Latest news with #NewZealand-raised
NZ Herald
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Fabian Holland: All Blacks' future and New Zealand Rugby's global pathway
It's not just that he's played like a seasoned veteran, Holland has embraced the All Blacks' ethos with an understanding that is perhaps deeper than his New Zealand-raised peers'. After the previous Saturday's win in Dunedin, he proactively began searching for a broom to literally sweep the sheds and he just seems to get that for the All Blacks to be loved by the people, they have to connect with the people. How readily and aptly he has found his place in New Zealand and the All Blacks is a story almost too ridiculous to comprehend. His journey from gangly teenager growing up in the Dutch village of Alkmaar – famous for its cheese market (but then which Dutch village isn't?) – to playing for the All Blacks is unfathomable. Fabian Holland urges his pack on during his debut test against France, in Dunedin. Photo / Photosport New Zealand's middle classes can barely cope with relocating their 18-year-olds to university in the South Island. The whole business of settling their precious Olivers and Sophies into a fully catered, warm and secure hall of residence is considered so traumatic as to require the whole family to be in attendance – and even then, there are tears and meltdowns. Holland, at just 16, took off on his own to a foreign country – where there was a language barrier – settled himself into school in Christchurch, relocated to attend university in Otago and then got himself on New Zealand's elite rugby pathway. The equivalent would be a Kiwi teen heading to Brazil, finishing their education there in Portuguese and then making the national football team. It's so nuts that of course the small rugby fraternity in the Netherlands is hooked on following Holland's career, and if New Zealand Rugby (NZR) plays its marketing hand smartly, interest in the 22-year-old could extend way beyond the realms of only those already familiar with the sport. There are 18 million people in the Netherlands and NZR has to be thinking about developing Holland as his own brand in his homeland. The content opportunity is vast – there could be a line of personalised merch; get him on the media circuit and all the time have that All Blacks story serving as the backdrop. The impact could be incredible and certainly it seems that having a marketing plan built around an impressive Dutchman is likely to be a more cost-effective, better and ultimately more lucrative way for NZR to win and monetise offshore fans than their current strategy of playing tests in foreign lands. Fabian Holland puts pressure on French halfback Nolann Le Garrec in Dunedin. Photo / Photosport The All Blacks will be back in Chicago later this year to play Ireland again, and it's a sure bet that Soldier Field will be filled with largely the same expat Irish fans it was nine years ago when the two sides first met on US soil. Rugby hasn't grown much in the USA since 2016 and nor, despite NZR's insistence otherwise, have the All Blacks grown their brand profile in that period either – or at least not to the extent that it can be more easily or better monetised. Playing Bledisloe Cup games (2008 and 2010) in Hong Kong didn't do anything to grow the All Blacks' fan presence in Asia either, and one brave decision by a Dutch teenager, that cost NZR nothing, could prove to be a far greater commercial venture than pumping millions into flying all over the world to play games. It's a proven strategy to target the recruitment of foreign players and then market them in their homeland. The arrival of Yao Ming at the Houston Rockets put the NBA on the map in China, just as Manchester United grew their fan base in South Korea after signing Park Ji-sung. NZR is rightly protective of developing homegrown players and maintaining that Kiwi essence within the All Blacks: that understated, boy-next-door homegrown charm that comes from growing up not wearing shoes often and living outside. But NZR has also spent close to $20 million over the past two years making content that very few people watch on its digital platform. It's against the ineffectiveness of that spend to grow the All Blacks brand offshore that the alternative of actively recruiting foreign talent has to be considered. Christian Lio-Willie (left) and Fabian Holland share a moment after victory over France. Photo / Photosport Why not ditch making in-house fluff that reveals nothing to prospective fans, and instead invest in global musters where New Zealand's high-performance teams trawl through the USA, Japan, the rest of Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe looking for future All Blacks? Holland found New Zealand, but what if the All Blacks went looking? Maybe it would unearth the richest pipeline of talent and millions of new fans ready to part with their cash to invest in a globalised All Blacks that feature players from all over the world. It could make the All Blacks both better and richer. Too far-fetched? Possibly, but New Zealand has effectively been doing this for years with players from the Pacific Islands – it's just there isn't much of a commercial return to be had from Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. Gregor Paul is one of New Zealand's most respected rugby writers and columnists. He has won multiple awards for journalism and written several books about sport. For live commentary of this weekend's All Blacks v France test, go to GOLD SPORT or iHeartRadio. You can also find live updates at
1News
03-07-2025
- Sport
- 1News
NZ-raised Cameron Norrie stuns 12th seed in Wimbledon upset
New Zealand-raised Cameron Norrie stunned American 12th seed Frances Tiafoe at Wimbledon overnight. Norrie is now ranked 61, lost in the first round of both his warm-up events, and had never previously beaten a top-20 player at Wimbledon. But that mattered little as the British No. 3 came back from losing the first set to win 4-6 6-4 6-3 7-5. "I'm enjoying my tennis more than ever. It was really nice coming up to get into the top 10 but it's just tough, really tough, to stay there," Norrie said. "It's nice to hunt the other guys. I was coming into the match today against Frances, being the underdog, playing for free. "It was a lot easier than in the past when I previously played Frances. I was the highest-seeded player, and the pressure was on me." ADVERTISEMENT Champ ends British student's Wimbledon fairy tale There are students everywhere at Wimbledon. Serving in the restaurants, watering the plants, helping out in the media centre. It's a much sought-after summer job. Among those working here is Oliver Tarvet from St Albans, an ancient town just north of London, who is back home for the holidays from the University of San Diego. Majoring in communications, with a minor in marketing, he will certainly have a story to tell and sell when he returns to California for his final year. Tarvet, 21, has a different role from most students at Wimbledon. He's actually playing, and on Wednesday he found himself centre stage on Centre Court enjoying a fairytale beyond imagination. The world No.733 was given a wildcard into qualifying, unexpectedly parlayed that into a main draw place, then won his opening round match against 117-ranked Leonardo Riedi to earn an encounter with defending champ and world No.2 Carlos Alacaraz on the sport's most famous court. Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and Oliver Tarvet of Britain, right, ishake hands after their second round men's singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London. (Source: Associated Press) ADVERTISEMENT That's where the dream ended, the Spaniard winning 6-1 6-4 6-4, except it didn't, really. Tarvet winning nine games was some achievement, and one in which every point was roared on by the home crowd. In the first set, he forced eight break points. In the second, he took one to go 2-0 up, repeating the feat to lead 3-2 in the third. Alcaraz, obviously, prevailed in the end, but Tarvet looks to be a name to remember. Elsewhere, rising Brazilian star Joao Fonseca was overcome with emotion after beating Jenson Brooksby 6-4 5-7 6-2 6-4. The teenager was noisily supported by his compatriots as he became the first Brazilian man to reach the third round since Thomaz Bellucci in 2010. "It's something to be proud of," said Fonseca, who is playing in his fourth tour-level event on grass. "I'm very happy the way that I've developed on this surface, I'm evolving. So I'm happy with it." Russian seeds Andrey Rublev (14) and Karen Khachanov (17) both came back from dropping the opening set to win, defeating South African Lloyd Harris and Japan's Shintaro Mochizuki in four and five sets respectively.
Otago Daily Times
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Norrie stuns Tiafoe on favourite Wimbledon patch
New Zealand-raised Cameron Norrie returned to his favourite patch of Wimbledon turf to stun American 12th seed Frances Tiafoe and reach the third round with a 4-6 6-4 6-3 7-5 win. Court One might lack the aura of the All England Club's historic Centre Court, but Norrie loves it, having won three matches there during his semifinal run in 2022. The chemistry was clear for all to see again on a mercifully fresh Wimbledon day as the world number 61 recovered from losing a tight first set to bamboozle a flat-looking Tiafoe. "I was really happy with the schedule when I saw I was on Court One as it's my favourite court," Norrie, who has reached the third round for the fourth time, said. "We both played high level but I stayed so calm and I really enjoyed the battle. The atmosphere was amazing." Norrie, 29, was one of seven home players who won their first-round singles matches on Monday — a British record of wins for a single day at Wimbledon in the professional era. All seven were back on Wednesday, with Sonay Kartal continuing the charge as she thrashed Bulgaria's Viktoriya Tomova 6-2 6-2 to book her place in the last 32. "Today was a good day at the office," she said. Norrie's reign as British number one was ended by Jack Draper, who he surprisingly beat on Court One last year in the second round, and he has struggled to reach the heights of 2021 when he won the Miami Open and 2022 when he lost to Novak Djokovic in the semifinals at Wimbledon. He lost in the first round of both his warm-up events on grass, but after an excursion on Court 18 on Monday, where he beat Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut, he was handed a Court One slot for his clash with Tiafoe. FREE-HITTING TIAFOE Initially it was the free-hitting Tiafoe who looked right at home, taking a tight opening set with a single break of serve. But everything changed at the end of the second. Norrie found himself in big trouble when serving at 4-4, going down 0-40. But he reeled off five points in a row to avert the danger and broke in the next game with a superb low backhand winner to snatch the set. Left-hander Norrie, who had never previously beaten a top-20 player at Wimbledon, bristled with energy in the third set, dictating the points as Tiafoe began to fade. Norrie failed to capitalise on one break of serve as he allowed Tiafoe to reply, but another break proved decisive as he moved to within one set of victory. Tiafoe left the court for seven minutes for a bathroom break before the start of the fourth set but Norrie refused to be thrown off his stride and broke serve for a 4-3 lead. Again Tiafoe responded, but Norrie was relentless as he again pounced on the American's serve before completing victory. Tiafoe's exit means 14 of the 32 men's seeds are out of the tournament less than halfway through the first week.
The Advertiser
28-05-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Djokovic pure gold back at site of Olympic triumph
Novak Djokovic tends to get what Novak Djokovic wants. For when you're setting out after a record-breaking 25th grand slam triumph on the court where you won your precious Olympic gold and you want that Court Philippe Chatrier roof closed, who is going to argue? Not French Open organisers, apparently, after the princely one made enough fuss about the spots of rain beginning to dampen the clay during the first set on Tuesday that they bowed to his master's voice. "At one point the supervisor told me, 'but they're playing everywhere on the outside courts in the same conditions'," explained Djokovic after going on to dismantle American Mackenzie McDonald 6-3 6-3 6-3 in his opener. "I said, 'yeah, but we are on the court with a roof. Why do you have the roof then? What's the point?' "In the end they closed the roof. I think it was better for everyone. For the players, for the stands, as well." Certainly better for him. Last year, Djokovic raged about the "slippery" court, blaming it for causing a torn media meniscus in his right knee. This time, moving sweetly and fresh from his 100th tournament win in Geneva, he just mesmerised his opponent. "He makes it seem like a video game, almost, for him," marvelled McDonald. "He's able to just do so much. I don't even think he was playing his best tennis or his highest level. But if I pushed him to a different point, he would bring the level up." While Djokovic was warning ominously that "I have a good feeling", Daniil Medvedev, who was Alex de Minaur's victim last year, most certainly didn't after a familiar flop, the 11th seed this time bowing out at the first hurdle to New Zealand-raised Briton Cameron Norrie 7-5 6-3 4-6 1-6 7-5. "He is so tough to beat, I think I deserve a diploma for beating Medvedev because he's beaten me the last four times. It was an unreal match," said Norrie. De Minaur may have kept half an eye on Jakub Mensik, the teenage Czech Miami Open champ, who again showed his mettle by handling the usual noisy baiting by a raucous home crowd supporting their local hope Alexandre Muller. Mensik, who could meet the Australian in the third round, sealed a 7-5 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 6-3 victory by celebrating exuberantly and winding up the crowd by pretending to conduct. His mentor Djokovic would have been proud. "Like Novak says, when sometimes the crowd is against him, I was repeating in my head when they were cheering or shouting Muller's name, I was trying to focus that they are actually shouting my name," said Mensik. The next teenage sensation to face this examination will be 18-year-old Brazilian wonder boy Joao Fonseca, who knocked out Poland's vastly experienced 30th seed Hubert Hurkacz 6-2 6-4 6-2 on his French Open debut to set up a date with French veteran Pierre-Hugues Herbert. At age 38, world No.42 Gael Monfils delighted home fans as he rallied from two sets down to beat Hugo Delien 4-6 3-6 6-1 7-6(6-4) 6-1, setting up a clash with fifth seed Jack Draper. Elsewhere, third seed Alexander Zverev defeated American Learner Tien in straight sets but veteran 16th seed Grigor Dimitrov retired due to injury when 6-2 6-3 2-6 ahead against American qualifier Ethan Quinn. Novak Djokovic tends to get what Novak Djokovic wants. For when you're setting out after a record-breaking 25th grand slam triumph on the court where you won your precious Olympic gold and you want that Court Philippe Chatrier roof closed, who is going to argue? Not French Open organisers, apparently, after the princely one made enough fuss about the spots of rain beginning to dampen the clay during the first set on Tuesday that they bowed to his master's voice. "At one point the supervisor told me, 'but they're playing everywhere on the outside courts in the same conditions'," explained Djokovic after going on to dismantle American Mackenzie McDonald 6-3 6-3 6-3 in his opener. "I said, 'yeah, but we are on the court with a roof. Why do you have the roof then? What's the point?' "In the end they closed the roof. I think it was better for everyone. For the players, for the stands, as well." Certainly better for him. Last year, Djokovic raged about the "slippery" court, blaming it for causing a torn media meniscus in his right knee. This time, moving sweetly and fresh from his 100th tournament win in Geneva, he just mesmerised his opponent. "He makes it seem like a video game, almost, for him," marvelled McDonald. "He's able to just do so much. I don't even think he was playing his best tennis or his highest level. But if I pushed him to a different point, he would bring the level up." While Djokovic was warning ominously that "I have a good feeling", Daniil Medvedev, who was Alex de Minaur's victim last year, most certainly didn't after a familiar flop, the 11th seed this time bowing out at the first hurdle to New Zealand-raised Briton Cameron Norrie 7-5 6-3 4-6 1-6 7-5. "He is so tough to beat, I think I deserve a diploma for beating Medvedev because he's beaten me the last four times. It was an unreal match," said Norrie. De Minaur may have kept half an eye on Jakub Mensik, the teenage Czech Miami Open champ, who again showed his mettle by handling the usual noisy baiting by a raucous home crowd supporting their local hope Alexandre Muller. Mensik, who could meet the Australian in the third round, sealed a 7-5 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 6-3 victory by celebrating exuberantly and winding up the crowd by pretending to conduct. His mentor Djokovic would have been proud. "Like Novak says, when sometimes the crowd is against him, I was repeating in my head when they were cheering or shouting Muller's name, I was trying to focus that they are actually shouting my name," said Mensik. The next teenage sensation to face this examination will be 18-year-old Brazilian wonder boy Joao Fonseca, who knocked out Poland's vastly experienced 30th seed Hubert Hurkacz 6-2 6-4 6-2 on his French Open debut to set up a date with French veteran Pierre-Hugues Herbert. At age 38, world No.42 Gael Monfils delighted home fans as he rallied from two sets down to beat Hugo Delien 4-6 3-6 6-1 7-6(6-4) 6-1, setting up a clash with fifth seed Jack Draper. Elsewhere, third seed Alexander Zverev defeated American Learner Tien in straight sets but veteran 16th seed Grigor Dimitrov retired due to injury when 6-2 6-3 2-6 ahead against American qualifier Ethan Quinn. Novak Djokovic tends to get what Novak Djokovic wants. For when you're setting out after a record-breaking 25th grand slam triumph on the court where you won your precious Olympic gold and you want that Court Philippe Chatrier roof closed, who is going to argue? Not French Open organisers, apparently, after the princely one made enough fuss about the spots of rain beginning to dampen the clay during the first set on Tuesday that they bowed to his master's voice. "At one point the supervisor told me, 'but they're playing everywhere on the outside courts in the same conditions'," explained Djokovic after going on to dismantle American Mackenzie McDonald 6-3 6-3 6-3 in his opener. "I said, 'yeah, but we are on the court with a roof. Why do you have the roof then? What's the point?' "In the end they closed the roof. I think it was better for everyone. For the players, for the stands, as well." Certainly better for him. Last year, Djokovic raged about the "slippery" court, blaming it for causing a torn media meniscus in his right knee. This time, moving sweetly and fresh from his 100th tournament win in Geneva, he just mesmerised his opponent. "He makes it seem like a video game, almost, for him," marvelled McDonald. "He's able to just do so much. I don't even think he was playing his best tennis or his highest level. But if I pushed him to a different point, he would bring the level up." While Djokovic was warning ominously that "I have a good feeling", Daniil Medvedev, who was Alex de Minaur's victim last year, most certainly didn't after a familiar flop, the 11th seed this time bowing out at the first hurdle to New Zealand-raised Briton Cameron Norrie 7-5 6-3 4-6 1-6 7-5. "He is so tough to beat, I think I deserve a diploma for beating Medvedev because he's beaten me the last four times. It was an unreal match," said Norrie. De Minaur may have kept half an eye on Jakub Mensik, the teenage Czech Miami Open champ, who again showed his mettle by handling the usual noisy baiting by a raucous home crowd supporting their local hope Alexandre Muller. Mensik, who could meet the Australian in the third round, sealed a 7-5 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 6-3 victory by celebrating exuberantly and winding up the crowd by pretending to conduct. His mentor Djokovic would have been proud. "Like Novak says, when sometimes the crowd is against him, I was repeating in my head when they were cheering or shouting Muller's name, I was trying to focus that they are actually shouting my name," said Mensik. The next teenage sensation to face this examination will be 18-year-old Brazilian wonder boy Joao Fonseca, who knocked out Poland's vastly experienced 30th seed Hubert Hurkacz 6-2 6-4 6-2 on his French Open debut to set up a date with French veteran Pierre-Hugues Herbert. At age 38, world No.42 Gael Monfils delighted home fans as he rallied from two sets down to beat Hugo Delien 4-6 3-6 6-1 7-6(6-4) 6-1, setting up a clash with fifth seed Jack Draper. Elsewhere, third seed Alexander Zverev defeated American Learner Tien in straight sets but veteran 16th seed Grigor Dimitrov retired due to injury when 6-2 6-3 2-6 ahead against American qualifier Ethan Quinn. Novak Djokovic tends to get what Novak Djokovic wants. For when you're setting out after a record-breaking 25th grand slam triumph on the court where you won your precious Olympic gold and you want that Court Philippe Chatrier roof closed, who is going to argue? Not French Open organisers, apparently, after the princely one made enough fuss about the spots of rain beginning to dampen the clay during the first set on Tuesday that they bowed to his master's voice. "At one point the supervisor told me, 'but they're playing everywhere on the outside courts in the same conditions'," explained Djokovic after going on to dismantle American Mackenzie McDonald 6-3 6-3 6-3 in his opener. "I said, 'yeah, but we are on the court with a roof. Why do you have the roof then? What's the point?' "In the end they closed the roof. I think it was better for everyone. For the players, for the stands, as well." Certainly better for him. Last year, Djokovic raged about the "slippery" court, blaming it for causing a torn media meniscus in his right knee. This time, moving sweetly and fresh from his 100th tournament win in Geneva, he just mesmerised his opponent. "He makes it seem like a video game, almost, for him," marvelled McDonald. "He's able to just do so much. I don't even think he was playing his best tennis or his highest level. But if I pushed him to a different point, he would bring the level up." While Djokovic was warning ominously that "I have a good feeling", Daniil Medvedev, who was Alex de Minaur's victim last year, most certainly didn't after a familiar flop, the 11th seed this time bowing out at the first hurdle to New Zealand-raised Briton Cameron Norrie 7-5 6-3 4-6 1-6 7-5. "He is so tough to beat, I think I deserve a diploma for beating Medvedev because he's beaten me the last four times. It was an unreal match," said Norrie. De Minaur may have kept half an eye on Jakub Mensik, the teenage Czech Miami Open champ, who again showed his mettle by handling the usual noisy baiting by a raucous home crowd supporting their local hope Alexandre Muller. Mensik, who could meet the Australian in the third round, sealed a 7-5 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 6-3 victory by celebrating exuberantly and winding up the crowd by pretending to conduct. His mentor Djokovic would have been proud. "Like Novak says, when sometimes the crowd is against him, I was repeating in my head when they were cheering or shouting Muller's name, I was trying to focus that they are actually shouting my name," said Mensik. The next teenage sensation to face this examination will be 18-year-old Brazilian wonder boy Joao Fonseca, who knocked out Poland's vastly experienced 30th seed Hubert Hurkacz 6-2 6-4 6-2 on his French Open debut to set up a date with French veteran Pierre-Hugues Herbert. At age 38, world No.42 Gael Monfils delighted home fans as he rallied from two sets down to beat Hugo Delien 4-6 3-6 6-1 7-6(6-4) 6-1, setting up a clash with fifth seed Jack Draper. Elsewhere, third seed Alexander Zverev defeated American Learner Tien in straight sets but veteran 16th seed Grigor Dimitrov retired due to injury when 6-2 6-3 2-6 ahead against American qualifier Ethan Quinn.
