Midday Sport for 4 June 2025
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RNZ News
6 hours ago
- RNZ News
NZ Warriors wahine embrace unknown in NRLW return
Most of the Warriors women have never played NRLW before. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/ As they emerge from a four-year NRLW hiatus, NZ Warriors women are determined to make the unknown their friend. A foundation member of the competition in 2018, the Auckland club was forced to close down its women's programme in 2020, when the Covid pandemic precluded trans-Tasman travel. The Warriors wahine will return to the fold on Sunday, when they face Sydney Roosters, fielding a largely untried line-up against the defending champions . Only one player - captain and fullback Apii Nicholls - has worn a Warriors jersey before and only six others have previous NRLW experience. The rest have either been plucked from NZ domestic competition or lured across from the other rugby code. "The best thing about our girls is, because they either rookies or new to the code, so they're oblivious to the Sydney Roosters and who's in there," veteran prop Harata Butler observed. "Let's not even talk about them. "Everyone in the rugby league community knows what we're going up against, but nobody knows what they're going up against. I think it's good to run with that and let's just see what we pull out on the weekend." The Warriors begin their campaign without the benefit of a pre-season trial to test their very new combinations. On the flip side, rivals have had very little footage to scout entering the new season. That mystery factor leaves a blank slate for the wahine to create their own reputations and, if training performances are anything to go by, they promise to leave a dent in their opponents. "If you meet our forward pack, I'm pretty sure there's a few loose screws in some of them, me too maybe," chuckled lock Laishon Albert-Jones, who helped Newcastle Knights, under now-Warriors coach Ron Griffiths, to the 2023 NRLW crown. "They're tough as, I don't even like running at them - I'm probably the most pussy of all of them. "I get scared at training sometimes, just saying. I'm glad they're on my team and I don't have to verse them anymore. "If there's anything we bring to this NRLW season, it's that we are a tough team and it will be a hard day with us, and you won't want to play us again." As the team strive to create their playing style, this much seems a given - they'll be physical. "To be honest, if you play rugby league, it's such a high-contact sport, everyone's got a couple of screws loose," chuckled halfback Emily Curtain, whose Muay Thai fighting nickname is 'Pitbull'. "My second personality, once I step over the line or the ropes, it's 'go' time," she explained. "Time to switch on and let everything out." Griffiths guided the Knights to two titles and a semifinal during his three-year tenure there, but he has put the league on notice that his new outfit will bring something completely different. "If you look at every Warriors team, they're tough," he said. "This team will pull trees up for each other. "They're connected, they work hard, they're humble, but one thing they've done is they've shown a certain level of toughness that we haven't seen in NRLW before. "That's not taking anything away from teams I've coached or the current champs or anyone else, but they're extremely tough, that's who they are." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
9 hours ago
- RNZ News
Rugby live updates: Waratahs v British & Irish Lions
Jac Morgan of the Lions celebrates scoring a try. Photo: Darren England/ Photosport The Lions have made a great start to their tour of Australia, with two 50-point hidings. Can the Waratahs slow their momentum before the first test next weekend? Kickoff is at 10pm NZT.
RNZ News
12 hours ago
- RNZ News
Rugby live updates: All Blacks v France
Please publish at 6pm, thanks! The All Blacks perform the haka. Photo: Jack Grant/ActionPress Scott Robertson's All Blacks face a severely understrength French team in their first 2025 outing, so there should be plenty of points under the roof in Dunedin. Kickoff is at 7.05pm. Follow all the action with RNZ's live blog: All Blacks: 1. Ethan de Groot, 2. Codie Taylor, 3. Fletcher Newell, 4. Scott Barrett, 5. Fabian Holland, 6. Tupou Vaa'i, 7. Ardie Savea, 8, Christian Lio-Willie, 9. Cameron Roigard, 10. Beauden Barrett, 11. Rieko Ioane, 12. Jordie Barrett, 13. Billy Proctor, 14. Sevu Reece, 15. Will Jordan Bench: 16. Samisoni Taukei'aho, 17. Ollie Norris, 18. Pasilio Tosi, 19. Samipeni Finau, 20. Du'Plessis Kirifi, 21. Cortez Ratima, 22. Quinn Tupaea, 23. Damian McKenzie France: 1. Giorgi Beria, 2. Gaetan Garlot, 3. Rabah Slimani, 4. Hugo Auradou, 5. Tyler Duguid, 6. Alexandre Fischer, 7. Killian Tixeront, 8. Mickael Guillard, 9. Nolann Le Garrec, 10. Joris Segonds, 11. Gabin Villiere, 12. Gaël Fickou (c), 13. Emilien Gailleton, 14. Tom Spring, 15. Theo Attissogbe Bench: 16. Pierre Bourgarit, 17. Paul Mallez, 18. Regis Montagne, 19. Romain Taofifenua, 20. Cameron Woki, 21. Jacobus van Tonder, 22. Baptiste Jauneau, 23. Antoine Hastoy
