Sports
All Blacks
Wynne Gray: Our tips for Steve Hansen
The eight-season veteran knows more about coaching than most but has a daunting All Black record to repeat. My All Black memory is focusing on 2003 – although colleagues kindly suggest it struggles to recall what happened yester…
Rugby: SANZAR wins fight over World Cup funding
SANZAR has won its fight with the IRB to get the funding model for the next Rugby World Cup changed.The NZRU last year threatened to pull the All Blacks out of the next world cup in England in 2015 and highlighted the massive losses…
All Blacks: The six stalwarts who have gone every step with Hansen
Readers respond: Hansen’s squad gets mixed reviews
The team have yet to play a test under his reign but new All Blacks coach Steve Hansen is already off side with some fans after naming his first squad yesterday.Hansen named a 35-man squad which will take part in two training camps…
Basketball
Thunder strike late over Lakers, Celtics spank 76ers
The Oklahoma City Thunder scored nine unanswered points in the
final two minutes to edge the Los Angeles Lakers today.
Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs doing well
The Indiana Pacers beat Miami Heat, while the San Antonio Spurs slammed the LA Clippers.
Pacers stun Heat, Spurs rout Clippers
Thunder embarrass Lakers
The Thunder delivered a blow to rival Metta World Peace’s
infamous elbow by crushing the Lakers today.
Cricket
Martin Guptill scores century for Derbyshire
New Zealand opener Martin Guptill scored his second century of the season for Derbyshire.
Ross Taylor finally finds some form in the IPL
New Zealand captain Ross Taylor has finally fired in the Indian Premier League but his efforts have been cast into the abyss by West Indian blaster Chris Gayle.
Car-jacking, grenade prompted Hesson’s exit
West Indies 243-9 after day 1 at Lords
England fast bowler Stuart Broad took a six-wicket haul to reduce West Indies to 243-9 at stumps.
Golf
Golf: Hecklers get on Na’s nerves
Kevin Na accepted some of the blame after being cruelly booed and taunted during the US PGA Players Championship final round. Beset by a mental block which caused him to constantly repeat waggles and practice swings and back off…
Golf: Kuchar wins The Players Championship
The only complaint about Matt Kuchar was not winning enough. He picked up a big one today in The Players Championship.Kuchar avoided the big mistakes that slowed so many other contenders – starting with Kevin Na – and kept out of…
Golf: Kuchar wins The Players Championship
Golf: Poulter, Laird tied at Players Championship
Ian Poulter ran off four birdies around the turn and Martin Laird was the only player without a bogey on his card as the pair shared the lead today in The Players Championship.Poulter birdied all of the par 5s on his way to a 7-under…
League
Richie Barnett: Johnson can learn lessons and outshine the teacher
Warriors’ playmaker will come head-to-head with veteran star Benji Marshall tonight. Win or lose, Shaun Johnson can learn a lot in tonight’s match.The young Warrior will look across the pitch and see, in Benji Marshall, a player…
NRL Game of the week: Tigers v Warriors
1. Game of the week Tigers vs WarriorsLeichhardt Oval 9.30 tonightSo many subplots here.Benji Marshall versus Shaun Johnson, the master versus the apprentice. Marshall is still the man, but on their respective form who would…
Shaun Johnson and Benji Marshall go head to head
NRL: No escaping Marshall for Warrior Johnson
There has been no escaping the Benji Marshall element to tomorrow night’s match against the Wests Tigers for Shaun Johnson.Naturally, Johnson’s Warriors’ teammates are ribbing him about the contest against fellow Kiwis’ halfback…
Motor
Motorsport: Stoner announces shock retirement
Twice world motorcycling champion Casey Stoner stunned the sport today by announcing he will quit at the end of the season for “family reasons”.The 26-year-old Australian, who has won 35 MotoGP races in his career and leads the…
Motorsport: Alesi feels ‘unsafe in slow’ IndyCar
French driver Jean Alesi says his slow car is making him feel “unsafe” at Indianapolis 500 practice.”Right now, I feel very unsafe, being quite slow in the middle of the track,” Alesi said. “So, I am quite concerned for my fellow…
Motorsport: Controversy, hero worship after Maldonado win
Motorsport: Ecstasy then agony for Evans
Aucklander Mitch Evans had an up and down weekend at the opening round of the 2012 GP3 championships at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya in Spain. The category was a support class for the fifth round of the Formula One series.Evans,…
Netball
Dana Johannsen: Talk off court is still same old nonsense
New Zealand’s talent pool is growing. Why would we drop a team from the transtasman league? While the action on the court in this year’s transtasman league has been unpredictable, all the talk off it seems to be following the same…
Netball: Naoupu steps up for Magic
There will no divided loyalties for Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic shooter Julianna Naoupu when she returns “home” for Saturday’s trans-Tasman netball clash against the Canterbury Tactix on Saturday.Ever-improving consistency with…
Netball: De Bruin mishap worry for Magic
Netball: Mystics stutter to unconvincing victory
Mystics 49Steel 45 A more consistent line-up could not deliver a more consistent performance from the Northern Mystics as they battled to a four-goal win over the Southern Steel in Dunedin last night.Needing to make a strong…
Racing
Racing: Volkswagin stands out in steeplechase
Taranaki horseman John Wheeler was pretty confident a day or so ago that Volkswagin could win tomorrow’s $35,000 Vernon & Vezey Truck Parts Waikato Steeplechase.Now, with what seemed his only danger, Climbing High dead, he is even…
Racing: Alta Christiano ready to make amends
Paul Kerr has bad news for rival trainers hoping Alta Christiano was flattened by the juvenile pacing run of the season last Saturday.Because he says the youngster will be even better in the $180,000 Sires’ Stakes Final at Addington…
Racing: Clash of stars Cambridge highlight
Racing: All eyes on Newbury as Frankel returns
British galloper Frankel, the best racehorse in the world and one of the most exciting there has ever been, returns to action on Sunday (NZT).When he steps on to the Newbury turf, it will be an extraordinary moment and not just…
Rugby
Waratahs’ Polota-Nau ruled out for Stormers clash
The NSW Waratahs’ flatlining Super Rugby season is set for another major blow with inspirational hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau to be ruled out of Sunday morning’s (AEST) must-win clash against the Stormers in Cape Town.
Deans cautious about Quade Cooper return
Wallabies coach Robbie Deans is delighted that Quade Cooper will play his first match in seven months tomorrow night, but admits the Reds pivot is a long way from retaining his test No 10 jersey in next month’s internationals against Scotland and Wales.
The Stats Don’t Lie: Blues face Christchurch hoodoo again
Mackintosh back in Highlanders forward shuffle
Captain Jamie Mackintosh returns to the Highlanders in one of four changes to the team to play the Bulls in Dunedin on Saturday.
Soccer
Soccer: Greenacre looking to the future
Evergreen Wellington Phoenix striker Chris Greenacre will set about consolidating his footballing future this week when he fronts up for a UEFA A-Licence coaching course in England.Greenacre, 34, was uncertain about his next role…
Soccer: All White earns White House visit
American-based midfielder Dan Keat celebrated his selection for the All Whites this week with a visit to the White House to meet Barack Obama.Keat and his Los Angeles Galaxy teammates earned the trip by winning the MLS Cup last…
Christopher Chang: Highs and lows of the Premier League season
Soccer: Paston re-signs with Phoenix
The Wellington Phoenix have re-signed goalkeeper Mark Paston to a one year contract extension.The 35-year-old says he’s feeling good mentally and physically, and is keen for another season in the A-League.Paston says he contemplated…
Tennis
Tennis: Erakovic out of Rome Masters
A second round exit for New Zealand tennis number one Marina Erakovic at the Rome Masters.A day after upsetting world number 13 Sabine Lisicki, Erakovic has lost in three sets to South African Chanelle Scheepers.Erakovic took…
Olympics to add colour to Wimbledon
Wimbledon’s all-white dress code won’t be in place for the Olympics. And the traditional dark green backdrop around the courts will be gone, too.”The look will be the look of the games. There will be more color. It will be a special…
Tennis: Erakovic beats world No13 Lisicki
Tennis: Erakovic defeats Lisicki
Marina Erakovic’s preparations for next week’s French Open are back on track after defeating world number 13 Sabine Lisicki in the first round of the Rome Masters.The New Zealand number beat the tournament’s 11th seed and 2011 Wimbledon…
Yachting
Yachting: Team NZ off the pace in Venice
Team New Zealand has struggled on the opening day of the America’s Cup World Series Venice regatta.Dean Barker and crew have finished sixth and third in the two fleet races before losing to Artemis in the quarter finals.Barker…
Yachting: Camper searching for consistency
With three legs of the Volvo Ocean Race remaining, Chris Nicholson says Camper will not be throwing caution to the wind in search of the lead – yet.Just 17 points separate the top four boats after more than 30,000 nautical miles…
Yachting: Aleh and Powrie win opening race
Yachting: Injury hits Camper
Team New Zealand’s Camper has announced a crew change ahead of leg seven in the Volvo Ocean Race, with Bowman Mike Pammenter stepping down for the leg due to a prolapsed disc in his back.Pammenter sustained the injury during the…
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