A definitive ranking of all the Black Caps’ ODI shirts: now updated for 2019

After the Black Caps’ victory over Sri Lanka in their first match of the 2019 Cricket World Cup, Calum Henderson has made an important update to his ranking of every New Zealand ODI shirt. Has any other team in world sport worn such a wide and varied range of colours as the TelstraClear New Zealand … Read more

The Offspin podcast: a Black Caps win, plus the big question – is the uniform good?

In the second episode of The Offspin, esteemed uniform ranker Calum Henderson joins the podcast to discuss the Black Caps’ comprehensive victory over Sri Lanka, uniform fashion trends and Simon Doull’s glorious goatee from 1999. It’s 2.30am on Sunday, Simon has driven back from the beach to be here, Alex has come from a wedding, … Read more

Bring back Brendon McCullum

Ahead of the Black Caps’ first match in the 2019 World Cup, superfan Simon Day longs for his former leader. Every day I miss Brendon McCullum. Whenever he was on the field as captain I felt an unusual sensation as a longterm Black Caps fan – optimism. No matter what the scoreboard said, I thought “we’re … Read more

The Offspin podcast: Can the Black Caps win the World Cup? (Maybe, but probably not)

The first ball in the 2019 Cricket World Cup is about to be bowled and to celebrate we’ve launched a new podcast, The Offspin, where our resident cricket tragics (in the truest sense of the word) fill the hole of not being in England with the sound of banter.   For the next six weeks join hosts … Read more

‘They don’t chase wins, they chase prices’: why the fixing stench still clings to cricket

An international gambling industry source has told The Spinoff that World Cup warm-up matches are prime targets for the vast subcontinental fixing machine. Warm-up games in the Cricket World Cup are a match-fixer’s paradise, a veteran international gambling industry source has told the Spinoff. The combination of big names and high publicity means a lot … Read more

Rupert Murdoch is slashing sports spending – and NZ sport is in for an epic chill

Fresh shadows are descending on Australian rugby – and it goes further than the Israel Folau saga, writes Trevor McKewen. Folau’s dismissal from his $A4m four-year playing contract was as predictable as the inevitable legal appeal that will follow – and probably swallow up his salary, savings and more. There have been missteps all over the … Read more

Form guide: Who will win the Cricket World Cup?

Does New Zealand have any chance of winning the Cricket World Cup? Wood and leather enthusiast Alex Braae casts his eye over where every team stands heading into the tournament, and puts his credibility on the line with some predictions.   You might think it’s rugby season, but in fact the greatest summer sporting event on … Read more

A gay man’s response to Australian cricketer James Faulkner ‘coming out’

Cricketer James Faulkner ‘came out’ on social media this week, except it all turned out to be a joke. Jack Cottrel responds.  It must have been a surreal experience. One dumb in-joke and the next morning, you’ve come out as gay. Or not. Australian cricketer James Faulkner yesterday trotted out what, in context, is some … Read more

‘Please accept three hearty cheers, for one man with morality and guts’

On Thursday, the exhibition Mandela: My Life was officially opened at Eden Park, where in 1981 the All Blacks test against the Springboks was disrupted by flour bombs and flares. By then, Robert Burgess’s All Blacks career was long over, having been cut short by his refusal to play against apartheid teams. This is his … Read more

From Rotorua to Wimbledon: the unlikely tale of lost tennis legend Ruia Morrison

One of New Zealand’s most successful tennis players has fallen through the cracks of sporting history. Madeleine Chapman tells the story of Ruia Morrison, Wimbledon quarter finalist. Ruia Morrison is standing on her back porch, whacking her neighbour’s overgrown hedge with a tennis racquet. She’s employing a forehand overhead volley technique and it’s working. Satisfied, … Read more

Don’t worry, Crusaders fans, we’ve got your new name sorted

The Crusaders rugby franchise are looking into changing their name. Madeleine Chapman and Toby Morris have some ideas. Sports teams have changed their names before. The Charlotte Hornets NBA team were the Charlotte Bobcats for over a decade. When they got their name back from the New Orleans Hornets, New Orleans became the Pelicans. If … Read more

The definitive ranking of all 59 Warriors jerseys

An update to James Dann’s groundbreaking 2016 investigation, now with 25% more shirts. It has been three years since the first Warriors Jersey Power Rankings appeared on The Spinoff, and a lot has changed in that time. They qualified for the finals for the first time in close to a decade, lost their best-ever player … Read more

The collateral damage of the Nations Championship is already happening

The pending announcement of the Sunwolves’ exit from Super Rugby points to a collective agreement from the SANZAAR unions that the Nations Championship is the future. However, trickle-down economics may be a hard sell for their constituents. The dollars are on the table for World Rugby but the dinner bell has yet to ring for … Read more

The Crusaders have to change their name, and change it now

In the wake of the terrorist attacks on Friday, people are aruging that the Crusaders name is now problematic, writes Jamie Wall for RNZ. Let’s face it, though: it always was. ‘Problematic’. It’s a word that gets bandied around a bit these days, usually about something someone has said on social media, or something they’ve … Read more

The A-League wants to expand. How about Auckland?

The Wellington Phoenix managed to get a club record crowd when they last played in Auckland. Is the A-League missing out on a massive potential market? “Stand up if you love the Kingz, stand up if you love the Kingz…” rung out around Mt Smart Stadium for the very last time on Sunday 29 February … Read more

See the Wellington Phoenix now, because this magic won’t last

For once, the Wellington Phoenix are actually cool. Alex Braae was part of a record crowd that went along to see them in Auckland last night. “Have the Phoenix always passed it around this much?” I was asking my mate, who was as bewildered as I was about what was playing out in front of … Read more

Adesanya caps off a flawless night for New Zealand MMA

New Zealand goes three for three at UFC Melbourne, culminating in Israel Adesanya’s win over Anderson Silva.  Israel Adesanya’s victory over Anderson Silva in Melbourne was a masterclass in creativity and a coming-out party for New Zealand MMA. Facing down a near mirror-image of himself, Adesanya fought fluid and confident, switching his stance, here fighting … Read more

WTF just happened in the UFC?

Only in a sport as batshit as cagefighting could the main event fall through just 11 hours before the fight, writes Don Rowe from Melbourne. Nothing matters and everything sucks, but even more so if you’re invested in the UFC. Fans awoke this morning to the news that middleweight champion and hometown hero Robert Whittaker … Read more

On the edge of superstardom, NZ’s Adesanya fights the greatest ever

New Zealand martial artist Israel Adesanya will cross the threshold into legitimate worldwide superstardom this weekend when he fights the most dominant mixed martial artist in history. Israel Adesanya is near untouchable. With just two losses across more than 100 fights from Brazil to the Far East, Adesanya has captured the nation’s attention like nobody … Read more

The wrong players for the wrong plan: Why the Black Caps can’t score big totals

On every occasion that the Black Caps have come up against a top quality opponent this home season, they’ve lost badly, and lost the same way every time. Is it time for a change of plan? To win an ODI game of cricket, you need to put some runs on the board. That’s a crushingly … Read more

Stupid fun celebrity cricket matches were better in the 90s

Nothing that happens in Friday’s big celebrity cricket game will ever be as good as Paul Vautin’s catch in the 1993 Allan Border testimonial, argues Calum Henderson. This Friday afternoon at Hagley Park in Christchurch, a team of famous cricketers are playing a team of famous rugby players in a game of celebrity T20 that … Read more

How to watch a game of summer football

Calum Henderson’s seven step guide to adding the Beautiful Game to your summer.  This story originally ran in Barker’s 1972 magazine. The best part of any match at Kiwitea Street in Sandringham, Auckland, is the five minutes after the referee blows the final whistle, before the volunteers come down from the clubrooms and start taking down … Read more

New Zealand, it’s time to make Steven Adams an All-Star

Every year the NBA holds an All-Star game, showcasing the best players in the league, as voted in by players, league officials, and fans. It’s time for New Zealand to make Steven Adams an All-Star. Here’s how. When was the last time you felt pure, unadulterated patriotism? Now when was the last time you put … Read more

Summer Reissue: A definitive ranking of every Blackcaps ODI shirt from best to worst

Someone had to do it. First published 13 January 2018. In 2015, around the time of the World Cup, the New Zealand Cricket Museum started selling this stunningly attractive poster. Designed by Into the White Press, it details the evolution of the New Zealand one day international cricket uniform, from its beige beginnings to years … Read more

Stop investing so much in rowing and give that money to basketball

New Zealand currently invests in Olympic medals when it should be investing in viable careers for our athletes, argues Madeleine Chapman. “Inspiring the nation through winning on the world stage” That’s the core value expressed by High Performance Sport New Zealand, the agency responsible for allocating government funding to national sporting bodies each year. Last … Read more

The Spinoff Hot Take Advent Calendar: December 15

Every day in the lead-up to Christmas, open the door to reveal a Spinoff writer’s short, sizzling commentary on a weighty subject. Our arbitrary and strictly enforced word limit: 365. Today: Simon Day on why cricket is the best sport in the world (and rugby sucks). Today is officially the first day of summer. December … Read more