NZ's top female frisbee golf player to compete at world champs
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RNZ News
6 hours ago
- RNZ News
Big night looms for Otago's new All Blacks
Dunedin is gearing up to host the first All Blacks test of the year and local fans are confident the home side can take care of a depleted French team in Ōtepoti. A couple of local players will also debut at a soldout Forsyth Barr Stadium, making the occasion even more special for them and their families. Kings High School rugby players performed a stirring haka to welcome a trio of All Blacks to their school for some skills and drills, with the teenagers happy to come to college in the holidays for the chance to meet the players. One of those players was uncapped Hurricanes loose forward Du Plessis Kirifi, who will make his All Blacks debut from the bench. Du Plessis Kirifi will make his All Blacks debut against France in Dunedin. Photo: Brett Phibbs / "It's good to see so many smiling boys and they are very skilful as well," he said. "It's nice to be back here [at a high school], giving back to the community. It's been a big week of that, which has been nice. "It's been reminding us all where we came from." Kirifi is one of four debutants , alongside prop Ollie Norris, No.8 Christian Lio-Willie and lock Fabian Holland, with the latter pair both starting. Christian Lio-Willie in action for the Crusaders. Photo: Iain McGregor/ActionPress Lio-Willie was initially only in the squad as cover , before he was called up to replace the injured Wallace Sititi, and he never expected to start in Dunedin. "Heck no, no way," he said. "When I saw my name on that screen, I just sort of numbed out. "Don't even know [who] the second half of the team was. It's pretty awesome." While he plays Super Rugby Pacific for the Crusaders, Lio-Willie represents Otago in NPC and plays club rugby for Kaikorai in Māori Hill. He will become the 15th All Black from the club. "Kaikorai is a huge part of my journey," he said. "The coach at the time, Ryan Martin, came up to Auckland, when I was at school, Massey High, and he is the one that got me down here. "I played all of my club footy for them. I love my footy down here, and the club culture and everything. "I'm one away from 50 [games] for the club. It's a pretty special place." All Blacks hooker Samisoni Taukei'aho takes young rugby players through some drills. Photo: Joe Porter/RNZ Lio-Willie looks forward to making his international debut alongside Otago teammate and Highlanders lock Fabian Holland in Dunedin. "We both had our first starting debut together at Forsyth Barr and it's sort of a full circle moment to be able to debut together for the All Blacks in Dunedin again," Lio-Willie said. "I've still got a lot of friends and loved ones down here that have been supporting me since day one, so I'm just keen to go out there and make them proud." Dunedin schoolboys Isaac, Jai and Mason were at the skills session, and will cheer for Holland and Lio-Willie. Dunedin schoolboys Isaac, Jai and Mason will be cheering on the late All Black debutants. Photo: Joe Porter/RNZ The trio are confident the All Blacks can get the job done against an inexperienced France team that contain eight debutants . "We'll win easy, yeah easy win, easy win," they said. "We're way better than them. I think the score will be 100-0 to the All Blacks." Holland, who moved to New Zealand as a teenager to chase his All Blacks dream, will also have plenty of family and friends in his adopted city supporting him. Fabian Holland in action for the Highlanders. Photo: Steve McArthur All Blacks coach Scott Robertson said the 22-year-old lock was over the moon, when he found out he would start. "From Zealand to New Zealand, he's come a long way," Robertson said. "It's a great story. "He's pretty singleminded to make that call to come over and represent another country in the game he loves, and he saw the All Blacks as the ultimate. "It's movie sort of stuff, isn't it?" Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
6 hours ago
- RNZ News
Kiwi disc golf exponents face world's best on Finnish fairways
Michelle Simpson took up disc golf during Covid lockdown, after an extensive background in ultimate. Photo: Supplied Kiwi disc golf exponent Michelle Simpson seems somewhat surprised to be taking on some of the niche sport's biggest names at the PDGA World Championships in Finland later this month. The event is recognised as one of the four major tournaments in the discipline, which sees competitors trying to throw into metal cages around a course, much like their golfing counterparts. The lingo is the same, the venues are often the same and the anguish is very much the same. Simpson took up the game during Covid lockdown, after an extensive background in the team sport of ultimate frisbee, and admits she feels lucky to be included in such elite company. "It's like being invited to the Masters at Augusta," she told Checkpoint. "This year, they decided to be a bit more inclusive. "I wouldn't normally have qualified, but they decided to invite some of the smaller countries that might not usually get there, and they invited the top female and top male." Simpson and Francis Orange will make up the Kiwi contingent at the cities of Tampere and Nokia, and are currently fundraising for the campaign . "It's really nice and the first time they're holding the championships outside [North America], so I think the Finnish like to be inclusive." The sport is still some way off Olympic inclusion, but commands a small, fanatical following around the world, with more than 100,000 members of the Professional Disc Golf Association and more than 15,000 registered courses. "We very much follow the golf theme," Simpson said. "We often wear the polo shirts at tournaments like golfers and sometimes we play on golf courses, which are trying to make more money and get funding coming through. "They even make us take our hats off when we come into the clubrooms. You have the same anguish as well, when you miss." Disc golfers also carry a bag of frisbees, each designed for a different purpose, just like golf clubs. "That's where all the disc manufacturers make so much money," she said. "They all look the same, but they're slightly thicker, some turn to the left, some turn to the right… 'putters' are slightly different to the others." Also like golf, the game is big business. Estonian Kristin Lätt - the world's top female - reportedly signed a US$1 million deal for four years, with a stable sponsors that includes Porsche and tournament earnings of about US$100,000 a year. She has seven major titles to her name and became the first woman to achieve a Grand Slam of all four majors in 2023. "It's crazy," Simpson said. "There's so many fringe sports around the world that have a very small amount of people, but a very dedicated amount of people and they can make a decent living." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
6 hours ago
- RNZ News
First All Black test of the season approaches
Scott Robertson has named an intriguing side to take on France under the roof at Forsyth Barr Stadium. One day out from the first All Black test of the season and one debutant cutting his teeth this weekend has revealed a surprising skill. Sports reporter Jamie Wall spoke to Lisa Owen. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
