Weekend Sport: Recent Episodes
Newstalk ZB
This week, James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss how NPC ruby can be improved, the ongoing Super Rugby season and Ryan Fox's golf prowess.
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Listen to the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for Sunday 15 June.
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This week, US sports correspondent Leon Busby joined Piney to recap the action from the States, including the NHL finals, the NBA finals and the NCAA players pay ruling.
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Former All Black Daryl Gibson has jumped the fence and taken up a new role - within a different sport.
Gibson is set to become the new Chief High Performance Officer for New Zealand Cricket, effective from next month.
He joined Piney to discuss what drew him to the role.
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This week on Piney's rugby panel, Northland rugby commentator Steve Harris and Tasman Mako longtime backer Shane Drummond joined in on a discussion about whether NPC rugby can be fixed - and how to go about doing that.
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The Chiefs' man with the golden boot is finding his feet at the right time as another Super Rugby final looms.
First-five Damian McKenzie was instrumental in the Chiefs semi-final win over the Brumbies, scoring 22 points to set up a final with the Crusaders in Christchurch.
Chiefs midfielder Daniel Rona joined Piney to recap the action.
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Play has officially been suspended for the day at the US golf Open major, due to dangerous weather and darkness.
Thirteen players did not complete their second rounds, among them currently sixth-placed South African Thriston Lawrence, who's on his last hole.
Sam Burns leads by one shot on three-under-par after firing the low round of the championship, a brilliant five-under 65.
Our golf correspondent Graeme Agars joined Piney to recap all the carnage that's occurred over the first two days.
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Kiwi Formula One driver Liam Lawson's hoping his form in practice can translate into qualifying overnight at the Canadian Grand Prix.
He's logged two top 10 finishes in practice, finishing 8th and 10th respectively on the first day of the race weekend.
Qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix is tomorrow morning.
NZ Herald Sports Journalist Alex Powell joined Piney to recap Lawson’s impressive day.
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Sonny Bill Williams’ focus is remaining on the much-anticipated bout against Paul Gallen.
Animosity has been building between the two former rugby players turned boxers, with Williams even claiming Gallen thinks he’s above Polynesians.
He joined Piney in studio to discuss his preparations for the fight, and the tensions between him and his opponent.
“I think the reason this grudge match is so big is because of, y’know, the animosity that’s been brewing for the last ten years,” Williams said.
“Every opportunity he has, he’s taking digs at me.”
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 14th June 2025, the Crusaders are heading back to the Super Rugby Finals. David Havili reflects on their semifinal victory over the Blues.
Principal of Rongotai College, Kevin Carter is on to discuss if students are returning for year 14 just to play sport.
And Sonny Bill Williams is in studio as he prepares for his fight against Paul Gallen.
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Marlborough Boy’s College has made headlines once more, this time for the number of “year 14s” in its First XV team.
One of the top rugby schools in the South Island, the team has five year 14 students playing this season.
It’s led to debates around eligibility for school sports, and raised questions about the integrity of the Miles Totora Premiership.
Rongotai College Principal Kevin Carter joined Piney to discuss what schools are doing to try keep a level playing field.
“[Returning for year 14] has to be about the academics,” he told Piney.
“I’d hate to think that there were schools out there encouraging students to come back solely to boost their sports teams.”
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The Crusaders are into another Super Rugby final after defeating the Blues 21-14.
Will Jordan scored the deciding try in the 70th minute of the semi-final in Christchurch after scores were locked at 14-all at halftime.
Crusaders Commentator joined Piney to recap the clash.
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The Crusaders feel last season's pain has been this season's gain.
And for seasons to come.
The perennial Super Rugby contenders have shrugged off the agony of missing the finals in 2024, to now be hosting this year's final.
Crusaders captain David Havili says last year's suffering was worth it.
He told Piney it wasn’t ideal at the time, but there were huge learnings to come of it, which has set them up for this year and the years to come.
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James McOnie from the Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss Super Rugby finals, the Warriors, the All Whites and the NBA.
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Listen to the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for Sunday 8 June.
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A mixed opening day for the Black Foils at the latest SailGP event in New York.
New Zealand finished second, 11th and first in the opening three regattas, to sit fourth in the event standings ahead of tomorrow's second race day.
Black Foils strategist Liv Mackay joined Piney to discuss.
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Auckland Cricket is looking to make some changes and take the first steps towards leaving Eden Park.
The cricket association will seek permission from the Ōrākei Local Board to get Colin Maiden Park in St Johns redeveloped - and if approved, they'll leave Eden Park.
Auckland Cricket CEO Ian Francis joined Piney to discuss.
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Heartbreak for the Hurricanes after being knocked out of the Super Rugby Pacific playoffs by the Brumbies in Canberra.
The team led midway through the first half, before the Brumbies took control and kept their noses in front for the rest of the contest, holding on to win 35-28.
Hurricanes assistant coach Cory Jane joined Piney to discuss.
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The Blues have flipped the Super Rugby title race on its head with a stunning 20-19 win over the Chiefs in their playoff in Hamilton.
The sixth seed have stolen victory after replacement lock Josh Beehre stretched out to score with time up on the clock.
The result means the Blues face the Crusaders in Christchurch in next weekend's semi-final, while the Chiefs host the Brumbies, after the Australian side held off the Hurricanes 35-28 in Canberra.
Blues assistant coach Greg Feek joined Piney to discuss.
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The Warriors have consolidated their place in the NRL's top four with a 40-10 thumping of the Sharks in Sydney.
They scored seven tries, including five in a second half blitz where the Sharks were held scoreless.
The Warriors were only ahead 12-10 at the break - and coach Andrew Webster joined Piney to discuss the action.
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The Crusaders have recorded their 30th consecutive home playoff win, beating the Queensland Reds 32-12 to advance to next week's Super Rugby Pacific semi-finals.
The hosts led from the jump and out-classed the Reds five tries to two – Ethan Blackadder's 69th minute yellow card for a high tackle rendered meaningless.
Assistant Coach James Marshall joined Piney to unpack their victory.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 7th June 2025, Rob Walter has been announced as the new Black Caps coach, taking over from Gary Stead, and he joined Piney to discuss what he hopes to achieve in the job.
The Crusaders have advanced to the Super Rugby semifinals with a win over the Reds in Christchurch. Assistant Coach James Marshall unpacked the victory.
And the All Whites are shaping up for a big week of internationals. They play Cote d'Ivoire tomorrow and Ukraine on Wednesday – defender Michael Boxall joined to preview their big week
Get the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast every Saturday and Sunday afternoon on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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With the Super Rugby Pacific playoffs upon us, questions have once again been raised about the format.
This year saw the introduction of the ‘lucky loser’ format, in which the three winners from the Qualifying Finals will be joined in the Semi-Finals by the highest-seeded losing team.
CEO Jack Mesley joined Piney to discuss the format, and how the regular season went from his perspective.
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Newly appointed Black Caps head coach Rob Walter is confident he can encourage non-contracted players to appear in key matches for New Zealand.
Top talent such as Kane Williamson and Trent Boult have rejected national contracts in favour of lucrative T-20 franchise opportunities around the globe.
Walter wants to give the elite echelon the freedom to do both – but with the Black Cap always coming first.
He joined Jason Pine to discuss his plans for the role, and what he hopes to achieve.
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Shot putter Tom Walsh feels he's heading in the right direction following his Diamond League triumph in Rome.
The world indoor champion won with his first throw of the competition, reaching a season-best 21.89 metres.
Walsh says it's not often he wins with his initial heave.
He told Jason Pine he had a mixed bag of throws, but he wanted to have a crack at throwing a long way, and that’s exactly what he managed to do.
“Good step in the right direction.”
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James McOnie joined Piney to discuss the latest with the Super Rugby, Kosta Barbarouses leaving Wellington and the A-League final.
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US sports correspondent Leon Busby joined Piney to discuss the NHL Stanley Cup final and NBA finals.
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Listen to the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for Sunday 1 June.
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The 2025 French Open is under way - but the tennis players are struggling to beat the heat.
Tennis commentator Craig Gabriel joined Piney to discuss the latest.
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Disappointment from Liam Lawson after qualifying 13th for Formula 1's Spanish Grand Prix tomorrow, exiting in the second stage of qualification.
F1 commentator Chris Medland joined Piney to discuss.
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The Warriors are looking to bring collective energy and dig deep for each other in this afternoon's NRL match-up against the Rabbitohs in Sydney.
Warriors halfback Luke Metcalf joined Piney to discuss.
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The Blues have thrashed the Waratahs 46-6 to end their visitors' Super Rugby Pacific season, and keep their hopes of playoffs footie alive.
Sabbatical-bound All Blacks centre Rieko Ioane scored a hat-trick and departing wing Mark Tele'a grabbed a brace.
Blues assistant coach Palu Tito joined Piney to discuss.
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The Hurricanes will head into a Super Rugby Pacific playoff match against the Brumbies on Saturday in Canberra off the back of five consecutive wins.
The 64-12 drubbing of Moana Pasifika secures them a fourth place finish, knocks Moana out and secures the Blues sixth spot and a date with the Chiefs in Hamilton on Saturday.
Hurricanes coach Clark Laidlaw joined Piney to discuss.
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The top three heading into the Super Rugby Pacific playoffs have been confirmed after the Chiefs locked up top spot with a bonus-point 41-24 win over the Highlanders in Dunedin.
The Crusaders won the battle for second place after edging the third-placed Brumbies 33-31 in Canberra.
Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan joined Piney to discuss.
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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.
Head coach Rob Penney joined Piney to discuss.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast 31st May 2025, abuse of referees in club sport has hit the headlines with Horowhenua-Kapiti RFU threatening to cancel games if it doesn't stop. CEO Corey Kennett joined Piney to discuss what has caused them to take such drastic action.
The shortlist for the Black Caps coaching role is out, and it’s clear Gary Stead’s time as coach is coming to an end. Award winning sportswriter and cricket expert Dylan Cleaver joins Piney to discuss the potential other candidates, and what Gary has done for the team in his seven years in charge.
And Tim Southee has a new job in England – he joined Piney to discuss what he's up to.
Get the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast every Saturday and Sunday afternoon on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Dangerous weather and then darkness has forced an end to play on day two of the US Women's Open golf major in Wisconsin.
A number of players were still on the course at Erin Hills, so they'll resume overnight.
Kiwi great Dame Lydia Ko's managed to finish her second round but is eight shots off the pace on even par, with the projected cut line on two over.
Ko's carded a one-under 71 and is sitting in a tie for 37th.
Senior writer for Wisconsin.Golf, Gary D’Amato joined Piney to recap the first two rounds of the major.
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While the race to succeed outgoing Black Caps coach Gary Stead narrows down to the final candidates, it's one name that was missing from the interview sheet that's sparked intrigue.
Newstalk ZB understands former New Zealand batter and multiple domestic championship-winning coach Peter Fulton failed to get a hearing.
The host of The Bounce podcast, Dylan Cleaver told Jason Pine that Fulton ticked all the boxes to at least get an interview after his success with Canterbury.
He and Piney broke down Stead’s legacy as coach and who may wind up with the role now.
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Tim Southee has started his post-playing career, signing on to be a skills consultant for the England cricket team.
He’s working alongside former captain Brendon McCullum.
Piney caught up with Southee to see how the new gig is going.
“It's a different kind of buzz you get to when you're playing, but it's certainly, certainly a nice feeling when you when you work with someone and you see them go out and do well.”
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The Horowhenua-Kāpiti Rugby Union has taken the unprecedented step of threatening to cancel senior club rugby matches in response to escalating abuse towards match officials.
Club referees are all volunteers, and CEO Corey Kennett says there’s been a slow and constant downward spiral in the treatment of officials.
He joined Piney to discuss what’s led to the club taking such drastic measures.
“Nobody wants this, so it’s a real combined approach to try and combat it.”
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Listen to the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for Sunday 25 May.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss Auckland FC's loss, the Chiefs' win and the Indianapolis 500.
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Coaching expert Wayne Goldsmith joined Piney to reveal how a team can turn into a cohesive unit in a limited timeframe.
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The International Paralympic Committee President recently took a tour of New Zealand to see what the nation had to offer - and he joined Piney to discuss.
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Moana Pasifika's Super Rugby playoff hopes have taken a tumble after a 85-7 trouncing at the hands of leaders the Chiefs in Hamilton.
Moana shipped 13 tries on their way to the third heaviest loss in the competition history.
Chiefs assistant coach Roger Randle joined Piney to discuss.
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There's shock and heartbreak among Auckland sports fans after Auckland FC loses out on the Grand Final.
The competition newcomers have been denied a trip to the grand final in their first year, beaten 2-1 on aggregate by Melbourne Victory.
Former footballer Paul Ifill joined Piney to discuss.
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The Warriors aren't talking about Las Vegas revenge ahead of this afternoon's NRL encounter with Canberra at Mt Smart.
13 weeks on from a humbling 30 points to 8 first round loss to the Raiders in Sin City, the Warriors have risen to second on the table, with the Raiders in third spot.
Former player Lewi Brown joined Piney ahead of the match.
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It's a big night for Kiwi football fans, as Auckland FC heads into one of the most anticipated matches of the season.
Sky Sports analyst Jacob Spoonley joined Piney to look back on the season.
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As Auckland FC gear up for their clash against the Melbourne Victory, GoMedia Managing Director joined Piney to discuss.
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There's excitement among Christchurch-based racing fans as the Supercars circuit looks to make its debut in Christchurch for the first time.
Canterbury Car Club general manager Mark Wedderall joined Piney to discuss.
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Australian correspondent Adam Peacock joined Piney to discuss Auckland FC, Ange Postecoglou, and the NRL season.
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A late game gamble has paid off for the Crusaders during their 15-12 Super Rugby win over the Highlanders in Christchurch.
Down 12-10 inside the final 10 minutes, the Crusaders turned down a chance kick a penalty goal and take the lead, instead opting for a line-out.
Prop Tamaiti Williams joined Piney to discuss.
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Auckland FC goal-keeper Alex Paulsen has been feeling the pressure ahead of the team's clash against the Melbourne Victory.
The winner will advance to the grand final, with the Black Knights in the box seat by holding a one-goal advantage.
Paulsen joined Piney to discuss further - and to look back on an 'awesome' season for the team.
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All eyes will be on Auckland FC - as the Kiwi side gears up to face off against the Melbourne Victory at Mt Smart this evening.
The winner will gain passage to the grand final, with the Black Knights in the box seat by holding a one-goal advantage.
Auckland FC CEO Nick Becker and Director of Football Terry McFlynn joined in on the discussion with Piney.
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Auckland FC are unfazed by the weight of expectation in tonight's return leg in their A-League semi-final against Melbourne Victory.
The Black Knights are one goal up on aggregate, but top goalscorer Guillermo May says the players are keeping a lid on their excitement.
He joined Piney to discuss ahead of the match.
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Listen to the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for Saturday 24 May.
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This week, James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss Crystal Palace winning the FA Cup, Auckland FC's win, the Warriors' win and Moana Pasifika's win.
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Ahead of the World Championships, para-canoeist Finn Murphy joined Piney to discuss the Poland event.
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An up and down round for Kiwi Ryan Fox, but he remains on track for a top-20 finish at the PGA Championship in Charlotte.
Fox has carded a third round one-over 72, mixing six bogeys with five birdies to be tied 17th and three-under for the tournament.
Fox has had 14 birdies at the tournament - fourth equal - but has made 11 bogeys.
Reporter Graeme Agars joined Piney to discuss.
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Listen to the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for Sunday 18 May.
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The Warriors are celebrating another tight NRL win - this time with a 16-12 result over the Dolphins in Brisbane.
The visitors led 16-nil with 10 minutes to go, before the Dolphins mounted a comeback with two late converted tries - helped by a sin-binning for co-captain James Fisher-Harris.
It's the fifth win for the Warriors by four points or less this season.
Warriors assistant coach Slade Griffin joined Piney to discuss.
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Auckland FC emerged victorious after the 1-nil away win over Victory in the first leg of their A-League semi-final.
The Black Knights have no injury worries as they return home - and the players earned themselves a leg up ahead of the next match.
Sky Sports analyst Jacob Spoonley joined Piney to discuss.
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Welsh football club Wrexham AFC is set to come to Wellington for the first time in the team's history.
The touring side will play against Melbourne Victory on 11 July and Sydney FC on 15 July - before facing off against the Phoenix on 19 July.
Wrexham FC CEO Michael Williamson joined Piney to discuss the tour - and whether part of the hit Disney series will be filmed over there.
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Moana Pasifika’s hopes for a maiden finals berth have been boosted massively by a 27-21 win over the Blues.
It’s the very first win over their Auckland rivals and cements their spot in the top six at the expense of the defending champions.
Utility Kyren Taumoefolau joined Piney to discuss.
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Auckland FC are promising not to let up in the second leg of their A-League semi-final against the Melbourne Victory.
The Black Knights take a one-goal advantage into the return match at Mt Smart next Saturday - but coach Steve Corica says they still have work to do.
He joined Piney to discuss ahead of the team's next match.
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Kiwi golfer Ryan Fox has held his nerve to finish strong in the second round of the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.
After starting the round two-over through three, Fox has bounced back with three birdies on the back nine to card and even-par round. He sits in a share of six at four-under for the tournament, four shots behind leader Jhonattan Vegas.
This follows a week after he became just the 9th Kiwi male player to win a USPGA Tour event with his success at the Myrtle Beach Classic.
Another member of that exclusive club is Phil Tataurangi, who joined Piney to discuss Fox's good form.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 17th May 2025, ticket prices to All Blacks games have been a hot topic – are fans being priced out of attending sport fixtures? Sport promoter Dean Lonergan joined the show to give his take.
A 9-year-old Auckland boy has been told he can no longer play age-grade rugby with his friends because he’s over the weight limit. Andy Rogers is Sport NZ’s National Sport Development Consultant, and he joined the show to discuss how to avoid barriers for kids in sport.
And former Crystal Palace attacker John Salako joins the show ahead of the FA Cup final.
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A try at the death from Cam Roigard has broken the Highlanders' hearts, and given the Hurricanes an important 24-20 Super Rugby win in Wellington.
The 'Canes halfback snuck over to score his second try of the game with time up on the clock, to keep the Canes firmly in playoff contention.
Roigard joined Piney to recap the clash.
“It’s great that although it was an ugly, scrappy game for us, we were able to, I guess, improve other areas.”
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One of the biggest days on the English football calendar is tomorrow – the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium.
7-time winners Manchester City playing in their third straight final against Crystal Palace, playing in their third final, having never lifted the famous trophy.
One of the most famous FA Cup finals of all time was in 1990 when Crystal Palace faced Manchester United.
1990 Crystal Palace 3, Manchester United 3 after extra-time Manchester United went on to win the replay 1-0 five days later.
John Salako was part of that Palace side – he also played five times for England, including twice here in NZ against the All Whites in 1991 and he joined the show to discuss that final and preview tomorrow's fixture.
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A 9-year-old boy was told this week that he can no longer play age-grade rugby with his friends as he’s over the weight limit.
The Year 4 student was one of 106 children who applied for a weight dispensation in the Counties Manukau Rugby Football Union club competition – and after being denied, has opted out of playing any winter sport this year.
The union says structures are in place to ensure player safety and fairness in competition.
Sport NZ’s National Sport Development Consultant Andy Rogers joined Piney to discuss how to avoid barriers for kids in sport.
He told Piney every young person should have the opportunity to enjoy and benefit from being active.
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Are fans being priced out of games?
There’s been quite a bit of talk recently regarding the price of tickets for top sporting events such as the All Blacks, and whether it’s becoming too expensive for the fans.
Sports Prompter Dean Lonergan offers his insights on prices and what gets fans through the gates.
“There’s a fine line between money coming in, and charges you can, the price you can charge, but at the end of the day, you’ve got a financial responsibility.”
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This week, James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to recap the Warriors' latest win, the Chiefs' latest win, the A-League semi-finals and the NBA playoffs.
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US sports correspondent Leon Busby joined Piney to recap the NBA season and NHL playoffs.
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Mystics coach Tia Winikerei is excited by what their new shooter will bring to the team.
Australian shooter Donnell Wallam is set to debut for the two-time defending ANZ Premiership champions when they start their 2025 campaign against the Stars.
She joined Piney to discuss.
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Listen to the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for Sunday 11 May.
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The Tall Blacks have been dealt a couple of losses during the trans-Tasman throwdown, but the team's hoping to turn their luck around.
The Australian Boomers beat the Kiwi side 92-67 in Game 2 on the Sunshine Coast.
Tall Blacks coach Judd Flavell joined Piney to discuss.
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It's been a big season for GoMedia Stadium as Auckland FC kept drawing in the crowds - and they're set to go bigger ahead of the upcoming play-off games.
An extra 2700 seats will be added to GoMedia Stadium ahead of Auckland's second leg semi-final on Saturday, 24 May.
Tātaki Auckland Unlimited’s Director of Auckland Stadiums, James Parkinson, joined Piney to discuss.
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After lifting up the Premiers Plate in their first season in the competition, Auckland FC are gearing up for the two-leg A-League semi-finals.
The Kiwi side is set to face off against Melbourne Victory next Saturday.
A-League commentator Daniel McBreen joined Piney to discuss.
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The Chiefs have maintained their position atop the Super Rugby standings after a come-from-behind 35-19 win over the Crusaders in Christchurch.
The visitors overcame a 16-point deficit late in the first half - keeping the Crusaders scoreless in the second to put themselves in the box seat for home advantage during the playoffs.
Chiefs midfielder Quinn Tupaea joined Piney to discuss.
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The Warriors are celebrating after a narrow victory over the Dragons, but feedback indicates there's room for improvement.
They hung on for a 15-14 victory - and their fourth straight win has put the Warriors second on the NRL ladder.
Assistant coach Stacey Jones joined Piney to discuss.
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The Black Ferns kick off their Pacific Four test rugby campaign against Australia in Newcastle tonight.
Piney catches up with Rugby commentator Taylah Johnson to discuss what the teams will hope to gain out of this game ahead of the World Cup later this year.
“Every person that wears a black jersey today needs to stamp their mark.”
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 10th March 2025, confusion continues to surround netball circles, with Grace Nweke’s Silver Ferns eligibility still up in the air. Netball NZ Board Chair Matt Whineray joined the show to discuss what makes the decision so tough.
Sky rugby commentator Tony Johnson previews tonight's top of the table clash between the Crusaders and the Chiefs.
And the Lions squad has been named for their Australia tour. BBC rugby commentator James Burridge analyses the team Andy Farrell has picked.
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Eden Park has been ruled out for hosting the A-League men's finals series.
Auckland FC will stage the second leg of their semifinal series at Go Media Stadium – allowing the team to retain their home field advantage.
CEO Nick Becker joined Piney to discuss what the news means for the club.
“It’s what we were pushing for.”
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The British and Irish Lions touring squad to Australia has been named.
The inclusion of 20-year-old Henry Pollock raised eyebrows, the traditional bolter only having played 30 minutes of test rugby.
BBC Rugby Commentator James Burridge joined Piney to discuss the squad.
“He talks a very good game, but he can talk it as well.”
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There’s a lot on the line tonight as the Crusaders host the Chiefs.
The top of the table clash has implications for the playoffs, with the outcome deciding who will get the home advantage.
Sky Sport Rugby Commentator Tony Johnson joined Piney to preview the game.
“It’s going to be huge for both of them.”
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Netball New Zealand may be changing up its eligibility rules.
The body says it's currently looking at them, as the ANZ Premiership gets under way today without leading Silver Ferns shooter Grace Nweke.
The 23-year-old isn't available for the Ferns as she's based in Australia this season.
Netball NZ chair Matt Whineray says it's about maintaining a high-performance professional system here.
He told Piney they’re trying to balance a bunch of stakeholder interests – it's not about one player.
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Netball New Zealand says it is looking at its eligibility rules as the ANZ Premiership gets under way today without Grace Nweke.
The star test shooter isn't available for the Ferns, as she's based in Australia this season.
Former Silver Fern Adine Wilson told Jason Pine while New Zealand are a much better side with Nweke involved, there are two sides to the debate.
“She’s an Irene van Dyk of my era – she is someone special, but I do think you have to be careful that you don’t change rules for just one player.”
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Listen to the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for Sunday 4 May.
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This week, James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss the Hurricanes v Chiefs clash, the latest Warriors victory, the NBA playoffs and Auckland FC breaking their streak.
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The World Snooker Championship final is due to take place.
After a thrilling semi-final where Mark Williams edged out Judd Trump - he's secured himself a spot in the final against Zhao Xintong.
Snooker writer Michael Day joined Piney to discuss.
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A great day has turned sour for Liam Lawson at the Miami Grand Prix.
He was found guilty of causing Fernando Alonso to crash and stripped of his two points in the Sprint Race...then he qualified a lowly 15th for tomorrow's feature race.
Alex Powell and Eric Thompson joined Piney to discuss.
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The Warriors are second on the NRL ladder after a heart-stopping 30-26 NRL victory over the Cowboys in the NRL's Magic Round in Brisbane.
Five first half tries had the Kiwi side up 28-12 at the break before the Cowboys surged back with three tries in eight minute - but the Warriors managed to hold on and win at the last second.
Warriors Assistant Coach Richard Agar joined Piney to discuss.
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There's four rounds left to go in the Super Rugby season - and all 11 teams remain in contention for the playoffs.
The Highlanders are set to face Moana Pasifika this afternoon, capping off a weekend full of high-profile matches.
Super Rugby Pacific chair Kevin Malloy joined Piney to discuss.
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The Hurricanes and Chiefs are gearing up for a Super Rugby Pacific semifinal rematch tonight in Wellington.
After topping the table throughout the 2024 season, the Canes were ambushed by the Chiefs on home turf and didn't make the final.
Assistant Coach Cory Jane joined Piney to preview the clash.
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The Blues have moved into Super Rugby's Top 6 with a bonus point 40-19 takedown of the Western Force at Eden Park.
The defending champions led 12-7 at halftime before scoring four tries in the second stanza to extend their advantage.
Coach Vern Cotter says his side are starting to believe they can overcome a sluggish start to their title defence.
Piney caught up with Blues hooker Kurt Eklund after their hard-fought win.
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The Wallabies have their coach for the 2027 World Cup.
Reds coach Les Kiss will take over from Joe Schmidt when he steps down mid-way through next year.
Former Wallaby Drew Mitchell offers his thoughts on the appointment.
He also delved into what's led to the improvement in form of the Australian Super Rugby teams, and where James O'Connor sits in the Wallabies pecking order.
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The Warriors are running on a high.
They’re entering Magic Round with a chance to have their best ever eight game start to a season as they take on the North Queensland Cowboys.
NRL Legend and Cowboys icon Johnathan Thurston offers his thoughts on the Warriors’ season thus far and their odds against the Cowboys.
“They’ve had a fair few injuries to overcome, but they’ve got a squad there that keeps doing the job and getting the win.”
“I think the teams will be very wary of the Warriors.”
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 3rd March 2025, the sorry saga of the Indian Panthers reached a climax this week with a player's strike and the team being suspended from the NBL indefinitely. Prominent NZ Basketball figure Jeff Green joins Piney to discuss the damage this has caused.
Les Kiss has been named as the next Wallabies head coach. Former Wallaby Drew Mitchell discusses what this means for the team, the overall improvement of Australian rugby, and the good form of James O'Connor.
And it's Magic Round in the NRL. Legendary Rugby League footballer Johnathan Thurston joined the show to discuss the chances of the Warriors as they face his former team, The North Queensland Cowboys.
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As the Indian Panthers saga draws to a sad close, questions are being raised as to who should be held accountable for this failure.
Henry Moore is the head of the Sports Law practice at law firm Tavendale and Partners, and he joined Piney to discuss what potential legal ramifications for the Panters and the NZNBL.
He told Piney that realistically, the consequences are more likely to be reputational as opposed to legal.
“The leagues credibility is obviously now under question, and that’s one of the biggest challenges for the sport, I think.”
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The debut of the Indian Panthers from the men's NBL was always going to be a disaster, according to long-time basketball coach Jeff Green.
The Panthers have been suspended indefinitely after allegations emerged around delayed player payments and treatment.
Green told Jason Pine it was a tough ask to come in at a late stage with no real ties to this country, and to be any chance of surviving, it needed to be planned carefully.
He also has suspicions it was a trans-Tasman back-door listing attempt.
Green told Piney the ill-fated Indian Panthers may have been a Trojan horse to enter the other NBL.
Green says he's basing his allegations on the fact all the Panthers owners are based in Australia.
"You can assume that they were doing similar things to what the Tasmanian Huskies did early on a few years ago when they entered the New Zealand NBL, and then they left and became the Tasmanian Jack Jumpers in the Australian NBL.”
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Listen to the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for Sunday 27 April.
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Auckland FC is set to win the A-League premiership in their very first season no matter what happens this evening.
The Crowd Goes Wild's James McOnie speculates ahead of the final match.
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Liverpool only has five games left in the current EPL season, and they're 12 points clear at the top.
Arsenal, which is currently in second place, has only four games left - meaning Liverpool is one point away from clinching a second title in the Premier League era.
Liverpool Supporters Group of Wellington chair Andrew McGoff joined Piney to discuss.
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The Ice Blacks are gearing up for their next big event- they're set to play in the men's world hockey championships in the coming days.
Coach Cameron Frear joined Piney to discuss.
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Auckland FC's historic A-League premiership win will be celebrated this afternoon when they lift the regular season silverware following their clash against Perth Glory at Mt Smart.
Thanks to results overnight, the Black Knights have an unassailable lead at the top of the table heading into their penultimate match.
Gun midfielder Louis Verstraete joined Piney to unpack what made the side so successful in its debut season.
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It's been a difficult start for the Blues this Super Rugby season, but the team's boss is hoping this will change.
A 35-21 defeat to the Reds in Brisbane is the team's seventh loss - leaving them languishing in ninth on the ladder after 10 matches.
Blues CEO Andrew Hore joined Piney to discuss.
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Auckland FC has accomplished a significant feat and clinched the Premiers Plate without kicking a ball.
Melbourne City's nil-all draw with Adelaide ensured the Black Knights can't be overtaken on the regular season ladder.
Auckland FC player Nando Pijnaker joined Piney ahead of the team's clash at Mount Smart Stadium.
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A fierce desire to play for each other is behind Auckland FC's historic run to the A-League's Premiers Plate.
The Black Knights will lift the silverware as the best regular season team following this afternoon's clash against Perth Glory at Mount Smart.
Auckland FC CEO Nick Becker joined Piney to discuss.
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The 2025 World Snooker Championship is well underway.
It runs from the 19th of April through to May 5th at the Crucible in Sheffield – the very best in the world competing to claim the game’s most famous and coveted trophy.
Totally Snookered’s Michael Day joined Piney to give an update on the state of the competition so far.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 26th April 2025, New Zealand Cricket has a new venture. CEO Scott Weenink discusses the decision to branch out into Major League Cricket.
The Warriors claimed the first Anzac Day win since 2014 – Adam Pompey joined to break down their decisive victory.
And speaking of dominating wins, the Chiefs are five points clear at the top of the Super Rugby table after thumping the Western Force 56-22. Josh Jacomb talks their win.
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One of the most anticipated events in team sports is currently taking place.
257 players will be selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, with each team eager to claim the best athletes they can.
Leon Busby joined Jason Pine to break down the current standings and delve into the importance of the event.
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The Chiefs are sitting pretty at the top of the Super Rugby table – five points clear of the Crusaders in second.
It comes after their dominating victory over the Western Force, claiming the win 56-22.
Chiefs CEO Simon Graafhuis joined Jason Pine for a chat about the team’s success in this season, and how it influences the club as a whole.
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A pause to celebrate and rest for the Chiefs ahead of a big couple of weeks for their Super Rugby title ambitions.
Their 56-22 thumping of the Force leaves them five points clear at the top.
Away derbies against the Hurricanes and Crusaders loom - but coach Clayton McMillan says they're taking it one step at a time.
Chief’s Josh Jacomb joined Piney to break down their win.
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A marked improvement in the Warriors attack has inspired a 26-12 NRL victory over the Newcastle Knights - their first Anzac Day win since 2014.
The hosts ran in five tries, with Adam Pompey and Jackson Ford bagging doubles.
It's their fifth win of the season, taking them to third on the NRL ladder.
Pompey joined Piney for a chat about their decisive victory.
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New Zealand Cricket is branching out.
They've become the first national body in the code to invest in a franchise T20 league - taking a stake in an expansion team in North America's Major League Cricket.
The aim is to keep some of our leading players – and coaches – available for Black Caps duty, instead of opting to effectively become freelancers on the global Twenty20 stage.
NZ Cricket CEO Scott Weenink joined Jason Pine to talk about the decision.
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James McOnie from the The Crowd Goes Wild host joined Piney to discuss Auckland FC's latest win and the ongoing Super Rugby season.
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Easter is the season of renewal - and one expert joined Piney to reveal how that spirit can be applied to coaching in a changing world.
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Swimming champion Cam Leslie is set to leap into the water for the upcoming 2028 LA Paralympic Games.
He joined Piney to discuss.
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Octagon's Phillip Parun joined Piney to discuss his role within the agency - and what it represents in the world of sport.
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The Chiefs are level with the Crusaders on 32 competition points but lead on points difference.
This is a significant departure following an underwhelming Super Rugby season in 2024.
Crusaders CEO Colin Mansbridge joined Piney to discuss.
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Another year brings another Auckland Easter show, with more Kiwi athletes making an appearance at the Auckland Showgrounds.
Top Kiwi BMX champion Ellie Chew joined Piney to discuss.
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IIHF President Luc Tardif made an appearance at the World Women’s Division IIB Ice Hockey Championship in Dunedin.
He joined Piney to discuss after the fact.
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Auckland FC are trying to keep what's likely to be a milestone achievement from becoming a distraction as they return home from their latest A-League football triumph.
The Black Knights have a six point buffer at the top of the standings after a 2-nil away win over Melbourne Victory.
A win over Perth Glory next Sunday at Mount Smart would secure Auckland FC the Premiers Plate for the top finishing side in the regular season.
Director of Football Terry McFlynn joined Piney to discuss.
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The Chiefs have marched back to the top of the Super Rugby Pacific ladder after a 46-10 hiding of the Highlanders in Hamilton.
The hosts ran in five second half tries, scoring 33 unanswered points after leading 13-10 at the break.
Gold Sport commentator Graeme 'Minty' Mead joined Piney to discuss.
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A 50-metre penalty kick from Luke Metcalf has seen the Warriors pip the Brisbane Broncos 20-to-18 in golden point in their NRL clash at Mt Smart.
Broncos fullback Reece Walsh sent the golden point kickoff dead, handing the hosts the match winning penalty after scores were tied at 18-all.
Former Warrior Motu Tony joined Piney to discuss.
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The Highlanders are in a scrap for a position in the Super Rugby finals.
Piney had a midseason catchup with their CEO Roger Clark, to break down how the season’s been tracking.
“All the games we've played this year, we've been pretty close, we just haven't finished the big moment.”
“If we want to be part of the playoff contention, we're gonna need to start finishing those big moments.”
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The Ice Fernz are in action at the Dunedin Ice Stadium playing in the IHHF Division 2, Group B World Championships.
They're currently undefeated, shaping up for a clash with the other unbeaten team, Australia.
Coach Brooke Patron and Alternate captain Hope Gregory join Piney to preview the clash.
“The best teams rise to the occasion, so I'm looking forward to the challenge for sure,” Patron told him.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 19th April 2025, Jordie Barrett joins Piney to discuss how his sabbatical is going in Leinster and how he thinks Reiko Ioane will fare up there.
The Crusaders have found an unlikely hero, with former Wallaby James O'Connor kicking them to victory over the Blues. He stopped by to discuss that kick.
And Dame Noeline Taurua offers her thoughts on Grace Nweke's Silver Ferns eligibility.
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Netball New Zealand is reviewing the ruling that currently blocks Grace Nweke from putting on the black dress.
She’s currently ineligible for the Silver Ferns, after leaving to play for a team over in Australia.
Coach Dame Noeline Taurua joined Piney to give her thoughts on the current situation.
“When we knew she was keen to come over to Sydney or to play in the SSN, and understanding her reason as well, to be better, and to be a better netballer but also to be a better Silver Fern,” she said.
“The intent is there, she still wants to play, and I definitely support that.”
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The Crusaders have beaten the Blues in an absolute thriller in Christchurch, thanks to a game-winning penalty from James O’Connor.
The former Wallaby stepped up, converting a penalty after the final buzzer to deliver his team yet another win, keeping them at the top of the table.
He joined Piney to reflect on the kick and how he’s been enjoying playing in New Zealand.
“Awesome to get that win because that was definitely a battle.”
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All Blacks midfielder Jordie Barrett has revealed his partner in crime Rieko Ioane reached out for some advice before signing a sabbatical deal with Irish club Leinster for 2026.
Despite receiving interest from Japan, Ioane made the bombshell move by following in Barrett’s footsteps with a move to Dublin to play in the United Rugby Championship (URC), which features teams from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy and South Africa.
Ioane will make the move at the end of the year for a six-month stint between December and June, which rules him out for the Super Rugby Pacific season with the Blues but he remains eligible for the All Blacks.
Ioane’s announcement was met with a mainly positive response, although some Leinster faithful were clearly still bitter after his feud with the club’s favourite son and all-time leading points scorer, Johnny Sexton, which started after the All Blacks knocked Ireland out of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
After plenty of backchat on the field, Ioane told Sexton to enjoy retirement and to not miss his flight home after New Zealand’s quarter-final win.
With Sexton relitigating that personal clash in his book, Ioane was widely painted as public enemy No 1 in the build-up to the All Blacks and Ireland rematch in Dublin last November.
Ioane led the haka before the match and played a key role on the field as the All Blacks went on to snap Ireland’s 19-game unbeaten run at home. Ioane posted a picture to social media with the caption “put that in the book” to double down on his villain status in Ireland.
Speaking to Newstalk ZB’s Jason Pine, Barrett said he believed Ioane can stamp his mark in Ireland.
“He sounded me out about 10 days ago and just asked a few questions,” he said.
“He didn’t say a whole lot, so I didn’t get a good inkling of where his head or heart was, but look, I woke up on my day off and the news had dropped on my phone.
“It gave me 24 hours, without having a barrage of questions at training the morning I went in there, so I got all of them yesterday.
“He’ll go great. It’s a great place to develop and he’ll see a lot of improvements up here as a player, and get out of his comfort zone in Auckland and the Blues and [it’s] a chance to grow.
“I think it’s a great challenge for him.”
Leinster's Tommy O'Brien and Jordie Barrett celebrate following the Investec Champions Cup quarter-final match at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin in Ireland. (Photo by Damien Eagers/PA Images via Getty Images)
Barrett admits it’s been an adjustment for him, but he’s loving life in Ireland, especially on the golf course.
When Barrett announced his move to Ireland, it came as a shock as most players tend to take their sabbatical in Japan, like his brother Beauden did last year.
In fact, he was the first All Black since 2009 to choose Europe over Japan, when Dan Carter signed with Perpignan.
While there were concerns around his workload due to the demands of European rugby, Barrett said he had an extended break while the Six Nations took place in February and March.
During that time, a limited of matches were played and when they were, youngsters were given opportunities to prove themselves.
That rest has helped Barrett stay focused to help Leinster charge towards winning titles.
In the URC, they have only lost once this season – by one point to the Bulls in Pretoria – and hold an eight-point lead over the defending champions Glasgow Warriors with four games remaining in the regular season.
They face the Warriors in the final match of the season but will be confident after crushing them 52-0 in the European Championship quarter-finals last weekend.
Barrett, who has played nine games thus far between second five and fullback, admits there have been some easier games, but plenty of tough battles.
Overall, Barrett believes he’s become a better rugby player for the experience.
“I reserve that judgment for people watching on the telly, but I feel like I’m growing my game,” said Barrett.
“It was a challenge to come up here, become familiar with another system and different coaches and players in a different culture and environment.
“I feel like my rugby’s improving, which is nice, and, it’s neverending, like any footy player just wants to improve, and I feel like I’m making slight improvements.
“Hopefully we give ourselves another chance and earn the right to make a European final in a few weeks’ time and then push deep into the URC competition.”
Should Leinster go all the way in both completions, the European Rugby Champions Cup final takes place on May 25, with the URC final on June 15.
That would give Barrett enough time to return to New Zealand for the All Blacks’ test series against France, starting on July 5 in Dunedin.
Barrett says he has been in touch with All Blacks coach Scott Robertson and is eager to square off against the French.
“Razor has sent the odd text, which is nice, and it shows he’s keeping an eye on things, and so have the other coaches. Just touching base and making sure things are tracking well and that I’m healthy and playing good footy.
“I feel like I’ll be ready to go and hopefully take some form into an All Blacks jersey, which is the main reason why I wanted to come up here in the first place.”
Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss the 2025 Masters and the ongoing Super Rugby season.
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The Wellington Phoenix women's side are set to face off against Canberra United.
Alyssa Winham joined Piney to discuss.
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Listen to the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for Sunday 13 April.
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The coach of the Blues women, Willie Walker, says last night's victory was still a little too close for comfort.
An early 12-0 deficit and a late red card weren’t enough to prevent the defending champions from topping a strong Matatū side, clinging on to a 26-19 win at Eden Park.
Walker joined Piney to discuss further.
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It's the calm before the Melbourne Storm for the Warriors heading into this afternoon's NRL clash - but one player is set to celebrate an important milestone.
Eight years after making his debut for the Warriors against the Melbourne Storm, Erin Clark will face off against the same opponents in his 100th first-grade game this afternoon.
He joined Piney to reminisce ahead of the clash at Melbourne's AAMI Park.
Kick-off is at 4pm.
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Matthew Payne and Ryan Wood provided the Kiwi highlights on the first day of Supercars racing in Taupō on Saturday.
Ryan scored his third first and Wood his first third in the afternoon’s opening sprint race.
Motorsport commentator Mark Skaife joined Piney to discuss.
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The Highlanders have bounced back - with a 43-20 victory over the Fijian Drua.
This breaks the team's four-game losing streak - and lifts them up to 7th on the table.
Highlanders assistant coach Clarke Dermody joined Piney to discuss.
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Blues coach Vern Cotter has commended Beauden Barrett's influence on the Super Rugby team since returning from a hand injury.
The All Black steered the Blues to a 19-point win over Moana Pasifika and Cotter says the number 10's talent is unmatched.
Newstalk ZB Rugby Commentator Elliott Smith joined Piney to discuss.
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A familiar foe looms as golfer Rory McIlroy's biggest obstacle between the Northern Irishman and a maiden green jacket heading into the final round of the Masters at Augusta.
McIlroy carded a third-round six-under par 66, taking him to 12-under overall, as he holds a two-shot lead over LIV golf rival Bryson DeChambeau.
It'll be a rematch of last year's US Open showdown, where McIlroy missed two short putts in the final three holes of the event, allowing DeChambeau to snatch a late victory.
Graeme Agars joined Piney to recap the action.
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The race is on to determine the future host of the 2035 Rugby World Cup, and plenty of contenders have voiced interest.
Reports claim that Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE have expressed interest in hosting the event - but Spain, Japan and Italy have also thrown their hats in the ring for the cup.
Former Prime Minister Helen Clark played a key role in getting the Rugby World Cup over to our shores in 2011 - and she joined Piney to discuss whether it could happen again.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for Saturday April 12th, Super Rugby Aupiki comes to an end tonight with a clash between the Blues Women and Matatu. Former Black Fern Kendra Cocksedge previews the grand final.
Gary Stead is stepping back as coach of the Black Caps’ white-ball team – could a split-coaching model be in New Zealand’s future?
And the Crusaders claimed the top spot on the Super Rugby Pacific board – Coach Rob Penney joining Piney to break down their performance.
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Auckland FC coach Steve Corica believes his side still have plenty left in the tank as they look to claim the A-League's Premier's Plate with four games remaining.
The Black Knights are five points clear of their nearest rivals heading into tonight's contest away at Sydney FC.
Corica admits it'll be a tough run home but is confident his side can finish the regular season strong.
He joined Jason Pine to unpack the season so far and preview tonight's clash.
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It’s come to the end for Super Rugby Aupiki.
Tonight is the grand final, the Blues Women hosting Matatu at Eden Park.
Former Black Fern Kendra Cocksedge joined Jason Pine to preview the match, giving her thoughts on how it will play out.
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The Crusaders have made their way to the top spot.
They’re sitting in first after a seven-point win over the Hurricanes in Wellington.
Coach Rob Penney joined Jason Pine to unpack the win and look ahead to the rest of the season.
“We’ve got an opportunity now to against a really good Blues team.”
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Steve Williams is one half of one of the most successful golfing partnerships in the sport’s history.
He was the caddy for Tiger Woods, the two spending twelve years working together.
Williams joined Jason Pine for a chat about his recently released book ‘Together We Roared’, which covers the partnership, and gives an insight into what it takes to win a Masters.
“The more opportunities you have to play there, the better off you're gonna be.”
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Gary Stead will step down as coach of the Black Caps’ white-ball teams, but will spend the next few weeks to decide if he will stay to lead the test team.
New Zealand cricket’s Bryan Stronach has said the organisation hasn’t got a strong preference for either a split-coaching model or a sole appointment at the current moment.
Ali Martin, cricket writer for The Guardian, joined Jason Pine to discuss the pros and cons of a split-coaching model, and whether it might be the right thing for the Black Caps.
“I can see why they’re mulling this over,” Martin said.
“In theory it should be possible having a single coach over the whole thing.”
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss Liam Lawson's next big race, the latest with the Super Rugby and the Black Caps' latest win.
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Listen to the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for Sunday 6 April.
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US sports correspondent Leon Busby joined Piney to recap a full week in the world of American basketball.
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Moana Pasifika are up into the Super Rugby Pacific playoff places after winning back-to-back games for the first time in their history.
They've beaten the Waratahs 45-28 at North Harbour Stadium.
Moana Pasifika halfback Jonathan Taumateine joined Piney to discuss.
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The Black Caps are looking forward to more than three months off after beating Pakistan 3-zip in the final ODI series of the season.
Captain Michael Bracewell ended on a high note with a 'catch of the season' contender as the Black Caps beat Pakistan by 43 runs at Bay Oval.
Ben Sears, who famously claimed his second five-wicket haul just four games into his One Day career, joined Piney to discuss.
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The Black Caps are starting to build some next-generation depth, with some players being touted as the next big thing.
NZC talent identification manager Paul Wiseman joined Piney to speculate.
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Liam Lawson has out-qualified stablemate Yuki Tsunoda to start 13th in tonight's Formula One Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.
Just over a week after Red Bull made the decision to swap the two drivers, Lawson’s best time was point zero 94 seconds quicker than Tsunoda, who will start 14th.
Former F1 driver David Coulthard joined Piney to discuss.
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Auckland FC look to continue their momentum as they chase silverware in their first season of existence.
They face the inform West Sydney Wanderers to try extend their lead at the top of the table.
Defender Dan Hall joins Piney to preview the match.
“I think we'll just try and focus on trusting the process and what we've done throughout the week in practise to try and, y'know, keep them quiet.”
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 5th April 2025, former All Whites goalkeeper Jake Gleeson has been awarded NZ$35.7 million in damages after he brought a medical malpractice lawsuit against an ex-team doctor at Portland Timbers Football Club. He joined Piney to tell his harrowing story.
The Chiefs have let the other teams know that they're Super Rugby's benchmark after their top-of-the-table victory over the Reds. Assistant Coach Roger Randle joined the show to recap their impressive win
And Kurt Eklund and Du'Plessis Kirifi join the show to preview the Blues v Hurricanes clash.
Get the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast every Saturday and Sunday afternoon on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Kurt Eklund is making just his second appearance of the Super Rugby season.
An injury kept the Blues hooker on the sidelines for the first month, but he’s back in the game again as the team faces off against the Hurricanes at Eden Park.
Eklund joined Jason Pine to discuss his return to fitness and his desire to help the Blues right the ship as it coasts on increasingly rocky waters.
“It’s frustrating, but y’know, you can only support the boys where you can, and that’s what I was trying to do.”
“We’ve still got a really good team ... once we make it all click, and hopefully that’s tonight, then y’know, things start going our way.”
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Du’Plessis Kirifi has had a huge season.
The Hurricanes loose forward's performance throughout the Super Rugby season has put his name well into consideration for the All Blacks.
He joined Piney ahead of their game against the Blues to discuss the season thus far, and the root of his growth.
“I focused on just being better and making better decisions.”
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After a long stretch of bringing up the rear of Super Rugby, Australia seems to have found the golden ticket.
All four Australian teams are sitting in the top six – Reds in second, Brumbies in fourth, Waratahs in fifth, and Force in sixth.
Our Australian Correspondent Adam Peacock joins Piney to try work out what’s suddenly clicked for the Aussie teams.
“With the, yeah, the distribution of talent not as stretched – because let's face it, we don’t have a bottomless pit over here, that’s probably the overriding factor.”
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The Chiefs have let the rest of Super Rugby know they’re the team to beat after winning their top-of-the-table clash against the Reds.
They claimed the victory 27-15.
Chiefs Assistant Roger Randle joined Piney to discuss the team’s expectations going into the second half of the season.
He told him that they believe they’re good enough to claim the title.
“If you're good enough to get in the top 6, you're just trying to get, enough points to be potentially in the top 2 and get towards those home semis, but there's, you know, a lot of rugby to be played.”
“So hopefully.”
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Former All Whites goalkeeper Jake Gleeson says he contemplated taking his life after prolonged surgeries turned into a battle for survival and forced his early retirement.
In August 2018, while contracted to the Portland Timbers in the United States, Gleeson had surgery to treat stress fractures in both legs. It should have been a routine procedure, but he developed osteomyelitis from an infection. What followed was not only a physical struggle but an emotional descent that would push him to the brink.
Fourteen surgeries later, and nearly five years after Gleeson began legal action, a jury found doctor Richard Edelson guilty of medical negligence for failing to properly disinfect the plates inserted into Gleeson’s legs before the initial operation. Gleeson, now 34, was awarded US$20.4 million (NZ$35.7m) in damages.
What was meant to be a three-month stint on the sidelines turned into a nightmare of medical complications and forced Gleeson to retire, having made 59 appearances for the Timbers and winning eight caps for the All Whites between 2011 and 2014.
The fallout has been brutal for Gleeson, who struggles to complete mundane tasks such as exercising. The mental toll has been equally devastating.
Speaking to Newstalk ZB’s Jason Pine on Weekend Sport, Gleeson says he reached a point where he considered taking his life.
“I’d been prescribed so many opioids, like painkillers and anti-anxiety medication, I filled this pill jar up with enough pills that I know that if I took it all at once it would kill me.
“I drove out a few times to different places around Portland with that. I had that around me for ... a few months and there were some close calls where I thought that that was going to be the day.
“There were points I just didn’t want to live any more. Simple as that.
“But I never went through with it, which I’m happy about. The last few years have been a slow climb out of a very deep, dark hole.”
After his initial surgery, things appeared normal but, after two weeks, an infection on his right leg appeared. Antibiotics initially worked, but the infection worsened and he needed a second operation.
At this point, pus was coming out of the wound and Gleeson was given a PICC line - a type of catheter - that was pumping antibiotics from his leg to an artery near the heart. It was a further two weeks before the plate in his right leg came out.
Days later, problems began in his left leg.
Portland Timbers goalkeeper Jake Gleeson shows his disappointment after the the 4-1 loss against Real Salt Lake in 2017. Photo / Getty Images
“I saw that same redness, same warmth, same everything that was a sign of infection, and they pulled that plate out straight away.
“Because I developed osteomyelitis in my right leg, essentially the infection had travelled through my blood and settled on the foreign hardware on my left leg.
“If they had just removed the plate on the first surgery, or even checked the underside of it to know that that’s where the infection was, we could have avoided a lot more of the surgeries that I went through.”
Gleeson had another appointment with Edelson, who was pleased with the recovery of the left leg, but problems were still occurring with the right.
Despite raising concerns, Gleeson was told “it’s just bad blood flow, the wound will heal and you’re fine”.
An angry Gleeson consulted another team doctor and was immediately rushed to hospital, where he had three surgeries in five days to clear the osteomyelitis and dead bone.
“They had to go in and chunk out parts of my bone and there was dead tissue in there,” he recalls.
“My body had gone septic and I had a 40-degree temperature, cuddling a bag of ice on my couch with all this medicine still coursing through me every week.”
It was at this point that he found out Edelson had not properly sanitised an orthopaedic plate, after realising he was missing one and bringing one in from an outside facility during the surgery.
As Gleeson improved after working with a new doctor, he opted to have metal rods inserted into both legs in February 2019 in an effort to save his career.
He had four more operations but the rod in his right leg became immediately infected. Three weeks later, doctors said the rods had to come out.
In July 2020, Gleeson formally began legal action. Finally, on March 29, a Multnomah County jury in Portland agreed that Edelson had violated his duty of care and awarded NZ$35.7m to Gleeson.
“This is the first step and, once again, a very long path,” says Gleeson.
“I don’t think it’s sunk in yet. I’m very tired still.
“The money is a bonus once we figure out what it all looks like, because I’m not currently sitting with a huge cheque in my account.
“Once it settles and is confirmed, I’ve already started conversations with some local groups around here to highlight this, and I want to kind of utilise it also to bring attention to mental health, especially for athletes.
“I would like to go somewhere nice with my fiancée and throw my phone in a lockbox somewhere and take a week to take some deep breaths and start to put this all behind us as we move forward with our lives.”
He says the Timbers club was poorly managed at the time and “swept me under the rug”. The figures involved have since gone and he is excited about attending his first Timbers match since the ordeal later this month.
He says he would do anything to be able to step onto the pitch one last time, but is looking forward to be involved again in the sport he loves, having initially walked away from it.
He is also looking forward to seeing the All Whites in action at next year’s World Cup, which is being co-hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico.
“I couldn’t be more excited for the All Whites and the boys on the team that I know and all the young guns coming through.
“They’re an impressive bunch, so I’ll be there supporting them for sure. Hopefully they can cause some upsets.”
SUICIDE AND DEPRESSION Where to get help:
• Lifeline: Call 0800 543 354 or text 4357 (HELP) (available 24/7)
• Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)
• Youth services: (06) 3555 906
• Youthline: Call 0800 376 633 or text 234
• What's Up: Call 0800 942 8787 (11am to 11pm) or webchat (11am to 10.30pm)
• Depression helpline: Call 0800 111 757 or text 4202 (available 24/7)
• Helpline: Need to talk? Call or text 1737
• Aoake te Rā (Bereaved by Suicide Service): Call or text 1737
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111
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James McOnie from the Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to recap Moana Pasifika's victory, the All Whites making it to the World Cup, and the Black Caps' latest performance.
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Kiwi offshore sailor Conrad Colman is hoping to take on the Ocean Race.
He joined Piney to explain further.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for Sunday 30 March, 2025, Toyota Racing Series founder Barrie Thomlinson joined Piney to discuss Liam Lawson's surprise ousting from Red Bull.
On the subject of Liam Lawson - Piney explained how the focus on instant gratification was ruining sport.
Moana Pasifika head coach Tana Umaga is still celebrating the team's unexpected victory over the Crusaders.
And Mike Lane from the ACC joined Piney to discuss the latest with the Auckland stadium saga.
Get the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast every Saturday and Sunday afternoon on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Moana Pasifika aren't going to rest on their laurels after a shock first-ever win over the Crusaders in Super Rugby.
Coach Tana Umaga wants more consistency for his team - but only after they enjoy one of the highlights of his fabled playing and coaching career.
Umaga joined Piney to recap the latest win.
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Auckland Council has officially endorsed an upgraded Eden Park as the city's main stadium - but they've made it clear they won't pay for it.
Prime Minister Chris Luxon and ACT leader David Seymour have also poured cold water on the idea, claiming the Government books are already too tight.
ACC head Mike Lane joined Piney to discuss the 'boring non-debate'.
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Racing experts and fans alike have reacted with shock after Liam Lawson was recently axed from Red Bull's senior Formula 1 team.
Yuki Tsunoda has been promoted from Racing Bulls in place of the Kiwi ahead of next week's Japanese Grand Prix.
Toyota Racing Series founder Barrie Thomlinson joined Piney to discuss.
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What Red Bull have done to Liam Lawson is an absolute disgrace.
He's been given an opportunity to be the second driver in their team and has been given absolutely no support whatsoever - and now he's been demoted and Yuki Tsunoda's been given the seat.
You won't convince me Yuki Tsunoda is a better driver than Liam Lawson.
Lawson was put in there for a number of reasons, one of which is his mental resilience, and he's going to need all of that now as he tries to recover from this.
In many ways, the pressure comes off a bit as he goes into the Racing Bulls team, but Yuki Tsunoda isn't going to be able to drive a car that is specifically set up for Max Verstappen any better than Liam Lawson can.
Lawson had 2 races on unfamiliar tracks, one of which was in the pouring rain in Melbourne.
It's too small a sample size for his driving to be accurately assessed.
We're about to get to Japan, a track he knows, and they've taken the keys off him.
Liam Lawson will now recuperate and no doubt drive well for Racing Bulls - but it paints Red Bull in an absolutely terrible light.
Yes, they are a massive, results-driven organisation. But they have been utterly negligent in their duty of care.
This is where we've now reached in such a landscape of instant gratification, we have lost any ability to be patient.
Imagine if you opened a new restaurant and after a couple of nights, you didn't get the tables as full as you want, so you sacked the chef.
Things take time.
You cannot simply say, OK, well, he's had a couple of races, he hasn't done the job, we're dropping him.
Mark Webber was on the radio with me last week.
In the first seven years of his Grand Prix career, he made the podium twice.
In the next five years, he made the podium 40 times. 40. It takes time.
Red Bull have been shown to have absolutely no patience.
I know they're under pressure, but we've lost the ability across a lot of elite sport to hover above things and say - actually it's gonna take a little bit of time.
Imagine if we got rid of Graham Henry after the 2007 Rugby World Cup - we never would have had 2011.
The same goes for Phoenix coach Giancarlo Italiano - they're calling for his head. And a year ago, he was top of the pops, having guided the 'Nix to their best ever finish.
This drive for instant results is hurting players, drivers, coaches and everybody associated with elite sport, because those in charge simply can't see past the end of next week.
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Listen to the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for Saturday 29 March.
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A TradeMe auction is underway for the shoes teenager Sam Ruthe wore when making history as the youngest person to ever run a 4 minute mile.
It's become the most viewed listing this year and has reached double digits ...
Sam's dad Ben Ruthe talks to Piney.
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The Hurricanes have moved into the Super Rugby's top six for the first time this season.
The team beat the Waratahs last night in Wellington 57-12.
What was the focus heading into the match?
Hurricanes assistant coach Bryn Evans talks to Piney about his teams success.
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Daly Cherry-Evans has confirmed he's leaving the Manly Sea Eagles, without saying where he's moving to.
Is it more likely the clubs most capped player will retire, or move to a new team?
Australian Correspondent Adam Peacock answers that question, discusses the Panthers loss, and breaks down the Socceroo's road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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The All Whites have secured their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The team beat New Caledonia 3-0 on Monday night.
How will the New Zealand team prepare for the World Cup?
New Zealand Football CEO Andrew Pragnell talks to Piney.
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It hasn't been an easy start to the seasons for the Warriors, after losing to the Raiders in their opening match in Las Vegas, but the team have won their last two games against Manly and the Roosters.
Warriors head coach Andrew Webster talks to Piney about what went wrong in Vegas, Ivan Cleary's influence, how Luke Metcalf's stepped into Shaun Johnson's shoes, and more.
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This week, James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss Sam Ruthe's record-setting performance, the Super Rugby season and the All Whites' upcoming clash.
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Kiwi rally star Emma Gilmour is expected to appear at the Ayrburn Classic - and she joined Piney to discuss the event.
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The All Whites will face New Caledonia at Eden Park on Monday for a spot in next year's Football World Cup.
A Chris Wood hat-trick has seen New Zealand smoke Fiji 7-nil in the Oceania qualifying semi-final in Wellington.
All Whites vice-captain Libby Cacace and coach Darren Bazeley joined Piney ahead of the match.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 23rd March 2025, Ioane Moananu of the Crusaders joined Piney to recap the team's win over the Blues.
Boxing expert Eddie Hearn joined Piney to discuss George Foreman's athletic legacy.
And the tributes kept rolling in after former All Blacks coach Alex 'Grizz' Wyllie died.
Get the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast every Saturday and Sunday afternoon on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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In the space of four nights, Eden Park has played host to multiple high-profile events.
The White Ferns faced off against the Aussies on Friday - and the Black Caps took on Pakistan.
Last night, the Blues played against the Crusaders - and got defeated 42-19.
And tomorrow evening, the All Whites will play against New Caledonia.
Eden Park turf manager Blair Christiansen joined Piney to discuss the challenges.
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The rugby world is mourning the death of the legendary Alex 'Grizz' Wyllie.
The All Black loose forward played 11 tests and a mammoth 210 provincial games for Canterbury before becoming Canterbury and then All Blacks head coach.
Rugby commentator John McBeth joined Piney to discuss.
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One of the great second acts in sports, American boxing legend George Foreman, has died at the age of 76.
Foreman famously reclaimed the world heavyweight title at 45, after coming out of retirement, and also became a celebrated product pitchman.
Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn joined Piney to discuss Foreman's athletic legacy.
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The penny has dropped for the Crusaders.
Last year, the historically strong Super Rugby side were the surprise package of the competition as they won just four of their 14 games to miss the playoffs.
On Saturday night at Eden Park, they loudly announced their return to title contention status to the tune of a 42-19 win over the reigning champions, the Blues.
Hooker Ioane Moananu joined Piney to discuss.
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Former Formula 1 star Mark Webber led this weekend's annual Porsche parade on Saturday.
The Porsche Club of New Zealand is holding its 50th anniversary celebration in Napier over four days concluding this weekend.
Webber joined Piney to discuss the weekend.
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The name on everyone's lips in athletics circles both here and around the world is Sam Ruthe.
The Tauranga 15-year-old's sent the running world into a spin by becoming the youngest athlete to ever run a sub four-minute mile - clocking 3:58.35 at the Mt Smart track in Auckland.
Nick Willis is one of our very best middle-distance runners, and joined Piney to discuss Sam's achievement and his future in the sport.
“It really sets the stage for a really exciting and promising future ahead.”
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Sail GP hits San Francisco this weekend for event five of season four.
The Black Foils bounced back from double disappointment in Auckland and Sydney to finish second In Los Angeles last weekend. This moved them up to third in the championship standings, three points behind Australia in second, with Great Britain a further two points ahead at the top.
Strategist Liv Mackay joins Piney to preview the weekend.
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Kiwi middle-distance prodigy Sam Ruthe has made history.
The 15-year-old is the youngest person to break the four-minute mile barrier, and the 49th New Zealander to do so.
His dad, Ben, is also an accomplished middle-distance runner and he joined Piney to discuss his son's journey
“I would have thought that this was not something that was possible for anybody on the planet.”
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 22nd March 2025, another big win for the Warriors as they triumphed in a hard-fought battle against the Sydney Roosters 14-6. Standout performer was fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, and he joined the show to recap the performance.
The All Whites are one win away from qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Defender Tyler Bindon previews their big match on Monday
And Sam Ruthe is the name on everyone's lips after he captured global headlines this week when he became the youngest athlete ever to run a sub-four-minute mile. Kiwi middle-distance legend Nick Willis, and Ben Ruthe, Sam's dad, joined the show to recap Sam's achievement.
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A hat-trick of goals from Chris Wood has guided the All Whites to a 7-nil thrashing of Fiji in Wellington to go within one win of qualification for next year's Football World Cup.
The team will go on to face New Caledonia at Eden Park on Monday to try claim their spot in the Cup.
All Whites centre-back Tyler Bindon joined Piney to discuss the performance and what it's like to play alongside Chris Wood.
He told Piney that going to the World Cup is not an easy feat.
“So hopefully we can do it.”
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The Chiefs have survived a second-half fightback from Moana Pasifika, prevailing 50-35 in their Super Rugby Pacific contest in Pukekohe.
The table-toppers conceded 28 unanswered points after leading 43-7 at the break.
Chiefs assistant coach David Hill joined Piney to recap the chaotic match.
“They're a hard team to stop once they get going."
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The Warriors are drawing confidence from their gritty 14-6 grind over the Sydney Roosters at Mt Smart.
The New Zealand side didn't take the lead until the 66th minute and kept their visitors scoreless in the second half.
The win snapped a run of eight straight losses to the Roosters, dating back to March 2018.
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad played his 50th NRL game for the Warriors last night and the fullback told Jason Pine that going toe-to-toe with some heavyweights like the Roosters shows what they're doing is working.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss the Super Rugby highlights, the Six Nations and Liam Lawson's upcoming race.
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US sports correspondent Leon Busby joined Piney to recap a full week out of the NBA.
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In 2002, Kiwi golfer Craig Perks produced one of golf's most memorable triumphs when he won the Players Championship.
He joined Piney to discuss the historic accomplishment.
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The Chiefs remain top of the Super Rugby ladder after recording their fourth victory of the season with a 32-31 win over the Blues in Hamilton.
Commentator Graeme Mead joined Piney to discuss.
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Macca Springer might have his work cut out for him at Crusaders training on Monday, despite scoring a record-equalling five tries in their Super Rugby win over the Force in Christchurch.
The winger says he'll be held to account for his accomplishment.
Springer joined Piney to recap the win.
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Liam Lawson will make his Red Bull Formula One debut from 18th on the grid, after being eliminated in the opening qualifying session for the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
Kiwi rally driver Hayden Paddon joined Piney ahead of the race to discuss Lawson's journey.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 16h March 2025, an F1 journo and a Kiwi rally driver joined Piney ahead of Liam Lawson's Melbourne race.
Later, Macca Springer discussed his winning performance against the Western Force.
Craig Perks recapped his 2002 Players Championship win
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Belief that Liam Lawson's tough couple of days in the Formula 1 Grand Prix could be turned around in Melbourne in the race proper this afternoon.
F1 journalist Chris Medland says wet weather could be a leveller as Lawson prepares to start 18th.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 15th March 2025, the Warriors have bounced back from their loss in Vegas with a big win over the Manly Sea Eagles. Assistant coach Slade Griffin joined the show to recap the performance.
Liam Lawson is in Melbourne for his first drive as a full-time Red Bull Driver. Bob McMurray and Greg Murphy offer their thoughts on how Lawson will go.
And Sir Russell Coutts joins the show ahead of the Los Angeles Sail GP event to discuss the season, Kylian Mbappe's partnership with the French team, and future events for Auckland.
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Wicketkeeper Mitch Hay has been given the Gloves for the Black Caps’ T20 series against Pakistan.
Piney catches up with him to discuss his role in the team and his rise to be one of the team’s main options in the wicketkeeping department.
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Kiwi basketballer Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones has made history.
He became the first New Zealander to win Big West Player of the Year in NCAA division one basketball.
He joined Piney to discuss this achievement and his aspirations to lead his US San Diego team to March Madness.
“I couldn’t ask for a better year, and we’re not done yet.”
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The final Formula 1 practice session is under way.
Liam Lawson had a bit of a rough start to his first day as a fulltime driver, finishing 16th and 17th in his first two practices at Albert Park.
As we count down to Lawson’s official full-time debut for Red Bull, Piney catches up with other Kiwi motorsport icons for a chat about his achievement.
Former Supercars driver Greg Murphy offers his thoughts on Lawson and his hopes for the young star.
“Liam's had some amazing support to get there, but he's delivered and repaid all that support,” he told Piney.
“Now he's there at the top.”
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Auckland could become one of the cornerstones of the SailGP calendar, with the league discussing a six-year agreement to run events in the City of Sails.
The global foiling league made its debut in Auckland in January, with bumper crowds turning out to enjoy the action on the Waitematā Harbour.
It’s a sight Sir Russell Coutts hopes to see more of in years to come.
“One of the things we’re trying to do with SailGP is make it an annual event, and I know the authorities in New Zealand are interested as well, so we’re discussing something like a six-year, or six-season, term, because there are huge benefits in coming back year after year,” he told the Herald.
“Like many of the iconic events around the world, whether it be the Melbourne Cup or the Australian Open tennis, people get to know when they’re on at a certain time of the year and that has its distinct advantages.
“We’re looking to do the same as we build out our calendar to 20-plus events a year. We’re looking to grow those events in the various continents around the world.
“So in Australasia, of course, we’re looking to expand that calendar of events and no doubt you’ll see some announcements on that in the coming weeks.”
Coutts said the make-up of those six years was still being discussed, with the potential of a four-year commitment with a two-year right of renewal an option alongside a straight six-year deal.
It comes after the success of its first time in Auckland, with the event having a 46% audience increase between that and the season opener in Dubai late in 2024.
The economic impact report for the event is expected to be made public soon, however, Coutts told the Herald it revealed a US$36 million ($63m) return.
That number is a 73% increase on the 2024 New Zealand SailGP event, held in Christchurch, which amassed a total economic impact of US$20.7m for the host region.
In a statement to the Herald, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited chief executive Nick Hill said it was positive about the potential to host SailGP again.
“As with any major event investment, there is a process to follow including post-event analysis and a new business case. We are working constructively with the SailGP team to ensure we have all the information to take this forward and are working to a mid-April timeline,” Hill said.
“We face significant funding challenges for attracting and delivering major events in Auckland. At present, we do not have a sustainable long-term funding model and this remains a critical issue.”
While Coutts has previously spoken about the potential for other host cities in New Zealand, he said at this stage the organisation was not looking anywhere but Auckland.
“It was a great event in Auckland, wasn’t it? I think it was hugely successful from SailGP’s perspective, but also from the city’s perspective and New Zealand’s perspective for that matter
“We are not looking, at this stage, at other events in New Zealand, but that’s not to say we wouldn’t do at some time in the future.”
While season five has its fourth of 13 confirmed events on the calendar in Los Angeles this weekend, plans are already in place for further expansion in season six.
This season brought the addition of two new teams and another two are expected to be added for the next campaign as well as more stops on the calendar.
The expanded lineup is also expected to see racing move to split-fleet racing, with seven boats on the water at a time opposed to the current structure in which all 12 teams compete against one another in fleet racing.
“We’re going to run a process with the next two teams that we put on sale, which are teams 13 and 14, that’ll be more of a structured assessment of the various buyers,” Coutts said.
“We know that there’s buyer interest out there, and obviously we evaluate which country they’re going to be representing as well and the where they could host an event, because we like to pair teams with events in their own countries as well.
“All of those things come into it as well as the offer on the economics behind the team. We’ll be going through a process for that for teams 13 and 14 over the coming months and that process will be announced in due course.”
- Christopher Reive
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Liam Lawson’s first day as a fulltime Formula 1 driver was a bit of a mixed bag.
The practice drives got under way at the Melbourne Grand Prix earlier today.
The 23-year-old's first practice sessions on the Albert Park track saw him set poor times, finishing 16th and 17th in the two outings.
Bob McMurray joins Piney to discuss Lawson's practice rounds.
“Give the bloke a chance – he’s never been to Melbourne as a racing driver before, he’s never been in a session as intense as this before.”
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The Hurricanes have earned a well-fought win over the Highlanders.
They claimed the win 20-18 at Forsyth Barr Stadium on the back of an immense performance from loose forward Du’Plessis Kirifi.
Head Coach Clark Laidlaw joined Jason Pine to recap the win.
“[Kirifi] should be really proud of his performance last night, and yeah, we’re really enjoying the way he’s leading the team.”
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Few might have predicted the big Warriors bounce back that saw the Auckland NRL side thrash Manly 36-16 last night at Mt Smart.
The Warriors were humiliated by the Canberra Raiders in Las Vegas in round one by 22 points, while the Sea Eagles won by 30 over the Cowboys.
Assistant Warriors coach Slade Griffin told Jason Pine that they found their game back home.
He says they’re not the first team in rugby league to have a bad game in round one, but there was a lot hype around it.
“We got back to ourselves, and we played our type of game last night.”
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for March 9th, Black Caps coach Gary Stead joined Piney to discuss the team's mood ahead of their clash against India.
Could the America's Cup make a grand return to the City of Sails? Minister for Sport Mark Mitchell unpacked the logistics of hosting the event.
And Moana Pasifika beat out the Hurricanes 40-31 in Albany. Fly half Patrick Pellegrini joined Piney to recap the win.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss the ongoing Super Rugby Season, the Six Nations, and the Black Caps' performance.
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The Central District Stags came ahead of Auckland at the four-day Plunket Shield cricket match on Eden Park's outer oval.
Central Districts batsman Tom Bruce joined Piney to discuss.
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Moana Pasifika's 40-31 win over the Hurricanes in Albany has broken a 20-match Super Rugby losing streak against New Zealand sides.
Fly half Patrick Pellegrini joined Piney to discuss what the win means for the team.
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No nerves from the Black Caps in the lead-up to the ICC Champions Trophy final against India in the UAE.
New Zealand is second only to India in winning ICC knockout matches over the past 14 years.
Black Caps coach Gary Stead joined Piney to discuss.
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The Minister of Sport has expressed enthusiasm at bringing the America's Cup back to Auckland - but he's still voiced concerns over the logistics.
Tātaki Auckland Unlimited this week confirmed it was in discussions with America’s Cup Event and Emirates Team New Zealand about hosting the 38th edition of the Cup, expected to be held in 2027.
Mark Mitchell joined Piney to discuss.
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Listen to the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for Saturday 8 March.
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This week's New Zealand Squash Open has seen a huge upset.
It was a Wellington teenager and world number 255 who stole the show, taking on both world number 54, and 3rd seed, world number 12.
Ollie Dunbar talks to Piney about his journey to Squash, and how he became a wildcard in the squash open.
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It's Champion's Day at Ellerslie Racecourse today, featuring the NZB Kiwi, 4 Group One races and the Auckland.
The races are the richest sporting event in New Zealand for 3 year olds to be raced over 1500 metres, with more than $9 million in prize money is up for grabs across the day.
Favourite of the event is Evaporate, who was New Zealand bred but trained in Australia, and considered one of the highest credential horses ever to race on our side of the ditch.
One of Evaporate's trainers JD Hayes talks to Piney about the big day.
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The New Zealand Track & Field Championships on this weekend in Dunedin, with a main event being the women's pole vault this afternoon.
Paris Olympic Games finalists Eliza McCartney and Olivia McTaggart are in the field after unique pole vault finals at the Olympics last year.
Olivia McTaggart joins Piney to talk about her Olympic experience, how she has adapted her approach, and how high she thinks she can go this afternoon.
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Cyclone Alfred has bought a swift halt to sporting events in Queensland as it rips through parts of the state.
AFL games on the Gold Coast and Brisbane have been called off due to the weather.
Australian Correspondent Adam Peacock discusses where that leaves the games, the beginning of the AFL season, how the NRL is going and Australia's exit from the Champions Trophy.
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For the first time, Oceania has an entryway into a 48-team football World Cup.
The FIFA World Cup is taking place in the states, Canada and Mexico next year.
If New Zealand beats Fiji at the end of this month, they will be one match away from fighting for a place in the World Cup on March 24th.
The last time the All Whites went to the World Cup was 2010 in South Africa, and former All White Rory Fallon talks to Piney about his experience on the world stage.
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It's been another huge week for Super Rugby Pacific as scandal has broken around travel issues with the Fijian Drua, while the Blues were beaten at home for the first time in 12 years.
Round 4 of Super Rugby Pacific opened last night, with the Brumbies taking home a win against the Blues.
2025 Super Rugby Pacific CEO Jack Mesley joins Jason Pine live in studio to address the Fijian Drua scandal, the newly introduced fan-based initiatives, and delving into the state of the competition.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss the ongoing Super Rugby season, the Warriors' clash in Las Vegas, and Auckland FC's draw.
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It was a disappointing day for Auckland FC - as the team was forced to settle for a four-all draw with Adelaide United after some very late drama at Mt Smart Stadium.
The hosts thought they'd scored the match-winner in the 92nd minute through Auckland captain Hiroki Sakai.
Former All White Noel Barkley joined Piney to discuss.
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The ICC Champions Trophy series is still underway, with New Zealand and India set to face off this evening.
The Black Caps and India are both through to the semi-finals - but it's still unclear who they can expect to see in the matches ahead.
Former Black Caps coach Mike Hesson joined Piney to discuss.
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The Blues have their first win of the Super Rugby Pacific season.
The defending champions have prevailed 33-29 after a back-and-forth tussle with the Hurricanes in Wellington.
Blues assistant coach Paul Tito joined Piney to discuss the win.
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A trip to Las Vegas to watch the Warriors became al the more special for one pair of Kiwi superfans - who took the opportunity to renew their vows in the lead-up to the match.
Ben and Ann Rzoska were among the estimated 9000 fans who travelled from Aotearoa to mark the occasion, and they celebrated with a themed ceremony.
The pair joined Piney to discuss.
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The Warriors have struggled under the bright lights on Sin City, going down 30-8 to the Raiders in their NRL season-opener in Las Vegas.
Canberra scored five tries to two, including doubles to winger Xavier Savage and centre Sebastian Kris.
NZ Herald sports writer Michael Burgess explains further.
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The Warriors fans are out in full force, with the ACC's Mike Lane spotting team jerseys everywhere in Vegas.
He joined Piney to discuss.
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The Warriors' high-profile clash in Vegas wouldn't have been possible without the support of one of their biggest sponsors.
One NZ CEO Jason Paris flew in to catch the action from Invercargill.
He joined Piney to discuss the action.
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Warriors assistant coach Slade Griffin is hopeful the team can maintain their focus ahead of today's clash.
The Warriors are set to go up against the Raiders - in front of a crowd of 40,000 at the Allegiant Stadium.
Griffin joined Piney to discuss.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for March 2nd, the Warriors faced off against the Raiders in Vegas, with several important people making the trip over to catch the action.
One couple even renewed their wedding vows in a Warriors-themed ceremony.
Later, former coach Mike Hesson joined Piney to preview the Black Caps v India cricket clash.
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Warriors CEO Cameron George is feeling the excitement as the team's 2025 NRL campaign begins in Las Vegas this afternoon.
The Kiwi side is set to face off against the Canberra Raiders at 1pm - with the Panthers facing the Sharks from 5.30pm.
George says it's been amazing seeing all the support ahead of the big day - but he reminded Piney the team has a job to do.
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Listen to the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for Saturday 1 March.
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A number of New Zealand Golf Open ambassadors have been taking part in the Pro-Am.
Double World Cup winning All Blacks captain Richie McCaw is one of them!
"My golf is certainly nothing to write home about, but, it's a pretty cool event and, yeah very, very privileged to be involved."
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The inaugural 4.5 million NZB Kiwi is on at Ellery Racecourse next Saturday.
Described as the people's horse, three year old Pivotal Ten has been selected to run in the race, almost coming from nowhere to become the surprise star of the South.
Pivotal Ten was purchased for just $15,000 at the 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock National weanling sale.
Three years on, she'll race for a share of $4.5 million.
Trainer and Jockey Samantha Wynn talks to Jason Pine about the event.
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This weekend are the last few days of the New Zealand Golf Open.
Included amongst the pros, are a number of amateurs. Also a part of the event are New Zealand Golf Open ambassadors.
Former Australian cricket captain, and Golf Open ambassador Ricky Ponting talks to Jason Pine.
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The NRL season opener in Las Vegas is all anyone's talking about.
What are the Warriors chances of success looking like?
In cricket Australia played their final pool match against Afghanistan overnight … almost.
The game was abandoned due to rain in the 13th over.
Australian Correspondent Adam Peacock talks to Piney about both events, the football Socceroos making it to the final of the Asian Cup, Auckland FC's game against Adelaide United today, and the New Zealand Golf Open.
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The Rugby League season is under 24-hours away, kicking off in Las Vegas.
Hundreds of fans have descended on the American city as the Warriors are up against the Raiders at 1pm NZT tomorrow.
Rugby League writer Buzz Rothfield is live from Las Vegas and talks to Jason Pine.
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The Chiefs have confirmed that head coach Clayton McMillan will join Irish club, Munster.
McMillian is being released from his contract one year early, leaving the Waikato team at the end of this current season.
His departure brings an end to his 5 seasons in charge at the Chiefs, during which he has lead them to the last two Super Rugby finals.
New Zealand Rugby's general manager of professional rugby Chris Landrum joins the show to discuss McMillan's move.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to recap Super Rugby season, Joe Parker's victory, Auckland FC's victory and the USA v Canada hockey series.
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There'll be plenty of golf talent on show next weekend as the NZ Golf Open gets underway at both the Millbrook and Hills courses in the Queenstown Lakes region.
One of the big names confirmed to appear is Ben Campbell - currently ranked 146th in the world.
He joined Piney to discuss.
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New Zealand continues their progress in the Champions Trophy series this week - with their clash against Bangladesh set to take place tomorrow night.
This comes off the back of their first victory over Pakistan last week.
Black Caps captain Mitch Santner joined Piney to discuss.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 23rd of February, Piney chats to the CEO of NZ cricket about Sky's new broadcasting deal.
It's another winning performance from Auckland FC - coach Steve Corica joined Piney to discuss.
Finn Hurley from the Highlanders recaps the team's surprise victory over the Blues.
And Black Caps captain Mitch Santner previews the team's upcoming clash against Bangladesh.
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The Highlanders have dug deep to secure a famous 29-21 win over reigning Super Rugby champions the Blues in Dunedin.
Down to 13 players following injuries in the front row and a red card for prop Daniel Lienert-Brown - the team managed to turn their luck around.
Highlanders fullback Finn Hurley joined Piney to discuss.
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The Tall Blacks are bracing for a physical clash against the Philippines in their Asia Cup basketball qualifying game in Auckland.
Both teams have already qualified for the tournament later this year, but the winner will take top spot in their group.
New Zealand will look to avenge a four-point loss to the Philippines last November.
Assistant head coach Mike Fitchett joined Piney to discuss.
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Boxer Joseph Parker has put the heavyweight division's champions on notice after a second-round knockout of Martin Bakole in Riyadh.
The Kiwi was set to challenge IBF champion Daniel Dubois but the Brit withdrew from the bout due to being sick, leading to Bakole to step in at short notice.
NZ Herald sports writer Liam Napier joined Piney to recap the match.
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Auckland FC coach Steve Corica believes there's now no doubt who is the best team in New Zealand after a third straight A-League win over the Wellington Phoenix - a 6-1 demolition at Mt Smart.
The Black Knights lead the A-League by a staggering eight points, while the Phoenix have fallen to 11th in the 13th-strong league.
Auckland FC coach Steve Corica joined Piney to recap the victory.
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Sky TV has reclaimed the rights to screen international cricket matches played in New Zealand in a six-year deal starting in late 2026.
The pay-TV operator, which lost domestic rights to Spark Sport in 2020, has clinched a new deal which gives it the rights to screen Black Caps matches again.
New Zealand Cricket CEO Scott Weenink joined Piney to discuss the deal - and explain why the certainty is better for Kiwi cricket.
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Listen to the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for Saturday 22 February.
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The Football Ferns have their first games of 2025 in the next few days.
They'll come up against Costa Rica tomorrow and again on Wednesday.
Interim head coach Michael May has appointed an all-new coaching staff for this tour, including former Football Ferns goalkeeper Jenny Binden as his assistant coach.
Bindon appeared at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, as well as the FIFA Women's World Cups in 2007, again in 2011, and she talks to Piney about the upcoming games.
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The world's leading triathletes are coming together tomorrow with the 2nd annual Napier Triathlon Festival, including men's and women's elite races.
15 nations are represented across the elite men's and women's fields, with 20 New Zealanders.
The Kiwi's leading the way are 2024 Paris Olympians Ainsley Thorpe and Nicole Vander Kay, and 2018 Commonwealth Games medallist Taylor Reid.
Ried talks to Piney about the festival.
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New Zealand's fastest female sprinter of all time, Zoe Hobbs, became the first New Zealand female sprinter to compete at the Olympic Games since 1976.
Now she will attend the International track meet in Christchurch next weekend.
Zoe Hobbs talks to Piney about what she's taken away from Paris, disappointment in the semi-final, staying composed, and the next records she's set her sights on.
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Today on the show we are going across the Tasman to discuss and unpick some of the big sporting issues in Australia.
Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh and former Wallabies coach Michael Cheika have reportedly met. This comes as Joe Schmidt announced recently that he will be leaving his role as head coach.
Could Michael Cheika return as Wallabies coach?
Australian Correspondent Adam Peacock joins the show the discuss the potential, Australia playing England tonight in the Champion's Trophy and the Matilda's playing in the SheBelieves Cup.
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The Chiefs beat the Crusaders in a history making win last night.
The winning margin of 25 points is the biggest the Chiefs have ever had over the Crusaders in the history of Super Rugby.
What does their coach Clayton McMillan make of the win?
"We just keep putting little kicks in behind that made it hard for them to exit out of their 22, and I guess that accumulated pressure just took its toll on them," he said.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to recap the start of the Super Rugby season.
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Kiwi driver Shane van Gisbergen will be a fulltime fixture on the grid in the 2025 Nascar Cup Series.
Van Gisbergen made a splash on the American scene after joining Trackhouse Racing for a one-off project in 2023, racing in the inaugural event at the Chicago Street Course.
NASCAR commentator Nate Ryan joined Elliott Smith to discuss.
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A former New Zealand tennis professional can't believe world number one Jannik Sinner was able to negotiate the length of his drugs ban.
The World Anti-Doping Agency shortened a potential two-year ban to just three months following Sinner's positive tests last year.
Lee Radovanovich joined Elliott Smith to express his disappointment.
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A pioneering moment for skier Alice Robinson in Austria.
She's secured a maiden world championship medal - a silver - in the giant slalom.
She joined Elliott Smith to recap the win.
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Sports-based betting continues to grow in popularity, but it comes with a share of problems for athletes and fans alike.
Tennis stars like James Watt and Monique Barry have opened up about the abuse they receive online - abuse they believe comes from bettors who had gambled on their matches.
Andree Froude from the Problem Gambling Foundation joined Elliott Smith to discuss.
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Kiwi tennis player Monique Barry has revealed she receives abusive messages after losing matches on the international tennis circuit.
Barry, ranked 480 in the world, opened up about the abuse and death threats she'd faced from angry commenters - and she suspects many are from international bettors who gambled on her matches.
She joined Elliott Smith to discuss.
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A win full of grit and satisfaction for the Chiefs to open their 2025 Super Rugby Pacific campaign.
Trailing the Blues by eight at halftime at Eden Park - they've scored 19 unanswered points to collect a 25-14 win.
Former All Black and Sky Sport commentator Jeff Wilson joined Smithy to discuss.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 16th February 2025, Elliott Smith is in the hot seat and he talks to Jeff Wilson and James McOnie about the start of the 2025 Super Rugby season.
Kiwi tennis stars James Watt and Monique Barry have opened up about being targeted by online abuse - with Monique Barry joining Elliott Smith to discuss the backlash.
And Lee Radovanovich joined Elliott Smith to express his disappointment that Jannik Sinner's ban was shortened to three months.
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Australian soccer captain Sam Kerr can breathe easy, avoiding a prison sentence after being accused of racially harassing a London police officer.
The 31-year-old has been found not guilty after calling an officer stupid and white after a night out in 2023.
It followed a cleaning cost dispute with her taxi driver, who drove her and her partner to the police station.
Australian Correspondent Adam Peacock unpacked the decision.
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The Blues are preparing to defend their Super Rugby title.
They’re beginning the season with a rematch of last year’s grand final – clashing against the Chiefs at Eden Park.
Blues CEO Andrew Hore joined Elliott Smith to preview the season.
“There’s another 10 teams out there that’ll want to do us in, so we’ve just got to be aware that it ain’t, they don’t just roll over and give you, give you a victory.”
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The Crusaders got off to a winning start.
The began the 2025 Super Rugby season with a 33-25 win over the Hurricanes, spurred on by reserve halfback Kyle Preston.
Preston was brought on early in the game, replacing the injured Noah Hotham, and proceeding to score three tries.
Preston told Elliott Smith he wasn’t expecting the hat trick.
“I was hoping for one at least on debut, and to get three was, yeah, pretty special.”
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 15th February 2025, Elliott Smith is in the hot seat, and he catches up with NZR CEO Mark Robinson to discuss the fallout with INEOS.
Alfie Sharman of sports streaming service DAZN joins the show to chat about the future of sports streaming.
And Crusaders hat trick hero Kyle Preston stops in to talk about his debut.
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The world of sports watching is changing.
Many streaming platforms are beginning to offer sports broadcasting as part of their packages, a recent one being Disney’s adding ESPN to their platform in Australia.
DAZN has specialised in sports streaming for about a decade, and is looking to expand their reach further around the world.
Alfie Sharman, Vice President of Marketing for the US, UK/Ireland, and Global Markets, joined Elliott Smith to discuss their strategy as sports streaming becomes more popular.
“Given the fact that consumers are wanting more sport, there is more sport to be had, and then services like ours where we see ourselves very much as the, y’know, the forefront of sports streaming and have been for many years now, it allows us the space to be creative and innovate.”
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New Zealand Rugby (NZR) CEO Mark Robinson has spoken publicly for the first time since it was revealed that NZR is suing Ineos for an alleged breach of contract that will leave the national organisation exposed to potential multimillion-dollar losses.
NZR informed the provincial unions this week it was launching legal action after Ineos, the world’s largest chemical producer and owned by British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, abruptly walked away from its lucrative sponsorship agreement three years early and failed to make its first payment in 2025.
Ineos agreed a six-year sponsorship agreement with NZR in 2022. Its branding has been visible on the All Blacks, the Black Ferns and both sevens sides’ jerseys. However, with Ratcliffe now wanting out, that branding will be immediately removed.
The stoush could have widespread ramifications for the New Zealand rugby ecosystem, with financial challenges already prevalent throughout the game, particularly at the grassroots level, and Ineos among the three major sponsors alongside Adidas and Altrad.
The Ineos deal is believed to be worth $21 million a year to New Zealand Rugby.
Robinson told Newstalk ZB’s Elliott Smith that conversations began at the back end of 2024 and that they had been working on a resolution for “a little while”.
“There were some conversations at the back half of last year, so we’ve been working at this a little while, [we’re] obviously disappointed that it’s got to this stage where Ineos have breached and are wanting to walk away but by the same token we have to work quickly to protect our commercial interests and the wider game.
“We’re confident we have absolutely delivered on our agreement and we’re just going to have to work through it.”
Robinson wouldn’t be drawn in to speculating as to Ineos’ motivations for pulling out of the deal, with Ratcliffe citing market conditions in Europe adding financial pressure to the company.
“That’s for them to speak to ... we’ve been overwhelmed with incredible support from our partners around the world and domestically who continue to be really pleased with the value we offer in these partnerships.
“What we’re focused on is obviously getting a resolution around this matter and then focused on the future.”
Ineos said that it had sought to renegotiate the deal with New Zealand Rugby and expressed regret that the matter is now the subject of legal action.
“Unfortunately, rather than working towards a managed solution, New Zealand Rugby have chosen to pursue legal action against their sponsor. We remain in ongoing discussion with New Zealand Rugby.”
Robinson wouldn’t disclose details about any proposed settlement terms but did say there would remain contact between the parties around a possible resolution.
“As I say, we’ve been working on this for a little while. It got to a stage where clearly we weren’t able to do that and the next step the path we’ve gone down. We’ll keep in contact about whether there’s any other possibilities through mediation but I’m not going to comment on that.”
The NZR boss said he does not regret entering into the deal with Ineos.
“There’s been some really good things achieved in it, but unfortunately it’s got to this stage.”
Robinson declined to divulge whether there had been communication between the parties since the legal action was taken by NZR, but said they would “continue to work through it”.
Will Toogood is an online sports editor and golf reporter for the NZ Herald. He enjoys watching people chase a ball around on a grass surface so much he decided to make a living out of it.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss the Super Rugby and Six Nations Rugby seasons, the Luka Doncic trade, the Black Caps and the Super Bowl.
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The Super Bowl LIX is set to kick off tomorrow afternoon - and the Kansas City Chiefs are feeling hopeful they can break their record and win a third time.
They're set to face off against the Philadelphia Eagles at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
NFL expert Leon Busby joined Piney to discuss.
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We're less than a week away from the start of the 2025 Super Rugby season - and the Highlanders are hoping to build off of last year's momentum.
Highlanders head coach Jamie Joseph joined Piney to discuss.
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The Chiefs are feeling hopeful ahead of the 2025 Super Rugby season.
The side recently beat out Moana Pasifika in a pre-season game in Pukekohe.
Chiefs head coach Clayton McMillan joined Piney to discuss.
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The Hurricanes are gearing up for another season of Super Rugby.
The team recently beat out the champions, the Blues, 31-19 in their final Super Rugby Pacific pre-season hit-out in Wainuiomata.
Coach Clark Laidlaw joined Piney to discuss.
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Moana Pasifika is gearing up for another season of Super Rugby - and they're hoping to build on the last three years within the sport.
The team finished 11th on the 12-team table last year with 4 wins and 10 defeats.
Moana Pasifika head coach Tana Umaga joined Piney to discuss.
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Moana Pasifika is gearing up for another season of Super Rugby - and they're hoping to build on the last three years within the sport.
The team finished 11th on the 12-team table last year with 4 wins and 10 defeats.
Moana Pasifika head coach Tana Umaga joined Piney to discuss.
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The line-up for Natural Selection Bike has been confirmed after Friday's event qualifier in Queenstown.
Kiwi competitor Robin Goomes joined Piney to discuss.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for the 9th February 2025, we're less than a week away from the Super Rugby season. The coaches of the Blues, the Crusaders, Moana Pasifika, the Hurricanes, the Chiefs and the Highlanders joined Piney to discuss.
Resident NFL expert Leon Busby also previewed the upcoming Super Bowl Super Bowl LIX - can the Chiefs make it a three-peat victory?
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There's still hope the Crusaders can turn their luck around for the next Super Rugby season.
The Highlanders have already beaten out the Crusaders 29-24 in the Super Rugby preseason game in Invercargill earlier in the week.
Crusaders head coach Rob Penney joined Piney to discuss.
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Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt will step down at the end of this year’s Rugby Championship, with Australia announcing Thursday they would immediately begin the search for his successor.
Schmidt’s last game in charge will now be the Bledisloe Cup clash against New Zealand on October 4 in Perth after he agreed to stay on a bit longer.
Former Wallabies coach John Connolly joined Piney to discuss.
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There's plenty of speculation as to how the Blues will build off of last year's momentum in the 2025 Super Rugby season.
Harry Plummer and Stephen Perofeta helped steer the Blues to victory last year at 10 - and this year, the team welcomes back Beauden Barrett after a stint in Japan.
Blues head coach Vern Cotter joined Piney to discuss.
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It’s time for the pre-seasons to begin.
The NRL, AFL, and Super Rugby are all entering their pre-seasons, easing back into their games before the real action begins.
Our coaching guru Wayne Goldsmith joined the show to discuss what teams aim to achieve in their pre-season, and how a successful one can springboard into a successful season.
He says that the aim is to have them “job ready” on the first day of the first round.
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The Sail GP is making its way to Sydney this weekend.
The Black Foils has a disappointing showing in Auckland, failing to make the final as Australia claimed the victory.
Flight Controller Leo Takahashi joined Piney to discuss their hopes for the weekend.
“There were definitely some points in our game that definitely weren't up to standard that weekend, and I think, y’know, we’ve definitely regrouped and made some solid plans to attack it in Sydney this weekend.”
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Exciting young batsman Sam Konstas has been sent home from the Australian test tour to Sri Lanka.
His absence has raised a few eyebrows over the ditch, and Aussie Correspondent Adam Peacock joined Piney to try make sense of the call.
“It was a tough call, tough selection call,” he told Piney.
“But given the way that we’ve batted on this tour so far, it’s hard to say the selectors have got it wrong.”
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The new Super Rugby season is just around the corner.
New Super Rugby Pacific CEO Jack Mesley joined Piney to discuss the new season, Fantasy Super Rugby, and the potential of greater player movement.
He told Piney that they view Fantasy Super Rugby as an essential tool to grow engagement with the sport.
“I haven’t seen the numbers but, y’know, we’re expecting a huge number of people to get engaged with it.”
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 8th February 2025, Super Rugby season is less than a week away. CEO Jack Mesley joins Piney to discuss the new season, Fantasy Super Rugby, and the potential of greater player movement.
Joe Schmidt has announced he'll be leaving the Wallabies at the end of the Rugby Championship. Former Wallabies coach John Connolly joins the show to weigh up who might be best to fill that void.
And Brian Ashby keeps us up to date with all the action from Coast to Coast.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for the 2nd of February 2025, Former All Blacks great Sir John Kirwan joined Piney to talk about his departure from Sky.
The Six Nations season is well underway - and rugby commentator Martin Gillingham joined Piney to recap this week's highlights.
Plus, Canterbury Kings coach Peter Fulton joined Piney ahead of today's Super Smash final.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to talk about Chris Wood's latest hat-trick, Auckland FC's latest win, the first week of the Six Nations and the Super Bowl.
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It's Nelson Anniversary Weekend and many in the region will be enjoying the three-day break - but one person's using the holiday for a good cause.
Ed Shuttleworth, the CEO of Sport Tasman in Nelson, is on a mission to 210km for 40 hours to raise money for Nelson Tasman Hospice.
He joined Piney to discuss his progress.
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Ireland have kickstarted their bid for a third straight Six Nations crown with a 27-22 win over England spearheaded by two New Zealand-born players.
Halfback Jamison Gibson-Park was named man of the match, while James Lowe had a hand in three tries.
England led 10-5 at halftime before Ireland caught fire, stretching to 27-10 before a couple of late consolation tries to the visitors.
Rugby commentator Martin Gillingham joined Piney to recap the match.
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Otago's made a nervous start to their run chase in the T20 Super Smash women's final against Wellington at the Basin Reserve.
The Blaze limped to 104 for eight batting first with Felicity Robertson taking three wickets for Otago.
In their chase of 105 for the championship, the Sparks were 28 for three after six overs a short time ago with dangerwoman Suzie Bates gone.
Canterbury cricket coach Peter Fulton joined Piney to discuss.
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Chris Wood has deflected credit for his Premier League goal-scoring heroics.
The Kiwi striker's scored a hat-trick in the 7-nil pasting of Brighton, but has praised his team mates for providing the opportunities.
In other results - Liverpool's lead on the top rung of the ladder has been extended following a 2-nil win at Bournemouth - Salah with both goals.
Forest Focus podcast host Matt Davies joined Piney to discuss.
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Former All Blacks great Sir John Kirwan has revealed he'll be parting ways with Sky TV.
After his time in the black jersey came to an end, he pivoted over to a commentator role with Sky - but his time with the broadcaster has come to an end.
He joined Piney to discuss this move.
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The Australian Women's cricket team have absolutely dominated England in the Women's Ashes.
They claimed the win 3-0 in the T20s, 3-0 in the ODIs, and they're on the verge of a huge test victory.
Our Australian Correspondent Adam Peacock recaps what has been a fantastic series for Australia.
“These are the type of tours that at the end of it, one team celebrates, and the other one goes home and has an independent review.”
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Dr. David Edgar is a man of many talents.
He's a Major in the NZ Army and currently Officer Commanding Physical Performance Squadron. He has an extensive background working in Rugby as a S&C Coach with Waikato, Chiefs, Manu Samoa, as well as over in Japan.
He's also an accomplished marathon swimmer and endurance athlete, and will shortly look to complete the NZ marathon swimming Triple Crown by swimming the Foveaux Strait, having already completed the length of Lake Taupo and the Cook Strait.
Plus, he’s also on a mission to conquer the Ocean Seven.
Edgar is doing all of this to help raise awareness for dyslexia and those with learning challenges, and he joined Piney to discuss his achievements.
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Israel Adesanya is returning to the Octagon.
Tomorrow morning will see him clash with Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Fight Night in Saudi Arabia.
It'll be his first fight since August, when he submitted in the fourth round against Dricus Du Plessis.
UFC on Sky's Ravinder Hunia joins Piney to look at Israel's chances of returning to the winners circle.
“I think the pressure of not having to be fighting for a title is a pressure that he'll probably welcome.”
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The Otago Sparks are straight into Sunday's final of the women's Super Smash, winning 7 of their 10 games to secure top spot.
They now await the winner of the elimination final between the Wellington Blaze and the Northern Brave.
Otago Sparks spinner Eden Carson was the top wicket-taker across both the men's and women's Super Smash competitions, and joined Piney to discuss her campaign so far.
“To be able to be consistent throughout the season has gotten us to where we are,” she said.
“We would have liked to have a few more wins, but y’know, 7 out of 10, we’re pretty happy with.”
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The Central Stags have qualified directly for Sunday's Dream 11 Super Smash final.
Jayden Lennox has played a key role in the Stags' run to the final, as he was the side's most economical bowler, while also picking up 9 wickets.
He catches up with Piney to discuss his season as he awaits the results of the elimination final.
“I think we're, we're probably tracking nicely, and we're probably tracking a little bit more confident confidently than we have in the, I suppose, the past couple of years.”
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 1st February 2025, Auckland FC's success continues. They’re sitting atop the A-League ladder more than halfway through their debut season, Head Coach Steve Corica joining to discuss their success.
Dame Sophie Pascoe has announced her retirement from competitive swimming, and joined Piney to reflect on her golden career.
And Jayden Lennox from the Central Stags and Eden Carson from Otago Sparks preview the Super Smash final.
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Dame Sophie Pascoe has called time on her career.
New Zealand’s most successful Paralympian, Pascoe claimed 19 medals, including 11 golds, throughout her career as a competitive swimmer.
She joined Piney to reflect on her career, and discuss how she arrived at this decision.
“I think it was a pretty natural evolution for me,” Pascoe said.
She said that presenting the Paralympic Games last year helped her decision, as she was still part of the team but in a different capacity.
“I was right where I needed to be, which was to be a mother to my son and to be a wife and just be a family unit, but I also have the opportunity to still have a voice for the Paralympic movements and to showcase our incredible athletes.”
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Auckland FC has begun their life as a professional football club in the best way possible.
More than halfway through the season, the teams its at the top of the A-League table, and talk of going all the way to the end and claiming the win in their first season is getting louder and louder.
Head Coach Steve Corica joined Piney to discuss the team's early success, and whether there's any added pressure from the team's incredible start.
“We’re in a good position, still a long way to go, but the aim was still to win a trophy,” he said.
“I think, y’know, the players believe they can do it now – took them a little while to start believing that, but y’know, they’re a good team.”
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss the Australian Open, the Chris Wood saga and the Drua v Los Angeles clash.
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Auckland FC is hoping to turn their luck around and keep up the momentum after their mid-season slump.
The Kiwi side is set to head into their third game in nine days against Western Sydney.
Auckland FC winger Logan Rogerson joined Piney to discuss.
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'Insane' is how rising New Zealand snow sports star Luca Harrington describes his 2025 so far.
The 20-year-old Wānaka-born freeskier has now won three events, headlined by today's slopestyle gold medal on his X Games debut at Aspen.
Harrington joined Piney to discuss further.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 26th January 2025, Tim Seifert had a great time in the BBL, he was named in FOX Cricket's team of the season and is now plying his trade at the ILT20 in the UAE. He joined the show to discuss his time on the T20 circuit and his future ambitions to play for the Black Caps.
Shock X Games Gold medallist Luca Harrington joins the show to chat about how he rose to the top of the podium in Aspen
And Craig Gabriel recaps all the action from the penultimate day of the Australian Open.
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Ecuador's Jhonatan Narváez has claimed the leader's orange jersey after the penultimate stage of the Tour Down Under in Adelaide.
Narváez secured victory in the 145.7-kilometre stage and holds a nine-second lead over the previous leader, Spain's Javier Romo.
Kiwi Finn Fisher-Black, who finished third after stage five, sits third overall, 12 seconds behind the leader.
Cycling commentator Del Woodford joined Piney to recap the race.
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American tennis player Madison Keys feels letting go of the need to be a Grand Slam champion has been the key to her finally becoming one.
The 29-year-old's beaten top seed and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka across three sets in the Australian Open final.
The maiden major title comes at the 46th attempt for Keys.
Tennis commentator Craig Gabriel joined Piney to recap the action.
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Kiwi wicket-keeper batsman Tim Seifert has gotten his first taste of the Australian 'Big Bash' competition - and he's looking for more.
He's looking back on a mixed-bag of a cricket season, and he's got some new ambitions to discuss,
He joined Piney to explain further.
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Theres now less than 500 days until the new Christchurch stadium is scheduled to be completed.
Venues Otautahi is overseeing the build of Te Kaha, and CEO Caroline Harvie-Teare joined the show to give an update on where the construction is at and the plans for when the build is complete.
Harvie-Teare told Piney that they’re designing a programme of events for the first 3-6 months after the stadium’s completion.
She says they want to get as many people in their community through that building as possible, as well as showcase the diversity of the venue, and drive visitation to the area.
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Controversial scenes last night at Rod Laver arena as Novak Djokovic retired after just the first set in his semifinal against Alexander Zverev, shocking the crowd.
Meanwhile, in the other semifinal Jannik Sinner had little resistance as he cruised to a straight sets win over American Ben Shelton.
Kiwi tennis journalist Dave Worsley was in the crowd, and joined Piney to discuss exactly what happened and what we can expect from the Men's and Women's final.
Worsley told Piney that in the press conference after the match, Djokovic said that maybe he could’ve kept going, but he wouldn’t have lasted that much longer.
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High Jumper Hamish Kerr makes his long-awaited return after winning Gold in Paris, slated to compete at the Cooks Classic in Wanganui this weekend.
He headlines the event alongside Para Athlete Anna Grimaldi, middle-distance runner Sam Tanner, and triple jumper Ethan Olivier.
He joins Piney to discuss the beginning of his new season.
“It is a pretty cool opportunity now to compete in New Zealand and, and get out there in front of the New Zealand crowd and give them a good show.”
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The biggest domestic racing event in New Zealand has returned.
The Karaka Millions kick off today in Auckland, the first of a six race schedule starts at 4:38 this afternoon.
TAB Bookie Thad Taylor joins Piney to offer his thoughts and best bets for the upcoming races.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 25th January 2025, the Richie Mo'unga eligibility saga continues to drag on. He’ll remain in Japan after NZR’s bid to release him from his contract failed. Elliott Smith unpacks what has gone on between NZR and Mo'unga up to this point.
Kiwi Snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott stops in for a chat after picking up another gold medal at X Games Aspen.
And Hamish Kerr makes his long-awaited return after winning Gold in Paris, joining the show ahead of competing at the Cooks Classic in Wanganui.
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Richie Mo'unga will remain in Japan after New Zealand Rugby’s bid to get him out of his Toshiba contract failed.
It comes after months of speculation as to whether the star first five will return to the All Blacks in 2025.
Piney caught up with Newstalk ZB’s voice of rugby Elliott Smith to find out what's been going on between NZR, Scott Robertson, and Richie Mo'unga up to this point.
“They don't want to let him go particularly easily.”
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Zoi Sadowski-Synnott once again is celebrating Gold at the X Games in Aspen.
She was victorious in the women's slopestyle, recording a 94.66 score, which featured a backside triple cork 1440 - the first-ever triple-cork in women's competition. It’s her 5th Gold in the Women's Slopestyle and 6th overall at X Games.
Piney caught up with her to celebrate yet another success on the slopes of Aspen.
“I put down a run that I didn’t even think was possible,” Sadowski-Synnott told him.
“To come back after an injury that put me out last year and to come back to do that run and win gold... it means everything to me.”
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Ahead of the second day of SailGP, James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to recap day one - and discuss what Kiwi sailing fans can expect this afternoon.
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A win in the last race of day one has turned around a poor start by New Zealand to their home SailGP regatta in Auckland.
After a fourth, eighth and sixth, the Peter Burling-helmed crew rebounded to take the fourth and final race of the day.
Australia leads the regatta standings on 34 points from Great Britain and Spain, with New Zealand fourth.
Sailing commentator Steve Morrison joined Piney to unpack what we can expect from day two.
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Wellington Phoenix have parted ways with club centurion David Ball, freeing up a spot ahead of the A-League's transfer window.
The club and English striker Ball said in a statement they'd 'mutually agreed' to terminate the remaining six months of his playing contract, ending five and a half years at the Phoenix.
Ball joined Piney to explain further.
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19-year-old Mattias Coutts is looking back on achieving a personal goal and making sailing history after winning the Moth World Championships.
The son of Kiwi sailing legend Russell Coutts claimed the title at Manly Sailing Club last Thursday.
Coutts joined Piney to discuss the win.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 19 January 2025, Piney is looking ahead to the second day of SailGP for more racing action.
SailGP chief executive Sir Russell Coutts confirmed a long term hosting agreement is on the cards, as conversations have started up regarding the event's future.
Italian SailGP CEO Jimmy Spithill joined Piney to discuss the team's outlook ahead of the second day of sailing.
Black Foils team strategist Liv Mackay unpacked a less-than-ideal start for the Kiwi crew - and revealed how the team could turn their luck around.
And Sir Russell's son, Mattias Coutts, celebrated a significant victory - having recently claimed the Moth World Championships title.
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The Black Foils are adamant bad starts can be remedied ahead of day two of the New Zealand Sail Grand Prix on Auckland's harbour.
The Kiwi crew are fourth overall after winning the final fleet race of day one.
They had three miscued starts but still recovered to finish fourth and sixth in two of the races.
Team strategist Liv Mackay joined Piney to explain how the team can overtake their opposition.
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Former two-time world champion in the Women's 470 sailing class, Hannah Mills, has been quick to offer positive feedback regarding yesterday's SailGP regatta in Auckland.
The current Emirates Great Britain strategist said yesterday's race had some tough moments - but noted yesterday was an 'amazing' day for the team overall.
Mills joined Piney to explain further.
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Italian SailGP CEO Jimmy Spithill is pleasantly surprised at how competitive the newcomers are.
Despite having a new team and limited time to get to grips with the SailGP yachts, the Italians are 5th heading into this afternoon's final stanza of the season's second regatta in Auckland.
Spithill was rapt with their two 3rds and two 7ths on Day One- and told Piney being competitive so early in the season is a major first step.
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Andy Maloney is relishing the chance to hit the Waitemata Harbour in different colours this weekend.
The Kiwi sailor is the flight controller for the new Brazilian SailGP team, after leaving the New Zealand team in the off-season.
Maloney joined Piney to unpack the challenges that came with the move.
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Auckland could become a fixture of the SailGP calendar for years to come, with Sir Russell Coutts confirming the global foiling league is in conversations regarding a long-term hosting deal in the City of Sails.
This year’s event in Auckland is the third of a four-year hosting agreement in New Zealand, with Christchurch hosting the first two editions on Lyttelton Harbour.
The event has followed suit in terms of quality of racing and crowd support, with the Waitematā Harbour racecourse providing plenty of action and entertainment, while the waterfront stadium on Wynyard Point has been packed with fans.
Speaking to Newstalk ZB’s Jason Pine, Coutts said he was pleased with the support of the event among the SailGP stadium and in surrounding areas.
“There’s a great crowd there, great vibe in the viaduct; I think local businesses were doing well out of it, which is what we want to see,” Coutts said.
“We’ve already started the talk about coming back here long-term, which I think is the real benefit for a venue.
“If we can put together a five-year – for example – term, and you come back every year; it’s all very well to have a great one-off event, but if you can come back year after year and build the brand equity and build the awareness, then you will get more people travelling from Australia and so forth, and even the US, coming down here for the event and then holidaying in New Zealand. Which is, of course, what it’s all about.
“We’re certainly keen to do that. We wanted to try Auckland to see if it worked. It clearly has, so we’re talking about a long-term arrangement.”
A long-term deal could see Auckland become a cornerstone of the SailGP calendar should the league’s schedule follow a similar timeline in the future, with season five running from December 2024 to December 2025.
Sir Russell Coutts speaks to Newstalk ZB's Jason Pine during the Auckland SailGP event. Photo / Jason Ludlow, SailGP
The Auckland stop is the second event of the current season, with around 25,000 fans expected to attend across the weekend, and conditions have been so good the league has been able to shoehorn an extra race into both days, with four fleet races on Saturday and three fleet races scheduled before the podium race this afternoon.
The league has also used the Waitematā Harbour and Hauraki Gulf as a testing ground for new developments this week. It’s the first time the fleet has rolled out its high-speed T-foils, allowing for potentially faster racing, while a split-fleet format was also trialled during practice sessions in Auckland with a look to implementing that for proper racing in the future.
That comes as the league looks to expand further in season six, with Coutts confirming SailGP was looking to add another two teams for the next campaign – among a number of other developments in the works.
“We will go to a split fleet format then, so we’ll go to seven-and-seven and then probably two more teams the following year, so eight-and-eight,” he said.
“We’ll add more venues, we want to continue to grow our audience. We’re up around 20 million-plus dedicated viewership per event now, distributing to 212 countries and territories worldwide, so that’s fantastic. The future looks really, really bright.
“Of course, we want to keep developing the technology. We’ve got the light-air foils coming on stream. We’ve got a really cool propulsion system developed in conjunction with Hamilton Jet here in New Zealand that will, a little bit like the driver assistance in Formula 1, in super-light wind conditions ... help get the boats up on to the foils.
“Obviously there will be rules around that. It’s a very controversial move in terms of the sailing world, just like allowing the coaches to communicate during racing – that’s not allowed in any other form of the sport.
“We’re not afraid of a bit of controversy. So I think that’s going to really move the sport forward.”
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.
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Auckland's maiden SailGP event this weekend could provide some extra thrills – and even spills.
Not only are the fleet competing with the new high-speed foils, they'll be split into two six-boat heats, meaning more races – and possibly more close shaves on the tight Waitematā Harbour course.
Dylan Fletcher, the driver for Team Great Britain, told Piney that there’s been plenty of differences between the teams as they adapt to the boats.
“I’d say that there’s been a little bit more looseness out there, some more crashing, so I think it’ll be a great weekend for the fans.”
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Sky TV appears to be in the box seat to secure top-level rugby rights, including the All Blacks, for another five years – at a drastically reduced rate – but fans could yet find some games on a free-to-air channel such as TVNZ or New Zealand Rugby’s own digital platform.
The deal is reportedly worth $85 million a year, well below the existing $111 million annual deal expiring at the end of the year.
Hamish McLennan, chair of REA Group, told Jason Pine that broadcasting deals are the central pillar in terms of driving the game beyond pathways and grassroots.
The challenge, he says, is the balance between free-to-air content and what you keep behind a paywall.
“You know, do you take the money or do you try and ensure that you reach the maximum amount of viewers?”
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Team USA is ready to take on the waters at Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour.
The first Sail GP races get under way today, with 11 teams competing for the win.
Taylor Canfield joined Team USA halfway through the Season 4 of the Sail GP, and in his word’s, it’s been full on.
“There’s no words to really explain it,” he told Jason Pine.
“To hop into a new class and competiting against the best boats in the, you know, the best sailors in the world, and the fastest boats in the world... yeah it’s full on.”
“The progress we’ve made as a team is awesome so far, but you know, I know there’s a lot more to come as well.”
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Team Brazil’s CEO is hoping for a surprising result in Auckland.
The new team came second to last in Dubai, but reports show that they’ve been sailing very well in the training leading up to this weekend’s regatta.
Alan Adler told Jason Pine that they learnt a lot from their run in Dubai, and were able to improve on their mistakes.
“The guys are good, you know, we have a great team and I think it’s all about human resources.”
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 18 January 2025, Jason Pine is broadcasting live from the Sail GP village ahead of this weekend’s racing action.
Black Foils Helmsman Peter Burling and Team Australia’s flight coordinator Jason Waterhouse joined him in Auckland to preview today’s regatta.
Team Brazil CEO Alan Adler revealed his motivations for entering the world of Sail GP.
And Hamish McClennan discussed the importance of broadcasting for the health of sports organisations such as New Zealand Rugby.
Get the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast every Saturday and Sunday afternoon on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Some high-octane racing is expected on Auckland’s waters today, as the Sail GP kicks off in Waitemata Harbour.
Australia’s flight controller Jason Waterhouse has been involved with Sail GP right from the start, and he told Jason Pine that the league’s growth has been “incredible”.
“But this has been a big change this week, with the new foils coming online,” Waterhouse said.
“It’s just really exciting – it's something a bit different, I think, for the athletes and for the spectators to enjoy.”
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Race day in Auckland and New Zealand's Sail GP helmsman Peter Burling has declared his team ready to go.
It's the first event to be held in Auckland and second of the current season, after victory in Dubai.
Burling told Jason Pine that the stage is set.
“There’s big change ups this week with the T4s coming in being a bit more up, the wind range should be a really good equaliser.”
“We're under no illusions we're going to have to perform right at the top of our game if we want to win this weekend.”
Racing starts at 4pm, with three set down for today before finals day tomorrow.
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Hamish Kerr is looking back on the moments that led up to his gold medal-winning performance in the men's high jump final at the Paris Olympics.
Kerr clinched New Zealand's ninth gold medal of these Games, beating American Shelby McEwan in a jump-off after neither could clear 2.38 metres.
He joined Piney to recap the winning leap.
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One of the major highlights on the Tennis calendar is underway in Melbourne - the Australian Open.
Top seed and defending champion Jannik Sinner is a favourite to win and straight into it tomorrow in the first round.
10 time champion Novak Jokic will also have fans abuzz as he goes for his 25th major.
Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka is headlining the opening night of the tournament tonight, as she attempts a three-in-a-row win - a record last set in 1999.
Tennis commentator Craig Gabriel joins the show.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 12 January 2025, Black Caps captain Mitchell Santner on the squad named for the ICC Champions Trophy.
Aussie Rugby journalist Christy Doran on whether Joe Schmidt will extend his contract with Aussie Rugby.
And Tennis commentator Craig Gabriel previews the Australian Open.
Get the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast every Saturday and Sunday afternoon on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Regular Correspondent James McOnie joins Piney to talk all things sport.
The Australian Open is underway and bringing with it big names.
The Black Caps Champion Trophy squad has been named and has everyone talking.
And it is wild-card weekend in the NFL as the countdown for the Super Bowl is on.
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Sail GP is bringing huge anticipation as it arrives in Auckland next week.
How are the Kiwi team - the Black Foils - preparing?
New Zealand sailor and Black Foils coach Sam Meech talks to Piney about improvements they have made to their boat, lessons from Dubai, integrating with the team, and new technology that allows him to coach his team during the race.
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Gaël Monfils has won a tournament every year of his 19-year long career, and the ASB Classic is now no exception.
The Frenchman was in control of the game, the crowd was on his side and he made little errors.
What did his opponent Zizou bergs do wrong?
Former pro and Sky Sports Commentator Lee Radovanovic talks with Piney about how the match, and what tournament organisers could do better next year.
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It was a challenging year for Rugby Australia last year and coach Joe Schmidt is making it no brighter as he takes his time in revealing his future with the team.
The head coach had said he would share his plans in December.
December has been and gone and Rugby Australia want him to stay on as head coach, but will he?
Christy Doran weighs in with Piney and explains why Schmidt might not be feeling the pressure to reveal his cards.
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Fast bowler Ben Sears will make his international return after being named in the Black Caps’ squad for the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan and the UAE next month.
Eight months post knee injury, the 26-year-old's comeback performance in the Super Smash this week has impressed selectors enough to see him join the team for the tournament.
New captain Mitchell Santner is the sole specialist spinner for the Tournament and he talks to Piney about the players who did - and didn't - make selection.
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Listen to the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for Saturday 11 January.
Get the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast every Saturday and Sunday afternoon on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Martin Guptill has officially confirmed his retirement from international cricket.
The legend of the game reflects on being nervous for his first test debut, the top innings he's played and what retirement means for him.
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A massive blow for the Warriors this week as their captain Tohu Harris retires due to injury.
Harris ends his career with 117 appearances since he joined the Warriors in 2018.
What will his Warriors legacy be and what does this mean for his team?
Former Warriors player Monty Betham talks to piney about the shock decision.
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The Australian Open is finally underway and is bringing with it major names in the tennis arena.
Nick Kyrgios is making headlines, but can his body hold out for the tournament?
Aryna Sabalenka has a strong record down under and is proving to be a favourite.
As the ASB Classic wraps up today, Australian Correspondent Adam Peacock talks to Piney about what to expect when getting your tennis fix from across the ditch from tomorrow.
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The ASB Classic singles finals are occupying Auckland today, off the back of Zizou Bergs thrilling three-set win against Nuno Borges yesterday.
Bergs will take on Frenchman Gaël Monfils who got through in straight sets.
Tennis commentator and former tennis pro Lee Radovanovic joins the show.
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The third and final Black Caps v Sri Lanka ODI will take place at Eden Park at 2pm today.
Where does batsman Mark Chapman feel most at home on the pitch?
He talks to Piney about the upcoming match, the white-ball series and maintaining high standards.
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Cricket officials from India, Australia, and England were meeting to discuss the possibility of test cricket fragmenting, it has been reported.
This would allow for more series between the sport’s big players – positioning New Zealand in the top tier amongst the likes of South Africa and Sri Lanka.
What would a two-tiered cricket system do for the future of the game?
Veteran Australian cricket broadcaster Jim Maxell joins Piney to weigh in on the conversation.
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It's a new era for the All Blacks with Scott 'Razor' Robertson in charge.
He's announced his first squad, Scott Barrett taking over the captaincy from Sam Cane, Jordie Barrett and Ardie Savea sharing the role of deputy.
What's in store for this new era? What will change? How will the All Blacks evolve?
Razor joined Jason Pine for a one hour exclusive, taking calls and answering your burning questions.
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Listen to the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for Sunday 5 January.
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An Auckland City Hospital doctor completed a self-supported ultramarathon on all seven continents in just one year.
In 2024, Dr Inia Raumati completed eight races in eight countries across all seven continents. Each ultramarathon was around 250km and took 5-6 days to complete.
He joins Jason Pine to discuss the incredible feat of physical resilience and what sparked the initial idea behind the massive achievement.
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Early January is the time for resolutions, and many sport teams will be planning ahead at how they can make 2025 their best year yet.
Coaching guru Wayne Goldsmith joins Jason Pine to discuss how coaches can reflect on how a team has performed, focus on the achievements implemented change can create, and implement change going forward.
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Regular Correspondent James McOnie re-joins Weekend Sport for 2025.
James and Piney discuss the Black Caps v Sri Lanka test at Wellington's Basin Reserve, Naomi Osaka making the ASB Classic women's final, top contenders in the English Premier League, and 2025's rugby talent to look out for.
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Luke Littler has claimed his maiden darts world championship.
At just 17 years of age, and in a sport where age is not a barrier, Littler is expected to charge ahead in trying for a record 17 titles in his career.
Littler has experienced one of the most remarkable full debut seasons ever seen in darts professional era, securing the titles of Premier League champion, Grand Slam champion, and a slew of victories in the Pro Tour, the European Tour and the World Series.
Host of the Kiwi Darts podcast Ben Francis joins Weekend Sport to discuss the phenomenal achievement.
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An undoubted success story of 2024 was the emergence of Auckland FC.
In their debut season, Auckland FC won their first six matches, didn't concede a goal until their sixth match, went unbeaten for their first seven matches and enter the new year four points clear at the top of the A-League ladder.
Their fan base grew rapidly, with sell-out crowds, or crowds reaching numbers above 13,000, fast becoming a regular occurrence at Go Media Stadium.
Auckland FC's Director of Football Terry McFlynn joins Jason Pine to reflect on the team's cracking start.
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The Wellington Blaze have gone two from two at the start of their defence of the domestic women's Super Smash competition.
The Blaze beat the Central Hinds by 25 runs in Nelson.
Player of the match, Wellington all-rounder Jess Kerr made 59 of 45 balls, in a game where no other batter made 25. This was Kerr's second 50 in two matches.
She joins Jason Pine to discuss the match, and the all-rounder role within the women's game.
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Former world Number 1 Naomi Osaka booked her slot in the final showdown of the women's ASB Classic, and will be coming up against Clara Tauson.
Osaka eased through her semi-final against Alycia Parks, securing her first WTA final since 2022.
Tauson is the highest remaining seed at the tournament after knocking out top seed Madison Keys in her quarter-final.
Though Osaka is seeded seventh, she will likely be favoured against Tauson.
Sports commentator Rikki Swannell joins Weekend Sport to discuss Osaka's comeback and how each players form has been looking throughout the competition.
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The Wellington Blaze have gone two from two at the start of their defence of the domestic women's Super Smash competition.
The Blaze beat the Central Hinds by 25 runs in Nelson.
Player of the match, Wellington all-rounder Jess Kerr made 59 of 45 balls, in a game where no other batter made 25. This was Kerr's second 50 in two matches.
She joins Jason Pine to discuss the match, and the all-rounder role within the women's game.
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Listen to the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for Saturday 4 January.
Get the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast every Saturday and Sunday afternoon on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Wellington Phoenix women's team were denied their first ever win in Victoria last week, with a two-goal burst from Melbourne City ending the sides four match unbeaten run.
In the game, forward Olivia Fergusson scored her first goal for the Phoenix by putting away a rebound from Grace Jale.
Fergusson joins Jason Pine to discuss why that first club goal is important and why she moved halfway across the world to link up with the Wellington Phoenix.
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Auckland Aces batter Bevon Jacobs took a stunning boundary catch against Canterbury King's in the men's Super Smash.
Canterbury were cruising towards Auckland's total of 185-8, but suffered a remarkable collapse against the competition's defending champions.
Jacobs' boundary catch was a highlight of the game, diving full stretch to catch Henry Shipley just before the ball it the turf. He joins Jason Pine to discuss his mindset on the field.
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The national bowls championship is on in Auckland, with men's pairs and women's singles into post-selection play today, with finals tomorrow.
Men's singles and women's pairs will follow.
The defending champions in the men's pairs, Mt Albert duo Gary Lawson and Tony Grantham, are looking for a three-peat. While women's singles defending champion Leanne Poulson is looking to be the first women to successfully defend the title.
As one of the most well-known voices in bowls, Kevin Hickland joins Piney to discuss the championship.
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Day one of Australia v India at the SCG saw the Aussies get one step closer to reclaiming the Border-Gavaskar trophy, bagging four wickets to bowl out India for 185.
Fiery scenes followed Jasprit Bumrah's last-ball strike on day one and set the tone heading into day two.
Plus, Novak Djokovic has crashed out in the quarter finals of the Brisbane International in a surprise defeat to Reilly Opelka.
Regular Australian Correspondent Adam Peacock discusses the latest with Piney.
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The All Whites continue their Oceania World Cup qualifying.
The team face two more matches in their efforts to gain direct entry into the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Oceania gaining a direct qualification slot for the first time.
All Whites Head Coach Darren Bazeley joins Piney to discuss the excitement of what lies ahead in the first few months of 2025.
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Former New Zealand Davis Cup representative Sebastian Lavie joins Weekend Sport to discuss the ASB Classic women's tournament so far.
Lavie provides expert analysis of the tournament for Sky Sport and offers his assessment of the performances that have seen some of the top names and high seeds drop from the competition.
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The Black Caps failed in their bid to make it 3 from 3 against Sri Lanka, falling short by just 7 runs at Saxton Oval. Jacob Duffy was named Player of the Series and was the only New Zealand bowler to avoid damage in Sri Lanka's batting onslaught. The Otago veteran will now compete for the new ball alongside O'Rourke and Matt Henry. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The New Zealand Warriors are flying high in the NRL – coming within one game of the Grand Final in 2023.
They’ve continued their form this season sitting firmly in the top eight – and getting plaudits on both sides of the Tasman.
So, what’s behind their recent success? How far can this club go? Will this be the Warriors' golden era?
The club’s CEO Cameron George joined Weekend Sport’s Jason Pine in studio on Sunday to answer all these questions.
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Listen to the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for Sunday 29 December.
Get the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast every Saturday and Sunday afternoon on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The World Darts Championships are well underway through till next week.
Host of the Kiwi Darts podcast Ben Francis joins the show.
"Oh jeez, Jason, where to start, it's just been absolutely incredible..."
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Fresh face Corban Piper made his starting debut for the Men's Wellington Phoenix last week.
The 22-year-old combative midfielder joined the Phoenix from Birkenhead United.
The Wellington Phoenix will host the Newcastle Jets at Sky Stadium in Wellington at 5pm this afternoon as they hope to snap a three game loosing streak.
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Wellington Phoenix take on A-League Women leaders Melbourne City today.
The team look to maintain a winning streak after beating two-time defending A-League Women champions Sydney FC last week.
Phoenix Captain Annalie Longo
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Australian Correspondent Adam Peacock gives an update on all things Aussie sport.
The mood is sombre in Hobart after the Sydney to Hobart race has come to an end off the back of two shocking fatalities yesterday.
Adam shares what has come to light over the past 12 hours.
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In the 1999 Boxing Day test against the West Indies at the Basin Reserve, Matthew Sinclair scored 214 on test debut.
Still the highest score by a New Zealande batter on their test debut, it helped New Zealand to an innings victory over the West Indies.
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Listen to the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for Saturday 28 December.
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Stand-in captain Max Chu lead his team to a 10-run win against the Canterbury Kings yesterday at Molyneux Park.
The Otago Volts made 165-9 from their 20 overs.
Chu joins the show to discuss the teams win.
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The ASB Classic is back on our shores bringing back major names in tennis.
Naomi Osaka, Madison Keys, Emma Raducanu and kiwi Lulu Sun are among the women returning to the court.
Qualifying for the women's tournament has begun today and will continue tomorrow.
ASB Classic Tournament Director Nicolas Lamperin joins the show to discuss how the event is shaping up ahead of its first day on Monday.
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The Black Caps face Sri Lanka tonight in the first of 3 T20 internationals, then 3 one-day internationals.
Will home conditions favour New Zealand when they meet Sri Lanka again in Mt Maunganui?
Home conditions are not always the advantage they used to be, Michael Bracewell said, making for a "tightly contested" series.
What is Bracewell's T20 bowling strategy?
All this and more ahead of tonight's test at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui.
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A promise to protect rugby's match officials from online abuse.
It comes after a World Rugby report found referees were the fourth most targeted group at last year's Rugby World Cup.
Prominent official Wayne Barnes picked up a third of vitriol aimed at individuals by the end of the 2023 event.
World Rugby boss Alan Gilpin says protecting match officials from online abuse is crucial towards keeping and maintaining top talent.
"We need to reassure them that the sport's taking their own protection seriously, so that's absolutely important."
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Listen to the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for Sunday 22 December.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joins Jason Pine to announce the winners of the 'Piney' awards - wrapping a fantastic year of sport for 2024.
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Oleksandr Usyk won his heavyweight championship rematch against Tyson Fury by unanimous decision to stay unbeaten across two divisions and cement his place among the greats.
NZ Herald combat sports expert Christopher Reive tells Jason Pine Usyk was the favourite going into the rematch.
The fight went the distance, with all 12 rounds being played and Reive says Usyk was never in danger of being knocked out.
"Fury wasn't stringing enough combinations together. He was looking for one shot at a time."
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The White Ferns have lost a rain-hit second women’s one-day international against Australia.
Despite the loss, bowler Molly Penfold was a star with career-best figures of four for 42.
Molly tells Jason Pine the team knew they were coming up against the world’s best and unfortunately couldn’t get across the line.
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After a brilliant start to the season, Auckland FC have come crashing down with their first ever defeat.
The Black Knights went down 4-0 to Western United in Mt Smart on Saturday, with three goals coming inside the first 34 minutes.
Former Wellington Phoenix and All Whites goalkeeper and Sky Sports analyst Jacob Spoonley tells Jason Pine not many people would have seen this coming.
“Western was so fast and aggressive, and they started early.”
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Dave McCalman is a three-time Paralympic medalist for New Zealand.
In 1980 he misjudged the depth of the water when hejumpedinto a water hole and sustained serious spinal injuries.
Following his disability, he moved into able-bodied basketball coaching, leading teams to national titles before later taking up para-athletics.
In Barcelona in 1992 he made his paralympic debut entering in the javelin, becoming New Zealand Paralympian number 80.
He won a javelin silver medal at the 1996 Paralympic Games and two golds in javelin and the restored pentathlon at the Sydney 2000 Paralympics.
Dave McCalman recently retired after 19 years working for the Helberg Foundation, but is still very involved in sport, and he's published a book on his life.
The book is called Here's to Life and All That Jazz.
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Listen to the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for Saturday 21 December.
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After a four-year hiatus the Christmas Carnival returns to Ellerslie Racecourse this summer, the Boxing Day and New Year's Day races. Major highlights on the racing calendar, and one of the country's richest annual sporting events.
SkyCity is the naming rights sponsor for both Boxing Day and New Year's Day.
CEO of Auckland Thoroughbred Racing Paul Wilcox said the two events are very significant in the racing community in New Zealand.
He joins Jason Pine to talk about the exciting times ahead for racing.
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Auckland FC have their latest game in the A-league men's this afternoon.
The team is back at Go Media Stadium in Auckland and are unbeaten so far with a 100% winning streak at home.
Fullback Callan Elliott said drawing with Melbourne FC was a good result, despite not playing to their typical standard in the first half of the match.
Elliott has been in both Wellington and Scotland in the 2022/2023 season, he reflects on his journey to joining FC.
Today's game against the Western Sydney Wanderers will be his 50th A-League match.
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Australia tied India at 1-1 after three tests in their five match series.
The iconic Boxing Day Test is coming up at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday and will display one of the biggest crowds in the world for test cricket.
19-year-old Sam Konstas has replaced Nathan McSweeney after 'being on the radar' for some time.
Australian Correspondent Adam Peacock joins the show to discuss this and more.
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Liam Lawson will be a Red Bull Racing diver for the 2025 Formula One season.
The team officially confirmed late Thursday night New Zealand time that he will partner four-time defending world champion Max Verstappen.
Why did Red Bull choose Liam Lawson over Yuki Sonoda?
And what does success look like for Liam next year?
Motorsport Analysist Eric Thompson joins the show to discuss the young kiwi's new position.
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Where is New Zealand's home of cricket?
Craig Cumming has played at them all, coached at them all, and been a spectator at them all.
From the Basin Reserve, to the Hagley Oval, to the Bay Oval, Piney and Craig discuss their favourites.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss the NZ Rugby Awards, the Black Caps v England clash, and the A-League derby rivalry.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 14th December 2024. Cricket journalist Dylan Cleaver joins the show to analyse the Black Caps' performance through the first day of the third test against England.
Former rugby player Tim Bateman discusses the difficulties professional athletes have to overcome when their sport careers come to an end and how they transition into the next stage of their lives.
And Jake Brimmer out of Auckland FC joins the show as his team looks to continue their unbeaten run.
Get the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast every Saturday and Sunday afternoon on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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One of Mount Maunganui's most iconic summer events wrapped up this weekend.
The Race One Surf Craft Mount Monster, famed as the nation's most prestigious surf lifesaving endurance race, wrapped up its 12th season.
Winners Jayden Murphy and Kate McHardy joined Piney to discuss.
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Triathlete Hayden Wilde has placed second in his debut 70.3 Ironman World Championship event in Taupo.
The Olympic silver medallist finished with a time of three hours, 33 minutes and 22 seconds, finishing one minute and 13 seconds behind Belgian winner Jelle Geens.
Ironman NZ commentator Cameron Harper joined Piney to discuss.
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England Rugby World Cup champion Ben Cohen has revealed that he sold his winner’s medal to survive financial struggles during Covid-19.
In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, the former winger revealed that winning a World Cup 'meant everything', but it didn't set him up for the real world after his retirement.
Former rugby player Tim Bateman joined Piney to discuss.
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Mitch Santner and Will O'Rourke are salvaging some last-minute runs for the Black Caps on the second day of the third cricket test against England in Hamilton.
Moments ago the hosts were 331 for nine.
Sportswriter Dylan Cleaver joined Piney to discuss.
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Kiwi football star Finn Surman is back in the country.
He was stateside for the last half season, playing in the Major League Soccer franchise for the Portland Timbers.
He joined Piney for a chat about what it’s been like to play in the MLS, and playing with the Timbers.
Surman told him that MLS is a step up in intensity from A-League.
“The intensity, the speed of what people do, whether that's thinking or just the actions that they do is, is just a little that little bit faster.”
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There’s been a mixed response to the announcement that Papua New Guinea will house the newest NRL team.
The team will be based out of the capital, Port Moresby, and will join the competition from 2028.
It will be the first non-Australia based club since the Auckland Warriors were established in 1995.
Australia Correspondent Adam Peacock joined Piney to discuss the fallout of the announcement.
“You can tell that there’s an, like, above and beyond tone to it all to attract players in the sense that they’ll go up there and not have to pay tax, so that says a lot.”
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No one was more surprised by Wallace Sititi's breakthrough rugby season than Wallace Sititi.
After earning the World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year, Sititi also added the All Blacks Player of the Year award to his stellar 2024.
The Chiefs number eight agrees that his stunning run-up to a starting test spot in his debut Super Rugby Pacific season was a big shock.
He told Piney it wasn’t a sentence he could’ve imagined hearing six months ago.
“It’s definitely unexpected, and yeah, just grateful that I was able to, you know, have the season I had.”
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An end of an era for the Black Caps, with Tim Southee set to play in his 107th and final test.
Southee is set to suit up against England for the dead rubber in Hamilton starting at 11am.
Former test and Northern Districts teammate B.J. Watling says Southee will go down as one of the Black Caps' greats.
He told Jason Pine that he was someone that always had the team at the front of his mind.
“His work ethic, he’s someone that dragged you along as well.”
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 14th December 2024, Tim Southee is playing his final test of his illustrious career. Piney catches up with longtime wicketkeeper BJ Watling to reflect on Southee's career.
Wallace Sititi has capped off an incredible year by collecting the All Black of the year honour at the NZ Rugby awards. He joins Piney to discuss the year he's had.
And Kiwi football star Finn Surman is back in the country after heading to the USA to play for the Portland Timbers. He joined the show to discuss what it's been like to play in the MLS.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 8 December 2024, Herald sports reporter Michael Burgess recapped Auckland FC's 'incredible' victory over the Wellington Phoenix.
Kiwi cricket great Sir Richard Hadlee was among 11 Hall of Fame inductees for significant contributions to the sport.
And Steve Alker told Piney his plan to win the New Zealand Open next year.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss Auckland FC's latest win over the Wellington Phoenix - and New Zealand's changing role in the world of football.
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Coaching guru Wayne Goldsmith joined Piney to dissect some 'dangerous' coaching cliches - and how they can slow down improvement.
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New Zealand Cricket has revealed their first 11 Hall of Fame inductees for significant contributions to the sport.
Sir Richard Hadlee was among the influential 11 players who made the shortlist compiled by cricket historians and experts.
He joined Piney to discuss the honour.
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PGA Tour Champions season victor Steven Alker has his sights set on winning the New Zealand Open next year.
Alker, who recently took home the Charles Schwab Cup on the Champions tour last month, is determined to emerge victorious in next year's upcoming event.
He joined Piney to discuss.
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Auckland FC's dream A-League run continues, as they beat out the Wellington Phoenix in their latest rematch.
The Auckland side defeated the Phoenix 2-1, in front of a record 26,253 crowd fuelled by a contingent of Wellington fans.
NZ Herald sports reporter Michael Burgess joined Piney to discuss the 'amazing' atmosphere leading up to the win.
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Former Black Caps coach Steve Rixon is fondly regarded for guiding the Kiwi side through 1997 to 2000.
He oversaw a period of significant success for the team, including in 1999 where New Zealand won two tests in a series in England.
He joined Piney to discuss these historic moments for the team.
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Australia will be looking to keep their foot on the gas when day two of the second cricket test with India begins in Adelaide.
The Aussies resume on 86 for one in the first innings, trailing by 94, after India were dismissed for 180.
Nathan McSweeney and Marnus Labuschagne will start the day at the crease.
Australian Correspondent Adam Peacock joined Piney to give his thoughts on the test so far.
“Magnificent day yesterday, and a really good one for Australia.”
“I’d be surprised if this goes into Day 4 this test, I think things are gonna happen pretty quickly.”
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Three-time Paralympic Champion Anna Grimaldi found success in an unexpected area this year.
The Dunedin-based athlete was New Zealand’s only gold medallist at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, claiming the gold in the T47 200m final.
She narrowly missed medalling in the T47 women’s long jump, the event she had dominated at the last two Paralympic Games.
Grimaldi joined Piney to reflect on her success in Paris, in an unexpected event.
“If someone had said ‘you're coming home from Paris with the gold’, I would have said’ I would have thought it was in the long jump,” she said.
“It wasn’t really on my radar to be winning the 200.”
“It's been a, it’s been a crazy, like, a bit whiplash, actually, because obviously the long jump didn't go so well, and then coming away with sort of the gold but like, in a completely different event... it was, it was incredible.”
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The first 11 players –seven men and four women– to be inducted into New Zealand Cricket’s hall of fame have been announced.
The rules require inductees to have played for New Zealand and to have been retired for at least five years, with criteria weighted in favour of performance, leadership and influence.
Emily Drumm, Debbie Hockley, and Brendon McCullum are among the first inductees, and Piney caught up with each of them after the ceremony to discuss the honour.
“To be part of this, you know, inaugural first 11 .... it's a very, very special thing, the likes of probably which I haven't experienced before,” Hockley told him.
“It's a New Zealand cricket family, and I've been privileged to be involved in many things, post cricket, but this is really special,” Drumm said.
“It's incredibly humbling, you know, like I grew up wanting to play cricket for my country and I would have played one test to have played as long as I did and to have any impact whatsoever was, was pretty amazing, and I feel pretty grateful for it,” McCullum said.
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Jacob Bethell and Ben Duckett have powered England into what shapes as an unassailable position approaching tea on the second day of the second cricket test against New Zealand in Wellington.
The visitors are 211 for three, a lead of 366.
Duckett has been dismissed for 92, with Bethell's wicket falling earlier for 96.
England cricket great David Gower joined Piney to dig into the team’s strong performance.
“One thing they've really enjoyed is a month and a half ago they're in Pakistan on dead pitches, turning pitches, and struggling. Suddenly we come here to New Zealand, and hey, there's bounce and there's movement and we have a very strong team attack.”
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 7 December 2024, it’s Day 2 of the second test against England, the Black Caps falling behind at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. English cricket great David Gower joined Piney to give his thoughts on the proceedings.
Auckland FC and the Wellington Phoenix are clashing once more in New Zealand’s second ever A-League derby – Phoenix forward Kosta Barbarouses and Auckland defender Nando Pijnaker previewed the match.
And the New Zealand Cricket Hall of Fame has inducted their first 11 - Emily Drumm, Debbie Hockley, and Brendon McCullum stopped by to discuss the honour.
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It’s time for New Zealand’s second ever A-League Derby, the Wellington Phoenix and Auckland FC clashing once more.
Auckland defender Nando Pijnaker told Piney that they didn’t quite expect their season to start off this successfully – although they’re not too surprised.
He says they don’t try to look too much into their opposition and the strengths of their players.
“We know they have dangerous players ... they’ve been around for a long time, so we know what their strengths are, so we’re obviously trying to minimise them as much as possible and then focus on ourselves.”
Kosta Barbarouses has high hopes his form will stay as hot as the summer weather when the Phoenix face Auckland FC this evening.
The 'Nix striker has found the back of the net in his last two outings and has scored 17 goals in the month of December throughout his career.
Barbarouses admits he does try to outwork and tire his opposition more when summer arrives.
He told Piney that even if he’s knackered, he pushes through, because perseverance is what gets the win.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Elliott Smith to discuss the Black Caps' progress, Auckland FC's latest win and Richie Mo'unga potentially returning to the All Blacks earlier than planned.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 1st December 2024, Elliott Smith continues to hold the fort for Piney. NZC CEO Scott Weenink joins him to discuss the summer of cricket as the Blackcaps struggle through the first test at Hagley Oval
The 2024 international rugby season is officially over after Ireland came from behind to beat the Wallabies. BBC's James Burridge and The Roars Christy Doran form a panel with Elliott to discuss whether the North or South have had the better rugby season.
And Manchester City are in dire straights having failed to win any of their last 6 matches - including 5 losses in a row before a 3-3 draw in the Champions League. Manchester City commentator Mike Minay tries to work out what is going so wrong for the defending champions.
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The streak carries on for Auckland FC.
The new football team's first season continued with another victory, having beaten the Newcastle Jets 2-0.
Former All White Jacob Spoonley joined Elliott Smith to discuss the win.
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Manchester City has experienced a notable run of poor results this season.
The defending Premier League champions are on a six-game winless streak across all competitions - the longest winless run for the team in a while.
BBC radio football commentator Mike Minay joined Elliott Smith to discuss the factors behind the team's string of bad luck.
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The 2024 rugby test match season came to an end this morning, following the Wallabies' 22-19 defeat by Ireland in Dublin.
Australia finished with six wins from 13 matches, including victories over England, Argentina and Wales.
Rugby reporters James Burridge and Christy Doran joined Elliott Smith to discuss Australia's season.
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England will be chasing 104 runs to beat New Zealand in the opening cricket test in Christchurch.
A six-wicket haul for paceman Brydon Carse has helped bowl the Black Caps out for 254 in their second innings - Daryl Mitchell top scoring with 84.
NZ Cricket head Scott Weenink joins Smithy to recap the match.
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A horror day in the field for the Blackcaps has given England the upper hand in their first test of the summer. 6 dropped catches has allowed England to build a lead going into the third day of the test as Harry Brook put the Blackcaps to the sword. Former player and Blackcaps coach John Bracewell joined Elliott Smith to discuss what might have caused the Blackcaps fielding standards to slip, and whether they can fight their way back into the test. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The All Blacks selection criteria debate rages on, with former Springboks coach Jake White warning NZR against changing their selection policy. White joined Elliott on the show to elaborate on how it might hurt the All Blacks and whether they really need the overseas talent to stay competitive. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fallout from the Australian Cricket teams embarrassing loss to India continues, with questions being raised about whether some players in the team need to be dropped for the second test. Our Australian correspondent Adam Peacock joined Elliott to discuss that, and whether the Wallabies can pull off an upset over Ireland tomorrow morning. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Auckland FC have got off to a hot start to their football life.
Their 4 wins and 0 goals conceded is the most successful start for a new A-Legue club in the competition's history.
Attacker Max Mata joined the show to discuss what has made the team so successful this season and how he hopes to go as the season progresses.
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A feud is developing between the A-League players and the League itself. The Australian Professional Footballers association released a survey that shows half the A-League Men's players are dissatisfied with how the league is run and 46% of players have low trust in the managements ability to improve the league. APFA CEO Beau Busch joins the show to discuss why the players think this way and what the A-League needs to do to win back the trust of the players. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listen to the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for Saturday 30 November.
Get the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast every Saturday and Sunday afternoon on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for Sunday 24 November, former All Black Paul Miller and assistant coach Jason Ryan unpacked the All Blacks' error-laden performance against Italy.
Kiwi triathlete Hayden Wilde also looked back on a memorable 2024.
Plus, NZ Herald sportswriter Liam Napier discussed the All Blacks' highs and lows for the year.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss the All Black v Italy match and the return of A-League.
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After a three-week break, the A-League season is set to pick up again today, with Auckland FC and the Wellington Phoenix returning to the pitch.
The Phoenix will face off against the Melbourne Victory at 3:30pm, followed by Auckland FC's clash against Macarthur at 6pm.
Auckland FC defender Francis De Vries and Wellington Phoenix midfielder Paulo Retre joined Piney ahead of their respective matches.
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It's been a memorable year for Kiwi triathlete Hayden Wilde.
Wilde helped add to New Zealand's medal count in the 2024 Paris Olympics - having won silver in the men's triathlon.
He joined Piney to recap the year.
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The All Blacks' 29-11 victory over Italy brings their 2024 rugby season to a close.
The team concluded the season with ten wins and four losses.
NZ Herald chief sportswriter Liam Napier joined Piney to unpack the team's year of rugby matches.
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The All Blacks have overcome a mix of errors and wet conditions to beat Italy 29-11 in their final rugby test of the year in Turin.
New Zealand finish their season with 10 wins and four losses under first-year head coach Scott Robertson.
Assistant coach Jason Ryan admitted it was an underwhelming performance, noting the lack of quality in their skillset.
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The All Blacks have ended their northern tour on a high note - overcoming adverse weather and questionable choices to beat Italy.
The team beat the Italians 29-11 in their final rugby test of the year in Turin.
Former All Black Paul Miller joined Piney to unpack the 'messy performance by the New Zealand side.
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17 wickets have fallen on the first day of the first test between Australia and India.
Our Australian Correspondent Adam Peacock joined Jason Pine to try make sense of the situation.
“When it comes to T20 cricket, it’s batters, and they thrive in that.”
“So maybe it’s not a bad thing that there is still a little section of the game still reserved for elite bowlers.”
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Italy are facing a significant challenge this weekend.
They’re facing off against the All Blacks for the final game in the AB’s Northern Tour, playing at Allianz Stadium tomorrow morning.
Former Italy Coach Kieran Crowley joined Piney to discuss what we can expect to see from the team.
“I think they're gonna have a massive challenge against New Zealand on, or against the All Blacks on Saturday, but you know, I think they, if they get the right sort of draw at the next World Cup, you know, they could be pushing, or should be pushing for top eight.”
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The Black Foils have a new flight controller.
Leo Takahashi has joined the team as they prepare for the newest Sail GP season.
He joined Piney for a chat about his journey to the Foils, and their efforts preparing for Dubai.
"The Black Foils is the benchmark of Sail GP right now, so, you know, the cream of the crop and, you know, I got some definitely big shoes to fill.”
“I'm just really excited to bring my experience and my two cents into the team.”
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The newest Sail GP season is about to get underway.
The Black Foils are preparing to set sail on the seas in Dubai.
Piney caught up with co-CEO and river Peter Burling to discuss the team’s expectations for the new season.
“We really want to get off to a good start this weekend,” he said.
“But we know we’ve got a lot to learn and improve.”
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Glenn Maxwell is one of Australia's most entertaining cricketers.
He recently released ‘The Showman’, a book detailing his recovery from a broken leg in 2022 to becoming one of the heroes of the 2023 Cricket World Cup.
He joined Piney to discuss the book and some of his most iconic moments, including his 2023 World Cup double century and his infamous choking taunt at the 2015 Cricket World Cup.
“I reckon I've been lucky enough as a cricketer to have maybe five or six days where everything goes right.”
“Things go your way and you're able to walk off either undefeated or walk off at the completion of the game.”
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Secondary school basketball is on the rise.
Participation has jumped 61% since 2000, and if it keeps growing at its current rate it will be NZ's most-played sport in less than a year.
BBNZ CEO Dillion Boucher discusses the challenges created by the massive increase in popularity, and the reasons behind it.
“They are wanting to go out and try to get good at basketball because I think it's seen as a really cool sport," he told Piney.
“The amount of work that our young people are putting into their game is phenomenal.”
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The rugby year has nearly reached its end.
The All Blacks are capping off the year with the final match in their Northern Tour – a clash against Italy.
NZ Rugby CEO Mark Robinson joined Piney to review the All Blacks’ season, and take a look at the state of the game in the country as a whole.
“I know it’s been a challenging few years at times, but when you think of the journey we've worked through, and the fact that now we’re seeing a sort of culmination of a lot of hard work that’s going on at all levels of the game.”
“We’re really heartened with where we’re tracking with the game.”
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 23rd November 2024, the rugby year is nearly finished as the All Blacks take on Italy in their final test match. NZR CEO Mark Robinson stops in to review the season for the All Blacks, and the sport in the country as a whole.
Secondary school basketball is on the rise, and if it keeps growing at its current rate it will be NZ's most-played sport in less than a year. BBNZ CEO Dillion Boucher discusses the challenges created by the massive increase in popularity.
And Aussie Cricket star Glenn Maxwell joins the show to discuss his new book, career highlights, and the choking incident at the 2015 World Cup.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 16th November 2024, the All Blacks have come up just short in their test against France - falling 30-29 at Stade de France. Assistant coach Jason Holland recaps the loss.
Former England international and Hurricane Brad Shields also joins the show to recap where the All Blacks fell short.
And Olympic gold medallist Finn Butcher joins Piney to reflect on his incredible gold medal run in the Kayak Cross at Paris.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss the All Blacks losing to England, the Springboks beating out England, Tim Southee's retirement and Jake Paul's victory over Mike Tyson.
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The All Whites have taken another step towards the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a dominant 8-1 victory over Vanuatu in Hamilton.
They're set to go up against Samoa tomorrow evening at Mt Smart stadium.
Defender Michael Boxall joined Piney to discuss.
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Finn Butcher stunned sports fans across the country with his gold medal-winning athletic performance.
Following his victory in the Kayak Cross event at the 2024 Paris Games, Butcher's looking back at the 'unforgettable' experience 100 days on.
He joined Piney to discuss further.
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The All Blacks' hopes of an unbeaten end-of-season tour have been dashed after a narrow 30-29 loss to France in Paris.
New Zealand led 17-10 at the break, but were unable to hold off a French fightback in the second stanza.
Hurricanes loose forward Brad Shields joined Piney to recap the loss.
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A sudden comeback from the French put an end to the All Blacks' northern tour hot streak.
The All Blacks led 17-10 at halftime, but multiple errors saw France beat out the Kiwis 30-29.
All Blacks assistant coach Jason Holland joined Piney to discuss.
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The New Zealand Falcons are off to the AFL Pacific Cup.
They’ve named their team, which is set to travel over to Queensland’s Sunshine Coast to compete from the 17th through to the 25th of November.
Piney was joined by their head coach Chris Mundell to learn more about it and discuss their chances in the cup.
“We think we're going over with a stronger team across the board than we have probably ever put forward.”
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New Zealand’s premier hockey league has gotten a bit of a redesign.
Hockey NZ sees the new league as the pinnacle of domestic hockey, representing an exciting addition to the existing hockey pathway and offering high-level competition for both men and women coming through the ranks.
Piney caught up with former Black Sticks captain Peter Miskimmin to discuss the new league's origins and innovations.
“We have been a bit barren of top flight elite hockey, provincial hockey, in New Zealand for quite some time.”
“So this is really a play from New Zealand Hockey to create more products and more content for New Zealand Hockey fans to, to see and experience.”
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The Wallabies have made a triumphant return, snapping their three-game losing streak with a victory over England.
Piney was joined by our regular Australia Correspondent Adam Peacock, who’s still buzzing from the team’s success last week.
Along with this, the Socceroos are preparing for a World Cup qualifying match against Bahrain, and how’s the Australian cricket team preparing for their upcoming 5 test series against India?
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There’s a new man at the helm of World Rugby.
Dr Brett Robinson has been elected as the new World Rugby Chair, taking over from Sir Bill Beumont, who’s stepping down after eight years in the role.
He joined Piney to discuss his vision for the game as he steps into the role.
“There’s positive energy about the product at the moment in the game, and, and I think we need to continue that momentum as we head into next year.”
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Les Bleus are preparing for their test against the All Blacks, buoyed by the return of their captain Antoine Dupont from his time in the French 7s team.
They’ll be facing off at Paris’ Stade de France tomorrow morning, from 9am New Zealand time.
Piney catches up with experienced French Rugby journalist Ian Borthwick to discuss how much Dupont brings to the French side, and what he expects from the upcoming test
“Just his presence on the field is a major boost, really, for the whole of the image of French rugby.”
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One of New Zealand’s greatest bowlers is retiring from the international stage.
Tim Southee has announced his retirement from test cricket, England’s upcoming tour in New Zealand to be his last tour.
He joined Jason Pine to reflect on his legendary career.
“It just feels like the time right now to finish, and what a series to, I guess finish on, against a great side in England, at three of my favourite grounds in the world.”
“It just felt right to finish up at home.”
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 16th November 2024, the All Blacks are looking to continue their end of year tour winning run as they take on France tomorrow. French Rugby Journalist Ian Borthwick joins the show to discuss the challenge the French will pose for the All Blacks.
Tim Southee has announced his retirement from Test Cricket, and joined Piney to reflect on his legendary career.
And the newly elected Chair of World Rugby Dr Brett Robinson stops in to discuss his vision for World Rugby.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 10th November 2024, Neil Wagner has released his autobiography, All Out. He joined Piney in studio to discuss his book and his Black Caps career.
NRL expert Brad Walter joined the show to discuss the possibility of a Christchurch-based NRL team.
And the legendary Grant Nisbett commentated his 350th All Blacks match yesterday. He joins Piney to discuss his career.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss the e All Blacks v Ireland match, the Wallabies v England match, Man City's latest slump and the Black Caps' latest test series performance.
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The Kiwi Ferns are gearing up for a shot at the women's rugby league Pacific Championship title.
New Zealand face Australia in the final in Sydney from ten to four.
Kiwi Ferns centre Abi Roache joined Piney to discuss.
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Famed rugby commentator Grant Nisbett called his 350th All Blacks test over the weekend during the team's clash with Ireland in Dublin.
The 73-year-old has been well regarded as the voice of New Zealand rugby - and he's been there for lots of big moments.
He joined Piney to discuss his career highlights.
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A third Christchurch-based bid to join league's NRL claim they're making the necessary improvements to get support for entry from the governing body.
The Southern Orcas have joined the South Island Kea and another bid led by former Kiwis coach Frank Endacott.
Rugby league journalist Brad Walter joined Piney to discuss.
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Black Caps bowler Neil Wagner is considered one of New Zealand's cricket greats.
His new memoir All Out expands on his sporting triumphs and tells his story all the way from his humble start in working-class Pretoria.
He joined Piney to explain further.
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It’s another big day of horse racing across the ditch.
Today is Champions Stakes Day in Australia, the finale for the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
Australian Correspondent Adam Peacock joined Piney to give an update on all the big events from across the ditch, including scenes from the Melbourne Cup.
“The city is buzzing.”
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The Breakers are flying high in the NBL.
They’re at the top of the table after two huge wins – claiming victory over both the Adelaide 36ers and Melbourne United.
Piney caught up with Head Coach Petteri Koponen to discuss the success the team’s found so far this season.
“We're playing well, but, you know, it's still early in the season.”
“We have to stay hungry, have the same mentality, and go out there and compete every game.”
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The White Ferns have returned home with the T20 World Cup in tow.
They claimed their maiden title with a 32-run victory over South Africa after entering the tournament having lost 10 straight matches.
The trophy is on tour around New Zealand, Maddy Green and Izzy Gaze among the Ferns touring with it.
Green and Gaze joined Piney in studio for a chat about the team’s incredible achievement.
“It was cool just looking up in that sort of last over knowing that we were gonna win, and seeing the smiles on everyone's faces and yeah, just the pure joy, was pretty, pretty fantastic.”
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Ireland’s winning streak has been broken.
The All Blacks have knocked them from the number one spot, breaking their 19 game unbeaten streak at home.
Ireland was unable to keep up, falling behind and losing the match 23-13.
Irish Rugby Commentator Michael Corcoran joined Piney to give his thoughts on the match.
“Ireland put themselves in a good position early in the second half of the match, but New Zealand just closed it out really well.
“New Zealand had really good ball carriers, Ireland found it difficult to cope with that, and just couldn’t cope with the pace.”
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The All Blacks have knocked Ireland off the top of the podium, defeating the number 1 ranked team 23-13.
18 of the points were scored by first-five Damian McKenzie who kicked six penalty goals, Will Jordan scoring the final five with a crucial try.
Piney was joined by former All Black Ant Strachan to dig into the team’s win.
“The momentum around this group is phenomenal.”
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The All Blacks claimed victory over Ireland, breaking their 19 game unbeaten streak at home.
They were led by the boot of first-five Damian McKenzie who scored 18 of their 23 points through six penalty goals, beating Ireland’s 13.
Piney caught up with All Blacks assistant coach Tamati Ellison to recap the win.
“I just had a lot of respect for the Irish attack, so they wanted to make sure they got enough defensive reps in, and they, you know, they drove the messaging and obviously fronted up on D as well.”
"That's the thing I'm proud about most.”
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 9th November 2024, the All Blacks have upset Ireland at Aviva stadium. Former All Black Ant Strachan recaps the match, and Irish rugby commentator Michael Corcoran offers an Irish perspective on where the game was lost.
World Champion White Ferns Maddy Green and Izzy Gaze stopped by the studio with the T20 World Cup trophy, reflecting on the team's success in the UAE.
And the Breakers are flying high in the ANBL. Piney catches up with coach Petteri Koponen to discuss what has led to the team's success.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to recap the Auckland FC Wellington Phoenix clash, the All Blacks' narrow victory over England and Tonga beating out the Kiwis.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 3rd November 2024, the All Blacks squeezed out a win over England at Twickenham. Assistant coach Scott Hansen joined the show to recap the win.
Auckland FC have claimed bragging rights in the A-Leagues first ever Kiwi derby, after winning 2-0 over the Phoenix in Wellington. Those two goals were scored by Jake Brimmer, who joined the show to discuss his performance.
And Sharko is a new documentary on the life of Rugby League legend Mark 'Sharko' Graham, directed by his son Luke. Both Mark and Luke join Piney in studio to discuss making the documentary.
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The last couple weeks have been significant in the world of New Zealand sport - with plenty of Kiwi athletes dominating on the world stage.
The White Ferns stunned fans with their T20 World Cup victory, the Black Caps beat India on the team's home soil for the first time in decades, Team New Zealand held on to the America's Cup and the Silver Ferns won the Constellation Cup.
Coaching guru Wayne Goldsmith joined Piney to discuss New Zealand's run of sporting victories.
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The son of rugby league legend Mark Graham is using his father's sporting career as the basis for a new documentary.
Sharko tells the story of Mark Graham's athletic legacy - including the 29 tests he played for the Kiwis, his historic induction into the NRL Hall of Fame and being named as NZ Player of the Century in 2007.
Luke and Mark Graham joined Piney to discuss the documentary.
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Auckland FC have beaten the Wellington Phoenix 2-nil in the first-ever Kiwi A-League derby in the capital.
Two late goals from substitute Jake Brimmer secured the three points for the visitors.
Brimmer joined Piney to discuss his game-winning performance.
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The All Blacks managed to narrowly score a win over in Twickenham this morning.
The visitors trailed by 8 with 15 minutes remaining - but surged late and clinched the win via Damian McKenzie's sideline conversion of Mark Telea's try.
All Blacks assistant coach Scott Hansen says the team has some lessons to reflect on before they face off against Ireland.
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The Kiwis are looking to bounce back from their loss to the Kangaroos.
They’re taking on Tonga this evening at Mt Smart Stadium in the Pacific Championship.
Piney catches up with their assistant coach Steve Price to chat about how they responded to their last loss.
He said that they’ve built up their intensity over the week, getting some volume into the team.
“We got a couple days off too, so, you know, the tank will be filled up and we’ll be ready to throw down hard again.”
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An exclusive group of Kiwi athletes gained a few more members this year.
Kiwi Canoeist Alicia Hoskin is now one of our talented athletes who have taken home multiple Olympic Golds in the same Games after her success in Paris.
She joined Piney to reflect on her golden Games and her journey to the top of the podium.
“What an absolute privilege to be able to compete with these girls and to be in a place like Paris doing it.”
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The All Blacks aren’t likely to receive a warm welcome at Twickenham.
After falling to the boys in black earlier this year, the English will be aiming to cut them off at the knees to claim the win for themselves.
Piney caught up with former English midfielder Will Greenwood for a chat about the team’s chances in their third clash of the year.
Greenwood says that for England to be considered a world class team, they’ll have to win three out of four matches at home.
“We’ve got to turn over one of you or South Africa, and on form, I think we have to identify a victory over New Zealand as a very realistic, not overly ambitious target.”
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The Wellington Phoenix are playing host to Auckland FC tonight.
The teams are facing off in the A-Leagues first Kiwi derby in what’s expected to be a tough match.
Piney caught up with Phoenix defender Isaac Hughes ahead of the big game.
“I think everyone knows it's a big game. I think there's no point pretending that it's not.”
“When you get out there onto the pitch, I think as long as everyone's focused on their jobs like, I see no reason why it will impact us.”
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Auckland FC are trekking south to play the Wellington Phoenix on their home turf.
It’s the A-League's first ever Kiwi derby, and spirits and anticipation are high.
Auckland FC vice-captain Tommy Smith joined Piney for a chat ahead of the match, giving an insight into the team’s preparations.
“We know that we can't rest on our laurels, and we wanna keep this run going, so we have to work extremely hard.”
"We know it's gonna be a tough contest.”
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All eyes will be on the very first Kiwi football derby taking place tonight.
Amid all of the fans in the audience will be one very keen eyed spectator – All Whites coach Darren Bazeley.
He joined Piney in the studio for a chat about the importance of this match and what he’ll be looking to see from players, and gave some insight into how this could impact All White selections.
“I think it's one of the biggest days in football in the country for a long, long time.”
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for November 2nd 2024, Piney is joined by former English midfielder Will Greenwood to preview the upcoming test between the All Blacks and England at Twickenham
The A-Leagues first ever Kiwi derby is upon us. Tommy Smith from Auckland FC and Isaac Hughes from Wellington Phoenix join the show ahead of the big match
And two-time Olympic gold medal Canoeist Alicia Hoskin stops in to reflect on her hugely successful Paris Olympics
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 27th October 2024. The Black Caps have made history by winning their first-ever test series in India. Award-winning cricket writer Dylan Cleaver joined the show to discuss where this ranks in New Zealand cricket history.
The All Blacks had a hard fought win over Japan in Yokohama to start their end-of-year tour. Assistant coach Jase Ryan recaps the team's performance.
And Kiwi sporting icon Honey Hireme-Smiler has released her autobiography, and she joined Piney to discuss her life and career.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss Black Caps' victory, the All Blacks' victory, the NPC finals and Chris Wood's goal-scoring form.
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The Silver Ferns have a plan to block out the noise from the passionate Australian fans in game three of netball's Constellation Cup tonight in Perth.
New Zealand have only won once across the Tasman under coach Dame Noeline Taurua - in Sydney in 2019.
Midcourter Kimiora Poi joined Piney to discuss.
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Auckland FC's hoping to keep up the momentum for their next game against Sydney FC.
Kick-off is at 4pm, with both teams set to go head to head at Auckland's Mt Smart stadium.
Auckland FC wing Logan Rogerson joined Piney to discuss.
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Honey Hireme-Smiler's made a name for herself in the world of Kiwi sports.
She was one of New Zealand's first professional women's rugby players, playing for the Black Ferns and the IRB Women's Sevens Circuit.
She's also played in four league world cups and helped the Kiwi Ferns achieve victory in the inaugural Nines World Cup in 2019.
She went on to win a New Zealand Order of Merit - and she's a commentator for Sky Sport.
She joined Piney to discuss her new memoir - Honey: My Story of Love, Loss and Victory.
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The Kiwis are gearing up for a high-stakes final clash against the Kangaroos.
The New Zealand rugby league side pumped the Kangaroos 30-nil in last year's final to snap a 10-game losing streak to the Aussies.
Kiwis forward Joseph Tapine joined Piney to discuss.
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Assistant coach Jason Ryan believes the team handled themselves well - despite a narrow victory over Japan in Yokohama.
The 64-19 win came without 11 frontline players, who had already left for London to prepare for next week’s test against England.
Ryan joined Piney to discuss the win.
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The Black Caps are celebrating after a trailblazing moment in New Zealand cricket history.
The Black Caps' 113-run victory in Pune has sealed the team's first test series win in India - dating back 12 previous series' to 1955.
Award-winning cricket writer Dylan Cleaver joined Piney to discuss the significance of this win.
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The ban on David Warner has now been lifted.
Cricket Australia has removed his lifetime leadership ban, meaning he’s now allowed to captain Australian teams once more.
Australian Correspondent Adam Peacock joined Jason Pine for a chat about the fallout of that decision, and to dig into what happened to West Australia in their One Dayer against Tasmania.
“What happened in Cape Town was obviously horrible and it was bad for Australian cricket, and a light got shone where a light should have been shone a while ago – it’s done. It's over, everyone's moved on.”
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Tonight kicks off the All Blacks’ Northern Tour, the team taking on Japan in Yokohama.
Former All Black Murray Mexted joined Piney to discuss the changes and growth the team has undergone so far this year, and where they still need to improve to have a successful tour.
Mexted told him that the biggest weakness the South Africa tests exposed was the team’s lack of size in comparison to the ‘Boks.
“We just weren't, literally, weren't big enough for the aerial possession battle, which we lost.”
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Tony Brown has spent this season plying his trade with the Springboks, picking up the role of attack coach for the team.
He joined Jason Pine to discuss his journey to the Republic, what it’s like working with Rassie Erasmus, and whether he still has ambitions to coach the All Blacks.
“I played for the All Blacks, obviously from New Zealand, played for New Zealand, Māori, so, you know, one day definitely wanna be able to coach the All Blacks.”
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The Black Caps are closing in on a scarcely believable series win.
They’ve claimed the first test against India and have placed their hosts on the back foot as the Kiwis lead by 301 runs.
Former Black Cap Scott Styris joined Piney to discuss how the team has got to this point, and how important Mitchell Santer's contributions have been to the side.
He told him that Santer is likely to be the most important bowler for the Black Caps heading into the second innings.
“I think it will be all about Santer, just because of that bounce.”
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 26th October 2024, Piney is joined by Springboks assistant coach Tony Brown to discuss his journey to the Republic, working with Rassie Erasmus, and whether he still has ambitions to coach the All Blacks.
Murray Mexted joins the show to discuss the All Blacks end of year tour, and how to address the balance in the loose forwards department
And Scott Styris discusses the Black Caps performance as they close in on a scarcely believable series win against India.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 20th October 2024. It's a three-peat for Emirates Team New Zealand. They finished the job against INEOS Britannia retaining the Americas Cup. Former Team New Zealand Skipper Dean Barker recaps the win.
We preview the White Ferns T20 World Cup final with their star All-rounder, Melie Kerr.
And Liam Lawson makes his F1 return, Bob McMurray chats about how he expects the high-flying Kiwi will go.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss the start of Auckland FC, the White Ferns, the Black Caps, Oli Mathis and Hoskins Sotutu.
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The Wellington Phoenix are gearing up for another football season.
The team begins their A-League campaign against Western United in the Capital at 4pm.
Goalie Josh Oluwayemi joined Piney to discuss.
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The Silver Ferns are expected to go head-to-head against Australia in the first Constellation Cup game, to be held at Auckland's TSB Arena.
The first test is expected to begin at 7:30pm tonight.
Silver Fern Maddy Gordon joined Piney to discuss the team's odds against current cup-holders - Australia.
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Formula One driver Liam Lawson remains upbeat, despite starting from the back of the grid in tomorrow morning's US Grand Prix in Texas.
The Racing Bulls driver posted the third fastest time in the opening qualifying session, but failed to record a lap in the second session - eliminating him in 15th position.
Lawson was always condemned to start from 20th, after his team incurred a 60-place grid penalty for exceeding the season's engine allocation.
Motorsport expert Bob McMurray joined Piney to discuss.
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The White Ferns are feeling hopeful ahead of their T20 World Cup final.
New Zealand pipped the West Indies by eight runs to win their semi-final in Sharjah, after coming into the tournament on a 10-match losing streak.
White Fern Melie Kerr joined Piney to discuss.
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There's elation from Team New Zealand, after the Kiwis walked away with the America's Cup in Barcelona.
They beat out Britannia with a 7-2 series win, clinching a victory and hanging onto the Auld Mug.
Former Team NZ skipper Dean Barker joined Piney to discuss.
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The world’s most expensive horse racing event is taking place today.
Radwick in Australia is playing host to the $20 million Everest Race, and two Kiwi horses are favoured to win.
Horse racing Journalist Mick Guerin joined Piney for a chat about the event and the hefty prize that could be won.
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The White Ferns have defied the odds.
Their triumph over the West Indies cinched their position in the T20 World Cup Final.
Piney caught up with former White Fern Katey Martin for a chat about how the team managed to pull together this improbable run.
“They've just showed so much heart and determination.”
“I saw the girls at the end of the game and they we’re all just in disbelief, they sort of can't quite believe what's happened.”
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Auckland FC are putting faith in their preparation as they get ready for their first-ever A-League match.
They’re facing off against the Brisbane Roar at a packed out Mt Smart Stadium this evening, the match kicking off at 5pm.
The Club’s Head of Football, Terry McFlynn, joined Piney for a chat about the club’s preparations leading up to the match.
“The boys are ready, you know, they've trained, I think yesterday was session 61 since we started. So we're ready to go.”
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There’s a number of big names backing Auckland’s new football club.
Former All Black Ali Williams is one such name, joining Bill Foley as a member of Auckland FC’s ownership group.
He joined Jason Pine to discuss his hopes for the club, as they prepare to make their A-League debut at Mount Smart Stadium.
“It's about fan engagement, it's about getting a buy in, it's about getting a belief that we're not here for a short term, we're here for a long term.”
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Auckland FC's inaugural A-League season kicks off today.
Their CEO Nick Becker joins Piney to discuss the journey of getting the team built as they prepare for their first-ever match in front of a sold-out Mt Smart stadium
“We had to go out and convince people that that we were the real deal. That we actually are a team, we had ambition, and we knew we had a plan to go. But once we got started convincing people that, they bought into it, and they came on board.”
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The Black Caps have responded to their series defeat to Sri Lanka by putting on a textbook display against India.
They dismissed them for 46 in the first innings, then proceeded to amass a lead of 356.
Former Black Caps coach Mike Hesson joined the show to discuss how the team was able to deliver such a strong response.
“New Zealand have been excellent so far, but yeah, there's certainly, there would be no complacency, that's for sure.”
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 19th October 2024, Auckland FC's long-awaited debut is here, and Piney is at Mount Smart Stadium to take it all in. He's joined by CEO Nick Becker, Minority Owner Ali Williams, and Director of Football Terry McFlynn to chat about the club's journey and the excitement ahead of their first match.
Our cricket teams are finding form again, the Black Caps have India against the ropes and the White Ferns have defied the odds, making it into the T20 World Cup final. Former Black Caps coach Mike Hesson and former White Fern Katey Martin both join the show to discuss the success of the teams.
And Mick Guerin joins the show from across the ditch from The Everest 2024 at Royal Randwick, Australia's richest race
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 12th October 2024. Legendary rugby referee Nigel Owens joins the show to discuss World Rugby's controversial 20-minute red card proposal.
Mid Canterbury has achieved something no other Heartland Championship team has done since 2019 - a win over South Canterbury. Their coach Matt Winter discusses how they managed to pull off the upset.
And it's been a good start to the Americas Cup defence for Emirates Team New Zealand having won their first two races. NZ Herald's Chris Reive joins the show from Barcelona to recap the first day's racing.
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This week, James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss NPC quarter finals, the MLB playoffs, and Auckland FC's upcoming season.
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The 20th season of the A-League is about to get underway - and the Wellington Phoenix are gearing up for the new season.
The Phoenix season kicks off on October 20th, with the team going up against Western United FC at home at Sky Stadium.
Coach Giancarlo Italiano joined Piney to discuss the upcoming season.
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Mid Canterbury's snapped South Canterbury's 39-game winning streak in their Heartland Championship semifinal.
The Hammers' 17-16 win in Timaru also ends their southern rival's bid to win four consecutive Meads Cups.
Mid Canterbury coach Matt Winter joined Piney to discuss the win.
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The upcoming A-League season is set to get underway - with Auckland fans having their own team to support this time round.
In eight days, Auckland FC will make their public debut on the field - and the team's determined to prove themselves in their new role.
Auckland FC coach Steve Corica joined Piney to discuss ahead of kick-off.
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Team New Zealand feel constant communication and consensus decision-making helped forge a perfect start to their America's Cup defence.
The Kiwis hold a 2-nil lead over Ineos Britannia after the first day's racing in tough conditions off Barcelona.
NZ Herald sports journalist Chris Reive joined Piney to discuss.
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A controversial proposal allowing rugby teams to replace a red-carded player after 20 minutes has moved a step closer to global implementation.
World Rugby recently confirmed this potential change is one of several new amendments put forward for global use.
Referee Nigel Owens joined Piney to discuss the impact of these changes.
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Rafael Nadal has announced his retirement from professional tennis.
Tennis correspondent Graeme Agars has spent the majority of his career covering Nadal, and he joined Piney to pay tribute to the player’s legendary career.
“He was spectacular and had most guys beaten before they even went out on court.”
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Kiwi driver Matt Payne has claimed provisional pole after the qualifying race for the Bathurst 1000.
Motorsport Journalist Simon Chapman joined Piney to discuss everything that went down during the qualifiers, and who might find themselves on the top of the podium after the Big Race.
“Oh, it's absolute bedlam, really. Craziness at the top of the mountain.”
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The All Whites are kicking off their campaign for FIFA World Cup qualification.
Their Captain, and star player, Chris Wood joined Piney to discuss their upcoming matches and dig into his enthusiasm to play for the national team.
“It's the love of the country and the nation. I mean, New Zealand's my home, it’s where I grew up.”
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Rugby Australia is facing yet another struggle.
The Melbourne Rebels have launched a $30 million lawsuit against RA after being axed by the governing body.
Australian Correspondent Adam Peacock joined Piney to try and make sense of the suit and figure out what they club is trying to achieve.
“It only serves as one thing: the rugby community as a whole look at it and go, ‘What are you guys doing?’”
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The length of the NRL season has been the topic of debate lately.
The season runs seven months from the first week of March until the first week of September, and questions have arisen as to how much it impacts players’ ability to play International Rugby League.
Piney caught up with NZRL CEO Greg Peters for a chat about how we go about getting more of the international game.
“If you really want to return out of the international game, you've got to give it clear space with the top players available, and a decent window to really monetize it and make it appeal to the hearts and minds of fans around the world.”
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for Saturday 12th October, it's the eve of the America’s Cup and Emirates Team New Zealand is preparing to defend the Auld Mug against the challengers INEOS Britannia. Team NZ Helmsman Ray Davies joins the show to discuss their plan for claiming victory on the waters of Barcelona.
All Whites and Nottingham Forrest striker Chris Wood chats to Piney as they begin their campaign for FIFA World Cup qualification.
Also, we preview Bathurst 1000, reflect on Rafael Nadal's career, and discuss whether the NRL season is too long.
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It's the eve of the America’s Cup and Emirates Team New Zealand is preparing to defend the Auld Mug against challengers INEOS Britannia.
The first two races are scheduled for early Sunday morning, the teams taking to the waters of Barcelona.
Helmsman for Team New Zealand, Ray Davies, joined Piney to discuss the team’s plan to claim victory on the water and keep their grip on the Auld Mug.
“We've got quicker, they've got quicker. We don't really know until we actually come off that start line who's gonna have the advantage.”
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 10 October 2024, The All Blacks end of year tour squad is set to be named, with questions surrounding a few players. Sir John Kirwan offers his thoughts on who should be on the plane for the northern tour
Piney has one of his regular catch ups with NZR CEO Mark Robinson and they discuss the report of France planning on sending a weak team to New Zealand next year
And Ryan Girdler and Tawera Nikau preview the NRL Grand Final
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The All Whites start their journey to qualify for the 2026 World Cup as they face Tahiti this Friday. Piney catches up with striker Ben Waine to discuss his time in the UK and how the All Whites preparations have been going
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The Penrith Panthers are looking to make it four Premiership wins in a row as they take on the Melbourne Storm tonight. Piney catches up with Panthers legend and 2003 NRL Premiership winner Ryan Girdler to preview the Grand Final
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It was a hard fought win for Waikato in the Farah Palmer Cup final. James McOnie discusses that game and where are Auckland FC looking to make their home
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The NRL Grand Final is upon us. Melbourne Storm look to stop the Penrith Panthers run of titles. Piney catches up with Storm premiership winner in 1999 and one of New Zealands greatest League players, Tawera Nikau to preview the big match
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Recent reports from France have suggested that they won't be sending their best players to New Zealand when they tour next year. Piney put this to NZR CEO Mark Robinson in one of their regular catch ups
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The All Blacks end of year tour squad is set to be announced with question marks surrounding several players including Sam Cane and TJ Perenara. Piney catches up with Sir John Kirwan to discuss who he thinks should be on the plane to the Northern hemisphere.
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What’s the point of an “end of season review”?
Our Coaching Guru Wayne Goldsmith joined Piney to explain exactly what happens in an end of season review, and what they’re meant to achieve.
“All I'm doing is pointing out what's right in front of you that you can't see.”
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The America's Cup challenger has been decided.
Ineos Britannia will race Team New Zealand for the Auld Mug in Barcelona after beating Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli in the Louis Vuitton Cup.
Sailing professor Mark Orams joins the show to discuss how INEOS managed to take home the Louis Vuitton Cup.
“While it was certainly a battle all the way through the first part of this Louis Vuitton Challenger finals, once they really got the advantage, they just pressed that home.”
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The White Ferns have snapped their 10-match losing streak with an emphatic win over India at the T20 Womens World Cup.
Former White Fern Frankie Mackay joins Piney to discuss the unexpected win for the team.
“They came out with great intent. Openers put on a really good partnership to get things started, India looked rattled, and the really pleasing thing for me with that New Zealand side is they just didn't take the foot off the throat.”
“They just did not give an inch back.”
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It’s the final week of NRL over in Australia, with the Grand Final coming down to two entirely expected parties.
The Penrith Panthers are looking to win their fourth championship in a row as they play the Melbourne Storm Sunday night.
Our Australian Correspondent Adam Peacock joined Jason Pine to give his thoughts as to who will come out on top.
“Flip of the coin,” he said.
“It’s really tough to cut through it.”
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Ellesse Andrews was one of New Zealand's biggest stars at the Paris Olympics.
She dominated the Velodrome, bringing home two gold medals as well as a silver.
Andrews joined Piney to discuss her performance in this year’s Games.
“I don't know if I can pick one memorable moment, but the whole thing was just crazy.”
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After a string of disappointing results for the National team, Tom Latham has replaced Tim Southee as Test Captain for the Black Caps.
He joined Piney to discuss how he's going to turn the team's fortunes around.
“To me, it’s about trying to empower guys to do, to do their roles as best as they can and let them go out with freedom.”
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The change in Black Caps test captaincy obviously had to happen.
Whether it was the captaincy that affected his performances or not, and I actually think it played a big part, the fact is Tim Southee wasn't doing enough to guarantee his place in the team.
That becomes a real issue when you're the captain, even more so on the sub-continent.
More often than not, you play just two seamers in tests over there, so you need to pick your quickest bowler and your best bowler.
Tim Southee is neither of these.
The omission of Matt Henry can only be explained by Southee being captain/
The last time Henry bowled in test cricket was against Australia at the end of our home summer. He took 5-70 and 3-36 in the first test, then 7-67 and 2-94 in the second.
17 wickets at 15.71, easily our best bowler, and probably the best across both sides in the series.
Tim Southee took 4 wickets in those two tests at an average of 61.
Henry also contributed some handy runs, averaging over 25 across the series, Southee averaged 8.5.
But Matt Henry was the man left out of these Sri Lankan tests because Tim Southee was captain. Imagine taking 7 for 67 in an innings against Australia, then being dropped for the next test.
Thankfully, that'll be one of the first things put right by the captaincy change – it'll ensure Matt Henry plays against India.
The question now is whether Tim Southee even goes on that tour.
I don't think he should.
He should stay back here, get out of the limelight, freshen up, and get ready to play the three tests against England before Christmas.
He should definitely play those tests, we'll have a seam-heavy attack, and Southee still earns his place in a 4-prong attack with Matt Henry, Will O'Rourke, and probably Ben Sears. I don't know the current status of Kyle Jamieson, hopefully we'll see him again this summer.
But Southee plays those tests.
And I think that might be a good way to bring the curtain down on what has been, by every measure, a terrific career. 382 test wickets, only Sir Richard Hadlee has more for us than that.
Wouldn't it be great to see him join the exclusive 400-wicket club?
18 more wickets might be a stretch in three tests, but who knows? Without having to worry about anything other than bowling, and on reasonably seam-friendly wickets at Hagley, the Basin, and Seddon Park, he could do it.
I honestly think relinquishing the captaincy is a good thing for Tim Southee.
He is one of our cricketing greats, he deserves to go out on top.
The longer the captaincy saga played out, the more his legacy was being tainted. Now he's got the chance for a swansong at home and to enjoy a fitting end to a great, great career.
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One of the most anticipated returns to rugby happens today.
Cam Roigard has missed the last six months after rupturing his left patella tendon, but joins Counties Manukau today as they take on Manawatu.
He joined Piney to discuss his return and give an insight into what it was like to sit on the sideline for so long.
“It's been, yeah, quite a journey.”
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 5th October 2024, after a string of disappointing results for the National team, Tom Latham has replaced Tim Southee as Test Captain for the Black Caps. He joins the show to discuss how he's going to turn the team's fortune around.
Cam Roigard is set to make his return to the rugby field after his long recovery from a ruptured patella tendon. He discusses his journey back and the difficulty in spending so long on the sidelines.
And 2-time Olympic gold medallist Ellesse Andrews stops in to chat about her heroics in Paris.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 29th September 2024, All Blacks assistant coach Scott Hansen recaps their impressive win against the Wallabies.
Liam Lawson is off to F1 after securing a full time seat to the end of the season at RB. Eric Thompson discusses what this means for Liam and how successful he thinks Liam could be.
And Kelly Jackson from the Silver Ferns previews the Taini Jamison Trophy, which gets underway tonight.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss All Blacks' victory, Liam Lawson's next challenge, the NRL season, the Black Caps' progress and the AFL.
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The Black Ferns are in a renewed state of mind ahead of their next challenge.
The team is set to face off against Ireland on Monday morning in Vancouver to kick off the WXV-1 tournament.
Black Ferns assistant coach Mike Delaney joined Piney to discuss.
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Day two of the America's Cup challenger series between Ineos Britannia and Luna Rossa has been timed out.
Neither boat could finish the opening race after coming off their foils, with the start having been delayed two hours due to light winds.
Sailing commentator Chris Steele joined Piney to discuss.
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The Breakers are hoping for a strong start in Sunday's home opener against the South East Melbourne Phoenix.
Last week's clash was a success for the team - the Breakers walked away with a 91-87 victory over the Brisbane Bullets.
Breakers guard Mitch McCarron joined Piney to discuss.
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This was a good performance from the All Blacks to wrap the Rugby Championship. A performance that reassured us this All Blacks team has the raw materials to consistently challenge the top sides in the world.
There are some tough test matches to come in November - England, Ireland and France in consecutive weeks - and we'll learn more about them when those matches roll around. But for now, it feels like things are trending in the right direction,
There was more than enough there last night, on both sides of the ball, to feel better about the progress of this side than perhaps we have at other times during 2024.
Wallace Sititi - exceptional last night from a bloke playing out of position in just his third test start. There was plenty of debate when he was chosen ahead of Hoskins Sotutu at the start of the All Blacks season, and I think we can safely say they got that one right.
Will Jordan at fullback - he played there often for Razor's all-conquering Crusaders. Last night was his third straight start there for the All Blacks. The extra space he's got back there, the way he assesses the game in front of him, the way he runs and his elusiveness in broken play, which led to another try last night - there's no doubt he'll become our all-time leading test try-scorer.
He's got 35 in 37 tests now, the record is Doug Howlett's 49.
But his defensive work under the high ball was good too - the 15 jersey is his to lose now.
I'm loving seeing Caleb Clarke get back to the form he showed when he first became an All Black in 2020. He's drifted in and out a bit in the time since, he had that brief dalliance with sevens of course - and he played just 5 test matches last year and only 2 starts, he played just 2 of the 7 games at the Rugby World Cup, and they were against Namibia and Uruguay.
But in 2024, he's become the first-choice left wing. 2 more tries last night and a good all-round showing despite that slightly mysterious late yellow card.
And to Tupou Vaa'i - who's played every game this year -7 of the 9 from the start.
When Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick left, lock was a position where there didn't appear to be as much depth as we would have liked. Tupou Vaa'i has stepped up well and truly - and there's a very real contest between he and Patrick Tuipulotu to partner Scott Barrett in the second row.
And just a word on the crowd - Wellington has been rightly criticised in recent times for not turning up for test matches.
Well last night, they turned up to a sold-out Sky Stadium.
And right across the weekend, there was a different kind of buzz around the city. It's what test rugby used to feel like here in the Capital, it's what it should feel like.
May there be many more nights like that.
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The Silver Ferns are gearing up for their next competition.
The three-test Taini Jamison series is set to kick off at the Trusts Arena in West Auckland this evening, with the Ferns playing against the England Roses.
Defender Kelly Jackson joined Piney to discuss the team's mood ahead of the series.
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Liam Lawson's been given the chance of a lifetime - and the pressure is on for him to prove himself in Formula One.
The Kiwi driver's been promoted to the Racing Bulls team for the rest of the season.
Motorsport expert Eric Thompson joined Piney to discuss what this means for Lawson.
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The All Blacks have bounced back again and beaten out the Wallabies at Wellington's Sky Stadium.
The team walked away with a 33-13 win - setting a record for coach Scott Robertson's first year.
Despite the victory, assistant coach Scott Hansen says there's room for improvement ahead of the team's end of year tour.
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The Melbourne Storm are through to yet another NRL Grand Final.
They dispatched the Sydney Roosters in the Preliminary Final, beating them 48-18.
Fox Sports’ Jake Duke joins the show to discuss their success over the season and who they might expect to play in the final.
“I think Melbourne have just been the better side all year,” he told Piney.
“This is a team that was effectively six points clear of everyone else.”
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Daniel Ricciardo's F1 career is, for the meantime at least, now over, with Kiwi Liam Lawson taking over his seat at RB.
Our Australian Correspondent Adam Peacock discusses the fallout across the ditch and the angst at Red Bull with how they've handled the situation.
“It was really, really average human behaviour, I thought, from the people at Red Bull about not fronting up and not owning their decision.”
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The Wallabies gave the All Blacks an almighty scare last week.
They look to build on that performance to pull off an upset against the All Blacks in Wellington.
One of the Wallabies' greatest ever players was John Eales, and he joins the show to discuss how the team can keep improving
“What I hope to see is consistency and just building on, building on the performance of last week,” he told Piney.
“And just less of those bad moments where, where they let the All Blacks in.”
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It's the biggest day on the Australian Sporting calendar.
Both the NRL and AFL Grand Finals are today, the AFL set to kick off first this afternoon.
Eddie McGuire is synonymous with the sport, and he joined Piney to discuss the big day.
“It is, you know, I go to the Super Bowl every year. You know, the Kiwis know what it's like when the All Blacks are playing and it's a big game or a Bledisloe Cup or, or a World Cup in these days. That's what it's like.”
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The Black Caps are up against a mammoth task in their second test in Sri Lanka.
They’ll have to match a colossal total if they hope to even salvage a draw at Galle, not to mention the continuing struggles of opening batsman Devon Conway.
Former Black Cap Ronnie Hira joined Piney to discuss why the team has struggled so much in Sri Lanka so far.
“I think they obviously blew a lot of missed opportunities with the ball on the first day and in the field,” he told Piney.
“It becomes difficult for bowlers to maintain, I guess energy and morale when you see missed chances happening like that.”
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 28th September 2024, Former All Black Carlos Spencer analyses why Damian McKenzie has been struggling in No. 10 for the All Blacks.
Wallabies Legend John Eales discusses how the Wallabies could build on their impressive performance from last week.
And it's the biggest day on the Australian sporting calendar, with the Sydney Swans and Brisbane Lions meeting in the AFL Grand Final. Eddie McGuire stops in to offer his thoughts on the match.
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The All Blacks start a test match on Saturday under coach Scott Robertson with someone other than Damian McKenzie at first-five for the first time.
Beauden Barrett will instead run the cutter against the Wallabies at Sky Stadium, his first start at No. 10 since 2022, with a former All Black playmaker saying that should remain the case as he doesn’t see McKenzie as being at the level of an international first-five.
Carlos Spencer made 35 test appearances in black and only five players have scored more points for the All Blacks than him.
A player of similar style to McKenzie with a prized ability to unlock defences through innovative plays, he tells Newstalk ZB’s Jason Pine he sees the 29-year-old as better suited to fullback.
“I almost feel a little bit sorry for him to be honest. It’s been a tough little road for him, obviously on the back of a team that probably hasn’t performed to its potential and unfortunately it’s usually the No. 10 that takes most of the stick.
“I’ve always considered Damian as a better fullback than a No.10.”
Spencer says McKenzie’s Super Rugby form in the position is evident but does not see him as a test-level first-five.
“Personally, no. I don’t think he is. I think he’s great at Super level but when it comes to test matches I just don’t think he’s got what it takes to be a really assertive No. 10 unfortunately.
“I like Damian McKenzie, I think he’s a great player but I just find that he’s better suited at fullback than 10.”
More time and space on the ball that is found when playing with 15 on his back, rather than 10, is what Spencer says makes McKenzie more suited to fullback.
“He’s got more time to make decisions, there’s a bit more space, he enters the line well. I think he can see more from at the back.
“That doesn’t stop him from jumping into first receiver occasionally from fullback, but I think those are the biggest points. I think he just lacks that direction at test match level where it’s really important.”
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Sailors Andrew Hall and Sandra Bees are going through preparations for the Offshore Double Handed World Championships in France later this month.
They join Jason Pine to discuss being one of 22 mixed gender teams and needing to finish in the top five to advance to the 48-hour final race.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to talk about the All Blacks beating Australia, the NRL Roosters v Sea Eagles match, and the Black Caps v Sri Lanka test.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 22 September 2024, All Blacks assistant coach Jason Holland reflects on the knife-edge victory to retain the Bledisloe Cup and why the team can't score in the last 20 minutes.
Wallabies legend David Campese discusses the Australian side's ability to get back on top, and the influence of international coaches on the home side.
And former Black Caps paceman Mitch McClenaghan chats the Black Caps v Sri Lanka first test.
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Over in Australia, the Roosters have eliminated Manly and will clash with Melbourne in one NRL preliminary final - and the Panthers face the Sharks in the other.
Greg 'Brandy' Alexander joins Jason Pine to discuss how the NRL elimination finals shaped up over the weekend.
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Mitch McClenaghan joins Jason Pine to discuss the first test between Black Caps and Sri Lanka so far, the first rest day in a test in 16 years, and how the final days of the test will shape up.
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Wallabies legend David Campese joins Jason Pine to discuss the influence of international coaches on a home side, the Australian attack and just how capable they are of making their way back to the top of worldwide competition.
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The All Blacks have retained the Bledisloe Cup after a nail-biter match against Australia in Sydney.
All Blacks assistant coach Jason Holland joins Piney to talk about the knife-edge 31-28 victory, and why the team are finding it so hard to score in the last 20 minutes of the game.
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Two decades, a simple team talk and a gold medal.
This weekend the 2004 Wheel Blacks are reuniting to celebrate their feat from 20 years ago at the Athens Paralympics, when they won wheelchair rugby gold.
Coach of the winning side Grant Sharman joined Piney to reminisce about the win and share what he said to the side ahead of the match.
“Enjoy what you're doing. Sorry, process stick to process, but the biggie was have fun, have fun out there. You know, you never know when you're back, and they did.”
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The jostling for inclusion at the 2026 Commonwealth Games has ramped up after confirmation Glasgow will step in as host.
A lite edition of the event featuring 10 sports will be staged at four existing venues.
Swimming and athletics are guaranteed with netball, sevens and track cycling looking odds on, given the stadia selected.
Silver Ferns Coach Dame Noeline Taurua joined Piney for a chat about the importance of netball’s inclusion in the Games.
“For us, it's, it is very important because it's counted as a pinnacle event for us – we don't have the opportunity to go to the Olympics.”
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With the All Blacks desperate to hold on to their final major piece of silverware, the Wallabies are in for an intense match.
Australian Correspondent Adam Peacock joined Jason Pine to give an update ahead of the game and a look into the world of Aussie Sport.
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Consistency is the name when it comes to the All Blacks’ performance thus far in 2024, according to a former player.
Mike Brewer told Jason Pine he thinks they're still trying to find their feet with respect to their style and overall methodology, but overall, it’s been a positive run.
He joined Piney for a chat about their use of the bench and run against South Africa before this evening’s Bledisloe Cup test against Australia.
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The Breakers are confident of putting their pre-season woes behind them in tonight's NBL opener against Brisbane in Perth.
The Kiwi outfit lost all four of their preseason games, while the red-hot Bullets won six of their seven, including the Blitz preseason tournament.
Breakers guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright says Brisbane should be feeling confident, but the Breakers also like their chances.
He told Jason Pine he feels very strongly about the new group.
“I know guys that have played in this league, a good mixture of veterans experience and, you know, some hungry guys that, you know, are eager to prove themselves. So I think it's, it's the making of a team that can really have a good season.”
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 21st September 2024, the All Blacks are desperate to hold onto their last major piece of silverware as they prepare to face the Wallabies for the Bledisloe Cup. Rugby Australia President Joe Roff joined Piney to give his thoughts on tonight’s test and recount some of his memories playing against the boys in black.
Dame Noeline Taurua gave her thoughts on the importance of the Commonwealth Games to the under-threat sport of netball.
And former Wheel Blacks coach Grant Sharman stopped by for a chat on the 20th anniversary of the team’s Gold Medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
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Our politicians aren’t the only ones focused on doing the basics brilliantly, as the Wallabies prepare to fight the All Blacks for the Bledisloe Cup.
Rugby Australia President and former Wallaby Joe Roff joined Jason Pine for a chat about his memories facing off against the boys in black, and give his thoughts on how tonight’s test will pan out.
“Our team just have to have the discipline not to provide the opportunities that that New Zealand always and invariably pounces on."
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss the classic All Blacks v classic Taniwha clash, the All Whites, the Football Ferns and the new Super Rugby format.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 15th September 2024. A huge afternoon in Marlborough as the Ranfurly shield is on the line. Mako Captain Quinten Strange discusses what winning the shield has meant for the top of the South.
Gold medal high jumper Hamish Kerr stops in to have a chat about his heroics in Paris.
And Black Ferns star Ruby Tui recaps a tough defeat at the hands of England at Twickenham.
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The Black Caps are itching to finally play some cricket ahead of their test series in Sri Lanka.
Not a single ball was bowled during their five-day warm up with Afghanistan after it was washed out.
New Zealand's last test was against Australia in March.
Coach Gary Stead joined Piney to discuss.
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There's a nervous mood among fans as the Wellington Lions face off against the Tasman Mako for the Ranfurly Shield.
Nelson Bays life member Shane Drummond joined Piney to discuss.
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The Wellington Lions are ready to challenge the Tasman Mako for the Ranfurly Shield.
The Lions will play against the Mako in NPC's round six that doubles as a Shield game.
Wellington's Jackson Garden-Bachop joined Piney to discuss.
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The Black Ferns have switched focus to their next job following their historic first test at Twickenham with England.
New Zealand have lost 24-12, with winger Katelyn Vaha'akolo grabbing two second half tries.
They now prepare for the WXV tournament in Canada starting at the end of the month, where they'll face Ireland, the Red Roses again and France.
Outside back Ruby Tui joined Piney to discuss.
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Hamish Kerr's performance in the Paris Olympics has been regarded as one of the defining sports moments of 2024.
Kerr won gold after coming out on top in a jump-off against American Shelby McEwen.
He joined Piney to discuss this historic moment from earlier in the year.
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The Lions have the chance to win the Ranfurly Shield for the eleventh time in the union's history, when challenging Tasman in Blenheim this afternoon.
Tasman Mako captain Quinten Strange joined Piney to discuss the team's odds of hanging on to the shield.
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Rugby Kiwis head coach Stacey Jones joined Jason Pine live in the studio for a chat, discussing the upcoming Pacific Championship, the Warriors’ performance in 2024 and answering listener questions.
The Pacific Championship is set to kickoff late next month. The competition is two-tiered, with men’s and women’s teams from across the region competing for the Pacific Cup and the Pacific Bowl.
There will also be two match days in New Zealand with the grand finals to be played in Sydney on November 10.
The Kiwis and Kiwi Ferns will face off against the Kangaroos and Jillaroos in a double-header at Christchurch’s Apollo Projects Stadium on October 27, marking the Kiwis’ return to the city after five years and the Kiwi Ferns’ first South Island Test since 1998. The Kiwis will then take on Tonga at Auckland’s Go Media Stadium on November 2.
Meanwhile, Jones finalised his coaching staff for the Championship in July and it features six former Kiwis. Steve Price, Nathan Cayless and Adam Blair are assistant coaches. Stephen Kearney, the 2008 World Cup-winning Kiwis head coach, works in a culture and leadership adviser role while Daryl Halligan and David Solomona round out the team as kicking coach and wellbeing manager, respectively.
He told Piney that he’s excited to get into camp.
“I'm looking forward to the final series and players getting through unscathed.”
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Pacific Championship schedule Sunday, October 27: Pacific Cup – New Zealand v Australia (men and women) at Apollo Projects Stadium, Christchurch
Saturday, November 2: Pacific Cup – New Zealand v Tonga (men) at Go Media Stadium, Auckland
Sunday, November 3: Pacific Cup – New Zealand v Papua New Guinea (women) at Santos Stadium, Port Moresby
Sunday, November 10: Pacific Cup men’s and women’s Grand Final in Sydney, Australia
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Super Rugby is going through a few changes.
Most notable is the alterations to its finals format, with all six teams who qualify for the post-season featuring in the quarter-finals – the three winners and highest-seeded loser making up the draw.
CEO Jack Mesley joined Jason Pine to discuss the changes to the competition.
He told Piney that they think the new format is going to create great interest at the back end of the season, and then deliver some really compelling rugby cup final series.
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The first week of the NRL Finals are underway, which started with a dominant win to the three-time reigning champions.
Piney catches up with Brad Walter from NRL.com to discuss what we might see from the rest of the finals matches this weekend.
“People have been concerned that the Panthers have been flat, you know, and haven't looked sort of maybe as hungry as they have in past years, but they certainly came out last night looking like the team to beat in in the final series.”
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The tumultuous reign of Jitka Klimkova has come to an end.
In her time as coach the Football Ferns achieved a groundbreaking win over Norway, but aside from that success her tenure was filled with many failures and controversies.
NZF CEO Andrew Pragnell joined Piney to discuss what has led to her departure.
“At the end of the day, she's put it in pretty hard yards. She's achieved some things we've never achieved before, she's transitioned the team in a way that we haven't seen over the past ten years, and she feels her time's up.”
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 14th September 2024, Kiwis Coach Stacey Jones joins Piney in studio for a wide-ranging chat about his career, the Warriors’ disappointing season, the upcoming Pacific Championship, as well as taking some questions from callers.
New CEO of Super Rugby Jack Mesley discussed the changes to the Super Rugby draw and finals format.
And NZ Football CEO Andrew Pragnell explains the controversial departure of Jitka Klimkova from Football Ferns coach.
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James McOnie joined D'Arcy to discuss the All Blacks' loss to South Africa, the Tasman Mako's victory for the Ranfurly Shield and the start of the NFL season.
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The NFL season is underway, with a solid opening for the returning champions.
The Kansas City Chiefs have edged the visiting Baltimore Ravens 27-20.
Fox Sports commentator Ben Maller joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 8th September 2024, D'Arcy Waldegrave fills in for Jason Pine, and after another loss to the Springboks, catches up with All Blacks assistant coach Tamati Ellison to work out why we can't beat our old foes.
Anna Grimaldi has picked up our first Paralympics gold medal in Paris, she joins the show.
And Tasman Mako hero Campbell Parata stops in after his match-winning kick secured the Ranfurly Shield for the Mako for the first time in their history.
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The new test cricket season is set to get started, and specialist spinner Ajaz Patel is welcoming the challenge.
The Black Caps are due to play six tests in India and Sri Lanka - with the first clash against Afghanistan taking place next week.
Patel joined D'Arcy to discuss the upcoming matches.
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The 2024 Paris Paralympics are drawing to a close with New Zealand bringing in a total of 8 medals.
Former Paralympic gold medallist Dame Sophie Pascoe sat out this year - but covered the Games as part of TVNZ's broadcast team.
She joined D'Arcy to discuss this year's event.
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The Tasman Mako have lifted the Ranfurly Shield for the first time in their history - beating holders Hawke's Bay 25-24.
Tasman had never previously won the Log O' Wood since the unions of Nelson Bays and Marlborough combined in 2006.
Campbell Parata, the man behind the match-winning penalty shot, joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss the victory.
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Anna Grimaldi's swiftly put long jump disappointment and her opponents behind her to win gold in the T47 200-metre final at the Paris Paralympics.
The Kiwi finished fourth in the defence of her long jump crown, before blitzing the field for a surprise 200 metre triumph a day later.
She joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss her victory.
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Missed opportunities will be replaying through the All Blacks' heads as they leave South Africa.
New Zealand's 18-12 loss to the Springboks in Cape Town is their fourth straight defeat against the Springboks.
All Blacks assistant coach Tamati Ellison joined D'Arcy to discuss the loss.
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The Magpies have held tight to the Ranfurly Shield this season, but they now face a stiff challenge from the undefeated Tasman Mako.
The Tasman’s will be aiming to make history, claiming the Shield for the first time, while Hawke’s Bay will be fighting to keep their title.
Coach Brock James joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to discuss how the team plans to keep the Shield for another week.
“Whatever opportunities present themselves to us, or whatever opportunities we can create during the game, we know we're gonna have to take them because there won't be a lot of them.”
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Tonight could be one for the history books for one rugby club.
The Tasman Mako have never won the Ranfurly Shield, but tonight could see them taking home the trophy.
Their head coach, Gray Cornelius, joined D’Arcy Waldegrave as the team looks to make history for the top of the South Island.
“It’s a unique opportunity for, for a lot of fellas, so you can’t shy away from it.”
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Rugby tours may soon be back on the table for the All Blacks and South Africa.
While it hasn't yet been officially announced, an eight-match away tour has been all but confirmed for 2026.
NZ Rugby CEO Mark Robinson joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to dig into a few of the murky details surrounding the potential tour.
“It feels like it’s definitely the right thing for the fans, and I know that the players are super excited as well.”
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The Wallabies have been nothing short of poor for the past couple of years, however the public heat hasn't gone on them.
Our Australian Correspondent Dan Lonergan joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to discuss the apathy that’s set in for the 15-man code.
“Italy have gone ahead of us, Argentina have gone ahead of us, Ireland are one of the best in the world, and Australia used to be better than them, better than Wales, better than Scotland.”
“We are so far in the rear-view vision mirror of those teams.”
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The Springboks have been buoyed by the arrival of Kiwi coach Tony Brown and are aiming to carry their momentum from Johannesburg through to Cape Town.
Former Springbok Werner Swanepoel joins D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss Brown’s influence on the team, and where the second test will be won and lost.
“Suddenly, you know, we bring some more New Zealand flair to a South African backline, and I think that's quite, quite exciting for us heading into the next World Cup.”
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David Nyika has returned to New Zealand after a minor disruption.
His initial opponent was disqualified in his previous fight, but now he’s back for his first fight since his pro debut, fighting against American Tommy Karpency.
He joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to discuss his upcoming bout.
“It’s been a long time coming, and I’m really excited to fight in front of my home crowd again.”
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 7th September 2024, D'Arcy Waldegrave’s filling in for Jason Pine, and he catches up with NZR CEO Mark Robinson to discuss the potential future South African tours.
Former Springboks halfback Werner Swanepoel stops by to discuss the upcoming All Blacks test against South Africa in Cape Town.
And rising Kiwi Boxer David Nyika joins the show to talk about his next stop on his road to the Cruiserweight World Title.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joins Piney to discuss the All Blacks losing to the Springboks and Lydia Ko's successful golf run.
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New Zealand's own Futsal Ferns are set to compete in their first-ever international fixture.
Ahead of the upcoming FIFA Futsal Women's World Cup, captain Hannah Kraakman joined Piney to discuss.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 1st September 2024, the All Blacks have fallen short against the Springboks at Ellis Park. Assistant coach Jason Holland joins the show to discuss where the team fell short.
South African rugby journalist Mark Keohane offers his perspective on the test match.
And Adam Blair stops by to reflect on Shaun Johnson's final game heroics.
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At least three former All Whites have joined the ownership group of Auckland FC ahead of the upcoming A-League season.
Noah Hickey is among those who've committed to investing in the new team - he joined Piney to discuss.
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A fairytale finish to the NRL career of Warriors star Shaun Johnson.
The retiring halfback's laid on the pass for Dallin Watene-Zelezniak's match-winning try - as the visitors erased an 18-point halftime deficit for a 30-28 victory over the Sharks in Cronulla.
Former Warrior Adam Blair joined Piney to discuss Johnson's NRL farewell.
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Triumph for the Springboks, as the Rugby Championship match hosts beat out the All Blacks.
South Africa won the Ellis Park clash 31-27, despite the All Blacks holding a 10-point lead at the start of the match.
Journalist Mark Keohane joined Piney to unpack his personal highlight of the match.
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Discipline is high on the All Blacks work-ons list as they prepare for the rematch against the Springboks in Cape Town.
New Zealand conceded 14 penalties to five in the 31-27 Johannesburg defeat - as well as throwing away a late 10-point lead.
Prop Ofa Tu'ungafasi was also shown a yellow card late in the match.
Assistant coach Jason Holland says they also failed to put further points on the board at crucial moments.
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It’s a whole new world for New Zealand’s futsal scene.
For the first time ever, a New Zealand team has qualified for the Men’s Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan.
Futsal Whites coach Marvin Eakins joins Piney to discuss their journey to the World Cup.
“It's been a heck of a ride... with lots of heartbreak and lots of stories along the way.”
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It's not often the All Blacks go into a test match as underdogs, but they will when the face the Springboks at Ellis Park.
The two teams are facing off for the first time since the 2023 Rugby World Cup Final, in which the Boks came out on top.
Newstalk ZBs voice of rugby Elliott Smith joins Piney to preview the match.
“There’s a steely determination for this All Blacks team, that they believe they’re capable of delivering a result at Ellis Park.”
Elliott Smith will be providing live commentary of the match from 3am on Newstalk ZB.
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Waves were made when Leon MacDonald left the All Blacks coaching group, the move coming as a surprise to most.
Piney caught up with coaching guru Wayne Goldsmith to get his thoughts on the situation, and the importance of a unified front among coaching staff.
He told him that as a general rule, you can fight it out behind closed doors, but as soon as the door opens again there needs to be a unified front and message.
“You get it all out and then as soon as the door handle goes, it's one voice, one team, one message. No ambiguity, absolutely clear.”
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The Aussies have come out firing at Flushing Meadows, with 4 men through to the third round.
Dan Lonergan joins as our Australian Correspondent to discuss the Aussie success at the US Open, along with all the other big stories from across the ditch.
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Springbok legend Breyton Paulse is no stranger to success against the All Blacks at Ellis Park.
20 years ago he scored a try in a 40-26 win over the All Blacks in the 2004 Tri Nations.
He joined Piney to discuss the upcoming test between the All Blacks and Springboks at Ellis Park.
“I know New Zealand is going through a bit of a rough patch and, and we as Springbok players and ex-Springbok players, we can never write them off.”
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The All Blacks are preparing for a fierce match at Ellis Park.
They’re facing South Africa in their next Rugby Championship game, playing in one of the most intimidating stadiums in the game.
Sean Fitzpatrick was the captain of the first ever All Blacks side to win a test series in South Africa.
He joins Piney ahead of the test to discuss the chances of Scott Roberston's team, and dig into how tough it is to play in South Africa.
“The fans are relentless, day in, day out, morning, nighttime, they’re telling you how the Springboks are going to beat you.”
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 31st August 2024, the All Blacks are preparing for their biggest test of the year. They’ll be facing the Springboks at Ellis Park, and former All Blacks captain Sean Fitzpatrick joins Piney to discuss their chances against their old rival.
Springboks legend Breyton Paulse stops by to discuss the rivalry between to two great rugby nations.
And the New Zealand mascot for the 176 tour to South Africa called in with a few stories to tell.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss Leon MacDonald's departure from the All Blacks staff, Shaun Johnson saying goodbye to Mt Smart and the Warriors - and the start to the America's Cup.
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Over in Europe, Kiwi golfer Lydia Ko is in a tie for 4th heading into the final round of the Women's Open at St Andrews.
Ko's just finished a one-under round to be four under for the tournament, just three shots behind the leader.
Former pro golfer Phil Tataurangi joins Piney to discuss Lydia Ko's performance.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 25th August 2024, the Louis Vuitton preliminary regatta is underway, and Emirates Team New Zealand has started strong, yet to lose a race. Sailing commentator Chris Steele discusses their chances of defending the Cup in Barcelona.
Jannik Sinner has tested positive for a banned substance but has avoided punishment. Former director general of WADA David Howman joined the show to discuss the controversy surrounding Sinner.
And Liam Lawson looks likely to be given a drive in F1. Bob McMurray offers his thoughts on why it's taken so long.
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Kiwi shooter Neelam O'Neill isn't as nervous as you'd expect a first-time Paralympian to be.
O’Neill will be the first woman Paralympian to represent New Zealand in pistol shooting and the second in rifle shooting.
She joined Piney to ahead of the upcoming Paralympic Games.
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Liam Lawson will have a fulltime drive in Formula One next year, with his Red Bull team appearing to virtually confirm the news.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko – in an interview with an Austrian newspaper – says a decision will be made in the next month and the New Zealander will definitely be in one of their cars next year.
Motorsport expert Bob McMurray joined Piney to explain further.
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World tennis number one Jannik Sinner is after a fresh start heading into the final grand slam of the season.
The Italian has fired his physio and fitness trainer on the eve of the US Open, which starts at Flushing Meadow this week, after he tested positive for a banned substance through accidental contamination.
Former WADA director general David Howman outlined the controversy with Piney.
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Team New Zealand has qualified for the final of the final preliminary regatta ahead of the America's Cup in Barcelona.
With one round remaining, Luna Rossa shapes as the Kiwis' likely opponent for the final.
Sailing commentator Chris Steele join Piney to discuss if New Zealand has what it takes to come out on top.
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The All Whites have named close to their strongest possible squad for their upcoming friendlies against Mexico and the USA.
Piney catches up with head coach Darren Bazeley to discuss the luxury of having such a strong group of players to pick from.
He said that having such a range of strong players is good for them.
“Now there's competition for places and you know, they all know that the, the level of the players that are potentially in front of them, and they know what they've got to do to get back into that selection.”
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Lulu Sun is the first high profile name to commit to the upcoming ASB Classic.
Piney catches up with tournament director Nicolas Lamperin to chat about how big it is to have Lulu commit, and dig into who else they're targeting.
He said that while getting Top 10 players can be something of a challenge, there are ongoing discussions, and if not a Top 10, there will be players ranking between 10 and 20 for sure.
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The Olympic Games are done and dusted, and the Paralympics are only a week away.
New Zealand is sending 25 athletes along, competing across eight different Para sports.
Piney caught up with Anna Grimaldi, one of our biggest medal hopes, as she prepares for her third Paralympic Games.
She told him that being offered the role of flag bearer was really special, and a personal achievement for her.
“It was a no brainer to say yes.”
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With the news of Leon MacDonald leaving the All Blacks, conversations across the Tasman have arisen about potentially bringing him into the Wallabies coaching fold.
Our Australian correspondent Adam Peacock passes those whispers along to Piney, as well as a mention of a new Rugby League immortal and the pointy end of the AFL season.
“I think a lot of people in Australian rugby will be well open to the idea.”
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Shaun Johnson has played his last NRL match at Mount Smart Stadium.
The stadium was renamed ‘Shaun Johnson Stadium’ for the night as the Warriors took on the Bulldogs.
Piney catches up with one of his earliest Warriors teammates, Micheal Luck, to discuss Johnson’s career and legacy.
“He was always going to go on and have a good career.”
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It was a surprise from the All Blacks camp as Leon MacDonald steps away from the coaching set up.
Former All Black and rugby analyst Jeff Wilson joins Piney to discuss what might have led to this outcome.
“I think they’re focusing on everyone being exactly on the same page.”
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There was a lot of hyperbole when the news of Leon MacDonald's departure broke.
"The news sending shockwaves around the rugby world."
The All Blacks were supposedly in turmoil, in chaos, in crisis, in disarray.
But that's not true, is it? Yes, it's unexpected. It's certainly big news, but when you peel it all back, it's one of a number of assistant coaches in the All Blacks set-up departing.
He's not the head coach, he hasn't been sacked, this isn't performance based.
There's nothing improper here. It's just two guys who are passionate about the game of rugby in passionate disagreement on how the most iconic team on the planet should be playing to win test matches.
Sport is all about opinions – my radio show exists largely because of them.
There's no one right way, otherwise everyone would be doing the same thing.
The best thing that happened out of this whole thing was how quickly this was done. If something's not clicking and not working, with no sign the gap can be bridged, why pretend? It's best for everyone to move on in separate directions.
I think it's a very courageous decision by both men, especially Leon MacDonald. He could easily have toed the line, gone against his rugby beliefs and carried on in a job he was unhappy in.
Instead, he trusted his instincts and stuck to his convictions.
That means he's not part of the All Blacks coaching group anymore. This seemingly dream job that turned out to not be what he hoped or expected.
He would have gone into this, both he and Razor would have, with the best of intentions, but sometimes things don't work out.
One of my favourite sayings is "fail quickly". And that's actually the wrong phrase, because there's no failure here, but I think you'll get my drift.
Find out quickly and move on, because not everything you try on is going to fit.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 24th August 2024, Leon MacDonald has left the All Blacks coaching staff. Former All Black Jeff Wilson dissects what has happened and what this means for the All Blacks.
Shaun Johnson's Mt Smart career has come to an end. One of his earliest teammates Micheal Luck stops in to chat about his legacy and career
And the Paralympics are about to get underway, Anna Grimaldi is one of our main medal hopefuls, and she stops in to preview the Games.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss the All Blacks' win, the start of the English Premier League - and his newest project.
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Famed referee Ben O'Keeffe is set to break Paddy O'Brien's record for most first-class XV games refereed.
He joined Piney to discuss.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 18th August 2024, the All Blacks have bounced back in impressive fashion against Argentina. All Blacks assistant Scott Hansen recaps the win with Piney.
UFC 305 is kicking off in Perth, Ravinder Hunia offers her thoughts on whether Israel Adesanya can become a three-time world champion.
And Tom Rennie gives us the big stories from the first week of the English Premier League.
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An opening round goal for Chris Wood in football's English Premier League.
The All Whites striker's scored Nottingham Forest's lone goal in a 1-all draw with Bournemouth.
Elsewhere - the reign of new Liverpool manager Arne Slot has started with a hard-fought 2-nil victory away to newcomers Ipswich Town.
Football broadcaster Tom Rennie joined Piney to discuss.
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Katelyn Vahaakolo is set to join the Black Ferns for their upcoming end of year tour.
The team will play against England in Twickenham before venturing to Canada for the WXV1 tournament in September.
Vahaakolo joined Piney to discuss.
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That first half - Sam Cane called it a clinic afterwards, and that's a pretty good description.
Everything the All Blacks did in that first 40 was pretty much perfect, and in fairly challenging conditions at times - it was pretty wet at kickoff. The rain did ease off for large parts of the game, but the execution of skills in those conditions was really impressive.
To their immense credit, the Pumas regrouped at half-time and were much more competitive after the break - the second half score was 7-all, but the damage was done by an utterly brilliant first half.
With TJ Perenara, it would appear rumours of his imminent demise have been somewhat exaggerated. He was tremendous last night - what a response to his challenging evening in Wellington.
That run and pass for Will Jordan's first try was sublime. His awareness to see the opportunity down the blindside and the skill to execute it, I bet he slept well last night.
Ethan Blackadder was absolutely terrific. 2 tackles, and he was still tackling in the 83rd minute at 42-10 ahead. It's the kind of workhorse performance that epitomises his approach to the game.
There was also a huge shift from Ethan Blackadder.
And it seems almost repetitive to mention Ardie Savea, but we have to. Just exceptional, yet again.
The stats only tell some of the story, but here they are:
18 carries and five defenders beaten, another try - his 27th in tests - he's level now with Richie McCaw as our highest try-scoring test forward.
He also gave the final pass for Caleb Clarke's try. And on the other side of the ball, 12 tackles and no missed tackles.
Afterwards, he said he demanded physicality from his team through words and actions.
"We'll lead and let the boys follow us."
Imagine having Ardie Savea as the guy to follow.
You'd run through brick walls and still be looking for the next one.
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Israel Adesanya isn't pulling his punches after his most recent fight in the octagon.
The Kiwi returns at this afternoon's UFC 305 event in Perth, challenging South African Dricus du Plessis for the middleweight title.
It marks his first fight in 11 months - after losing the middleweight belt to American Sean Strickland last September.
Sky UFC host Ravinder Hunia explains what fans have to look forward to.
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The All Blacks will head to South Africa with work to do, but in a much better mindset after their 42-10 response against Argentina.
A clash with the Springboks in Johannesburg is next up in a fortnight - a rematch of last year's World Cup final.
Assistant coach Scott Hansen joined Piney to recap the team's victory.
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It was a successful Olympic Games for Australia, with their highest ever Gold Medal count, but it was one of their worst performers to make the news.
Rachael Gunn stole the headlines around the world with her performance in the breakout sport of Breaking, scoring zeros across the board.
Adam Peacock, our Australian Correspondent, joined Piney to discuss the Olympic highs and lows from our neighbours across the ditch.
“Everyone’s got an opinion.”
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The Hamilton's Darts Masters have returned, and the biggest names in the sport have descended on NZ shores, including voice of Darts John McDonald.
He joins Piney to discuss the scenes from Hamilton, and the rise of Luke Littler.
“This is an exceptional talent who seems to take everything in his stride.”
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The Silver Ferns will be missing Grace Nweke next season as the shooter will be making a shift over to Australia.
The 22-year-old has signed on with the New South Wales Swifts in Australia’s Super Netball competition, leaving her ineligible for the Silver Ferns.
Nweke joined Jason Pine for a chat about her decision, and what went into making it.
“I was definitely feeling like I needed a change up just in, both lifestyle, and in my netball, and I guess that life experience with a big move.”
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Can Southland win the Ranfurly Shield?
Hokonui’s host of the Muster (and Stags superfan) Andy Muir certainly thinks so, joining Piney to discuss exactly how they're going to do it.
He said that when it comes to these big games, especially being a Southland fan, you’re realistic that things aren’t going to fall your way, but at the same time, there’s always a chance.
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Towering shooter Grace Nweke won’t play for New Zealand next year as she signs with the New South Wales Swifts in Australia’s Super Netball competition for the 2025 season.
The 22-year-old – who has played for the Northern Mystics since debuting in the ANZ Premiership in 2019 – was announced today by the Swifts via a statement on their website.
Grace Nweke told NZME she was keen to move across the ditch because she wasn’t challenged enough in Aotearoa.
“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 there so an opportunity to play for the Swifts came across to me and I really had to sit on it - but do feel right now that this move will be massive for growing my netball.”
Matt Whineray, chair of the Netball New Zealand board, joins Piney to discuss what this means for NZ Netball.
“This is an opportunity for Grace – there's a real commitment from Grace to the black dress and the Silver Ferns in the long term.”
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast Saturday 10th August 2024, the All Blacks are looking to bounce back from their loss last week to Argentina. All Blacks Mark Tele'a, Patrick Tuipolotu, and Caleb Clarke join Piney to discuss the week they've had.
Devon Conway and Finn Allen have become the latest Black Caps to turn down central contracts in favour of playing T20 Franchise cricket. NZ Cricket Players Association boss Heath Mills joins the show to discuss what this means for the future of cricket.
And Grace Nweke is heading to Australia, joining Piney to discuss why she's made that decision.
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With more and more franchise T20 Cricket leagues popping up around the world, cricket is facing many changes and challenges.
Black Caps Devon Conway and Finn Allen have become the latest in a line of players who turned down national contracts in favour of playing in franchise leagues.
New Zealand Cricket Players Association boss Heath Mills joined Piney to discuss what this means for the future of the game.
“I can't in any way see how it's good for our sport where we have franchise competitions competing directly with international cricket, for the interests of not only the players but also for the fans.”
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Following last week’s loss to Argentina, Jason Pine headed along to the hotel the All Blacks were staying in.
He sat down with three of the Auckland based All Blacks; Mark Tele'a, Patrick Tuipolotu, and Caleb Clarke to discuss their season from the Blues to the All Blacks.
Patrick chats about the rise of his locking partner Sam Darry, Mark talks about being world rugby's breakthrough player of the year, and Caleb Clarke tells the story of how he found out his dad was a famous All Black
Plus, they discussed the aftermath and emotions following on from a loss like last week’s, the highs and lows of squad selection.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss last night's gold medal haul - and shares his experience meeting Tony Hawk.
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Some of the world's best darts players are set to come together during the upcoming Hamilton Masters.
New Zealand number one Haupai Puha joined Piney ahead of the event.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 11th August 2024. A golden day in Paris with Lisa Carrington, Lydia Ko and Hamish Kerr all claiming gold medals. Hamish and Lydia both join the show to bask in their golden glow.
However, the All Blacks were a different story, losing their first test in the Scott Roberston era to a fired-up Argentinian side. Assistant coach Jason Holland joins Piney to discuss what went wrong.
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Golfer Lydia Ko is an Olympic champion - winning the women's competition by two-strokes at Le Golf National.
The Kiwi's fired a one-under 71 in the final round to finish ten-under overall, which included a 46-foot putt on the seventh hole.
The result sees Ko complete the trifecta of medals after winning silver in Rio and bronze in Tokyo.
Ko joined Piney to discuss her victory.
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The All Blacks are reflecting on what went wrong in their 38-30 loss to Argentina in Wellington.
It continues their winless run in the capital since 2018 and marks the Pumas' third-ever victory over New Zealand.
Assistant coach Jason Holland joined Piney to discuss.
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Hamish Kerr is looking back on the moments that led up to his gold medal-winning performance in the men's high jump final at the Paris Olympics.
Kerr clinched New Zealand's ninth gold medal of these Games, beating American Shelby McEwan in a jump-off after neither could clear 2.38 metres.
He joined Piney to recap the winning leap.
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Australia is sitting pretty in third on the medal tally, with a total of 18 Gold medals in the Olympics so far.
Some across the ditch as describing it as their greatest games ever, including our Australian Correspondent Adam Peacock.
He joins Piney to discuss the Australian team’s performance at the Paris Olympics.
Peacock told Piney that anything upwards of sixth on the table is pretty good in his opinion, given their population, so being top six, top five feels really good.
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After a nervy qualifier, Hamish Kerr has made it into the finals for the Olympic high jump.
Roger Te Puni, one of New Zealand’s best high jumpers, joined Piney to discuss Kerr’s chances in the finals.
He told Piney that in his opinion, Kerr is absolutely a gold medal chance.
Te Puni said that the other contenders are strong jumpers, but Kerr has shown some pretty great form that could get him to the gold.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 10th August 2024, silver for Maddi Wesche in the shot put! She joined Piney to chat about her triumph in Paris.
The All Blacks are preparing for the first Rugby Championship test against Argentina, so former All Black Pita Alatini joined the show to discuss what he expects may happen.
And Darts World Champion Luke Humphries chats to Piney ahead of the Hamilton Darts Masters.
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The Rugby Championship is just around the corner.
The All Blacks are facing off against Argentina tonight in the opening match at Sky Stadium in Wellington, kicking off at 7pm.
Piney caught up with former All Black Pita Alatini to discuss what we should expect from the match.
He told him we should always treat Argentina with the respect they deserve, remembering that they are a threat, and it wasn’t long ago they defeated the All Blacks on home soil.
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It's been a whirlwind year for World Number 1 Darts player Luke Humphries, starting off with winning the World Champs.
He's in New Zealand for the Hamilton Darts Masters, and stopped in for a chat with Piney about his ascent to the top of the World.
He told Piney that to win the three biggest tournaments he’s always dreamed of winning, all in the space of about 6 or 7 months, is unbelievable.
“I’ve achieved a lot already in this game, but I wanna keep striving for more.”
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Maddison-Lee Wesche claimed the silver medal in a thrilling women’s shot put final at the Paris 2024 Olympics this morning.
Yemisi Ogunleye of Germany emerged as the ultimate champion, but not before a nail-biting battle with Wesche for the top spot.
For most of the final, Wesche held the lead. However, Ogunleye had a remarkable final round throw, stealing the lead from the Kiwi athlete.
Piney caught up with Wesche for a chat about her incredible achievement.
She told him that she’s pretty happy, liking the feeling of throwing a personal best at the Olympics and getting a silver medal, though she would’ve liked the gold.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 4th August 2024. More medals for Kiwis at the Olympics as Emma Twigg rows to silver, she joins Piney to reflect on yet more Olympic glory.
Lydia Ko also joins the show as she prepares for another tilt at Olympic gold in the golf.
And Sam Whitelock has begun his post-rugby playing career by releasing his autobiography - View from the Second Row - he stops by to discuss his rugby career and that new book.
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James McOnie from the Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss the highs and lows of the ongoing Paris Olympics.
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Mental performance coach David Niethe has built a solid brand training and motivating people over the years - having worked with City Kickboxing and Israel Adesanya, among others.
He's put his expertise into a new book- The Winning Mindset.
He joined Piney to elaborate further.
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Mystics captain Michaela Sokolich-Beatson is feeling confident about the team's odds of winning this afternoon.
The Mystics are expected to go up against the Pulse in this afternoon's ANZ Premiership grand final in Wellington.
Sokolich-Beatson joined Piney to discuss the team's strategies further.
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After spending part of the season out of commission, Pulse shooter Tiana Metuarau is feeling hopeful ahead of this afternoon's clash against the Mystics.
She joined Piney to discuss what viewers can expect.
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Former All Black Sam Whitelock is reflecting on the ups and downs of rugby in his new book.
Samuel Whitelock: View from the Second Row, Whitelock looks back on a sports career filled with achievements - and hidden costs.
Listen to his full chat with Piney here today.
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We're a week into the ongoing Olympic Games, and there's been plenty of emotional moments.
Viewers have seen Kiwi athlete undergo joy or pain as they achieve great moments - or narrowly miss the mark.
Coaching expert Wayne Goldsmith explains how athletes can handle their emotions in these high-pressure situations.
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Kiwi golfer Lydia Ko is hoping to complete her set of Olympic medals ahead of her final round at the Games.
Ko claimed silver in Rio and a bronze in Tokyo - and hopes to go for gold.
She joined Piney to discuss further.
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Rower Emma Twigg has shared her delight for Karolien Florijn's Olympic triumph.
The 37-year-old Kiwi fell short of back-to-back gold medals, finishing just in the wake of her Dutch rival.
Twigg joined Piney to discuss her victory.
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A case of rinse and repeat for the Warriors when it comes to their error count following a 30-20 loss to the Eels in their NRL game at Mt Smart.
The home side recorded 15 errors during the contest.
Rugby League Journalist Brad Walter joined Jason Pine to give his thoughts on last night’s game and where the Warriors go from here.
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It’s a mixed bag for our trampolinists at the Olympics.
Dylan Schmidt crashed out of the men’s trampoline final, losing his chance at reclaiming the podium, while Madeline Davidson pulled through into the final.
Piney caught up with both of them after the respective events.
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Kiwi rowers have been bringing in the medals in Paris, a bronze, a silver, and a gold all in the space of one day.
Lucy Spoors and Brooke Francis brought home the Gold in the women’s double sculls, the women’s four took the Bronze, and finally, the men’s four claimed the silver.
Lucy Spoors and Matt Macdonald joined Jason Pine for a chat about their success in the games, and what it feels like to claim those medals.
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Adding another medal to New Zealand’s tally was Isaac McHardie and William McKenzie who took the silver in the men’s skriff 49er race.
McHardie joined Piney to recap the race and go through his emotions in the wake of their success.
“We, we can't quite believe it yet. It hasn't sunk in, you know, the, the last race was immense and we yeah, we, we're super proud.”
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for Saturday 3 August 2024, New Zealand sailed its way to silver medal at the hands of Isaac McHardie and William McKenzie, McHardie joining Piney to recap the race.
Trampolinist Dylan Schmidt crashed out of the Olympics, while Madeline Davidson pulled through to the women’s trampoline final. Piney caught up with both of them shortly after their respective events.
And Rugby League Journalist Brad Walter gave his thoughts on last night’s match between the Warriors and the Eels at Eden Park.
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After guiding them to two Euro finals, the quarter finals of the FIFA World Cup in 2022 and the Semis in 2018, Gareth Southgate has resigned as manager of the English national football team.
Performance coach Owen Eastwood, who worked alongside alongside him, joined Piney to chat about his and Gareth's time with the English football team.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild host joins Piney to recap the eventful beginning to the Paris Olympics!
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 28th July 2024, there's heartbreak in the pool as Erika Fairweather fell agonizingly short of standing on the podium in the 400m freestyle. Gary Francis is the Olympic lead for Swimming NZ and he joins the show to discuss where our next medal hopes are in the pool.
The punishment for Drone-Gate has been handed down to Canada, Dylan Dyson joins us from Canada to give his thoughts on what he described as a heavy-handed punishment.
And Gregor Paul stops in to discuss who might be picked in the All Blacks Rugby championship squad.
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The pressure is on the Canterbury Rams to go back-to-back in basketball's NBL competition.
The Rams are set to face off against the Auckland Tuatara in today's NBL decider.
Sky Sport's Justin Nelson joined Piney to discuss.
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There's disappointment among Kiwi fans as Erika Fairweather came up short in today's race.
She'd only just missed a medal - finishing fourth in the women's 400 metre freestyle final.
Coaching expert Wayne Goldsmith joined Piney to explain how she can move forward.
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The All Blacks are bracing themselves as coach Scott Robertson prepares to name his squad for the upcoming Rugby Championship.
There's plenty of speculation surrounding some key positions - especially following captain Scott Barrett's recent injury in San Diego.
NZ Herald sports reporter Gregor Paul joined Piney to share his predictions.
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FIFA have made their decision on the drone spying scandal at the Paris Olympics - and they haven't held back.
Canada have been deducted six points and three coaches - including head coach Bev Priestman - have been banned for a year after they twice spied on New Zealand training sessions.
Ottawa-based sports reporter Dylan Dyson joined Piney to discuss the 'heavy-handed' sanctions placed on the team.
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A medal has just eluded Erika Fairweather in the women's 400 metre freestyle final at the Paris Olympics.
The Kiwi swimmer's finished fourth in a star-studded field.
Swimming NZ Olympic Program Lead Gary Francis joined Piney to discuss Erika Fairweather's performance.
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The Mainland Tactix are hosting the Northern Mystics for a spot in the ANZ Premiership final. Tactix defender Karin Burger joins Piney to discuss the challenge ahead of them as the resurgent Mystics look to upset the home team.
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The Northern Mystics travel to Christchurch to take on the Mainland Tactix in the ANZ Premiership elimination final for a chance to play the Pulse for the title. Mystics goal shoot Grace Nweke joins Piney to preview the match.
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Rachin Ravindra has been plying his trade in the USA.
Taking off overseas, he’s been playing for the Washington Freedom in Major League Cricket.
He joins Piney to discuss how that experience has been for him so far.
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Much like in New Zealand, it's all about the Olympics in Australia.
Our Aussie correspondent Adam Peacock joined Piney to discuss the expectations for the Australian team that's gone across to Paris.
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The Oly Whites have got off to a winning start at the 2024 Olympics.
With a 2-1 over Guinea, they’re now preparing to face the USA in Marseille.
Defender Finn Surman joins Piney to discuss the challenge ahead of them.
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The Warriors have found themselves back in the winning column.
It was a hard-fought win over the cellar-dwelling West Tigers, a match in which third choice fullback Roger Tuivasa-Sheck shone.
Warriors Assistant Coach Slade Griffin joined Piney to unpack the win.
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The 2024 Olympic Games kicked off with a bang – or a light show.
NZ Herald Sports Reporter Michael Burgess is on the ground in Paris, taking in the festivities before and as the games begin.
He joined Piney to give a sense of the energy and excitement in the city.
"I think this is going to be an absolute beauty, mainly because of the venues being all in the city, all these classic venues, and talking to the athletes, they’re all so excited about being able to perform at some of these iconic stadiums and venues.”
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The 2024 Olympics are officially underway.
With the Opening Ceremony complete and the Olympic torch lit, it’s time for the Games to begin proper.
New Zealand’s Chef de Mission Nigel Avery joined Piney to discuss the team’s expectations, and how they’re feeling heading into the Games.
He told him that everyone’s very excited, as now is the crunch time and the competition is definitely on for many of the athletes.
“This is what they’ve been training and preparing for, physically and mentally, for such a long time.”
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 13th July 2024, the Olympics are underway. New Zealand Team Chef de Mission Nigel Avery joins Piney to discuss the expectations for the team.
Warriors assistant Slade Griffin discusses the team's hard-fought win over the cellar-dwelling Wests Tigers.
And Rachin Ravindra pops in from the USA where he's been plying his trade for the Washington Freedom in Major League Cricket.
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There's less than a week to go until the 2024 Paris Olympics, and sports fans are feeling the hype.
Sports broadcaster Joseph Romanos joined Piney to outline his predictions.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 21st July 2024. The All Blacks have won their first three tests under Scott Robertson, after a convincing win over Fiji in San Diego. Former All Blacks coach Laurie Mains joins the show to assess how Razor has started his All Blacks coaching tenure.
The White Ferns are in complete disarray. They return from their tour to England with zero wins and eight losses. NZCs head of high-performance Bryan Stronach joins Piney to discuss where the team goes from here.
And Sarah Walker is our final guest on our Road to Paris feature, just one week out from the Olympics.
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With less than a week to go until the 2024 Paris Olympics, BMX champion Sarah Walker is looking back on her athletic accomplishments.
To date, Walker is New Zealand's only BMX Olympic medallist, having won silver in the 2012 London Games.
She joined Piney to talk about the challenges and accomplishments of her athletic career.
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In trying to improve the consistency of the White Ferns, where should we be focusing our attention?
First and foremost, it seems to me that our domestic competition simply doesn't prepare our players for international cricket.
There are a couple of sides that dominate domestic women's cricket, but the overall standard of the domestic comp is simply too far below international cricket.
Scoring lots of runs and taking lots of wickets domestically isn't a good indicator as to whether a player is ready to contribute consistently at international level, because the gap is currently too big between the two.
The best elite sporting structures also create competition for places in the national side.
The realisation and crystal-clear knowledge that if you don't perform, there's someone waiting to take your place - and take their chance - simply doesn't exist right now.
And that in no way says that players don't care because they know they can't get dropped, but it's a simple fact that competition for places increases performance.
Bryan Stronach talked about addressing that - not only the Super Smash and Hallyburton-Johnstone Sheild - but the age-group comps and creating a bigger pool of talent.
But the word he used most was time, it takes time.
Unfortunately, in the instant gratification and results-driven business of elite sport, you're not always afforded that.
The worst thing that can happen here is for apathy to set in, in the White Ferns fan-base, especially its discretionary one.
Sports fans who will take interest and invest in a side they see is making progress, and is backed by an organisation with a constant search for improvement - my gut feel is that isn't how NZ sports fans feel about the White Ferns right now.
They are very much on the fence about watching them or not.
And there's only one thing worse than not performing and not progressing - and that is becoming irrelevant.
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The White Ferns have departed from their white ball tour of England after eight losses from eight games, with the governing body citing inexperience as a key reason for their struggles.
NZ Cricket head of High Performance Bryan Stronach joined Piney to discuss the team's run of disappointment.
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All Blacks coach Scott Robertson's clearly on a hot streak, having won 3 straight test matches in a row.
The team beat Fiji 47-5 in San Diego last night, with six new faces making their All Blacks debut.
Former All Blacks coach Laurie Mains joined Piney to discuss Robertson's prowess.
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Which players yesterday put the most pressure on for places in the All Blacks side for the Rugby Championship?
If we assume the side that played against England was the first-choice 23, who put their hand up highest yesterday for a place in the 23 for the next test against Argentina in Wellington in 3 weeks' time?
I think anyone would say Billy Proctor did.
He made a really, really good debut at centre, good running lines, nice hands under pressure, albeit against a Fijian side that didn't get up in his face like England did to Jordie Barrett and Rieko Ioane when they were here.
One of the qualities of great centres is the ability to set up their outsides, the way Joe Stanley, Frank Bunce and Conrad Smith did.
Again, Billy Proctor looks like the type of player who can do that, as well as break the line himself. He's an eyes-up player and a very quick decision-maker -so he's one.
I'd say Cortez Ratima is making a pretty good case for inclusion in the 23. It sounds like TJ Perenara will be back for the Rugby Championship and Noah Hotham did well on debut yesterday too. Throw in Finlay Christie and there's a bit of a logjam building at halfback.
One thing I'd love to see, maybe on the end of year tour, is the Cam Roigard / Cortez Ratima halfback double punch.
But even before Roigard comes back, I think Cortez Ratima is ideally suited right now to the impact role off the All Blacks bench.
The scrum was good yesterday, with an almost entirely different pack in action, the lineout was certainly better than the shambles at Eden Park and they conceded just one try against a side renowned for their attacking unpredictability and strike power.
So, a lot of boxes were ticked.
There is, of course, the caveat of how much we can take from a game against Fiji, who, while they've improved in recent years, didn't look anything like the same side that beat England and Australia last year.
But you can only play what's in front of you, and the All Blacks did that.
And finally- no cards, red or yellow, in the first three tests under Razor. Compare that to last year, with Sam Cane's red and Shannon Frizell's yellow in the World Cup final, Codie Taylor and Aaron Smith's yellows against Ireland in the quarter-final, Ethan de Groot's red against Namibia in pool play, Will Jordan's yellow against France in the opening game and Sam Cane's yellow and Scott Barrett's red in the warm-up match against South Africa.
5 yellow and three red cards in the last eight test of 2023, none so far this year.
That's a sign of pretty good discipline under the new regime.
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Fiji face the All Blacks in San Diego this afternoon.
Former player and referee Glen Jackson is the current coach of Fijian Drua and spent time coaching the national team in the past.
He joins Jason Pine to discuss whether Fiji can pull off an upset.
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To celebrate the quarter-century ESPN Australia have released its 25 greatest Aussie athletes of the 21st century.
Adam Peacock offers his thoughts on who they have at number 1, and could Ange Postecoglou be next in line for the England job.
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I saw Chanel Harris-Tavita afterwards and you could tell how devastated he was. Games aren't won or lost on missed kicks, Andrew Webster made that point afterwards.
But the fact remains if he'd landed that last conversion from a pretty handy position, the scores would have been level, and this game might have taken a different path.
The other kicks he missed were tricky. Kurt Capewell and Mitch Barnett both scoring out wide left, not ideal for a left-footed kicker.
The Warriors now have 19 points from 18 games. They're 4 points outside the top 8 now, with 6 games still to play this weekend, so it could be 5 points outside the top six by the end of the weekend, and just seven rounds remaining.
We're starting to get into the territory of talking about "mathematical chances" of making the top eight, which is never good.
This was a team we were so optimistic about at the start of the season. After last season, and having arguably strengthened the squad, we were talking top four.
That's not going to happen now.
And top eight is far from certain, but still achievable.
Let's look at the remaining games:
- Tigers at home
- Eels at home
Absolutely must win those two
Then,
- Dolphins away
- Sea Eagles away
- Bulldogs at home
- Sharks away
And the bye to finish.
Of those last 4 games, all against teams in the top 8 right now, you'd have to think the Warriors would need to win at least 2, and probably 3 of them
This is getting really tough now.
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Rory McIlroy has missed the cut at the final Major of 2024 at Royal Troon in Scotland.
Scott Taylor out of Talksport UK has been there and joined Jason Pine to discuss all the action on cut day
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The Warriors have lost another winnable game, this time a 2 point defeat to the Raiders in Canberra which leaves their finals hopes hanging by a thread.
Veteran Nrl journalist Phil 'Buzz' Rothfield joins Piney to discuss what has been going wrong for them all season
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On the Weekend Sport show with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 20th July 2024
Veteran NRL Journalist Phil 'Buzz' Rothfield recaps the Warriors' loss to the Raiders, and assessing their chances of making the 8
Former player, referee and assistant coach of Fiji, Glen Jackson previews the ABs v Fiji
Talksports' Scott Taylor after cut day at the Open Championship
Adam Peacock discusses the top 25 Aussie athletes of the 21st century, and could Ange Postecoglou be in line to take over from Gareth Southgate?
Bonnie Jansen joins in from Snapdragon stadium in San Diego
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Ahead of the Football Ferns' clash with Australia, forward Lucy Jenkins joined Piney to discuss the team's chances.
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There's hope that England can bring home a win ahead of the Euro 2024 final.
As the team gears up to face Spain, football writer Dominic Fifield joined Piney to discuss.
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The Crowd Goes Wild host James McOnie joined Piney to discuss the All Blacks' victory over England, the latest with the 2024 Euros, Wimbledon, and the upcoming 2024 Olympics.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 14th July 2024. Another thrilling affair between the All Blacks and England saw the men in black come out victorious. Frank Bunce provides his analysis of the match and series.
Beauden Barrett turned back the clock and played hero when he came on, his dad, Kevin 'Smiley' Barrett also stopped by to chat about his son's performance and what it's like to watch his sons lead the national team.
And Dame Valerie Adams is our penultimate guest on our Road to Paris feature.
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Kevin 'Smiley' Barrett, the father of the three Barrett brothers, was among the nervous All Blacks fans watching along with last night's nail-biter of a test match.
Beauden has been regarded as the man of the match for his game-changing 29 minutes of tactical kicking that steered the team towards victory.
The senior Barrett joined Piney to discuss the team's victory.
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Retired Olympic shot-putter Dame Valerie Adams is regarded as one of the nation's best athletes.
Adams has brought home four Olympic medals over the course of her athletic career, five Commonwealth Games medals - and was named the youngest Dame in New Zealand's history.
She joined Piney to discuss her accomplishments ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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Beauden Barrett has delivered a masterclass off the bench to steer the All Blacks to a 24-17 test win over England.
The veteran fullback's 125th test match was one of his best, offering a game-changing 29 minutes of tactical kicking as well as setting up the go-ahead try by Mark Tele'a.
Former All Black and rugby commentator Frank Bunce joined Piney to recap the victory.
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A few thoughts on last night's test match-
Beauden Barrett was just utterly terrific. That game changed when he came on, he sparked the All Blacks, he got them on the front foot, he set up Mark Telea's second try and pulled off a huge defensive play at the end.
I saw a great tweet last night -"Is there a minimum number of minutes someone has to play to get Man of the Match? Asking for a Beauden"
Look, Stephen Perofeta's had a good couple of outings, he hasn't done anything wrong, but he's not Beauden Barrett.
Beauden will start the Rugby Championship at 15, nothing surer.
The conundrum Scott Robertson will now face is what he does when Will Jordan's fit - a nice problem to have.
Cortez Ratima had a good debut, he provided zip and zing off the bench. I reckon he's earned the right to start against Fiji next weekend.
I also thought Fletcher Newell also made a big difference when he came on.
The end to the game was a bit controversial, but correctly officiated. England were mauling from the lineout, the maul was successfully defended. Ollie Lawrence and Jamie George broke off that maul, but Lawrence was in front of George, who had the ball - and was therefore offside as the All Blacks tried to make a tackle
He was obstructing the All Blacks. You can't create a new maul with a player in front of the ball carrier, it was the correct call. In any case, Jamie George didn't get the ball down, he was held up by Beauden Barrett
What England were saying is that because there was still time to play, it should have been a line dropout, which would have given them the ball back.
There are a few issues to address for the All Blacks. The lineout was shambolic in the first half, across the game, they lost 7 of their own throws through steals or pressure, it was a huge work-on for the All Blacks.
Yes, Maro Itoje is a formidable opponent at lineout time - and had another brilliant game - but he's just one man in the lineout.
The All Blacks can't let themselves become a team that's known for being vulnerable at lineout time.
The kicking, in particular the box kicking - I don't mind it as a tactic, it's part of the game but it wasn't done effectively last night.
There was often no energy in our chase and the kicks were a bit too long as well which didn't allow them to be contested. Basically, we're just giving the ball back.
By contrast, all of England's box kicks were contested. England are a very good rugby team, I'm not telling you anything you don't already know. Maro Itoje is world class, Marcus Smith could well become that, Steve Borthwick seems like a genuinely good bloke and an excellent coach.
And if we're honest with ourselves, England had the chance to win both of these test matches. Instead, the All Blacks escaped - and I think that's the right word - with two victories.
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The Sail GP grand finals have arrived.
The Black Foils have already booked their ticket to the final shootout.
Piney caught up with co-CEO Peter Burling to discuss how preparations have gone for the big race.
Since they’re already confirmed for the final, Burling told him that although there’s a temptation to take it easy in the upcoming race, they’ll still be pushing as hard as ever.
He said that with how the league works, you have to win the last race to win the league, so they need to make sure they’re ready to go for the final.
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Wellington Phoenix standout Ben Old has moved to Ligue 1 football team Saint Etienne.
He caught up with Piney to discuss his time in the capital and how this move was brought about.
He told him that he was never in a rush to leave the Phoenix, but when he got the offer from Saint Etienne, he was hooked.
“It wasn’t the easiest thing to go through, but I’m so glad it’s all been sorted out now.”
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Kiwi tennis star Lulu Sun has lit up Wimbledon with her dream run to the quarter-finals.
After coming through qualifying, Sun became the first New Zealand woman to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals in the Open era, but lost to Croatia’s Donna Vekic in three sets.
She caught up with Piney to discuss the thrill of going from qualifier to quarter-finalist.
Sun told him that it’s been a whirlwind of emotions and new experiences.
“I’ll just continue working and continue, you know, trying to level up for future, future events.”
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It’s set to be another big week of sport across the Tasman.
The Wallabies are preparing to face Wales, and the Maroons and Blues are preparing for the State of Origin decider.
Plus, all of Australia’s biggest sports stars are preparing for the ever-looming Olympics.
Adam Peacock joined Piney to keep us across it all.
He told him that it’s been pretty quiet ahead of the “almighty storm” that will be Wednesday’s decider.
Peacock said that Queensland will be better, and whether New South Wales will be as good will define what happens with the State of Origin series.
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With England in town for the All Blacks tests, RFU CEO Bill Sweeney stopped by for a chat with Piney.
They talked the state of the Northern Hemisphere game and the relationship between NZR and the RFU.
He told Piney that they’re a lot closer now in terms of where they want to get with the shape of the game.
But, Sweeney said, the biggest challenge the sport faces on a global scale is attracting a younger audience.
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There’s a lot at stake tonight.
The All Blacks haven’t lost a match at Eden Park in 30 years, and England hasn't beaten the All Blacks on New Zealand soil for 21 years.
Both of those records are on the line tonight after last week's 16-15 win in Dunedin.
Former All Blacks centurion Mils Muliaina joined Piney to discuss how both teams will be feeling heading into tonight's test.
He told him that England’s narrow loss last weekend in Dunedin would’ve pumped the team up, as there is an opportunity to break the 30 year streak.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 13th July 2024 Piney comes to you live from Eden Park ahead of the 2nd test between the All Blacks and England. Mils Muliaina joins him to discuss how both teams will be feeling after last week's battle.
RFU CEO Bill Sweeney stops by for a chat about the Northern Hemisphere game and how closely the RFU works alongside NZR.
And Kiwi tennis hero Lulu Sun chats about her dream run at Wimbledon.
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A few questions ahead of tonight's second AB's v England test:
What would have been the biggest areas of focus for the AB's this week?
Three things.
One: The collision areas. England trumped us there last week.
Two: Finding a way to combat England's rush defence. Cross-kicks are one way, but quicker, slicker ball is another.
Three: Lineouts. Not good last week, both with connections and throwing. Codie Taylor and Asafo Aumua have big nights ahead.
Will Damian McKenzie change his pre-kick routine after being timed out last weekend?
I doubt it. Kickers are metronomic with the way they prepare for kicking.
He'll also have a shot-clock on the big screen, which would have been very handy last weekend.
How will Cortez Ratima go on debut?
Good, I think. He's been a quality Super Rugby halfback for a while now and looks every inch a player who'll go well in black.
He'd want to as well, with Noah Hotham also now in the mix and Cam Roigard on the improve, competition for the halfback spots is about to intensify.
Will England break the Eden Park fortress?
It feels unlikely.
Something happens to the All Blacks and visiting teams on that patch of grass, how else can you explain the last 30 years?
Only 6 of the current All Blacks 23 were even born when France scored the try from the end of the earth in 1994.
It felt like England's chance was last weekend.
So, who wins and by how many?
All Blacks. And for me, more comfortably than the one-point victory that started Razor's reign in Dunedin.
I've got them by 10 this time.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss the All Blacks' test match victory, the Warriors' latest loss and the ongoing Euro 2024 tournament.
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Ahead of the Melbourne Cup going on tour, keeper Joe McGrath joined Piney to discuss the responsibilities associated with keeping an important award safe.
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The All Blacks have overcome their first test under new coach Scott Robertson.
Despite Damian McKenzie’s timed out penalty – after using up his allotted 60 seconds – the All Blacks hung on for a 16-15 win over England.
NZ Herald rugby editor Liam Napier joined Piney to discuss.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 7th July 2024, the All Blacks have started the Razor era with a hard-fought win over England. Former All Black and match commentator Paul Miller recaps the win.
Also floods of talkback with mixed opinions on the result and Damian McKenzie being timed out late in the game attempting a penalty.
We also continue our Road to Paris segment with 2004 Athens gold medallist, triathlete Hamish Carter.
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Kiwi triathlete Hamish Carter managed a historic Olympic comeback in 2004 -walking away with New Zealand's only gold medal for the sport in Athens.
Carter went on to place sixth in the 2006 Commonwealth Games and placing second in the 2006 World Championships.
He joined Piney to discuss his athletic legacy ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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Despite some rocky moments, the first All Blacks test of the Scott Robertson era ended on a high note.
The team trailed 15-10 midway through the second half, before two Damian McKenzie penalties put the hosts back in front and eventually won them the match.
Former All Black and match commentator Paul Miller joined Piney to discuss the team's victory over England.
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This was a very good test match.
I watched the Wallabies play Wales last night when I got back to my room, and the intensity, skill level and ferocity of the contest was nowhere near what we saw in Dunedin.
England are a proper rugby side, one that came within a point of reaching the Rugby World Cup final, that beat Ireland in the Six Nations, and that very nearly beat the All Blacks in New Zealand last night for just the third time in their history, and the first time in 21 years.
We knew what their strengths were -close, combative, one-off rugby with ball in hand, and a smothering defence designed to deny the All Blacks any space to weave their magic in midfield.
That leaves gaps out wide and certainly Sevu Reece’s try came from the tactic designed to combat that, the cross-field kick.
But England were also expansive when the occasion presented itself, way more than I expected them to be.
I was so impressed with the general play of England first-five Marcus Smith, he’s a true triple-threat with ball in hand - he can kick, pass or run as the fancy takes him.
The only blot on his copy book last night was his goal kicking, he left 8 points out there, and in a 1-point game, that is obviously not great.
Maro Itoje was also excellent for England, a good try and a constant physicality around the field that caught the eye.
Best on park for the All Blacks for me was Patrick Tuipulotu. It’s incredible to think he was in major doubt for this series, but his all-round play, accuracy in his core roles, ball carries, lineout takes and strong tackling was just excellent.
The obvious talking point though is Damian McKenzie’s penalty attempt being timed out. The rule is that from the moment you signal your intent to take a kick at goal; you have 60 seconds for the kick to be taken.
I think we’re probably all OK with the rule. It's designed to stop time wasting, especially late in the games. But surely there needs to be a shot clock on the big screen, a visual cue for the kicker and for us in the crowd.
Every other sport that uses shot clocks of varying degrees- basketball with its 24 seconds to take a shot, tennis for serves, cricket for DRS reviews, anything where there is a time limit for something to happen - has a visual demonstration of that on the big screen at the venue.
Why wasn’t there one there last night?
There simply must be a visual indicator for the 60 seconds it's an absolute no-brainer. Don’t be surprised to see a shot clock on the screen at Eden Park next weekend.
To give Damian McKenzie his due, he didn’t complain afterwards. He owned it, and said he has to make adjustments.
I’ve watched it back and timed it, and the referee is bang on with his timing, from the moment he points to the posts to indicate the kick, it’s exactly 60 seconds before he blows again for the timed-out call.
It took about 20 seconds to get the tee out, and Damian McKenzie doesn’t have the ball on the tee until 40 seconds. From there, he was also up against the clock, and so it proved.
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The ever-popular show SportsCafe is returning.
The SportsCafe-ish podcast features three of its original cast: Marc Ellis, Leigh Hart, and Ric Salizzo.
Ric joined Piney to discuss what brought about its return.
He said he remembered when catching up with Marc and Lee how much fun it was, and thought why not do something together.
The growing use of YouTube, podcasts, and social media provided a new space for the show to thrive.
“The opportunity to sort of work in those new mediums with people that you really enjoy working with, I mean, it was just a no brainer.”
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The Paris Olympics are in sight as they begin later this month.
Tokyo silver and bronze medallist Danielle Aitchison has been in blistering form this year, preparing for another successful Paralympic games.
She joined Piney to discuss her journey to being top in her field.
Aitchison said that Paris has been a goal since Tokyo, and for the last three years it's what they’ve been targeting every year.
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The Warriors are bouncing back from their horrific loss to the Titans a couple weekends back, taking on the Bulldogs tonight.
Chanel Harris-Tavita has been instrumental in the Warriors success this season.
They look to continue it in this afternoon’s match when they face the Bulldogs.
Chanel joined Piney to discuss how they are planning on keeping their momentum rolling after last weekend’s success.
He told Piney that in their match against the Titans, they weren’t physical enough, but coming home to a sold out home crowd got their energy right up.
“The more we can do that, the better we’ll go.”
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Much like the All Blacks, the Wallabies also have their first test match under a new coach.
They take on Wales tonight in Joe Schmidts first game in charge.
Our Australian correspondent Adam Peacock joined Piney to discuss what approach Schmidt has brought to the team, and what the expectations are for the Wallabies this season.
“I don’t think there’s too many people who really know what we’re going to get from the Wallabies in this next six months.”
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New Zealand have gone further than ever at the Under 17 World Cup after beating Lithuania in the quarterfinals.
They're also the second NZ basketball team to make the semifinals of a World Cup.
Phill Jones was part of the first team to make a semi at the 2002 World Cup, and his son, Hayden is part of this Under 17 team.
He joined Piney to discuss how big this achievement is for basketball in New Zealand.
Jones told him that it’s a pretty big achievement, what with basketball being one of the biggest sports in the world, for a younger group to make it to the World Championship.
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The All Blacks are facing off against England tonight in the first test of 2024 .
It’s Razor’s first test at the helm, and fans are buzzing to see how his team fares.
The English have named a strong team in their bid to spoil first test.
Piney caught up with English rugby writer Daniel Schofield to discuss how the team’s looking to get the better of the Men in Black.
He told him that England is coming out of the Six Nations with quite a bit of momentum, and they’ve got settled combinations and a quiet confidence.
“And obviously arriving at a time when the All Blacks are in transition with a new coach, new captain, new halfbacks, there’s a real sense that this is probably England's best chance since ‘03.”
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Dunedin is hosting the first test of the Scott Robertson era as the All Blacks prepare to face England.
All Blacks and Otago legend Ben Smith joined Piney to discuss what we can expect from this new All Blacks team.
Smith told Piney that there’s a lot of hype around it being the first test match, a new sort of era.
“And then I suppose with it, like, everyone’s wondering, I suppose, the style of play and what’s gonna set this All Blacks team apart from the others?”
“It’s exciting.”
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 6th July 2024 All Blacks and Otago rugby legend Ben Smith previews the first test of the year at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
English Journalist Daniel Schofield discusses how England will look to spoil the occasion in Razor's first test match in charge.
And Chanel Harris-Tavita joins the show ahead of the Warriors showdown against the Bulldogs.
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Hurricanes star Billy Proctor was stoked to learn he was part of Scott Robertson's first All Blacks squad in the role.
He joined Piney to discuss the good news.
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Australia's T20 Cricket World Cup hopes were dashed after being struck out by Afghanistan.
Australian sports correspondent Adam Peacock joined Piney to examine what went wrong.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joins Piney to discuss All Blacks squad announcement, the Warriors' comeback victory against the Broncos and the latest theories about the Football Ferns' coaching saga.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for Sunday June 30, former Super League player and coach Willie Poching celebrated the Warriors 32-16 win over Broncos - a sharp contrast to last week's loss.
Kiwi triathlete Hayden Wilde is feeling pretty confident ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics. He joined Piney to discuss his training journey.
All Whites striker Ben Waine is expecting Vanuatu to put up a tough fight in today's OFC Nations Cup decider.
And as part of the Road to Paris, Olympic shooting champion Natalie Rooney talked about her record-setting accomplishments in Rio back in 2016.
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New Zealand's best-ever Olympic shooting result occurred in 2016, after Natalie Rooney brought home a silver medal in the Rio Olympics.
Rooney's been competing as a trap shooter for over 18 years, and placed 5th and 4th in the 2010 and 2014 Commonwealth Games, respectively.
She joined Piney to discuss her athletic legacy ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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One All Whites striker isn't expecting today's OFC Nations Cup decider against Vanuatu to be a walk in the park.
New Zealand crushed the hosts 4-nil when the two sides met in the group stage more than a week ago.
Despite this, Ben Waine joined Piney to outline the challenges ahead of their 4pm kickoff.
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Kiwi triathlete Hayden Wilde is aiming for gold ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Wilde was named to race is his second Olympics this week, and hope to top his bronze medal-winning performance in Tokyo.
He joined Piney to discuss the lead-up weeks out from Paris.
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The Warriors have bounced back from their Gold Coast NRL horror this weekend.
The team walked away victorious by beating the Broncos 32-16 at Mt Smart stadium.
Former Super League player Willie Poching joined Piney to discuss.
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The Warriors have bounced back from their Gold Coast NRL horror this weekend.
The team walked away victorious by beating the Broncos 32-16 at Mt Smart stadium.
Former Super League player Willie Poching joined Piney to discuss.
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Piney’s not in the ZB studio this week.
Instead, he’s been broadcasting from the NZCIS – the New Zealand Campus of Innovation and Sport.
It boasts of being a unique, world-leading facility for sports teams looking to train, eat, sleep, and play all in one location.
NZCIS GM Jamie Tout joined Jason Pine to dig into what the facility has to offer.
He told him that NZCIS stacks up among the best in the world.
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Get your helmets on, the Tour de France is about to begin.
The race gets underway this evening, and Anthony McCrossan, Tour de France commentator joined Jason Pine to preview the great race.
Who will be wearing the yellow jersey in Paris?
Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard have won the last four Tours between them, each aiming to win a third Tour de France. Is this a two-man race?
McCrossan told Piney that the two have a true sporting rivalry, wanting to beat each other and just will not let the other one win.
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Super Rugby has come to a close and a new era of the All Blacks has begun.
The Blues took the title last weekend for the first time in 21 years, beating the Chiefs 41-10.
Dalton Papalii, flanker for the Blues, is a member of Scott Robertson’s new All Blacks squad, joining Jason Pine for a chat about the Blues’ celebrations and an insight into what’s coming for the All Blacks.
He told him that it’s going to be very different, and the next few days are going to be more about clarity and getting to know the game plan.
“We’ve just got, got a lot of learning to do, but I’m looking forward to it.”
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An online phenomenon, the Grade Cricketer talks about cricket as it really is, their satirical take on the sport earning them an audience of nearly a million across their social media platforms.
They have an international number one podcast, do live show tours, and have produced two best-selling books.
The brains, faces and voices behind it are two former Sydney grade cricketers Sam Perry and Ian Higgins who have been on “The Grade American Road Trip”, taking in the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and US.
They joined Jason Pine to discuss the trip, the game, and their growing success.
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The Warriors are looking to redeem themselves after last week’s historic loss to the Gold Coast, 66-6.
They’re facing the Broncos tonight at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, the Broncos holding the home advantage.
Fox Sport Rugby League Commentator Matt Russell joined Piney to preview tonight’s must-win match, and give his thoughts on the horror show that was last week’s loss.
He told him that as stunning as last week’s collapse was, they’re expecting the Warriors to bounce back and beat Brisbane.
“They’re actually the favourites in the eyes of the Australian bookies, and that’s because I suppose that we all expect this rebound from the Warriors.”
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for Saturday 29th June, they kicked off the show with Fox Sport rugby league commentator talked last week’s loss for the Warriors, and look ahead to tonight’s game.
Newly instated All Blacks coach Scott ‘Razor’ Robertson joined Piney live in studio to answer fans’ burning questions ahead of the first test against England.
And with the Tour de France starting tonight, Tour commentator Anthony McCrossan previewed the greatest cycling race.
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It's a new era for the All Blacks with Scott 'Razor' Robertson in charge.
He's announced his first squad, Scott Barrett taking over the captaincy from Sam Cane, Jordie Barrett and Ardie Savea sharing the role of deputy.
What's in store for this new era? What will change? How will the All Blacks evolve?
Razor joined Jason Pine for a one hour exclusive, taking calls and answering your burning questions.
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This week, James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss the Super Rugby Final, the Warriors' loss, England's performance in the Euros and the upcoming All Blacks squad announcement.
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As the nation braces for coach Scott Robertson to name his first All Blacks squad, coaching expert Wayne Goldsmith shares his advice for offering new leadership to an established team.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 23rd June 2024, Jeff Wilson and Mike Brewer play selectors as they discuss who they think will be named in the first All Blacks squad of the year.
The Blues have been crowned Super Rugby Champions for the first time since 2003. Kees Meeuws was on that 2003 team, he discusses the final which saw the Blues demolish the Chiefs to claim the silverware
We also continue our Road to Paris segment with one of our Olympic legends and all-time great equestrians, Sir Mark Todd.
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Sir Mark Todd has racked up an impressive Olympic medal count for New Zealand in his time.
The famed equestrian has won two gold medals and three bronze medals within his chosen sport.
He was also voted Event Rider of the 20th Century by the International Equestrian Federation in 2000.
He joined Piney to discuss his athletic legacy.
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What can you say about the Warriors last night?
66 points to 6. Absolutely inexplicable, almost impossible to explain.
The joint biggest defeat in the history of the club, equalling the loss to the Storm 2 years ago.
But that was against a team that was top of the comp against a comparatively weak Warriors side, during the COVID period.
Last night's defeat was to the team at the bottom of the NRL ladder, and a team that was pretty solid...
Nicoll-Klokstad
Tuivasa-Sheck
Pompey
Montoya
Johnson
Fonua-Blake
Egan
Ford
Harris
All there.
It's effectively the same group of players who finished in the top four last season. Try and make sense of that.
It's not terminal, obviously. Every game is only worth 2 points, but the nature of this might leave some scars and cast doubt into the minds of players and fans about whether this team is a top eight proposition.
There are 11 rounds to go, including 2 byes, so there's 4 points guaranteed. And the Warriors are just 3 points outside the 8, so it's certainly not the end of their season by any stretch
But man, do they have to make some changes quickly, before the Broncos hit town on Saturday fresh off their bye - and needing wins to make their own push into the top eight.
This is a huge test for Andrew Webster - the biggest of his time at the club for sure.
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All eyes will be on Christchurch tomorrow, as All Blacks coach Scott Robertson unveils his first All Blacks squad.
The 32-strong lineup is set to play two home test matches against England, followed by their hotly-anticipated clash against Fiji in San Diego.
Ahead of Monday's big reveal, Piney unveiled his top 15:
- Ethan de Groot
- Codie Taylor
- Tyrel Lomax
- Patrick Tuipulotu
- Scott Barrett
- Samipeni Finau
- Dalton Papali'i
- Ardie Savea
- TJ Perenara
- Damian McKenzie
- Sevu Reece
- Jordie Barrett
- Rieko Ioane
- Mark Tele'a
- Ruben Love
Do panellists Jeff Wilson and Mike Brewer agree with these picks - or do they have their own suggestions?
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The Blues are Super Rugby champions for the first time since 2003 after routing the Chiefs 41-10 at Eden Park.
The convincing display was supported by a hatrick of tries from Caleb Clarke, and one each from Akira Ioane and AJ Lam.
Former Blues player Kees Meeuws joined Piney to discuss the win.
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The Warriors are seeking redemption this afternoon against the Gold Coast Titans after squandering a 14-0 lead against the Melbourne Storm last week at Mount Smart.
The home side started strong but struggled to maintain momentum in the second half as Storm and Kiwis halfback Jahrome Hughes took control. As a result, the Warriors extended their losing streak against the Storm to 16 matches.
The Titans will be looking to bounce back from losing to the Wests Tigers. The Titans, currently at the bottom of the ladder, failed to convert nine line-breaks into a victory. The Tigers, who had lost nine games in a row, managed to secure an 18-10 win.
Assistant Coach Richard Agar joined Jason Pine to review last week’s loss and take a look at today’s match.
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SailGP hits New York this weekend, the last event before July’s season finale.
Co-CEO of the Black Foils Blair Tuke joined Piney to preview the race and look back at the last event in Halifax.
He told him that although they’re entering this event with an 11 point lead, they want to continue to build momentum and confidence heading into the final race.
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You've heard from Greg Barclay.
He was unequivocal, wasn't he, that what Kane Williamson is doing is simply part of what he called the evolution of the game. A fact of life.
Greg Barclay wants member associations to embrace the T20 leagues and work more closely with them.
The sport's governing body has clearly worked out there's no point fighting against T20 leagues, they're here and here to stay, and growing.
The IPL, The Big Bash, The Caribbean Premier League, The SA 20, Major League Cricket, and the UAE competition.
What I heard there from Greg Barclay was that ICC members need to adjust their thinking, fit in with these comps, not fight against them.
Because resistance is futile. There's too much money on offer now for players.
If national associations try to restrict their players from taking part and earning what they can in these comps, they'll just leave.
Playing international cricket won't be enough to keep them all, just as the black jersey can't keep all our best rugby players here.
Wearing the Black Cap is only attractive to a point.
NZC have to be creative and flexible in their contracting, which I think they have been here with Kane.
The fact is, he'll miss very little international cricket next Summer.
One thing that does worry me a bit is our own domestic league, the Super Smash.
Kane Williamson has effectively chosen the South African T20 comp over his home country's comp, presumably for money partially, but also for the opportunities there and something different for his family to experience.
I don't feel as though South African cricketers —or players from other countries, certainly not players the calibre of Kane Williamson— are queuing up to play in our Super Smash.
Anyone who's un-contracted can now, in January, play in South Africa, in the Aussie Big Bash, or here in New Zealand, and it doesn't feel as though many are choosing us.
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Kiwi runner Geordie Beamish has had an incredible 12 months.
He's set to become New Zealand's first steeplechase runner at an Olympic Games in 40 years. He joined Piney to discuss his journey to Paris.
"I didn’t know it had been that long,” Beamish revealed.
“That’s pretty cool.”
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Our Australian Correspondent is completely bemused as to how New South Wales are favourites for the second match of State of Origin, and he joined Piney to discuss why they've been given that tag.
“I don't know how,” he told Piney.
“I think everyone’s fallen in love with the 17 that New South Wales has selected on paper.”
Also, how is Australia faring in the T20 World Cup? Marnus Labuschagne took one the greatest catches you'll ever see.
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The cricket landscape is going through some changes.
T20 cricket is gaining momentum, leaving the future of other formats uncertain.
ICC Board of Directors Chairman Greg Barclay joined Jason Pine to take a look at the future of the game and whether the red ball format is becoming a thing of the past.
He told him that we are likely to see more people turning down central contracts in favour of opportunity within the T20 franchise, and the traditional approaches and contract models will need to change.
“My view is that we should be embracing working with the leagues more, as you say they’re here and they’re here to stay and they’re going to grow, they’re going to continue to be a big feature on the cricket landscape.”
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Tonight could mark a comeback for the Chiefs.
They last won Super Rugby back in 2013 but have made their second final in a row.
They're looking to play spoilers as they face a much-favored Blues side in the battle for the silverware.
Piney caught up with lock Jimmy Tupou to discuss how they're approaching the final.
He told him that they’ve got a lot of faith in the team as a whole, and winning a knockout game away from home last weekend has given them a lot of confidence.
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Super Rugby comes to an end tonight in what’s set to be an intense match.
The Blues are facing off against the Chiefs before a packed-out Eden Park, taking the home field advantage.
Blues’ Caleb Clarke joined Piney to preview the match.
He told him that Coach Vern Cotter just wants each player to go out there and do their role and just focus on the moment to moment.
“We just need to stick together and focus on what needs to be done.”
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 22nd June 2024, ICC Board of Directors chair Greg Barclay discussed Kane Williamson's decision to forgo a NZC contract, and what the future of cricket looks like with more players prioritizing franchise T20 leagues over playing longer formats for their countries
We're also closing in on the Super Rugby Pacific grand final, and Caleb Clarke from the Blues and Jimmy Tupou from the Chiefs joined us to talk about how both teams are feeling heading into the match.
And Kiwi runner Geordie Beamish is off to Paris to compete in the 3km Steeplechase, so Piney caught up with him to discuss his journey.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss the Black Caps' T20 woes, the ongoing Super Rugby season and Caitlin Clark's Olympic snubbing.
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Former All Black Conrad Smith has traded in the rugby ball for a whistle.
Following a move to New Plymouth, the former 94 test player has taken up refereeing, after being curious about it for years.
He joined Piney to discuss his new direction.
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The big guns have fired at Euro 2024 with three-time champs Spain dealing to Croatia 3-nil, Switzerland downing Hungary 3-1 and Italy pipping Albania 2-1.
Football journalist Seb Stafford-Bloor joined Piney to discuss.
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 16th June 2024, Black Caps legend Chris Cairns joins the show to discuss what happened with the Blackcaps at the T20 World Cup - and what changes need to be made.
We also have our Super Rugby Pacific finalists - Blues v Chiefs next Saturday night - We catch up with Chiefs coach Clayton McMillian after his side went down to Wellington and knocked out the number one seeds 30-19.
We also continue our Road to Paris segment with one of our finest track and field athletes, Nick Willis.
Get the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast every Saturday and Sunday afternoon on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Nick Willis has carved out an impressive career that started on the Olympic stage 17 years ago.
He's New Zealand's only two-time Olympic medallist in the 1500 meters, having won a silver medal in the 2008 Olympics and bronze in 2016.
He joined Piney to discuss his athletic legacy.
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Samisoni Taukei'aho is facing some time on the sidelines including at test level after limping from the field in the Chiefs' Super Rugby semi-final win over the Hurricanes.
The All Blacks hooker went off after just 22 minutes with a leg injury - while fellow rake Bradley Slater has a minor MCL injury.
Coach Clayton McMillan joined Piney to discuss.
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New Zealand managed a nine-wicket win over Uganda in the T20 World Cup - but it's too little, too late.
The Black Caps were knocked out of contention for the Super Eight after losses to Afghanistan and the West Indies.
Former Black Caps all-rounder Chris Cairns joined Piney to discuss the losses.
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The New Zealand Over 70s cricket team will head to the over 70s world cup in England next month.
Chairman of NZ Veterans Cricket Jeremy Wilson told Jason Pine “We started eight years ago – with a group in wellington who got four over-sixties together.”
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On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 15th June 2024:
Kicking off the show talking about Auckland hosting State of Origin. We are joined by Nick Hill CE of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, also joined by Blues Assistant coach Paul Titto after his side booked their spot in the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific final.
We also preview the second Super Rugby semi-final between the Hurricanes and The Chiefs, Joined by Hurricane Du'Plessis Kirifi and Chief Etene Nanai-Seturo.
Also, talking The Warrior's massive game against top-of-the-table Melbourne Storm with Forward Jackson Ford.
Get the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast every Saturday and Sunday afternoon on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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The Warriors will face-off against the Melbourne Storm this evening at a sold-out Mt Smart Stadium.
Jackson Ford is one of only two – to play every single Warriors game this season.
Ford told Jason Pine “It’s now or never – we're slipping down the end of the table. The games our must-wins.”
Ford said “There’s a lot of confidence now – hopefully we can get a roll on over these next few weeks.”
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Etene Nanai-Seturo has played every single Chiefs fixture this season.
He told Jason Pine “The past five years, I’ve been in and out because of injuries.”
He said “I’m happy with my performance – it's finals footy now.”
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There’s talks of bringing State of Origin to Auckland.
Australia sports correspondent told Jason Pine “I think we’re okay with this – let's face it, they take in one of the games each year.”
“I don’t see the reason why Auckland, or Wellington would not be able to.”
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Du'Plessis Kirifi has been a stand-out coming off the bench this season for the Hurricanes.
He talks maturing as a loose forward with Jason Pine on Weekend Sport.
Kirifi told Jason Pine "When I was a younger man I was like a bull in a china shop."
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The Hurricanes face-off against the Chiefs tonight – for a shot at the Super Rugby title.
Hurricanes CEO Avan Lee told Jason Pine “It’s a lovely day outside – more people will probably buy tickets today.”
Lee said “We can get up to 5,000 on game day.”
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The Blues have secured a spot in the Super Rugby final – but who will they play?
We’ll find out tonight, as the Hurricanes play the Chiefs at Sky Stadium.
Blues Assistant Coach Paul Titto reflects on last night’s game with Jason Pine...
Titto told Jason Pine “It was a big game and I couldn't get back to asleep afterwards – had to have another wine.”
Titto said “We’ve played this way since the start of the season.”
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Queensland will play New South Wales in Sydney in the first of three State of Origin games.
Following four losses from the past five series, the NSW Blues have made some big changes. Former Kiwis coach Michael Maguire taking charge and giving debuts to five newcomers tonight.
Nick Hill from Tataki Auckland Unlimited joins Piney on Weekend Sport to discuss the possibility of bringing the competition here.
Hill said “It’s something that’s been talked about for a very long time.”
He said there’s three things we have to get over:
- It would be played on a Wednesday night – late, here in Auckland.
- There’s consent at Eden Park.
- There’s the cost – it's incredibly competitive in Australia, so that number’s really high.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss Super Rugby season, including his predictions for next week's semi-finals.
He also touched on the Warriors' success and the 'changing of the guard' taking place in the world of tennis.
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Kiwi cyclist Joanna Sharpe is proud to confirm she's completed a record-breaking cycling journey from Darwin to Melbourne.
Sharpe underwent this 11-day mission to raise funds and awareness for Bowel Cancer New Zealand.
Listen to her discuss her journey with Piney here.
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Empoli FC and All Whites footballer Libby Cacace joins Piney to recap the Serie A season - and discuss the OFC Nations cup.
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The Hurricanes are among the top four seeds through to Super Rugby semi-finals.
Following the Chiefs' Friday night win over the Reds, the Hurricanes have thumped the Rebels 47-20 in Wellington.
Hurricanes player Peter Lakai joined Piney to discuss the victory.
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Former Olympian Hamish Bond has a long list of accomplishments in the world of cycling and rowing.
He's among one of two New Zealanders to have won gold in three separate events, the other being Lisa Carrington.
He joined Piney to discuss his Olympic accomplishments ahead of the 2024 Olympics.
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The Warriors have smashed out a third straight victory against the Cowboys in Townsville.
The team's final score was 42-12, moving the Warriors from 14th to 10th on the NRL table.
Warriors centre Rocco Berry joined Piney to discuss.
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I still don't know why there weren't any warmup games. I can only assume, only assume, as Dylan said - that T20 just doesn't matter as much to New Zealand cricket as the other forms of the game otherwise. They simply would not have sent the players into battle underprepared.
There is a rationale to say a decent chunk of the side have come from the IPL, where they've been playing a lot of T20 cricket, but the fact is most of them didn't actually play a heck of a lot in the IPL.
Most of the New Zealand players who were in the IPL weren't really first choice for their sides. And those who did play didn't exactly set the world on fire - it has to be said.
The fact is, of the others, they've hardly played any T20 cricket and all recently. Finn Allen's last game of T20 cricket was in February, Same with Devon Conway, Same with Glenn Phillips. These guys haven't played T20 for three or four months, so to expect them to go into unfamiliar surroundings, and perform straight away in what has turned out to be a pretty crucial match is fanciful.
Yes, they're good players, I don't think there's any selection issue here. You wouldn't say that these aren't our best T20 players on form and reputation. So, it's not as though you say, ‘he shouldn't be there, he should be there instead.’
Yes, you can talk about selection of the 11 for yesterday. I’d have Rachin Ravindra in there and probably Jimmy Neesham as well. And they may make those changes. But by and large, it's our best players in the squad.
It just seems to be a complete oversight in terms of giving them any preparation at all, Afghanistan aren’t a bad side, we're not talking about a minnow anymore. Afghanistan are a good white ball side, and they proved that yesterday.
You can't go in half-baked.
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A historic defeat to Afghanistan for the Black Caps.
They've lost to the Asian nation for the first time in a Twenty20 international, dropping their World Cup opener by 84 runs in Guyana.
Cricket commentator Dylan Cleaver joined Piney to unpack the loss.
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This is a big year for sports, with the Olympics falling among the other competitions.
The OFC Men’s Nations Cup has reached the group stage, and Darren Bazely has named his squad.
Piney caught up with him to discuss the selections he’s made and the challenges of it falling in the same year as the Olympics.
He told Piney that despite the troubles with scheduling players, he’s wound up with a strong squad that’s really blended.
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The Highlanders are heading into their Super Rugby quarter final as clear underdogs.
They’re facing off against the Brumbies tonight at their oponents’ home ground.
Piney caught up with their co-captain Ethan de Groot to discuss how they're going to go about upsetting the team from Canberra.
De Groot told Piney that the set piece is going to be massive and reckons whoever wins that will win the game.
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It's been a big sports week in Australia.
The week was headlined by State of Origin, which was dominated by Queensland after Joseph Sua'ali'i was sent off for a high shot on Reece Walsh.
Adam Peacock discussed the fallout from that tackle and all the other headlines from across the Tasman.
Peacock told Piney that he doesn’t have an issue with the ban itself, but with the fact that the Roosters have to cop the fallout when they had no part in it.
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The Blues impressive Super Rugby season is entering the playoffs.
They’re playing the Fijian Drua in their quarter final tonight from 7pm.
Piney caught up with assistant coach Greg Feek to find out what's made the team so successful this season.
He told him that they’ve brought in the whole team, and the whole squad is really excited about the brand of rugby and style they have.
“We’ve built our game really nicely.”
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The Super Rugby quarter finals continue tonight.
The Hurricanes are facing off against the Rebels at their home stadium in Wellington.
Piney caught up with Number 8 Brayden Iose to preview tonight’s match.
He said that he’s been really grateful to see the amount of support the Hurricanes have had from their fans, and the stadium is probably the fullest he’s seen it in recent years.
“Our support has been overwhelming from the community.”
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The Chiefs are the first team through to the Super Rugby semifinals.
They claimed their spot in last night’s match against the Reds, with more than double the points of the opposite team.
Piney caught up with their assistant coach Marty Bourke to recap their impressive win.
Bourke said that they put a previewed the Reds ahead of the game, and knew they were going to put a lot of pressure on them.
He told Piney that whatever they touched during the first half of the game turned to gold and gave them some real good momentum.
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Wellington Phoenix’s star goalkeeper is off to the Premier League.
Alex Paulsen has been signed by English Premier club Bournemouth FC for four years.
Piney caught up with him as the news broke to chat about his achievements.
He told him that most aspiring young footballers have a dream to play in the Premier league, and it’s fantastic for him to get the opportunity to one day play in the league.
Paulsen said that he’s very fortunate that Bournemouth has decided to invest in him.
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The Warriors have returned from their much-needed bye week.
They’re now preparing to take on the North Queensland Cowboys this evening in round 14 of the NRL.
Piney caught up with assistant coach Stacey Jones to discuss how they spent their week off, and how they’ll continue the form they found beforehand.
He told him that picking up two wins before the bye week set them up well, and they were able to get some players well rested, and get some of their more experienced players back in action.
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Piney had one of his regular catchups with NZ Rugby’s CEO Mark Robinson.
Today they dug into the fallout and divisive struggles the game’s governing bodies have gone through of late, as well as the increase in viewership, and the state of the game.
He told him that now the vote has passed, they’re taking some time to refresh some of the strategic work they’re doing, with a view to the next three or four years.
Robinson said that now is their chance to step forward, and lead, and really get people excited about the possibilities in the game.
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This week, James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss he Super Rugby season, Auckland FC's new signings, Alex Paulsen's move to Bournemouth and the NBA finals.
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Former Australian cricket captain Steve Smith joined Piney to talk about his Ashes performance.
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New Zealand teams will feature in every Super Rugby quarter-final, with the Hurricanes pipping the Blues to finish in top spot heading into the playoffs.
The Hurricanes will face the Rebels at home in Wellington while the Blues will host the Fijian Drua and the Chiefs will clash with the Reds in Hamilton.
Rugby experts Bryn Hall and Ant Strachan joined Piney to share their expectations for next weekend.
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The Black Foils have overcome shifty winds and chilly temperatures to sit second overall behind Great Britain after day one of Canada's inaugural SailGP event in Halifax.
New Zealand placed fifth, second and fourth across the opening three fleet races.
Driver Peter Burling discussed the challenging circumstances with Piney.
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Ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, former gold medal-winning hockey player Tony Ineson joined Piney to discuss his athletic success.
Ineson captained the New Zealand national team at 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.
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The Crusaders' Super Rugby Pacific title defence is over, after the Fijian Drua beat the Melbourne Rebels 40-19 in Lautoka, to book their own finals spot.
The Drua finish the regular season seventh, one spot above the Rebels, who still make the post-season.
Crusaders chief executive Colin Mansbridge joined Piney to discuss the team's future.
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Ipswich Town FC is Premier bound, and Henry Gray is a Kiwi goalkeeper on the team.
He joined Piney to discuss his journey to Ipswich and his hopes for playing Premier League Football next season.
He told him that they've just got to wait and see for next season, and while there’s talk about slotting him into the number three slot, he just has to wait and see what the club wants to do.
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Last month the Lord’s Cricket Ground hosted Armed Forces T20 Day and the MCC’s official Women’s Day.
For the first time in the ground’s 210-year history, both those games were played on the first pitches to be prepared entirely by women.
Kiwi Meg Lay was one of the team and is the first full-time female grounds person at Lord’s.
She told Jason Pine that every day is a “pinch me moment”.
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The T20 World Cup kicks off tomorrow and our Australian Correspondent Adam Peacock took a look at the chances of Australia and the unpredictability of the format.
He also dug into the struggles of the Matildas, and what ways the State of Origin 1 could go.
He told Piney that there’s no certainty around the WT20 as every one of the eight teams can win it.
“Whether or not that falls Australia’s way remains to be seen.”
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The Chiefs are coming up against the Blues in tonight’s Super Rugby Clash.
The Blues are tied for the top spot, slightly ahead of the Hurricanes due to a points differential.
Finlay Christie from the Blues side and Jimmy Tupou from the Chiefs joined Piney as they prepare for their blockbuster match to wrap up their regular seasons.
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The Hurricanes and Highlanders are battling it out this evening.
The Hurricanes are tied with the Blues at the top of the table, the Blues just ahead on a points differential.
Salesi Rayasi of the Hurricanes and Kenny Lynn of the Highlanders joined Piney to preview their much-anticipated clash to end the Super Rugby regular season.
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Significant changes are coming to New Zealand’s rugby game.
NZ Rugby’s governance vote took place on Thursday, and the Provincial Union's Proposal Two has won out.
Peter Winchester is the chair of Canterbury Rugby and spokesperson for the Provincial Unions, and joined Piney to discuss what this vote means for rugby going forward.
He told him that they believe that provincial involvement on a governance level is needed to keep the community game strong.
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Buller rugby legend James Lash joins Piney to talk about being called up as an emergency fill-in for Suburbs rugby.
This move took them from a 27-0 deficit to a 27-28 win to win the Best of the West Cup in Auckland premier rugby.
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Oxford United have managed to snag themselves a spot in the EFL Championship, after beating out the Bolton Wanderers.
Coach Des Buckingham joined Piney to discuss the team's progress.
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James McOnie of The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss this weekend's Super Rugby, the A-League grand final, Luka Doncic in the NBA playoffs and James Preston's new record.
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Ahead of Monday's highly-anticipated IndyCar event, one motorsport reporter joined Piney to speculate.
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Mike Hesson, former Black Caps coach and newly appointed Te Korowai board member, joins Piney to discuss how the organisation aims to provide support for coaches.
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Former Olympic boardsailor Barbara Kendall has managed to maintain a solid athletic legacy.
Kendall was the first New Zealand woman to win an Olympic boardsailing medal, at Barcelona in 1992.
She followed it up with silver and bronze medals at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics - and was later inducted into the International Sailing Hall of Fame in 2007.
She joined Piney to discuss her accomplishments ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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It's a banner day for Kiwi athletics.
The late Sir Peter Snell's 62-year-old 800m national record has been broken by James Preston at a meet in Germany - by point two six (0.26) of a second.
It's an Olympic qualifying mark - pending selection by the national committee.
Preston says he's incredibly proud.
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The Crusaders have kept their Super Rugby playoff hopes alive with the upset of the season, beating the Blues 29-27 in Christchurch.
If the Highlanders beat the Drua and deny the Fijians a bonus point in Dunedin this afternoon, the Crusaders will be just two points off the top-eight playoff zone, going into the last round.
Crusaders assistant coach James Marshall joined Piney to discuss the good news.
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Our number one Timbersport athlete Jack Jordan is in Italy as he attempts a three-peat in the World Timbersport Trophy.
He caught up with Piney before the event gets underway.
Jordan told him that you can’t take anyone lightly in this competition because you never know when you might slip up.
“You’ve just got to go flat out.”
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The Blues are looking to continue their winning streak.
They’re taking on the Crusaders tonight in Christchurch, aiming to retake the top spot from the Hurricanes with just one round left to play.
Harry Plummer, Blues Playmaker, joined Jason Pine to preview the match.
He told him that although they’re only two rounds out from the playoffs and there’s really exciting things brewing, they’re focused on making sure they get things right in the next two weeks.
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The Phoenix's most successful season came to a tough end last week.
Their chances at the Premiers Plate were cut down by the Melbourne Victory, losing 1-2.
Piney caught up with head coach Giancarlo Italiano to reflect on how the season went.
He told him that it’s still hard to come to terms with their loss.
“In a couple of months, I think the players and staff will be thinking back at, you know, we we’re that close. Even though we created history for the club, I think we, you know, we had the ability to go that one step further.”
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One of the Warriors star players has been put in timeout.
Addin Fonua-Blake has been stood down for this week's game by Coach Andrew Webster.
Our Australian correspondent Adam Peacock joined Piney to discuss what the reaction to that news has been like across the ditch.
He told him that Webster has done the right thing, as if to say well no, I’m bigger than this, so have a spell.
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After a historic loss to Canada last week, the Black Ferns are looking to bounce back against Australia.
Piney caught up with fullback Renee Holmes ahead of that match to see how their preparations are going.
She told him that when they have these losses, they just have to make sure they learn from them.
"I can't wait for this Black Ferns group to unleash themselves on Saturday."
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After spending 4 years away from the Australian Test team, Mitchell Marsh was recalled ahead of last year's Ashes.
He became an indispensable performer for the baggy greens during the series.
He joined Piney to discuss his return, the upcoming T20 World Cup, and season three of The Test- available now on Prime Video.
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The Hurricanes and Chiefs were vying for a top of the table spot Friday night, the Canes walking away with the coveted position.
Brett Cameron, Hurricanes first five, became a hero for his side after kicking the match-winning penalty.
He caught up with Jason Pine to review the match.
Cameron told him that although it's a pressure filled situation, you have to treat it like it’s just another kick.
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Seven months, more than 100 hours of interviews and 133 pages.
That was what former Port of Tauranga chair David Pilkington undertook when he was appointed panel chair of an independent review of the constitution, governance structure and processes of New Zealand Rugby Union Incorporated.
That review, dubbed the “New Zealand Rugby Governance Review” or “Pilkington Review” and its recommendations, published in August of last year, found that the current governance structure was “not fit for purpose” and that changes must be made for the good of rugby in this country.
It has since had a counter-proposal put forward by a group of provincial union boards, in conjunction with other key stakeholders, known as Proposal Two.
A Special General Meeting has been called for May 30 for those with voting power to decide between adopting the Pilkington Review’s recommendations or Proposal Two.
Pilkington told Newstalk ZB’s Jason Pine that he and his other panel members always knew there would be pushback on their recommendations.
“Any significant change was going to be challenging to the provincial unions, but we made it very clear to the two commissioning parties, the [New Zealand] Players Association and the New Zealand Rugby board, that we would come forward with what we considered to be what the game needed and what represented best practice and not something that would pass by way of vote.”
The fact that the recommendations he and the panel had put forward had not been adopted, 10 months later, only justified the conclusions they came to, Pilkington said.
“That is the inability of the current structure to provide single, clear leadership to rugby across the wider ecosystem [which] is evidence of the chaos over the last 10 months,” he said.
Pilkington made it clear to Pine that he disagreed with the notion that Proposal Two differed only slightly from the review’s recommendations.
“That I think is totally wrong because the PU [provincial unions] proposal will in our view simply reinforce the status quo.”
He said that after speaking with every major stakeholder within rugby in New Zealand over the course of the review process, there were no assertions made that the current structure was working in the best interests of rugby.
“There was widespread recognition that significant change was needed.”
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild host joined ZB's Elliott Smith to discuss the Wellington Phoenix loss, the ongoing Super Rugby season, the Warriors, the Auckland stadium debate and Scottie Scheffler.
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Nick Sautner, Jim Doyle and Richard Dellabarca join ZB's Elliott Smith to outline their pitches for Auckland's new national stadium.
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The Black Ferns expect a massive challenge in set piece and up front when they tackle unbeaten Canada in rugby's Pacific Four Series this afternoon in Christchurch.
Black Ferns assistant coach Dan Cron joined Elliott Smith to discuss.
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Oleksandr Usyk has claimed a split decision victory over Tyson Fury in their unification heavyweight title fight in Saudi Arabia.
The undefeated Ukrainian was on the brink of victory in round nine - landing a series of big punches that had Fury stumbling against the ropes and back-peddling - before he received a standing eight-count and was saved by the bell.
NZ Herald combat sport expert Christopher Reive joined Elliott Smith to discuss.
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Black Ferns sevens star Michaela Blyde is hyping herself up for the Paris Olympics - but she aims to focus on her upcoming tournaments first.
The team are gearing up for their Grand Final event in Madrid from May 31.
Listen to Michaela Blyde discuss the topic further with ZB's Elliott Smith here today.
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All eyes are on Brisbane, where the Warriors are expected to go up against the Panthers in this afternoon's NRL magic round.
Fox Sports commentator James Graham joined ZB's Elliott Smith to discuss the hype around the event.
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The Phoenix's season has drawn to a close after last night's defeat.
Wellington's dream season is over after a 2-1 extra-time defeat to Melbourne Victory in last night's second leg match in the capital.
Former Phoenix forward Paul Ifill joined ZB's Elliott Smith to discuss.
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As the Phoenix prepare for their biggest game in their history, their supporters club, Yellow Fever, are also in preparations to cheer their team to victory.
Elliott Smith caught up with Dale Warburton of Yellow Fever to discuss the nerves and buzz around the capital.
He told him that they’re making a march to the stadium from down near the Beehive, trying to boost the atmosphere.
Warburton said there will be singing, chanting, and music, along with a few other secrets he’s got tucked away.
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A kiwi cyclist is making a solo bid for a new world record.
Joanna Sharp is cycling solo from Darwin to Melbourne via Uluru, on a 4600km journey.
She’s aiming to complete this in the shortest time possible, setting a new world record and becoming the first person to complete this feat, as well as raising funds and awareness for Bowel Cancer NZ.
Sharpe joined Elliott to discuss the massive journey she’s undertaking, telling him that the current unofficial record is around three or four weeks, but she’s aiming to make it to Melbourne within 13 to 16 days.
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The Blues are flying high in Super Rugby as they prepare for their match against the Highlanders.
The two teams are facing off, both aiming to take the Gordon Hunter Memorial trophy.
Elliott Smith caught up Blues Lock Sam Darry whose family knew Gordon Hunter well.
He told him that on a personal note, it’s quite awesome to be able to be a part of this and hopefully get out there and do Hunter justice.
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For the first time since 1999 a World Heavyweight unification fight will be taking place.
Britain's Tyson Fury is squaring off against Ukraine's Oleksander Usyk in Saudi Arabia.
Kiwi heavyweight Joseph Parker is there to witness the fight, and he joined Elliott Smith to share what he thinks will go down.
He told Elliott that the delay has given each fighter more time to prepare, and it’s more time for the buzz and excitement surrounding the event to grow.
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It's been a turbulent 24 hours for the A-League.
Not only were they preparing for the second leg of the semifinals, but they were also hit with a spot-fixing scandal involving three members of Macarthur FC, including current All White Clayton Lewis.
Our Australian correspondent Adam Peacock joined Elliott Smith to dissect the fallout from the scandal and discuss the latest in the NRLs Magic Round.
Peacock told Smith that it’s almost overshadowed the two semifinals coming up, which isn’t a great look for the A-League.
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The A-League has been hit by a spot fixing scandal.
Three current players from Macarthur FC are involved, including the current All White Clayton Lewis.
Elliott Smith caught up with former All White David Chote to discuss the news and what it means for football in Australia and New Zealand.
Chote told him that the scandal is really challenging for a football fan to digest.
“And particularly if you’re passionate about the game and you’re passionate about New Zealand football, the involvement of Clayton Lewis is sort of a double blow.”
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It's the biggest day in Wellington Phoenix history as they prepare for the second leg of their A-League semifinals.
The Nix are facing the Melbourne Victory tonight at Wellington’s Cake Tin, the stadium set to be packed.
Striker Kosta Barbarouses joined Elliott Smith to discuss how the team has been preparing for the upcoming match, and whether they can take the championship title.
He told him that football is a game of fine margins, and they’ve got every chance to win.
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Peter Sloane, an All Blacks hooker, says he once bawled out his Hikurangi club flanker for allowing Sid Going, Mid-Northern’s halfback, to bump him off in the tackle in a game at Whangārei.
Later in the match Sloane faced Going running round the front of a lineout. “When I was sitting on my butt on the deck,” says Sloane, “I realised why the loosies found it so hard to tackle him.”
Sidney Milton Going, Super Sid to headline writers and Milt to his family, who died on Friday aged 80, was an All Blacks great, and one of the most exciting footballers to ever play the game.
As Sloane, and international players Going faced in 29 tests from 1967 to 1977 found, Going was startlingly powerful. His strength came naturally to him. He never darkened the doorway of a gym. But I once interviewed him in a changing shed in Whangārei, and got a good idea of why he could shrug off tackles from men who towered over him. He was only wearing a pair of shorts, and his upper body would have been envied by Arnold Schwarznegger.
Going was so old-school he wasn’t big on pre-season road running either. Just after he’d retired he said he hated road work so much he sought out every pre-season charity game he could find, and got fit by playing.
Sid Going appears for the All Blacks against the Springboks in 1976. Photo / Photosport
As a child growing up with four brothers in the Maromaku Valley, north of Whangārei, he learned early how to deal with rugby’s physicality. He’d say, on the family lawn “there were no beg pardons. We’d hit each other really hard”.
As well as rugby and family, the other great love of his life was the Mormon church. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel at the end of Marlow Rd in Maromaku was central to him.
He spent two years in Canada in the early 1960s as a Mormon missionary, switching to basketball. But on his return rugby quickly called again.
He was soon a fixture in the Northland side, and by 1966 was challenging for an All Black position. But he faced huge competition from Chris Laidlaw, a more traditional halfback with an impeccable pass.
When he was finally given the chance, Going could produce extraordinary moments at the highest level. In 1968 he scored two solo tries in the first 30 minutes of a test against France at Eden Park.
Many of us lucky enough to see Sid and his brothers, Ken and Brian, play together for Northland and the New Zealand Māori side will always believe a game-changing chance was missed by the All Black selectors of the early 1970s. The Goings’ Northland coach, Ted Griffin, swore that together behind an All Black pack they would have torn the world’s best teams apart.
Halfback Sid Going hoofs the ball during the New Zealand vs Southern Universities match during the All Blacks tour of South Africa in 1970. Photo / NZ Herald Archive
There’s never been a magic act quite like the one the trio used to put on, with just a footy ball for a prop. “Going, Going, Going, Gone” was the headline after one dazzling triple-scissors try for Northland.
They all had speed, skills and strength. But together they had something even more potent, a list of 30 or more carefully planned, well rehearsed moves, with every single one named.
The best, they called “The Special”.
This is an outline of how it worked. Sid passes wide to Brian. Ken works a scissors pass with Brian. Meanwhile Sid is tracking Ken, who would work another scissors with him. Now Sid has the ball from the final scissors pass, and scores the try. Occasionally one last defender, by luck or good management, was still in the way, so one more pass, or a step, was needed.
“The Special” almost made Northland the only provincial team to beat the 1971 Lions. But Sid thought Brian was likely to be caught and didn’t pass, and for once he struck a fullback in JPR Williams who was able to haul him down. The Lions sneaked in 11-5.
One of the many likeable aspects of Sid the rugby player was that, with his devout religious beliefs, he never swore, on or off the field. Talk with him when he was passionate and adjectives like “blinking” or “flipping” might appear, but never anything more vulgar.
Sid’s startling range of skills was probably best displayed in 1972 at Eden Park for Northland, when a penalty to win the Ranfurly Shield from Auckland was awarded.
Earlier in the game Sid had botched a tap kick and Auckland scored a try, so brother Ken, the usual kicker, was still angry. “You take the kick,” he snapped at Sid. “Okay, I blinking well will,” said Sid. From 45 metres out he kicked the winning penalty.
Super Sid was a nickname that fairly defined the man.
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The Wellington Phoenix fans are coming together to support the team ahead of their anticipated clash against the Victory in Melbourne.
One supporter, Christian, joined Piney ahead of the big event.
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The Harlem Globetrotters are expected to tour New Zealand this July, stopping in Auckland, Wellington, New Plymouth, Christchurch and Hamilton.
Globetrotter Wham Middleton joined Piney to discuss.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild recaps the Blues v Hurricanes match, talks the Crusaders v Blues - and discusses the Wellington Phoenix and Richie Mo'unga's possible return to New Zealand shores.
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Expect the Tactix to talk up a storm on court against the also-unbeaten Central Pulse in the ANZ Premiership this afternoon at Palmerston North.
Tactix defender Paris Lokotui joined Piney to discuss.
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Round 5 of netball's ANZ Premiership is expected to begin this evening.
Accomplished defender Kelly Jackson joined Piney ahead of the event.
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The Wellington Phoenix are gearing up for the first leg of their A-League semi-final against the Melbourne Victory.
In their three meetings this season, the Phoenix have drawn with Melbourne twice and beaten them once, 1-nil.
Former A-League footballer Daniel McBreen joined Piney to discuss.
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The Warriors are determined to out-muscle a physical Roosters pack through the middle in this afternoon's NRL encounter in Sydney.
The Mt Smart club go in off the back of a winless month, while the hosts are riding high after thrashing the Broncos.
Australian sports journalist Phil Rothfield joined Piney to discuss.
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Ahead of the 2024 Paris Games, one of New Zealand's most accomplished Olympians is looking back at his athletic career.
Ian Ferguson won three gold medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Games and another gold in Korea four years later - one of the highest medal counts in the nation's history.
He joined Piney to reminisce on his athletic legacy.
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The Crusaders are now in 'must win' territory as they head down to Dunedin to face the Highlanders.
Piney caught up with Highlander's assistant Dave Dillon to dig into how they’re preparing for a wounded Crusaders outfit.
Dillon told him that although they’re coming off the back of two good wins, it’s going up another level tonight.
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Craig Bellamy has extended his contract with Melbourne Storm.
Piney was joined by our Australian Correspondent Adam Peacock to discuss how important that signing is for the four-time champions.
He told him that Bellamy’s got a reputation up there with Wayne Bennett, if not exceeding him, for the consistency of the Melbourne Storm.
They don't have bad years, Peacock said.
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The Blues are angling for the top spot.
They’re preparing to face the Hurricanes in tonight’s match, missing their star midfielder Reiko Ioane who's sitting out with concussion protocols.
Fellow back Mark Tele’a joined Piney to discuss the clash and dig into what Reiko’s absence means for the team.
He told him that they’ll miss him out on the field and will try and cinch the win for him as it’s the best way they can show love in that position.
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The Hurricanes are facing the Blues in a top of the table clash.
Making their way to Auckland, the match is kicking off this afternoon at Eden Park.
Piney caught up with Hurricanes utility back Josh Moorby ahead of kickoff to preview the match.
He told Piney that it’s been a long, long few weeks since they last met the Blues, and both teams have grown stronger and stronger, so it’ll be an awesome clash.
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Damian McKenzie and Stephen Perofeta would be in their rights to feel aggrieved at New Zealand Rugby’s attempts to bring Richie Mo’unga back from Japan, former Crusaders and Fiji utility Nemani Nadolo believes.
Mo’unga, 29, is currently enjoying his first of three years in Japan, after signing a contract to join League One side Toshiba Brave Lupus following the 2023 World Cup in France.
But, as Scott Robertson prepares to take the reins of the All Blacks later this year, New Zealand Rugby’s head of professional rugby Chris Lendrum revealed to the Rugby Direct Podcast the attempt to bring Mo’unga back early.
Robertson and Mo’unga share a strong working relationship after their time with the Crusaders, notably winning seven Super Rugby titles in as many years together.
Under current selection rules, Mo’unga would not be eligible to play for the All Blacks and reunite with Robertson, unless he returns to New Zealand.
However, with Mo’unga’s move to Japan known from mid-2023, this season of Super Rugby Pacific has presented a chance for Kiwi-based first-fives to stake their claim.
Based on current form, McKenzie of the Chiefs and Perofeta of the Blues stand out as the two front-runners, while Brett Cameron of the Hurricanes could also be considered a contender – if picking solely within Aotearoa.
But with the news of the attempts to bring Mo’unga home, Nadolo, who has experienced Super Rugby and Japan’s League One, told Newstalk ZB’s Jason Pine that Kiwi-based prospects would be right to be upset by the reports.
“Competition is good competition,” he said. “From a player’s point of view, you’re gutted that it happens.
“But in saying that, it’s good competition for the All Blacks. It’s just going to give more headaches for Razor to pick his five-eighth.
“Perofeta and McKenzie have been playing really well this year. For me, as a player, I’d probably be annoyed, but it is great competition.
“New Zealand have always had that problem, over the years. They’ve always had some of the best five-eighths.
“It’s good competition, but you’d probably be a bit deflated knowing they’re trying to get Richie back.”
However, there are no guarantees Mo’unga will return to New Zealand, despite the national body’s attempts.
The Herald understands his Japanese contract is worth around $2.2 million per season. That kind of money would not be available from New Zealand Rugby alone, barring outside investment.
Instead, the main proposition would appear to be reuniting with Robertson, in the hope of repeating their Super Rugby success at the highest level.
Having shared a changing room with Mo’unga at the Crusaders, news of his return being sought isn’t a surprise for Nadolo.
“Richie’s been doing really well over in Japan, playing for Toshiba,” he said. “He’s a world-class five-eighth, you don’t lose that overnight.
“With what he’s done in the game, particularly in New Zealand rugby, it’s no surprise to see that New Zealand Rugby want to try to bring him back.
“The question is does Richie really want to come? He’s done everything in the game, particularly Super Rugby and the All Blacks.
“Maybe another World Cup might entice him to come back. But in saying that, from what I’ve heard and what I’ve seen, he’s really enjoying his time in Japan.”
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Ex-Black Caps batter Colin Munro believes he was “blacklisted” by New Zealand Cricket for opting to ply his trade as a Twenty20 freelancer.
Munro, 37, has not played for the Black Caps at any level since 2020, but on Friday officially confirmed his time as an international is done.
While he hasn’t appeared for New Zealand in more than four years, Munro has been a fixture in overseas Twenty20 leagues as one of the most prominent faces in the franchise game.
But speaking to Newstalk ZB’s Jason Pine, Munro questioned the approach of New Zealand Cricket, and former chief executive David White, for overlooking players seeking to make the most of professional opportunities.
“I’ve always been available,” he said. “Under David White, if you were playing franchise cricket and weren’t playing domestic cricket in New Zealand, you were sort of blacklisted, I think.
“It was never told [like] that to me, but I think it was. There were the likes of Anton Devcich, myself, Mitchell McClenaghan, those players who all chose franchise cricket.
“As soon as you weren’t playing in New Zealand, there was a black mark next to your name. You weren’t going to play.”
Munro isn’t alone in that regard either.
As one of New Zealand’s white ball greats, Martin Guptill hasn’t worn the silver fern at any level since he opted out of his central contract in late 2022.
However, under new chief executive Scott Weenink, New Zealand Cricket appears to have relaxed its selection criteria.
The pair of Trent Boult and Jimmy Neesham, both without central contracts to pursue franchise opportunities, were selected for last year’s 50-over World Cup in India, and the upcoming T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and US.
As the Black Caps picked a heavily depleted squad to tour Pakistan earlier this year, Munro turned down an approach to return to the fold to spend time with his family after finishing his commitments with Islamabad United.
And having made the initial approach to see him return, Munro also questioned why New Zealand Cricket would sound him out, only to overlook him altogether.
Colin Munro (left) and Martin Guptill have both been consistently overlooked by New Zealand Cricket after opting to pursue franchise cricket. Photo / Photosport
“It was my dream, I thought it was gone,” he said. “Then you get a phone call out of the blue [to ask] are you available for a World Cup?
“You get up and about, start thinking and dreaming like a young kid. You haven’t played for four years, so you think you could probably get up to have one last hurrah in the black jersey, in conditions that I’m really familiar with in Trinidad.
“Then the World Cup squad was announced. I’m not going to lie, I was a little bit gutted I wasn’t in there, just because I was in talks and in the frame.
“But I can fully understand why. Those boys fully deserve it, I’ll be behind them every step of the way.
“I just don’t know why that was put in front of me. It would have been nice to know, did I have to go on the Pakistan tour? They said I didn’t have to, that’s why I ended up choosing not to.
“If I had gone over there and done well, I still might not have gone to the World Cup.”
If Munro had been selected for the World Cup, the Black Caps would have gained a valuable asset.
In the history of T20 cricket, only 11 players have appeared in more matches for the Black Caps.
All up, Munro has 428 appearances in the shortest format, with 79 of them coming for the Trinbago Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League.
Trinbago’s home ground of the Brian Lara Cricket Academy is where the Black Caps will play three matches at this year’s World Cup, against hosts West Indies, Uganda and Papua New Guinea.
At international level, Munro played 65 T20 Internationals, and was the first man to score three centuries for his country in the shortest format.
That number could have been higher, were it not for spending the past four years on the sidelines.
In 2020, Munro lost his New Zealand Cricket central contract, and opted to dedicate his career to the shortest format as a T20 gun for hire.
Since then, he’s accrued experience playing everywhere from Australia’s Big Bash League to Canada’s Global T20.
Alex Powell is an Online Sports Editor for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016, and previously worked for both Newshub and 1News.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss the weekend's Super Rugby results, the NBA playoffs, the Wellington Phoenix, the EPL's two-horse race and Qatar's 'sports-washing'.
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When it comes to coaching, there's debate over whether former elite players make for better coaches.
Coaching guru Wayne Goldsmith offers his answer to these questions.
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A sports expert from Amnesty International has expressed surprise over Qatar's interest in hosting a Nations Championship event.
Reports have surfaced about the finals of the new competition being hosted in the Arab country, which has been accused of human rights violations and was heavily criticised when hosting the 2022 Football World Cup.
Amnesty International Felix Jakens joined Piney to discuss.
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The Warriors are striving for a defensive effort that reaps more control as they look to break out of a slump in league's NRL.
This afternoon's game against the Knights in Newcastle comes after a stretch of three winless weekends for the Auckland-based club.
Assistant coach Stacey Jones says a common theme of their struggles has been a lack of dominance in the ruck.
Kick-off is at 4pm.
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Former NZ Rugby chairman Brent Impey believes a Nations Championship hosted in Qatar is a smart move.
Now chair of the Fijian Drua Super Rugby side, Impey says Fiji would seize the chance to participate in a tournament held in the middle-eastern nation.
While acknowledging potential moral dilemmas Impey told Jason Pine that the undeniable financial appeal would be difficult to pass up.
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Kirk Penney is reflecting on his career following the Hall of Fame announcement.
The Kiwi basketball legend is being inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame. He joined Piney to reflect on his career and what this honour means to him.
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Dave Heine won the first ever Rotorua marathon.
He was hoping to compete in the 10km run at this year's event, the 60th anniversary, but illness has had him withdraw.
Instead, he found time for a chat with Piney, reflecting on his achievement.
He told him that he didn’t expect to win the race, as it was just meant to be a training run.
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The Crusaders are looking to get back-to-back wins for the first time this season when they play the Reds.
Piney caught up with captain Scott Barrett ahead of the match, and to get some insight on the team's struggles this season.
“Hopefully we’ve turned our season around and string some wins together late in this competition.”
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Phillip Wilson has jumped ship from singles to pairs.
The rower took the gold in the Men’s 8s at the Tokyo Olympics, but has made the decision to compete in the pairs at Paris this year.
He chatted with Piney about his previous success and whether he feels the pressure of Hamish Bond and Eric Murray, who were undefeated in that boat.
“You kind of have to not compare yourself to them, but you do have it in the back of your mind.”
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Australia has named their T20 World Cup squad, and there’s one notable omission.
Adam Peacock, our Australian Correspondent, joined Piney to discuss the reaction to Steve Smith’s absence and whether Wayne Bennett would be able to fix the Rabbitohs.
He told him that his absence was no big surprise, as there’s far more explosive players available.
“That’s probably the end of him T20 wise, but certainly he’s got a bit more to give test wise.”
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The Wellington Phoenix are finals-bound.
They’re awaiting the confirmation of their semifinal opponents, finishing the regular season in second place on the ladder.
Captain Alex Rufer joined Piney live in studio to look back on the season, answering the question of whether he thinks they can go all the way.
“I don’t see why not,” he told Piney.
“We’re a confident team, we’re positive. You know, these are the games you live for.”
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Can you beat Dan Carter?
The All Blacks legend has teamed up with UNICEF, setting a challenge for rugby enthusiasts with the aim to provide clean water, sanitation, and hygiene for children in the Pacific.
In one hour Carter kicked 273 goals using one ball and one tee, and he’s challenging others to beat his score.
He joined Piney to discuss the challenge, and give his thoughts on who could be a good option to play #10 for the upcoming All Blacks season.
He told him that he’s pretty relaxed about the rules of the competition, instead he’s more focused on making sure people get outside, have some fun, and fundraise for a really good cause.
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Piney and Bonnie review the last game of Wellington Phoenix's regular season and look ahead to finals football.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss the Warriors' struggles, the Super Rugby ANZAC Round, the Phoenix's chances of winning the A-League, NRL scouts at first XV rugby games, and the NFL draft.
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The Barmy Army's Chris Millard joined Piney to discuss the recently announced three-test English cricket tour taking place in New Zealand later this year.
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ZB sports commentator Elliott Smith joined Piney to recap all the Super Rugby highs and lows from this ANZAC Day weekend.
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Sweden made headlines after it refused to use Video Assistant Referees following a fan revolt against its introduction.
BBC Newcastle commentator Matthew Raisbeck joined Piney to discuss the future of this technology.
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Questions are being raised as the World Anti-Doping Agency launches a review into a doping scandal at the Tokyo Olympics.
WADA has come under fire for its handling over allowing Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned heart medication to compete.
German investigative journalist Hajo Seppelt joined Piney to discuss the case.
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The Black Caps squad for the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA this June will be named tomorrow.
Cricket commentator and analyst Craig Cumming joined Piney to speculate ahead of the big reveal.
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One former Phoenix player is cautiously optimistic about the team's odds of winning the Premier's Plate.
The Phoenix need the Central Coast Mariners to lose their rescheduled game against Adelaide United on Wednesday.
Former goal-keeper Jacob Spoonley joined Piney to discuss.
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LIV Golf is back in Adelaide for another year.
The Country's Jamie Mackay headed along to see what it's all about, calling in to give Piney the rundown.
He told him that yesterday they were based at the ‘party hole’, otherwise known as the watering hole.
“It was great seeing those golfers come through there. And once you got sick of that and sick of the booze and the noise, you could go and walk the course.”
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From Germany to NZ, Anton Segner has become one of the best players on these shores.
He’s starting on the blind-side for the Blues tonight, as the Reds host them at Suncorp Australia.
Piney caught up with him to discuss his journey to New Zealand and how his game has improved since arriving.
He told him that it’s been really cool to be around the team and be able to get feedback from them.
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Tonight will see the Hurricanes clash against a wounded Brumbies side.
The team has won their first eight matches, favoured to win in tonight’s game.
Piney caught up with first five Brett Cameron to preview the match and dig into the Hurricanes form.
He told him that they had a good feeling from the start.
“We worked real hard throughout preseason and just sort of, yeah, changed the way we looked at preparing and challenging ourselves a bit more. Problem solving. So it’s really pleasing that yeah, that’s paying off.”
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After a humbling loss at the hands of the Blues, the Brumbies are hosting the Hurricanes in tonight’s Super Rugby match.
Our backup Australian Correspondent Brett McKay joined Piney to discuss the importance of this match for the ACT team and dive into the popularity of LIV Golf in Adelaide.
He said that while he wouldn’t call tonight’s match a ‘must-win’ since there’s still plenty of time, they will need this win if they want to be deemed a serious contender for the top two slots.
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Super Rugby has a new CEO.
Jack Mesley is currently the CCO of A-Leagues will begin his new role when the current A-League season comes to an end.
Chair of Super Rugby Pacific Kevin Malloy joined Piney to dive into the changes they hope will come from the appointment.
He said that it’s quite a relief to finally get the new CEO in place.
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Wellington Phoenix star Macey Fraser is off to the United States after Utah Royals paid the Phoenix a record transfer fee to secure her services.
Piney catches up with her to discuss that news, and her football journey to date.
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Marathon runner Cameron Avery is gearing up to try and qualify for the Olympic marathon, in just his second ever full marathon when he runs the Vienna Marathon.
Piney catches up with him to talk about his journey and if he thinks it's a realistic goal.
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Kiwi Andre Heimgartner became the first person to win a Supercars race at Taupo.
Piney caught up with Supercars legend Greg Murphy to get the wash up from day 1 in Taupo.
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The Crusaders slumped to another defeat, this time at the hands of the Western Force in a battle for the Wooden Spoon.
Piney discusses this with James McOnie, along with all the other big sport headlines from this week.
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With the Olympics now less than 100 days away, Piney caught up with the Team NZ's Chef de Mission Nigel Avery to discuss how the preparations are going for the Olympic team, medal targets, and logistics around security.
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The New Zealand Warriors are flying high in the NRL – coming within one game of the Grand Final in 2023.
They’ve continued their form this season sitting firmly in the top eight – and getting plaudits on both sides of the Tasman.
So, what’s behind their recent success? How far can this club go? Will this be the Warriors' golden era?
The club’s CEO Cameron George joined Weekend Sport’s Jason Pine in studio on Sunday to answer all these questions.
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The Warriors have been one of the biggest stories across the ditch with their coup.
Their signing of James Fisher-Harris was a well-kept secret, a thing that’s hard to pull off in Rugby League according to Adam Peacock.
The Australian Correspondent joined Piney to dive into how it all went down.
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The Blues and Brumbies are standing on equal ground leading into tonight’s clash.
Each team has only lost one match, the Blues standing above the Brumbies on the board due to a points differential.
They’re clashing at Eden Park, kicking off at 7:05pm.
Blues coach Vern Cotter joined Piney to discuss how preparations have gone and what they expect to come from tonight.
Cotter told him that the Brumbies will be a challenge, the team well-rounded, well-balanced, strong upfront and hard to break down if there’s no easy access points.
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The Hurricanes are now 8 for 8 in Super Rugby.
They picked up a win in Suva against the Fijian Drua, taking the win by 23 points.
Assistant Coach Jamie Mackintosh joined Piney to dive into the match and break down the win.
Mackintosh told him that while the win wasn’t perfect by any means, they got off to a good start and pushed the lead, which allowed them to hang on pretty well in the second half.
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Supercars has made its return to New Zealand’s tracks this weekend.
The Taupō Super400 kicked off yesterday afternoon at the Taupō International Motorsport Park for the first time, the third different NZ venue to host a championship round.
Supercars legend Craig Lowndes is attending this weekend and joined Piney for a chat about the importance of having a NZ stop in the Supercars calendar.
He told Piney that he loves coming here as we have some fantastic events and some absolutely beautiful places to visit.
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The NZ Warriors have been humbled in Wollongong as they fell to a heavy defeat against the struggling Dragons.
The Australian league steamrolled the Warriors, beating them by a full eighteen points despite the Warriors early lead.
Michael Burgess joined Piney to discuss what went wrong for the New Zealand club.
He said that it’s just not the kind of performance we’ve become used to in Andrew Webster’s tenure.
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Jordie Barrett has broken the trend, heading off to Ireland for his rugby sabbatical at the end of this year as opposed to Japan.
He’s also the first player to commit their services to NZ Rugby beyond the 2027 World Cup.
NZR GM of Professional Rugby, Chris Lendrum, joined Jason Pine to discuss the importance of signing Jordie long-term, and what his sabbatical means.
He told Piney that the signing operates as a signal to everybody else that they All Blacks are going to continue to mean business well into the future, and they couldn’t be happier.
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Many All Blacks will use a sabbatical to rest the body or grow their bank balance — both reasonable priorities for high-performance athletes.
Jordie Barrett, however, had his head turned by a different incentive when signing a short-term deal with Irish heavyweight Leinster.
“There’s a bit of a balance,” Barrett told Newstalk ZB’s Jason Pine. “In the past, sabbaticals have been for All Blacks who have played X number of tests. It was almost time to re-energise and change the environment, just to come back and set yourself up better to add longevity to your career.
“That was the forefront of my decision as well, but I saw it as a great opportunity to go to a place where I believe I’ll come back a better rugby player.”
It’s difficult to dispute that a six-month spell in Ireland will have the desired effect.
After this year’s northern tour, Barrett will remain in Europe and compete with the best the continent — and South Africa — has to offer.
Jordie Barrett during the Rugby World Cup final against the Springboks. Photo / Photosport
He’ll be competing for a spot, too, while facing the familiar pressure to win every game and trophy on offer.
It’s hardly going to be a holiday and such demands are just what Barrett wanted, knocking back more lucrative offers from Japan while re-signing with New Zealand Rugby through 2028.
“[Money] is certainly a serious component,” Barrett said. “For different individuals, that can be at the top of the tree or somewhere a little further down.
“I put my development and my experiences, and my thinking of coming back and trying to be a better rugby player and a better All Black and a better Hurricane, right at the top of that tree. That took priority over all the other options I had.
“My eyes were only ever heading towards Japan and having a wee stint there. But Leinster put an offer forward, and basically just the prestige of their club and what they’ve done in the past and the direction they’re heading in the future really stuck out and excited me.”
That future, Leinster fans will demand, must involve major silverware after a couple of seasons without. With both competitions currently ongoing, the club last lifted the Champions Cup in 2018, while their last success in the United Rugby Championship came in 2021.
If all goes well and Leinster advances to the finals of both during his spell, Barrett expects to play about 16 games, dismissing workload concerns for what will be a 28-year-old body.
“I feel like I should be playing some of my best rugby there,” he said. “The challenge of playing Champions Cup and URC finals is something I’d love to walk towards and feel like it’d grow my game.
“There’s a big block in February-March [during the Six Nations] where I won’t be playing any rugby. Essentially that’s going to be my big break.
“It looks as though I’m just going rugby to rugby and there’s no break there, but I’ll be managed throughout the season.”
That plan would likely have eased some concern Scott Robertson had over sending his star midfielder on an arduous trip. Barrett discussed the move with the All Blacks coach and emphasised his commitment to Robertson’s reign by signing on past the next World Cup.
“Razor was really good and really understanding and saw it through my eyes,” Barrett said. “Not many players go to Europe for their sabbatical so it was a different sort of discussion, but I’m grateful Razor and NZR agreed and put a plan in place for me.
“Carrying a little bit of hurt from the last World Cup, it’s motivating me and a lot of other boys to have a really good few years and set ourselves up to hopefully go one better in a few years’ time.
“It’s an interesting transition with new coaches and a lot of new players but I think it’s an exciting time for New Zealand rugby, and one I wanted to be part of.”
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Piney and Bonnie review the Phoenix's thrilling 1-0 win over Victory and assess their Premier's Plate chances.
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Ahead of this year's World Snooker Championships, commentator Alisha Singh joined Piney to discuss the event.
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James McOnie from the Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to talk about the ongoing Super Rugby season, the Warriors' latest draw, and the Masters tournament.
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The Warriors have clawed their way to a 22-all draw with the Sea Eagles in their NRL contest at Mt Smart.
The home side overcame an 8-point deficit with a minute to play to force the game to golden point extra time - with neither side unable to take the win.
Rugby league analyst Peter Peters joined Piney to discuss.
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The Bay Oval board can't believe they've missed out on a Black Caps test match against England.
Christchurch, Wellington and Hamilton will host the three-match pre-Christmas series - the only red-ball fixtures on the international calendar.
Bay Oval Trust chairman Craig Greenlees joined Piney to discuss his shock and disappointment in missing out.
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Kiwi golfer Ryan Fox has slid down the leaderboard after a frustrating third round at golf's Masters.
Fox has signed for a five-over 77 round to be four-over for the tournament in a share of 26th.
Scottie Scheffler leads at seven-under, one clear of Collin Morikawa.
International sports reporter Graeme Agars joins Piney to discuss.
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Super Rugby Aupiki reaches its climax this afternoon as the Blues Women hosts Chiefs Manawa in the final.
The Blues are entering the game with a five-win, one-loss campaign, aiming to continue their winning streak.
Piney caught up with Niall Williams-Guthrie from Blues women to preview the match.
She told him that this year has been way better than she could ever imagine.
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The Super Rugby Aupiki final is kicking off tonight, the Chiefs Manawa facing off against the Blues for the title.
Ahead of the game, Piney caught up with Grace Kukutai from Chiefs Manawa to preview the final and discuss her unusual journey to the 15s.
She told him that after losing their last two games, they’ve nailed down the big things they need to fix about their play.
In the past they’ve had a mixed success rate against the Blues with one win and one loss, and Kukutai reckons tonight's game will be a great battle.
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It’s once again time to catch up on the biggest stories from our neighbours across the ditch, and Adam Peacock has the details.
Champion New Zealand racemare Imperatriz retired in a shocking move on Thursday, the mare retiring with a total of 10 Group 1 victories.
Peacock said that last spring, she was pretty much the best sprinter in the world but didn’t quite hit the heights this preparation.
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The Warriors are looking to make it 4 wins in a row as they face off against the Sea Eagles at Mt Smart this afternoon.
Piney caught up with Warriors second rower and off-season signing Kurt Capewell to preview the game and discuss how his move to New Zealand is going for him.
He told Piney that they’ve definitely been improving week by week, and as long as that keeps building, they can hopefully keep stacking the wins up.
“Winning is fun, winning’s good, at the end of the day, that’s what we’re here to do."
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Hurricanes Halfback Richard Judd was just a week away from having voluntary surgery when Cam Roigard went down with a serious injury, and now he's been thrust into the spotlight.
He caught up with Piney to discuss his season and the rollercoaster of a week he's been having.
Judd said that despite the circumstances, he’s happy he’s on the bench and will hopefully get some good game time this season.
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The second round of the golf Masters has been brutal, with the weather really putting the 'gust’ in Augusta.
Graeme Agars, international sports reporter and avid golf fan, joined Piney to give an update on how Ryan Fox, Tiger Woods, and the rest of the big names are tracking.
He told Piney that anything around a 72 was a fantastic score as while the wind was bad at the start of the day, it was diabolical by the end of it.
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With news of World Athletics offering a bonus payment to gold medal winners at the Paris Olympics, some Kiwis stand to benefit.
The organisation has set aside a total of US$2.4 million to allocate to the winners of the 48 events.
Kiwi high jumper and gold medal hopeful Hamish Kerr joined Piney to discuss what this means for him and other athletes.
He told Piney that while it doesn’t change his approach or motivation going into the games, it does change the tone and outlook of where they could go as a sport, as far as motivating young people to get into athletics.
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Track and Field has become the first sport to pay athletes for their Olympic gold medals.
World Athletics, the governing body that oversees worldwide track and field events, will be awarding $50,000 in prize money to gold medalists are the 2024 Paris Olympics.
They’ve set aside a total of $2.4 million to go to medalists across the 48 men’s, women’s, and mixed events, with relay teams splitting the $50,000 amongst themselves.
Long serving member and former Vice President of the IOC, Dick Pound, told Jason Pine that with a leading sport like athletics going in this direction, it’s likely other prominent sports will start to face pressure to do something similar.
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Piney and Bonnie analyse the repercussions of the Phoenix men's loss to Central Coast and unpack the Football Ferns' 4-0 win over Thailand.
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Piney and Bonnie analyse the repercussions of the Phoenix men's loss to Central Coast and unpack the Football Ferns' 4-0 win over Thailand.
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James McOnie from the Crowd Goes Wild joins Piney to discuss the Warriors' win, Caitlin Clark at March Madness, Seilala Mapusua's sacking, the 'lop-sided' weekend for Super Rugby and Sam Whitelock's retirement- among other big sports stories of the week.
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New Zealand’s women’s basketball league has announced several new changes, including bigger salaries, revamped schedules and potential international expansion.
Former basketballer and netballer Donna Wilkins joins Piney to discuss these developments- and what they might mean for the future of women's basketball.
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TVNZ+ is set to debut a nine-part documentary series featuring a series of candidates competing for a spot in top gym City Kickboxing.
Ahead of the release of 'Relentless', City Kickboxing head coach Eugene Bareman joined Piney to discuss.
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Dame Noeline Taurua's expected to lead the Silver Ferns to more achievements for years to come.
The 56-year-old's been contracted for another two years, which is likely to be extended to the 2027 World Cup if results trend in the right direction.
Netball NZ chief executive Jennie Wyllie explains how Taurua's re-hiring will push the team in a new direction.
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Parker Jackson-Cartwright is ready to write another chapter in his Breakers career.
The guard's re-signed for another NBL season, after guiding the New Zealand club to the playoffs, where they fell short of the Illawarra Hawks.
Jackson-Cartwright joined Piney to discuss this next step.
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A third successive win for the Warriors is in the books following Saturday evening's match.
The team thrashed the South Sydney Rabbitohs 34-4 on the road.
Assistant coach Stacey Jones says the team weathered the onslaught from the Rabbitohs- especially during the all-important back half of the match.
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The Football Ferns are facing Thailand in a couple of international friendlies, the first of which kicked off at 3pm today.
The games are taking place in Christchurch, home to forward Gabi Rennie.
She joined Jason Pine for a chat ahead of today’s match and a look into how preparations are going for Olympic selections.
“At this rate, our main priority is definitely get the wins,” Rennie told Piney.
“After the World Cup we’ve, you know, haven’t had that much opportunity to play other than the Samoa Tour, so it’s going to be really good for us to get some good wins.”
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After two losses to start the 2024 season, the Warriors are officially back up and running.
They’ve gone back to back in the last fortnight with wins over the Raiders and the Knights and are aiming for a third against the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Tonight’s game kicks off at 5pm, and the teams had to shakeup it’s lineup with five players now out of the game.
Warriors legend Kevin Campion told Piney that despite the loss, the team has enough depth and games under their belt.
“I think it’ll be just all systems go today.”
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The Chiefs are taking on Moana Pasifika tonight in Hamilton and Chiefs halfback Cortez Ratima is coming off the bench to face them.
Last week saw the team lose to the Crusaders, 37-26, Ratima saying the issue was more of an attitude issue than a systemic one.
“I think it’s more a mindset thing rather than skill set. I think the boys have the skills, but it’s just trying to apply it out on the field.”
He joined Piney to preview tonight’s match and dig into his aspirations to make it to the All Blacks.
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It’s been a busy week of sport across the ditch, and our Australian Correspondent Adam Peacock is back to give us the downlow.
On the agenda today was Mike Cron’s decision to ditch the All Blacks and join up with the Wallabies, the naming of the men’s Olympic football team, and of course, the NRL match of the season between the Broncos and the Storm.
According to Adam, Adam Reynolds injury may spell disaster for the Broncos.
“He’s so good at setting the tempo for a young, energetic Broncos team that if he’s not there, it’s gonna make it harder for the Broncos to finish top and get an easy draw in the finals.”
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With Cam Roigard’s injury taking him out of the game, the talents of New Zealand’s halfbacks are being tested.
Piney caught up with Sky Sport commentator Tony Johnson to discuss who the All Blacks may be considering taking Roigard’s place, and TJ Perenara seems like he might be up to the task.
“He looks eager, we know about his playing ability,” Johnson told Piney.
“I think he just has to prove that he’s got all his old skills, and if he can do that, then I think he comes right back into the front line of contention.”
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Piney and Bonnie break down wins for both Phoenix sides over Easter and hand out their end-of-season awards for the women's team.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss Chris Woods' success in the EPL, Crusaders on the board, March Madness and the Pasifika Rugby Hall of Fame.
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Famed coaching expert Wayne Goldsmith joined Piney to examine how grassroots coaches can get ahead and work with the best teams in the business.
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Former Black Cap Shane Thomson joins Piney to look back on his playing days- and examines whether he'd do well at T20 cricket.
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Former Australian cricketer Greg Matthews is still remembered as one of the nation's sporting greats.
Matthews played 33 test matches, 59 ODIs for Australia and that earned him a legion of fans between the 1980s and the 1990s.
Matthews himself joined Piney to discuss.
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Belief remains at an all-time high ahead of the Warriors' hotly anticipated clash tonight.
Last year's preliminary finalists will look to build momentum from their first win of the campaign when they host the Newcastle Knights at Mt Smart this evening.
Warriors recruitment manager Andrew McFadden joined Piney to discuss.
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The Hurricanes are still waiting on the official word but don't expect to have halfback Cam Roigard back in a hurry.
The in-form number nine was felled in the second half of the win over the Highlanders in Dunedin with a knee injury.
Assistant coach Cory Jane says it's clearly not a matter of 'if', but 'how long' Roigard will be sidelined for.
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Tonight marks a major milestone for Ricky Riccitelli.
He’s set to play his 100th Super Rugby game, coming off the bench to face Moana Pasifika.
He joined Piney for a chat about his season so far and the journey he's been on in his first 100 games.
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The Warriors have a new jersey manufacturer: Dynasty Sport.
Piney caught up with co-founder Tyler Rakich to discuss what that means for his company, and how the contract came to be.
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The AFL has had a tumultuous week.
A new drug scandal has been uncovered, and Adam Peacock joined Piney to catch him up on the details.
The Aussie correspondent also ran through the other stories making headlines across the ditch.
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Much like its companions, the Super Rugby Aupiki season is well underway.
Piney caught up with Black Ferns Director of Rugby Allan Bunting for a discussion on what he’s seen from the competition thus far, and what may come next.
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Rugby governance issues have been the big story of the week, with NZR Chair Dame Patsy Reddy threatening to resign if the Boards proposal to change the sport’s leadership structure doesn't go ahead.
This has a wide-ranging impact on all levels of rugby in New Zealand and is creating tension between the NZR Board and the Provincial unions.
Piney caught up with Canterbury Rugby Chair Peter Winchester to get his thoughts on the situation, and what impacts it will have on rugby in New Zealand.
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The Crusaders have picked up their first win of the season after five straight losses, beating the Chiefs in Christchurch.
With the Chiefs losing by 11 points, Piney caught up with their assistant coach Roger Randle to chat about what went wrong for the team.
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The Crusaders are finally on the board.
After starting the season 0-5, the defending champs managed to finally get their first win of the season with an impressive win over the Chiefs.
Piney caught up with Coach Rob Penney to chat about the struggles starting off his tenure with the Crusaders, and what the win means for the team.
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Piney and Bonnie discuss the weekend's football action with the Phoenix women and All Whites suffering narrow defeats and a Football Ferns goalkeeper starring for her club side.
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Olympian and sailing expert Hannah Mills joined Piney to discuss today's SailGP event.
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The boats are out on the water and hopes are high among the competitors at this weekend's SailGP event.
Emirates Great Britain driver Giles Scott joined Piney to discuss.
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The Black Foils are set to make headway in this weekend's SailGP event.
Co-CEO Blair Tuke joined Piney to discuss.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild commentator joined Piney to discuss the Crusaders woes, Warriors on the board, Benji Marshall, All Whites, and the Sail GP debacle.
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The Crusaders are last on the Super Rugby ladder after plunging to a fifth straight loss to open their campaign.
Champions for the last seven years, they've crashed to a 26-6 loss to old foes the Blues at Eden Park - the first time they've lost at the ground in a decade.
Former All Black Ant Strachan joined Piney to discuss.
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Piney catches up with Taylor Canfield, the new Driver for USA, taking over this season from Jimmy Spithill. They discuss his baptism by fire, and taking over from a legend of the sport.
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The sailing superstars are out in Christchurch. Piney catches up with Driver for 3rd place Rockwool Denmark, Nicolai Sehested.
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The Rabbitohs are in a free fall after being demolished by arch rivals the Roosters. Piney catches up with our Australian Correspondent to discuss that and all the other big stories from across the ditch.
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The Warriors are on the board in 2024 with a win over the Raiders in Christchurch. Piney catches up with Assistant coach Slade Griffin to recap the win.
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Off the back of Australia's prior sailing success, Australian sailor Tom Slingsby joined Piney to discuss this weekend's SailGP event.
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Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger joined Piney to discuss the future of SailGP being held in Christchurch again following this weekend's events.
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New Zealand SailGP driver Peter Burling joined Piney to discuss this weekend's sailing event.
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Today marks the nine-year anniversary of an important cricket moment in New Zealand's history.
During the 2015 Cricket World Cup semifinal, Grant Elliott belted Dale Steyn, South Africa's premier pace bowler, into the stands.
This move took New Zealand into their first World Cup final with a ball to spare.
Former Black Cap Grant Elliot joined Piney to discuss this career-defining moment.
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Yesterday's SailGP races were impacted by some unexpected cancellations and shutdowns.
Three fleet races due to take place in Lyttelton Harbour were cancelled after a dolphin sighting.
New Zealand SailGP team strategist Liv Mackay recapped the 'whirlwind' leading up to the cancellation.
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A displeased Sir Russell Coutts has slammed authorities for preventing SailGP racing yesterday at Lyttelton.
A dolphin sighting on the course forced the cancellation of three fleet races.
Organisers are hopeful racing will commence as scheduled at 3 this afternoon.
Coutts, the SailGP CEO, believes that the 'extreme protocols' in place this weekend are unprecedented.
"Unfortunately, yesterday was another example of there being almost no balance in the decision making, another example of New Zealand being handcuffed by unprecedented layers of bureaucracy."
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Piney and Bonnie unpack a Phoenix v Sydney FC weekend double-header and look ahead to the All Whites clash with Egypt.
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The new Auckland A-League team has been revealed. The CEO and Coach join Piney in studio to discuss the new club and how they're tracking ahead of their debut season.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to recap a full week of stories in the world of sport.
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Runner James Preston beat the elements to become the second fastest Kiwi ever to run 800 metres at the New Zealand Track and Field Champs in Wellington.
He joined Piney to discuss this historic moment.
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Ireland have retained the Six Nations trophy after beating Scotland 17-13 in Dublin.
Kiwi halfback Jamison Gibson-Park's been named man of the match as the Irish held out a late Scotland surge, as the visitors drew to within four in the final minutes.
BBC sports commentator James Burridge joins Piney to discuss.
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The Warriors are heartbroken after two quick-fire tries in Melbourne denied them a famous NRL victory over the Storm.
The Kiwi side came from 18-6 down at halftime to lead 26-18 in the final minutes before a spectacular mid-air effort in the corner from Xavier Coates saw the Storm escape 30-26 at AAMI Park.
FOX sports commentator joined Piney to discuss.
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Over in Wellington, Kiwi parliamentarians and overseas diplomats are set to clash in a historic cricket match.
New Zealand's Parliamentary cricket team has existed since 1884, and has included former members such as Robert Muldoon, Geoffrey Palmer, and Bill English.
Ahead of today's historic 50th anniversary match against Diplomatic Corp XI, Labour's Kieran McAnulty joined Piney to discuss.
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Black Caps coach Gary Stead is refusing to commit to Tim Southee being his side's captain when they next gather for test matches.
Southee battled to find form in the home summer, taking six wickets from four test matches at an average of 71.
Stead joined Piney to discuss the future of the team.
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The Wellington Phoenix are set to play their final home game in Auckland this weekend. Piney catches up with head coach Giancarlo Italiano in studio to discuss the new team and also their successful season so far.
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It's been a tough road to recovery for kiwi Pole-vaulter Eliza McCartney but she's back and healthy and jumping at her best again. She catches up with Piney to discuss her return and the road to Paris.
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While Australia are celebrating yet another test series victory, the Blackcaps are left to reassess another failed series. Piney catches up with our Australian correspondent to discuss that series, and all the other stories making headlines across the ditch.
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The Warriors matchup against the Melbourne Storm tonight - a team they haven't beaten in 14 attempts. Piney catches up with Captain Tohu Harris as he prepares for the task of breaking that losing streak and taking home the Michael Moore trophy.
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The Super Rugby season has got off to a hot start, with lots of upsets, an improved Australian side of the draw, and a struggling dynasty. Piney catches up with two rugby legends from either side of the Tasman to discuss the start of the Super Rugby season.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss the Black Caps clash, the ongoing Super Rugby season, the Warriors and Joseph Parker's victory against Zhilei Zhang in Saudi Arabia.
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Liverpool are set to go up against Manchester City tomorrow morning (NZT).
Sportswriter Tony Evans joined Piney to discuss the potential outcome of this season's high-stakes match.
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A new personal best is on the horizon for pole vaulter Imogen Ayris ahead of this afternoon's Sir Graeme Douglas International in Auckland.
The Commonwealth Games bronze medallist has a top jump of 4.54 metres, but needs to clear 4.73 metres or be ranked inside the world's top 32 to secure a spot in Paris.
She joined Piney ahead of the event.
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The England rugby team's ended a four-match losing run to Ireland, edging the Irish 23-22 in a thrilling Six Nations contest in which the lead changed five times.
Rugby commentators Brent Pope joined Piney to discuss.
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The losing run continues for the Crusaders.
The reigning Super Rugby Pacific champions have lost to the Fijian Drua in Lautoka for a second straight year, to be winless after three games.
Former Crusaders flanker Reuben Thorne joined Piney to discuss.
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The three Kiwi Indycar drivers have qualified alongside each other for tomorrow's season opener in St Petersburg, Florida.
Scott McLaughlin will be ninth on the grid, Marcus Armstrong 10th and Scott Dixon will be 11th.
Scott McLaughlin himself joined Piney to discuss.
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Today marks 50 years since New Zealand's first test cricket victory against Australia.
Back in 1974 in Lancaster Park, New Zealand's side walked away with their first victory against the Aussies.
Glenn Turner played a key role in getting New Zealand that first win- and he joined Piney today to discuss.
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The Hurricanes are facing the Blues tonight in the marquee match of this round of Super Rugby.
Ahead of the match, Piney decided to catch up with Blues midfielder Rieko Ioane to get a feel for how the game may play out.
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And incident involving Sam Kerr, a cab driver and a police officer has landed the Matlidas Captain in hot water.
Our Australian Correspondent joined Piney to discuss what the fallout has been, along with keeping us up to date with all the other big stories from across the ditch
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Joseph Parker has had another big win in his quest to become a two-time world heavyweight champion.
He beat out the highly regarded Chinese fighter Zhilei Zhang, claiming the WBO interim world heavyweight championship title.
Piney caught up with Boxing commentator Mike Angove to analyse the fight.
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Last night was a tough loss for the Warriors.
The team was playing a home game against the Cronulla Sharks as their NRL opener, losing 16-12 at Mount Smart Stadium.
Piney caught up with former Warrior and commentator Adam Blair to discuss what went wrong, and whether the weight of expectations got the better of the team.
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The Black Caps are once again finding themselves up against a wall.
The second test against the Australian cricket team is off to an unfortunate start, the Black Caps getting bowled out on day one.
Piney caught up with Former Australian coach John Buchanan to discuss why the Black Caps always struggle against our neighbours from across the ditch.
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Piney and Bonnie break down the latest outings for the Phoenix men and women, with 13 goals across the two matches.
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The Wellington Phoenix are set to clash against Adelaide United in a home game this evening.
Football commentator Jacob Spoonley joined Piney to discuss.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss sevens, rugby in the USA and the Australia v Blackcaps cricket test.
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The Hurricanes' journey in Australia continues, with the team set to clash against the Reds.
This game marks vice-captain Jordie Barrett's 100th match.
He joined Piney to discuss this milestone.
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The main NRL season is set to begin, with the opening-round games kicking off in Vegas this afternoon.
The Warriors are bracing themselves for a sold-out opening campaign, beginning with Friday's match against the Sharks.
Warriors captain Tohu Harris joined Piney to recap the last set of pre-season matches.
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The Breakers are bracing themselves for another high-stakes playoffs match on Monday.
This comes off the back of the team's 83-76 win over the Sydney Kings on Wednesday.
Breakers coach Mody Maor is feeling optimistic- and he joined Piney to discuss.
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With the NRL season kicking off in Vegas this weekend, an inside scoop was needed.
Fox League’s Lara Pitt joined Piney from across the globe to give him an insight into the building hype and the locals feelings.
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Cricket bats are essential to the game, and much like anything else, there are good ones and bad ones.
But what makes a bat perfect?
Pete Grace, the man behind Grace Cricket NZ joined Piney to discuss all the qualities that make a bat quality.
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The NRL is heading to Las Vegas.
Piney caught up with our Australian correspondent to discuss whether or not that's a success for the league, as well as all the other stories making headlines across the ditch.
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The America’s Cup is right around the corner and teams across the world are starting their preparations.
Piney caught up with one of New Zealand’s competitors for the ‘Auld Mug’, team president of French Orient Express Racing, Stephan Kandler to find out how their preparations are coming along.
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Super Round has gotten underway in Melbourne.
Despite reports of the potential demise of the Rebels, they still managed to grab a win for their hometown fans.
Andy Ellis is in Melbourne for NZR+ and spared a moment to chat to Piney about the Rugby and the excitement levels in the city.
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The Black Caps once again find themselves staring down the barrel of another big defeat at the hands of the Australians.
Piney caught up with Former Black Caps captain Ken Rutherford to discuss what seems to be keeping us from beating our neighbours across the ditch.
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Piney and Bonnie review a ninth straight unbeaten outing for the Phoenix men and assess the Phoenix women's chances of making the top six with six games remaining.
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James McOnie from the Crowd Goes Wild joins Piney to discuss the Olympics, the Super Rugby season and the Black Caps v Australia test.
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Shane van Gisbergen has finished third in his second race in NASCAR's Xfinity series.
The Kiwi finished 0.281 seconds behind winner Austin Hill, who's now won the first two events of the series.
Motorsport expert Eric Thompson joined Piney to discuss.
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Scotland's have retained rugby's Calcutta Cup with a 30-21 win over England at Murrayfield.
Ireland now the only unbeaten side after a 31-7 triumph over Wales in Dublin.
Scottish rugby expert David Barnes joined Piney to discuss.
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New Zealand's in third after the opening day of the Sydney SailGP leg.
The third and final race of day one was the highlight for the Nathan Outteridge-driven boat, posting a victory after a third and fifth.
SailGP NZ strategist Liv Mackay joined Piney to discuss.
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Canterbury's won the men's one-day domestic cricket title by five wickets over Auckland in Christchurch on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.
Set a rain-reduced target of 206, the hosts got there with five balls to spare after Tom Latham had earlier made 64.
Coach Peter Fulton joined ZB's Jason Pine to discuss.
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Former English cricketer Sir Ian Botham has a long-standing history with the sport.
Despite his reputation as a cricketing legend, he's set to play at the New Zealand Golf Open next weekend.
He joined ZB's Jason Pine to discuss.
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The Warriors have wrapped up their 2024 NRL pre-season campaign.
The team ended the season strongly, with a 34-22 victory over the Dolphins in front of 19,000 at Mt Smart stadium.
Coach Andrew Webster joined Piney to discuss the victory- and assure him the team won't get carried away.
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Sail GP has landed in Sydney this weekend.
Piney caught up with flight controller Andy Maloney to preview the regatta and to find out what it's like having a new helmsman in Nathan Outteridge.
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The Paris Olympics are looming, casting a shadow over athletes across every discipline.
A new Triathlon World Cup season is underway, carrying even more weight in this Olympic year.
Piney caught up with Kiwi triathlete Ainsley Thorpe to chat about what she hopes to gain this season.
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Sam Tanner is shaping up for a big year that culminates in the Paris Olympics.
He's competing in the International Track meet in Christchurch this week and joined Piney in studio to discuss the big year ahead and the stress of being a professional athlete.
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Super Rugby is underway, but it's the off-field stories that are making headlines across the ditch.
The Melbourne Rebels and ACT Brumbies are in financial strife, the future of Super Rugby in Australia not looking promising.
Piney caught up with our Australian correspondent to discuss what the future holds there, and all the other stories making headlines across the ditch.
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Despite their disappointing loss at Eden Park, there were some bright spots for the Black Caps.
Lockie Ferguson shone with the ball, the only bowler on the kiwi team to avoid punishment in the opener.
He joined Piney to recap the game and give an insight into what worked allowed him to succeed.
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The Black Caps have fallen to Australia in their T20 series and are now turning their attention to the upcoming Test series.
Piney caught up with legend and former Australian captain Ricky Ponting for a chat about the series and get his insight into what the Black Caps need to do to finally beat the Aussies.
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Rugby is at a crossroads, with other sports gaining popularity and Rugby Union stuck in the mud.
Mark Robinson is about to head to the UK for a 'Shape of the Game' meeting, but before that, he joined Piney to discuss the state of the game in New Zealand
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Piney and Bonnie break down the weekend's action, including the Phoenix men's win over the Bulls and the Football Ferns punching their ticket to the Paris Olympics.
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Fans will get their first taste of the 2024 Warriors in this afternoon's sold out preseason hit-out against the Wests Tigers in Christchurch.
Newstalk ZB sports commentator Nick Bewley joined Piney ahead of the event.
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The Warriors are set to clash against the Wests Tigers in Christchurch in a highly anticipated NRL preseason trial.
Warriors centre Marcelo Montoya looks forward to this opportunity- and he joined Piney to discuss.
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One expert says it's important to find the right balance in coaching kids in sport.
Rachin Ravindra, the new young talent taking over the Black Caps, was reportedly trained consistently since he was 4- but is that a realistic outcome?
Coaching expert Wayne Goldsmith says it's important to ensure parents don't burn their kids out on sport.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to recap a full week of stories in the world of sport.
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Jason Pine speaks to rugby commentator Jeff McTavish about the upcoming Super Rugby season and predictions for the clubs.
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The Wellington Phoenix have had an excellent season so far.
They’re sitting at the top of the table with 33 points, Central Coast behind by five at 28.
Finn Surman joined Jason Pine for a chat about the Phoenix’s success so far, what’s driving them, and a bit about the upcoming Olympic selections.
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Breakers star Tom Abercrombie confirmed his retirement a few days ago, bringing an end to a sixteen-year professional career.
He planned to retire at the end of the 2023-24 Australian NBL season, but his farewell tour will now extend beyond after the Breakers locked in their spot in the finals on Friday.
Tom joined Jason Pine for a chat about the recent wins, and a look into what comes next for the basketball legend.
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The Halberg Awards, New Zealand’s premiere event recognising and honouring the country’s sporting talent.
They’ve been running for 61 years, crowning the top athletes from across the community.
Are they still relevant?
Jason Pine was joined by the ACC’s Mike Lane and reporter Kate Wells to discuss the relevancy of the awards, and whether they’re worth keeping around.
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It’s time for the Black Caps to face a new challenge.
They made history by securing a seven wicket win over South Africa, ending their opponents 92-year streak.
The Black Caps are now looking ahead to a two-week test series against Australia.
Former Black Cap and Cricket Commentator Mark Richardson joined Jason Pine to not only look back at the team’s success against Proteas, but for a discussion about player selections for the upcoming tests.
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Piney and Bonnie break down the Football Ferns' 6-0 win over Samoa and the Phoenix men's latest win, taking them five points clear at the top of the A-League men's ladder.
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Super Bowl LVIII is expected to start at 12:30 NZT, and advertisers have been ready for kickoff all year.
Brands will be bringing in high-profile celebrities and the best effects money can buy in order to lure in doves of prospective buyers.
Michigan State University researcher Dr Ayalla Ruvio says brands will be more likely to prioritise the entertainment value of their ads this year.
"The economic situation is not that secure, political issues are coming to play, so there's political insecurities both in-home and internationally. This weighs a lot on consumers overall, so this year, I think companies will want to have commercials that are more entertaining."
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joins Piney to discuss the Super Bowl, Taylor Swift, the Super Rugby preseason, the Six Nations and the possibility of an 'Enhanced Games'.
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Tomorrow afternoon's (NZT) Super Bowl is predicted to break viewership records all over the US- and globally.
The highly anticipated match-up between the San Francisco 49ers and the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs will be shown in over 190 countries.
SB Nation NFL writer Mark Schofield joined Piney to share his predictions for tomorrow's big game.
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Could rugby league make the jump into Christchurch?
A consortium in the Garden City are hoping to be the 18th expansion franchise tipped to enter the NRL by 2026.
Former Canterbury rugby league chair Tony Kidd joined Piney to discuss.
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Kiwi rugby and league fans can look forward to another dose of free sport on their screens.
During the 2024 season, Sky will ensure viewers will have a free NRL match to watch on Friday and a free Super Rugby Pacific match available on Saturday through their Sky Open service.
This will begin with the Highlanders v Moana Pasifika match, airing Saturday February 24.
Super Rugby Pacific chairman Kevin Malloy says this development will be good news for the competition- and the fans.
"I think being able to make Super Rugby available to as many fans as possible can only be good for the competition, and actually for fans as well. It's quite a significant part of what we're trying to do going forward."
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The OFC Women’s Olympic Qualifiers are underway as the Football Ferns look to book their ticket to Paris.
Piney caught up with Midfielder Macey Fraser to discuss the qualifiers and her rise into the team.
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It's a big year for New Zealand Swimmers.
Starting off with the World Championships this week, which for many will double as preparation for the Paris Olympics.
Piney caught up with Olympic program lead Gary Francis to chat about what the swim team hopes to achieve at the World Champs in Doha.
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The Australians have taken a different tack than South Africa.
The Australians have named a full-strength team to play the Black Caps in the upcoming test series.
Adam Peacock joined Piney to break that down and to discuss all the other stories making sports headlines across the ditch.
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Kiwi Cyclist Corbin Strong has a big year ahead of him, starting with the NZ Elite road nationals.
He joined Piney to discuss the year ahead and what he hopes to achieve, and also take a look back on his first Tour De France last year.
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The Breakers stole a big win over the Illawarra Hawks last night, putting themselves firmly in the playoff race of the NBL.
Breakers Guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright scored 31 points, leading the team to win 88-85.
He joined Piney to discuss his performance and the emotion of the night.
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The Black Caps have put together a strong performance to defeat a weakened South African test side.
They won their match by 281 runs, crushing their opponents.
Piney caught up with the Black Caps test captain Tim Southee to reflect on the win and the chance for the the team to get their first-ever test series win against the Proteas.
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The man who has scored more Test runs and more Test centuries than any other player from New Zealand was always likely to be a childhood star - but Kane Williamson’s first cricket coach says it wasn’t just his ability, but the way he carried himself that set him apart and set him on the course to be our greatest ever.
David Johnston worked for Bay of Plenty Cricket for many years and came across a young Williamson playing junior cricket, already making a name for himself. At a regional primary school tournament Johnston told Newstalk ZB’s Jason Pine he witnessed something that told him that Williamson was not only a player of supreme talent, but one that understood and respected the game of cricket.
“It was in Gisborne at a Northern Districts primary school tournament, his Dad Brett was coaching them. He’d peeled off three centuries in the first three days so his dad changed the batting order, Kane came in at about eight I think. The team was in pretty serious trouble, maybe six down for not too many.
“He proceeded to work his way through and he got to the last partner and I think they might have put on about 60 or 70 for the last wicket - Kane ended up with a hundred.”
“As they walked off the field, the players stood to clap Kane and he stood back and let the young guy, who was about three or four not out at the other end, leave the field first because Kane recognised and respected he couldn’t have done that without the young man that had been batting at the other end. That’s just the mark of the boy back then at the age of 12 - and nothing’s changed.”
Williamson has become one of the most well-liked and respected cricketers in today’s game and Johnston told Pine it comes down to an insatiable desire to be better - not better than his peers, but better than himself.
“His father Brett had coach him in his early years and he’d done a very good job of establishing some pretty strong foundations in his game and once I got involved it was very obvious early on that he was not only quite talented but he had this prodigious desire to improve and I think that’s the greatest thing about Kane.”
“The desire to be better and it’s nothing to do with being better than everybody else, it’s just being better than himself. He used to practice harder than anybody else.”
“Those who know Kane and those who have thrown cricket balls to him over the years would attest to the fact that nothing’s changed he just loves to practice and loves to become better.”
One of the marks of Williamson’s ability is his appearance that things come easy to him when he is batting - Johnston says that wasn’t always the case but that is one of the factors that led to his greatness.
“I think his first game for Northern Districts he actually got a pair, playing against Auckland. So as a 16 or 17-year-old batting first drop I think it might have been Andre Adams got him LBW twice.
“So right from the start, it didn’t always happen but he had this thirst for improvement, this thirst for knowledge and thirst to be better. He dealt with it a lot better than anybody else and that’s why he’s one of the greats of today’s cricket.”
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Piney and Bonnie review the latest outings for the Phoenix men and women and also look ahead to a blockbuster Waitangi Day clash and the Football Ferns' Olympic qualifiers.
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The 2024 supercars season is set to begin soon, and one under-the-radar team is generating some interest.
Grove Racing's Matt Payne joined Piney to discuss the upcoming event.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss the start of the Six Nations, Blackcaps v Proteas, the deapture of Steven Adams, and the Wellington Phoenix updates.
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The contest to be the next Kiwis coach is a two-horse race between two preferred candidates.
Seven-time premiership winner Wayne Bennett and former Test great Stacey Jones are the favourites to take over the role.
Former Warriors coach Frank Endacott shares his preferred pick for the role with Piney.
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All Blacks assistant coach Jason Ryan has condemned the abuse of rugby referees following a recent report by World Rugby.
It found that Rugby World Cup referee Wayne Barnes was the most targeted person of social media slander at the tournament, picking up a third of all abuse aimed at individuals.
Ryan says the findings in the report were 'disgusting' to read- and this problem needs to be cracked down on.
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A promise to protect rugby's match officials from online abuse.
It comes after a World Rugby report found referees were the fourth most targeted group at last year's Rugby World Cup.
Prominent official Wayne Barnes picked up a third of vitriol aimed at individuals by the end of the 2023 event.
World Rugby boss Alan Gilpin says protecting match officials from online abuse is crucial towards keeping and maintaining top talent.
"We need to reassure them that the sport's taking their own protection seriously, so that's absolutely important."
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The Wellington Phoenix continue to sit atop the A-League table after a one-all draw against the Brisbane Roar.
Piney caught up with Former Phoenix and Roar player Karl Dodd to discuss the rise of the Wellington Phoenix, going back to the early days of the club.
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The ACC has joined forces with seven national sporting organizations in an attempt to mitigate head trauma.
They've announced the new National Concussion Guidelines for Community Sport, and to find out what this all means Piney was joined by Medical Director at New Zealand Football, Dr Mark Fulcher.
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It's been another big weekend for Australian sport.
Adam Peacock joined Piney to dig into it all, including Mitchell Marsh being awarded the Allan Border Medal, Wayne Bennett throwing his hat in the ring to coach the Kiwis, and the Socceroos disappointing outing at the Asian Cup,
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As the Black Caps prepare for the upcoming test series against the Proteas, questions have been raised about the team they’re playing against.
The Proteas have sent an inexperienced team, leaving their big names in South Africa to play in the SA20 league.
Piney caught up with ESPNcricinfo’s Firdose Moonda to discuss what this means for test cricket, and whether this Proteas team stands a chance against the Black Caps.
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New Zealand referee Ben O’Keeffe takes a pragmatic view of the criticism he faced following his performance with the whistle in the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals.
In particular, French captain Antoine Dupont made his feelings known following his side’s one-point loss at the hands of the Springboks - he thought O’Keeffe made far too many mistakes.
“There’s a lot of frustration and disappointment. If we look again at some of the decisions maybe there will be even more. I don’t want to sound like a bitter person who complains about the refereeing, but I’m not sure the refereeing was at the highest level tonight,” said Dupont.
What followed was an outcry from French rugby fans both attending the World Cup via boos each time O’Keeffe was mentioned and the inevitable keyboard warriors who took anonymously to social media to vent their displeasure.
Speaking with Newstalk ZB’s Jason Pine, O’Keeffe acknowledged the intensity of the situation and understands how the French supporters and players must have felt.
“I sort of took it on the chin really, didn’t I? I understood the situation, the environment. The host nation, a team that was up there either one or two in the world, expected to win, expected to make it to the final lost a one-point quarter final. A game of rugby definitely is grey in terms of some of the decisions that you make, we’re never perfect as referees.”
O’Keeffe said he knew before the match that either way it went he and his team were likely to cop some heat.
"Leading in to the game I knew there was going to be pressure. I knew that depending on how either team lost there was going to be a focus or a spotlight on the refereeing team and because I was in the middle, myself. I just had to take that and really review my game properly.
“A lot of that was emotional, I understand. They had a big focus on trying to go really deep into that tournament and it would have been to be able to lose in those circumstances by one point and that’s the role of the referee, we’re never going to be congratulated after the game but if that’s our expectation as a referee I think we’re in the wrong business.”
In dealing with the fallout following France’s exit from the tournament, O’Keeffe doesn’t blame French fans for their reaction and says the next two weeks in Paris were a learning experience for him.
“I took a lot out of it in terms of how I normally review myself, my game. Obviously there was a lot of continued criticism, you someone who’s respected so much like Anton Dupont is, the whole country sort of follows his lead.
I just had to understand what the environment was, what the situation was. It was a little bit uncomfortable the next two weeks in France, in Paris being in public and that but it was an experience that has made me stronger as a referee and has allowed me to go to another level in terms of what I want to add to the game.”
The 38-test referee says he feels it is a collective effort that is what is required to shake off the negative aspects that surround rugby union in order for the game to grow.
“If you look at the key stakeholders in a game; players are one, coaches are one, spectators and referees and I think we all need to be working together as a team to grow the sport, the game that we love.
“Times will change, both sides will look back on that experience and I know that we can do things differently and I hope that next time I referee France in the future, whether it’s away or at home we can just get back to enjoying the spectacle.”
-Will Toogood, NZ Herald
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Piney and Bonnie break down victories for both the Wellington Phoenix men and women, including high drama at Porirua Park and Oskar Zawada's goalscoring return.
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Despite a shaky performance against Pakistan, New Zealand's U-19 cricket team are hopeful ahead of the super sixes stage of the World Cup.
Captain Oscar Jackson joined Piney to discuss what the team learned ahead of their upcoming match.
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James McOnie from the Crowd Goes Wild Joined Piney to discuss the Australian Open, the Black Caps test side, Netflix's 6Nations series and the Wellington Phoenix holding on to number 1.
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Sweet satisfaction for Aryna Sabalenka after successfully defending her women's singles title at tennis' Australian Open.
The world number two has beaten Chinese 12th seed Zheng Qinwen in straight sets.
Tennis commentator Dave Worsley joined Piney to discuss.
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Skier Ruby Star Andrews believes she's in with a podium shout in her X-Games debut.
The 19-year-old - who secured a podium finish in a Freeski Slopestyle World Cup last year - will make her first X-Games appearance at Aspen, competing in both the Big Air and Slopestyle.
She joined Piney ahead of the event.
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The Super Bowl is drawing closer, with the NFL playoff games kicking off tomorrow.
The Ravens will play against the Kansas City Chiefs and the Detroit Lions will clash with the San Francisco 49ers, with the winners going on to compete in the biggest football event of the season.
ESPN sportswriter Bill Barnwell joined Piney to discuss what to expect come playoff time.
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The Silver Ferns are curbing their frustration after they failed to reach the final at netball's Nations Cup.
New Zealand have lost 58-57 to England in Leeds - missing a chance to tie the match up in the dying seconds.
Former Silver Ferns player and coach Yvonne Willering joined Piney to discuss.
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Zak Foulkes became the hero for Canterbury, his last ball 6 sending Canterbury through to the Super Smash final.
He caught up with Piney for chat about that moment.
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Claudia Green was the hero for the Central Hinds as they booked their ticket to the Super Smash final.
She joined Piney to discuss her performance during the match.
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The Super Smash Finals are just around the corner so Piney caught up with Blaze captain Melie Kerr ahead of their shot at the title.
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It's been a big week in Australian sport with the Australian Open nearing its climax, West Indies putting up a fight, Wallabies still in the headlines, and the Socceroos in action.
Piney caught up with our Australian Correspondent, Adam Peacock, to discuss all the action.
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Piney caught up with High Jumper Hamish Kerr ahead of the Cooks Classic this weekend.
They discussed his road to the Olympics this year, and whether he thinks he'll find himself on the podium in Paris.
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One of the most successful football managers in the world has decided it's time to move on.
Jurgen Klopp has announced that he'll be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season, shocking the football world.
Piney caught up with one of New Zealand's biggest Liverpool fans, Jeremy Ruane, to see how he's feeling after hearing the news.
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For the first time since 2018, Novak Djokovic has lost a match at the Australian Open after coming up against a rampaging Jannik Sinner in the Semi Final.
Piney caught up with Tennis Commentator Robbie Koenig to discuss how Jannik managed to dethrone Novak at Melbourne Park.
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Cricket popularity is surging, matches are being sold out and viewership is skyrocketing, but why?
Piney caught up NZC CEO Scott Weenink for a look at what's behind the sudden surge.
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Bonnie's away, but Piney breaks down the Phoenix men's last-gasp 1-1 draw with Melbourne Victory and the Phoenix women's narrow loss to Melbourne City, as well as catching up with Football Ferns attacker Jacqui Hand.
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Pacific Pickleball CEO Adam Thompson joined Piney to weigh in on the sport's surge in popularity, as well as the expansion of Major League Pickleball.
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Famed sports commentator Tony Lee wrapped up his 40-year broadcasting career this weekend.
He spoke to Piney about calling his final Wellington Cup.
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Football Ferns striker Jacqui Hand is set to make a move overseas to join up with the English Club Lewes.
She spoke to Piney about this latest development.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joins Piney to discuss the Black Clash, Black Caps v Pakistan, Schmidt's move to the Wallabies, and the NFL playoffs.
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Kiwi darts player Haupai Puha made history as the first New Zealander to score a PDC tour card.
He joined Piney to discuss this recent development.
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Cricketer Hamish Rutherford recently announced his retirement from the sport.
Rutherford is set to play his final match next week against Northern Districts in Dunedin.
He joined Piney to discuss his retirement.
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American import Anthony Lamb has starred in the Breakers' thumping NBL win over South East Melbourne in Auckland.
The New Yorker scored 31 points on his 26th birthday as the Breakers won by a whopping 31 points.
Former Breaker Casey Frank joined Piney to discuss the victory.
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Shock in Australia, as Linda Noskova knocks out top seed Iga Swiatek in the Australian Tennis Open.
The Czech teen stunned viewers with her unexpected victory in the third round.
Tennis expert Craig Gabriel recapped the event.
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The Potts Classic returns this weekend and one of the competitors is 800m runner James Preston.
Piney caught up with him as he looks to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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The Black Caps were put under pressure in the 4th T20 against Pakistan, but ultimately found a way to continue their winning run.
Piney caught up with the Black Caps' top run scorer Daryl Mitchell to break down the win.
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The demise of West Indies cricket continues as they were barely able to put up a fight in Adelaide.
Piney caught up with our Australian Correspondent to discuss both that and a host of other Sports issues going on over that side of the Tasman.
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The Wellington Phoenix are flying high in the A-League after they held on to draw 1-all in a top-of-the-table clash against the Melbourne Victory, despite losing Tim Payne to a red card early in the match.
Piney caught up with the Head Coach of the club, Ricki Herbert, to discuss why the team has been so successful this season.
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Australian Rugby have closed the book on a turbulent 12 months.
Former Irish head coach and All Blacks assistant Joe Schmidt has been announced as the new coach of the Wallabies. Piney caught up with Aussie rugby commentator Brett McKay to get the reaction from the other side of the ditch.
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Johnathan Thurston is trying his hand at cricket.
He's on New Zealand shores for the Black Clash and caught up with Piney for a chat about his Cricketing ability and his legendary Rugby League career.
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Piney and Bonnie unpack the Phoenix men's thrilling 4-3 win over Perth Glory and examine the reasons for a worrying form slump for the Phoenix women.
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The first round of the NFL playoffs is on in the USA - and it sure is a wild weekend!
One match has been postponed due to a storm and there's so much snow in Arrowhead Stadium it looks like the Chiefs and Dolphins are playing in an ice rink.
NFL writer Arif Hasan spoke to Jason Pine.
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"I'd be absolutely lying to you if I told you I'd ever practiced what happened yesterday."
A superb piece of fielding has made Troy Johnson of the Wellington Firebirds an overnight internet sensation.
He leapt over the boundary rope, and tossed the ball back to Nick Kelly for an unbelievable wicket.
He spoke to Jason Pine on Weekend Sport.
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The Wellington Phoenix are looking for another win to set up a top-of-the-table clash.
If they beat Perth Glory today, they'll move up to first place - and their next match is against current league leaders Melbourne Victory on Friday.
Head coach Giancarlo Italiano spoke to Jason Pine on Weekend Sport ahead of the Perth match.
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Two longtime NFL coaches have thrown in the towel, and that's got James McOnie of the Crowd Goes Wild thinking.
Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll have both stepped down from their head coaching roles and James thinks this underscores the fact that there's been an overall changing of the guard when it comes to sports coaches in the last 12 months.
He spoke to Jason Pine on Weekend Sport about what this might mean.
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A nailbiter in the Women's Super Smash cricket.
The Hinds looked set to finish off the Firebirds by easily chasing down their 109/9 total.
But after some late wickets the match ended with a draw.
One of the best batters on the day was Georgia Plimmer of the Firebirds, she spoke to Jason Pine.
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One of the breakout stars of the A-League season has been Phoenix goalkeeper Alex Paulsen.
He has the best save percentage and more clean sheets than any other keeper in the league.
He spoke to Jason Pine ahead of the match against the Perth Glory today.
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Today is the fifth and final stage of the country's only UCI 2.2 cycle race.
The NZ Cycle Classic will come to a close in Wellington today.
Race director Jorge Sandoval spoke to Jason Pine on Weekend Sport right before things got underway.
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Listeners called in to share their memories of Tiger Woods.
One man who's got a bit closer to the golfing legend than most is photographer to the stars Simon Woolf.
He phoned in to talk to Jason Pine about what that was like, and he had a couple of anecdotes too.
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One of the longest-running commercial partnerships in world sport has ended.
After 27 years, Nike is parting ways with golfing legend Tiger Woods.
Former Nike senior executive Richard Reid spoke to Piney about why this deal has endured so long and whether we'll see anything like it again.
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One of NZ's best Bowls practitioners has added another trophy to the cabinet.
Gary Lawson has won his sixteenth national title in the Men's Pairs at the National Championships in Christchurch.
Longtime bowls commentator Kevin Hickland joined Jason Pine on Weekend Sport to chat about Lawson's win, and all the latest results from the tournament.
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One of the great moments in NZ Commonwealth Games history was Dick Tayler's unexpected gold at the 1974 Christchurch Games.
The Dick Tayler 10KM anniversary meeting is on in Dunedin today to mark the 50th anniversary of the race.
Dick Tayler spoke to Jason Pine on Weekend Sport about why he can still remember it all so vividly.
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Weekend Sport’s Aussie Correspondent has cricket, tennis, and football on the docket today.
There's been debate around who will open the batting against the West Indies, the Aussie Open is coming up, and the Melbourne Victory have turned themselves back into A-League contenders.
Adam Peacock from Code Sports joined Jason Pine to give him the rundown.
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It’s the final day of the ASB Classic in Auckland, and not even the finalists themselves were likely to see this coming.
Unseeded qualifiers Taro Daniel and Alejandro Tabilo have both surpassed much higher-ranked players and are now playing to take the win.
Former Davis Cup player Lee Radovanovic spoke to Jason Pine on Weekend Sport about this unexpected turn of events.
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A winning start for the Black Caps in the T20 series against Pakistan.
The team won the opener in Auckland by 46 runs.
Opening batter Finn Allen joined Jason Pine on Weekend Sport to chat about the win and how odd it was to still be out at the crease when Devon Conway went out for a rare duck.
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Time for one of our favourite divisive times of year here at Weekend Sport - Halbergs season!
The finalists for this year's awards include snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, golfer Ryan Fox and, of course, the All Blacks.
Former judge Joseph Romanos joined Jason Pine to chat about some of the judging decisions he was part of, how the judges make their minds up, and whether he would've given Lydia Ko the award in 2014.
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Piney and Bonnie return for 2024, breaking down the latest performances by the Wellington Phoenix men and women, and wrapping kiwis playing overseas.
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Piney chatted to kiwi heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker to reflect on his epic recent win over Deontay Wilder, and what 2024 might hold for him.
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Top kiwi cyclist Aaron Gate joined Piney to chat about the upcoming New Zealand Cycle Classic and his hopes for 2024, specifically the Paris Olympics.
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Maidstone United have made the third round of football's FA Cup for the first time since their re-formation in 1992. "Stones Live" commentator Chris Bechervaise joined Piney to preview their tie against Stevenage.
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17-time national champion sprinter and New Zealand 400m hurdles record holder Portia Bing spoke with Piney ahead of the Lovelock Classic in Timaru.
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UK-born Otago allrounder PJ Watkins joined Piney to reflect on her successful start to life with the Sparks in the T20 Super Smash.
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Competitive shearer Amy Silcock joined Piney ahead of her attempt at a new women's solo 8-hour strong-wool ewes world record on Sunday in Pahiatua.
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South African sports journalist Ken Borland joined Piney to chat about the reasons behind the selection of an understrength Proteas side for two cricket tests in New Zealand next month.
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Piney caught up with Wellington all-rounder Oscar Jackson who will captain New Zealand at the upcoming under-19 Cricket World Cup in South Africa.
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All Whites midfielder Matt Garbett joined Piney for a chat about his exceptional 2023 for club and country.
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Kiwi sailor Tony Mutter joined Piney to unpack one of the closest finishes in the history of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.
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Piney was joined by Black Caps all-rounder Michael Bracewell with an update on his return from the Achilles injury he suffered in June.
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Piney chat to Black Caps all-rounder Jimmy Neesham after the second T20 international against Bangladesh was washed out in Mount Maunganui.
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It's been a history-making year for US-based kiwi middle-distance runner Maia Ramsden.
She joined Piney to recap 2023 and reveal her plans for next year.
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Rod Latham entered our cricketing folklore with his performances at the 1992 Cricket World Cup in New Zealand.
He joins Piney to remember those iconic days, his career in both cricket and rugby and watching his son Tom excel in the international arena.
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Wellington batter Tim Robinson joins Piney after scoring 139 off just 64 balls against Otago, the second highest score ever in the Super Smash T20 competition.
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The Wellington Phoenix men are top of the A-League table after a 2-0 win over Western Sydney Wanderers, while the women's side also had a 2-0 win in their latest outing.
Football analyst Jacob Spoonley reviews their performances.
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The Auckland A-League have locked in their new men's head coach Steve Corica who will lead them into their inaugural season next year.
Corica has been the manager for Sydney FC for 16 years.
He spoke with Jason Pine on weekend sport and told him that it is good to be here in Auckland and that the his role feels "new and fresh".
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Jason Pine Sat Down With Chennai Super Kings Coach Stephen Fleming to discuss his teams latest purchases ahead of the 2024 IPL Series next year.
One notable addition to the Chennai Super Kings is Daryl Mitchell, who was secured during the Indian Premier League auction for a hefty sum of 14 crores ($2.69 million).
Fleming told Jason Pine that Mitchell's contributions to the game have been nothing short of "eye-watering."
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Piney and Bonnie break down a terrific Phoenix men's win and a disappointing Phoenix women's loss and check in on kiwi footballers playing overseas.
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Kiwi wrestling star Cole Hawkins joined Piney to discuss his pre-Olympic training journey in Mongolia.
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Kiwi darts player Ben Robb joined Piney ahead of his fourth World Darts Championship event.
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The Crowd Goes Wild commentator James McOnie joins Piney to recap this week in sports news.
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Northern Stars shooter Amorangi Malesala joined Piney to discuss her upcoming test debut with the Silver Ferns.
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Several Kiwi cricket stars are set to go under the hammer for the upcoming IPL auction.
Rachin Ravindra, Lockie Ferguson, Finn Allen, Tim Southee, Kyle Jamieson and Will O'Rourke are among the Black Caps on the auction list.
Former Black Caps fast bowler Hamish Bennett joined Piney to discuss.
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A call for netball to keep evolving if it's to compete in an increasingly cut-throat sports market.
The national body could be facing a major revenue shortfall if Sky TV follows through with an expected multi-million dollar slashing of the fees it pays for broadcast rights.
ZB netball commentator Malcolm Jordan says Kiwi netball has 12 months to branch out and find new revenue sources- so there could be hope for the sport.
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Tributes are flowing for legendary New Zealand sports photographer Peter Bush, who has died aged 92.
Bush shot his first rugby test in 1949 and long-time Rugby News editor and author Bob Howitt says the photographer was at the top of his game for more than 60 years.
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The White Ferns managed to squeeze out a one wicket win over Pakistan.
Piney caught up with top run scorer Maddy Green after their win.
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After facing criticism for wanting his own farewell tour, David Warner has hit back in style with a blazing century against Pakistan.
Piney was joined by our Australian Correspondent, Adam Peacock, to discuss this as well as all the other stories making headlines across the ditch.
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The voice of darts has announced his retirement from refereeing.
Piney caught up with Russ Bray to discuss his legendary career and what will come next for the him.
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The Breakers were dominant against the Cairns Taipans as they look to get their season back on track.
Piney caught up with NBL commentator Liam Santamaria to discuss the win and the struggles of the Breakers this season.
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The Eddie Jones saga has seemingly come to a conclusion as this week he was announced as the head coach of Japan.
Piney caught up with former Wallabies coach John Connolly to discuss the roller coaster year for Australian rugby under Eddie Jones leadership.
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Piney caught up with new Black Cap Will O'Rourke as he prepares to make his ODI debut.
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The future of test cricket in Auckland has been brought into the spotlight again with Colin Maiden Park being pencilled as a candidate to replace Eden Park for test cricket.
Piney discussed this potential change with former Black Cap Peter Fulton.
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Football Fever
Piney and Bonnie wrap the weekend's A-League action, with the Phoenix men suffering their first defeat of the season, and the women's side sharing the points with Melbourne Victory.
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Aston Villa's run of home dominance has continued with a one-nil English Premier League win over Arsenal.
It's Villa's 15th straight EPL victory at home and sees them sit third on the ladder.
Fan club member James Stewart joins Piney to discuss.
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Former Blackjacks coach Dave Edwards discusses the significance of the Commonwealth Games, particularly for sports that aren't in the Olympics.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joins Piney to recap all the big sports stories of the week.
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Former Central Stags all-rounder Josh Clarkson joined Piney to discuss his Black Caps debut.
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New Zealand have overcome an unkind pitch and the Bangladesh bowlers to win the second cricket test by four wickets in Mirpur.
The Black Caps successfully chasing 137 runs in their second innings despite struggling at 69 for six.
Former Black Caps spinner Ronnie Hira joined Piney to discuss the team's victory, particularly Phillips and Santner's performances.
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In Australia, the Gold Coast mayor says they gave a Commonwealth Games bid their best shot.
The city's pulled the pin on hosting in 2026 after its $700 million dollar bid got no backing from federal or state Governments.
Sports commentator John McBeth joined Piney to discuss the uncertain future of the games.
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Piney caught up with World Number 5 squash player Nele Gilis, who is in the country for the New Zealand Squash Open.
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NZCPA CEO Heath Mills joined Piney to react to the news of Lou Vincent's life bans from cricket being relaxed.
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Aussie Correspondent Adam Peacock joined Piney to discuss all the big stories from across the Tasman.
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Piney was joined by NZME cricket commentator Andrew Alderson to discuss how the Black Caps are faring in their 2nd test against Bangladesh.
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New Warriors recruit Kurt Capewell joined Piney to discuss his move across the ditch.
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NZ Rugby CEO Mark Robinson joined Piney to recap the year in rugby, and chat about his expectations for 2024.
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Piney and Bonnie wrap the weekend's action with the Football Ferns drawing 0-0 against Colombia and the Phoenix men going to the top of the A-League ladder, as well as discussing Chloe Knott's departure from the Phoenix women's side.
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Kiwi climber Sarah Tetzlaff made history as one of the first to ever qualify for an Olympic Games.
Alongside Julian David, Tetzlaff won the Oceania qualifier in Melbourne for speed climbing.
She discussed this athletic accomplishment with Piney.
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Kiwi athlete Simon Cochrane has won the Ultraman World Championships event in Kona- and beaten the world record by 40 minutes.
He spoke to Piney about this sporting achievement.
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Kiwi football referee Matthew Conger joins Piney to discuss the purpose of orange cards and rugby-style penalties- and what they could mean for the sport going forward.
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The Crowd Goes Wild host James McOnie joins Piney to recap the latest goings-on in the world of sport.
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A sign that the Phoenix men consider themselves genuine contenders in football's A-League.
Wellington are guaranteed to be top of the A-League after this weekend - following last night's 1-nil win over Western United across the ditch in Ballarat.
Phoenix player Kosta Barbarouses joined Piney to recap the victory.
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Former Wellington first-class cricketer and businessman Scott Weenink has been the CEO of New Zealand cricket for three months.
Weenink was appointed to replace David White in August, and he's confirmed big plans for the future of cricket in New Zealand.
He discusses his personal highlights and future plans further with Piney.
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Kiwi golfer Ryan Fox has had an exceptional, yet hectic year in 2023.
Between his BMW PGA Championship win, playing the masters in the Augusta National and securing a PGA Tour 2024 card, it's been a memorable year for Fox.
He broke it all down with Piney on Sportstalk.
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The Women's international football window is just around the corner, with the Football Ferns preparing for two matches against Colombia.
Piney caught up with defender Marisa van der Meer ahead of those matches.
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Piney caught up with the Head of Commercial & Fandom at Sky Sport and former GM of the NZNBL, Justin Nelson, to discuss the innovations the league is introducing and how it will keep the fans engaged.
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Kiwi Golfer Ben Campbell recently won the Hong Kong Open, and this breakthrough was enough to earn him an invite to a LIV Golf qualifying event in Abu Dhabi.
Piney caught up with Ben to talk about that success and his hopes to join the LIV Golf Tour.
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Piney was joined by our Australian Correspondent to discuss all the big stories from across the ditch.
What's happening with Netball Australia? And the Matildas are getting another recognition.
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The White Ferns are preparing for their first series of the summer against Pakistan.
Piney took the chance to chat with White Ferns stalwart Suzie Bates, who's set to have her home ground University Oval renamed the Suzie Bates Oval in honour of her achieving the milestone of 300 international matches.
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Paul Coll is returning home for the NZ Festival of Squash.
Piney took the opportunity to catch up with him and look back on his year, the highs of winning the US Open, and the potential of playing at the Olympics.
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All Blacks eligibility has once again been thrust into the spotlight, with Sam Cane bringing up the potential need to look at changing the rules over overseas eligibility for the All Blacks.
Piney had a chat with NZRPA Boss Rob Nichol to find out his thoughts, and whether changes might need to happen.
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A bumper edition as Piney and Bonnie review wins for both the Phoenix men's and women's sides in Auckland, the Football Ferns' upcoming matches against Colombia and kiwis playing overseas.
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Arsenal has shot to the top of football's English Premier League and now leads Manchester City by a point, with Liverpool a further point back in third.
Elsewhere there were wins for Newcastle, Brighton and West Ham in the top half of the table - and rare wins for Luton Town and Bournemouth in the bottom half.
Football broadcaster Tom Rennie recaps the ongoing season.
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The Warriors are surprise favourites to sign Queensland State of Origin second-rower Kurt Capewell.
The Broncos forward - who won a premiership with the Panthers in 2021 - is reportedly touring the club's facilities at Mt Smart.
NRL.com senior reporter Brad Walter joined Elliott Smith to discuss what we know so far.
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The Crowd Goes Wild commentator James McOnie weighs in on a full week in the world of sport with Elliott Smith.
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The Black Caps are determined to move forward following their recent World Cup disappointment.
The team are set to go up against Bangladesh in a two-test series beginning Tuesday.
All-rounder Daryl Mitchell joined Elliott Smith to discuss,
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Shane van Gisbergen has missed out on the top ten shootout in his final Supercars qualifying session at the Adelaide 500.
Up and coming Kiwi Matthew Payne has taken provisional pole for Penrite Racing by a third of a second over Cam Waters.
NZ Herald motorsport writer Eric Thompson joined Elliott Smith to discuss.
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Bill Foley seems to be the extra push an Auckland-based professional football club needs.
The American billionaire has been confirmed as the bidder for this new venture, with more details set to be revealed ahead of the 2024 season.
A-Leagues Commissioner Nick Garcia joined Elliott Smith to discuss what this means for Auckland.
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The teenage son of Kiwi champion boxer Mea Motu has taken a unique path to sporting success.
Davey Motu was recently named Junior Māori Sportsman of the Year at the 2023 Māori Sports Awards- for his prowess in lawn bowling.
Mea Motu joined Elliott Smith to discuss her son's victory.
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The Wellington Phoenix have come to Auckland.
Elliott catches up with Goalie Rylee Foster to discuss her season, and wild journey that's led her to the Phoenix.
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In a rare turn of events for Weekend Sport, politics joins the show as Elliott catches up with Chris Bishop, the new minister for Sport and Recreation.
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Bill Foley has announced he would like to build a waterfront stadium in Auckland for the new A League team.
Elliott catches up with Outgoing Sky Stadium Boss Shane Harmon to discuss what goes into making a good stadium and a good experience for fans who attend.
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Elliott chats to the CEO of New Zealand Rugby League to discuss why Michael Maguire has stepped down as coach of the Kiwis and where the national team goes from here.
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Bonnie and New Zealand Herald football writer Michael Burgess wrap The Wellington Phoenix Women's loss, the All Whites, and the latest Football Ferns squad.
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Chaos on day one at Formula 1's brand new Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Practice one was abandoned less than nine minutes after Carlos Sainz ran over a loose manhole cover, badly damaging his Ferrari.
Practice two was then delayed by two and and half hours, with fans forced to leave to leave in order to comply with local laws.
Las Vegas reporter Mick Akers joined Elliott Smith to recap the chaotic start to the event.
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Steven Alker’s one shot win at the end-of-season Charles Schwab Cup Championship secured him a $1.7 million cheque just in time for the Kiwi summer.
The 52-year-old held off former World No 1 Ernie Els and Canadian Stephen Ames to win the final event of the PGA Tour Champions season.
Steven Alker joined Elliott Smith to recap his victory.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Elliott Smith to recap the week's biggest sports news stories.
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The NZ Herald's resident combat sport expert, Chris Reive, joins Elliott Smith to recap the biggest boxing stories of the week.
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The Breakers will be hoping to build on some much-needed momentum against the Illawarra Hawks.
Last season's runners-up have endured an inconsistent start to the new season, and sit eighth on the table after Thursday's road win over the Tasmanian Jackjumpers.
Breakers star Tom Abercrombie joins Elliott Smith ahead of the match.
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Everton have been docked ten points by an independent commission after being found to have breached English Premier League financial rules.
The league referred the Toffees to the commission in March for an alleged breach of its profit and sustainability rules during the 2021-22 season.
It puts them second to last on the ladder on four points, ahead of only Burnley on goal difference.
Commentator Pete McFarlane joins Elliott Smith to discuss this 'shocking' development.
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Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan has been given an ultimatum to resign as the union seemingly enters civil war.
Six of the state's unions have sent a letter to McLennan demanding he exit the role after overseeing the disastrous tenure of Wallabies coach Eddie Jones.
Australian rugby writer Christy Doran joins Elliott Smith to discuss the ongoing conflict.
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Australia are mentally steeling themselves for the cauldron of 130,000 Indian supporters in tonight's Cricket World Cup final in Ahmedabad.
The Aussies have reached the big dance against the odds after losing their opening two group games.
India meanwhile have a perfect ten-from-ten record in their home tournament.
Former Australian national cricket coach John Buchanan joins Elliott Smith ahead of the event.
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Dylan Cleaver shares his insights on the Black Caps' World Cup campaign with Elliott Smith.
They discuss the team's overall positive performance, the squad's age, and the potential generational shift.
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The Cricket World Cup is over for the Black Caps after losing to India in the Semi Finals.
Elliott Smith was joined by Coach Gary Stead to discuss where the team goes from here.
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Bonnie and New Zealand Herald football writer Michael Burgess wrap the Wellington Phoenix women's win and Macey Fraser's incredible strike.
We also discuss the Phoenix men holding a forceful Melbourne Victory to a draw. Plus we look at the FIFA men's U17 World Cup and the upcoming All Whites match against Greece.
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The New Zealand Under-17 men's football side are embracing their pool of death at the FIFA World Cup in Indonesia.
New Zealand confront Venezuela tonight before meeting confederation champions Germany and Mexico in their final two matches.
The top two from each of the six pools go through to the knockout stages, alongside the four best third place finishers.
Footballer Adam Watson joined Piney ahead of kickoff.
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Wellington Phoenix women's coach Paul Temple's laid out exactly what they're expecting from Western United this afternoon, as they look to keep up their excellent start to the A-League.
United beat Wellington twice last year as they made the final in their debut season.
Temple joined Piney to outline today's plans.
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The Fast5 Ferns inched closer to victory after beating out South Africa in the World Series.
Coach Marianne Delaney-Hoshek joined Piney to discuss.
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Junior driver Carter Dalgety joins Piney ahead of the 2023 NZ Trotting Cup.
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The Crowd Goes Wild commentator James McOnie joins Piney to discuss the biggest sports stories of the week.
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Beauden Barrett isn't going to be saying goodbye to test rugby anytime soon.
NZ Rugby confirmed in a recent interview that Barrett is set to sign a multiyear year deal through to 2027- which will make him available for the All Blacks come 2024.
ZB sports commentator Elliott Smith joins Piney to discuss.
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Victor Wembanyama's NBA debut has put the San Antonio Spurs on the map this season.
His recent October 25th match broke viewing records for, as basketball fans tuned in to witness the teen phenom's athletic prowess.
San Antonio Express-News sports reporter Tom Orsborn weighs in on Victor Wembanyama's 'landmark' journey.
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Level-headedness has been the key for the Black Caps as they head for their fifth-straight one-day Cricket World Cup semifinal appearance.
New Zealand will meet India in Mumbai on Wednesday night after finishing pool play with a five-win, four-loss record.
Black Caps all-rounder Mitch Santner joined Piney to discuss the team's prowess.
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Piney caught up with Tiana Metuarau after the Fast5 Ferns opening win against Malawi.
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Hear4U was founded in September 2019 to create change and increase awareness around men's mental health and suicide prevention.
One of their strongest advocates is iconic former All Blacks captain Ian Kirkpatrick.
Piney caught up with Ian to discuss the upcoming charity golf tournament that will help raise funds for Hear4U.
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Piney caught up with Welsh centurion and new assistant coach for Moana Pasifika, Stephen Jones, after his arrival in NZ and the Super Rugby squad announcements.
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The FIFA U-17 Men's World Cup is just around the corner in Indonesia.
Piney caught up with Martin Bullock to discuss what success will look like for the team.
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The squads have been announced for Super Rugby 2024.
Piney caught up with coaches Rob Penney (Crusaders), Clayton McMillan (Chiefs), Vern Cotter (Blues), Clark Laidlaw (Hurricanes), and Clark Dermody (Highlanders) to discuss their squads and hopes for next season.
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The Black Caps are all but through to the Cricket World Cup semifinal where they'll play against India.
Piney caught up with cricket coach and former Black Cap Andre Adams to chat about their chances to make a third straight World Cup final.
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Piney and Bonnie wrap an incredible day at Sky Stadium with both the Phoenix men and women chalking up superb wins over their Brisbane Roar counterparts.
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The newly appointed coach of the Black Sox, Thomas Makea, is gearing up for the team's WBSC Oceania regional qualifier.
The 17-strong squad is set to compete in American Samoa from Novemer 9th to 11th.
Makea joins Piney ahead of the event.
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Annalie Longo and Giancarlo Italiano joined Piney to recap the double Wellington Phoenix win.
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The Crowd Goes Wild commentator James McOnie recaps the biggest sports stories of the week.
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Eddie Jones shocked the Australian rugby world after he abruptly resigned last week.
After promising he would stick around following Australia's less-than-stellar World Cup campaign, he departed for new opportunities elsewhere.
Australian sportswriter Tom Decent recaps the saga here.
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It's a big week for racing fans, as the 2023 Melbourne Cup is fast approaching.
This coming Tuesday, all eyes will be on Flemington Racecourse as punters place their bets on the speculated winners.
The TAB's Thad Taylor joins Piney ahead of the company's biggest day of the year.
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A record-breaking batting effort hasn't been enough to prevent a fourth straight defeat for New Zealand at the Cricket World Cup in India.
The Black Caps have posted 401 for 6- but suffered a 21-run loss to Pakistan via the Duckworth-Lewis method.
New Zealand will still qualify for the semifinals if they beat Sri Lanka on Thursday.
NZ Herald sportswriter Andrew Alderson joins Piney to recap the loss.
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Kiwis rugby league coach Michael Maguire is relishing in the team's weekend victory.
New Zealand stunned the world champion Kangaroos with a record-setting 30 points to 0 win in last night's final in Hamilton.
Maguire joined Piney on Weekend Sport to recap the victory.
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Rachin Ravindra's making history at the ongoing Cricket World Cup.
The 23-year-old rookie is the first to score three centuries at the ICC event- a landmark accomplishment.
NZ Cricket coach development manager - and Ravindra's former coach - joins Jason Pine to celebrate his former pupil's talent.
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The Wellington Phoenix women are back in action against the Brisbane Roar, following an international break.
They beat the Western Sydney Wanderers in Sydney in their last outing.
Head coach Paul Temple talked with Jason Pine on Weekend Sport about the team's chances.
Men's team striker Oskar Zavada spoke to Jason Pine about the team's victory against Perth Glory, and their plans for the season.
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The Kiwis play the Kangaroos in the Pacific Championship Rugby League final in Hamilton.
It is the third time in 11 years that Australia and New Zealand have played rugby league in a men's international on New Zealand soil.
Kiwis and Canberra Raiders centre Matt Timoko talked with Jason Pine on Weekend Sport about what to expect.
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A huge day for women's rugby at Auckland's Mt Smart Stadium as the world's best sides square off.
The WXV1 final is a rematch of the 2022 world cup final where England will play New Zealand.
Black Fern Luka Connor spoke to Jason Pine on Weekend sport about the tournament.
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The Black Caps face a crucial Cricket World Cup game against Pakistan, off the back off three consecutive losses.
If they beat Pakistan, their chances of making the semi-finals will improve.
However, if they lose, their fate will be in the hands of the other teams in the last few matches.
Former Black Cap Mitchell McClenaghan spoke to Jason Pine on Weekend Sport about it.
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NZ Warriors front rower Addin Fonua-Blake has reversed his initial request for an exit from the club and is expected to stay through 2024.
While, earlier this week, Australia declined to bid for the 2034 Football World Cup, pretty much assuring the tournament will go to Saudi Arabia.
Australian correspondent Adam Peacock talked with Jason Pine on Weekend Sport about these subjects and more.
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A win against Pakistan in tonight Cricket World Cup would put the Black Caps in a great position to make the semi-finals, while a loss would leave it up to the final group games.
Black Caps batter Will Young spoke to Jason Pine on Weekend Sport on what to expect for the game against Pakistan.
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Rugby referee Wayne Barnes has announced his retirement.
It comes after a career spanning 17 years, 111 test matches, including five rugby world cups.
The announcement came five days after he officiated the 2023 Rugby World Cup final between the All Blacks and the Springboks.
NZ Rugby head of refereeing Chris Pollock spoke to Jason Pine on Weekend Sport about Barnes' career.
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Piney and Bonnie Jansen return to discuss all the key events going on in the world of football!
Today, the pair talk about the promising start to Wellington Phoenix season and the Football Ferns' next challenges.
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It's been a disappointing day in the rugby world, as the All Blacks lost their highly-anticipated World Cup final to the Springboks.
South Africa are world champions for the fourth time after edging the big dance 12-11 - helped mightily when New Zealand captain Sam Cane's yellow card was upgraded to red in the 34th minute.
Former All Black Aaron Mauger is 'gutted' by the team's loss.
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Christopher Luxon was one of multiple All Blacks fans out supporting New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup final.
The Prime Minister-elect watched the All Blacks lose 12-11 to the Springboks from the comfort of Coops Corner Bar on Auckland's Viaduct.
Luxon says the mood was pretty respectful when walking around the Viaduct.
He says we're all disappointed, but the fans he encountered were all proud of the teams' efforts.
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The Crowd Goes Wild commentator James McOnie recaps the biggest sports stories of the week.
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After weeks of tight games and triumphs, New Zealand's World Cup journey ended in defeat.
The Springboks beat the All Blacks 12-11- becoming the first nation to win four World Cups.
ZB rugby editor and commentator Elliott Smith recaps the All Blacks' emotional journey.
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The All Blacks faced a 12-11 by South Africa in the Rugby World Cup final in Paris.
The All Blacks were reduced to a 14-strong team and hampered by TMO junctures, resulting in a narrow loss.
Former All Black Pita Alatini says the team showed 'courage' in the face of defeat- and they should be proud of their progress.
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Ahead of the World Cup Final Piney caught up with South African Rugby legend Naas Botha to discuss both teams chances and in particular, what South Africa will need to do to win.
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Piney headed across to Tasman to find out what is going on in the Eddie Jones situation, who the Aussies want to win the Rugby World Cup, and chat about the Blackcaps v Australia match in the Cricket World Cup.
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Piney continues to look back at the 2015 Rugby World Cup with All Blacks fullback from that cup, Ben Smith.
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The All Blacks became the first team to defend the Rugby World Cup title when they won in 2015.
Piney takes a look back on that win with one of the heroes of the tournament, Nehe Milner-Skudder.
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The 2011 Rugby World Cup final was the most stressful rugby experience for All Blacks fans, but they managed to break their 24 year drought when they beat France 8-7 at Eden Park.
Piney caught up with the All Blacks winger from that game, Cory Jane, to reminisce on that day.
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The All Blacks have faced South Africa once before in the Rugby World Cup Final.
In 1995 South Africa came out victorious 15-12 at Johannesburg. Piney caught up with All Blacks loosie from that game Josh Kronfeld to chat about what happened then.
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Piney continues to look back on past Rugby World Cup finals.
This time he goes all the way back to 1987 with All Blacks legend Grant Fox to discuss the All Blacks inaugural Rugby World Cup triumph.
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The All Blacks are set to play for their fourth World Cup title tomorrow morning.
Ahead of the game, Piney caught up with the last man to coach them to the title, 2015 World Cup winning coach Sir Steve Hansen.
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Former All Blacks coach John Hart discussed the All Black's chances ahead of next week's World Cup final.
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The Crowd Goes Wild commentator James McOnie recaps the big sports stories of the week- and what we can expect from next week.
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Breakers point guard Will McDowell-White discussed his return to the NBL with ZB's D'Arcy Waldegrave.
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Former White Fern-turned cricket commentator Katey Martin discusses her 'unreal' role as she tags along to India with the Black Caps.
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Tonight's Cricket World Cup showdown between India and New Zealand promises to be a blockbuster clash.
Both teams are four from four, after the hosts beat Bangladesh by seven wickets earlier this week.
Black Caps all-rounder Mitchell Santner spoke to D'Arcy Waldegrave ahead of the match.
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The All Blacks will play South Africa in the Rugby World Cup final, following the Springboks' win over England.
The English led 12-6 at halftime and 15-6 with ten minutes to play, until a try by replacement lock RG Snyman helped the team surge towards a victory.
A 49-metre penalty landed by Handre Pollard clinched a lead for the Springboks with two minutes left to go.
Rugby journalist Mark Keohane recaps the team's victory.
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All Black legend and 55 test veteran Frank Bunce spoke to Jason Pine about the All Blacks' convincing victory v Argentina.
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Kiwi mountain bike star Sammie Maxwell is having a very successful 2023.
She became the U-23 women's world champion in September.
Maxwell spoke to Jason Pine about her year so far.
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The Kiwis play Toa Samoa at Eden Park in the second game of the 2023 Pacific Rugby League Championships at Eden Park.
Five-eighth Dylan Brown joined Jason Pine to talk about the game and what fans should expect.
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Taranaki and Hawke's Bay face off in this year's NPC Championship final, today.
Taranaki beat Canterbury 23-16 last weekend to book a place in this year's final.
The Bulls hope to win their first championship since 2014, and Hawke's Bay hope to win their first ever.
Veteran broadcaster Phil Quinney spoke to Jason Pine about it.
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Australian correspondent Adam Peacock spoke with Jason Pine on the country's performance at the cricket world cup, the future of Eddie Jones at the Wallabies, and the Socceroos comfortable win over the All Whites. LISTEN ABOVE
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The All Blacks comprehensively swept aside Argentina to took their place in their fifth rugby world cup final.
The 44-6 result means the ABs will play either England or South Africa in next week's final.
Former All Black halfback Ant Strachan spoke to Jason Pine about the result, and his thoughts on the second semi-final.
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Our regular correspondent, James McOnie, was on the mic this morning for the Rugby World Cup quarter-final between Ireland and the All Blacks.
He joined Piney on the show to discuss what he saw from his point of view, and he also got a quick cameo from Jordie Barrett.
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Piney was joined by former Irish international Bernard Jackman to look at what went wrong for the Irish and where the team goes from here.
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Piney continues to recap the All Blacks big win over Ireland. Tony Johnson joined him to discuss how they got their biggest win in the Ian Foster era.
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It was an intense match this morning as the All Blacks and Ireland battled for the a place in the semi-finals.
The All Blacks claimed the crown, beating Ireland 28-24, and former All Blacks legend Sean Fitzpatrick joined Jason Pine to chat about what went down.
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The Black Caps are three from three at the Cricket World Cup, having beaten England, the Netherlands, and Bangladesh. Piney caught up with former Blackcap Peter McGlashen to discuss their early success.
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It's been an awful start for Australia at the Cricket World Cup, and Eddie Jones is still causing headaches.
Piney caught up with Adam Peacock to discuss the big stories from over the ditch.
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The Rugby World Cup quarter-final is set to be the biggest game in the Ian Foster era for the All Blacks.
Piney previewed the occasion with a man who's been there and done that: two-time world cup winner, Victor Vito helped him break down what needs to happen for the All Blacks World Cup run to continue.
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As the Rugby World Cup quarter-final draws near, Piney caught up with a legend of Irish rugby, the first man to captain them to a win over the All Blacks, Jamie Heaslip.
They discussed where Ireland’s rugby success has come from, the nerves ahead of the quarter-final, and what they expect may happen.
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The Professor, Wayne Smith has done it all in rugby.
He's won 3 Rugby World Cups, along with 2 Super Rugby titles with the Crusaders.
Among all of his highs he also has had a lot of lows, including the 2007 Rugby World Cup Quarterfinal loss to France.
He joins Piney to discuss all of his highs and lows of his career and his new book Smithy.
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James McOnie from the Crowd Goes Wild is in France, soaking up all of the World Cup action- however he was able to also keep up to date with the Blackcaps' big opening win against England in the Cricket World Cup.
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The All Blacks are through to the Quarterfinals of the Rugby World Cup. Piney catches up with hooker Dane Coles ahead of their matchup against Ireland next weekend.
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Scott McLaughlin has been making waves in IndyCar since heading to the USA. Before that he was a champion in Supercars and a Bathurst winner. He joins Piney on the day of the big race to chat about winning at Bathurst and also his time at the IndyCar circuit.
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The Futsal Whites are one win away from qualifying for the 2024 Futsal World Cup.
Piney caught up with their coach as they prepare for their match against Tahiti to book their tickets to Uzbekistan.
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The NZ sporting community was rocked this week by news of the death of one of the greats.
Piney caught up with Jack Jordan to discuss the impact Jason had on his career and what he means to the world of Timbersport.
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The great race at Mount Panorama will happen tomorrow.
Piney caught up with one of the greats of Bathurst, 4-time winner Greg Murphy, to preview it and find out what it takes to win.
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The Wallabies are on the brink of missing out on knockout play in the Rugby World Cup.
Our Australian correspondent joined Piney to discuss the potential fallout from that.
Along with Rugby, they discuss the Cricket World Cup and whether we'll be seeing another FIFA World Cup in this part of the world.
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Kiwi cyclist Shane Archbold has announced his retirement from the sport.
He joined Piney to discuss the highs and lows of his career and what comes next for the "Flying Mullet".
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Scotland will play Ireland to keep their Rugby World Cup hopes alive, but a loss will see them packing their bags early. Scottish Rugby reporter David Barnes joined Piney from France to look at whether they can pull off the upset.
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The Cricket World Cup is underway, and for New Zealand, in dominant fashion after a 9-wicket win over defending champions England.
Piney caught up with respected Cricket journalist and author, Dylan Cleaver, to discuss that performance, the chances the Blackcaps have in this World Cup, and to talk about his new book, Modern New Zealand Cricket Greats: From Stephen Fleming to Kane Williamson.
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NZ's own Futsal team is gearing up to qualify for next year's FIFA Futsal World Cup.
Eight teams teams will compete for the right to represent Oceania at the event in Uzbekistan next September.
NZ Fustal captain Dylan Manickum explains further here.
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The Magpies are relishing having the Ranfurly Shield back in Hawke's Bay
They've beaten Wellington 20-18 in the capital to regain the Log O' Wood, which they lost to the Lions last year.
Head Coach Brock James recaps the team's victory here.
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The Breakers have made a winning start to their Australian basketball league campaign, beating the Cairns Taipans 98-87.
Former Breakers player Casey Frank recaps Tom Abercrombie's successful 400th game here.
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A heated situation involving Rory McIlroy is stoking tensions ahead of the final-day singles at golf's Ryder Cup later tonight.
McIlroy got into a public altercation with Patrick Cantlay's caddie - Joe LaCava- accusing him of waving his hat in his line of vision ahead of a crucial putt.
talkSPORT commentator Russ Hargreaves recaps the incident here.
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The Crowd Goes Wild commentator James McOnie joins Piney to recap this week's biggest sports stories.
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The Broncos are set to clash against Penrith Panthers in Sydney for tonight's NRL grand final.
ZB sportswriter Rueben Mama is standing by the Broncos- and he spoke to Piney ahead of tonight's match.
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The Penrith Panthers are eyeing up a third successive NRL premiership- a victory that hasn't been achieved in over 40 years.
The NRL grand final kicks off in Sydney at 9:30, and former Panther Ryan Girdler joined Piney to discuss the team's chances.
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New Zealand's run at the Cricket World Cup is off to a strong start, with the Black Caps scoring a emphatic five wicket win over Pakistan.
The first opening match is set to get started this Thursday- and cricket commentator Craig Cumming explains what to expect from the big day.
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The Blacks Caps are already off to a solid start to the Cricket World Cup, having beaten Pakistan by 5 wickets in their warm-up match.
This win was powered by the 97 scored by opener Rachin Ravindra- and he recapped his success-making performance to Piney.
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The Taini Jamison Series decider happens today after debutant Amelia Walmsley helped lift the silver Ferns to a series levelling win in Porirua on Wednesday.
She joined Piney ahead of time to preview the decider.
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It's one of the biggest days in the Australian sporting calendar.
100,00 people are set to pack into the MCG to witness the AFL Grand Final as the Brisbane Lions and Collingwood Magpies fight it out for the glory.
Piney was joined by leading AFL commentator Mark Howard to preview that match.
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Tom Abercrombie brings up 400 games for the Breakers this weekend when they play the Cairns Taipans, the first player to do that.
He caught up with Piney to discuss his journey to 400.
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The Black Ferns are preparing for WXV 1, and as a warm-up are facing the Wallaroos. Piney caught up with Black Fern Alana Bremner to preview that match.
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Piney caught up with NZ Herald Rugby writer Gregor Paul after the All Blacks impressive win over Italy.
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The All Blacks were never troubled in Lyon as they ran 14 tries in to dominate the Italians 96-17.
Former All Black Mike Brewer joined Piney to unpack that performance.
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Ahead of tonight's North London Derby, NZ Tottenham supporters club head Hamish Girvan joins Piney to explain what viewers can expect from the event.
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The Silver Ferns are buoyed by the opportunity of redemption after a disappointing Netball World Cup.
The Ferns are facing England in this afternoon's first Taini Jamison Trophy test in Christchurch- netball commentator Jenny Woods joins Piney ahead of the match.
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The Wallabies have one more chance to get ahead in the Rugby World Cup- and pressure is mounting.
Following last week's devastating 22-15 loss to Fiji, Australia is set to go up against Wales tomorrow morning.
Sydney Morning Herald rugby writer Tom Decent joins Piney ahead of the event.
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Wellington's wary of the threats North Harbour possess in today's Ranfurly Shield contest in Porirua.
Harbour have flipped the switch through eight games this NPC season, posting four wins in a row after losing their first four.
North Harbour coach Daniel Halangahu joins Piney ahead of the match.
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Ireland have beaten South Africa 13-8 in their heavyweight Pool B clash at Stade de France at the Rugby World Cup.
Rugby editor Elliott Smith breaks down this morning's action with Piney.
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The Warriors' thrilling NRL campaign finally drew to a close, following the team's 42-12 loss to the Broncos in Brisbane.
Former Warrior Wairangi Koopu recaps the team's performance- and the high points that turned them around before Saturday's defeat.
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Piney caught up with Football Fern Katie Bowen as the Ferns prepare for their 2 match series against Chile.
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After hearing the news that Liam Lawson won't have a full-time seat with Alpha Tauri next year, Piney caught up with Motorsport expert Eric Thompson to discuss what's next for Lawson.
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It's game day in Brisbane.
NZ Herald Rugby League writer Michael Burgess joined Piney to preview the biggest match for the Warriors in over a decade.
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Piney caught up with our Australian correspondent to look at all the big stories from across the ditch.
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Piney caught up with Fox League commentator Jake Duke to look forward to the NRL finals after the Penrith Panthers dispatched the Melbourne Storm in the first Preliminary Final.
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Ahead of what is being dubbed the biggest pool match in the Rugby World Cup, Piney caught up with long-time Irish broadcaster and former Otago rugby stalwart Brent Pope to discuss the upcoming match between South Africa and Ireland.
They also took some time to discuss Mental Health Awareness Week, and the work Brent has done in that field.
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The Warriors are battling the Broncos tonight in what’s set to be an intense preliminary final match.
Former Warrior and Bronco, Brent Tate, told Jason Pine that any time the Warriors get a chance, they’ll have to nail it.
He said they've grown in confidence with each game they've played, but they've got to make sure they keep their eyes on the prize.
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D'Arcy catches up with NZ Herald rugby writer Gregor Paul to look at the big games of the weekend at the Rugby World Cup.
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D'Arcy catches up with James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild to discuss all the big sporting stories of the week.
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D'Arcy catches up with javelin thrower Tori Peeters after her best finish in the Diamond League.
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D'Arcy catches up with Kiwi tennis champion Erin Routliffe after her success at Flushing Meadows.
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D'Arcy catches up with Jared Lawson, who's in Singapore to watch his son compete at the Singapore GP.
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D'Arcy catches up with Australian rugby correspondent Brett McKay to chat about the upcoming match between the Wallabies and Fiji.
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D'Arcy catches up with Warriors captain Tohu Harris after they booked their spot in the Preliminary final against the Broncos next week.
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D'Arcy catches up with Blackcaps allrounder Rachin Ravindra as they complete their final warmups before the Cricket World Cup.
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D'Arcy catches up with kiwi Ski legend Jossi Wells to discuss the Jossi Wells Invitational.
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D'Arcy catches up with our Australian correspondent to look at all the big stories from across the ditch.
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D'Arcy catches up with a man who knows all things motorsport, Bob McMurray, to discuss Liam Lawson's success and Sandown 500 in the Supercars.
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D'Arcy caught up with former Warriors captain Steve Price to discuss the Warriors season, and also how he got into being on Celebrity Treasure Island.
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D'Arcy was joined by former Namibian rugby international player David Philander to discuss the Namibia v All Blacks test from a Namibian Perspective, and to look at the current state of Namibian rugby.
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D'Arcy was joined by former All Blacks coach Sir Steve Hansen to recap the All Blacks v Namibia match, and to discuss the amount of red and yellow cards being dished out in the tournament.
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The Warriors are set to face off against the Newcastle Knights this weekend in the first home final since 2008.
The highly anticipated match will be played at Go Media Stadium Mt Smart at 6.05pm on Saturday night.
Warriors CEO Cameron George joins Sportstalk to share in the excitement.
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D'Arcy chats with NZ Herald chief rugby writer Liam Napier to discuss the big talking points from the start of the Rugby World Cup.
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Piney catches up with James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild to discuss all the big sporting stories of the week.
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D'Arcy catches up with Kiwi IndyCar driver Marcus Armstrong as he prepares for his final race in his rookie season.
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After a tough loss to the Panthers in the first round of the NRL playoffs, D'Arcy catches up with Warriors head coach Andrew Webster to discuss what went wrong for the team.
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Piney caught up with Former Warriors Captain Adam Blair ahead of the Warriors' final matchup against the Panthers. Up the Wahs!
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Piney caught up with Oly Whites coach Darren Bazeley as he prepares his team for their qualification game against Fiji as they attempt to book their spot to Paris 2024.
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Piney caught up with Former Blackcaps coach Mike Hesson after the news came out that Kane Williamson will be available for the Cricket World Cup.
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Piney caught up with our Australian correspondent to look at all the big stories from across the ditch.
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Look, we can still win the Rugby World Cup.
That is probably the height of naivety, but we physically can still win it.
We were always going to face, in all likelihood, Ireland or South Africa in the quarters and that hasn't changed.
If you're looking for precedence, South Africa lost their first game in 2019 and went on to win the Rugby World Cup in the recent FIFA women's World cup.
Spain lost four-nil to Japan in pool play, they went on to win the tournament.
Our starting forward pack was without Tyrel Lomax, Brodie Retallick, Shannon Frizell and Sam Cane this morning, and on the back line, no Jordie Barrett. That's five genuine starting players not there, and yet we still went toe to toe for a long time against the tournament favorites at home with 80,000 fans in the stands.
But let's now be realistic.
Let's look at this with a cool head and in doing that, it's very, very hard to see how the All Blacks can win three test matches, like the one this morning, in consecutive weekends in October.
France were better than us this morning.
Absolutely, no doubt about it.
Nobody is saying the All Blacks should have won that game.
The only way we can play France again is in the final. But to get there, we have to beat Ireland or South Africa in a month or so, and then someone from the other side of the draw who's probably won most of, if not all their five games up till then. And then overturn this morning's result and beat France in the final.
Look at no previous World Cup have I felt less optimistic than I do today.
That was a tactical master class from France in the second half helped of course by the All Blacks errors and indiscipline, but they monstered us in the second 40.
We defended well up to a point, but repelling wave after wave after wave of French attacks takes it out of you, especially when you start giving away penalties and then the dam burst.
And then when we were behind, did it ever feel like we were going to claw it back? It just seemed so unlikely.
When we were behind, I can't remember an attack by us which looked like it might end up with us scoring.
And we also kicked away a heck of a lot of ball. It was clearly a kicking strategy, but I'm not sure it bore the fruit that we were after.
There was certainly plenty to work on for the All Blacks Brains Trust.
Look, there was no shortage of heart. No one didn't try, no one didn't tackle, no one didn't give 100%.
But that's base level stuff, right.
Wearing an All Blacks jersey means those things are not negotiable, but it's being cool under pressure, winning the big moments, coping with adversity, and being better than your opponent mentally where the difference is made.
At a Rugby World Cup everybody can play rugby.
But now lots of teams can think rugby better than us.
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After the All Blacks’ loss to France in the opening game of the Rugby World Cup, Piney caught up with former All Black Pita Alatini to try work out what went wrong in Saint-Denis this morning.
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Piney caught up with Newstalk ZB's voice of rugby, Elliott Smith, to find out what went wrong for the All Blacks at Stade de France.
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Pierre Rabadan played 318 matches for French Top 14 Rugby Club Stade Français Paris, and 2 tests for France in his playing career.
He's now Deputy Mayor of Paris and in charge of Sport, and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. With the Rugby World Cup less than a week away, Piney caught up with him to discuss the buildup around Paris, and whether he thinks this French team have the ability to win the Web Ellis Cup.
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Piney catches up with Kiwi high jumper Hamish Kerr after his impressive 2nd place at the Diamond League meet in Zurich, coming just after a disappointing showing in Budapest.
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Piney catches up with James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild to discuss all the big sporting stories of the week.
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He was the first man to lift the William Webb Ellis trophy above his head. 1987 All Blacks captain David Kirk catches up with Piney to look back on that first RWC, and what to expect from this year's tournament.
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With the Rugby World Cup less than a week away, Piney catches up with a number of rugby experts to discuss chances of some of the underdogs.
Here, he chats with Indra Singh out of Fiji, David Barnes from Scotland, Alasdair McKenzie in Italy and Rich Freeman in Japan to gauge their thoughts heading into the World Cup.
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Piney catches up with Warriors assistant coach Justin Morgan as they look ahead to the NRL Finals.
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The US Tennis Open is underway so Piney caught up with Tennis expert Craig Gabriel to find out what's been happening at Flushing Meadows.
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The Warriors have locked up a top 4 spot.
Piney caught up with club legend Kevin Campion to discuss their remarkable season.
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With the Rugby World Cup less than a week away Piney caught up with a number of rugby experts to discuss the chances of some of the contenders. He was joined by Mark Keohane out of South Africa, James Burridge from England, Brett McKay out of Australia, and Welshman Dewi Preece to gauge their thoughts heading into the World Cup.
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Kiwi footballer Claudia Bunge is on the move.
She's set to join Daish Club HB Køge, and Piney caught up with her before she departs.
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Peak to Peak is happening this weekend, to find out what it's all about, Piney caught up with the race director Adrian Bailey.
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Piney caught up with our Australian correspondent to take a look at all the big stories from across the ditch.
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As Counties Manukau prepare for their Ranfurly Shield challenge against Wellington, Piney caught up with their Coach Reon Graham to preview the match.
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Piney catches up with Bowl Correspondent Kevin Hickland ahead of the first Bowls World Championships since 2016.
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Piney catches up with kiwi shot-putter Maddison-Lee Wesche after she threw a personal best at the Track and Field World Champs to book her ticket to Paris.
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Piney catches up with NZ Herald motorsport writer Eric Thompson to discuss Liam Lawson's rise to the F1.
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Piney catches up with Australian basketball great Andrew Gaze to look at the first couple days of the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
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Piney catches up with former All Black first five Nick Evans to discuss his career, and his move into coaching.
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Piney catches up with James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild to discuss all the big sporting stories of the week.
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Sports viewing habits are changing.
To find out how they're changing Piney chats with Tim Martin who founded Rugby Pass and Coliseum Sports and they discuss the move to online streaming and the way sports products are being sold to the consumer.
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Piney caught up with our Australian correspondent to take a look at all the big stories from across the ditch.
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Piney caught up with the head coach of the Tall Blacks Pero Cameron, as they prepare to tip off their FIBA world cup against the USA.
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Piney caught up with Newstalk ZB’s voice of rugby Elliott Smith after the All Black’s 35-7 defeat to the Springboks.
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Piney caught up with Warriors head coach Andrew Webster after they secured their spot in the top four of the NRL.
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The 2023 FIBA World Cup is underway.
Piney caught up with NZ Basketball hero from the 2002 World Cup Sean Marks to discuss his time in the Black Jersey, his career in the NBA, and Steven Adams.
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Piney and Bonnie review the Women's World Cup final with Spain beating England 1-0 to lift the trophy.
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Piney catches up with NZ Herald Football writer Bonnie Jansen, who is in Sydney for the final of the FIFA Women's World Cup.
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Ahead of the FIFA Women's World Cup final, Piney chats with football reporter for The Athletic, Charlotte Harpur, to discuss where the game will be won and lost.
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Piney catches up with James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild to discuss all the big sporting stories of the week.
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As the Athletics World Champs get underway, Piney catches up with former athlete-turned-athletics commentator Sarah Cowley-Ross to chat about what we can expect over the next week in Budapest.
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Piney catches up with shotputter Tom Walsh after just missing out on the podium at the Athletics World Champs in Budapest.
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Piney catches up with Kiwi footballer Sarpreet Singh to look back on his past few years playing overseas.
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NZR CEO Mark Robinson joins Piney to discuss NZR+ and the long-term plans for it, whether the NPC is fit for purpose, and the build-up for the Rugby World Cup.
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Piney and Bonnie preview tonight's World Cup final: England v Spain.
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Piney caught up with NZ Herald Football writer Michael Burgess to look at the remaining two games in the FIFA Womens World Cup.
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Piney chatted with NZ Herald writer and Author of the book 'Black Gold: Power, Money and the Team That Reshaped Rugby' to discuss both the book and all the recent happenings in NZR.
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Piney caught up with outgoing Sky Stadium CEO Shane Harmon to reflect on the part the venue's played in the FIFA Womens World Cup.
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Piney caught up with our Australian correspondent to look at all the big stories from across the ditch.
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As the All Blacks fly out and head to the Rugby World Cup, Piney caught up with one of the newest players to enter the fold, Cam Roigard, to talk about his journey to the World Cup.
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Piney was joined by Warriors winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak after his hat trick helped lead the Warriors to their sixth straight win.
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Piney and Bonnie reflect on last night's semi-final in Sydney, with England ending Australia's fairytale run and reaching their first Women's World Cup final.
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Piney and Bonnie review last night's first semi-final with Spain beating Sweden, and then look ahead to tonight's blockbuster between Australia and England in Sydney.
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Piney and Bonnie preview tonight's first semi-final with Spain and Sweden set to do battle at Eden Park.
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Piney catches up with international coaching guru Wayne Goldsmith to examine how coaches and athletes can make best use of the year leading into the Paris Olympic Games.
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The English Premier League season is underway, so Piney catches up with Talksports Tom Rennie to look across all the early fixtures and what we might expect to see from this season of top flight English Football.
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Piney catches up with Tall Blacks assistant coach Mike Fitchett after a tough World Cup preparation match against a high flying Canadian squad featuring some of the NBA's best.
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The World Sailing championships are underway in the Netherlands. Kiwi Veerle Ten Have is over there preparing for the Windfoiling competition, she catches up with Piney to discuss her journey to the World Champs.
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Piney catches up with James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild to discuss all the big sporting stories of the week.
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Piney catches up with Kiwi 1500m runner Sam Tanner as he prepares for the World Athletics Championships. They discuss his meteoric rise, his laid back attitude and Paris 2024.
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The Warriors keep on winning, albeit in tough fashion this time. Winger Marcelo Montoya joins Piney to discuss their win over the Wests Tigers in Hamilton.
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The Matildas are through to the semi-finals of the FIFA Women's World Cup.
Australian football commentator Georgia Rajic was sideline, and she chats to Piney about the occasion and the nerves across Australia.
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Piney and Bonnie review an unprecedented and dramatic night of quarter-final action, with Australia and England advancing to the semi-finals.
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Piney has a catch up with NZ National 400m record holder —a record she set in 1980— Kim Roberston to discuss her storied career.
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Matilda Mania has struck Australia!
Australian football commentator Georgia Rajic joined the show to discuss why the team is so popular, and whether they can go all the way in the World Cup
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Piney caught up with FIFA Womens World Cup CEO Dave Beeche to discuss the success of the tournament.
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Piney caught up with our Australian correspondent to look at all the big stories from across the ditch.
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It's been a busy few weeks for FMG Stadium after the FIFA Womens World Cup and with the NRL heading there tonight. Piney caught up with the head groundsman for the stadium, Karl Johnson, to find out how it all works.
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Piney caught up with champion Kiwi cyclist Aaron Gate after his success at the UCI World Champs in Glasgow.
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Piney caught up with Australian Rugby expert Brett McKay to try find out what Eddie Jones was thinking in his World Cup selections.
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Piney caught up with Blackcaps star bowler Trent Boult as he returns to the team after a year on the T20 circuit.
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Piney and Bonnie break down the first two exhilarating quarter-finals and look ahead to tonight's action across the Tasman.
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Piney and Bonnie preview the first two World Cup quarter-finals with Spain meeting the Netherlands and Japan playing Sweden.
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Piney and Bonnie review the final two round-of-16 ties with Colombia and France going through to the last eight.
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Piney and Bonnie dive into last night's round-of-16 matches, with England star Lauren James' red card and Australia's impressive showing the main talking points.
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Piney and Bonnie review last night's World Cup action which saw the double defending champion United States eliminated on penalties by Sweden.
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Piney caught up with veteran kiwi broadcaster John McBeth to reflect on his life and career as one of our top sportscasters.
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Piney caught up with top kiwi cyclist George Bennett ahead of the World Champs in Scotland.
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Piney and Bonnie break down the first two World Cup knockout matches as Spain put Switzerland to the sword and Japan cruise past Norway.
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Former Football Fern Kirsty Yallop caught up with Piney about the FIFA Women’s World Cup, how the knockout stages are shaping up, and whether New Zealand should be happy with their performance.
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Warriors coach Andrew Webster breaks down the team’s gritty and scrappy 28-18 NRL win over the Gold Coast Titans.
Webster told Jason Pine it was an ugly win, but the team will take plenty of lessons for the rest of the season.
The Warriors take on the Wests Tigers in Hamilton next Saturday night.
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Piney caught up with Damian McKenzie, who’s been given the nod in the number 10 jersey for the Bledisloe Cup test in Dunedin this afternoon.
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Piney and Bonnie preview the first two round-of-16 matches with Switzerland playing Spain and Japan meeting Norway.
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Piney and Bonnie break down the final World Cup pool matches, including World no.2 Germany failing to make the knockout rounds.
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Piney and Bonnie break down another incredible night at the World Cup as South Africa and Jamaica go through at the expense of Italy and Brazil.
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Piney and Bonnie review the latest World Cup action, including a narrow escape for the USA and a big win for England.
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Piney reviews the latest World Cup action as Australia put on a show for a packed house in Melbourne and Japan produce a tactical masterclass against Spain.
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Piney breaks down the 0-0 draw with Switzerland which spells the end of the World Cup dream for New Zealand.
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Piney catches up with NZ Herald football reporter Michael Burgess as the Football Ferns prepare for their match against Switzerland.
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Piney catches up with Tall Black Finn Delaney as they prepare for the FIBA World Cup.
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Piney catches up with NRLPA operations manager Jamie Burher to find out exactly what is going on in the dispute between the NRLPA and NRL.
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Piney catches up with Football Fern Liv Chance ahead of their crucial World Cup match against Switzerland.
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Piney catches up with James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild to discuss all the big sporting stories of the week.
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Piney catches up with former Football Fern Sarah Gregorius to get her thoughts on how the current FIFA Women's World Cup has gone for the Ferns.
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Piney catches up with Newstalk ZB's voice of Rugby, Elliott Smith, after the All Blacks' dominant first Bledisloe Cup test match.
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Piney is joined by the NZ Herald's Michael Burgess to assess New Zealand's chances of progressing to the knockout rounds when they face Switzerland tonight.
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Piney caught up with former Silver Ferns coach and netball commentator Yvonne Willering after the Silver Ferns got their World Cup underway in Cape Town.
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Piney caught up with World Darts champion and current world number one Michael Smith as he prepares for the NZ Darts Masters in Hamilton.
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Piney caught up with our Australian correspondent to take a look at all the big stories from across the ditch.
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Piney caught up with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck ahead of the NPC season. They discussed his time with the Blues and the All Blacks, what he achieved in Union, and his imminent switch back to League.
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Piney caught up with Former Wallaby Matt Burke ahead of the first Bledisloe test of 2023.
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Piney wraps day nine, and is also joined by Football Ferns attacker Liv Chance ahead of tomorrow's massive clash with Switzerland.
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Piney and Bonnie break down an incredible day eight at the World Cup, including the game of the tournament so far and co-hosts Australia spectacularly losing to Nigeria.
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Piney and Bonnie break down day seven action at the World Cup, with the first sides now confirmed in the knockout rounds.
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Piney and Bonnie break down last night's disappointing loss for New Zealand against the Phillipines and outline what they now need to do to make the knockout rounds.
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Piney and Bonnie review day five as Italy and Germany claim first-up wins, but Brazil catch the eye with the goal of the tournament. Also, the Ferns play this afternoon!
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Piney and Bonnie look back at day four of the tournament, with world number three Sweden edging South Africa and Jamaica earning a point against highly-rated France.
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Piney catches up with Chris Bowers to recap the latest from the Open Championship.
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Piney catches up with Sky Commentator Casey Frank ahead of the Sal's NBL Grand Final.
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Piney catches up with James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild to discuss all the big sporting stories of the week.
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Del Woodford joins the show to wrap up the 2023 Tour de France.
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Piney catches up with Kiwi Cyclist Ella Wyllie as she prepares for her first Tour de France Femmes.
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Piney catches up with NZ Herald football writer Bonnie Jansen to discuss the first few days of the FIFA Women's World Cup.
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Piney catches up with new Blackcap Dean Foxcroft to discuss his journey to the national side.
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Piney catches up with Jon Norman from Talksport UK to discuss England's resurgence in this Ashes series.
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Piney and Bonnie review day three of the tournament, including our first look at the double defending champion United States and an extremely impressive first outing for a rampant Japan side.
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Piney caught up with Blair Tuke from Los Angeles ahead of the second week of the Sail GP season.
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Piney caught up with Otago Nuggets coach Brent Matahaere ahead of their Semi Final in the Sal's NBL.
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Piney caught up with our golf Correspondent Chris Bowers, reporting on all that's happened at the Open Championship.
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Piney caught up with our Australian correspondent to look at all the big stories from across the ditch.
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Piney caught up on the NRL with Fox Sports commentator Jake Duke after yet another Warriors win.
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Piney caught up with former Football Fern Rosie White to look back on their historic win.
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Piney caught up with Football Ferns hero Hannah Wilkinson after their upset win over Norway.
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Piney and Bonnie break down all the day two action, including an impressive performance from Spain in their tournament opener.
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Piney and Bonnie review a glorious opening game between New Zealand and Norway; is this the biggest win in New Zealand football history?
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The FIFA Women's World Cup is finally here! Piney and Bonnie preview the opening game between New Zealand and Norway; what chance are the Football Ferns of causing a first-up upset?
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With just one day to go until the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup kicks off, Piney and Bonnie examine each of the eight groups and who might progress through to the knockout rounds.
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Piney catches up with Kiwi Para Athlete ahead of her long jump competition, and to talk about her surprising bronze medal in the 100m sprint.
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Piney catches up with Football Fern Indiah Page-Riley ahead of the FIFA World Cup to talk about her journey to get there.
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Piney catches up with former Warrior Motu Tony to preview the Warriors match against the Sharks.
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Piney catches up with James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild to discuss all the big sporting stories of the week.
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Piney catches up with rugby commentator Jim Kayes after the All Blacks' dominant win over the Springboks.
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Piney caught up with Kiwi Swim star Erika Fairweather ahead of the World Championships in Japan.
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Piney caught up with football legend Carli Lloyd ahead of the FIFA Womens World Cup, and took a look back on Carli's iconic career.
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Piney caught up with former pro and Tennis analyst David Mustard to have a look at the upcoming Wimbledon Finals.
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Piney caught up with Australian correspondent Adam Peacock to take a look at all the big stories from across the ditch.
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Piney caught up with Black Fern Georgia Ponsonby after the Ferns overcame an early scare to beat the USA, claiming the World Pacific Four Series Title.
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Piney caught up with the starting All Blacks hooker ahead of the All Blacks test against South Africa at Mt Smart Stadium tonight.
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Piney catches up with Springboks legend Bob Skinstad ahead of the All Blacks v Springboks test at Mt Smart Stadium tonight.
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Piney catches up with Warriors coach Andrew Webster after their dominant win over the Eels.
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Piney catches up with Football Ferns goalkeeper Victoria Esson ahead of the team's final preparation match for the World Cup against Vietnam.
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Piney catches up with Kiwi sailor Daryl Wislang after another successful campaign in the Ocean Race.
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Piney catches up with cycling expert Del Woodford to update us on proceedings in the Tour de France.
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Piney catches up with James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild to discuss all the big sporting stories of the week.
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Piney catches up with Newstalk ZB’s voice of rugby Elliott Smith to get his thoughts on the All Blacks dominant first test of 2023.
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Piney caught up with Joe Nation, a Kiwi who just competed and finished third in the toughest off-road mountain bike race, The Tour Divide.
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Jason Pine caught up with our Australian correspondent to look at all the big stories from across the ditch.
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As the Warriors look to bounce back against the Eels, Jason Pine caught up with their assistant head coach Richard Agar.
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With Zoe Hobbs and Eliza McCartney meeting the Olympics qualifying standard, Piney caught up with former Olympic athlete and athletics commentator Sarah Cowley-Ross to discuss the success of New Zealand athletics.
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Piney catches up with Newstalk ZB’s voice of Rugby, Elliott Smith ahead of the All Blacks first test of the year.
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Jason Pine catches up with All Blacks coach Ian Foster ahead of the first test of the year.
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Piney wraps the opening day of the 2023 Tour de France with cycling analyst and commentator Del Woodford.
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Piney talks with Integrity Transition Programme director and dual international Rebecca Rolls about the establishment of the Integrity Sport and Recreation Commission.
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Piney chats with NZR CEO Mark Robinson about the new cross-hemisphere international rugby competition which will start in 2026.
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Piney takes a deep dive into the business of sports recruitment with Richard Stenhouse, founder and Managing Partner of Global Elite Sports.
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Piney chats with Football Ferns defender Michaela Foster about her meteoric rise from amateur footballer to likely World Cup starter for New Zealand.
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Piney catches up with Newstalk ZB Rugby Editor Elliott Smith to analyse the new cross-hemisphere international rugby competition.
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Piney speaks with former NBA player and now analyst Pat Garrity about the hype around seven-foot-five Frenchman Victor Wembanyama.
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Piney catches up with New Zealand athlete Sam Harvey, who recently fell just short of breaking the world record for ultra distance running after running non-stop for more than four days.
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Piney chats with Football Ferns centurion Annalie Longo on her recovery from an ACL injury to earn selection in the NZ squad for the upcoming FIFA Women's World Cup.
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Piney catches up with one of our greatest ever cyclists, Julian Dean, ahead of the 2023 Tour de France.
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Piney has an extended catch up with former Blackcap James Franklin to talk about his life in cricket.
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Piney catches up with Rowena Massey, the head of the New Zealand delegation at the Special Olympics, as the games come to a close.
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Piney catches up with James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild to discuss all the big sporting stories of the week.
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Piney catches up with Crusaders Halfback Willi Heinz after winning his first ever Super Rugby title.
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Piney catches up with Crusaders CEO Colin Mansbridge after the team won yet another Super Rugby title.
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Piney catches up with Crusaders legend Justin Marshall to preview the Super Rugby final.
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Piney catches up with Chiefs midfielder Alex Nankivell ahead of the Super Rugby final.
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Piney catches up with our Australian correspondent to look at all the big stories from across the ditch.
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Piney catches up with 4-try hero Dallin Watene-Zelezniak after his epic performance in the Warriors dominant win over the Dragons.
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Piney catches up with former All Black Carl Hayman to talk about his head injuries and his new book, Head On.
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Piney catches up with World Timbersport Trophy back-to-back champion Jack Jordan after he defended his title last week.
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Piney catches up with Blair Tuke after Team NZ managed to win the opening stage of Sail GPs 4th season.
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Piney catches up with Mike Fitchett, Nelson Giants Head Coach and longtime team mate of basketball legend Mika Vukona, after Vukonas' jersey was hung in the rafters at Trafalgar Center.
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Piney catches up with James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild to discuss all the big sporting stories of the week.
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Piney catches up with the former boss of Sky TV, John Fellett, to discuss the ever-evolving nature of sports streaming.
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Piney is joined by NZ Herald's Gregor Paul and Newshub's Ollie Ritchie to play All Black team selectors ahead of the first team naming of the year.
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Piney catches up with Jon Norman from talkSPORT UK to discuss what happened in the first day of the Ashes.
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Piney catches up with Team NZ Strategist Liv McKay as the new season of Sail GP gets underway in Chicago.
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Piney catches up with Georgia Southern University coach Carter Collins, who's been at the LACC watching the US Open.
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Piney catches up with Chiefs hooker Samisoni Taukei'aho ahead of their semifinal against the Brumbies.
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Piney catches up with our Australian correspondent to look at all the big stories from across the ditch.
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Piney catches up with Crusaders assistant coach Tamati Ellison after winning Super Rugby's first semifinal.
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Piney catches up with former All White Jacob Spoonley after the All Whites tough loss to Sweden.
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Piney catches up with Blues legend Mils Muliaina after the Crusaders dominant semifinal win over the Blues.
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Brumbies commentator Brett McKay recaps the team's 37- 33 win against the Hurricanes.
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General Secretary of the Rugby Players Association UK, Christian Day, discusses the demise of London Irish.
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NZ softball great Thomas Makea breaks down his new plans for the Black Sox during his first week taking over as team coach.
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The Crowd Goes Wild's James McOnie joins Piney to recap Super Rugby, Man City, the Wahs, and Messi moving to Miami.
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Coach of Chennai Super Kings and NZ cricket great Stephen Fleming joins Piney to recap winning the IPL.
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ZB sports commentator Elliott Smith joins Piney to recap last night's Super Rugby quarter-finals.
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Piney catches up with Rowena Massey, NZ's head of delegation for the Special Olympics ahead of the games in Berlin this month.
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Piney has a great catch-up with former Blackcap Bryan Young to talk about his career and some of his more incredible innings, including his 267 not-out.
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Piney catches up with James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild to discuss all the big sporting stories of the week.
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Piney catches up with Mystics and Silver Ferns defender Sulu Fitzpatrick ahead of the ANZ Premiership final - her last game for the Mystics.
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Piney catches up with NZ Heralds chief rugby writer Liam Napier to preview the Super Rugby Quarter Finals.
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Piney catches up with Warriors assistant coach Justin Morgan after their big win over the Dolphins.
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Piney catches up with CEO of Entain Australia Dean Shannon to discuss what the new partnership means for punters.
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Piney catches up with football legend Briana Scurry to discuss her career and life after football.
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Piney catches up with our Australian correspondent to look at all the big stories from across the ditch.
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Piney catches up with Denver Nuggets writer TJ McBride after the Nuggets won game 1 of the NBA Finals.
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Piney catches up with Redcliffe Dolphins captain Jesse Bromwich ahead of the teams first match on NZ soil.
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Piney catches up with one of our greatest ever locks Ian Jones, to look back on the extraordinary career of Sam Whitelock.
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Piney catches up with Crusaders superstar Will Jordan to discuss his season, injuries, and what his preferred position is as the World Cup draws near.
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Piney catches up with Everton superfan Scott Lambert-Vickers from the NZ based Everton fan club to talk about his nerves ahead of what might be Everton's last game in the Premier League.
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Piney catches up with Northern Stars midcourter Mila Reuelu-Buchanan ahead of the ANZ Premiership elimination final.
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Piney catches up with Wayne McLaughlin, father of Scott McLaughlin ahead of Indy 500.
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Piney catches up with Brian Ashby, who's on the newly formed Crusaders Hall of Fame selection committee to discuss what it's all about, and how tough it is to select who goes to the Hall of Fame.
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Piney catches up with James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild to discuss all the big sporting stories of the week.
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Piney catches up with Warriors commentator Glenn Larmer to recap their loss to the Broncos in Napier.
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NZR CEO Mark Robinson joins the show to talk all of the big issues in rugby around the country, and in particular the news surrounding Ruby Tui and Sanitarium.
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Piney catches up with Motorsport journalist Jack Benyon from The Race, to discuss the upcoming Indy 500, as well as the chances Scott Dixon and Scott McLaughlin have in the event.
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Piney catches up with Blues halfback Finlay Christie as they prepare for a huge Super Rugby match against the Hurricanes.
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Piney catches up with our Australian correspondent to look at all the big stories from across the ditch.
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Piney catches up with Warriors debutant Luke Metcalf ahead of the match against the Broncos in Napier.
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Piney catches up with injured All Black Quinn Tupaea to find out how his recovery is tracking.
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Piney catches up with Rugby legend and Moana Pasifika patron Sir Bryan Williams to discuss Levi Aumua's move to the Crusaders, and what this means for Moana Pasifika going forward.
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Piney catches up with long-time Highlanders commentator Paul Allison to discuss the struggles the Highlanders have faced this season.
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Piney catches up with Motorsport expert Brian Kelly to discuss all things motorsport, including SVG heading to NASCAR, Liam Lawson in Japan, and the Indy 500 next weekend.
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Piney catches up with Sky Sport commentator Taylah Johnson to discuss the weekend of Super Rugby.
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Piney catches up with James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild to discuss all the big sporting stories of the week.
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Piney catches up with the new CEO for Athletics NZ, Cam Mitchell.
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Piney catches up with golf expert Graeme Agars to discuss Ryan Fox's performance at the PGA Championship.
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Piney catches up with Wellington Phoenix legend and as of now, free agent Roy Krishna to discuss what his future holds.
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Piney catches up with Kiwi squash star Lwamba Chileshe as he competes at the Oceania Open
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Piney catches up with golf aficionado Guy Heveldt from 1 News to discuss Ryan Fox at the PGA Championship.
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Piney catches up with former League player and now life coach Richie Barnett to discuss Manu Vatuvei heading to the Warriors to take up a mentoring role after serving time in prison on drug dealing charges.
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Adam Peacock: Queensland should be Origin favorites, not sure what the bookies are looking at
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Piney catches up with Kiwi Basketball prospect Ben Gold, after his freshman season at Marquette University.
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Piney catches up with coaching guru Wayne Goldsmith to find out what the most important word in sport is.
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Piney catches up with rising Netball star Amelia Walmsley to discuss the season she's had so far.
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Piney catches up with James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild to discuss all the big sporting stories of the week, and the Eurovision result.
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Piney catches up with NZ Basketball icon Tom Abercrombie after he signs on for another season at the Sky Sport Breakers.
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Piney catches up with John Timu to reflect on his playing days, and find out what he's been up to in the time since.
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Piney catches up with Blackcaps batsman Devon Conway to talk about his time in the IPL as he continues to pile on the runs.
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Piney catches up with now former Wellington Phoenix defender Callan Elliott to discuss the fallout that led to his departure from the club.
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The Rugby World Cup referees have been announced, one of them is Kiwi Ben O'Keefe, who catches up with Piney to talk about the achievement, how the game is being refereed and the concept of unconscious bias.
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Piney catches up with our Australian correspondent to look at all the big stories from across the ditch.
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Author of biography LeBron, Jeff Benedict, joins Weekend Sport to chat about his new book and the impact of LeBron James on society.
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Piney catches up with former Warriors captain and League commentator Adam Blair after the Warriors win over the Bulldogs, with Blair voicing his opinion on where he'd play Roger Tuivasa-Sheck once he returns to Mt Smart.
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Blues play the Crusaders in Christchurch tonight, Piney catches up with Blues hooker Ricky Riccitelli
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Piney catches up with Crusaders back David Havili ahead of their match against the Blues in Christchurch.
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Piney catches up with new Wellington Phoenix Women's coach Paul Temple about what he hopes to achieve in the job.
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Piney catches up with Chiefs mental skills coach to discuss his role, what's made the Chiefs so successful, and his role with Scotland rugby.
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Piney catches up with James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild to discuss all the big sporting stories of the week.
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Piney catches up with Blackcaps youngster Rachin Ravindra to discuss his time in the squad and his place in the future of the Blackcaps.
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Piney catches up with Kiwi sprint star Zoe Hobbs after she got her season underway in Doha.
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Piney catches up with the General Manager of Volleyball in New Zealand to discuss the rapid rise of the sport in recent times.
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Piney catches up with Fijian broadcaster Indra Singh after the Drua claimed the scalp of the Hurricanes.
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Piney catches up with NZNBL commentator Nick Bewley to discuss the league and what has been leading to its popularity.
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Piney catches up with Warriors captain Tohu Harris as the team prepare for their magic round clash v the Panthers.
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Piney catches up with our Australian correspondent to look at all the big stories from across the ditch.
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Piney catches up with Lakers Nation host Trevor Lane to discuss the Lakers vs Golden State Warriors NBA playoff series.
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Piney catches up with Chiefs midfielder Anton Leinert-Brown after he notched up his 100th match for the Chiefs.
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Piney catches up with Newstalk ZB's voice of Rugby, Elliott Smith, to discuss the benefits and downfalls of the idea of a Super Rugby draft.
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Piney catches up with Basketball New Zealand CEO Dillon Boucher after finding out the Tall Blacks will be in the same pool as USA, and Giannis Antetokounmpo's Greece team.
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Piney catches up with A-League football commentator Ben Homer to discuss the Wellington Phoenix's chances in the A-League finals.
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Piney catches up with 1995 Springbok World Cup hero and legend of the game Joel Stransky to discuss the injury to Springbok captain Siya Kolisi, and then cover off all other things South African rugby.
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Piney catches up with Warriors assistant coach Richard Agar ahead of their match against the Roosters.
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Piney catches up with James McOnie to discuss all the big sporting stories of the week.
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Piney catches up with former All Black and Chiefs legend Steve Gordon, after their win over the Crusaders, for the second time this season.
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Piney chats with Silver Ferns coach Dame Noeline Taurua to discuss what the late Taini Jamison meant for Netball in New Zealand.
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Piney catches up with Chiefs head coach Clayton McMillan ahead of their huge match against the Crusaders. Then Piney and producer Andy discuss who they think will win.
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Piney catches up with our Australian correspondent to look at all the big stories from across the ditch.
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Piney catches up with the CEO of Eden Park to discuss the proposed upgrades to the stadium.
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Piney catches up with Ian Foster. They discuss Scott Robertson, the upcoming World Cup, who's going to be captain, and whether overseas Kiwis should be eligible for All Blacks selection.
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Piney catches up with Newstalk ZB's voice of rugby to recap the weekend of Super Rugby.
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Piney catches up Alex McLeod from the Official Wrexham AUS/NZ fan page on Facebook to discuss the club's promotion back to the Football League.
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Piney catches up with Blackcaps batsman Mark Chapman to chat about his impressive T20 series in Pakistan.
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Piney catches up with astute sports commentator James McOnie to once again discuss all the big sports stories of the week.
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Piney catches up with rugby veteran Jimmy Gopperth to talk about his extensive career and his time playing up in the Northern Hemisphere.
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Piney talks to iconic Kiwi sports journalist Joseph Romanos to discuss the benefits of bringing the Commonwealth Games back to New Zealand.
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Piney catches up with Baseball NZ CEO Megan Crockett after the news that the Auckland Tuatara baseball team had gone into liquidation.
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Piney catches up with Kiwi IndyCar driver Marcus Armstrong to discuss his start to his IndyCar career.
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Piney catches up with our Australian Correspondent to talk about all the stories making headlines across the ditch.
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Piney catches up with Blues lock Patrick Tuipulotu ahead of their match against the Waratahs
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Wellington Phoenix legend Paul Ifill catches up with Piney to discuss the teams recent struggles.
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Piney talks with dual code international Frano Botica to have a look at Roger Tuivasa-Sheck's time in rugby union
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Piney talks with dual code international Frano Botica to have a look at Roger Tuivasa-Sheck's time in rugby union
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Piney catches up with Australian LIV golfer Jed Morgan a week out from the LIV Golf Adelaide event.
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Piney catches up with James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild to chat about all the big stories from this week of sport.
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Piney catches up with the NZ Herald's chief rugby writer Michael Burgess to unpack the Warriors win over the Cowboys.
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Piney catches up with 1998 FIFA World Cup winner Cristian Karembeu to talk about his career and what he's been up to as of late.
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Piney catches up with the Hurricanes loose forward ahead of their match against the undefeated Chiefs.
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Piney catches up with Warriors lock Jazz Tevaga ahead of their match against the Cowboys at Mt Smart.
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Piney catches up with esteemed Squash writer Robert Mitchell to discuss all that's happening at the British Open.
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Piney catches up with Adam Peacock to look at what's making headlines across the ditch.
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Piney catches up with Dan Favale from Bleacher Report to preview the NBA Playoffs.
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Piney catches up with Maree Taylor, the General Manager of the NZNBL, to discuss what has made the league and the sport of basketball as a whole so popular in New Zealand recently.
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Piney catches up with rising star Charlisse Leger-Walker, who has been making waves in women's NCAA Basketball.
They talked about her journey to the United States, the incredible season she's had, and her plans for the future.
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New Zealand basketball legend Stan Hill looks back on one of the most iconic days in New Zealand basketball history.
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Piney catches up with James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild to talk about all the big stories from this week of sport.
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Piney catches up with legendary golf writer Bob Bubka to find out what's been happening at Augusta.
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Piney catches up with Wellington Phoenix Head Coach Ufuk Talay to have a look at how the team's season has gone so far.
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Piney catches up with the host of UFC on Sky, Ravinder Hunia, to preview Israel Adesanya's rematch against Alex Pereira at UFC 287.
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Piney catches up with Warriors wing Marcelo Montoya to look back on their impressive start to the season and to preview their Easter Sunday match against Newcastle.
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Piney catches up with Sam Gilbert out of the Highlanders, currently the leading scorer in Super Rugby.
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Piney catches up with Mystics shooter and rising star in netball, Grace Nweke, to discuss her rise and aspirations.
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After a successful time at the NZ Swim Champs, Lewis Clareburt joins the show to talk about his success over the past few years.
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Piney catches up with our Australian Correspondent to find out what's been making headlines across the ditch.
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Piney catches up with our man in Augusta, Graeme Agars, to update us on the Masters, and what the reception has been like for the LIV Golfers.
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Piney has a wide-ranging chat with former Blackcaps pace bowler Mitch McClenaghan about the state of cricket in New Zealand, Kane Williamsons injury, and what the team should look like come the World Cup.
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Wayde Egan has been welcomed back to the NZ Warriors ahead of tonight's game against the Cronulla Sharks. He spoke to Piney about tonight's game and missing last week's win.
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The Crowd Goes Wild's James McOnie joined Piney to recap this week in sport.
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Chiefs assistant coach David Hill joined Piney to talk about last night's 13-20 victory in Hamilton against the Blues.
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Sky Sport broadcaster Stephen McIvor joined Piney to talk about the upcoming Australian Formula One Grand Prix.
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Piney catches up with Tim Seifert after his recall to the Blackcaps for the Sri Lanka T20 series.
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Piney catches up with White Fern Melie Kerr after she helped the Mumbai Indians to the inaugural WPL title.
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Our Australian correspondent joins the show to keep us up to date with all the big stories across the ditch.
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Piney catches up with Chiefs loose forward Luke Jacobson as the prepare to put their undefeated record on the line against the Blues
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Piney catches up with Blues utility back Stephen Perofeta ahead of the marquee clash against the Chiefs.
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Basketball icon, sportswear mogul and father of Lonzo, LiAngelo and LaMelo, Lavar Ball, joins Weekend Sport to discuss his family and what brings him to New Zealand
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Piney catches up with Kiwi Sailors and Olympic medal hopefuls Erica Dawson and Micah Wilkinson ahead of the start of the European season, and to talk about their preparation for Paris 2024.
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Piney catches up with Warriors hooker Freddie Lussick ahead of their first game at Mount Smart for the season.
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Piney catches up with triathlon legend Andrea Hansen after news of her retirement.
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Piney catches up with James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild to look back on the big sport stories from the last week.
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Piney catches up with Kiwi Golfer Danny Lee after his $6 million win at the LIV Golf tour event in Tucson.
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Piney catches up with Crusaders Assistant Coach James Marshall after their big win over the Brumbies.
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Piney catches up with Highlanders First Five Mitch Hunt after their tough start to the season.
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Adam Peacock joins the show to keep us up to date with all the big sporting stories from across the ditch.
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Piney catches up with 1 News sports reporter and Farah Palmer cup player Jess Dermody ahead of the Super Rugby Aupiki Final.
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Piney catches up with Isaac Peach, trainer for Kiwi Cruiserweight boxer David Light, ahead of his world title bout in Manchester.
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Piney catches up with Blackcap Daryl Mitchell after he took home the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal for best Test cricketer.
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Piney catches up with former All Black coach Laurie Mains to discuss the appointment of Scott Robertson as All Blacks head coach.
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Elliott catches up with former Irish center Gordon D'Arcy.
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Elliott catches up with NZ Herald's Rugby League writer Michael Burgess to look back on the Warriors' round 3 win.
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Piney catches up with Grimsby Town goalie, Max Crocombe ahead of his team's FA Cup quarter final against Brighton.
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Elliott catches up with James McOnie from the Crowd Goes wild to look back on all the big sport stories of the weekend.
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Elliott catches up with former Olympic athlete and athletics commentator Sarah Cowley-Ross to look back on the blistering summer Zoe Hobbs has had.
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Elliott talks rugby with Sky Sport commentator Tony Johnson, in particular the rematch of last year's final between the Crusaders and the Blues.
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Elliott catches up with Adam Peacock to discuss all thing Australian Sport.
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Elliott catches up with NZ Flight controller Andy Maloney ahead of Sail GP Lyttelton.
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Elliott chats with Blues midfielder Roger Tuivasa-Sheck ahead of their match against the Crusaders.
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Elliott catches up with in form Chiefs back Shaun Stevenson to talk about the year he's had so far and whether he's thought about the All Blacks jersey.
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Piney catches up with A-League football writer James Dodd to look at how things are going in the competition so far this season.
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Piney catches up with Fijian broadcaster Indra Singh to look back on the Drua's win over the Crusaders.
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Piney catches up with New Zealand basketball legend Phill Jones to look at what the Breakers need to do to stay in the ANBL final.
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Piney catches up with All Whites Interim head coach Darren Bazeley ahead of their matches against China.
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Piney catches up with James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild to discuss all the big stories in sport.
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Piney catches up with Warriors center Dylan Walker ahead of their match against the Roosters.
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Piney catches up with our Australian Correspondent Adam Peacock to find out what's been making headlines across the ditch.
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Piney catches up with our Australian Correspondent Adam Peacock to find out what's been making headlines across the ditch.
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Piney catches up with Chiefs Manawa assistant coach Darryl Suasua ahead of their match against Matatu.
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Piney catches up with Chiefs assistant coach Roger Randle to find out what has made the Chiefs get off to such a good start to the season.
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Piney catches up with basketball commentator Liam Santamaria to discuss what the Breakers need to do to stay in the ANBL finals.
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Piney catches up with Golden Shears champion Rowland Smith after picking up his 8th title in the event last night.
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Piney catches up with Sail GP's chief commercial officer and head of the Sail GP event in Lyttleton, Karl Budge, to see how the preparations for the event are coming along.
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Former Silver Fern and Sky Sport commentator Anna Stanley joins Piney to update on round one of the ANZ Premiership.
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Piney chats to James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild to look back on the week of sport.
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Former Breaker and Sky Sport Commentator Brook Ruscoe chats to Piney ahead of game 2 of the NBL finals.
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Piney catches up with Blues winger Caleb Clarke ahead of their round 2 match against the Brumbies.
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Rugby writer Phil Gifford joins Piney to discuss the Ardie Savea throat-slitting gesture incident.
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Piney catches up with outgoing Blackcaps selector Gavin Larsen to chat about his new role and his time with New Zealand Cricket
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Piney catches up with Chiefs loose forward Luke Jacobson ahead of their match against Moana Pasifika
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Piney catches up with Kiwi runner Sam Tanner after a great start to 2023.
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Our Australian Correspondent keeps us up to date with all the big sporting stories from across the ditch.
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Piney catches up with former Breaker and Sky Sport commentator Casey Frank after the Breakers big game one win in the NBL Championship series.
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Piney catches up with Warriors fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad after the team's opening week win over Newcastle.
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John Solly is a grassroots golfer who has just won a competition to compete with the pros at the NZ Golf Open, he chats with Piney about having the opportunity to compete with the best.
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Piney catches up with Tall Black Isaac Fotu as he prepares for their match against Lebanon.
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Piney catches up with triathlon legend Cameron Brown, after having announced his retirement from the sport.
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Piney catches up with James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild to discuss the weekend of sport, including Super Rugby, Blackcaps and some live commentary from North Harbour Stadium.
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Piney catches up with Sky sport commentator Tony Johnson to recap the Moana Pasifika and Fijian Drua match, along with all the action from week 1 of Super Rugby.
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Piney catches up with former Blackcap Grant Elliott to discuss the aging Blackcap team, and what the future plans for the team should be.
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Piney catches up with former Football Fern Wendy Sharpe to get to the bottom of why the team can't score goals.
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Piney catches up with Black Fern, and Matatu captain Alana Bremner to look back on the World Cup last year, and to preview the new season of Super Rugby Aupiki.
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Piney catches up with Blues hooker Kurt Eklund, to look forward to their Super Rugby season.
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Piney catches up with Adam Peacock, our Australian correspondent, to find out what's happening in sport across the ditch.
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Super Rugby season is now underway, with the Chiefs firing a warning shot but dominating the Crusaders in Christchurch. Piney catches up with Chiefs assistant coach David Hill to discuss
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Elliott catches up with Blues assistant coach Tom Coventry to have a look forward to the upcoming Super Rugby season.
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Elliott is joined by Sky Sport Breakers owner Matt Walsh ahead of the Breakers must win game 3 of their semi-finals series against the Jackjumpers.
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Elliott catches up with Crusaders head coach Scott Robertson to preview the Crusaders 2023 Super Rugby season.
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Welsh rugby journalist Simon Thomas joins Elliott to discuss what is going ion with the pay dispute between the Welsh players and the Welsh Rugby Union.
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Elliott catches up with James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild to discuss all the stories making sport headlines.
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Elliott catches up with Kiwi sprinter Tiaan Whelpton ahead of the International Track Meet in Christchurch.
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English rugby great James Haskell talks with Elliott about his rugby career, what he's been up to since. Also the current state of rugby around the world, and his new book Approach Without Caution.
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Elliott catches up with Adam Peacock who keeps us up to date with everything in Australian Sport.
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Elliott catches up with Jason Pine to discuss the Football Ferns embarrassing 5-0 defeat at the hands of Portugal.
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Elliott catches up with former Blackcap wicketkeeper Peter McGlashan to reflect on another crucial knock from Tom Blundell.
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Piney catches up with Moana Pasifika head coach Aaron Mauger to look at the upcoming season.
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Piney catches up with Kiwi Pole-vaulter Imogen Ayris as she prepares for the Adelaide Invitational.
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Piney catches up with Black Ferns Director of Rugby Allan Bunting after being appointed to the role.
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Our Australian correspondent Adam Peacock updates us on all things making sports headlines across the ditch.
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Piney catches up with player agent Simon Porter from Halo Sport to discuss what goes into rugby players heading overseas and the four year All Blacks "Exodus" post World Cups.
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Piney catches up win former Breaker and Sky Sport commentator Casey Frank to preview the Breakers ANBL semi-final series.
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Piney catches up with Hurricanes head coach Jason Holland to have a look forward to the 2023 Super Rugby season.
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Piney catches up with Philadelphia Eagles beat writer Chris Franklin, who's in Arizona to preview Superbowl LVII between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs.
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Piney catches up with James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild to discuss all the big stories in sport from the weekend.
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Piney catches up with BBC Manchester commentator Mike Minay to find out what is going on in Manchester City with allegations levelled at the football club of financially cheating.
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Piney catches up with White Fern and cricket commentator Frankie Mackay to find out what went wrong in the White Ferns opening T20 World Cup match.
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Piney has a catch up with Sky Sport Breakers Captain Tom Abercrombie ahead of their Semi Finals Series against Tasmania.
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Piney catches up with new Warriors head coach Andrew Webster to preview the upcoming NRL season.
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Piney catches up with NZC selection manager Gavin Larsen to discuss the team selected for the upcoming English test series, and to look forward to what the Blackcaps may look like in the near future.
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Gregor Paul from the NZ Herald chats to Piney to have a look at where NZR is at with the All Blacks coaching setup.
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Piney chats with new Highlanders Head coach ahead of the 2023 Super Rugby Season.
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Piney catches up with James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild to discuss all the big sporting news from the week.
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Piney catches up with former Breaker Alex Pledger to discuss the team's success after they secured a spot in the NBL semi-finals.
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Piney catches up with NZ 3000m champion Laura Nagel after she defended her title.
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Piney catches up with Breakers star import Jarrell Brantley. They discuss the teams success this year and their title hopes.
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With the Six Nations about to get underway Piney catches up with James Burridge from the BBC to look into how significant this tournament will be.
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Piney catches up with our Australian Correspondent to talk about all the sport making headlines across the ditch.
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Piney catches up with New Zealand Davis Cup Captain Kelly Evernden as the team prepares for their match against Bulgaria.
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Canadian Football reporter Joshua Kloke offers an insight as to what was going on with Canadian Men's national coach John Herdman and reports that he was seemingly off to coach the All Whites.
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Former Football Fern Anna Green offers Piney her thoughts on reports that Saudi Arabia will be providing sponsorship of the 2023 Women's Football World Cup.
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Piney catches up with former college quarterback and NFL writer for SB Nation Mark Schofield to preview the NFL Championship round, and what the Superbowl may look like.
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Piney catches up with Craig Gabriel to discuss the Australian Open, and whether it's possible to find one true tennis GOAT.
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Piney catches up with James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild to talk on the big sporting topics of the weekend.
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Former Breaker and Sky Sport commentator Casey Frank joins Piney to discuss the Breakers hopes in the ANBL playoffs.
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Piney catches up with manager of the Auckland Tuatara, Steve Mintz, as they prepare for their playoff match against Adelaide.
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Cycling royalty, 2-time Olympic Gold Medallist, and 2018 Tour de France Champion Geraint Thomas joins the show. He chats with Piney about his career, riding with Richie McCaw and Nathan Cohen, and also what his future holds.
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Piney chats with Sky Sports commentator Tony Johnson to talk about the year in rugby and what we can expect on World Cup year.
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Piney catches up with Sky Sport Breakers star import Barry Brown Junior as they prep for their final run to the ANBL Playoffs.
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Piney chats to Kiwi high jumper Hamish Kerr to discuss what his year will look like, and his plans for Paris 2024.
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Piney catches up with our Australian Correspondent to look at the weekend of sport across the ditch.
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Piney catches up with South African born All Rounder, Dean Foxcroft, who's been making a name for himself for the Otago Volts. They talk about his form, lockdown, and his potential future with New Zealand Cricket.
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From Channel 9s Wide World of Sports, Danika Mason gives a first-hand account of what has been happening at Melbourne Park, and what we can expect from the finals of the Australian Open.
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Piney looks ahead to the cricket world cup with former Blackcap Craig McMillan, and they discuss the tough selections that may be expected heading into the cup.
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Piney is joined by netball commentator Jenny Woods to discuss the Silver Ferns' performance and look ahead to the rest of the Quad Series.
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Tohu Harris chats to Piney after being confirmed as Warriors Captain for the 2023 NRL Season.
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Piney is joined by tennis expert Craig Gabriel to break down at all that's been going on in the Australian Open so far.
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Commentator James McOnie joins the show from Sky Stadium to offer his thoughts on the big sport stories of the week- Eddie Jones, the Australian Open, and the Wellington Phoenix Women.
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The RFU in the UK has agreed to lower the legal tackle height in community rugby to below the waist. Piney chats to London Irish, and former Wallaby, Oliver Hoskins, to discuss why it might not be such a good idea.
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Piney chats to Silver Ferns coach Dame Noeline Taurua ahead of the Quad series in Cape Town.
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Piney talks to Jason Matthews after the Auckland Tuatara picked up a much-needed win on their hunt for a spot in the ABL Playoffs.
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Piney chats to injured Football Fern Annalie Longo to look at where the Football Ferns can improve after their 4-0 loss to the USA.
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Adam Peacock joins Piney to discuss what's being talked about in over the ditch.
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Brett McKay from the Roar podcast unpacks all that's gone on with the Wallabies dismissing Dave Rennie and appointing Eddie Jones as coach.
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Wallabies legend Stirling Mortlock joins the show to look at what the appointment of Eddie Jones means for the Wallabies and their chances at the world cup.
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Piney catches up with Sky Sport Breakers owner Matt Walsh to look at the Breakers performance this season, and reflect on the struggles of previous years.
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Jason is joined by Arif Hasan from Pro Football Network to look at what to expect from the NFL Playoffs.
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Piney chats with triathlete Rebecca Clarke to find out what the Challenge Wanaka triathlon festival is all about.
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Piney catches up with Kiwi snowboarding superstar Zoi Sadowski-Synnott after her silver medal in the FIS Big Air competition in Austria.
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Piney catches up with Peter Burling after the New Zealand team's mixed day of results at the first day of Sail GP in Singapore.
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Commentator James McOnie joins the show to discuss and recap this weekend in sport.
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Piney catches up with Former Blackcap Dion Nash to discuss what's next for Trent Boult after he wasn't considered for the England test series.
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Piney is joined by Tennis Auckland CEO Rohan West, and they weigh in on the discussion about putting a roof on the ASB Tennis Arena.
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Piney catches up with Football Ferns captain Ali Riley ahead of their matches against world number one, the USA.
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Piney talks to Blackcaps allrounder Daryl Mitchell after they managed to take home the ODI series against Pakistan.
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Australian correspondent Adam Peacock talks tennis, rugby and cricket in this week of Australian sport.
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Piney catches up with ASB tournament director Nicolas Lamperin to look back on the tournament this year.
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Piney catches up with Kiwi tennis pro KP Pannu to find out what he's been up to, and his experience at the ASB Classic.
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Jason Pine speaks to Canterbury Magicians opener Kate Anderson after the win over the Auckland Hearts.
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James McOnie of the Crowd Goes Wild talks to Jason Pine about the Phoenix, the test series in Pakistan and Damar Hamlin's scary injury in the NFL.
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Phoenix central defender Scott Wootton speaks to Jason Pine after their crazy win over Sydney FC.
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ICC Chair Greg Barclay speaks to Jason Pine about the future of test cricket, and his controversial comments on the women's game.
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Jason Pine speaks to Wellington Phoenix women's coach Natalie Lawrence and one of the team's new players Michaela Robertson about their match against Western United and Michaela's first ever A-League goal.
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Jason Pine catches up with coach Ufuk Talay and defender Tim Payne of the Phoenix men's side ahead of their match against Sydney FC.
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NZ Herald racing editor Michael Guerin spoke to Jason Pine about the death of renowned horse breeder Sir Patrick Hogan.
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Wellington Firebirds captain Peter Younghusband spoke to Jason Pine ahead of the upcoming game against CD.
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Jason Pine speaks to Aussie correspondent Adam Peacock for the first time in 2023 about the tennis in Adelaide, the cricket in Sydney and why everyone's watching the Big Bash again.
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Kiwi 600-class biker Avalon Biddle speaks to Jason Pine ahead of the second round of the Suzuki Series.
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ASB Classic number one seed Coco Gauff speaks to Jason Pine after advancing to the tournament semifinals.
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Newstalk ZB Sport editor Matt Brown speaks to Jason Pine live from the ASB Classic which is once again in danger of being affected by the weather.
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Black Caps all-rounder Michael Bracewell speaks to Jason Pine immediately after the drawn second Test in Pakistan.
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Retired Rower Eric Murray joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to chat about his career and partnership with Hamish Bond.
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Former All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to chat about the All Blacks year in review and give a bit of insight into the upcoming Rugby World Cup.
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Phoenix striker David Ball speaks to D'Arcy Waldegrave about their match against Melbourne City and the news the news that fellow striker Ben Waine is signing with English club Plymouth Argyle.
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Speedway great Michael Pickens speaks to D'Arcy Waldegrave about the big race he's co-promoting at Western Springs.
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D'Arcy Waldegrave speaks to former Farah Palmer Cup player Alice Soper on what a massive year 2022 was for women's sport and what needs to happen to make sure the momentum doesn't go to waste.
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Ben Maller of Fox Sports Radio speaks to D'Arcy Waldegrave about the latest goings-on in the NBA and why we aren't seeing the superstars on the court as much as we should be.
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Olympic gold medallist snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott speaks to D'Arcy Waldegrave about the gong she's been awarded in the New Year's Honours.
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English darts player Stephen Bunting speaks to D'Arcy Waldegrave shortly after making it through to the World Championship quarterfinals.
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Kiwi football great Wynton Rufer, who knew Pelé personally, speaks to D'Arcy Waldegrave about his death.
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Black Cap Ish Sodhi speaks to D'Arcy Waldegrave after a strong individual performance in the draw with Pakistan.
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In this special Christmas Eve version of Weekend Sport, we have plenty of updates, interviews, and talkback featured here today! Highlights include:
NZ Softball with Mark Sorenson.
Black Caps featuring Devon Conway, Tom Blundell, and Michael Bracewell.
Wellington Phoenix wrap up with Ufuk Talay.
Wellington Cricket CEO Cam Mitchell.
The great Honey Badger, Nick Cummins on the Black Clash.
Sarah Jacobs, WLG Cricket Museum curator.
Jacob Spoonley, former All White.
Will Johnston, ground announcer at Basin Reserve.
Sofia Huerta, US women's footballer ahead of next year's World Cup.
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Argentina and France produce an all-time classic as Messi pips Mbappe for World Cup glory.
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Piney caught up again with James McOnie, this time to discuss the World Cup Final, the Blackcaps captaincy, and Free to air cricket.
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Piney talks with former Black Caps coach Mike Hesson to discuss Kane Williamson's decision to relinquish the test captaincy.
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Piney chats with Australian Football commentator Robbie Thomson, to find out what happened in the A-Leagues Melbourne derby, which descended into chaos.
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Piney catches up with Ruben Slagter from Eurosport in France to understand the feeling ahead of the Final.
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Piney catches up with Santi Bauza, from TNT Sports Argentina to find out how the nerves are in Argentina ahead of the FIFA World Cup Final.
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Composed Croatia claim third place against the marvellous Moroccans, but who wins the biggest game in world football tomorrow morning?
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Former Socceroo Robbie Cornthwaite talking about the APLs decision to hold the next three A-League grand finals in Sydney and how the season is shaping up so far
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Piney catches up former international footballer Paul Ifill to get his thoughts on the Football World Cup final.
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Piney catches up with White Fern Melie Kerr ahead of the third ODI against Bangladesh
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Piney catches up with Cate Slater to find out what the deal with NZC will mean for cricket fans.
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Piney chats to NZC CEO David White after the news that TVNZ is going to be the home of New Zealand Cricket
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We preview Croatia v Morocco for the "bronze medal" and lie awake wondering who'll win the final.
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Mbappe inspires France to back-to-back World Cup finals as Morocco's brave resistance ends.
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Magical Lionel Messi propels Argentina to the World Cup final with a 3-0 win over Croatia.
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Messi, Modric, Mbappe and Morocco - who marches on to the main event?
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Piney catches up with Professor Robert Aughey from Victoria University in Melbourne, to look at how technology is shaking up FIFA's World Game.
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Piney catches up with Liam Napier from the New Zealand Herald to discuss whether overseas rugby players should be able to be picked for the All Blacks.
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Piney catches up with Ruahei Demant, the winner of the Kelvin R Tremain memorial trophy winner, to look back on the successful year she's had.
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Piney catches up with Kyle Jamieson to find out how he's tracking with his recovery, and when we can expect to see him back on the cricket pitch.
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James McOnie joins the show and he discusses all the action in the world cup quarter finals, in particular, football no longer coming home.
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England crash out to France but the magical, marvellous Moroccans march into the semi-finals.
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Piney catches up with White Fern Lea Tahuhu after her impressive T20 series against Bangladesh.
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Sohaib Bakkali is a Moroccan football fan living in New Zealand. Jason Pine catches up with him to find out how big this tournament has been for Morocco.
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Piney catches up with English football expert Seb Stafford-Bloor to find out what England need to do to advance in the World Cup.
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Piney catches up with our Australian correspondent Adam Peacock. They discuss David Warner, the Sooceroos, and Eddie Jones.
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Piney catches up with James Burridge from the BBC to unpack what has led to Eddie Jones and Wayne Pivac losing their jobs less than a year out from the World Cup.
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Piney catches up with Tom Decent from the Sydney Morning Herald to discuss whether Eddie Jones will be part of the Wallabies coaching setup for the World Cup.
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We review two extraordinary quarter-finals as Croatia boot out Brazil while Argentina squeak past the Dutch.
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We pick apart the four mouth-watering quarter-finals this weekend and ask if stopping France is as straightforward as stopping Kylian Mbappe?
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Morocco stun Spain to reach the quarter-finals for the first time, while Portugal pummel the sorry Swiss.
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Brazil blow Korea Republic away, but Croatia need penalties to get past Japan.
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Magnificent Mbappe and brilliant Bellingham guide France and England to comfortable wins over Poland and Senegal, setting up a mouth-watering quarter-final.
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Elliott catches up with Miles Coleman, producer and writer for FIFA Uncovered, as they have a look at the controversies that have surrounded FIFA over the years.
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Elliott catches up with the Blackcaps head coach to have a look at the Summer of Cricket so far.
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NZ Herald combat sports expert Chris Reive joins the show to have a look back at the third fight in the Tyson Fury and Derek Chisora trilogy.
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Elliott catches up with Softball Hall of Famer Rhys Casley as they try to get to the bottom of why the Black Sox failed this world cup campaign.
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James McOnie from the Crowd Goes Wild joins Elliott and they discuss all the happenings in the World cup in Qatar.
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Fill in wicketkeeper Maddy Green talks with Elliott about their current series against Bangladesh.
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Elliott catches up with former Wellington Phoenix captain Andrew Durante to look back on the Socceroos impressive World Cup.
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We round up the first knockout fixtures of the Round of 16 as Australia go down swinging against Argentina and the Netherlands sweep aside the USA.
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Elliott talks to Sky Sport Breakers guard Barry Brown Jr to discuss the teams success, and how he's finding his time in New Zealand
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Sean Hogan and David Chote join Elliott to discuss what's been happening in Qatar.
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Elliott catches up with our Australian correspondent who gives an update on everything going on in Qatar
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Sports commentator Paul Allison reflects on the life of Kiwi sporting legend, Sir Murray Halberg.
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Elliott Smith catches up with Kiwi motorsport star Marcus Armstong after he announced his mover to IndyCar.
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NZR CEO Mark Robinson joins Elliott to discuss the Super Rugby agreement, and review the year.
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Then there were 16 - All the action from the carnage to finish the group stage as old ghosts come back to haunt Ghana and Brazil suffer a scare.
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We break down an extraordinary morning which saw Japan and Morocco top their groups, while Belgium and Germany pack their bags.
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The Socceroos make the round of 16 with a famous win over Denmark and a barely believable climax in Group C.
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The first round-of-16 match-ups are confirmed as England win the UK derby, and we say farewell to four nations.
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Brazil and Portugal book their places in the round of 16 ... and two African sides spring to life.
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Spain and Germany draw, Croatia flex their muscles, Japan miss a trick, and are Morocco a World Cup dark horse?
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Mike Lacey, writer of the Lacey Lowdown joins the show to discuss the Breakers and why they're doing so well.
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Piney catches up with Black Sox hero Ben Enoka after his match winning home run in the first game of the Softball World Cup.
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It's all football for James McOnie as he dives head first into the World Cup action.
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Piney catches up with veteran football journalist Coen Lammers who's in Qatar to cover the tournament.
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Piney catches up with Kiwi golfer Steven Alker to talk about his incredible 2022.
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Piney catches up with former Blackcap and cricket commentator Craig Cumming joins the show to preview Blackcaps v India. Also, he discusses the Martin Guptill situation, and what it's like to have a child performing at a high level in sport.
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A veteran of 78 tests and the 2003 John Eales medal winner, Phil Waugh is a legend of Wallabies rugby. He and Jason catch up to discuss the year the Wallabies have had, and how they're placed ahead of the Rugby World Cup.
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Lionel Messi sparks Argentina to a 2-0 win over Mexico, Kylian Mbappe guides France to the knockout rounds and Australia win their first World Cup match since 2010.
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The Black Sox are making their tilt for their 8th world title in their own backyard. Piney catches up with their catcher Cameron Watts just before the tournament kicks off.
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Jason Pine is joined by the Olympics Bronze, and Commonwealth Games Silver medallist triathlete Hayden Wilde ahead of the final race of the Triathlon world championship. They discuss what he needs to do to take home the title, and his failed bid to appeal the controversial decision at the Commonwealth games that cost him a chance at gold.
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Our Australian correspondent Adam Peacock joins the show once again to discuss all things Australian Sport, and especially how the Socceroos are faring in the Football World Cup.
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Fresh off winning the Trampoline World Championships in Sofia, Dylan Schmidt joins Piney to discuss his journey to the top of the sport.
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Hero of their first ODI against India, Blackcap Tom Latham joins the show to talk us through his epic knock of 145.
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Piney catches up with cricket commentator Simon Doull to unpack all the potential issues NZC might face after releasing Martin Guptill from his contract.
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England and the USA play out a goal-less draw, but there's late delight for Iran and hosts Qatar are knocked out before they even play their final pool match.
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Portugal squeak home 3-2 against Ghana as Ronaldo scores at a fifth World Cup, while five-time champions Brazil flex their muscles.
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We wrap day four action from Qatar as Japan come from behind to stun four-time champions Germany, while Spain put seven past Costa Rica.
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We review one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history with Saudi Arabia beating Argentina 2-1, while the Socceroos had a tough evening on their 2022 World Cup debut.
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We wrap day two action from Qatar as England score six against Iran, the Dutch ease past Senegal, and in their first World Cup game in 64 years, Wales come back to secure a point against the USA.
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English rugby legend Will Greenwood joins the ahead of the All Blacks vs England test, and he looks forward to England's chances at the World Cup next year.
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Phil Chapman is from More Than A Game, a group of people who have put on a 45 hour futsal game, he joins us halfway through their marathon effort.
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Brett McKay from the Roar Podcast covers all in Australian sport including the fortunes of the Wallabies, the England cricket series and the Rugby League World Cup.
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Piney catches up with the All Blacks head coach ahead of their final test of the year against England at Twickenham.
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Piney catches up with Alex McNaught from the Breakers to discuss their season, and his journey to the to level.
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Adam Peacock in Qatar for the World Cup.
Piney catches up with our regular Australian correspondent Adam Pecock, this time we discuss Qatar, where Adam is for the Fifa World Cup.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joins the show to wrap the sporting week.
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The All Blacks year ended in bizarre fashion, blowing a 19 point lead with 9 minutes to go to draw with England. Piney catches up with Newstalk ZB's voice of Rugby Elliott Smith to make sense of the match and the year as a whole.
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Piney and Chotey review the tournament opener between hosts Qatar and Ecuador and look ahead to day two which includes our first look at two of the favourites, England and the Netherlands.
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In the first episode of Football Fever, we examine each of the eight groups and pick our contenders to make it through to the knockout rounds ... and to lift the World Cup on December 19.
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Israel Adesanya is expected to be defending his middleweight title in an upcoming fight against Alex Pereira.
The title fight is going down in New York's Madison Square Garden- but before then, NZ Herald sports writer Chris Reive joined us to put everything into context.
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FC Copenhagen and All Whites midfielder Marko Stamenic joined us to discuss his recent series of Champions League games, including a match against Man City.
He's had a busy season, and he's called in from Denmark to describe his 'surreal' career progression so far.
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Golfer Daniel Hillier has recently secured a full time spot on the DP World Tour, making him the second Kiwi to do so for the upcoming season.
David Hillier will join Ryan Fox for the 2023 season, and he joined Piney today to discuss his progress in the lead-up.
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This weekend was a big one for sport, with the Black Ferns dominating the Rugby World Cup finale last night.
The match came pretty close, but the final score came out to 34- 31. Both teams played well, with England maintaining their dignity despite the loss.
And it's not even over yet for New Zealand rugby- we have the All Blacks vs Scotland test to look forward to in the early hours of Monday morning.
Samoa also performed well in the Rugby League World Cup against England, with a final score of 26- 27.
All in all, this gave James McOnie, sports commentator from The Crowd Goes Wild plenty to talk about!
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Monday morning's All Blacks vs Scotland test match is only a few hours away, what can we expect?
David Havili, New Zealand rugby union player, Ian Foster, All Blacks coach, and Elliott Smith, Newstalk ZB rugby commentator had a group discussion about what may happen during this match, as well as the All Black's chances of scoring a win.
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The Rugby World Cup final was last night, and the Black Ferns won against England with a final score of 34-31.
Spark Sport commentator Scotty Stevenson recapped the match- and pointed out that this should open the doors for us to take women's rugby more seriously.
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Piney and Elliott take a deep dive into the squad Ian Foster has named to play Scotland at Murrayfield on Monday.
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Luke Kemeys is a founder of betting syndicate Boys Get paid, and they've had a successful New Zealand cup week. Piney catches up with Luke to chat about their success.
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Former number 1 and current world number 4 Squash player Mohamed El Shorbagy is in New Zealand for the New Zealand Squash Open, he chats to Piney about his career in the sport.
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Piney catches up with Rob Jones, the person who coached Georgia Ponsonby, Sarah Hirini, and Amy Cokayne at Fielding high school. All three are playing in the World Cup Final.
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Piney chats to former Black Fern and now commentator Kristina Sue on the Rugby World cup as the Final draws closer.
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Black Ferns Prop Pip Love joins Piney ahead of World Cup final against England.
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President of World Netball Liz Nicholl joined Weekend Sport to discuss the state of Netball, the Jamaican tour debacle, Fast5 and the payment of international umpires.
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Chiefs and now also Scotland rugby mental skills coach Aaron Walsh on his career, and what he's looking to achieve in Scotland
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The Black Caps have secured a place in the T20 semifinals following their 35-run victory against Ireland.
After yesterday's win, Ish Sodhi, Blackcaps player, joined us to discuss the team booking their spot in the next stage of the T20 World Cup.
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This was a big weekend for sports, between the Black Ferns making it to the Rugby World Cup finals, the All Blacks winning against Wales in their test match, the Black Caps making it to the T20 semi-finals, and our NRL Kiwis pulling through against Fiji.
Sports broadcaster James McOnie talked about this full weekend of victories and wins for New Zealand here today.
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Tom Abercrombie joined us ahead of his return for the Breakers top of the table clash against the Kings tonight.
Tom Abercrombie had previously been out of commission following an eye injury, but today marks his return to the team.
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Today on the show, we had Elliott Smith recapping the successful All Blacks test against Wales this morning.
It made getting up early worth it, as the All Blacks maintained their winning streak against Wales with a final score of 40 - 17.
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Piney catches up with Black Ferns fullback Renee Holmes to find out what was going through her mind in the final moments of the semi-final against France.
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Piney catches up with Newstalk ZB's voice of rugby Elliott Smith who is in Cardiff for the test, to get his thoughts on where the test will be won and lost.
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Piney catches up with Kiwi half Jahrome Hughes ahead of their matchup against Fiji, the same matchup that saw the Kiwis booted from the last World Cup in the quarters.
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Piney catches up with former Welsh and All Black test player Shane Howarth to give his thoughts on the upcoming test between the All Blacks and Wales.
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For the first time, New Zealand have qualified both a Men's and Women's team for the World Curling Championship, former New Zealand representative, and curling commentator Hans Frauenlob talks Piney through just how big this is
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Former Blackcap Chris Harris joins Weekend Sport to analyse the T20 world cup and the form of Kane Williamson.
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Brett McKay joins the show to chat all things Aussie Sport, including the Wallabies end of year tour, the T20 World Cup, League World Cup, and this idea of an ANZAC XV being put together to play the British and Irish Lions.
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Jason Pine has a chat with All Blacks captain Sam Whitelock ahead of their test against Wales, they also discuss the year Sam has had, and if he's thought about retirement yet.
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Piney catches up with Black Fern Joanah Ngan-Woo ahead of the semifinal against France.
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Piney offers his thoughts on the schedule clash of the All Blacks, and the Black Ferns.
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Piney talks to Samisoni Taukei'aho ahead of the test against Japan, and reflecting on his incredible start to his All Blacks career.
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Jason talks to Blackcaps opener Devon Conway to discuss the hot start to the T20 world cup and to preview their match against Sri Lanka
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Piney catches up with Chelsea Bremner as the Black Ferns get to the pointy end of the World Cup.
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Piney talks with the Director of rugby at St Patrick's College Silverstream to gauge the reaction to the decision to stop televising Auckland 1A school's competition.
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Piney catches up with Japan's assistant coach Tony Brown ahead of their test against the All Blacks.
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Saturday night marks the day where the 2023 Womens World Cup will be drawn.
Former FIFA World cup winner Gilberto Silva was in town for the event, and he spoke about the lead-up.
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Black Caps player Glenn Phillips joined us ahead of the T20 world cup.
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Nelson Asofa-Solomona joined us ahead of the Kiwis matchup against the Jamaican Reggae Warriors to talk about expectations for the match.
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Adam Peacock joined us to talk about the latest things in Australian Sport, and reflect on the life of Redcliffe Dolphins player, Liam Hampson.
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CEO of FIFA Women's World Cup Dave Beeche talks about the World cup draw and what to expect from the announcements.
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Black Fern Amy Rule joined us today ahead of their test this arvo against Scotland to talk about the lead up to the match.
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Retiring Canterbury lock Luke Romano joined us ahead of the NPC final tonight.
He reflected on upcoming match and where his next chapter will take him.
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Du'Plessis Kirifi calls in from Wellington ahead of Saturday's NPC final.
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White Fern Melie Kerr has started a documentary series called Treading Water. She talks to Piney about the project and normalising the conversation around mental health.
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Jason Pine is joined by two-time Grand Slam finalist and current world tennis number 3 Casper Ruud to discuss the year he's had and his plans on returning to New Zealand in early 2023.
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Maurice Ashley is a world-renowned chess author and commentator, along with being a Grandmaster of the sport. He joins the show to try and explain the cheating controversy between teen sensation Hans Niemann and current World Champion Magnus Carlsen.
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Coaching guru Wayne Goldsmith joins Piney with an in-depth look at the world sporting landscape after the pandemic disruptions.
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Piney catches up with Olympic Canoer Luuka Jones after she collaborated with Brooke Donoghue and Christel Dunshea-Mooij to release the book Sustain: Plant based foods for active people. She talks about her journey to a plant based diet.
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Piney catches up with Football Fern Meikayla Moore ahead of their homecoming matches in Christchurch, and she looks back on her performance against the USA earlier this year.
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From the Crowd Goes Wild, James McOnie joins us from Athens, Georgia to discuss the Kiwi contingent in the NBA, Steven Adams and Sean Marks. And he also details his College Football experience.
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Piney catches up with footballer Kosta Barbarouses as their season gets underway in Wellington against Adelaide.
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Jason catches up with Black Fern Sarah Hirini ahead of the first day of the Rugby World Cup.
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Piney talks with Breakers coach Mody Maor after their impressive homecoming win over the Jack Jumpers.
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Piney catches up with Adam Peacock who talks all thing Australian Sport, today they covered the Rugby world cup, a bit of cricket and the first week of the A-League
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Jason Piney catches up with Black Fern Georgia Ponsonby ahead of the first day of the Rugby World Cup.
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Piney catches up with Blackcaps stalwart Tim Southee as they preview the upcoming World Cup.
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Piney is very excited for the first day of the Rugby World Cup.
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Timbersport legend Jason Wynyard joins the show to yarn with Piney about the upcoming world championships, and his recent struggles over the past couple of years.
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Piney catches up with Breakers forward Sam Timmins, ahead of the start of the new NBL season.
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Piney catches up with James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild and they discuss Steven Adams, the NRL final and Bundee Akis suspension.
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Piney talks with Melie Kerr ahead of her 50th T20 international.
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Jason talks with senior NRL writer Brad Walter ahead of the Grand Final between the Eels and Panthers.
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Jason talks baseball as he's joined by NZ Diamondblacks shortstop Jason Matthews as they compete at the world baseball classic.
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Piney and Michael Burgess try to get to the bottom of what's happening between the All Whites and NZ Football.
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Piney catches up with our Australian correspondent Adam Peacock. They discuss the NRL finals and football.
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Leon MacDonald chats with Piney after he was announced coach of the All Blacks XV.
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Piney catches up with All Black centre Anton Lienert-Brown ahead of his return to rugby following injury.
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All Blacks and Chiefs centre Quinn Tupaea chats to Jason Pine after hearing he'll be out of rugby for 9 months following his injury in the second Bledisloe test.
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All White Matt Garbett ahead of their match against Australia tomorrow.
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Black Fern Kendra Cocksedge ahead of today's test against Japan.
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Adam Peacock on all the sport happening across the ditch.
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Former Penrith Panther and NZ Warrior Greg Alexander talking the NRL Finals.
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Former Wallaby Peter Fitzsimons looking back at last weeks test and giving a preview on tonight.
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All Black halfback Finlay Christie ahead the match.
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Former All Black Pita Alatini discussing the Bledisloe test tonight and the option to play Jordie at 12.
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Blackcap Finn Allen joins the show fresh after singing on to a central contract.
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James McOnie from the Crowd Goes Wild joins the show to chat the big talking points from the Sporting week.
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Elliott talks to ASB Classic tournament director Nicolas Lamperin to discuss the big names there will be in the tournament in 2023.
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Andrew Kratzmann is a former professional tennis player who in 2000 paired up with Roger Federer in the Doubles at Wimbledon and the US Open. He looks back on Roger's career and what it was like to play alongside him.
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NZME Wellington commentator Ross Bond joins the show to chat about the Wellington Lions taking the Ranfurly shield from Hawkes Bay.
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Elliott Smith offers his thoughts on Wellingtons win over Hawkes Bay to claim the log of wood.
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Wallabies legend John Eales joins the show to discuss the Bledisloe cup and a reflection on his remarkable career.
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All Blacks head coach Ian Foster after getting out of jail in Bledisloe- offers his thoughts on that call and time wasting in general, also has concerns around blowing a 31-13 lead.
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Adam Peacock talking Bledisloe cup, NRL and AFL finals.
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Former Wallabies winger Drew Mitchell offering his thoughts on the match, time-wasting, and the reason it's so hard to play the All Blacks at Eden Park.
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Graeme Agars looking back on the career of Roger Federer ahead of his retirement from tennis.
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Piney catches up with Newstalk ZBs voice of rugby Elliott Smith who's in Melbourne for the All Blacks Thursday night test. They discuss that test along with the NRL and AFL action that occurred there Saturday night.
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Piney catches up with Senior NRL writer Brad Walter after a chaotic first week in the NRL finals.
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James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joins the show to discuss the chaotic first week on the NRL, the Ranfurly shield, High School Rugby finals, and Sports the Queen loved.
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Rod Dixon talks about the Munich Massacre and his memories of what happened 50 years ago.
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Canterbury legend Steph Te Ohaere-Fox joins the show ahead of the Farah Plamer Cup final, her last top-level game before retiring.
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Piney offer his thoughts on the recent struggles of the Blackcaps.
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Supercars legend Mark Skaife joins the show ahead of the last Supercars event at Pukekohe, as he chats with Piney about what makes Pukekohe Park so special, and also his own career racing Supercars.
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Commentator and friend of Willie Los'e Ken Laban chats with Piney to remember Willie.
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Piney chats to our Australian Correspondent Adam Peacock on the retirement of Aaron Finch. They also discuss US Open tennis and the antics of Nick Kyrgios
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Former Blackcap Andre Adams joins the show to discuss the Blackcaps struggles and whether Kane Williamson should just focus on batting and not worry about captaincy
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Piney catches up with All White Joe Bell as he looks to play his first game back in New Zealand for several year.
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Piney catches up with Craig Gabriel to discuss the career of Serena Williams
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Gregor Paul from the NZ Herald joins the show to discuss the improvements the All Blacks have made.
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From The Crowd Goes Wild, James McOnie joins the show with some glowing praise for the city of Hamilton after the All Blacks big win at FMG Stadium.
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NZ Herald Rugby League writer Michael Burgess joins the show to try explain what happened to the Warriors in the last game of their season.
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Piney chats with Sky Sport commentator Karl Te Nana as they discuss what worked so well for the All Blacks.
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Piney catches up with rugby legend Kendra Cocksedge after she announced she will be retiring from the sport at the end of the Rugby World Cup.
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Piney catches up with Warriors hooker Freddy Lussick ahead of their last match of the 2022 season.
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Our Australian correspondent Adam Peacock joins Piney to discuss the new Allianz stadium which is hosting the Springboks Wallabies test. They also chat tennis and golf.
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Piney steps out of the commentary booth and walks around the park at FMG prior to the second test between the All Blacks and Argentina. There he bumps into groundskeeper Carl Johnson.
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GM of High Performance at NZ Cricket Bryan Stronach joins Piney to discuss Trent Boult and Colin de Grandhomme deciding to walk out of their NZ contracts and the difficulties faced by players wanting to play other leagues.
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Piney catches up with All Blacks halfback Aaron Smith ahead of the second test against Argentina.
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Piney offers his thoughts on another must win game for the All Blacks against Argentina
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Piney catches up with the manager of New Zealand's Under 21 canoe Polo team after their world title win.
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New Zealand Rugby's head of referees Bryce Lawrence is leading a project to cap all of the New Zealanders who have ever refereed a test, he joins Piney to chat about the ceremony and to try find the next of kin of the refs who have passed.
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James McOnie joins the show to chat the Ian Foster decision, all the blowouts in the NRL and the EPL.
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NZME's combat sport expert Chris Reive talks with Piney to recap Oleksander Usyks' win over Anthony Joshua in their heavyweight title rematch.
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Piney catches up with Blackcap Finn Allen after his 96 against the West Indies, which gave the Black Caps enough of a target to defend.
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Jason looks at the brilliance of Daryll Mitchell's international career so far.
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Piney catches up with ZB's Matt Brown after a quiet first day at sail GP in Copenhagen.
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Black Ferns Fullback Renee Holmes talks with Jason ahead of their first Laurie O'Reilly test against Australia.
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Piney catches up with our Australian Correspondent on all things happening in Australian sport.
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Piney catches up with Nehe Milner-Skudder ahead of his Wellington Lions debut, and he reflects on his career to date.
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One of New Zealand's greatest ever coaches Tab Baldwin talks with Piney about what it takes to be an elite level coach. And he also looks back on his epic run in the 2002 Fiba World Championship as coach of the Tall Blacks.
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Piney offers his thoughts on the last few weeks and where that leaves the All Blacks going forward
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The NZR CEO, Mark Robinson joins Piney to talk about what has been a turbulent few weeks for the All Blacks.
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The NZR CEO, Mark Robinson joins Piney to talk about what has been a turbulent few weeks for the All Blacks.
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Piney speaks with Newstalk ZB's voice of rugby Elliott Smith to try and understand the changes in the All Blacks.
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James McOnie compares the All Blacks situation to an episode of Survivor.
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Piney catches up with Footballer Marco Rojas ahead of his move to Chilean football side Colo-Colo.
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NZ Herald Warriors reporter Michael Burgess tries to unpack what went wrong in the match against the Raiders.
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Piney gives his thoughts on the upcoming Commonwealth Games.
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Piney catches up with Warriors assistant coach Justin Morgan ahead of their match against the Canberra Raiders.
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Piney catches up with our Australian correspondent to talk golf, football, and whether Eddie Jones is a traitor.
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Jason Pine offers his thoughts on Ian Fosters position as head coach of the All Blacks.
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James McOnie joins us to help us work out where it's all going wrong for the team. LISTEN ABOVE
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Buck gives his thoughts on what needs to happen with the All Blacks after their defeat to Ireland. LISTEN ABOVE
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Piney gives his thoughts on the All Blacks after their series loss to Ireland. LISTEN ABOVE
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Pole-vaulter Olivia McTaggart chats to Piney ahead of her journey to the Commonwealth Games. LISTEN ABOVE
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Our Aussie correspondent joins Piney to chat Rugby, Golf, Football, and Surfing. LISTEN ABOVE
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Piney has a walk around the Cake Tin and he relives some iconic moments from the stadium. LISTEN ABOVE
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Former All Black Mike Brewer joins the show to talk about the series decider between the All Blacks and Ireland, and the state of the game as a whole. LISTEN ABOVE
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Former Irish midfielder joins the show to talk about his playing days, and what he thinks may happen in the deciding test. LISTEN ABOVE
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Piney gives his thoughts on the Wellington Stadium ahead of the deciding test against Ireland. LISTEN ABOVE
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Piney chats to Josh Curran ahead of the Warriors first game at Mt Smart in over 1000 days. LISTEN ABOVE
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Piney catches up with our Combat Sport expert Chris Reive ahead of Adesanya's upcoming title bout. LISTEN ABOVE
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Wrestler (and Canoe Polo player) Cole Hawkins joins Piney to talk about the upcoming Commonwealth Games. LISTEN ABOVE
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Our regular Sunday correspondent James McOnie is in Vegas for Israel Adesanya's fight, he also gives his take on the All Blacks performance against the Irish. LISTEN ABOVE
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Piney gives his take on the All Blacks test v Ireland, and picks the mind of Newstalk ZBs voice of Rugby, Elliott Smith. LISTEN ABOVE
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Piney reflects on all the iconic sporting moments that have happened at Eden Park, then he catches up with All Blacks coach Ian Foster ahead of the first test of the season. LISTEN ABOVE
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Piney chats with our Tennis man Craig Gabriel to find out what the stories have been so far in this edition of Wimbledon. LISTEN ABOVE
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Piney catches up with former Tour de France cyclist Julian Dean to get a look into what makes the tour so special. LISTEN ABOVE
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Piney catches up with Boxer Erin Walsh ahead of her trip to the Commonwealth games. LISTEN ABOVE
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Our Aussie Correspondent chews the fat with Piney on Kyrgios, the Wallabies series against England, and a feud between Channel 7 and Cricket Australia. LISTEN ABOVE
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Piney revisits some iconic moments and locations in the nation's stadium. LISTEN ABOVE
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Piney catches up with Warrior's playmaker Shaun Johnson ahead of their homecoming match at Mt Smart. LISTEN ABOVE
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Piney catches up with Kiwi Beach Volleyballer and 2018 bronze medalist Sam O'Dea ahead of the Commonwealth games, and his new partnership heading into it.
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Piney is joined by kiwi weightlifter Megan Signal who finally gets to compete at a games after missing both the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth games and Tokyo 2020 Olympics due to injury.
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Piney catches up with Andrew Alderson who's at Headingly to unpack another tough day for the Blackcaps.
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Piney catches up with our Sunday regular James McOnie and the discuss the Kiwis v Tonga test, State of Origin, and the Blackcaps in England.
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Piney catches up with former NZNBL GM and now commentator for the league Justin Nelson to talk about what is making this season of the competition so successful.
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NZ Diver Anton Down-Jenkins talks to Piney as he looks forward to the Commonwealth games, and whether or not he'll be able to get to Birmingham.
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Veteran Rugby League writer Brad Walter previews State of Origin with Piney.
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Piney shares his thoughts on the Kiwis v Tonga test at Mt Smart Stadium, and also talks with Monty Betham who provides his opinion on the event.
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Piney catches up with Football ferns midfielder Annalie Longo ahead of her first match for the side since the Tokyo Olympics.
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Lawn Bowls legend Val Smith chats with Piney ahead of her fifth journey to the Commonwealth Games.
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Piney catches up with our Australian correspondent Adam Peacock and they discuss Rugby Union, State of Origin and Cricket.
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Piney catches up with New Zealand badminton player Anona Pak ahead of her first trip to the Commonwealth Games.
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Piney catches up with Kiwis playmaker Kieran Foran ahead of their test against Tonga.
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Piney shares his thoughts on the omission of Ajaz Patel once again for the test match against England. He then catches up with Andrew Alderson who gives an update on the state of play after Day 2 at Headingley.
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Piney talks with Cricket writer for the Guardian in the UK, Ali Martin, to discuss the resurgence of England Cricket.
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Piney talks to our regular Sunday correspondent James McOnie. They discuss the All Whites and Super Rugby.
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Piney chats to Lwamba Chileshe about the upcoming Commonwealth games, and his Squash career.
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Piney catches up with Black Ferns Director of coaching Wayne Smith after their successful campaign in the Pacific 4 series.
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Piney reflects on the Super Rugby final, and he mulls it over with Sky Sport commentator Tony Johnson.
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Piney reflects on the Super Rugby final, and he mulls it over with Sky Sport commentator Tony Johnson.
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Piney catches up with Blues assistant coach Daniel Halangahu ahead of the Super Rugby final.
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Piney catches up with Eden Park CEO Nick Sautner ahead of the Super Rugby Final
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Piney looks back on several memorable Crusaders Blues matches, and he yarns with former Blues prop who was playing the last time the Blues won a title.
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Piney discusses what he thinks might go down in the Super Rugby final tonight, he then catches up with Crusaders halfback Mitch Drummond ahead of the big dance.
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Piney catches up with former All White defender Bobby Almond 40 years on from the 1982 FIFA World Cup.
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Piney catches up with All Whites midfielder Joe Bell ahead of their all-important Intercontinental playoff against Costa Rica.
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Piney catches up with our Cricket man Andrew Alderson to give us an update from Trent Bridge.
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Piney and our regular Sunday correspondent James McOnie talk all things sport from the weekend.
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Piney catches up with the Blues Assistant coach after their semi-final win over the Brumbies.
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Piney ponders the upcoming Intercontinental playoff between the All Whites and Costa Rica, and where he thinks the All Whites world cup fate may be decided.
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Piney catches up with Costa Rican football journalist Estefan Monge to discuss the Intercontinental playoff between the All Whites and Costa Rica.
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Piney catches up with Newstalk ZB's cricket man Andrew Alderson from the UK after a successful first day for the Blackcaps at Trent Bridge.
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Piney catches up with Pulse goal attack Tiana Metuarau ahead of the grand final against the Stars.
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Piney is joined by our regular Australian correspondent, where today they discuss Socceroos chance of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup Finals.
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Piney catches up with 2015 NBA Champion and former Number one overall NBA draft pick Andrew Bogut, who discusses the current NBA finals, his career and time playing on the Golden State Warriors during their golden years, and also playing for the Australian National team.
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Piney gives his thoughts on the Crusaders 222 tackle effort in their semi-final win over the Chiefs, he then catches up with the Crusaders assistant coach, Andrew Goodman who shares his thoughts on the team's performance.
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Piney talks to Black Ferns halfback Kendra Cocksedge ahead of her 58th test for the side. Making her the most capped Black Ferns ever.
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NZ Herald football writer Michael Burgess talks to Piney ahead of the All Whites match against Peru, in preparation for their intercontinental playoff game against Costa Rica.
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Piney catches up with Blues Hooker Kurt Eklund after their Quarterfinal win against the Highlanders.
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Piney catches up with Chiefs first five after their quarter final win against the Waratahs.
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Piney catches up with Christchurch based sports reporter Brian Ashby, to try get to the bottom of what is causing all the delays in building a new stadium.
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Andrew Alderson joins Piney to recap day three of the test at Lords, which saw Darryl Mitchell bring up an impressive century.
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Why has the new Christchurch stadium not been built yet? Piney pleads the case to get it built.
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Piney catches up with the Crusaders prop after his 50th match for the team.
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Piney catches up with the Northern Mystics captain ahead of their elimination final against the Northern Stars.
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Jason Pine catches up with Andrew Alderson after Day 2 of the Black Caps test against England at Lord's.
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Piney shares his thoughts on where he thinks Jordie Barrett's best position is, and then catches up with Jordie to hear his thoughts on it.
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Piney catches up with All Black legend and patron of Moana Pasifika Sir Bryan Williams, after their upset win over the Brumbies.
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Piney chats with the resurgent lock about his move from the Crusaders to the Blues.
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Piney talks Silverlake with Gregor Paul, who has authored a 6 part series looking in depth at the deal that's been the talk of rugby for the past year.
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Piney gives his thoughts on the White Ferns contract situation, and he discusses it all in depth with Dylan Cleaver from the Bounce NZ.
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Netball commentator Malcolm Jordan and Former Silver Ferns coach Yvonne Willering wrap all the netball action from week 11 of the ANZ Premiership!
Jason Pine catches up with former Wellington Phoenix striker Paul Ifill about the final day of the EPL season.
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Jason Pine catches up with Blackcaps batting coach Luke Ronchi after day 1 of their warmup match against Sussex.
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NZME rugby commentators Elliott Smith and Nick Bewley, along with Brett McKay out of ABC Canberra make the case for the Blues, Crusaders, and Brumbies on who will win the Super Rugby.
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Jason Pine chats to Wayne 'Buck' Shelford about his memories of the 1987 world cup 35 years on.
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Netball commentator Malcolm Jordan and Former Silver Ferns coach Yvonne Willering wrap all the netball action from week 10 of the ANZ Premiership!
Former Blackcaps coach Mike Hesson chats to Piney about Brendon McCullum taking up the role of England test cricket coach.
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Piney catches up with the Blues prop ahead of their match against the Reds.
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Piney talks to Tim Payne about the chaotic season the Wellington Phoenix have had ahead of their elimination final.
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Piney catches up with Crusaders assistant coach Jase Ryan after their much needed win against the Brumbies in Canberra last night
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Jason Pine reflects on England Cricket's decision to make Brendon McCullum their test team head coach, and he is joined by Newstalk ZB's cricket man Andrew Alderson to chat about the appointment.
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Netball commentator Malcolm Jordan and Former Silver Ferns coach Yvonne Willering wrap all the netball action from week nine of the ANZ Premiership!
Piney is joined by Brian Ashby who updates us on the successes Hayden Wilde and Braden Currie.
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Piney talks to former chairman of New Zealand Rugby League Andrew Chalmers, and they discuss the potential of a second NRL club on New Zealand shores.
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Piney shares his thoughts on how far the Brumbies could go in Super Rugby, which is eerily similar to his thoughts on the Blues.
He also catches up with Brett McKay out of ABC Canberra to discuss what makes the team from ACT so good.
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Piney is joined on the show by Chiefs utility back Alex Nankivell to look at what has been a stellar season for him.
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Piney catches up with World Champion Bowls player Shannon McIlroy as he competes in the Bowls Three Five Interclub Nationals for the Stoke Thunder
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We catch up with our Bowls guy Kevin Hickland who is live at Naenae bowling club for the Bowls Three Five Interclub Nationals
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The Wellington Phoenix coach catches up with Piney after they secured their spot in the A League Playoffs
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Piney catches up with Crusaders loose forward and Argentinian international Pablo Matera in his first season for the club
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Piney makes a prediction, and he also chats with Blues assistant head coach Daniel Halangahu after their dominant performance over the Rebels
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Netball commentator Malcolm Jordan and Former Silver Ferns coach Yvonne Willering wrap all the netball action from week eight of the ANZ Premiership!
Memphis Grizzlies beat writer Drew Hill joins the show to discuss why Steven Adams hasn't been playing in the NBA Playoffs.
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The Hurricanes winger caught up with Piney ahead of their match against the Brumbies.
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Indra Singh joins Piney again to discuss the first home game for Fijian Drua.
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The Warriors Hooker joins Piney to discuss their bounce back win against the Raiders.
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NZME Crusaders commentator, Nick Bewley joins Piney to discuss the Crusaders' loss to the Waratahs.
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The former Warriors coach joins Piney to discuss the Warriors bounce-back win over the Raiders.
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Black Ferns Sevens player Kelly Brazier joins the show to give an update on how the team is doing in their return to the world series circuit.
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Newstalk ZB's voice of rugby, Elliott Smith, chews the fat on the Super Rugby games with Piney.
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Indra Singh out of the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation joins Piney ahead of the first home game for the Drua.
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The General Manager of the NZNBL talks to Piney about the NZNBL season and what teams to watch for.
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Swimming New Zealand CEO Steve Johns talks to Piney about the swim team that has been named to go to the Commonwealth games.
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Former All Black Sir John Kirwan joins the show to discuss the issue of cards in Rugby.
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Netball commentator Malcolm Jordan and Former Silver Ferns coach Yvonne Willering wrap all the action from week seven of the ANZ Premiership!
Warriors' half Chanel Harris-Tavita joins Elliott to discuss how his NRL campaign is going.
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The Northern Stars coach, Kiri Wills, joins Elliott to discuss the season they've had and the disruptions that Covid has had on the team.
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Crusaders and All Blacks first five, Richie Mo'unga, joins Elliott to discuss the Super Round, family life, and the recent loss to the Blues.
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Blues lock, Sam Darry, joins the show to discuss their match against the Fijian Drua.
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Elliott talks to Cricket commentator Simon Doull to discuss all things IPL.
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In form Central Pulse defender Kelly Jury catches up with Elliott to see how the ANZ Premiership is going for her and the team.
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The Wellington Phoenix coach joins Elliott in studio as they head into the tail end of the season.
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ESPNs lead Boxing commentator Bernardo Osuna joins the show to discuss Tyson Fury's successful title defence against Dillian Whyte.
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New Zealand Rugby CEO Mark Robinson joined Elliott Smith from Australia on Weekend Sport to discuss the recent shake-up within the Black Ferns coaching staff, the trans-Tasman round of Super Rugby Pacific and looking ahead to the All Blacks schedule later in the year.
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Netball commentator Malcolm Jordan and Former Silver Ferns coach Yvonne Willering wrap all the action from week six of the ANZ Premiership!
The coach of the All Blacks 7s joins the show for a progress report on the team at the Vancouver leg of the World Series.
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Piney is as excited as a kid on Christmas with the Phoenix returning to Wellington as he chats with Elliott to preview the match.
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The Warriors cult hero talks to Elliott the look back on the 2002 Warriors season.
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Stan Sport commentator Sean Maloney discusses with Elliott how the Australian teams will fare against the Kiwi teams.
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Mark Tookey's propping partner also joined the show to talk about the Warriors of 2002.
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The Highlanders coach joins Elliott to look back on the tough loss against the Hurricanes.
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Former All Black and manager of the 2004 Blues team Ant Strachan talks with Elliott after the Blues first win in Christchurch since 2004.
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Drew Hill out of the Daily Memphian talks to Elliott to preview Adams and the Grizzlies playoff run.
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Wellington Phoenix goalie Oli Sail talks to Elliott ahead of their first game back in Wellington in over 300 days.
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The Crusaders utility back talks to Elliott to unpack the loss to the Blues.
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Blues assistant coach Daniel Halangahu talks to Elliott after their historic win over the Crusaders.
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The All Black sevens coach talks to Elliott ahead of their quarterfinal in Singapore, on the first tournament back in the sevens world series.
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Elliott talks to Spark commentator Scotty Stevenson who's in Melbourne for the Australian leg of the F1 circuit.
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NRL Senior writer Brad Walter catches up with Elliott to talk all things League.
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Our golf correspondent, Graeme Agars, joins Elliott to talk everything that happened on day 3 of the Masters.
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Sky Sport commentator Tony Johnson joins Elliott to talk all the storylines of the week in Super Rugby.
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The Crusaders captain joins the show to discuss his teams close, but controversial, win over the Hurricanes.
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The Blues captain catches up with Elliott ahead of his 50th match for the Blues.
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The Warriors coach joins Elliott to discuss his team's golden point win against the Cowboys.
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The Moana Pasifika winger talks to Elliott Smith about their tough loss to the Highlanders.
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The All Blacks coach joins the show and chats to Elliott Smith about all that's going on in the All Blacks camp.
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Netball commentator Malcolm Jordan and Former Silver Ferns coach Yvonne Willering wrap all the action from week four of the ANZ Premiership!
Former world squash number three Stu Davenport discusses the success of current number one Paul Coll ahead of his final in the British Squash Open.
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New Zealand Herald rugby writer Liam Napier chats to Piney to chew through all that's going on in Super Rugby.
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Jason caught up with Hurricanes back Ruben Love ahead of their match against the Chiefs.
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Warriors prop Matt Lodge talks to Piney after their win against the Broncos, their second on the bounce.
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One of New Zealand's greatest-ever batsmen, Ross Taylor joins Piney to have a chat about his career ahead of his last ever match for New Zealand.
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Highlanders commentator Paul Allison discusses with Jason what exactly is going wrong for the Landers this season.
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New Zealand yachting commentator Peter Lester chats to Jason Pine about the decision of Emirates Team New Zealand to take the America's Cup to Spain.
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Highlanders first five chats to Jason Pine after the tough loss to the Crusaders.
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Mystics midcourter Claire O'Brien joins Piney for a great chat about the current ANZ premiership season and her career as a whole.
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Blues Halfback Finlay Christie talks to Jason Pine ahead of their game against Moana Pasifika.
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Netball commentator Malcolm Jordan and Former Silver Ferns coach Yvonne Willering wrap all the action from week three of the ANZ Premiership!
NZ Herald Sport Reporter Chris Reive joins the show from San Francisco to update Sail GP, and also provides an update on UFC.
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Crusaders coach Razor Robertson talks to Jason after their bounce-back win against the Chiefs.
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All Whites and Newcastle United striker Chris Wood has a good catch up with Piney as they discuss the career of Wood.
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Black caps batter Henry Nicholls catches up with Jason ahead of the one-day series against the Netherlands.
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Hurricanes half back TJ Perenara talks to Jason after his return game to Super Rugby against Moana Pasifika.
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Wellington Phoenix fullback Sam Sutton Catches up with Jason ahead of their match against Perth.
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New Zealand head of event and commercial director for SailGP, Karl Budge, catches up with Piney before the San Francisco leg of SailGP.
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All Black and Chiefs lock Brodie Retallick chats to Jason ahead of their match against the Crusaders.
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Moana Pasifika midfielder Henry Taefu talks to Piney after their historic win vs the Hurricanes.
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Warriors star Reece Walsh chats to Piney following their first win of the season.
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Long-time friend and teammate of Kenny McFadden, Angelo Hill talks to Jason after the passing of the New Zealand basketball legend.
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Sky Sport Commentator Tony Johnson joins Jason to discuss Moana Pasifika's win over the Hurricanes.
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Netball commentator Malcolm Jordan and Former Silver Ferns coach Yvonne Willering wrap all the action from week two of the ANZ Premiership!
Newstalk ZB's voice of rugby joins Piney to talk about the state of play in Super Rugby.
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Sky Sport commentator and former Kiwi Daryl Halligan chats to Jason ahead of the Warriors match against the Titans.
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Ben Waine talks to Jason Pine after his debut for the All Whites. A dream debut where he scored the match winning goal.
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White Ferns all-rounder Melie Kerr chats to Piney ahead of their must win game against England.
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Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic captain Sam Winders catches up with Jason ahead of round two of the ANZ Premiership.
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Former Blackcap and now commentator Simon Doull discusses where it's going wrong for the White Ferns.
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Jason Pine catches up with Blackcaps coach Gary Stead to discuss where the Blackcaps are at ahead of their series against The Netherlands.
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Warriors prop Addin Fonua-Blake joins the show to try to work out what went wrong for the Warriors in week one.
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BBC Newcastle commentator Matthew Raisbeck joins the show to talk Chris Wood after he notched up his first goal for Newcastle.
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Hurricanes CEO Avan Lee talks to Piney about getting more fans back to live sport events.
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Crusaders assistant coach Andrew Goodman joins Piney to discuss his team's tough loss to the Chiefs.
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Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan joined Jason Pine to recap his team's win against the Crusaders.
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Former Blackcap Nathan Astle joins the show 20 years on from his remarkable innings of 222 as we look back on one of the best innings of all time.
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White Fern Lea Tahuhu talks to Piney after her impressive outing against India.
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Legendary Cricketer and broadcaster Nasser Hussain joins the show to reflect on his career.
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NRL senior journalist Brad Walter joins the show to preview the season as it gets underway.
Blues Assistant coach Daniel Halangahu joins Piney after their match against the Highlanders, and talks about the difficulty of dealing with Covid in the team environment.
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Nathan Brown joined Jason Pine on the new NRL season kicking off on Thursday.
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Jordan Oppert, 1News Sports Reporter joined Jason Pine live out of Beijing on Corey Peters gold medal and the Super G this afternoon.
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Jordie Barrett joined Jason Pine on their scrappy win against the Highlanders last night.
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White Fern, Melie Kerr joined Jason Pine on the start of their world cup campaign.
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Courtney Walsh – former West Indies captain and now head coach of the women's side – joined Jason Pine on their famous victory against the white ferns, chat on Shane Warne and also Walsh's career.
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Former Black Cap Craig McMillan joined Jason Pine on Weekend Sport to share a few memories of one of cricket's greats, Shane Warne, who was tragically found dead in his Thailand hotel room after a suspected heart attack.
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Footballer Annalie Longo joins Piney ahead of the Football Ferns big game against the USA.
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Rugby League commentator Jason Costigan talks to Piney and explains why this year is probably not 'our year'.
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NZME Rugby Commentators Elliott Smith and Nick Bewley join Piney to dissect the first couple of games of Super Rugby.
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Wellington Phoenix Coach Ufuk Talay talks to Piney about their current hot streak of form.
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CEO of Snow Sports NZ, Nic Cavanagh chats to Piney after a hugely successful Winter Olympics for New Zealand.
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Tall Blacks coach Pero Cameron talks to Piney ahead of the FIBA world cup Asian qualifiers.
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Black Cap Matt Henry chats to Piney after his dominant display at Hagley oval.
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Former All White and father of Wellington Phoenix captain Alex Rufer talks to Piney ahead of his sons 100th game for Wellington.
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Former All Black Ant Strachan talks to Piney about what to expect from Super Rugby this season.
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White Fern Frankie Mackay talks to Piney after the White Ferns managed to wrap up their ODI series against India.
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NZR CEO Mark Robinson chats to Piney to unpack the Silver Lake deal, and also give a preview on the year ahead for NZR.
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Biathlete Campbell Wright talks to Piney about his time at the Beijing Winter Olympics.
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Jess Kerr took 4 wickets against India in their first ODI.
She joined Jason Pine about the team's performance.
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Rebekah Stott talks to Jason about her fight with Hodgkin's lymphoma and her return to top-level football.
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Helene Wilson talks development of the Mystics and the challenges of setting up the men for success.
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The Blackcaps captain talks to Piney about his injury, the South Africa series, and Ross Taylor.
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The Crusaders Coach joins Piney to talk about the start of Super Rugby and how he maintains success in the Crusaders.
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After securing their first win in the Womens A-League, Phoenix midfielder Chloe Knott talks to Piney after the game about how good the team are feeling.
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The South African cricket captain has a chat to Piney ahead of their series against the Blackcaps.
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The former league player joins Jason to chat about his former teammate who passed away this week.
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Kiwi football star Liberato Cacace became the first New Zealand male to play in Italy's Siere A. He talks to Piney about his journey there.
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Curling NZ President Graham Sinnamon joins the show to chat with Piney about the current state of the game in New Zealand.
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Kiwi Sailor Daryl Wislang catches up with Piney after the boat he was on, Comanche, broke the record in the Trans-Atlantic Yacht race.
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Sailor Jo Aleh chats to Piney about her decision to return to competing, and her decision to switch classes of boats.
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South African Cricket legend Shaun Pollock has a chat to Piney about the upcoming Proteas tour to New Zealand and he looks back on his own cricketing career.
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White Ferns captain Sophie Devine catches up with Jason following the selection of the world cup squad.
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Northern Brave captain Jeet Raval talks with Piney about the T20 season and the success of his team.
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ESPN Senior Writer Howard Bryant joins the show to discuss the career of Tom Brady, and if he is indeed retiring, what fans will miss the most.
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3-time Olympic Gold medalist Hamish Bond chats to Piney, reflecting on his career and looking to what the future holds.
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Wellington Blaze captain Maddy Green joins the show to discuss their championship run in the T20 Super Smash.
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Kiwi sprinter, Zoe Hobbs, talks to Jason Pine about improving on her New Zealand record, and how she's shaping up for Commonwealth Games qualification.
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Kiwi Snowboarder, Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, talks us through her golden weekend at X Games Aspen, and her preparations for the Beijing Winter Olympics.
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Craig Gabriel chats with Jason Pine about the current state of the Australian Open ahead of day 7 of the open.
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Head Coach for the Black Sox, Mark Sorensen, discusses the how difficult the past few years have been for the National Softball team.
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Coach of Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, Sean Thompson, joins the show to talk us through Zoi's gold medal run at Aspen on Saturday morning, and how important this run was for her coming up to the Winter Olympics.
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NZC CEO David White discusses with Jason Pine the circumstances that led to the cancellation of the Blackcaps tour to Australia.
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All Whites coach Danny Hay has named his squad for upcoming friendlies against Jordan and Uzbekistan.
He joins Newstalk ZB's Jason Pine, NZ Herald football writer Michael Burgess and former All Whites goalkeeper Jacob Spoonley to discuss his selections and look ahead to a huge year for our national men's side.
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Where does the blame lie with Novak Djokovic in Australia; Tennis Australia, Novak, or the Australian Government?
The U-turn sporting organisations had at the start of the pandemic when they realised they weren't essential and how it has led to athletes like Novak Djokovic, Kyrie Irving, and Aaron Rodgers being able to behave the way they do.
How Novak has become a hero for Serbs and a martyr for the anti-vax community
ESPN Senior Writer, Howard Bryant joined Weekend Sport.
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2022 is a very big year for the All Whites.
They are two steps away from the football World Cup in Qatar with Oceania qualifying in March and then the prospect of a one-off intercontinental playoff against the fourth best CONCACAF nation in June.
How are the All Whites placed after their most recent matches? And who are the players who are most important to the their chances of making the World Cup?
Jason Pine hosts this podcast discussion featuring:
Multi-award winning NZ Herald football writer Michael Burgess
Former Wellington Phoenix and All Whites goalkeeper and now Sky Sport analyst Jacob Spoonley
Highly experienced national league player, coach and astute football observer Stephen Hoyle.
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Jason Pine chats to Talksport football correspondent John Anderson about the Premier League's weekend of suspensions due to Covid-19. Only one out of six scheduled games went ahead this morning, including one game being suspended a couple of hours before kickoff.
Jason Pine chats to combat sports expert Mike Angove after Joseph Parker's victory over Dereck Chisora by unanimous decision in Manchester this morning.
Former Australian fast bowler Geoff Lawson chats to Jason Pine about some of his favourite memories of playing England in the Ashes. He played 46 tests in the 1980s, taking 180 wickets. 21 of those tests were against England, in which he claimed 97 wickets.
Jason Pine chats to SailGP Commercial Director Karl Budge about how the event has grown in its second season and why sports fans should be excited for the competition's future.
Jason Pine chats to cruiserweight boxer David Nyika ahead of his second professional fight against French boxer Anthony Carpin in Manchester tomorrow morning. Nyika is boxing on the undercard for Joseph Parker's fight against Dereck Chisora.
Jason Pine chats to NZ Rugby CEO Mark Robinson to wrap the 2021 rugby year and explain the process for the assistant coaches and when the decision will be made.
Jason Pine chats to Craig Hannon from the Anfield Wrap on Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard's return to his boyhood club, this time in the opposition dugout as Aston Villa manager.
Jason Pine chats to renowned Formula 1 journalist Joe Saward about the epic final race of the Formula 1 season. Max Verstappen has secured pole position at tomorrow's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ahead of reigning champion Lewis Hamilton.
Jason Pine chats to Black Cap Doug Bracewell, a key part of that famous test win in Australia in Hobart on this day back in 2011. It was the last time New Zealand won a test match on Australian soil.
Jason Pine chats to freestyle skier Nico Porteous after winning a Silver at the Freeski Halfpipe World Cup in Colorado.
Jason Pine chats to Northern Mystics assistant coach Rob Wright on Newstalk ZB about his methods to coaching elite woman's sport as a male in light of the Black Ferns crisis this week which sees their coach, Glenn Moore under investigation by NZR for his apparent treatment of one of the players.
Jason Pine chats to former Black Caps wicket keeper Tony Blain on Newstalk ZB about some of his own memories playing for the Black Caps and how much enjoyment he's had watching this current side evolve and grow under Mike Heeson, and lately Gary Stead.
Jason Pine chats to former New Zealand Supercars driver Paul Radisich on Newstalk ZB as they look ahead to the 2021 Bathurst 1000 at Mount Panorama, and what it is about this event that makes it so special.
Jason Pine chats to former NZ fast bowler and now cricket commentator Simon Doull on Newstalk ZB, as they discuss Ajaz Patel's extraordinary performance in Mumbai in the 2nd Test agaainst India where he took 10 wickets in an innings, only the 3rd time in history that feat has been achieved.
Jason Pine chats to former Indian fast bowler and now cricket commentator Ajit Agrakar on Newstalk ZB about the current series between New Zealand and India as well as reflecting on what made John Wright such a popular coach with the Indian cricket side.
Jason Pine chats to Rugby League journalist and pundit Paul Kent on Newstalk ZB, as they discuss the fall out from the Brandon Smith interview and whether its possible for athletes to be completely honest in interviews in the modern world.
Jason Pine chats to former Australian fast bowler and now FOX Sports cricket commentator Brett Lee on Newstalk ZB ahead of the Ashes series against England starting in Brisbane next week.
Elliott Smith chats to Wellington Phoenix CEO David Dome on Newstalk ZB around David's frustration that 5 days out from the start of the women's A-League season, and the first Wellington Phoenix women's side still doesn't have a team sponsor.
Jason Pine chats to author Mike Munro, who has recently written a book called 1921, Rugby Race and Empire, which is about the Springboks first tour of New Zealand back in 1921.
Jason Pine chats to former Black Caps batsman and now commentator Scott Styris on Newstalk ZB ahead of Day 4 of the 1st Test between India and New Zealand in Kanpur.
Jason Pine chats to former Black Caps batsman and captain Ken Rutherford on Newstalk ZB, as they discuss the last time the Black Caps won a test in India back in 1988, a game which Ken was a part of.
Jason Pine chats to former All White Fred De Jong on Newstalk ZB as they discuss the All Whites potential draw for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022, after the New Zealand side drew the 4th place team in CONCACAF, the North and Central American region.
Jason Pine chats to Daniel Leo, the Pacific Rugby Players Boss on Weekend Sport on Newstalk ZB, as they reflect on a ground breaking decision by World Rugby during the week to allow players to be able to change countries they represent, if they fulfil a 3 year stand down period.
Jason Pine chats to former Black Caps opener Glenn Turner on Newstalk ZB, as they reflect on some of his tours to India while playing for New Zealand and how things may have changed compared to when he went in the 60's and 70's.
Jason Pine chats to former NZ Rugby CEO David Moffett on Newstalk ZB, as they reflect on the All Blacks End of Year Tour, which finished with back to back losses against Ireland and France. David has plenty of strong points to be made about the direction of the All Blacks under Ian Foster and leadership of the NZ Rugby Union.
Miles Davis chats to former All Black captain Murray Mexted on Newstalk ZB, as they dissect a 2nd straight loss for the All Blacks on their end of year tour, this time going down to France 40 points to 25.
Miles Davis chats to England Rugby writer Chris Jones of Rugby Pass on Newstalk ZB on the back of France's impressive win against the All Blacks in Paris this morning. Chris has France now as the favourites for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Miles Davis chats to former England fast bowler Stephen Harmison about the latest from the Azeem Rafiq racism scandal that has rocked English cricket. Harmison also gives his thoughts on the Tim Paine incident.
Mile Davis chats to French rugby journalist and former player Thomas Castaignede ahead of the All Blacks' clash with France in Paris on Sunday morning.
Miles Davis chats to 2GB broadcaster James Willis from Australia about the Tim Paine sexting saga. Paine was named test captain of Australia on the back of Australia's ball-tampering controversy four months after the incident took place.
The DRS, with Jason Pine on Newstalk ZB on Monday evenings from 7pm until 8pm, compacted into a podcast for Monday the 15th of November.
Miles Davis chats to SKY Sport Rugby commentator Tony Johnson on Newstalk ZB, as they review this mornings All Blacks loss to Ireland in Dublin, with the New Zealand side going down 29 to 20. Tony considers it the best performance by an Irish team against the All Blacks he's ever seen.
Miles Davis chats to former Ireland loose forward Alan Quinlan on Newstalk ZB, as he shares his feelings on the back of Ireland's defeat against the All Blacks overnight in Dublin, with his former side winning 29 20.
Miles Davis chats to prominent Australian cricket writer and broadcaster Robert Craddock on Newstalk ZB ahead of tonight's T20 World Cup final between the Black Caps and Australia.
Miles Davis chats to Formula 1 Journalist Scott Mitchell on Newstalk ZB ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo this weekend about the developing rivalry between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton and how good it has been for the interest levels in Formula 1 this year.
Miles Davis chats to iconic cricket commentator and writer Henry Blofeld on Newstalk ZB as they discuss the T20 Cricket World Cup and this current New Zealand side. Henry also shares some of his favourite memories from his time as a cricket commentator for many years which feature in his latest book, Ten to win... and the Last Man in.
Miles Davis chats to former Ireland and Lions centre Jared Payne, the former New Zealand Super Rugby player about this current Ireland side under coach Andy Farrell and what they have to do to beat the All Blacks in Dublin tomorrow.
The DRS, with Elliott Smith on Newstalk ZB compacted into a podcast for Monday 8th of November.
Jason pine chats to Afghanistan Cricket journalist Ibrahim Momand ahead of tonight's game between the Black Caps and Afghanistan, a game the Black Caps have to win to progress to the Semi-Finals of the T20 World Cup.
Jason Pine chats to former All Black and then Italian rugby coach Sir John Kirwan as they discuss the All Blacks patchy win against Italy in Rome overnight, after the New Zealand side won 47 points to 9.
Jason Pine and Thomas Harris dissect 5 separate sporting topics on Newstalk ZB, 60 seconds on each - when the buzzer goes so do they on to the next one.
Jason Pine chats to new Black Caps opener Daryl Mitchell on Newstalk ZB ahead of a must-win game in the T20 Cricket World Cup later today against Afghanistan. Daryl discusses the role of opening and why he thinks he can add something to New Zealand's top order.
Jason Pine chats to Jay Carter, the golf coach of Daniel Hillier on Newstalk ZB, about the form of his athlete ahead of potentially gaining a European Tour card for 2022 if he finishes the season successfully in the final tournament of the season in Spain.
Jason Pine chats to former Welsh International Alix Popham, on the back of the news midweek that Carl Hayman has been diagnosed with early onset dementia, most likely as a result of his time playing professional rugby. Alix has the same diagnosis as Carl, and was one of the first former players to attach his name to a landmark lawsuit against World Rugby which alleges a failure to protect them from the risks caused by concussions.
Jason Pine chats to former Manchester United and Denmark goalkeeper and now commentator Peter Schmeichel on Newstalk ZB ahead of the release of his new autobiography One. Peter shares his memories of his time at Manchester United, playing under Sir Alex Ferguson and how proud he is of his son Kasper who is now following in his footsteps as a top goalkeeper in the Premier League.
Jason Pine has a lengthy interview with New Zealand's most successful Olympian in Lisa Carrington on Newstalk ZB as she reflects on this years Tokyo Olympics which saw her overtake fellow kayaker Ian Ferguson to win 6 Olympic medals, the most in New Zealand's history.
Jason Pine chats to former All Blacks and Wales International Shane Howarth on Newstalk Zb on the back of an impressive All Blacks victory over the Welsh in Cardiff, which saw the New Zealand side win 54 16.
Jason Pine chats to former Black Caps and Indian coach John Wright on Newstalk ZB about this Black Caps T20 side and their chances of progressing to the semi-finals of this years T20 World Cup in the UAE ahead of a must win game against the side he used to coach in India.
Jason Pine chats to former Welsh Rugby and Rugby League player Jonathan Davies on Newstalk ZB ahead of the All Blacks test against Wales at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Wales haven't beaten the All Blacks in a test since 1953.
Sky Sport Rugby commentator Tony Johnson joined Jason Pine to discuss the All Blacks' 104-14 over the US in Washington, D.C. and how this game was a financial win for American rugby.
Tennis correspondent Graeme Agars joined Jason Pine to discuss the vaccination rate in tennis players in wake of Australian Open organisers declaring all players must be fully vaccinated and how they’ll handle this situation.
Football Ferns coach Jitka Klimková joined Jason Pine to discuss the team's 5-1 loss to Canada in Ottawa and how he's optimistic for what the team are looking to build for the future.
Elliott Smith chats to former Black Caps batsman and now IPL commentator Scott Styris, as they reflect on this years IPL and the type of cricket played by the winning sides, while looking ahead to the T20 Cricket World Cup in the UAE, ahead of a warm up game later tonight between the Black Caps and Australia in the UAE.
Jason Pine chats to All Whites coach Danny Hay on Newstalk ZB as he reflects on a successful International window for the All Whites as they beat Curacao and Bahrain in their two games as they prepare for world cup qualification in Qatar in 2022.
Jason Pine chats to East Coast coach, former All Black Hosea Gear on the back of a historic win for the East Coast in the Heartland Championship when they beat Buller 50 to 26, the first win they've had in the competition since 2013.
Jason Pine and Thomas Harris dissect and debate 5 separate sporting topics on Newstalk ZB, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
All Blacks midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown chats to Jason Pine before the side flew out to the United States to kick off their end of year tour in Washington DC and then on to Europe. Lienert-Brown has been rapt with the development of David Havili in an All Blacks jersey this season.
Jason Pine chats to high profile former New Zealand sports stars David Tua and Ben Smith about why they're getting behind New Zealand's historic vaxathon today.
Jason Pine chats to Phil Murphy of ESPN on Newstalk ZB, as they discuss the news that Kyrie Irving has been suspended from playing home games for the Brooklyn Nets this season due to the New York City Major's mandate that everyone needs to be vaccinated to be in public gatherings in New York, meaning Kryie Irving can't play games in New York City.
Former All Black and one of New Zealand's greatest players in Dan Carter joins Jason Pine on the DRS, to talk his new book 1598.
Differing from his autobiography released six years ago, 1598 is more of a picture book going through Carter's entire test career.
He gained 112 test caps during an international career that spanned 12 years, culminating in the 2015 Rugby World Cup final where the now 39-year-old was named man of the match in a winning effort against the Wallabies.
Carter said he wanted to release something different to his first book.
"I was inspired by a lot of the luxury fashion-brand coffee table books that I have at home and I thought 'Let's produce a book I can be really proud of.
"I'd like to think this one can sit on your coffee table for years to come."
Across his career, Carter was named World Rugby player of the year three times.
LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW ABOVE.
Talkback caller Derek calls Jason Pine on the DRS on Newstalk ZB to give his thoughts on Tyson Fury's dramatic victory over Deontay Wilder in the 3rd fight between the two in Las Vegas over the weekend. 6 minutes later, without a word from Jason and Derek's still going. Go on son.
The Devlin Radio Show for Monday the 11th of October with Jason Pine on Newstalk ZB, compacted into a podcast.
Jason Pine chats to former All White turned SKY Sport commentator Jacob Spoonley about the All Whites' 2-1 victory against Curacao this morning in Bahrain. It's the first time they've played a competitive game in nearly two years.
Jason Pine chats to Silver Ferns assistant coach Debbie Fuller ahead of the 3 match series starting against the NZ Men's side. Fuller is adamant the side needs to improve after their 2-1 series loss to England as they work towards Birmingham in 10 months time.
Jason Pine chats to Joseph Parker's former trainer Kevin Barry about the third clash between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder in Las Vegas, with Barry reckoning that Wilder is carrying too much weight to get the victory.
Jason Pine chats to SKY Sport Rugby commentator Grant Nisbett who was commentating on Hawke's Bay's successful defence over Tasman, in which they won 34-22, about how important the Ranfurly Shield is for the interest in NZ rugby.
Jason Pine chats to Newcastle United fan Ethan James, about his reaction to news during the week that Newcastle United will change ownership, with the Premier League approving the sale of the football club to a Saudi Arabian consortium, making Newcastle United the richest football club in the world.
Former Australian rugby league hooker and Wests Tigers legend Robbie Farah joins Jason Pine on the DRS to reflect on Benji Marshall's career, after the Kiwi cannoned his retirement from the game earlier in the week.
Farah sees Marshall - one of his closest friends - as New Zealand's greatest rugby league player.
LISTEN ABOVE
The DRS, with Elliott Smith for Monday the 4th of October from 7pm until 8pm on Newstalk ZB, compacted into a podcast.
Jason Pine chats to Rugby League commentator and former Rugby League great Peter Sterling on Newstalk ZB ahead of tonight's Rugby League grand final between South Sydney and Penrith. Tonight marks the last time the Channel Nine commentator will call a Grand Final before he hangs up the mic in retirement after 31 years in the media.
Jason Pine chats to veteran surf photographer Logan Murray about his new book Line-Up and his 50-year long career, working for the most prestigious surf publications from his home on the East Coast, with more photos from the Coromandel and Bay of Plenty.
Jason Pine chats to All Blacks coach Ian Foster about last night's close encounter with South Africa, as the Springboks' last-minute penalties were enough for them to seal a 31-29 win over the All Blacks.
Jason Pine chats to Sky Sports Rugby commentator Tony Johnson about the nail-biting finish between the All Blacks and the Springboks, which he was commentating on last night.
Jason pine chats to Gareth Roberts of the Anfield Wrap podcast about former Liverpool and England striker Daniel Sturridge, who has recently signed for Perth Glory in the Hyundai A-League for the upcoming season. Gareth as a Liverpool supporter looks back fondly on Sturridge's time as a Liverpool player.
Jason Pine chats to former Lions and England centre Will Greenwood on Newstalk ZB, as he provides a Northern Hemisphere perspective on this years Rugby Championship, and in particular whether we as New Zealand rugby fans are wrong to be critical of South Africa's style of rugby.
Jason Pine chats to ESPN tennis commentator Brad Gilbert on Newstalk ZB, as they discuss what he made of the latest US Open tennis grand slam, as well as discussing some of his memories and experiences coaching tennis great Andre Agassi in the 1990's and early 2000's.
The DRS, with Elliott Smith on Newstalk ZB, compacted into a podcast for Monday the 27th of September.
Jason Pine chats to White Fern and Spark Sport commentator Frankie McKay on Newstalk ZB, as they discuss the New Zealand women's white ferns ODI series against England, ahead of the 5th and final match of the series in Canterbury, England.
Jason Pine chats to All Whites defender Winston Reid on Newstalk ZB, as he reflects on his career at West Ham United after it was announced last week that he would leaving the club he had been with since 2010 by mutual consent.
Jason Pine chats to former All Black captain Wayne 'Buck' Shelford on Newstalk ZB, as he gives his verdict on the All Blacks narrow win against the Springboks in the 100th test match between the two sides, winning 19 17 in Townsville.
Jason Pine chats to NZ Rugby journalist and editor Jim Kayes, on how the selection process was undertaken for his new book, called New Zealand's Greatest XV.
Jason Pine chats to former Springbok fly half and World Rugby Hall of famer Naas Botha on Newstalk ZB ahead of the 100th test between the All Blacks and South Africa, one of the great rivalries in World Rugby.
Jason Pine chats to former Balmain great and Fox League commentator Steve 'Blocker' Roach, as they discuss the weekend's semi-finals in the NRL which saw South Sydney demolish Manly in the first game of the weekend, and with that Benji Marshall makes his 2nd grand final, 16 years after he made his first in 2005.
Elliott Smith chats to Australian Rugby commentator Greg Clark on NewstalkZ ZB, as he discusses the All Blacks two wins against Argentina in the Rugby Championship in Queensland while looking ahead to their next big match in the Rugby Championship against South Africa this weekend.
Elliott Smith chats to Sports Lawyer Aaron Lloyd on the back of the decision of the Breakers decision to part ways with player Tai Webster, because of the players wishes not to get the Covid vaccine. Aaron looks at the implications and considerations that need to be discussed through a sports employment lense.
Jason Pine chats to NZ Cricket Players Association boss Heath Mills on Newstalk ZB, as they further to discuss the events that lead to the Black Caps pulling out of their tour of Pakistan, their first in Pakistan since 2003 due to a perceived high level security threat.
Jason Pine chats to Pakistan cricket journalist Shahid Hasmi on Newstalk ZB, as they discuss the fallout in Pakistan from New Zealand's decision to pull out of their cricket tour in Pakistan, their first to the country in 18 years due to a perceived high level security threat.
Jason Pine chats to All Blacks scrum coach Greg Feek on Newstalk ZB, as they review the All Blacks 2nd straight victory against Argentina in the Rugby Championship, this time winning 36 points to 13 in Brisbane.
Jason Pine chats to NZ Herald Wellington Business editor Hamish Rutherford on Newstalk ZB, as they discuss the decision by Team New Zealand to delay the announcement of the next America's Cup venue in order to further explore the options on the table.
Jason Pine chats to former Wallabies coach Michael Cheika on Newstalk ZB ahead of tonight's Rugby Championship game between the All Blacks and Argentina. Cheika is thoroughly enjoying learning a new role as an assistant coach within the current Argentina side.
Jason Pine chats to former Black Caps opener Craig Cumming on Newstalk ZB, on the back of the shock news that the Black Caps have withdrawn from their tour against Pakistan without a ball being bowled due to a high-level security threat.
The DRS, with Elliott Smith on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's, Sunday's and Monday's, compacted into a podcast for Monday the 13th of September.
Jason Pine chats to Jay Motty, the host of the Stretford Paddock podcast, a Manchester United football podcast on Newstalk ZB NZ, on the back of an amazing day at Old Trafford where Cristiano Ronaldo scored a double in Manchester United's 4-1 win over Newcastle, his first game back in the Premier League for 12 seasons.
Jason Pine chats to Matt Brown of Newstalk ZB and Nick Lester of BT Sport and Amazon, who was live in New York for this years US Open tennis tournament about the extraordinary performance from Emma Raducanu, who becomes the first British woman to win a grand slam since Virginia Wade in 1977, while at the age of 18.
Jason Pine chats to former Argentine Rugby player Hugo Porta on Newstalk ZB. Considered Argentina's greatest ever Rugby player, Hugo talks about his memories of playing the All Blacks when he was a player and how he views the game of Rugby now compared to when he played the game.
Jason Pine chats to former England opening batsman and now cricket commentator Nick Knight, as they discuss the cancellation of the 5th Test between England and India due to Covid 19 getting inside the Indian bubble and ensuring India weren't able to field a full side.
Jason Pine chats to Simon Chambers out of England and Tom Tebbutt out of Canada, both tennis journalists who, like many in their own countries have been swept up in the hype and emotion of two teenagers, Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez who are playing each other in this years US Open Women's tennis final, the first time that two teenagers have met in a woman's grand slam since 1999.
Jason Pine chats to Sydney Morning Herald Cricket writer Malcolm Conn about Cricket Australia's decision to prepare to cancel the historic test match between Afghanistan and Australia based on the Taliban's refusal to allow woman to play cricket in Afghanistan.
Jason Pine chats to former Wallabies and Warratahs midfielder Morgan Turinui ahead of the 3rd Bledisloe Cup game of the year between the All Blacks and the Wallabies at Optus Stadium in Perth.
Jason Pine chats to All Whites and Bayern Munich midfielder Sarpreet Singh on Newstalk ZB, as he reflects on his first year playing competitively in Germany and what he hopes to achieve at his loan spell at Jahn Regensburg in the German 2nd division.
Elliott Smith chats to All Blacks defence coach Scott McLeod as they reflect on the All Blacks 3rd win a row against the Wallabies this year, winning at Optus Stadium in Perth by 38 points to 21.
Elliott Smith chats to former Rugby League Coach and Administrator Sir Graham Lowe on Newstalk ZB, as they reflect on a disastrous final game of the year for the NZ Warriors, as they go down 44-0 to the gold Coast Titans.
A farewell tribute to NZME's long serving broadcaster Brian Ashby, who departs the company after 26 years.
Jason Pine chats to All Blacks lock and newly appointed vice captain Brodie Retallick ahead of the 3rd Bleidsloe Cup game between the All Blacks and the Wallabies from Optus stadium in Perth.
Jason Pine chats to Craig Cumming on Newstalk ZB, reflecting on the 2nd T20 match between the Black Caps and Bangladesh which saw the Black Caps go down 2 nil in the 5 match series.
The Devlin Radio Show on Newstalk ZB from 7pm until 8pm on Monday evenings, compacted into a podcast for Monday the 30th of August.
Elliott Smith chats to US Open radio tennis commentator Brian Clark ahead of this years US Open starting in New York this week. The Grand Slam has taken on more significance in the last week after the announcement in the last week that fans will have to be vaccinated in order to attend this years event.
Elliott Smith chats to former All Blacks Steve Hansen about a whole host of Rugby topics, including Ardie Savea being selected as the All Black captain and what he made of a proposed letter sent to World Rugby to change the substitution laws so that a change can only be made for injury related purposes.
Elliott Smith chats to Lisa Adams, a gold medallist in the woman's shot put at the 2021 Paralympics in Tokyo, smashing the World record as well.
Elliott Smith chats to John Anderson out of Talksport in the UK on the back of one of the most dramatic transfers in English Football history when Cristiano Ronaldo returns to his former club Manchester United, 12 years after he departed for Real Madrid.
Elliott Smith chats to All Blacks coach Ian Foster on Newstalk ZB, as he outlines his reasoning for selecting Ardie Savea as his new All Blacks captain and how the test week is shaping up while the team is under some form of quarantine restrictions while in Perth.
Elliott Smith chats to former All Blacks captain Sean Fitzpatrick on Newstalk ZB, as he reflects on the 25 year anniversary of that famous All Blacks tour to South Africa in 1996, the first time New Zealand has ever won a tour in the Republic.
The DRS, with Elliott Smith on Monday the 23rd of August between 7pm and 8pm on Newstalk ZB, compacted into a podcast.
Jason Pine chats to former Springboks flyhalf Joel Stransky about the latest developments in the Rugby Championship, and whether South Africa could be in a position to host the remainder of the Rugby Championship if necessary.
Jason Pine chats to Warriors CEO Cameron George on Newstalk ZB, ahead of a must-win match against the Broncos in their quest to keep their top 8 hopes alive, as they discuss the current situation regarding MIQ and whether there's any potential alternatives, as well as how he views Nathan Browns coaching record as he nears the end of his first season with the club.
Jason Pine chats to Warriors prop Addin Fonua-Blake on Newstalk ZB ahead of a must-win game for the club against the Brisbane Broncos as they continue their quest for a Top 8 spot. They talk the captaincy and how he enjoys Nathan Brown's coaching style.
Jason Pine chats to former England captain and now SKY Cricket commentator Mark Butcher, as he reflects on the first season of the Hundred, the newest form of cricket designed by the English Cricket Board which culminates tonight with the the Men;s and Women's finals at Lords.
Jason Pine chats to South African Rugby writer Mark Keohane about the All Blacks decision to pull out of the 3rd Bledisloe Cup game between the All Blacks and the Wallabies. Mark believes New Zealand should forfeit the Rugby Championship if they are putting their End of Year Tour ahead of needs to Sanzar's Rugby Championship.
Jason Pine chats to NZ Rugby CEO Mark Robinson on Newstalk ZB, on the back of the decision by the All Blacks to withdraw from the 3rd Bledisloe Cup game against the Wallabies, originally set to be played in Perth on August 28th.
Jason Pine chats to SKY Sport Rugby commentator Tony Johnson on the back of the All Blacks 2nd Test win against Australia which sees the Bledisloe stay in New Zealand for another year. It was also the most points the All Blacks have scored against an Australian side in history.
Jason Pine chats to English Premier League commentator Jim Proudfoot reflecting on the opening round of the English Premier League, which saw United look impressive in winning against Leeds while Arsenal lost to newly promoted Brentford.
The DRS, with Elliott Smith on Newstalk ZB on Monday the 16th of August, compacted into a podcast.
Jason Pine chats to New Zealand 109+ Weightlifter David Liti, about his Tokyo Olympics which saw him finish 5th place and his plans for the future which includes the chance to go back to back Commonwealth golds in Birmingham in 2022.
Jason Pine chats to International sports coaching expert Wayne Goldsmith about the stresses and pressures that are increasingly affecting the mental health of High Performance competitive athletes.
Jason Pine chats to former Wallabies coach Alan Jones about all things Rugby ahead of the 2nd Bledisloe Cup game between the All Blacks and Australia, with the All Blacks currently ahead 1-0 in the series. Alan was the last coach to coach a winning Australia side at Eden Park back in 1986.
Jason Pine chats to former NZ Olympian and now Olympic ambassador Barbara Kendall on Newstalk ZB, as they reflect on the Tokyo Olympics, which has been New Zealand's most successful ever Olympic campaign with 7 gold medals in total.
Jason Pine chats to former All Black captain and number 8 Murray Mexted on Newstalk ZB, on the back of the All Blacks opening win of this years Bledisloe Cup against Australia at Eden Park, winning 33-25.
Jason Pine chats to New Zealand Olympian Nick Willis, who attended his 5th consecutive Olympic Games when he ran the 1500 metres event in Tokyo 2020 this year.
Jason Pine chats to Talksport football correspondent Tom Rennie on the back of a dramatic week in Premier League football which has seen Jack Grealish become the most expensive British footballer in history after signing with Manchester City in a 100 million pound transfer, while Harry Kane hasn't shown up for training at Manchester City, as well as the shock news that Lionel Messi is officially leaving Barcelona after 17 seasons.
Jason Pine chats to former Wallabies winger David Campese ahead of the opening Bledisloe Cup game of 2021 at Eden Park.
Jason Pine chats to former NZ kayaker Ian Ferguson, New Zealand's most successful Olympian with 5 medals ahead of Lisa Carrington's Olympic campaign where she needs tow medals to equal Ian's tally of 5.
Elliott Smith chats to Black Ferns woman's sevens player Michaela Bylde after the side won a gold medal in the Women's Rugby Sevens after beating France in the final 26 12, going one better than the silver they won in Rio in 2016.
Elliott Smith chats to South African sports scientist Ross Tucker on Newstalk ZB about the issue of transgender athletes in elite woman's sport. Ross's years of research around the topic confirms to him that you can't achieve both fairness and inclusivity when it comes to transgender athletes competing in elite woman's sport.
Rugby League journalist in Sydney, Australia, Danny Wielder spoke to Elliot Smith about the NRL continuing in Brisbane despite a snap 3 day lockdown.
LISTEN ABOVE
Miles Davis chats to Tom Mackintosh, one of the rowers from the successful Men's Rowing 8, which won gold at an Olympics for the first time since 1972 in Munich as he reflects on that memorable day in Tokyo.
Miles Davis chats to Wydo Veldman, one of the rowers in the Gold medal winning crew of 1972 in Munich, reflecting on the latest gold medal won by a New Zealand Men's Rowing 8 at the Tokyo Olympics.
Miles Davis chats to former Wales and Lions halfback Sir Gareth Edwards on Newstalk ZB, about the current Lions tour of South Africa as well as some of his own memories playing for the Lions in the 1970's.
Elliott Smith chats to World Rugby Sevens commentator Willie Lose, as they look ahead to the All Blacks sevens 2nd match of the Tokyo Olympics against Argentina.
Elliott Smith chats to former Olympic Gold medallist Hamish Carter, who's now the General Manager of High Performance for Triathlon New Zealand about Hayden Wilde's bronze medal in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, New Zealand's first of this games.
Miles Davis chats to Olympics commentator Glen Larmer previewing Day 1 of the Tokyo Olympics and outlining the vibe in Tokyo ahead of the games.
Miles Davis chats to former Black Sticks women's player and now part of the Olympic commentary team, Lesley Murdoch ahead of the opening games for both the Men's and Women's Black Sticks in this years Tokyo Olympics.
Miles Davis chats to former Warriors commentator Jason Costigan about the news during the week that New Zealand and Australia pulled out of the 2021 Rugby League World Cup in England, much to Costigan's dismay.
Jason Pine chats to Football Ferns coach Tom Sermanni out of Tokyo ahead of their opening game of the Tokyo Olympics against Australia on Wednesday the 21st of July.
Jason Pine chats to Graeme Agars, the voice of golf on Newstalk ZB as they reflect on Collin Morikawa's 2nd major championship win when he won the 149th Open Championship at Royal St George.
Jason Pine chats to New York times Tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg, as they reflect on Novak Djokovic's winning grand slam title number 20, to equal Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer on 20 titles - as he looks to become statistically the greatest men's tennis player in history.
Jason Pine chats to New Zealander George Harper Junior, who's been out on course at the 149th open Championship at Royal St George in Kent, where kiwi Ryan Fox has made the cut and is tied for 17th at the halfway stage.
Jason Pine chats to former All Black Matthew Cooper ahead of the All Blacks test against Fiji in Hamilton, the final game of the Steinlager series.
Miles Davis hosts Sportstalk on Monday the 12th of July, as he reviews England's loss to Italy in the 2020 European Championship final, their first final in 55 years. Miles chats to Talksport pundit Adam Bridge as well as taking calls from fans on this mornings game.
Miles Davis chats to Talksport football pundit Tom Rennie ahead of England's match in the European Championship final against Italy, the first final in a major tournament that England has been in since 1966.
Miles Davis chats to former All Black and now SKY Rugby commentator John Kirwan as they discuss the All Blacks 57-33 win over Fiji in Dunedin last night.
Miles Davis talks to James Pridgeon, a Fijian local who's extremely passionate about the Fijian Rugby side as they discuss this evenings Test match between the All Blacks and Fiji, which will provide a bit of a distraction for the general public as they battle a coranavirus surge.
David Havili is relieved to finally don the black jersey again.
The All Blacks 57-23 win over Fiji in Dunedin was the 26-year-old's first match for New Zealand since 2017.
The past few years haven't been easy for Havili, being sidelined with injury and illness.
He told Miles Davis he credits his support system for getting him through.
"Once I got to the other side and started putting my goals in place, getting back to the All Blacks was one of my main ones.
"So I'm just excited to be back in this environment."
LISTEN ABOVE
The pressure on the shoulders of England football's been likened to what the All Blacks often endure at a Rugby World Cup.
The Three Lions are playing in their first final at a major tournament since their famous World Cup win 55 years ago, in tomorrow morning's Euros decider against Italy.
Renowned football commentator Clive Tyldesley told Miles Davis different things can happen in knockout sport.
"The expectation All Blacks carry into every World Cup is probably similar to the expectation England have carried."
Also feeling the pressure will be Gareth Southgate, who has managed the side to their first final at a major tournament since 1966.
Tyldesley says they are longtime friends, and he doesn't blame people thinking they got lucky with Southgate.
"He's kind of one of us, he's an everyman. When he speaks, he speaks with consideration and sensitivity.
"He's very 21st century. If any of these young players have got an issue, they can knock on his door."
LISTEN ABOVE
Miles Davis chats to NZ Olympian Luuka Jones, who's in Tokyo preparing for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in spite of the country being put into a state of emergency due to the Coronavirus outbreak.
Miles Davis chats to former Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer on the back of the complicated start to the British and Irish Lions Tour of South Africa which see's games either cancelled or postponed this weekend due to the 3rd wave of Coronavirus causing real difficulty in South Africa.
Miles Davis chats to Ben Sandford, the Chair of the WADA Athletes committee about Sha'Carri Richardson - the US 100metre sprinter who has been banned from competing at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics because of a failed drug test for marijuana.
Here's how hushed the crowd at No. 1 Court was before points Saturday: You could hear Emma Raducanu's palm slap her thigh while she waited to receive serves.
Here's how loud the place got after points: You could close your eyes and monitor the collective reactions that followed each — the "Awwwwww!" of disappointment or the on-their-feet roar of joy — as the 18-year-old became the youngest British player, female or male, to reach Wimbledon's fourth round in more than a half-century.
Yes, Coco Gauff now has some company when it comes to being a teen in Week 2 at the All England Club. Shortly before Gauff, a 17-year-old American, made her way to the fourth round at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament for the second time in a row by beating 102nd-ranked Kaja Juvan of Slovenia 6-3, 6-3 at Centre Court, Raducanu dropped her racket and knelt on the grass as she finished off her 6-3, 7-5 win over 45th-ranked Sorana Cirstea of Romania.
"Right now, I'm on such a buzz and such a high," said Raducanu, the 338th-ranked wild-card entry who is still waiting to find out the grades of her high school exams.
"When I heard the crowd just roar for the first time, I was like, 'Wow, they're so behind me.' I was just feeding off of their energy," she said after displaying both slick groundstrokes, often on the run, that helped produce 30 winners, and a resiliency when things got tight. "I'm just so excited I get to play in front of them again."
That she will, in what is not only her Grand Slam debut but just her second tour-level event of any sort.
After Sunday's traditional middle-of-the-fortnight day of rest — which is being done away with in 2022 — Raducanu faces Ajla Tomljanovic in the round of 16 Monday.
Tomljanovic got into a bit of a kerfuffle with Jelena Ostapenko after eliminating the 2017 French Open champion 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 and accusing her of lying about needing to leave the court for a medical timeout to address an abdominal issue.
"She can say she was injured," Tomljanovic said. "I don't think she was."
No. 20 seed Gauff meets 2018 champion Angelique Kerber, the only past Wimbledon winner still in the draw, while other women's matchups include No. 1 Ash Barty, the 2019 French Open champion, against No. 14 Barbora Krejcikova, last month's French Open champion, and No. 19 Karolina Muchova vs. No. 30 Paula Badosa.
Men's fourth-rounders established Saturday include eight-time champion Roger Federer against No. 23 seed Lorenzo Sonego, No 2 Daniil Medvedev against No. 14 Hubert Hurkacz, No. 4 Alexander Zverev against No. 16 Felix Auger-Aliassime, and No. 7 Matteo Berrettini against Ilya Ivashka.
Medvedev dropped the opening two sets against 2014 U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic before coming through 6-7 (3), 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2.
Auger-Aliassime advanced when Nick Kyrgios stopped playing after the second set because of a strained abdominal muscle — which also figures to end his mixed doubles partnership with Venus Williams.
"I would have been fine to lose today and not be injured," Kyrgios said. "But it's more heartbreaking like this."
Federer's match came after Gauff's in the main stadium. They were scheduled that way for second-round matches Thursday, too.
Gauff likened herself to an opening act.
"You know how concerts, they have a big artist, then a smaller artist come before them?" she said. "That's what I kind of like to think of it as."
She is represented by Federer's management company, so perhaps he was responsible for some advice Gauff received — she said the words came from a player, but wouldn't say who it was — after her surprising run to the fourth round at the All England Club as a 15-year-old qualifier in 2019.
"You got to give yourself a pat on the back sometimes when you do something good," Gauff said. "Even though it's such a simple thing, it's something that really stuck with me."
The other tip she counted on after that breakthrough two years ago -- when she, like Raducanu now, was ranked outside the top 300, came fro...
Tongan captain Sonatane Takulua gave an emotional speech following his side's 102-0 loss to the All Blacks on Saturday night, saying there's a lot going on behind the scenes many don't know about.
Tonga called upon 13 players to make their debut for the nation against the All Blacks at Mt Smart, with several of their top players not released from their European clubs while others are still in quarantine.
The Tongan side got off to a horror start as the All Blacks ran in four tries in the first 10 minutes of the match. However, as the game went on, they had small moments where they were able to test the All Blacks. With the All Blacks conceding 13 penalties, Tonga had chances to get on the board from the tee from close range but instead chose a more attacking option.
"A lot of people don't know what we're going through behind the scenes," Takulua said. "Some of us are still in quarantine. I'm proud of the brothers for putting their hands up to come and represent the jersey and represent our little country. I hope we did you proud.
"We didn't get the result tonight but I'm very proud of my brothers here. We came here to do our best for all the supporters. Thank you for coming tonight to support the boys. This is all we can do, just give it our all."
While a big match in the context of opponent, the test against the All Blacks on Saturday night was not the most important game of the international window for Tonga, who now turn their attention to two tests against Manu Samoa which double as World Cup qualification matches.
The sides will meet at Mt Smart Stadium next Saturday while the All Blacks meet Fiji in Dunedin, before playing again the following week in Hamilton in the first match of a double-header, with the All Blacks again meeting Fiji afterwards.
The winner of that two-match series will qualify for the World Cup, while the other will have to play against the Cook Islands for the right to proceed to an Asia/Pacific World Cup qualification playoff.
England reached the semifinals of the European championships for the first time in 25 years after an impressive 4-0 win against Ukraine in Rome on Saturday.
This was the only third time England had won a knockout match in the Euros, but goals at the start of each half helped calm any potential nervousness.
Harry Kane prodded home Raheem Sterling's pass in the fourth minute to set England on their way.
Sterling has arguably been England's best player during Euro 2020 and with Jadon Sancho starting his first game of the tournament, Ukraine struggled to deal with the speed and invention of Gareth Southgate's team.
England hasn't conceded a goal in five games during Euro 2020, with Ukraine's best chance falling to Roman Yaremchuk, whose first-half shot was shoveled away by Jordan Pickford.
Early in the second half, Harry Maguire powered Luke Shaw's free-kick past Ukraine goalkeeper Heorhiy Bushchan to make it 2-0.
Soon after Kane headed in a third England goal, with Shaw again providing the assist.
That two-goal blitz in the opening five minutes of the second-half put England in complete control of the match.
Bushchan brilliantly saved Kane's volley to deny the England captain a hat-trick, but from the resulting corner Jordan Henderson scored with another header. It was Henderson's first ever goal for England.
As the clock ticked down, England fans belted out football is "coming home," the chorus to "Three Lions," the adopted anthem of the team's supporters.
Three years ago England got to the World Cup semifinals but were beaten 2-1 by Croatia -- despite taking the lead -- and in 2019 lost 3-1 to the Netherlands in UEFA's Nations League tournament. England last reached the final of a major international tournament in 1966.
"I suppose it's still sinking in that it's another semifinal -- three in three years," Southgate told the BBC.
"We want to go two steps further. I know what will be happening at home. It's lovely to see everyone on a Saturday night, beer in hand. They should enjoy it. It's been a long year for everyone. I'm chuffed the two performances have brought so much happiness to people.
"The players have been fantastic," added Southgate. "To play as well as they did in a game with so much resting on it was impressive. The spirit in the group is phenomenal."
England now play Denmark, who beat the Czech Republic earlier on Saturday, and Southgate's team will have home advantage with Wednesday's semifinal to be held at London's Wembley Stadium.
Wembley hosts semis and final
Seemingly down and out after losing its first two games at Euro 2020, Denmark won a third successive match to reach the semifinals after getting the better of the Czechs in Azerbaijan's capital Baku.
Thomas Delaney's header and Kasper Dolberg's volley in the first half put Denmark in control of Saturday's quarterfinal.
The Czechs were a different side after the interval and Patrik Schick's clever finish -- his fifth goal of Euro 2020 -- ensured Denmark had to work for its 2-1 victory.
After Christian Eriksen's shocking collapse and his teammates' emotional response, Denmark has provided the feelgood story of Euro 2020 by qualifying for the knockout stages.
It looked unlikely after defeats to Finland and Belgium in its first two group stage games, but the 4-1 hammering of Russia and Finland's 2-0 defeat to Belgium secured its place in the last-16.
The Danes then secured a hugely impressive 4-0 win against Wales to announce its arrival in the latter stages of Euro 2020.
Denmark's players spoke of the emotional toll returning to finish the game of Eriksen's collapse the same afternoon had on them, with several members of the squad criticizing European football governing body UEFA for not allowing them to play the match the following day.
Given this group's remarkable mental fortitude, Denmark fans may have perhaps already allowed themselves to start dreaming of a repeat of Euro '92, when the national team secured its only major international trophy t...
Miles Davis chats to former England and Liverpool striker Stan Collymore about this England side at the 2020 European Championships and his old team mate Gareth Southgate, ahead of England's quarterfinal against Ukraine.
The All Blacks are hungry to get back to number one in the rugby world.
Currently, the New Zealand side are second behind South Africa.
Assistant coach Brad Mooar told Elliott Smith Saturday's test against Tonga at Mt Smart Stadium is the first step to get back to the top spot.
"We don't get a two or three months pre season before our first game. It's really important we keep things clear and simple and go slow to go fast."
Ahead of the test, the All Blacks reconnected and gave back to the South Auckland community, particularly after being hit by Covid-19 last year.
Mooar says it was unbelievable to share and learn from different cultures.
"We had a public who were extremely excited and who were extremely grateful for us being there, when frankly, it's the other way around."
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Elliott Smith talks to former Queensland Origin and Australian Rugby League great Wally Lewis ahead of State of Origin 2 in Brisbane, a game which sees young Warriors fullback Reece Walsh ruled out the day before kick off.
Elliott Smith chats to former Black Caps cricket captain and now commentator Jeremy Coney, as he reflects on New Zealand's win in the World Test Championship and where that ranks in the list of achievements in the history of New Zealand cricket.
text by Ben Morse, CNN
After its campaign began in the most horrifying circumstances, Denmark's dream run at Euro 2020 continued on Saturday with a convincing 4-0 victory over Wales in the last 16.
Striker Kasper Dolberg scored twice either side of the half time break and late goals from Joakim Mæhle and Martin Braithwaite wrapped up the result as Denmark looked the better side throughout.
Wales was limited to half chances by a stout Danish defense, with Gareth Bale coming closest early in the encounter, but his effort just went wide of the post. Harry Wilson received a red card late on for a cynical challenge.
Denmark's qualification for the quarterfinals comes two weeks after its star midfielder, Christian Eriksen, suffered a cardiac arrest during its game against Finland in the group stages. Eriksen has since been discharged from hospital after undergoing a "successful operation" and having been fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD).
"It's completely crazy," Dolberg told DR afterwards. "I actually don't know how I feel. This is total madness. It's surreal. It was here it all started for me, and to play here again in this setting was insane."
Dominating throughout
With Danish fans permitted to travel to Amsterdam, the Johan Cruyff Arena was predominately made up of Denmark supporters.
Wales captain Bale offered his country's well wishes to Eriksen ahead of the game, handing over a Wales shirt with Eriksen's No. 10 and with the words "Christian, Get Well Soon."
After some passionate national anthems, the game started with fervor and pace, with both teams exchanging chances in the opening minutes.
Bale's shot went whizzing past Kasper Schmeichel's post but it was Denmark that broke the deadlock.
In the 27th minute, Dolberg received the ball, turned and ran at a static Welsh defense before firing past an outstretched Danny Ward.
The goal seemed to spur on Denmark, closing out the first half with heavy pressure chances. But it didn't have to wait long to double the lead, with Dolberg capitalizing on a poor clearance from Neco Williams to score his second goal of the tournament.
Needing goals to get itself back in the game, Wales pushed forward, only to the benefit of Denmark.
Mæhle and Braithwaite scored from inside the area to make the result more emphatic and qualify Denmark for the quarterfinals.
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Wales midfielder Wilson got a late red card for clipping the heels of a Danish attacker.
"It's not how we wanted the game to go, from our point of view we started very well and then the game changed." Bale told BBC afterwards.
"We tried to play in the second half but made a mistake to concede which killed the momentum on our side. To finish how we did is disappointed but the boys are frustrated and angry understandably, I'd prefer us to go out that way."
Denmark will face either Netherlands or Czech Republic in Baku, Azerbaijan, in the quarterfinals.
Māori All Blacks 35Manu Samoa 10
When the Māori All Blacks met Manu Samoa in Wellington on Saturday night, a lack of match fitness proved the defining factor.
For Manu Samoa, who were hosting the game at Sky Stadium, it was their first outing since the 2019 Rugby World Cup, and the physical battle took its toll. Although the Māori All Blacks also hadn't played a test since 2019, they played against Moana Pasifika last year and could call upon a squad of battle-tested players from Super Rugby, and it showed with the Māori side running away in the final 20 minutes to claim a 35-10 win.
Impressively, despite the swirling wind, the goal kickers of both sides combined to convert all seven attempts at goal.
Manu Samoa were well and truly up for the contest, and made their presence felt immediately. Kicking off, the Manu Samoa side were strong in defence and forced the Māori All Blacks to kick for territory.
It was a tactic that wasn't executed well by the Māori side, with Bryn Hall's box kick being carried by the wind and pushed over the dead-ball line from inside his own territory. While that gifted Manu Samoa an early opportunity, they weren't able to capitalise on it.
Instead, it was a Chiefs connection that saw the scoreboard start to tick over. After being awarded a penalty and winning the subsequent lineout deep in Manu Samoa's half, the ball was spread to midfielder Alex Nankivell, who found fullback Kaleb Trask lurking out the back in plenty of space.
With winger Shaun Stevenson on his outside and playing under advantage, Trask put in a deft little grubber and Stevenson was the first to get there.
While the Māori All Blacks opened the scoring, Manu Samoa were taking the physicality to them in the contact areas. Early in the match, the Samoan side were causing plenty of problems at the scrum for the Māori All Blacks' front row and were able to stop the Māori All Blacks' rolling maul close to the line on several occasions.
It looked as though Manu Samoa had hit back on the scoreboard, but a try was ruled out due to foul play off the ball. However, they did score soon after, when winger Neria Formai swooped on a loose ball and finished of a chip and chase to level the score while the defence seemed to stand and watch.
The Māori All Blacks had the final say of the half, though. Winger Sean Wainui was put over by a Nankivell offload after a suspect pass from hooker Ash Dixon in the lead-up, before Trask linked up with Stevenson to push the margin to 14 at the break.
Manu Samoa scored the first points of the second half with a penalty from the boot of Rodney Iona, but from that point the Māori All Blacks controlled proceedings. With tries to Dixon and flanker Whetukamokamo Douglas, the margin stretched out to show a comfortable win for the Māori All Blacks.
The sides will meet again next Saturday at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland, playing prior to the All Blacks' test against Tonga at the same venue.
Māori All Blacks 35 (Shaun Stevenson 2, Sean Wainui, Ash Dixon, Whetukamokamo Douglas tries; Otere Black 4 cons, Josh Ioane con)Manu Samoa 10 (Neria Formai try; Rodney Iona con, pen)HT: 21-7
text by Christopher Reive, NZ Herald
Miles Davis chats to former US Open winner and now BBC Tennis commentator Tracy Austin on the DRS ahead of the 2021 Wimbledon, which starts this Monday the 28th of June - the first in two years after last years event was cancelled.
Miles Davis chats to former Warriors and Kiwis coach Brian McClennan on the DRS, on the back of the news Shaun Johnson is returning to the Warriors in 2022. Brian is excited to see what he can brings to the side after 3 years away from Mount Smart.
Football rivalries don't come much bigger than England versus Germany.
The tie, steeped in decades of history, has thrown up memorable moments, tears, and more penalty shootouts for English fans to care for over the years.
The two nations are set to write another chapter in this classic fixture on Tuesday as they compete for a place in the quarterfinals of Euro 2020.
With Germany -- a World Cup winner in 2014 -- very much holding the upper hand over its old enemy in recent times, the rivalry remains very strong in England and it's not lost on German fans either.
Stuart Dykes is a dual national having moved from England to Germany in 1987. As a football fan, who has worked in the offices of two Bundesliga clubs, he has seen the rivalry from both perspectives.
"I think it's probably the biggest game for them [Germany] as well," he tells CNN.
"Germany against England, it stands out above the rest. There will be bigger games for Germany in the football sense, but not from all the background, the history, the meaning.
"England is the home of football, if you like. Wembley is the home of football. So it's a special game for the Germans.
"Although having said that, I think most of them would be quietly confident that they can win as usual."
The game that changed football
England fans won't want to remember the last time their team played Germany in a competitive fixture -- at the 2010 World Cup.
That match in Bloemfontein, South Africa, ended in a 4-1 Germany win, but, regardless of the result, events on that day would go on to change football forever.
The game will always be remembered for Frank Lampard's "ghost goal" which contributed to the introduction of goal-line technology in the modern game.
With the match poised at 2-1, the English midfielder thought he had equalized with a delightful chip over Manuel Neuer. Despite the ball quite clearly bouncing off the crossbar and over the line, the officials on the day did not see it and did not award the goal.
It caused outrage in England, forcing the game's governing bodies to apologize and paving the way for technology in the sport.
By the next World Cup in 2014, FIFA had introduced goal-line technology. By the 2018 edition, VAR was in full flow.
"It changed the game for the better," Lampard previously said about his "goal," per Sports Illustrated.
"So I'm pleased about that. It's a positive move for the game as a whole with the introduction of goal-line technology."
Penalty misery
It hasn't always been doom and gloom for England in this fixture.
The side, spearheaded by the likes of David Beckham, Steven Gerrard and Michael Owen, secured a famous 5-1 win against Germany in a World Cup qualifier in 2001.
There is also World Cup final win against West Germany in 1966 -- the last time England won a major tournament.
That game also featured a controversial goal.
Running onto a cross from Alan Ball, England's Geoff Hurst controlled the ball and shot high, beating the keeper but hitting the crossbar. The ball bounced straight down, making it virtually impossible to tell if it had crossed the line.
Hands from both sides shot up and a tense few minutes ensued, with the Soviet linesman, Tofik Bakhramov of Azerbaijan, first denying the goal and then, following consultation with the referee, allowing it. That made the score 3-2 with England winning 4-2.
But, in truth, successes have been few and far between and a lot of England's heartbreak against Germany has centered around penalties.
At both the 1990 World Cup against West Germany and Euro 1996, England was knocked out of the semifinals after losing penalty shootouts.
The match in 1990 is also remembered for England's talisman Paul Gascoigne shedding a tear after being shown a yellow card which would have ruled him out of the final -- should his team had got there.
As the saying goes: "22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win."
Current England manager Gareth Southgate missed the decisive penalty at W...
Elliott Smith chats to Indian cricket writer Bharat Sundaresan on the back of Day 2 of the World Test Championship, in which he thinks India are just in front at this point.
The long drought is over for the Blues.
They're Super Rugby Transtasman champions after toppling the Highlanders 23-15 in the final at Eden Park - their first title in 18 years.
Three penalties after halftime put the visitors up by two, before a penalty and a 77th minute try to loose forward Blake Gibson got the Blues over the line.
Blues coach Leon MacDonald says it wasn't easy on the heart.
"It's not easy on the heart. It was a real final, it was real combative, it was physical, with ebbs and flows and a bit of drama. We were thrilled to get there in the end."
Broadcaster Tony Kemp joined Elliott Smith to dissect the match, and the competition as a whole - including why he doesn't want it to happen again.
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The Warriors' finals hopes continue to dive, after a costly 10-6 loss in Newcastle.
Just like the earlier clash with the Knights this season, the Warriors were sunk by a late try, with Brodie Jones crossing in the corner in the 75th minute.
This defeat will be extremely tough to take. They had plenty of chances, but couldn't make anything count, with their only try coming from a Knights fumble.
It's the Warriors' third straight loss, and they have only won one of their last six matches.
As has happened so many times in 2021, the margins were fine, but the game was lost in the first half. The Warriors couldn't take advantage of a gale behind them, nor the Knights being down to 12 men, and the 6-4 margin was never going to be enough.
The halves struggled to provide direction, amid a general lack of fluidity. The powerful charges of Ken Maumalo were also missed, in conditions that would have been perfect for him. Reece Walsh had a mixed game, though never stopped trying and provided a lot of bright moments.
Conditions were awful. A blustery wind roared down the field, and the rain was near horizontal for most of the game.
All eyes were on Walsh early. The fullback had a tricky take from the kickoff, as the ball blew back towards the Knights, then dropped the ball cold from an attacking scrum.
But the 18-year-old soon provided an early highlight reel. He made a gutsy catch, then beat four defenders on a 70-metre run, before being caught just short of the try line.
The Warriors opened the scoring in the 24th minute, probably against the run of play, after Euan Aitken scooped up a loose ball from a Knights error, sprinting from inside his own 22.
But as has happened many times this season, they couldn't build on it. The team made a mess of the kickoff, conceding a line drop out in a classic coach-killer moment. The Knights forced a repeat set, before Lachlan Fitzgibbon powered past Eli Katoa from close range.
But the home team lost their try scorer in the 33rd minute, binned after he caught Kodi Nikorima high. That opened the door for some late opportunities, but the Warriors couldn't profit. The final two minutes of the half were particularly painful to watch, as they couldn't engineer anything from consecutive sets on the Newcastle line.
The first half was messy, punctuated by errors and cheap penalties. Nikorima was caught on the fifth tackle, while Sean O'Sullivan was pinged for a needless shepherd. While they were competing well in the ruck, they lacked structure and organisation and couldn't make the most of the tailwind, hampered by a 67 per cent completion rate.
A Jake Clifford penalty levelled the scores, after Walsh spilled a towering Mitchell Pearce bomb. The Warriors were still guilty of not playing to the conditions – with low percentage plays in their own half and flat passes – and only a delightful Walsh goal line drop out prevented a repeat set.
In a tight match, there was a strange lack of urgency at times, epitomised when the Warriors forced a goal line drop out, then didn't prepare for the kick, which left Ben Murdoch-Masila tracking back over his halfway line to retrieve it.
There were further opportunities, without the last-tackle polish, and Walsh shanked a field goal attempt. A bust through the middle of the ruck – as Kane Evans failed to cover – set the Knights for their last raid. A magnificent Roger Tuivasa-Sheck tackle saved a certain try, but Jones crossed on the next play.
Knights 10 (Lachlan Fitzgibbon, Brodie Jones try; Jake Clifford goal)Warriors 6 (Euan Aitken try; Reece Walsh goal)Halftime: 6-4
text by Michael Burgess, NZ Herald
Black Caps paceman Kyle Jamieson says the New Zealand bowling unit will take a lot of confidence after an even start to the World Test Championship final against India in Southampton.
Bad light ended play early while rain stoppages saw the sides leave the field a number of times on day two following a full opening day due to rain.
At stumps, India were 146 for three with skipper Virat Kohli (44) and Ajinka Rahane (29) steering the innings back on track after the side lost three wickets for 18 runs following a strong start.
After winning the toss and bowling first, New Zealand failed to get an immediate breakthrough as Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill survived the overcast conditions.
Jamieson eventually got the breakthrough after the openers put on 62, when Sharma edged to Tim Southee at third slip for 34. Neil Wagner then had Gill caught behind for 28 before Trent Boult trapped Cheteshwar Pujara for eight which left India 88 for three.
"I think it's pretty even at the moment. A pretty good day of test cricket really," Jamieson said. "The disruptions didn't help the momentum we were trying to get that we had at periods of time. They played really well. They put away the bad balls when they were there and they were really patient outside off.
"Our plan was to stick around there and credit to them they were able to play pretty well. We were able to keep things relatively restricted and grabbed three important wickets as well."
Jamieson ended the day with 1-14 from 14 overs as he kept the Indians at bay from one end.
"It was obviously pretty crucial to try and keep the ball in reasonable areas for a long period…it was good to halt their momentum a little bit. How we did that has a bowling unit throughout the day after they started off pretty well was pleasing and it kept things in the balance very nicely.
"Obviously we know they are a quality lineup from 1 to 11. There's a reason why they've been one of the top teams in the world for a long period of time. For us, as a unit it was about trying to keep the ball in the right areas for long periods and I think we were able to do that or the most part today and we'll certainly take a lot of confidence out of that moving into tomorrow."
Just 64.4 overs were bowled on day two and rain is also expected to cause possible delays tomorrow at Southampton.
Elliott Smith chats to Bharat Sundaresan of Cricbuzz, about what to expect from this Indian side in the upcoming World Test Championship, which saw day 1 washed out in Southampton.
Elliott Smith chats to Talksport football correspondent Tom Rennie, as he reflects on England's frustrating 0 0 draw against Scotland in the European Championships. It was the first time the two sides had played each other in a competitive match since 1996.
The New Zealand cricket team's bid to win the World Test Championship looks set to get under way under the threat of some grim spring weather in Southampton.
The one-off, five-day test match against India starts on Friday evening NZ time and the UK's Met Office is currently predicting light rain and moderate breeze around Southampton's Ageas Bowl for the duration of the event.
However, the weather in the days leading up to Friday could have an even greater impact on the contest than any stretches of disruption to play during the match itself.
The Met Office has issued a "Yellow warning" for the wider Southampton region which lists a number of ominous weather possibilities such as "a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail and strong winds".
This weather warning has been issued for the two days leading up to the match, as well as the opening day, a period traditionally crucial within the process of pitch preparation.
Simon Lee, the groundsman tasked with preparing the 20m of clay and soil that will help decide which team is the best-of-the-best in test cricket, is hoping to unveil a fast, lively pitch but this current forecast may affect that plan.
On Monday, Lee told Cricinfo.com that the weather was looking good, but he may not have looked further on from Wednesday when sunny skies give way to storms.
"For me personally I just want to get something out that has some pace, bounce and carry in the pitch. It can be a hard thing to do in England as the weather doesn't help us most of the time, but the forecast in the build-up is good with a lot of sun, so we are hopeful that we'll get some pace and a hard pitch without over-rolling it and killing it," Lee said.
With covers now expected to take their place over the pitch throughout the day before the match, there is now the potential for moisture to make its way into the surface, creating conditions that will most likely make batting a much harder proposition. However, Lee says there is hope in the fact the pitch itself has the capability to dry out fast, even if rain is a continuous threat.
"The pitches dry out very quickly here as we do have some sand mixed into our cricket loam, which helped it hold together when the pitches were re-laid some 10 years ago."
There is no doubt that damp, gloomy conditions - the kind commonly faced in New Zealand - favours the Black Caps.
On New Zealand soil the Black Caps have lost only five of 25 test matches against India, winning 10 of those. While in the more hot and humid conditions of India, the Black Caps have won just two of 34 tests.
Elliott Smith chats to Warriors Recruitment Manager Peter O'Sullivan about where the Warriors are at with their recruitment going in to 2022, and how he has had to adopt his recruitment style to suit a quicker game of Rugby League.
Matt Henry, Neil Wagner and Ajaz Patel have bowled New Zealand to the brink of a stunning test series win over England.
The trio combined for eight wickets in a remarkable spell on day three of the second test, with Trent Boult adding one for good measure as England finished the day a miserable 122-9, leading by just 37 runs as victory looms for the Black Caps.
While a test series victory – which would be their first in England this century – was always possible, plausible even, the dominance this Black Caps team produced on day three, especially without some frontline stars, was extraordinary.
Yes, this is a under-strength English side, but New Zealand are missing Kane Williamson, BJ Watling, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Kyle Jamieson and Tim Southee - a rather significant 292 tests of experience.
You could barely notice they were missing based on the performance of their replacements on day three, with three wickets apiece to Henry and Wagner being complemented by two from Patel as a simple path emerged to a test win in England – just their sixth in history.
To make it more remarkable, this was a day that could have ended poorly for New Zealand, after a middle-order collapse.
Resuming at 229-3, New Zealand had eased to 292-3, before losing their last seven wickets for 96 runs to go into the second innings with a lead of 85.
Having struggled at the start of his innings, Ross Taylor looked more like his old self to begin day three, bringing up his second 50 in his last 15 test innings with some more assured, yet still aggressive strokeplay.
He offered a chance on 68 before departing on 80, caught behind flashing outside off, and that sparked a tumble of wickets.
Henry Nicholls (21) gloved one down legside to the keeper, while Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell missed their final opportunity to put their hand up for the World Test Championship final.
Mitchell departed for six, pulling a long-hop straight to short midwicket, and while Blundell made 34, he was dropped third ball and has put in a mixed display behind the stumps, making the selection of Watling, if fit, an easy choice for the selectors next week.
Patel, however, strengthened his case for selection, following up his two first-innings wickets with a pleasant 20 at No 10 that showed the tail would not necessarily be dramatically lengthened by his inclusion.
He and Boult added 27 for the last wicket which gave the bowlers a better buffer – one that became increasingly daunting for England as the Kiwi bowlers tore them to shreds.
Henry did the most damage, removing Rory Burns second ball to an excellent Tom Latham catch at second slip, before Mitchell showed safe hands to pocket the wicket of Dom Sibley at third slip.
Zak Crawley followed, trapped lbw, and England were in dire straits at 30-3.
Just as thoughts turned to how Henry could be crammed in to a jam-packed bowling equation for next week's final against India – in place of Wagner, perhaps? – Wagner showed just how difficult the next few days will be for the New Zealand selectors.
Brought on in the 14th over, by the end of the 18th Wagner had two scalps to remind everyone of his value, trapping Ollie Pope lbw with his familiar inswinger, before having Dan Lawrence caught behind.
And then, as if there weren't enough (welcome) selection headaches for Gary Stead and Williamson, the impressive Patel got in the action, bowling James Bracey before removing England's last hope, skipper Joe Root, caught behind.
A quick 44-run stand between Olly Stone and Mark Wood ensured New Zealand will have to bat again, but with just one England wicket remaining, and a fourth-innings target unlikely to surpass 50, a special victory awaits for the Black Caps.
text by Niall Anderson, NZ Herald
As Christian Eriksen lay unconscious on the field, his pulse slipping away, Denmark team doctor Morten Boesen quickly realized there wasn't a second to lose.
"He was breathing, and I could feel his pulse. But suddenly that changed," Boesen said Saturday. "And as everyone saw, we started giving him CPR."
The next 10 minutes were among the scariest to ever unfold during a match at soccer's European Championship. Several medics worked frenetically to give Eriksen chest compressions while his teammates choked away tears and formed a circle around the midfielder to shield the scene from public view.
And finally, the eerie silence that had descended around Parken Stadium was replaced with massive cheers.
"We managed to get Christian back," Boesen said. "And he spoke to me before he was taken to the hospital."
Eriksen was awake and in stable condition Saturday night after being taken to a Copenhagen hospital, the Danish soccer federation said.
His collapse, which came in the 43rd minute of the match against Finland, led to the game being suspended for about 90 minutes before both teams made the decision to play on. Finland went on to win 1-0 after Joel Pohjanpalo scored in the 60th minute and goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky later saved a penalty.
But in the end, the result seemed merely an afterthought.
"Of course you can't play a game with such feelings," Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand said. "What we tried to do was incredible. It's incredible that the players managed to go out and try to play the second half."
UEFA said both teams had held an emergency meeting before deciding to continue playing. The players came back out onto the field to a huge ovation as they started warming up for a second time.
Hjulmand said the teams were given the option of finishing the game on Saturday or resuming on Sunday.
"The players couldn't imagine not being able to sleep tonight and then having to get in tomorrow, get on the bus and play a game," Hjulmand said. "Honestly, it was best to get it over with."
Eriksen had just played a short pass when he fell face-forward onto the ground. His teammates immediately gestured for help and medics rushed onto the field.
Eriksen's partner, Sabrina Kvist Jensen, went onto the field and was comforted by Denmark captain Simon Kjaer and goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.
The Finland players huddled by their bench and eventually walked off the field while the Inter Milan midfielder was still getting treatment, as did the referees.
Eriksen was eventually carried off to a loud ovation, with his teammates walking next to the stretcher.
Inter Milan team physician Piero Volpi told The Associated Press that the Italian club was in contact with the Danish soccer federation.
"We're in contact with the Danish federation, the team manager, the team physician. But we still don't know anything yet," Volpi said. "We heard what UEFA said and we're all happy that he's been stabilized. But that's all we know."
Volpi added that Eriksen never contracted COVID-19, has no medical conditions that he's aware of and has passed every medical exam without problem since joining Inter in January 2020 from Tottenham.
"But we'll talk about that when the time is right," Volpi added of Eriksen's medical history. "Right now, the important thing is that he recovers."
Eriksen is one of Denmark's biggest stars and the incident brought an instant sense of shock to the Parken Stadium, where about 15,000 fans fell into hushed silence. Some supporters could be seen crying and hugging in the stands.
The game was broadcast widely, including on ESPN in the United States, which later responded to online criticism that its telecast lingered too long on the scene before cutting away. ESPN said it didn't have its cameras on the scene and was using a worldwide feed supplied by the Union of European Football Associations.
"Once it was clear the world feed was going to take a more aggressive approach to covering the situation, we should have moved quicker to a static...
Blues 31Force 21
For the first time since 2003, the Blues will contest a Super Rugby final, and after their strong trans-Tasman campaign, they have earned the right to host it.
The Blues have ensured they finish the regular season at the top of the table, beating the Western Force 31-21 in Auckland on Saturday.
After the Highlanders and Crusaders both won earlier in the weekend, the equation was simple for the Blues. As long as they won, they would be hosting the final as, even without the bonus point that would separate them from their rivals, their points differential would be superior with a win.
It wasn't their best performance of the season, all but three of their points coming in the first half, but it was enough to get the job done.
"40 minutes is never good enough," Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu said after the match. "You're always striving for the perfect 80, or 80 plus.
"It was a hard-fought game and you've got to be happy with the result that we get a home final, so we're looking forward to that.
"We'd love to have a full Eden Park for a final that we haven't had for a while. I know a lot of us are striving for success here, and this is a step in the right direction."
The Blues took some time to find their way in the match. Both sides needed a feeling out period, with neither able to control the possession for long periods in the early exchanges.
It took a barnstorming run from Hoskins Sotutu to bring life to the Blues, with the No 8 making a strong charge to find clear space, before sprinting away from the chasing defenders to score the game's opening try.
It was the only opportunity to Blues took inside the opening 25 minutes, and it seemed as though the Auckland faithful would be in for a rather nervous watch.
However, a 28th minute try to winger Mark Telea seemed to spark the Blues. They ran in two more tries before the end of the half through Sotutu and flanker Dalton Papalii to lead 28-0 at the break.
While it was an impressive period, it wasn't without issue as flanker Tom Robinson was forced from the field due to a head knock. He failed to pass his head injury assessment and was forced out for the rest of the match.
From the way the first half ended, it seemed the Blues were well poised to go on with the job. Instead, it was the Force who were firing on all cylinders in the second half.
Scoring tries through hooker Feleti Kaitu'u, midfielder Tevita Kuridrani and fullback Rob Kearney, the Force outscored the Blues 21-3 in the second period.
The Blues did look to have another try through Telea late in the piece, but instead it was ruled out due to foul play in the build-up, and reserve hooker Ray Niuia was sent to the sin bin.
With the 10-point win, the Blues finish the season on equal points with the Highlanders and Crusaders, but end the campaign at the top of the table due to their superior points differential.
The Blues will now host the Highlanders in the final next weekend, with the Highlanders having a better points differential than the Crusaders.
Blues 31 (Hoskins Sotutu 2, Mark Telea, Dalton Papalii tries; Otere Black 4 cons, pen)Force 21 (Feleti Kaitu'u, Tevita Kuridrani, Rob Kearney tries; Ian Prior 3 cons)HT: 28-0
text by Christopher Reive, NZ Herald
Elliott Smith chats to French Open tennis commentator Gigi Salmon, as she reflects on an incredible performance from Novak Djokovic who beat Rafael Nadal to book a place in the French Open finals, which was Nadal's first loss at Roland Garros in 35 games.
Elliott Smith chats to former England fast bowler and now Talksport pundit Steve Harmison on the back of the 2nd day of the 2nd test between the Black Caps and England from Edgebaston, which see's the New Zealand side in a good position heading in to Day 3.
Elliott Smith speaks to Euro 2020 football commentator Jim Proudfoot on the back of the opening game of Euro 2020 between Italy and Turkey, which saw Italy play impressively in winning 3 nil.
Legendary rugby league commentator Ray Warren joined Miles Davis to give a preview of State of Origin game one that kicks off on Wednesday night.
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Tennis aficionado Craig Gabriel gives Miles Davis the run down on the latest round of the French Open.
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Former kickboxing world champion and City Kickboxing striking coach Mike Angove gives Miles Davis his take on the bout between Floyd Mayweather and YouTuber Logan Paul.
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Hurricanes coach Jason Holland speaks with Miles Davis following his side's 12-10 loss to the Brumbies last night.
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Matt Brown takes us through all the stars chances at the French Open at Roland Garros progresses, as well as looking ahead to Wimbledon.
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Graeme Agars took Miles Davis through the scorecard at the Women's US Open and rates Lydia Ko's chances of putting pressure on the leaders.
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Sir John Kirwan gives his take on the Blues and Hurricanes game and his thoughts on the closing gap between Australian and New Zealand sides.
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Devon Conway's club cricket coach, Gary Fowler, joined Miles Davis to have a chat about Conway's historic debut at Lord's.
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Bryan Waddle gives his thoughts on the Blackcaps first test against England and Devon Conways superb 200 on debut.
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Elliott Smith speaks to former All Blacks and Crusaders halfback Andy Ellis, who's now plying his trade for Rugby United New York in the Major League Rugby in the United States.
Chelsea won the Champions League for the second time Sunday beating Manchester City 1-0 thanks to Kai Havertz's first-half goal as Pep Guardiola's overthinking proved costly again in the all-English final.
Havertz ran onto Mason Mount's perfectly weighted through-ball and skipped by City goalkeeper Ederson Moraes before slotting the ball into an empty net in the 42nd minute.
Chelsea added to the first European Cup it won in 2012 and become the 13th multiple winner of world soccer's biggest club competition. Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel got his hands on the trophy a year after losing in the 2020 final with Paris Saint Germain.
City's long, often-painful and lavishly funded journey to the summit of European soccer remains incomplete and Guardiola might regret tinkering with his settled team that had swept City to its first Champions League final and to the verge of another trophy treble.
The innovative Spanish coach, seeking to win the Champions League for the third time and first since 2011, has been guilty in recent years of overthinking his tactics in the big games and he might have done it again here.
Starting without a striker was expected - Guardiola has preferred that in the Champions League knockout matches - but going without a specialist holding midfielder in Fernandinho or Rodri was a major surprise and seemed to destabilize City.
It meant Ilkay Gundogan, City's top scorer this season and a revelation in his attacking-midfield role, dropped in as the anchorman in midfield and he struggled to protect City's defense.
Indeed, for Chelsea's goal, Mount had time and space to thread a superb pass from inside his own half through the center of City's defense - which was opened up by Timo Werner's decoy run - for Havertz to run onto. Ederson came flying out of his area and got the slightest of touches to the ball with his hand, but Havertz regained his balance and applied the easy finish.
City never had the control Guardiola so craves and, in that respect, Tuchel - another tactically astute manager - was the winner in his coaching duel with a rival he describes as "the benchmark."
Werner, who worked the channels well behind City's full backs, had already squandered two great chances before the goal, first miskicking from Havertz's cut-back and then shooting tamely at Ederson from close range.
City faced the colossal task of breaching Chelsea's well-drilled defense twice in the second half — one that became much tougher when City's star player Kevin De Bruyne, who had little impact in the false nine role, was forced off in the 60th after a clash of heads with Antonio Rudiger.
Fernandinho finally came on in the 64th, by which time Chelsea had retreated and was looking to hit on the counterattack. From one, substitute Christian Pulisic — the first American player to feature in a Champions League final — ran onto Havertz's pass but slipped a shot just wide.
Not even a 15-minute cameo from Sergio Aguero in the last match of his 10-year career at City could salvage anything for the Premier League champions, whose players slumped to the ground at the final whistle.
Meanwhile, Chelsea's players raced to their fans who made up an attendance of 14,110 at the Estádio do Dragão, the replacement venue for the final at the end of a pandemic-affected season.
Chiefs first five-eighth Damian McKenzie is in danger of missing the opening All Blacks test of the year.
McKenzie will face the Sanzaar judiciary after receiving a red card for a dangerous tackle in the 22nd minute of the Chiefs' 40-34 Sky Super Rugby Transtasman defeat to the Reds in Townsville last night.
McKenzie committed an armless high tackle on halfback Tate McDermott which resulted in a sending off.
He faces up to six weeks on the sidelines which should be reduced to three weeks, due to no previous incidents.
McKenzie will at least miss the rest of the Super Rugby Transtasman season with the Chiefs having two games remaining against the Rebels and Waratahs.
If the Chiefs fail to make the Super Rugby Transtasman final then that means McKenzie could be in line to miss the opening test against Tonga at Mt Smart Stadium on July 3.
The All Blacks could get around that if McKenzie misses a club rugby game in the week on the Super Rugby Transtasman final.
Japan extended a coronavirus state of emergency in Tokyo and other areas for 20 more days on Friday, with infections still not slowing as it prepares to host the Olympics in just over 50 days.
Cases remain high and medical systems in Osaka, the hardest-hit area in western Japan, are still overburdened, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said in announcing the decision.
"I am aware that many people are voicing concern about holding the Olympics and Paralympics," he said. "I take them seriously, and I will proceed with preparations for a safe and secure games."
He said the next three weeks are "an extremely important time for us to achieve results" in a two-pronged battle to control infections while expanding vaccinations.
The current state of emergency in the capital and eight other metropolitan areas was to end next Monday, but hospitals in some areas are still overflowing with COVID-19 patients and serious cases have recently hit new highs.
The 20-day extension covers nine areas ranging from Hokkaido in the north to Fukuoka in the south. A 10th area, the southern island prefecture of Okinawa, is already under emergency status through June 20.
Olympic organizers must decide at about that time whether to allow any fans at all, after overseas spectators were banned months ago. A plan to prioritize vaccinations for Japanese athletes is expected to begin around then, according to media reports.
The Olympics are scheduled to start July 23 after a one-year postponement due to the pandemic, and worries about new variants and Japan's slow vaccination rollout have triggered calls from the public, medical experts and even a sponsor to cancel the games.
Suga's public support ratings have plunged to about 30% from around 70% when he took office in September.
Experts have warned that the variants are infecting more people, leaving them seriously ill and flooding hospitals in some areas.
Japan has lagged on vaccinations due to bureaucratic and planning missteps and shortages of medical staff. Only 2.3% of the population has been fully vaccinated, and the current phase targeting older adults is not scheduled to finish before the games start.
Still, Suga and his government are determined to host the Olympics. The International Olympic Committee has also said the games will go ahead even if host city Tokyo is under emergency measures.
The government has been pushing to speed up inoculations and aims to administer up to 1 million a day, but some experts say that's an overly optimistic target.
Japan has reported about 730,000 coronavirus cases and more than 12,700 deaths.
Elliott Smith chats to Blues captain and blindside flanker Tom Robinson ahead of their home game against the Brumbies in Super Rugby Trans Tasman.
Elliott Smith speaks to Rugby League commentator out of the ABC, Andrew Moore as they discuss the Warriors 1 point loss to the Cowboys in Townsville. NZ listeners will now be able to hear more from Andrew and the ABC league commentary team this year after Gold Am secured the rights to selected Warriors games in the NRL in for the rest of 2021.
Elliott Smith speaks to former England Test captain and stylish left hand batsman David Gower, ahead of the Test series starting between New Zealand and England starting next week at Lords.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin On Newstalk ZB on Saturday's, Sunday's and Monday's - compacted into a podcast for Monday the 24th of May.
Martin Devlin of Newstalk ZB chats to former Warriors coach Ivan Cleary, who's now head coach of the Penrith Panthers who are absolutely flying with 10 wins in a row to start the 2021 NRL season.
Following a second Kiwi clean sweep in Super Rugby Trans-Tasman one Australian writer has all but conceded it will be an all New Zealand final, despite three rounds remaining.
"All five Australian teams now have next to no hope of making a final on June 19," Sydney Morning Herald rugby writer Tom Decent wrote in his wrap of last night's action.
It's hard to fault the logic.
The New Zealand franchises have won 10 from 10 against their Australian counterparts. The five Aussie teams will be all ruled out of final contention as early as next Saturday if they get swept again.
The Blues and Hurricanes sit on 10 points followed by the Crusaders, Highlanders and Chiefs on nine points. As it stands it looks like the two finalists could be decided on crucial bonus points or even points difference, making blow-out wins even more important.
There is now a distinct possibility that a New Zealand team or multiple teams would miss out on the final despite being unbeaten.
Across the 10 victories, the New Zealand sides have compiled 61 tries. A staggering statistic at more than six tries a game just showing how inept the Australian defences have been.
The Force have looked the best of the Australian teams and sit in sixth after just falling short against the Chiefs last weekend followed by a 25-15 loss to the Highlanders on Friday.
The problem for the Force is their home games are completed with a difficult road trip ahead against the Hurricanes, Crusaders and Blues where they need to win all three to have a chance of making the final.
The 10-point loss for the Force was the closest an Australian side got to victory this weekend. The Reds, who won the Super Rugby Australia title, have conceded 103 points in their opening two games and that's not the worst defensive record with the Waratahs having let in 112 points.
Newstalk ZB commentator Elliott Smith said on Twitter the gulf between the New Zealand and Australian teams was bigger than people probably thought.
Former Wallabies coach Michael Chieka told the Sydney Morning Herald the Australian sides have to fight back following the Reds' thrashing at the hands of the Crusaders.
"We had a saying in the old days: 'Welcome to first grade'," Cheika said. "It was first grade tonight; they were top quality. Yeah we've been pumped ... but you've just got to fight back next week. Mourn, get over it, then get back up on your bike next week and win the next game. That's what footy is all about."
The problem is it appears they are riding bikes with two flat tyres at the moment.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday the 23rd of May. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
After 433 days, this was more than worth the wait.
Whatever happens over the rest of the A-League season, the Wellington Phoenix aren't going to die wondering, after a rousing 3-0 win over Western United in their homecoming game in the capital.
The victory keeps their slim finals hopes alive, ahead of another blockbuster game at Eden Park next Sunday.
But this was more than a match – it was a sporting occasion. The fans came in their droves, with the 24,105 crowd the biggest regular season attendance in Phoenix history and the largest A-League crowd this season.
That provided a wonderful atmosphere, and the players responded. There is always the danger that such games don't live up to the billing, but not this one.
It was a beauty. The Phoenix scored three impressive goals, including a Reno Piscopo stunner, and could have had three more, as the game opened up in the second half.
Western United were punch drunk by the end of it all, with the withdrawal of Besart Berisha in the 72nd minute an indication they were done and dusted, after Tomer Hemed's goal nine minutes earlier had all but ended the contest.
The result, which stretches their unbeaten streak to eight games, breaks a run of three draws and lifts the Phoenix into seventh equal on 33 points, ahead of Western Sydney and Perth Glory on goal difference, though both Australian sides have a game in hand. Sixth-placed Brisbane are three points away, also having played one fewer match.
It means that the Phoenix will need other results to go their way, but they are at least putting pressure on their rivals.
Coming off four successive defeats, Western United started the game with a deep low block Jose Mourinho would have enjoyed. At times all 10 players were behind the ball, as they were content to soak up pressure and look for dividends on the break.
Such congestion around the area was difficult to break down, and the Phoenix only fashioned a couple of half chances in a frustrating first 30 minutes.
But when the breakthrough came, it was a Cinderella story to match the occasion. Hometown boy Clayton Lewis had never played for the Phoenix in Wellington but found the perfect moment for his second goal of the season. His 38th minute shot was deflected, but the goal was reward for a sharp turn and positive drive towards the box, finally sparking the expectant crowd.
Marquee striker Hemed went close with a stooping header soon afterwards, forcing a good save from Western United keeper Ryan Scott.
David Ball probably should have extended the home lead in the 56th minute, denied by Scott, after being set up by a delightful Hemed backheel, but that didn't matter when Piscopo provided the moment of the match in the 57th minute.
The young Australian is one of the cleanest strikers of the ball in the A-League, and showed his prowess again with a stunning hit that flew past Scott from the edge of the area.
That set the Phoenix alight, and they had their best period of the match as Western United had to push forward.
Ben Waine and Piscopo had chances, before Hemed nailed the third, a well-timed header from a Louis Fenton cross.
That was the signal for party time, and the Phoenix had further opportunities, but couldn't inflict any further damage on the scoreboard.
Wellington Phoenix 3 (Clayton Lewis, Reno Piscopo, Tomer Hemed)Western United 0Halftime: 1-0
text by Michael Burgess, NZ Herald
Martin Devlin of Newstalk ZB chats to former Warriors coach Tony Kemp, reviewing the Warriors close fought win over the Tigers in the NRL where new sensation Reece Walsh was the star of the show with 1 try and 3 try assists.
Martin Devlin chats to 9 time Major winner Gary Player, the former South African professional golfer ahead of the 103rd PGA Championship at Kiawah Island in South Carolina, United States.
Martin Devlin's "To the Mountain Top" editorial for Saturday the 22nd of May, where he believes we are seeing an attempted coup from David Kirk and the Players Association towards the NZ Rugby Union and the Current Chief Executive Mark Robinson.
The DRS, on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 22nd of May. Brough to you by Access Solutions.
Spark Sport and NZ Cricket have released the figures for their first summer as joint broadcast partners for NZ Cricket, which saw nearly 240,000 people watch the cricket over the summer on Spark Sport's digital platform.
Jeff Latch, the CEO of Spark Sport, joined Elliott Smith to discuss the success of their debut season as the broadcast partners.
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New Zealand Rugby has invited Forsyth Barr to discuss its proposal for a public flotation of part of its commercial revenues, after US private equity giant Silver Lake waived its right to block talks.
However the union has sent David Kirk - who is chairman of both Forsyth Barr and the New Zealand Rugby Players Association - a lengthy explanation of why it does not believe its proposal met the objectives of its proposed sale.
On Friday the Herald revealed that Forsyth Barr had made an alternative capital raising proposal at the request of the NZRPA, which would involve selling 5 per cent stake by way of an initial public offering on the NZX.
The proposal suggested the stake could be sold to investors for $170m-$190m valued NZ Rugby between $3.4 billion and $3.8b, above the $3.1b valuation implied by NZ Rugby's proposed deal with Silver Lake, which is seeking to buy a 12.5 per cent stake in its commercial revenues for $387.5m.
On Monday evening NZ Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson sent a lengthy response to Kirk, and later to provincial rugby unions, responding to the proposal.
"Silver Lake have consented to waive their exclusivity agreement to the effect of enabling NZR to examine and understand the NZRPA/Forsyth Barr proposal," Robinson wrote, inviting Kirk for a meeting with its project steering group on Friday.
"Despite our concerns and questions ... our initial view is that it is unlikely to meet all of our strategic objectives, we would welcome the good-faith exploration of this NZRPA / Forsyth Barr IPO alternative, as part of considering all of our stakeholders' interests."
Robinson has also shared the response with the provincial rugby unions, saying that NZRPA had, with NZ Rugby, entered into an exclusivity arrangement with Silver Lake to work on the deal.
"Therefore, it's fair to say this new proposal with a new party came as a surprise and [it] was disappointing to have it sent directly to media in the first instance," Robinson said.
"That said, whilst we believe we have robustly and diligently looked at this option (as well as a wide range of others) and established that it won't meet all our objectives in creating our future, we are happy to talk through their proposal in case there is something new that we have missed and hopefully we can do this, this week."
NZ Rugby's concerns
Robinson's letter explained that not only did it view Silver Lake as an ideal investment partner to help it grow internationally, a public float had a number of drawbacks.
"NZR is focused on raising capital from a strategically aligned investor to assist NZR in driving growth and fully realising our global potential," Robinson wrote, with Silver Lake having deep experience with international sports teams and technology investment.
"We see this capability enhancement to the game in New Zealand, through revenue growth flowing back into the game and by way of improved expertise that would support improved engagement with our fans and the over 150,000 participants we have here at home."
Even if NZ Rugby was to seek investment from passive investors "then an IPO would likely be evaluated as an inferior option to other forms of passive, private capital investment in common equity".
Other forms of investment would reduce compliance costs, reporting obligations, enable direct control of its shareholder register and who was commercially involved and retain flexibility.
"A public IPO may be potentially attractive at a point in time, however while NZR is in a growth investment phase of our strategy, we are not interested in simply raising capital from passive public market investors."
Growth companies were "typically better able to execute their strategic growth agendas in a non-public environment" Robinson wrote as flexibility and capital and risk management "typically favour a private status".
Robinson said it saw risks to Forsyth Barr's valuation of the company, from market volatility to Covid-19 impacting the commercial contracts which w...
Elliott Smith, standing in for Martin Devlin chats to Dillon Boucher, the former Breaker and Tall Blacks basketball player reflecting on the NZ Breakers season thus far, as they return from Australia having been away for 153 days.
Elliott Smith, standing in for Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB chats to former Warriors commentator Jason Costigan about the latest round in the NRL, in which there were 13 sin bins in 5 matches, as the NRL looks to get on top of concussion and head injuries by coming down hard on contact to the head.
Elliott Smith, standing in for Martin Devlin chats to Andrew Swain out of Stan Sports in Australia reflecting on the opening round of Super Rugby Transtasman, which saw the New Zealand sides win all their respective games against their Australian counterparts.
Elliott Smith, standing in for Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB chats to Oliver Peterson of 6PR in Perth, ahead of the Chiefs game against the Force, the first time a New Zealand side has played the Western Force since 2017.
Elliott Smith, standing in for Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB chats to Clive Tyldesley, one of the voices of English football in the UK about everything happening in the world of football, as well as some of his fondest memories commentating it for ITV over the years.
Former All Black Conrad Smith can relate to the passionate behaviour shown by New Zealand Rugby and the Players Association over a possible private equity deal.
Forsyth Barr has tabled a new offer at the request of the NZRPA, that would see NZR sell a five per cent stake in future commercial revenue through an NZX listing.
NZR CEO Mark Robinson described the new offer as shocking and disappointing, believing the relationship with the NZRPA is at a new low.
Smith told Elliott Smith he has a lot of respect for both parties.
"When you have a big issue like this that is concerning New Zealand Rugby, the direction we're heading, the potential of 12.5 percent of our national game, then people get very emotional, and that's all we're seeing."
Smith wants to see the Silver Lake and Forsyth Barr offers, as well as any other presented, to be discussed fairly.
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Listen to 3 minutes of exchanges between Bruce Russell and Martin Devlin on the DRS on Newstalk ZB.
Martin Devlin chats to swimmer Liana Smith, who's swimming 3 long distance swims in the name of charity, specifically the mental health charity I Am Hope. Liana has done the length of Lake Taupo, with the Cook Strait and Foveaux Strait to go.
Martin Devlin chats to former Wallaby Simon Poidevin, as he reviews the Australian Super Rugby final between the Reds and the Brumbies, in which former All Black Brad Thorn and his Reds came out on top in front of a packed crowd at Suncorp Stadium.
Martin Devlin chats to new Warriors sensation Reece Walsh, ahead of his 3rd game in the NRL, when the Warriors take on the Sea Eagles in Round 9 of the NRL.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 9th of May. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to former All Blacks and Crusaders first five Andrew Mehrtens, ahead of a Super Rugby final double header, firstly in his hometown of Christchurch when the Crusaders take on the Chiefs, followed by the Australian final between the Reds and the Brumbies.
Martin Devlin chats to All Blacks and Chiefs lock Brodie Retallick, ahead of the Chiefs first appearance in a Super Rugby final for the first time since 2013 under Dave Rennie, when they take on the Crusaders in Christchurch.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday the 8th of May. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Ask the Question, a new segment on the DRS whereby listeners send audio messages on Whats App to the Devlin Radio Show phone number which will play on Saturday's and Sunday's - 0274843377. 0274THEDRS.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's, Sunday's and Monday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Monday 3rd of May.
Martin Devlin chats to former Warriors and Queensland centre Brent Tate, looking ahead to the Warriors round 8 clash against the Cowboys in the NRL.
Martin Devlin chats to Duco Events promoter and Joseph Parker's manager, David Higgins, reflecting on the back of Joseph Parker's close fought victory against Brit Derek Chisora in Manchester and where to from here.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 2nd of May. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Kiwi drivers Scott Dixon and Scott McLaughlin have finished one-two in the latest Indycar series race in Texas.
For Dixon it was his 51st career victory and fifth in Texas while McLaughlin earned his first podium in his fourth race.
McLaughlin, racing in his first Indycar oval race, began in 15th place and worked his way through the pack to put pressure on Dixon in the closing stages. 21-year-old Pato O'Ward was third.
Dixon, in the Chip Ganassi Racing car, said he was so excited when McLaughlin moved into second in the closing stages of the race.
"I had this thing on the dash that tells me the gaps of the cars. I had to take it off because it was stressing me out more than anything. I kept looking down and in the mirror as he was fast," Dixon said.
Scott McLaughlin drives out of Turn 4 during the IndyCar Series auto race at Texas Motor Speedway. Photo / AP
Dixon moved with one of matching Mario Andretti's 52 victories for the second-most on the career list that A.J. Foyt tops with 67. Dixon has now won a race in 19 different seasons, breaking a tie with Foyt for the most. Dixon last year won his sixth season title, one short of Foyt's record seven.
"I never dreamed of that. I feel so lucky and so privileged to do what I get to do," he said.
For rookie McLaughlin, the podium result could be considered a bigger achievement than Dixon's race win.
The Team Penske driver, who moved to Indycar after securing three straight Supercars titles, said he has never felt so happy after finishing a race in second.
"I've never been this bloody happy with second. I'm really stoked…just couldn't quite get Scotty at the end there. It was bloody cool to battle with my all-time favourite hero in Scotty Dixon. Two Kiwis one and two is fantastic," he said.
"During the last caution period, I was thinking 'holy crap'. I was looking at the crowd and getting all excited. I'm just so proud. I've worked so hard behind the scenes to make it feel good. We had some good strategy there from my team. They put me in the position and I'm just happy to bring it home for them."
The win sees Dixon move from third to first in the standings after three races with Alex Palou 18 points behind him in second. McLaughlin jumps up to seventh place, 43 points back.
There is a second race at the Texas Motor Speedway tomorrow.
Martin Devlin chats to NZ Rugby chairman Brent Impey about the Rugby Union's reasoning for wanting to push ahead with the Silver Lake Private Investment deal, in the face of resistance from the Players Association and Rob Nichol.
Martin Devlin chats to Rugby Players Association boss Rob Nichol, discussing the merits of the proposed private investment in NZ Rugby from the Silver Lake group.
Martin Devlin chats to former Black Caps bowler and now IPL commentator Simon Doull, discussing what its like within the confines of the IPL bubble while Covid 19 causes chaos amongst the rest of the country.
Martin Devlin chats to Talksport football correspondent Tom Rennie, reflecting on a hugely dramatic week in world football with the collapse of a European Super League proposal before it even got off the ground, as well some more VAR controversy in Premier League games overnight.
Martin Devlin chats to Crusaders coach Scott Robertson, ahead of their final round robin game of Super Rugby Aotearoa against the Blues in Christchurch.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 25th of April. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin of Newstalk ZB pays tribute to those from another time, that sacrificed so much so that we can live like we do today.
Martin Devlin chats to former Team New Zealand and Alinghi helmsman Sir Russell Coutts, now the CEO of Sail GP which gets into its 2nd season overnight in Bermuda, as he talks about what he liked from the 36th Americas Cup as well as what they might try and do slightly differently.
Martin Devlin chats to Premier League commentator Peter Drury, reflecting on a crazy week in world football in which saw 12 clubs announce a new European Super League, before back tracking on the proposal in the matter of days.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday the 24th of April. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Ask the Question, a new segment on the DRS whereby listeners send audio messages on Whats App to the Devlin Radio Show phone number which will play on Saturday's and Sunday's - 0274843377. 0274THEDRS
Martin Devlin chats to Tom Rennie out of Talksport in the UK about the latest move by some of Europe's biggest football clubs to form their own breakway European Super League.
Martin Devlin chats to former NZ PGA golfer Phil Tataurangi about Lydia Ko's performance at the Lotte Championship in Hawaii where she won the event, her first on the tour since 2018.
Martin Devlin chats to former Roosters, Storm and Parramatta half Brett Finch, ahead of the Warriors game against the Dragons
Martin Devlin chats to Chiefs assistant coach Neil Barnes, reflecting on their impressive win against the Crusaders in Hamilton last night.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday the 18th of April. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Pukekohe Park Raceway has been confirmed as the venue for this year's Supercars SuperSprint round to be held in Auckland.
The historic track along with Hampton Downs were the two leading candidates to secure hosting rights.
The event is scheduled for November six and seven.
It will be the first time New Zealand has hosted a Supercars round since September 2019.
Destination Auckland general manager Steve Armitage joined Martin Devlin to discuss the news.
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Hideki Matsuyama almost turned down his first chance to play the Masters. It was a month after a devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan, disasters that killed thousands and destroyed much of the region he called home in March 2011.
He decided to play a month later, only because he thought it would lift spirits.
A decade later, he lifted his country again — becoming Japan's first man to win a golf major. Matsuyama's one-shot victory over Will Zalatoris at Augusta National made him the Masters champion, easily the biggest moment for the sport in his golf-crazed homeland.
"I can't say I'm the greatest," Matsuyama said. "However, I'm the first to win a major, and if that's the bar, then I've set it."
He was the greatest this week at the Masters, bar none.
History will say he won the tournament on Sunday with a final-round 73, but really, he won it on Saturday with a blistering finish that put him atop the leaderboard for good. He went 6-under on a seven-hole stretch of the back nine in the third round, the decisive spurt that nobody could match. Even the final margin on Sunday was perhaps a bit misleading; it only tightened up when Matsuyama made three bogeys in his final four holes, though the lead never seemed threatened.
Matsuyama finished at 10-under, 278. Zalatoris was at 9 under, Jordan Spieth and Xander Schauffele were tied for third at 7 under, and Jon Rahm and Marc Leishman tied for fifth at 6 under. Justin Rose, who jumped out in front Thursday with a 65, finished seventh, five shots back.
"It's thrilling to think that there are a lot of youngsters in Japan watching today," Matsuyama said. "Hopefully in five, 10 years, when they get a little older, hopefully some of them will be competing on the world stage. But I still have a lot of years left, so they are going to have to compete against me still."
Message to those kids: Good luck. Matsuyama is only 29.
He moved from No. 25 to No. 14 in the world rankings, and will be welcomed back to Augusta National for Masters week for the rest of his life — one of the many perks that come once someone claims a green jacket.
"I think it's really good for the game of golf globally," Spieth said. "He's a great young player who inevitably was going to win major championships, in my opinion."
It turned out to be a Masters finish like none other, capping a week that was memorable for who was there, who wasn't there for long and who couldn't be there at all.
Lee Elder — the first Black player in the Masters when he broke the tournament's color barrier in 1975 — joined Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player for the ceremonial tournament-opening tee shots on Thursday morning. By the time nightfall arrived Friday, defending champion Dustin Johnson was done after missing the cut by two strokes. And five-time Masters winner Tiger Woods wasn't at Augusta National to play or even take part in the Champions dinner, his recovery from a car crash in Los Angeles ongoing at his Florida home.
Woods wasn't seen. Not long after Matsuyama won, he was heard, or at least read.
"Making Japan proud Hideki," Woods wrote on Twitter. "Congratulations on such a huge accomplishment for you and your country. This historical (at)TheMasters win will impact the entire golf world."
He's not wrong.
Japan is already set to play host to the Olympics this summer, delayed a year because of the coronavirus and still a thorny subject for many in that country who wonder if the Tokyo Games should be held at all.
The golf event at those Olympics is scheduled for the Kasumigaseki Country Club, the place where Matsuyama won as an amateur to secure that first trip to Augusta National in 2011 — where he visited Butler Cabin to receive the prize as the low amateur that week. A decade later, he returned to Butler Cabin, this time for Johnson to slip the green jacket over his shoulders.
"I'm really looking forward to the Olympic Games in Tokyo," Matsuyama said. "If I am on the team, and maybe it looks like I will be, I'll do my be...
Martin Devlin chats to Paul Newberry, a Sports Columnist for Associated Press, based in Japan and providing his thoughts on whether the Tokyo Olympics should go ahead this year or not.
Martin Devlin chats to Highlanders and All Blacks halfback Aaron Smith, having a good long rugby chat about the Highlanders season and his own form in Super Rugby Aotearoa.
Ask the Question, a new segment on the DRS whereby listeners send audio messages on Whats App to the Devlin Radio Show phone number which will play on Saturday's and Sunday's - 0274843377. 0274THEDRS
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 17th of April. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays - compacted into a podcast for Monday the 12th of April.
Martin Devlin chats to Golf reporter Jim Hart of the Associated Press, who's been live at Augusta for this years Masters. Jim likes Marc Leishman to take out this year's tournament.
Robbie Deans suspects his chances of coaching a test rugby side again are unlikely.
The former Wallabies coach is now at the Panasonic Wild Knights in Japan, 13 years since he left New Zealand Rugby and the Crusaders for Australia.
Deans told Martin Devlin he's loving life in Japan and doubts an opportunity to coach a test team will come along again.
"I'm probably a better coach now then I was, which is inevitable as long as you continue to learn.
"But it's unlikely now. I've got a challenge here that I really enjoy."
LISTEN ABOVE
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sundays from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday the 11th of April. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Ask the Question, a new segment on the DRS whereby listeners send audio messages on Whats App to the Devlin Radio Show phone number which will play on Saturday's and Sunday's - 0274843377. 0274THEDRS
Ask the Question, a new segment on the DRS whereby listeners send audio messages on Whats App to the Devlin Radio Show phone number which will play on Saturday's and Sunday's - 0274843377. 0274THEDRS
Martin Devlin chats to former Black Cap and now IPL commentator Scott Styris, who's in Mumbai for the start of this years IPL, about how Coronavirus is affecting the latest edition of the league as well as how a couple of the Black Caps went in the opening game.
Martin Devlin chats to former Warriors coach and our Rugby League expert Tony Kemp, reviewing
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sundays between 12pm and 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday the 10th of April. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Elliott Smith, standing in for Martin Devlin chats to Gold AM Rugby commentator Paul Allison, who's celebrating a win that no one saw coming, as the Highlanders beat the Champion Crusaders 33-12 in Christchurch on Friday night.
Elliott Smith, standing in for Martin Devlin chats to former Sharks Grand Final winning coach Shane Flanagan. Now part of the 2GB Continuous Call Team out of Sydney, they talk the latest round of the NRL as they look ahead to the Warriors game against the Roosters on Easter Sunday.
Elliott Smith, standing in for Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB chats to the Vice President of Athletic Performance and Sports Medicine Chelsea Lane. They chat her role at the Hawks, how she ended up working in the NBA and what its like working alonside some of the best athletes in America.
Elliott Smith, standing in for Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB chats to Matt McIlraith, the author of a book recently released called Crusade on, which looks back on 25 years of Crusaders Rugby.
Elliott Smith, standing in for Martin Devlin chats to Black Caps coach Gary Stead, as he reflects on a successful summer which saw the Caps win all 7 series they were part of, while looking ahead to a potential side to take on India in the World Test Championship later on this year.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on NewstalK ZB on Monday night's from 7pm until 8pm, compacted into a podcast for Monday 29th of November.
Ask the Question, a new segment on the DRS whereby listeners send audio messages on Whats App to the Devlin Radio Show phone number which will play on Saturday's and Sunday's - 0274843377. 0274THEDRS
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 28th of March. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Former England rugby coach Sir Clive Woodward believes Scott Robertson has all the credentials to take the helm of the national team, should Eddie Jones move on.
A poor showing in the Six Nations and criticism around his coaching methods has made Jones' future uncertain.
UK media has touted Robertson as the perfect replacement.
Woodward - who led England to their 2003 World Cup victory - told Martin Devlin what makes the current Crusaders coach special.
"Clearly, he's a winner, he's successful, he's very good with people."
He says that Robertson would "love it" if he got the job.
"I just get a really good feeling about him. Even though I'm kind of old now, would I like to play for him? Yes, without even knowing him, just from seeing the way his team plays."
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Martin Devlin chats to Welsh Rugby coach, New Zealander Wayne Pivac, fresh off the back of winning of winning his first Six Nations title when France failed to beat Scotland in their final game.
Ask the Question, a new segment on the DRS whereby listeners send audio messages on Whats App to the Devlin Radio Show phone number which will play on Saturday's and Sunday's - 0274843377. 0274THEDRS
Martin Devlin chats to former Rugby League great Wayne Pearce, about his impressions of Nathan Brown as coach of the Warriors as well as what its like working with Peter V'landy's in his role as one of the commissioners for Australian Rugby League.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 27th of March. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to former Black Caps great and current spin bowling coach for Bangladesh, Daniel Vettori - about the struggles of the Bangladesh side in this ODI series as well as what he makes of this current Black Caps side.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's, Sunday's and Mondays - compacted into a podcast for Monday 22nd of March.
Martin Devlin of Newstalk ZB chats to Black Caps bastman Martin Guptill, the day after an impressive win against Bangladesh in the opening ODI in Dunedin.
Martin Devlin chats to Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan, fresh off the back of their first win of Super Rugby Aotearoa 2021, and their first win in 12 games in Super Rugby.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday the 21st of March. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to former Warriors coach Tony Kemp, reviewing the Warriors 2nd round loss against the Newcastle Knights on the Central Coast, 20-16.
Martin Devlin chats to Team New Zealand sailors Andy Maloney and Josh Junior, a few days on from retaining the 36th America's Cup against Team Luna Rossa of Italy.
Ask the Question, a new segment on the DRS whereby listeners send audio messages on Whats App to the Devlin Radio Show phone number which will play on Saturday's and Sunday's - 0274843377. 0274THEDRS
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 20th of March. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to Peter Montgomery and Chris Steele of the Gold AM and Newstalk ZB Americas Cup commentary team reflecting on a surreal day's racing on the Hauraki Gulf which saw Team New Zealand go up 5-3 in the first to 7 races of the 36th America's Cup.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday the 14th of March. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to former Kangaroos and Balmain great Steve 'Blocker' Roach about the upcoming NRL season and how he sees the Warriors going under the tutelage of new coach Nathan Brown.
Martin Devlin chats to former World Number One and Open Championship winner David Duval, reflecting on the world of golf and some of his memories of winning the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass back in 1999.
Legendary Formula 1 commentator Murray Walker has died at the age of 97.
The former BBC commentator's first call was the 1949 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, the year before F1 began.
He then became the voice of Formula One with the BBC and ITV before retiring in 2001.
"His passion and love of the sport inspired millions of fans around the world," F1 tweeted. "He will forever be a part of our history, and will be dearly missed."
Walker was a World War II veteran who commanded a Sherman tank and fought in the Battle of the Reichswald with the Fourth Armoured Brigade.
"I was in a tank regiment during the war and when I came out I started racing bikes for excitement," he told the Herald in 2011.
His love of motorsport came from his father who was a winner of the famous Isle of Man time trial.
"I was reasonably good at club standard but I was never going to be the superstar I wanted to be. You know what they say - those that can do it do, and those that can't talk about it. So I started talking about racing,'' Walker said.
That led to a remarkable career of more than 50 years behind the mic. Though it did see a few Walker-isms as he often took replay shots for live action.
"... and here comes Damon Hill in the Williams. This car is absolutely unique - except for the one behind it, which is exactly the same ...''
"... he's on four grooved front tyres ...''
"You can see the cooling elements coming out of his balaclava.'' To which Martin Brundle replied, "That's his hair.''
"What's that? There's a body on the track!'' To which James Hunt replied, "Um, I think that that is a piece of bodywork from someone's car.''
"So Bernie [Ecclestone], in the 17 years since you bought McLaren, which of your many achievements do you think was the most memorable?''
"Well I don't remember buying McLaren,'' said Ecclestone.
It's far too premature for the "this is our year" chants to start circulating with any genuine intent but the first match of Nathan Brown's tenure offered hope the Warriors will be a different beast in 2021.
Central Coast Stadium in Gosford, the Warriors' adopted home for the foreseeable future, turned on sweltering conditions on Saturday afternoon. Temperatures soared past 31 degrees which made drink breaks mandatory and left the big men in the middle battling for breath.
By the finish, there was only one team hacking the heat.
Tries to Bayley Sironen, one of eight new signings this season, Leeson Ah Mau and Kodi Nikorima propelled the Warriors to an impressive 19-6 opening round victory over the Gold Coast Titans, widely tipped to provide much sterner tests after luring Origin stars David Fifita and Tino Fa'asuamaleaui during the offseason.
Brown, taking the reins of his third NRL club, was expected to improve the Warriors attack by bringing back the offload and significantly bolstering the forward pack after acquiring the likes of Addin Fonua-Blake and Ben Murdoch-Masila.
Fonua-Blake impressed on club debut by carrying for 192 metres - his late footwork at the line, offloads and leg drive proving difficult to handle.
Yet this win, in the energy-sapping heat, revealed a committed defensive attitude not seen from the Warriors for some time, with constant pressure forcing frequent mistakes from the Titans, who scored their only try through Corey Thompson with six minutes remaining.
Bunty Afoa's impact off the bench and Tohu Harris' consistent efforts in the middle of the park helped lay the platform as the Warriors completed a remarkable 91 per cent of their sets (39-43) - that control merely one positive sign.
The Warriors' kicking game struggled at times but Nikorima recovered from second-half cramp to assume responsibility and steadily build on the Warriors' 6-0 halftime advantage.
The Warriors also had to battle on after losing hooker Wayde Egan and Sironen to head knocks in the second half.
While attacking highlights were few and far between in the first spell, the Warriors defence stood out.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck pulled off two try-saving tackles, Peta Hiku and new signing Sironen put on big shots. But the most impressive stand came to close out the first half, with the Warriors repelling three repeat sets on their own line.
Former Souths back-rower Sironen made an early impression with his shot forcing an error and he then scored the Warriors' first try of the season with a simple hit and spin to expose tiring Titans defence.
The Warriors could have applied more pressure in the first half but several Chanel Harris-Tavita bombs to the corner lacked height to hand over possession without a contest.Led, as always, by Ken Maumalo, the Warriors backline did a solid job of helping their pack bring the ball out of their half.
As far as starts go, Brown could not have asked for much more, not least given the Warriors have lost 17 round-one matches in their history.
Now for the consistency Brown has demanded since taking charge.
Warriors 19 (Bayley Sironen, Leeson Ah Mau, Kodi Nikorima tries; Nikorima 3 cons, Chanel Harris-Tavita field goal)
Titans 6 (Corey Thompson try; Ashley Taylor con)
HT: 6-0
text by Liam Napier, NZ Herald
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 13th March. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Ask the Question, a new segment on the DRS whereby listeners send audio messages on Whats App to the Devlin Radio Show phone number which will play on Saturday's and Sunday's - 0274843377. 0274THEDRS
Martin Devlin chats to Josh Junior, on board on of Team New Zealand and ready to go for the 36th America's Cup, starting Wednesday against Luna Rossa Prada.
Martin Devlin chats to Phil Murphy out of ESPN Australasia, reflecting on Israel Adesanya's first loss as an MMA fighter, losing in the Light Heavyweight division to Polish fighter Jan Blachowicz in Las Vegas.
Ask the Question, a new segment on the DRS whereby listeners send audio messages on Whats App to the Devlin Radio Show phone number which will play on Saturday's and Sunday's - 0274843377. 0274THEDRS
The Warriors have hatched a plan to flood New Zealand with their NRL games in 2022, and some Australian clubs are backing the move.
Warriors chief executive Cameron George plans to buy home games off their NRL opponents and play them around the country.
The club is marooned in Australia for a second season because of Covid-19 travel restrictions. Their 2021 campaign won't return to Mt Smart Stadium until June 21 at earliest, having played all their games in Australia in 2020.
They will seek compensation from the NRL but are being proactive about kick-starting the game here in 2022, planning to spend over $2.5m to acquire home game rights from opponents.
George indicated to the Herald-Sun that some opponents were willing to play ball, and he has reached out to investors to back the scheme. NRL clubs reportedly make about $250,000 per home game.
"I've already started discussing with certain NRL clubs whether they would consider selling us their home game to come to New Zealand next year," he said.
"I'm trying to build a portfolio of games to play in New Zealand next year and get as many as we can to play over there.
"For example, instead of playing the likes of the Raiders in Canberra,I'd buy that game off them and bring them to Wellington or Christchurch.
"We play 10 home games next year, plus the Magic Round in Brisbane. I'd love to buy as many away games from the Australian-based clubs and play a minimum 16 NRL games here. We'd love up to 20 games."
He is also asking the NRL to schedule as many games as possible in the prime 8pm Friday kickoff spot.
"(That) gives the game a really good launch pad - it's about relaunching the game in New Zealand, not just the Warriors," George said.
"The way to do that is to play as many games as we can in New Zealand."
Under the scheme, the NRL would pay for the Australian teams' travel, instead of what would have been the Warriors' costs.
George said that because the Warriors had paid such a high price to keep the NRL afloat during the pandemic, rival clubs had indicated a willingness to be part of the scheme to "spread the gospel"...at the right price.
The club is down about $300,000 per lost home game, and George said it had affected membership.
"We will be knocking on the NRL's door at some stage," he said.
"It has really impacted on our financial position in the short, mid and long term."
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 7th of March. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to Chiefs Assistant coach David Hill,reflecting on the back of the Chiefs opening game loss at home to the Highlanders 39 23.
Martin Devlin chats to former Australian netballer Sharelle McMahon about the Constellation Cup thats underway between New Zealand and Australia in Christchurch, as well as some of her memories of breaking kiwi hearts at the World Championships final back in 1999.
The DRS is also on What's App, and we are taking your recorded Voice Message Questions whenever, and wherever you want. The number is 0274THEDRS (0274843377). If you send through a question for Martin as an audio message to that number, we'll play it out on the show on "Ask the Question" - Saturday 6th March
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 6th March. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to Australian cricketer Ashton Agar, ahead of the 3rd T20 match of the series against the Black Caps in Wellington. The series will continue without fans for the time being, so we get Ashton's thoughts on all of that.
Ask the Question, a new segment on the DRS whereby listeners send audio messages on Whats App to the Devlin Radio Show phone number which will play on Saturday's and Sunday's - 0274843377. 0274THEDRS
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 28th February. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
If you were gathering evidence that the Blues could be the real deal in 2021, their 31-16 season-opening victory over the Hurricanes would make a strong start to the prosecution's case.
A conviction may still be ways away, but by toppling the hosts in Wellington, and doing so with a dominant set-piece performance, savvy discipline and strong defence, there are promising signs for the Blues' second Super Rugby Aotearoa campaign.
A counter-argument could be formed that their sloppy opposition provided a few helpful gifts that won't be as forthcoming on future travels. The Hurricanes, as has seemingly been their style since Covid-19 brought Super Rugby Aotearoa into existence, had problems with their discipline, giving away two deserved yellow cards, and their inexperienced halves combination struggled to give space to the likes of Ngani Laumape and promising returnee Julian Savea.
Yet, away wins in this competition are extremely valuable, and by joining the Crusaders in nabbing one in the opening week, the Blues have made an early indication that they deserve the status of the second-best team in the competition.
For years, the Blues were heavily criticised for not being able to do the little things that conventional rugby wisdom correlates with winning. But by closing out a tight game, winning the clichéd "battle up front", and managing to grind through a significant period of ugly play, the signs are good that Leon MacDonald's men have the substance to build on last season's breakout.
That ugly play consisted of a large chunk of the first half, after an electric start which saw a trio of confused Hurricanes forwards attempt to string passes together near their own goaline, Dalton Papalii pouncing on the mistake and scoring – before the Blues decided to try their own Keystone Cops routine, managing to dive over, near and underneath Asafo Aumua as he barged through five defenders and caterpillared his way to the line.
Six minutes in, and the game was alive, but the next 34 minutes were bogged down with endless penalties, scrums, and everyone's favourite – scrum penalties. The Hurricanes were the biggest culprits, with the Blues' All Blacks-laden pack dominating the scrum, and after five penalties in six minutes, James Blackwell was sent to the bin after straying offside.
Julian Savea's return – showing glimpses of his old self when given space, and even clearer flashbacks when forced to barge over defenders in no space – briefly saw him shifted to the side of the scrum, but against the odds, the Hurricanes held on, and two booming Jordie Barrett penalties gave them an 11-7 halftime lead.
It was against the run of play, but more fitting was the start to the second half, where smooth interplay led to a break from Akira Ioane, who went where few have gone before by fending off Ardie Savea. A penalty advantage followed, and a crosskick from Otere Black bounced kindly for Caleb Clarke who dotted down.
The whistle continued to favour the Blues five minutes later, as Du'Plessis Kirifi – on for the poor Vaea Fifita - was carded for what busy but communicative referee Paul Williams deemed a "cynical" breakdown infringement on his own line.
By then, the well-performed propping duo of James Lay and Nepo Laulala had been replaced by Karl Tu'inukuafe and Ofa Tuungafasi, but their supremacy was just as obvious, as the resulting scrum led to a three-on-one overlap which Stephen Perofeta – impressive on return from injury – finished off.
Down by 10, Aumua's second try – firing out of a stalled lineout drive like a bullet – gave the Hurricanes a chance, but their discipline continued to let them down, with an Otere Black penalty making the buffer a safe eight, before Rieko Ioane pounced on a knock-on from a crosskick and raced 65 metres to seal a victory that should be one of many for the Blues in 2021.
Blues 31 (Dalton Papalii, Caleb Clarke, Stephen Perofeta, Rieko Ioane tries; Otere Black 4 cons, pen)
Hurricanes 16 (Asafo Aumua 2 tries...
New Zealand boxing heavyweight Joseph Parker has claimed a unanimous points victory over countryman Junior Fa but the boxing world has erupted over crazy scores.
The former WBO titleholder was expected to claim the victory over the undefeated Fa but amid countless clinches and a largely even match, many believed it would head right down to the wire if it went to the cards.
But it wouldn't be boxing without an insane scorecard with Parker claiming the victory with a 119-109, 115-113 and 117-111 win.
One of the commentators said "Sorry, 119-109, one of those judges needs a new prescription".
The Athletic's boxing insider Mike Coppinger called the 119-109 card "outrageous" adding "seemed like a close fight. Certainly not a memorable one".
US boxing producer Mark Ortega called it "One of the worst meaningful heavyweight fights I've seen in a while but it might just be because it's 3 AM."
Before the fight even happened, Parker was eyeing off Derek Chisora and the winner of the Oleksandr Usyk and Joe Joyce WBO interim title fight believed to be scheduled later this year.
"I'm open to fighting anyone," Parker told Sky Sports News. "But with the talks from my promoter, Eddie Hearn and Matchroom and with [manager] David Higgins, they've got a clear pathway for me this year.
"Take care of Junior, then fighting Chisora, then fighting the winner of Usyk and Joyce."
Despite only two losses in his boxing career against Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte, some fans felt Parker didn't show anywhere near enough to give any of the top fighters an issue.
Joseph Parker remains king of the New Zealand heavyweights and on track to push towards the best fighters in the world division after securing a unanimous decision victory over Junior Fa.
Fa, a 6-1 underdog, defied predictions of a knockout by lasting the distance with former amateur foe Parker, more than holding his own over the course of the 12 rounds in the headline event at Spark Arena on Saturday night.
Not even a gaping cut above his right eye could deter Fa from having a crack at a major upset in the biggest New Zealand heavyweight fight since David Tua floored Shane Cameron in 2009.
Hours after Prime Minster Jacinda Ardern plunged Auckland back into Level 3 lockdown for seven days, the three judges all favoured Parker with cards of 109-119, 113-115, 111-117.
This was far from the statement performance Parker sought but it keeps his hopes alive of mounting another charge for a title, with Dereck Chisora expected to be next in line.
Crucially the victory, in-front of a near capacity crowd, preserves Parker's third ranking with the WBO and sets up bigger fights to come.
Fa, following the first defeat of his career, in his 20th professional fight, will need to regroup and assess where to next. The 31-year-old proved his durability but probably needs to come forward more and let his hands go to challenge elite opponents.
There was no evidence of ring rust despite both boxers being out of the ring for over one year.
From the opening bell urgency was evident with a fast pace set. Fa used his significant height and reach advantage to try control the distance with his jab, but also landed some decent shots on Parker.
Parker came forward, regularly getting on the inside, to successfully target Fa's body and string combinations together while attempting to load up his right hand.
Rounds two and three continued the theme of Parker the aggressor as he staked Fa around the ring. Fa was largely content to sit back and counter and, in doing so, copped some heavy blows. He did, however, regain poise to return fire on occasions.
In perhaps a way of sending a message Fa did not sit between rounds, preferring to catch his breath on his feet while Parker used the stool to take in instructions from trainer Kevin Barry.
Fatigue started to show in the fifth round with both fighters taking time to gather themselves.
Fa began round six by catching Parker with a strong shot that sparked a burst on confidence within the underdog challenger. Suddenly Fa was more aggressive, pressing forward and connecting several more times to deliver easily his best round of the contest.
Rounds seven and eight were even affairs as Parker regained his come forward approach to land some heavy shots but Fa's movement made him difficult to pin down.
A big overhand right from Parker in round nine grazed Fa but the elbow that followed the punch opened up a gaping cut above Fa's left eye. Despite the best efforts of his corner blood poured from Fa's eye through the remaining rounds.
Sensing he may be in strife, Fa emerged with intent in round 10 to land several telling shots on Parker - one straight right in particular an impressive blow.
Chants of "Junior, Junior" rang out during the 11th round as sections of the crowd warmed to the heart Fa portrayed as he bit down on his mouthguard and Parker struggled to land clean shots, especially with his favoured right hand.
The final round featured a flurry of punches, with neither fighter getting the upper hand.
Earlier in the night on the all-Kiwi undercard heavyweights Hemi Ahio and Julius Long put on an entertaining slugfest that, while could not be called a highly skilled battle, did not lack heavy hands.
Detroit native Long, who was knocked out in the second round by British Olympic champion Audley Harrison in 2002, dropped Ahio with an upper cut in the fourth round.
Ahio was not down for long, though. The pair traded further big blows until Ahio caught Long flush on the jaw with a brutal left shot that sent the b...
Martin Devlin chats to heavyweight boxer Junior Fa, ahead of his own Fight of the Century against fellow kiwi Joseph Parker.
Martin Devlin chats to Highlanders coach Tony Brown, fresh off the back of their opening round loss Super Rugby Aotearoa to the Crusaders at Forsyth Barr stadium in Dunedin.
Ask the Question, a new segment on the DRS whereby listeners send audio messages on Whats App to the Devlin Radio Show phone number which will play on Saturday's and Sunday's - 0274843377. 0274THEDRS
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm - compacted into a podcast for Saturday 27th February. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to Black Caps batsman Devon Conway about where he and the side are at ahead of the T20 series against Australia starting Monday in Christchurch.
Ask the Question, a new segment on the DRS whereby listeners send audio messages on Whats App to the Devlin Radio Show phone number which will play on Saturday's and Sunday's - 0274843377. 0274THEDRS
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk Zb on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday, 21st February. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to former Manchester United and England striker Andy Cole about his latest book, Fast Forward. Andy discusses the current state of football in England, what sort of mentality is required to win back to back titles in the Premier League and the continued racism that unfortunately still exists in English football.
Ask the Question, a new segment on the DRS whereby listeners send audio messages on Whats App to the Devlin Radio Show phone number which will play on Saturday's and Sunday's - 0274843377. 0274THEDRS
Martin Devlin chats to Isa Guha, the former women's International cricketer now making waves in broadcasting, as one of the best cricket commentators on the planet.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 20th February.
The DRS, with Miles Davis, standing in for Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB from 7pm until 8pm on Monday, compacted into a podcast for Monday 15th February. On Newstalk ZB.
Miles Davis, standing in for Martin Devlin chats to Black Caps selector Gavin Larsen about the Black Caps T20 side named to take on the Australians this summer.
Miles Davis, standing in for Martin Devlin chats to former Premier League and Australian International Robbie Slater, about the Wellington Phoenix's early season struggles and his nomadic career playing football in England and mainland Europe.
Miles Davis, standing in for Martin Devlin chats to TVNZ America's Cup expert Peter Lester ahead of the opening races of the Prada Cup final.
Scotland posted its first win at Twickenham since 1983 by beating error-strewn titleholder England 11-6 in a dominant performance that shook the Six Nations on the opening day Saturday.
On the 150-year anniversary of the oldest international rugby fixture — also won by the Scots, in a 20-a-side match in Edinburgh — the Dark Blues outplayed their biggest rivals in every department, with the only surprise being the narrow margin of victory.
Ultimately, a first-half try by winger Duhan van der Merwe proved the difference but the contrast between the teams couldn't have been starker in a one-sided match played in the rain in an empty stadium because of the pandemic.
England barely got near the tryline as Scotland enjoyed 65% possession and 70% territory. It was only three missed goalkicks by Finn Russell and Stuart Hogg, as well as some desperate English defense, that kept the scoreline close.
The roars of delight from Scotland's players when England winger Jonny May fumbled a kick deep in his own half for a knock-on four minutes from time told its own story. The game was up for Eddie Jones' side and it was another sloppy handling error that went with a total of 15 penalties conceded by England, nine of them coming in the first 25 minutes.
"It's amazing for us," said Scotland captain Stuart Hogg, clutching the Calcutta Cup. "We believed in each other and to a man deserved it.
"We got excited during the week because we knew we could put in a performance. If we got everything right, we stood a chance of winning."
And that was clear by the half-hour mark, with the Scots having had more than treble the number of carries (52-15) and made almost triple the amount of meters gained.
That they were only two points ahead at 8-6 must have been painful, then, but that dominance continued into the second half, with the boys in blue visibly slicker and sharper.
"We were not at the races today," Jones said. "I take responsibility. I didn't prepare the team well enough. We just had one of those days. We don't have many, but we had a bad day today."
Perhaps Jones will rue selecting five players from Saracens, the English club that was demoted from the country's top division last season for breaching salary-cap regulations and hasn't played a single league game this season because of coronavirus restrictions.
It meant the quintet's last competitive match was two months ago in the Autumn Nations Cup final against France, except for No. 8 Billy Vunipola who played in a cup game for Saracens last month.
"They got a fair bit of momentum off the back of a few penalties from us and they kept us out," said England captain Owen Farrell, one of the Saracens contingent. "We didn't get a proper foothold in the game."
That general lack of match sharpness contributed to England's high early penalty count, the last of them — for a high tackle on Russell — earning Vunipola 10 minutes in the sin-bin.
The Scots were 3-0 ahead by that point, thanks to Russell's sixth-minute penalty, and took advantage of their numerical superiority by scoring a 30th-minute try through Van der Merwe following a sweeping move from the right to his left wing.
Receiving the ball near the touchline, Van der Merwe shrugged off Elliot Daly as he came inside off his left foot, barged through the challenges of Farrell and Mark Wilson, and had enough momentum to ground for a try Russell couldn't convert.
England responded with some rare territory and a penalty from Farrell, before Russell was sin-binned in the 38th for tripping Ben Youngs after the England scrumhalf threw a dummy and drifted inside the flyhalf.
Scotland conceded only three points while a man down, however — Farrell's resulting penalty — and Russell had only just returned to the field by the time England conceded another penalty for offside while under pressure in their own 22.
Russell booted it for 11-6 and Scotland's line wouldn't be threatened thereafter.
"There was just a calmness about the way we played," Scotland...
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 7th of February. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Super Bowl LV (that's 55 for the Roman numeral illiterate), kicks off in Tampa on Monday with the defending champions the Kansas City Chiefs taking on Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Quarterback clash
There has never been a Super Bowl matchup of accomplished quarterbacks quite like the one between Tampa Bay's Brady and Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes.
This will be the sixth Super Bowl matchup between former AP NFL MVPs, the second between former Super Bowl MVP winning quarterbacks and the first between players who had previously won both awards.
Brady has won a record six Super Bowl titles, four Super MVPs and three league MVP awards since becoming starter in New England in 2001.
Mahomes is just getting started in his career and already has one league MVP and one Super Bowl MVP to his credit and is back in the title game for the second time.
Brady was also part of the only previous matchup of Super Bowl MVPs losing a rematch to Eli Manning and the New York Giants in 2011.
This will also be the second time in NFL history that the past two championship quarterbacks are facing off in the title game. The only other time it happened came in 1943 when Washington's Sammy Baugh faced Chicago's Sid Luckman. Baugh had won the title with Washington in 1942 and Luckman with the Bears in 1941.
Brady is also the fourth quarterback to start Super Bowls for two franchises, joining Peyton Manning (Indianapolis and Denver), Kurt Warner (Rams and Arizona) and Craig Morton (Dallas and Denver).
The other players
For the Chiefs, one of Mahomes main targets is tight end Travis Kelce who has 11 touchdowns to his name this season. Tyreek Hill leads the way with 15 receiving touchdowns along with two on the ground - he scored three touchdowns in the week 12 clash with Tampa Bay. Rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire has impressed in his first season but didn't feature much in the previous win over the Bills.
On the defensive end of the ball Tyrann Mathieu has been one of the best cornerbacks in the game for a number of years and has hauled in six interceptions this season.
Wide receiver Mike Evans is the biggest threat for the Buccaneers with 13 touchdowns this season. Fellow wide receiver Chris Goodwin and Brady's old tight end teammate from New England Rob Gronkowski both have received seven touchdowns.
Tampa Bay running back Ronald Jones II has run in seven touchdowns this season with four games over 100 yards gained but suffered a chest injury in their last game. Veteran running back Leonard Fournette has done well in sharing the duties in the playoffs.
The Buccaneers have several defensive threats in linebackers Lavonte David, Shaquil Barrett, Devin White and Jason Pierre-Paul who will be tasked with stopping Mahomes.
Home advantage
The Bucs will be the first team to play the Super Bowl at their home stadium, although two others got to play for the title in their home markets.
In the 1979 season, the Los Angeles Rams went to the Super Bowl against Pittsburgh at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, where they lost 31-19 to the Steelers.
Five years later, the San Francisco 49ers won the title just a few miles south of their home at Candlestick Park with a 38-16 win over the Miami Dolphins at Stanford Stadium.
With a win on Monday, the Bucs will be the first team in the NFL, NBA, NHL or Major League Baseball to win it all at its home venue since the Golden State Warriors did it in the 2017 NBA Finals against Cleveland. Every title since then was clinched on the road or in a neutral site at the Super Bowl or in a coronavirus bubble.
The last time the NFL champion finished the season by winning a title at its own stadium came in the 1965 season when Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers beat the Cleveland Browns 23-12 at Lambeau Field in the final season before the Super Bowl.
Covid crowd
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the expected attendance is 25,000. Raymond James Stadium was set to hold an expanded crowd of 75,000. That means the ga...
Forget about aces or double-faults, winners or unforced errors: The statistic that has come to mean the most in tennis these days is "Grand Slam titles won."
Which is why so much attention will be paid to Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams at the Australian Open.
Play begins at Melbourne Park on Monday, with Williams and Djokovic among those on the schedule and Nadal's first-round match set for Day 2. Each match for each member of that trio is a possible step on the way to some history.
"People love records, don't they?" said Chris Evert, an 18-time major champion who now is an ESPN analyst. "I, for one, think that too much is made of Grand Slam wins."
This is Nadal's first chance to grab sole possession of the men's mark for most Grand Slam singles titles. He pulled even with Roger Federer at 20 by winning the French Open in October, beating Djokovic in a lopsided final. ( Federer is still sidelined after two knee operations).
A second Australian Open trophy also would allow Nadal to become the first man in the Open era to win each Grand Slam tournament at least twice. He has 13 championships at Roland Garros, four at the U.S. Open, two at Wimbledon.
He still would have work to do to catch Williams: She already has 23 Slam singles titles (plus 14 in doubles and two in mixed doubles), the most by anyone in the Open era. Only one player owns more: Margaret Court, with 24 — 11 after professionals were admitted to major tournaments.
"It's definitely on my shoulders and on my mind," Williams said about 24. "I think it's good to be on my mind. I think it's a different burden, I should say, on my shoulders, because I'm used to it now."
And even if Williams' tour of a room where some of her hardware is displayed lit up social media, she made a point of explaining she finds other ways to define her value.
"My life is way more than a trophy. There's way more to me than a championship," said Williams, who turns 40 in September and last won a major title at the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant. "For me, every time I step on the court, I know I'm this tennis player, but at the same time I'm a mom, I'm a human."
She lost in the third round in Australia a year ago, then was hampered by an Achilles issue during a semifinal loss at the U.S. Open. That same problem forced her to withdraw from the French Open before the second round.
For Djokovic, in addition to trying to break his own record for most men's titles at the Australian Open by getting No. 9, and trying to ensure he will eclipse Federer for most weeks at No. 1 in the ATP rankings, there is the matter of closing the Grand Slam gap.
Adding another major championship would give him 18 — two behind Federer and Nadal.
Other things to know about the 2021 Australian Open:
COVID-19
There aren't plans to regularly test players; 30,000 spectators will be allowed on the grounds per day, 50% of usual capacity but 30,000 more than at last year's U.S. Open. Still, the coronavirus pandemic will surely be a constant talking point the next two weeks. "I got a lot of messages from people in Europe saying, 'What's going on? Why are you not wearing a mask?' They were, like, 'What's happening?'" said 2020 runner-up Garbiñe Muguruza, a Spaniard. "And I was explaining that here, fortunately, they did well, and there is no cases, and that's why people are having a normal life." One issue that could be key: The lack of normal pre-tournament practice and preparation could lead to lackluster play or injuries.
ELECTRONIC CALLS
For the first time at a major tennis tournament, every match will be played without line judges present. Instead, calls will be made electronically. Most matches at the U.S. Open were done this way, but the two biggest courts retained the human element — and Djokovic was disqualified after smacking a ball that inadvertently struck a lineswoman in the throat.
RECENT CHAMPS
Sofia Kenin, a 22-year-old American, will be defending her first Grand Slam title. Iga Swiat...
Martin Devlin chats to Blues CEO Andrew Hore, on the back of the announcement that Warrior Roger Tuivasa-Sheck has signed a two year deal to play Rugby with the Blues side from 2022.
Martin Devlin chats to former Roosters and Australian Rugby League great Anthony Minichiello about his time playing with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, who has now opted to leave Rugby League for the 15 man code and chase his All Black dream.
Martin Devlin chats to American Magic Helmsman Dean Barker, a week on from their elimination from the Prada Cup semi-finals - about where it all went wrong and his future as a helmsman in the America's Cup.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm compacted into a podcast for Saturday 6th February. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck could make his rugby union revival earlier than expected, turning out for Auckland in this year's Mitre 10 Cup, before joining the Blues in 2022.
Tuivasa-Sheck will complete this year's NRL season, but he's expected to skip the rugby league World Cup in October in England, to fasttrack his return to the 15-man code.
The NRL grand final's scheduled for October 3rd, while the Mitre 10 Cup window is set for September 11 until November 27 -- giving Tuivasa-Sheck plenty of time to begin his rugby union comeback with Auckland.
NZ Herald writer Liam Napier joined Elliott Smith to discuss.
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Zoi Sadowski-Synnott will leave the Aspen X-Games with two medals.
The Kiwi snowboarder has claimed bronze in the big air, combining her two best attempts of 44 and 42 for a total of 86 points.
The 19-year-old secured silver in the slopestyle over the weekend.
The Olympic bronze medalist won gold in the slopestyle and silver in big air in 2019 at Aspen.
Fellow Winter Olympian Nico Porteous won gold in the freeski superpipe.
Sadowski-Synnott joined Elliott Smith to discuss her winning weekend.
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The DRS, with Elliott Smith standing in in place of Martin Devlin, on Newstalk ZB on Monday evenings from 7pm until 8pm, compacted into a podcast for Monday the 1st of Feb.
Martin Devlin chats to leading Indian cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle, about the quality of this current Indian side and whats in store for International cricket in 2021.
Martin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Martin Devlin chats to the Head of Medical and Sports Science at Tottenham Hotspur, Geoff Scott. He's a New Zealander who has been with the club for close to 20 years, working alongside the likes of Harry Redknapp and Jose Mourinho.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck's move to rugby union is a "bolt from the blue" but the timing is right.
The NRL superstar today confirmed reports of his stunning code switch, with the 27-year-old to be released from his Warriors contract at the end of the 2021 NRL season to move to the 15-man game.
He has yet to sign with a franchise, with the Blues understood to be the hot favourites for his signature as he attempts to make the All Blacks ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Tuivasa-Sheck said his desire to move back to rugby has been long held.
"It's always been there. It's no secret. Rugby is a game that I grew up playing ... [It felt like] the right time and to have the club support, that's why I chose to do it now."
Rugby union commentator Tony Johnson told The Devlin Radio Show that if Tuivasa-Sheck is serious, he needs to provide himself with take-up time.
He says the key is the transition - and cites Benji Marshall as an example of the wrong way to do the change.
"I don't know who's idea it was, but not to give him time, just chucking him straight into the Blues, they got that all wrong.
"As long as they manage the transition right - if it is the Blues, it becomes a very good signing for them."
Johnson says there's no guarantee he could become an All Black, but a player of his calibre would likely make the team.
He says that the All Blacks and NZ Rugby are not in a position to make any promises to anyone, but it will be excited
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America's Cup teams are more likely to turn towards Olympic medalists and world champions when selecting helmsman in the future.
Dean Barker has said he is unsure whether he wants to go around for another America's Cup cycle.
The Kiwi helmsman's campaign with American Magic has ended after a 4-nil whitewash by Luna Rossa in the challenger semi-finals.
Barker says it's too soon to know what's next for him.
"America's Cup will never be out of system. I can't really say what the future holds right now. It takes it's toll, for sure."
AUT Sailing Professor Mark Orams told The Devlin Radio Show that this has been a three and a half year campaign that will need to be reviewed, not just the last few weeks, and Barker's future will be determined during that process.
However, he says that they need someone more like a Peter Burling as helmsman - younger, world champion, Olympic medallist - and American Magic has that in Paul Goodison.
"The future of the America's Cup sailors, in this foiling generation, doesn't look like a near 50-year-old, experienced statesman. It looks like a young up and coming guy, full of confidence, fighter-pilot type aggression in the way they approach the sailing."
"Dean Barker still has value - he's very experienced, very respected - but in my view, it would probably be more view as a coach or someone who sat on the management of the team."
He says there are 150 members of American Magic, not just Baker, but the helmsman usually gets most of the blame.
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Martin Devlin chats to New Zealand winter sports athlete Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, fresh off the back of a silver medal in the slopestyle event at the 2021 X Games in Aspen, Colorado.
Martin Devlin chats to former Warriors coach Tony Kemp about the departure of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck to Rugby Union at the end of this Rugby League season, and what it means for both the Warriors and NZ Rugby.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast, for Saturday 30th January. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
There are still a little under two months to go until the NRL returns for another year - but the Warriors are already settled in at Tamworth for another season spent on the other side of the Tasman.
Tohu Harris joined Martin Devlin to discuss what it's like being back in Australia.
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A former coach of the Springboks believes the chances of this year's tour by the British and Irish Lions proceeding as planned are minimal.
Covid infection rates remain high in South Africa and there's no vaccine rollout schedule.
Heyneke Meyer, who coached the 'Boks to the 2015 World Cup, told Martin Devlin it would require a pretty rapid turnaround for the tour to be held in South Africa.
"At this stage in lockdown, we can't sell any liquor, bars closed, everything's closed.
"I can't see these people coming down, touring the country, and being in such close contact."
One option is for the tour to move to the United Kingdom, but it's thought rugby bosses there are cooling on the idea given the prospect of full stadia is unlikely.
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INEOS Team UK has its sights set on taking a big step towards winning the Prada Cup this afternoon.
The British challenger will top the round robin standings and advance directly through to the final if it beats Luna Rossa.
A win for the Italians will set up a deciding race tomorrow.
Peter "PJ" Montgomery joins Martin Devlin to preview the race.
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Martin Devlin chats to Aussie commentator Greg Martin about India’s magnificent win against Australia along with players making headlines complaining about quantising for the 2021 Australian Open.
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Former Australian tennis player and Kooyong Classic tournament director Peter Johnston joins Martin Devlin to give us an update on the latest with the 2021 Australian Open.
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Legendary Australian cricketer Steve Waugh joins Martin Devlin to talk about his playing career in India, and the release of his new book 'The Spirit of Cricket - India'.
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Martin Devlin chats to the Brooklyn Nets Beat Writer for the Athletic, Alex Schiffer. Alex talks about the much-talked about trade of James Harden from the Hornets to the Nets and how much of an influence Sean Marks has had in attracting the star-studded roster that he has.
Martin Devlin chats AUT Sailing Professor Mark Orams, about America Magic's capsize yesterday, if he thinks they'll be ready for the semi-finals in 11 days and how much responsibility Dean Barker should take in the dramatic capsize.
Martin Devlin chats to former Team New Zealand and Alinghi tactician Brad Butterworth, about what he's made of the first two days of America's Cup Prada Cup racing.
Last month, Black Cap Tim Southee joined an exclusive club of New Zealanders - achieving 300 test wickets.
He sits behind only Sir Richard Hadlee (431) and Daniel Vettori ONZM (362) on New Zealand's all-time list.
Southee reached the achievement in his 13th season with the team, having first played for the Black Caps in 2008 when he was 19.
He joined Martin Devlin to discuss the achievement and how playing for the Black Caps has always been his dream, why he isn't letting the record go to his head, and adjusting to being part of a national team at a young age.
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The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 17th January. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
There were no augmented reality graphics projected on to yesterday's America's Cup broadcast images after a copyright stoush over the technology has led to a protest by the provider.
Sir Ian Taylor decided to pull his company's Virtual Eye Live AR feature, which measures the distance between competing boats, for today's Prada Cup event.
The graphics protest only lasted yesterday.
Taylor's Animation Research company will not provide the technology to media production companies Circle-O and Riedel Communications for the broadcast after they paid a copyright fee to Sir Russell Coutts' competing SailGP company to continue to use the technology.
Coutts' SailGP took legal steps earlier this week to stop Sir Ian Taylor's Animation Research graphics being used for the Prada Cup and the America's Cup.
Coutts claimed his company owned copyright over the superimposed LiveLine graphics that are overlaid on live footage of racing action.
Sir Russell Coutts. Photo / Getty Images
In an attempt to resolve the dispute, Circle-O and Riedel Communications yesterday decided to pay an appropriate IP licensing fee to Coutts' SailGP to settle the dispute.
But Sir Ian Taylor was not happy with this pay out - insisting SailGP has no right to be paid for the technology.
"We have been forced to take this step, which will only apply to today's racing, because of the deal that Riedel and CircleO did with the Sir Russell Coutts owned company, SailGP, where they have agreed to pay a License Fee to SailGP for graphics we totally dispute that they own the copyright to," Taylor said today in a written statement.
"The graphics that were seen on the coverage yesterday are totally original works of ARL and we reject entirely the decisions taken by Riedel and CircleO to pay Sir Russell to give us the rights to use them."
"We only found out about the deal when I was contacted by media yesterday asking me about a press release from SailGP that they had come to an agreement with Riedel and CircleO that they had withdrawn their claims because Riedel had paid Sail GP a license fee and in return Riedel and CircleO would now partner with Russell on the SailGP sailing event Russell set up after Emirates Team New Zealand won the Cup off him in Bermuda."
"The one thing I agree with Sir Russell is that everyone has the right to protect their intellectual property. We invested $1million on developing this solution, and when you add that to the millions we have spent over the past 30 years, we have a lot to defend."
Sir Ian Taylor, the founder of Animation Research. Photo / Dean Purcell
Initial High Court action threat
The Herald this week broke the news that Coutts' sailing interests Oracle Racing and F50 League LLC, which trades as SailGP, had alleged copyright infringement over graphics used by Taylor's Animation Research Limited (ARL) during racing last month.
The graphics allegedly used were what is known as the LiveLine system of augmented reality broadcasting, which were overlaid on live footage of racing action.
The Coutts-led companies threatened High Court action if the graphics were used in broadcasting the 36th America's Cup, which Animation Research has been contracted to provide.
The most successful helmsman in America's Cup history said he was wishing to "safeguard the IP [intellectual property] that we invested millions of dollars to develop over the last decade" but preferred not to be forced to use the courts.
But Taylor disputes the claim. He says the two Coutts-led companies are asserting copyright based on imagery ARL created in 1992 and that has been used in every America's Cup since then - including in 1995 when Coutts famously made "the America's Cup, New Zealand's Cup".
"We have delivered those graphics for events where he has also raced against New Zealand, starting with him taking the Cup away from New Zealand with Alinghi (Switzerland) in 2003 and then winning it off Alinghi for BMW Oracle (USA) in 2010," Taylor said.
Taylor, who was recen...
Martin Devlin chats to former Australian fast bowler Brendon Julian, reflecting on the much-talked about 3rd test between Australia and India and Tim Paine's comments from behind the stumps to Indian player Ravichandran Ashwin.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sundays from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday, 16th January. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Jason Pine, standing in for Martin Devlin chats to Adam Bridge out of Talksport in the UK, about the latest round of matches in the FA Cup and the likelihood of football continuing on this season with Covid 19 starting to affect the schedule.
Jason Pine chats to author Mark Williams, who co-wrote the book The Best: How Elite Athletes Are Made about the book and some of the key takeouts he took from it.
The Tight 5, with Jason Pine and Thomas as they dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Steven Adams is already making his mark on his new team New Orleans Pelicans, and this week he managed a career-first achievement.
Adams finished the 111-110 loss with a triple-double, scoring 10 points to go with 11 rebounds and a career-high 10 assists. Coming into the game, Adams' career high in assists was six – a number he set while playing for Oklahoma City last season.
It's the latest in a string of strong performances for Adams since joining the Pelicans this year.
While the season is only eight games deep, Adams has made his mark on his new team across the floor, shooting at a career-best 65 per cent success rate from the field.
Pelicans beat writer Will Guillory for The Athletic New Orleans joined Jason Pine to discuss Adams' first games.
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Kyle Jamieson believes a return home has been a massive reason for his rise in international cricket.
The 26-year-old has consistently delivered at a world-class all-round level since debuting against India in February.
The New Zealand fast bowler now has 36 wickets at a bowling average of 13.27 and a batting average of 56.50 in six tests.
Born and bred in Auckland, Jamieson played two seasons for Canterbury, before signing with the Aces for the 2019 domestic campaign.
"The environment that I found myself in there has been very helpful and the coaches up there, their knowledge has certainly expanded my eyes in term of ways of improving, so they deserve a lot of credit.
"Also the group of players as well."
The breakout star of this year's summer tests also feels he's timed his run to perfection.
Jamieson says he doubts he would've been ready to play for New Zealand, after being included as injury cover for the tour of Australia 13 months ago.
"I think I was still a long way off.
"The learnings I took out of those couple of weeks certainly helped me when I came back certainly helped, and I guess trying to work on a few things before I actually played international cricket."
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The Tight 5, with Jason Pine and Thomas, where they dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Warriors captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck insists there's less worry amongst the players as they embark on another stay in Australia.
The New Zealand-based players have flown to New South Wales to link up with the other half of the playing group, and will continue preparations ahead of the 2021 NRL season.
Tuivasa-Sheck told Elliot Smith they're excited to be reunited.
"The sense of worry is quite low at the moment as everything's planned. It's a lot better this time around as we've planned it and we know what's going on and what we're in for, so more excited this time around."
And while he'll have to wait a little bit longer, Tuivasa-Sheck will have his family by his side this time.
By the end of the 2020 season he was the only player without his family in Australia.
Tuivasa-Sheck says they will fly over during the team's second move.
"Our first move will be Tamworth where we will bunk up almost like a camp for a month, and then relocate to Central Coast, where I think most of the family will be joining at that point."
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Son Heung-min reached a century of Tottenham goals as his team ended a four-game winless run in the Premier League, and Arsenal surged to a third successive victory that allays relegation jitters in a bright start to 2021 for the north London rivals on Saturday.
Alexandre Lacazette scored twice in a 4-0 rout of West Bromwich Albion that took Arsenal up to 11th place.
Tottenham is six points better off in third place after Son scored and got an assist in a 3-0 victory over Leeds.
Sheffield United remains winless 17 games into the season after losing 2-0 at Crystal Palace. The most goals of the day came on the south coast with Brighton fighting back from a two-goal deficit to snatch a 3-3 draw with Wolverhampton.
SON-KANE COMBO
Son and Harry Kane equalled the Premier League record for most goal combinations in a season, levelling Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton's tally of 13 from 1994-95.
This was achieved with another 22 games to go. After Kane had opened the scoring from the penalty spot, he teed up Son for his landmark goal.
With all stadiums denied fans due to pandemic restrictions, the South Korean could only celebrate his 100th goal with teammates.
Son returned the plaudits by setting up the third. Toby Alderweireld benefited from Illan Meslier's error as the Leeds goalkeeper allowed a header from Son's corner to squirm in for the third in the second half.
It was the first time Spurs scored three times in a league game since they drew 3-3 with West Ham in October as the shackles finally came off after a month of sitting on leads.
"We could have scored more goals," Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho said. "We had good opportunities to score, and not just from the traditional Sonny and Kane."
ARSENAL RAMPANT
After snow was cleared from the Hawthorns pitch, Arsenal swept aside a hapless West Brom.
Kieran Tierney curled in the opener from 15 yards (meters) after beating Darnell Furlong before cutting in.
Bukayo Saka was part of a flowing move with Emile Smith Rowe and Lacazette before tapping in the second before halftime.
Lacazette made it 3-0 after 61 minutes when Saka's cross caused chaos. His delivery was turned onto his own post by Semi Ajayi, Smith Rowe's follow-up was blocked and Lacazette fired in the rebound from 10 yards. Lacazette was on target again when he turned in Tierney's cross from close range.
West Brom has now conceded nine goals in its last two games, to leave Sam Allardyce's new side next-to-last in the league.
WONDER GOAL
A five-game winless run ended for Palace thanks to a meeting with the league's worst team and a wonder goal from Ebere Eze after Jeffrey Schlupp's deflected opener.
Eze collected James McArthur's pass deep inside his own half and skipped past Oliver Norwood before he did the same to Ethan Ampadu and then produced a measured curled finish into the bottom corner beyond Aaron Ramsdale from 20 yards.
Palace manager Roy Hodgson played Luka Milivojevic despite his captain breaching government guidelines at a New Year Eve's party.
BRIGHTON RECOVERY
After Aaron Connolly's early opener, Brighton capitulated against Wolves — conceding from Romain Saiss' header, an own-goal from Dan Burn and a penalty from Ruben Neves after Burn brought down Adama Traore.
But Neal Maupay won and converted a penalty before Lewis Dunk headed in the equalizer to secure a draw that took Brighton three points clear of the relegation zone, albeit having played two games more than 18th-place Fulham.
Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo was frustrated to throw away two points having been in such a commanding position.
A very unfamiliar start to 2021 for ASB Classic director Karl Budge.
This time of year typically marks the start of the women's draw at the tennis tournament, and a week before the men's one gets underway.
But in October - due to Covid-related concerns - the event had to be cancelled for 2021, ridding New Zealand of its premier tennis event.
Budge admitted to Elliot Smith it hurts.
"It's obviously been a tough year for a lot of people in our industry. A lot of great events weren't able to go ahead, but we've been really buoyed by the support we've had."
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Neil Wagner's replacement for the second cricket test against Pakistan appears a straight choice between Daryl Mitchell and Matt Henry.
New Zealand coach Gary Stead has told the DRS the Black Caps are again likely to play three seamers alongside spinner Mitchell Santner.
Stead says it will be a tough choice between allrounder Mitchell and Henry for the third seamer's spot.
"If Matt Henry plays with us, we'll ask him to do the best Matt Henry job he can do, and we know he's also been very successful here at Hagley."
Stead expects plenty of bounce in the Hagley Oval pitch in Christchurch, where the second test begins tomorrow.
But Stead says after having his first look at the pitch, it's not as green as the one used last summer on the ground against India.
"Probably describe it as less grassy then wickets I've seen here in the past, just in terms of the Indian test match we played last year which did plenty and was very, very quick."
"I still expect it to be a good pacy, bouncy wicket."
LISTEN ABOVE
There will be no easing into the new season for the Wellington Phoenix when they open their 2020/21 A-League football campaign tonight.
After their best regular-season finish in 2019/20, Wellington welcome defending champions Sydney FC to their temporary home of WIN Stadium in Wollongong.
The Sky Blues were the only side the Phoenix didn't beat last season, losing twice and drawing the other meeting between the two.
But head coach Ufuk Talay - who joined Wellington from Sydney FC at the start of last season - is undaunted by that record.
"Last season we played our best games against Sydney," Talay said.
"We play a very similar style. We let them go a couple of times when we had them by the throat.
"Sydney are a very settled squad - they've had the same squad for quite a while - but it's a great occasion to play the champions in the first game.
"The boys will definitely be up for it. We're very excited and can't wait to start."
Covid-19 has forced the Phoenix to relocate to Wollongong, 90km south of Sydney, and while there's hope they may play some games in New Zealand if a transtasman travel bubble opens, plans are in place to stay in Australia until June.
But in a marked change from last season, where the side also lived across the Tasman to complete their campaign, the players and coaching staff have sourced their own accommodation as they try to create as much normality as possible. Several have their wives or partners with them, with the likes of David Ball and Luke DeVere shifting their families to Wollongong.
On the field, Talay has had to deal with the departures of a quartet of key players from last season with defenders Libby Cacace and Steven Taylor, midfielder Matti Steinmann and striker Gary Hooper all gone, along with utilities Callan Elliot and Callum McCowatt.
The Phoenix mentor has proven himself to be a canny recruiter though, and has brought seasoned Israeli striker Tomer Hemed and age-group Australian international Josh Laws to the club, along with Kiwi Clayton Lewis and young attacker Mirza Muratovic. James McGarry and Matthew Ridenton also return for a second spell.
Some of the standouts from last season in All Whites goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic, dependable defender DeVere, combative midfielder Cam Devlin, Mexican star Ulises Davila and workhorse English attacker Ball are all back.
One area where Talay wants to see improvement is in front of goal, with Wellington scoring just 38 goals in 27 games last season.
"We created a lot of scoring opportunities last season," noted Talay.
"If we can be more clinical this season - whether that's against Sydney or any other team - we'll be headed in the right direction."
Talay's tenure as Phoenix coach could hardly have started in worse fashion, with Wellington losing their first four matches last season. But a nine-game unbeaten run, and a stretch of 16 matches during which they lost just twice, propelled the Phoenix to third on the ladder before Covid hit. Wellington were being talked about as title contenders, but failed to recapture that form when the season resumed and dipped out in week one of the finals.
"Pre-season has been good, playing some A-League opponents," said Talay.
"Also, not having to start from scratch has been very important to us, building on what we achieved last season.
"Having the core of the group has helped to continue the work we did last season and the new players have settled in very quickly.
"They're new faces but they've played alongside each other in the All Whites."
Whether Hemed is fit enough to start the opening game remains to be seen, with the 34-year-old joining his new side from quarantine less than three weeks ago.
New captain Davila may also be short of match fitness, having isolated upon his return. The Mexican was a pre-Covid standout last season and if he can recapture the form that saw him talked about as a potential Johnny Warren medallist, he'll again be a key cog in the side's attacking arsenal.
The only player d...
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 20th of December. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Pakistan bowling coach Waqar Younis joined the DRS ahead of the second T20 between the Black Caps and Pakistan in Hamilton.
Former Black Cap and NSW bowling coach Andre Adams joins the DRS to assess the bowling performance by Australia in the day/night cricket test between Australia and India.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 19th of December. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin and Angus debate 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they, on to the next one.
Black Cap Jacob Duffy joined the DRS after a cracking debut in the opening T20 International against Pakistan at Eden Park.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Monday evenings from 7pm until 8pm, compacted into a podcast for Monday the 14th of December.
Breaking -- elite breakdancing -- will make its Olympics debut at Paris 2024, officials announced Monday.
It will be the first DanceSport event to appear at an Olympic Games, having been staged at the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires two years ago.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board also announced that skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing -- three events that were due to debut at the postponed Tokyo Games -- will be featured in Paris, too.
"Today is a historic occasion, not only for b-boys and b-girls but for all dancers around the world," said Shawn Tay, president of the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF).
"The WDSF could not be prouder to have breaking included at Paris 2024, and we thank everyone who helped make it possible: the executive board of the IOC, the Paris 2024 organizers, the WDSF staff and, most importantly, the breaking community itself.
"It was a true team effort to get to this moment and we will redouble our efforts in the lead-up to the Olympic Games to make sure the breaking competition at Paris 2024 will be unforgettable."
Paris 2024 will see 16 b-boys and 16 b-girls -- the term used for competitive breakers, or breakdancers -- compete in one vs one battles, and it is hoped the sport's inclusion will attract a young audience to the Olympics.
At the 2018 Youth Olympics, there were three medals events that drew crowds of more than 30,000 people each day, according to the WDSF.
The inclusion of the sport sparked a backlash, but Nicholas Rowe, Auckland University Associate Professor in the Faculty of Creative Arts and Industries and UNESCO Chair in Dance and Social Inclusion, told Jason Pine that it was about time that breakdancing was recognised.
He puts the backlash down to the fact that it, like gymnastic and figure skating, has a creative aspect that makes people question its sporting nature.
"I think the competitive nature of breakdancing has been around for so long now - it's been 30 years since they've been having international competitions - that now they are quite confident there is a rigorous approach to the judging to allow people to make a clear and coherent judgement on it."
Welsh referee Nigel Owens announced his retirement from international rugby on Friday after 100 tests.
The 49-year-old Owens became the first ref to the milestone last month in the Autumn Nations Cup game between France and Italy in Paris.
His first test was 17 years ago. Renowned for his on-field quips and firm but empathetic control of matches, Owens was one of the most visible rugby figures in Japan last year at the most recent Rugby World Cup, his fourth. His face was all over advertisements, and he controlled five matches, including a quarterfinal and semi-final.
"Nobody has a divine right to go on forever," Owens said in a statement released by the Welsh Rugby Union. "To go out on 100 is a good time to go.
"I am not going to be around for 2023 (World Cup). I don't want to be. I still hope to referee in the Pro14 and locally in Wales this season, and maybe next season as well.
"I will certainly continue to referee in the community game, because when you are very fortunate to get so much out of something I think it's hugely important that you give something back to it as well.
"I will also be going into a coaching role with the WRU, helping some of our talented, young referees."
Owens began his test career in 2003 with a game between Portugal and Georgia. Highlights included the 2015 World Cup final between New Zealand and Australia at Twickenham, and the 2013 Rugby Championship match between New Zealand and South Africa at Ellis Park where the pace was so high that at the finish Owens was crippled by cramps.
He also assisted in 101 tests, and was a Television Match Official in nine more. He refereed a record 21 Six Nations matches, and 19 in the Rugby World Cup.
Owens came out as gay in 2007, and is an advocate of mental health services.
"It is important that we are all treated the same and that we are judged on our character and nothing else," he said. "Not on the color of your skin, your sexuality, religious beliefs or wherever you come from.
"Those issues did hinder my life growing up and put me in a very dark place for quite a long period in my teens and early 20s, but I got a second chance, was allowed to be who I am, and I think it's hugely important everyone gets that opportunity."
The DRS, with Jason Pine and Thomas as they debate 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Martin Devlin chats to Team New Zealand Helmsmen Peter Burling about where the crew is at less than a week out from the start of the America's Cup Christmas Regatta, a week where Team New Zealand got 1 up on Luna Rossa in the first week of practising amongst each other.
Martin Devlin chats to Bryan Waddle and Jeremy Coney, a couple of the key voices for New Zealand cricket on Newstalk ZB over the summer. Bryan and Jeremy discuss what they've seen so far in the summer of cricket, while looking ahead to the tour of Pakistan starting in less than a week.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 12th of December. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to Bryan Fletcher and Joel Caine from SEN Sydney on all things Australasian sport.
Martin Devlin chats to All Blacks midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown, half way through his 14 day quarantine as part of the All Blacks squad return from the Tri-Nations in Australia.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 6th of December. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
As the Māori All Blacks and Moana Pasifika laid down their challenges ahead of their clash in Hamilton, the passion that would be on display was clear to see.
An exhibition match with some of the country's top talent on display, the match lived up to its billing as the Māori All Blacks claimed a 28-21 win.
Both teams displayed their strength and speed, with some brilliant passages of running rugby, though for the most part execution was lacking in the more vital areas – as is often the case for teams that have had about a week together.
Moana Pasifika's lineout was easy pickings for the Māori All Blacks in the first half, with lock Manaaki Selby-Rickit having plenty of success disrupting the throw, while both sides were having their problems with handling and turnovers at the breakdown.
But despite possession often changing hands, both sides hand their chances to strike. For Moana Pasifika, their first opportunity came just moments after the opening kick-off.
After a short kick-off from first five-eighth Josh Ioane was gathered in by No 8 Pita-Gus Sowakula, jumping high above opposition midfielder Quinn Tupaea to collect it, he was taken to ground and Moana Pasifika were awarded a penalty at the ensuing breakdown. Ioane kicked the penalty goal and ensured a 3-0 lead within a minute.
While it might not have been what the fans expected to see in an exhibition match, Moana Pasifika were content to score in threes when they couldn't break through, soon taking a 6-0 lead.
The Māori All Blacks took a different approach, turning down penalties well in kicking range in favour for attacking the tryline through lineout drives.
Veteran flanker Liam Messam almost got the Māori All Blacks on the board with a charge from close range, but was deemed to have made a second movement to get the ball down. They didn't have to wait too much longer for their first points, however, with fullback Kaleb Trask cutting straight through the Moana Pasifika defensive line from about 30m out, converting his own try to give his side a 7-6 lead.
But after another Ioane penalty, Moana Pasifika held a slim 9-7 lead at the break.The lead lasted just a couple of minutes after play got back underway, with Māori All Blacks hooker Ash Dixon scoring a try from a lineout drive. It ended up being the spark the Māori All Blacks needed, with the attack flourishing in the second half.
Midfielder Billy Proctor scored on the back of a terrific kick-and-collect play from Tupaea, and reserve flanker Mitchell Karpik added another late in the piece.
The two were broken up by a try to Moana Pasifika openside Alamanda Motuga, and a late try to Dwayne Polataivao gave the side a chance of trying to secure a draw, but the Māori All Blacks held on for a deserved seven-point win.
Māori All Blacks 28 (Kaleb Trask, Ash Dixon, Billy Proctor, Mitchell Karpik tries; Trask 4 cons)Moana Pasifika 21 (Alamanda Motuga, Dwayne Polataivao tries; Josh Ioane con, 3 pens)HT: 7-9
Wallabies players have produced a moment of absolute class during the historic first performance of an Indigenous national anthem at an international sporting event involving an Australian team.
Olivia Fox, a young singer from the Newtown High School of the Performing Arts, sung Advance Australia Fair in Eora language and then in English before the Wallabies' final Rugby Championship Test of 2020 against Argentina at BankWest Stadium in Sydney.
The dual-language anthem has been met with warm approval and calls for it to be introduced permanently — and the reception was even more glowing for Wallabies captain Michael Hooper and his teammates.
It was the first time a joint-language anthem has been performed at an international sporting event in Australia.
The spectacle was made a truly momentous moment by the entire Wallabies squad singing the Eora language anthem proudly.
It was reported this week the playing group had been learning the lyrics in Eora to show the team is serious about recognising the role of First Nations people in the sport.
The moving moment left Aussie sport commentators emotional and inspired.
Rugby guru Jamie Pandaram posted on Twitter. Photo / Twitter
The Daily Telegraph's rugby guru Jamie Pandaram posted on Twitter: "Absolutely fantastic: every Wallabies player sung the first half of the national anthem in Indigenous language. Learned the words. Paid respect. A great step forward".
Rugby Australia reporter Christy Doran also called the spectacle "spine-tingling".
"The finest rendition of the Australian national anthem. That was brilliant. Never felt more proud of our anthem. Well done Olivia Fox," he posted on Twitter.
The Wallabies' official Twitter profile called it a "goosebumps" moment.
Australian Paralympic legend Richard Coleman wrote: "That is one incredible national anthem @wallabies! As an athlete every time the Australian anthem is performed it should be done this way. I would love to win a gold medal and hear this playing loud and proud, so so inspiring".
The Wallabies are also wearing their First Nations jersey.
Spectators at English football club Millwall marked the return to stadiums by booing as players took a knee before Saturday's game against Derby County.
Up to 2,000 supporters are permitted in football stadiums in some areas of England as part of new government measures introduced this week, the first time fans have been allowed to attend games since the coronavirus outbreak.
In footage on social media, fans at The Den, Millwall's home ground in southeast London, can be heard booing as players from both sides take a knee before kick-off.
Across English football, players have been taking a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and to protest against racism and discrimination following the death of George Floyd earlier this year.
All Premier League clubs have continued to kneel before games this season, while some teams in the English Football League, the second, third and fourth tiers of English football, stopped at the start of this season.
On Friday, Millwall issued a statement reaffirming the club's stance on players taking a knee.
"As a squad we are fully supportive of the entire football family's efforts in ridding the sport, and society generally, of all forms of discrimination," the statement said. "It is our duty as players to reinforce the positive messaging and action of clubs, community trusts, charities and governing bodies, and we do so with great pride and knowledge that so much good work is being done up and down the country."
Sanjay Bhandari, chairman of anti-racism group Kick It Out, said the organization is "saddened" by the booing of players taking a knee at Millwall.
"What this demonstrates is that players are right to continue standing up to discrimination, whether that is through taking the knee or speaking out," he said. "The fight for racial equality continues and we will continue to work closely with clubs across the country to tackle discrimination in all its forms."
Saturday's game ended 1-0 in favor of Derby, the Rams' second league victory of the season.
CNN has contacted Millwall for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
text by George Ramsay, CNN
Martin Devlin chats to former All Blacks number 6 Liam Squire, on the back of the news he's re-signed with NZ Rugby and the Highlanders for the 2021 Super Rugby season
Martin Devlin chats to New Zealand's number one squash player Paul Coll, fresh off the back of getting into the top 4 in the world rankings for the first time, the first time a New Zealander has been in there since 1989.
Martin Devlin chats to former Australian fast bowler Merv Hughes, about the Indian tour of Australia and what it is about Kane Williamson, Steve Smith and Virat Kohli that seperate them from the rest.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 5th of December. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to former All Black captain Murray Mexted, reviewing the 6 games the All Blacks played this season and how he rates the season as a whole, fresh on the back of beating Argentina 38-0.
Martin Devlin chats to former West Indian fast bowler, and now part of the Spark Sport commentary crew Ian Bishop, about West Indian cricket and his journey to being a leading cricket commentator ahead of the 2nd T20 match at the Bay Oval.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm from 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 29th of November. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to Argentine football journalist Francisco Aure about the life of Diego Maradona, the footballing genius who left such an impression on both Argentina and the world before his passing earlier this week.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 28th of November. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Listen to the audio above as Black Caps bowler Lockie Ferguson joins Martin Devlin following last night's T20 win against the West Indies. Below, read Dylan Cleaver's analysis of the match.
Twenty20 cricket is a game of shifting trends and strategies but it's comforting to know there is an old-fashioned "tactic" that remains the ultimate game changer: pace like fire.
Tonight saw a prime example of that art as New Zealand won a game in which they spent the majority of the time shuttling effortlessly between trouble and calamity.
Chasing 181 to win in a reduced 16 overs, New Zealand won with five wickets and four balls to spare, James Neesham starring with a 24-ball unbeaten 48.
Even with that relatively comfortable margin, there was an element of how-the-heck-did-that-happen?
After being inserted, the West Indies had taken advantage of greasy conditions and poorly calibrated bowling radars to streak away to 55-0 after three overs.
Enter Lockie Ferguson. By the time he'd finished his third over the West Indies were 81-5 and he had 3-8 – and that tells only a fraction of the story.
Ferguson was fast. The light rain seemed to make the drop-in wicket skid rather than hold up and the West Indies had no answer.
He uprooted Andre Fletcher's stumps, nicked off Shimron Hetmyer for a duck and was a tad fortunate to have Nicholas Pooran leg before to a full toss.
In between the Hetmyer and Pooran dismissals, captain Tim Southee returned to the crease and had Brandon King and Rovman Powell caught on the third man and fine leg boundaries respectively. Just like that, the guts of the order was gone and only skipper Kieron Pollard stood in the way of a rout (and not a bad bloke to stand in the way of anything, but more on that later).
Even that doesn't really tell you the visceral effect Ferguson had on proceedings. Twenty20 is a batsman's game, right? Not when you're getting pinned on the chest by a guy running in and regularly hitting 150-plus clicks.
The new season, the Spark Sport era, the Devon Conway era perhaps, got off to a faltering, frustrating start as squalls sent the players in three times during the first innings.
Southee, the skipper, started and missed most of his targets before they were chased off after four legitimate deliveries.
They were back after 20 minutes, but gone again after T20I debutant Kyle Jamieson's first over.
It won't be one the tall right-armer will tell his grandchildren about, having leaked 18 runs including two sixes, but it was mild punishment compared to what was about to befall Hamish Bennett when they returned.
His first ball was a single. The next was five wides when he was done no favours by wicketkeeper Tim Seifert. A four and a single followed before it all went haywire. Slipping in his delivery stride, Bennett ended up prone sideways across the pitch and the ball at extra cover.
Confidence shaken, the next went into the upper deck of the West Stand – insult added to ignominy. A single followed before two no-balls, the second of which was also hit for four. The final ball also went to the boundary: 29 runs in 10 minutes of brutal theatre.
Ferguson's intervention followed before Pollard and Fabian Allen combined for an 84-run partnership that combined common sense with the odd nonsensical Eden Park six.
Ferguson returned to get Allen, then Keemo Paul for a duck with a truly terrifying delivery he gloved after initially looking to evade.
At the other end stood Pollard. With his size and backlift, Eden Park can't contain his mishits let alone balls that find the middle. Plenty found the middle.
The unfortunate Bennett was handed the last over; Pollard top-edged a six then snotted one into the next suburb. Bennett followed with a beamer, his second, and was removed. Neesham was given the task of completing the over, which he almost managed, though they were still looking for the penultimate delivery in Epsom as Pollard walked off with an unbeaten 75 off 37.
What, are you NOT entertained?
Ne...
Martin Devlin chats to Black Caps coach Gary Stead ahead of the summer of cricket getting underway on Friday the 27th of November with the first T20 International against the West Indies.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 21st of November. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to Tom Rennie out of Talksport in the UK, on the latest round of matches in the English Premier League which sees Tottenham atop of the Premier League, while VAR has had a huge impact on Manchester United's win against West Brom.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday the 22nd of November. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to former Australian wicket keeper Ian Healy, ahead of the start of the much anticipated cricket series between India and Australia starting Friday.
The Pumas backed up their first win over the All Blacks with a 15-15 draw against the Wallabies in Newcastle on Saturday night.
The draw leaves all three Tri Nations teams on six points, with New Zealand top on points differential, although Argentina have a game in hand.
Australia dominated territory and possession in the first half but Argentina, looking to win back-to-back games in the Southern Hemisphere competition for the first time, again defended superbly to keep the hosts tryless, while Australia were left ruing mistakes as impatience and continual errors broke down multiple forward surges.
The Wallabies ramped up the pressure either side of the break and and hooker Julian Montoya was sin-binned early in the second half after the Pumas conceded a string of penalties close to their own tryline.
The boot of Reece Hodge pushed Australia out to a 15-6 lead but the Pumas wrested back the initiative as Nicolas Sanchez levelled the scores at 15-15.
Hodge had a late chance to snatch victory for the Wallabies but missed with his 78th-minute penalty — just as he did in the first Bledisloe test last month.
The miss was Hodge's first of the night, while Sanchez also kicked five penalties from six attempts, and has scored all 40 of his team's points in their first two Tri Nations tests.
The draw was the second between the Wallabies and Pumas, 33 years after the first in Buenos Aires.
The Pumas valiant effort in the series is taking a turn for the worse with their outstanding captain Pablo Matera at the centre of the storm.
Matera has been widely criticised for pulling the hair of the Wallaby hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa during the boring 15-all Tri-Nations draw with the Wallabies in Newcastle.
And one Australian writer has turned the heat up further, accusing the Pumas of operating a dirty tricks campaign.
Julian Linden, in the Daily Telegraph, wrote: "Discipline remains Australia's biggest problem. The Wallabies still give away too many stupid penalties and cough up possession by pushing passes that aren't on.
"Worst of all, they keep taking the bait and retaliating to off the ball incidents that blow up in their faces.
"The Pumas get a lot of praise for their passion but they deserve plenty of stick for their dirty little tricks – which include pulling hair, kicking players and blatantly lying on the ball.
"The Wallabies know that but still fall for it every time and it cost them dearly in Newcastle."
It raises the spectre of a spiteful return bout between the All Blacks and Pumas in Newcastle on Saturday.
Veteran All Black hooker Dane Coles was roundly criticised for losing his cool against the Pumas, conceding a penalty reversal after slapping an opponent in the face. And the once invincible All Blacks get rattled under pressure, something all opponents will play on.
The Argentinians are using a spoiling game suited to their strengths and weaknesses which increases the chances of bad blood flowing in their matches.
text by NZ Herald
All Blacks head coach Ian Foster's addressed the controversial comments made by captain Sam Cane.
Cane came under scrutiny this week for calling into question how much All Black fans know about rugby.
The comments came after the side's poor start to the Tri Nations, in which they've lost two consecutive games and their first-ever to Argentina, has disgruntled supporters.
Foster admitted to Martin Devlin that he doesn't agree with Cane's comments and says criticism's part of the job.
"He's moved forward. He's got to get used to and treat with respect that process, and takes fans with us and say 'hey guys, we're hearing you, and trust us, we're working on it'."
Foster himself says he welcomes the criticism, and they need to take it on board.
"When the All Blacks lose, we know we're going to cop it. I've got no complaints of that. I think it's right.
"I love the fact our fans are passionate, I've said it all along. They believe in this team, and when we don't perform to the levels they want, they give it to us."
On the reasons for the loss, Foster says he wants the team to avoid the argy-bargy that has overshadowed their recent performances.
"We're going back to bad of days where the only person being seen by the refs is the retaliator, and the person who are doing the initial stuff are getting away with it.
"But that is what it is, and quite frankly, we've got to get better at dealing with it."
LISTEN ABOVE
Martin Devlin chats to former Black Caps captain and now part of the Spark Commentary team, Stephen Fleming ahead of the start of the NZ summer of cricket.
Martin Devlin chats to one of the voices of modern day football on our televisions, Peter Drury. Peter discusses the current Premier League season, how he sees VAR and it's influence in the game as well as a bit about his commentary life.
Martin Devlin chats to former All Black captain Murray Mexted about what he saw from the All Blacks historic loss to Argentina in Sydney last weekend.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 15th of November. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
They were representing a country in a Covid lockdown since March. Half a dozen players, plus inspirational head coach Mario Ledesma, have had the virus. They haven't played a game together since the Rugby World Cup 13 months ago. They have just beaten the All Blacks for the first time.
No wonder emotions were running high on the Bankwest Stadium pitch in Western Sydney even before the final whistle blew for their epic 25-15 victory over a full-strength All Black side presumably highly motivated to respond to last weekend's defeat to the Wallabies in Brisbane.
There was singing in grandstand and tears in the coaching box. In the final moments before referee Angus Gardner signalled fulltime, Ledesma, having congratulated his fellow coaches, including former Wallabies head coach Michael Cheika, looked at his players on the pitch and quickly looked away, overcome.
"It's kind of surreal what just happened out there," Ledesma said afterwards. "Not just the result, but even playing the game was surreal for us."
It is one of the biggest upsets in test rugby history because it's difficult to imagine a more challenging build-up to a test. The Pumas are the only team in the Tri Nations in Australia to go through a strict quarantine which meant they couldn't train as a team for weeks. Their lack of game time meant the players suffered multiple soft tissue injuries in training.
Cheika, the Aussie who delivered a key message to the squad on his arrival, often had to view trainings from a coaches' box away from the field and communicated via Zoom meetings.
And that's before we get into what's happening at home; there are more than 1.1 million cases of Covid in Argentina and more than 35,000 people have died from the virus.
"It's tough over there at the moment," captain Pablo Matera said. "It was difficult for us to be all together here in Australia. We're representing a lot of things. I think that was a blessing in the energy we had."
With monstrous flanker Matera in charge they took control from the opening whistle. They showed greater discipline and composure – problem areas in the past, but better than the All Blacks on Saturday – and dictated terms through their first-five Nicolas Sanchez, who scored all their points.
Fundamentally, though, the win was due to a defensive wall built on pride and trust and the All Blacks had no answer to it. From a New Zealand perspective, there will be real concern it could happen again at Newcastle's McDonald Jones Stadium in a fortnight.
"We felt the trust," Matera said. "We were confident without the ball. We were disciplined and knew the guy beside us would do the job."
How did they do it? "There's no magic formula," Ledesma replied.
"We started working in January with Pablo and some of the boys around what team we wanted and we talked about identity and culture. The big difference I guess is that they own it now. It's their team. It's always the players and they've been great through the pandemic situation, just going from quarantine to quarantine – some of the boys haven't seen their families for four months. They haven't complained once."
Ledesma agreed it was the coaching highlight of his career. "It has to be up there – 100 per cent – for the emotional journey we've been on and everything we've experienced.
"I think it's the only team we haven't beaten. I think we'll remember this for a long time coming, not only because of the game but for the special situation that got us to the game."
Asked about the influence of Cheika, the former Wallabies head coach who was sacked last year, Matera revealed a key piece of advice delivered by the Australian.
"Seeing us as a team from the outside, he came to us on the first day and said 'hey, what are you waiting for? You've got everything – you've got big players, physical players, young players, a lot of energy, go and take it. Just take it.' That made us believe in ourselves a lot."
At the end, Ledesma couldn't explain what he'd witnessed.
"We've c...
"It doesn't get any worse."
Martin Devlin did not hold back in his assessment of the All Blacks loss to the Pumas last night.
The 25-15 loss was the first time the All Blacks have been defeated by the Argentinian side, despite the South Americans having not played since the Rugby World Cup last year.
Devlin started strong, calling them "weak" before tearing into the attitude of the All Blacks he described as too focused on Instagram accounts and overseas contracts.
"I blame all the players. I blame all the coaching staff. Talk about complacent. Talk about thinking you are a lot better than you are."
Devlin says Argentina was magnificent and won every single contest - and "thanked his lucky stars" that South Africa wasn't part of this tournament, given that an Australian team that's in rebuild mode managed to best the All Blacks.
"That side yesterday was worse than a rabble. They were disjointed, they were unorganised, they were flat, they had no ideas. They lacked anyone that was a follow me character."
LISTEN ABOVE
Martin Devlin chats to former Wallabies great Simon Poidevin about the future of the rugby relationship between New Zealand and Australia, on the back of the news there will be Super Rugby between the two countries in 2021.
Martin Devlin chats to Team INEOS skipper Sir Ben Ainslie about where his crew is at a month out from the start of the America's Cup Christmas regatta.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 14th of November. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Monday nights, compacted into a podcast for Monday 9th of November, featuring Bryan Fletcher and Joel Caine from the SEN Drive Show in Sydney.
Martin Devlin chats to Team New Zealand trimmer Glenn Ashby, a month or so out from the start of the Americas Cup pre-regattas, on where they are at with the AC75's ahead of the Christmas Race Regattas in December.
Martin Devlin chats to the great British and Irish Lions coach Sir Ian McGeechan, about the state of World Rugby as he sees it as well as his time involved with the Lions and what a special place it holds in the hearts of Rugby fans.
A week after losing by a record margin to concede the Bledisloe Cup, Australia rebounded with a 24-22 win over New Zealand on Saturday to give Dave Rennie his first win as Wallabies head coach.
It was described by some as a dead-rubber match, but there's no such thing when it comes to a trans-Tasman contest.
A brutal first half contained two early tries and two red cards for dangerous tackles, ending with the score locked at 8-8 and New Zealand holding a one-man advantage with 14 against Australia's 13. The second half featured three tries — including one for each team in the last five minutes — and ended with 14 Wallabies on the field against 13 All Blacks.
The New Zealanders clinched the Bledisloe Cup for the 18th consecutive season last weekend with a thumping 43-5 win in Sydney, giving them two big wins over the Wallabies after the series-opening 16-16 draw in Wellington. They made wholesale changes for the fourth Bledisloe test, which also doubled as the second in a Tri-Nations series that also involves Argentina.
The Wallabies were leading 8-5 in the 23rd when New Zealand prop Ofa Tuungafasi was red carded after a review for a high tackle on Wright, who was making an angled run off the wing.
It got worse for the Australians when rookie flanker Lachie Swinton was red carded in the 35th for a dangerous, no-arms hit on Sam Whitelock and then winger Marika Koroibete was yellow carded for a ruck infringement just before halftime.
Sky Sport commentator Tony Johnson told Martin Devlin that referee Nick Berry showed guts by making the calls, as there should have been two red cards in last week's games.
"What is lacking is consistency. I think they are reffing far too much on outcome."
Johnson says Swinton's red card was "open and shut" and there was malicious intent, but he says that intent never seems to factor in.
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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer began his childhood as Greco-Roman wrestler, following in his father's footsteps.
Though he only trained between the ages of eight and 10, Solskjaer will need to apply everything he learned in those formative years as he attempts to wrestle back control of a Manchester United team that has woefully underperformed in recent matches.
The beleaguered coach is under pressure following successive defeats to Arsenal and Istanbul Basaksehir, with a crucial Premier League clash against Everton coming up on Saturday.
At Friday afternoon's virtual press conference, Solskjaer was asked whether he still remained confident of being able to deliver success to Manchester United.
"Yeah, why shouldn't I be?" he responded. "If I don't trust my belief and values and [my] staff's quality and players' quality, who else should?"
Perhaps therein lies the problem. While Solskjaer might still believe in his abilities to take Manchester United back to the top, the list of other people who do appears to be getting shorter with each passing game.
Vast sums of money spent badly by chief executive Ed Woodward means United's squad remains light years behind its top English and European rivals, but it's impossible to argue that Solskjaer shouldn't be getting more out of the players at his disposal.
This, after all, is a side that last season reached the FA Cup and Europa League semifinals and finished third in the Premier League ahead of Chelsea and Leicester.
While this season's results are no doubt concerning and have left United a lowly 15th in the Premier League, the actual performances on the pitch are arguably an even greater cause for concern.
The defending for Istanbul Basaksehir's first goal in the midweek Champions League defeat was nothing short of comical -- and the second wasn't much better.
"You wouldn't see this on Hackney Marshes!" former United defender Rio Ferdinand lamented after the game. Such was United's ineptitude, that is surely an insult to the hundreds of talented amateur players who compete on the famous East London pitches every weekend.
Hot and cold
"I don't look at one or two results and fall like a house of cards," Solskjaer added. "It's a setback, definitely.
"There's been too much made of not scoring against Arsenal and Chelsea, there has been nothing in those games and it's not long ago we were the best thing since sliced bread against Leipzig and PSG."
Solskjaer has a point. The Norwegian's time in charge has certainly been unusual, with his players turning in the kind of impressive performances they did against Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig in the Champions League just when it looks as though his job is on the line.
However, that inconsistency -- which is perhaps the most baffling element of Solskjaer's reign -- will certainly do nothing to appease a group of fans that have suffered through mediocrity ever since Alex Ferguson retired as manager in 2013.
After reports emerged earlier this week that Solskjaer would be sacked if United fail to beat Everton on Saturday, the club has since insisted that this weekend's result will have no bearing on its coach's future.
Those British media reports indicated that the club is already eying up either former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino or Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann as potential replacements should Solskjaer be unable to turn things around.
Despite the fevered speculation, the 47-year-old Solskjaer remains defiant that he retains the club's support.
"You have to have that belief," he said. [The] club have been very positive and shown me their character and strong leadership. I'm looking to Saturday morning, that's another matter we can talk about."
In English football, that is known as the 'dreaded vote of confidence,' a phrase derived from the practice of clubs publicly supporting their beleaguered managers only to sack them soon afterward.
While the Everton match may not be quite make or break, unless United's performance improves dra...
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 8th of November. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 7th of November. Brought to you Access Solutions.
Elliott Smith, standing in for Martin Devlin has a chat to in-form Silver Ferns shooter Maia Wilson on the back of a clean sweep series victory against England in the Taini Jamison Trophy, the first international netball to be up and running since Covid.
The Wellington Phoenix will be based in Australia for at least the start of the 2020/21 A-League football season.
Due to travel restrictions brought on by Covid-19, the club's players and coaching staff have begun to assemble in New South Wales to begin preparations for the new campaign, starting on December 27. That'll give the Phoenix eight weeks to get up to speed ahead of their first game, with the playing schedule to be released next month.
Amongst the team is All White Clayton Lewis. It will be his time playing with his hometown team, Lewis has years of experience across New Zealand as well as several years in the UK.
He joined Martin Devlin to discuss joining the Phoenix and the move to Australia, as well as touching on the mental toll playing overseas can take on you.
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Martin Devlin chats to former All Black captain Murray Mexted, reflecting on that magnificent All Blacks victory against the Wallabies in Sydney, with the All Blacks winning by a record margin of 43-5.
England ticked the boxes in beating Italy 34-5 with a bonus point on Sunday then had to wait before learning it was enough to be crowned Six Nations champions.
France and Ireland both missed their chances to pip England in the final game of the tournament.
Ireland could have won the title if they had beaten France by seven points.
France also were in the hunt but it needed to beat Ireland by 32 points with a bonus point. They did get the bonus point but the 35-27 victory in Paris meant England had that title yet again
It is England's third title in five years but first since 2017.
England did what it needed to do on a balmy evening at Stadio Olimpico but it wasn't the romp most predicted by a team which put 40-plus on Italy in its last three visits.
England dominated again but played the first half poorly, kicking away possession 22 times, and led only 10-5. It was much more intense and accurate after the break in scoring four tries. Owen Farrell landed four of his six goalkicks, hitting the post twice.
"We've done our job," Farrell said. "I thought we went at them. But there was a large chunk of the first half when we couldn't get our hands on the ball, and we couldn't get our game on the field. We got the job done in the end."
Scrumhalf Ben Youngs marked his 100th appearance with two tries and hooker Jamie George celebrated his 50th match with one of his own. Flanker Tom Curry got the all-important fourth with 13 minutes to go, and center Henry Slade added the last.
But they came up against an Italy side that was spirited and awkward, and stayed in touch through the first half thanks to a try by English-born No. 8 Jake Polledri.
Italy was outgunned in the end, and finished a fifth consecutive tournament without a win. Italy has lost a record 27 straight matches since its last win in 2015.
Things appeared to be going to plan when England scored the first try in the fifth minute. Farrell benefited from a decoy run to slice open the Italy defense and send Youngs to the posts.
But prop Kyle Sinckler spilled the ball, Italy's Carlo Canna pounced, and Polledri scored in the corner.
England flanker Jonny Hill, on debut, then went to the sin-bin for a dangerous tackle on Edoardo Padovani but Italy couldn't take advantage.
Polledri was issued a yellow card for a professional foul just before halftime, and Italy thought it scored, but Federico Mori lost a chase against England fullback George Furbank.
England returned from the break with much-needed greater intent, and Youngs scored again after a Hill chargedown.
Polledri came back to even up the forwards, but England's pack blew through Italy's to carry George over in a maul.
The all-important fourth try was delivered after England earned a scrum penalty and went for an attacking lineout. Curry went blind from a ruck and went untouched into the left corner. Relieved, Eddie Jones left the sideline to return to the coaches' box.
Slade finished the scoring with a try from a Farrell grubber.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 1st November.
Martin Devlin chats to former Wallabies midfielder Tim Horan, ahead of the 3rd Bledisloe Cup game between Australia and the All Blacks in Sydney.
Martin Devlin chats to Sir Clive Lloyd, the former West Indian captain from the 1970's and 1980's, ahead of the West Indian tour of New Zealand starting later on in November.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday, 31st October. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to Silver Ferns captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio on the back of a successful Cadbury Netball Series, while looking ahead to the upcoming Taini Jamieson Series against England, starting on Wednesday in Hamilton.
Martin Devlin chats to All Blacks coach Ian Foster ahead of the side's departure to Australia for the rest of the Rugby Championship, as well as taking talkback from Newstalk ZB's listeners.
Martin Devlin chats to former Black Cap and now cricket commentator Danny Morrison on life in the IPL in 2020, being played in the UAE for the first time, as well as an update on the form of the current New Zealand players in the IPL with a NZ summer of cricket on the horizon.
Martin Devlin chats to Eddie McGuire, the president of Collingwood in the AFL and host of Millionaire Hot Seat, ahead of the 2020 AFL Grand Final, hosted in Brisbane for the first time.
It is NRL Grand Final day in Sydney today which kicks off at 9.30 pm our time.
With the unexpected year 2020 has been it is a real shining light that the NRL Grand Final goes ahead today.
Chairman of the Australian Rugby League Commission Peter V'landys, fought through the Covid-19 pandemic and lead the NRL to be one of the first competitions to resume after the first initial lockdown crisis.
One of Rugby League’s most iconic players Johnathan Thurston joined Mark Devlin to talk about the biggest day in the NRL calendar.
Thurston lead the North Queensland Cowboys to glory in 2015 winning their maiden premiership by one point… in golden point!
Johnathan Thurston. Photo / Getty Images.
He says the experience of the Melbourne Storm players and their attacking weapons on the edges may create a huge impact for the Victorians against the red hot Penrith Panthers.
Thurston has no doubt that the two best teams of this year are playing in the Grand Final.
He talked about the likes of power house Justin Olam and speedster Josh Addo-Carr on the left edge of Melbourne, which completely blew the Canberra Raiders off the park last week.
The former halfback also says that the left edge of the Panthers are as deadly and enthusiastic with the likes of x-factor Jarome Luai and skilful young gun Stephen Crichton out playing experienced NRL players in their first full year in the competition.
With the speculations of Cameron Smith retiring JT certainly hopes ‘the best player in the game’ play on next year.
JT told Devlin that he thinks the Panthers lack big game experience and expects the Storm to take out this year’s competition.
“I think the big game experience will get the Melbourne Storm home in the end.”
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's, Sunday's and Monday's, compacted into a podcast for Monday 24th October. Martin speaks to All Blacks coach Ian Foster and TV personality Eddie McGuire.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's, Sunday's and Monday's, compacted into a podcast for Monday 19th October.
Martin Devlin chats to Graeme Agars, Newstalk ZB's longtime Tennis correspondent about the significance of Rafael Nadal winning his 20th Grand Slam, including a record 13th French Open.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm til 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 18th October. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to Mark Larkham, the trackside expert on Fox Sports in Australia for the Supercars, ahead of the biggest motor racing event in Australasia, the Bathurst 1000.
Martin Devlin chats to All Blacks Codie Taylor, Akira Ioane and Will Jordan in the studio a day out from the 2nd Bledisloe Cup match between the All Blacks and the Wallabies.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 17th October. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's, Sunday's and Monday's, compacted into a podcast for Monday the 12th October.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 11th October. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Not even a grand slam champion who has carved out a reputation for being one of the top competitors around could stop a surging Iga Swiatek in the French Open final.
Swiatek raced to her first major and became Poland's first grand slam singles winner thanks to a 6-4, 6-1 victory in Paris over Sofia Kenin, who said she was hindered by a lingering leg injury.
"I just feel like I kind of made history but I still think that (Agnieszka) Radwanska, she achieved a lot because she played on the top level of the WTA for, I don't know, 12 years," Swiatek said, referring to the recently retired 2012 Wimbledon finalist and top 10 regular. "I don't even know the number.
"I know there's going to be a lot of people who is going to compare us. But I think I have to be really consistent for the next couple years to everybody to name me like the best player in Poland because still I have a lot to do."
But for now, Swiatek also became the first female to win the tournament without dropping a set since Justine Henin in 2007 and the youngest champion in southwest Paris since her favorite player, Rafael Nadal.
The Spaniard was also 19 in 2005.
"Every year I was watching how Rafa lifts the trophy so it's crazy that I am in the same place," Swiatek said during the trophy presentation.
Another accolade?
At No. 54, no women's player had ever been ranked as low and cradled the trophy.
If her junior career is anything to go by, none of this should be a massive surprise.
Swiatek triumphed in the Wimbledon juniors in 2018, a few weeks after capturing the junior doubles title at Roland Garros.
Sports run in her family, as her dad represented Poland in rowing at the Olympics in Seoul in 1988. He was in attendance Saturday along with other family and the player's sports psychologist, whose birthday it was.
The one thing missing was her cat.
"I'm so happy," Swiatek. "And I'm so glad my family was here finally."
"It's just overwhelming for me. Two years ago I won a junior grand slam and right now I'm here. It's been like such a short time."
Swiatek is good friends with Naomi Osaka, who upped her grand slam tally to three by winning the US Open last month. She is an aggressive player like her pal, seeking to dictate with her powerful, heavily spun forehand.
Fast starts have been a hallmark of her play in Paris and seemingly without any nerves in her first major final, she duly took a 3-0 lead. Maybe her pre-match song, 'Welcome to the Jungle' by rock band Guns N'Roses, has helped, although she did admit the nerves were there.
Mostly sunny conditions greeted the players in fall temperatures of around 15 degrees Celsius after the event shifted its date from late May due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It was the sixth time in her seven outings Swiatek led by a break prior to the first sit down, including when she stunned pre-tournament favorite Simona Halep in the fourth round.
But the gutsy Australian Open champion did mount a comeback.
Kenin broke to stay in the set for 4-5 with a sizzling backhand return, only to drop serve immediately.
The American broke serve to start the second but once again the response was immediate from Swiatek.
Already sporting tape to her left leg, Kenin took a medical timeout at 1-2 and returned with heavy strapping but it did little to change her fortunes.
"She obviously played a really good match," the 21-year-old said. "She's, like, really hot right now, playing some really great tennis.
"I'm not going to use this as an excuse, but my leg obviously was not the best. It's obviously disappointing."
Even if she was fully healthy, Swiatek would have been difficult to stop.
During the medical timeout, some fans in attendance -- they were capped at 1,000 -- gave Swiatek yet more encouragement.
Swiatek sealed the contest in one hour, 24 minutes with a 25th winner -- compared to only 17 unforced errors -- and moments later was in the stands hugging her camp.
Even while sprinting to the final, Swiatek didn't discount focusing on her st...
All Blacks fans may be excited the team is playing again, but one Wellington bar owner says that it doesn't feel like they are.
The All Blacks faced the Wallabies in Wellington today at Sky Stadium, in their first match all year.
However, the benefits of a test match are not visible on the ground, with the game the first since 2012 not to sell out.
Nic Mills told Martin Devlin there was no influx of people, and that it just felt like a normal Saturday after Covid.
"Cuba Street at 11pm last night was as dead as a doornail."
He says that the officials got it wrong putting the test on a Sunday afternoon - and if it should have been an afternoon, they should have done it on a Saturday.
Mills says that some of the establishments that he owns are not opening today, as they do not see the point.
"It's wrong - it's great for sport, fantastic for rugby, but if you were trying to help hospitality that really needs some help, you would have played it Saturday afternoon."
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Martin Devlin chats to former Wallaby Rod Kafer ahead of the opening match of the 2021 Bledisloe Cup in Wellington.
Martin Devlin chats to Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley, on where they're at a few months out from hosting the 2021 Australian Open and the level of support they've received from both the Victorian and Australian government.
Martin Devlin chats to prominent Australian cricket commentator Mel Jones about the recent White Ferns-Australia series in Melbourne, which saw the White Ferns comprehensively beaten in both the T20's and ODI's 3-0.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 10th October. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Caleb Clarke's utilising the vast experiences on offer from New Zealand's best players in his first All Blacks camp.
The rising winger was named in coach Ian Foster's first squad last month following a standout season with the Blues in Super Rugby.
Clarke told Martin Devlin one of the biggest things he's learned in 'Camp All Blacks' is the professionalism.
"Getting to room with someone like Aaron Smith, it's all the small things that really matter when it comes to being a professional. Like timing, looking after the body.
"Also the importance of learning your role, as the All Blacks is one big machine."
He says he's nit-picked his game and noticed some areas in need of improvement, mainly his work off the ball.
"I always watch myself and see what I do and sometimes I feel like I can just get off my wing and run off.
"And also connections with my inside, whoever that centre is, or loose forward is on defence."
The first Bledisloe test is a week from today in Wellington.
Martin Devlin chats to Tom Rennie out of Talksport in the UK, about what is going to happen with the English Premier League if players continue to go down with Covid 19.
Martin Devlin chats to former Warriors coach Matthew Elliott, about what he puts the Warriors progress over the course of the season down to, as well as reviewing week 1 of the NRL finals series.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 4th October. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to All Blacks coach Ian Foster, one week out from the first Bledisloe Cup game against Australia in Wellington next week.
Martin Devlin chats to former England fast bowler and Ashes winner Steve Harmison, ahead of the NZ summer of cricket where we play West Indies and Pakistan, two sides England played earlier this year.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 3rd October. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB omn Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, compacted into a podcast for Monday 28th September.
Martin Devlin chats to Mike Angove out of Abu Dhabi ahead of UFC 253, featuring middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, followed by a preview from Marc Peard of Marc Peard Sports.
Manchester United got its first Premier League points of the season thanks to a 100th-minute penalty from Bruno Fernandes to finally win 3-2 in an enthralling game against Brighton and Hove Albion.
Brighton opened the scoring, a coolly finished Neal Maupay penalty giving the hosts the lead before Lewis Dunk put the ball into his own net to level the scores just before half-time.
Marcus Rashford's solo goal put United on top, and Brighton thought it had snatched a dramatic late draw thanks to Solly March's header before Fernandes' penalty, 10 minutes after the 90-minute mark.
While it eventually secured the win, Manchester United lived on the edge, with Brighton hitting the woodwork five times during the game and had one awarded penalty overruled by video assistant referee (VAR) and another potential one waved away by the referee.
"We left so much space for them to play, we were not as aggressive, we gave away two goals" Fernandes told BT Sport after the game. "We have to do much better.
"Brighton did very well but maybe because we are not aggressive as we want. We need to recover more balls, press better, lose less possession. Maybe they deserved more. The point is score goals not hit the bar. Sometimes you have to have some luck."
An up and down affair
After being surprised by Crystal Palace last week, Manchester United was hoping to make a more positive start on the south of England against Brighton.
But it was the home side who made the brighter sight, as with Leandro Trossard smashing the ball against David de Gea's left post -- the Belgian midfielder would go onto hit the woodwork twice more.
In the opening two games of the season, the woodwork has stopped as many shots for Manchester United's opponents this season as goalkeeper de Gea.
"Unbelievable, the feeling I can't describe, we were the better team today," Trossard said. "We deserved at least a point, it's a shame. Sometimes it's just not your day."
And Brighton eventually made the pressure count -- only after Mason Greenwood had a goal ruled out for offside -- as Maupay chipped the penalty, which was awarded for Fernandes' foul on the exciting Tariq Lamptey, past the despairing de Gea.
It took United just three minutes to equalize though, with Dunk only able to deflect home a cross from Nemanja Matic. After half-time, Rashford's mazy run and finish gave the Manchester side the lead.
However in the 95th minute, Brighton thought it has won a point right at the death, as March headed in a cross from Alireza Jahanbakhsh. But an even later penalty, spotted and awarded via VAR after the on-field official Chris Kavanagh had blown to signal the end of the match, was smashed into the top corner by Fernandes.
Fernandes' goal at 99:45 minutes is the latest scored in the Premier League since Juan Mata's strike for Chelsea against Norwich in August 2011, scored in 100:03 minutes.
The result would be even more painful for Brighton as it had a penalty of its own overturned by VAR in the second half, after Aaron Connolly was adjudged to have been fouled by Paul Pogba, only for referee Chris Kavanagh to change his mind.
"We got away with one. Maybe one point we deserved, we didn't deserve more. But the character deserved more" Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer told BT Sport.
"Last season we had too many draws, so that is a big plus for us. You have to be happy Jose is not here to measure the goal posts.
"They are a difficult team to play against. We don't have the legs and sharpness, but we will get there. We have plenty of work ahead."
text by Ben Morse, CNN
Martin Devlin chats to League legend Phil Gould, reflecting on the Warriors 2020 season ahead of their final game against Manly this afternoon, while looking ahead to how he plans to help the side achieve success in 2021 in his new role of consultant for the club.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Saturday's and Sunday's on Newstalk ZB from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 27th September. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to Team New Zealand grinder Andy Maloney, about where the team is at only a few months out from the start of the Americas Cup pre-regattas in December.
Martin Devlin chats to former Black Caps opening batsman and coach John Wright, about some of his memories of playing against the late Dean Jones, who passed awaty earlier in the week.
Martin Devlin chats to NZRU CEO Mark Robinson, about the situation surrounding the Rugby Championship schedule and what NZ Rugby's desired outcome is at the conclusion of this.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 26th September. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's, Sunday's and Monday's compacted into a podcast for Monday 21st September. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 20th September. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Athletes hoping to compete at the next summer Olympics still have 10 months of waiting to go.
The Games are scheduled for the end of July next year, delayed by a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
For BMX rider Sarah Walker, she was hoping to make her third Olympics after missing out on Rio, while Black Sticks player Rachel McCann had been hoping to make it to her first.
Instead, the pair have now gone months without playing. For Walker, she has not ridden competitively since February, while McCann has not played since the Oceania Cup last year, as an injury prevented her from playing earlier this year.
The two joined Martin Devlin to discuss how they have coped during the delay, and what the differences between individual and sports team are during a time like this.
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Taranaki 23Canterbury 22
The Ranfurly Shield is heading north.
As they did in 2017, Taranaki have snatched the Log o' Wood from Canterbury in Christchurch, with a late Jordie Barrett penalty sealing a 23-22 win.
While Barrett's late heroics sealed the win, it was Lachlan Boshier who was the difference-maker. Taranaki's openside flanker lived up to his billing as a menace at the breakdown, winning plenty of extra possessions for the side, none more important than his pilfer inside Taranaki's 22 with just two minutes left on the clock.
It was a play that ultimately sealed the win for Taranaki, whose last three Shield reigns have been at the expense of Canterbury.
An early penalty off the boot of Barrett put the challengers ahead after three minutes, but it was the following 10 minutes that gave Taranaki fans a reason to believe.
A piece of individual skill from young winger Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens to toe a loose ball forward, collect the bounce and scoot across for the game's opening try. He was followed over soon after by lock Tupou Vaa'i, who was rewarded for backing up a break from Jordie Barrett.
Ahead 13-0 after 15 minutes, Taranaki had gotten off to a superb start, and their defence backed it up.
Working hard to attend every breakdown, plug every hole and make every tackle, Taranaki made it tough for Canterbury to get any fluidity in their attack, with Boshier making his presence felt at every breakdown.
A vintage play from Beauden Barrett put the stamp on the half for Taranaki. The Taranaki No 10 got the ball dep in his own half, sized up the defence and launched through a gap. Leaving the defence in his wake, Barrett sent Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens away on the inside, who stood up Richie Mo'unga to score his second.
With Canterbury only able to post a penalty from Mo'unga's boot in the first half, they had all the work to do in the second.
To their credit, they came back strongly.
Starting with a try to prop Oli Jager from close range early in the half, the ever-constant possibility of a Canterbury comeback lingered. Taranaki began to show signs of fatigue around the 50-minute mark, with all their tackling and defensive work from the first half catching up with them.
Canterbury took advantage and, after tries to Mo'unga and Andrew Knewstubb, they took the lead inside the final 10 minutes.
However, they lost it just moments later when Jordie Barrett kicked a penalty from 50m out, and Taranaki were able to close out the win for their first Ranfurly Shield reign since 2018.
Taranaki 23 (Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens 2, Tupou Vaa'i tries; Jordie Barrett con, 2 pens)Canterbury 22 (Oli Jager, Richie Mo'unga, Andrew Knewstubb tries; Richie Mo'unga 2 cons, pen)HT: 20-3
text by Christopher Reive
After his four-over par opening round at the US Open, yesterday Kiwi golfer Ryan Fox was hopeful he had just played his worst round of the tournament.
"Everyone's going to have a bad day around here at some point and hopefully that was me today," he said.
It wasn't.
He told Martin Devlin it's the hardest golf course he's ever played, and he got a bit spooked by it.
“We had some pretty goods shots coming down the stretch Obviously, when the chance to make of making the cut was well gone, but it was sort of nice to walk off the golf course, almost have a bit of a laugh about it."
He said you just have to try and put the bad days behind you.
"US Open is just one of those tests where, if you don't have it, it's your ass and you move on to the next weekend and try to forget about it."
Fox carded a disastrous 15-over 85 in his second round at Winged Foot, carding five bogeys and five double bogeys as his 19-over score was the fourth-worst at the major which saw many golfers struggle.
Danny Lee, of New Zealand, in action during the second round of the US Open. Photo / AP
Today, Kiwi golfer Danny Lee pulled out following a shocking finish to his third round at the brutal Winged Foot course.
The 30-year-old followed an opening-round 70 with a five-over 75 to make it through to the weekend at the second major of the year, only for his tournament to unravel in dramatic fashion this morning (NZT).
Lee experienced a massive meltdown on the 18th hole, six-putting from an initial distance of four feet to record a quintuple bogey nine.
Lee was three over for his third round when he made his way to the par-four last and left himself a four-footer for par at the 18th, which he knocked so far past the hole that he left himself a longer putt coming back for bogey.
His next effort failed to reach the hole and his third putt - his sixth shot - then rattled nearly seven feet past the target, with Lee's following attempt finishing just under four feet from the cup.
The world No 108 saw his eighth shot go further past the target than any of his previous efforts, before eventually holing from seven feet seven inches - the longest putt of the lot - to finish his round with a quintuple-bogey nine.
The six-putt from four feet saw Lee close out an eight-over 78.
According to Golfweek, Lee withdrew due to a wrist injury.
Lee last withdrew from a tournament in 2017, when he pulled out of the BMW Championship near Chicago after just two holes citing a lower-back complaint following a birdie and a bogey.
Yesterday fellow Kiwi Ryan Fox missed the cut after carding a 15-over 85 in his second round. Just three players are under the card for the tournament heading into the final round.
21-year-old Matthew Wolff leads the way with a two-shot lead over Bryson DeChambeauafter recording a five-under 65 today. Wolff is appearing in just his second major after an impressive tied for fourth at the PGA Championship last month.
DeChambeau, three-under, and South African Louis Oosthuizen at one-under, are the only other two players under the card after three rounds. Japan's Hideki Matsuyama and American duo Xander Schauffele and Harris English are all at even-par, five shots back from Wolff.
Wolff has only one PGA Tour victory to his name after making his debut on the tour last year. That came at the 3M Open where he beat DeChambeau and Collin Morikawa in a playoff.
Martin Devlin chats to former Black Cap and now cricket commentator Simon Doull, who's in Dubai for this years IPL - which is going ahead under strict Covid protocols.
Martin Devlin chats to former Wallabies great John Eales, ahead of the final of Super Rugby Australia as well as a Rugby Championship in Australia to look forward to.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm on Newstalk ZB, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 19th September. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
The DRS, with Elliott Smith standing in for Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Monday nights between 7pm and 8pm, compacted into a podcast for Monday 14th September.
Martin Devlin chats to Brian Clark out of US Open Tennis radio, celebrating Naomi Osaka's 3rd Grand Slam win, and her 2nd US, as well as reflecting on the tournament as a whole, the first since Covid 19 struck.
Martin Devlin chats to Julian Dean, the New Zealand former Tour De France rider who's now part of one of the teams cycling support staff, on what its been like being part of the 2020
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Saturday's and Sunday's on Newstalk ZB from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 13th September. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
The Rugby Championship could be forced to go ahead without the world's best team.
Sanzaar revealed earlier this week that Australia will host the tournament, which will begin in early November. However, the announcement soon became the source of fresh doubt over whether or not the Springboks would be ready to compete.
Springboks coach Jacques Nienaber recently suggested their players needed at least six weeks of football to get in shape for international rugby, however it appears unlikely they will be able to play in South Africa until late September or early October.
Were the Springboks to compete in the proposed November 7 to December 12 Championship, they would have to leave South Africa by October 18.
Speaking to Newstalk ZB's Martin Devlin, former Springboks wing Breyton Paulse said he was doubtful the World Cup holders would be ready to compete.
"I don't think it will benefit the Boks, because of the short amount of time most of those players will have to get them mentally ready and physically," Paulse said.
"I can tell you now, South Africa at the moment things are really quiet, and I've got a feeling that, unfortunately, I don't think South Africa is not going to take part in that. That's my opinion, but in South Africa at the moment it doesn't look like they're going to play.
"The boys are not really fit enough; they obviously will need a couple of weeks and they will probably have two or three weeks to get ready for that tournament. It will be high intensity and it's just the nature of the beast.
"Things are a little bit messy at the moment from a South African perspective so I don't think it sits well with them at the moment. So, while nothing has been confirmed, in my opinion I don't think the Boks will take part in that competition unfortunately.
"The sense that you're getting when you talk to some of the management, they won't be ready physically or mentally for the tournament. And as the world champion team, you want to go out and be the best you can, you want to be competitive. But the sense I'm getting from the guys is that the Boks probably won't take part."
With the competition being held in Australia, there have been suggestions some All Blacks may wish to opt out of travelling to play.
After naming his first 35-man squad last Sunday, All Blacks coach Ian Foster will significantly increase that number by up to 11 more players before venturing to Australia. All players will be given the choice to opt out of the Rugby Championship, given the length of time away from family.
"We want to make sure whoever is representing the All Blacks does so in a safe environment where they feel happy and comfortable. Some of those conversations started earlier today with understanding where players and management line up with their different circumstances," New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson said.
"We are hugely supportive of our players we know they have gone through an incredibly tough time this year. This challenge of what they are about to undertake is going to be significant and we will back them and their families in whatever way we need to ensure they are looked after. If that means they are unable to assemble or travel we'll hear that out and support that."
Martin Devlin chats to Fred De Jong, the former All White who was part of the last side that played England in an international match, back in 1991 when they came here on a two match tour.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 12th September. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Tense negotiations to bring the Rugby Championship to New Zealand were harpooned by the Government's unwillingness to negotiate — with officials making only one concession in almost three months.
This, and not "Sanzaar politics" as suggested by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, led to Australia being awarded the hosting rights to the tournament, says New Zealand Rugby chairman Brent Impey.
"This came down to the quarantine regulations being too restrictive for the championship," Impey told the Weekend Herald.
"The situation in New South Wales is that all teams have to undertake the 14 days quarantine period, during which they can train at full capacity while in quarantine.
"They'll need to have testing during and after the quarantine period, as well as having daily wellness examinations to make sure there are no signs of illness.
"If they do seem ill, they're isolated and tested, and once a negative result is returned, they can join the group."
New Zealand Rugby Chairman Brent Impey. Photo / Photosport
According to Impey, in all the weeks since July, there was just one Government concession over quarantine conditions.
Originally Government officials demanded that throughout the 14 days of lockdown after squads from South Africa, Australia and Argentina arrived in New Zealand, they would never train in groups bigger than 15 players.
After several meetings and phone calls, it was finally agreed that in the last six days of the 14 days in quarantine, the size of the training group could be increased from 15 to 25, Impey revealed.
"The New Zealand situation was that on days one to three there had to be individual isolation. Then, following a negative test, from days four to seven, they could form bubbles of 15 that can train inside the bubble. Then, after a second negative test, they could expand the bubble to 25 from days eight to 14. If there was a negative test, then it was all over.
"That's what the decision to go to Australia came down. The difference in quarantine regulations."
The trickledown effect of losing the Rugby Championship will rob venues throughout the country of the chance to host sold out crowds, while New Zealand's hospitality businesses can appreciate exactly why federal and state Governments threw financial support behind Australia's pitch to largely stage the six-week, 12-match tournament in Sydney.
Asked if New Zealand would lose millions from not hosting the Rugby Championship, NZR chief executive Mark Robinson said: "The economic impact is a bit higher than that for a tournament of this kind. There's a lot of business owners we certainly feel for at the moment.
"It was one way we felt rugby could put a whole lot of smiles on faces and improve the mood of the country but also for bars, cafes, hotels to be full, for people to be travelling into centres to watch these games.
"All that stuff we were hopeful we could see happen but it's not to be."
NZR would still receive revenue from ticket sales, Rugby Australia's interim chief executive Rob Clarke confirmed last night.
"The way Sanzaar has approached this is very much a 'all hands in the middle' where all expenses will be pooled and all revenue will be pooled," Clarke said.
"The profit share will be split among the Sanzaar partners equally. It's a very fair approach. I think it incentivises everybody to make it more successful."
- Additional reporting Liam Napier
Martin Devlin chats to former Dragons and NSW Origin half Jamie Soward ahead of the Warriors do or die game against the Parramatta Eels in the 2020 NRL season.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 6th September. Brought to you by Access Solutions
Coach Ian Foster and his selectors named their first All Blacks squad for 2020 this morning.
The 35-man squad featured seven new faces. Here's all you need to know about the rookie All Blacks.
Alex Hodgman
Born and raised in Auckland, Alex Hodgman travelled south to begin his professional career, making his debut for Canterbury in 2014. The 27-year-old prop won three Mitre 10 Cup titles with the red and blacks and notched up nine Super Rugby caps for the Crusaders before returning home to Auckland. Hodgman is a now a regular feature for the Blues and Auckland and is a powerful scrummager with a high workrate around the field.
Blues prop Alex Hodgman during a clash against the Hurricanes. Photosport
Quinten Strange
A former Nelson College First XV captain, Quinten Strange is an athletic lineout forward that has been earmarked for a big future. After an impressive campaign with the New Zealand Under 20 team in 2016, Strange debuted for Tasman later that same year, playing in 11 matches and securing an Investec Super Rugby contract with the Crusaders. It looked as though his 2020 season would be cruelly ripped away with a pre-season injury, but Strange returned to make five appearances in Super Rugby Aotearoa.
Quinten Strange of the Crusaders. Photosport
Tupou Vaa'i
A former Wesley College Head Prefect and First XV captain, Tupou Vaa'i is the latest player to etch their mark in the school's proud history of producing All Blacks. Vaa'i made his provincial debut for Taranaki as an 18 year old in 2018 and the following year made six appearances for the New Zealand Under 20 side. In 2020 Vaa'i stepped up to Super Rugby, playing all seven matches in Super Rugby Aotearoa and emerging as bright prospect which the Chiefs recognised in extending his contract through to 2023.
Tupou Vaa'i in action for the Chiefs. Photosport
Cullen Grace
Born in Hawera and raised in Timaru, Grace made his Super Rugby debut in 2020 and immediately caught the attention of national selectors as a hard-nosed, dynamic loose forward, with 87 tackles and 45 carries in his debut season. A thumb injury sidelined Grace for much of Super Rugby Aotearoa but he made a successful return to the field for Canterbury in their Ranfurly Shield defence against North Otago in August. Grace captained the Canterbury Under 19 side in 2018 and last year was a member of the New Zealand Under 20 side.
Cullen Grace of the Crusaders. Photosport
Hoskins Sotutu
22-year-old loose forward Hoskins Sotutu spent most of his rugby growing up playing in the backline, emulating his father Waisake who also played for Auckland and the Blues. It was only in the later stages of his schooling that Sotutu moved to the forward pack and he has since gone on to play for the New Zealand Under 20s, Auckland in the Mitre 10 Cup and made his Super Rugby debut off the bench in 2019. This season Sotutu turned heads as a powerful ball carrier and relentless defender. He was among the competition's best with more than 100 carries and 80 tackles.
Hoskins Sotutu during a Blues training session.Photosport
Caleb Clarke
Caleb Clarke was in scintillating form during Super Rugby Aotearoa and was one of the best performers for the Blues in his six appearances in 2020. The son of 1992-1998 All Black Eroni, Clarke is an explosive winger who has a knack of claiming silverware, leading Mt Albert Grammar to the National 1st XV title in 2016 and as a member of the New Zealand Under 20 team that claimed the World Championship in 2017, the Auckland Mitre 10 Cup-winning side in 2018 and this year's World Series winning All Blacks Sevens team.
Caleb Clarke of the Blues on a run against the Highlanders. Photosport
Will Jordan
Will Jordan was one of the most talked about players in 2020, with his natural flair and x-factor a key feature in the championship-winning Crusaders backline. A product of Christchurch Boy's High School, Jordan was a member of the 2017 New Zealand Under 20 side that went on to win the World Cha...
Serena Williams' quest for a 24th Grand Slam title continued Saturday but she had to rally against a rejuvenated Sloane Stephens at the US Open.
Williams lost the first set before prevailing 2-6 6-2 6-2 to reach the fourth round, her serve -- and legendary desire to win -- playing a big factor at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.
Fans are being kept away this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, with the tournament operating a bubble similar to other sports. But there watching Williams was her daughter, Olympia, and husband Alexis Ohanian.
The 38-year-old Williams faces another stern test on Monday when she meets Greece's Maria Sakkari -- who beat her last week.
The turnaround for Williams against Stephens came at 2-2 in the second, when she saved a break point before breaking for 4-2 against the 2017 champion.
Through the first five games of the second set, Stephens -- who wore a Black Lives Matter mask entering the court -- had been getting much the better of the baseline exchanges.
She hit 13 winners and only five unforced errors in ground stroke exchanges while Williams tallied 14 unforced errors and just seven winners.
After the key two-game swing, though, Williams raised her game. She didn't face another break point and finished with 12 aces.
When Williams broke for 3-1 in the third, Stephens' chances all but evaporated.
Confidence boost
The victory is sure to be a confidence booster for Williams after suffering upset quarterfinal losses at two warmup events when she held commanding leads. That included against Sakkari at the Western & Southern Open, when Williams led by a set and 5-3.
If she goes all the way in New York, Williams would tie Margaret Court for the all-time lead in Grand Slam titles.
Even in defeat, it's the type of outing that could kick-start Stephens' career. No one has ever questioned her talent but Stephens has struggled since reaching the French Open final in 2018.
She entered the US Open with a 1-7 record in 2020 and only got a seeding of 26th when other players pulled out of the draw.
Besides Williams' family, fellow players Naomi Osaka, Dominic Thiem, Sofia Kenin and Petra Kvitova took in the action from their luxury suites on Arthur Ashe that would otherwise go to corporate sponsors and guests.
Saturday's most dramatic contest saw Karolina Muchova -- who beat Venus Williams in the first round -- save three match points to defeat Sorana Cirstea of Romania 6-2 2-6 7-6 (7).
The Czech became the latest player to save match points en route to victory this week, following Andy Murray, Aliaksandra Sasnovich, Cameron Norrie and Varvara Gracheva.
In a sizable upset in the men's draw, Canada's unseeded Vasek Pospisil beat Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut 7-5 2-6 4-6 6-3 6-2. The eighth-seeded Spaniard came close to ending Novak Djokovic's unblemished 2020 record last week at the Western & Southern Open in New York.
text by Ravi Ubha, for CNN
Ian Foster will know by the end of next week when he gets to unleash his new All Blacks era.
Through the near-constant postponements and schedule alternations Foster has been forced to patiently wait, and then wait some more, but Sunday marked the official start of his All Blacks tenure, with the naming of a 35-man squad at New Zealand Rugby headquarters that included seven new caps and an abundance of attacking flair.
The Herald understands a Sanzaar meeting next Thursday will finally set in place the test schedule for the remainder of the year, with an official announcement due on Friday.
The All Blacks are expected to begin with two Bledisloe Cup matches against Dave Rennie's Wallabies but where and when those fixtures are staged is yet to be determined.
While Foster awaits confirmation, the All Blacks will disperse to their provincial unions for the first two rounds of that competition which starts next Friday when North Harbour host Canterbury in Albany.
"We're in a great position now, and hopefully we don't have to wait too long while we sort out some dates, but we've got the chance to put them back into Mitre 10 Cup and keep in touch with the players and they can inject a lot of enthusiasm about playing in that competition," Foster said after including rookie prospects Caleb Clarke, Will Jordan, Alex Hodgman, Quinten Strange, Tupou Vaa'i, Cullen Grace and Hoskins Sotutu to a core of established All Blacks.
"Rather than keeping this group in a camp we thought it was better for them to go back there until we have a clear idea about our programme.
"We're extremely hopeful of some tests with Aussie and after that we're not too sure but we'll wait and see. In the meantime we're fortunate we can put them back in Mitre 10 Cup."
Watching 10 tries and a raft of classy skill in the North against South inter-island game on Saturday night in Wellington fuelled Foster's enthusiasm to get his first test match in charge underway.
"There's some guys there that just want to play. We're seeing guys who have a breath of enthusiasm and love for the game. We're seeing players trying to push things a little bit and that's going to have its flaws and we've got to make sure we harness that but it is an exciting group."
Other than 20-year-old Taranaki and Chiefs lock Vaa'i, the North-South match did little to alter the selectors' minds.
"We didn't change our 35 based on last night. We certainly got some pleasant reminders from people who didn't make it about how much they want to be here. There was probably one player in our 35 that we needed to see a couple of things to make sure we were 100 per cent sure and we got that confirmation so we felt pretty good last night.
"What we saw was a game the players put a lot of meaning into. I said let's assess it after the fact and it's after the fact and it looked pretty good so I'd love to see it [again], where it fits I don't know."
Injuries could yet alter Foster's squad.
Crusaders centre Braydon Ennor will have scans once he returns to Christchurch to determine the extent of a knee injury he suffered 13 minutes into the South's victory. If he is ruled out, Hurricanes midfielder Peter Umaga-Jensen may be the next rookie in line for a maiden call up.
"Hopefully it's not too bad and we'll rehab him, and if it is bad we'll have to add someone in."
The outlook for Dane Coles, Sam Cane and Strange is more positive.
Scott Barrett (toe) and Ngani Laumape (forearm) are not due back until early November at the earliest but Foster indicated they would be brought straight into the squad when fit.
Coles is back running after his niggly calf injury and will return for Wellington in the next two-to-three weeks.
All Blacks captain Cane will play his first match for Bay of Plenty in five years this weekend after almost one month out with concussion. And after a frustrating year of injury set-backs, Crusaders lock Strange is scheduled to resume contact on September 20 and then return for Tasman.
Foster single...
Martin Devlin chats to Newstalk ZB's regular Tennis and Golf correspondent Graeme Agars, at the halfway point of the US Open - one in which saw Andy Murray bow out while Serena Williams fights on.
Martin Devlin chats to Jamie Joseph, the Japanese head coach on the back of the disappointment of not being able to compete in a potential 8 Nations Championship in the Northern Hemisphere while reflecting on his thought processes when he was approached last year to be part of Ian Foster's coaching set up.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 5th September. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to Highlanders co-captain Ash Dixon, who's selected in the North squad for this weekend's North v South game on what they're expecting in the game.
Martin Devlin chats to Phil Murphy out ESPN Australasia about the historic NBA boycott earlier on in the week, which saw the NBA postpone its playoff matches for 48 hours in protest of the shooting of Jacob Blake.
When Wimbledon was cancelled amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, it became the first of tennis' grand slams to be scrapped since World War II in 1945.
There was uncertainty, too, surrounding the next major, the US Open, but the event is going ahead in New York with no fans, no mixed doubles and limited fields in men's and women's doubles. This despite tournament revenue -- which hit $399.6 million in 2019 -- expected to drop by as much as 80%.
Tennis' bubble
Be it in the NBA, NHL or Champions League, bubbles are the new norm in sports, accompanied by coronavirus tests and temperature checks.
The US Open is also operating a bubble, with players and their limited entourages being shuttled to and from the tournament's hotels to the tennis site in Flushing Meadows, Queens. Instead of the usual accommodation in swanky, high-rent Manhattan, all but a few are staying in Long Island at the Long Island Marriott and Garden City hotel.
Players got used to the new setup this week -- since a warm-up tournament normally held in Cincinnati, Ohio, is being staged at the US Open site -- and so far there have been virtually no complaints.
"It's nice," 2012 US Open champion Andy Murray told reporters. "They've done a really good job at the hotel. They've got games and arcades and things like that, which I enjoy.
"They're putting on different food in the evenings for the players. We can get delivery. Room is absolutely fine. You have a gym there. So, yeah, it's absolutely fine."
Private housing was an option given to players but Murray declined because he said costs were "astronomical."
But Serena Williams -- making a ninth attempt at landing a record 24th grand slam title -- and Novak Djokovic preferred their own digs.
For Williams, past health scares including pulmonary embolisms swayed her decision.
"I didn't want to be in the hotel because I have lung issues, so I felt like it was actually a big risk for me personally," the American told reporters. "At my house, I can control more. There is no housekeeping, there is none of that type of stuff.
"And so as much as I want to be here, it's great, but I have genuine health issues that I just really needed to put my mind at rest to even be able to perform in New York."
Djokovic, who tested positive for the coronavirus after his ill fated Adria Tour was cut short, is based at a home described by the New York Times as "nestled amid trees."
"With the trees and serenity, being in this kind of environment is a blessing," Djokovic told the newspaper. "And I'm grateful, because I've seen the hotel where the majority of players are staying.
"I don't want to sound arrogant or anything like that, and I know the (United States Tennis Association) did their best in order to provide accommodation and organize everything and organize these bubbles so the players can actually compete and come here, but it's tough for most of the players, not being able to open their window and being in a hotel in a small room."
Notable no-shows
Players have said they felt safe in the new environment. But due to the pandemic, several stars bypassed the US Open.
The highest-profile absentee is defending men's champion Rafael Nadal, who could have tied Roger Federer for the all-time men's grand slam lead.
Practicing on clay rather than hard courts -- the surface of the US Open -- the Spaniard was always leaning against making the trip and officially withdrew in early August.
"The situation is very complicated worldwide, the COVID-19 cases are increasing, it looks like we still don't have control of it," the 19-time grand slam winner said.
Other notable no-shows include Stan Wawrinka, Simona Halep, Ashleigh Barty, Kiki Bertens, Elina Svitolina, Belinda Bencic, 2004 winner Svetlana Kuznetsova, Gael Monfils, Nick Kyrgios and defending women's champion Bianca Andreescu.
Andreescu, however, hasn't played since last year due to injury.
Federer and 2009 titlist Juan Martin del Potro had already been ruled out as they recover fro...
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 30th August. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Warriors coach Todd Payten is taking his foot off the brake as his side continues its unlikely bid to make the NRL playoffs.
Optimism is sky high around the Warriors after they crushed the Knights 36-6, even though they remain 9-1 outsiders to make the top eight because their winning run may have come too late.
The club's immediate task will be to retain the services of wing George Jennings and prop Daniel Alvaro, who are on loan from Parramatta, when they play the Eels on Sunday. And the third-placed Eels are unlikely to be in a generous mood, after being crushed 38-0 by the Rabbitohs.
Jennings has been in terrific form for the Warriors, and provided a match highlight on Saturday when he smashed through Newcastle playmaker Mitchell Pearce. Pearce was pivotal to the hopes of the injury-hit Knights, and while he carried on the battered captain did not exert any influence on the game in the second half.
Alvaro has been part of a Warriors pack which, ironically, appears to have been strengthened by the addition of loan players this year.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck celebrates with teammates after scoring. Photo / Photosport.co.nz
The Warriors may have to win all four of their remaining games to have a chance of overhauling the eighth-placed Sharks but interim coach Payten said he did not want pressure to shackle his side.
"We're a good team, we're building, I think the belief is definitely growing, and they are enjoying themselves," he said.
"It's possible (making the finals) but we play a Parramatta team who are going to be desperate, they are physical, they're big, I reckon that will be our biggest test coming up this week. We'll see where we're at.
"We haven't had a conversation (about the finals) although it's probably going to start in the media. But for us it's pretty simple - my message is about everyone getting their job done. When it does, you get results like this, or at the very least come away with the win.
"We're pretty inexperienced (in dealing with hype) and it's my job to keep a lid on it. But in the same sentence our group enjoys freedom, and if I come down on them and try to rein them in it can hurt their footy.
"At the moment I'm letting them go and will run with what we're doing, see where it takes us."
Payten said Jennings and Alvaro want to stay with the Warriors. Warriors chief executive Cameron George will work on resolving the issue today.
One of the many impressive features in the latest win was the way the Warriors patiently kept a foot on the Knights' throat until they cracked.
Inexperienced halfback Chanel Harris-Tavita played a huge part in that, an encouraging sign after veteran playmaker Blake Green left mid-season for the Knights.
Payten said one moment in the Tamworth game showed that Harris-Tavita is making huge strides.
"I've said a few times how much I admire him as a person and a footballer," Payten said.
"He handled this year very well, didn't drop his head or kick stones when he was left out. He was very professional, worked on his game, he soaks up information.
"He followed Greenie around, picked up a lot of stuff in terms of talk and direction and I've seen that unfold.
"What I did like about Chanel today came when there was an opportunity to shift through the midfield and Tohu Harris didn't pass him the ball.
"I actually saw him give Tohu a rocket and a mouthful which is the development we needed from him.
"It's a tough gig for young halves to tell those senior players where to go and what to do and I'm starting to see that."
- text by Chris Rattue, NZ Herald
Martin Devlin chats to former England spinner Monty Panesar, about his old team mate Jimmy Anderson taking his 600th Test scalp earlier in the week and his memories of helping Matt Prior save a test at Eden Park back in 2008.
Martin Devlin chats to the now-former Silver Fern Laura Langman on the back of the announcement earlier on in the week that she's retiring from International Netball, reflecting on all she's achieved in the game and where to from now.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 29th August. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin talks to former Australian opener Matthew Hayden, about his career in cricket and the challenges he sees facing the young generation when it comes to playing sport.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Saturday's and Sunday's on Newstalk ZB from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for SUnday 23rd August. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to Don Tricker, the Director of Player Health and Performance for the San Diego Padres on what it's like trying to coordinate a professional baseball side in the MLB while adhering to all the Covid 19 protocols put in front of them.
There are growing concerns about plans to commercialise and stream youth sport.
Earlier this year, Sky TV signed up to a deal that sees the blanket broadcasting and live-streaming of school sport on their platforms under the guise of the New Zealand Sports Collective.
Now, a NZ Herald report has highlighted further concerns about the way the deal was done.
Heath Mills, who formerly worked in secondary school sports before starting the New Zealand Cricket Players' Association and, latterly, the New Zealand Athletes' Federation, told Martin Devlin that there
"What does concern me is the commodification of youth. Who owns the right? What rights do people have to exploit and make money off of 15, 16, 17-year-olds who are playing school sport?"
He says that it opens the doors for other commercial entities, such as advertisers and sponsors, to get involved.
Mills is concerned about the involvement of the Government through the state-owned entity Sport NZ.
"The fact the Government has been so heavily supporting this is a disgrace."
While most of Mills' ire is directed at Sport NZ leadership, he believes people in positions of responsibility at Sky TV also need a reality check.
"There are people involved there that should know better. They need to stop being captivated by the stardust and start to recognise some of the unintended consequences of their good intentions in supporting youth sport."
The Wellington Phoenix's A-League season has come to a disappointing end, going down 1-0 to Perth Glory in their elimination final at Bankwest Stadium.
A first-half strike from Joel Chianese was enough to settle the contest and despite intense pressure and firing off 32 shots to Perth's 15, the Phoenix were unable to find an equaliser and have exited the finals series at the first time of asking.
On another day, one of Wellington's plethora of chances would have found its way into Glory's net, but a combination of well-organised defending, excellent goalkeeping and a fair amount of fortune saw Perth hold their lead and advance at the Phoenix's expense.
The Phoenix will be left to rue their inability to finish their opportunities and nine weeks after jetting out of New Zealand's capital to continue the A-League season in New South Wales, their Australian adventure ended in anything but the fashion they had hoped for.
"Football's a cruel game sometimes," said coach Ufuk Talay.
"You dominate a game, create enough opportunities to win and it's a recurring theme from the last game against Newcastle. If we're not clinical in front of goal, we can't win games. We create, but we're just not clinical.
"We gave them one opportunity where they scored and then I think we totally dominated the game but we didn't score a goal to get ourselves back into it."
The game's only goal came after 18 minutes when Chianese, who had scored twice for Sydney FC in a finals match against Wellington eight years ago, latched onto a neat through ball from Jake Brimmer, sped between two defenders and produced a tidy left-footed finish to beat Phoenix goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic from 15 yards.
Going behind was the catalyst for an increased first-half intensity from the Phoenix who won a raft of set pieces and eventually attempted 17 shots before the break without opening their account. In particular, two goal-bound efforts from Ulises Davila were brilliantly saved by Liam Reddy, who ten years ago was the penalty shootout hero as the Phoenix beat the Glory in their first finals match. A decade on, and now with Glory, he was a formidable final barrier in the path of his former side.
As the second half wore on, Wellington's attack became more and more desperate. Reno Piscopo flashed a right-footed effort just wide of the post, Steven Taylor was unable to direct a volley on target from a narrow angle and the outstanding Libby Cacace – in what will be his last game for the club – becoming increasingly more prominent, driving deep into enemy territory time and again to set up chances which went unconverted.
As the game entered its final quarter, Jaushua Sotirio spurned a chance from a handy position after a run and cross from fullback Callan Elliot. There was also a suggestion of a Phoenix penalty when Tomislav Mrcela's high foot seemed to make contact with substitute Callum McCowatt, but referee Alex King saw nothing untoward. As time ticked down, David Ball's swivel-volley cannoned off the crossbar.
"I'm still very proud of the boys," said Talay.
"I think this is a great experience for our younger players playing these games. The more they play in these finals series, the more accustomed they get to it and the better experience they get from it."
The win sees Glory advance to face Sydney FC in the second semifinal on Wednesday night. Melbourne City will meet the winner of tomorrow night's second elimination final between Brisbane Roar and Western United.
Despite his first season as a head coach ending in this fashion, Talay said he still regarded the campaign as a success.
"I've thoroughly enjoyed it."
"We've got a great bunch of boys. We started off on the back foot but the belief and the process was there and it got us to third on the table.
"That's our template and we'll build on that hopefully for next season."
Perth Glory 1 (Chianese 18')Wellington Phoenix 0
Martin Devlin chats to Phil Murphy out of ESPN Australasia, about what he's seen from the opening few games of the NBA playoffs and who he likes to go and challenge for the Championship ring.
Martin Devlin chats to Black Caps spinner Mitchell Santner, who's in Trinidad and Tobago playing the Caribbean Premier League, the first International T20 competition to get up and running around the world.
Martin Devlin chats to All Blacks coach Ian Foster, reflecting on a magnificent Super Rugby Aotearoa competition and looking ahead to the complications surrounding the North v South game in a couple of weeks.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 22nd August. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to former Wallabies winger Drew Mitchell, on what an Australian has made of our Super Rugby Aotearoa as well as what sort of format he's keen to see if the two competitions merge in 2021.
Reaching 250 matches is irrelevant - Martin Devlin says there is no denying what Kevin Proctor did.
The New Zealand international yesterday became the first player in the NRL's 112-year history to be sent off for biting, after the bunker ruled the Gold Coast captain sunk his teeth into Shaun Johnson's arm in the Titans' loss to Cronulla.
With the base penalty for grade three dangerous contact being 500 demerit points, which equates to a five-match suspension, Proctor's facing a longer ban as the match review committee considers the incident to be of a higher grading than detailed in the NRL judiciary code.
Many believe he'll be marched for the season.
While Johnson is trying to brush it aside, Devlin says there is no excuses for what happened.
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Highlanders 38Hurricanes 21
The Highlanders celebrated their co-captains' milestones with victory over the Hurricanes to bring the premature curtain down on Super Rugby Aotearoa in bizarre circumstances.
Aaron Smith's 150th match for the Highlanders, and Ash Dixon's 100th Super Rugby game, deserved to be recognised by a full house in Dunedin.
While the latest Covid-19 outbreak ruined that prospect, the Highlanders turned on a second-half clinic by scoring 24 unanswered points to finish their spirited season on a memorable note.
The Crusaders claiming the title last weekend, coupled with cancelling the scheduled finale at Eden Park on Sunday, effectively made this an exhibition game.
With fans, other than family members of the Highlanders, locked out due to the Covid-19 restrictions, the reality is this match was largely staged to retain broadcast revenue. It certainly made for an eerie feel for the players involved.
Both teams approached it in that exhibition style to turn on another breathless, and somewhat scrappy, spectacle.
As you would expect from a Barbarians-type fixture, scripts largely went out the window in favour of embracing the rare freedom that comes with such a match.
Offloads, turnovers, line breaks were frequent and the pace of the game regularly left tight forwards gasping for air.
Clinical finishing was absent as the Hurricanes had three tries ruled out. Vince Aso stepped out; Scott Scrafton's inside pass to Reed Prinsep was ruled forward and Chase Tiatia scored after obstruction.
The Hurricanes had the better of the first half, claiming two tries through rapid halfback Jamie Booth and Aso but after being denied two tries the visitors should've enjoyed a comfortable halftime buffer rather than being locked up 14-14.
The Highlanders initially kept in touch through tries to Dixon and replacement Ngatungane Punivai but they were at their best when playmakers Josh Ioane and Mitchell Hunt held the ball in two hands and challenged the line or Jona Nareki came off his wing to expose tiring defenders.
The locals took control by scoring three second-half tries – the result effectively sealed when referee Ben O'Keeffe awarded a penalty try and yellow carded Ardie Savea for collapsing a Highlanders lineout maul destined to hand Dixon his double.
Given the landscape which forced the Hurricanes to fly in and out on the same day it's difficult to read too much into the result but after notching a five-match winning streak, a run which included defeating the Crusaders in Christchurch, they will be disappointed to end their season in this fashion.
In many ways, however, this final match sums up the intensely competitive derby league in which any side can knock the other over on their day.
Last week the Highlanders pushed the Crusaders through to the final quarter and finishing their season with a third victory from eight games will offer confidence that changes they made during lockdown have them on the right path for next year.
A bonus-point victory is not enough to lift the Highlanders above the third-placed Hurricanes which leaves the Blues to finish second, six points behind the Crusaders after their final match was declared a draw.
Highlanders 38 (Ngatungane Punivai, Ash Dixon, Michael Collins, penalty try, Mitchell Hunt tries; Josh Ioane 4 cons, pen)Hurricanes 21 (Vince Aso, Jamie Booth, Peter Umaga-Jensen tries; Jordie Barrett 3 cons)HT: 14-14
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 16th August. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
The ANZ Premiership grand final will go ahead next Sunday – but without fans in attendance.
Netball New Zealand has confirmed the Central Pulse and Mainland Tactix will meet in the final in Invercargill, but the consolation matches will not be held, with the third-place playoff between the Northern Mystics and Northern Stars, and the fifth-place playoff between the Southern Steel and Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic both cancelled.
Netball New Zealand chief executive Jennie Wyllie said the decision to continue with the grand final was determined by the Government's announcement on Friday with the country's alert levels remaining the same, with Auckland currently at Level 3 and the rest of the country at Level 2.
"Our team has been working incredibly hard behind the scenes to give us the opportunity to play the grand final in an environment that safely meets the guidelines from the Ministry," she said.
"We're pleased that we are still able to showcase the pinnacle match of the ANZ Premiership during a season that has tossed up so many challenges for players, management, fans and officials."
Netball NZ are hopeful that the Steel can play a curtain-raiser ahead of the grand final, but with no local fans allowed to attend, the planned bumper finals series may instead be set for an eerie conclusion.
Wyllie says they will continue to monitor the guidance from the Ministry of Health and Government to ensure the match remains safe to go ahead.
"We feel confident in moving forward with the grand final but will be closely following the advice from officials," she said.
The grand final is set to begin at 6.45pm next Sunday.
Gabriel Jesus was crouching on the field and crying. Not even the Manchester City jersey covering his face could mask the agony.
Raheem Sterling was lying across the turf, his hands crossed over his eyes.
Then, the Lyon players broke away from their celebrations to console opponents distraught at being knocked out of the Champions League without reaching the semifinals for a fourth straight season.
City, the most expensively assembled squad in football history, had lost 3-1 to the team that finished seventh in the French league.
"It's incredible because we're the surprise team," Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes said. "I don't think many people expected us to reach this stage of the competition."
While Lyon prepares to face Bayern Munich in its first Champions League semifinal in a decade, City must face up to another collapse in its quest to become European champions for the first time.
"We need to learn — it's not good enough and that's it," said Kevin De Bruyne, who scored City's only goal to equalize before Moussa Dembélé scored twice on Saturday. "Different year, same stuff."
It leaves Pep Guardiola still waiting for a first Champions League title since 2011 while coaching Barcelona, falling short in three attempts with Bayern Munich before repeated failures with City. After surrendering the Premier League trophy to Liverpool, City ends the season with only the League Cup.
Guardiola's decision to deploy an unfamiliar five-man defense to match Lyon's system backfired when gaping holes were left at the back before Maxwel Cornet struck the opener in the 24th minute.
"We won the tactical battle as we master our system of play," Lyon coach Rudi Garcia said.
De Bruyne equalized in the 69th but substitute Dembélé restored the lead 10 minutes later by putting a shot under goalkeeper Ederson after being on the pitch for only four minutes.
Then came the chance to level again that will haunt Sterling. Facing an unguarded net at the far post, Sterling missed the target completely and Lyon extended its lead 59 seconds later with Dembélé scoring again.
This was an error-strewn performance by City on a night when Guardiola was out-thought by Garcia, whose last major titles were the French league and cup double with Lille in 2011.
"Rudi Garcia has left his mark, has instilled discipline," sporting director Juninho said. "We grew up. Now we need a little humility, a little calm."
For the first time since 1996 the Champions League semifinals will not feature a side from England and Spain. Instead France will take on Germany in this unique pandemic-enforced conclusion to the Champions League in Lisbon, with single games without fans rather than two-legged semifinals. After Paris Saint-Germain plays Leipzig on Tuesday, Lyon faces Bayern the following night just like it did in the 2010 semifinals. Bouyed by knocking out Juventus and City, Lyon will believe it can make the final this time, even against a Bayern side that thrashed Barcelona 8-2.
City's biggest Champions League win of the season seemed to come off the pitch when its lawyers overturned a two-season ban from European competitions. But for a side that eliminated record 13-time champion Real Madrid in the previous round, losing to Lyon was not in the script.
Given that a place in the semifinals was on the line, City's back line didn't rise to the challenge.
The lack of urgency in dealing with Lyon's advance for the opener was careless as Fernando Marçal sent a long ball over the top from inside his own half.
At that point Kyle Walker was alongside Cornet at the halfway line but the City right back lingered rather than tracking back. Aymeric Laporte also lost the advancing Toko Ekambi. Eric Garcia did run back to make the sliding tackle that prevented Ekambi from shooting.
But Cornet had sprinted forward and was left unmarked to pick up the loose ball before exploiting Ederson being caught off his line. Cornet shot low past the goalkeeper into the corner of the net.
"Fortune smil...
Martin Devlin chats to Tom Rennie, our football correspondent out of Talksport in the UK looking at Barcelona's capitulation against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, losing 8 2 to Tom's predicted winners.
Martin Devlin chats to former Penrith and Warriors half Greg 'Brandy' Alexander on the back of the Warriors loss to the Panthers in the NRL on Friday night.
Martin Devlin chats to Blues captain and form lock of the Super Rugby competition, Patrick Tuipulotu on the disappointment on ending the competition a week early and why he's enjoyed being a part of this Blues environment this season.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 15th August. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's, Sunday's and now Monday's - compacted into a podcast for Monday 10th August. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Hurricanes 31Chiefs 18
Victory and a crucial bonus point has kept the Hurricanes in the mix for the Super Rugby Aotearoa title.
The Hurricanes consigned Warren Gatland's Chiefs to the ignominy of a winless campaign - nine straight defeats dating pre-lockdown – and a 73rd minute Billy Proctor try off a brilliant Jamie Booth offload sealed the bonus point which keeps Jason Holland's unheralded outfit in contention for the New Zealand crown.
The Crusaders are heavily favoured to clinch the title when they host the Highlanders in Christchurch on Sunday but, for now at least, the third-placed Hurricanes moved one point behind the Blues and three behind the Crusaders. Next week the Hurricanes travel to Dunedin where they will again need a bonus point victory to have a chance at claiming the title, if it remains alive.
Regardless of the Super Rugby Aotearoa title implications, the Hurricanes can take pride from extending their winning streak to five matches – a run which includes being the only team in the past four years to knock over the Crusaders in Christchurch. It's been a remarkable recovery from the Hurricanes after dropping their first two matches of this campaign.
In front of a frozen 21,489 Wellington crowd, the Hurricanes were a class above the Chiefs, leading 12-3 at halftime before eventually kicking away for a comfortable five-tries-to-two victory.
Jordie Barrett and Peter Umaga-Jensen led the Hurricanes from an individual standpoint but concerns were palpable for Sam Cane after the All Blacks captain was knocked out in an ugly incident.
Everyone held their breath 26 minutes into the contest when Cane copped a nasty hip to the head and lay prone on the turf. The contact with Barrett's hip left Cane unconscious and he did not return to the game, but he at least left the field without the use of a stretcher.
Two years on from the neck fracture in South Africa that almost ended his career, this was a scare he could do without.
Gatland's Chiefs, meanwhile, finish their season with the fewest points, tries, line breaks and most tries and turnovers conceded. While they didn't lack heart their attack in particular was again bereft of confidence, and they will probably welcome the chance to escape the losing habit.
The intent to chase the bonus point from the Hurricanes was clear from the outset. They turned down shots at goal in favour of kicking for the corner and their rate of offloads was more akin to touch rugby. Vince Aso in particular pushed passes in contact at every opportunity.
The Hurricanes were at their best when they settled, somewhat. With Tyrel Lomax anchoring the scrum this area continued to be a solid platform to launch attacking raids and TJ Perenara took ownership of the kicking to plug the corners on several occasions.
Umaga-Jensen was the standout of the first half. The 22-year-old has made his mark in the midfield since lockdown and his two tries and brilliant line-running ability again left a lasting impression.
To open the scoring he hit the line at pace to collect a flat Perenara ball and crash over in the tackle of Anton Lienert-Brown. For his second, Umaga-Jensen dished and then received a pass from Wes Goosen on the left edge.
Barrett survived a scare when he twisted his knee to deliver another influential display from fullback, a position he is making his own. Whether it was laying on crunching hits, knocking over goals, being safe under the high ball or offloading in contact, Barrett was ever-present as he has been throughout this campaign.
The best moment of the first half for the Chiefs came when Hurricanes wing Kobus Van Wyk was yellow carded for unnecessarily throwing Brad Weber into a dangerous position. Even then, though, the Chiefs attack struggled to exploit their one man advantage, only doing so once at the start of the second spell when Sean Wainui scored the first of their two strikes.
When the Hurricanes returned to their full contingent, however, they were always in control.
W...
New Warriors head coach Nathan Brown has revealed the abrupt details of his appointment with the club, confirming the deal was done over the course of a day.
The Auckland club confirmed Brown as the man to lead them into their next era, signing a three-year contract with full-time duties commencing in early November. They also confirmed NRL great Phil Gould would be joining the club as a consultant.
Brown, 47, was among a number of candidates to rule themselves out of the running for the role after Stephen Kearney was sacked in late June, but quickly emerged as a front-runner when interim coach Todd Payten turned down the role earlier this week.
Brown admitted he had not had any form of conversation with the club about taking on the role prior to Thursday, when he ultimately signed on.
"I spoke to Robbo (club owner Mark Robinson) on Thursday. That was the first time we'd had any dialogue about me coming to work for the Warriors, and we got the deal done basically within a couple of hours," Brown said.
"Maybe I should have had that convo two months ago. At the time it just didn't feel right, even though I thought it was a great opportunity. Then the time did feel right.
"One thing I maintained was that the Warriors was a great opportunity for any coach that got the opportunity," Brown said of initially withdrawing himself from consideration. "I had one or two concerns and I've had private conversations with (the club) since and I'm very comfortable with the opportunity I've been given now and am very much looking forward to it."
Brown spent time with the club earlier in the year in a consultancy role, working alongside the club's hookers. At the time, club chief executive Cameron George was quick to shut down suggestions he could end up taking the top job should Kearney depart.
Now, having done just that, Brown said he has a good base from which to approach making his presence felt in the role.
"I saw a very hungry squad and a group of blokes who want to listen and want to get better, and that's a very good starting base."
The announcement comes on the back of the Warriors' strong 26-22 win over the Manly Sea Eagles on Friday night, after which Payten suggested the club was only two key players away from a competitive roster.
It appeared Brown didn't quite share the same sentiment however, with the incoming coach noting while the club shows potential when they have "enough talent on the field" there was plenty of work still to be done in establishing a competitive team.
Brown didn't shy away from acknowledging he wasn't joining the club to make them a contender immediately, but that the process would take time and consistency was the end goal.
"To get the major prize, that takes a lot of hard work – and that's what the end goal is. It's about improving the roster and improving the players within the squad in the short-term," Brown said.
"The key to any club is sustained success...you need to have sustained success and consistently play finals football. Because you only win big games by practice and unfortunately for the Warriors of late, they've had the odd [finals] appearance here and there, but when they had Daniel Anderson and Ivan Cleary in charge, they had consistent finals performances and then you get a grand final. That's what it's all about.
"It's not about instant success, it's about building something sustainable that gets you consistency, and that consistency gives you an opportunity. You can't just wave a magic wand and all of a sudden, you're going to win something. It just doesn't work like that - if it did you wouldn't be having this conversation with me now."
Martin Devlin has outlined his own experiences dealing with difficult coaches in children's sport, and has urged other parents to find out what is happening.
Over the past week, the Herald has outlined multiple allegations of abuse of athletes in the country's elite gymnastics programmes, including girls as young as 8 being fat-shamed, forced to train through injuries and verbally abused by coaches.
Amongst the complaints, multiple parents of children enrolled in competitive gymnastics at Auckland's North Harbour club have told of their concerns at the behaviour of coaches in the nationally acclaimed programme, prompting club management to investigate and promise action.
Meanwhile, the sport's national governing body, Gymnastics New Zealand, emailed members this week encouraging potential victims to come forward.
Speaking on his radio show, Devlin revealed that he and his ex-wife had difficulties confronting one of their son's football coaches, after being shocked by the way the man was yelling at children.
He encouraged other parents to do the same, get involved and not treat their children's after schools sport as a babysitting service.
LISTEN ABOVE
Martin Devlin chats to All Blacks assistant coach John Plumtree, on what he's made of Super Rugby Aotearoa and how much he's looking forward to finally getting started with the All Blacks when the side finally gets together as a group.
Martin Devlin chats to Ian Baker-Finch, former Open Championship winner in 1991 and now part of the Golf Channel commentary team for NBC in the United States at the halfway point of the PGA Championship in San Francisco, the first major played since Covid 19.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sundays from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 8th August. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to one of the great characters of English Football, Harry Redknapp, about his career in the game and what its like managing difficult personalities like Paolo Di Canio.
Martin Devlin chats to former England World Cup winning centre Will Greenwood, on when we're likely to expect competitive rugby to be up and running in the Northern Hemisphere and whether he's been watching Super Rugby.
Martin Devlin chats to former All Black captain Murray Mexted, reviewing the Chiefs 7th loss in a row in Super Rugby Aotearoa, this time against the Crusaders at home in Hamilton.
Martin Devlin chats to Blair Julian, the Kiwi from New Plymouth who ended up becoming a mechanic for Chip Ganassi racing in Indy Cars, working alongside Scott Dixon for the last 20 years.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 2nd August. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to Chiefs First-Five Aaron Cruden ahead of his 100th Super Rugby game against the Crusaders in Hamilton.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 1st August. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to UFC Middleweight champion and global superstar Israel Adesanya, live in the studio and taking calls from the listeners ahead of another big year.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin, now on Monday evenings from 7pm until 8pm. Compacted into a podcast for Monday 27th July.
Martin Devlin chats to former All Black flyhalf and now selector Grant Fox, on what he's made of Super Rugby Aotearoa thus far and where the selectors thoughts are at a month out from the naming of the first All Blacks squad of the year.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk Zb on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 26th July. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to Gareth Roberts, one of the hosts of the Anfield Wrap Liverpool football fan podcast on the back of Liverpool finally lifting the Premier League after a 30 year wait, when they beat Chelsea 5-3.
Martin Devlin chats to former NSW and Roosters NRL player Braith Anasta, ahead of the Warriors Roosters game in the NRL and Sonny Bill Williams's likely return to the NRL for the rest of the 2020 season.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 25th July. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to former Welsh international, and now Crusaders assistant coach Mark Jones, on his journey to coaching and New Zealand and why he thinks the Crusaders are the high performing side that we've grown accustomed to.
Beauden Barrett was always likely to receive a frosty welcome to Wellington from Hurricanes fans when he ran onto the turf at Sky Stadium in a Blues uniform.
After spending so many years in the thick of things for the Hurricanes, this time around he was hoping to leave the home fans disappointed.
But while the uniform was different, the story stayed the same as Barrett couldn't stay out of the action – which wasn't always for the best.
Hurricanes midfielder Ngani Laumape wasted no time in putting the hurt on his former teammate - embarrassing the Blues fullback with a mix of speed and footwork, leaving Barrett in his wake just four minutes in.
Barrett, not to let an early lapse get him down, hit back almost immediately, dancing past Hurricanes prop Tyrel Lomax and sprinting away for a try of his own.
With little time to revel in his attacking work, Barrett was again taken to by Laumape, who ran over the top of an attempted tackle from Barrett with ease, only to be chopped down just short of the tryline by the Blues' cover defence.
It was a busy start for Barrett, who sustained a cut to his head during a frantic opening 20 minutes. However, he soon settled into his work.
But as these sorts of games tend to see, the returning figure was again in the thick of the action down the stretch. After kicking a conversion to level the scores at 22, Barrett could have put the Blues ahead by seven when hooker Kurt Eklund went over out wide in the 63rd minute, However, Barrett sprayed the kick wide.
It turned out to be a vital miss, as Hurricanes hooker Asafo Aumua was awarded a try under a mass of bodies with just minutes to go to again level the scores – with Jordie Barrett's conversion providing the winning points.
Martin Devlin chats to former PGA tour player Phil Tataurangi, reflecting on that famous British Open golf major in 2009 that very nearly saw Tom Watson become the oldest player to win a major, as well as previewing the 4th round of the PGA Memorial tournament in Dublin, Ohio.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 19th July.
Martin Devlin chats to former Springbok great Victor Matfield, about the prospect of no South African sides in the proposed new Super Rugby competition as well his fondness for the All Blacks - Springbok rivalry.
Martin Devlin chats to Reuban Thorne, former All Black captain and now part of the coaching set up at Christ College First XV, providing an insight into the quality and passion that exists in First XV Rugby in this country, and what sort of values and qualities they are trying to instil in these young men.
Martin Devlin chats to NRL Journalist Joel Gould about the Walker Brothers coaching duo who coach the Ipswich Jets in the Queensland Cup, on the back of the news that they're the favourites to take over the Warriors coaching job.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 18th July. Brought to you Access Solutions.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB reflects on the 2019 Cricket World Cup final between the Black Caps and England, that happened this time last year.
Martin Devlin chats to Black Caps batsmen Henry Nicholls ahead of the start of a players training camp starting this week, the first time the boys have been together since Covid 19.
Martin Devlin chats to SKY Sport Rugby commentator Tony Johnson, who called the big match in Super Rugby Aotearoa between the Crusaders and the Blues in Christchurch on Saturday night.
Martin Devlin chats to Talksport Football correspondent Tom Rennie, about the releagtion battle in the Premier League and the sad news of the passing of England World Cup winner Jack Charlton.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB from 12pm until 3pm on Saturday's and Sunday's, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 12th July. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to Gerard Whateley, the host of the award winning Whateley Sports show on SEN in Melbourne.
Martin Devlin chats to Blues head coach Leon McDonald, ahead of their biggest game of the season, against the top of the table Crusaders in Christchurch.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 11th July. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Jason Pine, standing in for Martin Devlin has a chat to former Chiefs and All Blacks loose forward Steven Bates on the form of the Chiefs thus far in Super Rugby Aotearoa, after they slumped to their 4th straight loss.
Warriors 26Broncos 16
The Warriors have won the Battle of the Bottom to show that their spirit is well and truly alive, even if other parts of their game are not so healthy.
The nomad Warriors piled more misery on Brisbane with a 26-16 victory on the Central Coast, handing the glamour club their sixth straight NRL loss.
Ken Maumalo, among three players who want to return home early, was among the Warriors' stars, as they powered home with an impressive second half against a collapsing Broncos effort.
The Warriors' victory came without suspended captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, while they lost playmaker Kodi Nikorima to a head injury in the opening minutes.
The result gave interim coach Todd Payten his first win in charge of a first grade side, and the Warriors their third win of the disrupted NRL season.
There were so many crucial moments in the second half, including captain's challenges which went for and against the Warriors in front of about 2500 spectators.
When Peta Hiku let an Anthony Milford bomb bounce, gifting a try to Herbie Farnworth, the Warriors looked in trouble.
But hooker Wayde Egan came to the rescue, ripping the ball free of two tacklers to score a try which gave the Warriors an 18-16 advantage. It was all the Warriors in the final stages.
No one could complain about the entertainment, and that was before the game had even started.
The drama surrounding Brisbane's horror run of results included a claim by the club's greatest player Wally Lewis that the current squad was divided over pay.
Not to be outdone, Warriors owner Mark Robinson entered the fray during the week, effectively packing the bags for Blake Green - who was an increasingly dominant figure in the match - and Gerard Beale at the end of the year.
Neither side will go close to troubling the NRL trophy engraver on this form, but it was a captivating battle between two desperate sides.
The Broncos dominated possession in the first half but led by just 10-6 after a 39th minute try to Maumalo gave the New Zealand side the boost they had been desperately but ineptly chasing.
Maumalo and Chanel Harris-Tavita had bombed a try minutes earlier, but with Gerard Beale providing a sharp pass, they made amends this time.
Brisbane were never convincing but had taken a 10-0 lead through tries to flying right wing Xavier Coates.
The second seemed to predict a frustrating night for the Warriors, who gifted Coates the ball when in sight of the Brisbane tryline.
With giant Broncos prop Payne Haas setting the early tone, Coates also scored in the eighth minute, when their disorganised attack suddenly sharpened and they created an overlap for the wing.
The Warriors had already lost Nikorima at this point. The little five-eighth had advanced to confront big Tevita Pangai jnr and suffered a head clash, his head also smacking into the ground.
Despite their awkward attack Brisbane looked in the box seat to set up a victory, until Maumalo's late first-half try changed the mood.
And it was the Warriors who came out of the blocks fastest in the second spell, and they carried on to a stunning win.
Warriors 26 (K. Maumalo 2, A. Paasi, W. Egan, I. Papali'i tries; C. Harris-Tavita 3 goals)Brisbane 16 (X. Coates 2, H. Farnworth tries; J. Isaako 2 goals)Halftime: 6-10
text by Chris Rattue
Elliott Smith, standing in for Martin Devlin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Crusaders 40Highlanders 20
The Highlanders waited two years for the chance to host their southern neighbours. Two years too long after this instant classic under the Dunedin roof.
Southern derbies always cultivate an extra edge. This breathless match, in which the Highlanders were overrun after leading 17-14 at the break, was no different.
Five years to the day since their first and only Super Rugby title, the Highlanders threw everything and more at the Crusaders.
So often that is not enough, though. Just ask the Chiefs who did likewise in Christchurch last week. To take down the Crusaders opposition must reach near perfection; nail all their chances and even then hope a slice of luck and the referee is on their side.
The final quarter of this game the Crusaders came into their clinical own, controlling the possession, pace and tempo to grind out their third straight Super Rugby Aotearoa victory, with Richie Mo'unga kicking 15 points.
Once again the Crusaders showed all the hallmarks we've come to expect from the three-time defending champions – a level of composure that sets the bar for others to match.
Highlanders wing Jona Nareki will regret his decision to throw the dummy with two men unmarked outside him midway through the second half. It was a movement that would have given the Highlanders the lead – instead the Crusaders did enough to snuff it out and the home side had to settle for three points.
There were other defining moments, of course, but with the Crusaders prevailing five-tries-to-two thanks to twin Tom Christie second-half strikes, Nareki's decision was a key turning point.
The other came from Crusaders halfback Mitchell Drummond, who fired a brilliant cutout pass that gave Sevu Reece just enough space to score the game's decisive try.
Aaron Smith led the Highlanders out as captain and he was then their spark all night. His passing, kicking, running, organisation and defence – one bootlace tackle on Codie Taylor in particular – was a class above. On this occasion, the All Blacks halfback could do no wrong and it was a surprise to see him replaced for the closing stages. Smith had great support from former All Blacks blindside Shannon Frizell, Pari Pari Parkinson and Dillon Hunt who all carried and attacked the breakdown relentlessly.
For the Crusaders, Will Jordan continues to light up the New Zealand derby competition. Despite moving from fullback to the wing Jordan was equally involved and influential as in recent weeks, popping up all over the park and finishing the match by claiming his brace with another runaway try.
Taylor, the All Blacks hooker, also delivered another standout display.
The brutal nature of these derby games claimed further casualties with Crusaders fullback David Havili limping off after a break, while the Highlanders lost lock Josh Dickson, who has been influential in running their lineout this season, to a serious ankle injury.
The Crusaders brought more poise to the initial exchanges and they were rewarded when Jordan snuck over in the corner for the opening try. The visitors' scrum did the damage early with several huge shunts – the Highlanders not helped in this department by losing Dickson.
The Highlanders needed to settle and they did just that with a double strike. Frizell stepped up with three telling carries in the same movement. With the final one, he burst through Michael Alaalatoa's tackle to power his way to the line.
That try turned the tide with the Highlanders enjoying a run of possession. From their overthrown lineout Smith swooped with his speed and anticipation to break the line and the Crusaders could then not stop quick hands sending Ngane Punivai over to give the Highlanders the lead.
Discipline was an issue for the Highlanders as they conceded a 13-7 penalty count – many of these infringements at the breakdown – but they had every right to take umbrage with referee Mike Fraser after he missed an obvious forward pass from Taylor in the lead up to Mo'unga's...
He's at it again.
Fresh from humiliating the All Blacks at the World Cup, England coach Eddie Jones also played his part in snaring Japan-bound Beauden Barrett away from New Zealand rugby.
England have allowed Jones to continue his consultancy work for Suntory Sungoliath where he is now director of rugby.
Jones came up with a fake spy story before the World Cup semifinal last year. But now he'll get the perfect chance to check out the inner workings of an All Black star and maybe grab himself some vital intellectual property from New Zealand rugby.
The England coach will get close to one of the All Blacks' best weapons and see what makes him tick when brief Blues back Barrett joins Suntory for a reported $1.5m..
Jones normally spends three weeks a year at Suntory, and stays in close contact with them the rest of the time dealing with recruitment and other matters.
Suntory is coached by Kiwi Milton Haig, who guided Georgia for two World Cup cycles until last year.
Haig jumped at the chance when Barrett's name was mentioned, and so did Jones.
"He (Jones) has been in Tokyo for the last four months – he's had a big involvement (in club matters) and I have regular meetings with him," Haig told NewstalkZB's Elliott Smith.
"He's been helpful for us in terms of pre-season and the season's planning for next year.
"We sat down six or seven months ago – in Japan they look pretty early at next season's roster.
"Eddie Jones was obviously involved as the director of rugby. Beauden's name came up and as soon as they said his name I said he's the guy I want. Eddie was in favour as well."
Meanwhile Haig was excited to be working with Barrett, who he first spotted as a junior cutting opponents apart at the national sevens tournament.
Haig said Barrett's commitment to a new club was proven at the Blues, when he emerged from lockdown to set team and personal best training records.
"The season starts in mid-January and we're expecting him here in December," said Haig.
"He has international commitments in October and November and we'll take stock of where he is at after that. He has a young family as well.
"He'll drive bums on seats…but ultimately it's about winning championships."
Elliott Smith, standing in for Martin Devlin talks Australian Rules Football and Australian Sport in general on the DRS.
Elliott Smith, filling in for Martin Devlin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Elliott Smith, standing in for Martin Devlin talks Rugby League, and particularly his old mate Todd Payten who's currently the interim coach of the Vodafone Warriors.
Elliott Smith, filling in for Martin Devlin chats football with Liverpool Legend, Australian Craig Johnston on the DRS.
Bring on more afternoon footy. That's the message from former All Blacks coach Sir Graham Henry.
The back-to-the-future approach from the governing body sees Sunday games of Super Rugby Aotearoa kick-off at 3.35pm.
That's earned plaudits from Sir Graham Henry, but he wants the concept extended.
"I think the times of the games are better. I’d like to see two afternoon games personally.
"Sunday afternoon rugby is just superb, it adds to the viewing experience.”
Listen above as Sir Graham Henry speaks to Martin Devlin
Dan Hooker is ready for his moment.
The quiet riser of the UFC's lightweight division, Hooker has gone underestimated, underrated and under the radar in his climb up the rankings.
Now ranked at No 5, the Kiwi steps into the octagon at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas today against No 3 ranked Dustin Poirier – with the winner emerging as the next man up in the title picture.
As a prize fighter, an opportunity at the UFC title is the ultimate goal for Hooker; and his opportunity to reach that comes in the form of the best possible match-up for the 30-year-old.
"I don't think it's that big of a setback (if I lose)," Hooker explains. "For me, in this fight especially, it's a win-win situation.
"Dustin's the one in the hard spot, he's the one in the win-lose situation. With a win he doesn't gain that much from it and with a loss he slides down the rankings.
"For me, I give myself a great opportunity with a win, but with a loss I don't think I move that far down. I go back, beat up (No 7) Charles Oliveira or someone like that and make my way back into the top five, so it's a win-win opportunity from where I'm sitting."
Hooker is the first international-based fighter to feature on a US-based UFC card since the promotion restarted from a Covid-19 enforced hiatus, with US Ambassador to New Zealand Scott Brown organising him a visa; and the match-up against Poirier is a dream fight for the fans – particularly given the setting.
Both Hooker and Poirier have the tools to win a fight in any facet and at any time, and at the UFC Apex they're locking in a cage about 20 per cent less width than the usual UFC octagon. Hooker is the rangier fighter and likes to utilise that length fighting behind his jab and bringing his knees into play. Poirier is no slouch on the feet, but appears to have the advantage should the fight get to the canvas with a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
"I know he's going to come to fight and I know he's going to bring the exact same thing I am; we both look to finish and we both look to put on a show.
"We've never been in a boring fight in our lives, so I'm not expecting that to change."
For Hooker, his rise in the UFC has come from trusting his team at Auckland's City Kickboxing and knowing his skillset. While many fighters talk a big game ahead of their bouts and try to predict how it will finish, Hooker chooses to acknowledge the possibility that he might lose in any fight he takes. But with just one loss in seven fights in the UFC lightweight division, Hooker has his sights set on reaching new heights – at the expense of Poirier.
"This is fighting; anything can happen."
Dustin Poirier (3) v Dan Hooker (5)
Tale of the tape (Poirier | Hooker)
Record: 25-6 (1 no contest) | 20-8Wins by knockout: 12 | 10Wins by submission: 7 | 7Height: 175cm | 183cmReach: 183cm | 191cm
Most recent resultPoirier: Submission loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov (September 2019)Hooker: Split decision win over Paul Felder (February 2020)
TAB Odds: Poirier $1.42 Hooker $2.70
How to watch: Live on ESPN / Sky Sport channel 60 from 10am, or stream the event on Sky Sport Now. Poirier v Hooker will be around 3pm, though times are subject to change.
Bout order
Lightweight main event: Dustin Poirier v Dan HookerWelterweight: Mike Perry v Mickey GallMiddleweight: Brendan Allen v Kyle DaukausHeavyweight: Gian Villante v Maurice GreeneHeavyweight: Philipe Lins v Tanner BoserCatchweight (150lbs): Sean Woodson v Kyle NelsonLightweight: Luis Pena v Khama WorthyWelterweight: Takashi Sato v Jason WittStrawweight: Kay Hansen v Jinh Yu FreyFeatherweight: Jordan Griffin v Youssef Zalal
- text by Christopher Reive
Blues 27Highlanders 24
The Blues remain unbeaten in Super Rugby Aotearoa - but only just.
Nearly everything Leon MacDonald's men touched in the first half turned to gold as the Blues powered to a 22-10 halftime lead after scoring three tries and controlling the game through precise tactical kicking.
At that point, the Blues were so dominant it seemed they would canter to victory but they then went to sleep and were pushed to the brink.
The second half turned into a dogfight. In the end, the Highlanders will feel desperately unfortunate not to steal an upset victory after an inspired second half performance.
Highlanders first five-eighth Mitchell Hunt scored a solo second-half try to bring his team back into the game but he could not nail a 73rd minute penalty to tie the scores.
On the back of two ruck penalties from referee Paul Williams, the Highlanders set up camp in the Blues 22 during the closing stages but they could not find the killer punch.
The Blues defended one rolling maul that finished metres out from their line – this effort ultimately the difference between maintaining their seven game unbeaten run and suffering their first defeat in the New Zealand derby competition.
Caleb Clarke can claim much of the praise for the Blues victory, having channelled an emotional evening at Eden Park.
As the 27,000 strong Eden Park crowd paused pre-kickoff to honour slain Constable Matthew Hunt, who died in the line of duty in Auckland last week, Clarke was in tears.
The highly-promising wing lost his grandfather earlier in the day and was clearly a swarm of emotions as he prepared to take on a spirited Highlanders side rejuvenated since lockdown.
Clarke is a man of deep faith, and after scoring the opening try he pointed to the sky in tribute. After another memorable performance in which he laid on another try and showcased his talents in the air by snaffling a restart, Clarke should be comforted, somewhat, in the knowledge that his grandfather and family will be immensely proud of his efforts.
Despite those efforts, the Highlanders never stopped coming.
While their backline wasn't as slick, the visitors' their forward pack competed well all night – No 8 Marino Mikaele Tu'u snaffling turnovers and enjoying a quality battle with opposite Hoskins Sotutu.
Blues playmakers Otere Black and Beauden Barrett orchestrated a tactical kicking masterclass, particularly in the first half, as they regularly nudged the ball in behind the inexperienced Highlanders wingers and into the corners to control much of the territory battle in wet conditions.
With the Blues applying pressure through the boot, Highlanders fullback Scott Gregory had a night to forget as he shelled several kicks and gifted Dalton Papalii the first of his double after a Sotutu charge down.
Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu and Papalii, who scored two tries, often put their men on the front foot but MacDonald's men far from had it all their own way.
Defensively the Blues will rue their sloppy start to the second half when they dropped off several tackles and lost two lineouts which allowed the Highlanders back into the match.
The Highlanders did not need a second invitation to exploit big holes in the Blues defence. First Hunt sold a dummy and waltzed through. The Highlanders then had Ngane Punivai's try scrubbed out after a Hunt error at the breakdown was belatedly spotted. From the resulting penalty Rieko Ioane was sent to the bin and Shannon Frizell crashed over to give the Highlanders the lead.
The Blues, however, again found the composure to hang on when it mattered most - just as they did in previous wins over the Hurricanes and Chiefs.
While they head into the bye unbeaten, the Blues received another reminder of the level they must maintain.
Blues 27 (Dalton Papalii 2, Caleb Clarke, Rieko Ioane tries, Otere Black 2 cons, pen)Highlanders 24 (Ash Dixon, Mitchell Hunt, Shannon Frizell tries; Hunt 3 cons, pen)HT: 22-10
- text by Liam Napier
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's, Sunday's and Monday's, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 27th June. Brought to you by Access Solutions
Sir Bryan Williams recalls to Martin Devlin the moment he first pulled on the All Blacks jersey 50 years on.
Fox League analyst Corey Parker talks to Newstalk ZB's Martin Devlin following the Warriors massive loss to the Strom in the NRL.
All Blacks coach Ian Foster has defended the selection criteria that will be used for the North against South Island rugby derby.
Players will be chosen based on the first province they played for professionally.
Foster is aware of the popular high school method of selection, but told Martin Devlin it is more or less the same.
The match is set for August 29 with a venue yet to be determined.
Foster is also keen to incorporate the Pacific Islands in their hopeful return to action in 2020.
While the international calendar has been thrown into chaos due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there have been extensive talks between NZ Rugby and Rugby Australia around a Bledisloe Cup series.
Foster confirms they've also been in discussions with Pacific nations, but it's proving a tougher schedule to sort.
Listen to the audio above as All Blacks coach Ian Foster speaks to Martin Devlin and takes calls from listeners.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk Zb on Saturday's, Sunday's and Monday's, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 21st June. Brought to you by Access Solutions
Rugby commentator Keith Quinn joins Martin Devlin as he recalls his famous line as Jonah Lomu scored in the corner against England 25 years ago.
Former NZ Warriors star Sione Faumuina has labelled the Auckland club's decision to sack Stephen Kearney as the worst decision in the history of the team.
Faumuina broadcast his fiery tirade on Facebook last night after Kearney was fired by the Warriors after a little more than three years at the helm, on the back of the side's 40-12 thumping at the hands of the South Sydney Rabbitohs on Friday night.
The decision was met with criticism from pundits and former players, including Faumuina, who believes Kearney should've been given until the end of the season, given the team's current circumstance.
Faumuina, who played 88 games for the Warriors between 2002-06, said if he was still playing he'd want to walk out on the team.
"It's the stupidest, most ridiculous decision than any Warriors management in their history has made," said Faumuina.
"That was the dumbest decision to do considering what's going on right now. It's selfish, it lacks empathy… the worst decisions I've ever seen made in the NRL.
"I'm calling out the owner - if it was you, it was the worst thing you could have done. If I was playing and this happened, I'd want to come home now. I'd be like 'F this, send me home'.
"I don't know how anyone could pull the trigger on this decision during this time."
"I'm guessing before they left for Australia they made a pact that they were going to ride this out to the end, and to have this happen right now after this loss," Faumuina added. "It baffles me.
"Do you not understand what's going on? What these people have sacrificed to play a game. They won't see their families until the end of the season, so whoever decided to sack Stephen right now made the dumbest move ever.
"Surely common sense would've said 'let's give him till the end of the season, let's back them regardless because they've sacrificed so much', but no.
"To add this onto everything else, I hope you all come together. I know it'll be tough. I feel for all the players and the staff.
Newstalk ZB journalist and commentator Jason Pine called the decision "heartless and cold".
Heartless and cold from the Warriors. I know sport is a results business but 2020 isn’t normal in any sense and needs adjusted thinking. They’ve sacked a coach in a bubble. Not particularly classy for mine. https://t.co/c2eNJ35DQQ
— Jason Pine (@pineyzb) June 20, 2020
Warriors CEO Cameron George said he felt a change of leadership was needed.
"Stephen is extremely professional and has put in a huge amount of effort in the role but, along with the owners, we feel we need to make a change now in the best interests of the club.
If I was stranded across the other side of the Tasman for the entire NRL season and away from home and family, with the results of this year not really mattering in a real context, I would simply sack the coach.
— Elliott Smith (@elliottnz) June 20, 2020
"We're so grateful to Stephen for the dedication he has shown to us in what have been difficult circumstances. His commitment, work ethic and concern for the wellbeing of the club, players and their families through this challenging year is testament to his character and we wish him and his family all the best for the future."
Given the Warriors' circumstances have seen them having to loan in a player to ensure they had a large-enough squad, there were joking suggestions on Twitter that they could also be loaned a coach.
Genuinely dumbfounded that the Warriors have sacked Stephen Kearney at this point in this particular season. The side is struggling, for sure, but don’t see how getting rid of him helps right now. #NRL
— Brendan Bradford (@1bbradfo) June 20, 2020
Kearney signed with the Warriors as head coach for the 2017 season, guiding the club to the finals in 2018.
Payten (41) joined the Warriors' coaching staff last season after working with the Cowboys. He was a member of their coaching staff when they won the NRL grand final in 2015. During his 259-game playing career, he experienced grand final success whe...
Sky commentator Tony Johnson joined the DRS reviewing the Blues victory over the Chiefs in Super Rugby Aotearoa.
Warriors CEO Cameron George explains to Martin Devlin why they decided to sack Stephen Kearney as head coach of the NRL franchise.
Martin Devlin talks to Wellington Phoenix captain Steven Taylor ahead of the resumption of football's A-League.
Martin Devlin reviews the Warriors loss to the Rabbitohs with rugby league analyst Tony Kemp.
Martin Devlin talks to Blues first-five Daniel Carter about his return to New Zealand rugby and why he's selling his 70th All Black jersey.
Sports has returned to New Zealand, but leave the politics at home, asks Martin Devlin.
Yesterday marked the launch of the Super Rugby Aotearoa competition, with the first match played between the Chiefs and the Highlanders at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
Sports Minister Grant Robertson delivered a speech before the game began highlighting the country's efforts against Covid-19 that have allowed live sport to return.
Robertson also used the speech to thank essential workers for their efforts over lockdown.
The speech was met with cheers - but Martin Devlin says that New Zealand should not adopt the US practice of merging sports and politics together.
LISTEN ABOVE
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday,s, Sunday's and Monday's compacted into a podcast, for Monday the 15th June.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk Zb on Saturday's, Sunday's and Monday's, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 14th June. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk Zb on Saturday's, Sunday's and Monday's, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 14th June. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to Todd Lewis, a reporter and presenter for the Golf Channel in the United States about the experience of a PGA Tour event without fans. Todd was at Fort Worth for the Charles Schwab challenge.
Martin Devlin chats to former All Black captain Murray Mexted on the back of the opening game of Super Rugby Aotearoa between the Highlanders and the Chiefs.
Martin Devlin chats to Eden Park CEO Nick Sautner on the back of the news that Eden Park is a sell out for the Blues opening game of Super Rugby against the Hurricanes.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 13th June. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin has a good long chat to England Head Rugby coach Eddie Jones, ahead of the re-start of Super Rugby Aotearoa. His book is called Eddie Jones, My life and Rugby and is available from all book stores.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Monday evenings from 7pm until 8pm, compacted into a podcast for Monday 8th June.
Martin Devlin chats to Dean Jones, the former Australian cricketing great from the 80's and 90's about the prospect of the T20 Cricket World Cup going ahead later on in 2020, as well as some memories from his time in the game which saw him known as Sir Richard Hadlee's bunny.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB from 12pm until 3pm on Saturday's and Sunday's, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 7th June. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Former Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder is a stalwart of Canterbury rugby, spending his entire 11-year professional New Zealand rugby career with the red and blacks in the NPC and Super Rugby.
Mr Blackadder played 126 times for Canterbury and 71 times for the Crusaders.
He also gained 12 test caps in the All Blacks jersey.
But unlike Blackadder, Dan Carter will not be a one-club, or one-province man after joining the Blues for Super Rugby Aotearoa.
Mr Blackadder told Martin Devlin he is a big fan of Carter's decision to play north.
He said he does not believe Dan Carter's move to the Blues makes him a traitor to Canterbury rugby fans.
"I think his time was up and the Crusaders have great 10s coming through."
Mr Blackadder believes the Crusaders are still the team to beat when Super Rugby returns in just under a week.
"The Crusades have to be favourites of course, but the Chiefs know that they can beat the Crusaders, the Blues lost to the Crusaders early so they'll be ready. I think this competition is absolutely wide open."
Martin Devlin chats to Warriors assistant coach Tony Iro, on the back of a disappointing loss to the Penrith Panthers in Campbelltown last night.
Martin Devlin chats to Cindy Boren, a sports and political reporter from the Washington Post discussing the issue of the Black Lives Matter protests and why athletes have been raised their voice on the issue more than in previous years.
Martin Devlin chats to former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga, now defence coach at the Blues about the vibe of the Blues squad on the back of the announcement that Daniel Carter has signed on as an injury replacement for the rest of the season.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sundays compacted into a podcast for Saturday 6th June. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to former Black Caps all rounder James Franklin, who's now living in Durham, England as the Head coach of Durham in the County Championship.
Martin Devlin chats to Warriors centre Gerard Beale, on the back of their impressive win against the Dragons in Gosford in their first game back since Covid 19.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's, from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 31st May. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to former NSW Origin hooker and now Fox League analyst Michael Ennis, about what he's made of the new rules in regards to the way the game of Rugby League has been refereed, as well as his thoughts about the Warriors and how they might fare this season.
Martin Devlin chats to Fallon Sherrock, a Woman's Professional Darts player from the UK who made history when she became the first woman to beat a male opponent in a Professional Darts match, when she beat Ted Evetts at a PDC event at Alexandra Palace, England in December, 2019.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB from 12pm until 3pm Saturday's and Sunday's, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 30th May. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to Warriors Recruitment Manager Peter O'Sullivan, ahead of the Warriors opening round of the revised NRL season against the Dragons this weekend.
Martin Devlin chats to former Japanese Strength and Conditioning coach Simon Jones, who now does the same role for the Highlanders discussing the players fitness levels 3 weeks out from the start of the season.
Martin Devlin chats to former United and England player Paul Parker, about the latest situation in the English Premier League and how likely a June re-start is. Parker is frustrated by certain players refusing to play which are making plans of a re-start difficult.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sundays from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday, 24th May. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to former Kiwis great Olsen Filipaina about his Rugby League career, that included some special memories with the Kiwis and some particularly difficult moments that he experienced while playing in the Winfield Cup in Sydney in the 1980's.
Martin Devlin chats to former Kangaroo and Brisbane Broncos great Darren Lockyer. With a week to go til the restart of the competition, they look ahead to next week's games as well as reflect on his time in the game.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 23rd May. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to Curtis Polk, one of the producers of The Last Dance sports documentary and part of his management team, about the success of the Netflix series and all the production elements and issues that were considered before releasing it.
We Need To Talk, with Martin Devlin on Monday Nights from 7pm until 8pm, compacted into a podcast for Monday 18th May.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 17th May. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to Hurricanes assistant coach Cory Jane, ahead of the return to training for the 5 Super Rugby sides on Monday. Super Rugby Aotearoa kicks off on the 13th of June.
Martin Devlin chats to former Kiwis and Queensland Origin coach Sir Graham Lowe, about his desire to get back into Rugby League coaching after a long time out of the game.
Separating work from family worries is difficult for the Warriors as they mark two weeks in quarantine today.
The side continue to be based in Tamworth in quarantine, ahead of a move to Central Coast prior to the season starting on May 28th.
Second-rower Tohu Harris told Martin Devlin he's struggling to think of the task at hand with his wife and son back home.
"I'm usually pretty good at focusing on what's in front of me, but I've been struggling the last two weeks to get focused on training, but once we get into it, it gets better."
LISTEN ABOVE
Martin Devlin has a good long chat to former Australian League and Union player Wendell Sailor, about his career in both codes while looking ahead to the re-start of the NRL season in a couple of weeks.
Martin Devlin chats to former Team New Zealand tactician Brad Butterworth about his memories of being part of that 1995 Americas Cup campaign which saw us win the cup for the first time.
Martin Devlin chats to former Black Fern Melodie Robinson about the commercial viability of women's professional rugby on the back of Coronavirus. Melodie did her Masters in the commercial viability of monetising women's sport so is in a good position to make a comment, and she is confident women's sport is on the brink of making money.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday the 16th May. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to former Australian cricketing great Allan Border, reflecting on his career as a top batsman and captain.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 10th May. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Warriors coach Stephen Kearney has joined the likes of Manly's Des Hasler and the Roosters' Trent Robinson in calling on the NRL to stick with two referees when it resumes.
The competition restart committee is planning to cut back to one referee in a cost-saving measure, but one which is also expected to be popular with fans.
Kearney says it's too little notice for him and his players.
"I know there's been a lot of debate about having two referees on the field, but to throw that on us in three weeks time, that's too big of an adjustment."
Tomorrow contact training is allowed for the first time since all 16 clubs began preparing for the May 28 resumption.
Kearney says the week that's gone has been about re-introducing the basics.
"Some of them haven't been able to pass a ball to players. They may have been passing it to their wives over the break. It' worked out well that we've been able to focus on skills."
Martin Devlin chats to Tamworth resident and Rugby League fan Craig Power on what its like having the New Zealand Warriors quarantining in the town and there plans for the
Martin Devlin chats to former Springbok captain Jean de Villiers about his hopes for South African, and World Rugby on the back of Covid 19.
Martin Devlin has a good elongated chat with the new All Black captain Sam Cane, about his feelings at being offered the new role and what his leadership style will look like.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's between 12pm and 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 9th of May. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Two members of the Warriors squad have remained in New Zealand as the squad left for Australia today to begin preparations for the post-Covid NRL season.
The Warriors left for Tamworth today to begin their 14-day quarantine after being granted an exemption to travel to Australia to continue the NRL season, before moving to Central Coast, where they will be based.
Nathaniel Roache wasn't able to join his teammates however.
Roache was ordered to stay home after contacting medical staff this morning to say he was unwell.
Centre David Fusitu'a also didn't depart after being granted permission to delay his departure on compassionate grounds.
"Nate called the club first thing this morning saying he wasn't feeling well," said Warriors CEO Cameron George.
"He was instructed to have a test immediately and was told not to report at the airport as he would not be travelling with the team.
"We're totally satisfied Nate has had no contact with any other player or staff member at the club for several weeks and we're very comfortable we have abided by all policies and requirements.
"David has stayed behind for a personal matter and will fly to Tamworth as soon as possible."
The NRL season is set to restart on May 28, although the updated schedule has yet to be released.
Martin Devlin chats to Damian McKenzie, the All Blacks and Chiefs outside back on hows life in lockdown, and how he's progressed from that serious injury in 2019.
"Where was the revolution? Where was the wholesale change this sport needed?"
Martin Devlin is unimpressed with how the World Rugby elections have turned out, with current chief Bill Beaumont re-elected for another four years.
While it is unsurprising that the Six Nations-backed him, Devlin wants to know why Fiji and Samoa decided to back the status quo.
Devlin describes the news as "grim", and questions what benefit the move has for those countries - when the decision likely means little reward for the All Blacks.
LISTEN ABOVE
Bill Beaumont was re-elected as World Rugby chairman on Saturday, beating a fellow former playing captain who served under him in the boardroom.
The 68-year-old Englishman achieved a majority by defeating his lone challenger, Argentina's Agustin Pichot, by a 28 to 23 vote. French Rugby president Bernard Laporte, running unopposed, moved into Pichot's vacated vice-chairman position.
"I am honoured to accept the mandate of the World Rugby Council to serve as the international federation's Chairman once again and would like to thank my union and region colleagues, members of the global rugby family and, of course, my family for their full support," Beaumont was quoted as saying by World Rugby's website.
"I would like to thank Gus for his friendship and support over the last four years," he continued.
"While we stood against each other in this campaign, we aligned in many ways, and I have the utmost respect for him. Gus is passionate about the sport and his contribution has been significant."
Pichot, 45, told CNN late last month that rugby was in "desperate need" of "different mindsets."
"I said to Bill, 'I can't carry on for four more years just sitting down flying in first class and going to royal boxes.'"
He sought to help emerging nations and grew frustrated when the Nations' Championship idea -- using football style promotion and relegation -- fizzled.
Beaumont, meanwhile, put his focus on rugby's governance, reforming the global season, the women's game, player welfare and World Rugby's financial policy.
He won out and thus will continue in his role for another four years, beginning his second stint in the midst of the coronavirus that has shut down most of the sports world.
"As an organization, we must lead, be transparent, accountable and continue to serve for all," said Beaumont. "We must be united in our drive to make this great sport even better, simpler, safer and more accessible. We must listen to players, fans, competitions, our unions and regions, and take decisions that are in the best interests of all with our strong values to the fore.
"Now is not the time for celebration. We have work to do. We are tackling COVID-19 and must implement an appropriate return-to-rugby strategy that prioritises player welfare, while optimising any opportunity to return to international rugby this year in full collaboration with club competitions for the good of players, fans and the overall financial health of the sport."
Martin Devlin chats to former All Black coach Steve Hansen, on what Rugby might look like on the back of Covid-19 and what he hopes might happen, regardless of who's running the game.
Martin Devlin chats to Paul Kent, the NRL journalist out of Fox League in Australia talking Rugby League, and in particular the fall out from the 3 players who broke lockdown Sydney lockdown rules earlier in the week.
Martin Devlin chats to former Black Cap and now SKY Cricket Commentator Ian Smith, who earlier in the week was awarded the Bert Sutcliffe Medal for services made to Cricket.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin On Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm - compacted into a Podcast for Saturday, 2nd of May. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin On Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm - compacted into a Podcast for Saturday, 2nd of May. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday, 26th April. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Shane Warne never managed to score a century in test cricket.
Better known for his ability to terrorise batsmen with the ball in hand, the closest he came was scoring 99 against New Zealand in 2001 - before being caught on the boundary after trying to slog-sweep Daniel Vettori.
The all-time cricket great would never better that score, and recounted the innings speaking with Martin Devlin.
"I had been batting pretty well for the day and we were in a lot of trouble," Warne said.
"New Zealand had played beautifully, were outplaying us and had been ahead in the game. I walked out to bat remembering we have to pass the follow-on."
Warne batted away and reached 99, when Black Caps captain Stephen Fleming took the opportunity to try and get in the head of Warne.
Shane Warne in action against New Zealand in 2005. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Slowing down the game and holding up Vettori from bowling his delivery, Fleming decided to field at bat pad - very close to the batsman.
"Flem comes in, says there is plenty of gaps out there for you and I was thinking to myself, 'don't do anything silly, just pick the right ball'," Warne said.
"So a couple of balls go past and I think 'right, that's it. This one's going.'
"In my head, I just thought a little sweep out to the boundary where there's a couple of fielders. Just sweep it along the carpet and get a single.
"I took this almighty wind up and tried to hit it for 12 back to Melbourne from Perth and bloody Mark Richardson had to take the catch."
However, the Australian believed he was robbed of the momentous achievement that day, with replays showing Vetorri had bowled a no-ball.
To this day, Warne remains the cricketer with the most test career runs in history without notching a century - with 3154 runs.
A right-handed leg spinner, Warne was the second-highest wicket-taker in test cricket with 708. Muttiah Muralitharan recorded 800 wickets.
Recently, life had been turned on its head for Warne following the outbreak of the coronavirus, much like everyone else, he said.
But Warne had enjoyed his time, spending it with his children and staying in the one place for a good period of time.
Cricket worldwide has been stopped due to the virus but Warne hoped to see a return by around July or August.
Meanwhile, asked what Warne had hoped cricket fans thought of him following his extraordinary career, he said he hoped that people missed him.
"When I played I liked to be an entertainer - if they could just think 'jeez we miss him, I loved watching him play'," he told Devlin.
"That means I know that I did my role and played my part in cricket history, to say I entertained people, made it more interesting to watch and they had a bit of fun along the way."
The vote to pick the new World Rugby chairman is expected to be a close race between the established order or a fresh voice for chance.
The vote, set to take place tonight via email, will see world unions pick to either reinstate former England captain Bill Beaumont or anoint Argentinian halfback turned passionate administrator Agustin Pichot's fresh vision for the global game, is brewing another north versus south standoff.
Sanzaar's collective – New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Argentina – are expected to throw their support behind Pichot's push for change.
The Six Nations unions are, meanwhile, aligning behind Beaumont's status quo.
It is expected that many tier-two nations will end up holding the balance of power, with countries such as Fiji set to have a chance to change the game.
Chris Jones joined Martin Devlin to discuss the vote and what the two candidates have to offer.
LISTEN ABOVE
Martin Devlin has a good long chat to Jeff Wilson, a huge NBA Basketball fan, about Michael Jordan and how good the Last Dance Netflix series is.
Deposed Rugby Australia boss Raelene Castle was subjected to a death threat and bullying, according to the latest report on the rugby fiasco across the Tasman.
Acting Rugby Australia chairman Paul McLean has described some of the public criticism she faced over the Israel Folau affair as bullying in a Sun-Herald report.
It also claimed security measures were beefed up after Castle received a social media death threat from a supporter of Folau, the star Wallaby who incited a long controversy with two anti-gay posts which led to his bitter break up with the game.
The alleged death threat came around the time of Folau's three-day code of conduct hearing last May.
The Sun-Herald says security was increased at RA's headquarters at Moore Park, where staff were told not to prop lower level doors open. Castle's Sydney home was given a security review.
"She was subjected to vitriol on social media as well as public criticism for a number of different reasons on a scale that few Australian sporting administrators have had to endure," the Sun-Herald reported.
New Zealander Castle quit last week, after two-and-a-half years in charge, after it turned out she did not have her board's total support.
McLean said: "I'm not a social media person, but I'm aware of some of the things that were said over a period of time in a quite vicious and vitriolic way.
"It's the silent forces, the dark forces, they're the things that upset me most.
"It's the people who didn't know the facts or were just one of those faceless people out there - that was the damaging thing form her perspective.
"She shared some of that with me, which I found quite abhorrent.
"One of my greatest concerns with her was her welfare and how she was on a daily basis. A lesser person would have thrown the towel in ages ago, quite simply."
One of Raelene Castle's fiercest critics, former Wallabies coach turned broadcaster Alan Jones, was scathing of her performance but also said her exit as Rugby Australia CEO doesn't solve anything because the RA board is equally to blame for the sad state of rugby in Australia.
On his 2GB radio show on Friday morning, Jones ripped into Castle for a string of poor decisions but also called for a cleanout of RA chairman Paul McLean and the rest of the board, who signed off on the CEO's calls.
"This solves absolutely nothing. I have said all along it's easy to throw Raelene Castle under the bus," Jones said.
"I can't imagine anything she has done, whether it's the bloated expenditure, the ridiculous growth in staff of over 150, the foolish, personal and spiteful attack on Israel Folau, the hopeless performances off the paddock and on the paddock. All of these things have been endorsed by the board.
"Now the board have told Raelene Castle, 'You must go, we need clear air'. You won't get clear air with the departure of Raelene Castle. The whole kit and caboodle have to go, that's what the Wallaby captains (who sent RA a letter this week demanding a change in leadership) wrote about.
"And that's the only way sponsors will return, the public will return, it's the only way credibility can be regained.
"I've no doubt Raelene Castle did her best. It's an appointment that shouldn't have been made. She knows nothing about the game. It's like putting someone to become the first violinist in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra who can't read music.
"Paul McLean is the acting chairman. He's been present for every one of the decisions that Raelene Castle made, every one of them, and so have the bulk of the board."
Jones also denied the attacks on Castle had anything to do with her gender.
"It is insulting to say this is a matter of gender," Jones said. "It's got nothing to do with Raelene Castle being a woman. It is totally related to the results and the effectiveness of the performance."
New Zealand Rugby also weighed in on Castle's resignation, though was much more positive than Jones, releasing a statement that praised her "unselfish" decision.
"New Zealand Ru...
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday, 25th April. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Martin Devlin chats to Matt Peck, a sports broadcaster out of NBC Sport Chicago previewing the much talked about Last Dance sports documentary, which looks at the great Chicago Bulls side of 1997-1998 that had Michael Jordan in it.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturdays and Sundays from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 19th April. Brought to you by Access Solutions.
Rugby League legend and current New South Wales Origin coach Brad Fittler joins Martin Devlin on the Devlin Radio Show, reflecting on the many highs and lows of his impressive career, as well as the latest with the NRL.
The NRL have been well-publicized in their attempts to restart the 2020 campaign, but difficulties continue to arise around travel and respective Governments.
Former Blues coach and Manu Samoa representative Pat Lam, who is currently isolating in Bristol, joins Martin Devlin on the Devlin Radio Show.
Pat Lam's most recent success came with Connacht in 2016, who he coached to victory in the Pro12, and is currently Director of Rugby at the Bristol Bears.
Lam previously coached the Blues from 2009 until 2012, guiding them to their last finals appearance in 2011.
He gained 34 international caps with Samoa, and played for the Crusaders in Super Rugby as well as Auckland and North Harbour in the NPC.
Martin Devlin has a good long yak to his old mate, broadcaster Miles Davis about all sorts happening in the sporting world including reflecting on the Hillsborough tragedy in 1989 and the prospect of an NRL season re-commencing without the Warriors in it.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sunday from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Saturday, 18th April.
Martin Devlin chats to former NRL hard man Mark Geyer about the current situation in the NRL and what the chances are of the competition getting underway at the proposed start date of May 28th.
Jason Pine, standing in for Martin Devlin has a chat to Dave Edwards, the younger brother of New Zealand cricketing great Jock Edwards who passed away earlier in the week.
Jason Pine, standing in for Martin Devlin talks to former All White and Premier League defender Ryan Nelson about his journey through football and in particular, that Football World Cup campaign in South Africa in 2010.
The change in Sarpreet Singh is obvious straight away.
When the precociously talented youngster first started making waves in the Wellington Phoenix reserve team and then the A-League, facing the media was a long way down his list of favourite things.
The answers were often shorter than the questions posed to him as the shy, likeable teen searched for the words to articulate his sudden rise.
Now, speaking from Bayern Munich's training base where he's holed up during Covid-19, Singh speaks eloquently about his meteoric footballing rise, life as a professional at one of Europe's biggest clubs and his hopes for the future.
LISTEN ABOVE
Jason Pine, standing in for Martin Devlin has a chat to Greg Feek, the new All Blacks scrum coach for the first time on the show. Had some nice insights into how he felt when he first got picked for the All Blacks in the late 1990's.
Jason Pine, standing in for Martin Devlin chats to Black Caps fast bowler Tim Southee on the back of being recognised as the Player's Player of the Year award by the NZ Cricket Players Association.
Jason Pine, stepping in for Martin Devlin chats to 2GB Broadcaster and Rugby League commentator Mark Levy about the NRL's latest decision to get the competition underway by May 28th and the stoush between the NRL and the Free-to-Air Broadcaster Channel Nine.
Martin Devlin chats to former Black Caps captain Mark Burgess, on the eve of his book "Talent to Burn" being released. Mark captained New Zealand for 10 tests, and happened to be captain when New Zealand first beat England back in 1978 at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.
Martin Devlin chats to Wales Rugby coach Wayne Pivac, who New Zealand rugby fans will know well from his time coaching Auckland in his earlier years.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB on Saturday's and Sundays from 12pm until 3pm, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 5th April.
Martin Devlin chats to Kiwi Double Gold medallist Lisa Carrington on the DRS, on how her mind set changes given the Olympics are now over a year away rather than 3 months.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Saturday's and Sunday's from 12pm til 3pm on Newstalk ZB, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 4th April.
Martin Devlin chats to Ben Turner, the producer of the popular netflix series Sunderland til I die ahead of the 2nd season of the show being released in New Zealand.
Martin Devlin chats to NZ Rugby CEO Mark Robinson for the first time on the show, having a good yak about what the future of Rugby in New Zealand could look like on the back of the corona virus.
Martin Devlin talks Golf with Craig Heatley, the founder of SKY TV and the first New Zealander to be a member of Augusta National Golf Club.
Martin Devlin chats to Craig Heatley, the original founder of SKY TV and the first New Zealander to be a member of Augusta National.
The DRS on Newstalk ZB and Radio Sport from 12pm until 3pm on Saturday's and Sunday's, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 29th March.
After All Blacks coach Ian Foster confirmed his staff had agreed to take pay cuts, players are now working with New Zealand Rugby on reducing their salaries.
Speaking to Martin Devlin, All Blacks and Blues first five-eighth Beauden Barrett confirmed cuts to players' wages were in the works.
"We're going through that at the moment," Barrett said. "As an employee of New Zealand Rugby, we're all facing some tough times and we're all in this together. We've seen some of our colleagues and friends have had to take a few cuts already.
"As players we're working through that with Rob Nichol and the Players' Association. That will come out in due course, but yes we will be (taking cuts) at some stage."
There have been no games being played since Super Rugby went on hiatus on March 15 due to the worldwide coronavirus pandemic. A number of players have been open in their willingness to take a pay cut to help support the game through a tough and uncertain economic period, including All Blacks stars Dane Coles and Jack Goodhue.
Barrett said while how much of a cut the players will take isn't necessarily something the public needs to know, he understood why people wanted to know.
"That's the world we live in. Being professional athletes, everyone feels like they're invested in what we do and I guess that's why we have such good fans and there's such great interest in our sport.
"If and when the time comes and we get all the right numbers together we'll be happy to say what numbers, what the pay cut is going to look like. I think it's normal to expect that."
Like many sportspeople around the country, Barrett, who last played a competitive game of rugby in the All Blacks' Rugby World Cup bronze medal match against Wales last October, has settled into working out in isolation with New Zealand in lockdown.
The 28-year-old had been officially back in training with the Blues for a week before the competition was brought to a hold, with his debut expected to be midway through the season.
"My feet were really itching by then but then this happened so I've sort of just had to unwind again and sit back. You can't control what's going on at the moment, but you can certainly control the way you approach it from a mental point of view and look at finding productive ways to get through your days.
"The responsibility is ours to stay fit, stay ready, and I guess stay motivated and enthused about it. It's obviously a challenging time but we're used to that as players and we're trying to do everything we can. The unions and the franchises are working hard on coming up with all kinds of scenarios.
"When we get the green light we're ready to go, and whoever has maximised this opportunity will be in a better position."
Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website
NRL players have come crashing back to reality as they scour the job market after coronavirus brought the season to a halt.
League bosses suspended this year's campaign after two rounds, following the lead of sports competitions around the world who have been forced to hit pause.
The NRL has said June is the earliest the season can resume, but if it can't get going again by September 1, then it will likely be called off for good.
Players are facing mammoth pay cuts as the game tries to cope with the catastrophic financial fallout of being on hiatus, leading some to try and find jobs away from the footy field.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson told Triple M some of his troops are "looking for jobs", including forward Victor Radley, who is "back on the tools".
"Some of them have been going out, some are on the tools already Friday morning before they came in and saw us to pick up some gear," Robinson said.
"Plumber, builder, yeah there are a lot of jobs that have been thrown out by the guys.
"They're still continuing to look for some.
"They know that they are going to have their time to train but after that they are starting to look to get back into some of their trades.
"(Victor Radley) will be listening, he's on the tools."
Brisbane prop Thomas Flegler is adjusting to life away from the bright lights of the NRL. On a deal worth $200,000 a year, the 20-year-old is now earning $24.60 an hour as a banana farmer, as reported by the Courier Mail .
The Broncos squad has been told to take a month's annual leave and Flegler has wasted no time heading to his family's farm in Tully in the far north of sunshine state.
"I can't really do much in Brisbane so I decided I would get home to see my family and try and make some money while we aren't playing," Flegler told The Sunday Mail.
"I start work on Monday. I'm on the minimum wage. Dad said you are only a beginner, so you aren't worth more than the award wage."
Elsewhere, Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy, chief executive Dave Donaghy and the Storm football department will take 50 per cent pay cuts to help the club through the coronavirus pandemic shutdown.
While Storm CEO Donaghy spoke this week of his belief the club would be able to ride through the competition postponement, it is not immune. Donaghy confirmed on Saturday the Melbourne club had been forced to stand down about 20 members of staff, with a number coming from the football department.
NRL TO PRESENT RESCUE PACKAGE
The NRL will present a revised payment schedule for players and clubs on Monday, with the viability of State of Origin and cuts to match payments to follow once the first level of certainty is achieved.
At a meeting with all 16 clubs, ARLC chairman Peter V'landys will present his plan to slash costs from NRL headquarters in a move expected to hand players an additional $7 million for this year.
The Rugby League Players' Association has been negotiating with the NRL for wage cuts to keep the game alive through the toughest financial challenge it has ever faced.
A model for an 87 per cent drop in wages for the coming months due to the coronavirus suspension has already been presented, based on a worst-case scenario.
However, the rescue package to be presented by V'landys at Monday's meeting is set to take the original offer of $12.4 million for players for the rest of the season up to around $20 million.
Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website
Martin Devlin talks to Australian cricket legend Michael Hussey. Just a great cricketing yak with one of cricket's good guys.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB and Radio Sport on Saturday's and Sundays compacted into a Podcast for the 28th March, 2020.
A tribute to New Zealand, and the New Zealand National Anthem during this Pandemic on the Devlin Radio Show, with Martin Devlin.
All Blacks head coach Ian Foster has confirmed he will be taking a pay cut as New Zealand Rugby looks to limit its costs during a time of uncertainty.
In an attempt to counter the enconomic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, sporting bodies around the world have begun to cut costs and player salaries. Now, NZ Rugby is following suit.
Speaking to Newstalk ZB's Martin Devlin, Foster said he's agreed to a pay cut - saying there had been great leadership shown by NZ Rugby during the crisis and that players were also willing to take pay cuts.
"Our coaching group has definitely taken a big cut," Foster added.
The confirmation of his salary being cut comes after many players have spoken openly about being willing to take a pay cut for the good of the game, including Hurricanes and All Blacks hooker Dane Coles.
"That's totally understandable considering what's going on in New Zealand," Coles told Radio Sport's D'Arcy Waldegrave earlier in the week.
"Rugby players in New Zealand might have to prepare for that but that's just my opinion. You don't want New Zealand Rugby to go under, it would be a bad thing. So hopefully the rugby players around New Zealand can do their part.
"After what's come out I don't think we'll be getting together again too soon. Which is fair enough. At the end of the day it's just rugby and there's more to life at the moment to worry about, so we'll just take it as it comes."
English rugby has already been hit by pay cuts, with national team coach Eddie Jones agreeing to a 25 per cent reduction in his salary, while six Premiership rugby sides have also agreed to take 25 per cent pay cuts.
Football players from German clubs Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have also agreed to take pay cuts, with a 20 per cent reduction in salary, while the NRL will reportedly ask its players to cop a mammoth 87 per cent pay cut while the competition is in lockdown.
Sally Jenkins joins Miles Davies to discuss her column for The Washington Post.
Call the Olympics off. It's time. The Tokyo Games cannot possibly go forward without jeopardizing people all around the world, and every day that International Olympic Committee officials hesitate, they contribute to the crisis and the imminent collapse of medical systems. A hard shutdown is the responsible thing to do, and anything less is negligent, maybe even lethally so.
The models and projections are clear, and the reality on the ground is brutal, from Italy to Iran to Seattle to New York. An emergency room doctor in a large hospital in the Washington, D.C.-region, an old friend, tells me that without widespread, immediate and dramatic stay-at-home measures, coronavirus could "make the Spanish Flu look like a party." She hasn't seen her daughter in a week or her elderly father in two, and every night as she disinfects herself, she worries about colleagues in harder-hit regions who are trying to bleach and reuse protective gear meant for single use, their masks and gowns and goggles, because their supplies are already running out.
I tell her that Thomas Bach, the IOC president, insists the Olympics should go forward because they are a "beacon of hope." She says, "That's beyond nonsense. The IOC should be sending a warning signal, not a beacon."
Bach and other officials continue to intone that it's too early to cancel or postpone because everything might be fine by July. United States Olympic and Paralympic committee chair Susanne Lyons said in a teleconference on Friday, "We don't have to make a decision. Our Games are not next week, or two weeks from now. They're four months from now. And I think a lot may change in that time period."
Wrong. They do need to make a decision - and make it now. The entire world is behind on this disease, lagging. Have they not been listening to Dr. Anthony Fauci? We don't have time. We don't have time for the IOC's hemming platitudes, and the USOPC's vague blather.
Do the basic math. Things are accelerating. Cases in New York are doubling overnight. There were 245,000 cases worldwide as of Friday, and while it took three months to count the first 100,000 infections, it took just 12 days to reach the 200,000 mark. Hong Kong has reported its single biggest jump in cases to date, apparently because people are still traveling. Get it? The disease is speeding up because we aren't shutting down fast enough.
We don't have time for athletes to keep training, or meeting with coaches, risking infection or becoming asymptomatic spreaders. We don't have time for women's soccer players to go to events like the one in Dallas on March 11 that may have exposed them. After which, they traveled and congregated in pro league training camps, like the Washington Spirit, which flew to West Palm just last week.
The name of the game is to buy a little time - just a little time - so that hospitals can prepare and supply, or resupply or repurpose. And the way to do that is with shutdowns and social distances. So that hospitals will not become quite so crushed four months from now, and fewer patients will be sentenced to death for lack of beds and ventilators, or caregivers become sick because they lack protective gear. So that other regions don't experience what's happening in northern Italy, where Dr. Marcello Natali died just a day ago, after warning that medics had run out of latex gloves. A total of 110 doctors out of 600 in the province of Bergamo are apparently sick. "We're acting like we have time and we don't," my doctor friend says.
Shut the Games down and shut them down now.
The IOC and its partner USOPC are critical messengers with tremendous reach and potential for good - or bad. Messaging matters. When the NBA promptly suspended its season because of Rudy Gobert's positive test, the audience finally understood the infection threat from a handshake, or a shoulder bump, was real. When the NCAA canceled March Madness to...
Miles Davis, standing in for Martin Devlin chats to Les Mills CEO Phillip Mills about how the gym industry has been affected by Covid-19 and what they're trying to do to minimise its impacts.
Miles Davis, standing in for Martin Devlin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting interviews, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Miles Davis, filling in for Martin Devlin chats to 2GB broadcaster out of Australia James Willis about everything that's happening in regards to sport on that side of the tasman at this strange time.
Miles Davis, standing in for Martin Devlin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Martin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
The Devlin Radio Show on Newstalk ZB and Radio Sport on Saturday's and Sunday's, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 15th March, 2020.
The future of this year's Super Rugby competition hangs by a thread following Sanzaar's announcement this morning to suspend games for "the foreseeable future" due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Sanzaar chairman Brent Impey said it was too premature to talk about other options for the remainder of the season, but they will be discussed in the coming days.
Impey said suspending the competition was the only decision to make, considering the circumstances after the New Zealand Government declared that every person arriving in the country would need to self-isolate for 14 days in order to prevent the spread of the virus.
"The first priority is safety," Impey told Jim Kayes on Radio Sport. "The safety of our players, referees and fans so that's what we focused on. In the time frames we've had, considering alternatives wasn't really an option. If you take two of our teams for example, the Crusaders we can get back today from the Gold Coast, they can get through, but the Highlanders on the other hand – their match with the Jaguares got cancelled and they cannot get back before the deadline tonight. So the Highlanders fall within the Government's isolation requirements.
There are 10 weeks to go in the competition, but Impey said it would unrealistic to expect answers about the future within the next 48 hours.
"The whole ecosystem – broadcasters, stakeholders, sponsors – needs to be managed fairly carefully. It's an absolute priority we're just not in a position to give answers."
Impey said the Sanzaar team had been working round the clock over the past 24 hours to sort the logistics of the unfolding nightmare scenario.
"Our broadcasters are our partners in this," Impey said. "New Zealand Rugby will be meeting with Sky very early in the coming week as we consider alternatives, but there are provisions in these broadcasting contracts when events such as this happen and we need to work through the ramifications and come up with alternatives.
"The primary responsibility is to mitigate the damage and that's what we'll be trying to do. Sky is a vital partner of ours and so that will happen in the next few hours. But this isn't just broadcasting and rugby. If you're in the horticulture industry, or the logging industry, or tourism, everyone is impacted. We're just dealing with a very narrow side of it here.
"This goes to the heart of everything. Yes rugby is important, Super Rugby is important, but health and safety is more important."
Warriors boss Cameron George has confirmed the NRL squad will remain in Australia this week following the new travel restrictions imposed by the New Zealand government in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Players and staff were scheduled to arrive home this afternoon after last night's opening-round loss to the Newcastle Knights in Newcastle.
They would have returned in time to avoid the compulsory two-week self-isolation period which comes into effect from midnight for all people arriving in New Zealand.
"However, with the travelling restrictions coming into place, returning to New Zealand would effectively remove us from the competition," said George, who is flying back to Auckland today.
"We had extensive meetings with (NRL CEO) Todd Greenberg, the Rugby League Players' Association and our players and staff until late last night to consider all our options.
"There is a lot of take into account, not least the impact on families back home as well as our members, fans, sponsors and other stakeholders.
"Ultimately we have reached a decision for the team to stay in Australia for the coming week. They'll be based on the Gold Coast and will play Canberra next weekend, probably at Cbus Super Stadium.
"The landscape is changing so rapidly, though, and together with the NRL we'll monitor the situation on a daily basis."
George said the club would work through the impact of the decision with sponsors, fans and all other parties the Vodafone Warriors have partnerships with.
The Australian Rugby League Commission met on Saturday night to discuss the developing situation.
There have been suggestions all games could be played at one venue, or possibly three hubs, in Australia.
"It's a challenge but we will get through," said CEO Cameron George, in the press conference following the 20-0 loss to the Knights in Newcastle.
"After the day we have had today, it's another thing we have to get through, led by Stephen [Kearney, Warriors head coach]. We have a great leadership group and what happens will happen."
"We have had unique challenges to deal with in the past and this is another one. But it's onwards and upwards to round two, wherever that will be.
"[There are] so many possibilities. All I know is that the guys are briefed, the partners and wives are briefed and we have to do our best as a club to remain together and take on round two when it comes."
Kearney admitted most of the playing group struggled to initially process the news and agreed it created an unprecedented situation, but also expressed confidence they could get through.
"We need to make sure that we crack on with what's important for us," said Kearney. "If we have to stay here and prepare then that is what we have to do. It's another challenge that we will have to endure and work our way through."
"It's something that obviously hasn't happened before so I'm not quite sure how we navigate our way through it just yet - but I am sure we will find a way."
George said the club was advised just before kickoff (5pm NZT) of the new restrictions.
He immediately emailed the wives, partners and families of the players to inform them of the developments and the implications.
"I reiterated to the partners that this is not the club's preferred position but we have a responsibility to keep things on track. We are also very focused on getting the best outcome for the players and their families [and there are] some players with very young children, just born in recent weeks."
The players were then briefed by George in the dressing room, soon after they came off the field following their 20-0 loss to the Knights.
Australian former professional rugby league player, Nathan Hindmarsh spoke to Martin Devlin about the upcoming NRL season.
The NRL has banned fans from the second round of matches and could consider other radical measures as it battles to come to grips with the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the league.
NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg confirmed the spectator ban last night, saying the league would consider a range of options over the weekend - including a complete season shutdown - as the rapidly evolving coronavirus takes hold of world sport.
Australian media have also reported that all second round matches could be held at the same venue.
Greenberg's comments follow Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's banning of organised events with an audience of more than 500 people.
The first round of NRL matches are expected to go ahead as planned with the Warriors taking on the Newcastle Knights in their season-opener Downunder on Saturday.
In a media conference, Greenberg said the NRL would be guided on a way forward by the Australian government.
"We've listened to the authorities who are in a far better position than we are. If the government gave us advice today to close the stadiums down we would have. The measures they're putting together are precautionary measures," Greenberg said.
"We're going to do everything we can to protect players from the disease. If that means a club can't play a game in the competition or be stood down for the round we'll do that."
Greenberg said the league was expecting the ban to have a significant financial impact on clubs but pledged his support.
"It's going to have significant financial impacts on all 16 clubs and the game. We're in unprecedented times. If they're in financial difficulty we'll keep them afloat. We'll get through this together.
"We're going to work through the next week and work out the impact for clubs. These are significants amounts of money for clubs over the course of the year.
"All 16 clubs are in the same position and listening to the same advice and getting into an alignment for this weekend's games," he said.
"If something changes we'll pivot and assess it accordingly. The good part about State of Origin is it doesn't start for a couple of months. Hopefully it changes. If we make changes now we might get the benefit of that in a month's time."
The decision to ban spectators from attending games could have interesting consequences for the Warriors - with Stephen Kearney's team set to take on the Canberra Raiders at Eden Park next Saturday in the first match of a cross-code 'double header' with the Blues facing the Brumbies immediately after.
Sanzaar announced yesterday that this weekend's round f Super Rugby fixtures would go ahead as planned, with only the clash between the Highlanders and Jaguares in Buenos Aires to be played behind closed doors.
Rugby bosses were expected to be locked in meetings last night to discuss the impact of Covid-19 on all future Super Rugby matches in New Zealand, following the cancellation or postponement of major events in the country, including Auckland's Pasifika Festival and surfing contest Piha Pro.
NZ Rugby chair Brent Impey told BusinessDesk that no domestic games are cancelled at this stage, but said the four heads of the Sanzaar countries would meet "to secure further updates".
Australian former professional rugby league player, Nathan Hindmarsh spoke to Martin Devlin about the upcoming NRL season.
The NRL has banned fans from the second round of matches and could consider other radical measures as it battles to come to grips with the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the league.
NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg confirmed the spectator ban last night, saying the league would consider a range of options over the weekend - including a complete season shutdown - as the rapidly evolving coronavirus takes hold of world sport.
Australian media have also reported that all second round matches could be held at the same venue.
Greenberg's comments follow Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's banning of organised events with an audience of more than 500 people.
The first round of NRL matches are expected to go ahead as planned with the Warriors taking on the Newcastle Knights in their season-opener Downunder on Saturday.
In a media conference, Greenberg said the NRL would be guided on a way forward by the Australian government.
"We've listened to the authorities who are in a far better position than we are. If the government gave us advice today to close the stadiums down we would have. The measures they're putting together are precautionary measures," Greenberg said.
"We're going to do everything we can to protect players from the disease. If that means a club can't play a game in the competition or be stood down for the round we'll do that."
Greenberg said the league was expecting the ban to have a significant financial impact on clubs but pledged his support.
"It's going to have significant financial impacts on all 16 clubs and the game. We're in unprecedented times. If they're in financial difficulty we'll keep them afloat. We'll get through this together.
"We're going to work through the next week and work out the impact for clubs. These are significants amounts of money for clubs over the course of the year.
"All 16 clubs are in the same position and listening to the same advice and getting into an alignment for this weekend's games," he said.
"If something changes we'll pivot and assess it accordingly. The good part about State of Origin is it doesn't start for a couple of months. Hopefully it changes. If we make changes now we might get the benefit of that in a month's time."
The decision to ban spectators from attending games could have interesting consequences for the Warriors - with Stephen Kearney's team set to take on the Canberra Raiders at Eden Park next Saturday in the first match of a cross-code 'double header' with the Blues facing the Brumbies immediately after.
Sanzaar announced yesterday that this weekend's round f Super Rugby fixtures would go ahead as planned, with only the clash between the Highlanders and Jaguares in Buenos Aires to be played behind closed doors.
Rugby bosses were expected to be locked in meetings last night to discuss the impact of Covid-19 on all future Super Rugby matches in New Zealand, following the cancellation or postponement of major events in the country, including Auckland's Pasifika Festival and surfing contest Piha Pro.
NZ Rugby chair Brent Impey told BusinessDesk that no domestic games are cancelled at this stage, but said the four heads of the Sanzaar countries would meet "to secure further updates".
The voice of New Zealand cricket spoke to Martin Devlin about how the found watching last nights crowd-less cricket.
"It also makes a point to us that we can still have sport, we can still get our feed of sport it's by way of television or radio, sometimes you just have to live with the fact you cant have crowds at the grounds."
Playing in front of an empty Sydney Cricket Ground after fans were banned from attending due to concerns over the coronavirus; the Black Caps crumbled to 187 all out, and a 71-run defeat.
Andrew Saville, hosting the DRS in place of Martin Devlin talks to Barry Potter - the Head of Infrastructure for the Auckland council about where the Americas Cup infrastructure is at one year out from the start of the event.
Andrew Saville, hosting in place of Martin Devlin has a chat to Warriors CEO Cameron George ahead of the new NRL season starting on the 12th March. The Warriors kick off their campaign away against the Newcastle Knights.
Andrew Saville, filling in for Martin Devlin and Thomas dissect 5 seperate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Hurricanes prop Tyrel Lomax could only watch from the sidelines as his side disintegrated against the Blues.
Lomax was sent from the park in the 47th minute of the 24-15 loss to the Blues in Wellington tonight after flooring Blues centre Rieko Ioane with a shoulder charge that connected with Ioane's head.
Lomax, a new recruit for the Hurricanes this season, was going in to make a supporting hit as Ioane was brought down by fellow prop Xavier Numia. However, the execution was poor as Lomax made no attempt to wrap his right arm around Ioane, and he could have no complaints about the colour of the card shown by referee Mike Fraser.
He wasn't the only Hurricanes player to be sent from the field, with Vaea Fifita and Jordie Barrett both shown yellow cards – leaving the Hurricanes down to 12 men at one point late in the second half.
It made what was already an intriguing match-up more interesting, after the Hurricanes' inability to turn their early dominance into points became a reason for them to sweat down the stretch.
Hurricanes Tyrel Lomax is shown a red card. Photo / Photosport
Having won their last nine games against the Blues, it looked like they were well poised to make it 10. Just two minutes into the contest, Ngani Laumape put winger Ben Lam away in the corner with an offload over the top of the defence to give the hosts an early 5-0 lead.
The Hurricanes had almost 90 per cent of the possession in the opening 20 minutes, and despite playing the majority of that time in Blues territory, they couldn't make it count on the scoreboard.
After having to defend for the best part of the opening 35 minutes, the Blues found their way through the Hurricanes line through Ioane, who put winger Mark Telea away into space to get deep inside Hurricanes territory. Akira Ioane crashed over soon after, with Otere Black's conversion giving the Blues a surprising lead.
That lasted just two minutes, as Barrett kicked a penalty goal to give the Hurricanes a one-point lead at the break.
Losing Lomax seven minutes into the half put the Hurricanes under pressure early in the second half, and the Blues took advantage. Telea crossed in the 56th minute and after Black's conversion put them 14-8 up, it seemed like the Blues would kick on with the job.
Instead, it was the Hurricanes who scored next, with Kobus van Wyk scoring out wide after a scrum in which fellow winger Lam packed down at flanker.
From there, it was all downhill for the hosts. Fifita was shown a yellow card for a no-arms tackle with 12 minutes to go, and was followed to the bin by Barrett six minutes later when he was deemed to have deliberately knocked the ball down.
Both bookings resulted in points, with Black kicking a penalty after Fifita's infringement and the referee awarding a penalty try for Barrett's transgression.
The latter was the final scoring play of the match, with the Blues claiming their first away win over another Kiwi team in their last 26 attempts.
ELSWHERE:
The Chiefs hammered the Waratahs in their Super Rugby match in Wollongong.
The Waikato side have scored seven tries to one, six of which came in the second half, for a 51-14 victory.
The Chiefs now sit top of the New Zealand conference.
Meanwhile, the Crusaders managed a scrappy 24-20 win over the Reds in their Super Rugby match in Christchurch.
The hosts struggled to limit their errors coming off a bye week.
The boot of first-five Richie Mo'unga proved crucial with three conversions and a penalty, while the Reds failed to convert all four of their scores.
And it was bad news for the Highlanders after the Bulls produced a stellar second half to beat themin Pretoria.
After trailing the visitors 10-5 at halftime, the Bulls scored five second half tries to thrash the southerners 38-13.
The Highlanders have now lost four games and sit bottom of the New Zealand conference.
Andrew Saville talks to Sir John Kirwan, former Blues coach and now SKY Rugby commentator ahead of the big match in this weeks round of Super Rugby, the Blues versus the Hurricanes in Wellington.
Andrew Saville, filling in for Martin Devlin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next.
The Devlin Radio Show on Newstalk Zb and Radio Sport on Saturday's and Sunday's, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 29th February.
Martin Devlin chats to Tom Rennie out of Talksport in the UK, and John Anderson, a Watford fan who was at Vicarage Road to watch his side beat Liverpool and end a 422 day unbeaten run in the English Premier League.
Martin Devlin chats to former Black Caps coach Steve Rixon, about the Black Caps and their apparent inability to compete against Australia in Australia.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB and Radio Sport on Saturday's and Sunday's, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 1st March.
For the first time since 2011, the Blues have a winning record through their first five games of the season.
But unlike their 2011 campaign, it's been their play away from home that has lifted them from obscurity to looking like a legitimate playoff contender.
Their 33-14 win over the Stormers in Cape Town on Sunday morning (NZ time) showed what the side is capable of, dismantling the competition leaders across the park to hand them their first loss of the year.
The Blues now hold away wins over the Waratahs, Bulls and Stormers this season, while their two losses have been home defeats at the hands of the Chiefs and Crusaders.
Speaking to Radio Sport's Alex Chapman about their opening five rounds, Blues coach Leon MacDonald said the task now was figuring out how to produce the same sort of form they showed in South Africa when they return to New Zealand.
"If we played like that I think we'd have no trouble winning in New Zealand," MacDonald said. "It's about being consistent. We had our moments against the Chiefs and we didn't quite get it right in the second half."
Scoring three tries, the Blues only had one more to their name than the Stormers; however the discipline of the two sides was a major difference as the Blues were able to add 12 points through penalty goals.But while it was a convincing score line, MacDonald said there was plenty of room for his side to improve.
"We had opportunities down inside their 22 during this game where we didn't execute well enough. We had the chance to finish them off with about 20 minutes to go and we didn't quite nail that."
After a two-week visit to South Africa, the Blues now face a prolonged stint in New Zealand for matches against the Hurricanes, Lions and Brumbies, before heading into the bye in week nine. MacDonald was confident if his side kept performing as they were, a win in New Zealand would soon follow.
"We're showing some growth in a lot of areas. We don't worry about where we're playing, we're just got to turn up every week and perform. The opportunity next week is the Hurricanes and we're going to have to get that right because they're a good team. We've just got to keep playing well and we'll get our win."
In other Super Rugby news:
The Hurricanes have thumped the Sunwolves 62-15 in their Super Rugby match in Napier.
The Wellington-based team fell behind early, before running in 10 tries, with wing Kobus van Wyk scoring a hat-trick.
The win is the Hurricanes' third straight.
Meanwhile, the Highlanders were exposed in a shock 28-22 Super Rugby loss to the Rebels in Dunedin.
After trailing 21-0 halfway through the opening period, the Highlanders threatened to stage a stunning comeback before ultimately crumbling under the presser.
The hosts' job made even tougher with two yellow cards in the second half.
Meanwhile, major questions surround the state of captain James Lentjes, who was stretchered off the field in the 29th minute with a serious leg injury.
The Crusaders and Chiefs had a bye week.
Martin Devlin chats to Kiwi Heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker ahead of his 1st bout in 2020, against American Shawndell Winters in Texas.
Martin Devlin chats to the former England cricketing great Sir Ian Botham, who's currently in the country playing the NZ Golf Open in Queenstown.
The DRS, with Martin Devlin on Newstalk Zb and Radio Sport compacted into a podcast for Sunday 23rd February, 2020.
Martin Devlin chats to Geoff Ogilvy, the Australian golfer who most famously won the 2006 US Open. He's returning to New Zealand for the 101st New Zealand Open in Queenstown next week.
The Blues have grabbed victory at the death.
First-five Otere Black has kicked an 81st minute penalty to give the Blues a 23-21 win over the Bulls in Pretoria.
Just minutes earlier it appeared Auckland side was set for heartbreak after the Bulls scored to take the lead with six minutes remaining.
Stephen Perofeta, Mark Telea and Tom Robinson all crossed for tries.
The Chiefs, meanwhile, crashed back down to earth.
A home crowd was no advantage as they suffered a 26-14 loss to the Brumbies in Hamilton, in what's their first defeat in the 2020 Super Rugby season.
Matters made worse with more injury woes for All Black Luke Jacobson.
He managed just 11 minutes in his return from ongoing concussion issues after pulling his hamstring.
It’s the first time the Brumbies have won in Hamilton since 2007.
And it was a convincing win for the Crusaders in Christchurch.
The hosts beat the Highlanders 33-13 in their Super Rugby clash at AMI Stadium.
David Havili was last to score a try for the Crusaders in the 74th minute with Mitchell Drummond making the conversion.
The Hurricanes had a bye weekend.
Martin Devlin chats to Kiwi Supercars driver and 2019 winner Scott McLaughlin ahead of the 2020 Supercars season kicking off in Adelaide today.
Martin Devlin talks to former All Black and Crusaders Prop Richard Loe, in Christchurch for a 25 year reunion of the Crusaders reflecting on the current side's comprehensive victory last night against the Highlanders 33-13.
The DRS with Martin Devlin on Newstalk Zb and radio Sport, compacted into a podcast format for the 22nd February, 2020.
The DRS with Martin Devlin on Saturday's and Sunday's on Newstalk ZB - compacted into a podcast for Sunday 16th February, 2020.
Martin Devlin chats to Black Caps batsmen Ross Taylor about some of his test cricket memories ahead of his 100th test against India starting next week.
The DRS with Martin Devlin on Saturday's and Sunday's on Newstalk ZB - compacted into a podcast for the 15th February, 2020.
The Crusaders battered the Blues 25-8 to get back to winning ways in Super Rugby.
Less than a week after their loss to the Chiefs, the three-time defending champions have run in three tries to one to extend their unbeaten run against their old rivals to now 11 games.
It means the Blues were the only New Zealand team not to win this week.
The Highlanders left it late to beat the Brumbies in their match in Canberra.
The southerners looked to have lost the game until Teariki Ben-Nicholas barged over in the 83rd minute to steal an unlikely victory, winning just 23-22.
The Hurricanes enjoyed a more comfortable victory, beating the Sharks 38-22 in Wellington.
The Chiefs thumped the Sunwolves 43-17 in Tokyo to continue their hot start to the Super Rugby season, despite being without a handful of usual starters.
LISTEN ABOVE AS TONY JOHNSON REVIEWS THE WEEKEND WITH MARTIN DEVLIN
Martin Devlin chats to former Manchester United and Australia goalkeeper Mark Bosnich, ahead of the Wellington Phoenix home game at Eden Park against Melbourne City on Saturday night.
Martin Devlin chats to Scott Robertson, the Crusaders head coach on the back of an impressive win against the Blues at Eden Park on Friday night.
The Devlin Radio Show that plays on Newstalk ZB and Radio Sport on Saturday's and Sunday's, compacted into a podcast for February 9th, 2020.
Their three best seamers were out injured. The fourth shouldn't have played, but did, battling illness. Their best – and only – spinner was ruled out minutes before the first ball. And yet, the Black Caps bowlers have conjured up a remarkable victory over India to seal a similarly surprising series win.
In what has been a tour of improbable events, add another unexpected outcome onto the pile, as the Black Caps defended 273-8 to claim a 22-run victory and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the best-of-three series.
To defend that total at Eden Park is impressive. To do it against a superb Indian batting lineup, even more so. And to do it given the situation they were in – and the mess they had inherited from the Twenty20 series – well, that takes some doing.
Coming into the series with the Black Caps having lost eight straight matches in all formats, few would have picked that to change against a strong Indian side; one coming off ODI series wins over the West Indies and Australia, and that had claimed the last three ODI series against New Zealand.
Additionally, the Black Caps' lineup was far from full-strength – Trent Boult, Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson were still sidelined, Kane Williamson was injured, Scott Kuggeleijn was sick, Ish Sodhi had joined New Zealand A, and Mitchell Santner was a late scratch, ruled out due to illness.
It left the Black Caps with a No 3 playing his second ODI, a No 8 who is usually a specialist batsman, a fast bowler on debut, two seamers who had been smashed in Hamilton, and no specialist spinners.
So, when they had collapsed to 197-8 batting first, with eight overs remaining, it wasn't a stretch to assume the series was headed to a decider. But, when Ross Taylor and Kyle Jamieson added 76 for the ninth wicket, a defendable total had been attained, and the improbable was about to take place.
Taylor's unbeaten 73 was valuable, but in fairness, he needed to make up for earlier mistakes, after being involved in two runouts which had kick-started the Black Caps' collapse. The hosts had looked superbly set at 157-2 through 29 overs, largely thanks to Martin Guptill breaking his ODI drought with an excellent run-a-ball 79. He looked likely for a century, only for Taylor to call him through for a disastrous quick single attempt, and then do the same to Jimmy Neesham five overs later.
Add in the dismissals of Tom Latham (trapped lbw sweeping), Colin de Grandhomme (slogging wildly), Mark Chapman (caught and bowled) and Tim Southee (see: de Grandhomme, Colin), and a terrible total looked on the cards.
Instead, Taylor stuck around, moving into the top 25 all-time ODI runscorers as he kept the Black Caps alive, while Jamieson bashed 25 not out off 24 balls to make a memorable start to his international debut.
It got better, though – with Jamieson playing a crucial role as the Black Caps bowlers produced their best performance of the summer.
Jamieson's wicket of Prithvi Shaw, in his first over, was part of a brilliant – and rather unexpected – effort from the second-string Black Caps seamers. After leaking 16 runs from his first eight balls, Hamish Bennett bounced back to remove Mayank Agarwal, while Southee battled through illness to claim the biggest scalp of them all – Virat Kohli, bowled, for 15.
It was questionable whether the sick Southee would even play tonight, but instead he got through 10 overs within the first half of the Indian innings, getting mass appreciation from his teammates as he walked off the park with 2-41.
With only five specialist bowlers available, stand-in skipper Latham did well to keep his best bowlers charging in when he felt India were vulnerable, with de Grandhomme removing KL Rahul, and Southee luring Kedar Jadhav into a flayed drive, straight to cover.
Shreyas Iyer loomed as the danger man, but a ball after bringing up a smooth 50, he needlessly took a wild swipe at Bennett, getting a thick edge through to Latham. The match looked over, but there was a twist – with the...
The Chiefs have continued their resurgence under Warren Gatland's leadership with a win of three-time winners the Crusaders.
Another impressive second-half performance from Gatland's Chiefs saw them turn around a halftime deficit, and beat the defending champions 25-15.
While the scoreline didn't necessarily reflect it, this was a dominant showing for the Chiefs. Early lapses might have cost them, but for the best part of 60 minutes, the Chiefs overpowered the Crusaders across the park.
However, there were positives for the Crusaders, with their attack showing promising signs early despite the absence of their general Richie Mo'unga.
The Blues also notched a win over the Waratahs, their first of the season.
After a stilted first half where there was a lot of nervous and error-ridden rugby from both teams, the Blues took control in the second half when they had a stiff breeze behind their back.
They started the second period with two decisive tries that were both built on their ability to remain patient and wait for the right opportunity to strike at the heart of the Waratahs' defence.
The first came when TJ Faiane delayed his pass for midfield partner Joe Marchant who hit the line at top speed and at a great angle.
The second by Mark Telea, a few minutes later, was created by an incredible grubber kick from Hoskins Sotutu.
The Hurricanes secured their first win of the season in Argentina.
Well contained for 70 minutes, it took just two passages of play for the side to get back in the game and ultimately steal a 26-23 win over the Jaguares.
After a dismal showing for against the Stormers a week ago, there were signs of improvement for the Hurricanes. Jordie Barrett was heavily involved in the play, often slotting in at first receiver, while Ngani Laumpae and Billy Proctor found some success in the middle.
But for the most part, any attack the Hurricanes launched was well contained by the Jaguares, who bodied up well on defence and did plenty of good work at the breakdown to see off most threats. The Hurricanes attack was at most stagnant, side-to-side affair that was easily smothered and slowed down.
It wasn't until front rower Alex Fidow crashed over in the 71st minute from close range after a scrum penalty that the Hurricanes looked like they could actually win the game, with some late heroics from Laumape, Vaea Fifita and Jamie Booth sealing an improbable victory.
Meanwhile, the Highlanders have made a rough start to their Super Rugby campaign with a 42-20 loss to the Sharks in Dunedin.
The Southerners conceded three tries in eight minutes to be down 27-3 at the break, before failing to mount a meaningful comeback.
All Blacks coach Ian Foster's more than pleased with the current relationship between the All Blacks and Super Rugby franchises, and excited for what's to come.
There's been a perception of conflict between the two camps, which has heightened due to minutes restrictions on All Blacks.
Super Rugby coaches have to limit their All Blacks' minutes in the opening rounds.
Foster told Martin Devlin that, from what he's seen over the years, the relationship between the two is strong.
"I'm continually impressed when I go and visit the franchises. We're fortunate we've got some great organisations that are really all striving to be the best they can be, a lot of motivated people."
He says that the All Blacks have little influence over how Super Rugby franchises structure their teams and campaigns.
Fosters says that having a stronghold on how the teams operate wouldn't benefit the New Zealand game.
"We can't become an organisation where all the ideas have to flow from the top down, because that's just going to stifle innovation and it's going to cause a lot of coaches to become frustrated and not become the best that they want to be."
Martin Devlin chats to Highlanders and Japan assistant coach Tony Brown about his musings from the opening couple of weeks in Super Rugby and
Martin Devlin chats to Matthew Smith, the Nelson boy who made his international debut for the Spanish Men's Rugby team earlier this year against Russia.
The DRS on Newstalk ZB and Radio Sport on Saturday's and Sunday's, compacted into a podcast for Saturday February 8th.
The Devlin Radio Show on Newstalk ZB and Radio Sport on Saturday's and Sunday's, compacted into a podcast for Sunday 2nd February.
It has been a while since a Super Bowl has appeared to be such a toss-up. This one between the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers and the AFC champ Kansas City Chiefs is a difficult game to judge.
The 49ers (15-3) have gone from the No. 2 pick in the draft last April to the verge of another championship. The Chiefs (14-4) were in the AFC title contest last year and fell in overtime.
In 2019, both teams were dynamic and won a bunch of big games. Now they meet in the biggest one.
Here's how the Chiefs and 49ers match up in the Super Bowl:
WHEN THE CHIEFS HAVE THE BALL
It's not difficult to figure out how the Chiefs will approach any game. QB Patrick Mahomes (15) will test defenses with his arm and skill for reading schemes. He has game-breakers in WRs Tyreek Hill (10) and Sammy Watkins (14), which means single coverage on either is a gamble. TE Travis Kelce (87) is a first-down machine and a clutch performer all around.
Damien Williams (26) keys the backfield and comes off two exceptional postseason showings, even though Mahomes has often been the leading rusher by creating the way he did in the AFC championship game with a brilliant tap dance down the sideline for a go-ahead score.
That puts a huge onus on the Niners to get an effective pass rush, something they have done virtually every week. They will harass Mahomes with a front seven led by rookie Nick Bosa (97), a force on the outside. DT DeForest Buckner (99) has had a strong impact, and LBs Fred Warner (54) and Kwon Alexander (56), who is finally healthy, are formidable. Having edge rusher Dee Ford (55), who was a Chief last season, bolsters the unit.
They will challenge a good Kansas City offensive line anchored by RT Mitchell Schwartz (71) and LT Eric Fisher (72). But if the O-line holds true, San Francisco could struggle in coverage against the speedy Chiefs wideouts. CB Richard Sherman (25) remains outstanding, even if the rest of the secondary isn't at his level.
WHEN THE 49ERS HAVE THE BALL
After seeing the star turn by RB Raheem Mostert (31) against Green Bay, the Chiefs must be wary of what usually is a three-pronged rushing attack. Tevin Coleman (26), if healthy, and Matt Breida (22) give QB Jimmy Garoppolo options in the backfield, although Mostert is certain to be the main man. They operate behind a veteran line led by LT Joe Staley (74) and second-year RT Mike McGlinchey, and Kyle Juszczyk (44) is the NFL's top fullback — as a blocker and receiver.
If the Niners run the ball effectively, it could open some wide spaces for All-Pro TE George Kittle (85), the most dynamic offensive player they have. Kittle is a difference-maker who will force the Chiefs to use double coverage at times. S Tyrann Mathieu (32) will see a lot of Kittle, and S Daniel Sorensen (49), who has had a monstrous playoffs, will be in the mix.
Covering WRs Emmanuel Sanders (17), Kendrick Bourne (84) and emerging rookie Deebo Samuel (19), who is fearless going over the middle, is another chore the Chiefs must handle well. That will require big-time contributions up front from Chris Jones (92) and Frank Clark (55) and LBs Anthony Hitchens (53) and Damien Wilson (54).
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kansas City has a dangerous kick returner in Mecole Hardman (19), one of the NFL's fastest players. The rookie does get antsy to return the ball, though, and that can lead to bad decisions. Harrison Butker (7) is a reliable placekicker with good range. He did miss three extra points, one fewer than his misses on field goals. Veteran punter Dustin Colquitt (2) had a kick blocked by the Texans for a TD, but he's generally reliable.
So is San Francisco PK Robbie Gould (9), in his 15th pro season. He kicked in a Super Bowl for the Bears in 2007, so this stage won't unnerve him. Punter Mitch Wishnowsky is a mere pup in comparison, finishing off his first NFL season. Richie James ranked fifth in overall kick and punt returns for the 49ers, but isn't a game breaker like Kansas City has available.
COACHING
Kyle Shanahan,...
It was good news for two of the New Zealand teams that kicked off their Super Rugby seasons this week.
The Crusaders have cruised to an easy 43-25 bonus point victory in their Super Rugby season opener against the Waratahs in Nelson.
The two times defending champions dominated the first half leading 24-6 at the break, thanks to tries to outside backs Will Jordan, Braydon Ennor, and Leicester Fainga'anuku.
The Waratahs found hope early in the second half with two tried to wing Mark Nawaqanitawase, but the Crusaders quickly quashed any hope the visitors had with Jordan and Ennor grabbing doubles and Luke Romano also getting on the score sheet.
The Blues hoped to emerge victorious in their home game against the Chiefs. The Auckland side appeared completely in control at the break, after Rieko Ioane scored two typically blockbusting tries on the occasion of his 50th game and the Chiefs, expected to be competition front-runners this season, were strangely absent on attack and defence – they missed 20 tackles in the first half alone.
But the visitors' comeback was quick and brutal, a turnaround which reaped a total of 32 second-half points. It was helped immensely by the introduction of their returning first-five Cruden who coolly organised their attack, dropped a goal in the final moments to extend his team's margin to seven points and kicked a penalty after the siren to deny the Blues a losing bonus point.
The match ended 37-29 to the Blues.
The Hurricanes suffered an even more embarrassing defeat, losing 27-0 to the Stormers.
Roger Rasheed is one of Australia's best known tennis coaches. While he has coached a number of prominent athletes in his time, the biggest name remains former world number one Lleyton Hewitt.
Ahead of the Australian Open Men's Singles Final - of which Hewitt is the most recent Australian to have won - Rasheed joined Martin Devlin to discuss his experience as a coach, and why the drive to succeed is what makes sports players great.
LISTEN ABOVE
Martin Devlin chats to Steve Gordon, the former Waikato lock and radio sport rugby analyst about the opening game of Super Rugby 2020 between the Blues and the Chiefs.
Martin Devlin chats to Bhurat Sundaresan, a writer for Cricbuzz who is following the Indian tour of New Zealand about the Black Caps struggles at the moment.
The Devlin Radio Show Podcast on Newstalk ZB and Radio Sport, compacted into a podcast for 2nd February 2020.
Martin Devlin chats to Adam Bridge out of Talksport in the UK, recounting a famous incident that happened in this week back in 1995 when Manchester United's Eric Cantona famously kung-fu kicked a fan at a game against Crystal Palace.
The Devlin Radio Show across Newstalk ZB and Radio Sport, compacted into a podcast for the 26th January 2020.
The Devlin Radio show on Newstalk ZB and Radio Sport, compacted into a podcast for the 25th of January, 2020.
Former tennis player Pat Cash talks with Martin Devlin above about Nick Kyrgios' chances, and whether his 'bad boy' attitude is holding him back.
Nick Kyrgios needed four hours and 26 minutes to secure a nail-biting victory against Russia's Karen Khachanov in a fifth-set tiebreak.
The Australian sent down 33 aces in what he describes as "one of the best wins of his career".
Kyrgios will face World No. 1 Rafael Nadal in the fourth round, who he has defeated three times in their last seven encounters.
Kyrgios' blunt response to Nadal snub
Nick Kyrgios has followed Rafael Nadal's lead and baulked at an opportunity to speak kindly about his bitter rival following the Aussie's epic five-set thriller against Russian Karen Khachanov.
While Nadal sidestepped having to reveal his true feelings about the Aussie, Kyrgios boldly fielded the same question during his post-match press conference after 1am (AEDT) on Sunday morning at Melbourne Park.
Both players were asked outright if they like each other.
Kyrgios' response has lit the fuse for their fourth round blockbuster, expected to be scheduled for Rod Laver Arena on Monday night.
"I don't really know Rafa," Kyrgios said.
"I've never really hung out with him so I don't really know how he is. I don't really dislike him. I never said I dislike him. I don't know him at all.
"Helluva tennis player. I don't know him as a person. I assume he's OK."
When asked if the pair have ever spoken about their famous Mexico Open falling out last year, Kyrgios expanded further on the mutual respect they have for each other – and the undercurrent of hostility between them.
"At the end of the day we're two different tennis players," he said.
"We go about it completely different. After Wimbledon, I lost. I got beaten by a better player and I shook his hand I looked him in the eye and I said, 'Too good'.
"So regardless, if we don't like each other, whatever, I think there's a layer of respect.
"He's one of the greatest of all time and I also read that he thinks that I'm good for the sport. So there's a layer of respect that we have for each other. That doesn't necessarily mean that we like each other."
The pair have traded verbal barbs ever since Kyrgios' famous win over Nadal in Mexico last year, where the Spanish star said the Aussie "lacks respect for the sport".
Kyrgios responded by labelling Nadal "salty".
Petrol was poured on the simmering rivalry when Kyrgios also mimicked Nadal's service action in his second round win over Gilles Simon.
When asked about Kyrgios' salty dig, Nadal replied: "I really don't care, I am here to play tennis.
"Honestly, I don't care at all. If was funny, good. That's it."
Asked straight up if he likes Kyrgios, Nadal earlier replied: "I don't know. I don't know him personally, honestly, to have a clear opinion.
"It is clear (that) when he does stuff that in my opinion is not good, I don't like (it).
"When he plays good tennis and he shows passion for this game, he is a positive player for our tour, and I want my tour bigger, not smaller.
"So the player who make the tour bigger are important for the tour.
"When he's ready to play his best tennis and play with passion, (he) is one of those guys.
"When he's doing the other stuff, of course I don't like (it)."
Martin Devlin chats to the Fijian King of Sevens, Waisale Serevi about his Sevens Rugby memories and what he's up to now, living in Russia of all places.
Martin Devlin is joined in the studio by the voices of New Zealand cricket, Jeremy Coney and Bryan Waddle taking your calls on this current Black Caps side and cricket in general.
The DRS on Newstalk ZB and Radio Sport with Martin Devlin, compacted into a Podcast for the 19th January.
Listen above as Martin Tyler talks with Martin Devlin about Liverpool's dominance. Below, AP's Rob Harris previews Sunday's match.
A trip to Anfield is a journey into Manchester United's deepest anxieties.
Liverpool is the club setting the standards which United tries to emulate while dreading replicating Liverpool's three decades of anguish to reach this point.
When United plays the world and European champions on Sunday, the best United coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer can hope for is slowing a title charge so relentless it seems a done deal with almost half the season still to play.
"It can be an intimidating place," Solskjaer said Friday.
Especially since Liverpool holds a 14-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League - a largely unfamiliar position for a team which last won the championship in 1990. That title extended England's title record to 18, cementing Liverpool's status at the time as a soccer force with a collapse simply unthinkable.
But as the Liverpool dynasty faded, United was resurgent.
Once the team's 26-year title drought ended in 1993, Alex Ferguson ruled the Premier League. The trophy was collected by Ferguson for a 13th time before heading into retirement in 2013 and leaving United as the 20-time English champions with Liverpool's mark overhauled.
But United has not come close to winning the title since then, with just one runners-up finish while Liverpool is a force again under Juergen Klopp.
With Solskjaer the fourth manager in the post-Ferguson era, United is 27 points behind Liverpool going into Sunday's game. For the firth-place team the prospect of a 21st English title seems remote.
The drought is seven years and counting, but still far from Liverpool's 30-year barren run.
"That's what we're working hard to make sure doesn't happen and let that be a lesson for us," Solskjaer said. "They've been close a few times and we can't let ourselves go another 26 years until we win the league and I'm sure we won't, because I believe in this club. I believe that we will rebuild now. We've started something that is going to take a little bit of time, but we'll get there."
Even if there is a little sign of that yet for a side that has lost six of its 22 games and is so lacking leaders in the dressing room that it had to appoint a player who has been at the club five months — Harry Maguire — as captain on Friday as Ashley Young departs.
A plus for Solskjaer is that he is the only manager to take points off Klopp this season in the Premier League in a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford in October. But Liverpool is enjoying a 38-game unbeaten run stretching into last season when it was beaten to the title by one point by Man City.
Whereas Liverpool's recruitment under American owner John Henry has been canny, United's Glazer family have appeared wasteful in signing costly established players in a misguided attempt to collect superstars.
From the return of problematic playmaker Paul Pogba to locking sullen striker Alexis Sanchez into a costly contract, United has showed just how badly it lacks a clear figure leading recruitment. Ed Woodward has led the club as executive vice chairman for seven years and the former banker has faced dissenting fan chants.
Liverpool, though, has sporting director Mike Edwards playing a key role in establishing a strategy for building a team. Selling Philippe Coutinho two years ago to Barcelona for 160 million euros (then $192 million) provided the funds to reinvest in the squad — signing goalkeeper Alisson and center back Virgil van Dijk — and turn Liverpool into title contenders again while collecting a sixth European Cup.
Klopp is still surprised at United's lack of ambition in the October draw, seeing the team as too defensive.
"It's strange when you play against a high, high-quality team what United still is, and they play the way they play," Klopp said Friday. "That makes life really difficult. ... I don't say they only counter-attack, but it's a main thing for...
As messages on video boards cautioned Australian Open spectators to "be aware we are expecting a reduction in air quality" Saturday, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal seemed satisfied that all will be fine at the year's first Grand Slam tournament despite recent days of smoke arriving from wildfires burning 100 or so miles away.
The haze hanging over Melbourne Park lately lightened as Monday's start of main-draw action approaches, but even if things worsen, the owners of a combined 39 major championships were among the players saying they're confident tennis officials will make sure conditions are safe before allowing competition.
Federer and Nadal both said they marched themselves down to the tournament referee's office to understand what was going on when local news reports were saying people should stay indoors, yet qualifying rounds were taking place outdoors at Melbourne Park.
On Tuesday, one player collapsed in a coughing fit; another sought medical attention for breathing problems.
"I said, 'I think we're all confused. Is it super unsafe or is it totally safe to play?'" Federer said. "I told them, 'Look, I just think communication is key for all of us, for everybody. We just need to do more.' Because I feel like I hadn't gotten enough information."
Two weeks ago, as the fires in eastern Australia raged, leading to the deaths of more than two dozen people and millions of animals, defending champion Novak Djokovic wondered aloud whether the event might need to be delayed until the air improved. Tournament director Craig Tiley pointed out a week ago there are three stadiums with retractable roofs, plus eight indoor courts, which could be used if need be.
The hope, of course, is none of that will be necessary. Rain is in the forecast for four of the next five days, which could help matters.
The top-ranked Nadal said he was told air measurements were being taken every four minutes and the standard for how clean samples need to be is more stringent than that used by the International Olympic Committee.
"I really cannot believe that the most important committee in the world wants bad health for the competitors," Nadal said. "So that answer convinced me. I am here to play."
Others were not quite so ready to adopt that mindset -- or agree with Federer's stance on the issue, which he summed up as, "I don't worry."
Particularly outspoken was Denis Shapovalov, a 20-year-old from Canada who said he didn't understand the air quality policy issued by the tournament.
"You get an email from the tournament saying that it's playable, and 'you guys have to go out and put your life in jeopardy, put your health in jeopardy.'
"You see the effects on players it has right now, the last couple of days," the 13th-seeded Shapovalov said. "But also you don't know what it's going to do later in our lives and how it could affect us if we're breathing this air in for two weeks."
He said he wouldn't play a match if he felt the conditions weren't safe.
"Obviously, it's a Grand Slam, a big opportunity, but I'm 20 years old," Shapovalov said. "I don't want to risk my life, risk my health, being out there playing in this condition, when I can for the next 10-15 years."
Stefanos Tsitsipas, a 21-year-old from Greece who upset Federer a year ago in Australia en route to his first Grand Slam semifinal, said he had trouble breathing after an indoor practice session when he first arrived in Melbourne.
"I'm feeling OK now, but I was a bit concerned," the sixth-seeded Tsitsipas said. "I was coughing a lot."
Like Nadal and Federer, three-time major semifinalist Grigor Dimitrov took the view that tournament and tour officials have "been looking after us."
"I never think they're going to jeopardize our health over anything," Dimitrov said.
Two players who have asthma, two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and 2019 U.S. Open semifinalist Matteo Berrettini, said they were worried about how they would fare in Melbourne.
Both have been OK so far.
"It's the...
Martin Devlin chats to former Black Caps captain and one of the voices of New Zealand cricket, Jeremy Coney reflecting on the Black Caps disastrous tour of Australia and where it all went so horribly wrong.
The DRS Radio Show on Newstalk ZB and Radio Sport, compacted into a podcast for Saturday 18th January.
Martin Devlin chats to former All Black Adam Thomson, who's signed with the Chiefs as a temporary injury replacement for this year's Super Rugby.
Nigel Yalden, hosting the DRS in place of Martin Devlin has a chat to returning former All Black Aaron Cruden ahead of his return to New Zealand rugby with the Chiefs, which gets underway in a couple of weeks.
Nigel Yalden, hosting the DRS in place of Martin Devlin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
ASB Classic tournament director Karl Budge says the future of the Auckland women's event is assured, even if a mooted WTA teams tournament held in the same week comes to fruition.
After the success of the ATP Cup this week, there has been support from several leading players for an equivalent event on the female side — something that would have significant implications for the Auckland tournament.
ASB Classic tournament director Karl Budge. Photo / Getty
Budge has been included in initial discussions about the concept with the WTA and Tennis Australia, but says there are a lot of hurdles to overcome, and even if it does happen, it won't be for at least three years.
"There have been initial conversations with [WTA CEO] Steve Simon and Tennis Australia.
"There is a lot of water to go under the bridge. Obviously it gets attention when it is in the media, but it definitely won't happen next year, and I can't see it the year after either. It took a long time for the ATP Cup to get anywhere near the position it is in now."
Budge points out there are a lot of things to work through.
"For a start there would need to be equal prizemoney; so can they [Tennis Australia] make a [combined] $25 million tournament work?," he asked.
"And if it gets any traction, what is our preference? Would we want to be the other alternative [tournament] that week? Would we want to be part of it as a host city? Are we wanting to swap weeks? There is a heap of different options that we could explore and I want to make sure that we are part of the discussion."
The ATP Cup has involved 24 national teams, playing in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, with the final played today in Sydney. Although there has been some teething issues, it has been well received by players and fans. It has meant changes to the calendar, with the men's draw in Brisbane and the Hopman Cup and ATP 250 event in Pune no longer staged, although Doha has continued in the same week.
It has also caused some controversy, as the women's matches at the Brisbane International were relegated to outside courts until Thursday, to accommodate the men playing at the same venue, prompting Maria Sharapova to say their tournament felt like a "second-tier" event.
However there are significant roadblocks for the proposed WTA Cup, not least financially. The ATP Cup is a US$15 million commitment, which would need to be matched for a female event. It would also require co-operation from the two tours which is not necessarily a given, and the make-up of teams would be more difficult, given the differing concentration of talent on the women's tour. Any plans would have to be ratified by player and tournament councils, and find agreement over the mechanics of entry, ranking points and prizemoney.
"We all understand it would be an amazing thing to have a teams event in guys and girls, but if that is reality, I'm not sure," said Budge. "I'm not sure it is something that is on the ATP's radar at the moment. But we are open-minded.
"I've heard of a lot of proposals come and go over the years. Whatever happens, our event will continue. We own the licence, we own the sanction. It's what we do with it that's up to us. We are part of the conversation."
Nigel Yalden, hosting the DRS in place of Martin Devlin chats to Black Caps selector Gavin Larsen around the tour of Australia, and in particular the selection process involved in picking the best 15.
Nigel Yalden and Thomas Harris dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Nigel Yalden, hosting the DRS in place of Martin Devlin chats to Glen Jackson, the recently retired Rugby referee as he reflewcts on his time in the game and why he's stepping away.
Nigel Yalden, in place of Martin Devlin chats to Ben Sandford- who's the new Chair of the WADA Athlete Committee from January 2020.
Nigel Yalden, in place of Martin Devlin discuss 5 separate sporting topics. 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Nigel Yalden, in place of Martin Devlin chats to Peter Lalor, the Chief Cricket Writer of the Australian who was full of praise for the Kiwi fans that brought so much atmosphere and entertainment to the first few days of the Boxing Day test.
Nigel Yalden, in place of Martin Devlin for the summer chats to Kiwi tactician Mike Sanderson, who was on board Comanche who won the 2019 Sydney to Hobart Yacht race.
Martin Devlin and the Devlin Radio Show on Newstalk ZB, compacted in to a podcast for December 22nd, 2019.
Martin Devlin has a chat to the now former All Blacks and Warriors doctor as he reflects on the 30 years in the job.
Martin Devlin chats to the best in the business when it comes to Cricket Commentary, our own Ian Smith. Talking his decision to sign on again with SKY TV, a reflection on that World Cup game 6 months on and a look ahead to the Boxing Day test and what he thinks our chances will be.
Martin Devlin and the Devlin Radio Show on Newstalk ZB, compacted into a podcast for the 21st December, 2019.
Martin Devlin chats to 4 New Zealand cricket fans ahead of what will be a trip of a lifetime, when they go to Melbourne and the MCG on Boxing Day. Enjoy it people.
Martin Devlin chats to Boxing expert out of the United States, James Smiddy Smith. Talking the state of Heavyweight boxing heading in to 2020 and who are the top fighters in the world, in his opinion.
Martin Devlin talks to Steve Hansen about the 2019 Rugby World Cup and his tenure as the All Blacks coach.
LISTEN TO THE AUDIO ABOVE
Martin Devlin chats to New Zealand Middle Distance Olympian Nick Willis, reflecting on the incredible life and achievements of one of his heroes - Sir Peter Snell.
Martin Devlin chats to ASB Classic Tournament Director Karl Budge about how he goes about trying to lure some of the best tennis players in the world to Auckland year in year out.
Martin Devlin and the DRS on Newstalk ZB and Radio Sport, compacted into a podcast for the 8th December.
There are fears surrounding the Black Caps' Boxing Day test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground after a Sheffield Shield match at the venue was called off due to safety issues today.
The first day's play of the four-day clash between Victoria and Western Australia was called off after several Western Australian batsmen were hit on a dangerous MCG pitch.
Western Australian batsman Shaun Marsh was hit several times and later went for a concussion test, and was quoted by news.com as saying the pitch was "unplayable".
"We saw guys getting hit on the head and it was disappointing. When Marcus [Stoinis] got hit on that last occasion it was pretty realistic that the pitch was unplayable.
"I probably got hit four or five times, and we saw after lunch when the wicket got a little bit harder and there was a lot of divots out there it became unplayable."
The pitch will be inspected again tomorrow ahead of a potential re-start but Western Australia coach Adam Voges was unimpressed.
"It's about player safety," Voges said.
"We won't put our players on a wicket that we feel is not safe. We'll make that decision in the morning. But how can they prove to us it's all of a sudden safe
The drama occurred just 19 days out before one of the Black Caps' biggest test matches in years – and their first Boxing Day test in 32 years.
However, Cricket Australia pledged to get that particular pitch – which will be a different one to the strip used today - right come Boxing Day.
"We will seek to better understand the issues that resulted in variable bounce at the MCG. We will also work closely with MCG groundstaff in the lead up to the Test match," said Cricket Australia head of operations Peter Roach.
"But we also acknowledge that there have been two previous Shield matches at the MCG this season without incident.
"Matt Page and the MCG groundstaff have more than two weeks to ensure the test surface, which is a different pitch strip to the one being used in this match, is of international standard."
The Boxing Day test is the second of three tests the Black Caps will play in Australia, with the team having flown out today to Perth for the first test, a day-night pink-ball encounter, which starts on Thursday.
Anthony Joshua jumped up and down in the ring with his massive entourage, celebrating being around US$70 million richer and having three world heavyweight belts back in his possession.
For the British boxing superstar, it was well worth this controversial trip to Saudi Arabia.
In the first heavyweight title fight to be held in the Middle East, Joshua toyed with an out-of-shape Andy Ruiz Jr. over 12 unspectacular rounds to win a unanimous points decision, reclaim the WBA, WBO and IBF belts, and avenge a stunning upset by his Mexican-American opponent six months ago.
Joshua got his game plan spot on, using his lighter frame to outmaneuver Ruiz, relying on his longer reach to stay clear of trouble, and selecting his moments to go on the attack.
In the final seconds of a bout fought in the early hours of Sunday in a relatively cool 19 Celsius (66 F) for this part of the world, Joshua was almost running around the ring and Ruiz — exhausted and outfought — was planted in the middle, urging him to come closer.
"Sometimes simplicity is genius. I was outclassing the champion," Joshua said.
"I am used to knocking people out, but last time I got hurt so I gave the man his credit. I said I would correct myself again."
Two judges gave the fight to the Briton 119-110, and the other awarded it to him 119-109.
Ruiz put on 15 pounds since the first fight to weigh in at 283 pounds (128 kilograms), making him the second heaviest boxer to fight for a world heavyweight title. He said he hadn't prepared hard enough for the rematch and got "boxed around."
"The partying got the best of me," Ruiz said of his brief time as champion, during which he also went on talk shows, had an audience with the Mexican president and bought new cars for himself and his parents.
"I didn't prepare how I should have. I gained too much weight. I don't want to give excuses, he won ... If we do a third fight, you best believe I'm going to get in shape. I'll be in the best shape of my life."
Whether Joshua agrees to that remains to be seen. There is no rematch clause this time round and Ruiz, short with quick hands, is an awkward opponent.
Joshua proved he had another side to his boxing skills other than a big punch. His career is back on track, for sure, but his reputation might be sullied for other reasons.
The fight was played out to a backdrop of concerns that Saudi Arabia was using this and other big sporting events to divert attention from its human-rights violations. They include the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi last year in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
Joshua has shrugged off concerns that he was being used in what some, like human rights organization Amnesty International, called a "sportswashing" exercise, and he thanked Saudi Arabia for hosting the fight afterward.
Women who attended the fight at the outdoor, purpose-built, 15,000-capacity Diriyah Arena did not appear to be segregated, as they have been in sports stadiums in Saudi Arabia since being allowed into them for the first time last year.
Indeed, it felt just like any other venue once the action got underway, with a pro-Joshua crowd chanting the usual repertoire of songs about their fighter and jeering Ruiz. To make Joshua feel even more at home, there was a rare downpour of rain in the desert just before the fight and at times during the afternoon.
Ruiz knocked down Joshua four times on the way to a seventh-round win in New York in June that was regarded as one of the biggest upsets in the history of heavyweight boxing.
There was none of that drama in the rematch, with Ruiz rarely connecting cleanly with Joshua. When he did, it was with punches to the back of the head that earned him a ticking-off from the referee.
Ruiz finished the fight with blood across his face, having been caught with a right hook by Joshua in the first round.
There were straight lefts from Joshua in the fourth and ninth that rocked Ruiz back, and a right hook in the fifth that also hurt the deposed champion.
"I...
Martin Devlin and the DRS show on Newstalk ZB, compacted into a podcast form. December 7th.
Martin Devlin chats to Ian McKendry, Head of Turf Management for New Zealand cricket about what they are trying to achieve when they are preparing a cricket pitch.
Martin Devlin chats to former Black Cap captain Stephen Fleming ahead of the Test Series in Australia starting on Thursday.
Martin Devlin chats to former England spinner Phil Tufnell about his upcoming TV Series that he's doing with Brendan McCullum as well as his some cricketing memories from playing in this part of the world.
Martin Devlin's DRS on Newstalk ZB and Radio Sport, compacted into a podcast. December 1st.
It has been a month since South Africa stormed to victory in the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
With a dominant victory over England, the team became the second to win three tournaments.
Former player Werner Swanepoel joined Martin Devlin to discuss how the players and team are looking a month on, and what New Zealand could learn from South Africa's success.
LISTEN ABOVE
Aussie captain Tim Paine has come under fire from across the cricket world after his stunning decision to declare Australia's innings with David Warner stranded not out on 335.
Cricket legends, including Aussie test great Brett Lee, have questioned Paine's decision to put Pakistan in before the dinner break.
Others have declared Paine's decision to deny Warner and viewers a chance of seeing Brian Lara's immortal 400-run milestone fall is enough for Paine to be "sacked".
Warner walked off the Adelaide Oval as a history-maker, unbeaten on 335 from 418 balls.
The 33-year-old looked invincible as he climbed towards 350, but Paine called the opener and Matt Wade back to the dressing rooms with the Aussies in the commanding position of 3/589 declared.
It is now the fourth highest unbeaten score in the history of test cricket and the 10th highest score in test cricket.
His knock of 335 is officially the second highest ever test score by an Aussie – second only to Matthew Hayden's 380, set in 2003.
Australia declared at the end of the same over where Warner jumped above Mark Taylor and Sir Donald Bradman's iconic scores of 334.
Warner earlier also broke Bradman's 88-year record for the highest score at the Adelaide Oval.
Scoring at more than five runs an over, Lee told Fox Cricket Warner should have been given a chance by Paine to chase the record, after passing Bradman's mark with more than half an hour of play before the dinner break.
While Mitchell Starc's early dismissal of Imam ul-Haq has eased the pressure on Paine, Lee said Australia should have batted on until the final session of play to force Pakistan to start its innings under the lights.
He also said he didn't agree with Paine's decision on a game-management level, because he says there is not enough rain predicted to fall in Adelaide to put Australia's victory charge in doubt.
"It's not a lot of rain though is it? I'm just thinking, you don't often get that opportunity to go on to get a world record," Lee said.
"Years and years of cricket, and here's a chance to knock over 400 from the great Brian Lara.
"I would have preferred they start the innings under lights with the new pink ball.
"I just think if they went out to Warner and said here's the equation, 'You've got eight or nine overs to bat. If you can pick off another 70-odd runs, good luck'.
"I reckon if there's someone in world cricket that could get 60 odd runs in nine or so overs, it's David Warner."
Aussie legend Shane Warne said he was surprised by the decision, but said he understood Paine's logic.
"I was a bit surprised. Because of the way Warner's batted today I thought he might have gone for the record," Warne said.
"But they wanted to have a crack at Pakistan. They're putting the team ahead of the individual. It would have been nice theatre to see David Warner go for the record."
Mark Waugh also supported the declaration, while England great Michael Vaughan said Paine had "spoiled the party".
Other commentators were much more scathing of Paine.Warner was also criticised in some corners of cyberspace for scoring the final single that pushed him above Taylor and Bradman's scores of 334.
Warner hit just the eighth Test triple-century by an Australian, waltzing his way to the highest ever Test score at Adelaide Oval. In the most dominant innings of his career, Warner brought up the mark off just 389 balls in the pink-ball Test when he pulled Mohammad Abbas for four.
He is the first Australian to do so since Michael Clarke in 2012 against India, in what was a similarly big first-innings score.
With world-record holder Lara in the crowd watching his score of 400 fall under threat, Warner punished anything too full or too short from the tourists. And there was plenty of wayward deliveries to pick off.
Twenty-two of his 38 boundaries came through either the covers or point, before he began to sweep with confidence off Yasir Shah on the second afternoon. He added 95 to his overnight score of 166 in the first...
Martin Devlin chats to David Moffett, Brian Ashby and Corey Flynn about the Crusaders keeping their name, but changing their logo.
Martin Devlin chats to former Zimbabwean fast bowler Henry Olonga. He was once a pin up boy for cricket in his country, but had to flee the country on the back of death threats he received after a protest he did with Andy Flower at the Cricket World Cup in 2003. Henry now resides in Australia, and has a fascinating book released called Blood, Sweat and Treason: My Story.
Martin Devlin and the DRS on Newstalk ZB and Radio Sport, compacted into a podcast for the 30th November, 2019.
Martin Devlin has a good long cricketing natter with Wisden Cricketer's Almanack Editor Lawrence Booth, about the job he loves and why Test Cricket remains the absolute pinnacle.
One's the shortest man in the team, the other's known as "the big man". The big man is one of the most destructive short-form hitters in the world. His partner in crime is arguably a third-choice selection for his provincial Twenty20 side.
As individual cricketers, they couldn't be more different. But together, the ultimate odd couple of BJ Watling and Colin de Grandhomme have once again delivered for the Black Caps as they fought their way back into a dominant position against England in the first test at Mount Maunganui.
Just how dominant will be determined tomorrow – the Black Caps will likely bat on as long as possible, building a substantial lead before trying to roll England in the later stages of the test. But, having started the day trailing by 209 runs with only six wickets remaining, the Black Caps now lead by 41 runs, and still have four wickets remaining.
Watling produced the first test century at Bay Oval as he finished the day unbeaten on 119, and he had the perfect foil in de Grandhomme, whose 65 was pivotal in moving the hosts from a position of uncertainty, into one of dominance.
The pair added 119 for the sixth wicket, and with contributions from Henry Nicholls (41) and Mitchell Santner (31 not out), the Black Caps frustrated an English bowling attack who offered little on a docile pitch. That factor means a draw still looms as the probable result, unless the New Zealand seamers can produce something that Jofra Archer, Sam Curran and Stuart Broad could not.
They'd do well to emulate the fighting qualities personified by Watling, who produced his eighth test century, and second on the trot. It was typical Watling – there weren't many shots you'll be remembering for their beauty, but his technique was sound, application flawless, and temperament as cool as ever.
He offered one chance, on 31 – Ben Stokes dropping a regulation catch at first slip off Joe Root – and was on the right side of two lbw reviews from the bowling of Archer, but mostly, the fielders' relationship with the ball when Watling was batting was simply to turn around and chase as it zipped along the Bay Oval outfield.
De Grandhomme was similarly – and much more surprisingly – circumspect. The usually aggressive all-rounder took 14 deliveries to get off the mark, and after some early inside edges as he struggled for timing against Curran, the man with the "see ball, hit ball" philosophy did just that.
A man for home conditions, de Grandhomme swatted Archer for six over square leg, but largely kept things along the ground, content to drive through the covers and accumulate singles when on offer.
The pair were so effective at accumulation that nearly 90 minutes went by in the second session before England bowled a maiden – a stark contrast to the first hour, where it took 41 minutes for a boundary, and just 26 runs were produced.
That was Watling as his blocking best, while Nicholls made a handy contribution before being trapped lbw by Root. 80 runs came from 32 overs in the first session, but having resumed seriously in arrears, it was all valuable stuff, even more so when Watling and de Grandhomme were unbroken in the second session, adding 92.
BJ Watling and Colin de Grandhomme celebrate their partnership. Photo / Photosport
Their resistance ended the first ball after tea – de Grandhomme cutting Stokes to point, where Dom Sibley got down low to take a superb one-handed snare inches from the ground – but Santner ducked, weaved and fended his way to 31 scratchy but important runs, somehow surviving 103 balls to reach stumps, as the Black Caps hit the front.
After the first four partnerships failed to surpass 54, the Black Caps middle order put together stands of 70, 116 and an unbroken 78, and the common thread was Watling, who earned his just rewards when he scampered a single to short midwicket to bring up his century off 251 balls.
A standing ovation awaited him, and a rare running fist pump showed just how much it meant, not only to W...
Martin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Martin Devlin has a chat to NZME's Rugby experts Nigel Yalden and Gregor Paul, arguing for and against for the next All Blacks coach - between Ian Foster and Scott Robertson.
Martin Devlin talks to former Wallaby hooker Phil Kearns on the back of Dave Rennie's appointment as Wallabies coach and how he feels regarding the appointment.
Martin Devlin went and asked ordinary people on the street what they thought of the latest Warriors Bush Shirt jersey, before giving one away on the show. One very happy winner at the end of this.
A bold call ahead of the search for the next All Blacks coach.
Applicants are devising their plans and pitches to be Steve Hansen's replacement, with an announcement expected before Christmas.
While a lot of people seem to have their thoughts on the matter, former New Zealand Rugby CEO David Moffett believes the players shouldn't have a say.
"They are the employees. Any player that believes that they should be speaking out on the selection of the coach is a little bit out of line."
Sonny Bill Williams is one of the players to have commented on the hunt, saying that a Maori or Pacific Islander should be appointed to the role.
New Zealand Rugby invited 26 Kiwi coaches to apply for the vacant role as All Blacks head coach, asking those invited to bring their team of supporting coaches into the process with them.
NZR chairperson Brett Impey said NZR wrote to a number of coaches directly asking them to apply for roles with the national team, with a five-person panel to ultimately make the selection.
Alongside Impey on the panel will be former All Blacks coach Sir Graham Henry, NZR Chief Executive Mark Robinson, NZR Head of High Performance Mike Anthony and former Silver Ferns Coach and High Performance Sport New Zealand director, Waimarama Taumaunu. Outgoing NZR boss Steve Tew elected not to be on the panel.
Kieran Read doesn't look a thing like Jesus, but he talks like a gentleman.
After escaping the often intense All Blacks media bubble, Read has loosened up a little and shown a bit more of his personality, like, for example, discussing his passion for music and his favourite band: The Killers.
He's also revealed several details about his All Blacks career and what's next after he does decide to hang up his boots.
Speaking to Newstalk ZB this week, Read named two former teammates who he says were "intimidating" during his early years.
"Probably not too many internationally actually," he said when asked about the toughest international opponents who may have put the fear of god in him. "Certainly when you come up against Jerome Kaino and Jerry Collins when I first came along, that was someone where I was like 'man this guy is intimidating'. Those two probably [are the toughest]."
The recently retired All Blacks captain is currently promoting his new biography 'Straight 8' and seems to be enjoying the relatively softball questions fired his way during his promotional media tour – at least compared to what he would've experienced at the World Cup.
While he's away from the All Blacks grind and prepares to join Japanese club Toyota Verblitz next year, Read says he hopes to get back into golf and listening to music, which he says is one of the ways he "escapes".
"I enjoy golf but I haven't been able to play it to be honest for the last few years with my injuries … I'm up and down as everyone is. I'm looking forward to getting into that again.
"Also I love music actually. It's probably the thing I escape with.
"Probably [my favourite] band is The Killers. But I love The Beatles. Tom Petty I absolutely love as well."
And what's next for the 34-year-old All Black great after he steps back from professional sport?
"I'm unsure exactly," he said. "But I do enjoy sport. I studied towards that and leadership as well. Wellbeing is what I'm interested in. So not necessarily something in sport but something around leadership would be ideal for me. I'm exploring a few different options in that area."
Regardless of what he does after he retires, Read will be proud to go down as one of the best All Blacks of the modern era – probably something he couldn't have imagined when he was young.
Martin Devlin chats to Black Caps captain Kane Williamson ahead of the test series against England starting on his home patch at the Bay Oval on Thursday.
Martin Devlin has a good long yak to former All Black coach and assistant coach Wayne Smith - about the Rugby World Cup and the selection process around the next All Blacks coach. Enjoy.
Martin Devlin chats to Toronto Star journalist Morgan Campbell about the Multi-million dollar deal to lure Sonny Bill Williams over to play for Toronto Wolfpack in the Super League.
Martin Devlin has a chat to former All Black captain Reuben Thorne, who believes that it is important to consult the current playing group when it comes to selecting the next All Blacks coach.
Martin Devlin chats to new All Whites coach Danny Hay ahead of their first fixtures since he's been coach, against the Republic of Ireland and Lithuania.
Martin Devlin chats to former England skipper and now SKY UK commentator Nasser Hussain ahead of the 5th T20 International. Had loads of great comments which reminds us why we love the game of cricket.
Scott McLaughlin has been relegated to the back of the grid for this afternoon's Sandown 500, after his DJR Team Penske team was fined AU$30,000 for breaching rules at Bathurst.
The rule breach was a result of McLaughlin's engine exceeding "the maximum permitted valve lift prescribed in the car's Engine Specification Document," leaving the Confederation of Australian Motorsport to fine the team, retroactively disqualify McLaughlin from Bathurst qualifying and the shootout, and send him and co-driver Alex Premat to the back of the grid for the Sandown race.
McLaughlin was stripped of his Bathurst pole and lap record, but his Bathurst win - which came after an engine change - remains.
DJR Team Penske apologised for the breach, and provided an explanation.
"The engine in question experienced a mechanical problem during practice and qualifying. Following the Top Ten Shootout, we were granted permission by the Head of Motorsport to change the engine prior to the race.
"The steward's report confirmed that there was clearly no intent from our team to circumvent the rules and there was no evidence that we benefited from any performance advantage.
"We apologise to Scott, Alex, our partners and our supporters, and we will continue to focus on winning our second consecutive Supercars Championship."
It's the second major penalty that the team incurred at Bathurst, after the $250,000 fine and 300-point team penalty handed down for Fabian Coulthard slowing down under safety car near the end of the race.
Despite starting from the back of the grid this afternoon, McLaughlin only needs to finish the race to lock up a second consecutive Supercars Championship.
Relive New Zealand's batting in the Super over which saw England crowned Cricket World Cup champions in 2019. Both thew best, and worst night of our lives all wrapped in to one.
Martin Devlin has a chat to proud former Tongan international Duane Mann on the back of Tonga's famous victory in Rugby League's Oceania Cup against Australia.
Matt Clinch out of ABC Grandstand in Australia with everything that you need to know about the 2019 Melbourne Cup.
Of all the concepts and details covered in 618 days of meticulous planning for this moment, Rassie Erasmus regarded none as more important for his Springboks than context.
Why are they at the Rugby World Cup? Who are they trying to win it for?
Siya Kolisi, appointed by Erasmus last year as the first black captain in 128 years of Springboks' existence, lifted the Rugby World Cup trophy on Saturday after a 32-12 win over England. He dedicated it to all South Africans. His teammates hugged and danced behind him on a podium in Japan. A nation celebrated a long distance away, differences put aside — at least in the moment.
Erasmus ensured there was no pressure on Kolisi or any of the Springboks, by helping them realize that pressure is relative.
“Rugby shouldn’t be something that creates pressure on you, it should be something that creates hope”An eloquent response from @Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus on the meaning of pressure for South Africans outside of rugby #RWC2019 pic.twitter.com/pvzLjrK9gZ
— Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) November 2, 2019
"In South Africa (pressure) is not having a job, (or) having a close relative who is murdered," he said. "Rugby should not create pressure, it should create hope. We have a privilege, not a burden."
Hope, Erasmus said, was when the Springboks played well and people supported them and had a "nice brai" — or barbecue — "and no matter what political or religious difference for those 80 minutes, you agree when you usually disagree. That is our privilege, and that was the way we tackled it.
"There are so many good things in South Africa but always in the past, we seem to look at all the bad things. We just decided, 'Listen, let's stand together and work really hard and play well on the field and then from that all the other things will come out later.' And that's what we did."
Kolisi said players from all backgrounds bought into Erasmus' message from the very first meeting. With that in the background, England barely had a chance.
It's a long way from the state South African rugby was in when Erasmus was parachuted in as coach in February last year, down at sixth in the rankings. They'd been beaten 57-0 by the All Blacks and lost to Ireland by a record margin. The Springboks, world champions in 1995 and 2007, were not playing as the Springboks should.
It wasn't an instant success. Erasmus was prepared to quit if his Springboks lost a third straight game following defeats to Argentina and Australia. That game was against the All Blacks in the New Zealand capital.
No Springboks coach should survive such a run, Erasmus told his players, entrusting his future to them. They did what they needed to save his job. That 36-34 win over the All Blacks, their first in New Zealand in nine years, was the start of a resurgence that ultimately led to this triumph.
By Erasmus' admission, the Springboks were too inconsistent in 2018 and finished the year 7-7. But he remained adamant about taking the Boks back to a traditional South African game plan that is driven by the scrum and a strong kicking game.
A 16-16 draw against the All Blacks in Wellington in July was the only game South Africa didn't win on the way to a first Rugby Championship title since 2009, and before they got to Japan for the World Cup — where an opening loss to New Zealand in the group stage was a setback but also a valuable lesson.
"It was my first World Cup as a coach and the first game was a great test ground for us handling pressure," Erasmus said. "We were terrible that week, we were tense and it was a terrible buildup and that taught us how to handle the quarterfinal and the semifinals."
That remains the only game the Boks have lost in 2019, and that makes them the first team to lose a game at a World Cup and still win it. That's a win for resilience.
"We know the Springboks are a symbol of hope and inspiration," veteran prop Tendai Mtawarira said. "To get this win will get people's spirits up and let people know that...
Martin Devlin chats to Black Caps batsman Ross Taylor on the back of an opening loss in the T20 series against England in Christchurch.
Martin Devlin chats to former All Black great Christian Cullen about the All Blacks Rugby World Cup campaign and what its like playing a 3rd place playoff.
Steve Tew has given little away on who the next All Blacks head coach will be, saying only that Kiwis will know "before Christmas".
Speaking to Martin Devlin on the The Devlin Radio Show, Tew, the departing New Zealand Rugby CEO, said that a panel to decide on Steve Hansen's successor will be announced after the World Cup bronze playoff match on Friday.
The All Blacks will face Wales in that clash, after crashing out to England in Saturday's semifinal in Yokohama City.
Tew, who will hand over the reins to Mark Robinson at the end of the year, admitted that no-one wanted to play in the bronze match but said: "it's just one of things you have to do at a World Cup".
"Nothing has changed from the original process, with the semifinal result no need to accelerate the decision, it is important that we focus on that, win or lose this was always the process," Tew said.
The panel will consist of four members who will interview candidates, but the NZR board will make the ultimate decision on who takes over from Hansen.
Tew wouldn't comment on who he thought should be appointed.
"We reach out to all of them, there is a group that self-selects themselves, all high performance coaches know exactly what we are doing," he told Devlin.
Tew wasn't sure whether current Wales and British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland would be able to apply, but insisted it would be "impossible to coach the All Blacks and the Lions in a four-year period.".
"They don't know if he is going to apply, or what he has written into his current contracts," Tew said.
Gatland signed a four-year deal to coach the Chiefs from next season after also agreeing to remain in charge of the Lions for the 2021 tour to South Africa.
Tew was philosophical when asked about the All Blacks' crushing 19-7 defeat to the English, also using the opportunity to heap praise on Hansen and captain Kieran Read.
Both are expected to join Japanese side Toyota Verblitz next season.
"This is sport. The best team won and it wasn't us. I am very proud of this team and how they carry themselves," Tew said.
"They [Hansen and Read] can leave with pride after their time with the All Blacks.
"He [Hansen] cares deeply about the people around him, I think people should take a deep breath and let it go.
"Everyone is hurting. These are not easy days."
The Devlin Radio Show on Newstalk ZB and Radio Sport in a podcast format, the day after the All Blacks were upset in the Rugby World Cup semi-finals against England.
England have won the battle - and may have also won hearts - with their performance during and immediately after the Rugby World Cup semifinal against the All Blacks in Yokohama City.
In what could be one of the lasting images from the tournament, English winger Anthony Watson was photographed consoling a dejected All Blacks midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown on the International Stadium pitch.
Watson and his teammates had just shocked the All Blacks 19-7 to send the back-to-back champions crashing out and ending their campaign in search of a historic three-peat.
In the image, Watson has his hand on Lienert-Brown's shoulder while a bloodied All Blacks flanker Sam Cane is seen on his knees.
Other photos showed England stars being similarly gracious in victory to dejected All Blacks.
Earlier in the week, Watson fired a barb at the All Blacks claiming that he never bought into the All Blacks' "aura".
"I was never too fazed by the whole mystique of the All Blacks. I respect the prolonged success they've had as a team, but the whole aura that surrounds them and the invincible stuff – I never bought into that. They are rugby players and we're rugby players. We work very hard and they work very hard. They are definitely beatable.
"I believe I had that mindset before: that they were beatable. The boys came close to beating them in November."
Watson had earlier warned that England's mental game would be a major point of difference ahead of the final - following their comprehensive quarter-final victory against Australia.
"We will not let the occasion of the game dictate anything to us," he said. "I thought we did that very well last weekend and that was managed by our leaders like Owen [Farrell], Maro [Itoje] and Mako [Vunipola]. Guys like that were on it all week and it will be the same again this week."
"Man, it sucks, and man, are we going to sulk about this."
As the All Blacks limped through the final minutes of their semi-final match against England, Martin Devlin recorded the atmosphere in Yokohama Stadium. The writing was already on the wall, but, as Devlin says, we can't argue with the result.
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Martin Devlin had a chat to Deborah Jones, a kiwi living in Japan with the enviable job of running the group pf 13000 volunteers at this years Rugby World Cup.
Martin Devlin has a chat to former All Black first five and now Spark commentator Steven Donald ahead of this monumental semi final against England in the Rugby World Cup.
Martin Devlin has a chat to former All Black captain Sean Fitzpatrick, about what its like preparing for a World Cup semi-final and how he see's the game playing out.
Martin Devlin chats to former All Blacks number 8 Murray Mexted reflecting on a Rugby masterclass by the All Blacks in their quarterfinal cup win to
Martin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Martin Devlin chats to 3 lucky All Blacks fans - Dom, Maggie and Patrick who were all lucky enough to have been in the ground to watch the boys thump Ireland in their Rugby World Cup game.
Martin Devlin's editorial ahead of the All Blacks big quarterfinal match against Ireland in Tokyo.
Martin Devlin has a chat to Irish Rugby correspondent Peter O'Reilly live out of Japan ahead of their big quarterfinal against the All Blacks in the Rugby World Cup.
Martin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Martin Devlin has a good chat to former French international and now assistant coach of Thames Valley Raphael Ibanez. They chat about his time in New Zealand as well as a bit about this French rugby side as they prepare for a big quarterfinal against Wales in the Rugby World Cup.
All Black quarterfinal moments from 2003 until 2015. Hopefully some more positive ones to add to the montage this weekend.
Martin Devlin chats to former All Black captain Murray Mexted on the back of the weekend's Rugby in the World Cup, with one eye on an All Blacks quarterfinal next weekend and where we are at.
Martin Devlin chats to young kiwi race car driver Peter Vodanovich who was involved in that spectacular crash at Bathurst on Saturday where his car flipped 5 or 6 times.
Martin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Martin Devlin was fortunate to chat to the Brave Blossoms Strength and Conditioning coach, Kiwi Simon Jones just a few hours before there huge Do-or-Die Rugby World Cup match against Scotland.
Martin Devlin talks to Kiwi driver Scott McLaughlin's dad Wayne about following your dreams and his incredible achievement at Bathurst yesterday - posting the fastest ever lap on the circuit.
LISTEN TO THE AUDIO ABOVE
Martin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Martin Devlin chats to David Niethe, a Mental Performance coach who worked with Israel Adesanya a couple of years ago, and assisted in taking his UFC fighting career to a new level.
Martin Devlin chats to Meteorologist and Journalist Jonathan Oh out of Tokyo ahead of Typhoon Hagibis which has disrupted the Rugby World Cup's final round of pool matches.
Martin Devlin chats to Matt Scott out of Talksport in the UK about what Sports Rights are like in the UK and how the customers are affected as a result.
Martin Devlin chats to former All Black captain Murray Mexted ahead of the All Blacks latest game in the Rugby World Cup against Namibia.
Martin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Martin Devlin has a good long yak to former Queensland and Australian Rugby League legend Gorden Tallis ahead of the NRL Grand final tonight between the Roosters and the Raiders.
After a red card has been issued, is the game still worth watching?
Martin Devlin discusses yesterday’s match between England and Argentina and the ongoing referee issues in the Rugby World Cup.
LISTEN TO THE AUDIO ABOVE
Martin Devlin has a chat to Former Wallaby's centre Stirling Mortlock, about the Rugby World Cup thus far and his memories of that intercept in 2003 that knocked us out of the Rugby World Cup.
Martin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Martin Devlin chats to former All Black Tony Brown, who is now the assistant coach of the Japanese Rugby team. Martin chatted to him the day of their historic World Cup victory against Ireland.
Martin Devlin chats to a couple of lucky gentlemen who were in the stadium to watch Japan tip up Ireland in the Rugby World Cup in Shizuoka.
Martin Devlin chats to former Queensland Origin half and now host of Fox Sports NRL 360 Ben Ikin. Reviewed both games in the NRL semi-finals and a look ahead to the final next weekend between the Raiders and the Roosters.
Martin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Martin Devlin chats to former All Black number 8 Murray Mexted on the back of Japan's incredible upset victory over Ireland at the Rugby World Cup.
It’s got to be the greatest upset in rugby history since the last time Japan did it four years ago.
In 2015, they shocked the world, beating South Africa in pool play in England – and last night, they did it again, outlasting the Irish in a gutsy, courageous, totally committed effort in Shizuoka.
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Martin Devlin has a chat to Steven Donald out of Japan. Former All Black, now part of the Spark Sport commentary team about his thoughts on the 1st week of the Rugby World Cup.
Martin Devlin chats to Joel Caine out of the Continuous Call team in Australia on the back of the Raiders v Rabbitohs semi-final last night and Josh Papalii's big hit that didn't get charged.
Martin Devlin has a chat to former All Blacks coach and now assistant coach of the Japan side at this year's Rugby World Cup. Had a good long yak about the World Cup and his thoughts on the standard of refereeing when it comes to the high tackles that have been cited.
Martin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
One week into the World Cup and the major talking point has nothing to do with any of the teams – it’s all about the refereeing.
Martin Devlin discusses high tackles and the need for consistency from referees.
LISTEN TO THE AUDIO ABOVE
Martin Devlin has a chat to former England and Lions player, and now Land Rover Ambassador Lawrence Dallaglio about the Rugby World Cup and how he thinks it may pan out.
Martin Devlin has a chat to a DRS listener out of Japan who went to the All Blacks opening game of the World Cup against South Africa.
Martin Devlin has a chat to 3 different voices out of South Africa. Kobus Wiese, former Springboks lock from 1995, Andy Capostagno out of Supersport and Brenden Nel, freelance Rugby writer out of South Africa providing their thoughts on their sides loss to the All Blacks.
Martin and Thomas 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Martin Devlin chats to former All Black captain Murray Mexted, reviewing last night's impressive All Blacks performance against South Africa.
Martin Devlin had high hopes for Spark Sport’s Rugby World Cup coverage.
But last night’s coverage of the All Blacks’ epic victory over South Africa left him, and many others, disappointed.
Listen to his thoughts on the widely reported streaming issues above.
Martin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Martin Devlin has a good long yak to Sam Warburton, the former Wales and Lions skipper. Chatting about the Rugby World Cup and a look back on his career - given he's just released a book called Open Side.
Martin Devlin chats to Former Lions and England number 8, and now Land Rover ambassador Lawrence Dallaglio ahead of this Rugby World Cup in Japan.
Martin Devlin chats to the Canadian Rugby Coach, Welshmen Kinsley Jones ahead of the Rugby World Cup starting next week. Canada of course are in New Zealand's pool.
Martin Devlin chats to NZME Motorsport Guru Brian Kelly live from the Pukekohe Raceway, right on the back of the Qualifying session where Shane Van Gisbergen qualified in pole for race 23.
Martin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
To the Mountain top we go, as we do to start every show on the DRS - today talking the issue of Concussion in sport.
Martin Devlin chats to Australian Rugby League great Mark Geyer about the Warriors season and how disappointing their season was.
Martin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Were the All Blacks arrogant to purposefully play the last 15 minutes of their 92-7 win over Tonga with only 14 men?
That's the question being asked by Fox Sports Australia after All Blacks coach Steve Hansen admitted that he deliberately forced his men to finish the game with 14 players in the final 15 minutes in order to put more pressure on them.
Clearly mindful not to offend Tonga with his comments, Hansen said Ryan Crotty was scheduled to play only 65 minutes on his return to the top level from a broken thumb and that while he could have contrived to have Aaron Smith play on the wing at the end, he was comfortable with a numerical disadvantage.
"Obviously his [Crotty's] welfare was more important and it was a good opportunity again to put ourselves under a bit of pressure when it comes to how many we have on the park.
"We had to make that choice and the score told us we could make that choice with relatively low risk."
But in their report on the All Blacks' win, Fox Sports asked the question which was on the minds of some after the match - were the All Blacks "Arrogant or just plain smart?"
"The All Blacks did it so easy against Tonga that they deliberately finished the game with 14 men," they wrote, writing that it was the only moment of the match where the hosts weren't ruthless.
"Playing with a freedom against hopelessly outclassed opponents, the world champions flexed their attacking muscles ominously."
Wales Online called the move to play with 14 an "interesting decision", noting that the All Blacks had sent a warning to the rest of the rugby world, while others thought the tactic was a smart one, and similar to what they had produced in 2015.
"The tactic was reminiscent of the last World Cup in England when they practised different scenarios in matches throughout the pool phase to ensure they were ready for the knockout games," wrote Reuters.
As for the All Blacks' performance as a whole, "ominous" was the word on the lips of most of the world's media after the dominant win.
Irish website The 42 said that the All Blacks' "Rugby World Cup dress rehearsal was more like a training session as the defending champions demolished Tonga 92-7 in an ominous warning", while Dylan Jack of the SA Rugby Mag wondered how much was gained by the thrashing.
"It is hard to judge what, aside from a massive confidence boost, the New Zealanders really gained from the match as it is unlikely that they will come up against as porous defences as the Tongans' in Hamilton. In fact, the scoreline was so flattering that the All Blacks took centre Ryan Crotty off in the second half and did not replace him, deliberately playing with 14 men when the game was already won."
Elsewhere, the Telegraph wrote that the All Blacks were "keen to send a message" ahead of the World Cup.
"Saturday's match ticked a lot of boxes for All Blacks coach Steve Hansen in terms of gelling some of their attack and giving Ben Smith confidence at full-back after some lacklustre performances on the wing," they wrote.
"The All Blacks are well aware, however, that they are unlikely to get the same amount of time and space against the Springboks."
Martin Devlin chats to US Tennis Correspondent Graeme Agars on the back of Bianca Andreescu's 1st Grand Slam victory when she beat Serena Williams in straight sets.
Serena Williams has been blocked from setting a tennis record - and Martin Devlin is pleased with the result.
19-year-old Canadian Bianca Andreescu stunned the 23-times Grand Slam champion 6-3, 7-5 to secure her maiden title.
Williams had fought back from 5-1 down in the second set.
If she had won, she would have equalled Margaret Court's record for most Grand Slam singles wins.
Devlin told listeners that he hopes Williams sets her record one day, but, for now, he is pleased that the 'world champion, not a world champion person' has been held back.
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Martin Devlin chats to South African journalist Brenden Nel about the passing of Chester Williams - the winger who took the Rugby world by storm in 1995 as the only black player in the side.
Martin Devlin chats to All Black coach Steve Hansen ahead of the Rugby World Cup - about some of the thoughts and feelings that high performing sides face at a World Cup.
Martin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Martin Devlin chats to former England spinner Graeme Swann, ahead of the 4th test of the Ashes with the series evenly poised at 1 1.
Martin Devlin is known for taking things 'To the Mountaintop', but this week, the focus was on family rather than sport.
In celebration of Father's Day, Martin spoke instead about the joys of fatherhood and offered what advice he has.
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Naomi Osaka looked across the net after ending Coco Gauff's U.S. Open in the third round Saturday night and saw the tears welling in the 15-year-old's eyes.
Osaka also saw a bit of herself in the kid she'd just beaten 6-3, 6-0.
So the tournament's defending champion and No. 1 seed, who is only 21 herself, comforted Gauff with a hug and words of consolation, then encouraged her to address the 23,000 or so folks in the Arthur Ashe Stadium stands who were pulling for the young American. Knowing how tough it is to lose, Osaka told her: "You need to let those people know how you feel."
So Gauff obliged — a rare instance of a match's loser addressing the crowd from the court. And was appreciative of Osaka's gesture.
"She just proved that she's a true athlete. For me, the definition of an athlete is someone who on the court treats you like your worst enemy, but off the court can be your best friend," Gauff said later at her news conference. "I think that's what she did tonight."
It's that sort of maturity off the court, and a wise-beyond-her-years game on it, that has helped Gauff generate all sorts of attention already. She was the youngest woman since 1996 to win two matches at Flushing Meadows, her follow-up to a captivating run to the second week at Wimbledon in July.
In this much-hyped showdown under the lights, Gauff often looked exactly like what she is: an immensely talented player who is still learning her way at tennis' top level.
"We definitely know what we've got to work on," Gauff's father, Corey, said. "She wanted to win the match. It wasn't, 'See how well you can do.'"
Gauff pounded serves at up to 119 mph but also double-faulted seven times.
She overcame a slow start to get within 4-3 in the opening set but also dropped the last eight games.
Don't forget: The U.S. Open was only the second Slam for Gauff, who was ranked No. 313 at the start of Wimbledon and is now No. 140.
Osaka's advantages in age and accomplishments — she is a two-time major champion, including at the Australian Open in January — played a role. So, too, did her on-target power, which resulted in a 24-8 edge in winners.
"For me, this is the most focused I've been since Australia," said Osaka, who's had an up-and-down season since earning that trophy and is wearing a black sleeve on the left knee that's been problematic lately.
Addressing Gauff, she said: "I'm so sorry for playing you (with) this type of mentality."
When it ended, after merely 65 minutes, Gauff began to bawl on the sideline. Osaka approached her and they spoke, briefly, then later cried, too, while addressing Gauff's parents on-court.
"For me, it's crazy to me to see how far she's come in such a little amount of time," said Osaka, who was born in Japan and moved to the U.S. when she was 3.
Both players are based in Florida now and have known each other for a few years. Their fathers are friends.
"She was crying; she won. I was crying. Everybody was crying," Gauff said. "I was like, 'You won the match!'"
Gauff acknowledged feeling some jitters at the outset, and Osaka produced the match's initial seven winners.
It took all of 10 minutes for Osaka to lead 3-0.
When Gauff did claim a game, she did so with a couple of exclamation points in the form of aces at 105 mph, then that one at 119 mph. Osaka slumped her shoulders. The crowd roared. It seemed, fleetingly, that this might be a competitive match.
"Next time I play her," Gauff said, "I'm going to try to come up with a different plan."
Soon enough, Osaka was edging ahead — and then pulling away, showing the same poise and power that carried her to the championship a year ago in a memorably chaotic final against Serena Williams that ended with spectators booing and both women in tears after the 23-time major champion got into a lengthy dispute with the chair umpire.
On this evening, Gauff's body language was getting worse and worse, whether it was a slap of her thigh or raising her racket overhead as if contemplating a spike or t...
Martin Devlin chats rugby to former All Black number 8 Murray Mexted, provider of the Iranz insight as he does every sunday.
Martin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
New Zealand-born rugby player Gareth Anscombe has been ruled out of the Rugby World Cup with ligament damage in his right knee.
Anscombe, who plays for Wales, was hurt in the loss to England in a World Cup warmup game at Twickenham on Monday. No. 8 Taulupe Faletau broke his collarbone at training and will also miss the World Cup in Japan.
The Welsh Rugby Union said today that Anscombe has an anterior cruciate ligament injury. It didn't specify how long it expected Anscombe to be sidelined for but confirmed he was out of contention for the World Cup, which starts next month.
Anscombe was a key player in the Wales team that won the Six Nations title and Grand Slam in March.
He joined Martin Devlin to discuss the injury and his recovery, and whether he wants to play for New Zealand.
LISTEN ABOVE
Martin Devlin chats to All Black selector Grant Fox about the selection process required when picking a 31 man World Cup squad, and what it's like having to call the players who missed out.
Martin Devlin chats to former Kiwi and Warriors hooker Monty Betham about Issac Luke, who appears to have played his last season at the Warriors. Rates him as the best Kiwis hooker we've ever had.
Martin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Martin Devlin chats to Chris Jones, Rugby writer out of the UK on the back of England's impressive performance against Ireland in their last World Cup warm up match.
Martin Devlin chats to former All Black number 8 Murray Mexted about some of what he's seeing at the Mitre 10 Cup level.
Martin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
A day after being rolled for 67 England's batsmen remembered what this test cricket caper is all about, showing a backbone that was nowhere to be found in the first innings of the third Ashes test in Leeds.
The home side learnt from its day two horror show, putting up a determined display with the bat that has kept the faintest hopes of what would be its most remarkable test victory alive.
Needing 359 to win, England went to stumps at 156-3, crushing the dreams of Australian supporters who had turned up to Headingley on day three expecting to witness Tim Paine's men hold the urn aloft on English soil for the first time in 18 years.
But the champagne is still on ice after a dogged performance, led by under-fire captain Joe Root and, one of many scrapping for their test futures, Joe Denly.
After bowling Australia out for 246 – held up by Marnus Labuschagne's excellent 80, his third half century in a row since replacing Steve Smith in the side – the challenge in front of England was a daunting one. It has already exceeded many people's expectations by dragging the match into a fourth day – after all, who would have thought the Poms would still be standing after 72 overs in its second innings, having lasted just 27.5 overs in its first?
You would have been even braver to suggest England would be just three wickets down at the close after it slumped to 15-2 shortly after lunch. Rory Burns (7) edged Josh Hazlewood to the safe hands of David Warner at first slip, giving the Aussie opener his fifth catch in that position for the match, and Jason Roy's series from hell continued as he failed to make it to double figures for the fifth time in six attempts.
He got himself horribly tangled up trying to defend a Pat Cummins peach that angled in, seamed away and rocked his off stump on eight.
But Root and Denly were intent on restoring some of the pride that was washed away by England's worst batting performance in an Ashes test since 1948 and set about defying the Aussie bowlers. Root was back to somewhere near his best, hardly offering a chance as he scored predominantly off the back foot and defended or left anything in a dangerous area alone to finish the day unbeaten on 75.
Denly has reached double figures in each dig this series without getting past 30 but finally made a meaningful contribution despite some early jitters. He was cracked on the helmet by Cummins and played and missed several times when attempting loose cover drives that on another day may well have grazed his outside edge.
But the 33-year-old rode his luck and showed plenty of grit – as well as oodles of class when punching down the ground or pulling to the mid-wicket boundary – before the short ball brought him undone on 50.
His and Root's 126-run, third-wicket partnership was broken when Denly gloved a Hazlewood bouncer to Tim Paine, giving Australia the breakthrough it had been desperately searching for all afternoon.
The wicket was the result of sustained pressure from Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon up the other end. They strangled the English batsmen will perfect line and length bowling, conceding just a handful of runs in 10 overs before Denly fell.
Ben Stokes came in and was a different man to the one who was out slashing irresponsibly in the first innings, playing with a straight bat and defending almost everything that came down as he clawed his way to two from 50 balls.
England can pat itself on the bat for surviving the day and will enter day four needing 203 more runs for victory. It's a highly unlikely proposition – Australia is still the heavy favourite to win – and if the hosts want to square the series up at 1-1 they will have to make history.
Their highest ever fourth-innings run chase in England is the 315-4 they pulled off against the Aussies on this very ground back in 2001 when Mark Butcher scored a heroic 173 not out, while England's highest ever successful run chase in tests is its 322-7, also against Australia, in 1928.
The odds still point t...
A sorry montage of the Warriors 2019 season montage of excuses, under the music bed of "They shoot horses don't they" by Racing Cars.
Martin Devlin has a chat to NZME's 4 Rugby Experts about who are names on their 31 man World Cup squad for the All Blacks. In no particular order, have a listen to Nigel Yalden, Brian Ashby, Pat McKendry and Gregor Paul.
Martin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Martin Devlin has a good long cricket chat to former England batsman Ian Bell. Bell was part of the Ashes winning squad of 2005 so knows what its like to be in an Ashes winning side while he's also faced Jofra Archer so knows how to deal with raw pace.
Martin Devlin chats to the man known as the voice of Darts, Russ Bray who is down in New Zealand for the Hamilton Darts Masters. It's a good long yak about how he got into Darts, and what he loves about life as a Professional Darts referee.
Martin Devlin chats to former All Black captain Murray Mexted post the All Blacks Wallabies game at Eden Park on Saturday night. Mexted was full of praise for the All Blacks and the way they handled the pressure.
Martin Devlin chats to All Blacks superstar Beauden Barrett on the back of an impressive team performance in the 2nd Bledisloe Cup game at Eden Park.
Martin Devlin chats to former Wallaby great Simon Poidevin about Bledisloe 2 at Eden Park on Saturday night.
Martin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Martin Devlin chats to All Blacks coach Steve Hansen prior to the Bledisloe Cup game at Eden Park about the pressure that the side may be feeling ahead of this game.
Martin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Martin Devlin is Positive with Matt Gunn, as he is every sunday with "Let's be Positive"
Martin Devlin chats to former All Black number 8 Murray Mexted on the back of the All Blacks heavy loss to the Wallabies in Perth.
Martin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Martin Devlin's musical interlude to finish, 11th August. All Blacks, I'll always love you.
The pressure has been put on the All Blacks for both the Bledisloe Cup and the Rugby World Cup.
The All Blacks have lost 47-26 to the Wallabies in Perth, with lock Scott Barrett red carded just before halftime for dangerous contact with the head of skipper Michael Hooper.
The 47 points is the most Australia has scored against the All Blacks, and the most they've ever conceded in a test match.
Rugby commentator Tony Johnson says that the team has to play a whole lot better next week if they want to avoid another record.
"They haven't lost to Australia at Eden Park since 1986, they haven't lost a test there since 1994, but that's not going to win the test match for them."
He told Martin Devlin that the All Blacks are not in the same shape that they were in four years ago at the last World Cuo. He says that the All Blacks are feeling the absence of the great players that moved on after that tournament.
Johnson says that the loss against Wallabies is a real setback in an attempt to prove that the gap between countries has not closed.
"It really puts the blowtorch on these guys, as they said all along that the Bledisloe Cup is the second priority behind the Rugby World Cup."
Martin Devlin has a good long chat to former Australian lock Justin Harrison about the Bledisloe Cup rivalry and tonight's game in particular.
Martin Devlin has a chat to Wayne McLaughlin, the dad of Kiwi Supercars driver Scott about how much influence he had on Scott's career from a young age, and a general discussion around parents and how much influence they should have on their child's sporting endeavours.
Martin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Martin Devlin chats to former All Black number 8 Murray Mexted about his memories of former All Black great Sir Brian Lochore who passed away overnight.
Martin and Thomas dissect 5 seperate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Todd Carney had the NRL world at his feet but had to watch it all go down the drain due to a social media post of his infamous ‘bubbler’ incident at Northies in Cronulla.
At the time someone posted the footage of Carney appearing to urinate in his own mouth on Instagram, and that was the end of his both stellar and incident-filled NRL career.
Now Carney has written a new book chronicling his career and his downhill spiral.
He told Martin Devlin that he normally doesn't look back on his experiences, but now felt like the right time.
Carney says that he looks back on the early years of his career and sees a "young brat" who resorted to his age as a defence.
"Everyone around me said 'you're a young kid, you'll grow out of it'. That was my coping mechanism. And then I guess down the track, it became stupid things."
Kieran Read will get better by the World Cup.
That's the assurance from All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster, who made a surprising claim that the under-pressure captain is still on the comeback trail from his back operation in late 2017.
Read will lead the All Blacks into Saturday night's test against Australia in Perth in a loose forward combination under constant scrutiny.
There are strong suggestions Read will be shunted to No. 6, with Ardie Savea taking his long-held spot at No. 8.
But if so, there are no indications as to whether this would be regarded as the top World Cup combination, with the All Blacks set to take their selection and tactical subterfuge into the tournament itself.
But Foster suggested Read is still to hit his physical peak.
"In the last three months we've seen a big rise in the quality of his game," Foster told Martin Devlin.
"I've got no doubt he'll get better before the World Cup. Going way back to when he had the operation, we learnt that it would take 18 months to get back to the level he was….to get that full acceleration and power back.
"We're reasonably happy. At the end of the day he was pretty solid through the tail end of the Super season.
"Like the rest of the Crusaders, he had four days preparation before playing South Africa, which is not the ideal thing to do.
"He's okay and building nicely."
Foster hinted the All Blacks would continue to hone their tactics right up to the World Cup quarter final in Japan.
"Our mind set is we've still got four weeks over there when we can grow our game…keep refining what we're doing," he said
"It's not like you want to go there and show everything on the table. The key is to peak at the right time."
Martin Devlin has a good, elongated chat to Silver Ferns winning coach Noeline Taurua on the back of the Silver Ferns success in the Netball World Cup. Talking everything from the negotiations to get her in the job in the 1st place and what she focused on in order to make this side competitive.
Martin Devlin chats to former Warriors standoff Tony Kemp about the Warriors woeful performance over the weekend against the Canberra Raiders.
Martin and Thomas dissect 5 seperate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Martin Devlin chats to SKY Rugby commentator Tony Johnson reviewing the drawn test between the All Blacks and South Africa.
Martin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Martin Devlin chats to Aaron Smith, All Blacks halfback about the team's performance last night against South Africa.
Warriors coach Stephen Kearney has reached the end of his tether.
He blasted the one-sided refereeing performance in Saturday's 24-22 loss to the Eels, and also slammed the NRL's new rule around stripping the ball, saying it should "piss off" out of the game if it can't be interpreted properly.
Kearney had every right to feel aggrieved, in what seemed a bizarre performance from the whistlers.
The Warriors have suffered some tough calls this season – notably against the Storm in Melbourne – but this was the nadir.
According to the referees, the Eels played the perfect game, as they weren't penalised once between the 10th minute and the 80th minute, while receiving nine straight penalties themselves.
They were also several calls that favoured the home side in the crucial final 10 minutes.
"If you have watched me over the last two and a half years I don't care too much for blaming," said Kearney. "You just sound like a whinging coach. [But] the penalty coach was 9-1 with 30 seconds to go. It makes your job really hard."
"I thought it was very ordinary. We could have been better in certain areas – I won't hide from the fact that we need to be better – but our roles were made really hard."
Among many things, Kearney was particularly frustrated by several decisions around stripping the ball; Chanel Harris-Tavita was penalised midway through the second half when he appeared to be the only one in the tackle, while towards the end of the match the Eels dislodged the ball from Gerard Beale with multiple tacklers, but the referees ruled it was a knock on.
"If they can't adjudicate on it properly, go back to normal," said Kearney. "Leave it alone. If they can't get right, which today it was pretty comprehensive that they couldn't, just leave it as it was. If you can't rule on it or make a decision, piss it off. Fair dinkum."
The climax of a frustrating afternoon came with the forward pass call in the 77th minute, when some Roger Tuivasa-Sheck magic had set Beale up for what would have probably been the match winning try.
"Last week there were two forward passes [by the Sharks] and they were tries," said Kearney. "I'm thinking it's line ball, on the back of a 9-2 penalty count, [but] they jump all over Roger's play. Obviously you can tell I am pretty frustrated with it all. You saw it all yourselves.
"We had enough opportunities to get a result. [But] it was made hard, there was no doubt about it."
Martin Devlin chats to Sam Cane, All Black flanker who isn't in the matchday 23 this week about tonights game against South Africa and how he's recovered from his neck injury.
Martin and Thomas disect 5 seperete sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Martin Devlin chats to former All Black captain Graham Mourie, who famously was one of the two players who ruled himself out of the 1981 Springbok Tour, and his memories of that time.
Martin Devlin chatted to victorious Silver Fern Shannon Saunders, on the back of winning the Netball World Cup and the knowledge they'll receive a winners bonus.
Martin Devlin chats to Radio Sport Rugby commentator Nigel Yalden who was in Buenos Aires calling the first All Blacks test of the year.
Martin Devlin chats to European Golf correspondent Mark Tompkins out of Northern Ireland where the latest Open Championship is taking place. Tompkins looks ahead to the final round and who could stop Shane Lowry.
Martin and Thomas dissect 5 separate sporting topics, 60 seconds on each. When the buzzer goes, so do they on to the next one.
Steve Hansen has his thoughts below, but All Black legend Murray Mexted tells Martin Devlin above what he makes of the first test match of the year
It wasn't pretty, but the All Blacks got the win against Argentina in Buenos Aires. Now, it's time to move ahead.
Missing a host of their usual starters, there were questions over how the New Zealand side would front against an Argentinean team in which 20 of 23 played alongside each other for the Jaguares. Those questions were answered with a far from perfect, but victorious performance.
The All Blacks were missing all of their Crusaders players, apart from debutants Sevu Reece, who started on the right wing, and replacement back Braydon Ennor, and that lack of quality and experience showed in the second half as the visitors were held scoreless.
But All Blacks coach Steve Hansen found many positives from the match, including the tense test-match experience gained by the rookies.
"When you take all the leadership we've taken out with all the Crusaders not here...to have the opportunity for this group to go through with what they went through today is like winning the Lotto," said Hansen."Our accuracy and combinations weren't there but they stayed in the moment and trusted themselves. We left four or five (tries) out there. We've learnt a lot about a lot of people this week...both new and old."
Hansen said the All Blacks got "exactly what they expected" in the 20-16 win.
"You can't just snap your fingers and get the end result just like that," Hansen said. "It takes time and timing and time together. It's the same with defence, we tweaked a few things there and once you go past that, what you want from them is them to be able to show you that they can get out there in the heat of the battle and do that job that you ask them to do."
First-half tries to Ngani Laumape and Brodie Retallick, along with a flawless kicking performance from Beauden Barrett gave the All Blacks a 20-6 lead at half time, but the side was held scoreless in the second period as their attack staggered.
The All Blacks were loose at times with their handling and concession of silly penalties, and it almost cost them at the end as the Pumas had the ball inside the All Blacks' 22 when the final hooter sounded, but were not able to capitalise.
It was arguably the best chance the Pumas had ever had to score an upset over the All Blacks, but instead remain without a win over the Kiwi side in their 29-match history.
"You leave eight or nine of your top line players out, your second group comes together and plays for the first time in 4, 5, maybe 6 weeks, had a couple of weeks to try get ready for the test match – so at times we were a bit rusty," Hansen said. "But we did a lot of good things and I thought one of the greatest things we did was at the end with all the young fellas on, we showed a lot of mental fortitude so I was really pleased with that."
The side now turns their attention to a date with South Africa in Wellington next weekend, which could see the coaches play the strategy game in their team selection, with the two meeting in the opening game of the rugby World Cup later this year.
South Africa started their Rugby Championship campaign with a dominant 35-17 win against Australia in Johannesburg.
The Silver Ferns will meet a familiar rival on the biggest stage in netball in the early hours of Monday morning, as they take on the Australian Diamonds in the World Cup final. Here's all you need to know ahead of the match.
Netball World Cup Grand Final:
Silver Ferns v Australian Diamonds 3:45am NZT
How to watch:
The Herald will be live blogging the grand final from 3:30am followed by all the post-match coverage. Sky TV will be broadcasting the World Cup final live on Sky Sport 3 from 3.20am while the match will also be screened live on Prime.
Head-to-head:
This year is the sixth successive time that New Zealand and Australia will play in the Netball World Cup final.
Australia are coming off three back-to-back titles and will be eager to make it four after missing out on Commonwealth Games gold in the Gold Coast last April.
The Silver Ferns have won 51 of the total 147 matches played against Australia, giving them a 35 per cent win rate historically.
However, on the sharp end of what's been a year-long rebuild for the Ferns, their chances stand strong.
Silver FernsShooters: Maria Folau, Te Paea Selby-Rickit, Ameliaranne Ekenasio and Bailey Mes.Midcourters: Laura Langman, Gina Crampton, Karin Burger and Shannon Saunders.Defenders: Jane Watson, Katrina Rore, Casey Kopua and Phoenix Karaka.
Head coach: Noeline Taurua
Noeline Taurua coach of New Zealand. Photo / Getty
Australian Diamonds
Shooters:
Caitlin Basset, Steph Wood, Caitlin Thwaites and Gretel Tippett.
Midcourters:
Liz Watson, Jamie-Lee Price, Paige Hadley and Kelsey Browne.
Defenders:
Jo Weston, Courtney Bruce, April Brandley and Sarah Klau.
Head coach: Lisa Alexander
Journey to the grand final:
The Silver Ferns dominated their opening pool games of the Netball World Cup with big wins over Malawi, Barbados, Singapore, Zimbabwe and Northern Ireland.
Their first defeat came against Australia (49-50) on Thursday night before progressing into the semi-finals as the second-ranked team from group F.
Australia went on to play second-ranked group E team, South Africa, while the Silver ferns faced off against top-ranked the England Roses.
Claiming a do-or-die 47-45 win over England on Sunday morning NZT secured the Ferns a spot in the final against Australia.
Can the Silver Ferns actually win the World Cup?
If the Ferns play with the same style, pace and tenacity as they did against England, yes they certainly have a good chance of lifting the trophy.
The Ferns' one-goal loss to the Diamonds in pool play on Thursday night should give them plenty of confidence too that they can foot it with the Aussies.
Taurua will be more prepared in terms of knowing when and where to make positional changes with the side's combinations now well and truly settled.
Australia rested star players including captain Caitlin Bassett for their 55-53 win over South Africa in the semis which could be seen as a tactical move having earned the 'easier' route to the grand final.
However, the thrilling win over England would have boosted the Ferns' confidence and should see them fired up ready to take out the World Cup.
Jenny-May Clarkson, Former Silver Fern joined the show from Liverpool where she is calling the Netball World Cup semi finals. She believes we have a chance against England given our performance in the final two quarters against Australia a couple of days previously.
Darren Gough, former England fast bowler and now Talksport host out of the UK having a good long yak, mainly about the cricket but a bit about football and how he got into the radio game.
New Zealand golfer Ryan Fox had a brief chat after making the cut in the Open Championship in Northern Ireland. Made an interesting comment about how once he started thinking about whether he might miss the cut, he couldn't get that little voice out of his head and his play suffered as a result.
Martin Devlin chats to Ian Smith, former Black Cap and now Cricket World Cup Commentator about that World Cup final and the range of emotions he had calling it.
Jim Kayes, filling in for Martin Devlin had a chat to Grant Fox, All Black selector about the pressure of World Cup finals and what the Black Caps need to do to handle the occasion.
The DRS spoke to 5 lucky kiwis who are off to the final at Lords on Sunday evening NZ time. Life doesn't get any better gentlemen, enjoy it.