Go behind the scenes with champion racer
Queenstowners will have a rare chance to hear from champion ski racer Alice Robinson, and one of her home-grown coaches, at a special fundraising event next month.
Robinson, 23, and Tim Cafe will be the guest speakers at Arthurs Point's Cargo Brew Hall for 'A Night Behind the Scenes: Chasing World Cup and Olympic Glory' on August 14, from 6pm.
The in-depth conversation will give some insights into what it takes to compete, and succeed, at the pinnacle of world sport, with Robinson and Cafe sharing their journey to international podium success.
QAST programme director Celine Arnold says the event will take a "deep dive" into Robinson's recent remarkable northern hemisphere world season, in which she won New Zealand's first-ever FIS Alpine World Championship medal, bringing home a silver in giant slalom, and finishing second overall in the world champs and World Cup standings.
"It all started for Alice with QAST, and we're very proud of what she has gone on to achieve," Arnold says.
Cafe, who's also a former QAST athlete, has also had a successful ski career, culminating in his selection for the 2010 Winter Olympics.
"He will outline his role from a coaching perspective, and discuss the planning, training, setbacks, challenges and triumphs involved in chasing World Cup podiums, world championship medals and Olympic dreams.
"It's an opportunity for the whole community to celebrate such an acclaimed local sporting duo and at the same time meet some of Queenstown's up-and-coming ski talent and help support the next generation of champions as they pursue their world stage ambitions," Arnold says.
Tickets, via shorturl.at/SqCHK, cost $165 per person, which includes food and drink, with a fundraising auction also planned.
All proceeds will go to QAST to support its programme and athletes.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NZ Herald
19 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Scott Robertson's All Blacks: The promising signs from series win
Banishing the second-half blues Down 19-17 at halftime, the All Blacks saved their best for the last 40 minutes. The confidence in the team grew as the game went on. Even captain Ardie Savea was slightly out of sorts in the first quarter, but by the end of the match he was providing the sort of inspirational leadership he did for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby Pacific. And if you wanted a perfect example of how confidence can grow even in the cauldron of a test, it was provided by hooker Brodie McAlister in his international debut. His first three throws to the lineout were stolen by the French. But he and the jumpers settled, the combinations started working and in the 76th minute, McAlister had the dream moment for a new All Black. The hooker slid across the damp grass for a try in his first test, pushing his side out to an unbeatable 27-19 lead. Damian McKenzie converted to seal the match. No, it's not the All (Red And) Blacks If anything, Robertson and his selectors were tough on Crusaders during this series. Crusaders captain David Havili missed out in a crowded midfield selection and Ethan Blackadder, the pick of the loose forwards from both teams when the Crusaders beat the Chiefs in the Super final, will hopefully get the shot he deserves before the year is out. Star of the series Step up Fabian Holland, the 22-year-old lock who showed in three stellar performances that he has the mental hardness to go with his range of huge physical gifts and impressive skills. At their best, All Blacks World Cup teams have had outstanding locks ranging from Gary Whetton and Murray Pierce in 1987 to Brad Thorn and Sam Whitelock in 2011 and Whitelock and Brodie Retallick in 2015. At the risk of putting far too much pressure on a young man at the start of his international career, Holland is surely a player around whom they can build the pack for the 2027 World Cup. Fabian Holland has been impressive for the All Blacks in the series against France. Photo / Photosport Welcome back Jordie Barrett didn't enter the contest in Hamilton until the 54th minute, but his impact at second five-eighths was dramatic. It's not completely out of the question to say he possibly saved the match with terrific cover defence, and then sealed it with a startling moment on attack. First, with just 22 minutes to go, he managed to haul the quicksilver French wing Émilien Gailleton over the sideline and save a try that would have put the visitors ahead 24-22. That touch of defensive brilliance was matched offensively when Barrett sent McAlister over for the try that sealed things for New Zealand. It can be easy to forget how big and strong Barrett is. Before slipping the perfect pass to McAllister, he fended off the 135kg French lock, Romain Taofifénua, with the ease of someone swatting away a pesky fly at a picnic. The All Blacks have Quinn Tupaea offering huge physicality, the promise demonstrated by Timoci Tavatavanawai and, in the background, the great rugby intelligence of David Havili. If there's one position in the side that suddenly feels well resourced it's second five-eighths. Why the ref was right A minor controversy has arisen over the massive cross-field pass by Will Jordan to Sevu Reece that ultimately led to the try on the stroke of halftime by Anton Leinert-Brown. Replays show that where Reece received the ball he was well in front of where Jordan was when he threw the pass. Quite correctly the pass was not called forward by referee Angus Gardiner. Why? Because for several years now the key issue in the rules is whether the ball was travelling backwards when it left the passer's hands. That judgment is usually made by checking whether the passer's fingers are pointing towards his or her own goal-line. Both of Jordan's hands are pointing at the New Zealand line. Conspiracy corner Given that conspiracy theories are dominating world political headlines it was perhaps inevitable that rugby in the past couple of weeks has had its share. French coach Fabien Galthié didn't hold back with the French media after the second test was lost in Wellington. He claimed incorrect refereeing cost the French two penalty tries. The weird touch was that he then swore he was actually 'not complaining', and I think he probably meant it. For me it was a wonderful reminder that the French, in rugby and life, look at the world very differently from us. I still have memories of the salacious delight my schoolmates and I took from a story in the Herald by the great Terry McLean when the French first toured here in 1961. In Nelson, at the first training session a forward needed to relieve himself. He didn't seek out the privacy of a toilet, McLean reported, but instead strolled to the nearest goal post and peed on it. Vive la difference, as they say. France head coach Fabien Galthié said he was "not complaining" about the referees. Photo / Photosport No complaints On the other hand there can be no real complaints from the New Zealand under-20 side about their 23-15 loss to South Africa in the final of the world tournament in Italy. It was still a terrific effort by the Kiwi side to make the final, having to overcome a potent French side 26-24 in their semifinal. It was the first time since 2017 New Zealand had reached the final. France in particular have benefitted at test level from under-20 graduates. Hopefully we may soon do the same. Phil Gifford is a Contributing Sports Writer for NZME. He is one of the most-respected voices in New Zealand sports journalism.
The Spinoff
2 days ago
- The Spinoff
‘It fills your cup': Netballer Casey Kopua on returning to the court in Game On
The Silver Ferns legend tells us about her life in television. The last thing Casey Kopua expected after she finished filming a television show about retired netballers was a return to the competitive netball court. But shortly after Three's new sports docu-series Game On wrapped, Kopua answered an emergency SOS to join the Giants in Australia's Super Netball League, and found herself back in the defenders circle six years after her last elite-level game. 'That was definitely not the plan,' the 39-year-old laughs down the phone from Sydney, clearly relishing the unexpected opportunity to play high performance sport once again. Kopua played 112 tests for the Silver Ferns, 186 games for Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic and was the most-capped captain in New Zealand netball history. She's one of only seven Silver Fern centurions, and is also a two-time Commonwealth Games gold medalist. Kopua retired from netball after leading the Silver Ferns to World Cup victory in 2019, but popped up on our screens last year in Celebrity Treasure Island. 'I had lots of fun, even though it was short lived,' Kopua remembers of her castaway experience. 'I was probably just a bit too competitive.' Kopua brings her competitive nature back to the small screen for Game On, a series that follows New Zealand netball legends like Irene Van Dyk, Adine Wilson and Temepara Bailey as they come out of retirement to play a high-stakes netball tournament. Not only will the former Silver Ferns compete against teams of other ex-internationals, but they'll mentor a group of promising young players, helping to pass the netball torch on to the next generation. It's a warm and inspiring series, and Kopua says she treasured every moment of playing alongside her former teammates. 'They're like sisters. To get the crew back together like that was very cool, it was like we'd never left.' Kopua's passion for the sport hasn't lessened over the years, and she believes Game On will reveal a new side to the ex-Ferns, some of whom haven't touched a netball for 14 years. 'We've all shown a bit of vulnerability to put ourselves back out into that public eye to be scrutinised,' she says. We sat down with Kopua to find out about her life in television, including her secret TV guilty pleasure, an enduring love of Shrek, and why she really wants the midday news to come back. My earliest TV memory is… Watching The Jetsons with my older brother and sister. I watched those Saturday morning cartoons, because as kids, we were out on the farm helping mum and dad, before we went and did all our sport. The TV shows I used to love growing up were… What Now and Sticky TV, but my favourite was Tom and Jerry. I used to also watch WWF wrestling with my brother. Tom and Jerry was in the morning and wrestling was at night. The TV ad I can't stop thinking about is… The Milo one where they used to drink Milo before they played netball. My TV guilty pleasure is… There's two things that I watch and everyone thinks they're dumb, and that's Home and Away and Shortland Street. I can sit there and don't have to think about things for a while. My husband and I went to Palm Beach where they film Home and Away, which was pretty cool. I was a bit of a fangirl. The TV show I'd love to be involved with is… It would have been Celebrity Treasure Island, but that is now ticked off. I was always intrigued by Dancing with the Stars NZ, but after talking to Temepara [Bailey, who won the 2008 season] about it, I would never do that. My knees wouldn't be able to cope. But the amount of practice and how they can transform and learn and go through that process is something that's always intrigued me. My favourite moment from Game On was… playing competitively again with my old teammates. A lot of them have still got it, and they could still play these days if they wanted to. It fills up your cup, and makes you feel happy doing that again. The biggest surprise from Celebrity Treasure Island was… For what we do in a day, you see an hour of it on TV. Some of the contestants who worked in TV obviously knew how things go, but those of us that didn't work in TV had no idea. I put myself outside my comfort zone to go on that. Usually when you go away for netball, you can FaceTime your kids or your husband, but there, you can't do anything. There's no contact whatsoever. It was so nice not to have your phone or computer, and very peaceful, but it was really hard not to be able to talk to the kids. My most watched on-screen things are… I don't know why, but Shrek and Bridesmaids. Shrek is one of my favorites, my sister and I can just about say all the words from the whole movie. Bridesmaids, I think it's just a good laugh. I'm in that stage of my life with my friends, we just have a good laugh and enjoy each other's company. My controversial TV opinion is… I miss the news in the daytime. In the morning, I'm extremely busy with the kids getting ready for school and me going to work, and then at nighttime, we're either at dance or swimming or rugby training or netball training, so you miss it. When the kids are at school, it's your time when you can actually hear your own thoughts. I was gutted when the lunchtime news went away. The TV show that I'll never watch, no matter how many people tell me to is… Game of Thrones. I've never seen Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter either, but it just doesn't interest me. The last thing I watched on television was… The NRL. We watch a lot of rugby league in our house, and NRL 360 is the show that keeps you updated every night.
NZ Herald
2 days ago
- NZ Herald
Editorial: All Blacks' reliance on Barrett grows as World Cup nears
He has returned to the starring role and sits atop the billing sheet. After the departure of Richie Mo'unga at the end of the last World Cup, many had pondered if Damian McKenzie would assume the mantle of being the playmaker in the number 10 jersey. Some had hoped he would become the player to guide the All Blacks through to the next World Cup in Australia during 2027. However, despite McKenzie's obvious brilliance at the Super Rugby level it simply hasn't translated to the test arena - not with any consistency. And this is what will cause coach Scott Robertson and his staff to sleep uneasy. Barrett is now 34. He will be 36 at the start of the next World Cup campaign. By that time, he will also likely be the All Blacks' most capped player. The back-to-back World Rugby Player of the Year currently sits on 137 games, quickly closing in on Sam Whitelock's record 153 appearances. Simply, Barrett has played a lot of rugby, and a lot of high-stress rugby. By the time the next World Cup starts he may be close to having played 170 tests. He will sit out tonight's third test against France in Hamilton due to a hand injury, which seems more like a precaution than anything. It is a testament to his preparation and dedication that he has - touch wood - avoided a serious injury that could have curtailed or slowed his career. He appears to still have the explosiveness we famously saw during the 2015 World Cup final. McKenzie, at 30 years old and 63 tests into his career, has shown us what he can offer. The evidence suggests the Chiefs playmaker is best suited to an impact player off the bench and lacks the tactical and kicking game needed for a true field general. Perhaps Razor sees Richie Mo'unga returning into the fold, a move often speculated about. A Herald online poll asked its readers who should be the long-term selection in the ABs' No 10 jersey? Some 3479 of you voted, with 60% wanting Barrett, 18% in favour of Mo'unga and just 9% in McKenzie's camp. Ruben Love garnered 18% but he is yet to show us what he can do at test level. Barrett is clearly the best option for the team now and with a concerning lack of depth at the position he appears to be options one, two and three for a big test match. He needs to be managed, the first sign of which we are seeing tonight as Razor rings in several changes to his team. Father time being what it is - undefeated - we should not assume Barrett will be performing at the current heights as he approaches his late 30s. England's Jonny Wilkinson was 32 at the 2011 World Cup, Dan Carter was 33 in 2015. Both had a history of injuries but were noticeably younger than what Barrett will be in 2027. The All Blacks will be hoping their flyhalf can replicate what Ireland's Johnny Sexton achieved, who was 38 at the 2023 edition of the tournament. But hope is not a plan. Sign up to the Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
