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Great Barrier Island residents fear overfishing has decimated the kōura population

Source: Radio New Zealand

Great Barrier Island locals fear overfishing has decimated the kōura population. RNZ / Cosmo Kentish-Barnes

Those living on Aotea/Great Barrier Island fear that overfishing has decimated the kōura population.

Ngāti Rehua – Ngātiwai ki Aotea Trust Board and the Aotea/Great Barrier Local Board are wanting the government to back a plan to manage the population before it is too late.

Minister for Oceans and Fisheries Shane Jones banned rock lobster fishing from the east coast of Northland to the Hauraki Gulf on 1 April, 2026. That connected to an existing closure of the inner Hauraki Gulf on 1 April, 2025.

The former chairperson of Ngāti Rehua – Ngātiwai ki Aotea, Opo Ngawaka, had already noticed the impact on Great Barrier Island since then.

“The main issue is pressure put on Aotea at the moment with closures around in the inner [Hauraki] Gulf and that, and it’s forcing recreational and commercial fisheries out towards our way,” he said. “And I think we’ve struggled a little bit, we’ve struggled quite a lot, actually, with the cyclonic weather we’ve been having in four or five years in the past, which had an impact on our fisheries.”

Ngāti Rehua – Ngātiwai ki Aotea former chair, Opo Ngawaka. RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly

Glenn Edney is a member of the Tai Tū Moana Steering Group.

Tai Tū Moana is a conservation project by Ngāti Rehua – Ngātiwai ki Aotea and the Aotea Great Barrier Local Board.

“The pressure now on Aotea in particular has just increased dramatically because it’s pretty much the only place that particularly recreational fishers can go.”

Edney did not want the government’s ban to cover Great Barrier Island.

“I think it’s really important to understand that a lot of families out on the island are actually subsistence fishers, so they rely on the fishery for daily and weekly protein sources.”

Instead, he wanted the government to implement a set of local rules devised during a pilot project called Ahu Moana.

“Ahu Moana … was a vision of the marine spatial plan, whereby tangata whenua, along with the wider local community, would co-manage their local marine spaces.”

The rules include lowering the daily bag limit to two, a ban on daily bag limit accumulation, introducing a maximum size limit, having a closed mating season, and several recreational only areas.

“Hapu have been doing this for centuries – where they would restrict their fishing or they would have seasonal closures and manage their activities so that the fishery remained sustainable. So this is nothing new. What’s new about it is that now this is an opportunity for all of our local communities to work together and to be able to do their own monitoring, understand the situation in their local area.

“The reality is that local people are the experts when it comes to a local ecosystem.”

While recreational fisher Ben Chissell opposed the Hauraki Gulf Marine Protection Act he welcomed the proposal.

“I’m all for it, you know, these locals know better than the people making the laws and if they’re noticing an issue, as we have seen them have big issues with over-harvesting and a lot of illegal activity, then yeah, I’m all for them doing that and trying to go about it their own way.”

Ngawaka hoped for the best.

“I don’t know whether that’s the answer or not. But at least you’ve got to try something, you know, and try something to help maintain that, you know, maintain the fisheries out here.”

Oceans and Fisheries under-secretary Jenny Marcroft. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

The team behind Tai Tū Moana expected to meet with Oceans and Fisheries under-secretary Jenny Marcroft soon.

RNZ contacted Marcroft’s office for comment but did not get a response.

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

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Risk the AI investment bubble will burst this year, Australian professor says

Source: Radio New Zealand

New Zealand is a small country but how it regulated advances in technology were closely watched, Chris Marsden says. 123rf

A visiting Australian law professor says government regulations covering AI and other technology issues matter, because they matter to the global tech companies.

Monash University Professor Chris Marsden said New Zealand was a small country but how it regulated advances in technology was closely watched, along with Australia and Singapore.

In a keynote speech to the inaugural University of Auckland conference on law, technology and government, he said there was a real risk the AI investment bubble will burst this year.

Marsden said there were signs history was repeating itself, drawing on the collapse of the dot-com-bubble that developed in the late 1990s and ended with a spectacular global crash 26 years ago.

He said the pattern of investment in AI technology was similar to that, with the warning signs clear to see, drawing on a presentation loaded with slides offering historical context.

“So let’s take digital regulatory history seriously, and let’s think about where we might go next when the inevitable collapse of the bubble happens,” Marsden said.

He said the New Zealand government had a role to play in setting out a legal framework to regulate the big AI companies.

“Countries the size of New Zealand can have outsized impacts on regulation,” Marsden said, noting that Singapore was similar in size to New Zealand.

“Singapore’s regulation is very important to these companies… Because they take note of the fact that there is an alternative model that can be used, whether you agree with the model or not.

“And the Christchurch call was a really good example of where New Zealand was exerting a significant influence on how these companies moderate speech.”

He said tech companies and officials in Washington and Brussels paid attention to New Zealand and Australia because the countries were English speaking and made good test markets, given their location and trusted status as members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance.

However, Marsden said government regulations would only be effective if they were enforced, which was often not the case where fast-moving technology developments were concerned.

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

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Waitangi Tribunal told draft history curriculum badly written and inaccurate

Source: Radio New Zealand

The tino rangatiratanga haki (flag) outside Parliament on the day of the Treaty Principles Bill introduction. RNZ / Emma Andrews

The Waitangi Tribunal has been told the draft school history curriculum is badly written and inaccurate.

It has also heard that the government should not have last year cut schools’ legal obligation to enact the Treaty of Waitangi.

The tribunal this week held an urgent inquiry into that decision and into curriculum changes following complaints by teacher union the Educational Institute and Northland iwi Ngāti Hine and hapū Te Kapotai.

They opposed last year’s surprise treaty decision and new school curriculums they said sidelined Māori knowledge and history and the Treaty.

Watson Ohia from Ngā Kura-ā-Iwi told the tribunal the 53 iwi schools had an agreement to work with the Education Ministry.

He said the curriculum changes and the Treaty law change broke that deal.

“Honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the education system does not require perfection. It requires good faith. It requires the Crown to act as the partner it promised to be. To come to the table before decisions are made, not after,” he said.

Ohia said the government should stop all of its education reforms, including replacing the NCEA and rewriting the curriculum, and consult fully with Māori.

“Not a briefing, not a submission portal, a designed process. One that actually incorporates our philosophies, our frameworks, our ways of knowing into the design itself, ” he said.

“For too long the Crown has treated our knowledge, our language, our tikanga as a strand to be woven into a fabric it has already designed. Picked up when it suits, set aside when it doesn’t.”

The inquiry covered the government’s rewrite of the school curriculum to be more knowledge-focused.

History Teachers Association representative Jane Jarman told the tribunal the history curriculum was particularly bad.

She said it was full of distortion and obfuscation that would harm Māori students.

“If this curriculum is allowed to stand, Māori students who study at state schools will receive a Eurocentric education that invalidates their lived history including their status as mana whenua,” she said.

She said the curriculum was supposedly rewritten to restore balance, as per the National and ACT parties’ coalition agreement, but instead it was politicised.

“Are we restoring balance by reassuring everybody that it’s okay Pākehā did lots of really good things and we’re going to miss out lots of the bad things that they did,” she said.

“Just to give you some context for that, the section on the New Zealand Wars is seven lines. The section on the Liberal [government] era is a whole entire page. That’s not balance, that’s disproportionate.”

Jarman said the curriculum replaced the Aotearoa New Zealand Histories curriculum which was developed after a campaign by students from Otorohanga.

“This is not the curriculum that they asked for. It is not politically neutral, it is not balanced and it is certainly not world-leading,” Jarman said.

Education Ministry officials told the tribunal that despite the change to the Treaty obligation, schools still had to monitor and report on Māori children’s achievement.

They said the new curriculums set for the first time a mandatory minimum level of te reo Māori that schools must teach.

They acknowledged there was less consultation in the curriculum work because the government wanted to move quickly and did not want to co-design the curriculums with the sector.

The ministry’s head, Ellen MacGregor-Reid, said the government did not see the Treaty as an impediment to its education goals.

“The government’s position is that duty sits with the Crown rather than with school boards and the government is clear that the obligations for Te Tiriti remain and are important for education,” she said.

The hearing is scheduled to finish on Friday.

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

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Labour says government must explain now who gets priority in fuel crisis

Source: Radio New Zealand

Labour leader Chris Hipkins visited the volunteer-run Kairos food rescue in Christchurch on Thursday. RNZ / Nate McKinnon

Labour says places like volunteer-run Kairos food rescue should be prioritised in the government’s fuel plan.

The government unveiled updates to its four-phase fuel plan last month, but has yet to explain how any rationing measures would be prioritised.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins said the government needed to explain how its plan would work as soon as possible.

“There will be, you know, things that they need to iron out; there will be mistakes in it; there will be anomalies. So the sooner they can let people know what’s going on, what their priorities are, the better.”

Labour had far less time to prepare for Covid-19, he said.

“Of course, right at the start, everybody thought that they were critical and needed to still be able to go to work. The government at the end of the day does have to make some decisions, and the sooner they start giving people clarity about that the better.

“They’ve had several months already, and … even in the worst case scenario, it’s another month before we’re potentially pressing go on some of that [fuel rationing], so they should be giving people that certainty now.”

RNZ / Nate McKinnon

He was speaking at Kairos food rescue in Christchurch – a volunteer-run organisation that keeps four tonnes of food waste out of landfill each day.

“One of the things we’re able to talk about is they want to be deemed an essential service. Should we end up in a fuel rationing situation, I fully support that – these organisations have to be able to keep functioning.”

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

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Building industry will get ‘tanked’: Crisis is looming as construction costs soar, experts say

Source: Radio New Zealand

Supplied/ Unsplash – Josh Olalde

Rising fuel prices due to war in the Middle East are likely to create a serious crisis for the construction market that has not yet been fully understood, one expert says.

John Tookey, a professor at AUT’s school of future environments, said it would be a “huge” problem.

“Construction is unique in that it requires huge amounts of energy to form construction materials – for example, things as simple as bricks, plasterboard, aluminium extrusions – as well as huge amounts to transport it.

“Oil production is down through damage to wells and so forth by 22 percent or more – that is production capacity that is out for two or three years or more. This is not going to go away soon. Construction costs are going to spike shortly, maybe as much as 25 percent or more and will stay that way or escalate further.

“This is going to hammer the construction market, housing, infrastructure everything. At the same time that interest rates are going to rise – where construction totally relies on borrowed money.”

He said it still seemed as though people were hoping to “imagine away” the implications of the disruption to oil.

“The construction industry is massively energy intensive. You know, what people don’t understand and don’t get is how many products are affected. Plastics, all plastics. Aluminium. Some of the biggest producers of aluminium are in the Gulf.

“They use the surplus gas that’s tapped off from the oil fields to fire smelters to process bulk aluminium, for instance. That means that the actual material cost of aluminium is going to go through the roof. Same with steel.

“The physical requirement to rebuild so much oil infrastructure is going to require vast amounts of steel for piping, which means that the cost of structural steel is going to go through the roof.

“The cost of making bricks, how do you make bricks? You fire them in a kiln. How do you fire them in a kiln? Well, you either use electricity or you use gas, very often gas.”

He said it could be an “epoch-making moment”. “The building industry is going to get tanked… I’ve got friends in the industry who are getting hit systematically by price rises, price rises, price rises on everything. Anything that is energy-intensive is going bananas. And, you know, I could see a potentially as much as a between 30 percent and 50 percent rise in construction materials.”

Materials such as bricks are set to be more expensive. 123RF

Building Industry Federation chief executive Julian Leys said he was concerned, too.

“I sit on an industry panel advising government on the building supply chain and also talk regularly to my counterpart in Australia – Building Products Industry Council.

“We are seeing increases already announced for May in PVC and PE building products – there is a requirement that manufacturers or suppliers give three months’ notice for any price increases so May or June is when we can start to see the first of these coming through.”

He said he spoke to a member of the federation who was importing from China and being asked by a manufacturer to pay 22 percent more for the same product because of the conflict, due to higher shipping charges, increased port charges and freight and transport charges up 44 percent.

“He has asked one of his biggest customers in NZ if they can accept a 3 percent price increase to partially cover his costs above. That customer has said no and so he is faced with the prospect of every dollar he invests in this product only getting 90 cents back which is not sustainable.

“The other materials that have or will be impacted directly out of the Middle East are aluminium, bitumen for roading, and also chemicals used in timber treatment process although we have good stocks at the moment. Inevitably if the conflict is prolonged it is going to drive up the prices of building materials and impact the cost of building a house.”

Cotality chief property economist Kelvin Davidson said he was not as convinced that people building a new home, for example, would feel a huge impact.

“We’ve heard anecdotes already… some bricklayers had already had letters from suppliers saying costs to get you these materials are going to go up 10 percent to 15 percent. But that was due to fuel surcharges, so transport costs going up.

“But I think more broadly our index of house building costs is about half materials and half wages, let’s say, more or less.

“If you think about the end cost to the person looking to buy that new build or take on a new build project, I mean, yes, there’s going to be some inflation there for sure, because the materials will go up… it feels like there’ll be some inflation there.

“But then that’s only half of our index, pretty much, and it doesn’t necessarily feel like wages are going to skyrocket in this environment so far.”

He said unemployment was higher than post-Covid and the economy was weaker.

“You might see some materials cost inflation, but you may not necessarily see much wages inflation. So, you know, you might only get half the overall inflation that you otherwise might have got. So, you know, I don’t think it’s necessarily sort of panic stations in terms of the end cost to build a house.”

He said if building became too expensive compared to the currently subdued market for existing homes, it would slow building activity.

“It doesn’t feel like a set of conditions where the wider housing market itself is going to surge. So it just feels like the wider environment is going to be tough, I guess, for builders to pass through any price rises.”

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

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Allan Titford again denied parole, but may be released later this year

Source: Radio New Zealand

Allan Titford was found guilty of 39 charges in a trial in 2013. RNZ

A Northland man sentenced to 24 years’ jail after being convicted on a raft of charges, including rape and arson, has again been denied parole – but could be released later this year.

Allan Titford, a farmer and prominent anti-Treaty activist, was found guilty of 39 charges in a trial in 2013.

As well as raping his wife and violence against his children, he was convicted of perjury, obstructing justice, and burning down his own home north of Dargaville – an arson he blamed on local Māori.

Titford was cleared of 14 other charges, including rape, arson, threatening to kill and assault.

Now in his mid-60s and having been behind bars for 13 years, Titford appeared before the Parole Board for the ninth time on Thursday afternoon.

After an hour-long hearing – during which Titford at times digressed into unrelated matters and had to be brought back to topic – panel convenor Jan-Marie Doogue told him he would not be released at this point.

However, the board would see him again in July.

“If everything goes well you can reasonably look forward to release at that time.”

One of the sticking points at previous hearings was the lack of a suitable parole address.

That had now been resolved with the board accepting a rural North Island property a good distance from his victims.

His arson conviction had also made finding accommodation difficult.

Another sticking point was Titford’s insistence he was innocent.

Judge Doogue said the board was concerned he had never accepted his convictions for two rapes of his wife and serious physical violence against his children.

Titford responded: “My position is the same as it always has been. It was dealt with by the court that put me in prison.”

To which Judge Doogue replied: “Yes, and the court took a different view”.

Titford was asked if would agree to move to another prison, if that would improve his chances of getting on a release-to-work programme and speed up his release.

He said he did not want to move when, he claimed, Māori were still trying to claim his properties, houses had burned down and stock had been poisoned.

He also feared being stood over by the Killer Beez (a gang) if he went to another jail.

Where he was now, everyone knew him because he was in charge of recycling.

“I’ve got one of the messiest jobs,” he said.

He also had use of a computer at his current jail, which he needed for the four court cases he was pursuing.

One was in Tasmania while the others were in the Far North, relating to water and land access.

He did not intend to seek work once released, saying he was of retirement age and too busy with “legal matters”.

“Trying to work and do that is an impossibility,” he said.

In any case, he had always been self-employed and working for someone else would be “alien”.

Titford said he had no intention of seeking relationships once outside.

Instead, he hoped to learn Spanish and possibly join a language group.

He had previously indicated an interest in moving to Australia – Titford has Australian citizenship – but would need to “tidy up loose ends” in New Zealand first.

Titford ‘calmer’

Lawyer Philip Osborne told the board Titford had become “much calmer, more flexible and adaptive”.

He had no misconducts, and had lived in a self-care unit for a long time without incident.

He posed no undue risk to community safety, Osborne said.

In sentencing Titford in the Whangārei District Court in 2013, Judge Duncan Harvey said the then 53-year-old had subjected his wife and family to a “reign of terror” that had started in 1989.

After his land was bought by the Crown in the 1990s to settle a Treaty claim with Te Roroa, Judge Harvey said Titford attempted to win public sympathy by sabotaging his own bulldozer and burning down his homestead.

“These incidents received nationwide publicity and, as a result of your actions, the local Māori people earned the anger of many people in New Zealand who sympathised with you because of what they saw as a grave injustice. It is time for the people of New Zealand to learn the truth,” Judge Harvey said at the time.

The compulsory purchase of his farm sparked Titford’s 20-year campaign against the Waitangi Tribunal and the Treaty settlements process.

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

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Meghan Markle claims to be ‘most trolled person’ in world

Source: Radio New Zealand

Prince Harry’s wife Meghan Markle claimed she has been “bullied and attacked” on social media every day for a decade and was “the most trolled person in the entire world”.

The 44-year-old former American actress made the comments during the couple’s four-day tour of Australia, as they both addressed a roundtable discussion with young people associated with an Australian mental health organisation.

“Every day for 10 years, I’ve been bullied and attacked,” Meghan told the youngsters on the third day of the visit in the southern city of Melbourne, adding “but I’m still here”.

She urged those in attendance to remember that social media was a “billion dollar industry that is completely anchored and predicated on cruelty to get clicks”.

“That’s not going to change. So you have to be stronger than that,” Meghan said.

Meanwhile at a separate event, Harry, 41, revealed he had felt “lost, betrayed, or completely powerless” during his life, as he opened up about the impact of losing his mother, Princess Diana, as a boy.

In a discussion after delivering a speech at a leadership summit, King Charles III’s youngest son said following Diana’s death when he was 12 that he felt like he wanted to cast off his role as a senior royal.

“It killed my mum and I was very much against it, and I stuck my head in the sand for years and years,” he said.

“Eventually I realised: well, hang on, if there was somebody else in this position, how would they be making the most of this platform and this ability and the resources that come with it to make a difference in the world?

“And also, what would my mum want me to do? And that really changed my own perspective.”

Harry and his wife stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and later relocated to North America amid a bitter royal family rift.

They are raising their two young children in California, as Harry now seeks to repair relations with his father — who remains the head of state in Australia.

During the couple’s Australia tour, Meghan has also filmed a programme for MasterChef Australia due to air on Sunday.

She will also take part in a “girls’ weekend like no other” at Sydney’s InterContinental Coogee Beach hotel, according to organisers.

The event features yoga, sound healing and dinners as well as disco dancing at a ticket price of A$2699 per person, about NZ$3300.

Those willing to pay even more get access to the “VIP experience” — which includes a group table photo with Meghan and a goodie bag.

The pair is also due to visit the capital Canberra, national broadcaster ABC said.

They have been warmly greeted during their stops so far, but the visit has drawn criticism, with Victoria state opposition leader Jess Wilson condemning the use of taxpayers’ money to provide protection for the pair.

– AFP

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Should you turn off your laptop while commuting?

Source: Radio New Zealand

When it’s time to pack up at the end of the day, do you just close the lid of your laptop and pop it in a bag, or do you fully switch it off?

Many of us may be in a habit of leaving the computer on to avoid the time it takes to start up again, or in case there’s the chance to cram in some more work.

While modern laptops are generally good at saving battery life and keeping cool when not in use, extended periods in sleep mode could still be putting a strain on them over time.

Even when a laptop is in sleep mode, the computer components are still quietly humming away in the background.

Unsplash / Greg Rosenke

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NRL: NZ Warriors star Chanel Harris-Tavita sets tone for defensive revival against Melbourne Storm

Source: Radio New Zealand

Chanel Harris-Tavita (right) and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck have formed a profitable partnership in the Warriors backline. Andrew Cornaga/Photosport

NRL: NZ Warriors v Gold Coast Titans

Kickoff 5pm, Saturday, 18 April

Go Media Stadium, Auckland

Live blog updates on RNZ

As his teammates continued to toast their historic, drought-breaking win over Melbourne Storm last week, NZ Warriors star Chanel Harris-Tavita broke away from the celebrations to visit the opposition locker room.

Amid the defensive carnage inflicted on the shellshocked Storm during a dominant second half, the five-eighth had drilled front-rower Josh King into the AAMI Stadium turf, spilling the ball loose and sparking a confrontation between the two teams.

For the first time in more than a decade, the Warriors were able to point to the scoreboard, which read 38-14, and remind their rivals there was no way back for them.

“In the heat of battle, you’re going to do whatever to help your team,” Harris-Tavita chuckled. “I was lucky all the boys had my back there or I don’t know what would have happened.”

King wasn’t the only one to feel Harris-Tavita’s sting, but he soon learnt that act of brutality was not personal.

“After the game, I went and seen him, and we shook each other’s hands. What happens on the field stays on the field.

“He was sweet, he’s a legend.”

Clearly, Harris-Tavita cherishes that physicality. As he addressed the Warriors’ weekly media gaggle, he sported the beginnings of a juicy black eye, apparently the work of veteran second-rower Kurt Capewell on the training field.

“He got me a beauty,” he grinned.

Most halves are not renowned for their defence – that’s the point of difference Harris-Tavita brings to the Warriors.

“I don’t focus on putting big hits on, but I try to be physical with my defence and that sets up my attack,” he explained.

“I feel like there’s a few boys in the team that are like that as well. If they get their first contact and focus on their defence first, their attack flows off that.”

It seems no co-incidence these were the qualities that went missing from the Warriors during their back-to-back defeats against Wests Tigers and Cronulla Sharks, when Harris-Tavita was missing from the line-up.

After launching the season with two tries against Sydney Roosters, he was concussed early against Canberra Raiders and had to sit out a third victory over Newcastle Knights, before losing his spot outright with the return of Luke Metcalf from a lengthy knee injury.

Suddenly spoilt for choice in the position, coach Andrew Webster opted for the in-form Tanah Boyd and attacking potential of Metcalf, but perhaps sacrificed the intangible aspects of Harris-Tavita’s well-rounded skillset in the process.

After accepting two try assists from Roger Tuivasa-Sheck for his opening-round double, CHT returned the favour against the Storm, cleverly delaying his final pass for Tuivasa-Sheck to score his first of the season, before placing a pinpoint leftfoot kick that yielded a try for wing Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.

“I thought he was one of our best players,” Webster admitted. “Chanel was awesome.

“His defence and the way he competed was extraordinary. He hadn’t played since his concussion, so I was really happy for him.

“We got a lot of energy from him, which was great.”

His performance has persuaded many that Harris-Tavita should retain the Warriors No.6 jersey fulltime, leaving Boyd and Metcalf to contest the halfback spot. That competition is a nice problem for Webster to have, with veteran Te Maire Martin, newly anointed debutant Luke Hanson and heir apparent Jett Cleary also waiting in the wings.

Metcalf led the Dally M Medal standings, when he suffered his season-ending injury last June, while Boyd has filled in admirably, strengthening his own case by leading the NRL in try assists and kicking metres through six rounds.

“I don’t think anyone has a right to a jersey,” Harris-Tavita insisted. “I think I have a right to put my hand up and play my best footy.

“The more games I play consistently, the better I’ll get – that’s all I’m focused on.”

Harris-Tavita is two games away from bringing up his century for the Auckland club, a tenure that began in 2019, but included a year off, when he travelled the world finding himself.

His contract ends this season and, given his current contribution to the cause, an extension should become a priority for the Warriors.

“I just need to keep playing my best footy – and I think that’s still ahead of me – and let the agent take care of everything else,” he deflected.

“The attractive thing about our club is we all get along as a crew. From 1-36 in our squad, we can all talk to each other and feel comfortable challenging each other to get better.

“It is attractive being part of this club and what we’re building.”

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

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Super Rugby preview: Sititi and Tuipulotu return, Jacobson and Christie to notch tons

Source: Radio New Zealand

All Black Wallace Sititi returns on the bench this weekend for the Chiefs. Aaron Gillions/ActionPress

It’s been a sad week for Super Rugby.

Confirmation of Moana Pasifika’s demise has cast a shadow over the competition, a major blow for Pasifika rugby which has given so much to the game.

But the show goes on and in round eleven all eyes will be on Hamilton with two heavyweights on collision course with a second consecutive battle for top spot. The Chiefs and Hurricanes clash shapes as a blockbuster with All Black trials across the park.

The men form the capital underscored their title credentials last week with a dominant display against the Blues. The Chiefs meanwhile piled the points on a hapless Moana outfit, and appear to be clicking at the perfect time.

Another kiwi derby pits the Blues, fresh off a humbling at the hands of the Hurricanes, host the Highlanders.

Both sides coming off a harsh defeat, with the Highlanders now at risk of slipping out of the top eight.

An understrength Crusaders side play the Force in Perth, while Moana, no doubt low on morale, head across the ditch to take on the Waratahs in Sydney.

Selection notes

Some big names are back.

Wallace Sititi returns for the Chiefs from the bench while Blues lock Patrick Tuipulotu makes his first appearance of the year.

A couple of centurions will also be celebrated as Luke Jacobson will become the 14th Chief to notch the ton with Blues halfback Finlay Christie also marking the milestone this weekend.

Jamie Joseph has made plenty of changes as he attempts to resurrect the Highlanders’ season, Te Kamaka Howden shifting into the second row

while Folau Fakatava returns in the reserves. Winger Xavier Tito-Harris is in line for a potential debut with fullback Finn Hurley returning from a long lay off. Sean Withy plays his 50th for the Highlanders.

Ben Ake has been named for a debut off the bench for the Blues, Macca Springer plays his first match of the year on the wing for the Crusaders while Moana halfbacks Melani Matavao and Jonathan Taumateine return from injury.

Injury ward

The Crusaders are without three of their biggest names with All Blacks Will Jordan, David Havili and Codie Taylor all sidelined. Jordan is expected to miss three to five weeks with a calf injury while Taylor is still awaiting assessment for his return date. Havili is out with concussion and could be back for round 11.

Moana have a packed casualty ward with Allan Craig, Julian Savea, Lalomilo Lalomilo, Monu Moli, Niko Jones, Ngani Laumape and Tevita Ofa all hurt.

The Hurricanes will be without All Black Tyrel Lomax for another six weeks while Bailyn Sullivan’s leg may still be a month away from fitness.

The Chiefs have some long term niggles, both Etene Nanai-Seturo and Emoni Narawa not expected back until the final round of the season while Tupou Vaa’i sits the week out with concussion.

For the Blues, Caleb Clarke, Corey Evans, Joshua Fusitu’a, and Ofa Tu’ungafasi are among the wounded while Highlanders fullback Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens is out for another month.

Key stats

The Blues have formed 51 mauls this season, at least 18 more than any other team.

Moana Pasifika are on a three-match winning streak against the Waratahs.

The Force are looking for consecutive wins against the Crusaders for the first time.

Moana Pasifika have conceded 45.5 points per game in 2026.

Hurricanes second five Jordie Barrett leads the competition in try assists with eight.

The Crusaders have won only two of their last seven Super Rugby Pacific games in Australia.

The Hurricanes lead the comp in lineout steals with 21.

Blues v Highlanders

Kickoff 7.05pm, Friday, 17 April

Eden Park, Auckland.

Live blog updates on RNZ

Blues:

1. Mason Tupaea 2. Bradley Slater 3. Marcel Renata 4. Patrick Tuipulotu (c) 5. Sam Darry 6. Anton Segner 7. Dalton Papali’i 8. Hoskins Sotutu 9. Finlay Christie 10. Beauden Barrett 11. Codemeru Vai 12. Xavi Taele 13. AJ Lam 14. Cole Forbes 15. Zarn Sullivan

Bench: 16. Kurt Eklund 17. Ben Ake (debut) 18. Sam Matenga 19. Josh Beehre 20. Torian Barnes 21. Malachi Wrampling 22. Taufa Funaki 23. Pita Ahki.

“Having Patrick back is massive for us. He’s a leader who drives standards on and off the field. You can feel the lift in the group with him back out on the field.” – Blues coach Vern Cotter.

Highlanders:

1.Ethan de Groot (cc) 2. Jack Taylor 3. Angus Ta’avao 4. Te Kamaka Howden 5. Mitch Dunshea 6. Sean Withy 7. Veveni Lasaqa 8. Nikora Broughton 9. Adam Lennox 10. Cameron Millar 11. Jona Nareki 12. Timoci Tavatavanawai (cc) 13. Tanielu Tele’a 14. Caleb Tangitau 15. Taine Robinson

Bench: 16. Soane Vikena 17. Josh Bartlett 18. Saula Ma’u 19. Oliver Haig 20. Lucas Casey 21. Folau Fakatava 22. Xavier Tito-Harris (debut) 23. Finn Hurley.

“They’ve obviously got a lot of X-factor, a very physical pack, they are very deliberate around the way they play, we have got to win the tight ones, every weekend you get another chance to turn it around.” – Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph.

Waratahs v Moana Pasifika

Kickoff 9.35pm, Friday, 17 April

Allianz Stadium, Sydney.

Live blog updates on RNZ

Moana Pasifika:

1. Abraham Pole 2. Millennium Sanerivi 3. Chris Apoua 4. Tom Savage 5. Veikoso Poloniati 6. Miracle Faiilagi (c) 7. Semisi Paea 8. Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa 9. Melani Matavao 10. Patrick Pellegrini 11. Glen Vaihu 12. Tevita Latu 13. Solomon Alaimalo 14. Tuna Tuitama 15. William Havili

Bench: 16. Samiuela Moli 17. Malakai Hala-Ngatai 18. Paula Latu 19. Jimmy Tupou 20. Ola Tauelangi 21. Jonathan Taumateine 22. Faletoi Peni 23. Tyler Pulini.

“We really believe this is a movement that needs to carry on. For Pacific communities and Pacific young men and women it provides hope, it provides a pathway to success.” – Moana CEO Debbie Sorensen.

Chiefs v Hurricanes

Kickoff 7.05pm, Saturday, 18 April

FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton.

Live blog updates on RNZ

Chiefs:

1. Ollie Norris 2. Samisoni Taukei’aho 3. George Dyer 4. Josh Lord 5. Seuseu Naitoa Ah Kuoi 6. Samipeni Finau 7. Luke Jacobson (c, 100th match) 8. Simon Parker 9. Cortez Ratima 10. Damian McKenzie 11. Kyren Taumoefolau 12. Reon Paul 13. Quinn Tupaea (vc) 14. Leroy Carter 15. Liam Coombes-Fabling.

Bench: 16. Brodie McAlister 17. Jared Proffit 18. Reuben O’Neill 19. Fiti Sa 20. Kaylum Boshier 21. Wallace Sititi 22. Xavier Roe 23. Josh Jacomb

”It’s a team we enjoy playing against, we have similar styles, I think you’ll see more a finals type experience.” – Chiefs assistant coach David Hill.

Hurricanes:

1. Xavier Numia 2. Asafo Aumua 3. Pasilio Tosi 4. Isaia Walker-Leawere 5. Warner Dearns 6. Devan Flanders 7. Du’Plessis Kirifi (cc) 8. Peter Lakai 9. Cam Roigard 10. Ruben Love 11. Fehi Fineanganofo 12. Jordie Barrett (cc) 13. Billy Proctor 14. Josh Moorby 15. Callum Harkin

Bench: 16. Jacob Devery 17. Pouri Rakete-Stones 18. Tevita Mafileo 19. Caleb Delany 20. Brad Shields 21. Brayden Iose 22. Ereatara Enari 23. Jone Rova

“They have probably the strongest forward pack we’ve faced. They’re full of All Blacks, so we’re well aware of the threat they pose, but we’re confident in the way we’re playing.” – Hurricanes coach Clark Laidlaw

Western Force v Crusaders

Kickoff 11.55pm, Saturday, 18 April

HBF Park, Perth.

Live blog updates on RNZ

Crusaders:

1. Finlay Brewis 2. George Bell 3. Seb Calder 4. Tahlor Cahill 5. Jamie Hannah 6. Dom Gardiner 7. Johnny Lee 8. Christian Lio-Willie (c) 9. Louie Chapman 10. Taha Kemara 11. Macca Springer 12. Dallas McLeod (vc) 13. Leicester Fainga’anuku 14. Chay Fihaki 15. Johnny McNicholl

Bench: 16. Manumaua Letiu 17. George Bower 18. Kershawl Sykes-Martin 19. Will Tucker 20. Corey Kellow 21. Noah Hotham 22. Rivez Reihana 23. Sevu Reece.

“Every week’s important. Every point you get is critical. We’re there or thereabouts and we need to start building rhythm sooner rather than later.” – Crusaders coach Rob Penney.

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