
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Grace Nweke has punched Netball NZ in the face.
The superstar Silver Fern shooter is off to the Aussie comp, and as a result she will not wear the famed black dress in 2025.
She’ll return to the Kiwi comp and the Ferns after a year of testing herself in the more confrontational Australian Super Netball League. Which technically isn’t a league and labours under the tired ‘Super’ prefix – you’d think after decades of pro sport, the marketing departments across all sports could come up with something better than ‘super’. Whoops, digression.
In essence, Grace is indulging in a sabbatical. More strength to her arm. As a young person, the experience of leaving our shores will be massive, not only for her game, but for her as a human being.
There is nothing inherently wrong with what she is doing. NZ Netball can’t stop her, and she will gain more than she will lose for the experience. Sure, some test caps will go down the gurgler, but her skill base will broaden playing in a more robust competition. Unlike rugby players, who flee the hard knocks of our comps to feather their nest in the limp Japanese set up.
So how does this equate to a punch in the face? Words. The Pen is mightier than the sword etc. The most telling part of her reasoning is this. “I didn’t see any other club in New Zealand being able to tick those boxes for me in terms of growing my game and developing...” and “[I’ve] done all that I can at the club and I just really wanted to challenge myself to grow and be a better netballer at the international level to really add to my skill set. A move would be beneficial to me across the board.”
She’s outgrown the game here. She needs better, to become better.
The moves to upgrade, upskill and reinvent the way Netball NZ manage their competition have been lethargic, if this step from one of the game’s MVPs doesn’t hasten meaningful change, I’m not sure what will.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Rugby Commentator Hamish McKay and Newstalk ZB Sports Reader Nathan Limm.
On this weekend's agenda:
Auckland FC’s controversial signing of a former Wellington Nix player, why isn't the All Blacks test a sell out? And who takes gold in the K1-500m?
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Keirin gold medallist Ellesse Andrews and team-mate Shaane Fulton are through to the round-of-16 stage in the individual sprint at the velodrome.
Andrews registered the third quickest lap in the seeding round.
Bryony Botha and Emily Shearman have finished eighth for New Zealand in the women's madison at the Paris velodrome.
Longtime Cycling Commentator Del Woodford joined D'Arcy to review the action and look ahead to possible medals.
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Maddison-Lee Wesche has produced a personal best of 19.86 metres to win silver in the women's shotput final at Stade de France at the Paris Olympics.
The Kiwi's been pipped for gold on the final throw by Germany's Yemisi Ogunleye, who launched a heave of 20 metres for gold.
NZ Herald Reporter Michael Burgess joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to update the latest from overnight.
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Kayaker Alicia Hoskin has revealed how she's embraced the pressure after winning two gold medals at the Paris Olympics.
The 24-year-old —competing at her second Olympics— has triumphed in the K4 and K2 boats.
Hoskin joined Dame Lisa Carrington in the K2 after the latter won gold with Caitlin Regal in Tokyo.
The dual gold medallist avoided letting the big stage consume her, and joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to reflect on her experiences on the global stage.
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Kayaker Aimee Fisher is aware it's not just Dame Lisa Carrington she needs to worry about in the Olympic women's K1 event.
The two Kiwi rivals eased into the semifinal stage after winning their respective heats.
But Fisher has pointed to Hungary's Tamara Csipes as another one to watch.
Former Olympic Kayaker Ben Fouhy joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the event.
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I’m running out of superlatives. Fortunately, I have a secret stash squirrelled away should Dame Lisa Carrington carry on her barely believable Olympic run
Note to commentators, you can’t say unbelievable, because it isn’t. It's happening right in front of your eyes.
What Dame Lisa is doing is extraordinary. It beggars belief if you will.
Last night's beat down of the opposition in the women's K2 500 final left me slack jawed. Along with Alicia Hoskin, they toyed with their opposition, a cat with wounded mice, batting them around the course until they grew tired with the game and slaughtered them without a thought.
To accelerate away from the cream of the world's female K2 500 talent like molasses had seeped into their lanes was a stark demonstration of the startling ability of Lisa and Alicia. The mental application, the physical prowess, the immense inner faith was there for all to see.
She is a generational talent. This we knew before the start of the games of the 33rd Olympiad, any lingering doubts as to the extent and dominance of her reign were put to bed last night as she, along with Alicia put on a masterclass in the restless conditions of Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.
We are witnessing greatness.
What a time to be sports fan.
What a time to be alive.
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Kiwi cyclist Corbin Strong will compete in the Men’s Road Race alongside fellow New Zealander Laurence Pithie.
Strong believes he's a decent chance for a medal if 'all goes it plan'.
D'Arcy catches up with him before the big race.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Sports Journalist Andrew Gourdie and Rugby Writer Jamie Wall.
On this weekend's agenda:
Why have the Crusaders kept Rob Penney in the top role? Was the Olympics Triathlon a success, and do we have more doping trouble at the Olympics in the swimming?
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A high level of confidence from Mystics goal shoot Grace Nweke that her team can win back-to-back ANZ Premierships in this afternoon's decider against the Pulse in Wellington.
The defending champions are riding a five-game winning streak into the grand final.
Nweke says the faith in her team's ability has never wavered throughout the campaign.
D'Arcy Waldegrave catches up with the goal shoot ahead of the grand final.
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Two-time Olympic rowing gold medallist Mahe Drysdale believes Emma Twigg has struck fear into her rivals ahead of tonight's women's single sculls final in France.
Twigg recorded the fastest time across the semi-finals, but will go head-to-head with Dutchwomen Karolien Florijn, who is on a two-year unbeaten run.
Mahe Drysdale joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the rowing finals.
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NZ Herald Sports Reporter Michael Burgess gives us the latest out of Paris:
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Sprinter Zoe Hobbs is through to the semi-finals of the women's 100 metres.
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Silver for the Mac Attack off the coast of Marseille.
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Maddie Davidson's finished seventh in the women's trampoline event, while Dylan Schmidt crashes out.
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Swimmer Erika Fairweather's recorded the seventh fastest time in the heats of the 800 metres freestyle to qualify for Sunday morning's final.
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Jackie Kiddle and Shannon Cox have finished fourth in the lightweight women's double sculls.
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The New Zealand men's hockey team HAVE LOST 2-1 to Ireland and finish winless!
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Sam Tanner's finished 13th in his heat in the men's 1500 metres to move through to the repechage round.
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Zoe Hobbs is safely through to the semi-finals of the women's 100 metres.
She finished second in her heat with a season's best time of 11.08 seconds.
Hobbs' time is the 14th best in the field, with Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith clocking the quickest time at 10.87 seconds.
Head Coach James Mortimer joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to recap her opening heat.
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New Zealand takes an Olympic sailing silver off the coast of Marseille.
Isaac McHardie and William McKenzie have finished second in the men's skiff 49er class.
It's New Zealand's sixth medal of the Paris Games, leaving us on two gold, three silver and a bronze.
D'Arcy caught up with Will McKenzie following their historic medal.
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The French have definitely turned it on.
The Olympic Opening Ceremony turned a few heads with its very Gallic expressionism, but that was all fluff that mattered little in the grand scale of things. The exuberant colour and use of the beauty of France though has not stopped.
Exit stage left for the artists, musicians, and thespians, and hello to the main event.
The Games to date has been a visual symphony, the TV coverage across the disciplines has been exemplary, and the venues have been works of art, from where they have been set up, to how they’ve been displayed.
The use of Paris’ plethora of architectural icons, selected and positioned for maximum effect, along with the explosive colour palette all expertly curated and integrated into the television coverage, has been something to behold.
All of this without distracting from the point of the exercise, but actually enhancing what is a 5-star global product.
It is one enormous undertaking, a fiscally challenging exercise that provides no financial dividend - quite probably the hosts will be paying for the experience through many generations.
The point of course is not keeping bean-counters happy, the point is showing off France, promoting the nation to the world, resplendent in its finest possible attire.
The populace has responded en masse with tremendous attendance and the visiting hoards have added to this superb display.
The competition remains the absolute focus, this has never faltered, nor should it, and the supporting background cast is setting this Olympics up to be one of the best ever staged.
It’s only halfway through, but already the games of the 33rd Olympiad have been a wonder to behold.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Rugby / Sports Commentator Paul Allison and Editor of 'The Bounce', Dylan Cleaver.
On this weekend's agenda:
What's going on with the Olympic Opening Ceremony? The 'dronegate’ scandal continues to get weirder, and what's going on with the All Blacks’ media treatment?
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Excitement is building in Paris as the Olympic Opening Ceremony gets underway.
Erin Routliffe is competing in the tennis doubles alongside Lulu Sun - they play Italian's J. Paolini and S. Errani later this evening.
Erin caught up with D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview their opening match and the feel of Paris.
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No time for the Tactix to dwell on what could've been ahead of this afternoon's ANZ Premiership netball elimination final against the Mystics in Christchurch.
A win over the Pulse in round 15 would've seen the Mainland side go straight to next weekend's grand final, but now they'll have to take an alternate route to the decider.
Mystics Wing-Defence Michaela Sokolich-Beatson joined D'Arcy to preview the clash.
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New Zealand has shared a boat with Uzbekistan, Uganda, Oman, and Pakistan at the Olympic Games opening ceremony along the River Sein.
A New Zealand brigade of 77 athletes and support staff were on board, including a five-strong sailing contingent that made a 775-kilometre trip from their base in Marseille.
NZ Herald Sports Journalist Michael Burgess joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview day one of competition.
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Soon the sport will start. The purpose, the reason, the point of the Olympic games will leap into action, and eyeballs from all facets of sporting fandom will be locked onto the 32 sports featured throughout the next 17 days of competition.
This is where the rubber hits the road. The years of toil, the long months of personal sacrifice, the early mornings, late nights. The sweat, the anguish, the anxiety, the laser focus on a solitary goal all comes to a head as the world watches on.
The individual effort and achievement of every athlete will be poured over by the crowd, the global TV market and the media, all keys to the success of the games.
The strength of the festival is not the individual, nor the teams involved. The success of the games is within itself. The fact that this event captures the attention of the whole planet, with every nation having skin in the game, every news outlet —radio, tv, print and digital— will burst at the seams with coverage. The good, the bad, and in Canadian football, the ugly.
This fortnight transcends sport, although it is the driver of the drama, it is a period when the world pauses. We attempt to push to one side the pain of existence, the perpetual misery of economics, politics, pestilence, disease and war and focus on the joy of competition.
The content has been twisted and morphed over the current Olympic epoch, but the essence remains the same, nations challenging each other under the umbrella of the most significant insignificance there is, sport. It means everything in the present, but when the dust settles, the result doesn’t mean as much as the exchange itself.
Represent Aotearoa, we’re behind you 100 percent.
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NZ North Island Championship 2024 is an official World Cube Association (WCA) sanctioned speedcubing competition.
Speedcubing is a competitive sport involving solving a range of twisty puzzles, such as the famous Rubik's Cube, as quickly as possible.
The North Island Championships are being held in Taupo at the 'Great Lake Centre' between 20-21 July.
Alex Asbery joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the event.
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The Franklin Bulls are through the NBL basketball semi-finals after belting the Wellington Saints 104-67 in the capital.
They'll take on the Auckland Tuatara next Wednesday at Eventfinda Stadium
Meanwhile the Canterbury Rams take on the Taranaki Airs in the first Semi-Final on Sunday afternoon.
Airs player Derone Raukawa joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.
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Central Pulse netball coach Anna Andrews-Tasola is determined to repay fans' support by earning hosting rights for the ANZ Premiership grand final.
The Pulse and Tactix meet in the final regular season match in Wellington on Monday, both coming off surprises losses last weekend.
Tasola predicts a spicy encounter, saying grand final hosting rights is important for the team, supporters and their community.
D'Arcy catches up with Tactix Head Coach Marianne Delaney-Hoshek preview the clash.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' consists of NZ Herald Online Sports Editor Alex Powell and Rugby Writer Phil Gifford.
On this weekend's agenda:
Scott 'Razor' Robertson's picks a fresh looking side for Fiji, Is Ardie Saeva's move to Moana a good idea? And are we excited for the Olympics next week?
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Gotta love Ardie Savea’s decision to move to Moana Pasifika for the next Super Rugby season, if indeed it pans out. NZ Herald rugby scribe Liam Napier rarely misses the mark, so the story around the move released yesterday will most likely be on point.
The move does raise some questions and it can be seen as a backward step by one of the game’s elite, for me though, the positives outweigh the negatives.
The biggest issue is how such a transfer could affect the standard of his game. No longer surrounded by high quality athletes, his presence on the field and game breaking ability may be curtailed under the weight of holding the team together. This is valid to a degree but I'm more inclined to think that he would grow and flourish under that pressure, his leadership and mana coming to the fore and his already outstanding application increasing its breadth.
The effect this would have on a franchise that is being hammered by a lack of home ground and sub-optimal results is palpable.
Not only would his presence bring eyeballs to the screens, sponsors to the team and bums to seats (wherever the seats are), but players would also be encouraged to set up shop at the shaky club.
It’s not the panacea to all their ailments, and shouldn't be seen as such, but the relocation of an athlete of his standing would be a massive shot in the arm.
If indeed this does happen, the emphasis now must be on securing Moana a home ground to call their own and build on what will be one of the shock player moves in Super rugby history.
Pukekohe is the obvious choice, just don’t schedule a match on Friday night, or the fan base won't be in the stands, they’ll be listening to the game on the car radio, stuck in the endless snake of traffic that curses the Southern motorway.
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Hope from the All Blacks captain that rugby can find a foothold in the United States, ahead of his side's latest game in the Land of the Free tomorrow.
Scott Barrett made his test debut in Chicago eight years ago against Ireland and now finds himself as skipper.
Barrett says the sport has the potential to grow in the USA, which is set to host the 2031 Rugby World Cup.
D'Arcy caught up with Newstalk ZB Rugby Commentator Elliott Smith to preview the clash.
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The Footlocker U18 Nationals is a Basketball New Zealand organised national tournament for Under 18 players that may have prioritised or specialized in basketball.
This tournament provides the opportunity to compete against the top players from each region across the country in their age group.
Tournament Coordinator Jay MacDonald joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the event being held in Wellington.
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The Black Ferns are keen to continue their evolution ahead of next year's World Cup in England.
New Zealand tackles Australia in Brisbane on Sunday afternoon, with coach Alan Bunting looking to trial some new on-field initiatives. The Ferns will also be chasing their 26th straight test win against the Wallaroos.
Chryss Viliko joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.
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Our Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan gives us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport. Today’s chat included:
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It's a big weekend for 'blues' fans.
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It’s also a big weekend for Wallabies fans in Melbourne.
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Everyone is out finding their 'green and gold' tracksuits.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Rugby Writer Jamie Wall and Rugby Commentator Hamish McKay.
On this weekend's agenda:
Scott 'Razor' Robertson's sticks with very similar side, are we worried about the Eden Park record? And is football really coming home to England?
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England will look to do what no team has done in 30 years in tonight's second test against the All Blacks... beat New Zealand at Eden Park.
The hosts' last defeat at the Garden of Eden was in 1994 against France, since then going unbeaten in 48 games at the venue.
All Black Hooker Asafo Aumua caught up with Newstalk ZB Rugby Commentator Elliott Smith to preview the clash.
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Tonight's test match has the potential to be catastrophic for coach Scott Robertson. For the players too if they lose, but more so for the brand-new coach.
The TAB say the All Blacks should overcome the English threat with relative ease, $1.25 plays $3.70, these betting bros are a relevant barometer in these spaces, but sport is sport, it has a nasty habit of upsetting the apple cart which is the inherent joy it presents.
The potential catastrophe of course is becoming the first coach in 30 years to soil the sheets at Eden Park.
Razor’s ascension to the throne has been a turgid and weighty tale, an exercise in how not to manage a coaching transition. It was a period that NZR would rather forget. Hamfisted? Cumbersome? The less said about that pie fight the better.
The much sought after role has been landed and the process of justification has commenced. Step one was shaky, but be it by 20 points or 1, the win was secured. Now for a match that will shape public opinion of Robertson, should it end in defeat.
To cast him and his side as a failure only 2 matches into his tenure would be mean spirited and more than a little premature. But it would set the tone for the year and find a team struggling for traction in acceptance by the NZ rugby public.
Ian Foster won’t be remembered for nearly winning the World Cup. He'll be remembered for being the first coach to lead his men into the abyss of the first home loss to Ireland, the first series loss to them as well, the first test defeat to Argentina and the first home test defeat to Los Pumas too. His win percentage (70%) is just above Laurie Mains, the man who was pulling the strings the last time the ABs tasted defeat at Eden Park.
NZ rugby has a nasty habit of letting loss dominate, the wins are something to behold, but the losses reverberate through the players and fanbase with a brutal resonance.
The monster of an Eden Park defeat hasn’t been seen in years, yet it still casts a foreboding shadow over tonight's game, which brings a chilling dimension to what will be a fascinating exchange.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Graeme 'The Sportsfreak’ Beasley and Newstalk ZB Sports News Journalist Nathan Limm.
On this weekend's agenda... Scott 'Razor' Robertson's first hit out as All Blacks Coach - does he have to win? Lulu Sun is the hottest ticket in town, and what's going on with the Football Ferns? It's still a shambles.
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Our Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan joined to give us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport. On today’s agenda:
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The dawning of a new era in Australian Rugby.
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It’s a big afternoon for the Wahs.
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Controversy with an Olympic selection ahead of the Paris Games.
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Māori All Blacks Head Coach Ross Filipo has made a handful of changes to his team as they look to secure their second win against Japan XV this Saturday at Toyota Stadium.
Filipo has listed three debutants with Crusaders Taha Kemara (Te Whānau a Apanui, Te Whakatōhea), Highlanders Nikora Broughton (Ngā Rauru, Ngāti Ruanui), and Blues Corey Evans (Te Aupouri, Ngāti Kahu) joining from the bench.
Taha Kemara joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the game.
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Auckland City FC will be aiming for a spot in the last eight of the Chatham Cup when they travel to the Waipa District of the Waikato to face in-form Lotto NRFL Southern Conference side Cambridge FC on Saturday afternoon.
Auckland City Captain Mario Ilich joined D'Arcy to preview their clash.
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All Blacks coach Scott Robertson wants to stop England's line speed in tonight's first test at Dunedin's Forsyth Barr Stadium.
The match is Robertson's first test in charge, having got the job last March.
Robertson says England are a dangerous team if given time and space.
Newstalk ZB and Gold Sport Commentator Paul Miller joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the opening test of 2024.
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Tonight's test match, the opening salvo in Scott Robertsons attack on world rugby, has so many intriguing threads that it’s almost impossible to determine the most significant aspect of the most keenly anticipated home game of recent times.
But regardless of a plethora of talking points, I suppose it all boils down to one thing.
It’s not discipline, but that is of the utmost importance. The card era of recent times must cease.
It’s not the ref, those people are beyond control and reason, but the team can play in a manner that reduces possible influence from the guy with the whistle.
It’s not the leadership of new skip Scott Barrett, but his ability to remain calm under the blow torch will carry immense weight.
It’s not the ability of the underdone team to hit the ground running, to shed rust and to put to one side the super rugby law interpretations whilst climbing back into the more rigid international applications.
It’s a combination of all of the above that will culminate in the only real measure of the new era’s dawn.
Victory.
Win ugly, win pretty. Win controversially. Just win.
As impressive as Foster’s AB run to the world cup final was, they stumbled when it counted. A series of unfortunate events consigned the side to a heartbreaking loss. This essentially summed up Foster’s time in charge. Close, but not quite close enough. Podium, but not the top step. Tasty, but not delicious.
The clumsy AF power transfer between coaches has been another cloudy passage for NZR. Handled with the delicacy of Edward Scissorhands, now is the time for the shredded mess to heal. This match marks the start of a process of redemption.
Like it or not, fair or not, the previous regime was not wholly supported by the public, with constant debates around the strength of the coach and the captain.
The stench of a few barely digestible losses of recent times still hangs thick in the air.
Nothing short of a win tonight will be satisfactory.
Nothing.
That'll do.
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Auckland Rugby Women's premier final (The Coleman Shield) is on this Saturday between Ponsonby and Marist.
The final returns to Ponsonby's home ground of Western Springs after having to relocate in 2023 due to flood damage.
Black Ferns and Ponsonby Captain Eloise Blackwell joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Rugby Commentator Paul Allison and Rugby Writer Phil Gifford.
On this weekend's agenda: Scott 'Razor' Robertson has named his first squad of the year, should we be more sympathetic towards Shaun Johnson? And who's getting up at 2am for the Cricket World Cup Final?
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Our Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan is back to give us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport. On today’s agenda:
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It's only June but it’s already crunch time in the NRL.
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Australia's backing who they are calling the 'Demon'.
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Six players are in line to make their debut for the Māori All Blacks in game one against Japan XV this Saturday, 10.00pm NZST at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, Tokyo.
Highlanders and Canterbury’s Billy Harmon (Ngāi Tahu) was named openside flanker alongside Cullen Grace (Ngāti Whakaue) in No.8 and Cameron Suafoa (Ngāpuhi) blindside.
Cam Suafoa joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the game.
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The Central League is run by 'Capital Football' for association football clubs located in the southern and central parts of the North Island.
It is a New Zealand top-tier competition during the winter season and sits at step two overall under the summer National League.
Wellington Phoenix Reserves Captain Xuan Loke joined D'Arcy to preview their clash against North Wellington.
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The Warriors want to remind their fans and fellow NRL teams what they're about when they play the Broncos at Mt Smart this afternoon.
The Auckland franchise dropped to 13th on the ladder after a shock 60-point defeat to the Titans last week.
Former Coach Frank Endacott joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the game and discuss what needs to change for the 'Wahs'.
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It’s probably just me, but there’s a perverse sense of comfort around the tail-spinning Warriors. Their accelerated plummet back to earth is a warm embrace from the past.
Don’t get me wrong, the halcyon days of 2023 will always serve as a beacon of hope for fans of the club who have endured like no other over the last quarter of a century, but now we are back in our regular rhythm.
There will be barbecues in years to come where older folk will gather around a hotplate with cans of Lion Rouge, telling lies about where they watched the games that lit a bonfire of hope beneath them. Initially it was a welcome warmth after years of freezing in the bitter and exclusionary cold of dwelling in the bottom 8. Sadly, that comforting heat soon ignited and flame-grilled those who stood too close.
So here we are, back in familiar territory, a loveable bunch of lads who flirt with greatness then forget their boots. They know they can beat the best; we know they can beat the best; the best know they can be beaten by them but invariably they beat themselves. This season has been the perfect illustration of that precis.
I may well be wrong, and it brings me no pleasure to forecast the age-old struggle of staring down the barrel of must win fixtures before the inevitable mathematical chance phrase permeates the narrative.
It’s horrid I know, but maybe LAST year was our year.
That’ll do.
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The Gazley Volkswagen Wellington Marathon, Half Marathon, 10km fun run, and Kids' Magic Mile are back on 23 June 2024.
All races consist of flat out and back courses starting on the Sky Stadium Walkway and heading south on Waterloo Quay toward the Railway Station.
Thousands of runners and walkers participate in this annual event, which was established by the Wellington Marathon Clinic and has been Wellington's favourite footrace for 37 years.
Race Director Michael Jacques joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss the event.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Rugby Commentator Hamish McKay and Newstalk ZB Sports News Director Clay Wilson.
On this weekend's agenda:
Who's going to win Super Rugby Pacific, cricket contracts are becoming more and more difficult for NZC, and what's going on behind the scenes at New Zealand Football?
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Our Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan brought us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport. On today’s agenda:
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Origin is the great leveller for the NRL.
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The Wallabies have named their squad for TRC.
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The table topping Tactix believe they've combated the possibility of fatigue being a factor in this afternoon's ANZ Premiership clash with the Southern Steel in Invercargill.
They're coming off a six-day turn-around from their extra time triumph over the Pulse.
Coach Marianne Delaney-Hoshek says they gave her players the beginning of the week off.
D'Arcy caught up with midcourter Kimiora Poi to preview the clash.
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Whoda thunk it? The Warriors play this afternoon, and they play second fiddle to rugby union.
Granted, it’s an NRL regular season game versus a super rugby final, but for the Wahs to be overshadowed by the Blues is quite something right?
Is it a case of the media losing interest in a team that appears to be losing touch with the NRLs top 8 after a sloppy effort versus the Storm? That the game is on the Gold Coast not at the perpetually full Mt Smart? Or NZ’s national game has finally presented an engaging season with a great product culminating in a traditional hate match at a sold-out Eden Park?
After 2 decades of failure, a Blues win may be the panacea the game needs in the country's biggest city. With the biggest catchment area, it is bizarre that the team has won essentially nothing in over 2 decades. Sure, there was the cobbled together covid Trans Tasman series, 5 rounds of pandemic confusion, but a title of significance is but a distant memory.
There are many reasons for the resurgence of interest in Super Rugby - a series that is attempting to be more, dare I say it, fancentric. The referees are pulling their heads in, the slight tweaks to the laws and a desire by the teams to play heads up, running rugby. This excitement has come as players are keen to impress a new AB coach, looking to restructure and reinvigorate the national side in the shadow of retirements and sabbaticals. After the multi car pile ups of rugby's ham-fisted administration, rugby on the park, without a peep from the suit crew, has really shone. Note to NZR, be quiet.
The Warriors have owned the oval ball code in the Queen city of recent times. A heady mix of being part of a slick product and some eye-opening results through the Webster era, has injected life into the franchise not seen in sometime.
Rugby desperately needs this rolling maul of a seasons end and will be looking to put an exclamation mark on it with this huge final.
For the good of rugby in NZ, a Blues victory is essential.
Not that the Chiefs will agree or play ball.
Game on.
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The Blues are holding tightly to the pain of their 2022 final defeat to the Crusaders at Eden Park as they prepare to make another run for the Super Rugby title.
The sold-out decider against the Chiefs could mark their first fully fledged championship since 2003.
Blues lock Sam Darry joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview what’s set to be an intense final.
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It's the 50th anniversary of Secondary Schools Cross Country Championships in Christchurch.
New Zealand Athletics Association President Tony Rogers told D’Arcy Waldegrave “It’s a stone’s throw from the original in Cuthbert’s Green.”
Rogers said “We've got 800 athletes – from 135 schools around the country.”
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The inaugural Ice Hockey 3v3 Super Showdown is happening in Queenstown on June 14th and 15th, 2024.
The 2024 Super Showdown will feature all six NZIHL teams as they face off in 3v3 tournament style play.
GM Paris Heyd joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the event.
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The Chatham Cup is New Zealand's premier knockout tournament in men's association football.
All matches will be played on the weekend of June 15th for the third round of both competitions (Kate Shepard Cup and Chatham Cup).
Paul Hobson out of Birkenhead United joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview their fixture against Central United.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' consists of NZ Herald's Alex Powell and Graeme 'Sportsfreak' Beasley.
On this weekend's agenda... The Blues too good for the Brumbies, but was anyone surprised? Can the Hurricanes make it to the big dance? And what's going wrong at New Zealand Cricket?
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Jim Dolan - Our Australian Correspondent, gives us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport.
- It's still all about Origin in New South Wales and Queensland
- All eyes on a certain athlete today.
- Australians are talking about Super Rugby for some reason.
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Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan is brushing off suggestions his team are flying under the radar in Super Rugby.
The Chiefs take on the top-seeded Hurricanes in this afternoon's semi-final in the capital, with the winner squaring off against the Blues in the decider.
McMillan feels his side are building momentum at the right time.
D'Arcy catches up with Daniel Rona out of the Chiefs camp to preview the game.
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In Super Rugby Pacific’s second semi-final, the Hurricanes will face last season’s runners-up, the Chiefs.
The game is expected to be much more competitive than Friday night’s semi-final in Auckland.
Hurricanes coaching staff Bryn Evans told D’Arcy Waldegrave “There was an emotive aspect we had to deal with last week with the Rebels.”
Evans said “This week, it’s another step up – win or go home.”
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The Northern Mystics are embracing the challenge to hold on to their play-off position in the ANZ Premiership.
The defending champs have lost their last three matches and now sit just two points ahead of the Magic in the race for a top 3 placing and finals netball.
Phoenix Karaka joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.
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Can the Wahs pick their biggest bogey this evening at Mt Smart?
The offending nose goblin, lodged deep in the nostril of the home team for 15 consecutive games, is even money to be picked and flicked as the Warriors look to pick up their fourth win on the bounce this year.
A full house, the return of Shaun Johnson to an almost full-strength side and the table topping Storm rolling up on a Saturday night is a mouthwatering prospect.
On the line for the visitors is the chance to extend their dominance over a side that had victory swiped from them at the hands of Xavier Coates, whose freakshow aerial try-scoring masterpiece shattered the Wahs in the dying seconds of their round 2 clash. Interestingly, the last time the Penrose kids beat the Storm, Nathan Friend pulled off one of the wildest passes seen, an aerial backflip through the legs move that was as freakish as Coates’ try.
There are only 2 Warriors players remaining from that fixture, Shaun Johnson and Tohu Harris, who was playing for the Storm.
That was 3,261 days ago.
So they’re due then?
Hmmmm.
Well, this is NRL, and this is the Warriors. After 3 sensational wins in a row, odds on they fluff their lines and the Storm blow through them.
The Warriors will dig deep, knuckle deep, but the long-time occupant of the Wahs nasal canal will probably remain, set to irritate for years to come.
That’ll do.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Rugby Writers Phil Gifford and Jamie Wall.
On this weekend's agenda:
Have people forgotten about the Cricket World Cup already? The Premier League decided to keep the VAR, and was the Joseph Sua'a'li'i tackle worthy of a send-off?
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Eight of New Zealand’s top fighters will be squaring off under international K-1 rules on June 8th at the Eventfinda Stadium.
In the electric atmosphere of an elimination 8-man tournament, the format requires the winner to defeat 3 opponents in a single night and provides the ultimate test of both skill and endurance.
D'Arcy made his way to the CKB gym to chat with upcoming local fighter Nixon Suddens.
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Our Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan is back to give us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport. On today’s agenda:
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Who is making changes for Origin Two?
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Australian Rugby has a new saviour.
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Things are on the up for Australia's favourite team.
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The Blues insist they're ready for whichever Fijian Drua side emerges from under the Eden Park tunnel tonight in their Super Rugby Pacific quarter final.
The Drua haven't managed a road win this season, with their six wins all coming in Fiji.
Kurt Eklund joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview their clash.
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It's a battle of the cellar dwellers this afternoon in Auckland when the Northern Stars host the Southern Steel in netball's ANZ Premiership.
It's pretty much a must-win for both sides, if they're to make the post-season.
The Steel, who've won two games from eight attempts, are second-bottom but surprisingly have the same points as the winless, dead-last Stars.
Both teams need the points if they're to close the gap on the top-three playoff places with six rounds to go, but are well behind the fourth-placed Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic.
Emma Thompson out of the Northern Stars joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.
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The Hurricanes are bracing for the Rebels to come out swinging in what could be their last-ever Super Rugby Pacific game.
The visitors will be looking to go out on a high after being dumped from Super Rugby due to financial difficulties ahead of the first playoffs in their 14-year history.
Jordie Barrett joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash in Wellington.
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Afghanistan, West Indies, Uganda, Papua New Guinea.
On the face of it, New Zealand's journey toward the knockout stages of the T20 World Cup doesn’t appear to be onerous.
New Zealand starts their campaign late, nearly a week after the comp got up and running. They enter the fray with no warmup games under their belt. Some of the team didn't arrive until Sunday. After time in the ICL (Indian Cash League) some of them needed time at home with family before heading to the World Cup. A fractured lead in, you could say.
So, are they underdone? That’s the question. On the face of it, yes, they are, but in such an abrupt format, does that even matter? Frankly, no.
Plainly they need to hit the ground sprinting and hammer the Afghan side. One win in their first 2 matches should be enough to qualify, providing they lay waste to the minnows to finish the round-robin. Seems straightforward enough until the tyranny above rears its ugly head and drops its payload. Rain. The arch enemy of cricket.
The format itself is prone to upset results through the brevity of the exchanges. Add truncated or abandoned fixtures into the mix, highly likely in the Caribbean currently, the need to take competition points with healthy net run rates is essential. Sunshine and hay making if you will.
Win and win well while you can. The vagaries of West Indian weather may well have a bigger say in proceedings than would be welcome.
To start the comp with a heavy defeat through rust could indeed leave the Black Caps in a tenuous position from the get-go.
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The 2024 Oceania Athletics Championships will take place in Suva, Fiji 1-8 June.
The event will include U18 and Open age groups
New Zealand Team Captain and 110m Hurdler Josh Hawkins joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss the meet.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Rugby Commentator Hamish McKay and Newstalk ZB Sports Journalist Nathan Limm.
On this weekend's agenda:
The NZR Governance debacle, are the Rebels a loss to Super Rugby, were Auckland FC's new signings a bit underwhelming? And should Beauden Barrett have been allowed to play for the Blues?
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Our Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan is back to give the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport. On the agenda this morning:
-The 'Blues' are weirdly looking for injury at training.
-The stars have been left out of the NRL... All because of 'Origin'.
-Super Rugby is at the pointed end.
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Super Rugby's playoff picture comes down to the final three matches this evening, with the Hurricanes, Blues, and Brumbies all fighting for top position.
Both the Hurricanes and Blues are tied on points at the top —with the Blues ahead on points difference— and the Brumbies just three points back.
The action kicks off with the Hurricanes hosting the Highlanders from 4:35.
Hurricanes Midfielder Billy Proctor joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview their clash against the Southerners.
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Chiefs first-five Damian McKenzie insists his side won't be surrendering easily against the Blues in tonight's Super Rugby clash at Eden Park.
That's despite the Chiefs locking up a top-four spot on the ladder, with a home quarterfinal all but secured.
McKenzie expects tonight's Kiwi derby to bring the best out of his team.
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Stadia? Governance? Socks and undies for Christmas. I’m done. 6 months until the zombie of Auckland venues rises again and staggers around the place before eating its own brain and who knows how long before NZ Rugby essentially does the same thing.
I’m going to let the undead do their lie in a hole and focus on what is very much alive in rugby, Super Rugby Pacific.
This comp, contrary to popular opinion at the start, has provided. Not only has the rugby been of top quality (for the most part), but the fans have also started to come back, and the last round is serving up a fascinating series of games for punters to feast on.
Takeaways so far for this sport hack...
The Blues and the Hurricanes are playing must-watch footy.
The competition is a lot more engaging when the Crusaders soil the bedsheets.
The Chiefs have learned the value of not peaking too early.
Pacifica rugby is bringing a new layer of exuberance to proceedings.
Bonus points have made a silk purse out of some pig-eared teams.
8 teams qualifying for the finals isn’t as bad as we thought.
Booting 2 clauses out of law 10.7 has worked. That’s the kick tennis tweak.
The Rebel's demise has a positive. No more Super Round.
I also think that the energy behind new All-Black coach Crazy Razor Ray Robertson and the retirement of some key players has left all Super players believing anything is possible now the decks have been cleared. They’re playing with urgency, excitement, and an overwhelming sense of ‘pick me’!
No, it’s not perfect, but it’s a whole lot more entertaining than boardroom zombies ripping their arms off and beating each other with the wet end.
That’ll do.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Rugby Commentator Paul Allison and Graeme 'The Sportsfreak' Beasley.
On this weekend's agenda:
Was Rob Penney right to drop the C-Bomb? The Warriors don't seem to be able to control Addin Fonua-Blake, and are we forced to care about the NZR governance review?
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Our Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan gave us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport. On the agenda today:
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The Sharks will find out if they are actually the real deal
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There’s a big fixture ahead in the A-League
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Yet another Australian coach in trouble...
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Expected a wounded Black Ferns outfit to come out firing against the Wallaroos this afternoon in their first Laurie O'Reilly contest in North Harbour.
New Zealand suffered their first ever loss to Canada last weekend, conceding the Pacific Four Series title to boot.
Lock Alana Bremner says there have been some tough conversations this week.
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The Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic believe they've amended their horror start against the Mystics ahead of this afternoon's contest against the top of the table Central Pulse in the ANZ Premiership.
The Mystics blew out to a 34-16 lead by halftime last round before the Magic came right in the second half.
Goal keep Erena Mikaere says they've gone back to basics.
Erena joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the fixture.
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The Chiefs are ruing their ill-discipline following their 20-17 Super Rugby loss to the Hurricanes in Hamilton.
Along with losing flanker Kaylum Boshier for ten minutes in the first half, the hosts failed to capitalise on a red card to Canes hooker Raymond Tuputupu.
Brett Cameron kicked the winning penalty after Chiefs captain Luke Jacobson was controversially penalised for not rolling away at the breakdown.
Sky Sport Rugby Commentator Tony Johnson joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to review the fixture.
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Addin Fonua-Blake packed a sad and has been sent to the naughty corner. Good.
Go to your room and think about what you've done.
Scuttlebutt and water cooler theorizing would have you believe that his petulance wasn’t the only driver in Andrew Webster’s decision to discipline him. There may well be truth to those musings after his departure call late last year and his imminent move to the Sharks.
But as it stands, a pork chop sulking episode is more than enough of a reason to send him to bed without dinner.
Team. Simple concept, easily explained, but sometimes not as easy to implement. Individuals do not win team sports. They can be enormously influential in positive results, but equally so when the wheels fall off.
Addin is a highly paid, very talented figurehead of the Warriors. If he can throw his not-so-insignificant weight around, set a standard only for himself, and play fast and loose with team protocols, the only result will be a disconnect within the playing group.
Webster is well aware of this. He is also cognisant of his role in the organisation.
The most important individual in a team is the coach. They set the standard. They make the tough selection calls. They provide the structure and framework for success, on and off the park.
It was a no brainer to stand Addin down. If this behavioural spark is allowed to smoulder then eventually reignite, the resulting bonfire has the potential to burn the Warriors whare to the ground.
Coach knows this. As uncomfortable as it may be for the fans —having the exceptional talent of AFB in the stands— Webster’s flex was necessary.
His team will react positively to this move, the question now is how will Addin respond?
That’ll do.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Newstalk ZB Sports News Director Clay Wilson and Rugby Writer Phil Gifford.
On this weekend's agenda:
The betting scandal that has rocked the A-League, the Nix playing in front of a sold-out crowd in Wellington, and was Sam Cane treated poorly by New Zealand's media?
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The Blues are embracing the target on their back in the Super Rugby competition.
Their 8-game winning streak has moved them to the top of the ladder, with three weeks in the regular season remaining.
Stephen Perofeta joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss his return to the squad following a shoulder injury.
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Black Ferns assistant coach Tony Christie is demanding a more consistent defensive display, despite conceding just the one try in their first test of the PAC-4 Championship.
New Zealand hosts Canada in Christchurch on Sunday on the back of their 57-5 win over the United States in Hamilton.
Christie —who looks after the defence portfolio— says they measure success in that area beyond the score-sheet.
Luka Connor joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview their clash against the Canadians.
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Wellington Phoenix coach Giancarlo Italiano's adamant they'll stand up to the expectation of a sold-out home crowd and the biggest game in franchise history.
The Phoenix will face the Melbourne Victory tonight in leg two of their A-League semi in Wellington, with aggregate locked at nil-all.
Scott Wootton joined D'Arcy Waldegrave ahead of the sold-out fixture.
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The battling Crusaders have been forced to make two changes to their reserves bench for their Super Rugby Pacific match against the Brumbies in Canberra.
Backs replacements Rivez Reihana and Macca Springer are out for medical reasons, replaced by Taha Kemara and potential debutant Taine Robinson.
Tom Christie joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss their hopes of keeping their season alive.
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The A-League fixing scandal has come at the worst possible time for the competition.
On the eve of the two second-leg semifinal fixtures, the dirty underbelly of professional sport was exposed for all to see.
Sadly, this was hardly a shock. The only surprise is that it’s taken such a long time for an unfortunate occurrence such as this to surface in this neck of the woods.
The sporting world is as pure as driven silt. This we know. From spot-fixing to administrative corruption, doping to underhanded physical on-field abuse, sport is a microcosm of the frailties of the human state.
There are bad eggs. Bad actors. It’s a reality we must accept.
The back story in the A-League case is where the interest really lies for me.
As we know from previous fixing cases, they can sometimes stem from the smallest of indiscretions, an innocuous albeit poor decision, that can quickly gain momentum and drag the player into making bigger and more damning calls.
Why any professional athlete would risk flushing their career, their reputation, and their livelihood down the drain for $10,000 is beyond me. It’s beyond stupid, there must be darker forces in action.
As for the implications this yellow card controversy has had on the outcomes of other fixtures, we will never know. Has this cast a shadow over the legitimacy of the league? What other untoward activities have occurred yet remain undetected?
The timing of the arrests leaves little to be desired from the A-League's perspective, but the long arm of the law won’t be restrained by the scheduling of the finals, regardless of bad press at the wrong time for a league who’s struggles of recent times are well known.
But really, I’m going to focus on what really matters.
Lets gone Wellington!
Up the Nix.
That’ll do.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Freelance Rugby Writer Jamie Wall and Rugby Commentator Hamish McKay.
On this weekend's agenda: should NZR be chasing the return of Richie Mo'unga? Who will come out on top when the Blues host the Hurricanes at Eden Park? Is it time to panic about the Warriors?
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Our Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan is back to give us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport. On today’s agenda:
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Latrell Mitchell returns to first grade this evening and there's a big surprise awaiting him.
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We’re down to the business end of the A-league.
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The Waratahs get to enjoy watching a winning team tonight...
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It's one game at a time for the Wellington Phoenix men as they arrive in Melbourne to tackle the Victory.
Nix coach Giancarlo Italiano says Sunday's A-League semifinal first leg is all that matters right now, and they won't be getting ahead of themselves.
Central Coast Mariners have beaten Sydney FC 2-1 in the first leg of their A League semi-final and hold the whip hand, playing at home in the second leg.
Finn Surman joined Elliott Smith out of the Phoenix camp to preview their clash.
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The Black Ferns are hoping to start fresh in 2024 when they take on the USA in their Pacific Four Series clash in Hamilton this afternoon.
The last time the New Zealand women took the field was at the W-X-V tournament last October, where they lost to England and France.
Black Ferns prop Kate Henwood joined Elliott Smith to preview their first test of the year.
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The Hurricanes are determined to stay top of the Super Rugby table leading into the playoffs.
The Canes have been on the top rung of the ladder all season, but will be toppled if they lose to the Blues at Eden Park this afternoon.
Skipper Brad Shields says they don't want to drop apex status with the finals just around the corner.
Blues Prop Angus Ta'avao joined Elliott Smith to preview the top of the table clash.
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Live commentary of the match on Gold Sport and iHeartRadio.
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In the world of retirements from international sport, Colin Munro's from international cricket was an interesting one.
Because he hadn't actually played for the Black Caps since February 2020. Hadn't got a contract in 2020, so he moved abroad.
Then he turned himself into a T20 globetrotter - playing for franchises around the globe and slugging runs for fun for many of them.
But that wasn't enough to crack a spot back in the Black Caps. Despite him being chased by a number of teams —from the Brisbane Heat to the Toronto Nations to the St Lucia Kings— as a gun for hire, NZC were steadfast in not picking him from abroad.
He hasn't got a chance and has finally decided after missing out on the T20 World Cup next month that enough is enough, and he'll pull pin on his international career.
In an interview you can hear later today on Weekend Sport, and you might have caught a bit of on our news bulletins yesterday, Munro felt his card was marked by previous NZC CEO David White.
This is where cricket in this country needs to make a decision fast. Because Munro was a trendsetter in many ways and didn't get picked, now we have Trent Boult choosing when to play and that trickle could become a tide.
He felt like he wasn't given a fair opportunity in his best format for his country and it's hard to disagree.
The ICC needs to carve out non-T20 franchise periods for cricket ASAP, but NZ Cricket needs to pick its best talent and they didn't do that with Colin. Let's hope he's the last player whose talents they fail to make the most of.
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New Zealand's top darts players return for the 'Sun City Darts' tournament as part of the DPNZ Pro Tour.
Stu Irwin joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the event out of Nelson.
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Notoriously superstitious Phoenix coach Giancarlo doesn't even want to look at the A-League's Premier's Plate, which has arrived in Wellington.
It's there in case the Nix end their regular season on top after tomorrow's home game against Macarthur F.C.
Italiano says he won't be looking at the silverware and he doesn't want his players to see it either, saying it's "bad luck" and "almost like kryptonite" to him.
Wellington Nix midfielder Ben Old joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.
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The Stars are in must-win mode against the Magic as they search for their first win of the ANZ Premiership netball season.
After two rounds the Auckland side sit fourth on a points difference, having lost their opening two games to the Pulse and Tactix by much closer margins.
But coach Kiri Wills says the Magic are also in must-win mode, and they're expecting the Magic to come out firing.
Northern Stars defender Holy Fowler joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Netball Commentator Jenny Woods and Rugby Writer Phil Gifford.
On this weekend's agenda... is Eden Park the front runner for Auckland's stadium choice? The Crusaders finally get another win on the board, and are the wheels falling off the Wahs bandwagon?
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Our Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan has returned to give us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport. On the agenda today:
- Aussie is all about LIV golf at the moment.
- Someone's been de-clawed in Tiger town.
- There is something 'small' happening in Super Rugby W.
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The Crusaders and Chiefs have enjoyed Super Rugby wins under the Friday night lights either side of the Tasman.
The Crusaders strolled past the Rebels 39-nil in Christchurch for their second win of the campaign.
Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan's pleased with his side's physical response in a 38-22 win over the Waratahs.
McMillan says they were outdone at the breakdown last time out against the Hurricanes but didn't allow that to happen against the 'Tahs.
Sky Sport Commentator Tony Johnson joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to review both games.
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On Monday, there will be a recommendation made to Auckland councillors around the future Auckland stadium.
They’ll vote in mid-late May and then the city will move forward into a brave new world of proper, purpose-built modern stadiums.
Tui ad, right?
For as long as I’ve been stinking up the sporting airwaves, stadia talk has been prevalent. Opportunity after opportunity missed, as the powers that be stumble about before tripping into their think tanks and drowning.
Money, location, self-serving needs and traditional ties to our meat and 2 veg sports have always scuppered any chance Auckland has had of lifting the city up with a stadium that they can be proud of.
The options are 4-fold.
3 on the Waitemata and the grand old lady up in Kingsland.
The uber-glamourous NZR-backed Quay Park, the sunken Stadium, the Wynyard Quarter development and Eden Park are all jostling for position to become the chosen one.
But let's face it, Auckland doesn't have the required balls to do anything brave or cutting edge. Never has, never will. The city’s history is a sad story of conservatism, fear, and half-cooked efforts. The Victoria Park Flyover and tunnel being the perfect example.
The Warriors have more of a chance of winning the NRL than AK has of building a brand-new waterfront stadium.
Eden Park will be the future.
That decision sits nicely in the sensible, risk-averse comfort that has long been the go-to for the city’s leaders.
Let’s hope that when Eden Park is chosen, the refit etc doesn’t bow to the tyranny of fear and budget, leaving us with yet another shambles to regret in coming years.
If it is the future, please build us something we can all be proud of and enjoy going to.
CEO Nick Sautner and his team have been doing everything they can to lift the park to the heights we deserve, their attitude, vision and commitment may well be the saving grace of this whole long-term stadia debacle.
That’ll do.
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The pinnacle of the canoe sprint domestic season this event will be held at Lake Karapiro in Cambridge.
It will see paddlers from all over New Zealand compete for national titles.
Proudly supported by NZ Community Trust and the Waipa District Council, the Championships will be held over three days of racing.
Canoe Racing New Zealand CEO Graham Oberlin-Brown joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview day two of the event.
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A midseason Super Rugby litmus test awaits the Blues tonight when they host the Brumbies at Eden Park.
Both sides have identical six win one loss records, the Blues sitting above the Brumbies on the ladder on points differential.
Coach Vern Cotter says the Canberra side are one of the more well-rounded teams in the competition.
Patrick Tuipulotu returns to captain the side having missed the win over the Force with concussion.
Blues First Five Harry Plummer joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss his season so far.
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Tactix coach Marianne Delaney-Hoshek's wary of a player being sent off in the coming rounds of the ANZ Premiership.
Four players were given a two minute "stand down" for dangerous play across the opening three matches of the competition.
Should that player return and then commit a second offence, they're out for the match and the team is down a player for four minutes.
The Tactix host the Stars in Christchurch, centre pass is at 4pm Sunday afternoon.
Northern Stars defender Kate Burley joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Freelance Rugby Writer Jamie Wall and Rugby Commentator Paul Allison.
On this weekend's agenda:
-A night to forget for New Zealand teams over the ditch
-Can the Crusaders win the bottom of the table clash?
-What does the Supercars return to Taupo mean for the country?
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Our Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan has returned to give us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport:
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Des Hasler has run out of things to say
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It's the best v the worst in tonight's NRL
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The Aussies are getting excited for the Olympics already
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Supercars drivers are expecting chaos amid slippery track conditions during today's first race at Taupo Motorsport Park.
Veteran pit lane reporter Mark Larkham says the drivers are preparing for a wild ride on a difficult track and forecasted wet weather will add to the challenge.
The first qualifying session takes place this morning followed by a top-10 shootout ahead of a 60-lap race in the afternoon.
Former driver Paul Radisich joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the event trackside.
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The Warriors have been embarrassed 30-12 by the St. George Illawarra Dragons in their NRL fixture in Wollongong.
The visitors failed to establish their usual defensive platform —conceding five tries to two— and were hampered by ill-discipline.
Coach Andrew Webster says they were uncharacteristically sloppy off the ball.
Former Kiwi's Captain Richie Barnett joined D'Arcy to dissect where it went wrong from the Warriors.
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It’s the return of the big bangers! The Supercar circus is back in NZ, with two 200KM races set to tear around the pumice surrounded Taupo International Motorsport Park this weekend.
The fans tears have all but dried up now, the mourning period for the old lady that was Pukekohe is well and truly over.
There's a new kid in town, slap bang in the middle of the North Island ready to make its mark on the Aussie touring car series. The circuit, given more than a spit and polish by new owner and man behind the magnificent Highlands Park and Hampton Downs, Tony Quinn, is prepped and ready to shred the 24 strong grid.
Tony Quinn has been a godsend for racecar enthusiasts here, a bloke who has been willing to pour his considerable wealth into the game up and down Aotearoa, a genuine fan and supporter of dare I say it, when you look at the proliferation of success stories behind the wheel globally, our national sport.
Out the shadow of the death of NZs greatest motorsport philanthropist, Sir Colin Giltrap, Tony Quinn steps into the light. He should be celebrated; indeed, this weekend will be the party that he merits, hand in hand with the wake that Sir Colin deserves.
The race weekend is something this country dearly needs, the district itself, is expecting an injection of tourist dollars somewhere in the vicinity of $6 million bucks on the back of 100,000 petrol-soaked tourists.
The races themselves will be a treat as well, the Taupo circuit being a true test of the skills of the field. It’s twisty AF, with varying surface conditions on a circuit new to most teams. The 5 Kiwi involved all have experience there, which gives them the upper hand, each character looking to fill the void left by van Gisbergen and McLaughlin.
The weather looks to be wet and wild, another reason to give the locals a hand throughout the 400 km of racing.
This is the dawning of a new era, based on what Quinn and his team have achieved, a long era at that. Locked in for 2 more years, one would like to think that this event will be the new pride and joy of not motorsports but NZ’s international sporting calendar.
That'll do.
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The Otago Rally is based in the beautiful South Island city of Dunedin and is the first round of the 2024 Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship.
This component of the event features New Zealand’s leading competitors in modern, state-of-the-art 4WD turbo rally cars, including the exciting AP4 and R5 rally cars.
Kiwi driver Emma Gilmour joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview her hometown event.
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The Northern Mystics have emphasised minute improvement areas in preseason as they look to launch into their ANZ Premiership title defence.
The defending champions visit the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic in Hamilton for the Hobbiton Cup.
Captain Michaela Sokolich-Beatson says detail's been the focus at training.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Newstalk ZB Sports News Director Clay Wilson and Graeme 'The Sportsfreak' Beasley.
On this weekend's agenda: the Wellington Phoenix continue their winning ways in the capital, why was the Super Rugby Aupiki Final scheduled at the same time as the Warriors? And should gold medallists get cash bonuses at the Olympics?
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There's excitement for the future of women's rugby as the third season of the Aupiki competition comes to a close tomorrow.
It remains part-time and runs across just seven weeks, culminating with the final between the Blues and the Chiefs Manawa at Eden Park.
Renee Woodman-Wickliffe joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the Grand-Final match up.
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Tiger Woods will play this weekend for the 24th consecutive time at golf's Masters.
The five-time champ has signed for an even-par second round —leaving him one-over for the tournament— eight shots off the lead.
Graeme Agars joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to talk the latest from Augusta.
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The Warriors aren't shying away from what they believe they're capable of this year as they return to Mount Smart to host Manly in league's NRL.
Last season's preliminary finalists have won their last three matches over Canberra, Newcastle, and South Sydney.
Second row Jackson Ford says they've got big ambitions, and with that comes added pressure.
Former Warrior Lewis Brown joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview this evening’s sold-out clash in Penrose.
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Golden point can get in the sea.
This, I hasten to add, is not sour grapes because of last night's Waratahs victory. I applaud them for staying in the fight for the entire harem scarem clash, which resembled 7’s more than 15 a side, which is an insult really to the former. I think 7s has a semblance of defence. Last night didn’t.
Anyhoo, back to the point.
The golden point.
In a match that demands a definitive result, i.e. a final or semi-final etc the golden point, the penalty shoot-out, the super over are all necessary evils. Unless it’s Olympic high jump, then you can share. Remember the scenes in Tokyo? Bizarre.
Aside the absolute need to find a winner, the deciding post fulltime mechanic is a construct foisted upon us by this current generation. The one that can’t or won’t understand the merits of two teams, whose ability to best each other in the allotted time, being big enough to settle with points shared.
If the victory cannot be determined within the framework of the fixture, neither team deserves the lollies. The artificial nature of golden point is detrimental to the sanctity of sporting structure. It belittles rules and laws.
It’s a falsehood. It’s pandering to the modern world that isn’t happy in its own skin. It needs to know black from white, right from wrong, yes from no.
Is the idea of grey, of sharing, of equal standings after an intense match of equal fierce output that difficult to swallow?
Obviously, it is.
That’ll do.
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Auckland City FC are determined to make it four wins from as many games when they face the Hamilton Wanderers in Saturday’s Round 4 Northern League clash at Porritt Stadium.
Albert Riera’s men currently sit atop the Northern League table with three wins on the bounce.
Angus Kilkolly joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview their clash against Wanderers and chat about the continued success of Auckland City FC.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Newstalk ZB Sports Journalist Natham Limm and Rugby Writer Phil Gifford.
On this weekend's agenda:
Was it the right call to re-sign Dame Noeline Taurua? Women's basketball is set for a big payday in New Zealand, and why is Mike Cron ditching the All Blacks legacy for Australia?
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Our Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan joined once more to give us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport. On the docket today was:
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The 'big wet' and what it means for sport this weekend
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It's a big day for club rugby
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A huge record set to be broken tonight.
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Football commentator Jacob Spoonley has confidence that the Phoenix men are well on their way to the A-League's minor premiership.
Wellington are three points clear at the top of the table with four regular season games left.
Jacob joined D’Arcy Waldegrave for a chat and to preview the Nix v Central Coast match in Gosford this evening.
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Not so Super Rugby has leapt into a phone box this weekend and jumped out with its underpants on its head.
Although the competition has surprised many with the nature of the product and the resurgence of the much-maligned Australian teams, this weekend has proven that the whole shooting match can take aim at its feet and blowing them clean off.
The fan-centric buzzword, wheeled out like an epiphany, has proven to roll easily enough off the tongue, but not it doesn’t stand up to scrutiny when you cast an eye over the last couple of rounds.
Easter weekend, an odd construct where we all get a holiday with an asterisk regardless of our beliefs, provides a holiday period with a captive audience, yet super rugby’s entertainment was thin on the ground. No Sunday games, no Monday games. All done and dusted with a packed Saturday schedule. Wilfully ignorant or just plain dumb, you decide.
This weekend its byes aplenty, with 3 NZ teams getting a cup of tea and a lie down. The feature game on Friday night was the hapless Force being shredded by the Blues at Eden Park. If anything, at least a local derby wasn’t on the cards, as no-one can get anywhere in Auckland on a Friday night, that piece of scheduling though was more fluke than intent.
The Chiefs get to slap Moana Pacifica tonight, another one-sided embarrassment for the locals not to turn up to. Chiefs 1.02 favourites v 11 dollars for the Nomads.
Yes, the comp has provided some mouthwatering clashes and some surprising results, but it doesn’t help itself in other areas. Its own worst enemy if you will.
Fortunately for rugby though, no one is paying any attention to the football because the biggest rugby show in town right now is the custard pie exchange within NZ rugby, as the game appears intent on tearing itself apart in full view of a bemused world.
Oversized shoes, spinning bowties, tiny bikes with offset wheels and red noses for all.
Roll up, roll up...
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Auckland and Taranaki contested a close early-season match in basketball's NBL.
The Tuatara won 84-77 - Corey Webster contributed 25 points and eight assists and Rob Loe sank 22 points and 14 rebounds.
Both teams have a 1-1 record thus far.
Cam Gliddon joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview today's clash against the Wahi.
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A welcome sight awaits Warriors fans with Charnze Nicoll-Klokstaad making his first appearance of the season against the Rabbitohs.
The first-choice fullback's been plagued by hamstring and back issues that have kept him sidelined for the first four rounds.
His inclusion comes alongside the return of Te Maire Martin at five-eighth for the injured Luke Metcalf.
Warriors Prop Jazz Tevaga joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview their clash against South Sydney.
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The Table Tennis New Zealand Veteran Open Championships are underway from March 29th through to April 1st at the Taupo Events Centre.
The tournament will feature teams, doubles, and individual events across seven age categories ranging from 40 years and above to 80 years and above.
New Zealand Table Tennis Partnership Manager Shane Laugesen joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to chat about the popularity of table tennis across all ages and preview the event.
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The New Zealand Basketball league returns for the 2024 season as it continues its rapid growth across the country.
A string of big signings, headlined by Aussie big man Sam Froling, has Taranaki Airs fans feeling confident their team can win its first ever championship.
D'Arcy caught up with Sam for a chat about why he's jumped the ditch to feature in some Kiwi hoops.
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It's another huge night of racing tonight at Waikaraka Speedway, with the famous Demolition Derby and Firework Spectacular.
Plus, the Auckland Saloon Champs, Stockcars, and the Flame Belching Jet Dragster are headlining the event. Main gate opens at 3pm with racing starting at 6pm.
D'Arcy Waldegrave caught up with Demolition Derby driver Bevan Johnston ahead of the big dance.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Newstalk ZB Sport Director Clay Wilson and OFC Communications Manager Matt Brown.
On this weekend's agenda: was the Crusaders first win of the season a fluke? Is Greyhound racing on its last legs? And should the Black Caps boycott their test series against Afghanistan on human rights grounds?
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The All Sport Breakfast’s Aussie Correspondent is back to give the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport. On Jim Dolan’s agenda today is:
-The boxing epidemic and everyone’s sudden expertise.
-One particular NRL coach is giving himself an uppercut.
-The A-league are holding on to hope after their TV deal hit the fan.
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The Chiefs Manawa are wary of the Blues' disruptive nature ahead of this afternoon's top-of-the-table Super Rugby Aupiki clash in Hamilton.
The two sides met earlier this month, with the Manawa holding off the Blues 17-10.
D'Arcy caught up with Krysten Cottrell out of the Blues camp ahead of their clash at 2.05pm.
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A sigh of relief for the Crusaders and their coach Rob Penney.
After five straight losses to start off the Super Rugby Pacific season they've upset the Chiefs 37-26 in Christchurch, with a Johnny McNicholl brace seeing them to a five-tries-to-four win.
Penney says they finally strung a full performance together.
Tony Johnson join's D'Arcy Waldegrave to dissect the Crusaders first win of the season.
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Sport is joy.
In the newspaper life’s tragedies are on the front page, the triumphs on the back.
Sport comes with its share of grief and drama, it certainly isn’t exempt from the drivers of regular news, by and large though, it’s a place of celebration.
The best story of the week has come from the heart and soul of New Zealand sport - grassroots rugby. And rugby needs it. It’s a sport that has attracted plenty of ire from the media and the public over the years as it slowly loses its grip on being the dominant sport here.
Player numbers are lagging, there’s a disconnect between the union and the unions, it’s sinking in a financial mire, there’s increasing concern around the safety of the sport, an ever-present debate around the lawbook and the miserable sight of empty super stadiums motu wide. It's not in the best shape.
Now this.
It’s small. It’s hardly headline news. It won’t be picked up on by international media but it is significant and uplifting.
Based on the success Manurewa club rugby have had, Counties Manukau has launched a wonderful scheme.
They’re removing junior rugby fees.
11 of their 17 clubs have signed up for the initiative which is being essentially underwritten by the Silver Lake money picked up by Counties.
Manurewa's explosion of numbers over the last 3 years point to this as a way forward for the code, from 187 juniors to 438. Plenty of unions should now be keeping a close eye on this.
Counties is making change where it is most keenly felt, the back pocket.
Counties is looking after the families during a cost of living calamity.
Counties is looking after the grassroots.
Water the dirt, flowers last for you.
That’ll do.
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The latest edition of 'The All Star Panel' consists of Rugby Writer Phil Gifford and Rugby Commentator Paul Allison.
On this weekend's agenda... NPC rugby may be ditched by Sky TV, Razor is calling on Sam Whitelock to return to the All Blacks, and Sir Russell Coutts is digging at Christchurch before the Sail GP regatta has even begun...
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Our Australian correspondent gives us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussies sport.
- It's all about racecars in Melbourne this weekend...
- Two Tigers are about to go head to head...
- Have you got a spare million dollars? Jim has the deal for you.
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The Aon Maadi Regatta is the National Championships for school rowing in New Zealand.
Run by the NZSSRA and Rowing New Zealand, it sits as New Zealand's largest rowing event, alternating annually between Lake Karāpiro and Lake Ruataniwha in Twizel.
This years event will be held at Lake Ruataniwha between 18th and 23rd March.
NZ Rowing Athlete Development lead, Janey Charlton, joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the final day of the event.
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The Warriors are on the board in the NRL... producing a hard-fought 18-10 win over the Raiders in Christchurch to earn their first victory of 2024.
Canberra led 10-6 in the second half but tries to Lue Metcalf and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck sealed the two points.
Coach Andrew Webster says it wasn't pretty, but he was super proud of the team's effort.
The Sydney Roosters have walloped arch-rivals South Sydney 48-6 to leave the Rabbitohs winless through the opening three rounds.
Former Kiwi's Coach Frank Endacott joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to review the round three clash.
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The latest edition of 'The All Star Panel' consists of Newstalk ZB Sport Director Clay Wilson and Graeme 'Sportsfreak' Beasley.
On this weekend's agenda... Auckland FC debuts it's new look, the Crusaders suffer yet another loss and are the Warriors any chance against Melbourne?
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The Crusaders have recorded four consecutive losses for the first time in Super Rugby history.
They've fallen to a last-gasp 14-10 defeat to the Hurricanes in Christchurch, who've extended their unbeaten run at the top of the ladder.
Meanwhile - a second win of the season for Moana Pasifika - who wrapped a 22-14 victory away to the still winless Western Force in Perth.
The Reds have thumped the Rebels 53-26 in Melbourne.
Tony Johnson joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to review the Crusaders troubling start to the season.
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Black Foils strategist Olivia MacKay joined Lesley Murdoch on the All Sport Breakfast Canterbury ahead of what promises to be a weekend of action on Lyttleton Harbour, talking about her varied role on the boat from grinding to trimming to getting the boat where the wind is and going as fast as possible.
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Liz McKinnon, the New Zealand team manager for the Queen Sirikit Cup that is being played at Clearwater Golf Club March 20-23 spoke with Lesley Murdoch about her teams chances against 11 other teams from around the Asia Pacific region in association with the Elmwood Trading Company.
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Sir Peter Snell, James Preston, Sir John Walker.
That's the new order of New Zealand's all-time fastest 800 metre runners after Preston's effort of one minute 44.87 seconds at the National Track and Field champs in Wellington.
It takes the Wellingtonian past Walker's 1:44.92 - and just adrift of Snell's 1:44.3.
Preston explained to Adam Cooper how he intended to get ahead of rival - and 1500 metre specialist Sam Tanner - on the track.
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The Hurricanes have maintained their unbeaten start to the Super Rugby season, beating the Crusaders 14-10 in Christchurch.
The Hurricanes, so dominant in the first half, were forced to come from behind after the Crusaders regained composure to steal the lead for the first time in the 70th minute.
Despite battling an increasingly malfunctioning lineout Clark Laidlaw’s men proved they are no fast-track bullies by grinding their way downfield and imposing pressure, which resulted in replacement Crusaders lock Jamie Hannah being sent to the bin with three-and-a-half minutes remaining.
From an audacious quick tap kick, replacement Hurricanes lock Justin Sangster scored. The Crusaders had one last shot but instead they finished the contest with former All Blacks prop Owen Franks earning a yellow card for his clumsy cleanout attempt.
Victory maintains the Hurricanes presence at the top of the table as Super Rugby’s only unbeaten team.
Assistant coach Tyler Bleyendaal joined Adam Cooper to talk about the win.
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Shot putter Tom Walsh is welcoming the challenge of winning back the national title he lost a year ago at the New Zealand track and field championships in Wellington.
His 13-year dominance in the event was snapped by rival Jacko Gill on the same field last year.
Walsh told Adam Cooper that competing against Gill brings the best out of him.
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It's the premier interclub tennis finals day at the Renouf Centre from 4pm, with Thorndon taking on Wellington in the women's final, and Wellington meeting Avalon in the men's decider.
Avalon's Marc Paulik joined Adam Cooper to talk about their season and their pursuit of reclaiming the Jack Taylor Shield.
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Our Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan returns once more to give a rundown on the latest from the wonderful world of Aussie sport. On the agenda today:
- It's a big day for some 'old' coaches over the ditch.
- Super Rugby is full of surprises... apparently...
- The AFL is trying to spread the word and become the chosen winter code.
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The Prospector is New Zealand’s premier mountain bike stage race, set in the mountain bike mecca of Alexandra, Central Otago.
The event is a three-day stage race, with Alexandra’s famous technical rocky, thyme encrusted single-track designed to keep the riders on their toes.
Added to that, lung-busting uphill climbs that push riders to their absolute limits.
- PROLOGUE - 18km - 600m elevation gain
- STAGE 1 - 56km - 1950m elevation gain
- STAGE 2 - 58km - 1800m elevation gain
D'Arcy caught up with New Zealand's very own Anton Cooper to discuss the opening stage of the event.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' features Rugby Journalists Jamie Wall and Phil Gifford.
On this weekend's agenda... the Warriors and their clunky start to the season, are we really offended by the Hurricanes Poua haka? Why are the Crusaders struggling so badly and are we excited about Jake Paul fighting 57-year-old Mike Tyson?
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The Blues will be boosted by the return of key All Blacks Finlay Christie and Rieko Ioane for their clash against the Hurricanes on Saturday night.
Re-signed loose-forward Anton Segner also returns at blindside, partnering captain Dalton Papali’i and Akira Ioane, who shifts to No 8 for the match.
D'Arcy caught up with Dalton Papali’i to discuss their impressive start to the season.
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After a week of controversy surrounding Super Rugby Aupiki, the newly extended competition heads into its second week.
Round one winners the Blues and Chiefs Manawa clash in Auckland, while the Hurricanes Poua and Matatū both have a point to prove after going down last weekend.
D'Arcy caught up with Rosie Kelly out of the Matatū camp.
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The Sharks have played spoiler at Mt Smart, overcoming a 12-point deficit to beat the Warriors 16-12 in their NRL season opener.
The hosts came firing out of the gate, leading 12-nil after 14 minutes with tries to prop Addin Fonua-Blake and five-eighth Luke Metcalf.
Cronulla cut the lead to six at halftime before scoring immediately after the break to trim the lead to 12-10.
Sharks centre Siosifa Talakai ultimately scored the game-winner with a try in the 58th minute.
Richie Barnett joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to review the round-one clash.
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Saving the worst ‘til last? Let’s hope not.
The end of New Zealand’s summer of cricket is upon us and although death at the hands of the Australian menace was essentially written in stone, I was hoping that this time the Black Caps would die on their feet after years on living on their knees. I was asking too much.
Sure, cricket is a funny old game, and to write the Caps off after day one maybe foolhardy but historically it’s a fair path to take.
It seems a sad way to celebrate the century of tests for two of our best, Southee and Williamson, but it underlines the uncomfortable fact that regardless of the quality of the men who make up the eleven, collectively the team are considerably lesser than the sum of their parts in the face of the West Island threat.
The blamestorming is in full effect currently as the dazed and confused fanbase reach for any excuse salve to sooth their pummelled hopes.
As the Wallabies have proven, from time to time the worm turns, but in the fullness of time, the cream always rises.
So is it fair to judge this team on their results against the best team in the world, the team that have their number on an alarmingly regular basis?
Yes it is.
To be the best, beat the best. The continued failings against the Ockers overshadows all of the success this team has enjoyed over the years.
Until the Black Caps dismiss the Australians on a regular basis, across all formats, we will never bask in the glory we all desire.
That’ll do.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' consists of Newstalk ZB Sports Journalist Natham Limm and Football Commentator Chris Milicich.
On this weekend's agenda... why are we having 'Super Round' in Melbourne?
Is the NRL really making an dents into the American market? Do you like your cricketers being mic'd up in the middle of the game?
And why are the Black Caps struggling so much against Australia in the first test?
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The Wellington Phoenix are looking to cement their top spot on the A-League ladder this weekend with a home clash against Adelaide United on Sunday.
The Nix come off a distance derby draw against the Perth Glory where they struggled to find the net, resulting in a nil all draw.
Coach Giancarlo Italiano joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss the Perth result, their chances against Adelaide, and the number of injuries still plaguing the club.
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One of New Zealand's most prestigious and largest running events is back for 2024.
Round the Bays consists of a vibrant 8.4KM course around Tāmaki Makaurau, starting on Quay Street and finishing up at St Heliers.
Runners will also be able to fundraise money for their chosen charity.
Event Organiser Henry McLernon joined D'Arcy to discuss the ins and outs of the historic race.
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Our Australian Correspondent, Jim Dolan, gave us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport.
- The NRL are taking over Vegas as they attempt to promote their 'fan centric' game.
- The Waratahs should really just focus on the task at hand.
- The Australian Cricketers may have some time on their hands and it's not what you think...
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The Blues are the first Super Rugby team to go two-from-two after beating the Highlanders 37-29 at Melbourne's Super Round.
A Hoskins Sotutu hattrick highlighted the five tries to three win, which also sees the Highlanders' losing streak against New Zealand teams extended to 17 games.
Meanwhile, the Melbourne Rebels have come from behind to beat the Western Force 48-34.
Rugby Commentator Tony Johnson joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss the upcoming games in the 'Super Round'.
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The third instalment of Super Rugby Aupiki gets underway this weekend, with an extended regular season and each team now playing home and away fixtures.
Renee Holmes has since switched allegiance from 2023 champions 'Matatu' to the Chiefs Manawa side, who take on the Hurricanes in their opening match this afternoon.
D'Arcy caught up with Renee for a chat about the start of the new season.
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Here’s the problem World Rugby faces, written out for all to see. Bear with me.
The latest World Rugby Shape of the Game forum in London has put forward five recommendations for 2024 – speed and flow, language and perception, the women’s game, player welfare and well-being, and disciplinary process review.
All with good intent I’m sure, as you’d hope, as the game is in dire straits, but like most things coming out of World Rugby, these recommendations are misdirected in some cases, so obvious that it’s alarming to think that only now they have been raised and badly communicated.
The failings of the game, as obvious as they are to the fan, have been overlooked, avoided or minimalised.
Exhibit A.
The second recommendation is as follows.
“Language and presentation of the game: A renewed passion and urgency to focus on building rugby’s attention share via a fan-focused view of how the game is marketed, a consistent approach to the presentation of the sport across all media environments, and a focus on the moments in the game that really engage fans.”
No, I don’t understand it either. I asked Sir Steve Hansen last night on Sportstalk what it meant. His reply? “It means someone with a marketing degree in an office has written it”.
Exhibit B
The third recommendation is.
“Women’s game: A dedicated focus on the women’s game and adapting laws, recognising the unique characteristics, strengths and opportunities that exist to attract a new audience.”
It took a forum to determine this? Surely that is blindingly obvious and should already be well in motion.
It’s all word soup. The recommendations are built around the buzzwords of the day. They are presented to show intent, to tell the shareholders that World Rugby understand the issues the game is mired in, but really, it’s just an exercise in written floral arrangements.
Bill Beaumont, WR Chair spewed out more meaningless platitudes before Alan Gilpin, World Rugby Chief executive added this.
“Rugby is in an attention economy. The attractiveness of the product in all its forms, combined with the excitement of the event experience, the content we create and stories we tell, is central to the sport’s growth as a whole. We will not look at actions or law tweaks in isolation, rather consider the changes we should make to definitively move the needle to make the game more relevant, attract new fans and deepen engagement with existing fans, and simplify the sport to make it more accessible.”
Ok, guys, I’ll do your job for you.
Exhibit 3. D'Arcy's recommendation.
The laws are confusing. Once we sort that mess out, we’ll address the rest.
Simple. You’re welcome
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Wellington will play host to more than 100 teams over a week-long event, as part of the Vantage National Masters Hockey Tournament.
The event will see players aged between 35-70 plus compete for the National title.
The first games take place on Sunday 25th February at the National Hockey Stadium.
GM of Community Hockey Ken Maplesden joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the festivities.
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The latest edition of 'The All-Star Panel' consists of Rugby Commentator Paul Allison and Graeme 'The Sportsfreak' Beasley.
On this weekend's agenda:
Only three games into the Super Rugby season and we already have controversy with head knocks.
Why is Tony Brown being allowed to coach the Springboks and the Blues, and what's the future looking like for Moana Pasifika?
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Canterbury are embracing home advantage in today's Ford Trophy one-day final against Auckland.
Canterbury skipper Cole McConchie is aware of the ideal target needed to get the upper hand at Hagley Oval.
The hosts welcome back Black Caps Will O'Rourke and Tom Latham along with Henry Shipley, who returns from a stress fracture in his back.
Cole McConchie joined D'Arcy Waldegrave ahead of the first ball at 10:30.
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Our Australian Correspondent, Jim Dolan, is back to give us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport.
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Super Rugby is underway in Australia, but how much interest is there? Take a guess...
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The NRL are trying to keep things calm as players descend on Vegas.
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There's a big rumour about some 'big cash' in the NRL... what's the big plan?
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The Summerset Nationals Fours moves into the business end of the competition with post section play underway today.
Over 160 fours teams have descended upon Taranaki to contest the two championships, and from them 43 teams qualified in the men's event and 22 in the women's.
Bowls correspondent Kevin Hickland joined the show to preview the action.
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The Blues kick off their Super Rugby season this evening against a fired up Fijian Drua side in Whangarei.
A slimmed down Caleb Clarke will be making his 50th appearance for the franchise, surpassing his dad Eroni Clarke with 49 games.
Caleb Clarke joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash and his impressive pre-season weight loss.
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A weakened Black Caps side were dealt a lesson in T20 cricket from the Australians at Eden Park last night.
The hosts struggled to make inroads with the bat, falling 72 runs short and all but relinquishing their chances of regaining the Chappell Haddle Trophy.
Black Caps Assistant Coach Jacob Oram joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss what went wrong for the kiwis.
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Flogged. The Black Caps got their clock cleaned last night through a combination of Australian magnificence, their own misfortune, self-inflicted wounds, and average application.
It was a disappointing evening at Eden Park, to say the least. There were periods of joy, the admirable way the Caps dragged the Ockers back after their outstanding start. The way Glenn Phillips attempted to haul his team back from the brink with the bat was laudable. Ben Sears showed huge promise with a lovely touch of barely repressed rage. Lockie Fergusson appeared to be bowling with another ball on a different pitch against another team.
The rest of it was a mess. Not helped by Conway’s injury and subsequent removal, the batting order was a dog’s breakfast. The Santner Clause being needlessly elevated to waste precious power play deliveries and Boult inserted early to distract from the fact that he bowled like a bloke who only rolls his arm over from time to time for money in sub-optimal T20 festivals. Clown cricket does not prepare anyone for an Australian onslaught.
The first T20 gave us all hope. The 2nd gave us a brutal reminder that Australian cricket is to us what New Zealand rugby is to them. From time to time there is a glimmer of hope, but for the most part, the Black Caps are Aussies whipping boys, as the Wallabies are to the All Blacks.
Things may very well turn around tomorrow, but the horse has bolted and now our focus is the test series.
I hope the application of the Black Caps to what will be an extraordinarily intense examination of their skills is considerably less frantic than the panic-driven chaos of last night.
The fan in me will always back our men. The realist in me knows that it's going to take something quite miraculous to dislodge the significant mental blockage that has continued to clog any attempts NZ have of reversing the distressing narrative of loss that seemingly knows no end.
That’ll do.
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The National Fastpitch Championships head into the business end at Rosedale Park this weekend.
With the best eight provincial teams across both men's and women's doing battle for the title of 'National Champions'.
The event will see athletes pushing for national selection, with both the New Zealand Men's and New Zealand Junior Womens teams heading to the WBSC World Cup Group Stage qualifiers mid- year.
Black Sox's Head Coach Thomas Makea joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the event and background on the selection process.
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The 2024 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship comes to a flying finish this weekend with the 68th running of the New Zealand Grand Prix.
The NZ Grand Prix is one of only two Grand Prix events outside of Formula 1 that is certified by the FIA body.
The race will be staged at the highly technical Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell, making it the first Grand Prix to grace the South Island since 2007.
Series leader Roman Bilinski joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the 'great' race and his title chances.
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The latest edition of 'The All Star Panel' consists of Rugby Writer Phil Gifford and Newstalk ZB Sports Journalist Nathan Limm.
On this weekend's agenda:
Can we really claim that test series win over South Africa as 'historic'?
Why are the Warriors so popular, even in pre-season?
What to do with the cash-strapped Melbourne Rebels heading into the opening round of Super Rugby Pacific?
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The Breakers have all but booked their playoffs spot after an impressive 103-87 win over the Brisbane Bullets at Spark Arena on Friday night.
Superstar Tom Abercrombie played his final regular season game at home, as he brings the curtain down on an almost 20-year career with the same NBL club.
Former Breaker Casey Frank joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss their playoff road ahead.
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Jim Dolan, our Australian Correspondent, gives us the latest from the wonderful wide world of Aussie sport.
• The NRL trials are underway and fans simply can't get enough of the 'meaningless' footy.
• Big weekend ahead of a couple of cricket siblings in the world of cricket...
• What is going wrong with the Melbourne Rebels and can they last the season?
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The New Zealand Rowing Championships is the country's premier club regatta, being held at Lake Karapiro between the 13th -17th of February.
Clubs will be racing for the Centennial Oar, Centennial Scull, and the Hally Burton Johnstone Rose Bowl.
GM of Community and Development Mark Weatherall joined D'Arcy Waldegrave for the latest on the final day of the event.
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The Tarawera Ultra by UTMB is New Zealand's Premier trail running event, with distances with ranging for 21KM's to the gut renching 162KM's.
The course takes runners through stunning scenery, featuring eight different lakes, native bush and waterfalls.
Last year's 100k winner Dan Jones joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview this weekend's event in Rotorua and give a gruelling insight into ultra running.
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Ok, I get it. There are people out there who are struggling with the legitimacy of the Black Cap's first-ever series win over the Proteas. Just don’t let that overshadow the achievements of Kane.
The mid-stream quality of the touring party has been rightly questioned. South African cricket in its drive to survive decided that instead of defending an outstanding 92-year history, they would keep their best players at home for a T20 circus which would hopefully keep the financial barbarians from the gate. Instead of respecting the glory of the boomer of the game, they have kowtowed to the Gen Z mess.
Progress hey?
South African cricket deserve this blot in their copybook. Played with fire and burnt their fingerprints off. This is not an attack on the men who put up a reasonable scrap, but on the stuffed shirts that run the game in the Republic. Beyond that, the blame lies at the feet of the International Cricket Council who in time honoured tradition, spend their waking hours polishing the shoes of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
Until the guardians of the game show some spine in the face of the plague of T20 tournament locusts, this second-string touring group will become the norm in test cricket. Shame on anyone complicit in this clown suit cash grab.
Aside that, the beauty of cricket is its numerical fascination. It’s a game neck-deep in numbers, a statistician's dream. Kane Williamson is currently the darling of the stat geek army. His figures of recent times are nothing short of staggering, his run of form and record-consuming antics make for a cricketing epoch that no one will forget, regardless of the opposition at various stages. Did anyone else score three centuries against SA in that series? No, no they didn’t. We are witnessing a low-key genius.
So, rip on the Proteas all you want but find some space in your bitterness to recognise a true great of the game.
Kane Williamson is a once-in-a-generation talent.
Revel in it.
That’ll do.
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The latest edition of The All Star Panel consists of Graeme 'The SportsFreak' Beasley and Rugby Writer Jamie Wall.
On this weekend's agenda:
Do we need another NRL team based in New Zealand? Is there really a market for it and what effect would it have on the Warriors brand?
They also touched on the highly controversial 'Enhanced Games', as the sporting world demands more and more manufactured entertainment.
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New Zealand's premier national road cycling event gets underway this weekend in Timaru, attracting both professional and amateur riders from around the country.
The Elite Road National Championship features both time trial and road racing disciplines, with National jerseys up for grabs.
Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist and Olympian Aaron Gate joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the event and discuss his form heading into this year's Olympics.
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The Wellington Phoenix continue to sit aloft the A-league ladder following a nil all draw against Central Coast on Waitangi Day.
The Phoenix recorded their biggest home crowd of the season, with 12,301 fans in attendance at Sky Stadium.
Today's games sees the Phoenix take on bottom of the table Western United.
Central Defender Finn Surman joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the clash.
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Aussie Correspondent Jim Dolan joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to give the latest from the wide world of Aussie sport.
• Everyone is a fan of David Warner again as he pulled apart the West Indies bowling attack.
• A former Australian Olympian has signed himself up the Enhanced games, which essentially allows athletes to 'dope' while competing.
• The A-league are looking to introduce a world first in football with the introduction of 'Blue Cards'.
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Free to air sport in NZ?
Indeed. What was once thought to be a pipe dream is slowly turning into palpable reality.
It wasn’t too long ago that Spark Sport turned up and shook the televised sport watching community to its core. Overnight the ease and simplicity of the one stop shop for sporting content was punched in the throat by the new kid on the block.
The longer in the tooth and those without stable internet screamed foul as their happy place was turned upside down. The thought of streaming through multiple platforms struck fear into the hearts of the technology-phobes, the idea of paying through the nose for them seized up the wallets of others.
It was looking grim. For meat and two veg sport consumers, having to shell out for the Kiwi staples of rugby and cricket via 2 platforms was too much. It was claimed that multiple players would drive the price down for consumers, but for your average casual sport punter, it just added an extra cost.
It was a horrible time. The ease of flicking through channels disappeared, the price went up, the internet-based coverage was unreliable, it was all too much.
Then Spark Sport hit a wall and fell apart, just when we were getting used to it and the competition started to result in lower prices.
As much as NZ Cricket would like to claim that their contractual foresight saved the game in NZ, they had nothing to do with Sparks collapse which triggered free to air cricket for the masses. A great back stop sure, but NZC couldn’t have seen that coming.
More eyeballs on free cricket and the ensuing public engagement got the ball rolling and Sky TV’s hand was forced. In order for sport to stay relevant, aspirational and an integral part of Kiwi society, free to air coverage had to happen. The cost-of-living crisis hasn’t been at all helpful, with a number of families forgoing the joy of live pay per view sport for staples. Like food and rent and gas.
The free to air coverage of an NRL match on a Friday night, which includes seven ‘Up the Wahs’ fixtures and a game of Super Rugby on Saturday is only a taste, but for the starving masses, they’re the best meals they’ll have all week.
That'll do.
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It's crunch time in the Ford Trophy One Day Cricket competition as the Central Stags hunt down a top three finish in order to qualify for the finals.
Meanwhile the Auckland Aces come into round eight off the back of a heavy 119 run loss to the Canterbury Kings.
Jayden Lennox out of the Central Stags camp joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview their first match back at McLean Park.
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The iconic Coast to Coast multisport event returned to the South Island this weekend, spanning the 9th and 10th of February.
The race features running, kayaking, and cycling over a gruelling 243 kilometres.
The course starts from the West Coast's Kumara Beach, finishing up at the New Brighton Beach Pier in Christchurch.
Long time Coast to Coast Commentator Brian Ashby joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview day 2 of the event.
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New Zealand Davis Cup Captain Kelly Evernden joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss all the action from centre court in Auckland.
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Elliott Smith and Paul Allison joined D'Arcy Waldegrave for this week's edition of 'The All-Star Panel'.
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National Concussion Guidelines for grassroots sport introduced by ACC for 2024 winter season.
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New Zealand Rugby faces financial crunch.
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All Blacks heading to the United States of America.
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World Rugby taking legal action over online abuse towards officials.
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South Africa 'F' side to play the Blackcaps on Sunday
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Bowls Commentator Kevin Hickland joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss the Trans-Tasman tournament in Wellington over Waitangi Weekend.
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Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan joined D'Arcy Waldegrave for all the latest and greatest from over the ditch.
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Melbourne doesn't seem to enjoy ODI cricket...
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State of Origin is back in the news already.
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It's a huge weekend for the Supercars Championship
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If you haven’t heard, the Saudi Arabians have won sport. Hands down. Gold medal. World number 1. Yellow jersey. Heavyweight strap. Green jacket. Biggest trophy in sport.
The Saudis, via their obscene oil wealth, have purchased global sport. Or are in the process of at least.
Through their Public Investment Fund, with assets estimated to be worth US $700 billion, they’ve bought the souls of footballers. They’ve ring-fenced golfers with platinum credit cards. The best pugilists on the planet have been knocked out with diamond-encrusted gloves. UFC have clipped the ticket. The sailing community have been wooed with the promise of millions. Formula 1 has its bloated greedy hands well stuffed into the Saudi cookie jar. Now clubs in British rugby union are reportedly being targeted by the monstrous ‘sport washing’ fund and news of a Saudi cycling league has broken. I’m sure that administrators across all sports are waiting for the phone call.
This fiscal vacuuming of sport across the planet shows no sign of abating. The Scrooge McDuck-like money bin they have access to, casts an enormous shadow over all competition, making their appalling human rights record very difficult to see.
Cash convenient wilful ignorance.
Blinded by inconceivable riches, those entranced by Saudi largesse have all rolled out the same avoidant rhetoric around the importance of Middle Eastern growth for the future of their sport, the wonderment of the Saudi change of attitude, the ease of business, the ability to bring a shift in philosophy from within, the misinterpretation from the west around values, the list goes on.
The convenient myopia around the Saudi royal family’s human rights record is hardly surprising because as the Saudis have found out, everyone has a price. A price that can be afforded in the blink of an eye by the Public Investment fund. Chump change if you will, which I’m sure is how the acquiescent parties are seen by the Saudis. Chumps.
Let’s face it, when the de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman says this - “If sport washing is going to increase my GDP by way of 1%, then I will continue doing sport washing”, you know they've won.
They just don’t care and obviously, their new sporting minions don’t care either.
That’ll do.
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Masters Games Manager Vicki Kestila joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss the 35th running of the iconic event in Dunedin.
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Frankie Wainman joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the 44th running of the ENZED Superstock Teams Championship over Waitangi weekend.
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Sky Sport Commentator Tony Johnson joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss the Blues, Chiefs and Crusaders heading overseas for their pre-season.
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Nathan Limm and Phil Gifford joined D'Arcy Waldegrave for this week's edition of 'The All Star Panel'.
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Christchurch council looks into viability of hosting Commonwealth Games
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New Zealand v South Africa - test side's revealed
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Boys Get Paid want to place biggest bet in NZ history
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Melbourne Rebels in big financial trouble
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It was only a matter of time before Rachin Ravindra made his way into the New Zealand test side.
Sure he’s been there before, but after his astonishing ODI World Cup, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that the young batter would find his way into the premier eleven. I say premier because even though South Africa have zero respect for test cricket, true fans, old school fans, and cricket tragics, know that the original gangster version of the sport is peerless. Short version clown cricket has its place, and may well be the future of the game, but comparably, T20 to tests is like drive-thru burgers to fine dining. You can plough through as many microwaved sugar-bunned offal heart stoppers as you want, but you won’t remember a single bite, unlike a 5-hour degustation experience. With a wine match, not a frozen coke.
So Rachin has made the step, more so the selectors have unblinkered him and set him on his way. He has been managed into his role carefully by NZC, who are cognisant of overplaying Rachin’s hand and risking killing the goose before more golden eggs are laid. Overindulging in his talent is akin to producing foie gras. A sought-after but morally corrupt and ultimately fatal blow for the prized bird.
NZC should be applauded for the way they have handled Ravindra to date. The responsibility they have in handling this once-in-a-generation talent is heavy and so far, they have carried that weight well.
It is, and should be, difficult to break into the test side. As hard as it is to be removed. Trust and consistency have been the hallmark of the Black Caps test team. NZ’s impressive run in that top tier has been a result of easing players in, normally after a sustained effort in the proving grounds of domestic then international short-form cricket. Losing your place is not the result of one poor series, but a period of time where output can no longer assure selectors of success.
Henry Nichols has now felt that cold steel on the back of his neck. He had a robust test career and may well fight his way back into the team, through the lack of form of others or the ever-present ugly head of injury, but he has become the victim of the relentless march of Rachin Ravindra, such is the nature of representative sport at the highest level.
That’ll do.
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TAB Bookie Thad Taylor joined D'Arcy Waldegrave for the inside scoop ahead of the Karaka Million race at Ellerslie.
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Anna Harrison joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss round two of the G.J. Gardner Homes NZ Beach Tour being held in Mairangi Bay.
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High-Jumper Hamish Kerr joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the Cooks Classic happening out of Whanganui over the weekend.
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Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan joined D'Arcy Waldegrave for all the latest and greatest from over the ditch.
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Diver Gary Hunt joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series hitting Auckland over the weekend.
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Canterbury Head Coach Peter Fulton joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the Super Smash Grand Final against Auckland on Sunday afternoon.
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Joe Schmidt is riding into Australia on a mighty Percheron. The knight in shining armour, fresh from jousting for the All Blacks has been anointed by Aussie rugby as their new saviour. The hugely successful former Irish coach (conveniently ignoring their continued World Cup black hole) has been tasked with dragging the Wallabies out of the pit that Eddie Jones led them into.
Masochist much?
Plainly Joe is keen on a project. This one hellava project. It will challenge every facet of his revered rugby acumen. He’s got no cattle to work with, a team whose confidence is at an all-time low and a public who has rightly lost interest in the shenanigans of Rugby Australia. It’s a sport on its knees. They are looking squarely down the barrel of an exuberant All Black side, a savage World Champion Springbok team and the Lions waiting at the end of Joe’s tenure to chew up and spit out what's left of the jumping marsupial carcass.
For a guy who was a hesitant member of the AB staff, essentially dragged into the set up through his friendship with coach Foster, a guy who wanted to breathe in the sweet air of a life without the suffocating mask of coaching internationally, this is one odd decision.
Granted, it's only a short-term appointment, I’m presuming the lure of reanimating the Ocker rugby corpse is a challenge he couldn’t resist. What success looks like is anyone's guess, but with a team at rock bottom, staying on their feet during the anthem is probably enough to say job well done.
The key questions here are these: will his appointment add anything to the gelatinous spine of Wallaby Bledisloe exchanges? Will it bring extra energy to Aussie Super sides? Is he another Kiwi born Aussie rugby scapegoat? Will he ever turn up at a press conference?
I wish him the best and genuinely hope he can do something with the West Island union train smash, thoughts and prayers.
That'll do.
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Newstalk ZB Rugby Commentator and Sports Journalist Jamie Wall make up this week's 'All Star Panel'.
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Ex-All Blacks assistant Joe Schmidt set to replace Eddie Jones as Wallabies coach
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Finn Allen’s form
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The Black Clash and the huge appeal! Sold out again
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Tennis: Novak Djokovic sparks row with spectator during Australian Open second round victory
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NZME Cricket Commentator Bryan Waddle joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to review yet another impressive victory for the Blackcaps against a struggling Pakistan outfit.
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Our Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan gives us the latest from over the ditch.
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Thousands turn out in Adelaide for a somewhat dead test match.
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Rugby Australia stealing New Zealand coaches again.
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The Australian Open is loving their homegrown hero's.
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Runner Rose Elliott joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the upcoming Potts Classic in Hawke's Bay over the weekend.
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Wellington Phoenix defender Kate Taylor joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview their clash against Melbourne City FC in the Liberty A-League.
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ACC Commentator Matt Heath joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the sixth edition of the Hot Spring T20 Black Clash.
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Graeme Beasley and Newstalk ZB Sport Director Clay Wilson joined the show, to discuss all the big topics making headlines this week.
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Australian Correspondent Jim Dolan joined D'Arcy Waldegrave for all the latest from over the ditch.
On this weekends agenda...
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David Warner and his helicopter entrance
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Steve Smith getting bored in the sheds
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The excitement for the Australian Open is building.
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Dick Tayler joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the 2024 Commemorative New Zealand 10000m Championships held in Dunedin.
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NZME Cricket Commentator Bryan Waddle joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to review the opening T20 between the Blackcaps and Pakistan at Eden Park.
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Amelia Kerr joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to reflect on her outstanding individual performance against the Canterbury Magicians and also preview their clash against the Central Hinds.
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Peter Burling joined D'Arcy Waldegrave out of the Kiwi Camp, to preview this weekend's leg of Sail GP in Abu Dhabi.
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Jason Herriman, Director of the Ocean Swim Series, joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to chat about the event happening around the great lake this weekend.
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Driver Ted Ingram joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview all the evenings action from Waikaraka Park.
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The Lovelock Classic Athletics is kicking into gear today, with the junior events taking place this morning and the senior events taking place from 1pm this afternoon.
National Champion Portia Bing told D’Arcy Waldegrave that local events like these are a good marker for athletes, especially those who compete overseas.
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Super Smash Cricket is popping off today with the Northern Brave Women’s team facing the Otago Sparks at Seddon Park.
Jess Watkin, all-rounder for the Northern Brave, joined D’Arcy Waldegrave for a chat ahead of this afternoon’s match.
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The Breakers are facing the Perth Wildcats tomorrow afternoon, playing on their home turf after being on the road.
Working his way back from a major injury, Breakers forward Mangok Mathiang joined D'Arcy Waldegrave for a chat ahead of tomorrow's game.
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With Marisa van der Meer out of commission with an ACL injury, Wellington Phoenix has pulled Rebecca Lake into the action.
She joined D’Arcy Waldegrave ahead of their match against Brisbane to chat about how the season has been going thus far.
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Former Wellington Phoenix goalkeeper speaks on what led to a loss for both the men's and women's teams last night.
Both teams lost against Sydney FC; the men losing 3-1, while the women's team lost 1-0.
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Black Cap Tim Seifert reflects on the game last night and what could have been done differently.
The game against Bangladesh was called off due to weather after just 11 overs of play.
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TAB bookie Thad Taylor talks weather and its potential impacts on upcoming races, as well as the odds on some of the horses.
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Speedway promotor Bruce Robertson talks about the latest in midget racing.
While it is under appeal, several drivers are currently stood down for 22 days for infringements.
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Our Australian correspondent discusses how One NZ Warriors coach Andrew Webster is perceived over the ditch.
Andrew Webster has transformed the Warriors and brought them through to the preliminary finals this year.
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Andrew Webster brought the Warriors from placing outside of the top eight in 2022, to progressing through to the preliminary finals this year.
Webster discusses the process of creating a team that New Zealand is proud of.
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The Canterbury men's cricket team is set to play the Central Districts today at 4pm.
Team captain, Cole McConchie, says he's looking forward to the game and he is certain his team is prepared.
McConchie says the team has a great week ahead of them.
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Several amateur and professional surfing competitions are scheduled for the new year and still open for enrolment.
Ben Kennings from Surfing New Zealand says there are great opportunities for anyone wanting to get involved.
Kennings runs through the results from recent competitions.
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Joseph Parker has a shock win over Deontay Wilder during their fight last week.
Former boxer, Kevin Barry, says that "this is a golden time for boxing," and boxers should be taking advantage of it.
He says that the upcoming events in boxing are something to look forward to, and encourages all sponsors to get involved.
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It’s the busiest time of year for sheep shearing sports as competitors fight to beat previous records.
Megan Whitehead and Hannah McColl smashed both the women’s eight-hour solo and two-stand strong wool lamb records, shearing a total of 1,283 lambs.
Doug Laing from Shearing Sports New Zealand says many rural kiwis are tallying their own shearing numbers on a regular day of work to see what they are capable of.
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Graeme Beasley out of SportsFreak.co.nz and journalist Jamie Wall joined the show, to discuss all the big topics making headlines this week.
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Breakers Commentator Casey Frank joined Adam Cooper, to review their impressive win against the Sydney Kings at home.
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Kosta Barbarouses joined Adam Cooper to preview the men's clash against Western Sydney at Sky Stadium this afternoon.
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New Phoenix signing Isabel Cox joined the show to preview their clash against the Newcastle Jets.
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Toby Kerr out of Vancouver joined the show to preview all the Christmas Day NBA action.
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Blackcap Adi Ashok joined the show to preview the 3rd and final ODI against Bangladesh in Napier.
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Organiser Harley Wall joined D'Arcy Waldegrave, to give us the inside scoop into the Secondary Schools Touch Championships being held in Rotorua.
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NBL Commentator Casey Frank joined D'Arcy Waldegrave, to preview the Breakers important clash against the Tasmanian JackJumpers at Spark Arena.
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Our resident horse expert gives us the latest and greatest ahead of the TAB Classic at Trentham.
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Commentator Brian Ashby joined D'Arcy Waldegrave, to preview the gruelling Taupo leg of the Ironman event.
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Nicholas Pennington out of the Wellington Phoenix, joined D'Arcy Waldegrave, to preview their clash against the Newcastle Jets at Sky Stadium this evening.
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This weekend's All Star Panel topics include:
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SKY TV hiking their prices... again...
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John Rahm trying to convince that it's not about the money.
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Why is Moana Pasifka struggling to find home venues for 2024?
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NZME Cricket Commentator Bryan Waddle joined D'Arcy Waldegrave, to discuss all the action from overnight in Bangladesh. Bryan also weighs in on Lou Vincent's lifetime ban being lifted.
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Rowena and Clay joined D'Arcy to break down what's happening in sports this week.
On the agenda today:
Should the ECB overturn Lou Vincent's ban?
The bit of drama at Wellington Phoenix.
What's going on with our stadiums?
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It's local motorsport action at Taupo this weekend, with the opening round of the NZ Superbike Championships.
Rider Cormac Buchanan joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to give us a 'big old' preview of the event.
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The 7th annual New Zealand Mini Golf Championship gets underway in Lower Hutt this weekend.
2022 Champion, Cameron Couper, joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss how the competitive world of Mini Golf works and his predictions for this years event.
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New Zealand's K1 kickboxing 'King in the Ring' series hits Auckland's EventFinder Stadium on Saturday night.
City Kick Boxing's Raam Didumo joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss his incredible rise through the ranks after only taking up the sport in 2018.
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It's all about the Wahine Toa in Whangarei this weekend, as World Champion Mea Motu puts her IBO Super Bantamweight title on the line.
Mea joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to chat about her bout against Chandni Mehra, and what it means to be fighting in front of her Northland whanau.
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Our Australian Correspondent, Jim Dolan, joined the show to discuss why golf is the talk of the town, Cricket Australia's bold move that didn't pay off, and Rugby Australia making every effort to ruin the game.
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The Summer of cricket is well and truly underway with the start of the White Ferns vs Pakistan series on Sunday.
All-Rounder Maddy Green joined the show to discuss their chances at the University Oval and Susie Bates bringing up an incredible 300 games.
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Nathan Limm and Graeme Beasley joined D'Arcy Waldegrave this week on The All Star Panel.
On the agenda this week:
Should the Black Caps have helped Virat Kohli after he cramped up?
Are we too nice as a sporting nation?
Formula One is turning into a literal cirrus in Vegas.
Is Joseph Parker becoming the ultimate journeyman of heavyweight boxing?
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Another big day of racing at Riccarton as the NZ Cup Week trots on.
TAB Bookie Thad Taylor joined the show to give us his tips and tricks ahead of today's big dance.
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It has been the ultimate turn around for the Wellington Pheonix Women's Side after finishing bottom of the table last year.
The Wāhinix are currently 3 from 4, and sit 3rd on the table as they take on Central Coast tonight.
Star goal-keeper Rylee Foster had a chat with D'Arcy about the teams new found success.
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The Wellington 10,000m Festival takes place this weekend across all age grades, for both men and women.
Popular local runner Nathan Tse joined the show to discuss his chances in tonight's feature men's race.
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Utter chaos.
It’s said that there is no such thing as bad publicity.
If that really is the case, Formula 1 won't be overly concerned with the shambles that has set the Las Vegas Grand Prix rolling.
The sporting world is focused on what has been described by the likes of Red Bull, Boss Christian Horner, and McLaren Principal Zach Brown as the, among other questionable superlatives, as the biggest sporting event in the world this year.
Delightful self-congratulatory chutzpah of the highest order in a year within which the Cricket World Cup, the Rugby World Cup, and the women's football World Cup have been staged.
It's not a claim, it's just a lie. Fabrication of the highest order, shameless BS.
But we know Formula 1 goes large.
We know that the Americans are prone to wild embellishment, and we know that Las Vegas represents the very essence of shameless self-promotion.
But really this is next level peacocking.
F1 have reportedly sunk well over half a billion US dollars into the event, which includes significant real estate acquisition in the heart of Sin City.
Crazy money and a crazy sport for a weekend's action, then... this.
After nine minutes, the first free practice, a water valve cover is dislodged by Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and the whole circus grinds to a rather embarrassing halt.
Esteban Ocon also suffered damage as a result of the track malfunction.
Sainz’s Ferrari not only suffered catastrophic damage to its engine, chassis and battery, they were then slammed with a team players penalty for replacing the battery.
This is comical!
Practice one was then cancelled, practice two delayed by several hours due to logistical issues.
The crowd was sent home at 1:30 a.m.
The session eventually finished at four in the morning.
Then when a member of the media who assembled for a hastily thrown together press conference featuring four team principals actually suggested that the whole messy affair was a black eye for the sport, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff lost his rag and swore at him!
Hardly ideal in the puritanical US of A.
But no publicity is bad publicity, right?
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Taupo International Motorsport Park welcomes Round 1 of the Super Sprint Championship, as the best drivers in New Zealand battle it out across numerous categories.
D'Arcy catches up with young superstar Driver Jackson Rooney to discuss his chances in the Toyota 86 class and his dreams of ultimately making the Supercars.
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India and Australia will face off in a rematch of the 2003 World Cup title in Ahmedabad on Sunday evening, with the winner being crowned the ODI World Cup Champions.
NZME Cricket Commentator Bryan Waddle joined the show to preview the mouthwatering clash, and give his take on the BCCI's interference in this World Cup.
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Clay and Scotty joined D'Arcy to discuss the biggest sports stories from the week.
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Thad Taylor, a TAB Racing Bookie, joined the show this morning, to give us the latest on Day 1 of NZ Cup week from Riccarton.
Today's feature race of the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai 51st NZ 2000 Guineas G1 get's underway at 4.43pm. with 'Crocetti' currently sits as the clear favourite.
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The Silver Ferns are confident of their chances in Christchurch this weekend, despite a large number of their team having never played the new format.
Fast 5 includes shorter quarters, power plays and super shots.
The Ferns get their campaign underway at 1.15pm this afternoon against Malawi.
Ferns Centre and Wing Attack, Whitney Souness, joined D'Arcy ahead of the game.
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The Banana Boat New Zealand Ocean Swim Series returns for the first event of the 2023/24 season in the idyllic and warm waters of the Far North.
400 competitors will be swimming The Beach to Bay 3.3km course as they look for the first title of the year.
Jason Herriman, Director of the series, joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to chat about the event.
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Our Australian Correspondent discusses whether or not the Aussie's will rest Glenn Maxwell ahead of their dead rubber against Bangladesh.
There's more bad news for Rugby Australia (suprise, suprise), and the NRL continues to create off-field drama, this time with their scheduling issues.
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Where the rubber hits the road, where the tough go when the going gets tough, the CWC is reaching its razors edge as the wheat and the chaff part ways and the true powerhouses of the game flex.
It’s been an intriguing tournament to date, with some curious results pointing to a gradual change in the world order. The surge of Afghanistan, a country shredded by its own archaic ruling mob, has spoken volumes, at deafening volume, about the growth of the sport from the former affiliate nations.
The Dutch have also pulled some hat rabbits with 2 victories so far in India. This of course is countered by the horrendous form, if you could call what they have generated form, of the reigning world champion England and the parlous state of former world champs Sri Lanka. Bungladesh has let their standards slide too.
Although the South Africans soiled their bedsheets versus the Netherlands, their form suggests they’ll be a frightening prospect come semi-final time. Australia, wobbling through the year so far, are doing what Aussie do and solidifying when it matters. The Indians are playing to their home favourites tag and short of being suffocated by the expectation of over a billion souls, are odds on to stand above all at tournaments end.
Which leaves New Zealand. Perennial semi-finalists and 2 times beaten finalist, our representatives started with a hiss, but a roar so far has yet to escape their mouths. Tonight they play Pakistan and must arrest their slide, although the Proteas flogging was the only truly ugly loss of the 3 on the trot to date.
Victory tonight all but sees them claim a semi spot and even though momentum at the best of times is a flawed concept, in this case a win becomes a necessity to drive the Black Caps back up to the level they require to foot it with larger canines in the fight.
One thing we’ve learnt over the last few seasons is to write NZ off, is a flawed and churlish attitude, as they rightly deserve their place at the top table.
And once they take their seat, they are as hungry as the other 3.
Let the food fight commence.
That’ll do.
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Wellington Phoenix Women's Head Coach joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to chat about the incredible start to the season and their current ability to find the back of the net with ease.
Paul also previews their clash against last year's finalists, Western United, set for a 4pm Kick Off on Sunday afternoon.
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The all-rounder joined the show to discuss the Black Caps' chances of defeating India in the semis.
Do the 'Caps' actually have a decent chance, or are India in a league of their own?
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Peter Dudson, gives us an insight into the wild world of Hydroplane Boats and previews' the NZ Thunder Series in Wanaka.
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Nathan Limm and Phil Gifford joined the 'All Star Panel' to wrap the biggest stories from the sporting week.
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Black Ferns Hooker Luka Connor joined the show, to preview their much anticipated re-match against England at Go Media Stadium Mt Smart.
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long time driver Ant Pedersen joined the show, to preview the gruelling six hour enduro race at Highlands Motorsport Park this weekend.
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Our man from over the ditch gives us the latest in Aussie sports news.
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NRL transfers are heating up and what's AFB doing with the Warriors?
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Eddie everywhere continues
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Huge game of cricket tonight... and it's not the Blackcaps v Pakistan...
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Eliot Crowther out of the Quality Foods Southland team, joined the show to preview the final stages of the Tour Of Southland.
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Kiwi's Hooker, Fa'amanu Brown joined the show, to preview the Kiwi's clash against Australia in Hamilton tonight.
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Driver Scott Tennant joined the show, to preview all the weekend's action at Waikaraka Park.
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Let me tell you why the All Blacks will hold the World Cup aloft tomorrow morning.
Plainly no-one can accurately predict the outcome of two evenly matched teams with such a deep and passionate history.
But the men in black have the edge.
The Springboks look gassed. They were hammered last week by England in a brutal game of 10-man rugby. Relentless trench warfare only paused with the obligatory punt from the first five has left the Boks battered. They have countered the debris of that pack whopping with a 7-1 split on the bench for tomorrows encounter, hoping they can roll in a second wave of goliaths to supress the AB forwards.
This selection of course leaves them vulnerable in the back division, should one of their bigger numbers slump, help is thin on the ground to say the least. If it’s halfback du Klerk early enough, South Africa will wilt.
The trick for the All Blacks is threefold.
- Speed. Run the Bokke ragged. To engage these monsters in hand-to-hand combat is to play to their strength. With the ability to attack with great pace at furious angles at the sniff of a turnover, the AB side possess the ability to shred the cumbersome livestock of the SA pack. This they need to do from the outset. Out of the blocks like Usain Bolt.
- Accuracy. Precision in passing. Meticulous breakdown entry. Exactitude from the boot. Concise line out throwing.
- The ever-present menace of discipline shadows every breakdown, evocation of this demon would haunt whichever team dares to summon such a wanton spectre. Scott Barrett, I’m looking at you.
The All Blacks are rested, have continuity of selection and entire rugby world to stick it too after reports of their demise echoed across the globe, reports which I believe have been grossly exaggerated.
ABs 13 plus.
That’ll do.
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Rugby pundits Paul Allison and Jamie Wall joined the 'All Star Panel' to wrap the biggest stories from the sporting week.
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George Worker out of the Auckland Aces joined the show, to preview the latest round of the Plunket Shield.
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Alana Bremner joined the show to preview their WXV round 2 clash against Wales.
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D'Arcy is joined by Nathan Limm on the All Star Panel, as they slice and dice the biggest sports stories of the week.
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Wellington Lions Captain Du'Plessis Kirifi joined the show to preview their massive clash against Hawke's Bay, for a place in the NPC Grand-Final.
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Our man from over the ditch gives us the latest in Aussie sports news.
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The BIG league test tonight...
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Continued World Cup woes
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Socceroos at the big dance.
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Kiwi rally driver Hayden Paddon joined the show, to preview the National Champs.
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Our resident Heartland rugby expert joined the show to preview the big dance across the Meads and Lochore Cups.
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Trent Boult joined the show to re-cap yet another impressive win for the Blackcaps at the ICC World Cup in India.
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Rugby Writer Phil Gifford and Newstalk ZB Sports Director Clay Wilson, wrap the biggest stories from the sporting week.
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NZME Cricket Commentator Bryan Waddle joined the show, to discuss the opening games of the ICC Cricket World Cup in India.
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One of our top Judo prospects by the name of Elliott Connolly joined the show, as we preview the National Champs happening over the weekend.
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Our resident Heartland rugby expert joined the show to preview the business end of the season.
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Our man from over the ditch gives us the latest in Aussie sports news.
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Bathurst and the great race...
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Aussie Rugby's continued problems
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Never-ending drama that is the NRL
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Ross Haviland out of the Auckland United camp, joined the show to preview their round 3 clash against Christchurch United.
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National League Football is kicking off this weekend, both the men's and the women's teams competing over the coming weeks.
The Wellington Phoenix Reserves are taking on Auckland City FC at Fraser Park late this afternoon, with kickoff at 4pm.
Wellington midfielder Charlie Beale told D’Arcy that Auckland City will definitely be a great challenge to start them off.
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Auckland’s NPC side takes on Taranaki tonight at Yarrow Stadium.
Coach of the team, Craig McGrath, told D’Arcy that they’ve had a pretty good week, especially after losing to Waikato last week.
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The countdown is on to tonight's NRL preliminary final between the Warriors and the Broncos.
Former Warriors centre, Blake Ayshford, told D’Arcy Waldegrave that Andrew Webster knows what it takes to win.
For the Warriors to win tonight's game, Ayshford believes they need to keep doing what they’ve been doing and focusing on their line speed, and their aggression and contact in their defence.
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The Daybreaker Rally is back after nearly a decade.
The iconic gravel-based rally event last ran back in 2015 in Wairarapa, but has returned as the penultimate round of the New Zealand Rally Championship.
Two-time New Zealand Rally Championship winner, Ben Hunt, joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to chat about the event.
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Kiwi motorcross superstar Courtney Duncan joined the show to chat about the latest round of the WMX.
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Christchurch United Coach Paul Ifill joined the show, to preview their Semi-Final clash against Suburbs at home.
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Development Coach Dinyar Irani joined the show to preview the Auckland Table Tennis Open.
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John Wright from New Zealand Jet Skiing joined the show to preview the latest round of the Enduro series.
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Our man from over the ditch gives us the latest in Aussie sports news.
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Matilda's are still crowd favorites
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Theres money to be made in the Matildas still
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Very important NRL match tomorrow
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Pt Chev Centre Francis Leger joined the program to preview their upcoming final against the mighty Richmond Rovers.
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High-Performance Manager Scott Newman joined the show to discuss New Zealand's chances at the World Champs in Hungary.
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Our man from over the ditch gives us the latest in Aussie sports news.
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FIFA World Cup being a massive success
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Australian Rugby dropping their stars from the World Cup side
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Dope in sport
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Stefan Amston out of the Queenstown Stampede joined the show to preview the lastest round of the NZIHL.
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Wellington United Coach Guillermo Schiltenwolf joined the show to preview their clash against Eastern Suburbs.
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The voice of Heartland Rugby Kevin Hare joined the show to discuss round one.
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Former All White and now football Commentator Fred De Jong joined the show to discuss the knockout stages of the FIFA WWC.
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Auckland Midfielder Bryce Heem joined the show to preview their round two clash against Tasman.
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Simon Child out of the Black Sticks camp join the show to preview game two against Australia.
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Topics this weekend:
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ABs v Australia - does it mean anything?
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Is Dame Noels being to defensive when asked questions?
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How's your interest levels in the FIFA World Cup now that NZ are out?
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Is the new NPC format good?
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Cam Howieson out of Auckland City FC joined the show to chat about their bumper clash against Eastern Suburbs.
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Deb Fuller joined us out of South Africa to preview the Silver Ferns semi-final against England.
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Paris Lokotui joined us to preview the Queens clash against the Whai at Te Rauparaha Arena on Sunday.
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Halfback Jamie Booth gives us an look inside the North Harbour camp ahead of their round one clash.
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Our man from over the ditch gives us the latest in Aussie sports news.
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The NRL cracking down on things again...
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Andrew Johns is praising Reece Walsh
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All aboard the Matilda's train
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Race Director Bryce Green joined the show to preview the Taupo Marathon and it's massive appeal around the country.
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Our lead rugby commentator Elliott Smith joined the show, to preview the Bledisloe test out of the deep south.
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Razor's full-page spread send off - a bit much?
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Australia's WWC in peril after disastrous Nigeria loss
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Eddie Jones annoying everyone
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Netball World Cup Underway! Has the gap closed?
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Howick Hornets Head Coach Ruka Loza joined the show to preview their ARL clash against the Marist Saints.
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We caught up with Maya Dodson and chatted about her journey to the Tauihi Basketball league in little old New Zealand.
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Karin Burger beamed into us out of South Africa after the Silver Ferns crushing defeat of Trinidad and Tobago.
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Brighid Dennehy gives us the low-down on the NZ Cross Country Champs in Taupo over the weekend.
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Kahurangi Shelford joined the show to preview Northland's clash against Manawatu in Palmy.
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Our man from over the ditch gives us the latest in Aussie sports news.
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Eddie Jones attempting to be funny.
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FIFA World Cup could be in trouble
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Aussie are complaining about HD and SD sport coverage...
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Stephen Hoyle joined the us out of the Eastern Suburbs camp to preview their Cup Quarter Final.
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All Blacks Assistant Coach Greg Feek joined the show ahead of their clash against the Wallabies in Melbourne.
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Football Commentator and Former All White Fred De Jong joined the show, to preview the upcoming games in the FIFA Women's World Cup.
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Our resident horse-picking expert joined the show to give us the latest on this weekend's racing action for the 22nd of July.
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Talksport Cricket Commentator Jon Norman joined the show to review day 3 of the fourth Ashes Test.
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Tony Bowden out of Kart Sport NZ joined the show to preview the National Champs.
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Varsity captain Te Ariki Te Puni joined the show to preview their final clash against Manukau Rovers.
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There is a face of this World Cup. Burnt into my conscience.
It’s the face of Hannah Wilkinson as she drank in the atmosphere before kick off against Norway.
Standing with her teammates, waiting to walk on to her field of dreams.
The stone-cold determination. The laser focus. The will. Watching her face sent chills through me.
On the pitch, during the anthem, flanked by the women charged with lighting the touch paper for arguably the biggest sporting event in NZ’s history, every fibre of her being, every twitch and expression screamed intent.
Hannah Wilkinson then sent the country into another stratosphere with her clinical finish of a textbook sweep down the field. A magical movement, personifying footballs oft used sobriquet, the beautiful game.
Her determination, razor mindset and indefatigable will to win was laid out for all to see post-match in her interviews.
Not arrogant, not that of baseless swagger, but the words of an athlete, determined and driven to stand up on the world sage and roar.
If that goal, that team performance and that spirit doesn’t lift NZ, doesn’t trebuchet this sporting nation into the heart of this World Cup, nothing will.
That’ll do.
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Our man from over the ditch gives us the latest in Aussie sports news.
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Melbourne Storm creating some talk
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Aussie's weird TV rights deal for the World Cup
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Counties Heat Captain Shyanne Thompson joined the show, to preview their opening clash against BOP.
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Otago Nuggets head coach Brent Matehaere joined the show to preview their Semi Final clash.
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This week on the All Star Panel...
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FIFA Women's World Cup off to a flyer
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Aussie's wanting to mix with All Blacks
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Comm Games gets the boot.
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Samara Gallaher out of the Southern Hoiho joined the show to preview their second game of the Tauihi basketball season.
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Eloise Blackwell joined the show to preview Auckland's opening clash against Hawkes Bay.
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Our resident horse-picking expert joined the show to give us the latest on this weekend's racing action.
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All Blacks v South Africa
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TJ Perenara re-signing with NZR
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Ticket sales for the FIFA Women's World Cup
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SJ commits to the Warriors for another year
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Conor Fahey out of the Takapuna camp. joined the show to preview their lastest Northern League game against Hamilton Wanderers.
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Our Tennis Correspondent Craig Gabriel joined us for the latest out of Wimbledon overnight.
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Our man from over the ditch gives us the latest in Aussie sports news.
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Business end of the NRL Season is underway
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Hype building over the FIFA Women's World Cup
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Warm up match gets called off in Australia...
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Super Sport Commentator Matt Pearce joined the show to give a South African perspective ahead of tonight's test match.
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All Blacks big man Brodie Retallick joined the show to preview their massive clash against the Springboks in Auckland.
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All Blacks v Argentina - What do we make of the side?
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Is the All Blacks XV an insult to the players? Or a great training ground?
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Warriors v Eels
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Teams arrive for the FIFA Women's World Cup
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Our resident horse-picking expert joined the show to give us the latest on this weekend's racing action.
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Wellington Saints CEO Jordan Mills joined the show to preview their sell-out clash at TSB Bank Arena.
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All Blacks XV centre Jack Goodhue joined the show to preview their tour of Japan.
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Captain of Waterside Karori Harry Fautley joined the show to preview their clash against Napier City Rovers.
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Kiwi gymnast Reece Cobb gives us the latest on her performance at the National Champs.
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Our man from over the ditch gives us the latest in Aussie sports news.
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Our tennis correspondent Craig Gabriel joined us for the latest out of Wimbledon overnight.
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Our rugby expert Elliott Smith joined the show live out of Mendoza ahead of Sunday's opening match for the All Blacks.
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Our man from over the ditch gives us the latest in Aussie sports news.
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Christain Kelleher out of the College Rifles joined the show to preview their clash against Ponsonby.
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Ethan Rusbatch out of the Hawk's Bay Hawks joined the show to preview their clash against the Saints.
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Kiwi Squash superstar Joelle King joined the show to discuss the NZ Championships.
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Race Director Noel Bennett joined the show to give us the skinny on the North Island Cross Country Championships.
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Former Kiwi's Captain Richie Barnett joined the show to review the Warriors v Rabbitohs game.
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Cycling Commentator Del Woodford joined the show to preview the opening day of the tour.
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Our resident horse-picking expert joined the show to give us the latest on this weekend's racing action.
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Jamie Jones, Captain of the Auckland Steel joined the show to preview their clash against the Wakatipu Wild.
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Auckland Tuatara Coach Aaron Young joined the show to preview their clash against the Nelson Giants.
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Former Kiwi's captain Richie Barnett joined the celebrations after the Warrior's massive win against St Geroge.
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Football Commentator Chris Millich gives us all the predictions for the latest round of the Northern League.
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Our man from over the ditch gives us the latest in Aussie sports news.
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Assistant Coach Roger Randell gives us the latest out of the Chiefs camp ahead of the Super Rugby Final.
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All Blacks and Crusaders centre Braydon Ennor joined the show to preview this weekend's massive Super Rugby Final.
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Two of the biggest's rugby heads in the country joined the panel this weekend, as we discuss the biggest sports stories of the week.
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Our resident horse-picking expert joined the show to give us the latest on this weekend's racing action.
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Cam Gliddon out of the Auckland Tuatara joined the show to preview their clash against the Southland Sharks.
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Graeme Agars the voice of golf joined the show, to give us the latest from the Los Angeles Country Club.
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Adam Mitchell out of Auckland City FC joined the show, to preview their round three Chatham Cup clash against Bucklands Beach.
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Hamish MacDonald, Assistant coach of the Atlantis City team, gives us the low down on the National Waterpolo League Finals.
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Our man from over the ditch gives us the latest in Aussie sports news.
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Chiefs halfback Cortez Ratima joined the show, to preview their semi-final clash against the Brumbies in Hamilton.
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Sky Sport Commentator Tony Johnson joined the show to review the Blues disastrous performance against the Crusaders.
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Head Coach of Eastern Suburbs Kane Winters-Gill joined the show to preview round two of the 100-year-old competition.
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Warriors Hooker Wayde Egan joined the show to preview their clash against the Dolphins at Mt Smart.
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Holly Fowler out of the Northern Stars camp joined the show to preview their Grand Final clash against the Mystics.
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Nick Barrow from the Auckland Tuatara joined the show to preview their clash against the Jets.
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Our man from over the ditch gives us the latest in Aussie sporting news.
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Crusaders Assistant Coach James Marshall joined the show to discuss their clash against the Canes at Sky Stadium.
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Sky Sport rugby Commentator Tony Johnson joined the show to preview/review the final round of Super Rugby.
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Reuben Te-Rangi joined the show to preview their clash against the Canterbury Rams and discuss their massive win against the Nuggets.
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Motorcross superstar Courtney Duncan joined the show to preview the latest round of the FIM World Champs in France.
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Our man Jim Dolan from over the ditch chats all things Aussie sport.
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Squash commentator Dave Worsley joined the show to preview the Barfoot & Thomson Auckland Open and Oceania Squash Champs.
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D'Arcy weighs in on the positives of Super Rugby... as much as it pains him to do so.
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This week on the All Star Panel we were joined by Rugby Journalist's Jamie Wall and Phil Gifford.
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The voice of golf Graeme Agars joined the show to update the latest from the second major of the year.
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Sky Sport Commentator Tony Johnson joined the show to review/preview round 13 of Super Rugby.
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Howick Hornets Head Coach Ruka Loza joined the show to preview their ARL clash against Howick Hornets.
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This week on the All Star Panel we were joined by Newstalk ZB Journalist Nathan Limm and Rugby Commentator Paul Allison.
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Our man Jim Dolan from over the ditch chats all things Aussie sport.
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Supercars Champion Shane Van Gisbergen joined the show to preview the Rally of Whangarei and his new venture in the dirt.
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West Auckland Admirals Captain Justin Daigle joined the show to preview their opening round clash.
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Auckland Tuatara big man Rob Loe joined the show to preview their key match up against the Hawks from EventFinda Stadium.
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D'Arcy has some thought's on the blockbuster clash between the Blues and Crusaders.
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League analyst Richie Barnett joined the show to review the Warriors solid win over the Doggies.
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Blues tall man Sam Darry joined the show to preview the Blues massive clash against the Crusaders.
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Our resident horse picking expert joined the show to give us the latest on this weekend's racing action.
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Southern Steel Centre Kate Heffernan joined the show to preview their game against the Central Pulse.
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Broadcaster Phil Gifford and sports Journalist Jamie Wall make up this weekend's All Star Panel.
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Our man Jim Dolan from over the ditch chats all things Aussie sport.
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D'Arcy fires up about the possibility of a multi-million dollar upgrade to the hallowed turf that is Eden Park... just do it!
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Sam Dempster joined us out of the Nelson Giants to preview their bottom of the table clash against the Wellington Saints.
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All Blacks and Crusaders lock Sam Whitelock joined the show to preview their crucial round 10 clash against the Chiefs.
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Sky Sport Commentator Tony Johnson joined the show to review Friday nights Super Rugby games.
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Blackcaps opening batter Will Young joined the show to preview the 2nd ODI against Pakistan.
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Blues midfielder Harry Plumber joined the show to preview their clash against the Waratahs at Eden Park.
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Rowena Duncum from thecountry.co.nz and sports Journalist Nathan Limm make up this weekend's All Star Panel.
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Football Commentator Chris Millich gives us all the predictions for the latest round of the Northern League.
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Black Sticks striker Sam Hiha joined the show to preview their massive weekend of hockey in Christchurch.
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Mila Reuelu-Buchanan joined the program to preview the latest round of the ANZ Premiership.
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NZ Falcons Head Coach Chris Mundell joined the show to preview their clash against the NZ All Stars at North Harbour Stadium.
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Taranaki Airs Assistant Coach Drew Green joined the program to preview his sides round three clash against the Nuggets.
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Our man from over the ditch gives us the latest on all things Aussie sport.
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Highlanders Commentator Paul Allison and Sports Journalist Clay Wilson make up this weekend's All Star Panel.
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TAB Trackside host Aidan Rodley joined the show to preview this weekend's racing.
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Momoka Kobori joined the program to preview/review the current Charles Tour event in Muriwai, Auckland.
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Hurricanes Assistant Coach Tyler Bleyendaal joined the show to preview their clash against the Chiefs.
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Jamaal Brantley out of the Franklin Bulls joined the show to preview their clash against the Nelson Giants.
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Our man from over the ditch gives us the latest on all things Aussie sport.
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D'Arcy ponders what NZR are doing to Super Rugby with yet another poor decision, this time around scheduling.
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Michaela Sokolich-Beatson joined us out of the Mystics camp to preview their match against the Pulse.
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Warriors winder Marcelo Montoya joined the show to preview their clash against the Cowboys at Mt Smart.
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Sport journalist's Phil Gifford and Patrick McKendry join the panel to discuss the week's biggest sporting stories.
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Aidan Rodley from the TAB gives us the latest on all things racing from around Aotearoa.
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Amorangi Malesala joined the show to preview the Northern Stars clash against the Central Pulse from the Pulman Arena in Auckland.
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Blackcaps quick Adam Milne joined the show to preview their must win game against Sri Lanka in Queenstown.
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Rob Coley joined the show to preview the lastest round of the NZ Jetsprint Champs in Wanaka.
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Blues Fullback Zarn Sullivan joined the show to preview his sides clash against the Rebels in Melbourne.
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Charlie Dalton from the Auckland Tuatara joins the show to preview their round one clash against the Nelson Giants.
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Our man Jim Dolan joins the show to talk all things Aussie sport.
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D'Arcy has a few choice words for those hitting out at Beauden Barrett.
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Our man on the ground at Augusta, Graeme Agars, joined the show to give us the latest from the second round.
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Chiefs Co-Captain Brad Weber joined the show to preview their highly anticipated clash against the Blues.
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Sport journalist's Jamie Wall and Nathan Limm join the panel to discuss the week's biggest sporting stories.
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Blues Hooker Ricky Riccitelli joined the show to preview the Battle of the Bombay's.
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Our man Jim Dolan gives us the 'skinny' on all things Aussie sport.
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A host of New Zealand records will be up for grabs as New Zealand’s elite swimmers gather in Auckland this week for the 2023 Apollo Projects NZ Swimming Championships.
The National Championships are the premier swimming event in New Zealand and will feature stars including Dame Sophie Pascoe, Lewis Clareburt, Cameron Leslie and Erika Fairweather.
The event is being held at the Sir Owen Glenn National Aquatic Centre in Auckland from April 1st to 5th, with heats being contested in the morning and finals in the evening.
“This year’s nationals are a really key event for us as it doubles as our selection event for the World Aquatics Championships and the World Para Swimming Championship later in the year,” said Swimming New Zealand CEO Steve Johns.
“We’re expecting our athletes to be at their absolute best as they compete for spots in the teams and we’re looking forward to some world class racing over a great few days in the pool.”
Johns is encouraging sports fans to get down to the National Aquatic Centre and support New Zealand’s rising stars.
“The athletes at this event will make up our teams for the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games next year so this is a great opportunity to get down and see them race in the flesh.
“We’re expecting a packed arena with a great atmosphere and we wouldn’t be at all surprised to see some records fall. Tickets are available through our website and we’d love to see you there.”
Tokyo Olympian and four-time Commonwealth Games medallist Lewis Clareburt says nationals is always a special event.
“There’s nothing quite like racing in front of your home crowd and it’s an event where I always seem to go really well,” said Clareburt.
“Our swim team showed what we’re capable of at the Commonwealth Games last year. Since then I feel like we’ve only been getting better, the level is really high right now so I’m really looking forward to seeing what we’re capable of over the next few days.”
The full event schedule and results are available at this link. The races will be livestreamed on the Swimming New Zealand Youtube Channel.
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RELEASE FROM NZ SWIMMING*
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Superstar driver Hayden Paddon joined the show, to preview the Otago Rally kicking off this weekend.
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Football voice Chris Milicich joined the program to preview round two of the Northern League.
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Our man Aiden Rodley from the TAB joined us for his tips on the weekend's racing.
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Crankworks Event Organiser Ariki Tibble joined the program, to give us the latest on the event in Rotorua between the 18th and 26th March.
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Driver Angus Fogg joined the show to preview the last ever race around the iconic Pukekohe track.
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Blackcap Rachin Ravindra joined the show to preview the first ODI from Eden Park in Auckland.
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Sport journalist's Phil Gifford and Lavina Good join the panel to discuss the weeks biggest sporting stories.
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Veteran Kiwi boxer Michelle Preston joined the show to preview her fight at this weekend's King in the Ring.
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Mark Telea joined the show to preview the 'game of the round' between the Blues and Crusaders.
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Joe Collins joins the program to preview the National Surf Saving Championships.
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Northern Stars Coach Kiri Wills joined the program to preview their round two clash against the Magic.
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Sky Sport Commentator Tony Johnson joined the show to review Friday night's Super Rugby action from Melbourne.
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High jumping sensation Hamish Kerr joined the show to preview the NZ Athletics Champs.
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Kiritapu Demant joined the show to preview the Blues' round two clash against Chiefs Manawa at North Harbour Stadium.
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Newstalk ZB's voice of Rugby Elliott Smith joined the program, to review the Chiefs opening round upset against the Crusaders.
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Blues winger Katelyn Vaha'akolo joined the program to preview their opening match of Super Rugby Aupiki.
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Godzone Adventure race creator. Warren Bates joined the show, to give us the latest on the leaderboard.
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NZME Cricket Commentator Andrew Alderson joined the program to give us a recap on the 3rd days play from the Bay Oval.
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Drifter Jason Ferron joined the program to preview the lastest round of the D1NZ Champs.
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Sport journalist's Jamie Wall and Josh Price join the panel to discuss the weeks biggest sporting stories.
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Former All White Fred De Jong joined the program to preview/review the FIFA Women's World Cup Playoff Tournament.
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Kiwi beach volleyball star Anna Harrison joined the programme to preview the latest round of the tour.
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Kiwi born centre Morgan Harper joined the program to preview their clash against the Indigenous All Stars in Rotorua.
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Northern Brave batter Jeet Raval joined the program to preview the Super Smash Final against Canterbury.
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Breakers big man Derek Pardon joined the program, to preview their last home game of the season.
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Nix Captain Alex Rufer joined the program to preview their clash against Perth Glory in Palmerston North.
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Blackcaps all rounder Daryl Mitchell joined the program to discuss their win against India in the first of three T20's.
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Braden Currie joined the program to preview his season ahead and the gruelling Tauranga Half Multi-sport race.
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Our man from over the ditch give us the latest in Aussie sport from overnight.
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Long time Athletics Commentator Murray McKinnon joined the program to preview the 2023 Potts Classic in Hastings.
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Phil Gifford and Jamie Wall joined the panel to discuss the biggest news from the world of sport.
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Blackcaps paceman Neil Wagner joined the program to preview the boxing day test from Pakistan.
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Kiwi sailor Bex Hornell joined the program to preview the classic boxing day race.
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Kiwi cyclist Corbin Strong joined the program to preview the last big cycling meet of the year in Cambridge.
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Wellington Nix Captain Oli Sail joined the program to preview their round 8 clash against Adelaide.
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Pace Bowler Hannah Rowe joined the program to preview the White Ferns' 3rd ODI against Bangladesh.
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Our man from over the ditch Jim Dolan joined the program to give us the lastest from Aussie sport overnight.
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Superstar Triathlete Hannah Berry joined the show to preview the Taupo leg of Ironman New Zealand.
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Talksport football commentator Adam Bridge joined the program to review the drama from the first World Cup Quarter Final.
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Nix defender Steven Ugarkovic joined the program to preview their clash against Western Sydney Wanderers.
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Sam Timmins from the Breakers joined the program to preview their home game against the Perth Wildcats.
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Krissy Robinson from the New Zealand Mini Golf Association join the program to preview this weekends National Champs.
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Kickboxer Chris Eades joined the program to preview the upcoming King in the Ring competition.
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This week on the panel we were joined by the South Island lads, consisting of Josh Price and Paul Allison.
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Former Blackcap Craig Cumming joined the program to recap New Zealand's win against India at Eden Park.
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Race director Hayden Dickason joined the program to give us the skinny on the BDO Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge.
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Ultra-marathon swimmer Jono Ridler joined the program to give us the latest on the Ocean Swim Series.
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Kiwi Ferns Assistant Coach David Faiumu joined the program to preview the Women's Rugby League World Cup Final.
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Triathlete Hannah Knighton joined the program to preview the National Triathlon Series.
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Northern Rovers coach Ben Bate joined the program to preview the next round of the Women's National League.
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All Blacks forward coach Jason Ryan joined the program to preview their final clash of the year.
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Squash superstar Joelle King joined the program to give us the latest NZ Squash Open.
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Squash superstar Joelle King joined the program to give us the latest NZ Squash Open.
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East Coast Bays FC Coach Sam Coyle joined the program to give us the latest on the National Futsal League.
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East Coast Bays FC Coach Sam Coyle joined the program to give us the latest on the National Futsal League.
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Black Ferns loose forward Alana Bremner sat down with D'Arcy to chew the fat ahead of their historic final.
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Black Ferns loose forward Alana Bremner sat down with D'Arcy to chew the fat ahead of their historic final.
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Our man from over the ditch joins us for all the latest on Aussie sport.
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Scott 'Scooter' Barrett joined the program to preview this weekend's clash against the Welsh in Cardiff.
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Kiwi squash star Paul Coll joined the program to give us the latest on the Nations Cup being held in Tauranga.
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All Blacks lock Tupou Vaa'i joined the program to give us more insight about his starting role against Japan.
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All Blacks lock Tupou Vaa'i joined the program to give us more insight about his starting role against Japan.
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Auckland City coach Albert Riera joined the show to preview their grudge match against Auckland United.
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Auckland City coach Albert Riera joined the show to preview their grudge match against Auckland United.
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Blackcaps spinner Mitch Santner joined the program to preview their next group game against Sri Lanka. The big question being... will it rain?
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Blackcaps spinner Mitch Santner joined the program to preview their next group game against Sri Lanka. The big question being... will it rain?
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Cyclist Michael Vink joined the program to preview the start of the 'Tour of Southland' for 2022.
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Cyclist Michael Vink joined the program to preview the start of the 'Tour of Southland' for 2022.
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The Tongan born no. 8 joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of this evening's semi finals fixture against the formidable Canterbury, to talk all things mindset, preparation, and the underdog mentality needed to edge out the Cantabrians.
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The Tongan born no. 8 joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of this evening's semi finals fixture against the formidable Canterbury, to talk all things mindset, preparation, and the underdog mentality needed to edge out the Cantabrians.
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The founder and director of the McCartney Invitational junior football tournament joins the programme to talk about the origin of the competition, the 130 team attendance, and the goals and values of the Taupo based event.
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The founder and director of the McCartney Invitational junior football tournament joins the programme to talk about the origin of the competition, the 130 team attendance, and the goals and values of the Taupo based event.
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NZ golf pro Daniel Hillier joins D'Arcy Waldegrave on the All Sport Breakfast to discuss his European Tour so far, the peaks and pitfalls of his own game, plus working with a new caddy.
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NZ golf pro Daniel Hillier joins D'Arcy Waldegrave on the All Sport Breakfast to discuss his European Tour so far, the peaks and pitfalls of his own game, plus working with a new caddy.
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Multi-sport athlete Sam Manson joins D'Arcy Waldegrave to talk all things Motu Challenge, his preparation, personal goals, and mindset heading into this weekend's event.
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Multi-sport athlete Sam Manson joins D'Arcy Waldegrave to talk all things Motu Challenge, his preparation, personal goals, and mindset heading into this weekend's event.
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The Black Ferns veteran and two time RWC champ joins D'Arcy to talk all things World Cup leading into tomorrow's clash with Wales.
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The Black Ferns veteran and two time RWC champ joins D'Arcy to talk all things World Cup leading into tomorrow's clash with Wales.
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In the final episode of Under the Helmet: Rally. Join Newstalk ZB host D'Arcy Waldegrave as he wraps up a successful Rally of New Zealand with Chris Grant.
Under the Helmet: Rally thanks to Spark Sport - WRC Lives Here!
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In the final episode of Under the Helmet: Rally. Join Newstalk ZB host D'Arcy Waldegrave as he wraps up a successful Rally of New Zealand with Chris Grant.
Under the Helmet: Rally thanks to Spark Sport - WRC Lives Here!
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NZ Breakers coach Mody Maor discusses new signings, challenges against trans-Tasman rivals, and the return timeline for veteran Tom Abercrombie.
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NZ Breakers coach Mody Maor discusses new signings, challenges against trans-Tasman rivals, and the return timeline for veteran Tom Abercrombie.
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Women's Adventure Race organiser Wendy van den Berg joined the All Sport Breakfast ahead of this weekend's event and her own experiences both as a racer and now on the managerial side.
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Women's Adventure Race organiser Wendy van den Berg joined the All Sport Breakfast ahead of this weekend's event and her own experiences both as a racer and now on the managerial side.
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Debbie Dickson is manager of the NZ Artistic Swimming Nationals and she joined D'Arcy Waldegrave.
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Debbie Dickson is manager of the NZ Artistic Swimming Nationals and she joined D'Arcy Waldegrave.
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White Ferns captain Sophie Devine joined the All Sport Breakfast talking all things cricket out of the Caribbean.
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White Ferns captain Sophie Devine joined the All Sport Breakfast talking all things cricket out of the Caribbean.
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Craig McGrath, assistant coach of Auckland joined the All Sport Breakfast ahead of his side's clash with Taranaki.
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Craig McGrath, assistant coach of Auckland joined the All Sport Breakfast ahead of his side's clash with Taranaki.
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In episode nine of Under the Helmet: Rally. Join Newstalk ZB host D'Arcy Waldegrave as he talks to Swedish rally driver Oliver Solberg.
Solberg was destined to make a living from behind the steering wheel of a car. Son of former World Rally Champion Petter Solberg and nephew to rally driver Henning Solberg, the 21-year-old has plenty of knowledge to call upon as he winds his way around the roads of Aotearoa.
Under the Helmet: Rally thanks to Spark Sport - WRC Lives Here!
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In episode nine of Under the Helmet: Rally. Join Newstalk ZB host D'Arcy Waldegrave as he talks to Swedish rally driver Oliver Solberg.
Solberg was destined to make a living from behind the steering wheel of a car. Son of former World Rally Champion Petter Solberg and nephew to rally driver Henning Solberg, the 21-year-old has plenty of knowledge to call upon as he winds his way around the roads of Aotearoa.
Under the Helmet: Rally thanks to Spark Sport - WRC Lives Here!
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In episode seven of Under the Helmet: Rally. Join Newstalk ZB host D'Arcy Waldegrave as he talks to Welsh rally driver Elfyn Evans.
After narrowly missing out on clinching the world title in 2020, the 32-year-old from Dolgellau in Wales is once again taking on the championship battle at the wheel of a Yaris WRC with the Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team. He's in New Zealand for the very first time to take on some of the best gravel roads in the world.
Under the Helmet: Rally thanks to Spark Sport - WRC Lives Here!
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In episode seven of Under the Helmet: Rally. Join Newstalk ZB host D'Arcy Waldegrave as he talks to Welsh rally driver Elfyn Evans.
After narrowly missing out on clinching the world title in 2020, the 32-year-old from Dolgellau in Wales is once again taking on the championship battle at the wheel of a Yaris WRC with the Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team. He's in New Zealand for the very first time to take on some of the best gravel roads in the world.
Under the Helmet: Rally thanks to Spark Sport - WRC Lives Here!
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Canterbury University rowing star Zac Rumble joined the program to gives us the 'skinny' on the 2022 Aon NZ University Rowing Championships.
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Canterbury University rowing star Zac Rumble joined the program to gives us the 'skinny' on the 2022 Aon NZ University Rowing Championships.
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Waikato's head coach Ross Filipo joined the program to preview their shield clash against Wellington.
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Waikato's head coach Ross Filipo joined the program to preview their shield clash against Wellington.
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This week on the panel we were joined the Lavina Good and Miles Davis, as we slice and dice the biggest sports stories of the last 7 days.
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This week on the panel we were joined the Lavina Good and Miles Davis, as we slice and dice the biggest sports stories of the last 7 days.
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All Blacks midfielder Rieko Ioane joined the program to preview this weekend's must win clash against the Wallabies.
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All Blacks midfielder Rieko Ioane joined the program to preview this weekend's must win clash against the Wallabies.
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In episode six of Under the Helmet: Rally. Join Newstalk ZB host D'Arcy Waldegrave as he talks to versatile motorsport champion Shane van Gisbergen.
From smooth race tracks to rough gravel roads, Shane van Gisbergen is obsessed with racing cars. Fast! Success has followed him no matter the size of the engine under the hood and the New Zealand leg of the World Rally Championship is just another chance for him to challenge himself.
Under the Helmet: Rally thanks to Spark Sport - WRC Lives Here!
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In episode six of Under the Helmet: Rally. Join Newstalk ZB host D'Arcy Waldegrave as he talks to versatile motorsport champion Shane van Gisbergen.
From smooth race tracks to rough gravel roads, Shane van Gisbergen is obsessed with racing cars. Fast! Success has followed him no matter the size of the engine under the hood and the New Zealand leg of the World Rally Championship is just another chance for him to challenge himself.
Under the Helmet: Rally thanks to Spark Sport - WRC Lives Here!
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In episode five of Under the Helmet: Rally. Join Newstalk ZB host D'Arcy Waldegrave as he talks to one of WRC's all time-greats, Sébastien Ogier.
Determined, ruthless and tactically shrewd, Ogier has won eight world titles, including six in a row from 2013 to 2018, with three different manufacturers. He took his final crown in 2021 before stepping back from racing full-time.
Under the Helmet: Rally thanks to Spark Sport - WRC Lives Here!
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In episode five of Under the Helmet: Rally. Join Newstalk ZB host D'Arcy Waldegrave as he talks to one of WRC's all time-greats, Sébastien Ogier.
Determined, ruthless and tactically shrewd, Ogier has won eight world titles, including six in a row from 2013 to 2018, with three different manufacturers. He took his final crown in 2021 before stepping back from racing full-time.
Under the Helmet: Rally thanks to Spark Sport - WRC Lives Here!
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In episode four of Under the Helmet: Rally. Join Newstalk ZB host D'Arcy Waldegrave as he talks to Belgium rally ace Thierry Neuville.
Neuville is one of the most experienced drivers on the WRC circuit and has the unfortunate record of finishing second on four consecutive occasions!
Under the Helmet: Rally thanks to Spark Sport - WRC Lives Here!
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In episode four of Under the Helmet: Rally. Join Newstalk ZB host D'Arcy Waldegrave as he talks to Belgium rally ace Thierry Neuville.
Neuville is one of the most experienced drivers on the WRC circuit and has the unfortunate record of finishing second on four consecutive occasions!
Under the Helmet: Rally thanks to Spark Sport - WRC Lives Here!
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In episode three of Under the Helmet: Rally. Join Newstalk ZB host D'Arcy Waldegrave as he talks to leading kiwi rally driver Hayden Paddon ahead of his home event.
A multiple New Zealand rally championship winner, Hayden Paddon has gone through the highs and lows of being a professional rally driver. In this conversation, he opens up about his own rallying journey.
Under the Helmet: Rally thanks to Spark Sport - WRC Lives Here!
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In episode three of Under the Helmet: Rally. Join Newstalk ZB host D'Arcy Waldegrave as he talks to leading kiwi rally driver Hayden Paddon ahead of his home event.
A multiple New Zealand rally championship winner, Hayden Paddon has gone through the highs and lows of being a professional rally driver. In this conversation, he opens up about his own rallying journey.
Under the Helmet: Rally thanks to Spark Sport - WRC Lives Here!
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In episode two of Under the Helmet: Rally. Join Newstalk ZB host D'Arcy Waldegrave as he sits down with Finnish world rally driver Kalle Rovenperä.
The son of former WRC driver Harri Rovanperä, Rovanperä has been driving cars since the age of six, and bikes and ATVs since he was three. 'Under the Helmet: Rally' sits down with the world champion-in-waiting ahead of the New Zealand leg of the World Rally Championship.
Under the Helmet: Rally thanks to Spark Sport - WRC Lives Here!
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In episode two of Under the Helmet: Rally. Join Newstalk ZB host D'Arcy Waldegrave as he sits down with Finnish world rally driver Kalle Rovenperä.
The son of former WRC driver Harri Rovanperä, Rovanperä has been driving cars since the age of six, and bikes and ATVs since he was three. 'Under the Helmet: Rally' sits down with the world champion-in-waiting ahead of the New Zealand leg of the World Rally Championship.
Under the Helmet: Rally thanks to Spark Sport - WRC Lives Here!
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In episode one of Under the Helmet: Rally. Join Newstalk ZB host D'Arcy Waldegrave as he sits down with rally commentator Chris Grant. Chris is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to rallying in New Zealand, affectionately known as 'Rally Bible on Legs'. After listening to this, you'll soon know why!
'Under the Helmet: Rally' goes behind the scenes talking to the biggest names from the world of rally. Listen out for new episodes as they drop!
Under the Helmet: Rally thanks to Spark Sport - WRC Lives Here!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In episode one of Under the Helmet: Rally. Join Newstalk ZB host D'Arcy Waldegrave as he sits down with rally commentator Chris Grant. Chris is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to rallying in New Zealand, affectionately known as 'Rally Bible on Legs'. After listening to this, you'll soon know why!
'Under the Helmet: Rally' goes behind the scenes talking to the biggest names from the world of rally. Listen out for new episodes as they drop!
Under the Helmet: Rally thanks to Spark Sport - WRC Lives Here!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
NZRL GM of High-Performance Motu Tony joined the program to preview the upcoming round of the NZRL Premiership.
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NZRL GM of High-Performance Motu Tony joined the program to preview the upcoming round of the NZRL Premiership.
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Wellington big man Dominic Bird joined the program to preview their shield challenge against the mighty Magpies.
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Wellington big man Dominic Bird joined the program to preview their shield challenge against the mighty Magpies.
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Driver from team 'pineapple' Adam Martin gives us the skinny on the crazy motorsport event at Hampton Downs.
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Driver from team 'pineapple' Adam Martin gives us the skinny on the crazy motorsport event at Hampton Downs.
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Otago hockey captain Nick Ross joined the program to preview their final against Wellington in the National Champs.
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Otago hockey captain Nick Ross joined the program to preview their final against Wellington in the National Champs.
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Charmaine McMenamin out of the Auckland Storm joined the program to preview their final against Canterbury in the Farah Palmer Cup.
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Charmaine McMenamin out of the Auckland Storm joined the program to preview their final against Canterbury in the Farah Palmer Cup.
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Talksport host Jon Norman joined the program to give us the latest on UK sport cancellations following the Queen's death.
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Talksport host Jon Norman joined the program to give us the latest on UK sport cancellations following the Queen's death.
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Sevens Captain Sam Dickson joined the program to preview their World Cup campaign in South Africa.
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Sevens Captain Sam Dickson joined the program to preview their World Cup campaign in South Africa.
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Kiwi IndyCar legend Scott Dixon joined the program to preview the last round of the series.
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Kiwi IndyCar legend Scott Dixon joined the program to preview the last round of the series.
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Our UK Correspondent Gavin Grey joined the program to give us the latest on Queen Elizabeth's passing.
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Our UK Correspondent Gavin Grey joined the program to give us the latest on Queen Elizabeth's passing.
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Scotty Stevenson and Paul Allison joined the panel this week to discuss the topics making headlines.
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Slopestyle specialist Luca Harrington joined the program to give us the 'skinny' on the Winter Games action from Queenstown.
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Our resident Heartland expert Kevin Hare joined the program to preview the latest round of the great grassroots competition.
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Aims Games Tournament Director Kelly Schischka gives us a preview of this years event in Tauranga.
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The voice of Auckland City FC joined the program to preview their final game of the Northern League season.
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Kate Charlesworth joined the program to give us the 'how to' on Ultimate Frisbee and the Tertiary Champs.
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Hawke's Bay Coach Josh Syms joined the program to preview their Shield challenge against North Harbour.
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Our resident Heartland expert Kevin Hare joined the program to preview the latest round of the great grassroots competition.
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All Black Scott 'Scooter' Barrett joined the program to preview their upcoming Rugby Championship clash against the Pumas.
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Rowena Duncum and Jim Kayes joined the program to dissect the biggest stories from the week.
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Stephen Hoyle from Eastern Suburbs joined the program to preview their upcoming Semi-Finals.
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Kevin Hare from www.heartlandrugby.co.nz joined the program to preview the opening round of games.
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Stephen Perofeta joined the program to discuss his return to provincial rugby after spending time in the All Blacks camp.
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Auckland Tuatata big man Rob Loe joined the program, to preview the final against Otago tonight in the Sals NBL.
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North Harbour's Olivia Waldron joined the program to give us some insight ahead of their clash against Northland.
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Josh Goodhue joined the program to preview Northland's clash against Waikato in round 2 of the Bunnings NPC.
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Pt Chev Centre Francis Leger joined the program to preview their upcoming final against the mighty Glenora Bears.
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North Harbour First Five Bryn Gatland joined the program to preview their opening clash against Auckland.
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Auckland Tuatara Head Coach Aaron Young joined the program, to preview their clash against the Wellington Saints.
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The great man joined the program to discuss his Gold medal alongside Jacko Gill in the shotput event.
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Waiheke United's Gareth Jenkinson joined the program to preview their upcoming Quarter Final in NZ's oldest football tournament.
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Sophie Pascoe joined the program straight after winning gold in the S9 100m Freestyle Final.
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Taranaki winger Danika Northcott-Weherua joined the program to preview their upcoming Farah Palmer Cup clash.
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Blackcaps all-rounder Daryl Mitchell joined the program to wrap up the T20 series against Ireland.
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Drifter Luke Fink joined the program to preview the latest round of the D1NZ at Mt Smart Stadium. LISTEN ABOVE
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Trampolinist Maddie Davidson joined the program to preview the 2022 NZ Gymnastics Champs. LISTEN ABOVE
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Eloise Blackwell joined the program to preview Auckland's opening clash against Counties Manukau. LISTEN ABOVE
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All Blacks lock Sam Whitelock joined the program to preview this weekend's 3rd and final test match. LISTEN ABOVE
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Auckland City FC Head Coach Albert Reira joined the program to preview their upcoming Chatham Cup fixture. LISTEN ABOVE
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Sam Dempster out of the Nelson Giants joined the program to preview their upcoming clash against the Southland Sharks. LISTEN ABOVE
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Newstalk ZB's Kate Wells and Nick Bewley joined the program to wrap the week's sporting issues. LISTEN ABOVE
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The voice of bowls Kevin Hickland joined the program to preview the latest Champions event. LISTEN ABOVE
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Dalton Papalii joined the program to preview this weekend's 2nd test against the Irish. LISTEN ABOVE
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Stefan Amston from the Sky City Stampede joined the programme to give us the 'skinny' on their first round clash against the Thunder.
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Kings College Assistant Coach Kevin Putt joined the programme to preview their clash against Mt Albert Grammer.
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Bay Of Plenty local Max Henderson joined the programme to discuss this weekend's North Island Champs.
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The Blues take on the Brumbies at Eden Park in the second Super Rugby Pacific semi-final.
Stand in captain Beauden Barrett joined the All Sport Breakfast.
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Middleweight kickboxer Tony Jaggard joined the All Sport Breakfast ahead of King in the Ring.
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West Auckland Admirals captain Justin Daigle joined the All Sport Breakfast.
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Black Caps batting coach Luke Ronchi joined the All Sport Breakfast following day one of the second test against England at Trent Bridge.
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Northern Stars coach Kiri Willis joined the All Sport Breakfast ahead of her side's clash against the Central Pulse in the ANZ Premiership final.
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Blues hooker Kurt Ekland joined the programme to preview the clash against the Highlanders at Eden Park.
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Takapuna AFC senior player Andrew Cowell joined the programme, to preview their Chatham Cup clash against the Wanderers.
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Big man Rob Loe joined the programme, to discuss this weekend's round of Sals NBL action.
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Miles Davis and Lavina Good round out the panel, as we slice and dice the biggest stories from the world of sport.
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Sky Sport commentator Tony Johnson joined the programme to review last night's first Super Rugby quarterfinal between the Crusaders and Reds.
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Northern Stars Men take on the Mystics in just the second televised men's match.
Stars coach Sarah Michelle Hansen-Vaeau joined D'Arcy Waldegrave on the All Sport Breakfast.
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Xterra trail running is all about experiencing breathtaking views, jagged coastlines, lush native forest, and some of the best after match stories you will ever hear.
Organiser Bengy Barsanti joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the five events just around the corner.
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Auckland Handball's Open Club Championships are this weekend and President Thomas Schmider joined D"Arcy Waldegrave on the All Sport Breakfast for a preview.
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Chiefs halfback Brad Weber joined D'Arcy Waldegrave on the All Sport Breakfast ahead of Saturday's clash against the Western Force in Hamilton.
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Blues first five Stephen Perofeta joins the programme to preview this weekend's match against the Reds.
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We were joined on the programme by runner Bryan Kemp, to preview the South Island Ultra Marathon held on the West Coast.
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Our football voice Chris Milicich, joined the programme to preview the opening round of the Chatham Cup.
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Our Aussie correspondent Jim Dolan joined us to discuss all the sport from over the ditch.
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Nick Bewley and Elliott Smith joined the panel this week to discuss the topics making headlines.
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Surfer, Levi Stewart joined the programme to preview the National Club Champs.
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Our man Ant Starchan joined the programme to review last nights Super Rugby action.
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Bowls superstar Val Smith joined the programme to preview the Bowls3Five Interclub Finals.
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Making up the All Star Panel this weekend, Miles Davis and Paul Allison as we crunch the biggest stories of the week.
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The voice of Rugby Grant Nisbett joined the programme, to review/preview Super Rugby round 11.
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Auckland Tuatara Guard Reuben Fitzgerald joined the programme to preview the clubs first ever NBL game.
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The great man Garth Barfoot joined the programme to preview the upcoming 'Peoples Triathlon' in Auckland.
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Black Ferns sevens star Tyla Nathan-Wong joined the programme to preview the upcoming series in Canada.
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Golf correspondent Bob Bubka, gives us the latest on Tiger Woods from Augusta.
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Hurricanes midfielder Jordie Barrett joined the show to preview their game against Crusaders.
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Blues hard man Ofa Tu'ungafasi joined the programme to discuss the historic first game between both Auckland based clubs.
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Nick Bartin out of Rowing NZ joined the programme to discuss the final day of The Maadi Cup.
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Chris Milicich a.k.a Mr Football joined the programme to preview the upcoming round of the Northern Football league.
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Ben Searle from the Northcote Rugby Club joins the programme to preview the opening round of the North Harbour Premier 1 Club competition.
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Australian Assistant coach Shelley Nitschke joined the programme to preview the upcoming ICC Women's World Cup Final.
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Mr Football, Chris Milicich joined the programme to preview the opening round of Northern League Football.
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Andrea Hansen joined the programme to preview this weekend's feature event in Taranaki.
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White Ferns captain Sophie Devine joined the programme to preview their game of the World Cup against Pakistan.
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White Ferns superstar Amy Satterthwaite joined the programme to preview their huge World Cup fixture against the old foes...
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Tournament Director Craig Seuseu, gives us the skinny on the latest round of The G.J. Gardner Homes NZ Beach Volleyball Tour.
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Mystics goal shooter, Grace Nweke joined the programme to discuss the opening round of the ANZ Premiership.
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Anton Lienert Brown joined the programme to discuss his return to top level rugby and this weekend's blockbuster against the Saders...
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General Manager for High Performance at NZRL, Motu Tony joined the programme to discuss the upcoming 20s comp.
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Ronan Murphy joined the programme to discuss the latest round at Pukekohe.
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Our Aussie correspondent Jim Dolan joined us to discuss the heartbreaking death of Shane Warne.
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Highlanders first five Mitch Hunt joined the programme to preview the round 3 clash against the Hurricanes.
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Hamish Kerr, the man who jumps high for a living, joins the programme to discuss the upcoming athletics meet in Christchurch.
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Counties Baseball Coach Mark Irwin joins the programme to discuss the latest round of top tier baseball in Auckland.
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Mountain Biker Anton Cooper joins the programme to preview the upcoming MTB Nationals in Christchurch.
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Auckland Aces Captain Robbie O'Donnell joined the programme to give us the skinny on this weekends blockbuster final.
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GOLD AM Commentator Paul Allison, joined the programme to break down the southern derby and preview the highly anticipated debut for RTS.
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Coach Tom Wilmott joins the programme as our Porteous brothers go for gold!
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The big man Tom Walsh joined the programme to preview The Sir Graeme Douglas International athletics meet.
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Netball Commentator Jenny Woods and Broadcaster Miles Davis joined this weekend's panel to discuss the biggest issues in sport.
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Hurricanes captain Ardie Savea joined the programme to discuss the opener of Super Rugby Pacific.
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Professional cyclist Georgia Williams joined the programme to preview the National Road Cycling Championships.
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White Ferns wicket keeper Katey Martin gives us a preview their upcoming ODI series against India.
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Sky Sport commentator Jeff McTanish joined the show out of Beijing to give us the very latest on the winter games.
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Mark Timms out of CKB joined the programme to preview the upcoming King in the Ring series this weekend.
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The north and the south collide this week, as Elliot Smith and Rowena Duncum spin some hot takes on the panel.
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Sprinting sensation Zoe Hobbs joined the programme to give us the skinny on the recent Capital Classic in Wellington.
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Yanni Wetzell joins us out of the Breakers camp ahead of their clash against Sydney on Sunday.
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Our man over the ditch, Jim Dolan gives us the latest on all things Aussie sport.
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It's an almighty southern showdown on this weekend's panel.
The great Jamie McKay and Paul Allison join the programme to wrap the weeks sporting issues.
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Northern Brave captain Jeet Raval joined the programme to discuss the Super Smash Final against Canterbury.
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Former Warrior and now NZRL High Performance Manager Motu Tony joined the programme to discuss the 2022 Pasifika Youth Cup.
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Wellington Phoenix captain Alex Rufer joined the programme to preview the upcoming FFA Cup Semi-Final against Melbourne Victory.
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Former professional tennis player David Mustard joined the programme to preview the Finals of the Australian Open.
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Murray McKinnon gives us the latest on the first big track n field event of the year.
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Our man over the ditch, Jim Dolan, gives us the latest on all things Aussie sport.
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Kiwi superstar Nico Porteous joined the programme ahead of this weekend's X-Games in Aspen, USA.
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Two of the greats, Mr Jim Kayes and Mr Matt Brown joined the programme to dissect the big sporting issues. of the week.
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Central Stags batsmen Will Young joined the programme to talk the latest round of the Super Smash competition.
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Wellington Phoenix women's coach Gemma Lewis joined the program to discuss the latest round of the A-League.
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Silver Ferns superstar Kelly Jury joined the program from London ahead of their Quad Series opener against Australia.
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Our man over the ditch Jim Dolan joined the program to discuss the latest in Aussie sport.
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Auckland Aces and Blackcaps spinner, Will Somerville joined the programme to discuss the latest round of the Super Smash.
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We were joined on the program by professional scooter rider and NZ Women's Champion Alexandra Madsen to discuss this year's event in Napier.
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Ironman Cameron Brown talks injuries, returning to racing, and the 'Cameron Brown Rule'
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Newstalk ZB Sport reporter Kate Wells and New Zealand Herald Fighting expert Chris Reive make up the panel to discuss Boxing, Netball and the best moments of 2021
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Olympic silver medallist Campbell Stewart joins the show to talk about the big cycling event in Cambridge
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Newstalk ZB Wellington mornings host Nick Mills and voice of rugby Elliott Smith make up the panel and they discuss the Wellington Phoenix and Breakers woes, the Ashes, and Verstappen v Hamilton
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Olympian Nico Porteous joins the show to keep us up to date with how he's tracking heading towards the Winter Games
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Olympian Lewis Clareburt joins the show to talk a bit about surf life saving
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Kiwi motorsport driver Chris Pither joined the programme to discuss his crazy accident during practice at Bathurst.
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Breakers guard William McDowell-White joined the programme to discuss this weekend's season opener.
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Wellington Firebirds superstar Finn Allen joined the programme to discuss his amazing start to the Super Smash season.
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Our regular over the ditch Jim Dolan joined the programme to discuss all things happening in Australian sport.
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This week on the All Star Panel we were joined by Lavina Good and Brendan Telfer.
TOPICS:
Blackcap’s v India
Bathurst weekend! Do you actually enjoy it?
Brandon Smith drama + warriors signings
China hits back hard at 'radical' WTA tournament suspensions
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This week on the panel we were joined by our good southern men Jamie Mckay and Paul Allison.
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Our man Jim Dolan joined the programme to cover the crazy week of sport from across the ditch.
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This week on the All Star Panel we were joined by the voice of netball Jenny Woods and broadcaster Brendon Telfer.
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Editor Sandra Taylor spoke with Lesley Murdoch on the All Sport Breakfast Canterbury as her book comes hot off the press - The Big Chill.
It tells the true reality of those who dip in cold water around Canterbury beaches.
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To get a copy email Sandra at sandra.taylornz@gmail.com
Lesley Murdoch spoke with Warriors and Canterbury women's rugby league player Charntay Poko ahead of the Canterbury vs Wellington women's national rugby league final at Nga Puna Wai in Christchurch.
She says they’ve learnt a lot from their last clash and they’re ready to put what they’ve learnt into action.
“We’ve done a bit of homework on some of their key players.”
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Apprentice jockey Kozzie Asano spoke with Lesley Murdoch on the All Sport Breakfast Canterbury about his journey in being awarded both the South Island apprentice and jockey of the year.
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The All Black captain Sam Whitelock joined the programme LIVE from Wales to preview this Sunday's test match.
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This week on the All Star Panel we were joined by sports journalist Lavina Good and Newstalk ZB Sport Director Matt Brown.
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It's okay to lay the opposition to waste. It’s okay to put them to the sword, to run through them like General George S Patton used to say (slightly altered for decency), to run through them like poop through a goose.
This is what will happen tomorrow morning. The All Blacks, the relatively inexperienced All Blacks, will hunt the Eagles down. Pluck ‘em, truss ‘em and stick them on the rotisserie. This is partially due to the strength of the men in black and the weakness of an American team, hamstrung through a lack of their first-string players due to the fixture falling outside of an international window. The ABs will of course be carrying the grief of the passing of Sean Wainui and the annoyance of having been beaten by the Springboks a few of weeks back. That defeat would have been riding their shoulders like an angry chimp, hooting and shrieking the whole time. The release valve will be struck and the Americans will be burnt by the overpowering steam release.
So is it good for international rugby? Does that even matter? Is it NZRs responsibility to grow the game? Is okay to take the money and run? Put the plimsoll on the other flipper. Take American football. If the Patriots were to turn up and take on our national side the Steelblacks, would we drop to our knees and sob in unison as 50,000 of us watched a massacre at Eden Park. No. We’d take it for what it is, an exhibition. An advert for the game which is a mere curiosity in our land. It may well encourage some participation; it’ll demand some interest fleetingly and then we’ll go back to watching rugby.
Granted, that’s not the most accurate parallel, but it's close enough. It’s not up to NZ to spread the gospel, to foster growth of the game, hell we can’t even get it together enough to help our Pacifica cousins. That’s the job of World Rugby, the impotent stain attempting to run the game globally, whose most proactive step of recent times is to allow pantyhose into the game.
The ABs don’t have to pay lip service to anyone here, with talk of giving the yanks a leg up. They’ll use the match as a conduit for their trans-hemispherical jaunt, take the money, satisfy the sponsors, cook the Eagles and carry on.
Nothing wrong with that right? As they say, it is what it is.
We were joined on the programme by All Black prop Ethan De Groot as he gears up for his first run-on start against the USA.
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The great Wellington man Daniel Hillier joined the programme to discuss his incredible maiden win of the Challenge tour.
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The man himself Sir Robert Jones joined the programme to preview the heavyweight match up between Wilder and Fury.
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19 year old Matthew Garbett joined the programme to discuss his new promotion to the men's national side to take on Curacao.
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The one and only Brendon Hartley was kind enough to join us on the ASB this weekend. We chat all things endurance racing and Formula 1.
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Warriors assistant coach Craig Hodges joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to give his thoughts before the boys take on the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
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Black Sticks coach Darren Smith joined D'Arcy Waldegrave on the All Sport Breakfast as his squad prepare for a blockbuster opening clash against India at Tokyo Olympics 2020 from 1pm NZT.
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New Zealand heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker has reportedly been caught up in an outbreak of Covid-19 in Las Vegas which has caused the postponement of the world heavyweight title fight between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder scheduled for later this month.
Respected boxing writer Dan Rafael tweeted on Friday afternoon that Parker, along with his trainer Andy Lee, are amongst those to have tested positive for the virus. Parker had been in Las Vegas training at Fury's camp.
Now, the heavyweight boxing world title fight between Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) and Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs) scheduled for July 25 has reportedly been postponed after nine people tested positive in Fury's camp.
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The All Blacks break a ten-year drought on Saturday night by facing up against Fiji in a test for the first time since the final international match held at Carisbrook in 2011.
Despite the relatively close proximity of Fiji to New Zealand, the two sides have met in just five test matches since first locking horns at the 1987 Rugby World Cup.
Those five tests tell a tale of domination by New Zealand, with Fiji only once coming within 40 points of their Pacific rivals.
Ethan De Groot is making his debut for the All Blacks and spoke with D'Arcy Waldegrave.
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Blues assistant coach Tana Umaga spoke with D'Arcy Waldegrave ahead of the Blues first final in 18 years as they take on the Highlanders at Eden Park.
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Adam Cooper caught up with ultra-marathon swimming icon Meda McKenzie before she received her Lifetime Award at the NZ Ultra Marathon Swim Awards on Saturday.
Meda talks about her experiences conquering the likes of Cook Strait and the English Channel numerous times.
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The New Zealand men's rowing eight have booked their ticket to Tokyo after qualifying for the upcoming Olympic Games at the Regatta of Death in Lucerne.
New Zealand's crew won the preliminary men's eight race against Romania, China, and Italy, and needed to finish in the top two of last night's final to secure Olympic selection.
Originally scheduled to be held last Monday (NZT), the final was brought forward after bad weather was forecasted in Lucerne.
One of the crew's rowers Phillip Wilson told Adam Cooper on the All Sports Breakfast it was an odd experience with racing brought forward due to bad weather, as well as Covid-related measures.
"It all made sense, the weather forecast wasn't great, it would have been pretty unfair racing. We shifted the mindset and got in the right frame of mind," he says.
"Our reserves and our coaches were saying 'you're racing tomorrow you're racing tomorrow', and so that was like 'oh wow, okay'."
The eight will return home to MIQ, and potentially rowing on ergs in their hotel rooms.
Their qualification means nine New Zealand crews will be contesting at the Olympic Games.
Men's eight crew:
Tom Murray, Blenheim Rowing Club (bow)Hamish Bond, North End Rowing ClubShaun Kirkham, Waikato Rowing ClubMichael Brake, North Shore Rowing ClubDan Williamson, Auckland Rowing ClubPhillip Wilson, Petone Rowing ClubTom Mackintosh, Avon Rowing ClubMatt MacDonald, North Shore Rowing Club (stroke)Sam Bosworth, Avon Rowing Club (cox)
Crusaders assistant coach Andrew Goodman spoke with Lesley Murdoch on the All Sport Breakfast Canterbury this morning ahead of his teams Super Rugby Aotearoa final against the Chiefs.
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Ellerslie FC coach Ryan Shiffman gives a preview of the Kate Sheppard Cup quarter finals.
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Crusaders' assistant coach Scott Hansen joins the All Sport Breakfast following their super rugby loss to the Highlanders.
Black Caps' stand-in skipper Tim Southee joins the All Sport Breakfast following one of the most successful summers of cricket in recent memory.
Kiwi swimmer Lewis Clareburt spoke to D'Arcy Waldegrave on the All Sport Breakfast ahead of this weeks' national swimming championships as he prepares to head to Tokyo for the Olympics.
Blues prop Ofa Tu'ungafasi joined D'Arcy Waldegrave on the All Sport Breakfast ahead of their super rugby clash against the Hurricanes.
Chiefs assistant coach Niel Barnes joined the All Sport Breakfast following his sides loss to the Highlanders in round two of Super Rugby Aotearoa.
Cricket commentator Craig Cumming joins the All Sport Breakfast following the Black Caps' and White Ferns' losses in Wellington.
Former All Black Ian Jones is part of a five-man team raising money for St John by swimming from Great Barrier Island to Takapuna beach.
He joined the All Sport Breakfast ahead of his epic challenge for charity.
If you would like to donate head to www.greatbarrierchallenge.co.nz
Crusaders assistant coach Scott Hansen joins the All Sport Breakfast following their round one super rugby win over the Highlanders.
White Ferns bowling coach Jacob Oram joins the All Sport Breakfast following his sides 11th consecutive loss, this time to England.
Silver Ferns defender Jane Watson joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of the Constellation Cup against Australia.
Black Caps batsman Glenn Phillips joins the All Sport Breakfast as they go two-nil up in the five match T20 cricket series against Australia.
White Ferns coach Bob Carter joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of their ODI series against England.
Black Caps bowling coach Shane Jergunson joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of their T20 series against Australia.
Kiwi rower Tom Mackintosh joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of the final day of racing at the national rowing championships at Lake Ruataniwha where he has a busy day on the water lined up.
Newstalk ZB sailing analyst Chris Steele joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of races 5 and 6 of the Prada Cup final.
Round three of the NZ Jetsprint Championship is taking place at Meremere and top driver Ollie Silverton joined the All Sport Breakfast ahead of racing.
Wellington Firebirds coach Glenn Pocknall joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of the men's T20 Super Smash final.
Cycling commentator Mark Watson joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of the National Road Cycling Championships in Cambridge.
Join Newstalk ZB's D'Arcy Waldegrave as we kick start your Saturday Morning with The All Sport Breakfast.
Jason Pine in the hot seat on this week's show.
America's Cup commentator, professional sailior and kite foiler Phil Robertson joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of the National Kite Foiling National Championship in Nelson.
Wellington Blaze spin bowler Xara Jetley joined the All Sport Breakfast as they continue to look to secure a finals spot in the T20 Super Smash.
English rugby commentator Miles Harrison joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of the opening round of the Six Nations Championship.
Kiwi golfer Ryan Fox joined the All Sport Breakfast as he sits atop the leaderboard at the Saudi International golf tournament.
Kiwi hammer thrower Lauren Bruce joined the All Sport Breakfast as a busy summer of Athletics continues in Christchurch.
Join Newstalk ZB's D'Arcy Waldegrave as we kick start your Saturday Morning with The All Sport Breakfast.
Jason Pine in the hot seat on this week's show.
Kiwi skiier Jossi Wells joined the All Sport Breakfast as he takes a brief hiatus from retirement to compete at the Winter X Games in Aspen.
Central Districts all-rounder Doug Bracewell joins the All Sport Breakfast as he continues his superior form in the T20 Super Smash.
Wellington's made it two from two over Auckland on the opening day of domestic cricket's Super Smash.
The Firebirds have beaten the Aces by four wickets at the Basin Reserve, chasing down 177 with five balls to spare.
Finn Allen and Troy Johnson both posting half-centuries.
Earlier, they restricted their hosts to 176 for three.
In the women's competition, the Blaze, who like their male counterparts are defending champions, pummelled the Hearts by nine wickets, reaching their 93-run target in the 12th over.
Amelia Kerr was top-scoring with 58.
They had restricted the visitors to just 92 for nine from their 20 overs - Kerr the pick of the bowlers with three for 11 from four overs.
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An insurance policy may pay big dividends for trainer Richard Collett at Ellerslie on Boxing Day and he could even double down on it next week.
The Pukekohe trainer changed his plans with Super Strike, deciding to start in the $80,000 Stella Artois Championship after earlier indicating he would instead chase next Friday's Rich Hill Mile.
Bookies think he may have made the right choice with the stunning last-start winner as he is the $3.10 favourite to win, even carrying 60kg.
Collett's decision was based on two things. He wasn't sure Super Strike's rating of 80 would guarantee him a start in the Rich Hill and he thinks his original representative for the race, Super Pursuit, isn't quite ready for it.
"I think Super Pursuit needs visor blinkers and I didn't want to put those on him first time over 1500m so he will wait for a 1400m next Friday," says Collett.
"And at the same time this horse [Super Strike] wasn't certain of getting in the Rich Hill so it would have been silly to miss this race.
"But if he runs well on Saturday and wins he could still go around next week anyway."
While he has a good horse's weight, Super Strike has earned it and Collett thinks stepping up to 1500m he should be able to stay handier from his good draw.
"I'd like to think he would be no worse than three back and get his chance so I think he can still win with 60kg."
The danger looks to be Edit, who had no luck last start and has a 6kg advantage on the favourite.
Best of four
Stephen Marsh dominates the last race and while he thinks Tabata can win he has a warning.
"She is our clear best chance of the day and probably the next few days," says the Cambridge trainer.
"She has improved off her second at Te Rapa last start and worked well this week."
But Marsh stops short of declaring the mare only because he thinks stablemate Loose Cannon has an upset hope.
"Barrier 14 makes it hard but she could surprise so maybe she is a cover bet for those backing Tabata."
Deja vu
The team with Lord Painton will be hoping for a freaky history repeating vibe in the $80,000 Stella Artois Championship.
This day last year Lord Painton's older brother Master Painton caused one of the upsets of the Ellerslie season, winning this same race at $49.30 after a masterly ride from Lynsey Satherley.
It was the first time Satherley had ridden Master Painton and she only rode him once again in his 33-start career.
On Boxing Day, Satherley hops on Lord Painton for the first time for the same trainer in Stephen Autridge, who is these days in partnership with Kris Shailer.
Lord Painton is also a roughie, rated $41 in the early bookies markets.
Oh, and one more thing. Before winning this race last year Master Painton had finished fifth in the Twilight Cup at Ellerslie as his previous start. Where did Lord Painton finish last start? Fifth in this year's Twilight Cup at Ellerslie.
Just saying.
After being traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the New Orleans Pelicans, Kiwi NBA star Steven Adams is settling into his new surroundings nicely.
Adams was solid in his NBA debut for the Pelicans on Thursday (NZ time), stuffing the stats sheet and helping his team to a 113-99 win over the Toronto Raptors.
"Steven Adams is a lot more skilled than people think," Pelicans coach Stan Van Gundy said after the game.
"I think when people look at Steven, they see the size of him and assume he's just, you know, a big banger, a screener, and a physical guy. But he's a skilled guy; he's got great footwork, very good hands, he can pass the ball, he can finish around the basket and out about six to eight feet with floaters, he's got great touch.
"He's a highly skilled player as Pelicans fans will find out as they watch him play this year."
In 30 minutes of action, Adams posted eight points and as many rebounds, as well as four steals, three assists and two blocks, turning plenty of heads and showing what he will bring to the Pelicans frontcourt.
Reflecting on the game, in which the Pelicans committed an alarming 27 turnovers, Van Gundy praised Adams' work on the defensive end.
"He was great defensively. He saved a couple of plays where our rotations were terrible and people were wide open, he was basically able to defend two guys on his own. He was tremendous."
Adams spent the first seven years of his NBA career in Oklahoma City, one of the NBA's smaller markets, before being dealt to one of the most exciting teams in the league.
The Pelicans are building around a young core of small forward Brandon Ingram and power forward Zion Williamson, who have both flourished since pulling on a New Orleans jersey.
The Pelicans sought Adams' services to provide some much needed support in the middle, as he provided against Toronto, but also to be a veteran presence to the young squad. Still just 27-years-old, Adams is the fourth oldest member of the Pelicans' roster and their third-longest serving NBA player, behind guards JJ Redick (now in his 16th season) and Eric Bledsoe (12th season).
"Probably the most surprising thing is calling a 27-year-old guy like Steven one of the old guys," Van Gundy said.
The Pelicans next match is against the Miami Heat, the reigning Eastern Conference champions, on Boxing Day (NZ time) in the first of five back-to-back NBA games, all of which will be broadcast on ESPN.
text by Christopher Reive, NZ Herald
Join Newstalk ZB's D'Arcy Waldegrave as we kick start your Saturday Morning with The All Sport Breakfast.
Re-live all the best moments from the most comprehensive wrap of the sporting weekend - from the grassroots to the international arena, D'Arcy has you covered.
Head of NZ Weightlifting Simon Kent joins the All Sport Breakfast following a successful national championship tournament.
Black Ferns coach Glenn Moore joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of their last match of the season against the Barbarians following the draw of the Women's Rugby World Cup being announced.
Join Newstalk ZB's D'Arcy Waldegrave as we kick start your Saturday Morning with The All Sport Breakfast.
Re-live all the best moments from the most comprehensive wrap of the sporting weekend - from the grassroots to the international arena, D'Arcy has you covered.
A new domestic hockey league is underway and coach Mark Borgers joins the All Sport Breakfast to explain the Premier Hockey League.
Wellington batsman Devon Conway joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of the start of round four of the Plunket Shield.
Black Fern's lock Kelsie Wills joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of the Black Ferns verse Barbarians game which is part of a triple-header at Auckland's Trust Stadium.
All Blacks lock Patrick Tuipulotu joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of their Tri-Nations test match against Argentina in Sydney.
Join Newstalk ZB's D'Arcy Waldegrave as we kick start your Saturday Morning with The All Sport Breakfast.
Re-live all the best moments from the most comprehensive wrap of the sporting weekend - from the grassroots to the international arena, D'Arcy has you covered.
Hawkes Bay star Lolagi Visinia joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of the Magpies' final Ranfurly Shield defence of the Mitre 10 Cup season.
Senior All Black Sam Whitelock joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of the forth and final test against the Wallabies.
Join Newstalk ZB's D'Arcy Waldegrave as we kick start your Saturday Morning with The All Sport Breakfast.
Re-live all the best moments from the most comprehensive wrap of the sporting weekend - from the grassroots to the international arena, D'Arcy has you covered.
PIC Coastal Classic winning skipper Bianca Cook joins the All Sport Breakfast following her crews voyage up the east coast of New Zealand.
Canterbury half back Kendra Cocksedge joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of the Farah Palmer Cup semi-finals.
Hawkes Bay Magpie Kurt Baker joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of their Ranfurly Shield defence against Manawatu in round seven of Mitre 10 Cup.
Rugby League analyst Hugh McGahan previews the 2020 NRL Grand Final between Melbourne Storm and Penrith Panthers.
International correspondent Jim Dolan joins D'Arcy Waldegrave to recap and preview all the big sports this weekend.
The Storm are into the NRL grand final after a big win over the Raiders in the preliminary finals. They will face either the Penrith Panthers and South Sydney Rabbitohs, who compete in the second qualifier tonight, in the decider on October 25.
Tomorrow the greatest race in Australian motorsport is taking place at Mount Panorama with the Bathurst 1000.
For a little under two hours it will overlap with the second Bledisloe Cup test between the All Blacks and Wallabies.
Kiwi Scott McLaughlin who has already secured the title, will look for aback-to-back wins at the mount.
Tasman Mako halfback Finlay Christie joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of the top of the table Mitre 10 Cup clash against Auckland.
The last spot in the NRL Grand Final is up for grabs tonight when the table-topping Penrith Panthers host the South Sydney Rabbitohs in Sydney.
The winner will face the Melbourne Storm on October 25 in the decider, who were sensational in the first preliminary final of the weekend against the Canberra Raiders.
Frank Endacott told D'Arcy Waldegrave the success of the Panthers, who are on a 16-game winning run, is not down to luck.
"They're doing everything right, I think they're going to miss their big back-rower Viliame Kikau.
"I think at home you have to go with Penrith, but I wouldn't count Souths at all."
Kick-off between the Panthers and Rabbitohs is at 9:50pm.
The All Sport Breakfast, with D'Arcy Waldegrave on Newstalk ZB on Saturday morning's between 6am - 7am, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 17 October.
All Blacks assistant coach Brad Mooar joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of the second test between the All Blacks and Australia at Eden Park.
Former kiwi V8s supercar driver Greg Murphy joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of the Bathurst 1000.
Silver Ferns coach Dame Noeline Taurua joins the All Sport Breakfast as they build-up to the series against England.
The All Sport Breakfast, with D'Arcy Waldegrave on Newstalk ZB on Saturday morning's between 6am - 7am, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 26 September
Kiwi cyclist Patrick Bevin joined the All Sport Breakfast after he lead the kiwis at the UCI Road World Championships - Men's Elite Individual Time Trial - finishing 12th.
White Ferns assistant coach Jacob Oram joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of the opening match of their cricket tour of Australia.
Otago's Michael Collins joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of his sides quest to take the Ranfurly Shield from Taranaki in round four of Mitre 10 Cup.
The All Sport Breakfast, with D'Arcy Waldegrave on Newstalk ZB on Saturday morning's between 6am - 7am, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 19 September
Waikato Farah Palmer Cup player and Black Fern Chelsea Alley looks forward to her sides round three clash against Bay of Plenty in the Farah Palmer Cup.
All Black and Taranaki player Jordie Barrett joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of the Ranfurly Shield match between Canterbury and Taranaki in Christchurch.
The All Sport Breakfast, with D'Arcy Waldegrave on Newstalk ZB on Saturday morning's between 6am - 7am, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 12 September
Warriors assistant coach Justin Morgan joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of their 'must win' NRL match against the Cronulla Sharks.
Wellington Lions assistant coach Tamati Ellison joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of their opening round one Mitre 10 Cup match against Waikato.
The All Sport Breakfast, with D'Arcy Waldegrave on Newstalk ZB on Saturday morning's between 6am - 7am, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 5 September
All Blacks' assistant coach Scott McLeod joins the All Sport Breakfast to give the skinny on the North verse South game.
New Zealand Herald rugby writer Liam Napier joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of the North verse South match in Wellington.
Editor of new sport website Sam Hewat joins the All Sport Breakfast to talk about After the Whistle on Newstalk ZB.
Check out the website - https://afterthewhistle.co.nz/
Black Cap Ross Taylor joins the All Sport Breakfast from the Carribean as he plys his trade in the CPL.
Kiwi cyclist Sam Bewley joined the All Sport Breakfast ahead of the start of the 2020 edition of the Tour de France.
The All Sport Breakfast, with D'Arcy Waldegrave on Newstalk ZB on Saturday morning's between 6am - 7am, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 15 August
Former Warriors coach Brian McClennan assesses the Warriors mighty effort against the Panthers on the All Sport Breakfast.
Blues assistant coach Tom Coventry reflects on the Blues Super Rugby Aotearoa season on the All Sport Breakfast.
The All Sport Breakfast, with D'Arcy Waldegrave on Newstalk ZB on Saturday morning's between 6am - 7am, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 8 August
Former Kiwi great Hugh McGahan joins the All Sport Breakfast following the Warriors NRL victory over the Manly Sea Eagles.
Hurricanes assistant coach Cory Jane joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of their super rugby match against the Highlanders.
Crusaders coach Scott Robertson joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of their penultimate super rugby match against the Highlanders.
The All Sport Breakfast, with D'Arcy Waldegrave on Newstalk ZB on Saturday morning's between 6am - 7am, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 1 August.
Northern Mystics defender Sulu Fitzpatrick joins the All Sport Breakfast as they venture south to take on the Central Pulse in netball's ANZ Premiership.
Chiefs midfield back Anton Lienert-Brown joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of their super rugby clash with the Crusaders in Hamilton.
Blues and All Blacks superstar Beauden Barrett has hit out at the behaviour of Wellington rugby fans after the way he was received by the crowd in his return to the home of the Hurricanes franchise last weekend.
After playing nine seasons for the Hurricanes and leading the club to its first and only Super Rugby title in 2016, Barrett returned to Sky Stadium in Blues colours and was greeted by a chorus of booing every time he touched the ball.
Barrett told Newstalk ZB's D'Arcy Waldegrave that the inhospitable welcome has made him question how much local rugby fans actually appreciated his years as a star of the club.
"It makes you wonder doesn't it? How much you can do for a franchise and then be received like that.
"I give them the benefit of the doubt, it could have been booing with a smile on their face at the same time; but I see it as booing nonetheless."
However, Barrett wasn't the only person to criticise the local response with many onlookers refusing to give them as much credit as Barrett himself.
Barrett went on to say he's not a fan of booing in any form as part of the spectacle of rugby in New Zealand, making a point of how uncomfortable he has felt when fans have greeted Australian rugby sides with similarly negative cries in the past.
"I think it's pretty poor to be fair, I've never been a fan of it... when we've had Australian teams play in New Zealand at recent times, whenever that's happened I just cringe.
"There's no place for that in rugby in New Zealand"
When asked if Blues fans are likely to greet him with boos on Sunday afternoon when the side hosts the Chiefs, Barrett had faith in their support.
"I don't think so, I hope not."
The All Sport Breakfast, with D'Arcy Waldegrave on Newstalk ZB on Saturday morning's between 6am - 7am, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 25th July.
Kiwi golfer Ryan Fox joins the All Sport Breakfast after making the cut at the British Golf Masters.
Warriors assistant coach Tony Iro joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of thier NRL match against the Sydney Roosters.
New Zealand Herald rugby writer Liam Napier previews round seven of super rugby on the All Sport Breakfast.
The All Sport Breakfast, with D'Arcy Waldegrave on Newstalk ZB on Saturday morning's between 6am - 7am, compacted into a podcast for Saturday July 18.
Golf analyst Phil Tataurangi joins the All Sport Breakfast to look at the Memorial golf tournament being played at Muirfield Village Golf Club, albeit in front of no fans.
Owner of the Sky Sport Breakers Matt Walsh joins the All Sport Breakfast on the news they have signed a couple of new players for the upcoming ANBL season.
Warriors assistant coach Stacey Jones joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of their NRL match against the Sharks.
Football commentator Jason Pine reviews the Wellington Phoenix resumption to the A-League after their 3-1 loss to Sydney FC.
Chiefs assistant coach Tabai Matson joins the All Sport Breakfast ahead of their super rugby clash against the Highlanders in Hamilton.
Blues Assistant coach Tom Coventry talks to the All Sport Breakfast ahead of their super rugby match against the Hurricanes.
The All Sport Breakfast, with D'Arcy Waldegrave on Newstalk ZB on Saturday morning's between 6am - 7am, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 11th of July.
D'Arcy Waldegrave looks at the kiwis flying high in the motorsport world with expert Bob McMurray.
D'Arcy Waldegrave talks to former Warriors coach Frank Endacott following their tight NRL loss to the Gold Coast Titans.
Host of the All Sport Breakfast D'Arcy Waldegrave welcomes back good old fashion rugby rivalry ahead of the super rugby match between the Crusaders and Blues in Christchurch.
D'Arcy Waldegrave talks to Newstalk ZB Sport Netball analyst Yvonne Willering about round five of the ANZ Premiership.
D'Arcy Waldegrave talks to Mark Keddell, manager of kiwi boxer Junior Fa about the disagreement between him and Joseph Parker's manager David Higgins.
D'Arcy Waldegrave talks to Highlanders first-five Mitch Hunt ahead of his sides crunch super rugby encounter against the Hurricanes.
D'Arcy Waldegrave talks to Crusaders centre Jack Goodhue on the All Sport Breakfast ahead of their grudge match against the Blues.
The All Sport Breakfast, with D'Arcy Waldegrave on Newstalk ZB on Saturday morning's between 6am - 7am, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 4th of July.
New Hurricanes signing Simon Hickey joins D'Arcy Waldegrave on the All Sport Breakfast.
Central Pulse captain Katrina Rore joins D'Arcy Waldegrave on the All Sport Breakfast ahead of their ANZ Netball Premiership double-header.
Listen to D'Arcy Waldegrave Tuesday to Friday 7pm - 8pm and on the All Sport Breakfast between 6am - 9am on Saturday.
Motorsport commentator Bob McMurray joins D'Arcy Waldegrave on the All Sport Breakfast as F1 returns to the track in Austria.
Warriors assistant coach Tony Iro is confident they will come out against the Broncos with an improved attitude in their round 8 clash against the Brisbane franchise.
D'Arcy Waldegrave is joined by rugby commentators Brian Ashby and Paul Allison looking at round 4 of Super Rugby Aotearoa.
Former Warriors and Kiwis coach Brian McClennan has described the Warriors loss to the Storm as sad.
The NRL club has been thrashed 50-6 by the Melbourne Storm, a week after coach Stephen Kearney was shown the door.
McClennan told Jason Pine on The All Sport Breakfast the result shows the effects of being away from their loved ones for so long.
“They were trying and gave it their all last night, but they are flat, they are emotionally flat and we know why.”
There are reports on social media that Ken Maumalo, David Fusitu'a and Agnatius Paasi have told the club they want to come home.
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Former Warriors head coach Frank Endacott evaluates the Warriors round four NRL victory over the Cowboys.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the bloke sitting next to you. Welcome to the girl behind you in the concession queue. A big hello to the young man checking your bag. Hello security, I’m so pleased to see you. Understrength beer, lukewarm pies, why hello there. You, leaping to your feet in front of me, shout louder my friend.
The collective fizz, the surge of the crowd, rising as one in combined try scoring ecstasy, great to see you again. The smell, the noise, the atmosphere. The players, the refs, the man on the public address system, it’s been too long.
At 7:05 this evening, under the roof at Forsyth Barr, the Speights tin if you will, the post Covid world roars back into life. The last bastion of lockdown is dismissed as the throngs come back to sport.
Tomorrow, the people return to the national stadium, Eden Park, warts and all to worship at the alter of live sport.
The excitement is palpable. The anticipation is reaching boil over point. Kids are amped, adults can hardly contain their excitement.
To me, it’s the icing on the cake of Covid success. These first matches back in super rugby, with cherry of the crowd.
Sport is of enormous import to the populace. It defines us as a nation, as does the combined efforts of us all to sacrifice what we have, to bring the corona virus to its knees.
This weekend we celebrate our triumph by banding together in the most enriching and enduring expression of solidarity we have.
The crowd at a game of footy.
Male, female, other. Young, old, middle aged. Black, brown, white, crimson. Labour, national, green. Blue collar, white collar, no collar. Catholic, Hindi, Jewish, agnostic. Tall, short, fat, skinny........all of us, celebrating the success of 5 million in the manner we know best, being part of the heaving masses the up until recently were part of NZ sports rich tapestry.
So good.
That’ll do.
President of NZ Football Johanna Wood is confident the joint bid between NZ and Australia will see the women's football world cup come to New Zealand in 2023.
Blues captain Patrick Tuipolotu previews his sides super rugby match against the Hurricanes.
Chiefs assistant coach Tabai Matson previews his sides super rugby match against the Highlanders in what is set to be a big crowd in Dunedin.
What a difference a week can make.
Six days after shutting out the Dragons, the Warriors have been hammered 26-nil by the Panthers in their NRL match in Sydney.
The Mount Smart club have conceded five tries, in what is the second time they've been held scoreless this season.
Former Warriors coach Brian McClennan joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to review the match.
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Animation Research boss Ian Taylor discusses how graphics and technology are improving the home viewing experience of sport.
Crusaders mid-fielder Braydon Ennor has been training hard and is pleased to have his future secured in New Zealand.
Wellington Phoenix general manager David Dome highlighted some of the challenges the Pheonix will face ahead of the resumption of the A-League football season.
Warriors coach Stephen Kearney spoke to D'Arcy Waldegrave ahead of his sides match against the Dragons.
Black Sticks defender Brooke Neal has decided to hang up her stick and retire from the game she's played since she was three.
Kiwi cyclist Patrick Bevin is heading back to Europe despite the uncertainty of when the cycling season will get back underway.
Chiefs and All Blacks halfback Brad Weber is a bit sore after week one of super rugby training.
New Zealand cricket have announced their contracted players for the next summer of cricket including much talked about batting star Devon Conway.
All Blacks assistant coach Brad Mooar will leave Wales with plenty of fond memories but is looking forward to getting home to New Zealand.
Sport NZ CEO Peter Miskimmin is determined to help get sport in New Zealand back on its feet.
Greyhound racing commentator Philippa Morris says the return of racing is very much welcomed by the racing industry.
Head coach of the Central Pulse Yvette McCausland-Durie is excited about the return of New Zealand's premier netball competition.
All Sport Breakfast host D'Arcy Waldegrave:
The news we've all been waiting for was released on Thursday, we're getting our sport on again!
Under level 2, the mysterious physical exchanges of days gone by will be reignited as a dazed populace are able to pick up where they left off a couple of months ago.
The announcement to me was as significant as the one made back in early march when the NBA pulled the plug on their season. That to me was when it all got very real.
In essence though, we won't be picking up where we finished before lockdown. It's simply not possible. Social distancing, finances, crowds, to start with.
What we have now is opportunity. After the calamity of covid19, sport here and globally will be forced to dramatically change their models. This will be enormously uncomfortable considering humans natural hesitancy around change but for me, the embracing of a complete overhaul of sport from grass roots through to the upper echelon is too exciting to be frightened of.
I believe we all have a a part to play in this, we should not just sit in silence and let the power brokesr redevelop this space, because its our space, we need to be complicit in this enormous change.
Have a voice. Do what you can. Lead change from below.
We won't have this opportunity again, lets not waste it.
We maybe only a weekend warrior or a enthusiastic parent, but sport is our space, and it's our responsibilty to have our voices heard in theis stae of flux.
Don't muck it up.
CEO of Eden Park Nick Sautner explains New Zealand's biggest stadium has suffered as a result of coronavirus.
Warriors assistant coach Tony Iro gives an insight into life in Tamworth for the NRL side ahead of the season relaunching.
Warriors CEO Cameron George doesn't know when his side will head across the ditch but they are ready and waiting.
All Whites coach Danny Hay has been announced as the head coach of the U23 NZ football side replacing Des Buckingham as they continue their campaign to the Olympics.
Senior Black Cap's batsman Ross Taylor wins the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal for the third time.