Category: Sport

Source: Radio New Zealand

French tennis player Gael Monfils’ fifth and last appearance at Auckland’s ASB Classic, hasn’t been one for the history books, but his contribution to the tournament down through the years, will live long in the memory.

The 39-year-old was beaten in the first round by Hungarian Fabian Marozsan last night, 7-5 3-6 4-6, in a battle which lasted just on two hours, meaning his title defence was over in the opening round.

The match had a similar feel to the first round matchup between the two in 2024, which Marozsan also won in three sets.

Monfils has finished his Auckland career with a 8-4 record, first coming to the tournament in 2007, when he was beaten in the first round by Spain’s Alberto Martin.

Six years later, he was back for his second visit, which was much more successful.

He won three matches before being beaten by another Spaniard David Ferrer in the semi-finals.

His crowning glory though, was last year, when he won the title, beating Belgium’s Zizou Bergs 6-3 6-4.

“I have, of course, great memories, being playing here in my early age,” he said on Sky Sport after last night’s defeat.

“It’s been a big honour for me to play here in a special country, a great culture. I was very lucky and fortunate last year to win this title. For me, Auckland is in a special place in my heart, so thank you very much.

“You have a lovely country. It won’t be my last time here, that’s for sure. I want my daughter to discover your country. So I’ll be coming, not for tennis, but to visit,” Monfils said.

Monfils’ wife, Ukrainian veteran Elina Svitolina won the ASB Classic women’s tournament on Sunday.

Marozsan, in the meantime, will be back on court tonight in the second round, when he faces Norweigan and second seed Casper Ruud for a spot in the quarter finals.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

New Zealand doubles pairing Finn Reynolds and James Watt have belied their wildcard status to progress to the quarter-finals of the ASB Classic tennis tournament in Auckland.

The local duo beat Belgium’s Sander Gille and Sem Verbeek of the Netherlands in a super tiebreak 6-4 6-7(2) 13-11 on Tuesday on centre court.

Down four points in the tiebreak, the New Zealanders stormed back into the match and secured their first win of the tournament.

The Kiwis said they never doubted they could get a result.

“You always think it’s not over until it’s over you’ve got to play every single point as hard as you can,” Watt said.

Reynolds backed that up.

“You’re definitely aware that you’re not in the greatest position but you always believe you can win. Talk to any player here they’ve all had crazy comebacks or losses going the other way around so you’re never out of it, especially in doubles.”

They had drawn on the crowd’s energy to get them into the next round.

“We’re on a big high right now, the crowd and the atmosphere really got us pumped up at the end there,” Watt said of the post-match emotions.

“We were trying to get some energy going in the first tiebreak and it just felt like we were a little bit flat and even in the super [tiebreak] it was sort of like that too and we just eventually got things going and then we just needed one or two shots to get ourselves really pumped up and the crowd pumped up because it was getting a little quiet.”

Reynolds and Watt will play the winner of match between the third seeds from France, Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul, and Austria’s Alexander Erler and Robert Galloway of the United States who play on Wednesday afternoon.

Tuesday’s match was Watt’s second time on court at his home tournament after he lost in his singles match against American Jenson Brooksby on Monday.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Miracle Fai’ilagi is no stranger to the unexpected, his very arrival into the world marked by extraordinary circumstances.

Such was the nature of his birth that his parents bestowed the name Miracle on their son, a name he has continued to live up to, carving out a remarkable journey from village rugby to Moana Pasifika captain.

“It was kind of a miracle in my family. My mum was giving birth at the same time my dad was having surgery. When I was born, my dad finished his surgery. So it was kind of a miracle that they both lived.”

Fai’ilagi will take the reigns from Moana’s inspirational 2024 leader, Ardie Savea, who is on playing sabbatical in Japan.

Coach Tana Umaga said it’s a hole that’s impossible to fill.

“No one person can do what Ardie did for us last year or his legacy, and we can’t expect one person to step up. And so for us, it is a collective effort. We need everybody to step into that hole that he’s left.”

However, Umaga said Fai’ilagi has the full backing of the squad to lead them.

“I’ve just seen him grow in the respect that he’s gathered from those around him. He’s softly spoken, but he’s very knowledgeable around what he talks about. When we announced it to the team, it got the loudest chair that I’ve heard for a long time.”

Hailing from the villages of Vailele and Uafato in Samoa, Umaga said Fai’ilagi encapsulates the purpose of Moana Pasifika.

“It’s something for others to aspire to that come from the same background as Mira, because to get to where he’s got to, there’s not many of those stories around, especially through the pathway that he’s taken to come to Moana. it just shows that if you go through your work and you put in the effort, things can happen for you.”

It was a breakout season for Fai’ilagi, scoring eight tries, including a hat-trick in Moana Pasifika’s win over the Hurricanes.

Despite the captain’s armband, Fai’ilagi is not feeling the pressure of the role.

“Just being the best player on the field, just leading through my actions and just doing my job, nothing changes.”

He said he was honoured to be asked to lead.

“It’s a massive step up for me. It’s a really special moment for me and also my family.”

Fai’ilagi has been in regular contact with his predecessor, whose advice gave him the confidence he could do the job.

“I saw that opportunity to learn many things from him (Savea) and I’ve spoken to him a couple of weeks ago about some leadership stuff. It’s a goal of mine this season to step into that leadership group and stepping to this captaincy is massive.”

After their strongest season to date, Umaga said Moana’s challenge is to back it up in 2026.

“We knew what we did last year was great, but you can’t rest on your laurels or on what happened last year. You’ve got to learn and learn how to grow.”

Moana kick off their Super Rugby season against the Fijian Drua in Lautoka on 14 February.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The off-field blows keep coming for the A-League this week, with the future of another club hanging in the balance, and concern about the overall health of the competition is ever present for a leading coach.

On Monday the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) – which runs the A-League – took over the management of the struggling Central Coast Mariners on an interim basis while the process to sell the club is completed.

The fate of the Mariners follows Western United’s absence from the A-League this season while the club sorted out financial issues and worked to get their A-League licence back for a potential return.

Auckland FC coach Steve Corica said in their second season the league leaders were in a “healthy place” on and off the field, but he was aware that was not the case across the competition.

Corica has been involved as a player and coach in the A-League since the start in 2005.

“Of course there is always concerns,” Corica said on Tuesday about the health of the competition.

“Western we’re still not sure what is going to happen, I know they paid their debt off, so whether they come back in next year we’d like to see that, but with Central Coast as well it’s not great.

“It’s for the A-League to sort out, obviously they need to find another owner for Central Coast to move the club forward.

“We want the A-League to continue doing well.”

Reports out of Australia suggested there was local and international interest – including from English Championship club Queens Park Rangers – in taking over the ownership of the club, which is based in Gosford.

The Mariners’ men’s and women’s teams have had some success in recent years and Corica noted how well a team was doing on the field did not always impact what was happening with the business side of the club.

“They’ve had a really good run of late, they won the treble one year, they won the Grand Final, the Premiership, the last couple of years probably haven’t been like that but you just want to see them doing well off the pitch as well.”

A statement from the APL on Monday said that at this mid-point in the men’s and women’s seasons it would “ensure the ongoing obligations of the [Mariners] are met and operations continue.”

Auckland play the Mariners at Mt Smart Stadium next week.

The off-field success of the A-League would also be important for New Zealand Football which stated last month an intention to play a part in getting more New Zealand A-League teams into the competition with the first to join as soon as 2030.

NZF wanted a total of three men’s and three women’s A-League teams based in New Zealand by 2035.

Auckland also hung their future expansion into the women’s A-League on how well the competition was doing financially, with a plan to join in 2027.

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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 first player to sign a Super Rugby contract straight from Samoan club rugby, Miracle Fai’ilagi, will lead Moana Pasifika for the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season.

Fai’ilagi stormed onto the Super Rugby scene in 2023, after being spotted by Moana Pasifika coaches at the now defunct World Rugby Pacific Combine in Suva in 2022.

He has gone on to become a Manu Samoa representative.

“I’m truly grateful for this opportunity and I just give praise to God,” Faiilagi said.

“It’s his plan that I’m here. God put me in this position and it’s a role that I’m ready to step into and give it my best.

“It’s an honour and a privilege to lead this team. I’m not only leading the boys and this whole organisation, but I’m leading Pasifika people.

“When Tana asked me to be captain I went away and gathered information from previous leaders, especially Ardie and Jimmy Lay.”

Fai’ilagi hails from the villages of Vailele and Uafato in Samoa.

Growing up he played for Vailele Rugby Club, on the tough gravel and a cricket pitch in the village.

“Looking back, I was just a kid from the islands that wanted to make the most of the opportunity and back in the Islands we hardly get these opportunities,” Fai’ilagi said.

“For the kids back in the islands I hope this encourages them to keep pursuing their dreams in whatever field that they’re trying to reach. Just keep believing in themselves, put God first and do the hard work.”

The galvanising loose forward was named the Moana Pasifika Niu Rookie of the Year and scored five tries in his debut season, including two spectacular tries against the Reds at Apia Park in Moana Pasifika’s first-ever game in Samoa.

His breakout maiden campaign put the competition on notice and led Fai’ilagi to represent Manu Samoa at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

He missed most of the 2024 Super Rugby season with injury, but returned to Moana Pasifika in 2025 with vengeance. It was arguably his best campaign yet.

Fai’ilagi scored eight tries, including a hat-trick in Moana Pasifika’s win over the Hurricanes. In 13 appearances Faiilagi also recorded 766 carry metres and 31 tackle breaks.

He also won the Moana Pasifika Attacking Player of the Year Award, alongside Kyren Taumoefolau.

Head Coach Fa’alogo Tana Umaga said Fai’ilagi represented “a true Moana man”.

“He is someone who puts in the hard work, leads through action and embraces his culture and values. We’re confident that he will lead the team well and do it in his unique way. He’s resilient and can empower the team through his presence and professionalism. There is also a wealth of experience in our team to support him.”

Umaga said Fai’ilagi’s journey from playing in the village in Samoa to now leading a Super Rugby team was inspiring for Pasifika people.

“Many young Pasifika kids will be able to see themselves in Miracle and know that they can one day be where he is.

“It wasn’t easy, but Miracle took his chance and is reaping the rewards of his hard work. We’re really proud to have him leading us into the new season.”

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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 Black Ardie Savea has suffered a gruesome eye injury playing in Japan.

The superstar flanker posted a video on TikTok which shows several stitches and heavy bruising above his right eye.

Savea has a history of eye issues.

During the 2019 Rugby World Cup, he experimented with protective goggles due to deteriorating vision in his left eye.

He said the move was to avoid incident with his remaining good eye, however the goggles were abandoned after one game.

He spoke to RNZ in 2019 about having poor vision in his left eye.

“Everything’s kind of blurry. I’ve got my little girl and hopefully future kids and a bigger family, so I want to be able to see. I’m just thinking of the bigger picture and trying to protect my eyes.”

Savea sustained the injury during the Kobe Steelers’ 22-20 win over Tokyo Sungoliath.

Savea set up the match winner for Kobe with a superb offload for Kazuma Ueda to score the corner.

Former All Black Brodie Retalick also got on the scoresheet for Kobe.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A Christchurch cricket club turned on the charm for their first game of the season, playing hosts to a globe-trotting outfit of social cricketers from offshore.

The visitors, largely made up of amateur club players from Australia and the UK, were touring the country for the first time, the latest trip of a fledgling annual tradition.

On Sunday, they faced the Valley of Peace XI at their “picturesque” club grounds, captained on the day by James Stokes, brother of New Zealand-born England cricket captain Ben.

Although the concept may not have the history and pedigree of the Ashes, the Stanton Harcourt Lions have already completed several tours around the world.

The idea arose about 15 years after a member of Australia’s Harcourt Cricket Club in Victoria stumbled on another namesake club based in Oxfordshire, England.

Australian Callum Wright would make a cameo appearance for Stanton Harcourt when he was in the UK for a wedding.

Local player Oliver Pascoe said he kept in touch with the Australian tourist.

“It took us a while, it took us till 2017 when we went to Australia and played against them, and a couple of other local clubs,” he said. “Because we were only a small village, we didn’t have the amount of players to tour around the world on our own. So we came together.”

The team has experienced a range of conditions, climates and circumstances during their travels.

They have tripped to Australia, South Africa, India, Nepal and South America, where they were locked down in a Peruvian hotel for a fortnight during the pandemic.

New Zealand was their latest destination,

Tucked away at the foot of the Port Hills in Kennedy’s Bush, the Valley of Peace club previously hosted a friendly match against the Barmy Army XI during the England team’s tour to New Zealand at the end of 2024.

“We weren’t sure what to expect,” Pascoe said. “A friend of mine from England played here a couple of years ago. He recommended it. I wasn’t expecting it to be this picturesque, with the history as well. It’s brilliant.”

Valley of ‘paradise’

Off the beaten track, the small and secluded Valley of Peace club was not your average cricket ground.

The boundaries were ringed by various trees. The pavilion, bar and score box at the southern end were built from rough-hewn oak wood. The Hoon Hay Valley also accentuated the vista.

Club president Scott Cartwright described the 98-year-old club as “a hidden treasure”.

“The Valley of Peace speaks for itself. It’s in the valley, it’s very peaceful,” he said.

There were traditional customs players and umpires had to adhere to when arriving at the club, including the wearing of a jacket, collar and tie.

Due to the smaller dimensions of the ground, sixes were worth four runs, and boundaries were worth two runs.

Inside the pavilion were photographs, memorabilia and honours boards dating back to 1929

Century-makers at the club included English test batting great Herbert Sutcliffe and current Black Cap Henry Nicholls.

Founded in 1928 by cinema operator Harry Waters, the club began as a means to play cricket on Sundays when other council-owned grounds were shut.

With temperatures climbing to 33 degrees in Christchurch on Sunday, the tranquil backdrop left the tourists impressed.

“What a magnificent setting here up the valley,” Wright said.

“We’re only minutes out of the city of Christchurch, but you’d think you were in paradise, it’s beautiful out here.”

Fresh off a quick-fire captain’s knock of “30-odd”, Stokes said games like these were always special occasions.

“Everyone wants to play them,” he said,

Ashes sparring

A week after the Australians completed a resounding 4-1 Ashes series win across the Tasman, there were obvious questions about team harmony among Australian and English teammates.

“It’s been very quiet, the English don’t talk about the cricket much,” Wright quipped.

“There’s always a little niggle, that’s where the fun’s at.”

Cartwright joked that he was surprised by the concept of an Australian-English combined team.

“I thought the [English] and the Aussies hated each other, let alone get together and tour together.

“I’d love to hear the sledging in behind the scenes.”

There was also an Ashes connection on the other side of the ledger, with Stokes leading the Valley.

English cricket pundits continued to lambast the side’s Ashes showing, particularly the preparation and tactics employed by their Kiwi coach Brendon McCullum.

When asked about the Ashes, Stokes stopped short of adding to the pile-on his brother’s team was copping.

“Yeah… everyone saw it to be fair. I’m not one to comment on that, I might get a bit of stick,” he chuckled.

As far as the more laid-back setting of Sunday’s game went, the Valley posted a respectable total of 192 in their 40 overs.

The game was later abandoned after a fierce thunderstorm and heavy rain hit Christchurch later that afternoon.

The Stanton Harcourt Lions were also due to play games in Wānaka and Queenstown this week.

The team plans to travel to the Caribbean for a tour in 2027.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

One of the games greats is calling an end to her incomparable cricket career.

Alyssa Healy has announced she will retire from all forms following Australia’s upcoming series against India.

Healy, 35, will end her 15-year career with almost 300 matches, more than 7,000 runs and 275 dismissals to her name following her national team debut in 2010.

Taking over as full-time Australian captain in 2023, Healy famously led the side to a historic 16-0 whitewash of England.

One of the most destructive batters and finest wicketkeepers in world cricket, she has been part of eight ICC World Cup titles, holding an array of records including the highest individual score in a World Cup Final and most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in T20 Internationals.

Healy was awarded the 2019 Belinda Clark Award, twice named ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year and was part of Australia’s Commonwealth Games gold medal winning side in 2022.

A founding Sydney Sixers player, Healy compiled more than 3,000 runs across 11 seasons in the Weber WBBL and was part of two title winning sides.

She was also part of a remarkable 11 Women’s National Cricket League titles with New South Wales.

“It’s with mixed emotions that the upcoming India series will be my last for Australia. I’m still passionate about playing for Australia, but I’ve somewhat lost that competitive edge that’s kept me driven since the start, so the time feels right to call it a day,” Healy said.

“Knowing I won’t be going to the T20 World Cup this year and the limited preparation time the team has, I won’t be part of the T20s against India, but I’m excited to have the opportunity to finish my career and captain the ODI and Test side at home against India – one of the biggest series on the calendar for us.

“I’ll genuinely miss my teammates, singing the team song and walking out to open the batting for Australia. Representing my country has been an incredible honour and I’m grateful for one last series in the green and gold.”

Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg said Healy is one of the all-time greats of the game.

“She has made an immeasurable contribution both on and off the field over her 15-year career. On behalf of Australian Cricket, I’d like to thank Alyssa and congratulate her on an incredible career that has inspired so many and changed the game for the better.

“We look forward to celebrating her achievements throughout the series against India.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Another A-League club is in trouble, with the Central Coast Mariners FC’s club participation agreement being terminated mid-season.

The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) – which runs the A-League – on Monday took over the management of the Mariners on an interim basis while the process to sell the club is completed.

The operator of the Central Coast Mariners FC notified the APL of the forfeiture of the club participation agreement (CPA), and the APL then terminated the agreement.

In a statement the APL said currently the “focus will be to ensure the ongoing obligations of the club are met and operations continue”.

“As custodians of the game, we believe it is the best course of proactive action – for the short and long term interest of the club – to terminate the current CPA under the current ownership, and run an expedited and robust sale process to find a new and stable long-term owner for the Mariners,” APL chair Stephen Conroy said.

“We believe in the value that Central Coast Mariners FC brings to the A-Leagues. They’ve shown with the right investment and community engagement, they have a vibrant fanbase and a proven ability to consistently compete for on field success.

“We are confident that with the engaged local and international interest, we can find the right buyer for the Mariners to take the club forward and ensure their long term success.”

The club’s management has indicated they will work with the APL to assist the transition and the forthcoming sale process.

There will be no changes to the Central Coast Mariners’ fixtures this weekend.

The Mariners’ men’s team is currently last in the 12-team competition and their women’s team, who are the defending champions, are third in their 11-team competition.

The men won the Grand Final in the 2023/24 season.

Weeks before the 2025/26 A-League season kicked off Western United’s A-League licence was put into “conditional hibernation” for the season, making the Mariners the second team to fall short of the APL participation standards in the past four months.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

New Zealand wildcard James Watt has been knocked out in the first round of the men’s ASB Classic tennis tournament in Auckland, losing to Jenson Brooksby in straight sets on centre court 6-4, 6-3.

It was a brave effort from Watt, who conceded 600 places in the world rankings to his American opponent.

He said the performance gives him confidence he can beat anyone on his day.

“It was cool to play at that level. I felt like I was there neck and neck, but obviously there’s levels to focus and a couple points that could have gone here or there. The fact that I can hang in there with the guy top 50 in the world, just sort of builds on the Davis Cup success.”

However, Watt admitted he was simply not consistent enough on the day.

“I thought I played well in patches. I think I had a lot of opportunities to break and really get on top of that first set and even in the second set as well. But credit to him, he hanged up and came up with some big serves on key points.”

The Auckland crowd were right behind Watt as he managed to save five match points in a see saw final game.

“Those big points, just to get everyone get behind me, that really gave me a boost of energy. It was a couple shots that missed by a few inches and if those had landed then it could have easily been the other way. But that’s tennis and I’ll learn from this experience and keep improving.”

Standing at 2.09m, Watt is a towering presence on the court and would not look out of place wearing the number four or five jersey on a rugby field.

“My high school was trying to recruit me for the first XV quite a lot and I played basketball through high school as well. I think tennis was a consistent thing and I really enjoyed it and just kept on improving at it.”

The night session begins at 6pm with fifth seed and Auckland-raised British representative Cam Norrie up against Frenchman Hugo Gaston.

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