Category: Sport

Source: Radio New Zealand

Rico Simpson is no stranger to expectation.

The schoolboy prodigy has been long tipped as the next star off the New Zealand rugby conveyor belt.

Now in his first, full-time Super Rugby season, Simpson is looking to become a household name and fill the boots of one of the world’s best.

After a year spent in the wider squad, Simpson said he feels more comfortable now both in the team and with the hype surrounding him.

“I think I took a lot of it as I went along the way, guys in similar positions I got to be alongside, I think it’s always going to be part of the game. You’re always going to have those expectations and pressures from fans, coaches. It’s kind of been a part of me since probably year 13.”

With Beauden Barrett sitting the first few weeks of Super Rugby out, the door is open for Simpson.

“Last year I got to just get a taste of it and now I think there is probably expectations of me to be playing good enough footy to get a crack. And with Beaudy out, it might be potential there, but I’m just here to just keep learning developing as a player.”

Simpson said the 145-test All Black has been an integral part of his assimilation at the Blues.

“He has been really helpful, keeping in contact with me and making sure I’m clear on everything and just helping me out with the nitty gritty parts of the game, which is really cool to see. I think he’s obviously had a lot of years playing high level rugby, so it’s good to just hear the little details that he likes to use and implement in his game.”

Simpson is not new to the high performance environment, spending two years with the New Zealand Under 20’s, playing in last year’s championship final against the Junior Springboks.

“It’s been a lot easier of a transition for me. I’m fully immersed in the squad now, on the development contracts, you’re in and out of the Blues and the Under 20s, so I think being in one place and really just nailing the parts of your game you want to get right has probably the best thing for me.”

Pulling on the Blues jersey was always an ambition for the Aucklander.

“Growing up in Auckland, born here, raised, went to school here, it’s always been a dream. I’ve always looked at the Blues and wanted to be a part of that.”

He grew up idolising the likes of Stephen Perofeta and Barrett, men he now calls teammates.

“When I first came in, it was a pretty surreal moment, to see those guys on TV and then be training alongside them. So as a young fella, it’s good to get alongside those guys and chew heaps of fat around the game and I think you get to learn a lot.”

Simpson was a key cog in Sacred Heart’s first XV where he spent three years and helped guide them to an historic 1A victory in 2023, the school’s first title in 65 years.

“I got to do it alongside my brother, which is also another cool thing. Sacred will always be part of me and I think that really developed me as a player and it got me to where I am today.”

Simpson’s siblings and fellow Sacred Heart stars Keanu and Cruiz are also on a trajectory for higher honours, with Rico hoping they can all run out together on Eden Park one day.

“Yeah, one day, the three Simpson boys in the Blues, that’s the plan.”

His success at Sacred caught the eye of national selectors who handed Simpson the coveted number 10 jersey for the U20’s side, the same one worn by fellow Blues Barrett and Perofeta.

“International level was always a step ahead of everything, and I think it really helped me learn different parts of the game that I probably didn’t quite get it at school level and regional stuff.”

For Simpson, it was the first of many black jerseys he hopes to wear.

“I think as a Kiwi kid playing footy, that’s (the All Blacks) always the end goal and it’s always been a dream of mine.”

Standing at 6ft 5in, Simpson is an imposing presence in the backline.

“I’ve always prided myself on my kicking game and I think along the years my running game has started to develop and that’s something I want to keep working on. Obviously as a taller fella, taking the line on and offloading has always been a strength of mine, so those two things are probably something that I always hang my hat on.”

Simpson said that despite a tough 2025, the Blues have full belief they can replicate their 2024 title run, and send coach vern Cotter off in winning style.

“We always believe we can do that. The boys are really switched on and ready to go, we are ready to rip into the year and there’s a lot of confidence, a younger squad, but we’ve still got that confidence that we can go all the way.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Olympic medallist Zoi Sadowski-Synnott was honoured by her team mates with a haka following her silver medal win in the Big Air event at the Winter Olympics in Italy.

It was a record third medal in the event for Sadowski-Synott, who took silver in Beijing in 2022 and bronze in Pyeongchang in 2018.

“I went and saw my family, and then I turned around and the whole team was performing a haka for me,” she said. “It was really special and meant a lot to me.”

Sadowski-Synnott described the final is hugely inspiring.

“That was incredible! It was such a high level of snowboarding, and to see the progression over the last four years and see what it takes to get on the podium now, I couldn’t be more inspired,” she said.

“I’m just really grateful to be a part of it. It’s amazing seeing all these girls from all over the world who are really passionate about snowboarding doing so well.”

Sadowski-Synott went into the final as the top qualifier, but a disappointing first run put the pressure on her for the rest of the competition.

She was in tenth place after the first run when she failed to stick her landing and only managed a score of 27.75, with Japan’s Kokomo Murase leading the way with a score of 89.75.

With the best two scores from the three runs counting, Sadowski-Synott needed to pull out something special to salvage her competition.

The 24-year-old completed a backside triple-cork 1440 in her second run to score 88.75 and improved to eighth, while Korean Seungeun took the lead from Murase.

The Kiwi dropped in fifth in the final run, needing another high-scoring jump and responded with a switch backside 1260, which scored 83.50 and took her to the top of the scoreboard.

She held that position until the last two competitors, with Murase finishing on 179 points compared to Sadowski-Synott’s 172.25.

Sadowski-Synnott will defend her Slopestyle title next week.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Dame Noeline Taurua’s coaching bench will have a new look to it at the Commonwealth Games with long-time Silver Ferns assistant Deb Fuller to coach the Malawi Queens.

Fuller has been appointed as the new High Performance Netball Consultant for the Malawi Queens on a one year contract.

In an announcement on its website the Netball Association of Malawi (NAM) said Fuller brought a wealth of international expertise to support the team’s preparations for the 2026 Commonwealth Games and the 2026 Africa Netball Cup.

“A highly respected figure in the global netball community, Debbie is a former elite player and an accomplished coach with over 25 years of experience in the sport. She has served as Assistant Coach for the New Zealand Silver Ferns from 2018 to 2025, contributing to significant international successes.”

“We are grateful to Jane Patterson, Interim CEO of Netball New Zealand, for allowing Debbie to support NAM in this endeavour, and for understanding our efforts in strengthening our high-performance and organizational capability under a new management structure. Netball New Zealand views this as a positive opportunity and one that aligns with its broader objectives of supporting global netball relationships.”

Fuller told RNZ her contract with Netball NZ ended in December and a friend in England connected her to the role.

“Netball NZ and Noel’s [Silver Fern coach] have been super supportive of the opportunity to work with Malawi Netball, it has been in discussion since late November last year,” Fuller said.

NAM president Vitumbiko Gubuduza said they were confident that Fuller’s strategic, athlete-centred approach will inspire players and help unlock the full potential of the Queens’ squad while training the next generation of coaches.

As head coach, Fuller will interview and select her management team, including an assistant coach and manager, who she will lead during her contract.

Patterson was announced interim CEO in mid January, following the resignation of Jennie Wyllie in December after what was a disastrous year for the national body.

In September, Silver Ferns’ coach Dame Noeline Taurua and her coaching team were suspended, over concerns about the high performance environment, sparked by complaints from some of the players.

Dame Noeline was later reinstated, with Netball NZ saying the two parties had agreed to embed changes to the Silver Ferns’ programme and environment.

It wasn’t clear what would happen to her long-time assistant coach Deb Fuller, or specialist coach Briony Akle.

In early January, Stephen Hotter resigned from his role as head of High Performance, which he had held since the start of 2023.

In mid January, Netball NZ also announced Chelsea Lane’s appointment as Head of Performance – Silver Ferns.

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.

Fuller was re-appointed Silver Ferns’ assistant coach in 2024, a few months after Taurua reapplied and was re-appointed.

Like Taurua, Fuller went through an interview process and was up against other candidates.

In 2019 the pair pulled off a remarkable victory at the World Cup in Liverpool.

During their partnership, the duo also enjoyed two Constellation Cup victories over rivals Australia and a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Malawi, who are currently ranked eighth in the world, have been ranked as high at fifth.

Fuller is due to arrive in the country on 21 February for a training block with the Malawi Queens.

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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 snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott has grabbed the silver medal in the Big Air event at the Winter Olympics in Italy, matching her result from four years ago.

Kokomo Murase of Japan won the gold medal, with Seungeun Yu of South Korea taking bronze.

It is a record third medal in the event for Sadowski-Synott, who took silver in Beijing in 2022 and bronze in Pyeongchang in 2018.

Sadowski-Synott went into the final as the top qualifier, but a disappointing first run put the pressure on her for the rest of the competition.

She admitted there was a lot of tension today.

“I’ve never been so nervous for a competition before,” she told Sky Sport.

“Scary tricks and putting them down when it matters is really hard and I’m just really grateful that I was able to put it down.”

She was in tenth place after the first run when she failed to stick her landing and only managed a score of 27.75, with Japan’s Kokomo Murase leading the way with a score of 89.75.

Sadowski-Synnott said she did take a bit of a risk attempting her first run.

“I gave the back-triple a go in practice, but I didn’t land it and going into that first run, I was pretty nervous and you feel like you can’t even walk and so not landing it definitely calmed my nerves a bit.

“[I knew] that was kind of the worst thing that can happen and I’m just really stoked to put my second and third runs down.”

With the best two scores from the three runs counting, Sadowski-Synott needed to pull out something special to salvage her competition.

The 24-year-old completed a backside triple-cork 1440 in her second run to score 88.75 and improve to eighth, while Korean Seungeun took the lead from Murase.

The Kiwi dropped in fifth in the final run, needing another high-scoring jump and responded with a switch backside 1260 which scored 83.50 and took her to the top of the score board.

She held that position until the last two competitors, with Murase finishing on 179 points compared to Sadowski-Synott’s 172.25.

“So stoked, I can’t even explain it. After I got my score, I just ran over to my family and gave them a big hug and there were some tears.

“I knew it [the top score] was probably not going to hold, but to end up with the silver… I’m just so happy.”

Sadowski-Synnott will defend her Slopestyle title next week.

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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 snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott has grabbed the silver medal in the Big Air event at the Winter Olympics in Italy, matching her result from four years ago.

Kokomo Murase, of Japan, won the gold medal, with Seungeun Yu of South Korea taking bronze.

It is a record third medal in the event for Sadowski-Synott, who took silver in Beijing in 2022 and bronze in Pyeongchang in 2018.

Sadowski-Synott went into the final as the top qualifier, but a disappointing first run put the pressure on her for the rest of the competition.

She was in tenth place after the first run when she failed to stick her landing and only managed a score of 27.75, with Japan’s Kokomo Murase leading the way with a score of 89.75.

With the best two scores from the three runs counting, Sadowski-Synott needed to pull out something special to salvage her competition.

The 24-year-old completed a backside triple-cork 1440 in her second run to score 88.75 and improved to eighth, while Korean Seungeun took the lead from Murase.

The Kiwi dropped in fifth in the final run, needing another high-scoring jump and responded with a switch backside 1260, which scored 83.50 and took her to the top of the scoreboard.

She held that position until the last two competitors, with Murase finishing on 179 points compared to Sadowski-Synott’s 172.25.

Sadowski-Synnott will defend her Slopestyle title next week.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

All Blacks Leroy Carter and Simon Parker have re-signed with New Zealand Rugby and the Chiefs until after next year’s World Cup.

The winger and loose forward, who play for Bay of Plenty and Northland respectively, have re-committed to the end of 2028.

Carter, 26, is a Tauranga Boys’ College product who debuted for the Steamers in 2019 and was a standout player for the All Blacks Sevens for three years.

He was nominated for World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year in 2023 after being part of New Zealand’s World Series winning squad.

He committed fulltime to XVs last year and scored nine tries for the Chiefs. He was named the Chiefs Rookie of the Year for 2025.

He made his All Blacks debut last year against South Africa in Wellington, scoring a try in his first test.

Carter finished the year with six test caps.

Rated one of the fastest outside backs in the game, Carter said he never considered moving from the Chiefs.

“I don’t want to play for another club, so it was a pretty easy decision. It’s a club I grew up wanting to play for, and it’s a dream come true, so I’m excited to put pen to paper pretty early-doors, and I’m looking forward to it.”

Staying with the Chiefs was an easy call for Northland’s Parker too, who also enjoyed a strong Super Rugby Pacific season last year that resulted in his All Blacks call-up.

“I guess this is the sort of stage you start thinking about what’s next,” Parker said.

“You don’t want to leave it too late, obviously. So it was a bit of a no-brainer for me and my family, we’ve got our family roots planted where we are, so it’s quite nice to have some security that’s where you’re going to be for the next couple of seasons.”

Born in Mangawhai, Parker, 25, went to secondary school at St Peter’s School in Cambridge where he boarded with fellow All Black Cam Roigard.

Playing for New Zealand Secondary Schools in 2017 and the New Zealand Under-20 team in 2019, he debuted for Waikato in 2019 before returning to his home province, Northland, in 2024.

He debuted for the Chiefs in 2020 and made his test debut against Argentina last year.

He has played eight tests.

Chiefs head coach Jono Gibbes is delighted the pair will be with the team for three more years.

“It’s great to see these two recommit to the Chiefs. They are outstanding team members who bring that special X-factor to what they do on the field,” Gibbes said.

“They’re a big part of the Chiefs’ future on the field and off it.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

All Blacks Leroy Carter and Simon Parker have re-signed with New Zealand Rugby and the Chiefs until after next year’s World Cup.

The winger and loose forward, who play for Bay of Plenty and Northland respectively, have re-committed to the end of 2028.

Carter, 26, is a Tauranga Boys’ College product who debuted for the Steamers in 2019 and was a standout player for the All Blacks Sevens for three years.

He was nominated for World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year in 2023 after being part of New Zealand’s World Series winning squad.

He committed fulltime to XVs last year and scored nine tries for the Chiefs. He was named the Chiefs Rookie of the Year for 2025.

He made his All Blacks debut last year against South Africa in Wellington, scoring a try in his first test.

Carter finished the year with six test caps.

Rated one of the fastest outside backs in the game, Carter said he never considered moving from the Chiefs.

“I don’t want to play for another club, so it was a pretty easy decision. It’s a club I grew up wanting to play for, and it’s a dream come true, so I’m excited to put pen to paper pretty early-doors, and I’m looking forward to it.”

Staying with the Chiefs was an easy call for Northland’s Parker too, who also enjoyed a strong Super Rugby Pacific season last year that resulted in his All Blacks call-up.

“I guess this is the sort of stage you start thinking about what’s next,” Parker said.

“You don’t want to leave it too late, obviously. So it was a bit of a no-brainer for me and my family, we’ve got our family roots planted where we are, so it’s quite nice to have some security that’s where you’re going to be for the next couple of seasons.”

Born in Mangawhai, Parker, 25, went to secondary school at St Peter’s School in Cambridge where he boarded with fellow All Black Cam Roigard.

Playing for New Zealand Secondary Schools in 2017 and the New Zealand Under-20 team in 2019, he debuted for Waikato in 2019 before returning to his home province, Northland, in 2024.

He debuted for the Chiefs in 2020 and made his test debut against Argentina last year.

He has played eight tests.

Chiefs head coach Jono Gibbes is delighted the pair will be with the team for three more years.

“It’s great to see these two recommit to the Chiefs. They are outstanding team members who bring that special X-factor to what they do on the field,” Gibbes said.

“They’re a big part of the Chiefs’ future on the field and off it.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Highlanders and Māori All Blacks player Connor Garden-Bachop died suddenly of natural causes, a coroner has found.

The 25-year-old was found in bed while staying with family in Christchurch on 17 June 2024.

In findings released on Tuesday, coroner Mary-Anne Borrowdale said a post-mortem examination found Garden-Bachop had a mildly dilated heart.

“Death can occur when the heart develops an abnormal heartbeat, then stops,” the report said.

Garden-Bachop had suffered “episodic concussion” during his professional rugby career, most recently a month before he died.

Forensic pathologist Dr Leslie Anderson had considered the possibility that Garden-Bachop had a seizure.

“Seizures cannot be observed on post mortem examination. However, Dr Anderson stated that with no seizure history – and an abnormal heart – a seizure as the sole cause of death was less likely,” the report said.

Garden-Bachop’s death was also referred to the cardiac inherited disease group to assess whether genetic factors caused the “sudden cardiac death”.

Coroner Borrowdale said no genetic abnormality or cause was found.

Garden-Bachop made his Highlanders debut in 2021 and played 36 games for the franchise between 2021 and 2024.

The fullback/wing also played provincial rugby for Canterbury and Wellington after attending Wellington’s Scots College.

Garden-Bachop also made two appearances for the Māori All Blacks in 2022.

His father Stephen Bachop and uncle Graeme Bachop played for the All Blacks in the 1990s.

His mother Sue Garden-Bachop, who died of cancer in 2009, played for the Black Ferns.

Garden-Bachop’s brother Jackson was preparing to line up for a second Super Rugby campaign with Moana Pasifika this season.

In a statement, Jackson said the whānau was pleased the final coroner’s report had been completed.

“On behalf of the family we’d like to thank everyone for the continued love and support in relation to Connor,” he said. “We miss Connor every day, and will continue to try and honour and emulate all that he was in the way we live our lives.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Super Rugby Pacific is back after a real return to form last year, with the competition kicking off in Dunedin on 13 February. As usual, each team has gone through an eventful off season, so today we’re checking in on the Hurricanes.

Read: Highlanders preview

Read: Moana Pasifika preview

Read: Blues preview

Overview

Last season saw the Canes smashed with injuries, most notably at first five. That hampered their start but after shifting Ruben Love to the 10 jersey, Clark Laidlaw’s side underwent a massive uptick in form and won their last five games to make the playoffs. Unfortunately, it meant a trip to Canberra to play the Brumbies – the one fixture that always seems to end in defeat for the Canes.

The Good

Recruitment has been impressive, most notably big lock Warner Dearns coming over from Japan to add even more to an already effective set piece. Josh Moorby returns from a short stint in France, while Asafo Aumua is back to hopefully pick up where he left off before getting injured.

However, the biggest name in the lineup is Jordie Barrett, back after a season in Ireland.

The Bad

The Canes will be heavily reliant on Cam Roigard, with daylight between him and his replacements. Fingers will be crossed all around the capital that Roigard can avoid what seems to be a yearly injury, because that will necessitate an entire change of gameplan.

Big boots to fill

Brett Cameron and Love will contend for the first five position, although Love hardly did himself any favours when he failed to fire a shot in a preseason loss to the Chiefs. Whoever ends up there is between Roigard and Barrett, so potentially three massive stars in a row if Love gets the nod or an efficient game manager in Cameron to compliment the others.

What makes Hurricanes fans different

As patrons of the country’s most divisive stadium, Hurricanes fans really need something given this season marks 10 long years since their one and only title. As per usual, the players are all there, the capital will provide the weather that other teams hate playing in – but it always just feels like the Canes will have to rely on other teams losing or some ridiculous run of luck to make something happen.

Big games

This is where is gets good for the Canes, because this year they have a really friendly draw. Their first six games are all very winnable before they run into the Blues, after that their derby matches are punctuated by Australian teams. They do face the Crusaders twice in their last five games though, so making sure they’re near the top of the table by then is key.

Hurricanes 2026 squad

Props: Pasilio Tosi, Pouri Rakete-Stones, Siale Lauaki, Tevita Mafileo, Tyrel Lomax, Xavier Numia

Hookers: Asafo Aumua, Jacob Devery, Raymond Tuputupu, Vernon Bason

Locks: Caleb Delany, Hugo Plummer, Isaia Walker-Leawere, Tom Allen, Warner Dearns

Loose forwards: Arese Poliko, Brad Shields, Brayden Iose, Devan Flanders, Du’Plessis Kirifi, Peter Lakai

Halfbacks: Cam Roigard, Ereatara Enari, Jordi Viljeon

First fives: Brett Cameron, Lucas Cashmore, Harry Godfrey*, Callum Harkin

Midfield: Billy Proctor, Jone Rova, Jordie Barrett, Josh Timu, Riley Higgins, Bailyn Sullivan

Outside backs: Fehi Fineanganofo, Josh Moorby, Kini Naholo, Ngatungane Punivai, Ruben Love

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Former Perth Wildcats chief executive officer (CEO), Troy Georgiu is crossing the Tasman to take on the same role with the New Zealand Breakers.

The Breakers CEO role had been vacant since the basketball club brought in new owners in March.

Georgiu has a 20-year legacy in the NBL and the club said in a statement his mandate was to make the Breakers “the NBL’s premier sporting organisation, on and off the court”.

Starting with the Wildcats in 2002, Georgiu served as commercial manager for a decade before leading the club as CEO from 2017 to 2022.

Georgiu was on board with the Wildcats when the team secured back-to-back NBL championships in 2019 and 2020 and was “instrumental in maintaining the club’s legendary 35-year finals streak while delivering record-breaking membership and commercial revenue”.

His professional profile sent out by the Breakers highlighted his work as a brand revitalisation expert in “building and protecting much-loved sporting brands, ensuring they resonate with fans while meeting rigorous profitability standards”.

Following his tenure in Perth, Georgiu transitioned into business advisory.

Breakers Chairperson Marc Mitchell said Georgiu was a “world-class executive who understands the unique intersection of community, brand, and winning”.

“After conducting a global search Troy emerged as our first choice and we are excited to bring in a proven executive of his calibre.

“Our goal is to make the Breakers the top sporting brand in New Zealand, and Troy is the leader to help us get there.”

Georgiu said he understood the importance of the Breakers to basketball in New Zealand.

“I am honoured to lead this next chapter for a club that is a cornerstone of New Zealand sport. My focus is on building a front office that is as high performing as our team on the court.

“We want to grow the club, engage our fans more deeply, and ensure the BNZ Breakers compete for Championships every year.”

Georgiu will oversee all aspects of the club’s business operations.

Dillon Boucher is the president of basketball operations, overseeing all aspects of basketball and performance and his role remained unchanged as Georgiu joined the club immediately.

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