Latest news with #Ferns
Otago Daily Times
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
End of season came too soon for Steel coach
Wendy Frew would dearly love another round. The Southern Steel coach knows the potential her side possessed this season — and that they could have done even better had the ANZ Premiership not been slashed back to 10 rounds. They wrapped up their season on Monday night to finish fourth, their highest finish since 2022, with five wins and five losses. Preseason injuries stunted the Steel's preparation, and losing co-captain and Silver Fern Kate Heffernan for the early rounds was a big blow. The Steel were slow out of the blocks, and lost three on the trot in the middle of the season, but they came home strongly, and there is a general feeling they are on the right path. "We'd love another round," Frew said. "You kind of look back and think you're that one win away from the top three. "I feel like this group of players could have been really competitive in the top three, so that hurts us. "But we'll learn from it and we'll be better off for that experience. Especially those players who haven't experienced just missing out. "It'll grow them as players and just make them probably extremely hungry for the future." There are always highs and lows from every campaign, but it is hard to look past the Steel beating the Central Pulse 58-57 in round seven as the moment of the season. After getting a 25-point hiding earlier in the season, the bench erupted in pure ecstasy at the final whistle. "The Pulse game was a biggie for us. After the game, you just see pure joy." Several players flourished in their first season in the blue and pink. Defender Carys Stythe took a "massive punt" leaving the premiership-winning Northern Mystics to join the Steel. But she reached new heights in leading the competition for defensive rebounds (21) and ranking third for deflections (52) and intercepts (19), and was "exceptional", Frew said. Aliyah Dunn returned home to Invercargill and was rock-solid under the hoop, finishing second in the league for shooting accuracy. She nailed 383 from 400 attempts in the one-point zone. Her coach would not mind seeing her get an international recall. "Oh, I'd love to see Aliyah in a Ferns dress," Frew said. "That's up to the Ferns, and the Ferns selectors, but I think she's had a tremendous season." Young Serina Daunakamakama stepped up at wing attack early in the season and Frew said she was one to watch for the future. Daunakamakama, Summer Temu and Khayne-Lii Munro-Nonoa will all trial at the end of the month for the New Zealand under-21 side for the Netball World Youth Cup. Frew has grown in the role of head coach in her first season at the helm. The former Southern Steel captain has a proud history with the franchise — including being a centurion — and said there had been a lot to learn in her inaugural season. "I think you learn on the spot. "I've been really proud of the campaign I've put together, but there's always going to be work. "For me, I'm just so extremely lucky to have La [assistant Liana Leota] by my side. "She obviously had so much experience and she's guided me in ways where, as a new coach, I was trying to find my feet. "I'll be forever grateful to her, and all of the management team, just having my back and ensuring we're working as a team." Frew acknowledged the same 10 contracted players never returned to any franchise each year and many would get offers elsewhere. But she backed the talent among the squad and would love nothing more than to have the core back hunting for that elusive title next year. "It'd be great to keep the bulk of the squad. "From what we've created, and how we've grown this year as a team, if we can push on and get a good majority of them back, it'll be an exciting season for next year."
Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Miller powers Black Ferns to victory over Australia
Jorja Miller celebrates after scoring a try against Australia. A second-half clinic in the capital has helped the Black Ferns see off the Wallaroos in style, as they get set to take on the world. In their final farewell on home soil before their World Cup journey, New Zealand survived an early score to run riot late, putting Australia to the sword 37-12. Australia have never beaten the Black Ferns in 28 previous attempts and, despite a brave effort, they were outclassed by the reigning world champions. Sevens convert Jorja Miller put in a superb shift at openside flanker, scoring a stunning individual try, forcing several turnovers and putting in some thunderous hits on defence. The Ferns were up by just three at the break, but five tries in the second 40 minutes had things looking far more comfortable. They struck after just 60 seconds, when Miller put winger Portia Woodman-Wickliffe in space on the right edge. Australia responded straight away, their lineout maul repelled, before Charlotte Caslick swept to the blindside and crashed though the defence. More than half an hour later, the Ferns finally regained the lead, with Woodman-Wickliffe waltzing over in the corner to take a 10-7 lead at oranges. Whatever was said in the sheds, things clicked into gear for the Ferns in the second half. Captain Ruahei Demant displayed her power, as she burst through three defenders to find the line. Miller then produced a scorcher, claiming a goal-line dropout, breaking the line, stepping the cover and fending the final tackler in a piece of individual brilliance. They continued to pile on the points, as Woodman-Wickliffe bagged her ha-trick, when she was put one on one with her opposite. After setting things up with a 50-22 kick, centre Sylvia Brunt barged her way over to well and truly seal the result. Replacement Ruby Tui put the icing on the cake, as she tore after an Iritana Hohaia boxkick, easily winning the race to the ball.
Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Magic Miller powers Black Ferns to victory over Australia
Jorja Miller celebrates after scoring a try against Australia. A second-half clinic in the capital has helped the Black Ferns see off the Wallaroos in style, as they get set to take on the world. In their final farewell on home soil before their World Cup journey, New Zealand survived an early score to run riot late, putting Australia to the sword 37-12. Australia have never beaten the Black Ferns in 28 previous attempts and, despite a brave effort, they were outclassed by the reigning world champions. Sevens convert Jorja Miller put in a superb shift at openside flanker, scoring a stunning individual try, forcing several turnovers and putting in some thunderous hits on defence. The Ferns were up by just three at the break, but five tries in the second 40 minutes had things looking far more comfortable. They struck after just 60 seconds, when Miller put winger Portia Woodman-Wickliffe in space on the right edge. Australia responded straight away, their lineout maul repelled, before Charlotte Caslick swept to the blindside and crashed though the defence. More than half an hour later, the Ferns finally regained the lead, with Woodman-Wickliffe waltzing over in the corner to take a 10-7 lead at oranges. Whatever was said in the sheds, things clicked into gear for the Ferns in the second half. Captain Ruahei Demant displayed her power, as she burst through three defenders to find the line. Miller then produced a scorcher, claiming a goal-line dropout, breaking the line, stepping the cover and fending the final tackler in a piece of individual brilliance. They continued to pile on the points, as Woodman-Wickliffe bagged her ha-trick, when she was put one on one with her opposite. After setting things up with a 50-22 kick, centre Sylvia Brunt barged her way over to well and truly seal the result. Replacement Ruby Tui put the icing on the cake, as she tore after an Iritana Hohaia boxkick, easily winning the race to the ball.
Scotsman
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Edinburgh festivals: Veteran comedian Barry Ferns on how Fringe drove him to bankruptcy and homelessness
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A veteran comedian who first performed in Edinburgh more than 25 years ago will tell a festival audience how he racked up so much debt in his efforts to attend the Fringe that he was declared bankrupt. Barry Ferns, who has performed 19 times on the Fringe since 1999, found himself in £45,000 of debt in his early years as a comedian due to the costs of having a show in Edinburgh. He was declared bankrupt in 2007 and was subsequently left homeless. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Now the founder of a thriving London comedy club, Mr Ferns's new show to be performed at the Fringe this August tells how he ended up in the situation - and how he recovered. Barry Ferns first performed at the Fringe in 1999. | Barry Ferns 'I wasn't planning to go to Edinburgh,' said Mr Ferns, who first arrived at the Fringe as a 17-year-old after reaching the finals of the So You Think You're Funny? (SYTYF) competition, which has launched the career of many well-known names. 'Someone [at SYTYF] asked me if I was going and I think I just said 'but I'm 17'. Then they told me they were driving up that night, so I just went. By some miracle, I got a few paid gigs and I spent a lot of nights sleeping on Calton Hill and Arthur's Seat.' But his first proper show at the Fringe left him £5,000 in debt. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I'm from a working-class family in Dorset, so I didn't have a safety net,' he said. 'I just thought the way that you got good at comedy was go to the Edinburgh festival. That's where all my comedy heroes went, so I would go up year after year. And I was getting more and more into debt. 'Every year it was the same. I'd go to the Fringe and spend the rest of the year trying to pay off my debts, but I never quite managed it. I think that first year, I managed to work off half of it. 'But then I went up again, because I thought 'this is what I want to do with my life'. It felt like an investment. Then it got to the point, after my seventh Edinburgh, that I went bankrupt.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Despite a successful Fringe run, Mr Ferns had accumulated a total of £45,000 in debt. 'It creates compound interest, it just spirals,' he said. 'The majority of my debt, maybe about 85 per cent of it, was from Edinburgh shows.' He became homeless, first moving between friends' sofas and eventually ending up in a squat in London. However, Ferns said he believed the bankruptcy gave him a chance to start again. He said: 'It's terrible at the time, it's emotionally hard. But actually, you lose all your assets. And if you don't have any assets to lose, it's not as bad as it could be, as it gives you a chance to start again. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It is bad and it does stay on your financial record, so you can't borrow money. But I think that was probably a good thing.' Mr Ferns now advises people who are also facing bankruptcy on the realities of the procedure. The experience also inspired him to start his comedy club, Angel Comedy, which now has a permanent venue in Islington. 'The whole club comes from the fact that I had this experience,' he said. 'We do free gigs. We make sure there's there's access for people, we do free comedy writing workshops. It's like a Fringe venue in London where people can run their shows. It comes out of the fact that I had that hard time.' In an attempt to generate publicity around his show that year, Mr Ferns had officially changed his name to Lionel Richie, meaning he was using the singer's name at the time of his bankruptcy. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I went bankrupt as Lionel Richie,' he said. 'I had to go to the Royal Courts of Justice and put my hand on the Bible and say 'I, Lionel Richie, solemnly swear'. My life is a joke.'
The South African
28-05-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Ferns writes his own story at SA Bowls Open final
Brendan Ferns came up trumps in a gripping showdown against Wayne Perry in the SA Bowls Open final played in blustery conditions in Port Elizabeth, which saw both players locked in a tense race to 21 shots, with the scores remaining neck-and-neck in the early stages. Perry, representing Wingate Park Country Club, matched Ferns for much of the match with precision draw shots and measured composure. But as the game entered its crucial phases, Ferns — also playing out of Wingate Park Country Club — found another gear. A string of telling shots allowed him to build a steady lead, applying scoreboard pressure that ultimately proved too much for White to overcome. Ferns sealed the victory 21–16, earning not only the coveted singles crown but also a berth in the prestigious World Champion of Champions event set to be played later this year in Sydney. In the fours final, Paul White's Westville's team let an early 8–0 lead slip against the powerhouse quartet led by fellow Gold Squad member Niksa Benguric. Backed by the formidable trio of Driaan van Niekerk, Wayne Perry, and CP Mathewson, Benguric's side stormed back with clinical shot-making and relentless pressure to claim a resounding 24-14 win. The Pairs final saw Knysna Bowling Club shine brightly as Billy Radloff and John Rimbault delivered a dominant performance. Their aggressive, front-foot style proved too much for Logan Sobramony and Mike Underwood, who struggled to keep pace. Radloff and Rimbault surged to a convincing victory, sealing a proud moment for the coastal club who celebrates their centenary this year. In the Veterans final, it was Otto Holicki who prevailed over Arnie Muscat after a soaring out to an initial lead that he never let go writes his own story at SA Open final. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
