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NZ Herald
5 days ago
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Whanganui rugby: Steelform Whanganui face tough preseason with Classics, NPC prospects
Hamlin still wishes to have a larger and therefore longer top grade in 2026, especially given this year, once again, several veterans have stepped aside from club footy and therefore representative games as well. 'I think there's going to be some new names there, some boys getting their first taste of provincial rugby, that's why I want that [higher] level of club competition in Whanganui - so we can get a gauge on them and see where they are. 'There's some tidy players there, and we saw last night [Tuesday] at training the boys got in and just got into stuff, and you can see there's a fair bit of talent around.' Champions Byford Readimix Taihape have the smallest contingent, but this is due to departures from the initial wider training squad named in May. Prop Gabriel Hakaraia and fullback Tyler Rogers-Holden have withdrawn, while former professional utility back Te Rangatira Waitokia broke his leg playing for Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau, and clubmate Joe Edwards intended to step away even before his arm injury in the final. Losing Edwards, on top of the rotator cuff injury to young Kaierau hooker Kohlt Coveny, left Whanganui a little shy in the rake department, as did the fact that all three halfbacks from 2024 have moved on to other things. But to help replenish the depth, the team have looked outside their borders with potential imports Matt Picard and Cody Mitchell. 'They both reached out earlier in the year, they just wanted an opportunity. They've both sort of done it of their own steam,' said Hamlin. Picard, a hooker who can also play prop if required, was a fixture in his Coastal team's run to the Taranaki Premier final, where they lost to defending champions Stratford-Eltham on Saturday. 'We're just going to have a look at him, he's turned up to all the trainings,' said Hamlin. 'Alesana [Tofa] is trying to get himself back to some fitness. Injury curtailed his club season, so we're trying to get him on board and getting him back to the Alesana of old.' Halfback Mitchell played junior rugby in Auckland before moving to Queensland, and has covered his own costs to come home for a chance to play first-class level. 'He's playing in a pretty high-quality competition over in Brisbane, for Sunnybank, and I spoke briefly to his coach over there. 'He wants to come back to New Zealand and have a crack at New Zealand footy. I think he arrives on Sunday.' Whanganui's preseason starts with the anticipated clash with former All Blacks in the Classics game at Cooks Gardens, followed by tough regular preseason opponents Hawke's Bay Saracens and Wellington Centurions. 'I said to the boys, 'I'd like to win every game we play', but we'll be playing some quality opposition,' said Hamlin. 'We'll take a lot out of all of those games. Give them some reps and let's hit the ground running when we get to the Heartland competition.' Premier MVP results He came home to the Pā to lift his family club at the forefront of Tasman Tasman Premier, and talented playmaker Te Atawhai Mason has been rewarded with recognition as 2025's Most Valuable Player. The MVP prize is determined by the most overall points awarded after each Premier regular season match, on a 3-2-1 allocation basis. A 2019 Whanganui Collegiate 1st XV alumnus, Mason has developed his game in Manawatū and Taranaki, and made an immediate impact with Tāmata Hauhā Rātana, starting in his preferred first five spot and later providing injury cover at fullback. Mason was leading the MVP standings at the end of the first round from another newcomer in Waverley Harvesting Border's strong loose forward Ekenasio Fiso, followed by Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist's linchpin halfback Daniel Kauika and Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau's dynamic utility back Ethan Robinson. Injury in the second round saw Robinson fade from contention while Kauika, who displayed superb game management in Marist's rise up the points table, also concurrently rose in the MVP standings above the still-consistent Fiso. But none could catch Mason, who got to switch back to first five for Rātana's last two games and finished on 15 MVP points. Byfords Readimix Taihape's centre-winger Tiari Mumby had a strong second round to finish with a share of third place. Most Valuable Player final standings 1 Te Atawhai Mason (Rātana) 15 points; 2 Daniel Kauika (Marist) 13; 3= Ekenasio Fiso (Border) 12; 3= Tiari Mumby (Taihape) 12.
Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
‘Hugely proud' of development work
Heartland coach Jason Forrest and captain Ralphie Darling lift the Meads Cup in Oamaru in 2019. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES Nearly 15 years ago, Jason Forrest got a tap on the shoulder. After returning home from playing overseas, Forrest was asked by then-North Otago Rugby Football Union chief executive Colin Jackson if he would be interested in coaching. It was clear that was where Forrest — who was wrapping up his playing days as a halfback with Excelsior and the Old Golds — was heading, and Jackson was keen to utilise those skills throughout the region. What started as a role as an activator in schools morphed into a fulltime role with the union, covering countless portfolios, from juniors to secondary school and rugby overall. Tomorrow, the game development manager will say goodbye to the union as he steps down from his role. "It's going to be really, really hard, actually," Forrest said. "I've worked with phenomenal people over the 15, 14 years. "The union's heading in a pretty good direction, but it's time. "There will be some high emotions there — I've loved every minute of it." Jason Forrest finishes up tomorrow with the North Otago Rugby Football Union after nearly 15 years. PHOTO: KAYLA HODGE After initially helping out, Forrest officially joined the union in 2012 as the JAB officer, but got stuck into everything across the board. It was a small team of Jackson, Forrest and Pam Anderson — "you just got on with it" — and he had fond memories through the years. Watching Fenwick School reach the national Rippa rugby tournament, which was called "the world cup for Rippa", in the early days still remained a highlight, he said. "You can name a heap, but it's just been fun. "It's rugby — it's what I love to do." That has never changed. He coached Excelsior through the years, but won his first Citizens Shield title with Maheno in 2019 and returned to his home club last year to lead them to the first of back-to-back titles. Winning three Citizens Shields sat at the top of his list, alongside winning the Meads Cup as Heartland coach in 2019. "The Maheno one was outstanding. "But the last two are just a different feeling when you come back to your own club. "The last two years has been pretty cool, and pretty special for me, and my family. My boys play for Blues now as well and my wife's on the committee." The Old Golds have always been close to his heart. After finishing playing, Forrest joined the North Otago support staff as a trainer, moving through the ranks to assistant coach and head coach from 2019 to 2024. He won the Meads Cup in his inaugural year and regularly made the playoffs. "The Heartland team, in general, has been a huge part of my life. "Hugely proud of everything I've done within those roles. "You have your ups and downs, that's for sure." Coaching had been a juggle with work commitments, but Jackson supported Forrest and encouraged him to join the Highlanders under-20 staff. "He was huge for me and mentoring me through all those years. "Not just with all my work stuff, but with all my coaching stuff as well and giving me opportunities and opening doors for me. "Just a great working relationship and just a great mate," he said. Forrest, who has committed to coaching Blues in 2026, was still interested in pursuing coaching in the future, but acknowledged it was hard in New Zealand. He believed the union was in good heart. He took pride in there still being six teams in North Otago's premier grade — "there's a lot of unions around the country that don't have that, and bigger unions" — and junior rugby continued ticking along, a credit to the hard-working staff. Construction of a new grandstand, attached to the Waitaki Events Centre which is being built, and new offices at Centennial Park in the future were a bonus. "It's got a good future." Forrest finishes up after the Town v Country clash in Maheno tomorrow. He is joining Network Waitaki as an operations co-ordinator and is looking forward to spending more time with his family, wife Victoria, and children Hunter, 11, and Carter, 9.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Veteran political reporter reveals what the media missed about Trump's appeal to Americans in 2024
In her new book, "Butler: The Untold Story of the Near Assassination of Donald Trump and the Fight for America's Heartland," released just days before the first anniversary of the assassination attempt on President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania, veteran political reporter Salena Zito reveals what she believes is the one element the mainstream media has missed in their coverage of his rallies. The Pennsylvania-based told Fox News Digital that when she first interviewed Trump during his 2016 run, she noticed how he interacted with "the people behind the scenes – the janitors, the people that were pushing the water bottles, the caterers, the plumbers, the electricians, the people that made the event happen that are never seen." Zito said she saw Trump communicating with American voters with an authenticity and curiosity that she hadn't seen in a lot of politicians. "I understood in that moment that he wasn't a billionaire running for president, he was a guy that saw people that don't usually get seen by elected officials, in a way that was very unique. Between that and driving across the country and interviewing people, I understood that he was going to win that cycle," Zito said of the 2016 election. Trump Attributed Survival At Butler Rally To 'Hand Of God': Author And Witness Reveals Firsthand Account Flash forward to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign. Read On The Fox News App "What I noticed covering 2024 was the amount of young people that were out there, that were engaged, that were excited, that were voting for the first time, and really excited to be part of 'bigger than self'… and they really glommed on and became excited about the way that President Trump talks about Americanism and love of country and getting to a better place together," Zito said. Journalist Who Refused To Duck During Trump Assassination Attempt Reflects On Butler Rally In New Book Zito's book takes readers back to July 13, 2024, when 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks fired multiple gunshots into the Butler crowd, grazing Trump's ear, injuring two people and killing one rally attendee, firefighter Corey Comperatore. She had planned to interview Trump at the Butler rally and was mere steps away from him when the shots were fired. But when Zito heard the shots, she told Fox News Digital, "I didn't get down. There was this inner voice that told me, 'You have a job to do, continue doing it.'" As a journalist, Zito quickly began to commit the historic moment to memory as it was unfolding, gathering details that eventually led to her book. Throughout the campaign, Zito said she could feel that sense of community building at Trump rallies. While his supporters have various degrees of support for the president, at Trump rallies, she said they are happy, patriotic and excited. "Trump pulled them together by place and rootedness and connective tissue, and it was really, really missed by my profession, but it was so right in front of me everywhere I went in Pennsylvania."Original article source: Veteran political reporter reveals what the media missed about Trump's appeal to Americans in 2024
Business Wire
11-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Seacoast Completes Acquisition of Heartland Bancshares, Inc.
STUART, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida ('Seacoast' or the 'Company') (NASDAQ: SBCF), the holding company for Seacoast National Bank ('Seacoast Bank'), announced today the completion of its acquisition of Heartland Bancshares, Inc. ('Heartland'), parent company of Heartland National Bank, effective July 11, 2025. The merger of Heartland National Bank with and into Seacoast Bank was also effective on the same date, with Seacoast National Bank being the surviving financial institution. Under the terms of the merger agreement, Heartland shareholders received a combination of cash and stock, with the final consideration of approximately $111.2 million. Heartland has had the leading deposit market share in Highlands County for many years, with deposits of approximately $665.9 million and total consolidated net loans of approximately $156.6 million as of March 31, 2025. 'We are delighted to welcome Heartland's customers and associates to Seacoast. Heartland is a customer-focused franchise with an outstanding reputation for service excellence and deep customer relationships,' said Charles M. Shaffer, Seacoast's Chairman and CEO. We see a great opportunity to grow our presence in Central Florida by complementing Heartland's strengths with Seacoast's breadth of offerings. The combined franchise will continue to provide exceptional service for this growing market.' Transaction Details Piper Sandler & Co. served as financial advisor and Alston & Bird LLP served as legal counsel to Seacoast. Hovde Group, LLC served as financial advisor and Smith Mackinnon, PA served as legal counsel to Heartland. About Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida (NASDAQ: SBCF) Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida (NASDAQ: SBCF) is one of the largest community banks headquartered in Florida with approximately $15.7 billion in assets and $12.6 billion in deposits as of March 31, 2025. Seacoast and its subsidiaries provide integrated financial services including commercial and consumer banking, wealth management and mortgage services to customers at over 83 full-service branches across Florida, and through advanced mobile and online banking solutions. Seacoast National Bank is the wholly-owned subsidiary bank of Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida. Additional information about Seacoast can be found at Cautionary Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning, and protections, of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including, without limitation, statements about future financial and operating results, cost savings, enhanced revenues, economic and seasonal conditions in the Company's markets, and improvements to reported earnings that may be realized from cost controls, tax law changes, new initiatives and for integration of banks that the Company has acquired, or expects to acquire, , as well as statements with respect to Seacoast's objectives, strategic plans, expectations and intentions and other statements that are not historical facts. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements with respect to the Company's beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, expectations, anticipations, assumptions, estimates and intentions about future performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond the Company's control, and which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Seacoast or Seacoast National Bank ('Seacoast Bank') to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. You should not expect the Company to update any forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact could be forward-looking statements. You can identify these forward-looking statements through the use of words such as 'may', 'will', 'anticipate', 'assume', 'should', 'support', 'indicate', 'would', 'believe', 'contemplate', 'expect', 'estimate', 'continue', 'further', 'plan', 'point to', 'project', 'could', 'intend', 'target' or other similar words and expressions of the future. These forward-looking statements may not be realized due to a variety of factors, including, without limitation: the impact of current or future economic and market conditions generally (including seasonality) and in the financial services industry, nationally and within Seacoast's primary market areas, including the effects of inflationary pressures, changes in interest rates, slowdowns in economic growth, and the potential for high unemployment rates, as well as the financial stress on borrowers and changes to customer and client behavior and credit risk as a result of the foregoing; potential impacts of adverse developments in the banking industry, including those highlighted by high-profile bank failures, and resulting impacts on customer confidence, deposit outflows, liquidity and the regulatory response thereto (including increases in the cost of our deposit insurance assessments), the Company's ability to effectively manage its liquidity risk and any growth plans, and the availability of capital and funding; governmental monetary and fiscal policies, including interest rate policies of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, as well as legislative, tax and regulatory changes including overdraft and late fee caps (if implemented), and including those that impact the money supply and inflation; the risks of changes in interest rates on the level and composition of deposits, loan demand, liquidity and the values of loan collateral, securities, and interest rate sensitive assets and liabilities; interest rate risks, sensitivities and the shape of the yield curve; changes in accounting policies, rules and practices; changes in retail distribution strategies, customer preferences and behavior generally and as a result of economic factors, including heightened or persistent inflation; changes in the availability and cost of credit and capital in the financial markets; changes in the prices, values and sales volumes of residential and commercial real estate, especially as they relate to the value of collateral supporting the Company's loans; the Company's concentration in commercial real estate loans and in real estate collateral in Florida; Seacoast's ability to comply with any regulatory requirements and the risk that the regulatory environment may not be conducive to or may prohibit or delay the consummation of future mergers and/or business combinations, may increase the length of time and amount of resources required to consummate such transactions, and may reduce the anticipated benefit; inaccuracies or other failures from the use of models, including the failure of assumptions and estimates, as well as differences in, and changes to, economic, market and credit conditions; the impact on the valuation of Seacoast's investments due to market volatility or counterparty payment risk, as well as the effect of a decline in stock market prices on our fee income from our wealth management business; statutory and regulatory dividend restrictions; increases in regulatory capital requirements for banking organizations generally; the risks of mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, including Seacoast's ability to continue to identify acquisition targets, successfully acquire and integrate desirable financial institutions and realize expected revenues, revenue synergies and expense savings; changes in technology or products that may be more difficult, costly, or less effective than anticipated; the Company's ability to identify and address increased cybersecurity risks, including those impacting vendors and other third parties which may be exacerbated by developments in generative artificial intelligence; fraud or misconduct by internal or external parties, which Seacoast may not be able to prevent, detect or mitigate; inability of Seacoast's risk management framework to manage risks associated with the Company's business; dependence on key suppliers or vendors to obtain equipment or services for the business on acceptable terms; reduction in or the termination of Seacoast's ability to use the online- or mobile-based platform that is critical to the Company's business growth strategy; the effects of war or other conflicts, acts of terrorism, natural disasters, including hurricanes in the Company's footprint, health emergencies, epidemics or pandemics, or other catastrophic events that may affect general economic conditions and/or increase costs, including, but not limited to, property and casualty and other insurance costs; Seacoast's ability to maintain adequate internal controls over financial reporting; potential claims, damages, penalties, fines, costs and reputational damage resulting from pending or future litigation, regulatory proceedings and enforcement actions; the risks that deferred tax assets could be reduced if estimates of future taxable income from the Company's operations and tax planning strategies are less than currently estimated, the results of tax audit findings, challenges to our tax positions, or adverse changes or interpretations of tax laws; the effects of competition from other commercial banks, thrifts, mortgage banking firms, consumer finance companies, credit unions, non-bank financial technology providers, securities brokerage firms, insurance companies, money market and other mutual funds and other financial institutions; the failure of assumptions underlying the establishment of reserves for expected credit losses; a deterioration of the credit rating for U.S. long-term sovereign debt, actions that the U.S. government may take to avoid exceeding the debt ceiling, and uncertainties surrounding the federal budget and economic policy, including the impact of tariffs and trade policies; the risk that balance sheet, revenue growth, and loan growth expectations may differ from actual results; and other factors and risks described in any of the Company's subsequent reports filed with the SEC and available on its website at The risks relating to the Heartland Bancshares, Inc. merger include, without limitation, the parties' ability to achieve the synergies and value creation contemplated by the merger; the parties' ability to promptly and effectively integrate the businesses of Seacoast and Heartland Bancshares, Inc., including unexpected transaction costs, the costs of integrating operations, severance, professional fees and other expenses; the diversion of management time on issues related to the merger; changes in laws or regulations; the risks of customer and employee loss and business disruption, including, without limitation, as the result of difficulties in maintaining relationships with employees; increased competitive pressures and solicitations of customers and employees by competitors; the difficulties and risks inherent with entering new markets. All written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary notice, including, without limitation, those risks and uncertainties described in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 under 'Special Cautionary Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements' and 'Risk Factors', and otherwise in the Company's SEC reports and filings. Such reports are available upon request from the Company, or from the Securities and Exchange Commission, including through the SEC's Internet website at
Fox News
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Veteran political reporter reveals what the media missed about Trump's appeal to Americans in 2024
In her new book, "Butler: The Untold Story of the Near Assassination of Donald Trump and the Fight for America's Heartland," released just days before the first anniversary of the assassination attempt on President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania, veteran political reporter Salena Zito reveals what she believes is the one element the mainstream media has missed in their coverage of his rallies. The Pennsylvania-based told Fox News Digital that when she first interviewed Trump during his 2016 run, she noticed how he interacted with "the people behind the scenes – the janitors, the people that were pushing the water bottles, the caterers, the plumbers, the electricians, the people that made the event happen that are never seen." Zito said she saw Trump communicating with American voters with an authenticity and curiosity that she hadn't seen in a lot of politicians. "I understood in that moment that he wasn't a billionaire running for president, he was a guy that saw people that don't usually get seen by elected officials, in a way that was very unique. Between that and driving across the country and interviewing people, I understood that he was going to win that cycle," Zito said of the 2016 election. Flash forward to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign. "What I noticed covering 2024 was the amount of young people that were out there, that were engaged, that were excited, that were voting for the first time, and really excited to be part of 'bigger than self'… and they really glommed on and became excited about the way that President Trump talks about Americanism and love of country and getting to a better place together," Zito said. Zito's book takes readers back to July 13, 2024, when 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks fired multiple gunshots into the Butler crowd, grazing Trump's ear, injuring two people and killing one rally attendee, firefighter Corey Comperatore. She had planned to interview Trump at the Butler rally and was mere steps away from him when the shots were fired. But when Zito heard the shots, she told Fox News Digital, "I didn't get down. There was this inner voice that told me, 'You have a job to do, continue doing it.'" Zito said she could feel that sense of community building at Trump rallies. While his supporters have various degrees of support for the president, at Trump rallies, she said they are happy, patriotic and excited. "Trump pulled them together by place and rootedness and connective tissue, and it was really, really missed by my profession, but it was so right in front of me everywhere I went in Pennsylvania."
