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Global high jump star Hamish Kerr claims Supreme Halberg award

Source: Radio New Zealand

Hamish Kerr celebrates winning the Men’s High Jump final at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. www.photosport.nz

Hamish Kerr has claimed New Zealand’s highest sporting honour at the 63rd Halberg Awards in Auckland, after achieving heights in his career that no other Kiwi high jumper has reached.

Kerr has won the Supreme Halberg Award, capping off an extraordinary 2025 in which he dominated on the world stage.

Kerr – who also secured the Sportsman of the Year title earlier in the evening – won gold at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September.

His maiden triumph in Tokyo completed the final piece of Kerr’s collection of global titles. He is now the reigning world champion, Olympic champion (Paris 2024), and Diamond League champion (2025) – an unprecedented achievement by a New Zealand high jumper.

Kerr, who also won last year’s Halberg Sportsman of the Year, took the title ahead of athletics team-mate Geordie Beamish; Freeski Big Air World Champion Luca Harrington; footballer Chris Wood and golfer Ryan Fox.

Kerr’s athletics coach James Sandilands, who guided the 29-year-old through one of the best seasons of his career, was named Coach of the Year – his first win in the category.

Snowboard star Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, who is currently competing at her third Winter Olympics, was named Sportswoman of the Year.

Sadowski-Synnott won a third snowboard slopestyle world title in 2025, and got the accolade ahead of a field including global champions across cycling – Sammie Maxwell and Niamh Fisher-Black; tennis – Erin Routliffe, and rugby – Jorja Miller.

New Zealand snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott. JAMIE SQUIRE / AFP

The Black Ferns Sevens were crowned the Team of the Year after another dominant 2024-25 HSBC SVNS World Series and the SVNS World Championship.

Their unmatched global success stood-out in an impressive line-up of team finalists including Auckland FC; world champion men’s rowing pair Ben Taylor and Oliver Welch; the men’s team pursuit track cycling squad; the New Zealand Kiwis and the New Zealand Black Sox.

Sam Ruthe unsurprisingly beat out the other finalists in the Emerging Talent category after making history in 2025 by becoming the youngest person ever to run a sub-four-minute mile.

Paralympic sprint star Danielle Aitchison was awarded the Para Athlete/Para Team of the Year Award, for her impressive results on the track at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships. Other finalists included fellow Para athletics team mate Lisa Adams, Para track cyclists Nicole Murray and Devon Briggs and Para swimmer Cameron Leslie.

International sport administrator and leader Katie Sadleir received the Sport New Zealand Leadership Award, recognising her influential contributions to global sport and her long-standing dedication to athlete well-being and equity.

The Black Ferns Sevens continue to dominate. Jayne Russell / PHOTOSPORT

Kat Mueller was honoured with the Sir Murray Halberg Legacy Award, for her significant work championing inclusive sport and recreation opportunities for people with disabilities across Aotearoa.

Two new inductees to the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame were also celebrated. Dame Valerie Adams and Richie McCaw were formally welcomed into the prestigious group, recognising their contributions, achievements, and lasting impact on New Zealand sport.

Full List of Winners – 63rd Halberg Awards:

  • Supreme Halberg Award: Hamish Kerr (athletics – field)
  • Sportswoman of the Year: Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (snow sports – snowboarding)
  • Sportsman of the Year: Hamish Kerr (athletics – field)
  • Para Athlete of the Year: Danielle Aitchison (Para athletics – track)
  • Team of the Year: Black Ferns Sevens (rugby sevens)
  • Coach of the Year: James Sandilands (athletics -field)
  • Emerging Talent: Sam Ruthe (athletics – track)
  • Sport New Zealand Leadership Award: Katie Sadlier
  • Sir Murray Halberg Legacy Award: Kat Mueller

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

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Wild weather: Strongest winds to hit Wellington in a decade

Source: Radio New Zealand

Taihape weather – flooding and slips aftermath – 16 February 2026 RNZ/Dan Jones

The winds that struck Wellington today were the strongest in more than a decade, says MetService.

Gusts of 193 kilometres an hour were recorded at Mt Kaukau, and 128 kilometres at hour at Wellington Airport – the highest for both since 2013.

There has also been an orange heavy rain warning for the eastern hills of Wellington, also Wairarapa, and the Tararua Range, issued tonight.

The warning is due to expire at 11pm.

About 15 to 25 mm of rain is expected, on top of what had already fallen today.

But attention is turning further south, especially to Banks Peninsula, which is under an Orange Rain Warning and where up to 100-millimetres of further rain could fall.

Christchurch City Council said it was closely watching the weather and was aware of reports of surface flooding.

It said roading crews were being put on stand-by overnight, and more will be known in the morning.

More than 30,000 properties lost power today as wild winds brought trees and power lines down across much of the lower North Island.

Powerco said about 23,000 properties across its network have lost connections and in the Wellington region, about 10,000 have their connections cut.

Manawatū-Whanganui has been hit badly, and the region is under a state of emergency.

Meanwhile, homes on Lincoln Road in Masterton were evacuated due to the threat of falling trees.

Air NZ cancelled flights in and out of several major centres, including the capital, citing strong winds.

“Safety is paramount and we are continuing to closely monitor conditions, with winds expected to reduce later this morning when we expect to resume services,” chief operating officer Alex Marren said.

See how today’s events unfolded with RNZ’s live blog:

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

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Live weather: Deluge heads south, Banks Peninsula, Christchurch in the firing line

Source: Radio New Zealand

More than 30,000 properties have lost power as wild winds bring trees and power lines down across much of the lower North Island.

Powerco said about 23,000 properties across its network have lost connections and in the Wellington region, about 10,000 have their connections cut.

Manawatū-Whanganui has been hit badly, and the region is under a state of emergency.

Meanwhile, evacuations are underway at homes on Lincoln Road in Masterton due to the threat of falling trees.

Wairarapa assistant commander Ian Wright said it had been a busy night with weather-related call outs, which continue, and that trees coming down are the biggest risk.

He says there are shallow rooted trees on Lincoln Road that are “very, very unstable, so both roads have been closed and the people have been evacuated”.

Air NZ has cancelled flights in and out of several major centres, including the capital, citing strong winds.

“Safety is paramount and we are continuing to closely monitor conditions, with winds expected to reduce later this morning when we expect to resume services,” chief operating officer Alex Marren said.

Five districts – Manawatū, Rangitīkei, Tararua, Waipā and Ōtorohanga District – are in states of emergency.

Follow RNZ’s live coverage above for the most up-to-date information.

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

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‘Wannabe athlete’ How To Dad takes on NZ’s best

Source: Radio New Zealand

Jordan Watson, the viral ‘How to DAD’ guy, finds out the answer to ‘how hard can it be?’ in Out of My League, a new series that pits him against six of New Zealand’s elite athletes.

Watson is not without form in the sporting arena and for a while held a world record, he told RNZ’s Afternoons.

“In 2023, I held the 100-metre sprint world record for sprinting in jandals. Now I think I only got it because it’s quite niche and if I publicised it before I did it, someone else faster in New Zealand would have just gone and done it and easily done it.

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

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Housing market’s ‘tale of two islands’

Source: Radio New Zealand

Auckland and Wellington stand out as being more oversupplied, say housing experts. RNZ

New Zealand’s housing market is a “tale of two islands”, one economist says – as the fortunes of sellers and house hunters in the South Island rapidly diverge from their northern counterparts.

Real Estate Institute data on Monday added to this picture.

National median prices were up 0.4 percent between January 2025 and last month to a median $753,106. Excluding Auckland, they were up 1.4 percent to $700,000.

But while Auckland and Wellington prices are still down 23.6 percent and 26.9 percent since their post-Covid peak, the West Coast hit a record high of $480,000, up 9.3 percent year-on-year

Southland’s prices were up 5.7 percent year-on-year, Otago’s 6.7 percent and Canterbury 3.4 percent.

An example of what is for sale in Southland for the median price. Supplied

Only Nelson was down 8.9 percent.

But in the North Island, only Waikato, Hawkes Bay and Auckland had a lift in median sales prices in January compared to a year earlier. The increases were 1.4 percent, 2.4 percent and 1.1 percent, respectively.

House price index data shows Auckland prices are down 1 percent a year over five years, and Wellington is down 3 percent a year over the same period, but Christchurch is up 5.4 percent a year, Queenstown 8.1 percent and Invercargill 5.2 percent. Otago and Southland prices are also at new records.

BNZ chief economist Mike Jones said it was a “tale of two islands”.

“The North Island market, if you put all those parts of the country together, is operating at quite a different pace from the south.

“It’s becoming more and more difficult to even talk about the New Zealand housing market as an entity, because it is so divergent amongst those regions.”

He said there was a slow shift south happening as more people migrated within New Zealand.

“Also you’ve got the commodity cash coming through, which is bolstering some of those rural and regional incomes. That’s a story that continues to play out. And then probably the third one is just an affordability dynamic as well, which is that all of these markets, whether it’s in the South Island particularly, are cheaper relative to incomes and rents than the likes of Auckland and Wellington.”

What $950k could buy you in Auckland. Supplied

He said he might have expected the difference to start to narrow but there was no sign of that yet.

“I think with those fundamentals still in place, people still moving south, regional economies performing relatively better, we’ll probably see a little bit more divergence.

“The correction in national house prices ended in April 2023. In the 33 months since, house prices have declined an additional 1.4 percent in Auckland and an additional 3.2 percent in Wellington. At the same time, in Canterbury, Otago and Southland, they’ve gone up 17 percent and 20 percent… So it really shows you how divergent the market has been.”

Jones said there had also been a more aggressive supply response in Auckland, with more building giving buyers more choice.

“If you look at listings per region, certainly Auckland and Wellington stand out as being more oversupplied … there are a few signs of that dynamic slowing down.

“We’re actually getting construction activity start to pick up again, even as population growth is still pretty low.”

Steve Goodey, a property investment coach, said there was “no yield” for investors in Auckland at the moment. “I’m advising clients not to go there for cash flow if that’s what they are after.”

He said there were discounts to be had but not yield. “I like smaller town but not tiny ones.”

He said he had invested recently in Invercargill, Whanganui and Hawera.

Areas like Tokoroa were cheap but there was no prospect of price rises, he said. “While cash flow is what keeps the vehicle of your investing going, capital gains are what makes you wealthy over time.”

Kelvin Davidson, chief property economist at Cotality, said his data showed sales activity outside the main centres picking up fastest.

He said it was likely Auckland and Wellington could lag for a while.

“If you look at house prices, we’ve got a projection that we get a national average rise this year of 5 percent. I wonder if that is probably going to be a bit below 5 percent with the way things are going but as a round number, call it 5 percent.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if. say, Auckland and Wellington are below that number and Invercargill, Nelson, some of these more second-tier cities are a bit stronger. I could see that lasting for a while just reflecting the shape of the economy at the moment.”

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

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Live weather: Deluge heads south, Christchurch in the firing line

Source: Radio New Zealand

More than 30,000 properties have lost power as wild winds bring trees and power lines down across much of the lower North Island.

Powerco said about 23,000 properties across its network have lost connections and in the Wellington region, about 10,000 have their connections cut.

Manawatū-Whanganui has been hit badly, and the region is under a state of emergency.

Meanwhile, evacuations are underway at homes on Lincoln Road in Masterton due to the threat of falling trees.

Wairarapa assistant commander Ian Wright said it had been a busy night with weather-related call outs, which continue, and that trees coming down are the biggest risk.

He says there are shallow rooted trees on Lincoln Road that are “very, very unstable, so both roads have been closed and the people have been evacuated”.

Air NZ has cancelled flights in and out of several major centres, including the capital, citing strong winds.

“Safety is paramount and we are continuing to closely monitor conditions, with winds expected to reduce later this morning when we expect to resume services,” chief operating officer Alex Marren said.

Five districts – Manawatū, Rangitīkei, Tararua, Waipā and Ōtorohanga District – are in states of emergency.

Follow RNZ’s live coverage above for the most up-to-date information.

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

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Dr Hinemoa Elder: We need more mental health care in NZ

Source: Radio New Zealand

As she comes towards the end of her career as a working psychiatrist, Dr Hinemoa Elder says there’s never been more need for mental health resources to help navigate, “extremely trying times”.

“You know, I’m 60 years old and this feels like the worst confluence of horrible and terrifying global and more local experiences that I’ve seen in my life.”

Indigenous resources, particularly Māori resources, have a valuable place in the spectrum of ways to help people struggling with mental health, she says.

This month, she’s appearing at HamLit in the Hamilton Arts Festival, alongside award-winning poet, Dr Marama Salsano, where the pair will discuss the intersection between culture, creativity and mental health.

“Here is something that may be absolutely new to many of the people who attend. And that’s always provides some different kind of juicy experiences, doesn’t it?

“Because it gets in behind some of our defences.

“We might have some ideas about what might work for us and what might be less helpful. Whereas when we’re presented with something that comes from a different worldview perhaps, or from a Māori worldview, that we haven’t previously been aware of, then it opens up some really new potential, new experiences and a freedom, a freedom to consider our lives differently.”

Prior to her career in psychiatry, Elder was a children’s television presenter, a “fortunate time”, she says.

“Live television is a thing of the past now unless it’s a sports event or some other major national event. Afternoon telly for kids is a thing of the past. So, it was a great moment in time.

“I had a lot of fun, made some great friends, learnt a lot of good skills. And I suppose, yeah, you could see even then, I love coming from a young person’s perspective and trying to engage young people in light-hearted activities that also have some kind of educational element to them as well.”

She carried that interest in young people into her psychiatry career.

“I really like kids. I really like teenagers. I really enjoy the playfulness and the challenge. I like to work hard to understand the tamariki’s perspective and the whānau perspective around them and to think about the people who are not in the room, but who are exerting an influence over their tamariki and their whānau’s experience of what it means to be a tamariki, which is changing rapidly in our world.”

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

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Rugby league: Door open for Kiwis to play State of Origin

Source: Radio New Zealand

Born in Sydney, Kiwis player Casey McLean would be eligible for State of Origin. Photosport / David Neilson

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

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Support for National, Labour dips in new political poll

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ

Support for both major parties has dipped – while New Zealand First is up on double digits – in the latest 1News Verian poll.

The results – that polled 1003 eligible voters between 7 and 11 February – has National down 2 points to 34 percent and Labour down 3 points to 32 percent.

The Green Party is up 4 points on 11 percent, New Zealand First up 1 point on 10 percent, ACT up 1 point on 9 per cent and Te Pāti Māori up 1 point to 2 percent.

On these numbers, the right block would net 65 seats and the left block 59 seats, meaning the coalition parties would comfortably have the numbers to govern.

It’s New Zealand First’s highest rating in this particular poll since August 2017.

National leader Christopher Luxon and Labour leader Chris Hipkins were neck in neck in the new poll’s preferred Prime Minister ratings.

Luxon is down 3 points to 20 percent and Hipkins down 1 point to 20 percent.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters is down 1 point to 10 percent, Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick steady on 5 percent, ACT leader David Seymour down 1 point to 4 percent and National’s deputy leader Nicola Willis steady on 1 percent.

The poll also asked voters to rate the coalition’s performance on a scale of one to ten – with the average score being five out of ten.

National supporters gave an average score of 6.7 and ACT supporters 6.4, while Green supporters gave a 3.1 rating and Labou supporters gave an average 3.6.

The new poll also shows voters have doubts about the economic turnaround, with economic optimism down 2 points to 40 percent and pessimism up 1 point to 31 percent.

Between November 29 and December 3 2025, 1007 eligible voters were polled by mobile phone (500) and online, using online panels (507). The maximum sampling error is approximately ±3.1%-points at the 95% confidence level. Party support percentages have been rounded up or down to whole numbers, except those less than 4.5%, which are reported to one decimal place. The data has been weighted to align with Stats NZ population counts for age, gender, region, ethnic identification and education level. The sample for mobile phones is selected by random dialling using probability sampling, and the online sample is collected using an online panel. Undecided voters, non-voters and those who refused to answer are excluded from the data on party support. The results are a snapshot in time of party support, and not a prediction.

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