Latest news with #Percival
1News
12-05-2025
- Sport
- 1News
NZ U85kg team complete clean sweep over Sri Lanka
The NZ U85kg side have achieved a historic clean sweep of their two-match tour to Sri Lanka, beating the hosts 32-6 in Colombo. The match was played in front of an estimated 25,000 spectators at the Racecourse Stadium, the second big crowd in a week to watch the first New Zealand representative rugby side to visit the country in 70 years. After last weekend's 50-10 win for the NZ U85s in Kandy, the Sri Lankan Tuskers were expected to field a more experienced line up for the return match. Several players who took the field against Malaysia a fortnight ago were rested, something vice-captain Josh Gellert said they'd factored into their preparation. "We've identified the changes in their team," said the openside flanker. "A big thing for us is being connected throughout the group, making sure everyone's confident. "A big thing for us is proving to the guy next to you why you got picked, so I think that message will be to keep that defensive structure pretty firm." The game was tight through the opening 10 minutes, but the NZ U85s broke things open with some clever kicking. Outstanding fullback Francis Morrison collected a chip from wing Pieter Swarts, and flicked the ball on for captain and first five Jarred Percival to score. Swarts was in the action again not long after, linking with Ben Megson to send Percival over for his second. The Tuskers hit back with a penalty goal to Nigel Ratwatte, but Swarts got in on the scoring action himself, with a well taken try in the corner. Percival converted from wide out to make the score 17-3 at the break. The Tuskers had their best period of the game early in the second half, with Ratwatte slotting another penalty, but that was the last time they'd trouble the scoreboard. Gellert was too strong close to the line and powered over, followed by another perfectly weighted kick that set up Morrison to score the final try of the game. "We knew we were going to be up for a battle," said Percival after lifting the Sir Graham Henry Trophy, named after the World Cup-winning coach and team patron. "We scored some awesome tries, played brilliantly and opened them up in the second half. The fans were amazing, they cheered for us… it's an atmosphere we've never experienced back home." Once again, the U85s had to contend with 30-degree heat, despite the game kicking off at 6pm local time. Several players, including Percival, were forced from the field with heat exhaustion. "I think I was in the ice bath for about 15 minutes, before I could even go join the boys on the sideline again. I don't think it portrays on TV just how tough the conditions are - it was seriously hot." The team now return to the New Zealand club season, after their fortnight of being superstars in Sri Lanka. This week, they have been engaged in some official functions involving the NZ High Commission and travelling patron Sir Graham Henry, as well as visiting a local biscuit firm that's sponsoring the tour. Gellert, who usually spends his weekends playing for the Auckland University Slug Collectors club side in front of crowds of mostly partners and friends, said it was an incredible experience. "People are coming up to us on the streets, asking for photos and autographs," he said. "It's something that will probably never feel normal for this group of boys. "We were warned about how much Sri Lanka love rugby, but I don't think anything could have prepared for what it's truly like. As soon as we got off the plane, we were getting interviewed, but we love it. "We're the club battlers, so we're stoked at having the limelight."
Scoop
07-05-2025
- General
- Scoop
‘Will Take Time': Manawanui's Fate Still To Be Decided
Article – RNZ Samoa's Ministry of Works, Transport, and Infrastructure CEO also says there are ongoing discussions about compensation. , RNZ Pacific Bulletin Editor Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific Presenter/Bulletin Editor Samoa's Ministry of Works, Transport, and Infrastructure chief executive says the final fate of the sunken Manawanui is still to be decided. The New Zealand Navy vessel sank off the coast of Upolu in October last year, with a report into the grounding finding the crew were undertrained and the boat was not up to the task it was doing. Fui Tupa'i Simanu said in a statement that the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation is conducting an independent report on the wreck. 'Once that report is tabled, further decisions will be made,' he said, adding 'that includes the final decision on the wreck.' A report on the incident released last month found that the crew and commanding officer were undertrained, the boat was not up to the task it was doing, and the person in charge of the ship was distracted. A local surf guide, Manu Percival, who operates near the shipwreck, told RNZ Pacific that he was shocked and disappointed at the findings. Percival said it was simply not good enough. 'That is absolutely shocking that they had inadequately trained crew members and they went on a boat. I cannot believe how stupid that is,' he said. 'New Zealand has had so many disasters throughout history, and learned from it, and then to come over here [Samoa] and not practice what they practice in New Zealand is just stupid. 'What were they doing? Showing off? Looks like they just show off.' Percival suggested the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) give him a call about compensation for the impact on Samoans. However, Fui said there are ongoing discussions on compensation. The NZDF said earlier this week that it has completed work to retrieve important equipment, weapons, ammunition and some debris from in and around the shipwreck. In a statement on Monday, Commodore Andrew Brown said it is an important milestone which follows the successful removal of diesel fuel, oil and other pollutants from the ship. He said all the equipment, weapons and the ammunition have now been returned to New Zealand and much of the scrap metal debris has gone to be repurposed locally. The rest of the debris, along with tanktainers of unusable diesel fuel, pollutants, and oil mix, will return to New Zealand on the salvors' barge for safe disposal. 'Every effort has been taken to leave the Manawanui as safe and secure as possible, until a decision is reached on next steps for the ship and the work required for that,' Brown said. 'With our focus on the next steps for Manawanui, reef and environmental studies are progressing to inform and sit alongside the independent wreck assessment. 'These will take time, but will provide essential expert advice, to inform government decisions.' A core group of NZDF personnel remains in Samoa for support, and the Samoan government's prohibited area of two kilometres around the Manawanui remains. Dive site idea is 'bullshit' Meanwhile, Percival is completely against turning the Manawanui wreck into a dive site. There were three options Samoa's Cabinet was set to consider, including potentially leaving the wreck on the reef. Percival wanted that option ruled out. 'It is a wild ocean,' he said. 'Diving does not work, but nah, it is just like it should not be there. Should get rid of it. 'Keeping it there as a shipwreck? That is bullshit.' He added that not only would dive operations not be a viable business due to cost, New Zealand had a responsibility to fully remove the ship. RNZ Pacific has spoken with two other locals who shared similar views, but said they were too scared to go on record out of fear of repercussions.
Scoop
07-05-2025
- General
- Scoop
'Will Take Time': Manawanui's Fate Still To Be Decided
Christina Persico, RNZ Pacific Bulletin Editor Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific Presenter/Bulletin Editor Samoa's Ministry of Works, Transport, and Infrastructure chief executive says the final fate of the sunken Manawanui is still to be decided. The New Zealand Navy vessel sank off the coast of Upolu in October last year, with a report into the grounding finding the crew were undertrained and the boat was not up to the task it was doing. Fui Tupa'i Simanu said in a statement that the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation is conducting an independent report on the wreck. "Once that report is tabled, further decisions will be made," he said, adding "that includes the final decision on the wreck." A report on the incident released last month found that the crew and commanding officer were undertrained, the boat was not up to the task it was doing, and the person in charge of the ship was distracted. A local surf guide, Manu Percival, who operates near the shipwreck, told RNZ Pacific that he was shocked and disappointed at the findings. Percival said it was simply not good enough. "That is absolutely shocking that they had inadequately trained crew members and they went on a boat. I cannot believe how stupid that is," he said. "New Zealand has had so many disasters throughout history, and learned from it, and then to come over here [Samoa] and not practice what they practice in New Zealand is just stupid. "What were they doing? Showing off? Looks like they just show off." Percival suggested the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) give him a call about compensation for the impact on Samoans. However, Fui said there are ongoing discussions on compensation. Read more: The NZDF said earlier this week that it has completed work to retrieve important equipment, weapons, ammunition and some debris from in and around the shipwreck. In a statement on Monday, Commodore Andrew Brown said it is an important milestone which follows the successful removal of diesel fuel, oil and other pollutants from the ship. He said all the equipment, weapons and the ammunition have now been returned to New Zealand and much of the scrap metal debris has gone to be repurposed locally. The rest of the debris, along with tanktainers of unusable diesel fuel, pollutants, and oil mix, will return to New Zealand on the salvors' barge for safe disposal. "Every effort has been taken to leave the Manawanui as safe and secure as possible, until a decision is reached on next steps for the ship and the work required for that," Brown said. "With our focus on the next steps for Manawanui, reef and environmental studies are progressing to inform and sit alongside the independent wreck assessment. "These will take time, but will provide essential expert advice, to inform government decisions." A core group of NZDF personnel remains in Samoa for support, and the Samoan government's prohibited area of two kilometres around the Manawanui remains. Dive site idea is 'bullshit' Meanwhile, Percival is completely against turning the Manawanui wreck into a dive site. There were three options Samoa's Cabinet was set to consider, including potentially leaving the wreck on the reef. Percival wanted that option ruled out. "It is a wild ocean," he said. "Diving does not work, but nah, it is just like it should not be there. Should get rid of it. "Keeping it there as a shipwreck? That is bullshit." He added that not only would dive operations not be a viable business due to cost, New Zealand had a responsibility to fully remove the ship. RNZ Pacific has spoken with two other locals who shared similar views, but said they were too scared to go on record out of fear of repercussions.
1News
05-05-2025
- Sport
- 1News
NZ U85kg team makes history with inaugural win over Sri Lanka
The inaugural New Zealand Under-85kg rugby side has made history in Kandy, defeating the full Sri Lankan national side 50-10. The weight grade side scored eight tries to one in an entertaining match, living up to the reputation the grade has of fast, running rugby. A capacity 5000-strong crowd at Nittawala Rugby Stadium greeted the sides as they took the ground, with the home side carrying a significant weight and height advantage in the forwards. However, the difference in experience became evident early on - while the New Zealanders were drawn from amateur club rugby competitions, they are all seasoned and well-drilled players that had clearly benefited from even the briefest exposure to a high performance set up. It only took five minutes for the U85kg side to cross the line, with number eight Pasia Asiata getting the honour of scoring the first try in the team's history. Not long after, he created the try of the match when he stole the ball from a Sri Lankan ruck only five metres out from his own line, kicked downfield and eventually the ball was shifted to for Jamie Petford to dive in the corner. The Sri Lankans, ranked 39th in the world, hit back with a try to Dahan Wickramarachchi off a lineout drive, which was good use of their size. However, their naivety on defence was a telling factor as time and again the U85kg players were able to make ground and recycle the ball with rapid regularity. More first half tries followed to Ben Megson and Jack Laity to make the score 26-7 at halftime. Even though the home side managed to kick a penalty after the break, the U85kg side were able to dictate territory and possession. They were helped by the admirable but ultimately costly attitude of the Sri Lankans to run the ball from even behind their own goal line, meaning that counterattack opportunities were frequent. Captain Jarred Percival dived in under the posts off another nice bit of work by Asiata, then fullback Francis Morrison was rewarded for an excellent performance with a try out wide. Asiata then scored his second off another sweeping move, before Morrison finished things off with a try near the posts. "I'm most proud of the effort," said Percival post match. "The first 10 minutes was unbelievably hot and the boys were blowing…it cooled down but our energy stayed high. Sri Lanka kind of cooled off but we kept our energy up and kept scoring tries, which was great. We had to play fast, there was a bit of a weakness in their lateral movement." Percival admitted a bit of old-fashioned gamesmanship came into play, with the New Zealanders taking every opportunity they could in the second half to take water breaks. "It was really hot out there, it's an absolute cauldron" said coach Ngatai Walker. "I'm so proud of the group. The boys were pretty for anything, they just bit down on the mouthguards and got on with it." The win certainly proved a couple of things, firstly that the initiative taken to set the U85kg side up was well worth it and not only because they managed to win so convincingly. The appetite for rugby in Sri Lanka was evident with the big crowd and an even larger attendance predicted for next weekend's rematch in Colombo.
Fox News
11-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Man crafts world's largest beer tray collection of 1,500 items: 'Part of history'
A real ale fan has spent over 40 years amassing the world's biggest collection of beer trays. Richard Percival, 62, has forked over thousands of dollars for metal brewery trays, which he keeps at his home in Rutland, England. He stores the 300 trays - all pre-1970s - in the double garage that serves as a small museum. But there's even more than that. "I've got the biggest tray collection in the country and in the world. It really is a great British collection," he told news agency SWNS. (See the video at the top of this piece.) The retired business consultant began his quirky collection in 1982 while at a Brighton pub watching soccer. A Notts County soccer fan, Percival was gifted a tray by the landlord, after which he began collecting a memento every time he traveled. Since then, he's amassed a staggering 1,500 brewery trays from around the world, which are worth, on average, between $25 and $130. He displays more than 300 pre-World War trays in his double garage, which serves as a "mini-museum" dedicated to British brewing history. "When I first started going to matches and going to pubs saying, 'I have this hobby,' my friends and family all cringed," he said, as SWNS reported. Percival admits his wife, Susan, 69, thought he was "mad" at first — but now his family members staunchly support his unusual hobby. "It all started with [soccer]. I'm a fan of away days and have done 84 league grounds with Notts County." He added that when in Brighton, "one of my fellow supporters asked the landlord, 'Have you got a beer mat?'" A beer mat is the English equivalent of a coaster used in bars in America. "The beer mat wasn't there but [the] landlord had a tray. The supporter didn't want it, so I took it." After that, Percival continued to go to games and pick up mementos. "After the first 15 times I realized [the beer trays] were ornate objects — and it spiraled from there," he said. All the trays are British-made and from British breweries, but Percival has had people from as far away as Australia and America send them to him. "Individually, they're not worth that much, but as a collection, they're a part of British brewery history," he said. A copper tray in his collection dates back to around 1870. His oldest tray is a copper piece from a Black Country brewery called Fred Cutler that dates back to around 1870. His favorite is an oval tray from Warwicks & Richardsons brewery in Nottinghamshire because he prefers "distinctive, weightier, black-backed steel trays." "It's from 1904. It's got a picture of the brewery and the label of their beers." As for why all the trays are pre-1970s, it's because mass manufacturers all closed and stopped mass-producing by then. "I've also got Britain's biggest collection of memorabilia of a brewer called Thomas Salt and Co., which was taken over in 1927," he said. His "Holy Grail," Percival said, is to acquire a tray with the Thomas Salt cross logo, which is the fourth-oldest trademark in the world. "Salt stuff is rare and quite expensive. I might need to downsize at some point, but I have around 80 more items I want to get." For more Lifestyle articles, visit Percival launched a brewery encyclopedia website at the end of February. It catalogs Britain's brewery history and details his entire collection. "It's taken me 20 years to develop and three website migrations," he said. "People all over Britain and the world use it as an access site. It's got the manufacturing history, videos, articles for everything."
