Hoping to pocket a world title
Having a keen eye for strategy and a brain with a maths focus is not a bad start, though.
O'Donnell, 21, is heading to Ireland this week to represent New Zealand at the world eightball championships.
The University of Otago student is in his third year of a bachelor of science degree with a major in statistics — which naturally begs a question around whether his studies translate nicely to a game built so heavily on judging the right angle.
"Actually, a lot of people ask me that," O'Donnell said.
"I wouldn't say it directly translates, but I think just the way that my brain works — I'm quite strategy-based. So having a maths brain does help a bit, in terms of how I see the table."
O'Donnell grew up in New Plymouth and was introduced to the appeal of pool at a young age.
"It's been a part of my life for just under 10 years, maybe nine years or so.
"My dad has been into the sport for a very long time, and he got me into it. We've got a pool table at home, so I was playing almost every day growing up, and here I am now."
It is just the second time New Zealand has sent a team to the International Eightball Pool Federation world championships.
Last year, the Kiwis sent just 12 players — including Dunedin pair Jackson Wright and Blane Watson — but this time, in Ennis, there will be 42 New Zealanders.
O'Donnell is in the under-23 squad, alongside Watson, who is back in the North Island.
"I'm really looking forward to it. I watched quite a lot last year and talked to people who went.
"It just seems like it's going to be a really cool team event and a real good tester to see how we go against the rest of the world.
"I've been playing almost every day and at lots of local events. There's nearly something on every night. And the nights when there hasn't been something on, I've been trying to visit people who have a table at home, just to try and get as much table time as I can."
O'Donnell did his first year of tertiary study in Christchurch, which has a strong pool community.
He was unsure what to expect when he headed south and was concerned he might lose some competitive opportunities.
"I didn't even know it was a thing here in Dunedin, but when I came to Bowey's, one of the players recognised me and asked if I wanted to join a team.
"It turns out there are almost 300 players in Dunedin, so it's a lot bigger than I expected.
"It's a great scene. Everyone is so friendly and supportive. It's nice to be a part of it."
O'Donnell previously went with a junior team to the United States in 2018 to play under the American rules, but the world championships will use his preferred English rules.
hayden.meikle@odt.co.nz
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Otago Daily Times
4 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
NZR confirm new broadcast deal
New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has confirmed a new broadcast deal with Sky from 2026-2030 with TVNZ to screen provincial games free-to-air. Sky will continue to broadcast all All Blacks, Black Ferns, Super Rugby Pacific, Super Rugby Aupiki and NPC and Farah Palmer Cup matches. Up to five offshore All Blacks and Black Ferns test matches respectively during the period are not included in the domestic broadcast agreement. NZR hopes these matches will give it the ability to generate additional income if confirmed. Rights to broadcast these matches will be negotiated on a match-by-match basis at the time. No financial details have been revealed, though NZR chairperson David Kirk said the governing body was pleased with the deal. "We're delighted to confirm this new agreement with our long-term partner Sky, which will see Sky remain the home of rugby in New Zealand. The next five years are exciting for fans, with the best domestic competitions in the world and an amazing international calendar for our All Blacks and Black Ferns, including a men's and historic first women's British & Irish Lions tour," Kirk said. TVNZ will become NZR's free-to-air provincial rugby partner. "We are pleased to partner with TVNZ to provide expanded free-to-air coverage of provincial rugby," Kirk said. "New Zealanders will have more ways to watch rugby than ever before over the next five years." NZR has reserved the right to play up to five offshore All Blacks and Black Ferns matches respectively over the five-year term from outside the scheduled competitions, to support its efforts to increase its revenue base. New Zealand rights to broadcast such matches will be negotiated on a match-by-match basis at the time. Kirk said NZR was focused on improving access to rugby for fans through this broadcast agreement and NZR's wider content strategy, supported by exciting domestic and cross-border competitions and a block-buster international calendar. "The Black Ferns will take part in a new international women's calendar from next year that will see them play more test matches against the best teams in the world. We also have some exciting announcements to make in the coming months to confirm the All Blacks calendar, including new competitions and tours." The agreement with TVNZ will see 93 provincial matches available free-to-view on TVNZ+, with three games a week in appointment viewing slots on TVNZ 1. These matches will also be shown co-exclusively live on Sky. "We see this as a win-win-win outcome - a secure revenue stream to support NZR in investing in rugby; Sky remaining our partner and the home of rugby; and a win for our fans as they will have more options and channels for viewing rugby," Kirk said. Kirk said there was much to be positive about in terms of the financial outcome, the expansion of rugby coverage and fan access. "We have seen positive broadcast numbers on Sky for the All Blacks and Black Ferns this year and the Super Rugby Pacific Final enjoyed its best viewership since 2016." Kirk said NZR will now focus on finalising its international broadcast agreements.
NZ Herald
8 hours ago
- NZ Herald
ACC data shows surge in Whanganui gym injuries; personal trainers share tips for injury prevention
Inexperienced coaches, improper technique, insufficient warming up, over-training and not recovering properly were some examples. 'It's about having that awareness of your limitations,' Coley said. ACC injury prevention leader James Whitaker said lifestyle changes were leading more New Zealanders to hit the gym, resulting in more injuries. Whitaker's advice was for beginners to ease into strength training. 'It can be tempting to jump right into intense training, but going too hard too soon might increase your risk of injury. 'It's better to start off gradually and go at your own pace.' ACC data shows gym and fitness training is now the leading cause of sport and recreation injuries, ahead of rugby union and other sports such as football and netball. In 2024, ACC accepted more than 60,000 gym-related injury claims, which came at a cost of more than $63 million to help people recover. For the Manawatū-Whanganui region, more than $1.1m has been spent so far this year. In 2024, ACC accepted 247 gym-related injury claims in Whanganui. The most common type of injury over the past seven years has been soft-tissue injuries, followed by fractures and dislocations. More than 800 claims in the Manawatū-Whanganui region in 2025 have been for soft-tissue injuries. Historically, there is a national peak of new injury claims around August, September and October, with October, in particular, recording a high number of claims. The Manawatū-Whanganui region was no outlier, recording 123 new claims in October last year. ASAP Training co-owner and personal trainer Kelsey Stirling said this could be because people might be rejoining the gym after a winter break and being too determined to get their 'summer body'. Additionally, joint stiffness and tightness after a cold winter could contribute to the high number of injuries. 'Some people try to come back thinking they'll be at the same level as they were before the break.' The most impacted age group in 2024 for the region was those aged 30-34, but leading the race so far in 2025 is the 25-29 age group, with 111 claims. Twenty-six gym-related injury claims have been made for children aged 10-14 in 2025, which is already more than all of 2021 and 2022, and just two away from last year's total. Coley said children in that age bracket could be training in commercial gyms, but there should be more of a focus on movement and fundamentals rather than loading on weight too quickly. The Rangitīkei and Ruapehu districts have also recorded a steady year-on-year increase in gym-related claims, lodging 23 and 33 new claims, respectively, in 2024. Last year's numbers were the highest for both districts since 2019. ACC's injury prevention advice includes completing a dynamic warm-up, receiving advice from a registered personal trainer, being realistic and listening to your body, and having recovery days. If you get injured, take time to recover and don't rush back into training. Fin Ocheduszko Brown is a multimedia journalist based in Whanganui.
Otago Daily Times
10 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Hoping to pocket a world title
Riley O'Donnell cannot see which way every ball is going to travel on a pool table. Having a keen eye for strategy and a brain with a maths focus is not a bad start, though. O'Donnell, 21, is heading to Ireland this week to represent New Zealand at the world eightball championships. The University of Otago student is in his third year of a bachelor of science degree with a major in statistics — which naturally begs a question around whether his studies translate nicely to a game built so heavily on judging the right angle. "Actually, a lot of people ask me that," O'Donnell said. "I wouldn't say it directly translates, but I think just the way that my brain works — I'm quite strategy-based. So having a maths brain does help a bit, in terms of how I see the table." O'Donnell grew up in New Plymouth and was introduced to the appeal of pool at a young age. "It's been a part of my life for just under 10 years, maybe nine years or so. "My dad has been into the sport for a very long time, and he got me into it. We've got a pool table at home, so I was playing almost every day growing up, and here I am now." It is just the second time New Zealand has sent a team to the International Eightball Pool Federation world championships. Last year, the Kiwis sent just 12 players — including Dunedin pair Jackson Wright and Blane Watson — but this time, in Ennis, there will be 42 New Zealanders. O'Donnell is in the under-23 squad, alongside Watson, who is back in the North Island. "I'm really looking forward to it. I watched quite a lot last year and talked to people who went. "It just seems like it's going to be a really cool team event and a real good tester to see how we go against the rest of the world. "I've been playing almost every day and at lots of local events. There's nearly something on every night. And the nights when there hasn't been something on, I've been trying to visit people who have a table at home, just to try and get as much table time as I can." O'Donnell did his first year of tertiary study in Christchurch, which has a strong pool community. He was unsure what to expect when he headed south and was concerned he might lose some competitive opportunities. "I didn't even know it was a thing here in Dunedin, but when I came to Bowey's, one of the players recognised me and asked if I wanted to join a team. "It turns out there are almost 300 players in Dunedin, so it's a lot bigger than I expected. "It's a great scene. Everyone is so friendly and supportive. It's nice to be a part of it." O'Donnell previously went with a junior team to the United States in 2018 to play under the American rules, but the world championships will use his preferred English rules.
