Category: Sport

Source: Radio New Zealand

Newcastle Knights fullback and Queensland Origin rep Kalyn Ponga says he is “immensely proud” of his Māori heritage, as he switches rugby league allegiances from Australia to New Zealand.

The International Rugby League Board (IRL) has confirmed it has unanimously approved Ponga’s application to switch eligibility, making the 27-year-old available to play for the Kiwis at this year’s Rugby League World Cup.

It follows a change in eligibility rules making players representing New Zealand or England, who qualify for NSW or Queensland, available for State of Origin selection. A change in allegiance to New Zealand would previously have meant Ponga, who has played for Queensland 10 times, was inelligible for Origin.

In his application to the IRL, Ponga said while he was grateful for the opportunity to represent Australia at a young age, his heart was with New Zealand.

“My connection to New Zealand runs deep through every generation of my family,” he wrote.

“My father, Andre Ponga, was born in Palmerston North, and my mother, Adine Ponga, was born in Wellington. All four of my grandparents were also born in New Zealand.

“My roots, my whakapapa, and my identity are firmly grounded in this country and its people.”

Ponga said he was “immensely proud” of his Māori heritage.

“That pride has only grown stronger with each passing year. I have had the privilege of representing the Māori All Stars on three occasions, and those experiences have only deepened my connection to New Zealand rugby league and to the broader Māori community,” he wrote.

Ponga’s only appearances for Australia, he wrote, were in the Junior Kangaroos and the Rugby League World 9s, in 2019.

“These were appearances I am grateful for; however, upon reflection, they do not reflect where my heart, my heritage, and my deepest sense of belonging truly lie.”

The 2023 Dally M Medallist was born in Western Australia to New Zealand parents, spending time growing up in New Zealand before moving to Queensland.

Ponga, who is of Māori descent, has played for the New Zealand Māori but was not previously eligible to represent the Kiwis. He has never played for the Kangaroos.

In his application, Ponga said he was “committed to contributing at the highest level of the game and representing New Zealand with the saine pride, passion, and dedication I bring to every aspect of my career”.

In 2025, the IRL ruled that Gold Coast Titan AJ Brimson – who also represented Australia in the World Cup 9s in 2019 – could switch allegiances to represent England. He went on to take part in the 2025 Ashes Series against Australia.

In its ruling, the IRL Board said it felt Ponga was being “unfairly restricted” as players who had opted to represent a country at the 9s World Cup had done so based on a different set of circumstances to players who elect for a country through a 13-a-side Senior International Match (SIM).

“While SIMs are continuously played, international 9s competitions are not.”

IRL chair Troy Grant said he was “honoured” to inform Ponga of the decision to approve his application to be eligible for New Zealand.

“The strength of international rugby league is the passion of the players to represent their nations and families, and the aim of the international eligibility rules is to ensure that the best players play for nations that they are eligible to represent.”

New Zealand Rugby League GM of Football and High Performance Motu Tony said the decision reflects Ponga’s “strong desire to represent his whanau and whakapapa on the international stage”.

“Kalyn is a highly talented player and a great addition to our existing player pool, and we’re thrilled he’s chosen to align his international future with the Kiwis.”

Tony said like all players, Ponga will go through the “usual selection process”.

“But we’re excited to potentially see him in the Kiwis jersey as we build towards the World Cup.”

Ponga joins James Fisher-Harris, Leo Thompson and Dylan Brown among other high-profile Kiwis in selection consideration.

‘Rugby league has changed’

The Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) announced the changes to selection rules in March, paving 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 removed 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.

At the time of the announcement, ARLC chairman Peter V’landys 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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Tall Ferns coach Natalie Hurst admits her side needs to handle the pressure a bit better if they’re to get some wins at their World Cup qualifying tournament.

New Zealand was beaten 99-50 by sixth-ranked Spain in their opening game in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

While New Zealand held a brief lead early in the game, Spain were up by 11 at quarter-time, 25 at half time and 41 at three-quarter time.

Spain shot 53 percent from the field, while New Zealand managed just 31, although the Kiwis did out rebound their opponents.

Ella Tofaeono top scored with 12 points, while Sharne Robati had 12 and Tegan Graham nine. Tofaeono and Rebecca Pizzey had seven rebounds each.

All 12 Tall Ferns got time on court including debutants Jade Kirisome, Emma Rogers and Briarley Rogers.

What upset Hurst was turnovers, with Spain scoring 35 of their points off New Zealand mistakes.

“Turnovers killed us from the start of the game and [is] obviously an area we want to clean up,” Hurst said afterwards.

“A different style to what we’re used to, we don’t get to play the European style a lot, Spain are obviously a good team, super athletic and we struggled with that.

“We need to handle the pressure that other teams are going to apply to us.”

Before the tournament the Tall Ferns had targeted other games in their group for wins, knowing that Spain and the United States are world powers in the sport.

“A good first hit out for us, positives for us we win the rebound count, we hung together as a team for 40 minutes and so we have to learn quickly and move on quickly as well,” Hurst said.

New Zealand’s next game is against Italy on Friday. They also play defending world champions the USA, Puerto Rico and Senegal.

The top three teams (excluding the USA who have already qualified) from this six-team tournament will earn spots at the World Cup in Germany in September.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

White Fern Sophie Devine has picked up a $476,000 deal to play for the Welsh Fire in this year’s The Hundred in the UK.

It is the highest price for a women’s player in the history of the competition.

Devine, 36, who recently relinquished the New Zealand captaincy has played in the UK since 2016 and last season played for the Birmingham Phoenix.

Australian Beth Mooney was picked for the same top price by the Trent Rockets.

Their salaries are significantly higher than the previous top wage in the women’s Hundred ($147,000). They are also higher than the highest salaries in the Women’s Big Bash League, and are comparable to the wages on offer at the WPL.

The salary cap in the women’s Hundred has doubled to $2 million per team this year as a direct result of the new private investment in the Hundred, which has seen external investors become owners or co-owners of all eight franchises.

Amelia Kerr was not in the auction as she was pre-signed by the Mumbai Indians London.

The Hundred, matches of which consist of 100 deliveries for each team, starts in July.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Te Paea Selby-Rickit did not see it coming.

Last year the Tactix shooter received a text out of the blue from former ANZ Premiership coach Kiri Wills – now head coach of the Queensland Firebirds. Wills wanted to sound out the former Silver Fern about a move across the Tasman.

“It was in the middle of the ANZ Premiership season, I didn’t expect it but at the end of Tactix season the timing felt right,” Selby-Rickit said.

For Selby-Rickit, further surprises awaited when she arrived at the Firebirds set-up in Brisbane late last year – world-class facilities, intense training, and a level of professionalism she hadn’t experienced before.

Selby-Rickit is among nine current and former Silver Ferns that will feature in Australia’s Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) when it begins this weekend, with the challenge of testing themselves in the world’s toughest netball league drawing a strong Kiwi contingent across the Tasman.

The 34-year-old will play alongside two Silver Ferns at the Firebirds, with Kelly Jackson and Maddy Gordon also making their SSN debuts. The trio are living together in Queensland.

One of the biggest things players notice when they start playing in Australia are the access to resources and quality of the facilities.

“I’ve also been blown away actually by the professionalism, the systems they’ve got in place, you can tell it’s just a really high performance environment and the attention to detail and everything,” Selby-Rickit said.

“The intensity is really high here and the standards are really clear, it’s definitely pushed me but that’s what you want and I’ve been here a couple of months now and I feel like I’m finally starting to get used to it.

“At the same time it still feels fun and connected so I’ve been really impressed and really stoked with how it’s gone so far.”

The experienced goal attack is teaming up with Ugandan goal shoot Mary Cholhok. Standing at 2.0m, Cholhok is the tallest player in the competition and the Firebirds will be wanting to unlock her full potential.

“We’ve been working hard trying to build that connection. I like playing with a tall shooter, I’ve played with tall shooters before with Jhaniele [Fowler-Nembhard] back in my Steel days, and Ellie Bird at Tactix so I’m really excited about how that connection can grow.”

Former Silver Ferns skipper Gina Crampton is also about to enter her first season in the SSN. She had a taste of it in 2024 as a training partner for the Giants.

After taking time away from the court last season to have baby, the specialist wing attack will take up a fulltime role with the NSW Swifts alongside Silver Ferns shooter Grace Nweke.

It was Nweke who essentially forced Netball NZ to revisit its eligibility rules when she joined the Swifts last year. Previously only players plying their trade in the New Zealand competition were eligible for national selection. But when the prolific shooter elected to take up a contract with the Swifts, the national body subsequently loosened their rules, which saw six players apply for and granted exemptions to still be able to play for the Silver Ferns.

The last time Crampton played with Nweke was at the 2023 Netball World Cup in Cape Town, before Crampton made herself unavailable for international netball.

“It’s really nice having someone I know well coming into it but also she’s just such a huge person in the game at the moment and she’s just an amazing player so getting to feed her has been really awesome,” Crampton said.

While players in the SSN have enjoyed pay increases and access to world-class facilities, their counterparts in the ANZ Premiership face a different reality.

This year, players agreed to a 20 percent pay cut after Netball NZ were forced to rein in costs of the competition after their broadcast revenue took a massive hit before the 2025 season.

With no long-term broadcast deal in place beyond 2026, uncertainty continues to hover over the domestic competition.

“I’m sure that Netball New Zealand is doing everything they can to keep the competition running and having something solid back home. You want all the players to be able to get as much support as they can and not having to work on the side as well, that’s what we’d all be aiming for in terms of trying to be an elite environment and getting into that professional space,” Crampton said.

Just how well resourced the SSN is in comparison to New Zealand’s domestic competition, was obvious to Crampton from day one.

“That’s huge, I think there’s not much difference from coach to coach but just the resources and facilities and things that are available is definitely a step up.

“Just having your own changing room at the one stadium that you train at. At the Stars we sort of travelled all round South Auckland training at different venues and things like that.”

Crampton is excited to see how her old New Zealand team-mates go in the league. Cross town Sydney rivals, the Giants, signed former Silver Ferns Whitney Souness and Jane Watson.

“I’m quite close with Jane and excited to see how she goes. I’m sure she’s someone who was probably thinking she was getting near the end of her career and then this opportunity with the Giants showed up so I think it’s awesome to see we’ve got a few Kiwis in the competition and I think it will bring a bit of flair to the league hopefully.”

Watson said playing in the SSN had always been a goal of hers.

“When we had our old trans-Tasman competition, you’d always come over here and get a little bit of a taste of it, that was always something I thought would be amazing to do, I just didn’t think I’d ever get the opportunity to do it,” Watson said.

Watson, who won the ANZ Premiership title with the Tactix last year, said SSN players had what they needed at their finger tips.

“If I compare it to our Tactix facility, there’s definitely a lot more things to offer over here, pretty much everything is in one area but then you’ve got your recovery as well, you’ve got a cafe so you can have your lunch and then come back and do your next session so it’s definitely very well set up over here.”

When it comes to routine and attention to detail, Watson said some things were different.

“The likes of our footwork and agility drills we do at the start of trainings and things, that is one thing that stands out for me.”

Souness was named Giants captain last month and said she was thrilled to have the backing of her new team-mates so soon after joining the franchise.

The former Silver Fern is excited by the new challenge and eager to play against other import players from the likes of England, Jamaica, and South Africa.

“Being part of the ANZ for a long time, you just want to experience that competition and the SSN is obviously a competition we all look up to and getting to play some international players weekly, it challenges our game so it was always something that I looked at as a great opportunity to grow and further my game. It had been something I had been wanting to do for a while,” Souness said.

Souness, who is hoping to force her way back into the Silver Ferns, has played wing attack most of her career, but could also see some time at centre.

“I’m not sure, we’ve got a couple of us in the midcourt that can play both so I feel like it could be either wing attack or centre, I’ve been playing both at the moment so I guess it’s dependent on the combos and the teams we come up against.”

Kiwis playing in 2026 SSN

• *Grace Nweke – NSW Swifts
• *Kelly Jackson – Queensland Firebirds
• *Maddy Gordon – Queensland Firebirds
• *Kate Heffernan – Adelaide Thunderbirds
• *Karin Burger – Sunshine Coast Lightning
• *Whitney Souness – Giants
• Jane Watson – Giants
• Te Paea Selby-Rickit – Queensland Firebirds
• Gina Crampton – NSW Swifts

* Have been granted an exemption

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

With his NZ Warriors linked to a high-profile signing across the Tasman, coach Andrew Webster warns to take the NRL rumour mill with a grain of salt.

Australian media reports the Auckland club has made strong advances on Melbourne Storm wing Will Warbrick, who is off contract this season and looking for a landing place in 2027.

Warbrick, 28, is a former All Blacks Sevens star, who won Olympic silver at Tokyo 2020, before switching codes and bringing up 50 games with the Storm last year. When he debuted for NZ Kiwis in 2024, he effectively became a triple international – he had also played for the NZ Aussie Rules side as a teenager.

Webster usually steers well clear of discussing contract rumours and was clearly in neither-confirm-nor-deny mode at the Warriors’ weekly media session, but also urged caution over such speculation.

“If he were to come here or if it were to eventuate, I would comment more, but at this stage, he’s off contract, as are another 40-50-60 players in the NRL,” he said. “Every player we get tagged to, we just can’t be commenting straight away.”

Often, these rumours are simply a case of managers creating a market for their players by driving up demand. If a player is supposedly talking to one club, he can leverage that to ask more from another.

“I honestly believe most of the time it is, but not all the time,” Webster agreed. “Because I’m in the know, I look at it case by case, and I’ll either laugh or say, ‘Jeez, they’re onto something there’.

“A lot of the time, we’re linked to players that we’re not even close to signing or I get a text message from someone saying, ‘I heard so-and-so is starting tonight’, but no, they’re not.

“I don’t know where it comes from, but sometimes where there’s smoke, there’s fire and sometimes they’re just miles off. Sometimes they’re just trying to pump up the price.”

That same rumour mill has current Warriors co-captain Mitch Barnett landing with the Brisbane Broncos next year, when he leaves the club early and returns across the ditch for family reasons.

The Warbrick signing would make sense for the Warriors, with veteran wing Roger Tuivasa-Sheck also off contract this year.

“Will’s career so far has been awesome, going from rugby and given a shot at rugby league with Melbourne,” Tuivasa-Sheck said. “He’s been awesome.

“I can’t fault how he’s been playing and big ups to him for getting these big-deal chats.

“There’s nothing negative about it. I’ll just stay here and make sure I focus on my footy, and see how it all falls out.”

The former All Black will celebrate his 150th game for the club this week against Canberra Raiders and has been linked with a switch back to rugby union for the proposed R360 rebel tournament, which has now moved its launch back to 2028.

The NRL has threatened a 10-year ban on any player signing for the breakaway competition, and Kangaroos and NSW Origin star Zac Lomax has had to switch to Western Force in Super Rugby Pacific in the meantime.

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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 White Ferns have pulled off another series sweep against Zimbabwe after winning the third and final One Day International in Dunedin by 200 runs.

After winning the toss and electing to bat first, the White Ferns set the visitors 304 to win thanks to a 94-run knock from Maddy Green and 80 runs from opener Amelia Kerr.

Kerr, the captain, then picked up five wickets.

Earlier, the White Ferns won the T20 series 3-0.

Read back on the action:

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Crusaders concede they have not been good enough but are confident they can turn around their disappointing start to the Super Rugby season.

The defending champions have won just one of their first four games with losses to the Highlanders, Brumbies and Blues.

Coach Rob Penney concedes they weren’t up to scratch, but said making wholesale selection changes was not the answer.

“Just a bit of a cohesion issue,” Penney said.

“We’ll fix that through consistent selections and working hard and we’re doing all that.”

That pressure is mounting on the Crusaders and that was evident in training on Tuesday with a couple of players involved in some “push and shove”.

“So there should be,” Penney said when asked if there was tension in the camp.

“It was a really lovely sight to see, actually. It is a reflection of how much it means. The boys aren’t happy with the performances and the outcomes.

“Very proud young men are going to come up against each other, and create a bit of sandpaper from time to time.”

Penney insists morale remains high among the squad and he’s confident they can get their season back on track, starting with a win over the Highlanders on Saturday night in Christchurch.

“No, it’s awesome. The group is really well connected, enjoy each other’s company and are desperate to do well. Yeah, there’s been some hiccups, but they’re not catastrophic and there’s a deep determination to turn this around.”

Last weekend’s 29-13 defeat at Eden Park was a hard watch for Crusaders fans with the visitors giving away multiple turnovers.

Penney concedes their preparation for the Blues game could have been better.

He said the coaches and senior players must help the less experienced members of the squad learn to perform consistently.

“Some of these young men are still finding a way to prepare for football at this level,” Penney said.

“It’s about trying to give those without the experience an opportunity to grow and develop and those with the experience the chance to help to teach them.”

The Crusaders defensive efforts also left a lot to be desired against the Blues and Penney said the players have taken ownership for some individual errors.

“Yeah, they were very courageous. In our review process, it’s not an environment where they’re intimidated to say they’ve made a mistake. It creates a learning opportunity and that’s the way we view it and they’ve been awesome on that front.”

The Crusaders host the Highlanders in Christchurch on Saturday night, their third New Zealand derby of the season.

“As a team, as a group, we’ve got some really good strategies around trying to nullify their strengths and expose our strengths as often as we can,” Penney said.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Three of the biggest stars of USA women’s basketball share something special with a trio of inexperienced New Zealanders.

Jade Kirisome and cousins Emma and Briarley Rogers will make their debut for the Tall Ferns in Puerto Rico this week as New Zealand attempts to qualify for this year’s Basketball World Cup.

On the opposite side of the court WNBA stars Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese are also in line to make their senior national team debuts for USA at the six-team tournament.

While New Zealand’s newbies shone in the domestic competition Tauihi, which is broadcast internationally, Clark, Bueckers and Reese are a different level of recognisable for hoops fans around the world.

Regardless of where they come from, the stadiums they normally play in, or the domestic accolades they already have, all players are bound to feel a few butterflies when they pull on their national team kit for the first time on the world stage.

Just getting the call from coach Nat Hurst that she had made the team was nervous moment for Emma Rogers who was named Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa’s Most Improved and Youth Player of the Year last year.

“Literally my hands were shaking, and my hands were sweating so much but was just really excited,” she said.

For Clark, who plays for the Indiana Fever, the opportunity to be back on court after an eight month injury lay-off added to her emotions.

“I don’t want to call it nerves but excitement to play,” Clark told American media this week.

“This is a really cool opportunity. If you don’t feel that way, then you probably don’t care enough.”

USA are the reigning world champions and have already booked their place at September’s global showpiece in Germany, so the qualification tournament is an opportunity to build connections between a group that does not play together often.

In stark contrast the Tall Ferns need to build on-court chemistry and win.

With 18 games for the Tall Ferns captain Tayla Dalton is the most experienced player on the youthful roster that is missing players with American college commitments and injury.

Dalton has seen veteran players leave after the last Olympic cycle and is now helping to guide the new talent like Kirisome and Rogers.

“Everyone has their own journey to make it to this level and it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go from high school to America for college and then here, or it doesn’t mean you have to play WNBL.

“You can play in Tauihi, you can play from high school. There’s so many different pathways.”

While some thought New Zealand had been dealt a bad hand by landing in the qualification group that included the world champs and world number six Spain alongside Senegal, Italy and hosts Puerto Rico, Dalton had a different view.

“When the pool first got announced I had so many people sending it to me going, ‘oh my goodness you guys got ripped off’ or ‘you’re in the hardest pool’.

“But I honestly was just so excited, it’s not every day you get to play USA, the last time the Tall Ferns played them was over 15 years ago.

“And Spain, these are some of the best players in the world and this is why you play, because you want to compete against the best.

“And then personally, quite selfishly, I was on the team that lost to Puerto Rico on the buzzer beater to get to the Paris Olympics, so to get to have them in our pool and play against them in their home country, I think it would be pretty cool to win that game back.”

The top three teams from the tournament will go to the World Cup, but with USA already locked in, the fourth of the six teams should also get their ticket punched.

With five games in seven days Dalton said they would need to be strategic in San Juan.

“That’s the thing with these FIBA tournaments, they’re pretty full on, pretty heavy load on the body and very quick turnaround.

“So that’s why we’re just making sure all 12 girls are ready to go, because at any moment, anyone’s number’s going to be called up.

“I think we’re very realistic, we’ve got three target games in particular.

“USA and Spain, if we’re being very honest, these are two of the best teams in the world and we’ll get out there and we’re not competing to come close, we’re competing to win against all five teams.

“But there might be a couple games where we really rotate everyone through.”

The Tall Ferns first game of the World Cup qualification is on Thursday at 7am (NZT).

The Tall Ferns squad

• Tayla Dalton (Tauranga Whai), 18 games
• Tegan Graham (Perth Lynx), 3 games
• Pahlyss Hokianga (Tokomanawa Queens & University of Portland), 13 games
• Jade Kirisome (Tauranga Whai), debutant
• Rebecca Pizzey (Southern Hoiho), 5 games
• Sharne Robati (Adelaide Lightning), 5 games
• Briarley Rogers (Tokomanawa Queens), debutant
• Emma Rogers (Mainland Pouākai & Fairfield University), debutant
• Emme Shearer (Tauranga Whai & UC Capitals), 8 games
• Ashlee Strawbridge (Adelaide Lightning), 11 games
• Ella Tofaeono (Adelaide Lightning), 11 games
• Charlotte Whittaker (Mainland Pouākai & Adelaide Lightning), 8 games

The games

• March 12 v Spain, 7am
• March 13 v Italy, 10am
• March 15 v Senegal, 7am
• March 16 v United States of America, 7am
• March 18 v Puerto Rico, 1pm

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– 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 the White Ferns take on Zimbabwe for their third ODI at University Oval in Dunedin.

The Ferns have already won the series, having beaten Zimbabwe by 180 runs in the first ODI, and dismissing the visitors for 102 in their second.

First ball is at 11am.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Clarification: An earlier version of this story reported punches were thrown. This was incorrect.

Days after a significant loss to the Blues, tensions rose at Crusaders training on Tuesday with reports of a heated scuffle.

Stuff is reporting prop Kershawl Sykes-Martin and lock Will Tucker were involved in the incident at Rugby Park in Christchurch during a contact session.

Captain David Havili was reportedly the man to break up the altercation.

After training, coach Rob Penney did his best to downplay the tension, telling reporters he was not fazed by the clash between his players and even welcomed it.

“So there should be,” Penney said when asked if there was tension in the camp after the 29-13 defeat to the Blues.

“It was a really lovely sight to see, actually. It is a reflection of how much it means. The boys aren’t happy with the performances and the outcomes.

“Very proud young men are going to come up against each other, and create a bit of sandpaper from time to time.

“But it’s not a thing that is going to affect negatively. We are all over it, the boys are fine.”

Penney expected there could be more scuffles at training in the future.

“It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last.”

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