The new breakdown laws currently being trialled in the Mitre 10 Cup have found little favour with World Rugby’s law committee, according to sources close to the latest meeting. Scotty Stevenson assesses their impact on the numbers after six weeks of competition. First trialled in club rugby competitions earlier this year, new breakdown law interpretations … Read more
An extreme latecomer to the Richard McCaw fan club reviews his heroic new autobiographical documentary. Watching the All Blacks pull apart Wales then the Wallabies in their trademark clinical fashion this year, something hasn’t felt quite right. When the bus stop billboards started going up for the autobiographical Richie McCaw documentary Chasing Great a couple … Read more
For over 16 years one of New Zealand’s greatest trans-Tasman triumphs has been overshadowed by one of our most crushing rugby losses. Jamie Wall remembers the day TrueBliss absolutely owned Bardot in a pre-Bledisloe Cup national anthem sing-off. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game … Read more
The New Zealand men’s sevens Olympic campaign was given a raw deal by a rugby union which still sees the seven-a-side game as a poor relation to 15s, writes Scotty Stevenson in Rio de Janeiro. It was a salty old hot take-o-rama after the New Zealand Men’s sevens team was bundled out of the Olympic … Read more
The events of this week have cast a shadow across rugby, with the despicable behaviour of one of its most beloved teams shocking the nation. But, Steve Hansen aside, its most prominent voices have stayed silent. Why? In US sports they have this nickname, “America’s Team”. Initially bestowed upon the dominant Dallas Cowboys team of … Read more
Todd Blackadder is leaving to coach Aviva Premiership side Bath after eight seasons in charge of the Crusaders. Will his tenure be remembered as a success? Scotty Stevenson looks back on the career of a Crusader Man. Langford’s Store is rusting away in the summer heat of Golden Bay. The remaining paint clings to the rough-sawn … Read more
People said it couldn’t be done. That it was impossible for even the most loud-mouthed rugby player to achieve. Last night, Aaron Smith proved the doubters wrong. Plaudits are flowing freely for Highlanders and All Blacks halfback Aaron Smith, who last night managed to pull off the most elusive feat in rugby union. After exactly 83 minutes … Read more
Hayden Donnell spoke to the captain of New Zealand’s only gay rugby team – the NZ Falcons – about the worst 10 minutes of sports radio in history, and what the NZRU and the All Blacks can do to make things better. On Monday, Mark Watson announced Controversy Corner is no more. By all accounts, … Read more
The Press Council has upheld a complaint about the comment relating to Miles Davis and homophobia contained in this article. The full decision is available here or at www.presscouncil.org.nz Somewhere in a darkened studio a few weeks ago, two men unleashed the world’s most powerful tsunami of terrible radio. Hayden Donnell dug up the recording. … Read more
Out of nowhere, England are challenging the All Blacks for the title of ‘Best Side in Rugby’. Rugby bosses need to strike while the iron’s hot and schedule an emergency test match between the two sides, writes Jamie Wall. Even if you’ve been saving for an Auckland house by giving up Sky, you’ll know there’s only … Read more
Why does golf still exist, but Cricket Max doesn’t? How does Strip Date make the primetime schedule at TV2 when we can’t even get a half-hour slot for Clash of the Codes? Sam Parsons goes on a quest to restore justice to the world. Cricket Max The short-lived game was basically one day cricket on steroids and a … Read more
In sport, there are winners and losers. Joy and disappointment. But in the coaching boxes for the Welsh and All Blacks sides, there is only darkness, misery, and despair. Hayden Donnell reports. The All Blacks cruelly trashed Wales’ dreams for the second time running on Saturday, allowing their opponents a sliver of hope before crushing … Read more
The All Blacks bench has been given plenty of praise for its performance against Wales last week, but as Scotty Stevenson discovers, it’s not just about the final twenty minutes. It starts much earlier than that. So much has been said about the final twenty minutes of the first test between the All Blacks and … Read more
The fastest man in world rugby was on the field as Wales played the All Blacks on Saturday. He just wasn’t where you’d expect. It all happened in 15 seconds. Ryan Crotty, a bank teller moonlighting as an All Black, was tackled. The ball burst free. A Welshman kicked it upfield, sending a stampede of professional … Read more
The heroic image of Richie McCaw chugging an ice cold bottle of Powerade has been blamed for ruining kids’ teeth, but as Jamie Wall finds, it’s far from the first troubling endorsement in All Blacks history. First published in June 2016. Richie! All this stuff about you being responsible for destroying a poor little kid’s … Read more
Their rugby and league career paths are strikingly similar, writes Jamie Wall, so why does Sonny Bill Williams get so much grief when Brad Thorn is universally admired? SBW is back, but in blue this time. His form on the field will be the subject of much conjecture, but one thing will be for sure: … Read more
He may be the most polarising figure in modern New Zealand rugby but Sonny Bill Williams is a big deal, and the Blues have made the right call in signing him, writes Scotty Stevenson. Never before has a player split the nation like Sonny Bill Williams. His arrival in New Zealand in 2010 led to … Read more
New Zealand may finally be moving past its fixation on the All Blacks and Madeleine Chapman is bloody excited about it. This morning on Stuff, an opinion piece by Cas Carter mourned the impending loss of New Zealand’s identity as a rugby-loving country. “Our image as a hard core rugby loving nation is under threat,” … Read more
Complaining about the boring Super Rugby season? An English rugby fan writes in to remind us how lucky we are. Southern Hemisphere rugby is, usually, the best rugby on planet. There, I’ve said it. Often, as a person from the Northern Hemisphere and an Englishman to boot this is not an easy thing to let pass your … Read more
New Zealand teams once again dominate the podium in Scotty Stevenson’s latest Super Rugby power rankings. 1. Chiefs Rd 8. BYE Last week: 1 (N/C) The rugby world has a massive crush on the Chiefs and who am I to argue with the Power of Love? You can’t argue with the Power of Love, and … Read more
It’s never too early to start talking about who might make the All Blacks. Barely a week into the season, these are James McOnie’s top 11 candidates to pull on the black jersey for the first time this year. The rugby season started in a big way at the weekend. It was a massive TV … Read more
Richie McCaw won New Zealander of the Year last night, proving we cannot and will not stop giving him awards. Steve Bolton tracks a humble man from Kurow’s gradual transformation into a prize-laden deity. Winning is a habit; something a person gets used to and begins to expect of themselves and the others around them. … Read more
The All Blacks great is more than just a Versatile home owner – he’s a surprisingly versatile actor. Richie McCaw was named New Zealander of the Year last night. Some people are angry. They say setting about every All Blacks record, winning two World Cups, and retiring the greatest rugby player of all time isn’t … 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
By Simon Plumb Is this the one? Is this the year to send the followers of the Halbergs into a talkback armageddon? Well, says Simon Plumb, if it ain’t this year it ain’t never, because we have got one hell of showdown heading our way. The awards show is very much the giddy, orgasmic climax of … Read more
The Spinoff enters the tittle-tattle market with a thrilling new zeitgeist-defining column, Jamboree. This week, All Blacks, boobies, women of influence, Steve Braunias, Camilla P-B, and Kate Hawkesby lets rip.News arrives from Jamboree’s London bureau of disappointment in the British capital when the All Blacks, on cloud nine following their Rugby World Cup victory at … Read more
Hundreds of handwritten signs were hoisted high and proud around Victoria Park at lunchtime to praise, thank, and welcome home the world’s best men’s rugby team, Richie & The Boys. Most were direct and to the point. “Go the All Blacks,” “Well done boys,” “I LOVE THE ALL BLACKS.” Others seemed a little needy – … Read more
In an attempt to bring good luck to our rugby team, Calum Henderson spent an entire day in full brand immersion: surviving on and consuming only officially licensed All Blacks’ products. This post was first published in October 2015 There once was a time when I cared deeply about the All Blacks. I was 10, … Read more
There are turbulent times ahead as we enter the five stages of hysteria leading up to the Rugby World Cup final, writes Finlay Macdonald. It began immediately after Australia’s mildly convincing win over Argentina in the second semi-final, with a classic bit of clickbait: “Five reasons to fear the Wallabies”. The article was really just … Read more