Latest news with #AndrewCornaga
RNZ News
2 days ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
Netball: Silver Ferns to face England, Scotland in Commonwealth Games warmups
The Silver Ferns vs England in 2024. Photo: Andrew Cornaga / Photosport The Silver Ferns will play two tests against Scotland and three against England in November as the side prepares for next year's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The five-test northern tour will see the Ferns take on the Scottish Thistles, before heading south to London and Manchester where they will meet England three times, starting on 15 November. The series will be a key part of the Silver Ferns' build-up for next year's Commonwealth Games. The Silver Ferns usually have a January series in the Northern Hemisphere, but that did not happen this year. England, who beat the Silver Ferns 2-1 in last year's Taini Jamison series, will be a tough team to take on at the Commonwealth Games. It will be the first time the Silver Ferns have been back to Scotland since the two nations met for the build-up to the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and the first time that international netball will be played at the state-of-the-art Playsport Arena in Glasgow. Silver Ferns head coach Dame Noeline Taurua said the northern tour was hugely important in preparation for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, and returning to Scotland would also hold some special memories for herself. "I'm absolutely thrilled about the opportunity to head north for this series in November. "Scotland holds a special place in my heart having completed my Masters of Sport Coaching at the University of Stirling, so it will be incredibly special to return there with the Silver Ferns. "These additional fixtures are a vital part of our preparation as we build towards the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Finishing the tour with a three-Test series against the England Roses - currently ranked fourth in the world - will provide the high-quality competition we need to continue challenging ourselves and growing as a group." Scotland's head coach Kath Tetley shared Taurua's excitement about the two tests with the World No. 2 Silver Ferns. "I am thrilled that the Thistles will be hosting a star-studded Silver Ferns squad in Glasgow this November - this will be an incredible preparation opportunity for our 2026 international season. "We will be ready for the challenge, and we can't wait to have a Thistles Army of supporters packed into the venue and getting around us." The Ferns will head south to take on the England Roses at Copper Box Arena in London on 15 and 16 November before moving to AO Arena in Manchester. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
6 days ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
NRL live updates: Warriors trail bottom-of-the-table Titans at halftime
Charnze Nicoll-Kolkstad of the Warriors goes in for a try. Photo: Andrew Cornaga / Revenge will be on the minds of the Warriors, as they take on a Titans outfit that handed them one of the worst losses in club history the last time they met. Follow all the action with RNZ's live blog: Warriors: 1. Charnze Nicoll‑Klokstad, 2. Dallin Watene‑Zelezniak, 3. Adam Pompey, 4. Kurt Capewell, 5. Roger Tuivasa‑Sheck, 6. Chanel Harris‑Tavita, 7. Tanah Boyd, 8. James Fisher‑Harris (c), 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. Samuel Healey, 21. Bunty Afoa, 22. Ali Leiataua, 23. Eddie Ieremia‑Toeava 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, 9. Sam Verrills, 10. Jaimin Jolliffe, 11. Chris Randall, 12. Beau Fermor, 13. Klese Haas Interchange:14. Jacob Alick‑Wiencke, 15. Reagan Campbell‑Gillard, 16. Iszac Fa'asumaleaui, 17. Josh Patston Reserves: 18. Arama Hau, 19. Sean Mullany, 20. Tom Weaver, 21. Ryan Foran, 22. Alofiana Khan‑Pereira
RNZ News
7 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Auckland FC's women's A-League team still in limbo
Decision on Auckland FC's delayed women's team was also subject to delays. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/ Analysis - Why has the Australian Professional Leagues taken so long to confirm the worst kept secret in A-Leagues football? Maybe they couldn't find the right words to justify why Auckland FC would not be entering the women's competition in the 2025/26 season. They could have said they were being fiscally responsible by not expanding the women's league when they reportedly owe Football Australia millions of dollars . Or that they were distracted while they grappled with issues of the influence of offshore betting syndicates tainting the game for a second consecutive season . Making sure players get paid would have also been on their radar. But instead A-Leagues executive chair, Stephen Conroy, issued a one-line statement to RNZ - on repeat. On 9 April, five weeks before the A-League Women 2024/25 Grand Final, the statement: "We are finalising our planning for the upcoming Ninja A-League Women 2025/26 season, and we hope to make a further announcement in the near future" was sent via email in response to six questions about the next women's season and Auckland's participation. Ten weeks later, on 18 June, multiple questions were put to the A-Leagues and the exact same one-line response was sent on Conroy's behalf. On 9 July, the message changed to: "We're hoping to have more of an update in the coming few weeks that we can share". "Planning" was taking that long, all while existing women's teams were signing players , coaches and making preparations for a season that those who run the game said was still not finalised. If Auckland were to be involved in the 2025/26 season they would be on the back foot if the team's existence wasn't announced while the opposition were loading up their squads. It was clear Auckland would not have a women's team in the competition yet - but no-one official wanted to publicly say so. Auckland FC deferred any questions to the league pointing out that their comment was reliant on the competition boss speaking first. It was a line chief executive Nick Becker stuck with on Friday when he all but confirmed it could be a couple of season's before Auckland FC have a women's team. "It is the league's decision, it is their announcement so we're just waiting for them to follow up. "It's for them to explain and talk about. They control whether we're in or not." Does some of the blame for this drawn out situation lie with an overly ambitious Auckland FC? With a new A-League men's license in their hands they were quick to point out they wanted to get a women's team for the 2025/26 season, a proclamation that those with an interest in the women's game latched on to and followed up with. Their intent was genuine, but had the club not put a timeframe on it from the start they could have ridden the wave of the inevitable initial criticism about investment in a women's A-League team but they would have also bought themselves some time. They doubled down several times about their commitment to the team and the timing in question to New Zealand media in April and to British media in May. Auckland FC were not caught off guard by the decision to delay the team. Having joined the men's A-League last season they knew about the process and timeline of unveiling a new side. This was not a case of naively holding on to hope that they would make their own deadline for joining the women's competition too. "You can be frustrated, you can be angry with these sorts of things but sometimes it's just life," Becker said. "You look across the league and there's not many occasions where a team has launched both it's men and it's women it does take time. We plan to be around for a long time and you can look back and go 'okay there was a delay there' but in the greater scheme of things we'll have a successful women's team at some point and we look forward to that." A lot goes on in the background of running professional (and semi-professional) sports teams and competitions that the public don't want or need to know about, but the A-League taking months to find a way to frame a decision in a light most favourable is an own goal. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
05-07-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Rugby live updates: Black Ferns victorious in trial match
Katelyn Vahaakolo scores for the Black Ferns. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/ The Black Ferns' build up to the World Cup continues with a hit out against the best of the rest.
RNZ News
05-07-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Rugby: Black Ferns victorious in trial match
Katelyn Vahaakolo scores for the Black Ferns. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/ The Black Ferns have won Saturday's Rugby Word Cup trial match in Whangārei against the Black Ferns XV. It was a 45-12 win. See how it all played out below:
