“To fix our national pride, the solution is obvious: herpes.” That was the pitch made by the charity New Zealand Herpes Foundation last October, when it launched a campaign to make the country the “best place” to have the infection. That campaign has been a roaring success, winning a top prize at this year’s Cannes...
New Zealand has paused millions of dollars in funding to the Cook Islands over wide-ranging deals that its smaller Pacific neighbour had made with China. Wellington, the Cook Islands’ biggest funder, said it was blindsided by the deals that were struck in February, covering infrastructure, tourism, technology and perhaps crucially, deep-sea mineral exploration. Fresh funding...
New Zealand captain Sophie Devine will retire from ODI cricket after the World Cup later this year. The 35-year-old, who will skipper the side at the 50-over World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, will remain available for T20Is. One of the finest all-rounders in world cricket, Devine is fourth on New Zealand’s all-time run-scorers...
New Zealand tighthead prop Amy Rule will become the first Black Ferns player to move to Premiership Women’s Rugby when she joins Exeter after the World Cup. The 24-year-old has won 29 caps for her country and will sign for Chiefs from Super Rugby Aupiki side Matatu. Rule made her international debut against England in...
Rob Walter has been named as New Zealand’s new head coach for all three formats of the game. The former South Africa white-ball coach has signed a three-year contract and will take over in mid-June ahead of New Zealand’s tour of Zimbabwe. His contract will run through to the next One-Day International World Cup in...
A member of New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s staff has resigned after being accused of secretly taking photos and videos of women, and recording audio of sex workers. Michael Forbes, Luxon’s deputy chief press secretary, offered his “sincerest apologies to the women I have harmed”. The allegations came to light after a sex worker...
New Zealand head coach Gary Stead will step down from the role when his contract expires at the end of the month. The 53-year-old had already said he would quit as coach of the Black Caps’ one-day international and T20 sides, but had remained interested in coaching the Test team. However, New Zealand Cricket decided...
A 19-year-old New Zealander has died of a “serious head injury” sustained in a social media-inspired game of tackle with friends, police said. The young man, identified in local media as Ryan Satterthwaite, died in hospital on Monday after a game of “run it straight” in the city of Palmerston North. Meant to recreate collisions...
Durham have signed New Zealand all-rounder Jimmy Neesham for this season’s T20 Blast competition. The 34-year-old left-hander is a veteran of 83 T20 internationals and 76 ODI games for the Black Caps. Neesham, who also bowls right-arm seam, will play for his sixth county after previous stints with Derbyshire, Essex, Kent, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire as...
Love Taupō Some have called it an “eyesaur”. Many more have described it as “fabulous”. But one word Boom Boom, a seven-metre tall stainless steel dinosaur sculpture in New Zealand, could never be associated with is “boring”. Just days after the sauropod statue was installed in Taupō Sculpture Park, in the scenic centre of New...
Southee’s immediate task will be to guide an inexperienced fast-bowling unit at the beginning of a crucial year, with an away Ashes series following the contest against India. Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse and Olly Stone are all absent from the Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge, beginning next Thursday. The pace...
Wellington Airport The giant birds will be unfastened from the airport ceiling to make way for a new mystery exhibit For more than a decade, a pair of Hobbit-inspired eagle sculptures have cast a watchful eye over visitors at New Zealand’s Wellington Airport. But the giant birds will be unfastened from the ceiling on Friday...
England’s summer begins with a one-off Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge next month. A squad will be named at the end of this week. Injuries to Chris Woakes and Mark Wood will result in an inexperienced pace-bowling department. Gus Atkinson, with only 11 previous Tests, will be the most senior seamer. Sam Cook, 27,...
Nicholls, who played the most recent of his 56 Tests for the Black Caps against Bangladesh 16 months ago, was also part of the New Zealand side that lost to England in the epic 2019 World Cup final at Lord’s. “I’m really looking forward to this opportunity with Worcestershire,” he said. “I’ve always been a...
Bates has been one of the outstanding cricketers in the women’s game since her made her New Zealand debut in 2006. She also represented her country at basketball in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing before cricket took centre stage. The right-hand batter was named Player of the Tournament in the 2013 World Cup and the...