All Black halfback says professional players should be playing club rugby too

All Black and Hurricanes halfback TJ Perenara says professional players should have more opportunities to play at club level, in The Spinoff’s new video series Rugby Unwrapped with Scotty Stevenson. The future of professional sports is in a precarious position. With international and national games and competitions off the table for the time being, organisations … Read more

Rugby Unwrapped: How NZ rugby needs to change to survive (WATCH)

In the first of a wide-ranging three-part series looking at the state of rugby in New Zealand, Scotty Stevenson asks where the sport is at, where is it going and how will we get there? This content has been made possible by the support of The Spinoff Members. If you can, please consider donating here.  Find the other … Read more

The Battle of the Bridge is a provincial rugby rivalry worth reviving

It should be New Zealand provincial rugby’s greatest rivalry, but the Battle of the Bridge barely rates a mention on the list of great contests. Is 2017 the year to change all that? Scotty Stevenson certainly hopes so. I have a soft spot for North Harbour. I really do. I once captained an under-19 grade … Read more

Sports: The Rugby Club Rising From The Ashes

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