ODT Rugby Chat: Form players share their insights
Paul Dwyer has to apologise to Cam for him not making the Form XV even though he was the player of the round.
We ask Lucas how he has bulked up so much over the summer and why Otago still haven't given him a full contract!!
The boys talk about the depth, or lack of it, at their respective clubs and how they will go this weekend.
Stay with us as they give us some great insights into the local club rugby scene.
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Otago Daily Times
18 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Skating on down to the roller derby
The speed, strategy and shoulder-to-shoulder thrills of roller derby will be on show this weekend. Dunedin Derby is presenting "Frozen Fury", Sunday, 1pm at the Edgar Centre. The free afternoon of demonstration games will feature athletes from Dunedin's A team, the Gallow Lasses and B team, the Bonnie Brawlers, along with players from Southern Most Skaters, of Invercargill and Dead End Derby, of Christchurch. Dunedin Bonnie Brawlers coach Kate Kavanagh said the inter-league scrimmage was an opportunity to showcase what roller derby was all about. "It is a fun game." The family-friendly and inclusive sport built confidence, she said. Whether you are suited to be a nimble "jammer" or a sturdy "blocker", there were plenty of roles. "If you are tall or small, or you are strong and big, or you are little and tiny there is a space for you." The free event on Sunday was an opportunity for people to learn about the sport and decide if they want to join. Besides training to be a player, there were other opportunities for people to take part. Participants could serve as non-skating officials, timing penalties and jams or operating the scoreboard. People could also train as referees "in the zebra stripes", skating while monitoring the action inside and outside the track. "So yeah, there's lots of ways that you can get involved in derby." For those choosing to take the plunge, the team's "Learn to Skate" programme took place on Sundays in the afternoon, she said. "It takes around six months to get from Learn to Skate to actually doing contact and being able to play. It's quite an intensive course." "We do have skates and protective gear for people who want to learn to skate that they can borrow." The course taught skills such as skating forwards and backwards, stopping safely and manoeuvring around others. If people decided after the programme that playing was not for them, the skills would still come in handy for on-skate or off-skate officiating. "A lot of the skills that you do in Learn to Skate will transfer to being a ref." For beginners who had never skated, a pathway into roller derby was to first join the Dunedin Inline/Roller Skaters entry level group. The roller derby team trained on Tuesday and Thursday nights and Sunday mornings "Safety is really important to us, obviously we wear lots of gear, we don't want to get injured. "We do quite intensive warm-ups to make sure we are ready to skate." Roller derby players adopted derby names; for example, Kavanagh's was Flat Liner. She said it was a very enjoyable sport. "I think the people are awesome, a really good group of people. "The fitness is amazing, so it is a really good way to keep fit. "The sport is a good way to relieve a bit of stress". "If you're doing the contact stuff, you know, you can come and hit people. And they want to be hit, so that's quite fun."
Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Shadows over netball's place in the sun
Netball has long had a special place for New Zealanders. It has been the number one women's team sport in both interest and participation. Its stars, outside of Olympic Games heroes, often represented the pinnacle of sporting achievement for female sport. Netball legends, including Dunedin's former New Zealand representative and revered coach Lois Muir, have long been admired and celebrated. Showdowns against Australia were eagerly anticipated. A broad cross-section of sporting fans recognised the team and its players. Viewership during the heyday of World Championship and Commonwealth Games finals was immense. Yet, much has and is changing, at least at the elite level. The domestic netball competition once commanded high fees for broadcast rights. These were sold to Sky, both a blessing and a curse. The money enabled the players to be paid salaries and boosted professionalism but, because the games were on a subscription service, much of the population was excluded. Children had fewer opportunities to see potential heroes in action. Netball faded a little from the limelight. Netball's appeal to broadcasters has waned, and in recent months it has struggled to secure a broadcast partner. While TVNZ 1 will now show games live and on demand, reports suggest Netball New Zealand had to pay for the privilege. This year, the domestic competition was shortened to reduce costs. Its format for next season remains uncertain. Meanwhile, top players are heading overseas in search of better financial rewards. Superstar Grace Nweke left for Australia this year, initially sacrificing her eligibility to represent New Zealand. Unable to offer competitive salaries, Netball NZ has backtracked, allowing certain players, including Nweke, to depart while retaining Silver Fern eligibility. The criteria for this dispensation remain undisclosed. Several players are heading overseas, including Southern Steel co-captain Kate Heffernan. Who can blame them, when top players might earn $120,000 in Australia compared to just $60,000 in New Zealand? Even that figure is uncertain, with pay cuts expected next year, and many players earning significantly less. Next year, the televised league will also lack the draw of its 10 or so most recognised netballers, weakening its appeal. On the other hand, the presence of many of them in the Australian league could offer a new platform for New Zealand fans to follow the sport Netball might go the way of basketball, football and rugby league, with one or two New Zealand teams competing in Australia. That would be a long way from the days when the two countries shared a competition with the same number of teams. Premier netball is shifting from professional to semi-professional, and perhaps even amateur. Unlike rugby or cricket, it lacks a male counterpart to help underpin professional structures. Unlike football, it lacks international clout and the revenue generated by World Cups. And unlike basketball, it is not a global sport offering pathways such as US college scholarships. Viewers now have compelling alternatives in women's rugby, rugby league, football, and cricket, most of which carry greater overall clout. These sports are also drawing athletic talent that once gravitated toward netball. As a result, netball's standards are likely to decline, and New Zealand may struggle to consistently reclaim a top-two global ranking. Netball also faces intensified competition for commercial interest and sponsorship. The good news is the enduring strength at the community level. It continues to benefit from dedicated volunteers and, particularly in the South, capable development officers. Southland, of course, remains the standout region for netball support. Netball New Zealand's registered player numbers rose from about 120,000 in 2024 to about 145,000 last year. However, there may have been a decline in secondary school participation. Basketball and volleyball have grown in popularity. Indoor team sports have growing costs and organisational advantages over those based on fields. Volleyball demonstrates that a high profile is not necessary to thrive. Netball's deep roots in New Zealand society will serve it well in the challenging times ahead.
Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Otago beat Wellington in high-scoring thriller
Dylan Pledger of Otago on attack during the round three NPC match between Wellington and Otago at Porirua Park. Defence was optional at Porirua as Otago outlasted Wellington 46-41 at Jerry Collins Stadium. Wellington certainly started where they left off against Waikato a week ago, scoring two tries in the first few minutes to shoot out to a 14-0 lead. However, Otago hit back through promising halfback Dylan Pledger and Lucas Casey. The openside flanker scored a second on the half hour mark, before Wellington halfback Esi Komaisavai hit back for the home side. Cam Millar tacked on a penalty to give Otago a deserved 24-19 halftime lead, before Will Tucker scored after the break to stretch the lead. It probably should have been more, but the momentum swung back sharply, when an errant Otago pass was snatched by wing Tom Maiava to race half the length of the field and score. Lock Akira Ieremia crashed over shortly after to give Wellington their first lead of the game. That advantage lasted all of a minute, before more shoddy tackling allowed Jona Nareki to stroll over for Otago, but not long after, Matt Proctor again kept Wellington in the game when he scored out wide. By this stage, it was clear whichever team could just simply keep their heads for a while would win and Otago were first to figure it out. Thomas Umaga-Jensen's ultimately matchwinning try, once again through some frustratingly poor tackling, was followed up by 10 minutes of actually structured rugby by the visitors on both sides of the ball. Millar knocked over a penalty goal in the 73rd minute, which gave them a two-score lead, and the ability to simply line up and defend Wellington's increasingly desperate attempts. The game ended with a bit of drama, with Jackson Garden-Bachop quickly kicking a penalty to leave Wellington with one opportunity off the kickoff to score a try to win. Ultimately, that was too much to ask, as Otago's defence forced a forward pass to end the game. The late shot at goal at least earned a bonus point for the defending champions, who head up the road next weekend to face Manawatu. Otago will fancy their chances, when they head to Pukekohe to play winless Counties-Manukau.
