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The Black Ferns programme is continuing to build toward the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup with the naming of five new players to the contracted squad. Atlanta Lolohea (Matatū), Hannah King (Hurricanes Poua) Kahlia Awa (Blues), Maama Vaipulu (Blues) and Maia Joseph (Matatū) have secured their first full-time Black Ferns contracts. LATEST HEADLINES: Will Johnson return to Warriors in 2025? Northern Mystics hand another loss on Steel Van Gisbergen gets caught up in Nascar race Lydia Ko fades at the first women's golf major Scott Dixon pulls off fuel-saving IndyCar win Blues lock Vaipulu had a big season for the Blues during their charge to the Sky Super Rugby Aupiki title. A consistent performer, with askill set made a strong impression on Black Ferns selectors. Shifting north to Wellington to pursue Super Rugby Aupiki paid dividends for Hurricanes Poua first-five Hannah King. The 20-year-old thrived in the Poua environment and became a notable standout for the side. With a dominant performance in the Super Rugby Aupiki final, Blues halfback Awa has made every post a winner in the past 12 months and will be hoping to add a black jersey. Alongside Awa, diligent halfback and first-five Joseph, also secures her first contract having been on the radar of Black Ferns selectors for some time. Joseph’s Matatū teammate, hooker Lolohea, is also set to make the step-up. Black Ferns director of rugby Allan Bunting was impressed with the competitiveness and potential of the five newly contracted players. “It is exciting to be able to see the growth we have building in our game at the moment. While it makes for a tough selection, it gives us an opportunity to expose more talent to the international stage in specific areas we are looking at moving into the future and towards Rugby World Cup 2025. "These new players have really stood out consistently in their own way across Super Rugby Aupiki that has been apparent in the way they hold themselves on and off the field. “It is an exciting opportunity for them to come on this journey and look to continue their growth both on and off the field. The future of our internal competition is exciting to see.” Returnees to a contract include Blues prop Aldora Itunu, newly converted prop Marcelle Parkes (Matatū), illusive loose forward Kaipo Olsen-Baker (Matatū) and powerful midfielder Monica Tagoai (Hurricanes Poua) all return to the Black Ferns environment. “We are pleased to be able to welcome back these experienced players into our environment. Their perseverance, physical presence and ability to impact games has been evident. They have been standouts for their respective teams during Sky Super Rugby Aupiki and we are excited to see what they bring to environment," said Bunting. Phillipa Love, Liv McGoverne and Mia Anderson will join the Black Ferns squad on interim contracts as injury cover. One additional full-time contract is still be confirmed. BLACK FERNS 2024 CONTRACTED PLAYERS Alana Bremner (Matatū, Canterbury), Aldora Itunu (Blues, Auckland), Amy du Plessis (Matatū, Canterbury), Amy Rule (Matatū, Canterbury), Ariana Bayler (Chiefs Manawa, Waikato), Atlanta Lolohea (Matatū, Canterbury), Ayesha Leti-I’iga (Hurricanes Poua, Wellington), Awhi Tangen-Wainohu (Chiefs Manawa, Waikato), Charmaine Smith (Chiefs Manawa, Northland), Chelsea Bremner (Chiefs Manawa, Canterbury), Chryss Viliko (Blues, Auckland), Georgia Ponsonby (Matatū, Canterbury), Grace Steinmetz (Chiefs Manawa, Canterbury), Hannah King (Hurricanes Poua, Canterbury), Iritana Hohaia (Hurricanes Poua, Taranaki), Joanah Ngan Woo (Hurricanes Poua, Wellington), Kahlia Awa (Blues, Hawke’s Bay), Kaipo Olsen-Baker (Matatū, Manawatū), Kate Henwood (Chiefs Manawa, Bay of Plenty), Katelyn Vahaakolo (Blues, Auckland), Kennedy Simon (Chiefs Manawa, Waikato), Liana Mikaele-Tu’u (Blues, Auckland), Layla Sae (Hurricanes Poua, Manawatū), Logo-I-Pulotu Lemapu Atai'i (Sylvia) Brunt (Blues, Auckland), Lucy Jenkins (Matatū, Canterbury), Luka Connor (Chiefs Manawa, Bay of Plenty), Leaso Grace Gago Tiatia (Blues, Counties Manukau), Maama Vaipulu (Blues, Auckland), Maia Joseph (Matatū, Otago), Maiakawanakaulani Roos (Blues, Auckland), Marcelle Parkes (Matatū, Canterbury), Mererangi Paul (Chiefs Manawa, Counties Manukau), Monica Tagoai (Hurricanes Poua, Wellington), Patricia Maliepo (Blues, Auckland), Renee Holmes (Chiefs Manawa, Waikato), Ruahei Demant (Blues, Auckland), Ruby Tui (Chiefs Manawa, Counties Manukau), Santo Taumata (Chiefs Manawa, Bay of Plenty), Sophie Fisher (Blues, Auckland), Tanya Kalounivale (Chiefs Manawa, Waikato)

Star halfback Shaun Johnson has given the biggest indication so far about his intentions for next season, while NZ Warriors coach Andrew Webster signalled his desire to re-sign the off-contract veteran. Following training on Monday in Auckland, Johnson responded to a question about the club signing James Fisher-Harris on a four-year deal from 2025 by saying it’s “certainly something to celebrate and want to play on for”. LATEST HEADLINES: * Northern Mystics hand another loss on Steel * Van Gisbergen gets caught up in Nascar race * Lydia Ko fades at the first women's golf major * Scott Dixon pulls off fuel-saving IndyCar win * Black Caps win third T20, keep series alive The 33-year-old, who was set to meet with his manager on Monday afternoon, said while he was yet to make a decision or receive an offer from the Warriors, he’s loving being part of the current playing group at Go Media Stadium. “Our roster is extremely talented and we have got a lot of depth, and what I love about it is we are enticing players, especially Kiwi-born players, to come back and want to represent the club,” Johnson said. “So much goes into a decision about whether you play on, especially at the tender age [of 33]. “But I am certainly starting those conversations with the right people.” It likely will not be long until that contract is in front of Johnson, though, if Webster has anything to do with it, with the second-year coach clear on his personal view about Johnson playing on in 2025. “100 percent, would love to have Shaun around again,” Webster said. “I think he’s huge for our team, he’s important, love the way he is playing. “But it’s only early in the season, we’ve got a good relationship, we’ll work it out when we can. I think the conversation is different [this year than last year] because of what he’s got behind him. We didn’t really know last year, he’d admit that himself. “He’s got 12 months of amazing football under his belt [this time].” The development comes as the former golden boot winner again sat out training on Monday, as he continues to manage Achilles pain which has kept him out of sessions for much of the past couple of weeks. While not wanting to downplay Johnson’s bravery, Webster said he remains confident his No 7 will be OK to take the field against the Gold Coast Titans on Anzac Day in Auckland. “It’s just very, very sore," Webster said. “Shaun has been incredibly tough and done a great job. “He hasn’t trained much at all the last couple of weeks and he didn’t train today. He’s playing sore at the moment, and injured, and still doing a great job." Webster also confirmed utility forward Dylan Walker is likely to be available for Anzac Day, following five weeks out with an ankle issue. - NRL.com

New Zealand driver Scott Dixon proved yet again on Sunday (Monday NZ Time) that almost nothing is impossible for him. Six-time IndyCar series champion Dixon won the Grand Prix of Long Beach with a dramatic blend of patience and aggression over the closing laps, holding on for his 57th victory on the iconic street circuit. LATEST HEADLINES: * Black Caps win third T20, keep series alive * Wellington Saints, Whai pick up big NBL wins * Tactix pounce late to take the shine off Stars * Will Brown wins Supercars Race 8 in Taupo * Diamond League medals for Wesche, Kerr Nobody in the IndyCar series saves fuel better than Dixon, and he drove the last 34 laps of the 85-lap street race on one tank of fuel in the No 9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda to hold off a hard-charging Colton Herta - who was on a more conventional, less=risky fuel strategy - by 0.9798 seconds. “That was tough. That was really tough,” Dixon said. “Honestly, I didn’t think we were going to make it, and they kept giving me a (fuel) number, and it just wasn’t getting ... I was close but not enough. Luckily, we were on the safe side there.” Dixon, who started eighth, even had enough fuel left in his Honda engine to perform a celebratory burnout after claiming his first victory of the season and the 57th win of his legendary career. It was his second victory on the 11-turn, 1.968-mile Long Beach temporary street circuit, joining his triumph in 2015. Reigning series champion Alex Palou finished third in the No 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Series points leader Josef Newgarden placed a disappointing fourth in the No 2 Team Penske Chevrolet after looking to be Dixon’s biggest threat until Herta’s No 26 Honda fielded by Andretti Global made contact with him late in the race. Marcus Ericsson rounded out the top-five in the No 28 Honda fielded by Andretti Global, as that team and Chip Ganassi Racing each claimed two of the top-five finishing positions. The 27-car field splintered into two groups of differing strategies on Lap 15 when the only caution period of the race was triggered by Christian Rasmussen’s spin and wall contact in Turn 4 in the No 20 Chevrolet fielded by Ed Carpenter Racing. Then race leader Will Power and Dixon led a group of drivers that dove into the pits during that caution, with Kyle Kirkwood, Marcus Armstrong, Graham Rahal and Linus Lundqvist among the other leading lights adopting that tactic. That strategy play handed the lead to Newgarden on Lap 17, and he kept the top spot when green-flag racing resumed on Lap 19. For the next 45 laps, the early-stopping drivers used every tactic in their bag of skills to save fuel, lifting the throttle early in corners and babying it on acceleration. Every engineer’s calculation on the pit wall showed the margin to make it to the finish on just one more stop would be razor-thin without another caution period. Meanwhile, the rest of the contenders entered the pits between Laps 30 and 33 for their first stops, with Herta going the longest to Lap 33. The fuel-sipping group then pitted for the final time on Laps 52-53. The differing strategies then exploded into a crescendo of drama after the second group pitted for the final time between Laps 58-62. Newgarden emerged in second, about three seconds behind Dixon, after every contender finished their final stops. Newgarden’s tyres were seven laps fresher than Dixon’s, and he did not have to worry about saving fuel. Nearly everyone in the sold-out reserved seat grandstands figured it would only be a matter of time before Newgarden passed Dixon for the lead and perhaps an unbeaten start to the season, as he won the season-opening Grand Prix of St Petersburg presented by RP Funding on March 10. Everyone but Dixon, that is. Dixon masterfully balanced saving fuel with short bursts of push-to-pass to parry Newgarden over the closing laps. Still, Newgarden drove to within a half-second of Dixon on Lap 71 and appeared to be biding his time. Newgarden then pulled close to Dixon’s gearbox entering the hairpin leading to the long front straightaway on Shoreline Drive on Lap 77 and appeared to be setting him up for a passing attempt on the straight. But that never happened, as Herta nudged Newgarden from behind entering the hairpin. The impact lifted Newgarden’s rear wheels off the ground and engaged his anti-stall function, letting Herta and Palou pass him and dropping him to fourth. “It seemed pretty obvious,” Newgarden said. “He just misjudged it and ran into me. I’m not saying we were going to get Dixon. It was very, very difficult for me to get the run I needed to. I think traffic was going to provide me an opportunity, so that run right there, I was really excited about it. I think that was going to be my last chance. Never know if I would have pulled it off or not.” That incident gave Dixon breathing room from behind as he navigated lapped traffic ahead. Herta pulled to within 0.328 of a second with three laps remaining, but Dixon was given clearance on the last lap to use all the fuel-gulping push-to-pass he had left and pulled away for the win. It was yet another chapter in Dixon’s saga of pulling victory from nowhere with fuel-saving and pit wall strategy. Just last season, he earned unlikely wins on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and World Wide Technology Raceway in August with similar tactics. “It was way up there,” Dixon said when asked where this win ranked among his strategic victories. “The stress level was high. Those guys were coming fast and strong. I think we were off by a lap or two of making it easy. Other fuel races I’ve done I’ve had it under control for the full stint.” The other two Kiwis in the field, Armstrong finished 12th and Scott McLaughlin 26th after exiting the race after 71 laps. There is just one week until the next race, the Alabama Indy Grand Prix next Sunday (Monday NZT) at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama.

New Zealand driver Shane van Gisbergen was pushing towards a top-10 finish in just his third Nascar Cup Series race before being bumped back. Nascar rookie van Gisbergen, who qualified 17th and even led for three laps, was eventually credited with 28th at the Geico 500 at the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama on Sunday (Monday NZ Time). LATEST HEADLINES: * Lydia Ko fades at first women's golf major * Scott Dixon pulls off fuel-saving IndyCar win * Black Caps win third T20, keep series alive * Wellington Saints, Whai pick up big NBL wins * Tactix pounce late to take the shine off Stars In his first superspeedway race, 'The Giz' was running three-wide, leading the outside line, during the closing laps. The outside line had momentum, gaining on the leaders, before Kyle Busch and then Ty Gibbs pulled out and stalled the charge on the penultimate lap, shuffling them all to the back of the pack. "Learnt (sic) a lot about fuel-saving and the flow of the race, put myself in some spots but didn’t have anyone to go with me, must be a yellow stripe thing. We didn’t get a great finish, but thanks to the team for a great weekend," van Gisbergen said in an Instagram post. The 34-year-old was also caught up in the final-lap wreck, when leader Michael McDowell spun out into the wall trying to block Brad Keselowski in the tri-oval, allowing Tyler Reddick to slip through for the win. Van Gisbergen finished 20th in his second Nascar Cup Series race at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, in late-March. He won his Nascar debut on the streets of Chicago last July. He finished 22nd in the second-tier Nascar Xfinity Series race at Talladega on Saturday (Sunday NZT). In nine races this season, he has one top-10 result, at Atlanta in late-February, and sits 14th in the series standings.

Two New Zealand teams have claimed medals on the Asian Beach Volleyball Tour stop in Songkhla, Thailand. Shaunna Polley and Alice Zeimann took the silver medal, falling in a tight three-set battle 21-13 18-21 13-15 to Australians Georgia Johnson and Jasmine Fleming. LATEST HEADLINES: Dixon pulls off fuel-saving IndyCar win Black Caps win third T20, keep series alive Wellington Saints, Whai pick up big NBL wins Tactix pounce late to take the shine off Stars Will Brown wins Supercars Race 8 in Taupo Earlier, they were too good for Australians Stefanie Fejes and Jana Milutinovic (who they had beaten in the New Zealand Futures at Mt Maunganui in March), claiming a 21-17 21-14 victory to advance to the final. Polley and Zeimann won all three of their Pool D matches before further victories over Vanuatu's Sherysyn Toko Loti Joe (21-7 21-10) and Indonesian pair in three games to move into the medal round. In the men’s competition, Tom Reid and Jack McManaway secured their second medal in as many events, earning bronze with a three-set victory over Thailand’s Pithak Tipjan and Poravid Taovato (18-21 21-15 15-9). The New Zealand were beaten 21-17 21-15 by Paul Burnett and Jack Pearse (Australia) in the semifinals. Reid and McManaway topped Pool F with three wins before seeing off Qatar pair Ahmed/Ihab 21-19 21-17 then advancing to the last four with a 21-19 21-14 victory over Australia's Mark Nicolaidis and Iac Carracher. After topping Pool H, Brad Fuller and Ben O'Dea beat an Australian team in three set before falling to Japan's Takumi Takahashi and Jumpei Ikeda 19 and 15. The teams now look ahead to the Beach Pro Tour Challenge event in Xiamen, China this week. There are two men’s combinations entered into qualifying O’Dea and Fuller and Alani Nicklin and McManaway while Polley and Zeimann will also be in the women’s qualifying field.

Kiwi golfer Lydia Ko has gone backwards on the final day of the first women's golf major of 2024. Ko posted a three-over 75 in the final round of The Chevron Championship at The Woodlands, Texas on Sunday (Monday NZ Time), dropping to a share of 17th at two-under, 13 strokes off the pace. LATEST HEADLINES: * Scott Dixon pulls off fuel-saving IndyCar win * Black Caps win third T20, keep series alive * Wellington Saints, Whai pick up big NBL wins * Tactix pounce late to take the shine off Stars * Will Brown wins Supercars Race 8 in Taupo The 26-year-old entered Sunday tied for ninth at five-under, six shots off the lead, as the rain-delayed third round resumed. Ko made four straight pars to end the round, not improving her situation, before three pars to open her fourth round. Bogeys came at the fourth, seventh and ninth holes, with an eagle at the par-five eighth. Her up-and-down round continued on the back-nine, with bogeys at the 12th, 15th, 16th and 17th holes and birdies at the 13th and 18th. Ko was accurate off the tee, hitting 12-of-14 fairways, but constantly missed the target with her approach shots, landing on just 5-of-18 greens in regulation.

The Black Caps have squared the T20 series with Pakistan after a seven-wicket victory in the third match in Rawalpindi. The visitors chased down their target of 179 with 10 balls to spare mainly thanks to an unbeaten 87 from Mark Chapman. LATEST HEADLINES: Tactix pounce to take shine off Stars Will Brown wins Supercars Race 8 in Taupo Lydia Ko stays in touch at women's major Diamond League medals for Wesche, Kerr Pakistan thrash Black Caps in second ODI The performance was much improved from the previous day where they had been all out for 90 runs. Pakistan were asked to bat and made 178-4 as Shadab Khan top-scored with 41, while Ish Sodhi took 2-25. Jacob Duffy and captain Michael Bracewell taking a wicket each. The Black Caps started their chase strongly with Tim Robinson and Tim Seifert putting on 42 for the opening partnership. Chapman and Dean Foxcroft then put on 117 for the third wicket with Foxcroft scoring 31. The game looked good for New Zealand in the 15th and 16th overs when they managed to score 40 runs off two of Pakistan's most experienced bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah. Chapman and James Neesham then got the visitors home, with Chapman's 87 coming off 42 balls and including nine fours and four sixes. The final two matches are in Lahore next weekend.

The Wellington Saints and Mid-North Whai have turned close games into comfortable wins in the National Basketball League (NBL) on Sunday. Up three entering the fourth quarter, the Saints pulled away down the stretch for a 103-86 win over the Taranaki Airs, while the Whai used a big third period to come away with an 88-73 win against the Southland Sharks. LATEST HEADLINES: * Tactix pounce late to take the shine off Stars * Will Brown wins Supercars Race 8 in Taupo * Lydia Ko stays in touch at women's major * Diamond League medals for Wesche, Kerr * Pakistan thrash Black Caps in second ODI Izayah Le'afa lit up Wellington's TSB Arena with a game-high 27 points (8/16 FG, 7/13 3pt, 4/5 FT), with five rebounds, four assists and four steals, but it was forward Hyrum Harris who truly stuffed the stat-sheet, with 23 points (11/20 FG), 14 boards, eight assists and five steals. Imports Lat Mayen (19 points on 8-of-13 shooting) and Malik Benlevi (13 points on 6-of-12 shooting, with six rebounds) provided support, while Tohi Smith-Milner managed 11 points (3/10 FG, 4/5 FT) and five boards. Tall Blacks guard Flynn Cameron and Australian forward Sam Froling had a joint team-high 22 points for the Airs. Cameron shot 8-of-17 from the field, including 4-of-10 on three-point attempts, adding nine rebounds, while Froling went 9-of-14, and 4-of-7 from the free-throw line, ripping down 11 boards. American forward Elijah Minnie produced 16 points (7/11 FG), with eight rebounds and two blocks, while Tobias Cameron had nine points and Derone Raukawa seven points. Ahead for most of the game, the Saints found themselves down four midway through the third quarter, before a 13-2 burst, which included threes from Mayen and Le'afa, put them ahead 74-67 with 1:59 remaining. The Saints then put the game away with a 15-4 run in the fourth, with Mayen and Le'afa connecting again from deep. Earlier, Wellington led early before Taranaki reeled off 10 straight points to take a short-lived lead, which the Saints eliminated immediately with 12 of the next 14 points to lead by seven. Taranaki remained close before a 12-2 run just before halftime brought them level. Next up, the Saints (4-1) host the Bay Hawks (2-2) on Anzac Day (tip-off 7.30pm), while the Airs (2-2) have a road double-header at the Whai (2-2) and Nelson Giants (2-3) in Week 5. The Whai had six players, including all five starters, score in double-digits, led by American forward Vance Jackson Jr, who managed 19 points (7/15 FG, 5/9 3pt), nine rebounds and two blocks. Young Kiwi guards Jett Thompson and Kruz Perrott-Hunt were next, Thompson with 14 points (5/9 FG, 2/4 3pt) and three steals, and Perrott-Hunt 13 points (4/12 FG, 2/8 3pt) and two steals. Phil Carr, Denhym Brooke and Demarcus Holland all had 12 points. American shooting guard LaGerald Vick again led the Sharks, finishing with a game-high 21 points (7/15 FG, 3/6 3pt, 4/4 FT), seven boards and two steals, while Callum McRae put up 17 points (7/15 FG), 11 rebounds, five assists and two blocks. Vick and Ben Hall hit threes to open the game and the Sharks led 8-0 inside the opening three minutes. The Whai gradually pulled back the gap, leading before the end of the first period. They took the lead for good late in the second period but were still only seven ahead midway through the third, before scoring 13 straight points, culminated with back-to-back threes from Jackson Jr, to lead 68-48. The Whai (2-2) welcome the Airs (2-2) to Tauranga on Friday (tip-off 7.30pm), while the Sharks (0-6) return to Invercargill to face the Canterbury Rams (2-2) on Saturday (tip-off 7.30pm). Wellington Saints 103 (Izayah Le'afa 27, Hyrum Harris 23, Lat Mayen 19, Malik Benlevi 13, Tohi Smith-Milner 11) Taranaki Airs 86 (Flynn Cameron 22, Sam Froling 22, Elijah Minnie 16). 1Q: 33-29, HT: 54-54, 3Q: 74-71 Mid-North Whai 88 (Vance Jackson Jr 19, Jett Thompson 14, Kruz Perrott-Hunt 13, Phil Carr 12, Denhym Brooke 12, Demarcus Holland 12) Southland Sharks 73 (LaGerald Vick 21, Callum McRae 17, Ben Hall 10, Marcale Lotts 10). 1Q: 18-18, HT: 45-41, 3Q: 73-57

Kiwi golfer Lydia Ko will go into the final day of 2024's first women's golf major six strokes off the lead. Ko was one-under through 14 holes before the third round at The Chevron Championship was postponed due to inclement weather on Saturday (Sunday NZ Time) at The Woodlands, Texas. LATEST HEADLINES: * Diamond League medals for Wesche, Kerr * Pakistan thrash Black Caps in second ODI * Canterbury Rams handle Bay Hawks in NBL * Blues rout ACT Brumbies; Crusaders defeated * Pulse surge in second half to defeat the Magic * Kiwi Andre Heimgartner wins in wet in Taupo The 26-year-old, who produced three birdies and two bogeys before rain took over, remains in a tie for ninth at five-under, six shots behind the leader, Thai Atthaya Thitikul. Ko made birdies at the par-three third, par-four ninth and par-five 13th, while dropping shots at the par-four second and sixth holes. Golfers will return to the course on Sunday at 7am local time (midnight Monday NZT) to complete their third rounds, before being re-paired for the last round. But with heavy rain forecast overnight, there could be further delays. Meanwhile, compatriot Momoka Kobori has missed the cut at the Ladies European Tour's (LET) Joburg Ladies Open after an eight-over 81 in the second round on Friday (Saturday NZT). Kobori carded two birdies, five bogeys, a double-bogey and triple-bogey to miss the cut by four shots. Things took a turn on the back-nine, with a double-bogey at the par-five 10th and a triple-bogey at the par-four 17th.

Jamie Reid and Liz McKinnon’s speedgolf dynasty continues as they successfully defended their New Zealand Speedgolf titles at Fitzroy Golf Club once again. The pair have dominated the event and have etched their names on the national speedgolf trophy six times, winning every event they have played. LATEST HEADLINES: Diamond League medals for Wesche, Kerr Pakistan thrash Black Caps in second ODI Canterbury Rams handle Bay Hawks in NBL Blues rout ACT Brumbies; Crusaders defeated Pulse surge in second half to defeat the Magic Reid created history in miserable weather on day one, shooting speedgolf’s first-ever sub-100 score, carding 68 in 31 minutes and 3 seconds to shoot a speedgolf score of 99.03, while McKinnon kept her unbeaten record in the format intact. Fifty one competitors ran the Fitzroy Golf Club fairways over 36 holes and two days of competition, forming one of the strongest Speedgolf Open fields in recent memory. Joining the two defending champions was a DP World Tour player, an NZPGA professional, speedgolf specialists from all around the country, and those playing the format for the first time. After Reid returned the unofficial world record score of 99.03, he led by five over Taranaki local Bernie Smith and seven over Robin Smith, who is Reid’s world championship-winning partner. He gave the magical number another good run on day two's final round, shooting another 68 in 32 minutes and 35 seconds, finishing with a two-round speedgolf total of 199.38. Reid is happy to not only win another New Zealand title, but to get the magical speedgolf monkey of shooting a sub-100 score off his back. “Now, people can stop asking me when I’m going to finally break 100, which I did yesterday in terrible conditions. To do that, and then back it up today with another great score today is very pleasing. “I knew I had it in me – it was just a matter of putting the running time and the golf score together. I played really well yesterday and made five birdies, so I’m really happy to get that over the line.” “We have a great community and we get up to 20 players every Wednesday, so getting lots of very good players to play against every week helps me with my training.” Meanwhile, McKinnon’s victory did not come as easy. Following her 82 in 46 minutes and 37 seconds, she trailed Amy Linton by 20 seconds heading into today’s final round after Linton carded 83 in 45 minutes and 18 seconds. However, her championship mentality came through, finishing with a second-round 76 in 46 minutes and 9 seconds on Sunday, finishing with a two-round total of 250.46 to win by 10. McKinnon said the strong women’s division pushed her right until the end today. “I emptied the tank – when I went across the finish line, I had nothing left. After a few minutes, I got the speedgolf buzz. “All I could do out there was focus on one shot at a time and just keep running. I knew that Amy had been working really hard on her fitness and her golf, so having that competition motivated me to be better and give it everything that I had, which I did. “The fact that I’ve come away with a win is the icing on the cake, but I’m just happy that I tried my best and emptied the tank.” Both Reid and McKinnon won a $3000 grant from Parkland Products to go toward their world championship preparations. DP World Tour player Sam Jones had the lowest golf score, shooting 70 and 66 for an even-par total.

Queensland's Will Brown has beaten Broc Feeney in a tense battle to win the Taupō Super400 finale, with Anton De Pasquale taking the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy. Brown overtook Feeney with nine laps remaining to claim the lead, following a tight contest which saw the two Red Bull Ampol Camaros run side-by-side on numerous occasions. LATEST HEADLINES: Reid, McKinnon win NZ Speedgolf titles Diamond League medals for Wesche, Kerr Pakistan thrash Black Caps in second ODI Canterbury Rams handle Bay Hawks in NBL Blues rout ACT Brumbies; Crusaders defeated De Pasquale finished a distant third to claim the Richards Trophy, emulating former Shell V-Power Racing Team driver Scott McLaughlin, who won in 2018. "I was trying not to use the front bar on him," said Brown, who claimed his third win of the season after only eight races "Mega day, thanks to everyone at Red Bull Ampol, that was awesome. I hope everyone enjoyed it, had a lot of fun with Broc there. "I might have touched him once, but I was trying not to, but it was hard to resist when you're in a battle like that. Great, great fun. That's the best race of my life." Pole-sitter Matt Payne was first turn 1 ahead of Feeny and Brodie Kostecki fourth behind De Pasquale. Behind them, Chaz Mostert was boxed in and dropped from ninth to 15th by the end of the first lap, Payne opened up a 1.6 seconds lead over Feeney by lap 6, with Kostecki behind followed by Brown who then passed Kostecki on lap 9, and set off after the leaders. Payne began to hit tyre trouble and was initially passed by Feeney on lap 11, before retaking the lead. Feeney eventually got past, leaving Payne vulnerable to De Pasquale and Brown behind. In lap 52, Feeney bowled a wide into Turn 5, opening the door to Brown to take the lead, with the points leader opening up a 1.6s lead by lap 57. Behind them, Mostert dropped behind Golding, with Heimgartner Ford in a bid to keep his Richards Trophy hopes alive. However, the Kiwi fell one position short as Brown claimed victory by 3.3585s, with De Pasquale 14.2612s back in third. Payne, Golding, Heimgartner, Mostert, Le Brocq, Cam Waters and Wood rounded out the top 10, with Kostecki dropping from 10th to 12th after being penalised over a late clash with Richie Stanaway. The inaugural Taupō Super400 drew a crowd of 67,411 spectators over the three days of competition. The 2024 Supercars Championship continue in Perth from May 17-19. .

New Zealand thrower Maddi Wesche has continued her rapid improvement claiming a silver medal at the opening Diamond League meet in China. Wesche achieved a lifetime best distance of 19.63m in her sixth and final throw in Xiamen to place second in a tight battle for gold. LATEST HEADLINES: Pulse surge in second half to defeat the Magic Kiwi Andre Heimgartner wins in wet in Taupo Auckland Tuatara destroy Southland Sharks Lydia Ko in top-10 after second round at major NZ Warriors outplayed by St George Illawarra China's Lijiao Gong won with a 19.72m throw with Jackson Chase of the United States was third with 19.62m. Twenty-four-year-old Wesche, who was selected in the 15-strong New Zealand team to compete at the Paris Olympics, for a medal. Her previous personal best of 19.62m was set at last month's world indoor championships and she carried that form to China, where four of her throws were 19.44m or better. Wesche was sixth at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 (18.98m best), third at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games (19.03m) and seventh at last year's outdoor world championships in Hungary (19.51m). Meanwhile World Indoor Champion, Kerr took bronze after a jump of 2.24m, behind American Shelby McEwen and Qatari Mutaz Essa both recording 2.27m. In the women's javelin Tori Peeters finished seventh with a thrown of 55.7m.