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RNZ News
2 hours ago
- RNZ News
Laishon Albert-Jones blazes own NZ Warriors pathway despite royal lineage
Laishon Albert-Jones finally gets to play at Mt Smart. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/ Laishon Albert-Jones admits she has spent many of her formative years frequenting Mt Smart Stadium - now she finally gets to play there. Descended from NZ Warriors royalty - namely uncle Stacey Jones, a 261-game club legend - Albert-Jones, 27, is one of the most experienced members of the revived women's programme, which returns to NRLW competition on Saturday, after a four-year hiatus . In the meantime, she has pursued her own career across the Tasman with Newcastle Knights, helping them to a 2023 championship under new Warriors coach Ron Griffiths. "This is very exciting," Albert-Jones said. "It's definitely been a dream, since I was very young. "I've been around this club for a little while, but never thought I'd ever play for them. Now I get to play for them." Despite her familiarity with the Warriors, she is adamant she intends stamping her own mark on the club and does not feel the weight of expectation that comes with her family name. "Yeah, Stacey is my uncle and that, but I don't feel no pressure," she said. "I am me and get to play how I want to play, different positions and get to write my own story this time round. "We've always talked about footy quite a lot. I always say he doesn't help, but he does help, especially with game-specific stuff and general knowledge. "When I was in Newy, it was kind of hard, but now he's literally a couple of streets away from me." Ironically, their paths have rarely crossed lately, despite Jones' ongoing role as Warriors men's assistant, under coach Andrew Webster. "I actually haven't seen him in a little while, that's quite concerning," she said. "They're always away and we're always busy." Albert-Jones started out in the halves, before moving into the pack. Initially, she benefited from having 'The Little General' at her disposal. "I remember I was trying to learn how to be a better kicker," Albert-Jones recalled. "He used to tell me, 'Just go kick a tennis ball around off the top of your foot'. Laishon Albert-Jones won an NRLW premiership with Newcastle Knights. Photo: NRL Photos/ "Kinda worked actually - that's one tip I remember he's given me." Perhaps another inherited skill was her wily ability to bluff her way onto the field. Albert-Jones admits she was initially recruited by Griffiths for the Knights as a lock, where she will pack down against defending NRLW champions Sydney Roosters this week, but became frustrated at her lack of gametime. "I was getting over sitting on the bench for him, so I told our captain, 'Tell him to put me at [second] row, I can play [second] row'. I've never told him this, but that was the first time I'd played [second] row. "He called me and said, 'You know what you're doing, eh?' and I was, like, 'Yeah, 100 percent'. "It worked out and I stayed there, so lucky me, I guess." Only six others in the Warriors gameday squad have played NRLW before, so her teammates will draw heavily on Albert-Jones' experience at Newcastle, especially as they transition several from the 'other' rugby code, including sevens star Michaela Brake . "They've actually done an amazing job," she said. "I was a little sceptical about them all coming in, because there are quite a lot of them, but they're all top athletes that love playing sport. "Just anything competitive, they're good at." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
14 hours ago
- RNZ News
Evening Sport for Wednesday 2 July 2025
The countdown is on until the official return of the Warriors women. After five years in the wilderness, the Wah-hines are finally back in the NRLW and will mark their return against the Roosters this weekend. Sports reporter Jonty Dine joined Lisa Owen Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
RNZ News
20 hours ago
- RNZ News
Sinner ice cool as Gauff, Pegula and Zverev join bonfire of seeds
By Shrivathsa Sridhar and Martyn Herman, Reuters Coco Gauff of the United States. Photo: DAISUKE URAKAMI/AFP World number one Jannik Sinner stayed ice cool to move serenely into the Wimbledon second round but it was a second successive day of upsets at a sizzling All England Club as a succession of seeded players crashed and burned on Tuesday (UK time). American second seed Coco Gauff, chasing a French Open-Wimbledon double after her Paris triumph , was the day's most surprising casualty, losing 7-6(3) 6-1 to Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska as the sun set on a sultry day. Gauff's compatriot Taylor Fritz, the world number five, survived a five-set firefight by the skin of his teeth against big-serving Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. But the same could not be said of 13 of the men's seeds who fell at the first hurdle -- a Wimbledon record since 32 seeds were introduced in 2001. Nine seeds also perished in the women's first round while the eight top-10 seeds to go out across both singles draws is the highest at a Grand Slam in the professional era. Germany's Alexander Zverev was the most notable men's casualty, the third seed losing 7-6(3) 6-7(8) 6-3 6-7(5) 6-4 to France's Arthur Rinderknech in a marathon duel that began on Tuesday and was locked at one set apiece overnight. "I'm not sure he's ever played a match like that in his life," Zverev, who is still chasing a first Grand Slam title after 38 attempts, said. Italian Lorenzo Musetti, seeded seven, was also bundled out on Court Two by Nikoloz Basilashvili -- the same court where earlier American women's third seed Jessica Pegula was sent packing 6-2 6-3 by Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto. A red-hot Sinner never looked like joining the exodus as he beat fellow Italian and close friend Luca Nardi 6-4 6-3 6-0 in a victorious return to the Grand Slam stage after his epic French Open final defeat by Carlos Alcaraz last month. "I tried to put the friendship away for a couple of hours," Sinner, who conceded only four points when he landed his first serve, told reporters. After seven British players won singles matches on Tuesday -- a professional era record at Wimbledon -- home fans had more to cheer on Wednesday as fourth seed Jack Draper, his nation's big hope, avoided any dramas by easing past Argentina's Sebastian Baez who retired hurt trailing 6-2 6-2 2-1. In total, 10 British players have reached round two. Women's defending champion Barbora Krejcikova was tested by promising 20-year-old Filipina Alexandra Eala, but after a slow start she found her form to win 3-6 6-2 6-1 on her return to Centre Court after last year's surprise triumph. "I mean, what the hell [kind of tennis] she played in the first set?," said Krejcikova, praising her opponent. "She was smashing the ball and cleaning the lines, so wow, wow. She's going to be really good in a couple of years." Five-times Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek, seeded eight, is yet to conquer Wimbledon but showed positive signs as she beat Polina Kudermetova 7-5 6-1 while Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva advanced after a 6-3 6-3 victory over Mayar Sherif. Both might have expected Gauff to be a major obstacle but the world number two subsided against Yastremska. The women's draw is now without three of its top five seeds after number five Zheng Qinwen of China, the Olympic champion, suffered a third successive Wimbledon first-round defeat, beaten 7-5 4-6 6-1 by Czech doubles specialist Katerina Siniakova. "I believe if I get through the first match, I will start to play better and better (on grass)," Zheng said. "The problem is the first match for me is complicated." Many will lament the exit of Wimbledon dark horse Alexander Bublik, seeded 28th. The Kazakh showman is guaranteed entertainment with his array of trick shots but he was unable to avoid the exit door, as he was dragged into battle by Spaniard Jaume Munar and beaten 6-4 3-6 4-6 7-6(5) 6-2. Late in the day yet another seed fell as Frenchman Ugo Umbert was beaten by veteran countryman Gael Monfils, again defying his 38 years to edge a five-setter. American Fritz survived, though, letting out a massive roar as he beat Perricard 6-7(6) 6-7(8) 6-4 7-6(6) 6-4 in a match carried forward from Tuesday. Perricard's consolation for losing the cliffhanger was a 153mph serve -- a Wimbledon record. Tommy Paul took out Briton Johannus Monday with little fuss, the 13th seed cruising through 6-4 6-4 6-2, but it was the end of the road for fellow American and 30th seed Alex Michelsen who fell 6-2 3-6 6-3 3-6 7-6(6) to Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic. Zeynep Sonmez became the first Turkish woman to reach the second round at the grasscourt Grand Slam when she battled past Romania's Jaqueline Cristian 7-6(3) 6-3. Victoria Mboko found out a few hours before she faced Magdalena Frech that she had entered the main draw as a Lucky Loser due to Anastasia Potapova's withdrawal and the Canadian teenager rode her luck to stun the 25th seed 6-3 6-2. Fourteen years after first adding her name to the Wimbledon honours board, twice champion Petra Kvitova performed her last dance on the lawns, the Czech losing 6-3 6-1 to American 10th seed Emma Navarro. - Reuters
