Category: Sport

Source: Radio New Zealand

A big drop in broadcast rights revenue has inevitably led to player pay cuts for the domestic netball league and another year of uncertainty beckons for New Zealand’s top netballers.

In July last year, Netball New Zealand finally secured a broadcast deal for the 2026 ANZ Premiership, following months of negotiations.

Sky Sport had been the major broadcast partner since 2008, but the national body signed a one year agreement with TVNZ – marking the return of the sport on free-to-air television.

RNZ understands Sky TVs offer was substantially lower than any of its previous deals with Netball New Zealand. How much TVNZ are actually paying for the rights, if any, was not disclosed.

Despite the league being cut from three rounds to two last year, ANZ Premiership players managed to stave off pay cuts in 2025.

But NZ Netball Players Association executive manager Steph Bond said under the collective employment agreement signed off late last year, players are taking a 20 percent pay cut in 2026.

“That is slightly skewed by the fact that they will actually be doing less work than they were two year’s ago when they played more games, so it does I guess balance out pro-rata but in saying that it’s not an ideal position to be in,” Bond said.

“I think everyone recognises that players continuing to get paid and get paid well to play sport really helps make the sport successful.”

Under the 20 percent reduction, ANZ Premiership retainers now range from $20,800 to a maximum payment of $44,800.

RNZ understands in Australia the highest earning SSN players can earn around NZ$120,000.

ANZ Premiership players could still earn extra money via non-playing and third party agreements through their franchises at the same level as before.

Not every player will get less money this year.

With nine current and former Silver Ferns set to play in Australia’s Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) league this season, the ANZ Premiership has lost several Tier one players.

Some players who were once Tier 2 will now find themselves as Tier 1 players, so will earn the maximum retainer.

With no broadcast plan in place for the domestic league beyond this year, the collective contract only covers 2026 – a repeat of the situation players found themselves in last year.

“It is really concerning and it does feel like we have been in this position for a number of years but it is the position we find ourselves, in terms of what the broadcast market has put in front of us and that changing landscape and it is something that the players have learnt to live with over the last couple of years.

“It’s not a space we want to continually be in and I think being able to do more work around what the future looks like for the game and provide a bit more long-term certainty for each collective would be a place that everyone really wants to get to.”

Silver Ferns’ retainers have not been affected. It remains to be seen whether Sky TV will continue to broadcast Silver Ferns’ tests.

High Performance changes afoot

Last week Netball NZ announced the appointment of interim CEO Jane Patterson, following the resignation of Jennie Wyllie in December after what was a disastrous year for the national body.

The biggest controversy came in September when Silver Ferns’ coach Dame Noeline Taurua and her coaching team were suspended, over concerns about the high performance environment.

Two Silver Ferns’ players on behalf of a group of seven, raised concerns with the Players’ Association in June.

Dame Noeline was later reinstated, with Netball NZ and Taurua agreeing to embed changes to the Silver Ferns’ programme and environment.

Stephen Hotter resigned earlier this month from his role as head of high performance, which he had held since the start of 2023.

Last week Netball NZ also announced that Chelsea Lane has been appointed Head of Performance – Silver Ferns. Lane’s experience includes senior roles in basketball’s NBA – one of the most high profile sports leagues in the world.

While Hotter’s role was broader, in that he also had an overview of the ANZ Premiership, U21’s programme, and NZ Secondary Schools, Lane’s sole focus will be on the Silver Ferns.

When Dame Noeline was reinstated, it wasn’t clear what would happen to her long-time assistant coach Deb Fuller, or specialist coach Briony Akle.

Netball NZ said Lane would help to “assemble the team that will take the programme forward” and “strengthen leadership” within the Silver Ferns high performance programme.

Bond said Lane’s appointment was a positive step.

“From all accounts Chelsea has a strong background around working in professional sport and in high performance environments so we have a lot of confidence that she can come in and support and we’ve already had several meetings with Chelsea around how she can I guess impact and influence that environment so it is a great environment moving forward.”

Bond said the Players’ Association will meet soon with Patterson, who just started this week.

Former Silver Fern legend Tracey Fear, who was brought in to support the team when Dame Noeline was suspended, is still contracted part-time supporting high performance due to her specific netball knowledge.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The All Blacks and Springboks will play the fourth test of this year’s Greatest Rivalry series in Baltimore, with the match to be held at the 70,000 seat M&T Bank Stadium on 13 September (NZT).

It’s the third season in a row the All Blacks will head to the USA, after their return to Chicago’s Soldier Field last October and a test against Fiji in San Diego in 2024. They also played against the US national team in Washington DC in 2021.

The Chicago match saw them defeat Ireland 26-13 in front of 62,000 fans, which resulted in NZ Rugby’s highest revenue from a test match since the 2017 British & Irish Lions series. The Baltimore match is expected to have a similar revenue split between NZ Rugby and SA Rugby.

“Having the opportunity to once again play in the US, less than a year after our last game, is exciting for the All Blacks and for New Zealand Rugby. The US is an important market for us and for rugby more broadly, as we look ahead to Rugby World Cup 2031,” said interim NZR CEO Steve Lancaster.

“Taking the Springboks to new audiences and territories is a key objective for South African rugby and the opportunity to do so in a ground-breaking match against our fiercest rivals was a major determinant in where the fourth test would be played,” said Rian Oberholzer, CEO of SA Rugby.

This will be the All Blacks’ first visit to Baltimore, which will come a week after they face the Springboks at Soweto’s FNB Stadium in front of what is predicted to be a sold out crowd of 95,000. That test is the culmination of what will be a brutal four weeks for the currently coach-less side, who will also play all four South African URC sides, and test matches at Ellis Park and Cape Town’s DHL Stadium, in what will be the first full tour of the country in 30 years.

It will be the Springboks’ first trip to US soil since 2018, when they lost to Wales 22-20 at RFK Stadium in Washington DC. The test marked the beginning of Rassie Erasmus’s coaching tenure and was a controversial one, as both sides were severely understrength.

However, it’s not the most controversial visit the Springboks have made to the US, with their test match in 1981 having to be played in secret due to fears of potentially violent anti-apartheid protests.

There is an interesting bit of symmetry between the All Blacks and the usual tenants of M&T Bank Stadium, with the Baltimore Ravens NFL side having just fired their coach John Harbaugh as well. While Scott Robertson can count himself as the only All Black coach to suffer that fate, Harbaugh is at least in good company is one of 10 NFL head coaches relieved of his duties, despite the Ravens making the playoffs.

However in another stark contrast between the two sports, Harbaugh was unemployed for less than a fortnight, this week hired as coach of the New York Giants.

Greatest Rivalry tour schedule

* all dates NZT

Saturday 8 August: Stormers v All Blacks, DHL Stadium, Cape Town

Wednesday 12 August: Sharks v All Blacks, Kings Park, Durban

Sunday 16 August: Bulls v All Blacks, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Sunday 23 August: Springboks v All Blacks, Ellis Park, Johannesburg (first test)

Wednesday 26 August: Lions v All Blacks, Ellis Park, Johannesburg

Sunday 30 August: Springboks v All Blacks, DHL Stadium, Cape Town (second test)

Sunday 6 September: Springboks v All Blacks, FNB Stadium, Johannesburg (third test)

Sunday 13 September: Springboks v All Blacks, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore (fourth test)

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The captain’s armband has been on high rotation at Auckland FC this season.

Hiroki Sakai, Jake Brimmer and Francis de Vries have been captain at kick-off in different A-League matches. The trio have also all had been hit by injury of varying degrees.

Club captain Sakai will not play in Saturday’s home game against Central Coast Mariners as he returns to fitness from a hamstring injury.

Earlier this season Sakai injured a hamstring and spent the longest period of his professional career sidelined when he missed four matches spread across 41 days.

He then came off the bench in three games, started in three more before he once again succumbed to what coach Steve Corica said was a “slight strain, low grade” injury to that same hamstring.

“It’s more precautionary this week, it probably would have been pushing him as well, he’s an older player obviously we don’t want to force him we don’t want him to come back and do it again and be out for a longer period of time.”

Sakai could also miss next week’s away game against Perth Glory while the club weighed up taking the 36-year-old on the long journey.

Brimmer, who is Sakai’s first deputy, started as skipper three times this season but he has also dealt with two different injuries.

He started off the bench last week and got 19 minutes as he worked to get back into the starting lineup.

“I’ve had some upsets throughout the year, I did my shoulder and then my hamstring a couple of days before the Sydney game got cancelled so just trying to find my feet again and get to full fitness,” Brimmer said.

“I’m back full training now which is good and hopefully get more minutes in the legs this week.”

While Brimmer wanted to be playing he praised those who had filled in for him and other injured players this season.

“You look at the depth we have this year it’s pretty outrageous to be fair, you look at the bench and they could almost play in any other team in the league and it just shows the recruitment.”

Brimmer also felt the leadership duties could be spread among the squad members.

“You could put any one of the boys in our team as captain. It shows the spirit we have here as a team and how [close] as a group we are.”

Defender de Vries twice started a game as captain, once in November and again on New Year’s day, and has taken the armband during games when the other two players weren’t on the field, including early in last round’s loss against Melbourne City when Sakai went down.

Going into Auckland’s first home game after three on the road, de Vries is still sporting the wounds of a clash that he said he was “lucky” did not do more damage.

de Vries got blindsided in a tangle of bodies against City and ended up getting his head bandaged, an egg under his eye and a cut near his temple glued back together.

He played on despite taking the knock. It was the kind of resilience and leading by example that saw him given the captain’s armband.

“With the way football how it’s going now days more players within the squads are leaders and it’s a shared model without one person telling everyone else what to do, at least that’s how it feels in our changing room,” de Vries said.

“It’s nice to see different guys stepping up in different games in different ways because obviously guys have different roles on the field and they can lead in their different areas.”

Corica agreed with de Vries’ assessment of captaincy.

“For me it’s not really about who wears the armband, we’ve got a lot of senior players there they can all take responsibility and lead by example,” Corica said.

Corica believed some players had stepped up their leadership.

“It’s important that they grow as footballers, last year they probably didn’t do that, there is opportunity for them to do it now and take more responsibility on the field be more verbal, get a bit louder as well, and that will help them with their game as well.”

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Former All Black halfback Justin Marshall thinks that a number of All Blacks will have a point to prove during this year’s Super Rugby Pacific season. The Sky Sport commentator said that the dramatic axing of Scott Robertson should force a mindset change among the incumbent playing group, no matter who gets the head coaching role.

“Those players probably have a bit of complacency in their systems, because they’re used to getting picked. They’re used to going out and doing what they’ve been doing for the last six years, 10 years, whatever it might be,” said Marshall, who played alongside Robertson in both the Crusaders and All Blacks.

“That coach is going to be announced, so all those players that were working under (Robertson) have to reset.

“Because they now have to think about ‘do I fit into this with the thinking of a new coach? Is he going to see from me every week that I want to be an All Black?’ That could be a total mindset change, and they want to make sure they’re performing each week.”

Marshall said he knows full well the position the players are in now, as he experienced several All Black head coaching changes during his 81-test career.

“I came in when Laurie Mains moved on, then John Hart moved on after the World Cup, then Wayne Smith moved on prematurely. It does make you wonder about where you sit because all of a sudden you are not communicating with that coach regularly. Where they saw you in that environment is no longer relevant because that environment doesn’t exist anymore.”

However, Marshall doesn’t see that as a negative, rather something that will make the All Blacks and Super Rugby Pacific stronger.

“It’s good to be put in that position of pressure, particularly when you’ve been around that environment for a long time and have that familiarity of where you sit,” he said.

“Because it means that you need make sure that you’re performing and maybe showing a little bit of something that we haven’t seen out of your game in a while. That might be what the coaches are looking for.”

Marshall also made the point that the Australian players in Super Rugby Pacific will have more or less the same mindset, with Joe Schmidt set to be replaced by Queensland Reds coach Les Kiss after the Wallabies’ July Nations Cup fixtures.

“I think that’ll add a real edge to this competition as well,” he said.

NZ Rugby hasn’t set a timeline for Robertson’s replacement to be named, although it’s believed that it will be at least a month – after the Super Rugby Pacific season has commenced. The frontrunner for the job is Jamie Joseph, who is currently coaching one of the teams that will play in the first game on 13 February. His Highlanders take on the defending champion Crusaders at Forsyth Barr Stadium, so it’s likely plenty of attention will be on that fixture both on and off the field.

Marshall said the task was pretty straightforward for whoever comes in as All Black head coach.

“There’s a World Cup in two years. But what we want to stop with All Black rugby are those fluctuations in performance, which we’ve seen over the last six years.”

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Former All Black halfback Justin Marshall thinks that a number of All Blacks will have a point to prove during this year’s Super Rugby Pacific season. The Sky Sport commentator said that the dramatic axing of Scott Robertson should force a mindset change among the incumbent playing group, no matter who gets the head coaching role.

“Those players probably have a bit of complacency in their systems, because they’re used to getting picked. They’re used to going out and doing what they’ve been doing for the last six years, 10 years, whatever it might be,” said Marshall, who played alongside Robertson in both the Crusaders and All Blacks.

“That coach is going to be announced, so all those players that were working under (Robertson) have to reset.

“Because they now have to think about ‘do I fit into this with the thinking of a new coach? Is he going to see from me every week that I want to be an All Black?’ That could be a total mindset change, and they want to make sure they’re performing each week.”

Marshall said he knows full well the position the players are in now, as he experienced several All Black head coaching changes during his 81-test career.

“I came in when Laurie Mains moved on, then John Hart moved on after the World Cup, then Wayne Smith moved on prematurely. It does make you wonder about where you sit because all of a sudden you are not communicating with that coach regularly. Where they saw you in that environment is no longer relevant because that environment doesn’t exist anymore.”

However, Marshall doesn’t see that as a negative, rather something that will make the All Blacks and Super Rugby Pacific stronger.

“It’s good to be put in that position of pressure, particularly when you’ve been around that environment for a long time and have that familiarity of where you sit,” he said.

“Because it means that you need make sure that you’re performing and maybe showing a little bit of something that we haven’t seen out of your game in a while. That might be what the coaches are looking for.”

Marshall also made the point that the Australian players in Super Rugby Pacific will have more or less the same mindset, with Joe Schmidt set to be replaced by Queensland Reds coach Les Kiss after the Wallabies’ July Nations Cup fixtures.

“I think that’ll add a real edge to this competition as well,” he said.

NZ Rugby hasn’t set a timeline for Robertson’s replacement to be named, although it’s believed that it will be at least a month – after the Super Rugby Pacific season has commenced. The frontrunner for the job is Jamie Joseph, who is currently coaching one of the teams that will play in the first game on 13 February. His Highlanders take on the defending champion Crusaders at Forsyth Barr Stadium, so it’s likely plenty of attention will be on that fixture both on and off the field.

Marshall said the task was pretty straightforward for whoever comes in as All Black head coach.

“There’s a World Cup in two years. But what we want to stop with All Black rugby are those fluctuations in performance, which we’ve seen over the last six years.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Kiwi rugby league player Brandon Smith says he has spent a month in rehab addressing his addictions to alcohol and gambling.

Speaking on The Bye Round podcast on Thursday, Smith said he had now been alcohol-free for 105 days.

“It’s the best investment in my life I have ever made,” Smith said.

Smith is currently facing drug dealing and gambling charges in a Queensland court.

“I went on a four week holiday at a rehab facility”, Smith told the podcast. “It’s something I couldn’t more highly recommend for people who are dealing with issues. Mine was alcohol and mental health, and abuse of pretty much every nature.

“Throughout the last five years of my career.. I had this identity as a party boy.. and I played up to that…

“When I came out of that facility, the whole thing was about re-identifying myself as a professional athlete. I’m not Brandon Smith, the party boy, I’m Brandon Smith, the rugby league player.”

Smith said it was his decision to go into rehab, but his South Sydney club had been supportive.

“For so long I enjoyed the rugby league and party life, but I’m a little bit allergic to alcohol now,’ Smith said. “I’m doing everything I can to stay on the straight and narrow. I attend AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) meetings and GA (Gamblers Anonymous) meetings. I do everything I can to just stay on this path.

“The life I am living right now is so much better than the life I was living this last couple of years.

“Since I’ve left (rehab), I’ve gone to at least three team functions where all the boys were having a fun time. But I managed to do it without alcohol…. I’m still an annoying larrikin, a pest of a bloke. I didn’t need alcohol to do all that. It was refreshing to know I could do it without alcohol.”

Smith said he was continuing to have regular meetings with a psychologist.

He said he met a lot of great people at the rehab facility where he was only allowed access to his phone for 20 minutes a day.

He said he had been trying to focus on more healthy activities. For example, he was watching the sunrise every morning.

Smith has resumed training and said he now had no excuse not to be at his best on the field. “I could show up on Monday after a big weekend where I had 20 beers and so I understand why I feel like shit. Now I have a lot of ownership of my own performance because I’m doing all the right things.”

Smith said he hoped to rekindle the love he had for rugby league. “I’d be f…ed if I wasn’t a NRL player, it was what I was brought on earth to do!”

“I’ve had my struggles and I’m going to continue to have them, it’s never going to be smooth sailing… but I’m on the right trajectory.”

Smith did not refer directly to his criminal charges but in November, his lawyer said he would plead not guilty.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

New Zealand driver Hayden Paddon thought his World Rally Championship days were over, but he returns to the top level of motor rallying on Thursday.

Paddon will drive for Hyundai Motorsport in the season opening Rally of Monte Carlo.

He returns to the team for the first time in seven years, taking up a part-time role for 2026.

His return came by chance following the retirement late last year of Estonian Ott Tanak, the 2019 world champion.

“I sent a random e-mail [to Hyundai Motorsport] saying I thought I could help out and I got a positive reply …four weeks later I’m in Monaco,” Paddon told RNZ.

Thierry Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux are Hyundai’s full-time drivers this year while Paddon will share the third car with the Esapekka Lappi and Dani Sordo.

Paddon has a number of drives confirmed for the first half of the season before the team does a review and decides how to proceed for the rest of the season.

The 38-year-old didn’t think he’d ever get back into WRC .

“Not with a factory team, no. I thought that boat had sailed.

“It’s like an All Black that retired eight years ago coming back to play international rugby again. I’ve made no secret that one of my long term goals that I’m working towards is to have a New Zealand WRC team in the future.”

Paddon and long time co-driver John Kennard have had 10 days preparing in the south of France but unfortunately for Paddon he’s returning on his least favoured surface, tarmac, at a venue he has only driven twice before without much success.

“It’s not my favourite rally, it is probably the most challenging event on the calendar, very unpredictable with the weather with snow and ice on the roads, but we have targets and will be driving within ourselves.”

Paddon returns to Hyundai’s top-flight squad for the first time since Rally Australia in 2018.

Since then he has been driving lower spec Rally 2 cars and won two European rally titles and several regional championships across Asia-Pacific.

During his first WRC stint Paddon grabbed eight podiums and won the 2016 Rally Argentina.

So is driving a WRC car like riding a bike?

“Yes and no, the nerves are going to be very high and there are a lot of challenges but I’m sure once we get into the first stage and the adrenaline takes over we’ll be good.”

Paddon said the priority is for him to finish and pick up points.

He could well have a future with the team he has been with since 2014.

This will be the last year for WRC in its current format. In an effort to lower costs and get more cars involved, the 2027 season will feature cars based on the Rally 2 specification.

With his experience in Rally 2 over the past few years Paddon feels he will be able to provide value to Hyundai Motorsport and become more involved with them globally in the years to come.

Paddon also continues to develop his electric powered rally car and hopes to have it competing in a full rally this year.

Rally Monte Carlo runs from 22-25 January.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

‘Player power’ is a term that’s cropped up in the wake of the sacking of All Blacks coach Scott Robertson last week – but exactly how much of a role did it play and is it anything new?

That depends a bit on your definition of player power, and how you believe in emotional and often contradictory factors.

Players having their say is not new, not confined to the All Blacks and certainly not to rugby. Indeed, NZ Rugby’s handling of the Robertson affair has garnered at least some praise for being swift, unlike Netball NZ’s saga over Silver Ferns coach Dame Noeline Taurua.

While both have yet to completely play out – Robertson will presumably give his side of the story at some point – NZR is obviously far closer to the ultimate finish line than NNZ.

The Silver Ferns situation has been covered at length, and stands as the most recent and pertinent comparison to the All Blacks, albeit with a few key differences.

Firstly, the timelines were opposite, with the Ferns approaching NNZ first with their concerns, while NZR conducted a standard review at the end of the 2025 season.

“It’s been terrible, it’s been a terrible experience” Taurua told RNZ’s Dana Johansen in November. “My name’s been put out there, without me being able to say anything.

“I’ve taken it all.”

That summed up the emotion around the situation, that had been simmering since June, but it clearly should never have got to that point.

“It’s really not that confusing, but all the outside noise has made it confusing,” a source was quoted as saying. “The key thing that no-one seems to get is, Noeline was not stood down because of any player complaints.

“She was stood down because of how she responded to the issues that were raised, which was to go on the attack herself.”

Meanwhile, chairman David Kirk was quick to set NZR’s narrative straight.

“I can be absolutely definitive – there is no revolt by the players,

“The players were very measured and very thoughtful in their responses,” he said, before adding that Ardie Savea should not be singled out as any sort of ringleader.

“It’s very unfair to say that Ardie somehow led something. Not at all, he expressed public opinions.”

NZ Football found itself in a similar situation in 2024, after the Football Ferns complained about the behaviour of coach Jitka Klimková, who ended up resigning after a drawn out and often confusing process.

One player stated: “This whole situation has been handled poorly, it feels as though there’s been little regard for player safety and wellbeing.”

It’s important to remember that All Black dissent with coaching was well documented long before the days of formalised reviews. All the way back in 1949, Fred Allen had to commence his famed coaching career, while also being captain of the touring team to South Africa, when actual coach Alex MacDonald proved to be woefully out of his depth.

Probably the most famous rugby example of players getting their own way involved the All Blacks, but was committed by their opponents, in the 2011 World Cup final. France had arrived for the tournament with an already fractured relationship between the squad and coach Marc Lièvremont, and after limping into the quarterfinals, it became known that the players had staged a mutiny against him.

That led to the bizarre situation of a coach-less team then progressing to the final and coming within one kick of winning. Lièvremont, whose selection policies and public critique of the team had played a large role in the discontent, still found a way to mess with his side, naming halfback Jean-Marc Doussain to debut off the bench in the biggest game of all.

Former England captain Will Carling also deserves a mention for his infamous description of the RFU as ’57 old farts’ in 1995, right on the eve of a World Cup and the beginning of the professional era.

Then, there’s the soap opera that was the New Zealand cricket team in the 1990s, most notably the toxic relationship between Chris Cairns and coach Glenn Turner.

Cairns’ biography described Turner’s treatment of him and others on an ill-fated tour of the West Indies in 1996 as “deliberate, personal and unfair, with men in their late-20s being treated like errant fourth-formers, who had been caught smoking behind the bike sheds”.

Cairns sensationally quit the tour early and Turner was subsequently replaced as coach for the following season by Steve Rixon. For his part, Turner described Cairns as “headstrong, inconsistent and defiant, with an enormous ego” in his own book.

Of course, this all pales in comparison to the actions of Argentine club player Cesar Pagani, who in 2018 pulled a gun on coach Cristian Neira during training over a lack of playing time.

All said and done, NZR’s actions over the past week showed something that the other cases didn’t – how critical the brand image of the All Blacks was to the organisation and how serious it was about protecting it.

The manoeuvring to frontfoot and make sure everyone, notably Robertson as well, came out looking best as possible showed there was a way to cut deep and clean at the same time.

Now, the focus for the incoming coach is to ensure the same issues don’t repeat, as well as striking a balance between harmony and expectations.

Given what’s just happened though, that may not be easy.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Breakers have fallen to their first defeat of the Ignite Cup going down to South East Melbourne Phoenix 123-116 in Melbourne.

The Phoenix scored 74 points in the first half to take a 74-54 lead into the break and then held on for the victory.

The result all but secures the Breakers a place in the new in-season Ignite Cup final.

The Breakers now have 20 points from their four Ignite Cup games, meaning only Adelaide can finish with more while the Perth Wildcats could still join them on 20 next Wednesday against the Phoenix by claiming all seven points on offer.

The result keeps the Phoenix second in the overall NBL standings, while the Breakers are seventh on the table with a 10 win and 16 loss record.

Sam Mennenga top scored for the Breakers with 28 points, while captain Parker Jackson-Cartwright had 26.

The Breakers host the Adelaide 36ers on Friday.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Bevon Jacobs’ scorching Super Smash form has not gone unnoticed, even if it’s not quite enough to secure a spot at next month’s T20 World Cup.

The Auckland Aces batter was an unlucky omission from the Black Caps squad, a casualty of the its increasing depth.

National coach Rob Walter admits it would be nice to have a squad of 20 for the tournament.

“Unfortunately, there are only 15 spots, but most importantly, we have a guy who is performing very well at home, who is very confident in his game and would be ready to jump at an opportunity, if it came his way.”

Jacobs has been sensational in the domestic T20 competition, hammering six consecutive half-centuries at an average of 90 across seven innings.

‘Watching him go about his business and seeing him play the way he has played, long may that continue,” Walter said. “He has a real hunger for growth, and it’s nice to be in position where we have players in and out of the squad, who can come in and do a job for their country.”

Jacobs will get the chance to press his claims further, as he joins the Black Caps in India for a five-match T20 series.

Staying on in India after his strong performances in the one-dayer will be Kristian Clarke, who played a starring role in his maiden series, claiming seven wickets – including master Virat Kohli twice – across the three games.

“A lot has been made about what a historical achievement it was and the make-up of squad makes it more special – eight newbies in India for the first time,” Walter said. “It is a unique experience, and I was chuffed at how they rose to the occasion and delivered.”

Although the World Cup is just around the corner, Walter said the side were still focussed on the task at hand.

“It’s incredibly important to be present in this series and not look beyond that,” he said. “Playing in India is part of the cricketing experience growing up that you dream about and that doesn’t change.”

A newlook side will contest the T20 series, with just a handful backing up from the one-dayers, but Walter has no concerns about losing momentum with the personnel change.

“The foundations have been set for some time now,” he said. “We expect those players to fit back into the group quite seamlessly.

“Everyone has been very active, so its more about coming together.”

The Black Caps will sweat on the fitness of allrounder Michael Bracewell, who suffered a calf injury in the series win at Indore.

“The prognosis is fairly positive, so we are hopeful his name will still be on that list.”

Walter said his 11 for the World Cup were pretty well set in stone.

“It is a broad continuum of conditions that you can be thrown in India, but we have a pretty strong idea and some wonderful combinations.

“Any team you put on the field, you expect them to compete to win.”

The first T20 at Nagpur begins at 2.30am Thursday NZT.

Black Caps T20 Squad v India

Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Bevon Jacobs, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Ish Sodhi

*Kristian Clarke (games 1,2 & 3)

Black Caps T20 World Cup squad

Mitchell Santner (c), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Adam Milne, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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