Final round of Super Rugby
It's Friday - but for rugby fans it's more of a Fri-YAY as Aotearoa heads into the exciting and somewhat confusing final round of Super Rugby. Sports Reporter Jamie Wall spoke to Lisa Owen.
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RNZ News
30 minutes ago
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'A wee bit weird' - Is it time for netball to scrap post-match huddle?
Players huddle during the Magic vs Tactix ANZ Premiership match in Hamilton, 25 May 2025. Photo: © Photosport Ltd 2025 It's the post game ritual that netballers have taken part in for as long as anyone can remember but should New Zealand's elite players ditch the end of game group huddle? Hip hip hip, ray ray ray … is the go-to cheer our top netballers take part in after every game but sports reporter Bridget Tunnicliffe asked people in the sport whether they actually like the routine. The sight of opposing teams linking arms in a circle after a game has been a common one for years, through to international matches between Australia and New Zealand. In a recent ANZ Premiership match, the two teams came together like they always do to acknowledge each other. But in the commentary box for the TVNZ broadcast, Silver Fern Phoenix Karaka observed that it's not something everyone wants to do. "I'm not a fan, obviously when you're winning and you've won the game it's all good but when you've lost a game like that - you don't want to see the other team," Karaka said. In Australia, the players decided to ditch the end of the game group huddle ahead of this year's Super Netball Competition. Former Australian Diamonds legend turned commentator Cath Cox told a Fox Sports panel show that from an optics point of view, the players felt it looked out of place as professional athletes. Players also said it could be "awkward". Cox said it came off the back of last year's Constellation Cup between the Diamonds and Silver Ferns. In the Constellation Cup series between the Silver Ferns and Diamonds last year, the teams came together after each Test. Photo: Aaron Gillions / "They play each other every two or three days and discussions started then around is it too much to be coming into a huddle when you're still in the heat of the battle and after every single game?" Cox said. Former Silver Ferns captain and coach Yvonne Willering said in her day they thanked the opposition and the umpire and then went back to their own team. "Why would you at that stage want to get in a huddle with the opposition and people sort of say it's all about the game out on court and afterwards you can be mates, but to me it's too soon after the game. It's a bit like I have a problem with a team doing high fives when they really haven't played that well in a particular quarter. "While it's not a major, I totally understand why the Australians are no longer doing that. I think players themselves [in New Zealand] have been looking at that. I think a handshake and then just moving on has more merit," Willering said. Tactix captain Erikana Pedersen said it could feel forced at times. "Sometimes I question why we do that, and is it a bit of a just kind of a nice way to end things out but when you lose you don't want to be in a huddle with the people you just lost to so I can see why the Australian teams have stopped that this season and maybe that's something we need to look at doing," Pedersen said. Mystics captain Michaela Sokolich-Beatson (right). Photo: Marty Melville But some people in the sport, such as Mystics captain Michaela Sokolich-Beatson, believe it's one of the things that makes netball so unique. "We're trying to play the best brand of netball that we can play to make it a really strong game in our country and I think a part of that is doing it as a collective so I think to come together at the end of the game and congratulate each other and just celebrate each other I think is powerful in a women's sport and any sport in general so I'm happy to keep doing it," Sokolich-Beatson said. Pulse captain and Silver Fern veteran Kelly Jackson said she liked the act of camaraderie and respect between the sides. "I think it's nice to acknowledge the team and everyone goes out there to put their best foot forward so I think it shows a lot of sportsmanship to be able to be I guess humble in victory, gracious in defeat," Jackson said. Magic midcourter Georgie Edgecombe said she liked what the Australian teams had done. "Of course shake hands and pay respect to each other after the game but there's probably no need for a huddle and chat, the same thing gets said every week," Edgecombe said Tactix coach Donna Wilkins. Photo: © Photosport Ltd 2025 Mystics shooter Filda Vui said when her side played the Stars in round one, it was an opportunity to empathise with their opponents. "Three of their players got injured and got carried off the court. Mickey [Michaela Sokolich-Beatson] shared a few words just to say we felt for them because those are our sisters and we used to play and grew up with them in Auckland so that's why it's kind of nice too, to just share a few words because that was really sad," Vui said. Former Silver Fern and current Tactix coach Donna Wilkins, also used to play basketball for New Zealand. Wilkins said you don't see it in any other sport and wondered how authentic it was. "It's just always what you do in netball and it is a wee bit weird. Like you always shake hands etc in other sports but you don't normally come together. Normally the captain says something but you know we've just been in the heat of the battle - do they really mean what they are saying? "I know it's something that some of the players have discussed and talked about but I guess we've just always done it so it will be interesting to see if we follow that same path," Wilkins said. Mirroring what happens in most other sports, the Australian players now get around to one another to shake hands. It remains to be seen whether hip hip hip, ray ray ray is here to stay in New Zealand for years to come. But it's safe to say netball won't go down the NBA route of simply heading down the tunnel to the dressing rooms immediately after the game is done. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
30 minutes ago
- RNZ News
Football Ferns bounce back with 2-1 win over Venezuela
Photo: Photosport The Football Ferns have bounced back by beating Venezuela 2-1 in their second international friendly in Spain as the side aims to build more competition for starting spots. The South Americans, who are ranked 51st in the world, opened the scoring but New Zealand hit back through Milly Clegg before Jacqui Hand put them ahead in the 73rd minute. Midfielder Katie Kitching was happy with the improved performance from the Football Ferns, who are 32nd in the FIFA rankings. "It was a tough match again they made it hard for us but we stuck to the game plan and came out with the win so really happy about that," Kitching said. "We had lots of positives and lots of things to work on from the first game so we used the time we had off the pitch to work on it go through film work together and hopefully implement it today which we did." Kitching was given the captain's arm band towards the end of the match. "Yeah really special I didn't really expect Flea (Annalie Longo) to give it to me but yeah it was really nice to be captain even for a little bit." Football Ferns coach Michael Mayne was disappointed with his side's 3-1 loss to Venezuela on Sunday and thought some of the individual performances weren't up to scratch. "Obviously made a few changes based on that and I think the players that started the game got us on the front foot," Mayne said. "Our reaction over the last few days to come in, work a little bit harder, be a bit braver with the ball ...we controlled good periods of that game so I'm 100 percent pleased with the reaction." Mayne said building competition within the squad was important. "I trusted the group that there was players that wanted to step in and have the opportunity so there's a number of players there that have done the work the last couple of days to I guess answer some questions I had in my head so they've trained really well, they've recovered really well. "I think that was the biggest difference, is that competition, if a player doesn't perform there's going to be someone waiting in this team now ready to take their spot and so I just think that drives the performance so that's been the biggest shift." Mayne, who is settling in after his appointment to lead the team for the 2027 World Cup, said they were getting a lot out of their tours. "I'm working the players pretty hard, these tours ... we're looking at different ways to work, there's a number of things we trialled this tour around our trainings and structure so the players are responding to that ...the buy-in has been top class."
RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
'A wee bit weird' - Is it time for netball to scrap post-match group hug?
Players huddle during the Magic vs Tactix ANZ Premiership match in Hamilton, 25 May 2025. Photo: © Photosport Ltd 2025 It's the post game ritual that netballers have taken part in for as long as anyone can remember but should New Zealand's elite players ditch the end of game group huddle? Hip hip hip, ray ray ray … is the go-to cheer our top netballers take part in after every game but sports reporter Bridget Tunnicliffe asked people in the sport whether they actually like the routine. The sight of opposing teams linking arms in a circle after a game has been a common one for years, through to international matches between Australia and New Zealand. In a recent ANZ Premiership match, the two teams came together like they always do to acknowledge each other. But in the commentary box for the TVNZ broadcast, Silver Fern Phoenix Karaka observed that it's not something everyone wants to do. "I'm not a fan, obviously when you're winning and you've won the game it's all good but when you've lost a game like that - you don't want to see the other team," Karaka said. In Australia, the players decided to ditch the end of the game group huddle ahead of this year's Super Netball Competition. Former Australian Diamonds legend turned commentator Cath Cox told a Fox Sports panel show that from an optics point of view, the players felt it looked out of place as professional athletes. Players also said it could be "awkward". Cox said it came off the back of last year's Constellation Cup between the Diamonds and Silver Ferns. In the Constellation Cup series between the Silver Ferns and Diamonds last year, the teams came together after each Test. Photo: Aaron Gillions / "They play each other every two or three days and discussions started then around is it too much to be coming into a huddle when you're still in the heat of the battle and after every single game?" Cox said. Former Silver Ferns captain and coach Yvonne Willering said in her day they thanked the opposition and the umpire and then went back to their own team. "Why would you at that stage want to get in a huddle with the opposition and people sort of say it's all about the game out on court and afterwards you can be mates, but to me it's too soon after the game. It's a bit like I have a problem with a team doing high fives when they really haven't played that well in a particular quarter. "While it's not a major, I totally understand why the Australians are no longer doing that. I think players themselves [in New Zealand] have been looking at that. I think a handshake and then just moving on has more merit," Willering said. Tactix captain Erikana Pedersen said it could feel forced at times. "Sometimes I question why we do that, and is it a bit of a just kind of a nice way to end things out but when you lose you don't want to be in a huddle with the people you just lost to so I can see why the Australian teams have stopped that this season and maybe that's something we need to look at doing," Pedersen said. Mystics captain Michaela Sokolich-Beatson (right). Photo: Marty Melville But some people in the sport, such as Mystics captain Michaela Sokolich-Beatson, believe it's one of the things that makes netball so unique. "We're trying to play the best brand of netball that we can play to make it a really strong game in our country and I think a part of that is doing it as a collective so I think to come together at the end of the game and congratulate each other and just celebrate each other I think is powerful in a women's sport and any sport in general so I'm happy to keep doing it," Sokolich-Beatson said. Pulse captain and Silver Fern veteran Kelly Jackson said she liked the act of camaraderie and respect between the sides. "I think it's nice to acknowledge the team and everyone goes out there to put their best foot forward so I think it shows a lot of sportsmanship to be able to be I guess humble in victory, gracious in defeat," Jackson said. Magic midcourter Georgie Edgecombe said she liked what the Australian teams had done. "Of course shake hands and pay respect to each other after the game but there's probably no need for a huddle and chat, the same thing gets said every week," Edgecombe said Tactix coach Donna Wilkins. Photo: © Photosport Ltd 2025 Mystics shooter Filda Vui said when her side played the Stars in round one, it was an opportunity to empathise with their opponents. "Three of their players got injured and got carried off the court. Mickey [Michaela Sokolich-Beatson] shared a few words just to say we felt for them because those are our sisters and we used to play and grew up with them in Auckland so that's why it's kind of nice too, to just share a few words because that was really sad," Vui said. Former Silver Fern and current Tactix coach Donna Wilkins, also used to play basketball for New Zealand. Wilkins said you don't see it in any other sport and wondered how authentic it was. "It's just always what you do in netball and it is a wee bit weird. Like you always shake hands etc in other sports but you don't normally come together. Normally the captain says something but you know we've just been in the heat of the battle - do they really mean what they are saying? "I know it's something that some of the players have discussed and talked about but I guess we've just always done it so it will be interesting to see if we follow that same path," Wilkins said. Mirroring what happens in most other sports, the Australian players now get around to one another to shake hands. It remains to be seen whether hip hip hip, ray ray ray is here to stay in New Zealand for years to come. But it's safe to say netball won't go down the NBA route of simply heading down the tunnel to the dressing rooms immediately after the game is done. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
