On 14 April, TV3 News ran an item (15 minutes in, not in the sports section) about how the Crusaders rugby team will, with the new Christchurch stadium, no longer be able to parade its horses and knights circuiting the sportsfield. Many of the fans, despite now having a more spectator-friendly stadium, were quite upset about this; they loved the pageantry of medieval knights heading off to invade the Levantine lands occupied by the infidel (meaning Arabic people whose ancestors had converted to Islam).

At the end of the story, the reporter said: “The horses’ symbolism has created controversy. The sword-wielding knights represent the Crusades, a series of religious wars between Christians and Muslims dating back to the 11th and 13th centuries. In 2019 the Crusaders dropped the horses following the Christchurch Mosque attacks, but reinstated them later that year minus the knights.”

So, from 2011 to 2026 they have been cowboy knight-lookalikes brandishing flags rather than swords. It was never enough to cleanse Canterbury rugby of its imagery of religious imperialism. At the very least, the Crusaders needed to change their name – and image – immediately after the 2011 terror attack. The new stadium has given them another opportunity to remove the crassness from the Crusader brand, by no longer using the ‘Crusader’ moniker.

In the twentyfirst century, the crusader-problem continues to be more real than ever to the Muslim populations of the ‘Middle East’; of Southwest Asia. And those present populations continue to understand the occupiers and interferers of their lands as Crusaders. The Crusader issue is far from being an issue confined to the Middle Ages.

We can think of there being three series of Crusades: in the Middle Ages, the Modern Age, and the Current Age.

Crusader History: Medieval Era

The first series of Crusades were the Catholic Crusades of the late Middle Ages.

The first of these – which was largely a French crusade – ran from 1096 to 1099, and resulted in the conquest and brutal genocide of Jerusalem; and the establishment of a Crusader-state – Outremer – which lasted in its full form for 88 years.

The next crusade – ‘Second’ Crusade (1147 to 1149) – was a major failure, led by the French King and the Holy Roman Emperor, in response to the Crusader State’s loss of some of its northern territory. It was a major failure.

The ‘Third’ Crusade was waged in the time of Robin Hood (1189 to 1192), by the French king of England Richard Coeur de Lion. It was an attempt to resuscitate the Crusader State, and was partially successful, though failed to recapture Jerusalem.

The ‘Fourth’ Crusade of 1202 to 1204, waged largely by the Doge of Venice, was the most historically consequential of all the Medieval Crusades. It was effectively diverted to the one city which had been the beacon for western civilisation for over 1,000 years; Constantinople, formerly Byzantium – only half the way from Venice to Jerusalem – now Istanbul.

Constantinople was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, and the religious centre of Orthodox Christianity, the dominant branch of the Christian Church before 1204. Constantinople was comprehensively sacked by the Crusaders in that year. So, from 1204, the Roman Catholic branch of Christianity became dominant within Christendom. And the now latinised Christian ‘Middle East’ became so weakened that it was only a matter of time before the Ottoman or some other Muslim warlord conquered the lands of the Eastern Roman Empire; creating – in 1453 – the Ottoman Empire. The 1204 inter-Christian ‘event’ became Christianity’s eastern suicide debacle.

From 1453 to 1915, the Muslim Ottomans reigned in that part of the world; a Turkic Muslim caliphate.

Crusader History: the modern British Era

The next epoch of Western Crusading was the Anglo-French era of 1915 to 1948. It started with the Dardanelles Campaign (Gallipoli); meaning that the ANZAC soldiers had effectively become mercenary Crusaders, enlisted by Winston Churchill. Gallipoli was a failed Anglo-French operation, whose aim was the reconquest of Constantinople/Istanbul. New Zealand soldiers fighting for Britain’s crusade fought alongside, among others, Senegalese solders (fighting under the banner of France) in the bloody Second Battle of Krithia (6 May to 8 May, 1915).

There was much British Empire action in the whole of the ‘Middle East’ during World War One. This included Kiwi troops (who were heavily involved in at least one massacre of Muslims; at Surafend in 1918), Australian ‘Light Horsemen’, and Britain’s successful invasion of Iraq in 1917.

After WW1, Britain – the United Kingdom – formally occupied the lands that are now Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and Iraq. Iraq was occupied by Britain, in various guises, from 1917 to 1947, with a brief intermission from 1 April to 2 May 1941. And Iran from 1941 (with the Soviet Union) and, among other things, creating the conditions for a famine in 1943 which killed perhaps 300,000 Iranians.

France’s interests were particularly in the lands that are now Lebanon and Syria; the Northern Levant; including the early bronze and iron age Phoenician ports of antiquity, Tyre and Sidon, which are now being battered to a pulp by Israel.

This series of Crusades was a less overt religious conflict than the earlier and the more recent series. The major ‘religions’ were Empire and Oil; with the whole of Southwest Asia being of strategic significance to the United Kingdom in the context of India being the Jewel in the Crown of the British Empire.

Crusader History: the current Israeli-American Era

In 1948, the British/French crusader imperium gave way to the creation – with massive impetus from the United States – the new Crusader State of Israel. In many ways, 1948 was a repeat of 1099.

Like its Christian forebear (1099-1187) the present Crusader State has never considered itself to be secure; and once again the main reason for its insecurity is its overt belligerence towards both its indigenous population and its neighbours; a belligerence which precedes the formation of the stroppy United States’ client state. As in the 1099 to 1187 case, the present Crusader State has tenuous trumped-up historical claims to exclusive ownership of the site it occupies, and has deep financial and technical support from the furthest reaches of the (then and now) West.

In the case of the present Judeo-Christian Crusader Empire, the Americans have deep presence beyond the periphery of the formal Crusader State; as the British did from 1915 to 1948 re Mandatory Palestine. In particular the countries of the Arabian Peninsula have been deeply penetrated by the United States and/or Israel; most particularly the Gulf States, and noting that the United Arab Emirates presently acts very much as an under-the-radar proxy of Israel. These states –  ‘beyond the periphery’ of Lebanon and Jordan – now constitute the present American Crusader Empire. They are the most significant Eastern Hemisphere components of the United States’ contemporary geopolitical empire, a Southwest Asian empire that it’s currently trying to expand.

The events of this decade constitute the most momentous events since 1948 in the history of the current Crusader State and Crusader Empire.

Property Rights

The Crusader meme is far from a nostalgic looking back to the times of Robin Hood. It’s today’s very consequential conflict of religion, theft, unipolar ideology, and naked technological power. For the city whose mosques featured New Zealand’s worst ever terrorist attack, direct association with crusader Judeo-Christendom is not a good look. That association is illiberal, insensitive, disrespectful, and Euro-supremacist.

Western crusaders – including religious and secular imperialists – have been a major source of trouble for West Asia and West Asians, through the ages. The DNA of present-day Palestinians is remarkably close to the ancient DNA of people who died in the Levant thousands of years ago.

Indigenous Southwest Asians deserve better today, including freedom of choice of religion; and the established political right to resist, and defend themselves. Today, almost all New Zealanders respect the Ottoman (Turkish and Syrian) forces (and their leaders, such as Ataturk) which, in 1915, resisted ANZAC attempts to conquer them.

————-

Keith Rankin (keith at rankin dot nz), trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand.

The Crusaders concede they have not been good enough but are confident they can turn around their disappointing start to the Super Rugby season.

The defending champions have won just one of their first four games with losses to the Highlanders, Brumbies and Blues.

Coach Rob Penney concedes they weren’t up to scratch, but said making wholesale selection changes was not the answer.

“Just a bit of a cohesion issue,” Penney said.

“We’ll fix that through consistent selections and working hard and we’re doing all that.”

That pressure is mounting on the Crusaders and that was evident in training on Tuesday with a couple of players involved in some “push and shove”.

“So there should be,” Penney said when asked if there was tension in the camp.

“It was a really lovely sight to see, actually. It is a reflection of how much it means. The boys aren’t happy with the performances and the outcomes.

“Very proud young men are going to come up against each other, and create a bit of sandpaper from time to time.”

Penney insists morale remains high among the squad and he’s confident they can get their season back on track, starting with a win over the Highlanders on Saturday night in Christchurch.

“No, it’s awesome. The group is really well connected, enjoy each other’s company and are desperate to do well. Yeah, there’s been some hiccups, but they’re not catastrophic and there’s a deep determination to turn this around.”

Last weekend’s 29-13 defeat at Eden Park was a hard watch for Crusaders fans with the visitors giving away multiple turnovers.

Penney concedes their preparation for the Blues game could have been better.

He said the coaches and senior players must help the less experienced members of the squad learn to perform consistently.

“Some of these young men are still finding a way to prepare for football at this level,” Penney said.

“It’s about trying to give those without the experience an opportunity to grow and develop and those with the experience the chance to help to teach them.”

The Crusaders defensive efforts also left a lot to be desired against the Blues and Penney said the players have taken ownership for some individual errors.

“Yeah, they were very courageous. In our review process, it’s not an environment where they’re intimidated to say they’ve made a mistake. It creates a learning opportunity and that’s the way we view it and they’ve been awesome on that front.”

The Crusaders host the Highlanders in Christchurch on Saturday night, their third New Zealand derby of the season.

“As a team, as a group, we’ve got some really good strategies around trying to nullify their strengths and expose our strengths as often as we can,” Penney said.

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Three of the biggest stars of USA women’s basketball share something special with a trio of inexperienced New Zealanders.

Jade Kirisome and cousins Emma and Briarley Rogers will make their debut for the Tall Ferns in Puerto Rico this week as New Zealand attempts to qualify for this year’s Basketball World Cup.

On the opposite side of the court WNBA stars Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese are also in line to make their senior national team debuts for USA at the six-team tournament.

While New Zealand’s newbies shone in the domestic competition Tauihi, which is broadcast internationally, Clark, Bueckers and Reese are a different level of recognisable for hoops fans around the world.

Regardless of where they come from, the stadiums they normally play in, or the domestic accolades they already have, all players are bound to feel a few butterflies when they pull on their national team kit for the first time on the world stage.

Just getting the call from coach Nat Hurst that she had made the team was nervous moment for Emma Rogers who was named Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa’s Most Improved and Youth Player of the Year last year.

“Literally my hands were shaking, and my hands were sweating so much but was just really excited,” she said.

For Clark, who plays for the Indiana Fever, the opportunity to be back on court after an eight month injury lay-off added to her emotions.

“I don’t want to call it nerves but excitement to play,” Clark told American media this week.

“This is a really cool opportunity. If you don’t feel that way, then you probably don’t care enough.”

USA are the reigning world champions and have already booked their place at September’s global showpiece in Germany, so the qualification tournament is an opportunity to build connections between a group that does not play together often.

In stark contrast the Tall Ferns need to build on-court chemistry and win.

With 18 games for the Tall Ferns captain Tayla Dalton is the most experienced player on the youthful roster that is missing players with American college commitments and injury.

Dalton has seen veteran players leave after the last Olympic cycle and is now helping to guide the new talent like Kirisome and Rogers.

“Everyone has their own journey to make it to this level and it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go from high school to America for college and then here, or it doesn’t mean you have to play WNBL.

“You can play in Tauihi, you can play from high school. There’s so many different pathways.”

While some thought New Zealand had been dealt a bad hand by landing in the qualification group that included the world champs and world number six Spain alongside Senegal, Italy and hosts Puerto Rico, Dalton had a different view.

“When the pool first got announced I had so many people sending it to me going, ‘oh my goodness you guys got ripped off’ or ‘you’re in the hardest pool’.

“But I honestly was just so excited, it’s not every day you get to play USA, the last time the Tall Ferns played them was over 15 years ago.

“And Spain, these are some of the best players in the world and this is why you play, because you want to compete against the best.

“And then personally, quite selfishly, I was on the team that lost to Puerto Rico on the buzzer beater to get to the Paris Olympics, so to get to have them in our pool and play against them in their home country, I think it would be pretty cool to win that game back.”

The top three teams from the tournament will go to the World Cup, but with USA already locked in, the fourth of the six teams should also get their ticket punched.

With five games in seven days Dalton said they would need to be strategic in San Juan.

“That’s the thing with these FIBA tournaments, they’re pretty full on, pretty heavy load on the body and very quick turnaround.

“So that’s why we’re just making sure all 12 girls are ready to go, because at any moment, anyone’s number’s going to be called up.

“I think we’re very realistic, we’ve got three target games in particular.

“USA and Spain, if we’re being very honest, these are two of the best teams in the world and we’ll get out there and we’re not competing to come close, we’re competing to win against all five teams.

“But there might be a couple games where we really rotate everyone through.”

The Tall Ferns first game of the World Cup qualification is on Thursday at 7am (NZT).

The Tall Ferns squad

• Tayla Dalton (Tauranga Whai), 18 games
• Tegan Graham (Perth Lynx), 3 games
• Pahlyss Hokianga (Tokomanawa Queens & University of Portland), 13 games
• Jade Kirisome (Tauranga Whai), debutant
• Rebecca Pizzey (Southern Hoiho), 5 games
• Sharne Robati (Adelaide Lightning), 5 games
• Briarley Rogers (Tokomanawa Queens), debutant
• Emma Rogers (Mainland Pouākai & Fairfield University), debutant
• Emme Shearer (Tauranga Whai & UC Capitals), 8 games
• Ashlee Strawbridge (Adelaide Lightning), 11 games
• Ella Tofaeono (Adelaide Lightning), 11 games
• Charlotte Whittaker (Mainland Pouākai & Adelaide Lightning), 8 games

The games

• March 12 v Spain, 7am
• March 13 v Italy, 10am
• March 15 v Senegal, 7am
• March 16 v United States of America, 7am
• March 18 v Puerto Rico, 1pm

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Clarification: An earlier version of this story reported punches were thrown. This was incorrect.

Days after a significant loss to the Blues, tensions rose at Crusaders training on Tuesday with reports of a heated scuffle.

Stuff is reporting prop Kershawl Sykes-Martin and lock Will Tucker were involved in the incident at Rugby Park in Christchurch during a contact session.

Captain David Havili was reportedly the man to break up the altercation.

After training, coach Rob Penney did his best to downplay the tension, telling reporters he was not fazed by the clash between his players and even welcomed it.

“So there should be,” Penney said when asked if there was tension in the camp after the 29-13 defeat to the Blues.

“It was a really lovely sight to see, actually. It is a reflection of how much it means. The boys aren’t happy with the performances and the outcomes.

“Very proud young men are going to come up against each other, and create a bit of sandpaper from time to time.

“But it’s not a thing that is going to affect negatively. We are all over it, the boys are fine.”

Penney expected there could be more scuffles at training in the future.

“It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last.”

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Sam Ruthe has set the world alight with his speed but he’s far from the only Kiwi track and field athlete making waves right now

When RNZ sports reporter Grant Chapman was a budding athlete in the 1970s he went along to international athletics meets to score autographs from the world champions visiting the country. They were there to compete with the likes of middle distance star Sir John Walker.

But for decades since those heady days of track medals on the world stage, athletics has more or less been in hibernation when it comes to profile.

“Nick Willis probably bridged that gap, won a couple of Olympic medals in the 1500 metres,” says Chapman. “He was a world class performer for us in middle distance running, but there has probably been a gap between say the 90s and now in athletics where it’s kind of slid back – it’s lost a lot of ground.

“I think a lot of other sports have come through in that time. One of them … was basketball which has emerged as a so-called ‘sleeping giant’ and is now probably one of our top five or six sports in the country. I think the sporting landscape in New Zealand has become way more diverse than it was in the 90s.

“The really cool thing about athletics in New Zealand at the moment is, I think Sam Ruthe and his emergence over the last couple of years has really captured the public imagination.

“I think that’s got a lot to do with the fact that New Zealand has a big tradition in middle distance running. You go back to Jack Lovelock, Peter Snell, Murray Halberg, John Walker, Rod Dixon, Dick Quax.”

Sam Ruthe, for anyone living in a box, is the 16-year-old who’s rewritten the history books, now holding every New Zealand under-20 title from the 800m to the 5000m.

A month ago he shattered the record for the mile set by Sir John Walker in 1982, 44 years ago.

He’s stunned the world – but he’s not the only champion we can expect to see hogging the limelight in July at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. (Presuming he’s going – the team hasn’t been named yet.)

Today on The Detail, Chapman talks about the athletics renaissance.

It’s gone from being a sport that only really surfaced at the Olympics or Commonwealth Games, to selling out an Auckland stadium over the weekend in an event branded “Track Stars”, where the national championships were hyped and packaged for TV, and broadcast live.

That follows hard on the heels of a good haul for athletics at the Halberg Awards, where high jumper Hamish Kerr took out the Supreme Award.

Chapman says when he was interviewing Kerr recently he told him about a meet in Christchurch where there were some good athletes, but they weren’t world-class athletes.

“He said they were leaving the venue and all these kids started swarming them for autographs and they were completely like, ‘what’s going on here? Why do you want my autograph?’

“And Hamish is trying to tell them, you are inspiring these kids. And that’s the kind of interaction that has been maybe missing over the years, and the more opportunities you can create for that to happen can only be good for the sport.”

Making sure athletes can see a pathway to the top is important, says Chapman, and now they have role models to look up to. That was more difficult for the likes of high jumper Kerr, in a sport where New Zealand didn’t have a record.

Now an Olympic gold medallist, Kerr had to be convinced that he could create the pathway for others.

“Which he’s done – and hopefully now we will have kids seeing that it’s possible, and following him down that pathway.”

Parents and family are also important, and it helps if athletes have people around them who’ve succeeded in the past – Ruthe is a classic example of a family with a pedigree.

“Again going back to that ‘see it and be it’ saying, I mean he’s lived it – his whole family has lived it,” he says.

But Chapman does have a concern about Ruthe’s trajectory.

“He’s achieved so much at such a young age, and suddenly now there’s this bandwagon that everyone is jumping on. That has got to affect you as a person, as a kid. He seems like a great kid … but I worry about how having this much attention on him will affect him.”

And Chapman says, just quietly, Sam’s younger sister Daisy, who is also performing above her age and showing a lot of promise, could be the best in the family.

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Former Black Cap Luke Woodcock knew something was seriously wrong late last year when he had trouble catching a cricket ball.

The cricketer-turned-coach started experiencing symptoms in October. It started with chronic fatigue, then came the random vomiting and loss of appetite.

By December his balance and co-ordination went awry, his vision became blurry, and he had a couple of bad falls.

And while doing some coaching at a college cricket tournament he had trouble simply throwing and catching a ball.

“You’d think that I had never played cricket before,” Woodcock said.

After another trip to the GP, the 43-year-old was referred to a neurologist. Three MRIs later he received the news on 21 January that he had a large cancerous brain tumour.

Three weeks later, the father of two underwent urgent surgery to try to remove the tumour. The associated risks with the surgery were significant, including the prospect of having to learn to walk again but Woodcock came out of it well.

However, surgeons were only able to get 80 percent of the tumour out.

“The last 20 percent, I think it’s on the right side of my spine where the stem cells are leading back up to the brain, just where it was unfortunately they couldn’t operate on that and that was a risk of potentially being paralysed through the face, my talking, stuff around my throat.”

Despite feeling well post-surgery and exceeding doctors expectations with his rate of recovery, he was later told that the remaining 20 percent was an aggressive grade four tumour.

“Unfortunately it’s terminal and getting told you’ve got 14 to 18 months to live was a bit of a shock… that was obviously pretty tough,” said Woodcock.

“I’ve had some dark moments post then, I’ve been working through that, really enjoy the day time but night time and sleeping was really difficult post hearing that.”

The next phase for Woodcock will be undergoing radiation and chemotherapy, which will not stop the tumour completely but can keep it at bay.

Woodcock and his partner Jacqui Incledon have been trying to navigate the New Zealand health system and explore all the treatment options available, including non-funded drugs. They are also investigating what treatment options might be available overseas, which are extremely expensive.

Incledon said it has taken a lot of time, energy and research.

“It really started in mid October last year – we had a total of 10 different doctors that we saw up until Christmas and four ED [emergency department] visits before we even got to an MRI, which was frustrating,” Incledon said.

“Having to spend a lot of energy with unknowns as to what could possibly be the cause of Luke’s sickness, we’ve had everything from stomach ulcers, to gall stones, to long-Covid, never did we imagine cancer.

“We’re just putting everything at it, making sure that all our energy can go into prolonging things for Luke.”

Facing a three month wait in the public system, the family elected to go private for Woodcock’s surgery.

Day to day life now for Woodcock is about making the most of this period when he is feeling good before his next phase of treatment.

“I get up early, I’ve got some rehab exercises, do a bit of meditation and some breathing that I do.

“Jacqui and I just get out for walks… we find a local cafe and try and do some things with my kids and stuff that I enjoy because for basically three or four months I couldn’t do that, I was stuck at home. I couldn’t play my golf, couldn’t play my tennis or just hang out.”

Next week, Woodcock is looking forward to returning to some part-time work at Wellington College.

Woodcock’s brother Leigh recently set up a Givealittle page to help raise funds for his treatment and ease the everyday financial pressures on the family.

Woodcock, who describes himself as a fairly private person, said the support he had received when news of his illness spread had been overwhelming.

“That influx, the Givealittle page… a lot of people have reached out, people I haven’t spoken to for a while. It’s been incredible, I can’t thank everyone enough and just every little bit, some fund-raising things that are happening, it means a lot.”

From Firebirds stalwart to influential coach

Woodcock played seven white ball games for the Black Caps between 2010 and 2011 and enjoyed a first-class career for Wellington that spanned 17 years.

The Wellington Firebirds record holder retired at the end of the 2018-2019 season before going full time into coaching.

Woody, as he is affectionately known, was part of the Wellington Blaze coaching team for several years until joining the sports department at Wellington College in the middle of last year.

Through coaching the Wellington Blaze, Woodcock played a big part in the development of White Ferns players such as current captain Melie Kerr, who was shocked to hear the news.

Kerr, a right-arm leg-spin bowler and top-order batter, said she enjoyed talking tactics with Woodcock, who bowled left-arm spin during his career.

“In the women’s game you’ve seen spin dominate the game, left arm spin dominate the game, so I loved to use and abuse his shoulder and practice facing a lot of left-arm spin in the nets against him,” Kerr said.

Kerr said winning the T20 Super Smash title in her first full year as captain of the Blaze in 2024, was one of her favourite cricket memories.

“It was such a special title to win with that group and captaining it also meant a whole lot more – working closely with the coaches and just trying to help the team as well. There’s a photo that’s been shared of Woody and I with the trophy hugging, and it’s a really special photo to me and you can kind of see from that picture as well how much it meant to him to win that title as well.

“As a coach who I think worked in the men’s game before coming into the women’s game, to offer that passion and see how much he enjoyed seeing the success of others when we won that title, it was a pretty cool moment to have it captured as well.”

White Fern Maddy Green was also coached by Woodcock at the Blaze.

“He was really influential for me, I would often bat with him a lot through the winter and he’d throw me lots of balls and was always really generous with his time – you can just see he lives and breathes cricket.”

Blaze and White Fern veteran Jess Kerr described Woodcock as a bit of a “teddy bear” whose reputation as a hard worker around Cricket Wellington and New Zealand Cricket is “exceptional.”

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After nearly three months in the subcontinent, the Black Caps are finally headed home, albeit without the trophy they wanted, and staring down one last challenge before they part ways.

A five-match T20 series against South Africa, starting on Sunday, will cap off the home summer.

The series comes less than a week after the T20 World Cup final loss against India in India. And two months after their first ever one-day series win in India.

The cricket calendar can be relentless and Black Caps coach Rob Walter had that in mind when the team for the South Africa series, which begins in Mt Maunganui, was selected.

Eight players from the World Cup squad – captain Mitch Santner, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Kyle Jamieson, Cole McConchie, Jimmy Neesham, Ben Sears and Ish Sodhi – will play at least some part in the series.

“Primarily, we want to find a nice balance now between giving guys off, it was a pretty intense nine weeks to be fair in India and Sri Lanka, and obviously stepping straight into a five-match series in a couple of days’ time,” Walter said.

“So, sort of managing the guys who are going to PSL (Pakistan Super League), going to IPL (Indian Premier League), with guys who didn’t have much game time in the actual World Cup itself and working hard to get that balance right.

“That’s the nature of the beast right now in international cricket and understanding we also have to take care of our players

“Those guys left everything out there from a World Cup point of view.”

Walter said he was in “constant communication” with the playing group to gauge their readiness to continue into another series.

“You still need to be in a mental space to put your best foot forward for your country when you’re competing.

“But we have a fairly decent showing of our World Cup squad in the series, which is great, and there’s a lot of keenness from the players’ point of view to actually play, which is awesome, given that it’s been a pretty hectic little while.”

Selector Gavin Larsen said they had to be “pragmatic” in selecting the squad.

“We’re lucky to have strong depth across the different skill sets, which has afforded us the opportunity to rest a few players and introduce some others,” Larsen said.

“That provides an excellent opportunity for many to stake their claim for regular inclusion in the T20 team moving forward as we begin a new World Cup cycle.

“It’s been a busy couple of months for those on the road and with the South Africa series ahead, a tour to Bangladesh in April-May during the IPL and PSL windows, alongside a New Zealand A tour to Sri Lanka and followed by winter tours to England and West Indies – keeping our players fit and fresh in the short and the long term is our top priority.”

Those who would be taking a break after the World Cup to manage workloads or family life were: Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert and Matt Henry.

Top order batters Katene Clarke and Nick Kelly are in line to make their T20 debuts during the series, as is Central Districts spinner Jayden Lennox.

Clarke’s maiden Black Caps call-up follows a break-out Super Smash season where the 26-year-old topped the competition run-scoring charts with 431 runs, including an unbeaten century, as his Northern Brave side claimed the T20 domestic title.

“Katene is someone we’ve been keeping an eye on for a while now and so it was great to see him shoot the lights out in the Super Smash and force his way into his first Black Caps squad,” Larsen said.

“He’s an explosive player who possesses plenty of power and a variety of shots. He’s shown destructive ability inside the power play, but also crucially the ability to bat deep in an innings too.”

Lennox’s first inclusion in a Black Caps T20 squad follows his successful ODI debut series against India in January where he claimed 3-84 from his 20 overs against the formidable home batting line-up.

Kelly’s been a consistent performer for the Wellington Firebirds across the formats in recent years and earns his maiden T20 call-up off the back of his ODI debut series against Pakistan at home last April.

Josh Clarkson, Zak Foulkes, Bevon Jacobs and Tim Robinson get their chance to impress after being selected for the full five-game series, with Clarkson back in the side for the first time since playing eight T20Is in 2024.

Tom Latham, who was the top run-scorer for the Canterbury Kings in the Super Smash, makes his return to the national T20 set-up as a wicket-keeper-batsman and will also take over the captaincy reigns from Santner for the final two matches.

With Conway departing after three matches, Central Stags gloveman Dane Cleaver will join the squad for the end of the series, having last played for New Zealand in 2023.

South Africa arrived in New Zealand with three players from their World Cup squad that was knocked out of the tournament by the Black Caps.

None of their players with IPL contracts will travel to Aotearoa.

Walter, a former South Africa coach, knows the Proteas team that does come will still provide a challenge.

“The depth in South Africa has always been strong. Obviously, the SA20 competition has developed a lot of younger players in South Africa, so from that point of view, they have a pretty good team,” Walter said.

“Most of them have played international cricket, or have done very well domestically so it’ll be a good challenge.”

Black Caps T20 squad v South Africa

• Mitchell Santner (c) (matches 1-3)
• Katene Clarke* (4-5)
• Josh Clarkson
• Dane Cleaver (wk) (4-5)
• Devon Conway (wk) (1-3)
• Lockie Ferguson (2-3)
• Zak Foulkes
• Bevon Jacobs
• Kyle Jamieson
• Nick Kelly*
• Tom Latham (wk) (c – 4-5)
• Jayden Lennox* (4-5)
• Cole McConchie
• Jimmy Neesham
• Tim Robinson
• Ben Sears
• Nathan Smith
• Ish Sodhi

*Potential T20I debut

Michael Bracewell (calf), Adam Milne (ankle), Will O’Rourke (back) and Blair Tickner (ankle) were not considered for the series due to injury.

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NZ Warriors coach Andrew Webster has named a largely unchanged line-up to meet Canberra Raiders at Go Media Stadium on Friday.

The same 19 that dressed for last week’s 42-18 win over Sydney Roosters will front again, with the only tweak being second-rower Marata Niukore replacing specialist half Luke Hanson on the extended bench.

Niukore missed the entire pre-season and the season-opener with a calf niggle, but apparently has passed fit for the second round.

As expected, co-captain Mitch Barnett has not recovered sufficiently from the knee injury that ended his 2025 campaign prematurely, but is expected to return any week now.

“We’re getting closer, so no dramas there, but the last month to six weeks, you get down to the nitty gritty,” Webster said. “Everyone thinks it’s nine months, but sometimes it’s eight-and-a-half months and sometimes it’s 10 months.

“They’re not injuries you want to mess around with. The whole medical industry has advanced so far on how quickly they can get players back, but the ACL is one of those ones that takes so long.”

Jackson Ford, who led the team in both tackles and running metres against the Roosters, will again start in Barnett’s place, with Jacob Laban in the second row, and Leka Halasima coming off the interchange.

Wing Roger Tuivasa-Sheck will bring up his 150th game for the club.

Warriors: 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3. Ali Leiataua, 4. Adam Pompey, 5. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 6. Chanel Harris-Tavita, 7. Tanah Boyd, 8. James Fisher-Harris, 9. Wayde Egan, 10. Jackson Ford, 11. Kurt Capewell, 12. Jacob Laban, 13. Erin Clark

Interchange: 14. Sam Healey, 15. Demitric Vaimauga, 16. Leka Halasima, 17. Tanner Stowers-Smith, 18. Taine Tuaupiki, 20. Morgan Gannon

Reserves: 21. Alofiana Khan-Pereira, 22. Marata Niukore, 23. Eddie Ieremia-Toeava

Meanwhile, Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has lose the services of veteran front-rower Josh Papalii with concussion, replaced by Englishman Morgan Smithies in the starting line-up.

Kiwis centre Matt Timoko joins the bench, after a foot injury kept him in reserve grade last week.

The Raiders beat the Warriors twice last year, including the season-opener in Las Vegas, en route to their minor premiership.

Raiders: 1. Kaeo Weekes, 2. Savelio Tamale, 3. Simi Sasagi, 4. Seb Kris, 5. Xavier Savage, 6. Ethan Strange, 7. Ethan Sanders, 8. Morgan Smithies, 9. Tom Starling, 10. Joseph Tapine, 11. Hudson Young, 12. Noah Martin, 13. Corey Horsburgh

Interchange: 14. Jayden Brailey, 15. Zac Hosking, 16. Ata Mariota, 17. Matt Timoko, 18. Daine Laurie, 19 Joe Roddy

Reserves: 20. Owen Pattie, 21. Jed Stuart, 22. Chevy Stewart

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Days after a significant loss to the Blues, tensions rose at Crusaders training on Tuesday with reports of punches thrown.

Stuff is reporting prop Kershawl Sykes-Martin and lock Will Tucker were involved in a dust-up at Rugby Park in Christchurch during a contact session.

Captain David Havili was reportedly the man to break up the altercation.

After training, coach Rob Penney did his best to downplay the tension, telling reporters he was not fazed by the clash between his players and even welcomed it.

“So there should be,” Penney said when asked if there was tension in the camp after the 29-13 defeat to the Blues.

“It was a really lovely sight to see, actually. It is a reflection of how much it means. The boys aren’t happy with the performances and the outcomes.

“Very proud young men are going to come up against each other, and create a bit of sandpaper from time to time.

“But it’s not a thing that is going to affect negatively. We are all over it, the boys are fine.”

Penney expected there could be more scuffles at training in the future.

“It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last.”

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Former captain Sophie Devine along with veteran batter Suzie Bates return to the White Ferns squad for this month’s T20 series against South Africa.

Devine, Bates, Georgia Plimmer and Flora Devonshire were all unavailable for the current series against Zimbabwe which finishes on Wednesday.

Bates has recovered from a quad injury, Devonshire a broken finger and Plimmer a shoulder injury.

The five match series, which includes double headers with the Black Caps and Proteas, starts in Mount Maunganui on Sunday.

Devine is set to make her return to the side for the first time since the World Cup in India in October, as the White Ferns continue their preparation to defend their title at the T20 World Cup in England later this year.

New Zealand is ranked fourth in T20 cricket with South Africa fifth.

Head Coach Ben Sawyer said the injection of Bates and Devine’s experience could only do good things for the team.

“Their quality on the field really does speak for itself but what they bring to the group culturally is really important for us as a team. I’m looking forward to having them mix in with some of the newer members of the squad.”

Sawyer expressed his excitement at having Plimmer available again.

“Her role at the top of the order is a key one and it’ll be great to have her back as we continue to build toward that World Cup later in the year.”

The squad features 15 players, with Auckland Hearts’ Bree Illing and Otago Sparks’ Polly Inglis making way for Devonshire and Canterbury Magicians’ Lea Tahuhu after the first two T20Is.

White Ferns T20 Squad v South Africa

Melie Kerr (C) – Wellington Blaze

Suzie Bates – Otago Sparks

Sophie Devine – Wellington Blaze

Flora Devonshire** – Central Hinds

Izzy Gaze – Auckland Hearts

Maddy Green – Auckland Hearts

Brooke Halliday – Auckland Hearts

Bree Illing* – Auckland Hearts

Polly Inglis* – Otago Sparks

Jess Kerr – Wellington Blaze

Rosemary Mair – Central Hinds

Nensi Patel – Northern Brave

Georgia Plimmer – Wellington Blaze

Izzy Sharp – Canterbury Magicians

Lea Tahuhu** – Canterbury Magicians

*first two T20s only

**last three T20s only

Schedule

Sunday 15 March, 1st T20I’s, Bay Oval

Tuesday 17 March, 2nd T20I’s, Seddon Park

Friday 20 March, 3rd T20I’s,Eden Park

Sunday 22 March, 4th T20I’s, Hnry Stadium (Wgtn)

Wednesday 25 March, 5th T20I’s, Hagley Oval

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New Zealand paralympian Corey Peters has finished sixth in the men’s Super-G sitting at the Paralympic Winter Games in Italy.

Competing in soft snow conditions, Peters produced a solid run to record 1:15.42, but ultimately the Beijing 2022 silver medallist finished short of a podium repeat.

The 42-year-old finished fifth in the downhill earlier in the programme.

Jeroen Kampschreur of the Netherlands bounced back from the disappointment of registering a DNF in the downhill to take gold in a time of 1:13.08.

Defending champion Jesper Pedersen of Norway, who claimed gold in the downhill two days earlier, took silver in 1:13.80, with Andrew Kurka of the USA clinching bronze a further 0.15 seconds adrift.

“It was a good run with minimal mistakes, but I just didn’t attack it like the podium guys did and I got a little wide on some turns where I could have tightened the line a bit more,” Peters said afterwards.

“The conditions again were really soft and I could feel through some of the turns that the ski was wanting to break away in that sugary, slushy snow.”

Peters, who is competing at his fourth Paralympic Winter Games, turns his attention to the Men’s Giant Slalom Sitting – his final event at Milano Cortina 2026 – which takes place on Friday 13 March.

“The downhill and Super-G are my favourite events but coming off a podium finish at my last World Cup in Veysonnaz, Switzerland before the Games, a medal is not off the cards. It’s just a matter of going out there, enjoying the moment and skiing as hard as I can.”

Peters claimed men’s giant slalom silver on his Paralympic Winter Games debut in Sochi 2014. He added downhill bronze at PyeongChang 2018 before winning downhill gold and super-G silver at Beijing 2022.

Adam Hall opens his games with the men’s giant slalom standing on Friday.

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An injury-depleted Black Ferns Sevens side pulled off a hard fought victory over Australia in the Vancouver Sevens final on Monday.

Reduced to just three players on their reserves bench with Braxton Sorensen-McGee, Jazmin Felix-Hotham and Manaia Nuku unavailable, the odds were stacked against the Black Ferns, who have got the better of Australia in three of their four previous title clashes during the series.

Leading 12-5 at halftime, New Zealand appeared to be running out of steam as the Aussies reeled them in level the scores at 17-17 with a couple of minutes left on the clock before a late try Alena Saili sealed the victory for the Black Ferns.

Player of the match Jorja Miller was the crucial point of difference between the two teams.

Miller scored one and set up a second in a full-throttle final as the Black Ferns Sevens held off Australia maintain their perfect winning record in Vancouver.

Miller said the adversity faced by the team during the tournament made the win more meaningful.

“I am so proud of this team, I’m so honoured to wear this black jersey. We’ve had a few girls go down this weekend … it means a lot more to us than just rugby,” the

And, on International Women’s Day she remembered who had inspired her. “When I was younger I was looking up to the greats, amazing players like Portia and Sarah Hirini.

“I hope that, as a team, we can inspire young girls and young boys to play rugby.”

USA beat France in the third-place play-off to end a nine-tournament wait for a podium finish, while Canada got the home crowd on their feet as they claimed fifth, and Japan claimed seventh at the end of an end-to-end play-off against Great Britain.

In the men’s draw, South Africa toppled Spain to take out the title.

South Africa beat and Spain 38-12 in the men’s final.

The All Blacks Sevens failed to reach the semifinal stage after losing to both of the eventual finalists during pool play.

The series now heads to New York for the next weekend’s tournament.

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Team New Zealand’s boat Taihoro is officially out of the shed and ready to hit the water ahead of next year’s America’s Cup.

The team relaunched their AC75 at their Wynyard Point base in Auckland on Monday, a milestone in a campaign that is focussed on securing a historic fourth consecutive victory in Naples in 2027.

While Taihoro is the same vessel that dominated the waters of Barcelona, it has undergone a significant refit to meet the new 38th America’s Cup rules.

Team New Zealand chief executive officer Grant Dalton said “to outsiders, there may not be a huge amount that is apparently different”.

“From the outside it looks similar.”

Under strict cost-containment measures, teams are restricted to their legacy hulls used in the last Cup.

To remain compliant, Team New Zealand’s designers worked within razor-thin margins, limited to three specific modification categories:

• Cockpit Reconfiguration: Extensive work to transition the deck layout for the new crew requirements.
• Structural Rebuilds: The team was permitted to rebuild up to 4sqm of the hull using the same shape but different materials, allowing for localised strengthening or weight optimisation.
• Functional Rebates: Modifications were made to add rebates to maximize aerodynamic efficiency.

Team New Zealand’s head of design Dan Bernasconi said despite the same hulls being used again, the rules still allow for some significant technological developments and improvements in the AC75’s.

“The hulls have always been one of the most noticeable features on an America’s Cup yacht, but because the hulls spend so much time out of the water, there is actually not that much difference in the performance of hulls, maybe five seconds around the race course across all of the boats in Barcelona.

“So the class rule and design parameters still allow for important gains and difference in performance from the foils, sails and control systems for example. As with every iteration of the same class of boat, there is no doubt the racing will be a lot closer this time around between all teams.

“So, as always, winning will be a massive challenge for the whole team.”

Chief operating officer Kevin Shoebridge also expected a step up in performance.

“Internally, our philosophy is to always drive innovation and technology, so we think Taihoro ‘2.0’ will be a great step on from what we saw in Barcelona.” .

The most radical visual transformation lies in the crew pod on either side of the AC75.

The cyclors, who used leg power to provide hydraulic pressure have been retired as per the Protocol. In their place sits a standardised battery system for use across all teams.

This high-capacity battery is now the primary source of power for the yacht’s complex foil and sail control systems.

This technological leap has direct consequences for the crew, moving the challenge from physical exertion to digital discipline, as sailors must manage finite battery limits throughout the race.

Crew sizes have shrunk from eight down to five.

With an odd number of crew, roles are becoming more fluid, or roles like flight control and sail trimming may be further consolidated.

Skipper Nathan Outteridge said there is a lot of anticipation around what the roles of the five sailors will be.

“When you look across all of the teams, the question is who will be in the different positions.

“For us, we have a fresh new team which is an exciting mix of young talent and experience so what that eventually looks like in July next year we don’t know right now. That’s part of what the next block sailing Taihoro is about.”

One certainty in the coming days is Olympic gold and silver medallist Jo Aleh is set to become the first woman to crew an AC75 as a new rule introduced to extend the pathways beyond the AC40’s and Women’s America’s Cup to the America’s Cup itself.

A notable addition to the new layout is a dedicated guest racer pod, designed to allow a non-crew member to experience the raw G-forces of an AC75 at full flight, a feature not seen since the days of the version 5 IACC boats in 2007.

Team New Zealand will be utilising the guest racer spot throughout their sailing block in Auckland over the coming weeks.

The relaunch ceremony was centred around the cultural traditions that have come to define the team’s identity with Iwi Manaaki Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei presiding over the event, blessing Taihoro once again.

The blessing reconnected the vessel with its name, meaning “to move swiftly as the sea between both sky and earth”.

Aucklanders and America’s Cup followers will not have to wait long to see the Taihoro in action.

With the AC75 ready to go sailing, the first seen in the 38th America’s Cup cycle, the team will begin an intensive testing block immediately. Over the coming weeks, Taihoro will be a regular fixture on the Hauraki Gulf, flying across the water as the crew acclimates to the new dynamics of the freshly evolved AC75 before the team refocuses on AC40 racing at the first Preliminary Regatta in Cagliari, Sardinia in May.

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After taking his fifth wicket in five balls, a perplexed Brett Randell looked to his teammates for an explanation.

“What was going on? I don’t think anyone knew what was going on. We were coming into the huddle after each of the wickets and their reactions were the same as mine, just ‘what’s going on?’”

The Central Districts bowler rewrote the record books on Sunday after becoming the first player to claim a triple hat-trick in the 254-year history of first class cricket.

He achieved the feat during a Plunket Shield match against Northern Districts at McLean Park in Napier.

“It’s a once in a lifetime thing and I’m just going to try and stay grounded and go into next game, just trying to emulate the same plans, but recognising that the same thing’s probably not going to happen again,” Randell said.

The accomplishment had still not fully sunk in for Randell.

“It was pretty crazy. I still can’t really believe it, I don’t think I will for a while.”

He described a surreal feeling as the wickets kept tumbling. Randell’s dismissals read bowled, bowled, caught behind, caught at slip, bowled.

“I was just trying to stay level headed and just keep putting the ball in the same area because it was clearly working. That was about it really, couldn’t believe what was happening, but still trying to stay in the same area that I had been doing for the previous few balls.

“We talk about not really not searching for wickets. So I was just trying to put the ball in the same area because it had got wickets already. So I just thought, why not? I’m just going to keep trying to put it in the same area and see what happens.

“I managed to snaffle another couple. Then the couple in the over after that as well, I was just trying to do the same thing.”

As for his favourite, he said they were all “pretty good”.

“I think the first one I was quite happy with because of the balls proceeding it, I had a plan come to fruition. Then they just kept coming off. So I’d say all of them are pretty equal.”

Commenters online attempted to take the gloss off the feat, questioning whether or not the third wicket was legitimate.

“I thought it hit glove initially. I spoke to Joe (Carter) this morning and he said he would have gone up as well, but he was pretty adamant that he didn’t hit it.

“I mean, at the end of the day, the umpire put his finger up and that’s all there is to it.”

Having captured global headlines, Randell said he was simply trying to enjoy the moment.

“The messages from family and friends have been crazy. Everyone just can’t really believe it. From friends all around the world as well that I’ve played cricket with – it was a really special moment.”

A veteran of the first-class scene, Randell, who represented New Zealand at under-19 level, made his debut for Northern Districts in 2017. He said he still had ambitions of a Black Caps’ call-up.

“I’ve moved around quite a bit, those sorts of selections or recognition will come or they won’t. At the end of the day, I’m just trying to put out some good performances for the Stags and be the best cricketer and best person I can be.”

Though he said he had shared plenty of memorable moments with the Stags, from a personal standpoint, the triple hat-trick sits alone as his finest hour on a cricket pitch.

“I don’t think there is any topping it, unless I can join a fellow teammate of mine Ajaz Patel and get 10 in an innings.”

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Prior to the weekend, an uncomfortable question had started to form in the Blues camp.

An increasingly one-sided rivalry against the Crusaders had the Blues begin to wonder whether a mental block had crept in when facing the perennial powerhouses.

Heading into Saturday night’s 29-13 win at Eden Park, the Blues had won just three of 23 against the Crusaders dating back to 2014.

Skipper Dalton Papali’i, playing in his first home game since bringing up his 100th cap the previous weekend against the Brumbies in Canberra, has endured a rough run against the Cantabs during his Blues’ career.

“I’ve only beaten them twice before in my career, third time tonight. So it’s always been a tough ride against them. Every team has that one team you always struggle with.”

Blues coach Vern Cotter said earlier in the week that the record against the Crusaders spoke for itself, and may have acted as a motivator for his troops.

“It was said, so I think the players said ‘we’ve had enough of that.’ I think it was more about us than the record. It was about us playing our game, imposing our game on them and you see what happens. I think that’s a real turning point for this team, knowing that when we do it right and we focus on it during the week, then put it out in the paddock.”

Papali’i said the head to head history can be given too much credence.

“You talk about that mental barrier, and in the years that we’ve played them and we’ve lost, we maybe push it a bit too much throughout the week and talk a bit too much about them.

“But the times I have beat them, we focused on ourselves. You study the other team as you always do, but then you’ve got to look within yourselves and actually find the buttons that push you to go forward.”

The All Blacks flanker said despite dropping two of three to start their campaign, the confidence did not wane.

“Tonight was no surprise, the whole week we were building and we weren’t panicking on the results, we talked our forward pack wanting to be dogs out there.

“I feel like when we have our attitude right, then we’re a team that can decide games and it’s all on us. I felt like we had the foot on the throat the whole game.

“I always think it is for a statement game as a forward pack to go against these guys.”

Elsewhere, the Hurricanes continued their dominance over the Waratahs, picking up their ninth win on the trot to shoot back up to third after the Lautoka slip.

The pace-setting Brumbies suffered their first loss, coming in dramatic and controversial fashion against the Reds.

Moana continue to look listless without Ardie Savea, with the Chiefs maintaining their unbeaten run against the bottom-placed battlers.

Jamie Joseph put the disappointment of missing out on the All Blacks job in the rear with a quality Highlanders win over the Force, with Caleb Tangitau continuing his stellar season in Dunedin.

Try of the round: Cody Vai’i’s miracle at Eden, launching himself to sensationally snag a Beauden Barrett crosskick and expertly grass it inches inside the line.

Stock rise: Highlanders flanker Veveni Lasaqa put in an absolute shift against the Force, bagging a try, three pilfers and making 17 tackles.

Stock drop: Taha Kemara was given the fullback jersey in Will Jordan’s absence, but made little impact from the back against the Blues, and was subbed at half-time.

Super Rugby standings after four rounds:

1. Brumbies

2. Chiefs

3. Hurricanes

4. Blues

5. Waratahs

6. Reds

7. Highlanders

8. Crusaders

9. Fijian Drua

10. Force

11. Moana Pasifika

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