Latest news with #WhangāreiBoys'HighSchool
NZ Herald
09-08-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Jugger: Why the nerdy sport with foam weapons and dog skulls is gaining ground
Only one player can pick up the 'Jugg' and score. Meanwhile, most players carry weapons to whack each other with, and each round is timed to 100 beats of a tribal drum. The drummer is positioned next to the referee but sometimes, if numbers are short, the referee also drums. When a player is tagged/hit they need to stand still for five slow drum beats (with two-second intervals between beats) before they can move again. Connor Franklin (front right) attacks during a jugger match in Auckland's Albert Park. Photo /Dean Purcell Much like J.K. Rowling's Quidditch, jugger was invented in a fictional world; in this case, a 1989 post-apocalyptic Mad Max rip-off called Salute of the Jugger in which desert warriors brutally compete to score goals with a dog skull. The forgettable film had, at best, a small cult following until a pair of eccentric Germans started playing the game for real in 1993, leading to the first European tournament in 1995. It wasn't long before an International Jugger Council was formed, as clubs sprang up around the world. It wasn't until 2015 that Kiwis Alex Mason and Regan Morgan formed the ambitiously-named New Zealand Jugger League in Whangārei. Morgan had seen medieval enthusiasts play jugger in Hamilton, so he gathered friends from Whangārei Boys' High School and a handful of medieval weapons enthusiasts to get Northland games going. New Zealand sent a representative team to Brisbane in 2017 and in 2018 two Kiwi jugger teams, the Black Swords and the older Silverbacks, took on the Drop Bears, a visiting team from Australia. Connor Franklin, who grew up playing jugger as a Whangārei teen, moved to AUT in 2024 to study paramedicine and brought the geeky whacky-ness with him. 'When I arrived, there was an Auckland University club that had been playing in the [Auckland] Domain. That club was dead so we restarted it.' Cooper Cordyne recovers after a jugger match in Auckland's Albert Park. Photo / Dean Purcell Franklin, 19, says AUT Jugger Club Inc is slightly behind in terms of international-quality skill but thriving in terms of popularity. Thanks to Auckland's huge population, even the small fraction of Albert Park passers-by who like the look of being whacked with modified pool noodles means dozens of new players have joined up. Franklin set about sourcing a load of pompfen (weapons) including swords, staffs, shields and a six-metre ball and chain, all of which are made from foam, yoga mats, plastic pipe and held together by PVC tape. That padding means players can hit 'pretty hard' without injuring anyone, he says. He tracked down prospective players through online chat rooms, stalls and promotions around the university. 'We also reached out to the board game club, your nerdier types, and the club just started exploding from word of mouth. We have 80 in the chat and 25 people show up for each game.' Jugger players can take the sport very seriously, so while make-your-own-weapons workshops are popular, Franklin made sure to ship his team's 'professional grade' chains from Germany for $380 for two. Jugger organiser Connor Franklin imported two weapons from Germany but most players make their own. Photo / Dean Purcell Franklin concedes it's almost impossible to walk past a game of jugger without stopping to ask, 'What the hell is this?' 'Initially people think, 'What the heck is going on on the field?' It's quite an alien sport. There's nothing else like it. You have to give it a go and you either love it or decide 'It's not for me'. A lot of people get into it really quick, go home, research it, get caught up with the rules, build their own pompfen then come back next week and tell me what to do!' Happy to play in mud through the winter, the AUT club will experiment this year with playing indoors and has opened its doors to 16-year-olds (accompanied by a guardian). Players don't need to be AUT students to join. The nerdy sport certainly comes with its own lingo. The runner is called a qwik, and the ball is called a jugg. Franklin makes sure to keep it all welcoming. 'My colleagues gauge the level of interest and nerdiness and adapt the terminology from there,' he says. 'When I explain it's like rippa rugby, people get their head around it.' Jugger can be a family affair Jugger is often a family affair, with Whangārei's gatherings featuring whānau battling it out. Lynnell Greer got involved as an organiser and referee after her young kids joined, in 2014, alongside dad and co-founder Adam Goddard. Lynnell Greer, of Whangārei, playing the combat sport of jugger at Kensington Park in Whangārei. Photo / Michael Botur A typical Sunday gathering in Whangārei's Kensington Park has Greer packing in and packing out weapons, refereeing and beating the drum. Greer has helped Whangārei take on two Australian tournaments and hosted the visit of Australia's Drop Bears. She's seen plenty of families stop, stare and join in over the past decade, and turnout continues to be good. After all, what child doesn't love whacking their parents with a pool noodle? 'I tell interested people, 'You look like you need a weapon in your hand!' Children are always keen to have a go against their parents,' Greer says. Matthew Taylor Moore, aged 11, from Whangārei, dives for the ring during a game of jugger at Kensington Park, Whangārei. Photo / Michael Botur Her advice for hesitant newbies? 'Just give it a go. You can do it at your pace. It's about skill, not speed, and if you're smart you can outwit the athletic.' Cooper Cordyne recovers after a jugger match in Auckland's Albert Park. Photo / Dean Purcell Jugger jargon Qwik: the runner, who can score in the enemy's goal Enforcer: a player with a weapon Mal or mound: the enemy's goal (a rubber tyre) Pompfen: weaponry (plural) 100 Stones: 100 beats of the drum (the duration of each third ) – a full game is 300 beats Jugg: the ball, made of foam, representing a dog skull Invasion: an exchange or visit, such as when Aucklanders 'invade' to battle Whangārei Mercenary: a lone warrior looking to join a team Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
1News
29-07-2025
- Business
- 1News
Sir Michael Hill dies aged 86
Entrepreneur Sir Michael Hill, founder of Michael Hill Jeweller and a New Zealand retail legend, has died aged 86. In an NZX update today, Michael Hill International Limited announced the death of its founder. Michael Hill International Limited chairperson Rob Fyfe said the board, executive and the team expressed their deepest and sincerest condolences to Hill's family and friends. "He's been a student his whole life. Eighty-six, sitting around the board table six months ago, he was still the most curious, most open-minded, the one who was always looking for new ideas. He never had that air of 'I know it all, I'm always right'," Fyfe told 1News today. "[He was] an inspiration to me, but it's not my story - he was an inspiration to so many people." ADVERTISEMENT Fyfe said Sir Michael always had the "courage" to follow his dreams and passions, saying that was how he found success. Sir Michael Hill. (Source: Supplied) "So driven, yet so creative, whether he turned his mind to creating the best golf course or the jewellery business, or it was the violin competition. "I've never met a person like him." Sir Michael had stepped back from his business in April so he could undergo cancer treatment. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Sir Michael's aspiration, grit, and determination not only built a globally recognised brand inspired generations of Kiwi entrepreneurs to dream big. "He built a brand from scratch and gave back to the country that he loved. May he rest in peace." ADVERTISEMENT Whangārei Boys' High School, where Sir Michael attended, said it was "deeply saddened" to learn of his death. "We are proud to count Sir Michael Hill among our most distinguished alumni. His legacy will continue to inspire generations of young men at Whangārei Boys' High School to pursue excellence and make a meaningful impact." See more on Sir Michael Hill on TVNZ+ As a young man, he worked the shop floor at his uncle's jewellers in Whangārei after he tried to pursue a career as a concert violinist. According to his memoir, Sir Michael worked as a salesperson and window dresser, winning multiple awards. He later took over advertising and was promoted to store manager. In 1965, he married art teacher Christine Roe. The two met while Sir Michael was working at the store. They had two children together. After over a decade at his uncle's shop, Sir Michael attempted to buy it. ADVERTISEMENT "He wouldn't sell to me, and he didn't. So, it left me with two options. Either stay for the rest of my life or move out. And it was an easy decision," Sir Michael told 1News in 2019. In 1979, Sir Michael opened his first eponymous store just a few metres up the road from his old workplace. Sir Michael Hill and his family in front of one of one of the early stores. (Source: 1News) Over the next half a century, the business would rapidly expand, eventually growing to more than 300 stores across New Zealand, Canada and Australia, turning Sir Michael's business into a jewellery empire. 'Thrill of the chase' 'You can always find something to spend the money on. The money becomes very secondary. In fact, it has nothing to do with it. It's the thrill of the chase,' Hill said about his career. The words 'Hello, Michael Hill, jeweller' would become familiar to many Kiwis. ADVERTISEMENT Street view of the Michael Hill jewelry store at Bowman Building, Napier. (Source: Getty) He would also branch out of the jewellery business, venturing into ladies' footwear for a time. Sir Michael also wrote three books. Outside the business, Sir Michael was a lifelong runner and an enthusiastic golfer. He put a green in the front garden of his Arrowtown home, eventually expanding it with trees and bunkers, becoming several par-three holes. Over the years, it grew into an 18-hole course and golf club called The Hills. Sir Michael Hill arrives for the trophy presentation during the 2016 New Zealand Open at The Hills on March 13, 2016 in Queenstown, New Zealand. (Source: Getty) It evolved into a renowned championship course hosting the New Zealand Open several times in the late 2000s. ADVERTISEMENT While unsuccessful as a concert violinist, Sir Michael maintained a strong love for the instrument, founding the biennial Michael Hill International Violin Competition. The contest was for emerging young violinists, and the winner was awarded a large cash prize, a recording deal for international distribution, and a 'winners tour' of performances across New Zealand and Australia. In 2011, he was knighted for services to business and the arts. A few years later, he handed the reins of chairperson of the business to his daughter Emma. Sir Michael is survived by his wife, children Mark and Emma and a business that will keep his name alive. A private memorial would be held for Sir Michael in Arrowtown.
NZ Herald
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Tama Jarman stars in Red Leap Theatre's crime thriller ‘Wrest' in Whangārei
The murder at the bus stop relates to the 'death' of the person she was before becoming a parent. The cast includes Tama Jarman, 38, who lived in Whangārei from the age of 5 until 20. After attending Whangārei Boys' High School, where he took drama, he wound up at South Seas Film and Television School in Auckland, from where his career flourished. 'I was working at Killer Prawn for a while after I left school and, after work, we'd head across the road to Bacio, which was owned by Des Wallace who'd done a bit of acting. 'I used to be a bit of a break dancer and I'd show my moves off and one day he said, 'What are you going to do Tama?' He'd gone to South Seas and had success as an actor from it and then bought the bar so I decided to give it a go – Des started it all!' Jarman has been working as a freelance actor since, with TV stints including Shortland Street and Westside, multiple ads and loads of theatre. He has been involved with Red Theatre since its inception in 2008 and undertaken many roles. In Wrest his main role is as a detective. Wrest came about when acclaimed performing artists and Kiwi mums Ella Becroft and Tor Colombus decided to combine their two worlds to create a new theatre show which explores motherhood's hidden darker side. The crime thriller is centred on a missing woman and a doppelganger with the unfolding mystery laying bare the mundane and sometimes monstrous reality of early motherhood. When the original woman mysteriously disappears, an uncanny doppelganger emerges. Stalked by detectives seeking answers, the doppelganger hunts visions of her original self, determined to rebuild. Becroft, who also directs the show, explains: 'When having a baby, women are expected to transition with ease – to transform into a completely new self that can seem at odds with who they know themselves to be. I felt like I became a stranger, a doppelganger of my child-free self. 'What we have come to accept as 'normal' birth can be deeply disturbing for many women. The transformative experience of pregnancy, birth, and motherhood doesn't match pervasive cultural narratives.' The project combines the cast and creative teams' personal experiences of pregnancy, birth, and motherhood with scientific, medical, and psychological insights to illuminate this often hidden experience. The main piece of text used as inspiration for the show was the book Matrescence by Lucy Jones. Jones, a scientific writer, has pieced together science, medicine and psychology in her book to explain what a woman experiences. From there, the team further researched processes and changes. Colombus, who is also the choreographer, says: 'In the rehearsal room for Wrest, there were moments where a parent would tell a story about the unexpected struggle of motherhood, the moments of rage, and the physical pain of it, that they had never spoken out loud before". 'There is a power to a woman sharing her authentic experience, and we hope this show will empower others to do the same.' The show encourages audiences to re-evaluate their perceptions of motherhood and to support women in their journeys. Jarman describes it as a dark and moody surreal crime thriller using devised physical theatre. 'We're given a rough story outline so we had a thread to follow. We've got a setting, now we've just got to build the story and physicalise what happens,' he explains. 'There's bones and we create the body and the flesh. For example, we might be asked to show five ways you could disappear into a portal. Then we all piece together the moments of gold amongst the many, many bad moments.' Although he returns to Whangārei often to visit family and has brought shows there in the past, he's looking forward to performing there next week. 'I'm just stoked to be doing what I do in my hometown. I'm excited to bring it up there and get some of my mates that are still there along and hopefully parents have a moment where they feel heard.' He equates Wrest with a David Lynch film and says audiences can expect excitement, tension, along with some dark moments among a well-constructed story. 'It's quite mysterious but when you do work it out, it's very satisfying so hopefully the audience has a satisfying experience.' Wrest runs from May 29-31 at 7.30pm-8.30pm in OneOneSix Bank St, followed by shows in Auckland in June. Tickets from Eventfinda.
