Category: Sport

Source: Radio New Zealand

Kiwi golfer Daniel Hillier has won the NZ Open for the first time, finishing two shots clear of Australian Lucas Herbert.

The 27-year-old Wellingtonian handled gusty and cool conditions at Arrowtown’s Millbrook Resort, near Queenstown, to secure the title.

Hillier led by one shot heading into Sunday’s final round, finishing at 22-under par for the tournament.

He takes home prize money of NZ$360,000 and becomes the first New Zealander since Michael Hendry in 2017 to lift the silverware.

Hillier said winning the New Zealand Open capped an incredible week of celebration.

“Oh, mate, that is the second best day of my life behind my wedding last week,” he told SkySport.

“It’s a lot more stressful coming down the stretch there, but this has just been the absolute best week of my life.

“To break the Kiwi drought is pretty special and to do it in front of my family, all my friends, my wife.

“I’ve been dreaming this for a long time and I knew I had the game to do it.

“It was a matter of not getting ahead of myself and I’m pretty proud.”

LIV golfer Herbert was second at 20-under. New Zealand’s Kerry Mountcastle finished in a tie for third, with Japan’s Tomoyo Ikemura, on 17-under.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/01/golf-kiwi-daniel-hillier-wins-105th-new-zealand-open/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Kiwi Scott McLaughlin has grabbed pole position for the IndyCar St Petersburg Grand Prix in Florida on Monday NZT.

After a horror 2025 campaign that saw him finish 10th in the standings, with no race wins and just one pole, McLaughlin was quickest around the 2.9km street circuit, clocking 1m 00.5426s to edge Swede Marcus Ericsson (1m 00.5621), who will join him on the front row for the main race.

“Raul [Prados], my new engineer, gave me a great car, but we have a lot of experience here with a great car, as well,” McLaughlin said.

“Just really pumped. Everybody knows the slog we went through last year, so to start on this note is fantastic.

“Bloody good, bloody good.”

The three-time Australian Supercars champion had shown good form throughout the weekend, finishing fastest in the first practice session (1m 01.1020s) and seventh in practice two (1m 01.7921s).

After putting his car into a wall during practice, Kiwi veteran Sir Scott Dixon (1m 01.2109s) will start 16th on the starting grid, while countryman Marcus Armstrong starts seventh, recording 1m 00.7820s in qualifying.

McLaughlin has won pole position on two previous occasions at St Petersburg, winning in 2022 and finishing fourth last year.

The 290km race begins at 6am Monday NZT.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/01/motorsport-kiwi-scott-mclaughlin-on-pole-for-indycars-st-petersburg-grand-prix/

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Hurricanes have lost one of their lynchpins for the rest of the Super Rugby season.

First-five Brett Cameron is due to undergo surgery after sustaining a significant knee injury during last week’s match against Moana Pasifika.

“It’s obviously hugely disappointing to lose one of our best players in game one, especially given it comes after an ACL injury on his other knee,” Hurricanes head coach Clark Laidlaw said.

“We’re here to support and help him through it, initially with the surgery and then with the rehab.

“We know it’s a tough road ahead, but we also know that he’s up for it and we’re up for it to support and rehab him so he can get back to playing as soon as possible.

“As tough as it is, we have amazing medics, a great facility and we know how to rehab players really well, so we’ll get on with that once the surgery has been done,” Laidlaw said.

Cameron has been a Hurricanes player since 2023, after being at the Crusaders between 2017 and 2020.

He played one test for the All Blacks in 2018.

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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/2026/03/01/hurricanes-lose-first-five-for-rest-of-super-rugby-campaign/

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Wellington Phoenix host Sydney FC in their first A-League match coach Giancarlo Italiano sensationally quit after a 5-0 defeat to rivals Auckland FC.

Chris Greenacre steps into the role as the 11th-placed Phoenix play third-ranked Sydney at Sky Stadium in Wellington.

Kickoff is at 3pm.

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/01/live-wellington-phoenix-v-sydney-fc-at-sky-stadium-a-league/

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Hurricanes have lost one of their lynchpins for the rest of the Super Rugby season.

First-five Brett Cameron is due to undergo surgery after sustaining a significant knee injury during last week’s match against Moana Pasifika.

“It’s obviously hugely disappointing to lose one of our best players in game one, especially given it comes after an ACL injury on his other knee,” Hurricanes head coach Clark Laidlaw said.

“We’re here to support and help him through it, initially with the surgery and then with the rehab.

“We know it’s a tough road ahead, but we also know that he’s up for it and we’re up for it to support and rehab him so he can get back to playing as soon as possible.

“As tough as it is, we have amazing medics, a great facility and we know how to rehab players really well, so we’ll get on with that once the surgery has been done,” Laidlaw said.

Cameron has been a Hurricanes player since 2023, after being at the Crusaders between 2017 and 2020.

He played one test for the All Blacks in 2018.

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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/2026/03/01/hurricanes-lose-one-of-first-five-for-rest-of-super-rugby-campaign/

Source: Radio New Zealand

New Zealand skier Alice Robinson has bounced back from missing out on a medal at the Winter Olympics, finishing second in the FIS World Cup Super-G round in Andorra.

The 24-year-old put her foot down in the steep fast sections of the Aliga course in Soldeu, to post a final time of 1:27.60, crossing the line +0.88s behind Germany’s Emma Aicher, the two-time Milano Cortina silver medallist, who recorded her second Super G win of the season.

“I’m really happy. It was such a nice day and such an amazing slope,” Robinson said.

“I had great feelings all the way down. I love it here in Andorra and have a pretty good track record, so I wanted to keep it going.

“I think I executed the steep part really well. I knew the top section wasn’t my kind of course – really flat and glidey – so I’m proud of myself for getting the most out of sections I knew I could ski fast. It’s really nice to be back on the podium.”

The podium in Andorra means Robinson remains second in the Super G season standings, with 300 points.

She trails leader Italy’s Sofia Goggia by just 20 points, making her a real contender in the Crystal Globe chase, with Aicher in third with 224 points, ahead of the injured Lindsey Vonn.

“Even though I didn’t get a medal at the Olympics I was happy with how I skied. I felt I executed well and want to finish off the season well,” Robinson said.

“Maybe this is the thing that’s going to get my confidence back where it needs to be, so I’m really excited we’ve got another day here tomorrow.”

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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/2026/03/01/kiwi-skier-bounces-back-after-winter-olympics/

Source: Radio New Zealand

A stunning late surge has vaulted Kiwi Daniel Hillier to the top of the NZ Open leaderboard at Millbrook Resort, near Queenstown.

The Wellingtonian was four strokes off leader and fellow Kiwi Kerry Mountcastle, when he lined up to play the 14th hole.

He birdied that, followed up with another birdie, parred the 16th, eagled the 17th and birdied the last to finish with a seven-under-par 64 to be 18-under with a round to play.

Hillier has been a force on the European tour this year and is the highest-ranked player in the field this week. He was runner-up at the NZ Open in 2024.

Masterton golfer Mountcastle also hit a 64 and is tied for second with Australian Curtis Luck, who hit 63. They are a stroke behind Hillier.

Another Aussie, Lucas Herbert, went around in 62 and sits fourth, a further stroke back.

Hillier had played steady golf before his late surge.

“That was a crazy last few holes,” he said. “I didn’t have my best early on.

“It was one of those days and I had to stay patient. I knew there were a couple of par-fives I could take advantage of later in the piece.

“Thankfully, I could do that and it was pretty cool to get one at the last as well, in front of that massive crowd.”

Hillier, who has had two top-five finishes on the DP World Tour already this year, is obviously keen to continue his good vein of form in the final round.

“Looking ahead to tomorrow, I would love a replay of that and some more,” he said. “Obviously, I have a job to do.

“I will rest up tonight and have a good sleep, and come out firing.”

Mountcastle could have had the outright lead had he birdied the final hole, but he dropped a stroke, after his tee shot landed in the water.

The 30-year-old rated his round, which included nine birdies, as “nine out of 10”.

“Everything was kind of firing,” he said. “I’m sort of not really thinking about what’s happening in the tournament.

“It’s just I’m out here trying to hit shot after shot and it’s kind of the first time when I’ve been up the top, where I’ve been this comfortable.

“Normally I’m always thinking about, “Oh, I need to do this or what’s going on about that?”

The overnight leader after the second round, New Zealand amateur teenager Yuki Miya hit a 70 for a share of fifth place at 13-under.

One of the world’s top players on the PGA Championship tour, Kiwi Steven Alker has a share of ninth place at 12-under. He and compatriot Sam Jones both scored 66 in the third round.

“Today was moving day and I wanted to be a little more aggressive, but tomorrow, I am going to need to be really aggressive to catch the guys in front,” Alker said.

“I am having a blast with ‘Goldie’ [former All Black Jeff Wilson] on the bag, and it’s been a lot of fun and great to be back in New Zealand playing again. That is the coolest part.”

South Korea’s Chan Choi matched the championship course record with a 10-under-par 61. After making the cut on the number, he is now in a share of eighth at 12-under.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/28/kiwi-golfer-daniel-hillier-storms-into-nz-open-lead-at-millbrook/

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Blues play the high-flying Brumbies at GIO Staidum, after a high-scoring win over Western Froce last week.

Captain Daltan Papali’i will play his 100th Super Rugby game, as his side try to topple the top-of-the-table Brumbies in Canberra.

Kickoff is at 9.35pm.

Blues: 1. Ofa Tu’ungafasi. 2. Kurt Eklund. 3. Marcel Renata. 4. Laghlan McWhannell. 5. Sam Darry. 6. Anton Segner. 7. Dalton Papali’i (c) 8. Hoskins Sotutu. 9. Finlay Christie. 10. Stephen Perofeta. 11. Caleb Clarke. 12. Pita Ahki. 13. AJ Lam. 14. Cole Forbes. 15. Zarn Sullivan

Impact: 16. Bradley Slater. 17. Mason Tupaea. 18. Sam Matenga. 19. Josh Beehre. 20. Torian Barnes. 21. Taufa Funaki. 22. Xavi Taele. 23. Codemeru Vai.

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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/2026/02/28/live-super-rugby-pacific-brumbies-v-blues-at-gio-stadium/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Auckland FC have kept the pressure on A-League men’s leaders Newcastle Jets with a stunning 3-0 home win over Melbourne City.

Logan Rogerson broke his goalscoring drought with a decisive blow to give the Aucklanders a 1-0 lead after 42 minutes, and Jesse Randall (59th minute) and Guillermo May (66th minute) followed up in the second half for a comprehensive victory.

The result narrowed the Jets’ competition lead to just one point, although the Newcastle side were playing Central Coast Mariners on Saturday night.

After a poor January, the Aucklanders have had a brilliant February, looking much more like the team won the Premiers Plate last season.

They delighted their fans with this performance, although it did come at a cost, with captain Hiroki Sakai leaving the field late in the first half with an injury to his right leg, after as series of heavy collisions.

He was replaced by Sam Cosgrove.

Rogerson had gone 16 matches without a goal this season, but he latched on to a cross from May, heading it into the back of the net.

He admitted after the match to some sleepless nights, because of the drought.

“I’m delighted to break my duck and get my first goal of the season,” he told the Sky Sports broadcast.

Randall hasn’t had such goalscoring blues and pounced to score his ninth for the season, after an error by City defender Harrison Delbridge. Randall now leads the competition in scoring.

May scored his goal, after heading in a cross from Randall.

Auckland FC host Perth Glory next Sunday.

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/28/football-auckland-fc-stun-with-a-league-win-over-champions-melbourne-city/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Kiwi motorsport ace Scott Dixon has emerged uninjured from a nasty crash during practice for the IndyCar St Petersburg Grand Prix in Florida.

During the first practice session – in which compatriot Scott McLaughlin had the fastest time – Dixon’s Ganassi Racing Honda slid across turn nine and collided head-first into a concrete barrier.

The car sustained heavy damage to the front, but Dixon emerged unhurt, but not before David Malukas just avoided contact with the stricken car, sneaking through a gap between the left barrier and Dixon’s left sidepod.

“Kind of a frustrating one,” Dixon said. “I got loose on entry and tried to save it, and then kind of got into an overcorrection.

“Luckily, it slid off a lot of the speed, before it hit the wall. Sometimes, you can tub a car and destroy them.

“Hopefully this isn’t too bad.”

The crash resulted in a red flag, one of three during the practice session.

Despite the damage, Dixon didn’t think he would need a back-up car for the opening Indycar race for the season, which starts at 7am Monday (NZT).

“It actually looked fine,” said Dixon, who has had 21 consecutive IndyCar seasons with a victory.

“The rear was not bad. I think they’ll just have to change suspension, the front nose and front wing obviously, but then even the front suspension didn’t look that bad.

“It was kind of weird, so yeah, weird as in good weird.”

McLaughlin, who has had two previous pole starts at St Petersburg, had the quickest lap in 1m 1.1020s in his Team Penske Chevrolet on the 14-turn, temporary street circuit.

He led both the earlier portion of the 85-minute practice that contained all 25 cars and improved upon that time in the smaller session, after the field was divided into two groups.

“Decent first day,” McLaughlin said. “Obviously, being P1 is a great start.

“The DEX Imaging Chevy was straight away fast and felt good and comfortable. It’s good for us.

“It’s the start of a long season and it was nice to have a smooth session to start. We’ll keep pressing on and see how we go.”

Felix Rosenqvist was second overall and Florida native Kyle Kirkwood third.

Another New Zealander, Marcus Armstrong, was seventh.

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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/2026/02/28/indycar-kiwi-scott-dixon-unharmed-after-crash-at-st-petersburg-grand-prix-practice/

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Chiefs host the winless Crusaders in a rematch of last year’s Super Rugby Pacific final at FMG Stadium Waikato on Saturday.

The hosts are coming off back-to-back wins over New Zealand opposition, while the their opponents have yet to taste victory.

Kickoff is at 7.05pm.

Chiefs: 1. Jared Proffit 2. Samisoni Taukei’aho 3. George Dyer 4. Josh Lord 5. Tupou Vaa’i (vc) 6. Simon Parker 7. Kaylum Boshier 8. Luke Jacobson (c) 9. Xavier Roe 10. Josh Jacomb 11. Leroy Carter 12. Quinn Tupaea (vc) 13. Daniel Rona 14. Emoni Narawa 15. Etene Nanai-Seturo

Impact: 16. Tyrone Thompson 17. Benet Kumeroa 18. Reuben O’Neill 19. Samipeni Finau 20. Wallace Sititi 21. Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi 22. Tepaea Cook-Savage 23. Lalakai Foketi

Crusaders: 1. Tamaiti Williams. 2. George Bell. 3. Fletcher Newell. 4. Antonio Shalfoon. 5. Jamie Hannah. 6. Dom Gardiner. 7. Ethan Blackadder. 8. Christian Lio-Willie. 9. Noah Hotham. 10. Taha Kemara. 11. Sevu Reece. 12. David Havili (c) 13. Leicester Fainga’anuku. 14. Chay Fihaki. 15. Will Jordan

Impact: 16. Manumaua Letiu. 17. George Bower. 18. Seb Calder. 19. Tahlor Cahill. 20. Corey Kellow. 21. Louie Chapman. 22. James White. 23. Dallas McLeod.

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/28/live-super-rugby-pacific-chiefs-v-crusaders-at-fmg-stadium-waikato/

Source: Radio New Zealand

NZ Breakers and head coach Petteri Koponen have parted ways, and the club will advertise globally for a replacement.

The Finn coached the Breakers for two seasons, with the side finishing ninth of the 10 teams last year, followed by seventh in the regular season just completed.

Koponen, 37, finished on a bright note, with a victory in the Ignite Cup over the Adelaide 36ers last Sunday.

After discussions with club management, he is leaving, with the club saying he didn’t seek a contract extension and was looking for new professional opportunities closer to Finland.

Koponen said he was after a new challenge.

“My time in New Zealand has been one of the most rewarding chapters of my career,” he said. “I fell in love with this country and the incredible community that supports the Breakers.

“However, after two seasons of intense growth in the NBL and the immense satisfaction of bringing the Ignite Cup to Auckland, I am ready for a new challenge.

“I want to thank the club, the players and the fans for embracing me. I am proud of the culture we’ve built and I leave with the highest respect for this club.”

The Breakers said Koponen had instilled a modern, high-intensity European style of play that culminated in the inaugural Ignite Cup victory.

“Petteri is a young coach on the rise and we support his desire to pursue opportunities closer to home,” said Breakers basketball operations president Dillon Boucher.

“Professional coaching at this level demands immense sacrifice, especially half a world away from home. We’ve reached a mutual agreement that the time is right for Petteri to pursue his next professional challenge.

“He departs with his mana higher than ever and will always hold a permanent place within our Breakers whānau.”

The club said it would look for a new coach capable of taking the Breakers to the top of the NBL rankings.

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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/2026/02/28/basketball-nz-breakers-part-ways-with-head-coach-petteri-koponen/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Two years have passed, but Tommy Te Puni finally has his name in the record books.

Last weekend, the Auckland speedster claimed the national 200 metres mark, when he tore around a bend – but not THE bend – at Christchurch’s Nga Puna Wai Sports Hub and crossed the finish line in 20.35s, slicing two-hundredths of a second off the previous standard.

“It means a lot,” he told RNZ. “Coming off a bit of bad luck and a lot of injuries, it’s pretty good to get one of those on the board.

“Being a New Zealand record, it’s special, not just for me, but for all the people who have supported me, like my family and especially my coach, who sets up all the programmes, and deals with the ups and downs just as much as me.

“I’m really happy, not just for myself, but for everyone else around me that have helped me along the way.”

In November 2023, Te Puni was the victim of a timing malfunction that some believe cost him the first sub-46-second 400m by a Kiwi male at a local club meet.

Since then, he has battled a variety of injuries that have stymied his hopes of ever reaching his potential – until now.

Ironically, one of those injuries seems to have played a part in his current run of form.

Te Puni, 23, broke his foot during a northern hemisphere campaign that included the World University Games in Germany, which delayed his return to the track until the new year.

Instead of running his best times before Christmas, then hitting a wall afterwards, he is only now reaching a peak at the business end of the season.

His performance at the International Track Meet came off the back of a series of quick times over the preceding month. A 10.36s 100m personal best at the Douglas International in Auckland was followed by a solid 10.40s/20.89s double into slight headwinds at Hamilton’s Porritt Classic.

“This was the first week I actually felt fresh,” he explained. “For me, it usually takes quite a few weeks to freshen up, so even leading into Porritt, I wasn’t really feeling that good.

“In New Zealand, it’s a big thing to run 20-point, but it didn’t feel that good. I was overstriding, and I didn’t feel that fresh, so we went back to the drawing board.”

Personal bests over 150m in training had him and coach Elena Brown believing something special was near.

“We were thinking high 20.4s was what I was showing, so 20.35 was a pleasant surprise.”

Te Puni tuned up for his record run with a wind-assisted 10.26s 100m, although wind readings only told half the story. While winner Tiaan Whelpton clocked 10.01s with a 4.9m/s tailwind, four minutes before, the women supposedly ran into a 3.4m/s headwind.

In reality, the wind was a swirling side, so meet organisers switched the 200m start to take advantage of conditions around the bend. Three years ago, they did the same for Rosie Elliott, when she clocked a 22.81s national women’s record.

The maximum allowable tailwind for record purposes is 2.0 m/s. Te Puni’s 200m wind was 1.2 m/s.

“It’s a northwesterly, a true tailwind around the bend, but not helping you too much down the straight,” he said. “You come off the curve, you slingshot and just hold that momentum through to the finish line.

“The wind is coming from a direction that it doesn’t fully hit the wind metre, which is really good.”

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Te Puni’s achievement sets up the unique prospect of all three men’s sprint records falling in the same season.

Whelpton has now gone under the 100m standard twice with excessive winds, while clocking 10.10s – 0.02s outside the national mark – legally. He only needs the right wind to break the record and possibly crack 10 seconds.

Last season, Lex Revell-Lewis broke 46 seconds for the 400m (45.88s) and showed he was capable of faster still, when he clocked 10.36w/20.49s at Christchurch.

Six runners beat 10.50s over 100m at the ITM, albeit wind-assisted. In seventh, 14-year-old Vern Toaloamai-Holden recorded 10.67s.

Four runners beat 21.00 seconds over 200 metres, another slice of NZ sprinting history.

Why is NZ sprinting enjoying a resurgence?

“It’s a good question,” Te Puni mused. “I think it’s just a question of timing, when everyone’s around a similar point, but you also have trailblazers like Tiaan, trying to get that 9.99s.

“It’s inspiring for people, and you want to chase those top guys. When I ran the 200m, they’re all chasing me, but it’s not like there’s someone who’s clear and above everyone else that you lose motivation.

“There’s a bit of luck with the depth, and everyone wants to beat each other.”

For their part, meet organisers have done their best to provide optimal conditions for performances.

“I’m sure all athletes will agree with me, but when you turn up to a race and there’s no hope of them flipping the track, and you have to run into a three-metre headwind… that’s not much fun.

“If they flip the track and the wind’s blowing at three, but I might get lucky, and get a 1.5 and new PB (personal best). Psychologically, that just gets you more amped up to race.

“They did it at Cooks [Whanganui], they did it at Sir Graeme [Douglas International], they did it at Christchurch… I’m pretty sure they’ll do it for the 100s and hopefully 200s at nationals.”

A community initiative to promote national relay teams has also created a collective approach to what was previously an individual sport, while fostering competition within the squad.

Early attempts at a men’s 4x100m record have seen Te Puni miss out on the top foursome, but current form may force a selection rethink.

“It gives a lot of athletes more opportunity to potentially get onto that world stage, but it also ties into wanting to be in that team and getting that spot,” he said. “The relays elevate the competition, because you don’t want that guy or that girl to get your spot, so you want to perform the best you can.”

Te Puni hasn’t contested the 400m this summer, but wouldn’t rule out another shot at that record in the future.

.

“We’re trying to work out where to get one in, but because I only really started running at the start of this month, there wasn’t really time to fit in a 400,” he said. “We were thinking about Sir Graeme Douglas, but stuck with the short sprints, because that was where my shape was at the moment.

“We’re keen to get one in March maybe. I’m not sure, but it would be nice to run another one, because my speed is at an all-time high at the moment and that typically bodes well for a quick 400.

“At the moment, it’s just 200, especially with nationals.”

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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/2026/02/28/sprinter-tommy-te-puni-overcomes-setbacks-for-national-200-metres-record/

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Hurricanes are looking to make it two from two against Pacific teams, as they head to Lautoka to play the Fijian Drua on Saturday afternoon.

Callum Harkin will start at first-five for the Wellington-based outfit, while the Drua are still chasing their first win of the Super Rugby Pacific season.

Kickoff is at 4.35pm.

Hurricanes: 1. Pouri Rakete-Stones 2. Asafo Aumua (vc) 3. Tevita Mafileo 4. Hugo Plummer 5. Warner Dearns 6. Devan Flanders 7. Peter Lakai 8. Brayden Iose 9. Cam Roigard 10. Callum Harkin 11. Fehi Fineanganofo 12. Jordie Barrett (c) 13. Billy Proctor 14. Bailyn Sullivan 15. Josh Moorby

Impact: 16. Jacob Devery 17. Xavier Numia 18. Siale Lauaki 19. Isaia Walker-Leawere 20. Brad Shields 21. Ereatara Enari 22. Lucas Cashmore (debut) 23. Ngane Punivai

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/28/live-super-rugby-pacific-fijian-drua-v-hurricanes-at-churchill-park/

Source: Radio New Zealand

The White Ferns were much more ruthless with the ball as they bowled Zimbabwe out for just 86 to seal a 110-run win in the 2nd T20I in Hamilton.

Set 197 runs to win, the tourists were rocked early when Nyasha Gwanzura spooned one straight to short cover off Jess Kerr’s first over.

Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano played a couple of nice shots before she was cleaned up by Bree Illing in the fourth.

A 21-run stand third-wicket stand between Kellie Ndhlovu and Beloved Biza provided some hope for Zimbabwe but once that was broken it all unraveled.

While Chiyedza Dhururu hit three boundaries in a flashy 20 off 13, she received very little support from the Zimbabwe lower order.

Nensi Patel and Kayley Knight both got through some valuable overs and the Northern Districts’ pair were rewarded for their efforts with two wickets apiece.

Patel’s 2/11 off four could have been even better if not for some ordinary fielding efforts.

The White Ferns will be looking to claim a clean sweep at the third T20 International on Sunday afternoon at Seddon Park in Hamilton.

See how every ball played out on our blog:

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/27/cricket-white-ferns-v-zimbabwe-second-t20-international-in-hamilton/