Midday Sports News for 22 July 2025
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The Spinoff
an hour ago
- The Spinoff
Review: Netball docuseries Game On is a heartwarming gem
Tara Ward watches Three's new sports series about a group of New Zealand netball legends who return for one last game. The nerves are obvious from the opening moments of Game On. Former Silver Fern Temepara Bailey zips up her suitcase before she realises she's forgotten to pack her netball shoes. Adine Wilson wonders aloud why she agreed to come on a TV show, while Silver Fern centurion Casey Kopua limps into an indoor netball stadium to warmly greet her former netball teammates. They all look as concerned as she does. 'What have I signed myself up for?' she wonders. What Kopua and her fellow netball legends have committed to is a daunting physical and mental challenge, with every second captured on camera. Game On is Three's inspiring new sports docuseries that sees a team of former Silver Ferns come out of retirement to play for a high-stakes netball tournament. They've been called back to the court by coaches Yvonne Willering and Yvette McClausland-Durie, who will guide them through the tough process of returning to top-level sport. 'We're here to provide the challenge of transforming the former Ferns into the elite athletes that you were in the past,' Willering tells the ex-Silver Ferns. 'Good luck,' Kopua replies. It won't be easy – Daneka Tuineau hasn't touched a netball since she retired 14 years ago, Wilson broke her neck in 2016, while Kopua is awaiting a double knee replacement. While they may still be as competitive and passionate as they were two decades ago, their bodies tell a different story. 'I did try playing social netball, but man, they just want to show you that you're not as good as you were 10 years ago,' Irene van Dyk laughs. 'No shit Sherlock, I know that.' Game On is similar in warmth and spirit to another local sports docuseries, Match Fit, but it comes with a new twist: not only are these players preparing to compete against teams of other ex-internationals, they're also mentoring a group of promising young netballers. These rangatahi have been nominated by members of their community, and after the first fitness test with the Ferns, they immediately rise to the challenge. 'I don't want to get outschooled by people double my age,' 16-year-old Brooklyn says. It would be easy for the former world champions to stay on the sidelines and let their achievements do the talking. Instead, they share moments of vulnerability and bravery as they're confronted with how their bodies have changed over the years, and reflect on what happens when an international sporting career ends ('netball is my life… when I retired, I realised, who am I? I'm no-one,' a tearful van Dyk says in episode two). This honesty and emotion makes their return to the sport all the more powerful. Not only do the Ferns want to prove to themselves that they can do it, but they're also relishing the rare opportunity to be back with their mates, playing the game that brought them together all those years ago. Game On isn't about winning; it's about the power of community. It's about women championing other women, no matter what season of life they're in, and it's impossible not to feel inspired and uplifted by their strength and resilience. Game On is a gem of a series, a heartwarming reminder that no matter your age, you can still do hard things – and that maybe, for some of us at home, it's never too late to try and become a Silver Fern.
RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
NRL: NZ Warriors v Gold Coast Titans - what you need to know
Former Titans half Tanah Boyd will face off against former Warriors half Kieran Foran - but for opposite teams. Photo: RNZ/Liam Swiggs NZ Warriors v Gold Coast Titans Kickoff 5pm Saturday, 26 July Go Media Stadium Auckland Live blog updates on RNZ Sport Of all the current NRL clubs, only the Dolphins (3-2) and Wests Tigers (23-16) have provided NZ Warriors with better winning records than Gold Coast Titans (20-14) at 58.8 percent. The Warriors have a 9-5 advantage at their Go Media Stadium home, but haven't enjoyed success there since 2019. In fact, now-Warriors halfback Tanah Boyd has brought agony on his current team in the last two outings at Mt Smart, kicking a field goal for victory in 2022, while scoring a try, and kicking three conversions and a field goal on Anzac Day last year. Despite their struggles, the Titans have won five of their last six meetings with the Warriors, including a 66-6 whitewash across the Tasman in their last meeting, when winger Alofiana Khan-Pereira scored four tries. They also prevailed 44-0 at C'bus Stadium in 2021 and those two results stand as the club's biggest-ever wins. The Warriors' best result was a 42-0 win in 2014, when English fullback Sam Tonkins scored two tries, and Shaun Johnson had a try and kicked 7/7 from the tee. After recording back-to-back losses against Penrith Panthers and Brisbane Broncos, the Warriors have emerged from a bye week with back-to-back wins over Wests Tigers and Newcastle Knights. They needed a miraculous last-ditch, 40-metre solo try from teenager second-rower Leka Halasima to secure a 20-15 win over the Knights, but are now on a countdown to secure a playoff berth, with seven games remaining and six points clear of ninth-placed Cronulla Sharks. They'll likely need four more wins, and their run to the post-season includes Gold Coast twice, St George-Illawarra Dragons and Paramatta Eels, all outside the top eight. The Titans sit bottom of the NRL table with 14 points - two behind the Knights, South Sydney Rabbitohs and Paramatta Eels. They have suffered four straight defeats, the most recent a heart-wrenching 21-20 loss to the Tigers, with lock Adam Douehi kicking a field goal for victory. On paper, they have a talented roster, which has just not produced to its potential this season. Only North Queensland Cowboys have conceded more than their 503 points, an average of 29.6 points per game. Only the Cowboys have a worse points differential (-157). Warriors: 1 Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2 Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3 Adam Pompey, 4 Kurt Capewell, 5 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 6 Chanel Tavita-Harris, 7 Tanah Boyd, 8 James Fisher-Harris, 9 Wayde Egan, 10 Jackson Ford, 11 Leka Halasima, 12 Marata Niukore, 13 Erin Clark Interchange: 14 Te Maire Martin, 15 Jacob Laban, 16 Demitric Vaimauga, 17 Tanner Stowers-Smith Reserves: 18 Taine Tuaupiki, 20 Sam Healey Fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad is the big return for coach Andrew Webster, after nursing a knee injury back to health over the past four weeks. He replaces Taine Tuaupiki in the No.1 jersey, while Kurt Capewell retains his spot in the midfield, despite leaving the field with a knee complaint against Newcastle last week. Titans: 1 AJ Brimson, 2 Jaylan de Groot, 3 Brian Kelly, 4 Jojo Fifita, 5 Phillip Sami, 6 Kieran Foran, 7 Jayden Campbell, 8 Moeaki Fotuaika,19 Sean Mullany, 10 Jaimin Jolliffe, 11 Chris Randall, 12 Beau Fermor, 13 Klese Haas Interchange: 14 Jacob Alick-Wiencke, 15 Reagan Campbell-Gillard, 16 Iszac Fa'asuamaleaui, 17 Josh Patston Reserves: 18 Arama Hau, 20 Tom Weaver After his spectacular locker-room blow-up last week, when he dragged his players out of the showers for a dressing down, coach Des Hasler gets to celebrate his 500th game as an NRL, amid speculation over his future at the helm of the bottom-placed team. He's lost the services of superstar forwards Tino Fa'asuamaleaui (knee) and David Fifita (ankle) through injury, with Klese Haas promoted to the starting line-up. On Friday, Hasler made a later change at hooker, with Sam Verrills remaining in Australia for the birth of his first childe and Sean Mullany taking his place. Literally one of the Titans' favourite sons, Jayden Campbell, is the offspring of the club's inaugural signing, Preston Campbell, and inherits many of his dad's off-the-cuff instincts for the game. Campbell Jr was a major inflictor of pain in last year's 60-point thrashing of the Warriors, scoring a try and kicking 11/11 from the tee for 26 points. Veteran five-eighth Kieran Foran chalked up 17 games for the Warriors in 2017, but has signalled this will be his last NRL campaign in a 17-year career that has seen him log more than 300 games, despite persistent injuries. The Warriors can't afford to sleepwalk through this game, like they did last week, and expect to grab the two competition points. Hopefully, the desperate nature of the Knights win will act as a wake-up call. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
a day ago
- RNZ News
Trangender inclusive sports guidelines had positive impact for community
Rugby NZ says the guidelines had been valuable to the organisation. Photo: ©creativenature / 123RF The removal of guidelines for the inclusion of transgender people in community sport will further alienate people from participating, a member of a health advocacy group says. Rugby NZ says it's been using the advice and found it very helpful and valuable. The government has ordered Sport New Zealand to scrap its work on guidelines for the inclusion of transgender people in community sport. It has also removed the document from its website. First published in 2022, the guidelines do not dictate what individual organisations can decide about participation but they have been available on Sport NZ's website, providing advice based on health research and testimony from those with lived experience. Last year then-minister for sport Chris Bishop asked Sport NZ to review the guidelines for "safety and fairness" and update the principles. The current Minister for Sport and Recreation Mark Mitchell said the government has decided to leave decision making to individual sporting codes and there was nothing wrong with the content in the guidelines. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said it was about consistency and safety. Member of the Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa, student nurse and football player, Avery Zavoda, told Checkpoint she was incredibly disappointed to hear the guidelines were being scrapped altogether. "I feel like the previous advice from Sport NZ was robust and it helped smaller sport clubs and organisations with their inclusion policies as well as also providing guidelines around bullying, discrimination and harassment. I was really sad to see that all of those had been removed now," Zavoda said. Sports Minister Mark Mitchell. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii The "overarching principle" of the document was inclusion. "Every New Zealander has the right to participate in sport and to be treated with respect, empathy and positive regard. Transgender people can take part in sports in the gender they identify with," the document said. The guiding principles were based around: The principles were not mandatory and were not rules or criteria, as Sport NZ noted it would not be possible to provide a one-size-fits-all approach across every code. Despite not being mandatory, Zavoda said the guidelines were beneficial to small clubs who may not have the resources to do their own research into best practice guidelines. "It's taking away a tool that community sport organisations can use to know that they are doing the right thing by their community." Zavoda said she struggled to find a social football team and organisation running the tournaments that would be respectful. "I know many other people have struggled as well. Even though there... was guidance from Sport NZ about our inclusion. "I certainly feel that those guidelines had an impact, I felt like there was more that could be done, taking steps forward rather than now taking steps back and I know that this decision will lead to the feelings of many trans and non-binary people to further feel alienated from being able to play sport - a critical key in health." National's coalition with New Zealand First contains a commitment to "ensure publicly funded sporting bodies support fair competition that is not compromised by rules relating to gender". Asked about NZ First saying scrapping the guidelines aligns with the party standing up for "safety and fairness" in sport Zavoda said: "This is not elite sport, it's not about an advantage, you're playing casual community sport, like the kind that you or I should be able to go to, and in that community sport you have a diverse range of physiques, builds and that's across both trans and cisgender people." RNZ also spoke to Lenny, who said the point of community sport is to have fun and the removal of the guidelines just excludes people. "I know it's a divisive thing, transgender people in sport, but all we want to do is be the people that we want to be and be allowed to do that." Lenny said the experience of playing sport as a child was unpleasant. "Going on a sports field, feeling completely overwhelmed and isolated around all these screaming boys just being boys and...I would just stand around on the field not knowing what to do and trying to avoid everybody, so it's not a fun experience." Waikato University's Holly Thorpe, who helped draft the guidelines, said they were written because sports clubs wanted some help. "Sport NZ and our community sports clubs and organisations all want inclusion, they want everybody in New Zealand society to have access to supportive, inclusive, safe environments to participate. "This decision today is not a step towards that." Labour's rainbow issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert has labelled the decision a step backwards and said "this government keeps on kicking people down", and the Human Rights Commission has called this a "sad day". Green Party spokesperson for Takatāpui and Rainbow communities Benjamin Doyle said the directive showed the coalition had once again failed rainbow communities. NZ Rugby says it had been using the advice and found it very helpful and valuable. NZ Rugby's head of participation for community rugby, Mike Hester, told Checkpoint moving forward, the organisation will be guided by values and also by the voices of its participants. "They provided quite a lot of useful advice around how to understand the issue, how to... improve the awareness of some of the challenges that go in the space, so some of that advice was really useful and I think others in the sector have found it useful to help guide their thinking in this space." The guidelines had confirmed a lot of the issues NZ Rugby needed to think about as it moved forward with a community position. Asked if it was important people could play on a team that aligns with their gender, Hester said a key part of community sport was being able to access it and participate in a way that was important to each individual. "We would always feel inclusion is a really important value in rugby, it's a game for all shapes and sizes, everybody's welcome" he said. Ensuring safe participation was also something Rugby NZ would need to think about moving forward, he said. Hester was asked if Sports NZ saw allowing people to play with a team that aligns with their gender as inclusion over fairness, as suggested by NZ First leader Winston Peters. "When we spoke to our communities about this matter over the last couple of years, the themes that came through, particularly from participants in the women's category... what was really prominent was inclusion and safety," Hester said. "Fairness was less prominent for them because in the community space it's actually about other motivations to participate."
