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Friday, November 21, 2008

Football : Agreement over soccer logo issue

The Department of Internal Affairs has accepted an undertaking from the Newcastle Jets soccer team that its sponsor's logo, advertising an Australian betting agency, will be removed from players' jerseys when they return in January to replay the Wellington Phoenix.

Gambling Compliance Director, Mike Hill, said the Department contacted the Newcastle team this week and asked them to consider the implications of New Zealand's Gambling Act which makes it an offence to advertise overseas gambling.

"We considered their explanation that they were unaware of our law and that they did not have time to get new logo-free jerseys before Sunday's match. Taping over the logos was not an option as this would damage the shirts irreparably," Mike Hill said. "Given their undertakings to rectify the situation before January's return game and to avoid displaying the betting agency's logo during any televised match interviews, we are confining our action in this instance to one of education and persuasion."

The Gambling Act 2003 bans the promotion of overseas gambling in New Zealand, including online gambling, unless it is operated by the NZ Racing Board, which operates as the TAB, or the NZ Lotteries Commission. It is not illegal for New Zealanders to gamble on overseas internet sites but it is illegal to advertise such websites here.

The Act defines "publish" broadly, including newspapers and periodicals and a range of other means of conveying information, such as broadcasting, computer disc, film or video and bringing to the notice of the public in New Zealand "in any other manner". A person who contravenes S16 (1) commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to fine not exceeding $10,000.

Television broadcasters covering the Wellington match could have a defence under the Gambling Act if the promotion of the betting agency is only incidental to the coverage of the game.

league : Price ruled out

VB Kangaroos prop Steve Price has been ruled out of tomorrow night’s World Cup Final after tearing his left calf muscle at the team’s final training session today.

Price pulled up suddenly during a routine drill and after consultation with team medical staff, was ruled out of the team to play New Zealand in Brisbane tomorrow night.

A replacement for Price will be advised tomorrow.

NRL : Jetstar Titans re-sign young flyer Gordon

The Jetstar Gold Coast Titans have secured a pre-season coup after re-signing emerging talent Kevin Gordon for the next three seasons.

The 18-year-old from Coffs Harbour, who was one of the stars for the Titans’ NYC side in this year’s Toyota Cup, has agreed to re-sign with the club until the end of the 2011 season. In an outstanding debut year for the Titans’ NYC outfit, Gordon scored 21 tries in as many appearances – showcasing his athleticism and raw speed.

Significantly, his 21 tries accounted for more than half of the tries scored by the Titans’ NYC side throughout the year. Gordon was later named in the Toyota Cup Team of the Year and was also judged the Titans’ NYC Players’ Player. As well as showing his smarts on the field, Gordon is also studying Multimedia at Griffith University. The continuation of his studies is part of his contract extension with the Jetstar Titans.

“It’s great to be able to lock-in one of our promising under-20s players to a long term arrangement that’ll hopefully see him remain with the club well into the future,’’ said Jetstar Titans managing director Michael Searle. “Kevie will be training with our full-time squad whilst he is having a break from University. We’d expect that he’ll push for a first grade spot in 2009 and certainly put some pressure on some of the centres and wingers at the club given his performances last year. The club will continue to fund his studies at Griffith University through our scholarship program which is great because at the end of this contract he will come out with a degree.’’

Gordon said he was thrilled to extend his contract with the club, adding that being happy on and off the field were major factors behind his decision to remain in Titans colours. ”I want to stay up here. It’s more like back home than Sydney and it’s a good area to live.’’

While Gordon has first grade in his sights, the quietly-spoken youngster said he was happy to bide his time in the lower grades until he gets his chance. “I was lucky to get into the under-20s side so I’m happy about that and haven’t thought too much about first grade yet,’’ he said.

Rugby League : stadium update

Tomorrow’s Rugby League World Cup Final between Australia and New Zealand at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium will go ahead as scheduled at 7.00pm Queensland time (8.00pm AESDT).

Tournament officials have consulted with Suncorp Stadium this morning to assess the condition of the venue and the playing surface and to review all contingency plans given the possibility of further storms tomorrow evening. Stadium staff have conducted a complete audit of the venue in the wake of the devastating storms that have struck the region in recent days. While there has been some damage to a section of the stadium roofing, damage to signage and a number of broken windows, stadium officials say the venue will be fully ready to host the match tomorrow evening.

The playing surface has received 400ml of rain since Sunday forcing Australia to move a training session this morning but while the grass may appear a little patchy the field has been ruled safe and stable and will be available for the Kiwis this afternoon. Tournament Director, Mr Colin Love AM, said that the safety of players and fans was the key priority and that he had full confidence in the Stadium’s contingency planning.

“This is a major venue that is used to accommodating large crowds in all conditions,” he said. “We have every confidence in their procedures.”

The General Manager of Suncorp Stadium, Mr Paul Sergeant, said today that fans should be confident that every precaution is being taken to ensure a safe night for all concerned. “We are happy with the way the ground has held up through the last few days,” Mr Sergeant said. “Certainly we have plans in place for all contingencies but we do not expect any real problems.”

Fans are reminded that SES Volunteers will be collecting donations as people enter the ground and that all television viewers will be encouraged to contribute to the Queensland Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal.

Tennis : Jones siblings make semi-finals across the world from each other

GD Jones has reached the semi-finals in the doubles competition of the ATP Challenger Series Tournament in Knoxville, USA.

Jones and partner Kevin Anderson of South Africa defeated in their first match opponents, fourth seeds Alex Kuznetsov and Todd Widom of USA. Jones and Anderson next won against John-Patrick Smith of Australia and Rhyne Williams of USA. In the semis Jones and Anderson will face second seeds Sanchai and Sonchaf Ratiwatana of Thailand.

In the singles competition, after progressing through the qualifying rounds, Jones lost his first round match against Alex Kuznetsov of USA 6-7 5-7.

Halfway across the world, Jones’ sister Sacha Jones has reached the quarter-finals in the singles and the semi-finals in the doubles competition at the ITF tournament in Manila, Philippines.

Top-seeded Jones won her first round match against Sophia Mulsap of Thailand 6-1 6-3. In the second round Jones defeated Renee Binnie of Australia 6-3 6-0. In the quarter-finals Jones will face fifth seed Lavinia Tananta of Indonesia. In the doubles Jones and partner Yoshimi Kawasaki of Japan won their first match against Jessica-Marie Agra of Philippines and You-Jin Kang of Korea 3-6 6-0 [10-3]. Jones and Kawasaki next defeated second seeds Alisa Ogorodova of Uzbekistan and Lavinia Tantanta of Indonesia 6-2 6-4. In the semi-finals they will meet Ting-Fei Juan of Taipei and Yi Zhong of China. Jones will play in Toyota, Japan in another ITF event next week. Marina Erakovic, New Zealand’s top female player had planned to play in this event too, but has withdrawn, to return to Auckland to prepare for the ASB Classic in January 2009.

Another Kiwi on the international tennis circuit, Shona Lee, played a WA Money Tournament in Perth, Australia.

Lee defeated Ali Connell of Australia 6-0 6-0 in the second round, after a first round bye. In the third round Lee won against Erin Bilett of Australia 6-2 6-4. In the quarters Lee lost against Anna Wishink, third seed, of Australia.

Events: Top Gear Live tickets ready for a sell-out – public release 9:00am Monday 24th



Despite there being nearly three months until the arrival of Clarkson, Hammond and an amazing crew of performers for the New Zealand leg of Top Gear Live, ticket demand is at a frenzy and all 10 shows look likely to sell out within hours of the public release on Monday the 24th at 9:00am.

Since the launch event on Tuesday, Ticketek phones have been running hot with requests for advance bookings and huge interest in the coveted ‘paddock pass’, a premium pass that allows guests backstage to see the workings of the spectacular stage event.

Top Gear Live has been described as a circus of cars, with 75 minutes of breath-taking stunts and driving sequences from some of the world’s best precision drivers plus live versions of regular formats of the Top Gear programme, all brought to life with stunning stage effects and pyrotechnics, crazy stunts, synchronised driving displays and features.

Each Top Gear Live theatre show will comprise up to 16 different scenes or sequences with Clarkson and Hammond playing host and in the spirit of their ‘ambitious but not always successful’ Top Gear style. And joining them on stage will be New Zealand’s most well-known motor-racing personality, NZV8 driver, Greg Murphy.

New Zealand is city number six on a seven-stop world tour that also takes them to Sydney, Johannesburg and ends in Hong Kong. The show has been a sell-out in London and Birmingham in the last fortnight and tickets in hot demand in Sydney where the show appears before New Zealand.

And when the team went looking for a New Zealander to join them on-stage, that also was a no-brainer, with racing driver and motor-racing celebrity Greg Murphy, whose role was announced at the press launch at Sky City this week.

“This is an honour,” said Murphy. “Cars are my life and this is the ultimate celebration of motoring,” he said.

About Top Gear Live

Top Gear Live will hit New Zealand shores February 12th – 15th, 2009 at the ASB Showgrounds, Auckland. Pricing ranges from $70 for a general show admission to $150 for a Diamond evening ticket. Also on offer is a special 'Paddock Pass' ticket add-on that will allow ticket purchases to head out back and see the mechanics of the show and all vehicles that are being used on stage. Paddock Passes are strictly limited to 300 per show, and are operated on a first in, first served basis. Corporate packages are also on offer with six corporate boxes per show and gala dinner event on Thursday 12th will include the premiere show seating followed by dinner.

All tickets are on sale exclusively to the public through ticketek from 9am Nov 24th. www.ticketek.co.nz

www.topgearlive.co.nz

Show Dates:
Thurs 12th - 6.30pm
Friday 13th - 5pm & 8pm
Saturday 14th - 11am, 2pm, 5pm & 8pm
Sunday 15th - 11am, 2pm & 5pm

Cricket : Governor General's XI v Wellington Wanderers

This Sunday, 23 November, the annual Governor General's match will be played at the Allied Nationwide Finance Basin Reserve. The Governor General's XI comprises First XI college players from a wide range of Wellington colleges, and the Wanderers team features ex New Zealand and Wellington players.

It promises to be a memorable occasion and the Governor General, The Hon. Anand Satyanand will be present. This 40 over match begins at 10.30am.

Baseball : MIKE MUSSINA ANNOUNCES HIS RETIREMENT

Five-time All-Star Mike Mussina today announced his retirement from Baseball.

Mussina, 39, was a member of the Yankees pitching staff from 2001-08, compiling a record of 123-72 with a 3.88 ERA. Since signing with the Yankees as a free agent prior to the 2001 season, no other American League pitcher recorded more wins than Mussina. He struck out 1,278 batters in pinstripes, ranking sixth on the club’s all-time list. His 72 wins at Yankee Stadium were the third-most since 1976 when the facility was remodeled, behind Ron Guidry (99) and Andy Pettitte (95).

Rugby : Updated All Blacks team to play Wales

The updated All Blacks team to play Wales at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, on Saturday November 22.

1. Tony Woodcock
2. Keven Mealamu
3. Neemia Tialata
4. Brad Thorn
5. Ali Williams
6. Jerome Kaino
7. Richie McCaw – captain
8. Rodney So’oialo
9. Jimmy Cowan
10. Dan Carter
11. Sitiveni Sivivatu
12. Ma’a Nonu
13. Richard Kahui
14. Josevata Rokocoko
15. Mils Muliaina

Reserves:
16. Hikawera Elliot
17. John Afoa
18. Anthony Boric
19. Kieran Read
20. Piri Weepu
21. Stephen Donald
22. Isaia Toeava

A1GP : A1 Teams Nominated Drivers

The following drivers have signed-on to compete in A1GP Sepang, Malaysia

Australia
John Martin
Ashley Walsh

Brazil
Felipe Guimarães

China
Ho Pin Tung

France
Loïc Duval
Nicolas Prost

Great Britain
Danny Watts
James Winslow

Indonesia
Satrio Hermanto
Zahir Ali

India
Narain Karthikeyan
Armaan Ebrahim

Ireland
Adam Carroll
Niall Quinn

Italy
Edoardo Piscopo
Stefano Coletti

Korea
Jin Woo Hwang

Lebanon
Daniel Morad
Jimmy Auby

Malaysia
Fairuz Fauzy
Aaron Lim

Mexico
David Garza

Monaco
Clivio Piccione

Netherlands
Jeroen Bleekemolen
Dennis Retera

New Zealand
Earl Bamber
Chris van der Drift

Portugal
Filipe Albuquerque
Armando Parente

South Africa
Adrian Zaugg
Gavin Cronje

Switzerland
Neel Jani
Alexandre Imperatori

USA
Marco Andretti
John R Hildebrand Jr

Rugby : Injury ends Corey Flynn’s tour

All Blacks hooker Corey Flynn has suffered a fractured left forearm and will miss the two remaining matches on the All Blacks UK Tour.

All Blacks Doctor Deb Robinson said Flynn suffered a knock to his arm during the match against Munster on Tuesday night but was unaware he had suffered any injury, and continued playing the match.

“Corey complained of soreness yesterday (Wednesday) and an x-ray in Cardiff yesterday evening confirmed that he has suffered a fracture to his left forearm,” Robinson said.

All Blacks Coach Graham Henry said the injury to Flynn would see Hikawera Elliot move to the bench for the Test against Wales.

A decision on whether or not a replacement hooker was needed for the remainder of the Tour would be made following the Wales Test.

Meanwhile, Tony Woodcock has been confirmed to start the Test at loosehead prop. A decision on the other propping position will be made in due course, with Neemia Tialata recovering from a viral infection.

Rugby League : Tate Ruled out

VB Kangaroos Winger Brent Tate has been ruled out of Saturday night’s World Cup Final against New Zealand with a torn hip flexor muscle.

Tate suffered the injury during last weekend’s Semi Final victory over Fiji and while initially reacting well to treatment, scans today revealed a Grade 2 tear in his right hip flexor, ruling him out of Saturday night’s Final.

David Williams has been called into the starting line up as Tate’s replacement.

Cricket : Hong Kong Cricket Festival 2008, 5-7 December 2008

Hong Kong Cricket Festival 2008
Mission Road Cricket Ground, 5 - 7th December 2008


Tournament Facts

Event : Ichor International Hong Kong Cricket Festival 2008
Dates : 5 - 7th December 2008
Venue : Mission Road Cricket Ground, Kowloon
Times : 9am - 5.30pm daily
Entry : free for all spectators
Organisers : Lamma Cricket Club
Format : up to 16 teams from HK and internationally compete in a six-a-side format over 3 days in Cup, Plate, Bowl, and Spoon Divisions

Official Charity : Make A Wish Foundation of Hong Kong

Website http://hkcricketfestival.com/

Background: The international award winning Cricket Festival is Hong Kong's only international club cricket tournament with club cricketers from Asia all around the world flying into Hong Kong to enjoy the special cameraderie and cricket competition of the Ichor International Hong Kong Festival. First staged in 2002, the tournament will be played for the first time at Mission Road Cricket Ground (Tin Kwong Road Cricket Ground), and a Welcome Reception and Festival Gala Dinner making for a packed weekend. Funds will be raised at the Festival for the Make A Wish children's charity.

Sevens : New Zealand Sevens squad named

Coach Gordon Tietjens has named the New Zealand Sevens squad for the opening two rounds of the 2008/2009 IRB World Sevens series, which kicks off in Dubai on November 28-29. New Zealand are the defending series champions.

The Dubai tournament kicks off the international Sevens season, which includes eight events and the Rugby World Cup Sevens, which is also being held in Dubai at 'The Sevens', a new purpose-built stadium which will be the headquarters for rugby in the region.

Tietjens said he was excited about the new season.

“We enjoyed a really good series last year and the challenge is to back that up again this year with the added interest created by the Rugby World Cup Sevens.”

“We have picked a squad we believe can respond to this challenge which combines some of our really experienced Sevens players with some new, young players who will join the national team for the first time.”

Four players are set to make their New Zealand Sevens debut. They are, 21-year-old Paul Grant from Otago, 20-year-old Kurt Baker from Manawatu, 19-year-old Tim Nanai-Williams from Counties Manukau and the youngest member of the team, 18-year-old Julian Savea from Wellington.

New Zealand Sevens squad for Dubai and South Africa: Kurt Baker (Manawatu), Tomasi Cama (Manawatu), DJ Forbes (Counties Manukau, captain), Solomon King (Bay of Plenty), Zar Lawrence (Bay of Plenty), Tim Mikkelson (Waikato), Lote Raikabula (Manawatu), Willie Rickards (Southland), Julian Savea (Wellington), Nafi Tuitavake (North Harbour), Paul Grant (Otago), Tim Nanai-Williams (Counties Manukau).

Auckland’s Edwin Cocker and Bay of Plenty’s Nigel Hunt were not considered due to injury.

Notes to media: The team will train at Blake Park in Mount Maunganui at 10am tomorrow, Friday 21 and Saturday 22 of November. Media are welcome to attend these sessions but please contact Kate Hutchison on 04 494 0764 if you wish to attend. The team will depart Auckland for Dubai on Sunday the 23 November at 6.50pm.

2008/09 IRB Sevens World Series schedule:
28-29 November 2008 - Dubai
5-6 December 2008 – George, South Africa
6-7 February 2009 – Wellington, New Zealand
14-15 February 2009 - San Diego, USA
27-29 March 2009 - Hong Kong
4-5 April 2009 – Adelaide, Australia
23-24 May 2009 – London, England
30-31 May 2009 – Edinburgh, Scotland.


Rugby World Cup Sevens
5-7 March 2009 – Men’s and Women’s – Dubai

Deans returns to take on Crusaders!


Robbie Deans makes a return to the Christchurch sporting scene on Sunday, December 7, when he captains an Invitational XI against a Crusaders XI in the annual cystic fibrosis cricket fund-raiser at Hagley Oval.

Deans, the former coach of the Crusaders who is currently touring Europe in charge of the Wallabies, is a long-time supporter of the cystic fibrosis fund-raiser.

He will join new Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder in a team which includes Canterbury Air New Zealand Cup coach Robb Penney, former New Zealand cricket captain Lee Germon, Canterbury Bulls league coach Brent Stuart, former Kiwis league international Aaron Whittaker and Tall Blacks basketballer Jeremy Kench.

The Crusaders XI will be captained by Leon MacDonald and includes Casey Laulala, Wyatt Crockett, Thomas Waldrom and possibly Canterbury captain Kieran Read, a talented cricketer who is currently in the United Kingdom on his first All Blacks tour.

Caroline Wagteveld, of the Cystic Fibrosis Association of New Zealand (CFANZ), said Deans signalled his willingness to return to lead the Invitational XI straight after last year’s match. “It’s a testament to Robbie’s great commitment to Cystic Fibrosis New Zealand. Despite his impending work in Australia he said ‘count me in for next year’. We are all really grateful for that.”

A big plus for all spectators will be the chance to meet and receive autographs from their heroes. Wagteveld added: “We are encouraging people to bring along their favourite Crusaders gear and get it signed by their heroes. Players will be available to sign things while their team is batting.

“CFANZ is grateful for the on-going support from such sponsors as The Christchurch Casino, ASB, Coca-Cola and DB, who all contribute to make this a fabulous day out for the whole family.”

The match starts at 11am. Admission is free and there will an auction of sporting memorabilia at 1pm.

TEAMS:

Crusaders XI
(From)

Leon MacDonald
Wyatt Crockett
Kieran Read
Colin Slade
Adam Whitelock
George Whitelock
Sean Maitland
Tim Bateman
Ryan Crotty
Thomas Waldrom
Nasi Manu
Casey Laulala

Invitational XI

Robbie Deans (c)
Todd Blackadder
Simon Barnett
Jon Preston
Rob Penney
Lee Germon
Shayne Philpott
Tim Blake
Brent Stuart
Aaron Whittaker
Jeremy Kench

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Rugby : NZRU congratulates Graham Henry on Fair Play Trophy

All Blacks coach Graham Henry has been awarded the Pierre de Coubertin Trophy, the highest distinction awarded by the International Committee for Fair Play (ICPF), which is run under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee.

Henry was awarded the trophy for his “exemplary attitude” following the World Cup quarter- final defeat against France in Cardiff last year. After the match Henry immediately visited the French changing room and congratulated them on their win.

“The New Zealand coach behaved with great dignity and an exemplary sense of fair play, said Jean Durry, the General Secretary of the ICPF.

“It was a very simple gesture, but it serves as an example to other sports people. In the context of today’s professional sport, Henry’s dignity in defeat was a magnificent example of sportsmanship.”

New Zealand Rugby Union CEO Steve Tew congratulated Henry on his win.

“This Award is a great honour for Graham and New Zealand. It proves that even in adversity our coaches and players can act with dignity and maintain the sense of sportsmanship that has always been a part of rugby.”

Henry will be presented with the trophy at a gala dinner in Istanbul in January next year. He will be the second Kiwi to receive the Award after Tana Umaga won it in 2003 for assisting injured Welsh number 8 Colin Charvis on the field during a Test match.

Tennis : FOURTH TOP-20 PLAYER FOR 2009 ASB CLASSIC

Thursday 20 November 2008

The 2009 ASB Classic featuring the Kia Motors Singles and Doubles is set to become one of the best yet with the confirmation of its fourth top-20 ranked player.

The January 5-10, tournament will see the return of current world No20, Katarina Srebotnik a consistent and popular player who has excelled in both singles and doubles in 2008.

Srebotnik adds to the already announced list of No4 Elena Dementieva, No11 Nadia Petrova and No12 Caroline Wozniacki making the top four seeds the highest in the tournament’s history.

The only other occasion four players have been ranked inside the top-20 was in 2007.

Srebotnik, the 2005 ASB Classic champion is at a career-high singles ranking having had her best season ever on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour in both singles and doubles.

As an added bonus Srebotnik will form a relatively new partnership in Kia Motor Doubles in Auckland with Petrova. The pair will be a formibable partnership teaming up throughout 2009.

This year Srebotnik made eight quarterfinals or better at WTA events and put career-best equaling performances at Grand Slams, making the fourth round at Roland Garros with a win over Serena Williams and also at the US Open where she beat Svetlana Kuznetzova.

To start the year she reached the quarters at the ASB Classic and followed that up the next week with the quarters in Sydney. Her best finish was at Strasbourg where she won through to the final before losing to Anabel Medina Garrigues in three sets.

There were also semifinal results in Prague and Tokyo where she beat Dementieva in the quarters and had a total of five wins over top-10 players.

Showing her diversity Srebotnik also reached the quarters on grass at s’Hertogenbosch and the quarters at Zurich indoors.

In doubles she won titles at Miami, Charleston and Linz (all with Ai Sugiyama) and Moscow with Petrova. Another top doubles finish was reaching the semis of the US Open (with Sugiyama) and making the year-end WTA Tour Championships as one of the world’s top-four doubles teams.

In total Srebotnik has 20 doubles titles and has been a finalist at Roland Garros and Wimbledon in 2007 (with Sugiyama) and at the US Open in 2006 with Dinara Safina.

Throughout her career she has won three mixed Grand Slam titles (Roland Garros 2006, US Open 2003, Roland Garros 1999) and was a finalist in the mixed at Roland Garros (with Nenad Zimonjic) and Wimbledon (with Mike Bryan) this year.

Srebotnik’s victory at the ASB Classic four years ago came after an exhausting number of matches due to rain as she played the semifinal and final of the singles and the doubles finals in one day. She defeated Shinobu Asagoe in the final and then teamed up with the Japanese player to beat Leanne Baker and Francesca Lubiani in the doubles final.

Her best career results include tournament victories at Estoril in 1999 (her debut WTA Tour event), a win at Acapulco in 2002 and victory in Stockholm three years later.

“The confirmation of Katarina caps off a terrific top-four players for the 2009 ASB Classic. Katarina is a very talented player who is very popular in Auckland and it’s great to have her back following her best ever season.

It’s also a real plus that she will be teaming up with Nadia Petrova in the doubles. Having two of the top-four singles seeds, featuring together will be a real drawcard for fans and doubles enthusiasts,” says ASB Classic Tournament Director, Brenda Perry.

Srebotnik and Petrovare are two of just three players who are currently ranked in the top 20 in both singles and doubles.

Srebotnik was a member of the Slovenian Olympic team in 2000 and 2004 and has strong links to a number of tennis supporters in New Zealand having played at the ASB Classic on six previous occasions.

The full player list will be announced November 26.

The ASB Classic will also feature on-court coaching for the first time as part of an initiative on Sony Ericsson WTA Tour.

The tournament will once again feature audio and video podcasting as well as live scoring.

The ASB Classic featuring the Kia Motors Singles and Doubles will be played at the ASB Tennis Centre January 5-10, with qualifying January 3-4.

www.asbclassic.co.nz

Rugby : All Blacks announce team to play Wales

All Blacks Coach Graham Henry and his assistant coaches Wayne Smith and Steve Hansen have today named their team to play Wales at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, on Saturday November 22.

1. Tony Woodcock / Neemia Tialata / John Afoa
2. Keven Mealamu
3. Tony Woodcock / Neemia Tialata / John Afoa
4. Brad Thorn
5. Ali Williams
6. Jerome Kaino
7. Richie McCaw – captain
8. Rodney So’oialo
9. Jimmy Cowan
10. Dan Carter
11. Sitiveni Sivivatu
12. Ma’a Nonu
13. Richard Kahui
14. Josevata Rokocoko
15. Mils Muliaina

Reserves:

16. Corey Flynn
17. TBC
18. Anthony Boric
19. Kieran Read
20. Piri Weepu
21. Stephen Donald
22. Isaia Toeava

Three props have been bracketed pending the outcome of Tony Woodcock’s disciplinary hearing which is being held in Dublin this evening.

Graham Henry said the Test against the current Six Nations champions would provide another major challenge for the All Blacks.

“As we all know, Wales are a very good team. They play an expansive style of attacking rugby and have talent across the park, so it’s shaping up to be another classic encounter,” he said.

Wales and the All Blacks have met on 23 occasions, with the last Test in Cardiff in 2006, which the All Blacks won 45 -10.

Rugby League - Final statistics

RLWC 2008 – Game 18: Australia v New Zealand

-Match Notes-

Australia has won the last eight Test matches against New Zealand by an average of 22.6 points.

In the last four games against Australia, New Zealand has failed to score in a point in the first half.

New Zealand has not scored more than six points in the first half against Australia in their last eight Tests. The previous occasion when they’ve improved on this was the 2005 Tri Nations final when they led 16-nil at half-time.

The last time New Zealand beat Australia was in the 2005 Tri Nations final at Elland Road (24-0). New Zealand assistant coach Wayne Bennett was the Australian head coach.

These sides have met 26 times in Brisbane, New Zealand have won only five times, their last win coming in 1987 (Lost their last eight in a row). Australia has won 13 from 13 World Cup games against New Zealand.

The Kiwis narrowest loss was 5-9 in 1972.

This will be the third time Australia have met New Zealand in a World Cup Final
1985-1988 World Cup Final - Eden Park, Auckland. October 9 1988

NEW ZEALAND: Gary Mercer; Tony Iro, Kevin Iro, Dean Bell (c), Mark Elia; Gary Freeman, Clayton Friend; Peter Brown, Wayne Wallace, Adrian Shelford, Mark Graham, Kurt Sorensen, Mark Horo. Interchange: Shane Cooper, Sam Stewart. Coach: Tony Gordon.

AUSTRALIA: Garry Jack; Dale Shearer, Andrew Farrar, Mark McGaw, Michael O'Connor; Wally Lewis (c), Allan Langer; Paul Dunn, Ben Elias, Steve Roach, Paul Sironen, Gavin Miller, Wayne Pearce. Interchange: Terry Lamb, David Gillespie. Coach: Don Furner.

Australia 25 (A.Langer 2, G.Miller, D.Shearer tries; M.O'Connor 4 goals; B.Elias field goal) defeated New Zealand 12 (K.Iro, T.Iro tries; Pe.Brown (NZ) 2 goals).

Crowd: 47,363. Halftime: Australia 21-0. Referee: G.Ainui (PNG).


2000 World Cup Final - Old Trafford, Manchester (England). November 25 2000
AUSTRALIA: Darren Lockyer; Wendell Sailor, Matthew Gidley, Adam MacDougall, Mat Rogers; Brad Fittler (c), Brett Kimmorley; Shane Webcke, Andrew Johns, Robbie Kearns, Gorden Tallis, Bryan Fletcher, Scott Hill. Interchange: Trent Barrett, Nathan Hindmarsh, Darren Britt, Jason Stevens. Coach: Chris Anderson.

NEW ZEALAND: Richard Barnett (c); Nigel Vagana, Tonie Carroll, Willie Talau, Lesley Vainikolo; Henry Paul, Stacey Jones; Craig Smith, Richard Swain, Quentin Pongia, Matt Rua, Stephen Kearney, Ruben Wiki. Interchange: Robbie Paul, Joe Vagana, Nathan Cayless, Logan Swann. Coach: Frank Endacott.

Australia 40 (W.Sailor 2, T.Barrett, B.Fittler, M.Gidley, N.Hindmarsh, D.Lockyer tries; M.Rogers 6 goals) defeated New Zealand 12 (T.Carroll, L.Vainikolo tries; H.Paul 2 goals).

Crowd: 44,329. Halftime: Australia 6-0. Referee: S.Cummings (ENG).

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Rugby League : Kiwi team unchanged

The Pirtek Kiwis will take an unchanged line-up into the Rugby League World Cup Final against Australia.


1 LANCE HOHAIA (Vodafone Warriors)

2 SAM PERRETT (Sydney Roosters)

3 SIMON MANNERING (Vodafone Warriors)

4 JEROME ROPATI (Vodafone Warriors)

5 MANU VATUVEI (Vodafone Warriors)

6 BENJI MARSHALL (Wests Tigers)

7 NATHAN FIEN (Vodafone Warriors)

8 NATHAN CAYLESS (c) (Parramatta)

9 THOMAS LEULUAI (Wigan)

10 ADAM BLAIR (Melbourne)

11 DAVID FA’ALOGO (South Sydney)

12 BRONSON HARRISON (South Sydney)

13 JEREMY SMITH (Melbourne)


Interchange:

14 ISSAC LUKE (South Sydney)

15 GREG EASTWOOD (Brisbane)

16 SAM RAPIRA (Vodafone Warriors)

17 SIKA MANU (Melbourne)

Rugby league : VB Kangaroos team to play New Zealand

The following players have been selected to represent the VB Kangaroos in the World Cup Final against New Zealand at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday, November 22nd.

Fullback Billy Slater Melbourne Storm
Winger Joel Monaghan Canberra Raiders
Centre Greg Inglis Melbourne Storm
Centre Israel Folau Melbourne Storm
Winger Brent Tate NZ Warriors
Five Eighth Darren Lockyer © Brisbane Broncos
Half Back Johnathan Thurston Nth QLD Cowboys
Prop Petero Civoniceva Penrith Panthers
Hooker Cameron Smith Melbourne Storm
Prop Steve Price NZ Warriors
Second Row Glenn Stewart Manly Sea Eagles
Second Row Anthony Laffranchi Gold Coast Titans
Lock Paul Gallen Cronulla Sharks
Interchange Karmichael Hunt Brisbane Broncos
Interchange Craig Fitzgibbon Sydney Roosters
Interchange Anthony Tupou Sydney Roosters
Interchange Brent Kite Manly Sea Eagles

Rugby League : autions for two kiwis

After reviewing Saturday night’s semi-final between New Zealand and England at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium, the 2008 Rugby League World Cup Match Committee, comprising of Tournament Match Commissioner Greg McCallum, Ron Massey and Mark O’Neill, has issued cautions to two New Zealand players.

1. Kiwi captain Nathan Cayless has been cautioned for contrary conduct for unnecessary contact with head/neck of opponent (Adrian Morley) in the 24th minute.

2. Sika Manu has been cautioned for contrary conduct for unnecessary force to arm/shoulder of opponent (Gareth Ellis) in the 45th minute.

In both cases, the Tournament Match Commissioner is entitled to issue a Notice of Charge in respect of the conduct outlined above, in this instance the Tournament Match Commissioner has elected to exercise his discretion arising under Rule 6.7(g) of the Disciplinary Code of Procedure and issue this Caution in lieu of issuing a Notice of Charge.

Pursuant to Rule 6.7(h) of the Disciplinary Code of Procedure, the Tournament Match Commissioner may only issue one Caution to any one Player during the World Cup.

Rugby League : more tickets to final

Rugby League fans have been given a last minute chance to be at Saturday night’s Rugby League World Cup Final between Australia and New Zealand at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.

With the public allocation of tickets sold out months ago organisers have accessed a parcel of tickets which had been set aside for the Queensland Rugby League.

The parcel includes several hundred tickets, including Category A seats, that were allocated to QRL Divisions for sale.

In a bid to ensure as many fans as possible can see the match the QRL has returned the tickets to World Cup Organisers for public sale in the final countdown to Saturday night’s match.

Motor Racing : A1 Team Malaysia Completes Shelter Outreach Project

Ahead of round three of A1GP World Cup of Motorsport in Sepang, Malaysia this weekend, the local team members put down their spanners, turned off their laptops and picked up paintbrushes for the A1 Team Malaysia Outreach programme, the team’s social responsibility arm.

A1 Team Malaysia assisted Shelter last weekend (15-16 November) with repairs and redecoration of one of the charity’s care homes, following the team’s donation of a replacement roof for the building.

The drivers, mechanics, engineering, administrative and marketing personnel from A1 Team Malaysia all provided practical assistance in the building work. Over the course of the weekend the team was joined by 30 volunteers from the team’s Fanzone who all provided valuable support in order to ensure the project was quickly finished.

The outside of the Shelter home was given a complete makeover, including an extension provided by A1 Team Malaysia Outreach, which will be a new laundry room. Internally, the ground floor area was also given a new look with the freshly painted house delighting the Shelter children. The children’s enthusiasm led to their help in the painting, with many faces having as much paint on them as the walls!

A1 Team Malaysia’s help and support has extended beyond this project, with its generosity continuing at the A1GP Sepang race this weekend. The residents of the Shelter will all attend the event and have a chance to meet up with the team in its more usual environment and see the its race car up close.

Azrai Razuan Key Account Manager, A1 Team Malaysia, said of the project, “This has been a very tiring but worthwhile weekend of work which we’ve all thoroughly enjoyed, particularly with the gratitude that the children and staff of Shelter have shown. Extending our sports programme into the community brings us closer to the people of Malaysia and as a team this is very important to us. Shelter provides an invaluable service to so many disadvantaged Malaysians and we admire the work that they do, so to be able to help in a small way has been great. We look forward to welcoming the staff and children to our ‘home’ at the racetrack this weekend.”

Anderson Selvasegaram, Manager of Shelter Homes commented, “It was wonderful and we’re really impressed with what the team has done for us. The team did the work as efficiently and as fast as if they were handling the pitstop! In fact we have never seen a group of people work so quickly. It was a job well done and we really appreciate what A1 Team Malaysia has done for us”

The team’s Outreach programme was introduced last year with the first initiative undertaken at the SJK(T) Keruh school in the north of Perak at a town called Pengkalan Hulu. The team members helped to refurbish the building and showed their ability to turn their hands from building race cars to painting walls. The second project for the team was supporting a fund-raising go-kart event at Shah Alam earlier this year. The team's generosity, alongside that of other local companies and organisations, raised over RM15,000 in cash and kind.

Shelter, a registered welfare organisation, was set up in June 1981. The charity is guided by the vision of giving children at risk a childhood and future by protecting guiding and healing them, and by building strong communities and loving families.

Shelter’s services and initiatives are aimed at providing care for abused, abandoned, neglected or at-risk children through its homes, and through counselling and therapy. It also aims to proactively raise public awareness of child abuse, parenting and youth issues, and equipping individuals with relevant skills to detect signs of abuse and to take action.

A1 Team Malaysia is now preparing for round three of the 2008/09 Season on 21 – 23 November, with home favourite Fairuz Fauzy looking to keep his team top of the leader board at the Sepang International Circuit.

Rugby : Crusaders to face Chiefs in season opener

Rebel Sport Super 14 champions the Crusaders will be seeking revenge when they face the Chiefs at AMI Stadium in the first game of their new campaign on Saturday, February 14, 2009.

The clash between the Crusaders and the Chiefs, which kicks off at 5.30pm, will be a must-see for rugby supporters as the Red and Blacks have lost to the Waikato-based team twice in the last two seasons and both will be desperate to get their seasons off to a winning start.

In 2007, the Chiefs won 30-24 in Christchurch and this year they won 18-5 at Waikato Stadium.

Rugby : Three additions to referees team

Keith Brown, Vinny Munro and Garratt Williamson have joined the New Zealand Rugby Union’s team of professional referees, bringing the number of full time referees to six after the recent retirements of Lyndon Bray, Kelvin Deaker and Paul Honiss.

Bray, now NZRU High Performance Referee Manager, says the three deserve their promotion and will bring a new energy to the team.

“For a while now we’ve been aware that some of our more experienced guys would be leaving and that we’d need to plan ahead and bring in some new talent.

“Keith, Vinny and Garratt have served a decent apprenticeship and we’re confident that they’re now ready to step up to the next level. They will be able to learn from the other team members but will also bring their own experience and styles to the table.

“With the move to merit-based appointments for the Rebel Sport Super 14 these guys have an exciting opportunity ahead of them.”

Keith Brown (Southland)
National squad debut: 2002
Number of first class games refereed: 45

Vinny Munro (Canterbury)
National squad debut: 2001
Number of first class games refereed: 43

Garratt Williamson (Wellington)
National squad debut: 2005
Number of first class games refereed: 25

Rugby League : Referee Appointed

England based Ashley Klein has been appointed to referee Saturday night’s Rugby League World Cup Final between Australia and New Zealand at Suncorp Stadium.

Klein controlled this year’s Super League Grand Final and has refereed Challenge Cup Finals and Tri Nations finals.

Australia’s Steve Chiddy and England’s James Child will act as touch judges with England’s Steve Ganson the video referee.

“The policy throughout has been to appoint on the basis of merit in the first instance but to opt for neutral referees where there were two candidates of similar standing,” Chairman of the World Cup Referees Appointments Board, Mr Michael Stone said today.

“Ashley has been one of the form referees of a tournament that has brought together officials from a number of countries.

“As well as representatives from England, Australia, New Zealand and France in the main tournament, the festival of world cups has allowed us to include officials from PNG, the Cook Islands, Tonga, Samoa and Fiji.

“It’s been a real chance to develop refereeing in the game’s growth areas, particularly the pacific islands.”

Rugby : 2009 Rebel Sport Super 14 draw released





The 2009 Rebel Sport Super 14 draw has been released with Dunedin to host the opening match when the Highlanders take on the Brumbies on Friday 13 February.

Reigning Rebel Sport Super 14 champions the Crusaders kick off their defence with a local derby against the Chiefs in Christchurch while the Hurricanes have two games in Wellington to begin their campaign, the first against beaten 2008 finalists the Waratahs.

New Blues coach Pat Lam has a tough start, taking his side to Perth to meet the Western Force before going on to South Africa for two matches.

Outside the five franchise home bases Albany, Invercargill and New Plymouth will host matches in 2009 while the Highlanders will play one of their home games, against the Bulls, in Palmerston North.

The 2009 Rebel Sport Super 14 round robin ends on the weekend of 15-16 May, which will feature a clash of New Zealand heavyweights the Crusaders and the Blues, before the semifinals and the final, to be played on 30 May.

Cricket : Fletcher joins South Africa

Duncan Fletcher, the former England coach, has been drafted in as part of South Africa's set-up as they step up their preparations for the tour of Australia next month.

He will spend three days with the squad before each of the two Tests against Bangladesh and then travel with the team to Perth for 12 days ahead of the opening match against Australia. South Africa hope to tap up his experience of beating Australia in the 2005 Ashes.

Tennis : THIRD TOP-20 PLAYER CONFIRMED FOR HEINEKEN OPEN

A third top-20 player has been confirmed for the 2009 Heineken Open featuring the Sovereign singles and doubles with the announcement that world No18 Nicolas Almagro of Spain will appear in Auckland in January.

A super-consistent player over the past few years the 23-year-old has taken another step forward in his career by moving inside the top-20, peaking at No11 in July this year.

Far and away his best event has been at Valencia where in 2006 he won his first career singles title. He then defended the title the following year. In 2008 he came agonisingly close making it a three-peat before falling in the final to close friend David Ferrer in a third set tiebreak.

Known as one of the fittest and strongest players on the ATP circuit Almagro excels on clay but has had solid results on hard court too. However it was on the clay where he compiled a couple of great runs of form in 2008.

In a three week period in February he won his fourth career title by defeating Carlos Moya in the final of Costa Do Sauipe in Brazil. The next week he reached the quarters at Buenos Aires before he won at Acapulco in Mexico beating then No8 David Nalbandian in straight sets in the final.

Leading up to Roland Garros Almagro reached the final at Valencia, then third round at the Monte Carlo Masters Series, the quarters at Barcelona and the quarters at the Masters Series event at Rome in successive events.

At Roland Garros he won through to the last eight defeating Andy Murray along the way but it was the King of Clay, countryman, Rafael Nadal who stopped him in the quarterfinals.

During the US Open Almagro was involved in one of the great matches of the 2008 tournament going down to Gilles Muller in the third round 7-6(3) 6-3 6-7(3) 6-7(5) 6-7(6) 5-7 in just under four hours.

“Nicolas is our third top-20 player confirmed for the 2009 Heineken Open and a quality player at that. Clay may be his favourite surface, however he has the power and ability to do well in Auckland, especially since he has just had his best season on the circuit,” says Heineken Open tournament director, Richard Palmer.

Almagro has played in Auckland the last two years making the second round on each occasion.

Already confirmed for the Heineken Open are world No8 Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina and Spaniard David Ferrer ranked at No12.

The Heineken Open featuring the Sovereign singles and doubles will be held at the ASB Tennis Centre, January 12-17 – 12, 2009 with the first two days of qualifying January 10-11, 2009 at the Albany Tennis Park, Oteha Valley Road, Albany starting at 10am each day.

The 2009 tournament will feature live scoring as well as live streaming of play and audio podcasts.

www.heinekenopen.co.nz

YANKEES TO PLAY FIRST-EVER EXHIBITION GAMES

The New York Yankees announced today they will play the first-ever exhibition games at the new Yankee Stadium against the Chicago Cubs on Friday, April 3 at 7:05 p.m. and Saturday, April 4 at 1:05 p.m.

The Yankees will welcome the Cubs to the Bronx for the first time since playing a three-game Interleague series in 2005. The two teams also met in the 1932 and 1938 World Series, with the Yankees sweeping both Fall Classics. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it marks the Yankees’ first preseason exhibition game played in the Bronx since a two-game, split-stadium series against the Mets in 1993.

Motors : A1GP Prepares for Sepang

A1GP World Cup of Motorsport heads to Malaysia this weekend for round three of the 2008/09 Season on 21 – 23 November, with home favourite Fairuz Fauzy looking to keep his team top of the leader board at the Sepang International Circuit.

A1 Team Malaysia is the first nation in A1GP history to head to its home event leading the series. Fauzy will be looking to give the crowds something to cheer about by repeating his first round success in Zandvoort and make it back onto the top step of the podium on home soil.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Rugby League : International Federation (RLIF) Player of the Year Award

Monday, November 17, 2008

Melbourne, Queensland and Australian fullback Billy Slater has capped an outstanding centenary season by winning the inaugural Rugby League International Federation (RLIF) Player of the Year Award announced at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium tonight.

Slater, who scored a hat-trick of tries in Australia’s 52-0 win over Fiji in the 2008 Rugby League World Cup semi-final last night, joins six Kangaroos, one Kiwi and two English players in the Team of the Year named at the RLIF awards for achievements between October 2007 and October 2008 (including the NRL and Super League Grand Finals). Current World Cup performances will count towards next year’s awards.

The RLIF decided to mark the 2008 Rugby League World Cup and the game’s centenary in Australia by introducing the international awards that will provide ongoing recognition of players throughout the world.

RLIF Chairman and RLWC08 Tournament Director, Mr Colin Love AM, said: “It is important for the game to officially recognise its players and officials through an awards night such as this.

“The RLIF feels that there could be no better time than this World Cup and the Centenary of the game in Australia to institute an annual awards night to honour the best in Rugby League from around the world.”

The Awards ceremony, attended by the full squads of the RLWC08 finalists Australia and New Zealand, will take in all international and club competitions as they recognise the Rookie, Team, Coach, Referee and Team of the Year, as well as the Nations’ International Players of the Year.

Slater won the prestigious Player of the Year title ahead of Melbourne, Queensland and Australian team-mates Cam Smith and Greg Inglis, Manly’s Matt Orford, and England’s Super League players James Graham (St Helens), Leon Pryce (St Helens), Jamie Peacock (Leeds) and Rob Burrow (Leeds).

Slater started the 2008 season in spectacular form and won the Australian fullback jumper for the Centenary Test in May; played in all three Origin games for Queensland; and was in superb form as the Storm progressed to the NRL minor premiership.

Slater was also named Fullback of the Year in the Team of the Year, which is:

Fullback Billy Slater Melbourne, Queensland and Australia
Winger Manu Vatuvei Warriors and New Zealand
Centre Israel Folau Melbourne, Queensland and Australia
Five-eighth Greg Inglis Melbourne, Queensland and Australia
Halfback Scott Prince Gold Coast, Queensland and Australia
Lock Paul Gallen Cronulla, NSW and Australia
Second rower Gareth Ellis Leeds and England (tied vote)
Anthony Laffranchi Gold Coast, NSW and Australia (tie)
Front Rower James Graham St Helens and England
Hooker Cam Smith Melbourne, Queensland and Australia

Folau was also named Rookie of the Year for his sensational debut year in the 2007 NRL premiership season. He crowned his maiden season in the top-grade by becoming the youngest ever Australian Test player when — at 18 years and 194 days — he scored two tries on his debut against New Zealand in Wellington.

His 2008 season was equally impressive, as he played on the wing in the Centenary Test and for Queensland in the State of Origin series, and was superb in the centres for the Melbourne Storm, eventually being named the Dally M Centre of the Year.

The Nations’ International Players of the Year were selected from the teams that competed to qualify for the 2008 RLWC, with the exception of Australia, England and New Zealand:

Lebanon George Ndeira
Ireland Damien Blanch
USA Greg Stellutti
Tonga Michael Jennings
Japan Shunsuke Tamura
Samoa Tony Puletua
Wales Dave Halley
France Christophe Moly
Russian Roman Ovchinnikov
Scotland Iain Morrison
Cook Islands Adam Watene
PNG Paul Aiton
Serbia Soni Radovanovic
Fiji Ashton Sims

Manly’s premiership coach Des Hasler was named Coach of the Year and Australian Tony Archer, who controlled the NRL Grand Final, was named Referee of the Year.

The Spirit of Rugby League Award, which recognises a person who has made a significant contribution to the game in their lifetime, was awarded to Paul Barriere, who died in May, aged 87. Founder of the International Board and former French Rugby League Federation boss, he was the instigator of France's first tour of the southern hemisphere and recognised as the “father” of the Rugby League World Cup.

An international selection committee, made up of past players, members of the Australian rugby league media and nominations from the UK Rugby League Writers’ Association, was formed to judge the 2008 Awards. The members of this committee were: Greg Alexander, Ray Chesterton, Ray French, Dave Hadfield, Paul Kent, Ian Laybourn, John Ledger, Roy Masters, David Middleton, Malcolm Reilly, Steve Ricketts, Brad Walter, Andy Wilson and Dave Woods.

Charity Call : Designers Revamp Kiwi Classic for Charity



Whilst not sport related, we felt this was a good enough cause to note it here:

Seven of New Zealand’s top fashion designers will showcase their creative talents this week when they launch their version of the classic Kiwi jandal for KidsCan Charitable Trust.

Zambesi, Carlson, Sera Lilly, Kingan Jones, Caroline Church, Elusiv and Hailwood have all created designs for style conscious Kiwis – with $5 from each pair of Designer Jandals™ sold going to New Zealand’s underprivileged children.

The Designer Jandals™, which retail for just $12.99, are the brainchild of KidsCan General Manager Julie Helson who wants to see $50,000 raised from the initiative which will become an annual fundraising campaign for KidsCan.

The money donated will go towards supporting KidsCan’s inspiring community programmes; ‘Raincoats for Kids’, ‘Shoes for Kids’, and ‘Food for Kids’, which help youngsters in low decile schools.

These programmes currently meet the basic physical and nutritional needs of pupils in over 102 schools, from Kaitaia to Invercargill, with a further 24,000 children on the waiting list for assistance.

International success story Zambesi used the motif from its Summer 2008 collection for the jandals, says designer Elisabeth Findlay.

“We are so pleased to be involved in the Designer Jandals™ project for KidsCan. We hope our design brings something different to the collection and raises the much needed support for disadvantaged kids in New Zealand,” she says.

Auckland designer Sera Lilly created two pairs of the limited edition jandals and says as a mother was happy to lend her creative talents to the project.

“I know how important it is that children are given the best possible start in life. That’s why KidsCan is such a great charity because it provides underprivileged Kiwi kids with the necessities they might otherwise miss out on.”

Sera Lilly’s jandals are based on the two most popular designs from her recent collection. “Hopefully the success these designs had in store can be replicated to raise a lot of money for this great cause.”

Designer Adrian Hailwood who featured a toucan on his jandals says he wanted to create something bright and cheerful for both children and adults alike.

“I chose a toucan because they are bright, cheerful and they make you laugh.”

Helson says the charity is thrilled to have the support of these talented designers who are helping poorer Kiwi kids get access to things the majority of us take for granted.

“Working with jandals was perfect for this initiative because while they might be basic fashion footwear for most of us, they are a luxury for many children in this country,” says Helson.

Only 10,000 of the limited edition Designer Jandals™ will be produced and will be sold through Number 1 Shoes stores nationwide.

“We are extremely grateful to Number 1 Shoes who along with this initiative are also responsible for helping us put shoes on the feet of thousands of disadvantaged Kiwi kids each year as part of the KidsCan Shoes for Kids programme,” she says.

Over the past three years KidsCan has provided 24,000 free adidas All Blacks raincoats and 4,000 pairs of shoes and distributed 240,000 items of food a year to underprivileged Kiwi kids.

For more information on KidsCan Designer Jandals™ visit www.KidsCan.org.nz

Sailing : GREEN DRAGON LEG TWO DAY 3 QFB

received 17.11.08 0952 GMT

The morning of the start I woke up at 0500, I tried to go back to sleep but it just didn’t happen. The sun was shining through my window and I made the most of my final few hours in a nice luxurious bed! I did the final check around my room before leaving, to make sure I hadn’t left anything behind, and made my way to the Waterfront. I had packed my bag for Singapore; you have to have a lot of forward planning on this trip. Our containers, which are used by the team at every port, leap frog each other around the globe.

This bags we put in the container in Cape Town will be the bags we will see again in Singapore. It¹s really important to put the right bag in the right container, there have been a few instances when someone on the team is looking quite frantic and then realises that they have put something fairly important in the wrong container and it is thousands of miles away!

After checking my equipment several times, I was happy I had everything I needed onboard. The time flew by and we were all soon on the dock and awaiting our team song to be played, our names to be announced and the lines to untied. The V&A Waterfront was filled with people coming to see us all off. The crew’s families were all there as well, and it was really moving for them all to say goodbye. Saying goodbye to the children was clearly hard for many of team and I know that some of them won’t be seeing them again until we arrive in Singapore at Christmas.

The initial forecast showed some perfect weather conditions as we headed south. We face two days of gales and, quite a contrast from the send off we saw in Cape Town, blue skies and hundreds of spectators boats it was truly amazing. For some of the team, the last few days have been long, after breaking the spreader on Thursday the team has been working around the clock to replace it. It was a crucial repair, but we are all very glad that it was completed and that we are once again out here racing with the best of them!

PUMA had a fantastic start off the line, but Table Bay threw in a little surprise for them as they were stopped in their tracks, allowing the fleet to overtake them. Before we knew it, we were waving goodbye to the beautiful Table Mountain, which vanished gradually in the distance. I guess this is goodbye to Cape Town, see you all again in India!

Guo Chuan – Green Dragon MCM

Sailing : DELTA LLOYD LEG TWO DAY 2 QFB

received 16.11.08 1837 GMT

I probably shouldn’t write this blog entry while I’m in a bad mood, however, I’ve been told that people think that my blog entries are better when I’m a bit overly emotional -which is, pretty much, all of the time. However, I prefer to write when my emotions are on the positive side, which is typically not a problem.

I’m a persistent optimist… but today I’m in a bit of a funk. For your entertainment value and in a way of doing some personal ‘venting’, I’m going to press on with my thoughts. This could be therapeutic since I can’t share these thoughts with the guys, since I want them to keep pushing the boat hard and don’t want my funk to rub off onto them…After all I did promise that I’d write this blog in a very honest and uncensored way…so, here it goes:

As a fleet, we have been sailing south into a nice, westerly wind. Last night there was an opportunity to make an aggressive tactical call. I would have preferred to be positioned to the south side (right) of the fleet, but it was a bit of a risky call.

The move would have involved a tack sailing away from three boats that were within sight of us- all sailing on our same tack. We played a conservative card to stay within sight of the boats along side us. This was part of our pre-race game plan; sail alongside other boats to do some performance benchmark testing. However, I’m a maverick and feel confident in making bold calls when I think that I’m right.

But to leave three boats and to sail on the opposite tack, away from the group, is a tough call to make…but then again, I was sure that tacking, and moving into the westerly position was the correct move. What to do? Go for the kill or stay with the fleet and test? We tested, while the Puma and Green Dragon hunted. As I expected Puma, Green Dragon gained about 5 miles as a reward for splitting with the fleet. Damn it!! That was ‘my’ move….gerrr. When we woke up this morning, we could still see Telefónica Blue, and Ericsson 3. Testing continued.

Throughout the day, the wind speed built through the high teens and into the low 20’s: a nice day of downwind sailing. We spent most of it with our A4 (the big masthead spinnaker) flying, and by gauging our performance on the boats around us, by visually seeing gains and loses on a real time basis since. Testing… testing… testing.

Then the wind built into the high 20’s. Too much wind for our A4. We had to switch to the A6: Code name ‘the lemon’. Test conclusion: This sail is horrible. Telefónica Blue and Ericsson 3 sailed out of sight and over the horizon. Testing complete.

This sail has a very narrow sweet spot. No, let me take that statement back. I think that I hinted that our A6 has a ‘spot’. There isn’t a spot at all. Our A6 would make a better tent than a high performance racing sail. Each sail, like a golf club, is made for a particular shot. The shot that we want to play is VMG downwind sailing in a lot of wind. This sail is ‘wallows’ at VMG angles…when you come up to give it power it becomes unstable. Furthermore, it forces us to sail an angle that we don’t want to sail (frustrating for a navigator). In the last position report, since we put up this sail, the fleet has gained between 2 and 5 miles on us.

In the next couple of hours, a cold front will pass us. With its passing, we will see winds increasing into the low 30’s and a dramatic wind shift to the southwest. This will change our trajectory from south east to east. As a fleet, we will be heading directly towards our scoring gate, which is about 1600 miles to the east. The forecast also shows that ‘the lemon’ will be flying for the next 48 hours. We hope that in the bigger breeze ahead this sail will develop a less bitter – ‘sweet spot’. Time will tell.

I’m sure that I’ll feel better tomorrow, both emotionally and physically. I’ve developed a cold over the past 2 days. It’s most likely a reaction to the five immunisation shots that I was required to receive, by racing rules, just before we left Cape Town. I have lost my voice, gained a fever, a headache and, generally, feel like ****.

Thanks for allowing me to vent to you. I can’t let the boys know how sick I am or how frustrated I am with this sail. As a team, we need to keep the boat moving fast and to stay positive. I know my emotions carry over to the team, so I’ll keep smiling, encouraging performance and personally, find the fastest path to India that I can….It’s time for me to go up on deck to do some sailing.

Cough … cough --- Smile.

Matt Gregory - navigator

Sailing : TELEFÓNICA BLUE LEG TWO DAY 3 QFB

received 17.11.08 0524 GMT

Hi There,

Wow - this leg has gone by fast! It is hard to believe that we are already through our second night at sea - the time has gone by so quickly. Cape Town and all the delights it had to offer are now but a distant memory, many hundreds of miles behind our transom. After 12 good days on shore, it’s great to be back out at sea. I’ll miss the food though. I think all I did in Cape Town was eat! Sadly, the freeze-dried isn’t quite measuring up to the South Africa cuisine although the biltong we have on board is a welcome reminder of the last couple of weeks.

It has been tough out here so far, close. We were exchanging tacks for the first day and then in full view of each other as we powered downwind on the second day. With the pressure building though, the fleet is starting to spread out a little and a few of the boats who seem to go well in the big breeze are starting to shine. As for us, maybe this isn’t our strongest suit but we are learning to hang in there and are focused on going as well as we can.

On board is wet, but luckily the weather is kind and not too cold and the nights seem short and well lit by the moonlight. Right now, we are being conservative and steady ready to pounce when the conditions start to swing our way...

As for me, life is good, after very little sleep for the first 36 hours, I managed few quality hours in the sleeping bag last night and that seems to have made all the difference. I’m feeling good and looking forward to what lies ahead. For sure, this is going to continue to be the closest of races so it is going to pay to be alert...

Cheers for now,

Simon Fisher - navigator

Sailing : ERICSSON 3 LEG TWO DAY 2 QFB

received 16.11.08 2325 GMT

Crazy wave state, but we hang on to the masthead gennaker even though we are being thrown around each crest like mad.

By the downloaded current grib it seems like we are in a warm water eddie with strong south going current and yes, for sure, the water down here is much warmer than in Cape Town, but the relatively pleasant constant spray now will soon change to a more harsh spray as we get into colder water soon again. The unpleasant part of the current is that it pressures the waves to strange unpredictable towers and the sea looks somewhat like the lava fields on Lanzarote, but blue and living.

Gustav is doing the tough job of putting everything down on tape. He is in revenge mode like the rest of the team onboard. He is uncertain whether our shore team got all material since he didn't win the media award, anyhow, next time he says and hammer down words on the Mac as the water drops drip down from the deck above him.

We have just passed Telefónica Blue, in true sport like this that's always great energy to the team, but we want to play the game safe and change to fractional chute now just before the dark and front arrives.

Anders Lewander - skipper

Rugby League : Wheelchair RLWC Final

The Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup final between Australia and England boasts pre-match entertainment of a different kind tonight thanks to two young Bulldogs stars in Daniel Harrison and Chevvy Penehoe.

The Toyota Cup teammates will each ditch the footy boots for a new set of wheels, with both set to take part in the curtain-raiser demonstration match between France and the Barbarians.

The French went down 22-20 to Australia in last week’s semis while the Barbarians side was on the wrong end of a 68-0 scoreline against tournament favourites England.

Both sides though will be boosted with the speed and athleticism of Harrison and Penehoe who will need to overcome a steep learning curve in only their first outing as Wheelchair Rugby League players.

The demonstration match precedes a highly anticipated final between Australia and England, with the winner earning the title of Wheelchair RL World Champions.

Rugby League : tournament stats after semis (RLWC)

Australian halfback Johnathan Thurston dominates the key tournament statistics after the VB Kangaroos 52-0 win over Fiji in the 2008 Rugby League World Cup Rugby Semi-final in Sydney last night.

But Fiji halfback Jarryd Hayne has also made his presence felt in the tournament which has seen 17 games played at 12 venues over the past 24 days, with Hayne and Thurston leading the way in seven of the 11 stats areas.

Thurston is the tournament’s leading point scorer (46 points) and top goal kicker (17 from 23 at 73.9%) and has made the most try assists (5) and line break assists (6).

Two of his Kangaroos team-mates also feature among the tournament’s stats leaders - Billy Slater, most tries (7); and Paul Gallen, most offloads (9).

Hayne has made the most runs (60), most run metres (747) and the most tackle busts (43); while Fijian team-mate Akuila Uate has made the highest number of line breaks (10).

England captain Jamie Peacock leads the tackle count (132).

Australia and New Zealand will contest the 2008 Rugby League World Cup Final at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium this Saturday night (Nov 22) at 7pm and it will be broadcast live on Channel 9.

Rugby League : Bellamy to coach Wizard Blues in 2009

The NSW Rugby League have announced Craig Bellamy as coach of the NSW Wizard Blues for the 2009 Harvey Norman State of Origin series.

Following several discussions in recent weeks Bellamy today confirmed he had accepted the NSWRL Board’s invitation to return as Blues coach next year.

“We’re very pleased Craig has decided to coach the Blues again next year,” NSWRL General Manager Geoff Carr said today.

“As we all know he went within a whisker of leading the Blues to a series victory this year and we have every confidence he is able to go one better next year.

“Craig is a fierce competitor and an outstanding coach and it’s terrific he has come on board for 2009.”

Golf : World’s number one golf course features in intriguing new book


In October the UK Telegraph proclaimed it No.1 of ‘The World’s Top Ten Golf Courses’. Now the Cape Kidnappers course in Hawke’s Bay has won more accolades, with three of its famous holes featuring in an intriguing new book, 100 Essential New Zealand Golf Holes, released this month by Awa Press.

Tom Hyde, who combines being a golfer with being an award-winning writer, spent a year travelling New Zealand, playing golf and selecting and writing about the most interesting and exhilarating golf holes he found.

He says that Cape Kidnappers, founded by Americans Julian and Jose Robertson and designed by the acclaimed golf course architect Tom Doak, is a standout for its minimalist design and dramatic site.

‘Like other new courses such as Kauri Cliffs, also created by Robertson, Millbrook near Arrowtown, Clearwater in Christchurch and Lakes Resort on the Coromandel, it has definitely raised the bar for New Zealand courses by attracting international attention,’ Hyde says.

‘But what the world is finding out is that such courses are the tip of the iceberg. New Zealand is a paradise for golfers. There are countless wonderful courses, from Wairakei International near Taupo, established by the government in the 1970s to lure tourists, to more humble clubs such as Greymouth, Dunedin’s Balmacewan (the country’s oldest golf club) and Kerikeri, which is blessed with pretty greens and bucolic fairways.’

100 Essential New Zealand Golf Holes is full of stories, from the ghost of a Maori chief said to haunt the Mahunga Golf Club in Masterton to Clarice Espiner, lifelong member of the Thames Golf Club, who scored a hole-in-one at the age of 94. Along the way we meet up with a host of famous golfers who have competed in New Zealand tournaments, from Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer to Tiger Wood, and many local stars, from Bob Charles to Michael Campbell, Craig Perks and our latest star, the youngest ever US Amateur Champion, Danny Lee.

If there’s a golfer in your family, give them this book for Christmas. But be warned: if they take up Hyde’s challenge of playing all 100 holes, you may not see them for a while.

Sailing : GREEN DRAGON LEG TWO DAY 2 QFB

received 16.11.08 1530 GMT

Compared with our first 24 hours leaving Alicante, the first 24 hours of this leg have been relatively event free. Despite this, it has been quite tiring on the crew, as we have had an abundance of sail changes.

We used most of our sails before getting away from Cape Town. Tactically what had looked like a minefield has not panned out too badly. We made a brave call to sail for about 3 hours in completely the wrong direction to get into the westerlies earlier and were thankfully well rewarded. Now the whole fleet is charging along in 20 - 25 knots of westerly and we have just dealt with the worst of the Agulhas Current.

It is nice to have some other boats in sight compared with the last leg and it is even nicer that we seem able, in these conditions, to hold the two Telefónicas and ERT 3 behind us. Puma and ERT 4 have a good break from the fleet with speed to burn.

Other than a bit if an uncomfortable trip up the mast for Justin to solve a reefing problem there is nothing much to report. There are the normal first day blues as we struggle to get used to the food and sleep patterns and, for most of us, the realisation that we will not see our families until Christmas. Cape Town is a fantastic stopover and it will always be hard to leave.

Ian Walker - skipper

Sailing : ERICSSON 4 LEG TWO DAY TWO QFB

received 16.11.08 1548 GMT

Well, here we go again. Although we have only been gone 24 hours, the Cape Town stopover seems like it must have been a dream...and a very pleasant, but short, one at that. It is always hard to leave Cape Town. The locals, the food, the Bascule Bar, and of course the families and friends.

This time however, I felt less knots in my stomach on leaving. Maybe because we are not taking the usual Southern Ocean sleigh ride to Australia, or maybe I am just better prepared on my third race than I was on my first. Or, maybe, I have no idea what this leg and the Cochin stopover could potentially hold for us.

It may not be the usual Southern Ocean leg, but we have started in typical style. A bit of funky weather under the shelter of Table Mountain, a beat down the coastline, crossing the ridge and into the westerlies. We currently have 25 knots and have averaged 21 knots for the last 3 hours or so.

I prefer this gybe on our boat. The toilet is much easier to use when it is on the leeward side. The galley is much harder to use, but you don't have your pants down in the galley, so you can deal with it.

Thanks to everyone in Cape Town who made the stopover so worthwhile, and again, thanks to our shore crew for all their work during the stop.

Dave Endean

Sailing : PUMA LEG TWO DAY TWO QFB

Received 16.11.08 1726 GMT

Another spectacular send off. Cape Town had some lofty expectations to live up to and not only did the city, the country, and the people live up to them, they blew us away. We can’t thank all the folks we met enough- both the locals and the troops at PUMA. It was sad to leave. And as always it was sad to leave our families and friends, not to mention the shore team who did a spectacular job getting the boat in great shape over a tough couple weeks. I bet the shore team wasn't too sad to see us leave!

With that said, we are leaving with a vengeance! I am actually struggling to write this note because we’re getting thrown around the boat like a pair of dice hitting a craps table. Our start couldn't have been better- gorgeous day and a quick lead for the fine yacht ‘il mostro’. But it didn't last long…the infamous wind hole under Table Mountain played her tricks on us and we went from having a large lead to being stuck in a glue pot watching a few others sail by. We had a strategy- expecting the hole, but the strategy to get offshore quickly didn't exactly work to plan. Anyway, after a gorgeous beat down the coast with eight Volvo 70's tacking along the mountains in 20-25 knots of wind, we caught up with the race leader E3 just at sunset right off Cape Point. A great day if you liked to sail.

Also as anticipated, the night brought a shift in the weather and a chance to get across a ridge into the Southern Ocean westerlies being carried by a large low pressure system coming from the west. Well we did it. A morning check in with E4 about a half mile from us (no shocker!) and a building breeze led us to where we are now. Careening down waves in 27 knots of breeze against 2+ plus knots of current called the Agulhas Current, trying to write this note. And, it’s a bit moist on deck…nasty right now actually.

One small issue on board is a bit of a flu that has taken hold- not very much fun for a few of us. And the great news for the rest of the group is they can almost be guaranteed to get the cold eventually, based on the unavoidable hygiene on a lovely V-70 petri dish. Which is why this may be one of the more bland notes you will (hopefully) read from il mostro. I need some more Advil! My head is killing me, and it’s not just the flu. I just smashed it into a winch structure under deck getting my foul weather gear off. You would think that I would know it was there by now!

Ken Read - skipper

Sailing : PUMA Leg 2 Day 2 - Another spectacular send off

NOVEMBER 16 - Leg 2 Day 2

Another spectacular send off. Cape Town had some lofty expectations to live up to and not only did the city, the country, and the people live up to them, they blew us away. We can’t thank all the folks we met enough- both the locals and the troops at PUMA. It was sad to leave. And as always it was sad to leave our families and friends, not to mention the shore team who did a spectacular job getting the boat in great shape over a tough couple weeks. I bet the shore team wasn't too sad to see us leave!

With that said, we are leaving with avengeance! I am actually struggling to write this note because we’re getting thrown around the boat like a pair of dice hitting a craps table. Our start couldn't have been better- gorgeous day and a quick lead for the fine yacht ‘il mostro’. But it didn't last long…the infamous wind hole under Table Mountain played her tricks on us and we went from having a large lead to being stuck in a glue pot watching a few others sail by. We had a strategy- expecting the hole, but the strategy to get offshore quickly didn't exactly work to plan. Anyway, after a gorgeous beat down the coast with eight Volvo 70's tacking along the mountains in 20-25 knots of wind, we caught up with the race leader E3 just at sunset right off Cape Point. A great day if you liked to sail.

Also as anticipated, the night brought a shift in the weather and a chance to get across a ridge into the Southern Ocean westerlies being carried by a large low pressure system coming from the west. Well we did it. A morning check in with E4 about a half mile from us (no shocker!) and a building breeze led us to where we are now. Careening down waves in 27 knots of breeze against 2+ plus knots of current called the Agulhas Current, trying to write this note. And, it’s a bit moist on deck…nasty right now actually.

One small issue on board is a bit of a flu that has taken hold- not very much fun for a few of us. And the great news for the rest of the group is they can almost be guaranteed to get the cold eventually,based on the unavoidable hygiene on a lovely V-70 petri dish. Which is why this may be one of the more bland notes you will (hopefully) read from il mostro. I need some more Advil! My head is killing me, and it’s not just the flu. I just smashed it into a winch structure under deck getting my foul weather gear off. You would think that I would know it was there by now!

- Kenny

Sailing : ERICSSON 3 LEG TWO DAY 2 QFB

Received 16.11.08 0949 GMT

No one that was watching the Cape Town start from a boat will never ever forget it. It was like experiencing the whole first leg in one hour. We had everything from 25 knots to almost no wind at all. The fleet was a bit separated after 25 minutes, but then we went into a big light spot, just outside the harbour, in the wind shadow from Table Mountain. It felt like a mini Doldrums where anything could happen.

And things were really happening. But mostly before the ‘Doldrums’. From our perspective, not everything went very smoothly. Our jib got caught on the radar in one of the first tacks and got a small rip. The sail was not the most irritating part, but the fact that the radar was hanging on a thread. It was about to get even worse.

In the third tack, the sail got caught again and ripped badly. At the same time, the radar fell down in the cockpit. Not a very nice feeling when you are heading for the Southern Ocean and later up to India, passing the equator where big squalls are very common and the radar can guide you through them.

Well, on the lucky side is that no one was hit and that we managed to stay in the race. Hopefully we can fix it. According to Jens Dolmer, our hard working handyman, it is possible.

The sail has already been fixed. Skipper Anders Lewander and Martin Stromberg started repairing straight away and finished a couple of hours later. It was quite a big rip and the sail will never be as good as it was, but pretty close to it, the guys did a great job.

Now I’m sitting in the darkness beside the media desk. It is very hard to stay awake before you get use to rhythm onboard. I don’t know how many times I have fallen asleep during the time I've been writing. I always wake up in a few seconds with the screen full of letters, which I have pushed in my sleep.

Over and out from Ericsson 3, meet you soon again.

Gustav Morin - MCM

Sailing : GREEN DRAGON LEG TWO DAY TWO QFB

Received 16.11.08 0812 GMT

What a fantastic send off from Cape Town. The course around the bay was great fun. The spectator boats were everywhere, several getting in the way but we knew it didn't matter as the race was bound to restart under Table Mountain. Something I shall remember for along time to come.

We are now settled into a routine and Ian (Moore) has put us in a good spot. Conditions are very comfortable with a building westerly breeze.

Ian Walker - skipper

Sailing : TELEFÓNICA BLUE LEG TWO DAY 2 QFB

Received 0527 GMT 16.11.08

A typical Cape Town departure, bright sunshine and thousands of people on the docks and not to forget the enthusiastic people on the water. The start was ok, not pushing it too hard, as we knew a park-up would happen.

The first leg we were dog slow, we had big piece of weed on the rudder, but once that was cleared, we were off. Had a good beat up the Cape, and lots of tacking, so very little sleep for the guys. We got stuck together with Ericsson 3 in a light patch this morning, which nobody else seemed to sail through, that was expensive. But, now we are on our way again, and have three boats in sight. The boys are now, for the first time, in their sleeping bag and catching some well-deserved sleep. The breeze will slowly build, and we will keep that for a couple of day getting some good daily miles under our belt.

Cheers,

Bouwe Bekking - skipper

Rugby : All Blacks announce team to play Munster

16.11.2008

All Blacks halfback Piri Weepu will captain the All Blacks for the first time when he leads the team out against Munster, while two other players will make their run-on debuts, with All Blacks Coach Graham Henry and his assistants Wayne Smith and Steve Hansen today naming the team to play Munster at Thomond Park, Limerick, on Tuesday November 18. The team is:

1. Jamie Mackintosh
2. Corey Flynn
3. Ben Franks
4. Ross Filipo
5. Jason Eaton
6. Adam Thomson
7. Scott Waldrom
8. Liam Messam
9. Piri Weepu – Captain
10. Stephen Donald
11. Josevata Rokocoko
12. Isaia Toeava
13. Anthony Tuitavake
14. Hosea Gear
15. Cory Jane

Reserves:
16. Hikawera Elliott
17. John Afoa
18. Brad Thorn
19. Kieran Read
20. Alby Mathewson
21. Richard Kahui
22. Mils Muliaina

Tasman prop Ben Franks and Taranaki loose forward Scott Waldrom have been named in the starting XV and will become All Blacks numbers 1084 and 1085 respectively. Two other new All Blacks squad members, Hawke’s Bay hooker Hikawera Elliott and Wellington halfback Alby Mathewson, have been named on the bench and will also make their All Blacks debuts if they are called into action.

25-year-old Weepu, who this year captained his Wellington team in New Zealand’s domestic rugby competition, the Air New Zealand Cup, will captain the All Blacks in his 29th match in the black jersey.

“The Munster match will be a special occasion for the team and the guys are really looking forward to visiting Limerick. The team also knows that it will be a hard, physical match against the European club champions,” All Blacks Coach Graham Henry said.

“The All Blacks are also delighted to be heading back to Thomond Park for the official opening of the renovated stadium. It’s a special part of rugby history,” Henry added.

The All Blacks arrive in Limerick this afternoon (Sunday afternoon, Ireland time) with several players visiting Thomond Park to open the new Munster Rugby Store.

Tennis : Rubin Statham a finalist in Malaysia

Rubin 'Jose' Statham reached the final of the singles at the ITF Futures tournament in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia yesterday.

Statham, seeded sixth, defeated seventh seed Nathan Thompson of USA, in a three set semi-final. The score was 7-5 1-6 6-4

But the tournament title eluded Statham in the final, when Kyu-Tae Im of Korea, the tournament fifth seed, won. The score was 7-6 6-1.

Previously, his brother Oliver 'Mikal' Statham won the doubles final, with partner Xin-Yuan Yu of China.

In the final Statham and Yu played Steven Goh and Joel Lindner of Australia, and took the title 6-1 6-7 10-4.

Sailing : PUMA makes superb start to Leg Two

Volvo Ocean Race leaves Cape Town en route to India


November 15, 2008 – The PUMA Ocean Racing team made a superb start to Leg Two of the Volvo Ocean Race this afternoon, storming out of Table Bay in Cape Town en route to Kochi, India. PUMA led the eight boat fleet round two marks in the bay, in the shadow of Table Mountain, followed closely by hundreds of spectator boats. After making a perfect start to the leg, PUMA consolidated their lead in perfect sailing conditions.

As the Volvo Ocean Race fleet made their way south, to round the Cape of Good Hope at the foot of South Africa and pass from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean, the fleet encountered fickle conditions with sudden areas of light winds, typical of Cape Town’s changeable weather. Some say that being first out of Cape Town can make all the difference in a leg like this, but as the fleet heads towards Asia for the first time, anything could happen.

Having said an emotional goodbye to family and friends on the dock at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town this morning, the PUMA team felt well-prepared for this 4,450 nautical mile leg into the unknown. Leg Two of the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09 takes the fleet to Kochi, India, a route never sailed before during any professional yacht race. Expected to take around 18 days to complete, the PUMA team anticipate tricky sailing conditions along the way, with tough currents to battle, the Maldives to navigate around, monsoon conditions possible on the approach to India, plus the potential threat of piracy in these waters.

Speaking ahead of the leg start in Cape Town Skipper Ken Read commented: “Our boat il mostro is in great shape, thanks to our fantastic shore team. I have never entered a race or a leg of a race so confused about how the outcome may turn out. I’m expecting the unexpected in this leg. This is certainly a road never travelled – rather than less travelled – so we have to be smart, with our eyes open, and also lucky in this leg too. There are many obstacles out there, both above the water, such as unlit fishing boats, but also in the water that we have to look out for.”

“There are so many different route possibilities; we could all end up hundreds of miles apart. It’s going to be interesting for us, but it could be a hard leg to follow back home. It may be hard at times to see which boat is really ahead, and who has the advantage. It certainly keeps me awake at night. The racing we do here in the Bay today could also be interesting – it’s like we’re about to run a marathon for the next 15 days, but we have to run a bunch of sprint races here first! Hopefully we’ll get into our rhythm pretty quickly. It’s like any other boat race. For me, as soon as the gun goes, any apprehension just goes out of my system. All of a sudden you’re focused.”

The Volvo Ocean Race is made up of ten legs, finishing in June 2009 in St. Petersburg, Russia. The fleet is expected to finish the second leg of the race, in Kochi, India around 3rd December.

By joining the race, PUMA has entered a new premium category and is the only Sportslifestyle company to participate in the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09. For more information about the race, team and the PUMA Sailing collections, please visit www.pumaoceanracing.com

Sailing : SPECTACULAR START FOR VOLVO OCEAN RACE LEG TWO

Under the gaze of a huge spectator fleet, and a clutch of helicopters buzzing in the sky, the 4,450 nautical mile leg two of the Volvo Ocean Race from Cape Town to Cochin in India got underway today at 1120GMT (1320 local time) in beautiful, classic Cape Town conditions.

Andreas Hanakamp, skipper of Team Russia summed up the atmosphere among the crews on the dock this morning when he said, “You can never come to this place for long enough, but let’s set the horses loose. We are here to race, so let’s race.”

As the eight crews gathered onboard, saying their goodbyes and spending a few precious minutes with their families, under the blazing South African sunshine the fleet was blessed by the Reverend Rowan Smith.

After a short postponement to allow the wind to stabilise, the gun echoed out across Table Bay signalling the start of leg two, which, for the first time in the history of the race, will finish in Cochin, India in December.

PUMA (Ken Read/USA) scorched off the start line, leading the fleet from Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA). With her huge red masthead gennaker set and going like a freight train, PUMA blazed the trail, with water pouring over the deck and a small number four jib working as a staysail set underneath the gennaker. Green Dragon (Ian Walker/GBR) was in third position, and Team Russia (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT) was up with the pack, while Delta Lloyd with new skipper, Roberto Bermudez/ESP made a disappointing start.

Unfurling their big headsail first, Green Dragon benefitted from good speed in her position down to leeward of the fleet, while some of the other teams struggled to manage these huge, unwieldy sails.

Torben Grael’s Ericsson 4, flying a more conservative fractional gennaker, was sucked up under Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED) in the big chop, whipped up by the wind and the armada of spectator boats. PUMA, however, made the right choice of sail and almost laid the first mark before the crew furled the sail shortly before rounding the first of three marks on the triangular course set in Table Bay.

PUMA, continued to streak away, in 15 – 20 knots of wind, opening up a healthy lead, while Torben Grael took Ericsson 4 outside a large container ship sailing hot and fast with slightly eased sheets. PUMA judged the lay-line perfectly, sailing just four boat lengths on port tack before rounding the mark. Green Dragon lost a lot of ground going into the shore early, as PUMA, flying just a mainsail and heavy air jib, made a perfect hairpin turn at the mark, eased their sheets and shot off like an express train.

There was a big gap to third place, which was snatched from Green Dragon by Bouwe Bekking and Telefónica Blue, who made a big gain. A great manoeuvre by Team Russia allowed them to jump ahead of Telefónica Black (Fernando Echávarri/ESP) at the mark, but then a terrific battle followed as Telefónica Black took revenge and passed them to windward. In the approach to the mark, Ericsson 3 (Anders Lewander/SWE) ripped the leach of their headsail when they tacked, catching on the radar dome and wiping it off the mast.

But, instead of leaving the fleet standing as promised, halfway down the final leg, PUMA came to almost a complete standstill as the wind dropped and the fleet compressed, surfing up behind in typical Cape Town fluky conditions.

Code Zeros were hastily unfurled as wind dropped to almost nothing and it was a frustrating time for the crews who were very aware that whoever found the breeze first would make a huge gain. This race has been won and lost in this bay before, and to be first out of Cape Town can make all the difference.

The race became a drifting match, with the fleet desperate to find any breeze at all. PUMA ran into problems trying to unfurl their Code Zero, needing three men on the bow to fix the problem and, in the end, dropping the sail to the deck.

Delta Lloyd, to leeward of the fleet, looked well placed for the new breeze, and might well have picked the right path through the glassy calm. Ericsson 4 led PUMA and Green Dragon, but were not safe at all. PUMA was furthest off shore, but Telefónica Blue was rock-hopping along the shore, hoping to sneak round the fleet, but the forecast is for strong south-westerly breeze offshore, which means creeping along the coast may not pay off.

The first point scoring opportunity on this leg will be when the fleet crosses from west to east - the line of longitude 58 degrees E, anywhere south of the latitude 20 degrees S.

Overall Leaderboard
1. Ericsson 4: 14 points
2. PUMA: 13 points
3. Green Dragon: 11 points
4. Telefónica Blue: 10 points
5. Telefónica Black: 7 points
6. Ericsson 3: 5 points*
7. Delta Lloyd: 4 points*
8. Team Russia: 4 points *

*leg one scoring http://volvooceanrace.org/news/article/2008/november/scoring-explained/

The next position report will be issued at 1300 GMT tomorrow. Positions are available every three hours on www.volvooceanrace.org . Click on RESULTS at the top of the page to go straight to the points table and onboard data.