No image available
/ 27 November 2007
Four candidates have been shortlisted to coach the All Blacks but the real contest is expected to be between incumbent Graham Henry and Robbie Deans of the Canterbury Crusaders. The New Zealand Rugby Union said on Tuesday that Henry, Deans, Wellington Hurricanes’ Colin Cooper and Waikato Chiefs’ Ian Foster would be interviewed next week.
No image available
/ 26 November 2007
All Blacks coach Graham Henry has re-applied for his job following the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) decision to make the position contestable after the team’s failed World Cup campaign. Henry (61) had until 5pm on Monday to apply for the job after the NZRU rejected a proposal to reappoint his coaching team.
No image available
/ 26 November 2007
A 14-year-old New Zealand girl nearly lost her eyesight when her eyes were gouged by relatives in a Maori exorcism ceremony in which her cousin died, a report said on Monday. The girl is recovering after emergency operations to save her sight after relatives scratched at her eyes to remove the devil.
No image available
/ 22 November 2007
A New Zealand father has been convicted of assault for smacking his eight-year-old son on the bottom in what is believed to be the first case under a controversial new law. "One time, maybe you could have got away with this, but you can’t do that now," Judge Anthony Walsh told the 33-year-old man on Wednesday.
No image available
/ 21 November 2007
All Black winger Doug Howlett was found guilty of serious misconduct by the New Zealand Rugby Union on Wednesday following an alcohol-fuelled incident in London. The 29-year-old apologised last month after he was seen jumping on two cars outside a hotel at Heathrow Airport after drinking with teammates in the wake of the All Blacks’ shock World Cup quarterfinal loss to France.
No image available
/ 15 November 2007
The All Blacks coaches have blamed English referee Wayne Barnes for their World Cup failure, it was reported on Thursday as the New Zealand Rugby Union deliberated on the future of the coaching panel. Head coach Graham Henry and his assistants Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith have maintained a diplomatic silence about Barnes’ performance in the World Cup quarterfinal.
No image available
/ 31 October 2007
Canterbury Crusaders coach Robbie Deans has confirmed the worst-kept secret in New Zealand rugby — he is keen to take over as All Black coach from Graham Henry. Henry is likely to be replaced following the All Blacks worst-ever World Cup showing this month when they were knocked out by France in the quarterfinals.
No image available
/ 23 October 2007
New Zealand on Tuesday recalled all-rounder James Franklin and named wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins as a batsman in a new-look one-day squad for next month’s trip to South Africa. Opener Jamie How was also recalled for the first time since early 2006 in the 14-man squad as New Zealand rebuild after a series of retirements.
No image available
/ 20 October 2007
Dejected All Blacks were reported on Saturday to be undergoing grief counselling to help them come to grips with their shock loss in the rugby World Cup quarterfinals. New Zealand Rugby Union chairperson Jock Hobbs said it was imperative steps were taken to ensure the players were able to move on mentally as soon as possible.
No image available
/ 18 October 2007
A boutique brewery in New Zealand was reported on Thursday to be offering a lifetime supply of beer in return for a stolen laptop. The computer, containing designs, creative work, contact details and financial information, was stolen from the Croucher Brewing Company in the central North Island city of Rotorua.
No image available
/ 10 October 2007
![]()
New Zealand coach Graham Henry admitted the All Blacks were scarred for life by their agonising World Cup exit as the team received an unexpectedly warm welcome home on Wednesday. About 1Â 000 fans broke into chants of ”All Blacks, All Blacks” as 17 of the 30-man squad arrived at Christchurch airport.
No image available
/ 10 October 2007
![]()
All Blacks winger Doug Howlett was arrested in London and may face charges after an incident at the team’s hotel near Heathrow Airport, the New Zealand Rugby Union said. The union is investigating the incident at the Hilton Hotel in which two cars were damaged.
Zimbabwe’s opposition parties will pull out of South African-brokered talks with the government of President Robert Mugabe if violence against them is not halted. Zimbabweans are still being beaten and killed by Mugabe’s militias despite negotiations between his government and opposition parties, said a senior member of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
No image available
/ 27 September 2007
Daniel Vettori was confirmed as New Zealand’s 26th Test captain when he was chosen on Thursday to lead the New Zealand cricket team on next month’s two-test tour to South Africa. Vettori replaces Stephen Fleming, New Zealand’s captain for the past decade, who was dropped from the position earlier this month.
No image available
/ 8 September 2007
Boland Kavaliers scored a nail biting 24-20 win over the Valke in a hard fought Currie Cup rugby match on Friday afternoon, after trailing 20-19 at halftime. The victory was Boland’s third of the season, while the East Randers are still without a win.
No image available
/ 4 September 2007
![]()
Rugby World Cup favourites New Zealand have turned to the heavens for help in ending their 20-year quest for victory at the sport’s most prestigious tournament. Ken Ring, a New Zealander who produces weather forecasts based on the movements of the moon and planets, has provided the All Blacks with weather predictions for the Cup.
<a href="http://www.mg.co.za/specialreport.aspx?area=rugbyworldcup07_home"><img src="http://www.mg.co.za/ContentImages/317644/icon_rwc_03.gif" align=left border=0></a>The All Blacks pleaded with New Zealanders to "keep the faith" at an emotional farewell on Wednesday as they left for France, intent on snapping a 20-year Rugby World Cup drought. To the strains of a stirring haka, the World Cup favourites made clear their determination to erase the chokers’ tag that has dogged them ever since they won the inaugural cup in 1987.
The Boland Cavaliers suffered a major setback on Tuesday when seasoned flanker Henley du Plessis was ruled out of Saturday’s Currie Cup match against Western Province at Newlands with a neck injury. Du Plessis is one of the stars of the team so far, and his absence will be sorely missed.
Most New Zealanders believe winning the Rugby World Cup is their destiny, but one glaring hole in their packed trophy cabinet and the taunts of George Gregan say otherwise. Instead, the All Blacks are saddled with the twin tags of being the world’s top-ranked side and top-ranked chokers.
The Golden Lions secured a hard-fought win of 15-10 over a gallant Boland Cavaliers side in a mud bath in Wellington after leading 7-3 at half-time. With playing conditions almost impossible and several spots on the field ankle deep with water, both sides made several handling errors that led to scrum after scrum.
The All Blacks eased a public crisis of confidence on the weekend when they beat Australia 26-12 to win rugby’s Tri-Nations title. Until Saturday’s match at Eden Park, New Zealand had appeared to struggle under the weight of favouritism for this year’s Rugby World Cup in France, compiling a series of lacklustre performances.
Australia have brought back fullback Chris Latham for the Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup showdown against the All Blacks in Auckland on Saturday. Latham has been bracketed with Adam Ashley-Cooper and could be played off the bench if coach John Connolly judges he is not yet ready for the starting lineup.
South Africa have made four changes, as well as appointing a new captain, for Saturday’s Tri-Nations match against New Zealand at Christchurch. Lock Johann Muller will skipper the Springboks after Bob Skinstad was sent home when he broke a rib in last weekend’s 25-17 loss to Australia in Sydney.
New Zealand selectors have made seven changes to the All Blacks team to play South Africa in the Tri-Nations at Christchurch on Saturday. Coach Graham Henry made four changes to the backline and three to his forward pack from the starting side that was beaten by Australia in Melbourne on June 30.
Veteran wing John Daniels scored the match-winning try as Boland shocked neighbours Western Province (WP) 15-10 in their Currie Cup match at the Boland Stadium on Saturday. It was a remarkable reversal of fortunes from the previous week when WP beat the Lions 18-13 and Boland were annihilated 91-3 by the Cheetahs.
The All Blacks left for South Africa on Sunday and a telling Tri-Nations clash with the Springboks feeling more contrite than confident after a stumbling 64-13 win over Canada. New Zealand looked anything like world champions in waiting as they took a 26-13 lead into half-time at Hamilton.
Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, who staged a bloodless coup in 2006, expelled New Zealand’s ambassador on Thursday saying he was interfering in Fiji’s domestic affairs. But New Zealand, which has been a strong critic of the coup and reports of human rights abuses in Fiji, said its high commissioner had done nothing wrong.
France coach Bernard Laporte said his battered young team had learnt a painful but valuable lesson about the reality of international rugby following their record 61-10 loss to New Zealand. Laporte selected an inexperienced squad for the two-match tour because it clashed with the French club championship and the result was a massacre.
New Zealand inflicted the heaviest defeat suffered by France in more than a century of international rugby when they strolled to a 61-10 in the second test on Saturday. Inspired by a dominant forward display, the All Blacks followed up last week’s 42-11 win in Auckland with a ruthless nine-try demolition.
The All Blacks are poised to break the world record for consecutive home-Test wins when they play France on Saturday, but a spiteful war of words is threatening to take the gloss off the performance. If, as expected, the All Blacks beat the seriously under-strength French side it will stretch their unbeaten home run to 23 Tests.
France have accused All Blacks coach Graham Henry of showing disrespect by criticising them for playing negatively in their 42-11 first-Test loss. ”We’re going to show them on the pitch that we deserve a bit more respect than what they give to us,” French fullback Thomas Castaignede told reporters on Wednesday.
The All Blacks on Tuesday named one of their strongest combinations for their first Test of the year as second-string France arrived in New Zealand admitting they would rather be somewhere else. Despite most of France’s top players staying home to complete club commitments, All Black coach Graham Henry chose most of his top players.