One of the true legends of rugby died in November. Scotty Stevenson reflected on the passing of the one and only Jonah Lomu. The most unstoppable man in the history of rugby was finally stopped today. He was just 40. Jonah Tali Lomu died unexpectedly in Auckland this morning after returning from the Rugby World … Read more
On a Sunday afternoon in November, Holly Holm shocked the world when she knocked out the undefeated, undisputed UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey. Don Rowe was in Melbourne to watch the fight – here he discusses both the bout and the subsequent social media storm. On Tuesday morning Ronda Rousey left Melbourne Airport hidden behind … Read more
Scotty Stevenson filed this match report from the Sky Sport studio in the moments following the All Blacks’ 34-17 Rugby World Cup final win over the Wallabies at Twickenham. A game of rugby union was played in London today, during which the greatest first five eighth in the history of the game finally got his … Read more
Greg Bruce, author of a masterful feature on Steve Williams, reviews the autobiography of a seething brat who is also undeniably the greatest caddy of all time. I wrote a feature about Steve Williams in Metro magazine early last year. It was a long process, begun in early 2013, when I sent him a handwritten letter, because … Read more
Mark Hunt fought his way from the streets of South Auckland to the top of the world stage in a career spanning almost 20 years. Don Rowe speaks to co-author Ben Mckelvey about writing a book with the Super Samoan. Are fighters born or made? In Mark Hunt’s case the answer appears to be both. Perhaps the hardest puncher to … Read more
Joseph Moore has been trapped inside The Wellington Phoenix for his entire adult life. Before this season began he presented a compelling five point argument in an attempt to get others to join him. (NB: one of the points is ‘Friendship’). Pre-season is hell. It’s been a few months since the mighty Wellington Phoenix last … Read more
In the lead-up to this year’s Cricket World Cup, Calum Henderson revisited the 1992 World Cup through the garish lens of Sky’s incessant memorialising and found the coverage was as fine as the cricket. Was the 1992 Cricket World Cup really as good as everyone remembers it? Is it wrong to hold a flame for the … Read more
The Crowd Goes Wild’s James McOnie on the underrated man-management and team cultural strengths of Richie McCaw. As the stats whirled around about Richie McCaw’s incredible feats as an All Black (the most astounding: he played in almost a third of all New Zealand test rugby wins in history!) there was a story that couldn’t … Read more
What is it about the words ‘Ranfurly Shield Challenge’ that continues to inspire such fervour? Scotty Stevenson was at McLean Park in Napier in September to see Hawkes Bay get up to defend the log of wood against Auckland. It has haunted men, the quest for the Ranfurly Shield. Maybe because of that, because of … Read more
Ever wondered what it’s like to be the son of an obscenely rich, hugely successful but emotionally distant father? Try watching the PNC Father-Son Challenge, suggests Greg Bruce. The international golf year ended with the PNC Father-Son Challenge. Before you decry the tournament’s name as more evidence of golf’s sexism, Bernhard Langer nearly played with … Read more
Friday Night Lights examined the side effects of a small town’s obsession with high school sports. Don Rowe reflects on the show’s realism through comparison to his own rugby career at Hamilton Boys High. “Do you think God loves football?” “I think everyone loves football.” – Jason Street and a young fan, Friday Night Lights For an … Read more
Jose Mourinho gets the sack, AFC Bournemouth continue their giant-killing run and Petr Cech’s wife bakes a wonderful cake in another week of wildly unpredictable Premier League action. Chelsea have finally sacked manager Jose Mourinho after a 2-1 loss to Leicester City on Tuesday morning left last season’s champions just one point clear of the … Read more
We asked 12 Rugby World Cup winning All Blacks for their Kiwi sporting hero of 2015. Colin Slade selected Black Caps wunderkind Kane Williamson. James Milne looks back on his extraordinary year at the crease. In 2015, there have, incredibly, been more words written about Kane Williamson than runs scored by Kane Williamson – i.e. a heck of … Read more
We asked 12 Rugby World Cup winning All Blacks for their Kiwi sporting hero of 2015. Luke Romano picked world number one women’s golfer Lydia Ko. Greg Bruce reviews Ko’s incredible year – and wonders if she might have peaked too soon. Our Bloody Lydia. What a steady, inevitable progression it has been, from the time she first … Read more
A strange, wonderful, violent round of upsets in the Premier League – and at the end of it all Arsene Wenger was able to sit back and enjoy his reggae in peace. In a weekend in which you could have reasonably expected wins for Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United and even Chelsea – over Stoke … Read more
Join Rog and Davo in the panic room as they try and assess what on earth the Premier League script writers are doing this season. https://youtu.be/USieB0SeHsk/?utm_source=thespinoff&utm_medium=partnership&utm_campaign=partnership Sign up to Premier League Pass now to watch the rest of the EPL season live and on demand for 1/2 Price.
We asked a dozen All Blacks who their athletes of the year were, then commissioned essays on those they chose. In equal second place: rowers Hamish Bond and Eric Murray, profiled by James McOnie. They’re like a cute old couple. One of them is sensible, methodical and disciplined. The other is bold, mischievous and charismatic. Both … Read more
In the 1970s, nothing was more important to a young Jeff Evans than Liverpool FC. Then, gradually, his passion for the club began to wither. Could brilliant new manager Jürgen Klopp resurrect his love? It’s not often I’ll start a conversation with a confession, at least a conversation that doesn’t involve my wife, but today I’m … Read more
Once a New Zealand youth rugby star, Paul Lasike always harboured ambitions to play in the NFL. He is now closer than ever, running plays with the Chicago Bears practice squad. Ben Stanley looks at the kiwi kid who feels the door is open, and who wants desperately to walk right through it. Paul Lasike remembers the night he decided to give up … Read more
The Hero World Challenge, the Nedbank World Challenge and the Australian PGA: the golf year is ending not with a bang but a whimper. ‘Tis the season for half-assing it, says Greg Bruce. Not that I’m trying to say golf is like high school, because the prize money is totally different, but December was always … Read more
We asked 12 Rugby World Cup winning All Blacks for their Kiwi sporting hero of 2015. Six of them – Liam Messam, Victor Vito, Jerome Kaino, Beauden Barrett, Dane Coles and TJ Perenara – picked heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker. So, in the first of our All Blacks’ Kiwi Sporting Hero selections for 2015, Scotty Stevenson takes a look … Read more
Joseph Harper power ranks the latest crop of Super Rugby uniforms. Summer is headed to its zenith in Godzone, so it only makes sense we start yakking about rugby. And what better way to get chins wagging than a rugby fashion parade featuring the new Super Rugby uniforms. They’re pretty yuck. They haven’t gone full HRV, … Read more
A goal-filled Premier League weekend saw Jamie Vardy break a record, Alexis Sanchez break his hamstring, and Bournemouth break their manager in an injury time frenzy. All eyes were on Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy on Sunday morning as he looked to break Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s consecutive game scoring record against Manchester United, and his … Read more
There are no guarantees on the Pro Surfing Tour as New Zealand’s Ricardo Christie found out in his debut WSL season. Heading into the final event of the year, Christie will surf for his tour survival and, as Ben Stanley discovers, he could do with a little luck. Sleazy, funky and doused in a brash … Read more
It was either the supernova of golf’s brightest star, or just one massive media beat-up. Simon Plumb separates the wheat from the chaff, the Woods from the trees and tries to translate Tiger – explaining why this is not the end, after all. Let’s just put this to bed straight off the bat, shall we: … Read more
Join Rog and Davo in the Embassy Road Studios to discuss a goal-laden round of Premier League action. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPht1iQLYkI/?utm_source=thespinoff&utm_medium=partnership&utm_campaign=partnership Sign up to Premier League Pass now and get the rest of the EPL season for 1/2 Price.
Club rugby was once an essential part of New Zealand’s rural life, but in the professional age its prominence has been in sharp decline. So what happens when one of the smallest and most remarkable clubs in the country watches its old hall burn down? It rediscovers its importance, and its people. Scotty Stevenson writes about … Read more
Among the identikit beefcakes and banal platitudes of professional golf, one player stands out. Greg Bruce salutes Andy Sullivan, the golf world’s most likeable man. Men’s golf today is full of lean, ripped young muscle gods in tight polos, arriving on tour in their late teens and early 20s, smashing it 350 off the tee … Read more
His paper broke the story which led to the Cairns trial, and Jared Savage has covered it brilliantly throughout. Scotty Stevenson spoke with him after the verdict. Jared Savage spent nine weeks in London covering the Chris Cairns perjury trial for the New Zealand Herald. After the verdict was read, I talked to Savage over the phone about … Read more