Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

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Power outages: What to do – and what not to do – when the electricity goes out

Source: Radio New Zealand

Oroua River runs high at the rail overbridge on the outskirts of Feilding on 16 February 2025. RNZ/Robin Martin

Severe weather hammering the lower North Island has left tens of thousands of households without power.

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

Here’s how to stay safe, keep warm and protect your home and belongings when the power goes out.

Call your lines company

It’s quite common for power cuts to last only a few minutes, so you may want to wait a while before making the call.

However, if you’re concerned about the length of the outage, give your lines company a ring.

You can also check the supplier’s website and social media to see if the outage was planned, or if there’s an update on when power will be restored.

Your wifi and cordless landline phone will likely be affected in a power cut, so it’s best to use your mobile phone for this.

If a power outage is putting your health at risk, call 111 or go to a hospital.

Turn on the torch

In a power outage, the best torch is the one you have to hand.

For many, this will mean your phone torch – but try not to use this long-term, as it will drain your battery, meaning you may not be able to call for help if you need it.

It’s a good idea to have an emergency kit to hand, containing a torch and spare batteries, among other items.

Torches and battery-powered lanterns are safer to use in a power cut than candles.

Emergency vehicles making their way through flooded roads in Wellington on 16 February 2026. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Break out the supplies

Vector advises that water pumps in rural areas may not work in a power cut – so you should make sure you have emergency water supplies for drinking and washing.

A spare battery or mobile power pack for your phone, a camp stove or barbecue, and cooking fuel (such as gas) are also helpful items to have in the event of an extended power cut.

Clear your home of hazards

Have a quick look around your house and move any items that could be easily tripped on, such as children’s toys, from corridors, doorways and high-traffic areas.

This will lessen the chances of you injuring yourself in the dark.

Powershop recommends placing a camping lamp at the edge of the room by the wall to light your path, and says it’s especially important that access to the bathroom and the emergency cupboard are clear.

Turn electronics off at the wall

Power can surge when it’s restored, possibly damaging sensitive electronics.

Turn your TV, computer and stereo off at the wall or make sure you have surge protectors installed.

Vector recommends turning off your stove elements and heaters, too – this will ensure they don’t come back on without you noticing the electricity has been restored.

The Electricity Authority recommends leaving an overhead light on so you can see when the power is back on.

Food should stay cool in the fridge for several hours, but only if it’s left unopened. 123rf

Keep the fridge closed

Opening the fridge or freezer will let warmer air in – and without electricity, it won’t be able to cool down again.

If left shut, the fridge will keep food cool for up to six hours, while a freezer will usually keep food frozen for up to 24 hours.

If there’s food inside that you know you’ll need in the short-term, consider removing it at the start of the power cut and storing it in a chilly bin or ice box. That way your snacking won’t spoil the rest of your supplies.

The Ministry for Primary Industries recommends eating food that will expire quickly, such as bread and meat, first, and eating canned food last.

If any food is spoiled or rotting, throw it away so it doesn’t spoil other food.

Stay warm

If it’s a cold day or night, you can keep warm by closing your doors and windows and pulling the curtains.

Water can be boiled on a camp stove to fill hot water bottles. Remember never to operate a camp stove inside.

Gel warming packs are also good items to have in your emergency kit, as they can keep chilled fingers and toes toasty.

An emergency kit should contain food, water and medical supplies for three days, as well as a torch and radio. (RNZ)

Check on your neighbours

If it’s safe to go outside, check on your neighbours. This is especially important if you have older or vulnerable people living around you.

If it’s not safe to go out, give them a call or a text.

Listen to the radio

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) advises that in times of crisis or civil defence emergency, a battery-powered radio or a car radio remain essential lifelines if power is out and other forms of communication are unavailable.

RNZ is New Zealand’s statutory civil defence lifeline radio broadcaster, providing vital information and updates as they come to hand. All frequencies can be found here.

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

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Heavy rain and wind hits Wellington region bringing down trees, flooding roads

Source: Radio New Zealand

A fallen tree in the Wellington suburb of Newlands after high winds. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Heavy rain and wind is hitting the capital, flooding streets in Lower Hutt, closing multiple schools, cutting off power, and bringing trees and debris down in the city.

Meanwhile, the entire Manawatū-Whanganui region is under a state of emergency, where some evacuations have taken place in Manawatū and on the coast of the Tararua district.

Waipā and Ōtorohanga in South Waikato remain under a states of emergency after significant flooding over the weekend.

In Wellington, regional and metro trains have stopped, while ferries and flights have been cancelled.

Streets in Epuni and Naenae appear flooded, with reports on social media of some cars getting stuck in Lower Hutt.

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

The storm has left a big mess for the owner of a Polish restaurant at Plimmerton, north of Wellington, to clean up after an exterior wall blew in.

High winds blew an exterior wall in at Topor Bistro, a Polish restaurant in Plimmerton. Supplied

Owner of Topor Bistro, Steve Askew said luckily another local business alerted them as otherwise they might not have been back in till Wednesday.

“I’m sure we’re going to be closed a couple of weeks,” he said.

“All of the ceiling on the inside has gone. All the studs and stuff they’re quite wet, I don’t know if they need to be replaced or if they can just be dried out. The hole in the wall needs to be fixed.”

Askew said the kitchen and main appliances are on the other side and escaped.

He said up till this the bistro had not been doing too badly recently.

A growing list of schools in the Wellington region are also closed due to the terrible weather.

Those include Wellington High School, Wellington East Girls’ College, and St Orans College in the Hutt Valley.

Wind damaged trees at Rongotai College in the Wellington suburb of Kilbirnie. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Rongotai College in Wellington has closed for the day with tree debris littering its grounds.

Principal Kevin Carter said he was at the boys’ school in Kilbirnie at 5pm on Sunday and everything was fine, but on Monday morning it was a different story.

“The grounds are covered with branches from trees that have come down … It’s pretty wild and unsafe here on the south coast,” he said.

Some gutters were down but otherwise buildings were not damaged by the look of it. He had had a quick walkaround and would do a closer check later in the hopes they could clean up and the wind would drop.

Carter said they would decide later whether to reopen tomorrow. All families had been advised by email or text the school was closed, he said.

High waves at Houghton Bay on Wellington’s south coast on Monday morning. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Air New Zealand’s chief operating officer Alex Marren told Nine to Noon nearly 100 flights have been cancelled in and out of Wellington on Sunday and Monday morning.

All flights in the capital, Palmerston North and Napier have been paused until at least 11am, at which point the airline will reassess the weather conditions, Marren said.

She said there had been some “infrastructure impacts” and the airline was working closely with Wellington Airport on that.

Air New Zealand cancelled flights in and out of Wellington because of high winds. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

In Wairarapa, evacuations are underway 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 were the biggest risk.

He said 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”.

There have been no reports of injuries.

Trees blown down in the Wellington suburb of Brooklyn. RNZ / Pokere Paewai

Emergency vehicles making their way through flooded roads in Wellington. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Flooding in Epuni in Lower Hutt. RNZ / Mark Papalii

A fallen tree in the Wellington suburb of Newlands after high winds. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Trees fallen in the Wellington suburb of Tawa. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Emergency vehicles making their way through flooded roads in Wellington. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Fire and Emergency staff at a Newlands property. RNZ/Mark Papalii

A fallen tree in Plunket Street in Wellington. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

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A2 Milk posts net profit of over $112 million for six months to December

Source: Radio New Zealand

123RF

Infant formula maker A2 Milk showed a solid lift in first half profit on the back of double digit growth in sales allowing an increase in dividend.

Key numbers for the six months ended December compared with a year ago:

  • Net profit $112.1m vs $102.5m
  • Revenue $993.5m vs $836.5m
  • Operating earnings $155m vs $130.9m
  • Net cash $896.9m vs $1.01b
  • Interim dividend 11.5 cents per share vs 8.5 cps
  • Forecast mid-teens revenue growth, increased full year profit

Sales of infant milk formula (IMF) to China led an overall near 19 percent rise in revenue, boosted by its acquisition of a manufacturing plant at Pokeno, and further improvement in the fledgling US market.

“We continue to execute our growth strategy with a focus on maximising opportunities in China infant milk formula, adjacent categories and new markets,” chief executive David Bortolussi said.

“Infant milk formula remains central to our growth strategy and continues to outperform the China market, delivering 13.6 percent year-on-year revenue growth.”

Bortolussi said English label IMF sales were significantly stronger through on-line retail platforms, while there had been a stabilisation of the once important daigou channels – sales by third parties of A2 IMF.

Fresh milk sales improved in Australia and the United States, while the company looked to diversify with new nutritional products.

“Recently launched kids and seniors nutrition products have accelerated our growth in other nutritionals, strengthening our position in these growing and exciting categories.”

Bortolussi said the US operation was close to break even after posting initial big losses and the company hoped to get approval from the Food and Drug Administration to sell infant formula in the US.

He said the Pokeno manufacturing plant acquired last year was securing and diversifying its supply chain last year, and the company was shifting more production to the plant from Synlait Milk’s Canterbury plant.

Bigger sales and profits

Looking forward A2 expected double digit revenue growth, with a full year profit ahead of last year’s $202.9m.

“Our upgraded outlook means we are now on track to achieve our $2 billion medium term sales ambition in FY26, a full year ahead of plan,” Bortolussi said.

The company increased its interim dividend and reaffirmed plans for a $300m special dividend from its $897m cash holdings.

Forsyth Barr senior analyst Matt Montgomerie said the result was strong and better than analysts had been expecting, and noted the company had a track record of exceeding it forecasts.

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

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Hutt Valley, flooding

Source: New Zealand Police

Motorists across the greater Wellington area, and particularly through the Hutt Valley, are advised to stay off the roads where possible due to heavy rainfall and flooding.

There is flooding across a number of areas.

If you must travel, please slow down and be prepared for surface flooding or obstructions on the road.

Anyone travelling should check NZTA’s Journey Planner website for the latest road conditions before heading out.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

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First kākāpō chick in four years hatches on Valentine’s Day

Source: NZ Department of Conservation

Date:  16 February 2026

Kākāpō Yasmine hatched an egg fostered from kākāpō Tīwhiri on Valentine’s Day, bringing the total number of kākāpō to 237 – though it won’t be officially added to the population until it fledges.

DOC Operations Manager for kākāpō/takahē Deidre Vercoe says the first chick of the breeding season is an exciting moment on the long road to recovery for this critically endangered species.

“These exceptionally rare taonga only breed every 2–4 years, so it’s a long time between chicks. We have more breeding-age birds than ever before this season, so we’re anticipating many more chicks to come.”

Deidre says fostering eggs and chicks between different kākāpō mums is one way to improve nest success rates.

“Kākāpō mums typically have the best outcomes when raising a maximum of two chicks. Biological mum Tīwhiri has four fertile eggs this season already, while Yasmine, an experienced foster mum, had no fertile eggs.”

Kākāpō face a range of challenges with low hatching success being a key obstacle. So far this season there are 187 eggs, and 74 of them are fertile. Of those, not all will hatch, and not all chicks will survive through to fledging.

“The kākāpō population was once down to just 51 birds which created a genetic bottleneck we are still managing today,” says Deidre.

“Kākāpō are one of the most intensively managed species in the world and while numbers are still so low, the breeding season requires a lot of intervention.

“Priority goes to the eggs and chicks that are less well-represented across the gene pool, and we have a more hands-off approach with those that are well represented. This approach helps us answer questions around what a natural breeding season might look like one day.”

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu representative on the Kākāpō Recovery Group Tāne Davis says the hatching of the first kākāpō chick of the season on Pukenui Anchor Island is a welcome milestone of special significance to Ngāi Tahu.

“Pukenui Anchor Island serves an important purpose in accommodating the growing numbers of not only kākāpō but other critically endangered taonga species.

“While it is wonderful to see the manu thriving on this island due to its predator free status, we need to continue our collective efforts to create other safe havens for the chicks of the future.

“One of our future aspirations through Predator Free Rakiura is to return the kākāpō back to its original home,” Tāne says.

Until that happens, the best way for people to see a kākāpō is Kākāpō Cam, a live camera streaming from the nest of a female named Rakiura, on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island.

The camera was first trialled in 2022, and Deidre Vercoe says the team is thrilled to have it up again for breeding season.

“Kākāpō cam is a great way for people to see conservation in real time and do their own little bit of naturing from their home, office or wherever in the world they might be,” she says.

Rakiura is currently sitting on two eggs, and all going well, her first egg is due to hatch in about a week, which could mark a world first opportunity for viewers to watch a chick from one of New Zealand’s most elusive species hatch, live in its nest.

The Kākāpō Recovery Programme has been supported since 2016 by National Partner Meridian Energy.

Meridian Energy CEO Mike Roan says it’s a privilege to stand alongside the Department of Conservation during this remarkable period of growth.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to welcome the first kākāpō chick, beginning what we hope will be a bumper breeding season. Every chick is a milestone for the species, and we’re excited to play a part in helping these incredible birds thrive for generations to come.”

Background information

Since 1995, DOC’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme and Ngāi Tahu have worked together to rebuild the population from just 51 manu (31 males, 20 females) and we’ve supported the species through 12 breeding seasons, reaching a population high in 2022 of 252. 

This breeding season is the 13th season in 30 years of the programme. This is because kākāpō only breed once every two to four years. The only known breeding trigger for kākāpō is the mast (mass fruiting) of the rimu tree, which last occurred in 2022.

There are 236 adult kākāpō alive today and each wears a small backpack radio transmitter to help track their location and monitor their activity levels.

There are three breeding populations, on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island near Rakiura, and Fiordland’s Pukenui/Anchor Island and Te Kāhaku/Chalky Island.

Contact

For media enquiries contact:

Email: media@doc.govt.nz

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Contact Energy net profit up 44 percent to $205 million in six months to December

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Nate McKinnon

Contact Energy’s half-year profit is up 44 percent, despite a 5 percent dip in revenue.

The company has made a first half net profit $205 million in the six months ended December, with underlying profit up 24 percent to half a billion dollars ($500m).

Contact was also in a trading halt until Tuesday, as it looked to raise $525m to advance investment into new battery, solar and geothermal developments.

Key numbers for the six months ended December 2025 compared with a year earlier:

  • Net profit $205.0 vs $142.4m
  • Revenue $1.62b vs $1.71b
  • Underlying profit $500m vs $404m
  • Interim dividend 16 cents a share vs 16 cps

Contact said the improved underlying profit result was driven by a significant lift in renewable generation, with an output of 97 percent renewable energy in the first half (1H26).

“1H26 was transformational, with the completion of the Manawa acquisition and the welcoming of its people and assets to Contact,” Fuge said, referring to last year’s near $2b takeover of the generation company.

“The strong performance of the combined entity set us up well for the year ahead as we take significant steps to execute the Contact31+ strategy.”

As part of that strategy, the company’s planned to raise $525m* with potential to increase its renewable energy generation.

This included funding for development of a Tauhara 2 steamfield, the Glenbrook battery 2.0 and its investment in the Glorit solar farm.

The proceeds were also expected to accelerate development pipeline opportunities.

“We already we have plans for another $2.4b of renewable energy projects, and we will continue to invest in building this country.”

Fuge said the company was expanding to meet future demand.

“Contact is taking significant steps to ensure its readiness to support New Zealand’s growing electricity demand, with 3-5TWh (terawatt hours) of new grid demand expected in the next five years,” Fuge said.

“We’re investing in the infrastructure required to support a more renewable, resilient and affordable energy future for New Zealand.

“I think New Zealand can be incredibly proud of where they’ve got to on the renewable energy transition,” Fuge said.

“And I think for the country, the most important thing is that we continue to build the infrastructure that keeps this country resilient, and as well as that, we look to decarbonise those areas of the economy which are nowhere near 50 percent renewable yet.

“And I think that’s where we now have to turn our focus – really focus on the big things that kind of make a real difference, rather than the last 2 or 3 percent.”

Offers to buy the rest of King Country Energy

Contact also separately announced it had made an offer to purchase the remaining 25 percent of King Country Energy from King Country Trust for $47m, which would give it full ownership if the the regional generator. The payment would be made by way of a new issue of Contact shares to the Trust.

Contact expected to make a full year underlying profit of $965m, with a full year dividend of 40 cents per share.

*Capital raise details

Contact planned to raise $450m with an issue of about 51.4m of new ordinary shares, representing about 5.2 percent of current issued capital, at a placement price of $8.75 per new share, which represented a discount of 7.2 percent of the last traded price, excluding the dividend.

Retail Offer

Contact intended to raise $75m through a non-underwritten retail offer of new shares to eligible existing shareholders in New Zealand and Australia, with the ability to scale applications, or accept over subscriptions at Contact’s.

The new shares to be issued at the lower of the placement price or a 2.5 percent discount to the five-day volume Weighted Average Price over the five-trading day period ending on the 6 March closing date of the offer.

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Live: Labour leader Chris Hipkins takes questions in Auckland

Source: Radio New Zealand

Labour leader Chris Hipkins is in Auckland and taking questions on the news of the day including the severe weather and the Prime Minister’s announcement of a State of Origin game at Eden Park.

More to come…

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File photo. Labour leader Chris Hipkins Samuel Rillstone

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The ultimate super-mum: Ruahine the kōkako defies age in the Hūnua Ranges

Source: Auckland Council

In human years she wouldn’t quite qualify for a Gold Card but in kōkako years, Ruahine is a living legend.

At around 21 years of age, Ruahine is believed to be the oldest known active breeding female kōkako in New Zealand and this season she’s once again doing what she’s done best for decades: raising chicks in the Hūnua Ranges. Two fledglings currently trail closely behind her and her long-term mate, a quiet but powerful symbol of how far kōkako conservation has come.

Ruahine was translocated to Hūnua in 2006 as an adult bird of unknown age from Māpara, making her at least 21 today, although she could be older; a remarkable achievement for a species that was once perilously close to disappearing from the ranges altogether.

Principal Ranger and lead of the Hūnua Kōkako Restoration Project Miranda Bennett says that when Ruahine arrived, Hūnua would have looked very different through kōkako eyes.

“There were just 23 adult kōkako in the entire ranges, all descended from a single remaining matriarch. Ruahine is part of the generation that helped turn that around.”

She was one of 14 Māpara kōkako brought in to boost both numbers and genetic diversity. Settling in the area known as Flat Bush – not flat, but flatter than most of Hūnua – Ruahine first paired with a Māpara male, Taranga. After his disappearance around 2010, she partnered with a local male and has held the same territory ever since. Whether it’s been the same male all these years remains one of Hūnua’s quieter mysteries.

Ruahine’s contribution goes well beyond longevity. More than ten of her chicks, banded as nestlings, have gone on to join the breeding population. In 2012, she also played a starring role in a conservation first, becoming the only kōkako to successfully foster eggs transferred between sites, from Tiritiri Matangi to Hūnua.

“That egg transfer was incredibly delicate work,” says Bennett.

“Ruahine sat patiently on plasticine eggs for a full day while her own eggs were relocated, before the Tiritiri eggs were flown in and placed under her. It worked and it’s still the only successful kōkako egg swap of its kind.”

Today, Ruahine and her mate are surrounded by more than 250 kōkako pairs across the ranges, a powerful indicator of sustained pest control, habitat protection and long-term commitment.

Councillor Richard Hills says success belongs to many hands.

“Auckland Council has proudly supported this mahi for decades, working alongside mana whenua, community groups and ecologists to restore the mauri of the Hūnua Ranges.

“Ruahine’s story shows what’s possible when we invest in nature for the long term.”

For mana whenua, kōkako are taonga; their return restoring not just biodiversity, but whakapapa connections to the ngahere.

And Ruahine?

She’s still out there, still singing, still raising the next generation. Not bad for an ‘old bird’ who’s nowhere near done yet.

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World champion Luca Harrington qualifies for big air final

Source: Radio New Zealand

Luca Harrington of New Zealand at the Winter Olympics, 2026. www.photosport.nz

Wānaka freeskier Luca Harrington has qualified for the final of the big air at the Winter Olympics.

Harrington finished fifth after three rounds of qualifying, with the top 12 from the 29 entrants progressing through to Wednesday’s final.

The 2025 big air world champion was in 12th place after the first run with a score of 84.25 after completing a right double cork 1440 and back with a 1260 with safety grab.

The 21-year-old followed that up with a switch right triple cork 1800 with a two handed grab in his second run to score 92.00 and move up to fifth overall.

He then finished with a right-side triple cork 1980 safety grab in his third run to score 87.75.

His combined two best runs scored 179.75 while American Mac Forehand finished top with 183.00.

“Felt really good, came in with a plan and executed the plan,” Harrington told Sky Sports afterwards.

“I’ve been really working hard on that first trick I put down and it didn’t get rewarded the way I wanted it to. It’s been one of the hardest tricks I’ve ever worked through so that was a bit of a shame to see.”

Harrington admitted his bronze in the slopestyle last week did affect him.

“It was hard to mentally get back into the swing of things and focus up to work my hardest in big air, but by the third night of training I was feeling really good again.

“No matter how this goes I’m just so honoured to be here and hopefully put down a good show in finals as well.”

Fellow New Zealanders Ben Barclay finished 19th and Lucas Ball 24th in qualifying.

Earlier on Monday Queenstown skier Alice Robinson finished eighth in the giant slalom.

And Dane Menzies and Zoi Sadowski-Synnot topped their respective snowboarding slopestyle qualifying.

The women’s slopestyle final is scheduled for 1am Wednesday morning (NZT) with the men’s on Thursday at 12:30am (NZT).

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All Blacks Du’Plessis Kirifi and Jordie Barrett to captain Hurricanes

Source: Radio New Zealand

Du’Plessis Kirifi of New Zealand celebrates his try, New Zealand All Blacks v France. Brett Phibbs/www.photosport.nz

The Hurricanes have named All Blacks Du’Plessis Kirifi and Jordie Barrett as co-captains for the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season.

It marks the first time that Barrett has been named in a captaincy role at the Hurricanes, adding to his leadership credentials as All Blacks vice-captain.

Kirifi, who has picked up an injury in training and is set to miss the Hurricanes opening match of the season against Moana Pasifika on Friday night, returns to the role after he was named as a Hurricanes co-captain for the first time last season.

“It’s a great honour to be backed by the coaches and playing group to co-captain the side alongside Du’Plessis this season,” Barrett said.

“Playing for the Hurricanes has always meant a lot to me and I’m confident we have the squad to have a successful season. We have a great group of leaders who I know will support Du’Plessis and I throughout the season, and we can’t wait for the competition to begin.”

Jordie Barrett dives over but the try is disallowed. Wallabies v New Zealand All Blacks, 2024 Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup test match, Accor Stadium, NSW, Australia, Saturday 21st September 2024, Copyright David Neilson / www.photosport.nz David Neilson

Kirifi is looking forward to captaining the team alongside his fellow former St Francis Douglas Memorial College student.

“Leading the Hurricanes alongside Jordie is not only an honour, but extremely humbling. The love I have for this team, the region, and its people is immense, and I’m excited for the challenge that’s in front of us and what we can do together.

“O le ala i le pule o le tautua. The pathway to leadership is through service. We can’t wait to serve this team and its people to the best of our abilities.”

Barrett, 28, first played for the Hurricanes against the Sunwolves in 2017 and has made 111 appearances and scored 794 points for the club.

Kirifi, also 28, made a try-scoring debut against the Waratahs in 2019 and has since become a mainstay in the Hurricanes squad, featuring in 93 matches.

“The co-captains are an exciting pair,” Hurricanes head coach Clark Laidlaw said.

“They are two outstanding professionals, Hurricane men through and through, who are super competitive around their performance. They connect really well across the team on and off the field, and they bring a different lens to our environment.”

Together, Kirifi and Barrett head a five-man leadership group known as Ngā Kaitiaki, alongside last year’s co-captains Brad Shields, Asafo Aumua and Billy Proctor.

“We feel Ngā Kaitiaki needs to lead the club between the five of them. With Jordie and Dupes as the co-captains, we believe it’s a really strong leadership model,” Laidlaw said.

“We’re all working well together behind-the-scenes in pre-season to drive the group forward. Jordie’s come back in with a real enthusiasm after being away, and Dupes is quite similar, apart from picking up a little niggle in pre-season.

“He came back early from his All Blacks rest and was training particularly well, so once Dupes is fit again and they’re both on the field and leading the team, it will be exciting. We’re looking forward to it.”

The Hurricanes open their 2026 Super Rugby Pacific campaign against Moana Pasifika in Wellington on Friday night.

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