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James Fisher-Harris will make his debut for the Warriors in Las Vegas against the Raiders PHOTO: NRL The Warriors have named their side for round one on NRL 2025 against the Canberra Raiders in Las Vegas. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad stays at fullback with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck shifting from the centres to the wing Ali Leiataua and Adam Pompey are in the centres. LATEST HEADLINES: Andrews sets New Zealand sprint record Hearts to face Sparks in HBJ Shield final Illing, McLeod, Sharp called into White Ferns Black Caps into Champions Trophy semis Black Ferns Sevens win title in Vancouver Chanel Harris-Tavita and Luke Metcalf will combine in the halves with Te Maire Martin named on an extended bench. Taine Tuaupiki has been named on the wing after the loss of Dallin Watene-Zelezniak through a wrist injury. In the forwards, co-skipper Mitch Barnett and James Fisher-Harris on his Warriors debut will prop the scrum, while Wayde Eagan takes the hooker role in a very experience front row. Erin Clark has been named to make his Warriors debut return at lock. Coach Andrew Webster said his side has done well not to be distracted by the glitz of Las Vegas. "We want to complete, if you do that you go a long way to winning the game. People tell me Vegas is a bit of a finals atmosphere, so I expect it to be really physical." The round one clash against the Raiders, the Warriors first visit to Las Vegas, kicks off at 1pm on Sunday NZT Warriors- 1 Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2 Taine Tuaupiki, 3 Ali Leiataua, 4 Adam Pompey, 5 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 6 Chanel Harris-Tavita, 7 Luke Metcalf, 8 James Fisher-Harris, 9 Wayde Egan, 10 Mitchell Barnett, 11 Kurt Capewell, 12 Marata Niukore, 13 Erin Clark; Interchange: Dylan Walker, Jackson Ford, Demitric Vaimauga, Leka Halasima; Reserves: Sam Healey, Te Maire Martin, Eddie Ieremia, Bunty Afoa, Edward Kosi

A win and a loss for the Black Sticks Women at the FIH Nations Cup PHOTO: HOCKEY NZ The Black Sticks Women have been beaten by Ireland in their second pool match at the FIH Hockey Nations Cup in Santiago, Chile. Ireland started aggressively testing the New Zealand defence early and continuing throughout the match. LATEST HEADLINES: Amy Satterthwaite links up with NZ XI Warriors named for season opener Vegas Andrews sets New Zealand sprint record Hearts to face Sparks in HBJ Shield final Illing, McLeod, Sharp called into White Ferns Both sides displayed some tidy hockey in the first half, but clear scoring opportunities were limited until the final minutes before halftime, when a bobbling ball slipped through New Zealand defence, allowing Ireland to capitalise with a simple trap and one-touch finish to take a one-goal lead into the second half which remained the final score. The third quarter saw New Zealand begin to create more opportunities as they tried to build momentum. Captain Olivia Shannon delivered a pinpoint ball into the circle, leading to a one-on-one chance with the Irish goalkeeper that couldn’t quite be converted. Minutes later, the Black Sticks earned their first penalty corner of the game, looking to replicate their precision from the opening match, but were unable to capitalise. Ireland continued to apply pressure in the final quarter, looking dangerous with a number of circle entries but unable to extend their 1-0 lead. The Black Sticks focus now shifts to Friday's must-win game against Scotland at 7am NZT.

Michael Bracewell took four wickets and was player of the match for the Black Caps against Bangladesh PHOTO: ICC The Black Caps have beaten Bangladesh by five wickets with 22 balls to spare in Rawalpindi to secure their semifinal place at the Champions Trophy. Batting first Bangladesh made 236-9, captain Hossain Shanto top scoring with 77 and down the order Jaker Ali contributing 45. LATEST HEADLINES: Black Ferns win Vancouver Sevens title New Zealand to host Georgia in Davis Cup Last-lap crash spoils van Gisbergen's day Black Sticks Women win at FIH Nations Cup Black Ferns Sevens win, ABs lose to Spain The best of the New Zealand bowlers was Michael Bracewell taking 4-26 from his 10 overs uninterrupted. He also took a catch too. Will O'Rourke had 2-48 from his 10. Matt Henry and Kyle Jamieson straight off the plane took a wicket each. At bat the Black Caps were inconsistent as the centrury making from game one Will Young fell for no score. Kane Williamson wen tcheapley agaian for five and the score was 15-2. Devon Conway was steady for his 30 runs but it was Rachin Ravindra returning to the side from inury who made 112 looking poised all the way. Tom Latham was run out for 55 while Glen Phillips 21 and Bracewell finished the job on 21 and 11 not out respectively. The next game for New Zealand is against India on Sunday night.

Izzy Gaze struck a quick-fire half-century to get the Auckland Hearts into the HBJ Shield final. PHOTO: DAVE LINTOTT PHOTOGRAPHY The Auckland Hearts have grabbed the last berth in this weekend's Hallyburton Johnstone Shield final. With two victories over the Canterbury Magicians, Auckland set up a meeting with the runaway top qualifier Otago Sparks for the national women's 50-over title at Dunedin's University of Otago Oval on Saturday (10.30am start). LATEST HEADLINES: Illing, McLeod, Sharp called into White Ferns Black Caps into Champions Trophy semis Black Ferns Sevens win title in Vancouver New Zealand to host Georgia in Davis Cup Last-lap crash spoils van Gisbergen's day Heading into the final double-header, the Hearts trailed the Central Hinds by six points, needing two wins and some help to qualify. They did their part with seven-run and eight-wicket victories over Canterbury at Christchurch's Hagley Oval, then the Sparks provided the assistance, handing Central 129-run and three-wicket losses in Dunedin. White Ferns batter Maddy Green starred on Saturday, with a career-best 125 from 120 balls as the Hearts reached 269-7, then six different bowlers took wickets as the Magicians came up just short in their chase, despite opener Kate Anderson's 118 from 130 balls. Anderson scored a half-century as Canterbury posted 167-3 in Sunday's rain-shortened match, before Auckland openers Saachi Shahri (80 not out from 85) and Izzy Gaze (54 from 32) put on 91 runs for the first wicket, setting the tone in a comfortable win. Batting proved the Hinds' downfall, dismissed for just 154 and 124. After the Sparks put up 283-6, thanks to Felicity Robertson's 110 from 148 and Polly inglis' 97 from 89, Central's reply never got going, with Chloe Deerness taking 3-33 from eight overs and Hayley Jensen Eden Carson taking two wickets each. Poppy-Jay Watkins took 3-4 from 2.4 overs and Harriett Cuttance two wickets on Sunday, setting up an easy chase for the Sparks, who knocked off the target in just over 25 overs for their ninth victory in 10 matches. In the final weekend's other matches, the Wellington Blaze and Northern Districts split their matches. Caitlin Gurrey scored 152 from 141 balls in ND's 49-run win on Saturday, while Jess Kerr guided the Blaze to a six-wicket win on Sunday with 104 not out from 112.

Emma McLeod bats for the Central Hinds in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield PHOTO: LINTOTT PHOTOGRAPHY Four new players have been named in the White Ferns for the ODI and T20I squads to take on Sri Lanka next month. Eighteen-year-old Central Hinds allrounder Emma McLeod, Canterbury Magicians batter Izzy Sharp (20), and Auckland Hearts seamer Bree Illing (21) have earned their maiden call up. LATEST HEADLINES: Champions Trophy semis for Black Caps Black Ferns win Vancouver Sevens title New Zealand to host Georgia in Davis Cup Last-lap crash spoils van Gisbergen's day Black Sticks Women win at FIH Nations Cup The trio of talented youngsters are all former New Zealand Under-19 representatives, with McLeod having recently returned from her second ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, and Sharp the former captain at the inaugural tournament. McLeod has been selected fresh off a strong One Day campaign for the Central Hinds averaging 42 in the Hallyburton Johnstone (HBJ) Shield, and is the among the top run-scorers in the competition. Left-arm seamer Bree Illing comes off a breakout domestic season following her inclusion in the New Zealand A side last year. Illing, the third-top wicket-taker in the HBJ Shield, was a picture of economy in the Dream11 Super Smash finishing the competition with an economy rate of less than six, despite often bowling through the powerplay. Otago Sparks wicketkeeper-batter Polly Inglis receives her second call up to an international squad following her inclusion in last year’s ODI squad to India. Georgia Plimmer is set to make her return to international cricket after sustaining a bone stress reaction in her hip which has kept her sidelined since November. Otago Sparks batter Bella James, New Zealand’s fourth-highest run scorer during December’s Rose Bowl series, retains her ODI place and is named in her first T20I squad. Following last week’s news that Molly Penfold will miss the remainder of the home summer after tearing her meniscus, Lea Tahuhu (hamstring) and Rosemary Mair (elbow) are also battling injuries. Tahuhu and Mair picked up their injuries during the Super Smash competition and are both due to return before the end of the home summer, with Mair expected to be fit for the Sri Lanka T20I series starting March 14, and Tahuhu tracking towards the Australia T20I series starting March 21. Hayley Jensen has been named in her first White Ferns squad since 2023. The Otago Sparks captain returning after a successful domestic season as one of the Sparks top wicket-takers while leading her region to two domestic Grand Finals. Melie Kerr is unavailable for the series due to her Women’s Premier League commitments with the Mumbai Indians, as the revised tournament dates coincided with the series. Suzie Bates, who led the team from 2011-2018, will be the interim captain for the series in lieu of Sophie Devine, who is taking a well-being break. Devine stepped down from T20I captaincy following the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, with her successor to be named in due course. White Ferns squad Suzie Bates (C) Otago Sparks Eden Carson Otago Sparks Izzy Gaze Otago Sparks Maddy Green Auckland Hearts Brooke Halliday Auckland Hearts Bree Illing* Auckland Hearts – ODI only Polly Inglis* Otago Sparks - ODI only Bella James** Otago Sparks Hayley Jensen Otago Sparks Fran Jonas Auckland Hearts – T20I only Jess Kerr Wellington Blaze Rosemary Mair Central Hinds – T20I only Emma McLeod* Central Hinds Georgia Plimmer Wellington Blaze Hannah Rowe Central Hinds – ODI only Izzy Sharp* Canterbury Magicians – T20I only * Potential international debut ** Potential T20I debut The ODI squad will assemble in Napier on Sunday March 2 following the HBJ Shield Grand Final on Saturday. New Zealand v Sri Lanka 1st ODI – Tuesday 4 March – 2pm McLean Park, Napier – TVNZ+, DUKE, Sport Nation 2nd ODI – Friday 7 March – 11am Saxon Oval, Nelson - TVNZ+, DUKE, Sport Nation 3rd ODI – Sunday 9 March – 11am Saxton Oval, Nelson - TVNZ+, DUKE, Sport Nation T20I Series 1st T20I – Friday 14 March – 7.15pm Hagley Oval, Christchurch – TVNZ+, TV1, Sport Nation 2nd T20I – Sunday 16 March – 10.15am Hagley Oval, Christchurch - TVNZ+, TV1, Sport Nation (Doubleheader with Black Caps) 3rd T20I – Tuesday 18 March – 10.15am University of Otago Oval, Dunedin - TVNZ+, TV1, Sport Nation (Doubleheader with Black Caps)

Shane van Gisbergen finished 23rd at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. PHOTO: TRACKHOUSE RACING New Zealand driver Shane van Gisbergen has been denied his best superspeedway finish in Nascar's latest race. Van Gisbergen was running just outside the top-10 when he was caught up in a multi-car crash on the final lap at the Ambetter Health 400 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday (Monday NZ Time), eventually finishing 23rd. LATEST HEADLINES: Black Sticks Women win at FIH Nations Cup Black Ferns Sevens win, ABs lose to Spain Football Ferns hold Costa Rica to 1-1 draw Tall Blacks win at home against Philippines Super Rugby wins for Canes, Highlanders The three-time Supercars champion led two laps early in the final stage, but dropped from second to 10th during a pit-stop under caution. His best oval track finish - 12th at Martinsville last November - was also under threat as the race went into an overtime green-white-chequered flag finish, sparked by an Austin Cindric-William Byron crash with five laps remaining. On the final lap, Josh Berry got loose and spun, with van Gisbergen one of several cars collected, sliding to the apron and grass on the infield, before regaining control and crossing the line. Van Gisbergen was racing upfront with 60 laps to go before losing momentum and getting bumped back to 16th. He was again on the cusp of the top-10 with 20 laps to go before dropping back to 20th in half-a-lap as the field strung out into single file. The Trackhouse Racing driver started 30th, moved up to 22nd after the first stage and 15th by the end of the second stage. The Giz's best superspeedway finish remains 15th at Talladega last October. He finished 32nd at the Atlanta fall race last September. Nascar's next race, the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at the 20-turn Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, will play to van Gisbergen's strengths on road and street circuits. He finished 20th at COTA last March.

Smiles for the Vancouver champions, the Black Ferns Sevens PHOTO: WORLD SEVENS The Black Ferns have won the Vancouver leg of the World Sevens Series with a 41-7 victory over Fiji, extending their lead at the top of the overall standings. After only two minutes a Fijian player had been red carded and New Zealand made them pay straight away, through a Risi Pouri-Lane try. LATEST HEADLINES: New Zealand to host Georgia in Davis Cup Last-lap crash spoils van Gisbergen's day Black Sticks Women win at FIH Nations Cup Black Ferns Sevens win, ABs lose to Spain Football Ferns hold Costa Rica to 1-1 draw Manaia Nuku then continued the scoring along with Stacey Waaka crossing for her ninth try of the tournament. On halftime Jorja Miller stepped her way through multiple defenders to add another try and New Zealand led 22-nil at half-time. Michaela Brake (nee Blyde) scored within the first two minutes after the main break. With just three minutes left Fiji got on the board with a well worked try. Eighteen-year-old debutante Maia Davis scored her first try on the World Series, before Mahina Paul put the cherry on top adding one more try for New Zealand. The Black Ferns Sevens made the final after an encouraging 29-10 win over Australia in the semifinals earlier in the day. New Zealand now have a six point buffer over Australia, who finished third in Vancouver. The All Blacks Sevens had a disappointing tournament, losing 31-10 to Great Britain in the play-off for fifth place. New Zealand's sixth placing in Vancouver follows their ninth place finish in Perth. New Zealand are next in action for the fifth round of the world series in Hong Kong March 28-30.

Kiwis Monique Barry (far left) and James Watt (far right) were part of winning doubles combinations at the ITF tournament in Burnie, Tasmania.. PHOTOS: TENNIS NZ New Zealand tennis pros Monique Barry and James Watt have both won doubles titles at the ITF $30,000 tournament in Burnie, Tasmania. In Saturday’s women’s doubles final, Barry and her Australian partner Elena Micic defeated the all Australian team of Gabriella Da Silva Fick and Belle Thompson 6-3 6-4. LATEST HEADLINES: Black Ferns Sevens win title in Vancouver New Zealand to host Georgia in Davis Cup Last-lap crash spoils van Gisbergen's day Black Sticks Women win at FIH Nations Cup Football Ferns hold Costa Rica to 1-1 draw It was an outstanding week in Burnie for Barry and Micic. They lost their first set in the tournament, against Yeonwoo Ku and Eri Shimizu in the first round, but did not drop a set from then on. The victory was Barry's sixth doubles title, but the others were at a level below the Burnie tournament. Barry, from Taranaki, is ranked No 290 in the world in doubles, but will jump up the rankings, thanks to the four wins in Burnie. Meanwhile, Watt and Australia’s Matt Hulme beat the Chinese Taipei duo of Hsu Yu Hsiou and Huang Tsung-Hao 6-4 6-2 in the men's final.  Watt won two doubles titles with Hulme last year, in Cairns and Traralgon, but this was their first together in 2025. Prior to this tournament, Watt had a doubles world ranking of No 317, but will go close to reaching the top-300 once this week’s points are added on.

New Zealand will face Georgia for the first time in a Davis Cup tie at home in September. PHOTO: TENNIS NZ New Zealand will host Georgia in a Davis Cup World Group II tie in September.  In Thursday's draw, New Zealand were seeded eighth, earning a first-ever tie against Georgia, with lots drawn to determine which country would host. LATEST HEADLINES: Last-lap crash spoils van Gisbergen's day Black Sticks Women win at FIH Nations Cup Black Ferns Sevens win, ABs lose to Spain Football Ferns hold Costa Rica to 1-1 draw Tall Blacks win at home against Philippines World Group II is made up of the 13 nations which lost in the World Group I playoffs earlier this month and the 13 winning nations from the World Group II playoffs. New Zealand had a dramatic 3-2 victory over Jamaica in Kingston two weeks ago, with Jack Loutit winning the fifth and deciding rubber to clinch the tie. Georgia’s top-ranked player is Nikoloz Basilashvili, who is ranked 148 in the world. However, Basilashvili has not represented Georgia in the Davis Cup since 2021. In the recent 4-0 loss to Poland, Georgia’s highest-ranked player was Saba Purtseladze, who was 427 in the world. New Zealand's top-ranked player is KP Pannu at No 483, closely followed by Ajeet Rai at No 491. The winner of the tie will advance to the World Group I playoffs next year.

A 5-4 win for the Black Sticks women over Korea at the Nations Cup PHOTO: HOCKEY NZ The Black Sticks women have started their FIH Nations Cup campaign with victory against South Korea. The tournament is important event with the winner earning a coveted spot in the following season of the FIH Hockey Pro League, LATEST HEADLINES: Nick Voke holds on for Webex win Black Ferns win, ABs lose to Spain Football Ferns draw with Costa Rica Tall Blacks win at home v Phiippines Super Rugby wins for Canes, Highlanders It is also a building phase towards World Cup qualification against Australia in August this year. New Zealand's win over Korea marked the first meeting between the two sides in eight years. With the first goal to Asian side with five but the Black Sticks responded quickly with diving deflection by Anna Willocks.. The second quarter saw Korea break away and regain their lead with 2 goals, one from a penalty corner drag flick and the other a stroke. However, New Zealand fought back, with Emma Rainey sneaking a deflection past the goalie just before half-time to bring the score to 3-2. The start of the third quarter saw New Zealand playing catch-up again with an unconverted penalty corner and a reverse shot from Paige Blake, which was saved by the Korean goalie. With five minutes remaining in Q3, another stroke was awarded to Korea, which they successfully converted to lead 4-2. The kiwi side wouldn’t let them go, though, and Holly Pearson found the goal with another tidy deflection from a penalty corner, bringing New Zealand back into the game, making it 4-3. Tensions were high in the final quarter as New Zealand fought to equalize. New Zealand leveled the score off a PC with a drag flick by Riana Pho with just over five minutes remaining. New Zealand was awarded a stroke as the clock ticked down, which Holly Pearson fired low to have the final say, securing the lead and overall 5-4 win. The next game is against Ireland on Wednesday (NZT). The eight teams competing for the title at Nations Cup and promotion to the FIH Hockey Pro League 2025/26 are: Pool A: Canada, Chile, Japan, United States Pool B: Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland, South Korea

Football Ferns Macey Fraser competes against Costa Rica in the friendly PHOTO: FCRF The Football Ferns have scored a 1-1 draw against Costa Rica at a windy Piedades de Santa Ana Stadium in Alajuela, Costa Rica. Interim head coach Michael Mayne fielded a side with only five players retaining their starting spots from Paris 2024 as they try to build depth in the squad. LATEST HEADLINES: Tall Blacks win at home v Phiippines Super Rugby wins for Canes, Highlanders Nick Voke's lead grows to four in Sydney Brake stars for Black Ferns; ABs lose one Auckland FC thrash Wellington Phoenix The squad for the tour included five uncapped players, one of whom—Perth Glory forward Kelli Brown—was rewarded with a starting debut. The team lined up with a back three of Liz Anton, Claudia Bunge, and Kate Taylor, while Indiah-Paige Riley and Hannah Blake operated as wingbacks. The Ferns started as the stronger side, controlling possession against the Central Americans, with Macey Fraser testing Costa Rican goalkeeper Noelia Bermúdez with an early shot. As the first half progressed, the home side grew into the game, forcing Ferns goalkeeper Vic Esson into several impressive saves. The deadlock was broken in the 20th minute when Costa Rican midfielder and primary attacking threat Priscila Chinchilla was played through on goal to finish with a deft touch, flicking the ball past Esson and into the net. New Zealand pushed hard for an equalizer when Katie Kitching fired a long-range free kick that deflected off the crossbar just before halftime. Moments later, the breakthrough came when Indiah-Paige Riley unleashed an angled shot from outside the box, looping the ball over the Costa Rican keeper to level the score at 1-1 heading into the break. The Ferns carried their attacking momentum into the second half, with substitute Jacqui Hand testing the goalkeeper with a long-range effort just minutes after the restart. While Esson was called upon to make another crucial save, the best chances fell to the Ferns, the best of which came when goalscorer Riley delivered a pinpoint cross to Kitching, but the midfielder’s shot fired over the bar. The second half saw Maya Hahn and Maniana Elliot make their international debuts but despite finishing as the stronger side, the Ferns were unable to find the winning goal. New Zealand face Costa Rica again on Wednesday, 26 February, at 11 am NZT (Tuesday, 25 February, at 4 pm local time).

Jazmin Felx-Hotham is always a danger for the Black Ferns Sevens as they reached the semifinals in Vancouver PHOTO: WORLD SVNS The Black Ferns women's seven's team are through to the semifinals of the latest event in Vancouver The Corey Sweeney coach side were comfortable winners over hosts Canada 34-12 in their quarter-final clash with Michaela Brake scoring another try to take her record tally to 261. LATEST HEADLINES: Football Ferns draw with Costa Rica Tall Blacks win at home v Phiippines Super Rugby wins for Canes, Highlanders Nick Voke's lead grows to four in Sydney Brake stars for Black Ferns; ABs lose one Jorja Miller and veteran Stacey Waaka both nabbed doubles in the win as well. The face arch-rivals Australia in the semifinals on Monday morning. Meanwhile the All Blacks Sevens have lost to Spain for the third consecutive time, on this occasion it was the quarterfinals 12-7 in overtime. Tone Ng Shiu scored the solitary try for New Zealand as the Spaniards showed resolute defence and ball retention. The All Blacks now face Great Britain in playoff matches