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Marata Niukore is into the starting lineup for the NZ Warriors clash with the Sharks PHOTO: NRL Injuries and State of Origin commitments have forced a major reshuffle of the Warriors’ squad for their round 15 NRL encounter with the Cronulla Sharks at a sold-out Go Media Stadium on Saturday Prop Mitchell Barnett (New South Wales) and second rower Kurt Capewell (Queensland) are both unavailable on Origin duty while it has been confirmed fellow veteran and co-captain James Fisher-Harris has been ruled out with a calf injury. LATEST HEADLINES: NZ U20s team for World Cup Wellington Phoenix new striker Cama steps down from NZ 7s NZ Swim team for Glasgow 26 Paul Coll wins 3rd British Open Fisher-Harris joins other frontline players Leka Halasima (hamstring) and Sam Healey (thumb) on the casualty list along with Tanah Boyd and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck who are now recovering from surgery following their season-ending knee injuries. With those seven first-choice players unavailable, as many as four players are in the frame for possible NRL debuts this week in a season in which the Warriors haven’t introduced a new player since round three. The backline used in the club’s last outing against Penrith on May 31 has been named again while there are two changes in the listed starting pack with Tanner Stowers-Smith in for Fisher-Harris at prop and the vastly-experienced Marata Niukore for Halasima in the second row. Of the four interchange players who had game time against the Panthers, prop Demitric Vaimauga is the only one left. The other five on the listed extended six-man bench are seven-game first grader Eddie Ieremia-Toeava and four players yet to make an NRL appearance – hooker Makaia Tafua, second rower Kayliss Fatialofa, middle forward Jason Salalilo and utility Jye Linnane. Vaimauga, with 42 games, is the most experienced and oldest of the six at just 23 while Ieremia-Toeava, Tafua, Fatialofa and Salalilo are all 21 and Linnane 20. Listed in jersey #23 is another 21-year-old in rookie hooker Jaydee Auloa. Completing the named reserves are halfback Luke Metcalf and fullback Charnze Nicoll- Klokstad; Metcalf made his comeback with the New South Wales Cup side against Penrith on May 31 while Nicoll-Klokstad hasn’t played since the 28-20 round seven win over the Gold Coast Titans. The Warriors have won four of their last six matches against the Sharks but suffered a disappointing 22-36 loss when the two teams last met in Sydney in round five. Warriors: Taine Tuaupiki, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Ali Leiataua, Adam Pompey, Alofiana Khan-Pereira, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Te Maire Martin; Tanner Stowers-Smith, Wayde Egan, Jackson Ford, Marata Niukore, Jacob Laban, Erin Clark. Interchange: Makaia Tafua, Eddie Ieremia-Toeava, Demitric Vaimauga, Kayliss Fatialofa, Jason Salalilo. Reserves: Jye Linnane, Luke Metcalf, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Jacob Auloa.

All Blacks Sevens player Kele Lasaqa streaks away for a try against Great Britain at the 2026 HSBC Perth SVNS tournament PHOTO: DANIEL CARSON/ACTION PRESS All Blacks Sevens players Kele Lasaqa and Bradley Tocker have bolstered the New Zealand U20s squad named for the 2026 World Rugby Junior World Championships (JWC) in Georgia. New Zealand Rugby National Pathways Head Coach Kane Jury and his coaching team have named 30 players with a total of eight changes to the squad that played at the Under 20 Rugby Championship in South Africa in April-May. LATEST HEADLINES: Wellington Phoenix new striker Cama steps down from NZ 7s NZ Swim team for Glasgow 26 Paul Coll wins 3rd British Open Liam Lawson 5th Monaco GP Bay of Plenty wing Lasaqa and Taranaki loose forward Tocker come into the squad after spending the year with the All Blacks Sevens. Lasaqa’s selection comes a day after being named 2026 World Sevens Rookie of the Year. Other players to come into the squad include Manawatū hooker Alani Fakava, and Blues wider training group members, hooker Xavier Leota and loose forward Jake Hutchings. Junior Crusaders prop James Moore, Hawke’s Bay midfielder Triumph Voice and former St Thomas of Canterbury College fullback Lautasi Etuale come into the squad after being injured earlier in the year. Jury said it had been a difficult squad to select due to how many players had impressed the coaches since a wider group was identified in November last year. “That’s a real testament to the focus the players have had with their development plans and the work they’ve done on and off the field. There has been genuine competition for places and a number of players have forced their way into the squad through club rugby.” The way the players had turned up physically and mentally was a reflection of NZR’s player pathway working together, he said. “Kele and Bradley coming through the sevens programme is an example of the dual development pathway available to our emerging players. A big part of how players have presented themselves and the competition for places can be attributed to the guidance and support from their Provincial Union programmes.” Jury also noted the impact of a recent tight five camp facilitated by All Blacks Assistant Coach Jason Ryan and involving 20 young forwards. “That was a world class experience for these players and gave them taste of what’s expected of a player aspiring to play at the All Blacks level.” The squad will assemble for the JWC in Auckland on Sunday 14 June ahead before flying out to Georgia where their pool matches will be against Japan, Scotland and Italy. An additional 15 players have been named as non-travelling reserves. The Under 20 JWC 2026 pool match schedule is: Saturday, 27 June: New Zealand v Japan, AIA Arena Kutaisi, kick-off, 11.30pm NZT Friday 3 July: New Zealand v Scotland, AIA Arena Kutaisi, kick-off, 2.00am NZT Tuesday 7 July: New Zealand v Italy, AIA Arena Kutaisi, kick-off, 9.00pm NZT *All matches will be live and exclusive on Sky Sport. The 2026 New Zealand U20 squad for the World Rugby Junior World Championship is: Hookers Alani Fakava, Hurricanes/Manawatū Josh Findlay, Crusaders/Canterbury Xavier Leota, Blues/Auckland Props Alexander Hewitt, Hurricanes/Wellington Dane Johnston, Chiefs/Taranaki James Moore, Crusaders/Canterbury Henry Stuart, Highlanders/Otago Ethan Webber, Highlanders/Otago Locks Max Fale, Crusaders/Canterbury Johnny Falloon Hurricanes/Wellington Jake Frost, Crusaders/Canterbury Loose Forwards Kobe Brownlee, Crusaders/Tasman Micah Fale, Chiefs/Waikato Jake Hutchings, Blues/Auckland Patrick Mauga, Hurricanes/Hawke’s Bay Bradley Tocker, Chiefs/Taranaki Caleb Woodley, Blues/Auckland Halfbacks Jackson Hughan, Highlanders/Southland Boston Krone, Blues/Auckland Charlie Sinton, Chiefs/Bay of Plenty First five-eighth Cohen Norrie, Blues/Auckland Mika Muliaina, Highlanders/Southland Midfielders David Lewai, Chiefs/Waikato Siale Pahulu, Blues/Auckland Triumph Voice, Hurricanes/Hawke’s Bay Haki Wiseman, Chiefs/Taranaki Outside backs Lautasi Etuale, Crusaders/Canterbury Oliver Guerin, Chiefs/Waikato Kele Lasaqa, Chiefs/Bay of Plenty Logan Williams, Crusaders/Canterbury Unavailable due to injury: Finn McLeod, Crusaders/Canterbury Non-travelling reserves: Charlie Wallis (Blues/Auckland); Emori Balenaisa (Chiefs/Taranaki); Luka Makata (Blues/Auckland); Jericho Wharehinga (Hurricanes/Hawke’s Bay); Nate Bodle, (Crusaders/Canterbury); Zac Taulapapa (Hurricanes/Hawke’s Bay); Alex Arnold, (Highlanders, Otago); Logan Platt (Blues, Auckland); Drew Berg-McLean (Hurricanes/Hawke’s Bay); Charlie Sullivan (Crusaders/Canterbury); Jimmy Taylor (Highlanders/Southland); Angus Revell (Blues/Auckland); JD Van der Westhuizen (Blues/North Harbour); Jay Reihana (Highlanders/Southland); Noah Rogers (Chiefs/Taranaki).

Ifeanyi Eze was top-scorer for the Wellington Phoenix last season but is leaving the club PHOTO: LINTOTT PHOTOGRPAHY Top scorer for the Wellington Phoenix in the past season, Ifeanyi Eze is leaving the A-league. The Nigerian striker has decided to pursue options away from the A-League and the Wellington-based side. LATEST HEADLINES: Cama steps down from NZ 7s NZ Swim team for Glasgow 26 Paul Coll wins 3rd British Open Liam Lawson 5th Monaco GP Black Caps lose first England test Head coach Chris Greenacre now has a sizeable job building a side for next season with a number of key players off contract. Twenty-seven-year-old Eze scored 10 goals for the Phoenix and shared the men's player of the year award with captain Alex Rufer. "Eze has left a lasting impact on the Phoenix," Phoenix director of football Shaun Gill said. "And he is a great person who was adored by everyone at the club. "We would have loved to have re-signed Eze and we opened discussions with him and his agent early in the season, but they made it clear they wanted to look outside the A-League. Eze said he enjoyed his time with the club. "I want to say a massive thank you to the coaching staff, my teammates, the Yellow Fever and all the fans for their unwavering support. "The Phoenix will always hold a special place in my heart and will always be a home. The Wellington Phoenix currently have 15 men's players contracted for the 2026-27 A-League season.

Tomasi Cama is stepping aside from the NZ Sevens role PHOTO: NZ RUGBY The All Blacks Sevens need a new head coach, after Tomasi Cama willl step down after the end of the current World Series Sevens campaign. Cama, part of the coaching group for the last six years after enjoying a 10-year playing career with the team between 2005 and 2015, believes the time is right to move on. LATEST HEADLINES: NZ Swim team for Glasgow 26 Paul Coll wins 3rd British Open Liam Lawson 5th Monaco GP Black Caps lose first England test Paul Coll into British Open final "I've had some incredible opportunities through Sevens and feel privileged to have represented the black jersey both as a player and a coach for more than 20 years. "I want to acknowledge everyone who has supported me over the years including coaches like Dave Rennie, Gordon Tietjens, and Clark Laidlaw, who gave me so much of their time and knowledge." Cama's decision coincides with the team being beaten 14-5 by France in Monday morning's final of the championship season-ending tournament in Bordeaux, France, which doubled as Cama's 150th international sevens tournament as a player or coach. The runner-up finish ended up being one of the better performances in what's been a difficult year for the All Black Sevens. While they won in Dubai, they finished outside of the top three in six of the nine tournaments they played in. Cama didn't travel to Vancouver and New York in March due to visa issues, which forced Willie Rickards to assume head coaching duties for the two tournaments. In a statement, New Zealand Rugby said it will be confirming a new All Blacks Sevens coaching in July.

Erika Fairweather is one of the big hopes in the New Zealand swim team for Glasgow 2026 PHOTO: SIMON WATTS/BWMEDIA/LINTOTT PHOTOGRPAHY An 13-strong New Zealand swimming squad has been named for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, headlined by 2024 world champions Erika Fairweather and Lewis Clareburt. The team showcases the depth and growth of talent in New Zealand swimming, with five athletes named for their first Commonwealth Games. LATEST HEADLINES: Paul Coll wins 3rd British Open Liam Lawson 5th Monaco GP Black Caps lose first England test Paul Coll into British Open final Steel too good for Stars netball The athletes were selected off the back of outstanding performances during the qualification window, including at the New Zealand Swimming Championships in Auckland last month where Fairweather broke her own national record in the 200m Freestyle with a time of 1:55.06. It will be a busy Games for Fairweather who has been named across four individual events; the 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m Freestyle, as well as taking on relay duties in both the 4x200m Women's Freestyle and the 4x100m Mixed Freestyle. "Glasgow is going to be an amazing experience and I’m really looking forward to the competition," said Fairweather.  "I’m really excited to have the opportunity to compete for my first Commonwealth Games medal." Caitlin Deans, Milana Tapper and Eve Thomas will join Fairweather in the 4x200m Women's Freestyle Relay, while Chelsey Edwards, Cameron Gray and Carter Swift will contest the 4x100m Mixed Freestyle Relay alongside Fairweather.  Outside of the Relays, Deans and Thomas are named for the 400m and 800m Freestyle events, while Edwards, Tapper, Gray and Swift each line up across combinations of the 200m, 100m and 50m Freestyle and Butterfly. Meanwhile, Medley specialist Clareburt is set to compete in four events after leading a standout swimming campaign at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games where he won gold in the 400m Individual Medley - a Commonwealth record time. He also topped the podium in the 200m Butterfly and won bronze in the 200m Individual Medley. He will contest those events again in Glasgow, adding the 200m Freestyle after smashing the New Zealand record earlier this year. Another Birmingham 2022 champion who’s back in the mix at Glasgow 2026 is Para swimmer Josh Willmer. The 21-year-old won gold in the Men’s 100m Breaststroke SB8 at Birmingham 2022 and will compete up a classification at Glasgow 2026, taking on the SB9, with the SB8 not on the Games programme.  Butterfly specialist Hazel Ouwehand is aiming for her first Commonwealth medal as she contests the 50m and 100m Butterfly. Ouwehand has been in fine form, currently ranked in the top eight in the world across the 50m distance this season. Junior World Champion, Zoe Pedersen, joins Ouwehand in the 50m Butterfly. At just 19-years-old, Pedersen will also contest the 50m and 100m Freestyle. Swimming New Zealand Head Coach – Olympic Pathway, Graham Hill, said the team is building well ahead of their Glasgow 2026 campaign. “The depth in this squad, across relays, individual events and Para swimming gives us real reason for confidence. We're going to be very competitive and every athlete on this team is capable of outstanding performances,” said Hill. “The Commonwealth Games is a pinnacle campaign for us and crucially, it also gives us a great opportunity to compete and test ourselves at an elite event just two years out from the Olympic Games.” NZ Team – Swimming | Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games Erika Fairweather: Women's 200m, 400m, 800m & 1500m Freestyle; 4x200m Women's Freestyle Relay; 4x100m Mixed Freestyle Relay  Lewis Clareburt: Men's 200m & 400m Individual Medley Hazel Ouwehand: Women's 50m Zoe Pedersen: Women's 50m Butterfly Caitlin Deans: 4x200m Women's Freestyle Relay Milana Tapper: 4x200m Women's Freestyle Relay Eve Thomas: 4x200m Women's Freestyle Relay Chelsey Edwards: 4x100m Mixed Freestyle Relay Cameron Gray: 4x100m Mixed Freestyle Relay Carter Swift: 4x100m Mixed Freestyle Relay Josh Willmer: Men's 100m Breaststroke SB9 Amber George: Women’s 50m Backstroke Savannah-Eve Martin: Women’s 50m Backstroke The following athletes have also been successfully granted permission to start in the following events at the Games: Lewis Clareburt: Men’s 200m Butterfly & 200m Freestyle Hazel Ouwehand: Women’s 100m Butterfly Chelsey Edwards: Women’s 50m Freestyle & 100m Freestyle Cameron Gray: Men’s 100m Freestyle & 50m Butterfly Carter Swift: Men’s 100m Freestyle Zoe Pedersen: Women’s 50m Freestyle & 100m Freestyle Caitlin Deans: Women’s 400m Freestyle & 800m Freestyle Milana Tapper: Women’s 50m Freestyle & 200m Freestyle Eve Thomas: Women’s 400m Freestyle & 800m Freestyle Amber George: Women’s 100m Backstroke Savannah-Eve Martin: Women’s 100m Backstroke

Kiwi Paul Coll presented with the trophy for winning the British Open PHOTO: PSA SQUASH TOUR New Zealnad squash star Paul Coll has taken advantage of the health and fitness of an ailing opponent to win the 2026 British Open title. It's the third British Open title for Coll after success in 2021 and 2022. LATEST HEADLINES: Liam Lawson 5th Monaco GP Black Caps lose first England test Paul Coll into British Open final Steel too good for Stars netball Lawson 10th on grid at Monaco Coll, 34 beat current world champion and world number one Mostafa Asal in the final after the Egyptian failed to finish the match, retiring at the start of the fourth game. It was a tough start for Coll after he dropped to the first game 9-11. But the World No 2 Coll fought back to comfortably take the next two games 11-3, 11-6, before Asal retires following an epic and gruelling semifinal victory the previous day over Diego Elias. Asal was on court for a marathon 115 minutes, before finally prevailing against Peru's Diego Elias. "Mostafa [Asal] had a brutal one yesterday, but I still had to get him today, make him hurt, pick up as much as possible and I'm very happy with that performance," said Coll. "I put in a lot of work since the world champs to flip the script, very happy with my mentality and squash this week. "The confidence was always there - it was just about execution." He's now won 33 titles on the PSA Squash Tour. In the women's final Egyptian Amina Orfi created more history, becoming the youngest women's champion at just 18. The next tournament on the PSA Squash Tour is the final stop of the season, the PSA Squash Tour Finals, in Paris, starting on 17 June.

Racing Bulls team mates Liam Lawson (left) and Arvid Lindblad finished fifth and sixht at the Monaco Grand Prix PHOTO: VISA CASH APP RACING BULLS New Zealand driver Liam Lawson has survived a chaotic Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix to finish fifth, his equal best results as imi Antonelli won his fifth successive race. The race featured two safety cars and a red flag and plenty of tension as drivers crashed, suffered mechanical issues and penalties. LATEST HEADLINES: Black Caps lose first England test Paul Coll into British Open final Steel too good for Stars netball Lawson 10th on grid at Monaco All Whites beaten by England Lawson started 10th on the frid to finish fifth with Racing Bulls team-mate Arvid Lindblad sixth after starting 15th on the grid. Lawson and Lindblad were lucky to get to the grid as the Racing Bulls team were still working on both cars in the pit lane just before the start. Both drivers made their way through the field as the chaos went on around them with seven drivers failing to finish while others are still under investigation for a variety of infringements. However he admitted he had doubts about his race today. "I didn't think I was going to race, I turned up to the garage and we had issues and I saw the car in pieces and so to put it together and just go and have a car that was very competitive was great. "For us it's a good result, it feels really good especially where we started the weekend and obviously where we started the race as well," said Lawson.. Merecedes driver Antonelli, 19 had a solid lead but it disappeared following a crash and subsequent red flag that took out Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton was second for the second successive Grand Prix with Red Bull's Isack Hadjar provisionally third, although he was one of a number of drivers under investigation for a variety of infringements. Max Verstappen, who started second on the grid, stalled at the start and retired after one lap. McLaren driver Lando Norris also retired with mechanical issues. The Barcelona - Catalunya Grand Prix is next 12-14 June.

Black Caps captain Tom Latham talks after the first test loss to England PHOTO: ICC New Zealand have lost the first test at Lords against England by 115 runs on the fourth day after being dismissed for 138 runs. The loss came after Devon Conway and Glenn Phillips tried to starve off the England attack but eventually fell short through the lack of batting support across the Black Caps lineup. LATEST HEADLINES: Paul Coll into British Open final Steel too good for Stars netball Lawson 10th on grid at Monaco All Whites beaten by England Chiefs beat Reds Super Rugby Starting the days at 55-5 Devon Conway saw Tom Blundell out for four. He was then joined by Phillips and together the pasir showed a more attacking stance. Conway moved from 18 overnight to grand his to 41 runs as he was dimssed at 111. Phillips top-scored with 44 not out from 52 balls including seven fours and one six. Nathan Smith went for four, Kyle Jamieson for six and Matt Henry for no score to give England the win. Gus Atkinson too 5-30 from his 11.3 overs on the inconsistent pitch. The second test starts Wednesday 17 June at the Oval

Paul Coll hasn't dropped a game on the way to the British Open final PHOTO: PSA SQUASH TOUR New Zealand’s Paul Coll is into to the British Open final following a dominant 3-0 victory against unseeded Egyptian Yahya Elnawasany. Coll, who won the British Open in 2021 and 2022 controlled the contest at Birmingham's Rep Theatre. LATEST HEADLINES: Steel too good for Stars netball Lawson 10th on grid at Monaco All Whites beaten by England Chiefs beat Reds Super Rugby Magic beat Pulse in Premiership The World Nom 2, from Greymouth is yet to drop a game at this year’s event won the opener 11-7 within 17 minutes. In the second game, he was even more dominant as his momentum carried forward, winning 11-4. It was more of the same in the third, as he hit a series of winners to outclass Elnawasany 11-3 and take the match in 41 minutes. After the match, Coll felt he was in form. “He [Yahya Elnawasany] has been fantastic, and his match against Gawad was impressive, his maturity and toughness to get through that is amazing. But I just wanted to make it feel impossible to get a point tonight. “It’s a tournament you always target, and for myself, and my coach, he always says it’s his favourite tournament, so I want to do it for him and put on a good show. We get to the final tomorrow, and we have our game plan sorted, and we are ready.” Coll will meet World No.1 Mostafa Asal in the final (overnight NZT) after the Egyptian got the better of Diego Elias 3-2 in a 115 minute battle in his semi-final. Asal has a 16-7 winning record over Coll having won the past three consecutive matches.

Aliyah Dunn shoots for the Steel in their clash with the Stars PHOTO: MICHAEL BRADLEY The Southern Steel are back to second on the points table after posting an accomplished 71-59 win over Stars Netball in Auckland on Sunday. Still chasing top spot with one round to play, the Steel came back from a slow start to deliver a forceful outing at the business end of the season while consigning the Stars to a fifth consecutive loss. LATEST HEADLINES: Lawson 10th on grid at Monaco All Whites beaten by England Chiefs beat Reds Super Rugby Magic beat Pulse in Premiership Black Caps struggle continues With the Finals Series in mind, the Steel were able to get all of their 11 players on court with seamless efficiency. Trailing early, the well-drilled visitors raised the bar from the start of the second quarter and didn’t look back on their way to producing the highest score of this year’s competition. Aliyah Dunn, the league’s most accurate shooter, was at her imperious best with a standout 54 shots from 55. Her opposite Amelia Wlamsley was equally efficient with 46 from 50 but the Stars, in a regular trend of the season, could not sustain their strong start, With both sides missing their influential Silver Ferns midcourters and captains, the experienced and versatile Samon Nathan took over the centre bib from the injured Mila Reuelu-Buchanan. With Kimiora Poi ruled out for the rest of the domestic season, the Steel opted for her sister Ashleigh Poi to slip into centre while interim replacement player, Queensland’s Jessie Laga’aia, who filled the midcourt role admirably last week, started from the bench. The Stars got off to a flyer, led by Nathan in the midcourt, the home side were quick and accurate on attack with perfect ball finding its way into the hands of lofty shooter Walmsley. Moving to a five-goal advantage, the Stars took a measure of control, helped by feeding off errors from a jittery Steel attack. However defenders Khanye-Lii Munro-Nonoa and Carys Stythe did their bit to gain turnovers and the visitors worked their way back into the game. Narrowing the margin, it was still the Stars, who held on to a 16-13 lead at the first break. Never afraid to come from behind, the Steel did just that during a decisive second spell. The entertaining, fast-flowing nature of the contest continued with long well-executed passes through court being a feature. But increasingly, it was the Steel who gained the stronger foothold. Chipping away at the deficit, the Steel levelled and then hit the lead for the first time six minutes in with in-form shooter Dunn showing her smarts with her poise, positioning and accuracy. Both sides swapped their centres with youngster Teuila Sotutu coming on for Nathan and Laga’aia for Poi, and that proved a turning point. The fluent Laga’aia came on seamlessly as the Steel clicked up a gear on attack while the Stars became increasingly rattled. Pushing on and with Georgia Heffernan nailing a two-point shot, the Steel turned the tables in the best possible fashion to take a 34-29 lead into half-time. Neither side took a backward step in a high quality and high-scoring third stanza. With new personnel featuring across both teams, the sides levelled-pegged on the scoring sheet with key targets Walmsley and Dunn a strong presence under their respective hoops. Claire O’Brien, for the Stars, and the Steel’s Laga’aia were pivotal in the midcourt with their accurate feeds and controlling of the respective attack lines, the accuracy from both sides preventing either team from getting the jump. In control of the arm-wrestle, a Dunn two-pointer on the buzzer ensured the southerners kept their noses in front when leading 52-46 at the last turn.

Racing Bulls Liam Lawson has qualified 10th at the Monaco Grand Prix PHOTO: VISA CASH APP RB New Zealand driver Liam Lawson will start from 10th on the grid for Racing Bulls at Formula 1’s Monaco Grand Prix. After finishing 19th and 16th in practice one and two and clipping walls he did what he needed to put himself in a position for points in the notoriously difficult to overtake course. LATEST HEADLINES: All Whites beaten by England Chiefs beat Reds Super Rugby Magic beat Pulse in Premiership Black Caps struggle continues Crusaders too strong for Blues The Kiwi had struggled on the first day of the weekend, including hitting the wall twice at turn 16, but was able to perform when it mattered most. “I tried really hard today,” said Lawson after qualifying. “I hit the wall quite a few times, I tried to get everything out of it. But after yesterday, it’s a good result." Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, the 19-year-old Italian heads the grid just ahead of Max Verstappen of Red Bull by just 0.043 with Lewis Hamilton third.

NZ All Whites coach Darren Bazeley after the 1-0 loss to England in the FIFA World Cup warm-up PHOTO: VIDEO SCAN A solitary Harry Kane header was the difference as England beat the New Zealand 1-0 in Tampa, Florida. The friendly was New Zealand’s final warm-up before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. LATEST HEADLINES: Chiefs beat Reds Super Rugby Magic beat Pulse in Premiership Black Caps struggle continues Crusaders too strong for Blues Mystics defeat Tactix extra time The historic match was just the third time the All Whites had faced England, with more than 30 years passing since they last faced off in international football. The world’s fourth ranked nation imposed themselves on the match right from kick off but found it tough getting past a well organised New Zealand defence. The All Whites showed improvements from the loss to Haiti earlier in the week, hurrying England while in possession, with the Kiwi players looking to pounce on the counter via Chris Wood. New Zealand’s tactics proved to threaten the England defence as they scrambled to smother Sarpreet Singh in the 10th minute as the All Whites number 10 shot wide of Jordan Pickford’s goal. Soon after Pickford would be forced into action as Matt Garbett produced a stinging shot in the 27th minute from edge of the area. At the other end, Max Crocombe intervened on multiple occasions to deny England, including a reactionary save to deny a Harry Kane header. But the All Whites would be unable to hold on until halftime break as the English and Tampa heat began to bear down on them. Harry Kane eventually found a way past Crocombe, heading on a Djed Spence cross to give England the lead seconds before the halftime whistle. England made 11 changes at halftime, All Whites just one with Alex Rufer coming on for Joe Bell in midfield. The Lions continued the second half the way the ended the first, dominating possession and camping up around the All Whites box nearly doubling through substitute defender Dan Burn whose header bounced off the post. All Whites coach Darren Bazeley had mixed emotions after the game seeing improvement, but also ruing the goal against his side. “We competed pretty well defensively. We looked more solid, more compact than our previous game. England are obviously a very good team and had some good possession, but didn't overly hurt us at times. We had some moments in possession where we got into some pretty good areas – in the first half on the counter – and it was just obviously disappointing, conceding the goal," Bazeley made the most of the pause in play to make three changes and bring on Ben Old, Jesse Randall and Tyler Bindon. The substitutes did freshen the All Whites, with their best minutes coming in the final stretch of the match however they couldn’t formulate any guilt edged opportunities. The match finished 1-0 to England with the All Whites now looking to their opening Group G match against IR Iran on 16 June in Los Angeles. Fulltime All Whites 0 England 1 (Harry Kane, 45'+3')