Category: Sport

Source: Radio New Zealand

NZ Warriors star Luke Metcalf has been named for an early return to action, when his team take on Wests Tigers at Go Media Stadium on Friday night.

Metcalf, 27, suffered a season-ending knee injury last June and was originally slated for a return about rounds 8-10, but that was advanced to rounds 7/8 two weeks ago.

That prognosis has leapt forward spectacularly – about a month – and coach Andrew Webster has named him at five-eighth for the round-four encounter against Wests.

Metcalf was leading Dally M Medal standings – the NRL’s Most Valuable Player award – when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament against Brisbane Broncos.

More to come

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/24/nrl-injured-nz-warriors-star-luke-metcalf-returns-early-against-wests-tigers/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Dave Rennie has assembled his crew to rebuild the All Blacks empire.

Neil Barnes, Tana Umaga and Mike Blair have been named alongside incumbent Jason Ryan as Rennie’s coaching team.

After a period marked by inconsistency and growing pressure, the team now turns the page on Scott Robertson’s tenure, with a new era on the horizon.

‘Proud is an understatement’

An elated Umaga said his promotion was a bit of a pinch me moment.

“A little bit speechless. Proud is an understatement really. To be back part of a team that holds a special place for me and my family, it’s unbelievable really.”

Few are as passionate about the black jersey as Umaga, who played 74 tests, and was first Pasifika captain of the All Blacks where he had an 86 percent win rate.

He knows full well the pressures that come with the jersey, having become public enemy number one in the United Kingdom during the 2005 Lions tour.

“Being a part of the All Blacks is a big job. You can’t get away from it. I’ve been fortunate enough to actually captain this side, and that was a big job. I had to understand what comes with, the sacrifices that not just yourself, but your family have to make. So I go in there with eyes wide open and understanding those pressures. I’ve felt that pressure before and understand what I’m getting myself into, and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

Despite a turbulent 2026, Umaga has overseen a transformative period for Moana Pasifika.

He admits it will be tough to walk away from the franchise at the conclusion of the current Super Rugby season.

“I won’t lie. It wasn’t something that I expected when I thought about my goals for this year. Spanner is probably a too strong a word, but just something that I wasn’t expecting, but it’s an opportunity that I don’t think anyone would pass up. I’ve invested a lot of my time and I have great belief about what we’re trying to do here and the movement behind Moana Pasifika, and I still do and I will always have a place in my heart with this club and this movement.”

The 52-year-old said he will not look to change his philosophy in the All Blacks environment.

“I can’t be anyone else but Tana Umaga because that’s who I am. I can only be who I am. It’s up to me to make sure that they can see the person behind those titles. I’ve got to make sure that they understand that I did that, but now I’ve got to make sure that I’m the best defensive coach I can be for this team.”

Umaga has learnt plenty of lessons during his 18-year coaching career – among them, a reputation that precedes you is not always a positive.

“I spent a lot of time just trying to be myself and not be what everyone made up me to be as the All Black captain, because that’s all anyone would call me and knew me as. In my coaching roles, as you do, you say your doors open, but I didn’t have many players coming through in my early career and I wondered why. It was Sonny Bill Williams that told me that ‘everyone’s scared of you, Tana’. So that’s up to me to make that first step around breaking down those barriers and that’s probably the biggest thing I can do to try and move us forward as quickly as we can.”

Umaga said he was a fan first and foremost.

“I just want what’s best for the All Blacks since I was a kid and when I was in there, now I’m going in there on a different role as a coach. I still want the same thing.”

Serving as Rennie’s right hand, head assistant coach Neil Barnes.

Another with a straight-shooting style, Barnes’ coaching career began in the amateur era in 1993.

He is embracing the challenge that awaits him.

“It’s taken a bit of grasping, I’m not frightened of it. I’ve had so many years in rugby, do inside of me, there’s that inner confidence that I’ve done the work.”

‘I don’t sugar-coat things’

A throwback to the more gruff rugby days, Barnes will bring a direct approach.

“I don’t profess to be a hard arse. At the end of the day, I’m honest. I don’t sugar-coat things. I think the players respect that they’re going to get feedback that is honest and accurate.”

Barnes believes that quality teams are built from the ground up.

“You can’t build a house without a strong foundation under it, all the stuff you guys see in the house, all the windows and the glossy stuff is a waste of time when a strong wind comes along if you haven’t got the thing pinned down to the foundations. The game is just the same. There’s simple basics from that you need to adhere to which will make you strong.”

While there was plenty of conjecture around who had what roles within the Scott Robertson regime, barnes said there will be no such issue under Rennie.

“There’s no cloudiness about roles here. Rens has told us the areas that we’re responsible for, but at the same time, he would expect myself or others to be able to challenge inside our environment to do what’s best for the players, the team, and our country.”

Barnes was aware of the scrutiny that comers with the gig, but was embracing it.

“Wins and losses happen in sport. We’re going to lose the odd one too. I’m sorry, but we will. The good thing about this country is people will let us know because they’re passionate about it and that’s good. That shows they care. I’d be more worried if the place was silent.”

Having spent time with Canada, Fiji, Taranaki and the Chiefs, Barnes has a well rounded resume.

But it’s one standout characteristic that no doubt attracted Rennie.

“I don’t think it would matter whether I was playing snakes and ladders or an international game. I’ve got the same s*** about me that I want to win. I am a competitive person and I expect every player in our team to have the same level of competitiveness that we’re there to get results.”

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/24/all-blacks-rebooted-rennie-calls-in-new-guard-for-revival-mission/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Amy Rule knows how much playing top flight rugby in the UK has elevated her game – but it has also left her facing a dilemma that the Black Ferns have not encountered until now.

Before this season, no Black Fern had played in the Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) competition in the UK. Eight New Zealand internationals took up contracts for the current 2025/26 season.

Rule was the first Black Fern to sign to the competition when she announced in June last year that she was joining Exeter Chiefs after the World Cup.

Five of the eight players provided injury cover for respective clubs.

Maia Roos, Tanya Kalounivale, Liana Mikaele-Tu’u, and Black Ferns co-captain Ruahei Demant are in that group and will travel from England at the end of this month to join the squad for the Pacific Four series.

Loose forward Layla Sae will miss much of the 2026 season after suffering a serious knee injury on duty for her English club Harlequins.

Three veterans – Amy Rule, Alana Borland (nee Bremner), and Georgia Ponsonby – gave up Black Ferns contracts to play full seasons in the UK competition, making them ineligible for Whitney Hansen’s first squad as Black Ferns coach.

Ponsonby however, was granted an exemption by the NZR board due to injuries leaving depth at hooker thin, and was on Monday named in Hansen’s 30-strong squad for next month’s series.

Rule said she wanted a new experience after last year’s World Cup, which was a disappointing campaign for the Black Ferns when they finished third.

“I ended my contract with the Black Ferns to play a full season here because I had been with New Zealand Rugby and the Black Ferns for over five years and I wanted to live in a different country, and experience a different type of rugby. We can’t play this game forever, and I just want to play as much rugby as possible,” Rule said.

The tighthead prop said unless she plays some domestic rugby in New Zealand later this year, she will not be eligible for the Black Ferns for the whole of 2026.

“I want to finish off the season with Exeter Chiefs and when I finish I don’t know what that looks like after, it’s still up in the air.

“New Zealand Rugby have been pretty strict on how they do their rulings and to be eligible for Black Ferns you have to play in the New Zealand domestic competition. I’m not showing 100 percent intention of coming back this season but time will tell.”

The 25-year-old admits she will have some “big decisions to make” in the next couple of months, knowing if she were to re-sign with Exeter for the 2026/27 season it could rule her out of a big year for the Black Ferns.

The inaugural British and Irish Lions Women’s Series will take place in New Zealand in September 2027.

“It is historic and I definitely want to be a part of it and put my hand up for it but it’s just going to be dependent on how the calendar falls into place, what I decide to do this year and moving through into next year.

“Time will tell, it’s all kind of happening at the moment what the next couple of years look like, or even heading towards the 2029 World Cup.

“Definitely got a close relationship with New Zealand Rugby and having those conversations, obviously I’ve got a good relationship with Whitney and all the management so conversations are being had.”

Ponsonby and Borland too will have to start thinking about whether they sign on for another year with Ealing Trailfinders.

It remains to be seen whether NZ Rugby will continue to allow players to sign with UK-based clubs on short-term contracts, without it affecting their eligibility.

Ponsonby said those conversations would happen shortly.

“I’m not really sure what path I want to take but I need to have conversations with coaches here and coaches back home to see what can or cannot happen,” Ponsonby said.

“I think the Black Ferns are still having conversations about what they will and won’t allow. Obviously there are girls who have come over here this season for injury cover, who are just signed until the end of March.

“Whether or not that will be an option for players again for the next season I’m not sure. I hope they create that opportunity for players to come over here and play a half season because it’s really beneficial. I’m not sure if the option will be available again or not.”

More rugby needed

One of the reasons so many Black Ferns took up contacts in the UK was the fact that they faced months without playing.

Last year New Zealand Rugby announced it was shifting the dates of Super Rugby Aupiki so it would not clash with new international windows.

Previously played through March and April, Super Rugby Aupiki has been pushed back to June, with six regular season games and a grand final.

It meant from October to April there was no top-level rugby for women’s players in New Zealand.

The quirk with PWR is that it breaks for seven weeks during April and May, before resuming for the final two rounds of regular season, then semi-finals and a final.

During that break the northern hemisphere players can compete in the Six Nations for their respective countries, while Rule and Borland will watch the Black Ferns Tests from afar.

As for what she’s getting out of playing PWR, Rule said it was pushing her to a new level.

“In New Zealand the only real opportunities to really hone your craft was in Aupiki and then international level – so I had six games to grow my craft before playing international rugby.

“Whereas here week in week out, I can really push myself, take risks, make mistakes and you just can’t beat playing rugby compared to training, I think it’s helped my game immensely.”

While it’s seen as a semi-professional competition, with some players working full-time jobs, Rule said the amount of training resembled a full-time programme.

Rule said the sheer number of minutes players got across the 18-game regular season made a huge difference.

“Here we are training nearly every day, we do Monday, Tuesday, we have Wednesday as recovery day, and Thursday is another training day and then you play on the weekends. And we get about triple the amount of games here so it’s intense.”

Change needed?

Hansen said the feedback from Black Ferns who took up contracts in the UK had been overwhelmingly positive.

“They’ve really enjoyed it, they’ve had some really good learnings across that time and I think it’s been cool having that come back and help to grow us as well. It’s been the right thing for them in this moment and we’re excited to have them back with us for the next bit of their journey,” Hansen said.

The All Blacks eligibility rules have been thoroughly dissected over the years but this is the first time it has really been tested when it comes to the Black Ferns.

Apart from exceptions for senior All Blacks on approved sabbaticals, players must play for a New Zealand-based Super Rugby team to be eligible for New Zealand.

The policy aims to protect the domestic game and prevent a talent exodus to overseas leagues in countries like France and Japan, which attract top international talent with high salaries.

But Black Ferns players haven’t been lured by big salaries because they don’t exist. What they have been drawn to is the level of competition they are getting in the PWR.

The Black Ferns also have some ground to make up if they want to be on top of the world again. England looked untouchable at last year’s World Cup, winning the title on the back of a record-breaking streak of 33 consecutive Test wins.

Hansen said any exemptions under the eligibility rules, would have to go through the NZR board.

“We’ve got an exemption around Georgia [Ponsonby] because we’ve got a couple of injuries and niggles that are sitting in our hooker depth at the moment, so we had to go back to the board and talk about that and what that would look like and ultimately it was the best decision for the team to ask her to come back in and to make that exemption.”

Hansen confirmed Rule and Borland could become eligible for Black Ferns tests in the back end of this year if they played some domestic rugby.

“It’s for this campaign they are ineligible, essentially we’ll go in to Super Rugby Aupiki and we might still see someone come in the back end of that, cover a position or end up in that space, playing NPC. There’s lots of opportunities to be selected again or contracted again for the Black Ferns but that will really depend on what they decide to do next for their rugby journey.”

At this stage Hansen does not believe the eligibility rule needs re-visiting for the Black Ferns.

“I don’t think so at the moment, it’s been really clear on what is and isn’t and when we’ve needed to go back to the board to talk about that then we’ve got the exemption that we’ve needed because it’s been a clear and obvious choice that it was the right thing to do so not at this time.

“We’ve got some athletes who we’ve worked together with clubs that are over there who are covering injury. And for those other three, it was a look at like what’s next for them, it’s at the back of a world cup and them making some decisions on what’s next in their rugby.”

Ponsonby said playing PWR had “massively” helped her game.

“Getting to play with world class players …in our team we’ve girls from England, Ireland, Wales, Spain, Canada, USA … all over the show. I think that’s the beauty of this competition, it is the best in the world for that reason.

“You’ve got the best players in the world spread out across the teams and it shows in the results so far. Every single game is a tough match and you don’t know who’s going to win.”

Borland was the first to sign with Ealing Trailfinders, then Ponsonby received a message from the coach gauging her interest and ultimately decided it was an opportunity she couldn’t turn down.

The 26-year-old is flatting with Borland and her husband, who she lived with for two years in Christchurch.

“We moved our lives over here, I’m just the third wheel,” she laughs. “But it’s great, we love our life over here.”

Ponsonby had got used to the idea that she was not going to be part of the Black Ferns this year so was grateful to be given an exemption for the PAC4 series.

Ponsonby said the demand for New Zealand players was high.

“There’s definitely the appetite over here, they love us as rugby players and what we bring. There’s other countries, the likes of France and Spain that are trying to recruit international players.

“I hope NZ Rugby do open those doors for people, but at the same time we’ve got a great competition back home with Aupiki and my hope is that expands into something bigger and we get to play Australia because that would only grow our own competition as well, I see the merit in both.”

Competition dates

PWR 2025/26

• 25 October – 30 March
• Two month break for international window
• Resumes 30 May – Final 29 June

Black Ferns 2026 Pacific Four Series

• 12 Apr – v USA, Sacramento
• 18 Apr – v Canada, Kansas City
• 25 Apr – v Wallaroos, Sunshine Coast

Super Rugby Aupiki 2026

• 13 June – 25 July
• Super Rugby Trans-Tasman Final – 1 August

Farah Palmer Cup 2026

• Kicks off 29 August
• Finals set for late October

Remaining Black Ferns Tests confirmed for 2026

• O’Reilly Cup – 22 Aug vs Wallaroos
• 5th Sept vs South Africa, Johannesburg
• 26 Sept vs England, Twickenham
• Home Series vs France – 17 Oct, 24 Oct, 31 Oct

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/24/black-ferns-grapple-with-eligibility-rules-as-players-seek-more-rugby/

Source: Radio New Zealand

The All Blacks assistant coaches have been confirmed, with Neil Barnes, Mike Blair and Tana Umaga joining Jason Ryan in the coaching team under new head coach Dave Rennie.

More to come…

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Source: Radio New Zealand

New Zealand’s top cricketers are happy a decision has been made about the future of the domestic T20 competition and are looking forward to its development.

On Monday New Zealand Cricket decided to push ahead with a proposed NZ20 franchise league rather than entering into an expanded Australian Big Bash competition.

That immediately resulted in former international Dion Nash resigning from the board of New Zealand Cricket, saying he could no longer support the organisation’s direction.

However the players are backing the decision.

Black Caps allrounder Jimmy Neesham said a local improved competition was always their preferred option.

Neesham, who has played franchise cricket around the world, is happy there is now clarity and that all stake-holders are moving in the same direction.

“It is an exciting time for New Zealand cricket and hopefully we can move things forward quickly towards next summer,” Neesham said.

“It keeps things home-grown and in-house. The great thing about the development of players in this country is the ability to rub shoulders with international players (which) really accelerates a young players development.”

Neesham said competitions like The Hundred in Britain and the SA20 in South Africa have helped grow the game in those countries.

“At the end of the day you’re playing the game for the fans, in front of the fans.”

New Zealand’s top female players compete in two domestic competitions each summer, the Supersmash (T20) and the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield 50-over competition.

Only a couple of the games top players are involved in overseas franchise leagues.

White Fern Brooke Halliday said it was important that women’s teams would be a part of the proposed new competition.

“The biggest thing for us is making sure domestic cricket for women in New Zealand is going in the right direction and we’re not going to be going back,” Halliday said.

“So having those consistent games and also competitive games is really important to us as a unit.”

NZC chair Diana Puketapu-Lyndon said the Board’s decision wasn’t a final commitment, it allows NZC to advance discussions toward a potential licence and a binding commercial arrangement.

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/24/nz-cricketers-back-new-t20-league-youre-playing-the-game-for-the-fans/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Tongan rugby league player Eliesa Katoa may never play the game again, according to Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy.

Katoa had brain surgery in November as a result of head knocks he received during the Tonga and New Zealand Kiwis Pacific Championships match in Auckland.

The first was a head knock with a team mate during the pre-game warm up, followed by two more high hits during the match.

The 25 year old backrower was ruled out of the 2026 season but now Melbourne Storm coach Bellamy has revealed that Katoa may never return to the NRL.

“He’s doing really well at the moment,” Bellamy told Channel 7.

“I don’t know if he’ll play next year… I don’t know if he’ll play again.

“The doctors haven’t made that decision, and I don’t know when that decision will get made to be quite honest.

“I imagine after a certain amount of time he’ll have more tests and go from there. It was a major injury, and we want him to live the rest of his life in a normal way, so fingers crossed.”

As a part of his recovery Katoa has been working with the Melbourne Storm forward pack.

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/24/melbourne-storm-say-eli-katoa-may-never-play-again/

Source: Radio New Zealand

The first signs of fallout from New Zealand Cricket’s decision to pursue a new franchise-based Twenty20 competition have emerged, with board member Dion Nash resigning just hours after the announcement.

NZC confirmed on Monday morning it will back the proposed NZ20 league as the preferred model for its domestic T20 future.

The board had been weighing up whether to support the NZ20 model or instead pursue a plan to enter a New Zealand-based team into Australia’s Big Bash League – a process that had already exposed deep divisions within the sport.

By the afternoon, the former Black Cap had stepped down from the board, saying he could no longer support the organisation’s direction.

“Ultimately, I reached a point where I felt it was the right time to step aside,” he said.

Elected in 2024, Nash’s departure lays bare the divisions at the top of the game, with debate over the future of T20 cricket having already contributed to significant governance upheaval in recent months.

The debate traces back to last year, when a consortium of players, investors and administrators put forward a pitch for a privately owned franchise league aimed at modernising the game and attracting global investment.

At the same time, NZC was considering its own options for the future of the domestic game, including a proposal to field a New Zealand team in Australia’s Big Bash League – an option understood to have been favoured by backed by former chief executive Scott Weenink.

The national body commissioned Deloitte to assess the various pathways, but what began as a strategic review quickly hardened into a fundamental dispute over the direction of the sport, ultimately pitting the CEO and key stakeholders across the game.

Weenink stepped down from his role before Christmas, citing the the fundamental differences with the game’s stakeholders as the driver.

NZC chair Diana Puketapu-Lyndon acknowledged Nash’s exit, thanking him for his service.

“We thank Dion for his dedicated service and valuable contributions,” she said.

“We wish him well in his future endeavours.”

In a statement released earlier on Monday, Puketapu-Lyndon said the board’s decision in favour of NZ20 wasn’t a final commitment, and was subject to reaching key commercial and structural measures.

She said the board thoroughly debated the two options and said several changes to the original NZ20 proposal would need to be negotiated before a final decision was made.

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/23/dion-nash-quits-nz-cricket-board-after-twenty20-decision/