Category: Sport

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Black Caps face the West Indies for day three of their first test of the summer from Hagley Oval in Christchurch.

New Zealand has played just two Test matches so far in 2025, beating Zimbabwe 2-0 in Bulawayo in August.

Since then they’ve played 17 white-ball games against Australia, England and West Indies.

“The team is clear in their test match identity, they’ve done incredibly well as a unit, so just to fall back into that,” coach Rob Walter said on the eve of the three match series.

New Zealand is ranked fifth in the World Test rankings, with West Indies eighth.

First ball is at 11am.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Another impressive performance by captain Parker Jackson-Cartwright has given the Breakers their second successive win in the NBL and edged them closer to a place in the final of the Ignite Cup.

Jackson-Cartwright hit 24 points as the Breakers beat the Sydney Kings 95-90 in Hamilton.

The Kings were up by as many as ten points in the third quarter before Jackson-Cartwright made his mark.

He hit a three just inside half-court on three quarter-time to bring the Breakers back within six and then in the last minute hit the game clinching three which kept them top of the in-season Ignite Cup tournament.

Coach Petteri Koponen admits they gave away too many turnovers in the first half, but fortunately his captain came to the rescue in the second half.

“Parker first half he was in a bit of foul trouble and was resting, but second half he took over and won us the game, an unbelievable performance,” Koponen said.

Twenty-one of Jackson-Cartwright’s 24 points came after half time including six three-pointers.

The Breakers were without the injured Izayah Le’Afa and his replacement Tai Webster is not yet available to play.

Karim Lopez had 18 points and six rebounds, while Izaiah Brockington had 17 points.

Lopez, 18, who is projected to be an NBA lottery pick, had Charlotte Hornets scouts on hand to watch him.

The Breakers sit seventh in the NBL standings with six wins and 10 losses.

The Breakers return to Auckland for the first time in over a month to host the Tasmania JackJumpers on Saturday in what is their last home game until early January.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Analysis: New Zealand driver Liam Lawson can probably afford to sit back and take a couple of deep breaths following the 2025 Formula 1 season, but he won’t have long to relax.

If the 23-year-old thought he was under pressure in his first full season in the sport’s elite competition, the intensity will climb to another level next season.

Lawson’s job is far from secure even in 2026.

Red Bull have not revealed the length of the new contracts for Lawson, Isack Hadjar or Arvid Lindblad, while Max Verstappen’s deal runs until the end of the 2028 championship.

It is likely that Lawson is on a one-year deal again, meaning he has to more than prove himself to stay beyond the end of next year.

He is now also the senior driver at Racing Bulls and therefore needs to be the one leading the team on the points table, anything less and his Formula 1 career will be over.

“Liam Lawson has got to get a result next year,” F1 commentator Alex Jacques said following the Red Bull driver line-up announcement.

“It is really well put from Alan Permane, (Racing Bulls team principal) peaks and troughs will not cut it in a second full season.

“He is going to have to find consistency that is higher and make the most of this brilliant opportunity that has been given to him.”

Red Bull obviously see something in Lawson and they are now hoping to nurture it.

“Liam is talented, he’s very talented, and my mission will be to get him to operate at the level he can operate at when things are all working for him,” Permane told F1.

“In some of the most difficult situations we’ve had this year such as Vegas Qualifying or Baku Qualifying, he’s excelled – and he’s having some really strong races. I know he’s capable of that and he knows he’s capable of that and I just want to work with him to get him at that level every single time he goes in the car.”

Lawson struggled early on in 2025 driving the first two rounds with Red Bull before being demoted to Racing Bulls.

It wasn’t until the eighth round in Monaco that he picked up his first points and while he finished fifth in Azerbaijan and sixth in Austria, there were plenty of times where he was unable to make an impression on the top ten.

That won’t be acceptable in 2026, but what car Racing Bulls is able to produce next year will be a key.

New regulations come into force with the cars smaller and lighter with different aerodynamics and there will be an increase in electrification in the power unit.

Commentators are expecting the Mercedes powered cars (Mercedes, McLaren, Williams and Alpine) to get up to speed quickly in 2026 but there is a question mark surrounding Red Bull who will leave Honda and will produce their own power units with the help of Ford.

It is also worth noting that Red Bull kept Yuki Tsunoda on as their test and reserve driver for 2026 meaning they have someone who is capable of stepping back into one of their cars at short notice if any of the other three (Hadjar, Lawson and Linblad) have any problems.

The championship will be decided this weekend in Abu Dhabi with Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri all in contention.

For Lawson it is another opportunity to pick up points and thank the bosses for putting faith in him.

“I’m very excited to finish off the season in Abu Dhabi, after a strong finish in the points at the weekend.

“It’s a hugely enjoyable track which I raced at for the first time in Formula One back in 2021.

“We had strong race pace in Qatar, which we hope to take into the final race as we continue our fight for P6 in the Constructors’.”

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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 All Blacks will face the Wallabies in their pool at the 2027 Rugby World Cup, after the tournament draw has now been completed in Sydney. Both sides have been drawn in Pool A, along with qualifiers Chile and Hong Kong China – two sides the All Blacks have never played in a test match.

Meanwhile, the Springboks will be looking for an unprecedented third World Cup win in a row. They’ve drawn Italy, Georgia and Romania in Pool B.

This also sets up a probable quarter-final between the All Blacks and Springboks, with the defending champions in Pool B.

Other major team match ups see Ireland and Scotland in Pool D, while England and Wales are both in Pool F.

The tournament will be the first in an expanded format, featuring six pools of four teams. The top two teams from each pool plus the four best third-placed teams will qualify for the knockout phase.

Australia will host the World Cup for the second time, after the 2003 edition in which the Wallabies went in as defending champions only to lose to England in the final. To date, it is the only time a northern hemisphere side has won the World Cup.

The World Cup will take place in Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Townsville and Newcastle. Sydney’s Accor Stadium will host the final, while Perth’s Optus Stadium will have the opening game of the tournament on 1 October 2027.

2027 Rugby World Cup pools

Pool A: All Blacks, Wallabies, Chile, Hong Kong China

Pool B: Springboks, Italy, Georgia, Romania

Pool C: Argentina, Fiji, Spain, Canada

Pool D: Ireland, Scotland, Uruguay, Portugal

Pool E: France, Japan, USA, Samoa

Pool F: England, Wales, Tonga, Zimbabwe

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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 Black Caps have taken firm control of the first cricket test against the West Indies in Christchurch.

A five wicket haul for Jacob Duffy saw the Windies dismissed for just 167, handing New Zealand a first innings lead of 64.

The West Indies made a solid start to the day, Shai Hope and Tagenarine Chanderpaul taking them past three figures for the loss of just two wickets.

Hope notched fifty before he held out to Devon Conway at square leg.

It has been a forgettable test thus far for the Kiwi opener, who after getting out for a duck, dropped Chanderpaul twice at leg slip.

However, much like Kane Williamson in the first innings who was also given a reprieve from a no-ball, Chanderpaul reached his half century, before Conway finally managed to pouch one on third attempt.

With Chanderpaul in the sheds, the Windies tail offered little resistance, Duffy quickly mopping them up as the visitors lost their last four wickets for just 27 runs.

The Kiwis have yet to lose a wicket in their second innings, with Tom Latham, 14, and Conway 15, at the crease with the lead nearing 100.

Play is set to resume at 11am.

Follow what happened in the second day of play in the blog below:

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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 jockey James McDonald has won the Longines World’s Best Jockey title for the second consecutive year and third time overall.

The 33-year-old, who is based in Australia, also won the Longines World’s Best Jockey Award in 2022.

On his way to claiming the 2025 title, McDonald won 12 of the world’s Top 100 Group or Grade 1 races.

His qualifying victories included the Longines Hong Kong Cup, Longines Hong Kong Mile, Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Ladbrokes Doomben 10,000, and the Ladbrokes Cox Plate.

McDonald dominated this year’s award, holding a sizeable lead throughout much of the competition.

The scoring process rewards jockeys for finishing in the top three, giving McDonald a total of 184 points on the year. Mickael Barzalona was second with 132 points, while William Buick was third with 114 points.

The awarding of the World’s Best Jockey title is based upon performances in the 100 highest-rated Group 1 and Grade 1 races as established for the year by the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings Committee.

The scoring incorporates races from 1 December of the previous year until 30 November of the current year. Jockeys accrue 12 points for a win, 6 points for placing second, and 4 points for placing third.

The award was established in 2014 as a way for the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) to quantitatively recognise a jockey as the best among his or her global peers.

Italian jockey Frankie Dettori and Englishman Ryan Moore have won the award four times each.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The Black Ferns will resume their rivalry with France for a three-Test home series in 2026, as part of the new WXV Global Series.

The series headlines a four-match home schedule between August and the end of October, which includes a Test against Australia where New Zealand will look to retain the O’Reilly Cup.

The Black Ferns, fresh off beating France in the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup bronze final, will host the world’s fourth ranked side in Hamilton, Whangārei and Christchurch.

GM Professional Rugby and Performance Chris Lendrum said they were pleased to secure four homes Tests next year.

“There’s a real rivalry between the Black Ferns and France, so hosting them as part of the WXV Global Series is exciting. The Black Ferns have won eight of the last thirteen Tests between these two nations and these teams faced off in the 2021 and 2025 RWC playoffs too, which adds significant intensity to the match-up. 2026 also marks 30 years since these two teams first played against one another, so there is new and old history here that we know fans will get behind and celebrate,” Lendrum said.

The Black Ferns will play 10 test matches in total next year, with three Tests against Pacific rivals in April, which will include the traditional Pac4 fixtures.

As part of the WXV Global Series, the Black Ferns will play six Tests in a home and away format against some of the top 12 teams in the world.

Black Ferns co-captain Kennedy Tukuafu said the side had plenty to prove.

“We have a great mix of Tests here at home and overseas. We’ve always said we want to play as much rugby as possible, so with so many Tests overseas and at home next year we want to make the most of those,” Tukuafu said.

“We look forward to playing in four different venues across the motu (country) to see as many of our incredible fans as possible. For me personally having a Test at home in Hamilton is going to be special, and when we take the field, it will have been two years since the Black Ferns last played there.”

Previously played through March and April, Super Rugby Aupiki will now take place between June and August, with six regular season games and a grand final.

Black Ferns four home Test matches in 2026:

• Black Ferns v Australia, Saturday 22 August, Go Media Stadium, Auckland
• Black Ferns v France, Saturday 17 October, FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton
• Black Ferns v France, Saturday 24 October, Semenoff Stadium, Whangārei
• Black Ferns v France, Saturday 31 October, One NZ Stadium, Christchurch

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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 All Whites will play two final home games ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, with New Zealand set to host its first ever FIFA Series in March.

The FIFA Series brings together four competing nations to play international fixtures against other top sides.

Which teams will travel to New Zealand for the event are yet to be confirmed.

The All Whites took part in the inaugural FIFA Series in 2024, held in Egypt, where they faced the hosts as well as Tunisia.

Due to travel and competition requirements, all matches will be played in Auckland, but New Zealand Football are exploring options to bring the team back later in the year, after the World Cup, with at least one game in the South Island.

New Zealand Football chief executive Andrew Pragnell said one of the requirements of hosting was a sole location to “maximise training time ahead of the FIFA World Cup”.

“This is massive, we know how excited people are for the FIFA World Cup 2026 already, and to have two final games at home against strong international opposition and properly see the team off is huge.”

The FIFA Series games will be played during the 23 – 31 March international window with exact dates and venue information still to be announced.

The matches are supported by the Government’s Events Attraction Package.

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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-time Olympian Lewis Clareburt is leaving New Zealand to chase his dream of a swimming medal at the LA 2028 Olympic Games.

The 2024 400m Individual Medley World Champion has announced he’s moving from Auckland to Melbourne where he’ll join Nunawading Swim Club in January 2026.

Clareburt will be coached by internationally renowned coach Jolyon Finck, and will train with Olympic athletes who also specialise in the medley disciplines.

The double Commonwealth Games swimming champion was forced to relocate to Auckland at the end of 2023 when he struggled to get lane space at the Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre, which was shared by other sports and the public.

Clareburt won gold in the 400 medley and the 200 butterfly at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and made the 400 medley final at the Tokyo Olympics.

“We’re looking to create a really strong medley training group in Melbourne,” Clareburt said.

“At the moment there’s a really successful medley training group in the US and they’re winning all the medals internationally. If medley swimmers from Australia and New Zealand want to be on the podium we need to have a similar group in the southern hemisphere and that’s what we’re looking to set up.

“Being surrounded by this group day-in day-out is going to allow me to keep developing my swimming and pushing myself. I’m also 26 and have lived in New Zealand all my life, so this is an exciting opportunity for me and my partner to live in another country and experience a different culture.”

The 26-year-old paid tribute to the team which has supported him in Auckland.

“I can’t speak highly enough of my time in Auckland. Mitch Nairn has been an amazing coach and my physios and strength and conditioning team have been awesome,” he said.

“I’ll still be racing for New Zealand and I’ll be back home quite often for competitions and camps so it’s going to be a great mix for me and I’m excited for a new challenge which should help me reach my goals.”

Swimming New Zealand head of high performance Graeme Maw said the organisation was looking forward to supporting Clareburt as he builds toward LA2028.

“We’re excited to see Lewis continue to develop and chase his goal of a podium finish in LA,” Maw said.

“Swimming New Zealand has a strong and supportive relationship with Lewis and with his new coach in Melbourne, and he will remain fully supported by SNZ as he builds toward upcoming pinnacle events.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Black Caps take on the West Indies for day two of their first test of the summer from Hagley Oval in Christchurch, and it’s advantage West Indies after day one.

New Zealand has played just two Test matches so far in 2025, beating Zimbabwe 2-0 in Bulawayo in August.

Since then they’ve played 17 white-ball games against Australia, England and West Indies.

“The team is clear in their test match identity, they’ve done incredibly well as a unit, so just to fall back into that,” coach Rob Walter said on the eve of the three match series.

New Zealand is ranked fifth in the World Test rankings, with West Indies eighth.

First ball is at 11am.

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