– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Mate against mate, state against state – but exported. Why Auckland will host Australian rugby league’s premier event next year.

After months of speculation, the government has confirmed a State of Origin match will make its way across the ditch to Eden Park in 2027.

Tāmaki Makaurau will be considered neutral ground in 2027 as the Maroons take on the Blues at Eden Park for what is widely acknowledged to be rugby league’s most exciting fixture.

Today on The Detail, NZ Herald journalist and host of The Big League podcast, Nathan Limm talks about the motivation behind the NRL’s move to host an Australian regional game in another country.

“There’s obviously a little bit of ‘why is New Zealand getting it?’ [coming from Australians], which is actually similar to the kind of response that it had on this side of the Tasman as well.”

But he says despite all the commentary, the announcement shouldn’t come as a surprise.

“The NRL has made it clear for a number of years that they want to expand the game.”

The match is expected to be a sellout, with officials estimating that the event will inject $17.4 million into the economy. It was announced by the Prime Minister, who said the government had reached into its major events fund to secure the match. That amount is thought to range between $2.5 million and $5m.

New Zealand fans have long been engaged in the State of Origin, but kiwis have more of a reason to cheer their side on with the recent change in eligibility rules.

“We should have more kiwis, more New Zealand players, who have that affiliation with New South Wales or Queensland playing in State of Origin,” says Limm.

Previously players could be ruled out if they used their New Zealand connections to play at an international level for the Kiwis, but that’s been changed, so our players with childhood links to either of the states can play.

For example former national rep Addin Fonua-Blake, who has played for New Zealand and Tonga, is now eligible for New South Wales as well.

The NRL is also making concentrated efforts to grow the game internationally, and is staging part of the first round of this year’s NRL in Las Vegas.

Limm also talks on the podcast about those moves to expand the game, with new teams entering the NRL from Perth (from next year) and Papua New Guinea (2028), as well as the prospect of a South Island team signing up.

Part of the decision to come to Auckland was fed by support for the Warriors, the only team in the NRL currently to have an entire nation behind it.

And the podcast asks the age-old Warriors question – “is it our year?”

Well … maybe.

Coach Andrew Webster “has been able to completely… overhaul and reset the culture of the team, which is ultimately where it all starts, and that has impacted their on-field performances,” says Limm.

Despite the Warriors and rugby league as a sport becoming more popular in New Zealand, there is still one team they can’t compete with.

“There’s one thing that rugby has that no other sport in New Zealand will ever quite get, and that’s the All Blacks and the pull that the All Blacks hold.

“Regardless of what’s going on in domestic rugby or super rugby, when the All Blacks play, we as a nation get around them and really identify with that team,” says Limm.

Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Anisha Satya for Country Life

Follow Country Life on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart or wherever you get your podcasts.

It’s what’s underneath that matters at the Underground Festival.

The soil, how we treat it, and who it feeds were key focuses at the two-day educational retreat, held in the middle of a vineyard in Waipara.

Fran Bailey is the mind behind New Zealand’s “festival for farmers,” which draws heavy inspiration from her time at the Groundswell Festival in England.

“It’s a regenerative agriculture festival [run] over two days on a no-till arable farm. And, yeah, they get about 8000 farmers there.”

Regenerative agriculture – building resilient farm systems by doing things like restoring nutrient-depleted soil – has gained ground amongst Kiwi farmers in recent years.

So why not bring the Groundswell Festival to New Zealand, too?

Bailey was raised on a Tokoroa dairy farm until the age of six.

“I didn’t have anything to do with farming after that, when mum and dad sold the farm in the late ’80s.”

But she found her way back to farming while working in the UK.

“I ended up working at a regenerative farming podcast, and went to a regenerative farming conference,” she says.

“These farmers stood up and went ‘I’m an environmentalist too!’, and they were so passionate about biodiversity.”

The conference lit a fire under her to share environment-conscious farming stories, which she felt were underrepresented in media.

“I just thought, ‘farmers care about the land, and not enough people know about this’.

“I sort of put a stake in the ground to help tell their stories.”

Bailey spent three years managing public relations for Groundswell, before coming back to New Zealand and trying the concept out locally.

The Underground Festival 2026 is the first official event, and saw hundreds of people make their way to Greystone Wines’ vineyard over the two days.

“The farmers here, they vary from 500 hectare-plus sheep and beef stations, down to small market gardeners.

“We’re all coming together around an interest in soil health, and fertility, and how we can improve our soils to therefore improve the health of our plants.”

Given the success of this year’s event, Bailey’s mind has already turned to next year.

“Farmers are the salt of the earth; they are wonderful people, very practical, and I just want to help them tell their stories, connect, and keep making good progress.”

Learn more:

• Find out more about the Underground Festival here

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

From the highlands of Scotland to the hills surrounding Gore in Southland, Mary McRae’s legacy of distilling lives on at the Hokonui Moonshine Museum and Distillery.

Arriving on New Zealand shores in the 1870s, along with her seven children, the widowed McRae brought with her a beautiful little petite whisky still which had been passed down to her.

And so, trained in the art of distilling by her mother and grandmother before her, the healer and midwife brought the tradition of Highland Scottish whisky making to rural Southland.

“She also continued in the tradition of not paying excise on the sale of any of that product,” explained the museum’s curator Jim Geddes, adding that the McRae family refused to pay excise tax in Scotland on moral and political grounds.

Making the spirit was part of their culture, they believed, and used for medicinal purposes and family celebrations.

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The McRae’s whisky, distilled in the rugged Hokonui hills was considered a “very high-quality spirit”, Geddes told Country Life on a tour of the museum.

Hers was in “stark contrast to the adulterated spirit” that importers were sending to Southland – this was the “real deal”.

Townsfolk had grown tired of the poor behaviour stemming from local imbibers, who Geddes described as “hard-working” and “hard-drinking”.

But the McCraes had a more measured approach.

“The McCraes had always had a policy of not putting their product into a home where it would do any harm. So they pretty much minded their own business and they were able to do that in the shadow of the Hokonui Hills.”

But like other whisky makers and producers of “moonshine” – a lesser quality spirit – the McRaes would be caught up in the temperance movement which swept through much of the region and eventually saw Gore become a ‘dry’ district where the sale of alcohol was prohibited.

“From the 1st of July 1903, the Mataura licensing district was dry and it stayed dry for 51 years.”

Despite the closure of the 15 hotels in the licensing district, demand for alcohol remained high, giving way to a number of illicit moonshine-makers capitalising on the now lucrative tradition of distilling.

The booming trade also gave rise to police and customs officials determined to put a stop to it.

“Hokonui was always high quality spirit, strongly connected with the McRae clan. Hokonui moonshine was something else. It was a grain spirit, straight out of the still and gone.”

The Prohibition era led to over 30 prosecutions, the last of which was in 1957.

In nearly all of them there was a McRae link, Geddes said, and often a tenuous one.

The tradition still lives on today – now legally – with a modern distillery built in 2020 alongside the museum.

“Working with Bill “W.D.” Stuart, the great-grandson of Mary McRae, we were able to source a family recipe,” Geddes said.

With guidance from others in New Zealand’s burgeoning spirit industry – now worth $40 to $50 million in exports, the distillery functions in a non-profit capacity.

“The spirit that we make is from grain which is grown in the area. So we have engaged with families who have been farming here for generations. All the ingredients are local. The recipe is local.”

Learn more:

• Find out more about the Hokonui Moonshine Museum and Distillery in Gore here

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Slumped in the back seat of his Range Rover, a visibly shaken man once referred to as the “Playboy Prince” stares ahead of him as the car leaves Aylsham police station in Norfolk, England.

The photo, taken by Reuters photographer Phil Noble, went viral when it was published late on Thursday.

It shows Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the younger brother of King Charles, after he was released from police custody following a day of questioning over allegations he sent confidential government documents to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

When news that Mountbatten-Windsor had been arrested broke early on Thursday, Manchester-based Noble began the six-hour drive south to Norfolk.

Journalists knew the former prince had been arrested in Norfolk – the county that is home to the royal Sandringham estate where he resides. Since officers from Thames Valley Police – covering southeast England – were questioning him, there were potentially 20 or more police stations where he could have been held.

Following a tip, Noble headed to the police station in the historic market town of Aylsham.

Not much was going on, Noble said. There were a couple of other members of the media there, including Reuters video journalist Marissa Davison.

Six or seven hours went by. Darkness fell. Still, nothing was happening. It seemed like this was the wrong station – after all, it was well over an hour’s drive from Mountbatten-Windsor’s home.

The team of two Reuters journalists decided to book rooms at a hotel. Noble packed up and started heading down the road towards it.

Minutes later, he got a call from Davison. Mountbatten-Windsor’s cars had arrived.

Noble raced back, just in time to see the two vehicles leaving, at high speed. The front car contained two police officers, so Noble aimed his camera and flash at the car behind.

He took six frames in all – two showed police, two were blank, one was out of focus. But one captured the unprecedented nature of the moment: for the first time in modern history, a senior royal was being treated as a common criminal.

The image was used extensively by media worldwide.

“You can plan and use your experience and know roughly what you need to do, but still everything needs to align,” said Noble. “When you’re doing car shots it’s more luck than judgement.”

He hadn’t looked closely at the former prince’s expression, the photographer added. He was just relieved it was him.

“It was a proper old school news day, a guy being arrested, who can we call, tracking him down,” he said.

Mountbatten-Windsor, the second son of the late Queen Elizabeth, has always denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein, and has previously said he regrets their friendship. The current police investigation, which is not related to any allegation of sexual impropriety, involves the suspicion of committing misconduct in public office, according to a statement released on Thursday by Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright.

The former prince’s office did not respond to a request for comment on Thursday.

He has not spoken publicly since the release of millions of pages of documents by the US government relating to Epstein, who was convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008.

– Reuters

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Parliament’s last order of the week was to debate something the minister in charge of the bill has admitted is not really a priority.

The government has introduced a bill to make English an official language, to ridicule from the opposition, and a fierce defence from Winston Peters.

The legislation would see English be recognised as an official language alongside Te Reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language.

It would not affect the status or use of Te Reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language as official languages.

Just two pages long, the legislation states that English has long been a de facto official language, but not set out in legislation.

The bill is in the name of the Justice Minister, Paul Goldsmith, who was reluctant to sing its praises.

“It’s something that was in the coalition. It wouldn’t be the top priority for us, absolutely not. But it’s something in the coalition and it’s getting done.”

Goldsmith did not speak at the first reading.

Instead, Winston Peters led the speeches on Thursday.

Peters said other jurisdictions such as Canada, Ireland, and Wales had English language legislation of their own, which indicated the “importance” of putting it into legislation.

“This bill won’t solve the push of this virtue signalling narrative completely. But it is the first step towards ensuring logic and common sense prevails when the vast majority of New Zealanders communicate in English, and understand English, in a country that should use English as its primary and official language,” he said.

The New Zealand First leader, who was made to wait nearly an hour and a half to deliver his speech, argued the proliferation of te reo Māori in health and transport services meant people were getting confused.

In other cases, they were being put in danger, claiming first responders did not know where they were going, and boaties were unable to interpret charts.

“With the increase in recent years of te reo to be used in place of English, even when less than five percent of the New Zealand population can read, write, or speak it, it has created situations that encourage misunderstand and confusion for all. And all for the purpose to push a narrative.”

Peters’ speech drifted into a lengthy historical anecdote, with an example of “out of touch bureaucrats” in the Soviet Union building, costing, and installing chandeliers based on weight “for production bonuses, rather than shape and design”, which was leading to ceilings being ripped out.

“And the then-President Khrushchev, upon finding this out, asked this question: For whom is this illuminating? As for whom, are the circumstances we now finding ourselves in with the use of te reo as a means of important communication now, illuminating what?”

Opposition MPs ridicule bill

Opposition MPs questioned the government’s priorities, expressing ridicule, exasperation and concern at the bill.

Beginning his contribution with, “Ngā mihi, great to be here in Aotearoa today,” Labour MP Duncan Webb said only the “wandering mind” of Peters could explain what Russian chandeliers had to do with the English language.

Webb said language was a “moving thing”, with New Zealand English containing words from across the Pacific.

“A silly piece of legislation, that Winston Peters, in his jurassic thinking, wants to put before his sub-sub-sub-section of voters, because they get a little bit anxious because the library in Christchurch is called Tūranga. A big building full of books, with big signs to it, but because it doesn’t say ‘library’ they don’t know it’s the library if they’re New Zealand First voters.”

Webb said when the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, all the laws of England applied, of which an English language law was not one.

“What’s the official language of the United Kingdom? Well, it doesn’t say, it is not set out there in legislation. There is no English Act or United Kingdom Act which sets out English as an official language, but I’m pretty sure they’re comfortable with the fact that it’s an official language of England and the United Kingdom.”

Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said the government “wants us distracted” while the country experienced severe weather events, and unemployment was as high as it had been in a decade.

“They want us divided, and they want regular people exhausted, fighting amongst themselves. Some out there say that this government is stupid. Unfortunately, Madam Speaker, I think that they know exactly what they are doing,” she said.

“The English language is not under threat. We are literally speaking it and debating in it right now. This is a bill which is an answer to a problem that does not exist, a problem which this government is trying to create in the minds of people across this country, in place of the very real problems of the climate crisis, record homelessness, inequality and infrastructural decay.”

Swarbrick said Te Reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language had been “fought for”, while English was “literally beaten” into people.

“In plain English, for all members of this government, this bill is bullshit, and you know it.”

Te Pāti Māori MP Oriini Kaipara delivered her contribution entirely in te reo Māori.

“This bill is a waste of time, and a waste of breath,” she said.

Labour MP Dr Ayesha Verrall spoke of her mother’s upbringing in the Maldives, where she worked hard to learn English, arrived in New Zealand on a Colombo Plan scholarship, and went on to become an English teacher.

“That’s pretty special, kind of ironic, to think that someone who, for whom English wasn’t their first language, gave so much in terms of enjoyment of English and English literature to her students.”

She said she sat in her mother’s classes in the 1990s when politicians were “race baiting”, warning of an ‘Asian invasion’, and using English in a “very powerful and destructive” way.

“When we speak in the English language, we have impact beyond our words. As politicians, we create permission for people to do things outside this House. So that’s what happens when politicians indulge in racism. The English language can be used as a weapon, and that can lead to people having violent acts committed against them,” she said.

Verall then referred to the 1990s politician directly – Peters.

First reading on hold

Peters had promoted his contribution, set to begin at 4pm, on social media.

But an opposition filibuster on the previous bill on the order paper meant his speech did not begin until 5:25pm.

With Parliament needing to break for the week at 6pm, government MPs did their best to hurry the bill along, with ACT’s Simon Court, and National MPs Tom Rutherford and Carl Bates rising for very short contributions to commend the bill to the House.

“It’s simply practical, constructive common sense,” Court said.

National’s Rima Nakhle took issue with Swarbrick’s use of the word “bullshit”, and accused the opposition of theatrics.

“How about we just calm it down a little, and stop the theatrics, and talk about what this is. And it’s OK. We’re only making English official. It’s not the end of the world.”

The House adjourned with two speeches still to go.

With Parliament in recess next week, it meant MPs would have to wait until 3 March for the debate to pick up again.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

White Ferns and Auckland batter Lauren Down has announced her retirement from cricket.

Down debuted for the Hearts in 2011 and went on to play 202 games for her province and 48 for New Zealand.

The Hearts’ third all-time appearance maker, Down also ends her career as the Hearts’ third all-time leading T20 run scorer (1496) and fourth all-time leading List A run scorer (2690), and contributed 41 wickets during her early days as an allrounder.

She was a member of the Auckland side that won the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield five times.

Down made her full White Ferns debut in a one-run ODI win over the West Indies in Lincoln in March 2018.

She opted out of a White Ferns central contract for the 2023-24 season to welcome her first child, before returning to the 2024-25 list and featuring on the 2024 tours of England and India.

Down represented New Zealand for what would be the final time in the 3rd ODI against Australia at the Basin Reserve in December 2024.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

With State of Origin set to debut in Auckland in 2027, Kiwis can now also feature in the iconic series after changes to the eligibility criteria.

The Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) today announced it was amending the Origin selection rules, which paves the way for Australian-born Kiwis to play in the series.

Players were previously required to be eligible to represent Australia or a tier two nation as defined by International Rugby League.

The updated rules remove this restriction, allowing players who who meet the traditional State of Origin criteria and represent tier one nations to be eligible.

The criteria is a player must have been born in New South Wales or Queensland, resided in New South Wales or Queensland prior to their 13th birthday, or their father played State of Origin.

ARLC chairman Peter V’landys AM said the changes were a necessary and logical evolution for the game in 2026.

“Rugby league has changed, the international game has grown, and our rules need to reflect that. If a player is eligible to play State of Origin, it makes no sense to exclude them simply because they’ve represented New Zealand or England at test level.”

He said State of Origin is about where you were from and what state you were eligible for – not which country you represent internationally.

“If you’re eligible, you should be able to play for your state. Over 45 years, State of Origin has developed into something special, and we want the best players playing if they’re eligible. The commission has a responsibility to grow both the international game and State of Origin, and this change strengthens both.”

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Watch above: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown and Tourism Minister Louise Upston announce the deal.

A State of Origin match will be played in Eden Park in Auckland in 2027 following three years of high-level talks with the NRL and the Australian Rugby League Commission.

It is expected that 50,000 fans will pack the stadium for the Queensland versus New South Wales match.

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown said securing State of Origin reflected the city’s strength as a major sporting centre.

“From the outset, Auckland made it clear we wanted to bring State of Origin to our city, and we’ve worked hard to secure it,” he said in a statement.

“We know how to host major events, and we know the value they bring. This match will mean full hotels, busy restaurants and bars, and thousands of visitors experiencing everything our region has to offer.”

Hosting State of Origin is expected to attract more than 10,000 international visitors from Australia, generate nore than 50,000 international visitor nights, and inject an estimated $17.4 million into the Auckland economy.

Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys AM said the historic clash would give New Zealanders the opportunity to experience the intensity of the game’s greatest rivalry.

“Rugby league is the number one sport in Australia and the Pacific, and the growth we have seen in New Zealand over recent years has been nothing short of extraordinary,” V’landys said.

Sir Graham Lowe, the only New Zealander to coach a State of Origin team as a former Queensland coach, said the occasion would be one to remember.

“Kiwis are excited about State of Origin, but there are only a few of them that have had the opportunity to actually watch it live. This will be a fantastic occasion for Auckland,” he said in a statement.

The 2027 fixture is being co-funded in partnership by Auckland Council Events and the New Zealand Government via the Major Events Fund.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

In an historic moment, New Zealand will host its first-ever State of Origin match next year at Eden Park, a major event expected to draw thousands of international visitors and deliver a significant economic boost for Auckland.

The New Zealand Government and Auckland Council have worked in tandem, alongside the Australian Rugby League Commission, to bring the sporting spectacular to Auckland. 

Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston says securing one of Australasia’s biggest sporting events represents a major win for fans, tourism and New Zealand sport.

“I couldn’t be more excited to welcome the Blues and Maroons across the ditch for the very first time,” Louise Upston says.

“This is a milestone moment for rugby league in New Zealand, but it is so much more than a game. 

“Hosting State of Origin is expected to attract over 10,000 of our Aussie neighbours, generate more than 50,000 international visitor nights, and inject an estimated $17.4 million into the economy. 

“With a significant Australian audience, our biggest tourism market, this match will showcase Auckland on an international stage, and put New Zealand on the map as a world-class destination for major events.”

The State of Origin series is one of the fiercest rivalries in global sport, pitting Queensland and New South Wales against each other in a high‑intensity three‑match contest. Next year, for the first time ever, one of the series matches will be played on New Zealand soil.

Hosting events has been made even easier because of changes to planning restrictions at Eden Park announced by the Government today, which will unlock the opportunity for more major events to be hosted at the stadium.

The 2027 fixture is proudly supported by the Government’s Major Events Fund and Auckland Council Events.

Dates and ticket details for the State of Origin fixture will be confirmed by the NRL later in the year.

Attached:

NRL State of Origin fact sheet

MIL OSI

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

It’s fair to say that Tim Percival knows a thing or two about media management and relationships. After all, he had to work for Eddie Jones for a while back when the headline-generating Australian was in charge of England. Currently, the communications lead for the RFU, Percival has put his experiences into a new book, Off The Record & On The Ball.

It’s not just about his experiences, though. Percival sought the help over 30 elite level coaches, including extensive quotes from former Chiefs, Wales and Lions boss Warren Gatland.

The result is a revealing look at the way the media operates within an often variable degree of trust, one that can change with the blow of a whistle or stroke of a keyboard. The book acts effectively as a ‘how to’ guide for both sides of the media/athlete relationship, explaining a lot of the unwritten rules and conventions around an industry that’s often widely misunderstood by the audience that follows it.

One of the main areas of conjecture, especially now that the value of disingenuous empathy as social media currency has never been higher, is around the role of journalists as critics. One of the most notorious instances of that was Gatland’s welcome back to New Zealand as coach of the British & Irish Lions in 2017, where he was greeted with a full page newspaper cartoon depicting him as a clown.

“I don’t think it affected my performance,” Gatland says in the book, with the series against the All Blacks ending in a dramatic drawn third test at Eden Park.

“I was really conscious of the negativity and I’m 100 percent convinced it came from the All Black coaches at the time. It was a deliberate ploy to put pressure on me from day one. It made me determined to do well. It galvanised me and I though, you know, I’m going to work harder here.”

The book also talks about the siege mentality that’s often used by teams to create motivation, against an outside perceived injustice that’s either real or imagined.

Veteran former Premier League manager Harry Redknapp, who was famous for giving off the cuff press conferences leaning out of his car window while leaving training, is liberally quoted in the book. He reveals a level of respect between himself and the media, saying he understands that they “have a job to do”.

“I couldn’t drive past someone at seven o’clock in the morning in January, when it’s freezing cold. It’s not in my nature to go straight past someone without stopping and speaking to them. If I can help them do their job, then what difference does that make to me?”

The overarching theme of Percival’s message is that while there’s no one clear right way for athletes, teams or coaches to operate with the media and vice versa, there are plenty of wrong ones. It’s frustrating that the default option, especially now that not just every comment but also not commenting on certain issues by athletes are dissected by the public, is to simply shun social media entirely.

Gatland makes the sad point that it wasn’t the online criticism of himself, rather that of son Bryn that got to him the most.

“Some of the vitriol on social media, it’s just nasty. It’s disgraceful.”

Perhaps that’s where publications like this can help educate the most, because at least Gatland has a right of reply when conversations are held in press conferences and under a ratified journalistic structure. Comments sections don’t have that and likely never will, so the more the public know about how sports journalism actually works, the healthier the environment will be for everyone.

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

A man will scoot to court today following an alleged robbery in east Auckland yesterday afternoon.

Just after 4pm, Police were notified of an incident in Point England Road where a person had allegedly been assaulted and their scooter taken.

Auckland City East Area Response Manager, Senior Sergeant Tony Ngau Chun, says the victim was able to provide a detailed description of the alleged offender.

“Staff arrived quickly and were able to obtain a statement from the victim where he advised that the scooter was fitted with an AirTag.

“Based off that information Police attended an address in the nearby area and took one person into custody without issue.”

He says the scooter was also recovered from the property and returned to its rightful owner.

“We’re pleased we were able to locate this person and bring them before the Court to be held to account for their actions.”

A 49-year-old man will appear in Auckland District Court today charged with robbery.

ENDS.

Holly McKay/NZ Police

MIL OSI

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Black Ferns legend Kelly Brazier has played her last international game.

After 18 years of playing rugby at the highest level Brazier said she knew it was time for the next chapter of her career.

“I reached a point where both my body and mind started to feel the wear and tear and I wanted to step away while I could still contribute at my best,” Brazier said of the timing of her retirement.

Widely regarded as one of the most versatile playmakers in New Zealand, Brazier made a significant contribution to women’s rugby during an illustrious playing career across XVs and sevens.

With 44 Tests for the Black Ferns, the two-time Rugby World Cup winner became the second woman to play in four World Cups in England last year, completing a return from injury to play her first Test since 2021.

Brazier has also won two Sevens World Cup titles, seven World Series sevens titles, Olympic and Commonwealth gold medals, silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics, bronze at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and silver at the Sevens World Cup that same year.

“Growing up in New Zealand, I was like any other kid with a dream of representing my country and playing at the Olympics. To have done that not just once, but multiple times is something I’m incredibly proud of. It’s truly been an honour and privilege to represent New Zealand and something I’ll always hold close to my heart.

“My journey wasn’t always smooth sailing, but it was during those challenging moments that I learned the most about myself and what I was capable of.”

Off the field, Brazier had been working with New Zealand Rugby (NZR) to help develop her as a coach.

Most recently she was an assistant coach at Global Youth Sevens and with the New Zealand Development Sevens team.

She had also been appointed Chiefs Manawa assistant coach in this year’s Super Rugby Aupiki. Prior to this, she was Brave Louvre Club Assistant Coach in Japan for the Taiyo Seimei Women’s Sevens Series.

“My retirement decision came with exciting opportunities to transition into coaching, something that has always been a passion of mine and it felt like the perfect time to embrace the next challenge and share the knowledge I’ve gained with the next generation of players.”

Black Ferns Sevens head coach Cory Sweeney said it had been “an absolute privilege working alongside her to reach the milestones she has”.

“Kelly is a true professional with world-class habits, a competitive mindset that never breaks and a rugby IQ up with the best in the world.

“When I think of Kelly, training ethic and a heart to match is what stands out. She has not only been world-class on the field but her willingness to support, house and nurture future athletes is also a great attribute of hers. Kelly is a wahine trailblazer, leaving a legacy and pathway for the next generation.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

The All Whites will play England as a part of their final preparations for this year’s FIFA World Cup.

The two sides will meet in Florida on 6 June, five days out from the start of the tournament.

England, who went through World Cup qualifying with a perfect sevens wins in their European group, are currently ranked four in the world and New Zealand 85.

The game will see the All Whites face their highest-ranked opponent in 17 years and they will clash with England for just the third time in history.

New Zealand last faced England in 1991, losing two friendlies in Auckland and Wellington.

“Our strategy over the last year has been to take on top-ranked sides to ensure we are in the best place to perform at the tournament, and this match gives us a final opportunity to really test ourselves against one of the favourites,” All Whites coach Darren Bazeley said.

“England are a great side with big names all over the pitch, but we want our players to face that type of challenge so we can work collectively to find solutions against top teams.

“This match should be a great occasion but also a critical part of our final preparation before we face Iran in Los Angeles at the FIFA World Cup 2026.”

Prior to departing for the World Cup the All Whites will play two home games in March against Finland and Chile as part of the FIFA Series 2026.

At the World Cup, New Zealand play Iran, Egypt and Belgium in group G, while England will face Croatia, Ghana and Panama in Group L.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

The insiders dubbed it ‘Project Underground’.

In February last year, a group of senior cricket figures, private investors and sports marketing experts gathered around the boardroom table within the bunker-like office of the New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association (CPA) underneath Eden Park’s eastern stand.

The group was there to discuss whether a privatised Twenty20 franchise league might have legs in New Zealand.

At the time, the name was more of an in-joke – a self-aware nod to both the location and the speculative nature of the conversation. A blue-sky discussion held beneath the stands.

But in light of what was to follow over the back half of the year as NZ Cricket descended into open conflict and institutional paralysis, Project Underground would come to sound less tongue-in-cheek and more conspiratorial.

The bid by a consortium of high profile cricket figures, pulled together by CPA boss Heath Mills, to launch a T20 competition became a flashpoint in a much wider struggle for control of the sport’s future, culminating in the resignation of NZ Cricket chief executive Scott Weenink days before Christmas.

Last Friday marked the end of Weenink’s reign with the national body, bringing to a close a tenure defined by ongoing tensions with key stakeholders including the players, the six major associations, and eventually, his own board.

In a statement accompanying the announcement of his resignation, Weenink cited fundamental differences with the game’s stakeholders as a driver.

“After careful consideration, it has become clear that I hold a different view from several Member Associations, and the [CPA], on the future priorities for NZC, including the long-term direction of the game and the best role for T20 cricket in New Zealand,” Weenink said.

“I do not wish to create ongoing instability by continuing without the support of some key stakeholders.”

Weenink declined to be interviewed by RNZ about his time with the national body, maintaining his silence throughout the dispute.

It has been a common theme of the saga.

Few of the central players are willing to talk openly on the record about the tensions. Instead, much of the disagreement has played out in the media through leaked documents and correspondence.

Beneath the personality clashes and brinkmanship lies a more consequential argument – one that long predates NZ20 and will outlast Weenink’s departure. At its core was a dispute over how New Zealand cricket should be organised, funded and governed in a rapidly changing global game.

The central question facing the sport remains the same – whether the existing domestic structure can meet those pressures, or whether a privatised T20 league represents a necessary evolution.

The pitch

For years, the conventional wisdom was that New Zealand was simply too small a market to sustain a privately backed T20 franchise competition.

That assumption has been steadily eroded as T20 leagues have sprung up around the cricketing world. Since the Indian Premier League (IPL) launched in 2008, franchise cricket has taken hold in England, Australia, the West Indies, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and South Africa, with newer ventures emerging in the UAE and the United States.

As the franchise game boomed, anxiety crept in back home. New Zealand’s top players and coaches plying their trade in overseas leagues began to worry the country was isolating itself from the rest of the world. Supporters of NZ20 point to a curious anomaly: New Zealand is the only test-playing nation without a franchise T20 league.

“We’ve become an island in international cricket,” says one advocate.

When the consortium began sketching out plans for a competition, they did not chase the scale of the IPL or Australia’s Big Bash League. Instead, they found inspiration in a more unlikely success story – the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

The CPL was built across a scatter of small, cricket-mad islands with limited commercial clout. By doubling down on local colour, a party-style presentation and sprinkling in global stars, the league turned a high-risk idea into one of the most recognisable and resilient properties in world cricket.

Official documents frame the NZ20 in similar terms: a “boutique, city-based cricket festival”, designed to fuse sport with tourism and trade, and to deepen strategic ties between India and New Zealand.

RNZ understands the consortium has briefed several senior government figures about the competition and plans for Indian investment.

Under the proposal, franchises would not align directly with the six major associations. Instead, teams would be based in the main population centres and seasonal tourism hubs, including Mount Maunganui and Queenstown.

However, the major associations – Auckland, Northern Districts, Central Districts, Wellington, Canterbury and Otago – still stand to benefit financially, which has helped secure their support for the concept. It is understood the proceeds from the sale of franchise licences would be directed into a capital fund to be distributed among the associations.

Supporters of the model argue that private ownership would allow the league to operate with a clearer commercial focus than the Super Smash, which has come to be seen as more of a development league. They contend that separating those functions would allow the proposed league to prioritise broadcast appeal, sponsorship and fan engagement.

Don Mackinnon, chair of the NZ20 establishment committee, declined to be interviewed by RNZ while discussions with the national body remain delicate. In previous media appearances, however, he has outlined what he sees as the advantages of keeping the league at arm’s length from New Zealand Cricket and the major associations.

“It’s driven out of private investment and so you get the ability to be very innovative,” Mackinnon told ESPN in November. “You have greater capital to invest in the fan experience – at the ground, on television and online. And if we get this right, we believe we’ll attract the very best New Zealand players back into our domestic competitions.”

By September, the consortium believed it had secured sufficient international and domestic investor interest, including a group of six “high net-worth Kiwis”, to formally present the proposal to the NZC board. Among those rumoured to have expressed interest are Xero founder Rod Drury, and Zuru co-founder Anna Mowbray and her husband, former All Black Ali Williams.

For all the ambition and investor interest, NZC still holds the keys.

To get the league off the ground, the consortium needs the national body to sanction the league and commit to providing a protected four-week window in January free from international commitments.

The proposed scheduling has led to concerns from some within NZC about how a privately run league would fit alongside existing commercial and broadcast agreements, which are built around NZC’s control of the domestic and international calendar.

In hindsight, however, one person briefed on the board presentation believes the main sticking point came during discussions about potential investors. They believe the suggestion that former players such as Stephen Fleming, Daniel Vettori and Brendon McCullum could leverage their overseas connections, particularly in India, to attract investors and possibly take ownership stakes themselves, shifted the mood in the room.

“There was a definite change after that,” the source said. “Suddenly, [that was interpreted as], ‘oh, they’re all on the take’.”

This would become a focal point for public critics of the proposal.

Much of the resistance that followed was shaped by a broader unease about private ownership – specifically, who would stand to benefit, and what control the game in New Zealand might lose in the process.

The letter-writing campaign

The proposal’s arrival at NZC marked the point at which a philosophical debate became a governance crisis.

The organisation was already grappling with its own future by the time the NZ20 consortium approached the NZC board. In parallel with discussions around a private league, NZC had begun examining options to rejuvenate its domestic T20 competition through an external review dubbed ‘Project Bigger Smash’.

The review, led by Deloitte, examined four separate pathways to revitalise T20 cricket, including private ownership and the option of entering a New Zealand team into Australia’s Big Bash League. The latter was widely understood to be Weenink’s preferred path.

In the months that followed, the board effectively attempted to pursue two tracks. It continued work on the Deloitte review, while appointing two directors – Bill Birnie and Anna Campbell – to the NZ20 establishment committee to further develop the consortium’s proposal.

That dual approach, however, soon began to fray.

Competing narratives took hold both inside and outside the organisation. Critics of the proposal portrayed NZ20 as a “rebel” league engineered through a hostile takeover by the players’ association.

Supporters countered that elements within NZC were posturing as open-minded regulators while quietly entrenching opposition behind the scenes.

Internal correspondence illustrates how quickly trust in the boardroom deteriorated.

In an email to fellow directors in October, then-NZC president Lesley Murdoch warned recent decisions had promoted “distrust and disunity”.

“A decision determined by a casting vote suggests to me that more thought should be given to that decision and perhaps be revisited to ensure all the relevant information has been revealed, discussed and understood,” Murdoch wrote, while not directly referencing the specific vote.

She also questioned whether members of the board were acting in self-interest, cautioning that the sport “deserves a board that operates as one team, not a collection of individuals with competing agendas”.

At the same time the Murdoch letter was leaked, another piece of correspondence surfaced in the media – one that hinted at a widening rift between Weenink and his board.

NZ Cricket chairperson Diana Puketapu-Lyndon wrote to the head of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Jay Shah, to reject claims of a rebel league or player coup.

“We are deeply concerned about the origin of any messaging that has the potential to undermine the reputation of cricket and cricket governance in New Zealand,” the letter, which was also signed by the chairs of each of the major associations, stated.

According to one source, the letter reflected concerns from some officials that Weenink was perceived to be actively undermining efforts to establish a private league – a perception that placed him increasingly at odds with the major associations and the Players’ Association.

Weenink’s supporters believed he was simply urging the sport’s leaders to take time to do their due diligence on a decision with long-term consequences for the game.

Pressure from the major associations soon became explicit in correspondence. On 16 October, the chairs and chief executives of the six organisations wrote to the NZC board, stating their relationship with the chief executive had become “irretrievable” and that they had lost “respect, trust and confidence” in Weenink.

The same source said concerns about Weenink’s leadership style and approach had been raised directly with Puketapu-Lyndon earlier in the year, and again by follow-up letter in July – well before the NZ20 concept was formally presented to NZC.

As the dispute escalated, Weenink’s position became increasingly untenable, leading to reports the chief executive was “fighting for survival”. The response was more letter writing.

In early December a group of four NZC life members wrote to the board and directors of the national body, the major associations, the Players’ Association and the NZ20 establishment committee to express their “dismay” at what they described as a campaign to remove the chief executive.

“We urge all those involved to stop ‘playing the man’ and, instead, focus solely on ‘playing the ball’,” the letter said.

By that point, however, the relationship between Weenink and sections of the board had fractured. Weenink was increasingly sidelined from key meetings and decisions, and in December he abruptly went on leave ahead of mediation over his future.

His resignation followed days before Christmas, leaving NZC seeking a new leader amid unresolved questions about the future of the domestic game.

Projecting unity

While the immediate crisis has been defused, New Zealand Cricket is now seeking to steady itself and project a more unified front as it weighs decisions that will shape the game’s future.

Publicly, the message is one of alignment and patience. The NZ20 consortium, which was initially reluctant to engage with the Deloitte-led review, is now participating in the process as the board awaits the full findings before determining the long-term direction of domestic Twenty20 cricket.

In a statement, NZ20 establishment committee chair Don Mackinnon said the group was working closely with NZC “as the next stage of the concept is considered”.

“We have also engaged fully with representatives from Deloitte, who have been appointed to independently assess all options for the future of domestic T20 cricket in New Zealand,” Mackinnon said. “We support this process, and will continue to do so.”

Asked when the review might be completed, NZC referred RNZ to a statement issued in December, saying it was committed to running an “independent and objective process” but was limited in what it could say publicly due to “sensitivities and confidentiality requirements”.

Privately, however, tensions remain close to the surface. A number of figures across the game, including senior staff at the national body, remain loyal to Weenink and are said to be deeply unhappy with the manner of his departure.

There is unease that the mistrust sown during last year’s dispute has not been resolved, but merely contained.

Those concerns have been heightened by the need to repair relationships beyond New Zealand’s borders.

NZC chair Diana Puketapu-Lyndon travelled to India and Dubai last month alongside director Roger Twose and newly installed president Mark Greatbatch, a trip described by one source as a “diplomatic mission” to reassure international stakeholders and potential investors unsettled by the public stoush.

NZC has played down the travel, with public affairs manager Richard Boock describing the visits as “a regular part of NZC’s stakeholder management approach”.

Mackinnon, meanwhile, insists investor interest in NZ20 remains strong and says the consortium continues to be approached by prospective backers.

But one source involved in the proposal says there is growing anxiety around the length of time it is taking to land on a decision. There is currently no broadcast deal in place for New Zealand’s domestic competitions beyond this season, with the new agreement with Sky excluding domestic cricket.

While domestic cricket will likely still be streamed on NZC’s platforms, there are concerns that a sub-standard broadcast product could devalue the competition in the eyes of potential investors and weaken New Zealand Cricket’s negotiating position at a critical moment.

Several figures involved say that urgency sits awkwardly alongside a process that is designed to inform the decision, not make it.

The Deloitte review is expected to stop short of recommending a single preferred model, instead providing a cost-benefit analysis of the available options.

Ultimately, the decision will rest with the board – the same body whose divisions brought the organisation to a standstill just months earlier.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

While the country has been dragged into a devastating war, two Ukranians are ensuring that rugby stays alive in their home, and that young players have a potential path to safety.

Anton Shashero is coach of Ukraine’s national under-16 side, and thanks to a collaboration between some prominent rugby minds in Aotearoa, he and best friend Maksym Dulia have spent the past week in the country learning from some of the best in the business.

Shashero said the invasion has had an horrific impact on players and the sport in Ukraine.

“A lot of players from the senior national team and from the under-18 team have already died. A lot of them are in the war. In almost in every family now in Ukraine, someone have lost someone. It’s huge. It’s huge.”

He said rugby acts as a beacon for young men during dark times, and for Shashero and Dulia, it had a significant impact.

“When we were kids, rugby was everything for us. You can travel, you can have friends, you can share your moments with boys on the field and it’s the values rugby which rugby gave us.”

That path was able to be extended across the other side of the world,

“We knew that we wanted to come to New Zealand and try to learn from the best. So it was our dream.

“When our boys see that we’re here with the All Blacks, it has a huge impact for them, for their families and for everyone in Ukraine, when they see that we here, it’s big moment now for Ukraine.”

Upon arrival, the pair spent time with Sir Graham Henry, the Hurricanes and at the IRANZ institute.

The initiative is part of a broader plan to bring Ukrainian youth boys and girls teams to play in Aotearoa a joint effort between IRANZ, Henry and Brent Impey of Kiwi KARE, a foundation which provides New Zealand aid to Ukraine.

IRANZ general manager Wayne Taylor said it felt like the right thing to do.

“The country has been through a lot of hardship and sport can be something really positive, obviously the timing wasn’t great though with the war but it’s still something we are really keen to do, we are hoping to still get some funding and that it will still happen in the future.”

Impey said that despite everything going on in Ukraine, their passion for sport persists as the five team senior mens rugby competition continues to run.

“Their goal is to reach the 2032 Olympics in sevens, so i thought how can New Zealand help make that happen? We can be a part of reconstruction through sports diplomacy. It represents an opportunity, for New Zealand to be a visionary. “

Infrastructure in Ukraine has been significantly compromised as a result of Russian strikes, forcing Shashero to host junior camps to be held outside of the country.

“We usually do camps outside of Ukraine, in Poland and Georgia and now we go to Portugal for international tournament,” Shashero said.

Shashero and Dulia will take what they have learned home as his young side prepare to take on the best in the Northern Hemisphere.

“We have been given some fundamental things which we implement, now we have to fight to try to become the best team in the Europe. We want to show we can win against the best teams like France, Ireland, England.”

The game has come a long way in Ukraine, as Shashero vividly recalls his first trip to the European champs as a youngster where his team was soundly beaten.

“All we did was trained one week and went there and we couldn’t play well against them.”

Shashero said he has been blown away by the passion for rugby in New Zealand.

“I was at a rugby club and saw a boy maybe one years old, he cannot speak now but he already passing the ball and it’s amazing.”

Having seen some secrets behind competing on the global stage, Shashero also hopes to one day bring a Ukrainian side to Aotearoa.

“I hope that one day one will come in the future. I hope and I believe that if we prepare them for such long period, they can be on the same level with them, especially with New Zealand specialists helping us with this. I hope that it’s going to rise.”

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

While the country has been dragged into a devastating war, two Ukranians are ensuring that rugby stays alive in their home, and that young players have a potential path to safety.

Anton Shashero is coach of Ukraine’s national under-16 side, and thanks to a collaboration between some prominent rugby minds in Aotearoa, he and best friend Maksym Dulia have spent the past week in the country learning from some of the best in the business.

Shashero said the invasion has had an horrific impact on players and the sport in Ukraine.

“A lot of players from the senior national team and from the under-18 team have already died. A lot of them are in the war. In almost in every family now in Ukraine, someone have lost someone. It’s huge. It’s huge.”

He said rugby acts as a beacon for young men during dark times, and for Shashero and Dulia, it had a significant impact.

“When we were kids, rugby was everything for us. You can travel, you can have friends, you can share your moments with boys on the field and it’s the values rugby which rugby gave us.”

That path was able to be extended across the other side of the world,

“We knew that we wanted to come to New Zealand and try to learn from the best. So it was our dream.

“When our boys see that we’re here with the All Blacks, it has a huge impact for them, for their families and for everyone in Ukraine, when they see that we here, it’s big moment now for Ukraine.”

Upon arrival, the pair spent time with Sir Graham Henry, the Hurricanes and at the IRANZ institute.

The initiative is part of a broader plan to bring Ukrainian youth boys and girls teams to play in Aotearoa a joint effort between IRANZ, Henry and Brent Impey of Kiwi KARE, a foundation which provides New Zealand aid to Ukraine.

IRANZ general manager Wayne Taylor said it felt like the right thing to do.

“The country has been through a lot of hardship and sport can be something really positive, obviously the timing wasn’t great though with the war but it’s still something we are really keen to do, we are hoping to still get some funding and that it will still happen in the future.”

Impey said that despite everything going on in Ukraine, their passion for sport persists as the five team senior mens rugby competition continues to run.

“Their goal is to reach the 2032 Olympics in sevens, so i thought how can New Zealand help make that happen? We can be a part of reconstruction through sports diplomacy. It represents an opportunity, for New Zealand to be a visionary. “

Infrastructure in Ukraine has been significantly compromised as a result of Russian strikes, forcing Shashero to host junior camps to be held outside of the country.

“We usually do camps outside of Ukraine, in Poland and Georgia and now we go to Portugal for international tournament,” Shashero said.

Shashero and Dulia will take what they have learned home as his young side prepare to take on the best in the Northern Hemisphere.

“We have been given some fundamental things which we implement, now we have to fight to try to become the best team in the Europe. We want to show we can win against the best teams like France, Ireland, England.”

The game has come a long way in Ukraine, as Shashero vividly recalls his first trip to the European champs as a youngster where his team was soundly beaten.

“All we did was trained one week and went there and we couldn’t play well against them.”

Shashero said he has been blown away by the passion for rugby in New Zealand.

“I was at a rugby club and saw a boy maybe one years old, he cannot speak now but he already passing the ball and it’s amazing.”

Having seen some secrets behind competing on the global stage, Shashero also hopes to one day bring a Ukrainian side to Aotearoa.

“I hope that one day one will come in the future. I hope and I believe that if we prepare them for such long period, they can be on the same level with them, especially with New Zealand specialists helping us with this. I hope that it’s going to rise.”

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Great photos, terrific facilities and enthusiastic crowds don’t necessarily mean Sail GP is a certainty for the city in the future

It’s got the action and suspense of a Hollywood blockbuster, it’s got movie star backing, it’s even got its own song, and the “carnage” in Fremantle has set the scene for SailGP racing in Auckland this weekend.

The pressure is on in more ways than one with the bottom-of-the-table Black Foils battling to get their boat, Amokura, repaired in time and to get points on the board after their big crash at the first event of the year in Western Australia last month.

Even the repair job has been a dramatic race against time, involving high tech work at SailGP’s headquarters in Southampton, England before the parts were flown back to Auckland to be put back together, says Sail-World‘s New Zealand writer Richard Gladwell.

He says the thrill of what he calls the Formula 1 of sailing kicked off in Freemantle in a reminder of the heydays of the America’s Cup in the 1980s.

“There was plenty of action, short sharp seas, these boats have never been sailed in conditions like that before,” he tells The Detail.

Interest has been fuelled by close-up videos posted on social media, being able to tap into the live race talk on the boats as well as the “UmpApp” or Umpire App.

It means that spectators can see what the umpires use to call who is wrong in the incident. In the case of the spectacular Freemantle crash it was the Black Foils.

“It was pretty obvious from the Umpire App that the New Zealand guys were in the wrong,” he says.

Kiwis playing catch up

But the Kiwi team’s chances of a win on Waitematā Harbour are as good as any of the top ranked boats.

“They should be in the top five. They’d be pretty disappointed if they weren’t,” Gladwell says.

Whether the Kiwis can claw their way back to the top by the end of 2026 and the 13 events around the world is another question.

“Instead of coming out of Freemantle with five points, they’ve got negative three.

“They’re going to be playing catchup for the other 12 events in the year.”

There are also big expectations of Auckland with ongoing doubts over its future as a host SailGP venue.

The city became the marquee event last year with its grandstand for 10,000 spectators perched on the edge of the water, and thousands more watching the foiling catamarans hitting speeds of up to 100 kilometres an hour.

“That really set the benchmark for all the other events,” says Gladwell. “The photo of the year was basically shot with the Black Foils heading into this wall of people on the grandstand. It’s spectacular stuff.”

So spectacular that SailGP organisers have played clips of the Auckland event to potential bidders around the world, showing this “massive grandstand with these boats hurtling in towards it literally throwing the spray on the spectators’ feed”.

But that’s no guarantee, with cities around the world clamouring to host the event, recognising its growing popularity to fans and financial backers.

“The problem with Auckland is that they find it very difficult to match the prices that are being offered overseas.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Finn Allen and Tim Seifert posted a T20 World Cup record partnership of 175 as the Black Caps crushed the United Arab Emirates by 10 wickets with almost five overs to spare in Chennai on Tuesday.

Chasing the UAE’s 173-6, Seifert struck an unbeaten 89 and Allen scored 84 not out as they pummelled the UAE bowling to all parts of the ground in an unbroken opening stand.

The opening pair crashed 78 from the first six-over power play and posted their century stand off only 8.3 overs.

Seifert hit one of his three huge sixes to clinch the contest after just 15.2 overs, he also struck 12 fours. Allen had five sixes and five fours.

They beat the previous record for any wicket at a T20 World Cup — an unbroken 170 by England openers Alex Hales and Jos Buttler against India in the semi-final of the 2022 edition at the Adelaide Oval.

“The main thing is that we’re playing how we want to play, especially me and Finn putting pressure on the bowlers in the power play,” said Seifert, who was named player of the match.

“Every game’s going to be a little bit different, every ground’s going to be different.

“So in a World Cup, you’ve just got to be able to adapt to the conditions you’re playing in.”

Seifert said he was unaware the pair had posted a new World Cup record partnership for any wicket.

“No, I didn’t know that,” he said. “I’m not much of a stats guy, but look, we’ll take it.”

The UAE’s 173-6 was largely thanks to their captain Muhammad Waseem’s 66 not out.

Choosing to bat first, Waseem and Alishan Sharafu put on 107 for the second wicket.

It took a sensational piece of New Zealand fielding to break the partnership.

Mark Chapman intercepted a Sharafu slog-sweep a whisker inside the boundary and before he stepped over the ropes relayed the ball to Daryl Mitchell to complete the dismissal.

The 31-year-old Waseem, who was one of only three current UAE players to play in their last appearance in a T20 World Cup in 2022, hit four fours and three sixes in facing 45 balls.

New Zealand kicked off the campaign with a clinical five-wicket win over Afghanistan on Sunday. They have a four-day break as they head to Ahmedabad for a crunch match with South Africa on Sunday, before playing their final group game against Canada next Tuesday.

– AFP

See how every ball was played below:

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Police are working with Australian counterparts on an investigation into a satanic child sex abuse material ring with alleged links to New Zealand.

New South Wales police announced last week that detectives from their Sex Crimes Squad had charged a sixth man and were referring a further 145 suspects to international law enforcement agencies following an investigation into a satanic child sex abuse material ring as part of an operation called Strike Force Constantine.

Police said investigators had identified offenders from New Zealand, USA, Canada, Mexico, Europe, South America, and South East Asia.

Do you know more? Email sam.sherwood@rnz.co.nz

RNZ asked New South Wales police for information on the New Zealand-based suspects and how many there were.

A spokesperson said any questions needed to be directed to New Zealand police.

RNZ asked police what work was being done by New Zealand officers in relation to the investigation, what co-operation there had been with overseas authorities and how many suspects were based in this country.

Detective Inspector Stuart Mills said New Zealand Police were “working with the New South Wales Police on this matter and will support them as requested”.

“We are not in a position to comment further at this time.”

New South Wales police said last week that Strike Force Constantine was established by State Crime Command’s Child Exploitation Internet Unit to investigate the online distribution of child sexual abuse involving ritualistic or satanic themes.

“During the investigation, detectives uncovered a Sydney-based paedophile network actively involved in possessing, distributing, and facilitating this material through a website administered internationally.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Rico Simpson is no stranger to expectation.

The schoolboy prodigy has been long tipped as the next star off the New Zealand rugby conveyor belt.

Now in his first, full-time Super Rugby season, Simpson is looking to become a household name and fill the boots of one of the world’s best.

After a year spent in the wider squad, Simpson said he feels more comfortable now both in the team and with the hype surrounding him.

“I think I took a lot of it as I went along the way, guys in similar positions I got to be alongside, I think it’s always going to be part of the game. You’re always going to have those expectations and pressures from fans, coaches. It’s kind of been a part of me since probably year 13.”

With Beauden Barrett sitting the first few weeks of Super Rugby out, the door is open for Simpson.

“Last year I got to just get a taste of it and now I think there is probably expectations of me to be playing good enough footy to get a crack. And with Beaudy out, it might be potential there, but I’m just here to just keep learning developing as a player.”

Simpson said the 145-test All Black has been an integral part of his assimilation at the Blues.

“He has been really helpful, keeping in contact with me and making sure I’m clear on everything and just helping me out with the nitty gritty parts of the game, which is really cool to see. I think he’s obviously had a lot of years playing high level rugby, so it’s good to just hear the little details that he likes to use and implement in his game.”

Simpson is not new to the high performance environment, spending two years with the New Zealand Under 20’s, playing in last year’s championship final against the Junior Springboks.

“It’s been a lot easier of a transition for me. I’m fully immersed in the squad now, on the development contracts, you’re in and out of the Blues and the Under 20s, so I think being in one place and really just nailing the parts of your game you want to get right has probably the best thing for me.”

Pulling on the Blues jersey was always an ambition for the Aucklander.

“Growing up in Auckland, born here, raised, went to school here, it’s always been a dream. I’ve always looked at the Blues and wanted to be a part of that.”

He grew up idolising the likes of Stephen Perofeta and Barrett, men he now calls teammates.

“When I first came in, it was a pretty surreal moment, to see those guys on TV and then be training alongside them. So as a young fella, it’s good to get alongside those guys and chew heaps of fat around the game and I think you get to learn a lot.”

Simpson was a key cog in Sacred Heart’s first XV where he spent three years and helped guide them to an historic 1A victory in 2023, the school’s first title in 65 years.

“I got to do it alongside my brother, which is also another cool thing. Sacred will always be part of me and I think that really developed me as a player and it got me to where I am today.”

Simpson’s siblings and fellow Sacred Heart stars Keanu and Cruiz are also on a trajectory for higher honours, with Rico hoping they can all run out together on Eden Park one day.

“Yeah, one day, the three Simpson boys in the Blues, that’s the plan.”

His success at Sacred caught the eye of national selectors who handed Simpson the coveted number 10 jersey for the U20’s side, the same one worn by fellow Blues Barrett and Perofeta.

“International level was always a step ahead of everything, and I think it really helped me learn different parts of the game that I probably didn’t quite get it at school level and regional stuff.”

For Simpson, it was the first of many black jerseys he hopes to wear.

“I think as a Kiwi kid playing footy, that’s (the All Blacks) always the end goal and it’s always been a dream of mine.”

Standing at 6ft 5in, Simpson is an imposing presence in the backline.

“I’ve always prided myself on my kicking game and I think along the years my running game has started to develop and that’s something I want to keep working on. Obviously as a taller fella, taking the line on and offloading has always been a strength of mine, so those two things are probably something that I always hang my hat on.”

Simpson said that despite a tough 2025, the Blues have full belief they can replicate their 2024 title run, and send coach vern Cotter off in winning style.

“We always believe we can do that. The boys are really switched on and ready to go, we are ready to rip into the year and there’s a lot of confidence, a younger squad, but we’ve still got that confidence that we can go all the way.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Dame Noeline Taurua’s coaching bench will have a new look to it at the Commonwealth Games with long-time Silver Ferns assistant Deb Fuller to coach the Malawi Queens.

Fuller has been appointed as the new High Performance Netball Consultant for the Malawi Queens on a one year contract.

In an announcement on its website the Netball Association of Malawi (NAM) said Fuller brought a wealth of international expertise to support the team’s preparations for the 2026 Commonwealth Games and the 2026 Africa Netball Cup.

“A highly respected figure in the global netball community, Debbie is a former elite player and an accomplished coach with over 25 years of experience in the sport. She has served as Assistant Coach for the New Zealand Silver Ferns from 2018 to 2025, contributing to significant international successes.”

“We are grateful to Jane Patterson, Interim CEO of Netball New Zealand, for allowing Debbie to support NAM in this endeavour, and for understanding our efforts in strengthening our high-performance and organizational capability under a new management structure. Netball New Zealand views this as a positive opportunity and one that aligns with its broader objectives of supporting global netball relationships.”

Fuller told RNZ her contract with Netball NZ ended in December and a friend in England connected her to the role.

“Netball NZ and Noel’s [Silver Fern coach] have been super supportive of the opportunity to work with Malawi Netball, it has been in discussion since late November last year,” Fuller said.

NAM president Vitumbiko Gubuduza said they were confident that Fuller’s strategic, athlete-centred approach will inspire players and help unlock the full potential of the Queens’ squad while training the next generation of coaches.

As head coach, Fuller will interview and select her management team, including an assistant coach and manager, who she will lead during her contract.

Patterson was announced interim CEO in mid January, following the resignation of Jennie Wyllie in December after what was a disastrous year for the national body.

In September, Silver Ferns’ coach Dame Noeline Taurua and her coaching team were suspended, over concerns about the high performance environment, sparked by complaints from some of the players.

Dame Noeline was later reinstated, with Netball NZ saying the two parties had agreed to embed changes to the Silver Ferns’ programme and environment.

It wasn’t clear what would happen to her long-time assistant coach Deb Fuller, or specialist coach Briony Akle.

In early January, Stephen Hotter resigned from his role as head of High Performance, which he had held since the start of 2023.

In mid January, Netball NZ also announced Chelsea Lane’s appointment as Head of Performance – Silver Ferns.

Netball NZ said Lane would help to “assemble the team that will take the programme forward” and strengthen leadership within the Silver Ferns’ high performance programme.

Fuller was re-appointed Silver Ferns’ assistant coach in 2024, a few months after Taurua reapplied and was re-appointed.

Like Taurua, Fuller went through an interview process and was up against other candidates.

In 2019 the pair pulled off a remarkable victory at the World Cup in Liverpool.

During their partnership, the duo also enjoyed two Constellation Cup victories over rivals Australia and a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Malawi, who are currently ranked eighth in the world, have been ranked as high at fifth.

Fuller is due to arrive in the country on 21 February for a training block with the Malawi Queens.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand