All Blacks team naming brings little surprise
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RNZ News
39 minutes ago
- RNZ News
All Blacks v Argentina: what you need to know
Pumas v All Blacks Kick-off: 9:10am Sunday 17 August Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes, Córdoba Live blog updates on RNZ The All Blacks open their Rugby Championship campaign in Argentina, facing Los Pumas in Córdoba. Scott Robertson's side comes in unbeaten after a 3-0 series win over France, while the Pumas have had a mixed build up. Felipe Contepomi's team scored a famous victory over the British & Irish Lions in Dublin but then dropped a series against an understrength England side at home. All Blacks coach Scott Robertson takes a selfie with fans. Photo: Brett Phibbs / Pumas: 1. Mayco Vivas, 2. Julian Montoya, 3. Pedro Delgado, 4. Franco Molina, 5. Pedro Rubiolo, 6. Pablo Matera, 7. Marcos Kremer, 8. Joaquin Oviedo, 9. Gonzalo Garcia, 10. Tomas Albornoz, 11. Bautista Delguy, 12. Santiago Chocobares, 13. Lucio Cinti, 14. Rodrigo Isgro, 15. Juan Cruz Mallia Bench: 16. Ignacio Ruiz, 17. Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 18. Joel Sclavi, 19. Guido Petti, 20. Juan Martin Gonzalez, 21. Simon Benítez Cruz, 22. Santiago Carreras, 23. Justo Piccardo All Blacks: 1. Ethan de Groot, 2. Codie Taylor, 3. Fletcher Newell, 4. Scott Barrett, 5. Fabian Holland, 6. Tupou Vaa'i, 7. Du'Plessis Kirifi, 8. Ardie Savea, 9. Cortez Ratima, 10. Beauden Barrett, 11. Rieko Ioane, 12. Jordie Barrett, 13. Billy Proctor, 14. Sevu Reece, 15. Will Jordan Bench: 16. Samisoni Taukei'aho, 17. Ollie Norris, 18. Pasilio Tosi, 19. Patrick Tuipulotu, 20. Samipeni Finau, 21. Finlay Christie, 22. Anton Lienert-Brown, 23. Damian McKenzie Tomas Albornoz of Argentina is challenged by Maro Itoje of British & Irish Lions. Photo:This is a very strong Pumas team, with their main weapons in the loose forwards. Pablo Matera will be fired up for another win over the All Blacks, while Joaquin Oviedo was outstanding in the win over the Lions. Tomas Albornoz comes back in after missing the England series, he is shaping up as a long term first five for the Pumas. Will Jordan celebrates his try with Cortez Ratima. Photo: Brett Phibbs / Scott Robertson has made nine changes to the team that played France but none are a surprise, with Cortez Ratima getting the nod at halfback and Finlay Christie backing him up off the bench. Tupou Vaa'i starts at blindside and Samipeni Finau covers the loose forwards, while Scott Barrett comes back in at lock and leads the side. Argentina players celebrate their Rugby Championship win over the All Blacks at Sky Stadium in Wellington. Photo: Photosport The All Blacks have won 35 of their 39 tests against Argentina, they are unbeaten against Los Pumas in Argentina (W13 D1). The All Blacks have won nine of their last 10 tests including a 3-0 series sweep of France and have held their opponent to exactly one try in five of those last 10 games. Argentina's next win in tests will be their 250th, and they've won six games in the last three editions of The Rugby Championship which is as many as they had won across all previous editions of the tournament. "We know the Pumas identity is a fast and physical game, and we've selected a team that will embrace the occasion." - All Black coach Scott Robertson. "Over the last few years, they've challenged us, particularly in the first game. We've lost a couple of those, so the first 20 minutes can be important," - All Black fullback Will Jordan. All Blacks 42 - 10 Pumas The backlash that hit the Pumas after their shock win in Wellington was a vintage wounded All Black performance, with six tries to one scored at Eden Park. Damian McKenzie got one for himself and converted all of them in rainy conditions, with Beauden Barrett lining up at fullback and Will Jordan grabbing a double on the wing. This shapes as a massive game for both teams, as they look to challenge the Springboks for The Rugby Championship. Jordan's comment about the first 20 minutes is spot on, almost every time the All Blacks have played in Argentina they've managed to snuff out the crowd and Pumas' desire in the early stages of the game. Expect Beauden Barrett to kick often but smartly, as the Pumas have some serious threats on the counter attack. The back end of the game will be interesting if it's still close, as the All Black bench certainly proved its worth in the last test against France to come out with an ultimately comfortable win.
RNZ News
39 minutes ago
- RNZ News
NZ Warriors' Harata Butler completes emotional rugby league journey
Harata Butler leads the Warriors out against Canterbury Bulldogs. Photo: Harata Butler wipes away tears at the thought of taking her NRLW career to her childhood home of the Waikato. On Saturday, NZ Warriors women will play the first of three 'home' games at Hamilton, when they face Canberra Raiders at FMG Stadium. The Aussie rugby league competition will also celebrate 'Indigenous Round', so Butler and her teammates have a chance to debut their specially designed 'Te Kahu' jersey, and reflect on the diverse cultural forces that drive their collective journey. "I don't know that I'll ever be able to find the right words to articulate this feeling at this time," she began. "It will probably be a feeling I want to bottle up and keep for a very long time to come." A perfect storm of emotions hits Butler like a tsunami, as she thinks about how proud her deceased parents would be, if they could only be there to share the moment. "Running out on Go Media Stadium for our first home game was a massive experience, but for me personally, this will be my Go Media runout," she admitted. "Chasing the dream to play NRLW has come with sacrifices, like having to leave home. I was definitely trying to come home and play in front of my parents, but unfortunately, they will have the best seats in the crowd. "They actually lay at Taupiri Maunga [cemetery], so being able to play at FMG on Saturday, knowing that it's so close - we'll drive past them on the way through - that's probably going to be my moment and every time I take that field, just knowing they're there." Part of the Warriors' mission statement in their return to the competition is to blaze a pathway for young women all over the country to pursue rugby league as their chosen sport. Taking the NRLW to the Waikato opens a doorway to the next generation, one that didn't seem to exist when Butler was growing up in nearby Huntly. "When I was about eight, right up to when I was about 17, the only professional wahine athletes played netball," she said. "I used to think, 'I want to be a Silver Fern'. "As I got a bit older and I stopped growing, and everyone got taller than me, I started thinking, 'I want to be something else now'. It wasn't until my late teens that the world of rugby union and rugby league smacked me in the face, and said, 'We've been here this whole time'. "I had a bit of a dabble on the field and thought, 'I want to pursue this game'." Harata Butler began her rugby league journey at Huntly's Taniwharau club. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/ Butler, 32, played her junior footy at the Taniwharau club, where former Warriors Lance Hohaia and Wairangi Koopu began their careers. Her ambitions took her to Auckland and then across the Tasman, where she eventually made her NRLW debut for Cronulla Sharks in 2023. Since then, she has logged 18 games for the Sharks, North Queensland Cowboys and Warriors, while also representing Māori All Stars four times. "If you ever wanted to be the best growing up and playing rugby league, you had to come to Tāmaki Makaurau, because this was where the game was thriving," she recalled. "You saw a lot of wahine throughout New Zealand move to Tāmaki or travel. Now, having FMG Stadium considered a second home for our Warriors NRLW side … it's home for me, it's my first home and, being a proud wahine tangata whenua, it's going to be a memorable time." As they embrace their cultural diversity, the Warriors women gathered at Te Mahurehure Marae in Point Chevalier this week to recognise their roots, whether they be Māori, Pacific Island or Indigenous Australian. "I'm a Gomeroi man from far western New South Wales," coach Ron Griffiths said. "I've grown up knowing who I am. "I can trace my lineage back to first contact in Australia - I was one generation away from the 'stolen generation'. My dad and my aunty used to get moved from house to house … they needed to have a clean set of clothes for school every day or they could have been taken from my grandmother. "A lot of our language was displaced. We weren't allowed to speak language and there are so many parts of our history that are missing. "We weren't even allowed to vote until the 1967 referendum." Griffiths, who also coaches the Indigenous All Stars men, took the Warriors role knowing the part ethnicity would play in their programme. "One thing for us, we've got a real diverse range of culture, so for me, it's been good to immerse ourselves in it and embrace it. "The club is so welcoming, and wants to make sure every culture is acknowledged and everyone feels comfortable." The Hamilton connection has a part to play in that and the Warriors wahine have already invested into building a rapport with their new fanbase, visiting local schools and conducting coaching clinics. "Since day one, we've talked about changing the rugby league landscape in New Zealand," Griffiths said. "Waikato is a rugby league stronghold or it certainly could develop into one, if we put time into it, which we plan on doing." Ron Griffiths took the Warriors job knowing it would come with a heavy accent on cultural diversity. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/ Butler is sure the occasion will carry her team, who have gathered back-to-back wins for the first time in their history and now chase a third straight against the winless Raiders. "There will definitely be mana pumping through all of us and, in another part of our beautiful country, there will be girls travelling with their families from rural communities," she said. "It's about inspiring the next generation, and we're here now and we're here for the long run." As she reflects on her own pathway and the pioneers that showed the way for her, Butler understands she has been entrusted to continue that work in the NRLW's newest outpost. "I'm so proud that I get to walk out and bring that to life for our girls down in the Waikato and throughout Aotearoa," she said. "We're here in their backyard and for them to see that in person with their own eyes will no doubt light that fire in a few bellies. "To be part of this pioneering part and bringing the professionalism of this game back to Aotearoa … I like that word, but it makes me feel really old. "I try and dodge it as much as I can, but it's a huge honour to be considered a pioneer of our game." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
9 hours ago
- RNZ News
Auckland hosts global darts superstars
Auckland about 1 hour ago Todd Zaner crosses to RNZ sports reporter Jamie Wall on the ground at the New Zealand Darts Masters in Auckland. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
