Gallagher Chiefs player Naitoa Ah Kuoi stays with club for another year
The 24-year-old made the announcement on his Instagram page in a special episode of 'Toa's Tours' featuring fellow Bay of Plenty player Leroy 'Boomfa' Carter.
Ah Kuoi made his debut for the Chiefs in
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NZ Herald
5 days ago
- NZ Herald
On The Up: NBA player Steven Adams hosts first Rotorua training camp
The 2.11m (6ft 11in) basketballer grew up on the east side of Rotorua and attended Ōwhata Primary School, Mokoia Intermediate and Rotorua Lakes High schools. For Newton, the camp was extra special after her under-12 girls Rotorua basketball team won a competition to attend. During the break, Adams surprised the 12 girls on the team with new basketball shoes. Steven Adams surprised the under-12 Rotorua girls' team with new basketball shoes. The camps saw two sessions of more than 250 children spend two hours on the courts with Adams. He mingled among the rotations of drills giving a mix of encouragement and lippy competitive cheek to the children. In true Adams humour, he'd allow them to make a break before blocking the ball at the last minute then jokingly yelling 'in your face'. Steven Adams goes for the block. Photo / Kelly Makiha He had the players laughing as he went along a line taunting them saying, 'you're not going to score today'. For others, he'd sneak up behind them and bat the ball out of their hands. One 12-year-old spoken to by the Rotorua Daily Post described Adams as 'crack up'. 'I'm going to get him next time though and cross him (with the ball).' Steven Adams at his basketball camp in Rotorua. Photo / Supplied Rotorua Basketball Association operations manager Sue Pene said this was the first time Adams had brought the camp to his hometown. 'It's a great opportunity for our kids to have Steven here and this is the 10th anniversary of his camps.' She said the camps provided the children with aspirations to one day be like Adams. 'These camps are for the kids to do the best they can and work hard and hopefully they will achieve their goals and dreams.' There have been 24 camps held from Invercargill to Whangārei, with 10,000 children taking part and giveaways of 11,500 singlets and shirts and 12,500 basketballs. Adams, 32, made his NBA debut in 2013 and, according to reported records, had made $264 million before this latest signing with the Houston Rockets for $65m. Steven Adams mingles with the children at his basketball camp in Rotorua. Photo / Supplied A special ceremony was held for him at Ōwhata Primary School yesterday, attended by some of his former teachers. He posted a photograph of himself on Instagram that night, standing outside Rotorua Lakes High School with the caption 'Alot of good memories here'. After playing one season with the Wellington Saints in 2011, Adams moved to the United States in 2012 to play college basketball and was eventually picked up by the NBA. Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.
NZ Herald
7 days ago
- NZ Herald
‘Run it straight' $200k Dubai winner apologises after Kiwi teen's death linked to controversial sport
Speaking to the Herald five weeks after winning the Dubai event, Olosoni said Satterthwaite's death 'hurt me so much'. Ryan Satterthwaite, 19, died from serious head injuries suffered during a copycat run it straight game in Palmerston North in May. Photo / Instagram 'It made me think about life. Imagine being so young and you could've been something, then that happens to you... It's pretty rough [and] I feel sorry for the family that is enduring that pain,' he said. 'I apologise for that as well... influencing the younger generation to do that type of thing.' Olosoni said the incident made him rethink his participation in the sport and prompted Runit organisers to hold a string of meetings with competitors. 'They had a few conversations about it, making sure the boys understood what we were getting into, because it [death] is a possibility. 'In anything you do, you are at risk... Everything's risky, and the thing is we have to manage risk. 'One thing could happen inside the contact where if you're not trained enough, it could affect you long term. If you have constant concussions, you'll have dementia down the line.' Vulangi Olosoni, 26, took home A$200K after winning the Runit Championship League's Dubai-based final in June. Photo / Sylvie Whinray But Olosoni said the sport is helping people's lives, with life-changing sums of money up for grabs. 'This sport is going to help people who love contact, but also who would love to be in a contact sport where it can help their family long term. 'This income has helped my family, but also helped many others create income for their families as well.' He urged against copying the sport in an unprofessional setting like a backyard, over fears of another death. 'We had everything, that's why we were safe. We had doctors, nurses, a physio and made sure the referees were well trained in CPR and stuff like that. We had everything we could to give our best.' Despite the safety measures in place during the Dubai final, three competitors were forced to retire after displaying symptoms of a concussion – including former NRL veteran and Kiwis representative Kevin Proctor, who suffered a serious head injury and subsequent seizure after a collision. 'Run it straight' and other emerging combat sports are now at the centre of top-level Government discussions, with a decision on their futures in New Zealand set to be reached in the next six months. Concussion to Runit champion Olosoni, who grew up in rural South Auckland's Waiau Pa, said he was first told about the new sport by one of his closest friends – whom he used to 'run it straight' with in the backyard growing up. His background in sport includes 1st XV rugby at Rosehill College and a stint at premier club level in the Counties Manukau region, but he hung up the boots in 2022. 'The curious person I am, I went online and started searching run it straight up. I was like, 'Wait, I've done this many of times in rugby'.' His fears of getting seriously injured were put aside after he prayed and decided to throw his name in the hat. 'When I'm old, say for instance 65, would I regret not taking a chance that I could've? And that's what made me choose it myself.' Vulangi Olosoni: 'You feel like you have something to prove to everybody, that you should be there... I had to remember why I was there, to win for my family.' Photo / Sylvie Whinray Despite not playing any form of contact sport for three years, Olosoni was accepted to compete at the second Auckland trial night at Trusts Arena in front of hundreds of spectators. 'When I was there preparing, all these negative thoughts came to me. It was like 'You're not good enough, you won't achieve it, you won't win, you won't succeed'. 'My head space was cooked.' Olosoni ended up having only one run on the night after copping a shoulder to the head while he was tackling, causing him to stumble around and struggle to stay on his feet. He was forced to retire from the event. 'I wanted to make sure I kept my head away but I still got smacked in the head and that impact caused me to have a concussion.' Vulangi Olosoni was forced to retire during the Auckland trials after suffering a concussion while tackling. Photo / Photosport Two weeks after his concussion, he was contacted by the organisers asking him to compete in the final as a wildcard – bringing with it a free trip to Dubai, with Runit covering costs of flights, accommodation and giving the eight competitors spending money. 'You feel like you have something to prove to everybody, that you should be there. I had to remember why I was there, to win for my family.' As he stood 20m away from his opponents, Olosoni said there was 'a lot of fear that came over my body'. Despite this, he won two match-ups to qualify for the final against Australian Samuel Suamili. 'Everyone knows him as the 'Iceman', because he freezes bodies, and I was just like, 'Whoa, calm down'.' The final was called off after three of the six runs, when it was determined Suamili was too dazed to continue. Emotion overcame Olosoni, who burst into tears as his arm was raised in victory. 'It felt like the weight off my shoulders was lifted. I was just relaxed and tears were coming down my eyes. I was just appreciative to the people who were right by my side, my wife and God, as well as my little sister who flew out too. 'Wouldn't you regret not reaching your potential? Imagine that you reach 70-years-old and you think, 'I should've done this'. The worst thing [that could happen] is that you learn from it.' As for his A$200,000 prize, Olosoni said he's given away about $32,000 to family and friends, but hasn't touched the rest, and had enlisted the help of financial advisers to help him long term. Vulangi Olosoni said he's given about $32k of his prize to family and friends, but hasn't touched the rest. Photo / Sylvie Whinray The Herald understands Runit's next event will be held in the United States in the coming months, but organisers say it is yet to be confirmed. Olosoni said they were trying to push the next event further out so competitors would have more time to prepare. He hadn't decided if he would compete at the next event. 'My biggest choice that I'm thinking about right now is if it's worth it. If I did get chosen again, I would have to make sure that I get income before I even go. I've got to make sure that my family is looked after.'
1News
07-08-2025
- 1News
'Incredible opportunity': Volunteers leap to help Ardie Savea train
All Black Ardie Savea has capped off his preparation for his team's tour to Argentina with an early morning training at Wellington's St Patrick's College featuring plenty of young and eager volunteers. In an Instagram post last night, the 31-year-old called for assistance with a skills session or "just go for a run", and several turned up, despite the 6am start, including a student from Palmerston North Boys' High. 'To be fair, selfishly, I needed help, there's a few rugby skill blocks in there and I can't do it on my own, running at 6am. I can't ask the other rugby boys to get up that early, so, I come here early so I can go home and do the drop-offs with the kids," Savea told 1News today. 'You know, like, one of my blocks is wrestling and a sprint, and if no one turned up, I would be wrestling with the air so it's actually nice the boys turned up," Savea said. Savea trains with students at Wellimgton's St Pats College. (Source: 1News) ADVERTISEMENT One of the kids who took up the chance to rub shoulders with the All Blacks great was Kyren Carmont from Palmerston North Boys'. 'Oh, man, wake up at 3.30am just to take the opportunity to train with Ardie, that's just a massive opportunity,' Kyren told 1News. 'Like, training with him is just incredible. I actually can't believe it still. 'You train with someone that's at a higher level; you get brought up to that level. And yes, I feel like I'm making it up there just by training with him. "It's just an incredible opportunity.' Early morning training at Wellington's St Patrick's College attracts plenty of young and eager volunteers. (Source: 1News) Savea, a leader on and off the field who this year inspired Moana Pasifika to their best-ever Super Rugby position, said he was grateful to have members of the community help him. ADVERTISEMENT 'A few of them really push me,' he said. 'Even though you're young, you still learn a lot when you're old and it's nice to just run around with the youth. "They're fast fit, so they really push you.' Theo, a year 9 student from Wellington College, said: 'Yeah, pretty surreal, because he is such an idol to me — he has been for the last five years. Just to be able to be up close and do some drills with him, it's just pretty special.' Savea added: 'I want them to know that they come and they see me as just a normal kid that grew up in Wellington and I'm just like them. 'So, idol or not, we're just normal people, that were once really like them. We grew up in these communities.' For loose forward Savea, it was one last hit out before the All Blacks leave for Argentina ahead of the Rugby Championship. Their first of two Tests against the Pumas is in Cordoba a week on Sunday. 'People overlook them [Argentina] beating the British and Irish we're over there in their home territory," Savea said. "So it's an exciting tour for us to go there in the first few weeks... but also at the same time, it's a great challenge for us to elevate our game and do better.'
