On The Up: Young gamers level up from Rotorua lounge to esports grand stage
The 10- and 11-year-old Rotorua and Kaharoa Primary School pupils have qualified for the live finals of Asia-Pacific school esports competition, the FUSE Cup, to
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NZ Herald
2 days ago
- NZ Herald
On The Up: Young gamers level up from Rotorua lounge to esports grand stage
A parental attempt to teach a lesson about gaming all the time has instead put four Rotorua kids on a path to international esports glory. The 10- and 11-year-old Rotorua and Kaharoa Primary School pupils have qualified for the live finals of Asia-Pacific school esports competition, the FUSE Cup, to
RNZ News
2 days ago
- RNZ News
All Blacks countdown: The fine margins of the scrum
All Blacks v France Kick-off: 7:05pm Saturday 5 July Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin Live blog updates on RNZ Sport There's a wild rumour flying around about the Super Rugby Pacific final , but Fletcher Newell has cleared it up. The Crusaders conceded penalties on the first two scrums of the game, only to then take complete control of the Chiefs' scrum for the remainder of the game, culminating in a couple of match clinching penalties. Word was that the Crusaders had done so on purpose, which would be a wily but on brand act to lull their opponents into a false sense of security. However Newell said that the reality of the eventual 19-12 win to the Crusaders was a little less dramatic. "That's not true, nah definitely not. It probably took us a couple of scrums to execute our plan. We had a pretty clear plan going into the game," he said at the All Blacks' hotel. "It was probably just a couple of little technicalities we didn't quite get right. Probably the gap was a little bit big, they saw we were collapsing on the hit. So, once we got that right, we're able to keep both teams up. We saw the power of our back five to be able to get us through and it turned into a pretty pivotal part of the final, which was really enjoyable." Fletcher Newell. Photo: Martin Hunter/ The 25-year-old Newell's attention now focuses to the All Blacks' three test series with France , starting this Saturday night in Dunedin. After the emotional high of the Crusaders' redemption championship, he has had his training load managed after playing the entirety of both the semi and final. Such a shift is rare for a modern day front rower, but Newell isn't fussed. "I think for me, just playing rugby is really important. Stacking weeks on weeks and I know last year we missed a few weeks before the first test, you kind of fall out of that routine a bit. So, I think for me, like being in routine and to be able to just keep stacking training weeks is really important physically." Newell pointed out that the test match intensity of the Super Rugby Pacific play-offs was the perfect pre-cursor to the test season, although it will still require a step up. "It's a little bit more difficult. Obviously, there's a lot of experienced players around us, but I think it's just having that courage to, to tell them what we need. I think that's really important part of being a tighthead prop as well, you've got to communicate with everyone on the field, have those little simple adjustments and be able to execute it under pressure." That includes communicating directly with the likes of Scott Barrett to push harder in the scrums, on the surface a rather unenviable situation. "We have built up that trust, throughout Super Rugby. And then also when we come in here, we're encouraged to speak what we need to say." The All Black scrum has been one of the success stories of the last few seasons, however has suffered the loss this week of Tamaiti Williams , who is out with a knee injury for the next six to eight weeks. Newell is well aware of just how crucial the scrum will once again be, and how it will be adjudicated throughout the season. "Obviously there's a lot of a lot of moving parts and it is a really tough thing to be out for a referee who's under a lot of pressure to be able to make a call in a big moment. What we've got to do to give the ref clear pictures, stay really nice and square and show both sides going forward. So the more we can do that and show dominance, we're confident in the referee to make that decision."
Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Australia's Rugby Renaissance: 3 Factors Powering a Renewed Love of the Sport
This content is supplied by Reputio. Rugby union has a lot of competition in Australia, with rugby league, AFL, soccer, and cricket. However, 2025 might go down as a significant year for rugby union. Is this a real renaissance for Australian rugby? The Hamish McLennan era, which sounded good in theory, resulted in only two test wins. Eddie Jones couldn't lead the Wallabies out of their 2023 World Cup pool and then left for Japan. Going back even further, neither Michael Cheika or Bill Pulver could steer the team to success. However, since Phil Waugh took over as chief executive of Rugby Australia in late 2023, things have been looking up. Daniel Herbert replaced McLennan a few months later, and Joe Schmidt was brought in as head coach. This doesn't seem to be another false dawn. Is it just the recent success powering our renewed love of rugby, or is there more to it? Australian teams have enjoyed success in Super Rugby in 2025, with the Reds, Waratahs, Force, and Brumbies all looking promising. Between 2016 and 2018, Australian teams lost a staggering 40 consecutive matches against clubs from New Zealand. There were complaints about the standard of play in Super Rugby after it became a Pacific-only tournament in 2022. Jason Ryan, the All Blacks forwards coach, said in 2023, that super rugby probably isn't up to the standard it once held for itself. But now, the league appears to be back to its best, with the other Australian clubs snapping up talent from Melbourne Rebels after they collapsed. Writer Gregor Paul observed that teams across the league have clearly improved their skill levels. This progress has been significantly supported by strategic investments in hiring and retaining top coaching talent. For instance, Dan McKellar's move from Leicester Tigers to take charge of the Waratahs has made a notable difference, while Les Kiss, who joined Queensland from London Irish last year, continues to play a transformative role at the Reds. Schmidt's appointment as Wallabies head coach marked a big turning point as he is known for successful tenures with Ireland and the All Blacks. The head coach quickly handed debuts to 18 Australia players in 2024, which is the most the team has seen since the 1920s, according to the Irish Times. Schmidt was able to really get the most out of talent. These included Len Ikitau, who recently signed for Exeter, and Tom Wright. The latter noted after the Wallabies' match against England last year that Australia had also benefitted from Joseph Suaalii's emergence. Wright said the 'best parts of (Suaalii's) game are the physical attributes (…) the instinctual play' and that there wasn't a need to scrutinise the data too deeply. The Guardian reported on 2025's having higher stakes through faster gameplay and tighter margins, which it said were 'boosting crowd attendances, TV ratings and greater success for Australian sides.' Super Rugby CEO Jack Mesley said the high-energy play in games such as the early season Reds-Waratahs clash was great for fans, paying particular attention to the pace of games engaging more people. All this coincides with more reporting and broadcasts, along with a higher level and volume of engagement surrounding the sport across a number of mediums. Australian rugby is here to stay Australian rugby seems to have turned a corner, not only with improved results but with fresh energy at each level of the game. Leadership changes, smart coaching appointments, and a more engaging style of play are drawing in more fans. Amid competition from the NRL, ARL and cricket, rugby union is gaining significant momentum.
