Herald Hat-trick am sports quiz – Friday June 27
NZME Head of Sports Winston Aldworth and NZ Herald reporter Ben Plummer join Herald NOW to talk All Blacks and Moana Pasifika's future.
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Get all three sports-related questions of varying difficulty (easy, medium and hard) and you claim the Herald hat-trick.
Quiz compiled by Cameron McMillan.
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NZ Herald
2 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Referee abuse needs to stop for the sake of our games
The decision, under current laws, was correct. Yet for simply doing his job Barnes received a torrent of abuse, despite having 17 years of professional rugby referee experience, taking charge of 111 tests. And not just him, threats of physical and sexual violence were also directed at his wife and children – and that was the final straw – forcing him to hang up the whistle. Had X existed in 2007, I'd hate to imagine what it would have been like after France knocked the All Blacks out of that World Cup. This is just one example of many where match officials across all sports - at all levels – have become punching bags for players, coaches, and fans. But this isn't just about online bile, it's having real world consequences. Referees are quitting, fewer are signing up, and in some parts of the country, competitions are now under threat because there aren't enough officials left willing to cop the abuse. The Horowhenua-Kāpiti Rugby Union has become the unlikely voice of reason. In a bold, unprecedented move, they've postponed all rugby fixtures this weekend after an incident where a referee had to be escorted to his car over safety fears during a first XV game between Kāpiti College and Mana College. Less than 28 days ago, they warned this might happen. Now, they've followed through. Union chief executive Corey Kennett deserves credit for standing firm. But why has it taken a small provincial union to take the lead? Where is New Zealand Rugby in this conversation? Horowhenua-Kāpiti Rugby Union chief executive Corey Kennett has been praised for his decision. Photo / NZ Herald As custodians of our game, they should be the ones making the tough call – forcing all unions to make a similar stand in solidarity – not leaving little old Horowhenua-Kāpiti to lead from the front. In a country where rugby is both our most played and most watched sport, the tone from the top is vital. What happens at the elite level shapes behaviour across every club, school, and Saturday morning sideline. If respect for officials isn't modelled at the top, it won't exist at the grassroots either – where most referees are volunteers, not professionals. So how do we fix this? The standards must be set in professional sport by putting the shoe on the other foot. If a player is suspended for a dangerous tackle, they can attend 'tackle school' to learn proper technique. Why not introduce officiating school for those caught abusing referees? Let them experience what it's like to be in the middle. Run the drills. Make the calls. Feel the pressure. See how many infringements they miss. Hey they might actually like it and want to become a referee. These rules should be applied at all levels – because this problem exists everywhere. If it keeps happening, simply hit them in the pocket. Another idea is post-match referee interviews. Giving officials the opportunity to explain their decisions could add much-needed transparency and defuse criticism. An example of this occurred in 2015 when Gerrard Sutton appeared on The Footy Show, less than a week after being caught up in one of the most talked about incidents in the modern rugby league era. Bulldogs captain James Graham blew up at referee Sutton after a late penalty saw his side lose to the Rabbitohs in their annual Good Friday clash. James Graham (middle) of the Bulldogs confronts referee, Gerard Sutton. Photo / Getty Images Sutton needed protection as he left the field with fans throwing bottles at him. Graham later did he admit he didn't even know about the rule that led to the penalty, and it turned out most of the public didn't either, but the one man who did was the man with the whistle in Sutton. Sports like rugby and league have continual rule changes and the average punter struggles to keep up at the best of times, so having that level of insight would provide some clarity. Of course, there will always be emotion in sport. And yes, sometimes a decision feels unjust. But that doesn't justify threats, intimidation, or personal attacks. Everyone involved shares the responsibility of protecting the game's integrity. Referees aren't above criticism. But they are human. And if we don't act now to protect them, we won't just lose referees – we'll lose the spirit of the game itself. It's time other sports and other codes followed in the footsteps of Horowhenua-Kāpiti. Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.
1News
4 hours ago
- 1News
All Blacks suffer Wallace Sititi injury blow ahead of France series
All Blacks loose forward Wallace Sititi is out of the three-Test series against France due to an ankle injury. Sititi, 22, was last year's World Rugby's Breakthrough Player of the Year but played a limited part in the Chiefs' Super Rugby Pacific campaign this season as he recovered from a knee injury he suffered on the All Blacks' 2024 end of year Northern Hemisphere tour. Coach Scott Robertson has called in Crusaders No.8 Christian Lio-Willie as Sititi's replacement. A statement from New Zealand Rugby said Sititi "was seen by a surgeon last night regarding a high ankle injury and it has been determined that he will require surgery... a further medical assessment will be made in three weeks to determine his likely return to play." Lio-Willie was already with the squad as injury cover for Chiefs loose forward Luke Jacobson. ADVERTISEMENT Blues loose forward Dalton Papali'i has now been called in to replace Lio-Willie as that injury cover. No.8 Sititi was almost certain to start the first Test in Dunedin a week on Saturday and the selectors now have a big decision to make. Lio-Willie is a like-for-like replacement and could be a straight swap, with fellow newcomer Du'Plessis Kirifi adding impact from the bench. On the other hand, the selectors could opt to start Kirifi at openside flanker, with Ardie Savea starting at No.8, Samipeni Finau at blindside flanker and Lio-Willie on the bench. The All Blacks' team will be announced next Thursday.
Otago Daily Times
4 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
The French will be strong
All Blacks and Crusaders fullback Will Jordan insists France will be hard to beat in the three-test series, despite the French leaving plenty of top players at home. Gael Fickou will captain a 37-man France squad which includes 17 uncapped players. The three-test tour kicks off in Dunedin next weekend, with the Six Nations champions missing several frontline players. However, the French team could grow. Several players are set to be added following this weekend's Top 14 final between Toulouse and Bordeaux-Begles. Jordan, fresh off helping the Crusaders to a record 13th full Super Rugby title, told RNZ the All Blacks will be getting their house in order before worrying about who is and isn't playing for France. "First and foremost, we'll focus on ourselves and getting our processes in our game going and clicking. We'll get an idea of the French squad off the back of the Top 14 final this week, but French rugby at the moment, it's full of depth across the park. "Knowing the way the French play the game, up tempo, and when they come at you they'll be taking no backward steps. So for us it's focusing on our game, for the first test in particular." Jordan is expecting the French to play a territorial kicking game and he said that could give him some opportunities to test the tourists' defence. He's pleased conditions in Dunedin will be better than they were for the Super Rugby final in Christchurch and said the All Blacks were keen to use the ball and run the French ragged. "The final was about a two degree night in Christchurch and plenty of dew across the ground. Under the roof [in Dunedin] we'll certainly have a mindset to look to play. "We want to play a nice fast tempo and try and get our attack going. The French, they tend to have more of a long kicking game rather than contestables [sic]. So potentially for myself there may be a bit more opportunity to counter attack. "You're balancing up that pressure game of kicking versus the tempo you can play at. It's about finding the balance, but I'd say under the roof we'll lean towards wanting to go at them with our attack." Jordan said All Blacks coach Scott Robertson has produced a blueprint for a new style of play to try to break down rush defences and keep the ball alive, with winning the 2027 World Cup the ultimate goal. "I think the foundations were laid last year. looking at our numbers across the park, in terms of opportunities that we created, line breaks, carry meters, defenders beaten, although it's really good, it was probably just our finishing, our completion, errors at the wrong time that let us down," Jordan said. "It's nice to be able to have a second year in the system and guys be a bit more familiar with it, so we can hit the ground running a bit more this time."
