Search Results

The New Zealand team was close to victory in Los Angeles but ended up second to Canada PHOTO: SAILGP The New Zealand SailGP team have finished second at the latest event in Los Angeles after one turn cost them the title. Facing Canada and Australia in the final, Black Foils skipper Peter Burling made a perfect start as he had done throughout the regatta. LATEST HEADLINES: Campbell 3rd at LIV, Fox top-20 at TPC Paul Coll beaten in Australian Open final Exciting matchups to open NPC season Phoenix secure draw against Sydney FC Ally Wollaston wins gold at Nations Cup He won the inside line to the first mark one, leaving NorthStar Canada trailing in its wake and Australia skippered by Tom Slingsby out of the reckoning. However, a vital moment unfolded at the second mark, when leaders New Zealand and NorthStar Canada split the course. As the Canadians executed silky smooth boat handling, Burling and his team struggled to replicate clean manoeuvres and fell off the foils on the third leg of the shortened six leg final. The Canadians moved into first with unforced errors from the New Zealand and Australian teams handing them a dominant lead. "It was great to lead at mark one, but then I felt like we made a few incorrect decisions out on the race track. There's a few things I look back on and kick myself on technically...real shame to let someone pass in a final when you are leading on mark one - you should win those ones," said Burling. Despite the light wind conditions meaning a reduced four member crew configuration, the Canadians racked up the highest fly time of the day in the final - 99 percent, as well as the highest average speed of the day - 51.07km/h. It's the first event win the NorthStar Canada has picked up since Christchurch two years ago. New Zealand's second place finish sees a shift to third on the table at 29 points, with Great Britain leading with 34 and Australia second at 32. The next event is in San Francisco next week.

Wellington captain Du'Plessis Kirifi lifts the NPC trophy after the 2024 final. PHOTO: ALLBLACKS.COM Domestic rugby will hit the ground running in August with the 2025 National Provincial Championship (NPC) draw announced on Monday featuring some scintillating Round 1 fixtures. Reigning champions Wellington host traditional heavyweights Canterbury, battle lines will be drawn in the Deep South with the Southland Stags hosting Otago for 'Stag Day', while the Ranfurly Shield will be up for grabs when Taranaki host Northland. LATEST HEADLINES: Phoenix secure draw against Sydney FC Ally Wollaston wins gold at Nations Cup Airs win in OT, Rams in low-scoring win Auckland FC held to draw by Mariners Easy victories White Ferns, Black Caps 'Stag Day' at Invercargill's Rugby Park will aim to get more than 10,000 passionate Stags fans through the gates on Saturday, August 2 (kick-off 4.35pm), cementing it as the single-biggest sporting event in Southland. The 'Battle of the Bombays' between Auckland and Waikato will open the season on Thursday, July 31 (kick-off 7.05pm) at Eden Park, before the Lions host Canterbury at Sky Stadium two days later (kick-off 2.05pm) and Taranaki put the Log o' Wood up for grabs in New Plymouth (kick-off 7.05pm). Fans will have to wait until Round 10 for a repeat of the 2024 final (won 23-20 in extra-time by Wellington over Bay of Plenty), with the Lions welcoming the Steamers to the Capital on Saturday, October 4 (kick-off 2.05pm). Fans showed their love to the NPC last season, with an 11 percent increase in social media followers (on official channels) and the 2024 final attracting an audience of 290,000 viewers on Sky Sport and Sky Open, plus 99,000 viewers on Sky Sport Now and 62,000 viewers on Sky Go*. New Zealand Rugby general manager of community rugby Steve Lancaster said on the back of an exciting and engaging 2024 competition, fans could expect more of the same. “Last year’s NPC was enthralling. The quality of play we saw on the field really amplified the traditional rivalries on which this competition was built. "The dramatic final in Wellington going to extra-time, in the rain, was a perfect example of the passion and excitement this competition continues to deliver,” said Lancaster.  The competition will run across 10 weekends of round-robin (eliminating the polarising 'Storm Week'), with the top-eight teams progressing to the playoffs. The quarterfinals see the top-ranked team hosting (1 vs 8, 2 vs 7, 3 vs 6, 4 vs 5), the following weekend semifinals will see team’s playoff for a spot in the final (1 vs 4, 2 vs 3). The final will be hosted by the highest-ranking qualifier on Saturday, October 25. All matches will be live and exclusive on Sky Sport, with one match per week also available free-to-air on Sky Open. The women's Farah Palmer Cup draw will be announced on Tuesday, followed by the Heartland Championship draw on Wednesday .

Ben Campbell finished third at LIV Golf Singapore after a four-under 67. PHOTO: RANGEGOATS GC New Zealand golfer Ben Campbell has produced his best finish on the LIV Golf circuit in Singapore. Campbell, 33, closed with a four-under 67 in the third and final round at the Sentosa Golf Club on Sunday to finish alone in third at 11-under, six strokes behind the winner, Chilean Joaquin Niemann. LATEST HEADLINES: Paul Coll beaten in Australian Open final Exciting matchups to open NPC season Phoenix secure draw against Sydney FC Ally Wollaston wins gold at Nations Cup Easy White Ferns, Black Caps victories The Queenstown native had six birdies, including three in his last six holes, and two bogeys in the final round to collect US$1.5 million (NZ$2.6 million) and move up to 11th in LIV Golf's individual rankings. Starting on the second hole, Campbell made a bogey at the par-four third, before a birdie at the par-five fourth. He birdied the par-five seventh but gave a shot back immediately at the par-three eighth. His round finally got going with a birdie at the 10th and others at the 14th, 15th and first, his closing hole, three of which were par-fours, to end one shot behind four-time major winner Brooks Koepka. Campbell's previous best finish was a tie for 15th at the 2025 season-opening LIV Golf Riyadh tournament at 10-under. On the PGA Tour, Kiwi No 1 Ryan Fox surged into the top-20 in the final round of the PGA Tour's Players Championship on Sunday (Monday NZ Time). Fox made four birdies and two bogeys for a two-under 70, his equal-best round of the week at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, moving him up 13 spots into a tie for 20th at four-under. Starting at the 10th hole, the 37-year-old opened his round with a bogey but responded with two birdies in the next three holes. After six straight pars, Fox made two birdies in four holes on the front-nine, with a bogey in between. After missing the cut in his previous two tournaments, it was Fox's best result on the PGA Tour since finishing T11 at the Sanderson Farms Championship last October. Meanwhile, at the Women's PGA Tour's Australian Women's Classic, Wenyung Keh was the best New Zealand finisher. Keh produced five birdies, a bogey and a double-bogey in a two-under 68 in the final round at the West Lakes course at the Coffs Harbour Golf Club, ending tied for 27th at even-par, nine shots behind winner, Belgian Manon De Roey. Fellow Kiwis Momoka Kobori and Amelia Garvey both finished in a share of 60th at the rain-shortened 54-hole event at five-over. Kobori closed with a three-over 73 and Garvey with a one-over 71.

Paul Coll looks to play a shot in the final of the Australian Squahs Open PHOTO: PSA TOUR New Zealand's Paul Coll has been beaten in the final of the Australian Open in Brisbane by second seed Karim Gawad of Egypt. Eighth ranked Gawad started strong showing touches of class, however Coll came back strong to force longer rallies and took the first game 11-9. LATEST HEADLINES: Phoenix men claim draw with Sydney Wollaston wins gold at Nations Cup Taranaki overtime, Rams low-scoring win Auckland FC held to draw by Mariners Easy wins White Ferns, Black Caps Gawad’s response came in game two as he dominated the T and scored quickly with casual touches to strike back 11-6. Game three was stop-start, with the lack of fluidity suiting Gawad as the Egyptian fired in winners and capitalised on errors from Coll to earn four game balls at 10-6. Incredibly, Coll saved all four of them, finding his accuracy when he needed it most to go game ball up 11-10. This time, it was Gawad’s time to dig in, with the Egyptian showing his steely resolve to finally take the 25-minute grapple 13-11. Coll requested a new ball between games, which initially seemed to pay off as the Kiwi took a 7-3 lead. Gawad fought back to 8-8 and was brilliant from there, dragging Coll all over the court as he earned two championship balls at 10-8. Coll saved one but in a nerve-shredding finale, Gawad managed to play a perfect drop that stuck to the wall, beyond the despairing lunge of Coll to complete the comeback. The score 9-11, 11-6, 13-11, 11-9 in 83 minutes. Coll’s attention now turns to the Optasia Championships, with the Gold-level PSA Squash Tour event taking place in Wimbledon, England, March 25-30.

It took a while but Paul Coll eventually won his semifinal at the Australian Squash Open PHOTO: PSA TOUR Paul Coll is through to the final of the Australian Squash Open in Brisbane after a four game win over third seed Marwan ElShorbagy of England. The first game was a mammoth encounter, with both players covering the court in a 31-minute battle that tested their fitness to the limit. LATEST HEADLINES: Shearman, Donnelly medal at Nations Cup Chiefs hold off Blues, Crusaders too good Hawks 2-0 start, Bulls trample Tuatara Champion White Ferns well-beaten in T20I Zoi Sadowski-Synnott takes Globe award ElShorbagy made a great start to the first game, controlling the majority of the rallies. Despite leading for virtually the entirety of the opener and having two game balls at 10-8, ElShorbagy then had to face a game ball from Coll, who edged ahead for the first time with an 11-10 lead. The Englishman dug in, fighting his way through a testing rally to save the game ball before converting his third at 12-11 to take the first game. Top seed Coll had the better of most of the second game, repeatedly firing past ElShorbagy’s aggressive court positioning to level 11-6. After the intense efforts of the opening exchanges, ElShorbagy fought hard, but struggled with his footing and complained furiously about the court conditions as he exited the court after Coll took game two 11-6. The Englishman was conservative with his movement in game four, unwilling to risk lunges. Coll, meanwhile, dealt with the conditions better, and closed out the encounter 11-13, 11-6, 11-6, 11-7 in 75 minutes. “It was tricky conditions, the court got drippy and hard to move. I was a bit edgy taking off from the T and he takes it in so well," said Coll. “The atmosphere was awesome and I’m happy with how I stayed calm in the hot, tricky conditions and am looking forward to another final tomorrow." Standing between Coll and a second title in a week is fellow former No.1 and 2016 world champion Karim Abdel Gawad, The Egyptian battled through an uneven performance to record a 3-1 victory over Frenchman Auguste Dussourd.

New Zealand's Ben Campbell is top 10 at the LIV Singapore event PHOTO ASIAN TOUR A bad start and finish for Ben Campbell, but he's still seventh after two rounds of the LIV Golf Tour event in Singapore. Campbell began and ended his round with bogeys but in between hit four birdies and an eagle for a four-under 67 and seven-under overall. LATEST HEADLINES: Paul Coll into Australian Open decider Shearman, Donnelly medal at Nations Cup Chiefs hold off Blues, Crusaders too good Hawks 2-0 start, Bulls trample Tuatara Champion White Ferns well-beaten in T20I Fellow kiwi Danny Lee is two shots further back in a tie for 10th at five-under. Dustin Johnson and Joaquin Niemann are tied for the lead at 11-under. Meanwhile Ryan Fox has had his third round the TPC tournament in Sawgrass, Florida spoiled by a bogey on the 18th hole. He was looking for a one-under round however a wayward first stroke meant five shots on the par four hole. Fox was tied 33rd at two under overall. The leader is American J.J Spaun at 12-under, one shot ahead of countryman Bud Cauley

The Wellington Phoenix held on for a draw against Sydney FC in a tense encounter PHOTO: A-LEAGUE The Wellington Phoenix have ended a run of four consecutive A-League losses with a 1-1 draw away at Sydney FC. Kosta Barbarouses scored the equaliser shortly before half-time with his 101st A-League goal after the the home side had taken the lead inside 10 minutes at Allianz Stadium through Adrian Segecic. LATEST HEADLINES: Wollaston wins gold at Nations Cup Taranaki overtime, Rams low-scoring win Auckland FC held to draw by Mariners Easy wins White Ferns, Black Caps Phoenix Women lose late to Sydney FC Barbarouses goal was initially ruled out for offside before VAR intervention led to the reversal of the on-field decision as Sydney had 21 shots overall to the Nix four in the game. Phoenix head coach Giancarlo Italiano was "very happy" with the performance from his side. "There's no hiding the fact we've been going through a rough trot (and) group morale is down, (but) the boys gave me everything today," Italiano told media post-match. "I'm extremely proud. It was easy to give up after one-nil. "I'm disappointed in the end that we didn't win because we actually had some really good moments there to transition and capitalise. "But when teams are a little bit down in confidence sometimes execution technically isn't there, but I'm extremely proud." Italiano hopes the draw serves as a turning point and is looking forward to further galvanising the squad during the international break. "This result tonight will go a long way to getting us to where we need to. "My job now is to build believe in the group and to stick to being humble and hard-working and let the football sort itself out. "We can work on this new system that we're playing, consolidate and get ready for Wanderers. "We're going to be at home. I want to get a home win for the fans. I think they deserve it despite all the things that have been said. It doesn't matter how we win." The Phoenix are 11th on the table and have an extra week to prepare for their next match against Western Sydney Wanderers at Sky Stadium on Saturday, March 29 as the A-League breaks for international football next weekend.

Chiefs loose forward Jahrome Brown charges forward with the ball against the Blues PHOTO: CRIAG BUTLAND/LINTOTT PHOTOGRAPHY The Chiefs have scored a remarkable 32-31 win over the Blues in Hamilton to continue leading Super Rugby. The Blues had a chance to win the game when a perfect cross field kick from Stephen Perofeta for Rieko Ioane to score with five minutes remaining. LATEST HEADLINES: Hawks 2-0 start, Bulls trample Tuatara Champion White Ferns well-beaten in T20I Zoi Sadowski-Synnott takes Globe award Fox on move at The Players Championship Hurricanes hold on to defeat Highlanders Debutant Xavi Taele was handed the kick from the sideline but his kick hit the right upright. In a chaotic final minutes, the visitors won a penalty with a minute left through Anton Segner but didn’t find touch. A strange call to kick it back to the Blues gave them a final chance, with a cross field kick cleaned up by the Chiefs to ensure top spot on the ladder. The Chiefs got off to the perfect start as late replacement Daniel Rona crossed for the opener. The hosts had an eight-point lead before winger AJ Lam, who was in for Caleb Clarke, answered straight back. Damian McKenzie took advantage of some confusion from a dropped ball to spin and score for a 15-7 lead. However, the Blues were desperate to vault off the bottom of the ladder and score either side of half-time through Mark Tele’a and Corey Evans. It gave them a four point lead before the Chiefs’ bench proved the difference. A yellow card to Taele opened the space for Tupou Via’i to crash over as Cortez Ratima extended their lead to ten points. The Blues kept themselves in the game through Marcel Renayta’s try from close with 15 minutes to go before the chaotic ending. McKenzie’s 71st-minute penalty goal proved critical after Ioane’s late try, with the Chiefs ensuring they would stay top at the end of the ladder. Meanwhile, the Blues leap over Moana Pasifika and Fijian Drua thanks to the losing bonus point, but face a tough challenge against the Crusaders next week. Meanwhile the Crusaders let their outside backs do the talking as they thrashed the Force to get their season well and truly on track. The sides wings crossed eight times between them as Macca Springer tied Sean Wainui's record for most tries in a Super Rugby game. Flyers Sevu Reece (three tries) and Springer (five) while fullback Will Jordan timed in for a try as well as they tormented the Force in Christchurch on Saturday in a 55-33 victory.

Ally Wollaston shows her omnium gold at the Nations Cup PHOTO: SWPIX Double world champion Ally Wollaston produced a typically remarkable finish to claim the omnium title at the UCI Nations Cup in Turkey. Wollaston, who won both the omnium and elimination world titles, won the final double points sprint to claim the victory in the four-event omnium at the only UCI Nations Cup competition this year. LATEST HEADLINES: Taranaki overtime, Rams low-scoring win Auckland FC held to draw by Mariners Easy wins White Ferns, Black Caps Phoenix Women lose late to Sydney FC Campbell LIV top-10, Fox slips on last Sporting her rainbow jersey, the WorldTour professional on the road showed her prowess on the super-slick Konya Velodrome on the final day of competition. She was a distant 14th in the opening Scratch race, before improving to be second in the Tempo race. Wollaston won the Elimination race where she is the world champion, to leave her in third place overall, 14 points behind leader Anita Stenberg (NOR). The kiwi star was in a group to gain a lap on the field for 20 bonus points but saved the best until last, winning the double-points final sprint to cement the title. She finished on 128 points, clear of Lisa van Belle (NED) on 115 and Vareria Valgonen two points back in third. “It was my first time on the boards since the world champs and the longest I have been off the boards. So to come away with the win is awesome,” said Wollaston. “The key today was having a good mindset and resetting after each race. I was lucky to have great support around me from the Cycling New Zealand team and I am so happy to pull off the win. “It is the only opportunity for me to wear the rainbows this year. It felt pretty amazing. I wanted to do the rainbows justice and I feel like I did that today. “Track is important to me and I still hope to race the worlds at the end of the year. Now I am back to the road and race at San Remo this weekend but a busy and exciting calendar.” Earlier the men’s madison pairing of Tom Sexton and Keegan Hornblow were an impressive sixth place in the 50kms event, picking up a lap on the field and points in nine of the 20 sprints. Sprinter Sam Dakin was a tick outside his national record in men’s qualifying in 9.582 and went out in the first round to Japan’s Kento Yamasaki by 0.003s of a second. Former Australian Matthew Richardson, now representing Great Britain, won the final after setting a new world record of 9.041s in qualifying. New Zealand’s Olivia King missed out of qualifying from the repechage in the women’s keirin after two strong rides.

The Hawke's Bay Hawks have improved to 2-0 in the young National Basketball League (NBL) season, while the Franklin Bulls have drawn first blood in the 'Battle in the North'. The Big Barrel Hawks held off the Property Brokers Manawatu Jets 103-100 at Napier's Rodney Green Arena on Saturday, their second win in four days, while the Bulls charged away from the Auckland Tuatara 81-62. LATEST HEADLINES: Champion White Ferns well-beaten in T20I Zoi Sadowski-Synnott takes Globe award Fox on move at The Players Championship Hurricanes hold on to defeat Highlanders Hot-shooting Sharks beat Nuggets in NBL Hawke's Bay's 17-year-old emerging star Jackson Ball was at it again, following up his 40-point outburst on opening night with 36 points (13/19 FG, 5/9 3pt, 5/7 FT), eight rebounds and three assists. American forward Darnell Cowart showed out with 25 points (10/18 FG, 2/7 3pt), 13 boards and five assists, while Jacob Murphy put up 19 points (7/14 FG, 2/7 3pt) and five rebounds off the bench. Tall Blacks veteran Corey Webster, young Kiwi guard Dontae Russo-Nance and American forward Miles Gibson almost carried the Jets to a road victory in their season-opener but came up just short. Webster scored 32 points (12/23 FG, 3/8 3pt, 5/6 FT), to go with six boards, four assists, two steals and two blocks, Russo-Nance had 25 points (9/23 FG, 2/9 3pt, 5/8 FT), six rebounds, three assists and four steals, and Gibson 25 points (11/19 FG) and four boards. The Jets trailed by nine points early in the fourth before a 14-5 run to tie it up at 94-94 with 2:29 remaining. But Murphy hit the game-winning basket with 19 seconds left. The Hawks shot 33 percent on three-point attempts to the Jets' 20 percent (5-of-25), while Manawatu got no points from their bench. The Hawks (2-0) remain at home to host the Otago Nuggets (0-1) on Friday (tip-off 7.30pm), while the Jets (0-1) head to New Plymouth to take on the Taranaki Airs on Tuesday (tip-off 7pm). Meanwhile, in the Sky Broadband Rapid League contest, Murphy had a near-perfect shooting display for 18 points (6/6 FG, 4/4 3pt, 2/3 FT) in the Hawks’ 37-29 win. Tyson Thata-Paese had 15 points for the Jets. American guard Tae Hardy made a big impact in his first game for the Bulls, finishing with 30 points (13/20 FG, 2/5 3pt), four rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Tall Blacks forward Reuben Te Rangi had 16 points (6/11 FG), while recent pick-up, veteran Marcel Jones, pitched in with nine points, five boards and two steals. Import Buay Tuach put up 14 points (5/16 FG, 4/9 FT), eight rebounds and three steals for the Tuatara, while Dylan Wilkie added 12 points (4/9 FG, 4/8 3pt) and three steals off the bench, and American guard Charles Pride 11 points (5/16 FG) and seven boards. A late second-quarter surge gave the Bulls a 12-point halftime lead, before they doubled that with a 25-13 third period, with Hardy scoring nine. The Bulls (1-0) are quickly back in action, hosting the Whai (1-0) on Monday (tip-off 7pm), while the Tuatara (0-1) get a week to regroup before welcoming the Airs next Saturday (tip-off 3pm). In the earlier Sky Broadband Rapid League game, the Tuatara ran out to a 42-28 victory, with Wilkie going for 17 points (7/9 FG, 3/4 3pt) and four boards. Hawke’s Bay Hawks 103 (Jackson Ball 36, Darnell Cowart 25, Jacob Murphy 19, Campbell Scott 10) Manawatū Jets 100 (Corey Webster 32, Miles Gibson 25, Dontae Russo-Nance 25, Eric Williams Jr 12). 1Q: 23-22, HT: 48-54, 3Q: 77-71 Franklin Bulls 81 (Tae Hardy 30, Reuben Te Rangi 16) Auckland Tuatara 62 (Buay Tuach 14, Dylan Wilkie 12, Charles Pride 11). 1Q: 22-19, HT: 44-32, 3Q: 69-45

Tim Seifert took control of the Black Caps chase as they thrashed Pakistan by nine wickets PHOTO: PAKISTAN CRICKET BOARD The White Ferns thrashed Sri Lanka in their second T20 at Haley Oval and the Black Caps eased past Pakistan in their first T20 International at the same venue. The New Zealand women won by seven wickets to level the series after putting Sri Lanka in to bat. ATEST HEADLINES: Phoenix Women lose late to Sydney FC Campbell LIV top-10, Fox slips on last Paul Coll into Australian Open decider Shearman, Donnelly medal at Nations Cup Chiefs hold off Blues, Crusaders too good The visitors struggled throughout evnetually making 113-7 in their 20 overs as Manudi Nanayakkara top-scored making 35. Bree Illing was the best of the home bowlers with 2-18 from her four overs while Jess Kerr was bit more expensive but also took two wickets. The Sri Lankans were guilty of some sloppy play with a run out, stumping and some dirty slogs. In reply the White Ferns were measure scoring 117-3 in the 19th over. Suzie Bates made 47 from 46 balls at the top of the innings whiel Brooke Halliday put on 46 from 40 not out. Georgia Plimmer was dismissed for four and Emma McLeod 11. And if the White Ferns win was easy, the Black Caps was a walk in the park. Batting first Pakistan had just three batters get to doubles figures - Khushdil Shah (35), captain Shalman Aghar 18 and Jahandad Khan 17. Between them fast bowlers Kyle Jamieson and Jacob Duffy destroyed the innings. Jamieson took 3-8 from four overs and Duffy 4-14 from 4.3 overs as the visitors fell for 91 from 18.4 overs. Ish Sodhi took two wickets and Zak Foulkes one to complete the destruction. The Black Caps response was brutal with Tim Seifert wanting to do it by himself. The opening making 44 from 29 balls including seven fours and a six. Finn Allen was left not out 29 from 17 and Tim Robinson 18 from 15 as the Black Caps won by nine wickets after just 10.1 overs.sc oring 92-1 The second T20 is on Tuesday in Dunedin. The Black Caps

The Taranaki Air started their season with a win iagainst the Saints PHOTO: SAL'S NBL A hit-and-run win for the Steelformer Taranaki Airs in Wellington in double overtime at the TSB Arena to open their Sal's NBL account The Airs came away 115 - 110 winners over the Mills Albert Welling Saints with some big scoring from New Plymouth born power forward Carlin Davison with 36 points equally back up by Australian Harry Froling on 32. LATEST HEADLINES: Auckland FC held to draw by Mariners Easy wins White Ferns, Black Caps Phoenix Women lose late to Sydney FC Campbell LIV top-10, Fox slips on last Paul Coll into Australian Open decider In front of a crowd of well over 2000 the teams traded quarters. The visitors taking the firsrt 29-27, before the Saints won the second 25-22. The third quarter stalled a little as the Airs scored 20-19 while in the fourth both team scored 27 points to take the game into extra time. Taranaki have a local derby on Tuesday against the Manawatu Jets Shaun Bruce was leading scorer for the Saints with 26 points (7/17FG. 4/103pts) with Nicolas Marshall 25 and Hyrun Harris scoring 20 and pulling down 12 rebounds. Nicolas Muszynski scored 18 and 14 rebounds. Manwhile the champion Canterbury Rams accounted for the Nelseon Giants in a low-scoring affair to start their season. The Rams won the game 90-77 after being superior in the first and fourth quarters. Tall Black Taylor Britt was efficent throughout with 23 points adding three assists and a customary steal. He was backed by by young star Tamatoa Isaac who had 23 points, five rebounds and seven assists. For Nelson it 18-year-old Hayden Jones leading the way with 17 points including 3/4 three pointers and seven rebounds while Laim Judd had 14 points. Nelson host the Saints on Thursday at the Trafalgar Centre. while the Rams are at home against the Sharks on Saturday. Wheeler Motor Company Canterbury Rams 90 (Shaun Bruce 23, Hyrum Harris 20, Tohi Smith-Milner 16) NBS Nelson Giants 77 (Hayden Jones 17, Liam Judd 14, Jaylen Forbes 12) Steelformers Taranaki Mountain Airs 115 (Carlin Davison 36, Harry Froling 32, Armon Fletcher, 15, Owen Foxwell 15) Mills Albert Wellington Saints 110 (Shaun Bruce 26, Nicolas Marshall 25, Hyrun Harris scoring 20, Nicolas Muszynski 18).