Category: Sport

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Football Ferns have been beaten in a convincing 5-0 win by the Matildas.

The 33rd-ranked Ferns took on the 15th-ranked Matildas at Polytec Stadium in Gosford, Australia, on Friday night.

They faced an Australian side brimming with stars and a nation they had not beaten in more than 30 years.

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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 Football Ferns will end the year against an Australian side brimming with stars and a nation that they have not beaten in more than 30 years.

The 33rd-ranked Ferns take on the 15th-ranked Matildas at Polytec Stadium in Gosford, Australia, on Friday night.

Kickoff is at 9.30pm NZT.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Auckland FC coach Steve Corica reduced the number of training days this week before a clash with last-placed Newcastle Jets in the A-League on Sunday.

Disappointed that the players looked “flat” in last week’s 1-all draw against Brisbane Roar, Corica said he may have “overcooked them” in training the previous week and opted for three days on the training pitch, rather than five.

“Definitely should be going into the game fresher, but I think the boys have taken responsibility as well,” he said. “We all have.

“I didn’t enjoy the performance – I think we’ve got to do a lot better.

“The real positive coming out of it, though, is we’re still unbeaten. We’re the only team unbeaten in the competition at the moment and we’ve got a real chance to pick up three points against Newcastle.”

While Corica did not like what he saw at Go Media Stadium last Sunday, he did like the way the players responded.

“I can see from what we’ve done at training, they’re switched on, they’re ready. Maybe we lost a little bit of focus in the international window, so there is no excuse this week.

“It’s a massive game for us. It doesn’t matter that they’re down the bottom, they’re still a very good attacking team.

“They’ve scored nine goals, they’ve conceded 14, so there’s areas that we think we can score goals and we want to be at our best to do that.”

Auckland’s goal against the Roar came from Lachlan Brook, who scored for the first time for his third A-League club.

The goal was one he would put on a highlights reel and, for all the jubilation he felt from scoring, he agreed with Corica’s disappointment over the team’s overall performance.

“That wasn’t our best performance,” Brook said. “Everyone was a little bit behind what their usual self is.

“Sometimes a player can have a bad day, but if 11 players are having a bad day, it’s just not ideal.

“Even as a group, we went into that changingroom and it felt like a loss. I think that just says a lot about how we are as a team.

“You can sort of turn that into a positive and say we drew a game we weren’t happy with. We felt like we got spanked 6-0, so I think, going forward, we’ve won a lot of games, we’re not far off the top of the table, so it’s more motivation to get one up again.”

Brook said, each week, Auckland were confident they could win.

“When you’re high in confidence, you’ve already got an advantage, when we look around the room and… we know that we’ve got the team that can win everything. For us, it’s about going out every week and just proving it.”

In the absence of the injured Hiroki Sakai and Jake Brimmer, defender Francis de Vries captained Auckland against the Roar. He started the game after arriving back from All Whites duty in the United States, where he played 167 minutes of football, two days before the game.

“The body is OK,” he said. “Obviously, physically, you’re always playing with some sort of fatigue, when you’re a professional footballer.

“The last couple of weeks, the fatigue has been a little bit more than normal, but amazing experiences.

“Mentally, I’d say I’m in a very good space, enjoying the process of working hard and improving, and taking those next steps, both here with Auckland and away with New Zealand.”

De Vries said there was a lot of expectation on Auckland, after last season’s run to the Premiers Plate, and despite their good place on the points ladder, they wanted to do better, so he could understand Corica’s reaction.

“As a football player, it’s part of your job to accept criticism and learn from feedback.”

While the Jets, who won the pre-season Australia Cup, have had one win and four losses this season, compared to Auckland’s three wins and two draws, de Vries said it was too early in the season to read much into the standings.

“Teams go through patches of form and you don’t really know what to expect in the first 10 games. It’s not as if they’re in bad form.

“They maybe haven’t picked up the results yet, but their performances have been good, so we’re taking nothing for granted and we’ll treat it like a game that we usually do.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Netball Australia hopes to expand its Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) league and is open to an expression of interest from Netball New Zealand.

While any league expansion is still subject to Netball Australia board approval, it has endorsed exploring opportunities for growth as early as 2027 and invited expressions of interest for two additional licences.

The process is open to private-ownership groups, existing SSN licence-holders, entities affiliated with other sporting codes and/or consortia, or hybrid ownership models.

Netball Australia has confirmed to RNZ that Netball New Zealand meets the criteria to submit an expression of interest for a new team-owner licence in the SSN League.

Chief executive Stacey West said the league had gained considerable momentum since its inaugural 2017 season.

Netball New Zealand and Netball Australia decided to set up their own domestic leagues to replace the former trans-Tasman competition, which ran from 2008-16.

The SSN adopted an unlimited import policy, as it aimed to become the best netball league in the world. It attracts many of the sport’s best netballers, including international stars from Jamaica, England, South Africa and now New Zealand.

In July, Netball NZ finally secured a broadcast deal for next year’s ANZ Premiership, but the national body will already be thinking about the future of the domestic league from 2027, with the deal only locked in for a year.

Netball New Zealand has been approached for comment.

West said a growing fanbase drove strong viewership audiences and record-breaking attendances across all women’s sports leagues in Australia.

“The 2025 season reached new heights, with a record 388,455 attendees throughout the season, including a soldout and record Grand Final crowd of 15,013 at Rod Laver Arena,” Est said.

“The season was also the second-highest streamed of all time across the Foxtel Group, with a 23 percent increase in viewership across the drama-filled finals series.

“As we look toward the next era, it is vital that any expansion is strategic, sustainable and aligned with the long-term vision of Australian netball.

“We look forward to engaging with interested parties, as we consider the next stage of evolution for SSN.”

This year, Netball New Zealand changed its strict eligibility policy, prompted by Grace Nweke’s decision to sign with the New South Wales Swifts.

That left Nweke ineligible for the Silver Ferns, until the Netball NZ board backed down on its longstanding position and loosened its criteria. Next year, nine current and former Silver Ferns will bib up for the SSN league.

The appetite in Australia for a New Zealand franchise may be low, given how many import players already compete in the league and the lack of opportunities for local players.

The proposed SSN expansion aligns with Netball Australia’s recently released ’10 Year Strategy.’

Netball Australia is negotiating a new broadcast deal from 2027, as its current deal with Fox Sports runs until the end of 2026.

Board chair Liz Ellis recently told the Australian Financial Review that the sport was eyeing a return to free-to-air television, arguing reach was critical for its plans to attract more players and fans.

Netball NZ’s broadcast deal with TVNZ for next year’s ANZ Premiership marked a full return to free-to-air television for the domestic league. Sky Sport had been the major broadcast partner since 2008.

Netball Australia said the expression-of-interest process would evaluate, among other things, the commercial viability of prospective licensees and their preferred team locations.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Two of the biggest names in the Black Caps have backed a proposed T20 franchise competition in New Zealand.

RNZ understands a bid by a private consortium to establish a new T20 competition has led to a power struggle over the future shape of the domestic game.

New Zealand Cricket this week played down any internal rifts over the proposed new league but it’s clear where the players stand.

Black Caps white ball captain Mitch Santner told The Cricketers’ Network podcast it would be a great opportunity.

“We’ve seen it kind of work around the world already…we’re the kind of the last country,” Santner said.

“It’s a really exciting opportunity especially domestic players …you still have Ford Trophy, Plunket Shield, and then you’ve got a franchise league where, you know, you can show your skills against some of the best – obviously our domestic players and you get some good overseas and a lot of people watching.

“I think it’s a great opportunity if we can kind of get it going and it sounds very promising so hopefully we can get it all go ahead.”

Santner believed it would push the quality of the players coming through.

“[In the] IPL for example, you know, you see all these young guns coming through that you’ve never heard of and they stand up on that stage and then they, you know, they’re ready for international cricket.”

One of New Zealand’s most explosive batters Daryl Mitchell told The Cricketers’ Network podcast, that it needed to happen.

“We as a playing group are really excited about the opportunity of NZ20. We think the growth that it will bring here in the game in this country would be amazing,” Mitchell said.

“To think that we are probably the only major test playing nation that doesn’t have a franchise tournament is something that needs to happen. It needs to I guess continue to help grow the game not only for us international players but for domestic players and for the next generation of Kiwis that want to play cricket.

“…[It’s] only going to help make not only our own domestic players better but our New Zealand team as well. So I think it’s a great concept and I’m really looking forward to see it happening.”

While cynics might argue New Zealand doesn’t have the population base to make a franchise competition work, Mitchell believed world class players would sell out grounds.

“You only need to see how much Kiwis love sport and love cricket in New Zealand. I think you know if you can have city against city taking on each other and you watch the Kiwis get behind NZ20, it’s going to be a short four-week tournament over January. I just think it’s a great concept that’s going to help improve infrastructures around the country as well.”

Mitchell said the proposed competition would be great for up and coming players.

“When I was starting out… HRV Cup is what it was called then, we’d get overseas players and the likes of Chris Jordan and Ben Laughlin and those guys when I was 19/18. The knowledge that they passed on to me was invaluable… it’s something that with franchise cricket and NZ20 you learn so much.

“Imagine a Phil Salt or someone like that coming into our environment and helping teach the next lot of opening batters I think it can only help in that sense as well so yeah it should be pretty cool.”

NZ Cricket said the organisation was “considering the merits of the NZ20 proposal”, along with other options, as part of broader work looking at the future of domestic T20 cricket in New Zealand.

Among the options being considered as part of ‘Project Bigger Smash’ is exploring ways to monetise the existing Super Smash competition, or entering New Zealand teams in Australia’s men’s and women’s Big Bash competitions.

The independent assessment was expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2026.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year winners Fabian Holland and Braxton Sorensen-McGee have been named among the finalists for New Zealand’s top rugby awards.

Second rower Holland, who played 12 of the All Blacks 13 tests this year, is up for All Blacks Player of the Year alongside Ardie Savea, Quinn Tupaea and Cam Roigard.

Back Sorensen-McGee was a try-scoring star performer for the Black Ferns as they finished third at the Rugby World Cup. She is a finalist for Black Ferns Player of the Year along with Jorja Miller, Kaipo Olsen-Baker and Georgia Ponsonby.

The winners will be announced on 11 December.

The Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Player of the Year will be awarded to one of the winners of the major Player of the Year categories. The New Zealand Coach of the Year and New Zealand Team of the Year will be announced on the night, with all teams in black and their respective coaches eligible.

The Steinlager Salver, the most prestigious award in New Zealand rugby, will acknowledge someone who has given sustained service to the game. Previous recipients include: Sir Colin Meads, Jock Hobbs, Waka Nathan, Sir Tuifa’asisina Bryan Williams and Dr Deb Robinson.

2025 New Zealand Rugby Awards finalists:

Super Rugby Pacific Player of the Year

Will Jordan (Crusaders)

Du’Plessis Kirifi (Hurricanes)

Ardie Savea (Moana Pasifika)

Super Rugby Aupiki Player of the Year

Amy du Plessis (Matatū)

Braxton Sorensen McGee (Blues)

Portia Woodman-Wickliffe (Blues)

Richard Crawshaw Memorial All Blacks Sevens Player of the Year

Dylan Collier

Tone Ng Shiu

Frank Vaenuku

Black Ferns Sevens Player of the Year

Michaela Brake

Jorja Miller

Risi Pouri-Lane

New Zealand Rugby Age Grade Player of the Year

Oli Mathis (Waikato)

Dylan Pledger (Otago)

Braxton Sorensen-McGee (Auckland)

National Men’s Coach of the Year

Marty Bourke (Canterbury)

Mark Brown (Otago)

Rob Penney (Crusaders)

National Women’s Coach of the Year

Matt Direen (Otago)

Reuben Samuel (Waikato)

Willie Walker (Blues)

New Zealand Rugby Referee of the Year

Maggie Cogger-Orr (Auckland)

James Doleman (Otago)

Ben O’Keeffe (North Harbour)

National Women’s Team of the Year

Blues

Otago Spirit

Waikato

National Men’s Team of the Year

Canterbury

Crusaders

Mid-Canterbury

Tom French Memorial Māori Player of the Year

Kurt Eklund (Ngāti Kahu)

Quinn Tupaea (Ngaati Tiipa, Ngaati Amaru)

Portia Woodman-Wickliffe (Ngāpuhi/Ngāti Kahu ki Whaingaroa/Ngāti Porou)

All Blacks Player of the Year

Fabian Holland

Cam Roigard

Ardie Savea

Quinn Tupaea

Black Ferns Player of the Year

Jorja Miller

Kaipo Olsen-Baker

Georgia Ponsonby

Braxton Sorensen-McGee

Rugby Club of the Year

Hunterville Rugby Football Club (Whanganui)

Rangataua Sports and Cultural Club (Bay of Plenty)

Waimate Rugby Football Club (South Canterbury)

Charles Monro Volunteer of the Year

Glen Devenie (Auckland Rugby Referee Association, Auckland)

Stacey Kobus (Cambridge Junior Rugby and Community Sports Club, Waikato)

Jodi Taylor (Strath Taieri Rugby Club, Otago)

Te Hāpai Community Impact Award

Cian Byrne-Hansen (Counties Manukau)

Peter Hastings (Bay of Plenty)

Sosoli Talawadua (Whanganui)

Duane Monkley Medal (NPC Player of the Year)

Sam Darry (Canterbury)

Folau Fakatava (Hawke’s Bay)

Josh Jacomb (Taranaki)

Fiao’o Faamausili Medal (Farah Palmer Cup Player of the Year)

Taufa Bason (Auckland)

Grace Houpapa-Barrett (Waikato)

Holly Williams (North Harbour)

Ian Kirkpatrick Medal (Heartland Championship Player of the Year)

Declan McCormack (Mid Canterbury)

Keanu Taumata (Poverty Bay)

Sam Walton-Sexton (Wairarapa Bush)

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Black Foils driver Peter Burling is confident he’ll be on board for this weekend’s SailGP grand final in Abu Dhabi.

The New Zealanders are second in the standings, but Burling is in doubt after slicing a finger which required hospital attention.

Burling missed practice on Thursday (local time) as a precaution after cutting his right index finger while trying to fix an issue with a daggerboard during training on Wednesday.

Black Foils strategist Liv Mackay stepped in to drive the boat, while the team will assess Burling’s situation before deciding who will control the boat in Friday’s practice.

Burling admitted the timing was far from ideal as the Black Foils attempt to win their first SailGP title.

“We’ll just kind of monitor the situation as it goes. It’s not the ideal way to build up to the Grand Final, but we feel like the team’s in great shape and it’s now about doing everything I can to recover and make sure I’m ready to go,” he told SailGP.

Burling attended Thursday’s media conference with a heavily bandaged finger and was asked if there was a chance he could miss racing this weekend.

“It depends who you talk to, but I’m sure I’ll figure out how to be there.

“These kind of things can happen to anyone throughout the season and you’ve got to be able to deal with them, so that’s what we’re working through.”

The Black Foils lie second in the overall standings, three points behind leaders Great Britain and two points ahead of Australia.

To make the three-team Grand Final in Abu Dhabi this weekend the New Zealanders have to finish sixth or better in the fleet racing part of the Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix.

Meanwhile, Burling has been voted the winner of the MVP category in the 2025 SailGP Fan Awards.

Burling recently commented [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/579918/peter-burling-says-control-team-new-zealand-wanted-over-him-was-just-crazy on his departure from the Team New Zealand America’s Cup syndicate, saying the control Team New Zealand wanted over him was “just crazy”.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Matildas v Football Ferns

Friday, 28 November

Kick-off 9.30pm

Polytec Stadium, Gosford, Australia

Live blog updates on RNZ Sport

The Football Ferns will end the year against a side brimming with stars and a nation that they have not beaten in more than 30 years.

Two games against the Matildas in Australia would be a stern test for the New Zealanders as they look ahead to the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2027, for which qualifying starts early next year.

Fifteenth in the FIFA rankings the Matildas were a long way ahead of the 33rd ranked Football Ferns and history is on the Australians’ side.

The Football Ferns have faced Australia 53 times, which was more than any other opponent, with the Australians winning three times as often as the New Zealanders over the years. The last time New Zealand beat the trans-Tasman rivals was in 1994 in Port Moresby.

This series would be a homecoming for one of the Matildas’ biggest names, Sam Kerr. Kerr returned to the national side in October after a lay-off with an ACL injury and the Football Ferns games will be her first games at home in two years.

Form

The last time the two sides met was in a 2022 two-match series, with the Matildas winning 2-1 and 3-1 on their home soil.

Both teams were active in the last international window last month with the Football Ferns playing Mexico, twice, and the Olympic champion United States for three losses.

New Zealand failed to score a goal and conceded nine.

The Matildas beat Wales in the last window 2-1 and then lost to England 3-0.

Bigger picture

The games against Australia would be the Football Ferns’ final hitout before the Oceania qualifiers for the Football World Cup which kick off in February and March next year.

The Football Ferns play Samoa and Solomon Islands in the early part of the qualification process.

Whereas, for the Matildas this international window was the last before next year’s AFC Women’s Asian Cup which will be hosted in Australia. For that 12-team tournament Australia were grouped with South Korea, Iran and Philippines.

What they are saying

Football Ferns coach Michael Mayne said he wanted his side to avoid the “trap” of the pressure of chasing the first win over the Matildas in many of the players’ lifetime.

“Once you start to get into that the emotion starts to play the game as opposed to sticking to what I’m wanting to see from the players.

“They hold all of the cards in terms of previous performances, you can look at their squad, look for where their coach as come from, on paper they are a very strong group and we know that but we spend very little time focusing on them because that only drives the things I don’t want to drive within this group and how they approach it.”

Matildas coach Joe Montemurro said that this was an important window for the squad.

“We have selected a squad of experienced leaders who know what it means to represent Australia, as well as younger players who will be crucial to our ongoing success.

“The goal is to create a strong and competitive environment where we can test combinations and ensure that each time we step onto the pitch, we are ready to perform at our best.”

Squads

Football Ferns: Liz Anton, CJ Bott, Kelli Brown, Claudia Bunge, Olivia Chance, Milly Clegg, Victoria Esson, Michaela Foster, Ally Green, Maya Hahn, Jacqui Hand, Betsy Hassett, Deven Jackson, Katie Kitching, Anna Leat, Annalie Longo, Meikayla Moore, Emma Pijnenburg, Gabi Rennie, Indiah-Paige Riley, Alina Santos, Kate Taylor, Lara Wall, Grace Wisnewski.

Matildas: Mackenzie Arnold, Ellie Carpenter, Steph Catley, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Caitlin Foord, Katrina Gorry, Charlotte Grant, Winonah Heatley, Michelle Heyman, Clare Hunt, Kahli Johnson, Alanna Kennedy, Sam Kerr, Chloe Lincoln, Holly McNamara, Teagan Micah, Courtney Nevin, Hayley Raso, Amy Sayer, Remy Siemsen, Kaitlyn Torpey, Emily Van Egmond, Clare Wheeler, Tameka Yallop

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

New Zealand golfers have made a solid start to the Australian PGA Championship in Brisbane, with one near the top of the leaderboard and another hitting a hole in one.

Ryan Fox is tied for third after firing an four under par 67 in his opening round at the Royal Queensland Golf Club.

Fox is three shots behind the leader Sebastien Garcia of Spain who is through 15 holes after a lightning storm forced an early end to the day.

Josh Geary is tied for ninth at 3 under par.

Meanwhile Kazuma Kobori had a hole in one at the par three 17th, known as the ‘party hole’.

“My round was getting off to a relatively slow start and then that helped me boost it a little bit,” Kobori told Golf New Zealand.

Kobori finished two under par in a tie for 22nd, the same score as Daniel Hillier.

He wasn’t the only player to hit a hole in one with local Daniel Gale acing the 11th which also won him a $250,000 car.

Gale is outright second.

Another New Zealander also featured with Tiger Woods’ former caddie Steve Williams coming out of retirement to carry the bag for local Anthony Quayle who is tied for third.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Boomers v Tall Blacks

Friday, 28 November

Tip-off 9.30pm

MyState Bank Arena, Hobart, Tasmania

Live blog updates on RNZ Sport

The road to the 2027 FIBA World Cup starts for the Tall Blacks against their closest rivals in Hobart.

Home and away games against the Australian Boomers begin a qualification process that will stretch 16 months with the end goal being the Tall Blacks attending the Basketball World Cup for the eighth time.

The games between two teams that know each other well will be the fourth and fifth times that they have played each other this year.

History

The Tall Blacks won 106-97 the last time they played Australia in May in Hamilton in the third game of the Trans-Tasman Throwdown. The Australians won the first two games of the series on their home court.

Before the revival of a Trans-Tasman series this year, it had been three years since the Tall Blacks and Boomers had played each other.

Over time, the Boomers have dominated the Tall Blacks. Wins for the New Zealanders are rare and the last time the Tall Blacks won twice in a single year against the neighbours was nearly two decades ago in 2006.

The Tall Blacks had one win in the 1970s, did not beat the Australians in the 1980s or 1990s, won again in 2001 – twice, then again in 2004, two wins from five games in 2006, once in 2007 and 2009, the Boomers were once again dominant from 2011 to 2020. A win in 2020 for the Tall Blacks was followed by losses in 2021 and 2022.

Form

The Tall Blacks were last in action four months ago at the Asia Cup where they finished fourth.

New Zealand won four games in group play, then lost the semi-final against China and the third place play-off against Lebanon.

Australia won the Asia Cup in August, going through the tournament undefeated. The one-point win over China in the final sealed the Boomers as three-time Asia Cup champions.

In the last world cup Asian qualifiers the Boomers won 11 of their 12 games.

On FIBA rankings Australia are number six in the world compared to New Zealand at number 25.

The Boomers are the top-ranked side in the Asia region and the Tall Blacks are third in the region behind Japan.

Format

A total of 80 countries are working towards qualifying for the 32 spots at the 2027 FIBA World Cup in Qatar.

New Zealand and Australia are among the 16 teams in the Asia/Oceania group that will eventually be whittled down to seven teams from the region that qualify for the pinnacle event.

The other teams in the group are China, Chinese Taipei, Guam, India, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Korea, Lebanon, Philippines, Saudi Arabia and Syria.

Qatar automatically qualify as hosts but sit outside the seven allocated qualifying spots.

The first round of qualifying begins this week and continues in February and July next year. Twelve of the 16 teams progress to the second round of qualifying in August and November 2026 and March 2027.

The top seven teams will then compete in the world cup alongside five teams from Africa, seven from the Americas and 12 from Europe in the tournament that starts in August 2027.

What they are saying

Tall Blacks coach Judd Flavell says it’s “absolutely” important to start the qualification process strongly.

Flavell scouts the NBL players regularly as part of his current assistant coach role with the Breakers.

“There will be no secrets I’m sure but that goes both ways, [Boomers coach] Dean Vickerman sitting on the side and he was here in New Zealand for a bunch of time and we worked together for eight, nine years so there is a lot of familiarity there.

“It will bring out the best in both teams for sure”.

Tall Blacks centre Tyrell Harrison has not played for New Zealand this year yet and the Brisbane Bullets big man is clear about who will win the upcoming games against the Boomers.

“I feel like it’s going to be two very good games and I reckon we’ll come up with both – have to.”

Forward Yanni Wetzell believes the Tall Blacks have an advantage for this window they have not had before.

“We’ve got some serious height this time around, we’ve got big Tyrell who is a 7-footer and Sam Mennenga who plays the five for the Breakers he’s had a great season, Tohi [Smith-Milner] brings a lot of size it’s exciting for us. We’re usually a nation that’s up against much taller players and we have to bring different elements of our game to be able to compete, it’s kind of attests to the talent and growth of the game in New Zealand there is so many guys coming through with size and ability it’s an exciting time for New Zealand basketball.”

Rosters

Tall Blacks: Jackson Ball, Taylor Britt, Flynn Cameron, Carlin Davison, Finn Delany, Tyrell Harrison, Mojave King, Izayah Le’afa, Sam Mennenga, Taine Murray, Tohi Smith-Milner, Yanni Wetzell.

Boomers: Josh Bannan, Dash Daniels, Alex Ducas, Owen Foxwell, Jaylin Galloway, Angus Glover, Will Hickey, Jordan Hunter, Nick Kay, Elijah Pepper, Keanu Pinder, Jack White.

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