Barrett starts as All Blacks ring changes for Fiji Test in US

Barrett starts as All Blacks ring changes for Fiji Test in US

New Zealand on Thursday made 11 changes to the team to face Fiji in San Diego, with Beauden Barrett starting at fullback, a debut for centre Billy Proctor and five uncapped players on the bench. Proctor, who plays for Wellington Hurricanes, lines up with the experienced Anton Lienert-Brown in midfield for the game on Friday night in California. Playmaker Barrett is restored after hugely influential performances coming off the […]

July 18, 2024 9

Sport

New Zealand Rugby’s reform proposal rejected by unions

A bid to reform New Zealand rugby's governing body was rejected by heartland unions Thursday, a move that threatens to throw the game into disarray in the rugby-mad nation. Months of bubbling discord reached a head at a special general meeting in the capital Wellington, where the country's 26 provincial unions turned their back on a suite of far-reaching reforms aimed at loosening their grip on New Zealand Rugby's […]

May 30, 2024 9

Sport

New Zealand Rugby set for pivotal vote after breakaway threat

New Zealand Rugby will hold a crucial vote Thursday over who runs the game in the country that could see top players split from the governing body if they don't get their way. Months of bubbling discord are set to reach a head at NZR's special general meeting in the capital Wellington. Powerbrokers will vote for one of two proposals about a new leadership structure for the national […]

May 28, 2024 9

Sport

All Blacks scrum-half Roigard out for six months with knee injury

All Blacks scrum-half Cam Roigard is set to be sidelined for at least six months after rupturing a knee ligament, his Super Rugby team the Wellington Hurricanes said Wednesday. Roigard was stretchered off after tearing his left patella tendon in the Hurricanes' win over the Otago Highlanders last Saturday. He underwent surgery in Auckland on Tuesday, the Hurricanes said in a statement. "Provided all goes well with his rehabilitation […]

April 3, 2024 7

Sport

adidas Unites Its Biggest Icons to Help Disarm Negative Pressure in Sport Through New Global Brand Campaign

adidas unites its biggest sporting icons from across the world in its latest campaign, to create a positive rallying cry to help everyday athletes believe they can overcome pressure and achieve their possibilities in sport. The new global brand campaign is driven by feedback and insights from consumers around the world that for many people, negative pressure can affect their enjoyment of sport. To help address this over the course […]

February 14, 2024 75

Sport

New Zealand All Blacks to play Fiji in San Diego

The All Blacks will play a Test against Pacific neighbours Fiji in San Diego this July, the New Zealand Rugby 14-match schedule for 2024 revealed Thursday. Under new head coach Scott Robertson, New Zealand start their season with a two-match home Test series against England in Dunedin on July 6. The All Blacks face the English again a week later at Auckland's Eden Park, where New Zealand have […]

February 1, 2024 13

Sport

All Blacks coach wants to include foreign-based players

New All Blacks coach Scott Robertson said Tuesday he was pressing New Zealand Rugby to change its sacrosanct rule banning overseas-based players from Test selection, saying he wanted to pick from the best available. The governing body has refused to budge on the issue, believing selecting players enticed overseas on big-money contracts would weaken the domestic game at Super Rugby and provincial level. As recently as last month, chief […]

January 9, 2024 4

Sport

Beauden Barrett signs until 2027

All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson hailed the "class" of Beauden Barrett after the playmaker committed to another World Cup cycle on Monday by signing with New Zealand Rugby until the end of 2027. The 32-year-old is currently playing for Tokyo Verblitz in Japan but will return to New Zealand next year and be available for All Blacks selection. The two-time World Player of the Year, who has won […]

December 4, 2023 8

Sport

And then there were two…

Only two teams remain in the hunt for the 2023 Rugby World Cup...New Zealand and South Africa. While current rankings do not perhaps list them as the best teams in the world, few can dispute that they are currently the form sides, especially having battled through from the “tough” side of the draw. The way in which they found their way to the final was, however, very different. The All […]

October 23, 2023 6