Category: Sport

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Black Sticks men have won their series against Japan after a 4-3 victory in the third and deciding game.

Japan had won the opening game 5-2, with New Zealand taking the second 5-1.

The deciding game in Hamilton wasn’t decided until late in the game with both sides showing plenty of intent to attack.

Sam Lane and Nic Woods both scored from penalty corners to give the home side a 2-1 lead at half time.

Japan then levelled just after the break before New Zealand scored one of the goals of the series as Dylan Thomas drove the ball into the circle which Sam Lane finished off at the back post.

The visitors were level again late in the third quarter, setting up a tense final 15 minutes with everything still to play for.

The game was decided by Kane Russell who showed his prowess at penalty corners by firing an unstoppable flick into the top of the goal in the 50th minute.

While the series is decided, the two teams will meet once more in an additional test match on Wednesday.

The Black Sticks men and women will both play in World Cups this year.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Taranaki’s surfing community, -the only region in New Zealand to have previously hosted the globe’s elite surf competition, is stoked for its Raglan cousins who will hold a combined men’s and women’s World Surf League event in May.

The Women’s Championship Tours stopped at Fitzroy Beach in New Plymouth between 2010 and 2013 sparking a surge of interest in the sport – particularly women’s surfing.

Craig Williamson was event director for the Taranaki Surf Festival which included what was then the ASP Women’s Dream Tour.

Reflecting on the groundbreaking event ahead of the World Surf League coming to Raglan, the Surfing Taranaki chief executive said the idea was to give a local favourite a leg up.

“Paige Hareb had just qualified for the world tour, the first New Zealand female to ever do so. She was young at the time.

“So, that was a huge deal for surfing in New Zealand and in Taranaki and we thought that perhaps we could pull something together here and give her a home town advantage.”

Williamson said the festival – which was pulled off with the help of 60 community partners – had left a lasting impression.

“It was incredibly inspiring for young surfers all around the country. I bump into people who are young adults now a lot of them and they are still surfing and they talk about what an effect it had on them to actually see the world best here.”

He said the impact of the visiting athletes went beyond what they demonstrated in the surf.

“I remember vividly when we had Bethany Hamilton, the Hawaiian who’d lost her arm in a shark attack, speaking to like a whole classroom, a whole group of youngsters – mostly young girls.

“I’m sure they remember that and it had an impact on them, you know, in terms of what you can do in spite of obstacles that can be put in you’re way.”

Now based in Australia, Paige Hareb remembered the competition fondly.

“Yeah it was pretty cool. At the time I and probably didn’t realise how good I had it, but yeah looking back now it was definitely a special moment to be able to surf in front of friends and family in your home breaks and show it off to all the other girls and the rest of the world is pretty special.”

She said the New Zealand stop was popular with her fellow competitors.

“Everyone loved it. I know there was a lot of hype about it before they even went there and I think the worst part of it was that it was maybe too cold for them some days, but we got really good surf and everyone loved it the sea and the mountain I guess is pretty spectacular for anyone who doesn’t live there.,

She saw evidence of the Taranaki Surf Festival’s legacy every time she comes home.

“When I was growing up I was one of the only girls in the water and now I go home and there’s at least one other girl out every time I surf there, so yeah, there’s definitely a lot more females into surfing and out in the water which is cool to see.”

Hareb – who would compete for a wildcard into the Raglan competition – expected the Waikato settlement to be pumping during the 10-day event window.

Bruce Gatwood-Cook was media manager for the Taranaki Surf Festival.

A member of the New Plymouth Surfriders Club for about 20 years, he said the audience for WSL events was mammoth.

“It’d be in the millions of the reach we’d be getting because we provided packages to sports networks in Australia and America, Hawaii, South Africa to Europe.

“So, it would be impossible to quantify exactly how many people we reached, but we were reaching a global audience.”

He said WSL events were a marketer’s dream.

“At the same time as livestreaming footage of the heats and highlights of the heats, we also provided b-roll of mountain shots and scenics of the arena.

“So, typically as you see with sporting events like that they’ll have cutaways of the beach and local mountains and scenics like that of the country which really help destinations.”

As a surfer himself, Gatwood-Cook was also taken with the impact the surfers had with fans.

“We just had throngs of young girls idolising Paige Hareb let alone all the other superstars on the women’s circuit and it really created an aspiration for them that I could be that person and I could do that and also seeing how they surfed giving them inspiration to surf like that.”

Meanwhile, Izaro Williamson Sasia was a just a toddler when her dad ran the Taranaki Surf Festival.

Now a national under 18 and women’s longboard titleholder, she was stoked the world’s best surfers were returning to New Zealand.

“I don’t have any memories of it when it was here in Taranaki because I was only little, but I just can’t wait it would be such a cool experience to see it live and it’s been something I’ve always wanted to do, so I can’t wait. Like there’s no way I’m not going.”

The New Zealand Pro, which had attracted government major events funding, would run from the 15t-25 May at Manu Bay, Raglan.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A former Olympic rower is hoping there is some honour among thieves after his gold medal was stolen from his Christchurch home while he was away for the weekend.

Les O’Connell won the medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, rowing in the men’s coxless four, and was appealing to whoever pinched it to give it back undamaged.

He said the medal was gold coated but was largely made of silver.

O’Connell’s home was robbed over the weekend, with thieves stealing a vehicle full of work tools, as well as entering the house and rifling through his belongings.

He was yet to return home after the robbery and did not yet know the extent of what had been stolen

However, he told Checkpoint that no loss was stinging harder than the medal.

“All those other items, that’s what they are, they’re just pure items that can be replaced, this can’t.”

“All of that pale’s comparison to the gold medal.”

O’Connell said the years of work he put in prior to getting the medal was part of what had made the loss hit even harder.

“It’s something I’m not going to win again and it’s a whole process. You know, I was a world champion for two years before the Olympics, so it was a whole build-up to winning a gold medal… it was hard fought.”

Despite having championship medals displayed in his home, it was only the Olympic medal that had been hidden that was stolen.

“I had those in frame, I had this one hidden purely because I didn’t want it hanging on the wall and I didn’t want it stolen. So we hid it behind some books on a bookcase.

“I’ve been told that all the drawers have been opened and that sort of thing. So, yeah, they’ve had a good look around.”

O’Connell said he doesn’t believe the thieves knew what they had found initially and is now worried they might think the medal is worth more than it actually is.

“As time goes on, they’ll probably look at them and think, well, you know, what do we do with this?

“What scares me the most is that they might go and do something stupid like try and melt it down or disfigure it or something like that, which really destroys the whole thing.

“I don’t know what the monetary value is, it never had a value, but it’s more of a collector’s item.”

O’Connell was holding out hope that the thieves would see some sense and return the medal back to its home.

“If they could put it somewhere and let someone know or phone into something and say, it’s here. Even if they just hide it somewhere and later on they let someone know… even post it back somewhere.

“I just don’t want it disfigured or thrown away and lost forever.”

New Zealand Police have been contacted for comment.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Glasgow Commonwealth Games is now on the radar for New Zealand running sensation Sam Ruthe.

The athletics world is coming to terms with the 16-year-old who on Sunday became the youngest athlete to ever run a mile quicker than 3 minutes and 50 seconds and in doing so eclipsed the New Zealand record by Sir John Walker.

Ruthe ran 3m 48.88s at the John Thomas Terrier Indoor Classic in Boston, while Walker set his record of 3m 49.08s in 1982 outdoors at Oslo.

“Absolutely,” said Ruthe’s father Ben Ruthe, when asked if competing at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in July was on the cards.

Ben Ruthe had the option of competing at the Commonwealth Games or the World Junior Championships this year and Ben said with his son still eligible to run the worlds again, the Commonwealth Games is a preference.

Ruthe’s grandmother Rosemary Wright won the Commonwealth Games 800m gold medal running for Scotland in Edinburgh in 1970.

“It would be really, really special,” Ben Ruthe said. “Sam would love to do that for his nan as well”.

The time Ruthe completed in Boston qualified him for the Commonwealth Games.

Coach Craig Kirkwood admitted they didn’t originally consider the Commonwealth Games at the start of the year because of the qualifying standards, but that had now changed.

“Yeh I think so, we’ll be revisiting our plan for the year in the next couple of weeks.”

Kirkwood said he was stunned with Ruthe’s run in Boston.

“Disbelief, just shocked at how fast he was moving and how good he looked doing it.

“It is very encouraging and I can’t wait to see what he does next.”

Ruthe’s was scheduled to race in a field that includes Olympic champion Cole Hocker of the United States in North Carolina in a fortnight.

Kirkwood doesn’t see an issue with the athletes Ruthe’s will come up against as the teenager doesn’t have any anxiety when preparing for races.

“He doesn’t get too excited about the events and doesn’t get nervous or worry about who he is lining up against.

“He’s always very calm and very measured, which is fantastic.”

Kirkwood was also delighted with how Ruthe’s tactically ran the race in Boston as it was his first ever indoor event.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Wellington Phoenix women are up to second in the A-League after an historic victory in Australia.

The Phoenix crushed the Jets 5-1 in Newcastle, recording their biggest ever road win.

It’s their maiden win in Newcastle and forward Pia Vlok, who bagged three goals, is the first Phoenix player to score a hat-trick in the A-League.

Midfielder Emma Pijnenburg and defender Ellie Walker also scored their first goals for the club.

“That’s a lot of firsts,” Phoenix head coach Bev Priestman said post-match.

“I challenge the group to be pioneers and go and do firsts for this club. We knew what tonight meant and I’m really happy and over the moon with the overall performance.

“We just keep building. You can start to see the consistency that’s starting to come to life in the team with the players that are now available.”

The result puts them two points behind league leaders Melbourne City.

From 12 games the Phoenix have won six, drawn three and lost three.

At 17 years and 150 days Vlok is also the second youngest player to score a hat-trick in the competition’s history.

“From the minute she walked through the door we’ve seen what you saw tonight every day in training, and I think that’s the difference,” Priestman said.

“She’s got a really bright future. We’ve got to protect her a little bit and make sure she’s fulfilling her potential, but she’s a top player and well-liked by the group.”

Priestman made one change to the XI which started last Sunday’s 3-1 win over Adelaide United, with Manaia Elliott replacing Lara Wall at left wingback.

The Phoenix play Perth in Wellington on Waitangi Day.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Black Ferns Sevens have taken the outright lead in the World Series after winning the Singapore tournament.

The All Blacks Sevens finished third in Singapore.

The Ferns were dominant in the tournament beating rivals Australia 36-7 in the final after scoring a 44-7 win over the USA in the semi-finals.

New Zealand and Australia had met in the previous two finals this season with New Zealand winning in Dubai and Australia winning in Cape Town.

Jazmin Felix-Hotham and Jorja Miller scored two tries each in the final with Mahina Paul and Katelyn Vahaakolo getting the other two.

Miller was named the player of the final.

“I’m so stoked and proud of the girls. It’s been an awesome atmosphere in a beautiful city,” Miller said

Captain Risi Pouri-Lane was proud of all her players.

“Every single one of the girls stepped up this weekend. I’m so proud of them and really stoked for the team. Defence is best part of the game but we’ve got another tournament in Perth next weekend. Things can change quickly, but we want to do it all over again.”

New Zealand lead the championships with 58 points, while Australia have 56.

In the men’s competition New Zealand was beaten 21-14 by Fiji in the semi-finals with Fiji going on to beat France 21-12 in the final.

The All Blacks Sevens beat South Africa 14-12 in the play-off for third.

Fiji top the men’s championship standings with 52 points, New Zealand is second with 48.

The next round is in Perth this week.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

England whiteball captain Harry Brook has admitted he lied about being on his own, when he was hit by a nightclub bouncer in Wellington on their New Zealand tour in November.

Brook, 26, told media last week he was alone, when he went to a nightclub on the night of 1 November, the eve of their one-day match against New Zealand in the capital.

He has now acknowledged other team-mates were present at the nightclub.

The Daily Telegraph had reported Brook, Jacob Bethell and Josh Tongue were at the nightclub.

“I accept responsibility for my actions in Wellington and acknowledge others were present that evening,” Brook said.

“I regret my previous comments and my intention was to protect my teammates from being drawn into a situation that arose as a result of my own decisions.

“I have apologised and will continue to reflect on the matter. This has been a challenging period in my career, but one from which I am learning.

“I recognise I have more to learn regarding the off-field responsibilities that come with leadership and captaincy. I remain committed to developing in this area, and to improving both personally and professionally.”

The New Zealand tour was Brook’s first as captain of England’s whiteball side. They lost the match in Wellington.

Brook was fined £30,000 (NZ$70,000) and given a final warning, after he reported the incident to team management, but that only came to light publicly about two months later, after the Ashes series, which Australia won 4-1.

In an interview with BBC Sport last week, Brook said some players had gone with him to get some food in Wellington.

“I took it upon myself to go out for a few more and I was on my own there. I shouldn’t have been there.

“I was trying to get into a club and the bouncer just clocked me, unfortunately. I wouldn’t say I was absolutely leathered – I’d had one too many drinks.”

The Daily Telegraph reported the cricket regulator was preparing a report, after receiving paperwork on Brook, Bethell and Tongue from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) last week. It said Bethell and Tongue had also already been fined by the ECB.

The regulator was able to fine or suspend players for disciplinary offences.

When he apologised to the England team and fans last week, Brook rejected suggestions the side had a drinking culture.

There had been criticism on the Ashes tour, when a video surfaced of opener Ben Duckett apparently drunk during the team’s mid-tour break in Noosa.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Mitch Evans has negotiated wet weather with aplomb to win the Formula E round in Miami, while fellow-Kiwi driver Nick Cassidy has retained the series lead.

Evans kept his Jaguar in front of Porsche’s Nico Müller and Pascal Wehrlein and 17 other rivals in the 41-lap race.

Without a point in the first two rounds, Evans produced an exceptional drive from ninth on the grid, taking advantage of a number of problems besetting cars in front of him.

A clever passing move on the 27th lap took Evans past German Müller in the key moment of the race, with the New Zealander eventually winning by 3.1 seconds.

It was his 15th career win in the class.

Despite a non-score in 16th, Mexico City winner Cassidy still leads the drivers standings for Citroen, two points ahead of Wehrlein’s 38.

The next round is in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in late February.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

In-form New Zealand cyclist Ally Wollaston has powered to victory at the Great Ocean Race in Victoria, defending her title in emphatic style.

Wollaston became the first person – man or woman – to go back-to-back at the World Tour near Melbourne, timing her sprint to perfection for her FDJ-United Suez team.

It follows on from her brilliant display at last month’s Tour Down Under in Adelaide, where she won the first two sprint stages to lead overall going into the final stage, before finishing down the field.

The 25-year-old struggled on some of the race’s climbs on Saturday but managed to chase back to the pack.

She said her teammates played a key part in setting her up for the sprint.

“Amazing. So I owe it to my teammates today, if they weren’t there, there’s no way I would have gone back,” Wollaston said.

“After Tour Down Under, I struggled a little bit with sickness… so, yeah, I wasn’t hugely confident going into today. I had no idea whether that day would be today or not.

“And the first lap, I said to the girls, ‘I’m really struggling.’ So they just kept me grounded, and I had a few tough words in my race radio saying that I could do it. The belief was pretty strong from the team today.”

Wollaston’s winning time was just under four hours, seeing off British runner-up Josie Nelson and Spaniard Mireia Benito in the dash to the line.

“It’s amazing. It’s a real dream start to the season,” said Wollaston.

“And I think every year, you want to do better than the last, and I’ve already started this year better than last year. So, yeah, it’s a really dream start, and I’m so looking forward to carrying this momentum into the rest of the season.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Follow all the action as Alexander Volkanovski takes on Diego Lopes for the UFC featherweight chamionship at UFC 325 in Sydney.

The card features two fighters from New Zealand, co-main Dan ‘the Hangman’ Hooker and Lawrence Lui in the early pre-lims.

Aaron Tau, who was scheduled to take on Mongolian Namsrai Baybayar, will not get the chance to fight for a UFC contract after weighing in above the flyweight limit.

Early pre-lims start around 11am NZT.

UFC 325 Main Card

• Alexander Volkanovski (c) v Diego Lopes for the UFC featherweight championship
• Dan Hooker vs. Benoit Saint Denis at Lightweight
• Rafael Fiziev vs. Mauricio Ruffy at Lightweight
• Tai Tuivasa vs. Tallison Teixeira at Heavyweight
• Quillan Salkilld vs. Jamie Mullarkey at Lightweight

Prelims

• Junior Tafa vs. Billy Elekana at Light Heavyweight
• Cam Rowston vs. Cody Brundage at Middleweight
• Jacob Malkoun vs. Torrez Finney at Middleweight
• Jonathan Micallef vs. Oban Elliott at Welterweight

Early prelims

• Kaan Ofli vs. Yizha at Featherweight
• Kim Sang-wook vs. Dom Mar Fan at Lightweight
• Keiichiro Nakamura vs. Sebastian Szalay at Featherweight
• Lawrence Lui (NZ) vs. Sulangrangbo at Bantamweight

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