News of New Zealanders via Global Media

Tennis Freshman Kate Bolton Making Friends in US

Tennis Freshman Kate Bolton Making Friends in US

California State University, Stanislaus, women’s tennis has a new face – and a new voice – in 19-year-old Wellington-born freshman Kate Bolton, local newspaper, The Modesto Bee reports. Bolton, who attended Queen Margaret College, has…

Fiji Names Vern Cotter Rugby Head Coach

Fiji Names Vern Cotter Rugby Head Coach

Former Scotland coach New Zealand-born Vern Cotter, 58, has been named the new head coach of the Fiji rugby team, Associated Press reports in a story published by The Japan Times. Cotter succeeds Australian John…

Shot Put Champ Valerie Adams off to Olympics

Shot Put Champ Valerie Adams off to Olympics

Double shot-put champion Valerie Adams, 35, has qualified for her fifth Olympic Games after the New Zealander spent almost two years out of competition, Reuters reports in a story published by The New York…

NXT Star Dakota Kai Reinvents Herself Post-Injury

NXT Star Dakota Kai Reinvents Herself Post-Injury

Professional wrestler Auckland-born Dakota Kai, 31, is quickly becoming an indispensable piece of popular television programme, WWE NXT’s success, Jason Barrosso reports for Sports Illustrated magazine. Kai, real name Cheree Crowley, played the underdog babyface…

Gatland’s Gate Honours Former Wales Coach

Gatland’s Gate Honours Former Wales Coach

New Zealander Warren Gatland says he is “humbled” to have been honoured by the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) after having a gate at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium named after him, ITV News reports. The main vehicle…

Wallabies Appoint Dave Rennie Coach

Wallabies Appoint Dave Rennie Coach

New Zealander Dave Rennie has been tasked with resurrecting the Wallabies, replacing Michael Cheika as head coach in a deal that will take him through to the 2023 World Cup, Pascal Guyot reports in…

First for Surfskier Danielle McKenzie in Hong Kong

First for Surfskier Danielle McKenzie in Hong Kong

World champion surfskier New Zealander Danielle McKenzie proved that winning the ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships in France in September was no fluke when she backed up her performance in Hong Kong recently…

Sonny Bill Williams’ Toronto Signing Makes Waves

Sonny Bill Williams’ Toronto Signing Makes Waves

A long-time member of the famed All Blacks, who has won the Rugby World Cup twice and represented New Zealand at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Sonny Bill Williams is a superstar of the highest…

Irish Rugby Bids Farewell to Coach Joe Schmidt

Irish Rugby Bids Farewell to Coach Joe Schmidt

Failing a second time to lead Ireland to a first Rugby World Cup semifinal will haunt New Zealander Joe Schmidt, who steps down as coach following six transformative years, AP journalist Foster Niumata writes…

Scott McLaughlin Wins Bathurst 1000

Scott McLaughlin Wins Bathurst 1000

Supercars series leader Christchurch-born Scott McLaughlin, 26, claimed a maiden Bathurst 1000 title at Mount Panorama after a dramatic finish, the Australian Associated Press reports in a story published on The Guardian’s news site. Ford’s McLaughlin…

All Blacks Torch Ireland to Reach World Cup Semis

All Blacks Torch Ireland to Reach World Cup Semis

Two-time defending champion New Zealand cruised into a Rugby World Cup semifinal matchup against England after dismantling Ireland 46-14 at Tokyo Stadium, Japan Times’ staff writer Andrew McKirdy reports. Ireland had beaten the All Blacks…

Dan Carter Explains New Zealand’s Cup Success

Dan Carter Explains New Zealand’s Cup Success

Legendary former All Black fly-half Dan Carter tells ESPN that while the physical challenge of seven weeks of fierce competition at the Rugby World Cup sets it apart as the sport’s ultimate test, it…

Looking Back at Our Rugby Heritage

Looking Back at Our Rugby Heritage

“New Zealand’s pride for its team reflects generations of history and tradition, going back to 1903,” Jamie Tarabay writes in a story for The New York Times, entitled: ‘What Makes the All Blacks So…

What Makes Super Coach Noelene Taurua Tick?

What Makes Super Coach Noelene Taurua Tick?

English netballer Geva Mentor is happy to nominate Noeline Taurua as easily the best coach she has played under, but finds it a little harder to articulate the secret to the celebrated New Zealander’s…

Departing Warren Gatland Out for Perfect End

Departing Warren Gatland Out for Perfect End

New Zealander Warren Gatland has achieved almost everything during his tenure as Wales coach over the last 12 years, Steve Douglas writes in a story published in The Washington Post. Four Six Nations titles, including…

Team GB’s First Olympic Surfer is NZer Jay Quinn

Team GB’s First Olympic Surfer is NZer Jay Quinn

New Zealander Jay Quinn, 36, is well-placed to become Team GB’s first surfer at the Olympics – thanks to a rekindled enthusiasm with the sport and his Welsh-born mother. BBC Sport Wales correspondent Dafydd…

Comeback Hero Bruce Anstey Wins Again at Classic TT

Comeback Hero Bruce Anstey Wins Again at Classic TT

Wellington-born Bruce Anstey, the ‘Flying Kiwi’, was fighting back the tears as the popular motorcycle racer overcame the odds following a two-year break for cancer treatment to win again at the Classic TT. Kyle White…

ABs Deliver Bledisloe Pain With Wallaby Whitewash

ABs Deliver Bledisloe Pain With Wallaby Whitewash

“New Zealand secured the 2019 Bledisloe Cup with a resounding 36-0 victory against Australia at Eden Park to dent any hopes of a Wallabies resurgence ahead of next month’s Rugby World Cup,” Australian Associated…

Man to Make $40k Profit After Buying Bradman Bat

Man to Make $40k Profit After Buying Bradman Bat

An unemployed New Zealander with an eye for sporting memorabilia has hit the cricket world for six by buying a rare bat once owned by the great Australian batsman Sir Donald Bradman, Roger Maynard…

Black Ferns Hand Wallaroos a Reality Check

Black Ferns Hand Wallaroos a Reality Check

Australia’s Wallaroos “were drowned” 47-10 by World Champions New Zealand in the first of two women’s Tests in front of 30,142 fans at Optus Stadium in Perth. Sam Worthington reports on the heavy loss…

Porsche Driver Jaxon Evans on New Life in Germany

Porsche Driver Jaxon Evans on New Life in Germany

It’s been a whirlwind 18 months for New Zealander Jaxon Evans. Just days after securing last year’s Australian Carrera Cup title, Evans, 22, who is originally from Levin, jetted off to France for the…

Equestrian Legend Sir Mark Todd Retires

Equestrian Legend Sir Mark Todd Retires

Cambridge-born equestrian star Sir Mark Todd, who competed in seven Olympic Games, has announced his retirement after helping the New Zealand team to win a FEI Eventing Nations’ Cup event in Ireland. China’s English-language…

Why New Zealand’s Other All Blacks Matter

Why New Zealand’s Other All Blacks Matter

“The Māori All Blacks are a source of rugby-playing pride in a community that has struggled economically,” The Economist reports in a sports feature. “The team … is an enduring oddity.” “In late 2018, as…

New Zealand Trail Star Nancy Jiang Rises to Success

New Zealand Trail Star Nancy Jiang Rises to Success

Chinese-born New Zealander Nancy Jiang’s determination to succeed in trail running is shaped by her upbringing, when her parents pushed for academics over sport, according to Mark Agnew who interviewed Jiang on the South…

Silver Ferns Are World Champions

Silver Ferns Are World Champions

New Zealand’s Silver Ferns are Netball world champions after a one-point win in Liverpool over long-time rivals Australia. The Noeline Taurua-coached team saw a seven-point advantage whittle down to a one-point lead in the…

Star Batter Kane Williamson Surpasses Them All

Star Batter Kane Williamson Surpasses Them All

“Martin Crowe’s batting was grace personified and had he been alive, he would have been the first one to acknowledge that Kane Williamson, 28, probably is the greatest batsman to have played for New…

Winning The World From The Edge

Winning The World From The Edge

In the greatest game of cricket ever played – it was the World Cup final after all – it was New-Zealand born Englishman Ben Stokes who grittily anchored the home team at Lords against…

Andrew Nicholson Claims Another Barbury Win

Andrew Nicholson Claims Another Barbury Win

New Zealand eventer Andrew Nicholson has continued his Barbury Horse Trials brilliance with another victory in the event’s premier competition as Swallow Springs triumphed in the CCI 4* class, according to Swindon Advertiser sports…

Phoenix Player Sarpreet Singh Signs with Bayern

Phoenix Player Sarpreet Singh Signs with Bayern

Wellington Phoenix midfielder Sarpreet Singh, 20, has signed with German powerhouse Bayern Munich in one of the highest-profile transfers of a New Zealand footballer, AFP reports. Born in New Zealand to Indian parents, Singh was…

Black Caps Fire Into Final

Black Caps Fire Into Final

In a World Cricket Cup semi-final for the ages in Manchester, New Zealand’s Black Caps have spectacularly edged into the finals with a dramatic and unexpected win against super team India. Coming off three…

Sean Marks and the Nets Are in the Endgame Now

Sean Marks and the Nets Are in the Endgame Now

According to the New York Daily News, “selling hope is the easy part of being an NBA executive. The blueprint is simple: Refrain from long-term contracts, trade short-term assets for long-term assets, give playing…

Triple Crown for Penske Driver Scott McLaughlin

Triple Crown for Penske Driver Scott McLaughlin

Christchurch-born Scott McLaughlin has ended a 13-year wait with a thumping win to become the first Supercars driver to win the Triple Crown in Darwin. ESPN’s Eamonn Tiernan reports that DJR Team Penske star…

New Zealand in Throes of a Basketball Revolution

New Zealand in Throes of a Basketball Revolution

An ESPN article reports that the School Sport New Zealand Census, which has been conducted annually since 2000, revealed earlier this year that basketball had gone past rugby and was only trailing netball as…

New Zealand’s Best Coaches All Have One Unheralded Skill In Common

New Zealand’s Best Coaches All Have One Unheralded Skill In Common

Exceptional technical skills, an in-depth understanding of the sport and astute strategic knowledge are table-stakes for New Zealand rugby coaches at all levels of the game. What sets the truly accomplished coaches apart from…

Simon Crafar on the Latest Tyre Specs

Simon Crafar on the Latest Tyre Specs

Former Grand Prix winner, WorldSBK racer and now respected TV commentator and reporter New Zealander Simon Crafar is in a sound position to offer some perspective on motorcycle tyre technology. Adam Wheeler interviews Crafar as…

1905 All Blacks Shirt to be Auctioned in UK

1905 All Blacks Shirt to be Auctioned in UK

An historic 114-year-old All Blacks shirt worth tens of thousands of pounds is being sold by Falmouth Rugby Club, writes Marco Ferrari for The Falmouth Packet.  The All Blacks top was swapped for Falmouth’s Edward…

Skyrunner Ruth Croft Prepares for China Race

Skyrunner Ruth Croft Prepares for China Race

The South China Morning Post’s Mark Agnew reports that China might be famous for its food, but two top trail runners are approaching their pre-race meals with contrasting plans. New Zealander Ruth Croft and…

Kelsey Birse Creates a Career from Gaming

Kelsey Birse Creates a Career from Gaming

When Kelsey Birse was given an Xbox as a Christmas present, he never anticipated a future fulltime career in esports, Stuff reporter Oskar Howell writes. Birse, who goes by in-game name ‘Colourhex’, puts his…

Lou Brown Shatters World Shearing Record

Lou Brown Shatters World Shearing Record

The 497 merino ewes shorn in eight hours by Napier-raised shearer Lou Brown was 31 more than the record of 466 set by his coach and mentor, fellow-New Zealander Cartwright Terry, according to a…

Ferrari Protégé Marcus Armstrong Recruited by Todt

Ferrari Protégé Marcus Armstrong Recruited by Todt

Ferrari junior, New Zealander Marcus Armstrong, 18, has joined the All Road Management stable run by Frenchman Nicolas Todt. Christchurch-born Armstrong, who will compete this season in the FIA Formula 3 Championship with Prema Racing,…

Mitch Evans and Rocket-Ship Take E-Victory

Mitch Evans and Rocket-Ship Take E-Victory

New Zealander Mitch Evans, 24, negotiated a chaotic opening lap that saw bumps, crashes and a multi-car pile up before pulling off a dramatic overtaking manoeuvre to secure victory at the Rome E-Prix. Evans’ triumph is…

Rugby Australia’s Raelene Castle on Equality

Rugby Australia’s Raelene Castle on Equality

In a perfect world there would be no need for this conversation and the role women play in sport would not be addressed as a separate issue, “but we’re still about 10 years away…

Icy World Record for Diver Ant Williams

Icy World Record for Diver Ant Williams

Freediver Ant Williams, 47, has claimed a Guinness World Record for the deepest dive under ice, in a Norwegian fjord in the Arctic Circle. Overseen by GWR observers, wearing only a wetsuit and carrying a…

Warren Gatland’s Wales Reflect Image of Its Leader

Warren Gatland’s Wales Reflect Image of Its Leader

“For all his success in his coaching career, Warren Gatland is no José Mourinho peering into the mirror all the time and trading on past glories. He looks ahead rather than back, plotting the…

Gymnast Ruby Hamilton In Training for Olympics

Gymnast Ruby Hamilton In Training for Olympics

As Abu Dhabi and Dubai prepare to host the Special Olympics World Games, seven women who will be representing the UAE talk about what tolerance, hard work and winning mean to them. Twelve-year-old New…

Karting Ace Madeline Stewart Behind New Wheels

Karting Ace Madeline Stewart Behind New Wheels

New Zealand karting ace Madeline Stewart, 18, will race for Australia’s Brad Jones Racing in the Super3 Supercars series this season. The teenager has spent nine years in karts, most recently competing in KZ2 in…

Wuhan Open Appoints Brenda Perry

Wuhan Open Appoints Brenda Perry

Wuhan Open has marked International Women’s Day by becoming the most prestigious professional tennis tournament to have two female tournament directors, New Zealander Brenda Perry and China’s Li Qiuping. Experienced tennis professional Perry will join…

Kieran Read to Play for Japan After World Cup

Kieran Read to Play for Japan After World Cup

“All Blacks captain Kieran Read has signed up to play with Japanese club Toyota Verblitz after this year’s World Cup, bringing an end to 13 seasons as a professional…

Rugby Star Sene Naoupu Takes Strength from Family

Rugby Star Sene Naoupu Takes Strength from Family

Spend any length of time with New Zealander Sene Naoupu, 35, and her love for friends and family will be palpable. But she doesn’t just value that ancestral bond, she cherishes it and is…

Upbringing Helped Turn Barrett Trio Into All Blacks

Upbringing Helped Turn Barrett Trio Into All Blacks

Running around frost-covered coastal Taranaki fields in their bare feet was indicative of the sort of grounded upbringing that former captain Richie McCaw believes helped the three Barrett brothers – twice World Player of…

Rising MMA Star Israel Adesanya Holds off Veteran

Rising MMA Star Israel Adesanya Holds off Veteran

Mixed martial arts star Israel Adesanya, a Nigerian-born New Zealander, beat former middleweight champion, Brazilian Anderson Silva in a wild three-round brawl, according to The Straits Times. The match that was upgraded to the main…

New Ground Features Young Gun Craig Murray

New Ground Features Young Gun Craig Murray

Short film New Ground, made by Austrian ski company Atomic, follows New Zealander, Craig Murray, as he navigates his first stint on the Freeride World Tour (FWT) in 2018. “Struggling to put down a solid run at…

Teenager Alice Robinson Wins Slalom Title in Europe

Teenager Alice Robinson Wins Slalom Title in Europe

Queenstown ski racer Alice Robinson, 17, is continuing some strong form and has just made a trip to the top of the dais winning a European Cup giant slalom event in Germany, the first…

Brooklyn Nets Manager Sean Marks Bets on People

Brooklyn Nets Manager Sean Marks Bets on People

The Brooklyn Nets have become one of the NBA season’s biggest surprises. Auckland-born Sean Marks is the basketball team’s manager and he recently spoke with Harvey Araton, a sports reporter for The New York Times. Araton…

New Zealand Twice Victorious in Sevens Final

New Zealand Twice Victorious in Sevens Final

For the second time this season, New Zealand got the better of the American Eagles in a World Rugby Sevens Series gold medal encounter. The 21-5 victory for the All Blacks sees them tie…

New Marine Facility Confirmed For Auckland

New Marine Facility Confirmed For Auckland

“The $1.5billion a year New Zealand marine industry is expected to receive a significant boost with the announcement and sign-off on a massive refit facility adjacent to the America’s Cup bases currently under construction…