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Our sports queen honoured by the King
Our sports queen honoured by the King

Newsroom

time2 days ago

  • Sport
  • Newsroom

Our sports queen honoured by the King

Suzanne McFadden has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the King's Birthday Honours for her services to sports journalism and women. In this Q&A, the founder of our LockerRoom section and passionate advocate for better participation, media coverage and recognition for women in sport, reflects on a 40-year labour of love. How hard was it starting out in the 80s as the only woman in the room in sports departments, press boxes and media conferences? Initially it was tough to get a foot in the door. I tried a couple of times, but naively I had no idea how difficult it was as a young female to get a start in sport, which was the only job I ever wanted. It wasn't until a defendant in a district court case I was covering threatened to kill me, that the Herald bosses finally agreed to transfer me from news to the sports department – just in time for the 1990 Commonwealth Games. I was there when gymnast Nikki Jenkins, then 14 years old, won gold on the vault, and her parents had been my PE teachers. I stayed working in sport for the Herald for 10 years – and I had incredible opportunities to cover events around the world, like the America's Cup. And even though I was the only woman in the department through that decade, it felt more like being part of a tight sports team. There was one time, though, at a sailing regatta, I was made to feel like the 'new girl' who'd only be there for 10 minutes… 30 years later… Did you get pigeon-holed into writing about women's sports? In my first job, at the Bay of Plenty Times, I was a general news reporter, but the sports editor, Kevin Savage, asked me to cover the local netball competition. I was not impressed – I'd only ever played 10 minutes of netball at school (fell over, grazed my knees on the asphalt, and never walked onto a netball court again). But he told me to write about the people more than the sport, and that's become my compass. Sir Terry McLean, who I was privileged to work alongside when I first started in sports journalism, once told me, 'The human story is the best story'. So even if I was assigned to women's sport, it was okay, because I was weaving the stories of interesting and often outstanding people into the match reports. Have you ever had a woman boss? Who are your female mentors? I've never had a female boss in sports reporting, but some of the best editors I've worked with in my freelancing career have been women. The wonderful Carroll du Chateau at Canvas taught me how to craft a feature story and was an incredible mentor. Michelle Crawshaw always trusted me with fascinating assignments. And my cousin Fiona Rotherham, then editor of Unlimited magazine, made business stories relatable and human. Among the women I look up to today is Shirley Hooper – vice president of World Netball and heavily involved in artistic swimming in New Zealand – and also a cousin. Storytelling runs in our McClean genes. Speaking of, my parents were both great mentors – Dad gave my sister and I our love of watching sport, and Mum taught me how to write. Ashley Stanley and Suzanne McFadden at Eden Park. Photo: Paul Enticott How much has it changed in sports journalism for young women? I honestly don't think the dial has moved enough. It's just as hard to get a job in a sports newsroom now as it was back in 1986. There are some excellent female sports reporters right now – Dana Johannsen at RNZ is a multiple-time sports journalist of the year; the TVNZ sports team has a strong female representation, including the super-talented Jordan Oppert. Yet we're still the minority, and the only way that's going to change is with more female sports editors. Something I've been really proud we've been able to do through LockerRoom is introducing more female voices to sports writing, and giving two women – Ashley Stanley and Merryn Anderson – scholarships to work at Newsroom. Through these wāhine, I discovered I love mentoring. What's your approach when setting out to interview someone? Great question! For a LockerRoom long read (you know all my stories are long!) I research, but not to the point where I think I know everything about the person. There needs to be that element of curiosity, where I want to learn more for the readers, so I can share something new. And I never call it an interview – it's always a chat. And there's no such thing as a stupid question. Suzanne McFadden first wrote about the late Sir Peter Blake's America's Cup red socks superstition. What stories do you look back on with most pride? What makes you happiest about stories you find and publish? During the 1995 America's Cup in San Diego, I wrote a story about Team New Zealand's superstitions on Black Magic – Sir Russell Coutts always the last man on the boat, and Sir Peter Blake wearing his lucky red socks. The rest is history. I've loved telling stories about women that show how resilient they are, and how much more they have to do to be successful. Sportswomen who've returned to the top as mums, especially in the 'From Here to Maternity' series in LockerRoom. What makes me happiest about publishing stories? When one person tells you they read it, and it helped them through something they were facing. Like the RED-S stories we've told over the years. If you can make a difference in one person's life, it's a win. Your RED-S stories opened a lot of people's eyes. How'd that story come about? American athlete Mary Cain broke her silence on the mistreatment she received while she was training under the all-male support team at the Nike Oregon Project, and how the win-at-all-costs mentality had made her ill. She had all the symptoms of RED-S, a syndrome I hadn't really heard of, but it turned out there were Kiwi athletes who weren't fuelling their bodies to match the energy they were expending. The more we wrote about RED-S, the more athletes came forward with their own health battles. Hopefully, we've helped some young women spot the signs in time. Are women in sport getting a fair crack now at representation, competition, professionalism, payment, crowd support, media? Look, the three World Cups hosted by New Zealand in 2022 and '23 were phenomenal for women's sport here – they opened so many eyes to just how entertaining and enthralling women's sport is. The media coverage of women's sport spiked to 28 percent – higher than I ever expected to see in my career. But things have slipped away since then – it's as though we need the big events, like the Olympics, to remind the public how talented our female athletes are. Covid hasn't helped the situation – if there's a funding cut, it's most likely the women's programme in a sport will be the first to feel it. Pay equity in some sports is still a pipe dream, and there aren't enough women's coaches at the top level of most sports. There's still so much work to do. But LockerRoom has had amazing readership, as recently as the past fortnight, which highlights that people still want to read interesting stories about women in sport. McFadden with the great Black Fern Portia Wickliffe Woodman. Photo: Supplied Who would you most want to spend time with, write about – for LockerRoom or for a book? That's a tough question! Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, Emma Twigg and Sophie Devine immediately come to mind. Writing a book is hard yakka though, and I don't think I'll be rushing back into one. But the two books I've written, Striking Gold and Honey, are two of my proudest achievements (alongside my two sons, and two grandsons, obviously). And, what was your first thought when Government House sent you word of your MNZM nomination? It was a Friday, I think, and I wasn't feeling 100 percent, so I'd just had a nap. I woke up to an email from Government House and I immediately panicked. I thought it must be a long weekend, and this email was the media list of honour recipients, and I'd quickly have to prepare a LockerRoom story for Monday! Then I opened it, read it, and read it again and bawled my eyes out. A recognition like this is 'ginormous', as my four-year-old grandson would say. I feel incredibly proud, humbled, and grateful to everyone who's guided me along this crazy path, and all who've come with me. And that includes you, Tim. Thank you.

It's time to back Auckland's innovation moment
It's time to back Auckland's innovation moment

Newsroom

time3 days ago

  • Business
  • Newsroom

It's time to back Auckland's innovation moment

Opinion: I attended Mayor Wayne Brown's Innovation Forum, the day he updated his Manifesto for Auckland, and the proposal to form an Auckland Innovation Alliance. In it, he said the Government needed to focus on three areas: technology and innovation, housing and growth, and immigration and tourism. I came away encouraged that the leader of Auckland was putting innovation on the agenda, as crucial in the imagining and delivery of our city's future. I love Auckland and believe in its potential. I was born and raised in the Bombay Hills, back before we had a 'Super City', studied at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, met my husband working in the Viaduct during the America's Cup, and now live in Te Atatū. Over the past year, like many Aucklanders, my family and I have made the most of what this city offers: swimming at our beaches, bush walking in the Waitākeres, Eden Park concerts, scooter rides along the waterfront, and the playful chaos of the Dog Disco pop-up in Aotea Square. We joined 40,000 other 'geriatric millennials' in the Domain for the Synthony Festival and got behind the launch of Auckland FC. I share this not to age myself, but because I genuinely believe we live in a vibrant, creative, and world-class city. Yes, Auckland has problems. it also has enormous potential, and that potential hinges on people. The mayor's moves to put innovation and economic transformation at the heart of Auckland's agenda will go a long way towards attracting further talent. For years, different groups have published reports diagnosing our economic underperformance and pointing to untapped innovation capacity. The Committee for Auckland's State of the City reports have benchmarked us against global peers, while the Auckland Chamber Tech Council, led by Simon Bridges, has brought together business leaders who are investing time, capital, and energy to help Auckland step into its future. The proposed Auckland Innovation Alliance, a partnership between Auckland Council, the Government, business, and universities, could be the catalyst the city needs. In cities like Singapore, Dublin, and Copenhagen, similar alliances have driven bold, coordinated action. Why should everyday Aucklanders care? Because innovation isn't just about startups and tech, it's about people. A truly innovative city creates high paying, meaningful, and future-proof jobs, not just for software engineers, but for educators, health workers, tradespeople, and students. It leads to better services, smarter infrastructure, and more vibrant communities. Above all, it offers opportunity. The Time for Growth report identifies three globally competitive sectors where Auckland can lead: CreativeTech, FinTech, and HealthTech. Innovation in these areas, and further afield, is how we will keep people here and attract others. But we must do it on our own terms – we can't and don't need to mimic Silicon Valley. We can lead with a model shaped by Aotearoa's values, grounded in partnership, sustainability, and inclusion. Te Ao Māori values like kaitiakitanga (guardianship), manaakitanga (care), and whanaungatanga (connection) offer us a blueprint for innovation that puts long-term impact and intergenerational wellbeing ahead of short-term gains. The mayor's vision to make Auckland the innovation capital of the South Pacific is bold, and timely. His proposals—stronger government partnerships, targeted investment, and an Advanced Technology Institute—are the right moves. A key part of this vision is forging more intentional partnerships between universities and industry, not by expecting them to be and become the same, but by understanding their distinct roles. When they come together, we spark innovation, and build a pipeline of talent that powers the city's future. At the Mayor's Forum, a map of the city's innovation ecosystem showed just how much is already here, university incubators, research and development labs, startup hubs, and investors. Take Outset Ventures, once a garage for tinkerers, now a 5000 square metre deep tech campus backing world changing companies like Toku Eyes, Wellumio, and Zincovery. Add to that Icehouse Ventures, Bridgewest, and others who've invested in hundreds of early-stage ventures and it's clear: the foundations are strong, the momentum is real. Universities are central to this momentum, as both knowledge producers, and as anchor institutions in the civic and economic fabric of Auckland. At the University of Auckland, initiatives like UniServices, the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the Product Accelerator, and MedTech iQ help turn research into real world impact. The Newmarket Innovation Precinct is fast becoming a hub for this work. AUT, through AUT Ventures and a new investment fund, is backing new emerging technologies into startups. Together, these institutions are not only developing ideas, but shaping the people who will drive them. And that's the point: innovation doesn't happen without people. It doesn't happen without belief in our talent, or commitment to supporting it. If we harness the current momentum, Auckland won't just be a great place to live. It will be a city where ideas take root, capital flows, and talent from around the world chooses to stay.

An America's Cup without an American boat? American Magic says it may not sail in Naples
An America's Cup without an American boat? American Magic says it may not sail in Naples

Fox Sports

time5 days ago

  • Sport
  • Fox Sports

An America's Cup without an American boat? American Magic says it may not sail in Naples

Associated Press BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — American Magic has put its participation in the next America's Cup in serious doubt after it cited 'transparency' concerns related to Team New Zealand's decision to hold the 2027 regatta in Naples, Italy. The team that represented the New York Yacht Club in last year's cup in Barcelona issued a statement on Thursday saying America's Cup defending champion Team New Zealand 'has been unwilling to commit to the transparency and cooperation necessary' regarding its plans for Naples that were announced last week. If American Magic doesn't compete and no other American team enters in its place, then for the first time in the event's history, there will not be an American syndicate in the America's Cup. American boats have won the America's Cup a record 25 times and held it from its first race in 1851 all the way through 1983, when an Australian syndicate won it. Team New Zealand responded to the American Magic statement by publicly releasing the latest draft version of the 2027 protocols 'as an illustration of complete transparency.' American Magic's complaint was made public shortly after British team Athena Racing, representing all challengers, issued a statement criticizing what it called the lack of information provided by Team New Zealand on the deal with Italian organizers. It is 'difficult to understand what exactly has been agreed between Team New Zealand and the government of Italy as the sporting framework and details of the event do not yet exist,' Athena said. American Magic backed up Athena's position by saying that 'without the meaningful changes they (Athena) are advocating, it is difficult to see how NYYC American Magic can participate in the 38th America's Cup.' Neither Athena nor American Magic went into further detail regarding their complaints. In a statement, Team New Zealand said it had been working with all teams in developing plans for the 2027 event and the latest protocol went back to Athena Racing 10 days ago, before the announcement of Naples as host. 'The defender has not had any feedback back from the challenger of record on the latest version other than acknowledgement it had been well received by the teams,' Team New Zealand said. 'However, the defender now feels due to the unreasonable allegations that have been levelled at it by Athena Racing and American Magic, that it is appropriate to publicly release the latest draft.' Team New Zealand said all teams had been offered 'full access and transparency to the host venue agreement' upon the signing of a non-disclosure agreement, but no NDAs had been returned. ___ AP sports: recommended

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