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Australian Travis Smyth is one of three Asian Tour golfers added to the Japan-Australasia Championship field. PHOTO: PGA TOUR AUSTRALASIA Three of the Asian Tour’s most-accomplished competitors – John Catlin, Travis Smyth and Chase Koepka – will compete in the inaugural Japan-Australasia Championship at Royal Auckland & Grange Golf Club this week. The historic event is the first to be co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australasia and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation, bringing elite international professional golf back to New Zealand’s largest city for the first time in more than two decades. LATEST HEADLINES: Plimmer out of White Ferns, James in All Whites San Diego FIFA World Cup Lulu Sun wins in Indian Wells qualiying Football Ferns easily beat Solomons   McLaughlin second at Indycar opener American Catlin has emerged as one of the leading players on the Asian Tour, including winning the Order of Merit and Player of the Year honours in 2024. His standout victories in a 14-win professional career include the Irish Open, Andalucia Open, International Series Macau and the Saudi Open, where he famously carded the first-ever 59 in Asian Tour history. Australia’s Smyth is a two-time professional winner, claiming the NT PGA on the PGA Tour of Australasia and Yeangder TPC on the Asian Tour. He finished last year ranked 19th on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, with six top-10s. “I’m super excited to get to Auckland for the return of professional golf,” Smyth said. “I’ve heard the golf course is immaculate and I’ve never been to Auckland before so I’m pumped.” Koepka finished equal fifth in the NZ PGA Championship at Paraparaumu Beach last month and had two top-10s on the Asian Tour in 2025. “We are thrilled to welcome John, Chase and Travis to the first Japan-Australasia Championship,” said Nick Dastey, general manager of tournaments and global tour relationships for the PGA Tour of Australasia. “Their inclusion adds significant weight to the field for the Tour’s return to Auckland.” The Japan-Australasia Championship completes a landmark three-week professional golf swing in New Zealand that began with the NZ PGA and continued last week with the New Zealand Open.

Georgia Plimmer (lweft) seen here for the Wellington Blaze is out of the White Ferns ODI series clash with Zimbabwe PHOTO: LINTOTT PHOTOGRAPHY White Ferns top-order batter Georgia Plimmer has been ruled out of the ODI series against Zimbabwe with a shoulder injury. Plimmer sustained the injury in training during the recent T20I series against Zimbabwe. LATEST HEADLINES: All Whites San Diego FIFA World Cup Lulu Sun qualiying win Indian Wells Football Ferns easily beat Solomons   McLaughlin 2nd at Indycar opener Tall Blacks easily put away Guam Otago Sparks batter Bella James, who was called in as injury cover for Plimmer before the third T20I last Sunday, will remain with the squad as Plimmer’s replacement for the ODI series. New Zealand Head Coach Ben Sawyer said he was saddened for Plimmer. “Georgia is a key player for us at the top of the order and the energy she brings into the group is something we really value, so it’s a shame to have her miss this next series.” Sawyer believes James is a natural fit to come into the side. “Bella is a great cricketer who’s played nearly 100 List-A matches in her career so far. That experience is extremely valuable, and she’ll fit straight back into the side seamlessly.” TheODI series between the White Ferns and Zimbabwe starts on Thursday 5 March at University Oval, Dunedin. The match is scheduled to start at 11am. New Zealand ODI Squad v Zimbabwe Melie Kerr – (c) Wellington Blaze Izzy Gaze – Auckland Hearts Maddy Green – Auckland Hearts Brooke Halliday – Auckland Hearts Bree Illing – Auckland Hearts Polly Inglis – Otago Sparks Bella James – Otago Sparks Jess Kerr – Wellington Blaze Emma McLeod – Central Hinds Rosemary Mair – Central Hinds Nensi Patel* Northern Brave Molly Penfold Auckland Hearts Izzy Sharp* Canterbury Magicians *Denotes potential ODI debut

Torero Stadium in San Diego will be the base for the NZ All Whites during the FIFA World Cup. PHOTO: USD TOREROS The All Whites have confirmed they will be based in southern California for the FIFA World Cup 2026 with San Diego as their official Team Base Camp. New Zealand Football have chosen the University of San Diego’s Torero Stadium as their training ground as well as a team hotel close by. LATEST HEADLINES: Lulu Sun qualiying win Indian Wells Football Ferns easily beat Solomons   McLaughlin 2nd at Indycar opener Tall Blacks easily put away Guam All Blacks halfback Ratima with NZR Torero Stadium is an outdoor stadium located on the campus of the University of San Diego (USD). Opened in 1961. It has a capacity of 6,000 and is home venue for MLS games as well as well as San Diego Breakers rugby. The New Zealand team will be based in one city and then travel to the match location either one or two days before games. Ahead of the All Whites opening match against Iran on 16 June NZT in Los Angeles, the team will travel two hours by road. Vancouver, Canada, the location for the team’s second and third Group G games against Egypt on 22 June NZT and Belgium on 27 June NZT, is a three-hour flight away. All Whites head coach Darren Bazeley said a home base is an important part of their World Cup campaign. “Selecting our base camp is a really important part of our preparation for the tournament so we can make sure the team is in the best place possible on and off the pitch. “San Diego offers a great combination of the criteria we were looking for, from a really high-quality training pitch at Torero Stadium, to an ideal hotel for the team. “We look forward to working with the city over the next few months to really get to know the place and hope to have all 1.4 million San Diegans taking us on as their second team.” The All Whites confirmed last month they will warm up for the FIFA World Cup 2026 with an international friendly against England in South Florida on 7 June NZT. A second warm-up fixture is currently being explored. Prior to departing for the FIFA World Cup 2026 the All Whites will play two home games in March in New Zealand as part of the FIFA Series 2026 including facing Finland, the first men’s UEFA side to play in Aotearoa New Zealand in over 30 years, followed by Chile on Monday 30 March. Both games will be played at Eden Park .

Lulu Sun has won her first round match at India Wells qualifiying. PHOTO: NZSW New Zealand's Lulu Sun has had a rare victory in 2026, winning her first round qualifying match at Indian Wells. Sun, ranked 100th, beat Australian Maddison Inglis 7-5 6-3 in one hour 27 minutes to advance to the second round, where she will play Frenchwoman Diane Parry, who is currently No 111. LATEST HEADLINES: Football Ferns easily beat Solomons McLaughlin 2nd at Indycar opener Tall Blacks easily put away Guam All Blacks halfback Ratima with NZR Wgtn Phoenix lose to Sydney FC If Sun, 24, beats Parry she will gain a place in the women's singles main draw of the prestigious tournament. Anton Shepp (left) and Isaac Becroft in . PHOTO: MONASTIR ITF FUTURES Meanwhile, the Kiwi doubles pair of Anton Shepp and Isaac Becroft won the doubles title M15 at Monastir, Tunisia. Becroft and Shepp defeated Ireland's Conor Gannon and South African Thando Longwe-Smit 6-7(3) 6-4, 10-7 for the title.

Smile when your winning - Football Ferns beat the Solomon Islands PHOTO: PHOTOTEK New Zealand will join American Samoa in the semi-finals of the FIFA Women's World Cup 2027™ Oceania Qualifiers on home soil next month, as they proved too strong for Solomon Islands at the National Stadium in Honiara. The Kiwis knew a win would cement their place in the final four and got the perfect start, with Milly Clegg and Indiah-Paige Riley both scoring inside the first ten minutes, as Solomon Islands struggled to contain their opponents. LATEST HEADLINES: McLaughlin 2nd at Indycar opener Tall Blacks easily put away Guam All Blacks halfback Ratima with NZR Wgtn Phoenix lose to Sydney FC Daniel Hillier NZ Open champion Hannah Blake added a third just after the half hour mark, but the home side were able to stem the flow and it remained 3-0 going into half-time. It wouldn't be until after an hour of play that New Zealand added to their tally. Grace Jale scoring from range before an excellent Blake volley made it 5-0. Blake duly completed her hat-trick on 73 minutes, rounding the keeper and tucking into an empty net, with Pia Vlok getting the seventh moments later as Solomon Islands wilted. Milly Clegg, who had began the scoring early, grabbed her second in the final ten minutes. New Zealand: 8 (Milly CLEGG 2' 81', Indiah-Paige RILEY 8', Hannah BLAKE 16', 65', 73', Grace JALE 61', Pia VLOK 75') Solomon Islands: 0 HT: 3-0

The Tall Blacks have beaten Guam, 99-67, at UOG Calvo Fieldhouse in Guam, to go two-from-two in their second window of the 2027 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers. Reuben Te Rangi started the game scoring the Tall Blacks first five points , before Jack Andrew added on four of his own and then the defense did its job as Guam struggled to put points on the board early in the game. LATEST HEADLINES: All Blacks halfback Ratima with NZR Wgtn Phoenix lose to Sydney FC Daniel Hillier NZ Open champion White Ferns thrash Zimbabwe again Cameron confirmed out for season Keanu Rasmussen entered the game, knocking down a corner three ball to score his first points as a Tall Black, en route to opening up a double-digit lead in quarter one. The home side stayed the course, with BJ Freeman and Takumi Simon clawing Guam back to within five points of the lead. Andrew opened up the second quarter with a triple, an efficent start for the Twizel native, 9 points on 4/4 from the field. New Zealand’s defensive intensity continued to cause troubles for the Guam players, as the Tall Blacks continued to make baskets with regularity – opening up a 20-point lead halfway through the second quarter. Jack Andrew had one of his best game in the Tall Blacks singlet in the win over Guam PHOTO: FIBA Guam guard, Takumi Simon, was doing everything he could to keep his side in the hunt, finishing the first half with 13 points, but the Tall Blacks took a 51-34 lead into half time. After the break Andrew took his tally to 16 points with another putback half-way through the third quarter and the lead stretched to 19 points. It was more of the same in the fourth quarter, as the Kiwi’s continued to tack on points and further their lead. A pair of Jonathan Galloway shots kept the Guam crowd interested – while a pair of Jackson Ball free throws ensured every single Tall Black got on the points tally in a comfortable 99-67 victory. Andrew’s 20 point, 9 rebound night a big standout, as was Taylor Britt’s 9 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assist near triple-double performance. Another standout performance in just his second Tall Black game, was Rasmussen’s 14 points. Coach Judd Flavell very happy with the team’s performance, and were fully aware of the danger that this Guam team brought after their close loss to Australia, 80-93. “We watched the Australian game the other day, so we came in with full respect for this Guam team.” “For us it was all about our defensive mindset, two guys in particular, Simon and Freeman. We really obviously concentrated on those two in particular and tried to keep them quiet. For the most part I thought we did a pretty good job. Simon got going in the second half but for the most part, really happy with our team’s performance on the defensive end.” Flavell also very happy with the way the team’s new additions for this game against Guam, gelled well and contributed tonight. “Jack Andrew, Sam Timmins, Kruz Perrott-Hunt and Jackson Ball – they just arrived the other day. I said to them, you’re gonna make mistakes, we’re going to be somewhat rusty here and there on the offensive end.” “But they came straight in and added to our side. For us, that’s our identity.” “This group of guys, the coaching staff, even the help staff behind the scenes have made it really easy for us guys that have to come in. It’s a really good group of guys, good leadership – and yeah, for me, honestly it was quite an easy transition. It shouldn’t be like that, but just a group of guys that made it that easy.” Andrew's 20 points and 9 rebounds (including six offensive) a testament to that transition into the team. “That’s how I see my strengths – just cleaning up on the O Boards, put back dunks that get the team going. For me tonight, that was really fun.” “I knew that the way they were playing us, their bigs stepping up and switching – that there was going to be some opportunities for me to get some offensive rebounds and some dump offs. So I just sort of stuck to the game plan and trusted everything really.” Their win over Guam concludes the second window of the 2027 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers for the Tall Blacks. The team now waits till July for the third and final window, where they will face the Philippines and Guam in Auckland. New Zealand Tall Blacks 99 (Andrew 20, Te Rangi 15, Rasmussen 14) Guam 67 (Galloway 20, Simon 19)

Scott McLaughling started on pole but finished second in the opening Indycar race of the seaosn PHOTO: INDYCAR New Zealand driver Scott McLaughlin has opened his Indycar season with a podium finish behind Spain's Alex Palou. Four-time defending champion Palou took the victory by 12.49 seconds on the St Petersburg street circuit. Christian Lundgaard finished third. LATEST HEADLINES: Tall Blacks easily put away Guam All Blacks halfback Ratima with NZR Wgtn Phoenix lose to Sydney FC Daniel Hillier NZ Open champion White Ferns thrash Zimbabwe again Palou was leading on 59 of 100 laps. With six laps to go McLaughlin was involved in a battle for second with Lundgaard. McLaughlin started the race on pole was more than pleased with the "good start" for the season, but conceded he'd hoped for more after qualifying at the front of the grid. “I think we've had a really good run (going) back to the end of last season,” said McLaughlin “I thought we found our mojo a little bit and then this weekend, as well. “I knew this was going to be a strong track (for us), so I had to make the most of it. The podium finish was McLaughlin’s first on a street circuit since the 2023 race in Nashville. He finished second that day after starting on the pole. This weekend’s pole gave him 12 as he begins his sixth season as a series full-time driver. Sir Scott Dixon had a weekend to forget, crashing out in the opening practice when he hit the wall. In the main race he lost a tyre on lap 40 and took no further part in the race. The third New Zealander in the rac, Marcus Armstrong was 11th after starting seventh on the grid.

Cortez Ratima is staying with New Zealnad Rugby to the end of 2028 PHOTO: DJ MILLS/LINTOTT PHOTOGRAPHY All Blacks halfback Cortez Ratima has signed to stay with New Zealand Rugby and the Chiefs to the end of 2028. The 24-year-old said it was an easy decision, especially after the recent birth of his second son. LATEST HEADLINES: Wgtn Phoenix lose to Sydney FC Daniel Hillier NZ Open champion White Ferns thrash Zimbabwe again Cameron confirmed out for season Alice Robinson second in Super G "I have a new baby at home and being in one place and having a stable home life is good for our family," said Ratima. "I love this club and how they have supported me and my family. I'm loving what [Chiefs coach] Jono [Gibbes] and the other coaches are doing and there's no place I'd rather be." Ratima has 38 games to his credit for Waikato and 60 for the Chiefs since his Super Rugby debut against the Crusaders in 2022. He has played 21 tests since making his All Blacks debut against England in 2024. Ratima said with the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia getting closer, competing for a place in the All Blacks was a huge motivator. Gibbes was happy Ratima was staying with the side. "It's great to have a player of Cortez' ability stick with us. It shows his faith in what we are doing and where we are heading, which is terrific. It's also a reflection on the culture we have here at the club. "Cortez is a talented young man and it is exciting to know he and his whānau will be a part of the Chiefs for another three years, at least."

The Wellington Phoenix had a hard fought loss to Sydney FC in the A-League PHOTO: LINTOTT PHOTOGRAPHY The Phoenix have been beaten 1-0 by Sydney FC in Wellington after the referee overturned his decision to award the Nix a first half penalty following intervention from the VAR. It was a disappointing start for Chris Greenacre in charge of the team again as the visitors scored early in the second half and had their ‘keeper Harrison Devenish-Meares to thank for securing all three points. LATEST HEADLINES: Daniel Hillier NZ Open champion White Ferns thrash Zimbabwe again Cameron confirmed out for season Alice Robinson second in Super G Crusaders over Chiefs, Canes lose “To be honest, I haven’t seen it so I actually can’t comment on it,” Greenacre said when asked post-match about the referee’s decision to overturn the penalty. “I let the staff argue the toss with that one. I’m hearing that potentially it could have been, but I’ll have to see it again to make an informed decision.” Greenacre made just one enforced change to the XI which started last week’s derby defeat with Corban Piper replacing suspended striker Ifeanyi Eze up front. “As an athlete you know where your levels are, and we had a lot of people within the squad that needed to put things right. “I think it was important to give them that chance to do that. “Overall, I think they did. I think they left everything on the pitch, and it’s a good platform to build on going forward.” Greenacre also stuck with Josh Oluwayemi in goal despite the ‘keeper having a derby to forget. “I thought he was excellent. Up until yesterday I wasn’t sure who would start because all the ‘keepers have been terrific. “Full credit for Eamonn [McCarron] and Alby [Kelly-Heald] they’ve really pushed Josh this week. “[And] for him to show his resilience after, I’ve not read social media this week but, I can imagine what’s been going around. “To bounce back like that I think it shows someone with a lot of steel and a lot of character.” The Phoenix settled the quicker of the two sides and most of the first quarter of an hour was spent inside Sydney’s half. However, all the Nix had to show for their ascendency was a fifth minute cross-come-shot from Carlo Armiento which fizzed over the goal from a tight angle and a long-range effort from Manjrekar James in the 14th minute which also sailed over the bar. James produced a crucial touch a handful of minutes later when Sydney fullback Ben Garuccio cut into the box and unleashed their first shot of the contest. Moments later Piper had Wellington’s best chance of the half. He got on the end of a defence-splitting pass from Ramy Najjarine but wasn’t able to beat Harrison Devenish-Meares in the Sky Blues’ goal. The Phoenix continued to look the more threatening side and Kazuki Nagasawa was awarded a penalty shortly after the half hour mark when he was brought down in the box by Sydney captain Rhyan Grant. The Video Assistant Referee advised referee Tim Danaskos to review his decision and after watching multiple replays he decided Nagasawa wasn’t fouled by Grant and retracted the penalty. After a quiet spell Piper had another opportunity two minutes out from halftime following some tidy interplay between himself, Nagasawa and Armiento. Unfortunately for the Nix he couldn’t hook his shot on target, and it remained scoreless at the interval. Sydney had their best passage at the start of the second half. Oluwayemi made his first save of the match in the 48th minute, pushing a header from Joe Lolley around his right post. The Sky Blues took the lead soon after the resulting corner with Alexandar Popovic tapping home from a couple yards out. Oluwayemi made another good save a couple of minutes later, this time to keep out a powerful shot from Garuccio at his near post. Wellington came close to equalising in the 56th minute when Piper headed a right wing corner narrowly wide of the right hand post. Shortly after the hour mark Bill Tuiloma tried the spectacular from the left edge of the Sydney penalty area but saw his volley rise over the bar. Greenacre made his first substitution soon after, bringing on Luke Brooke-Smith in place of Nagasawa. The match was stop-start for the next 10 minutes and there wasn’t any goalmouth action until Piper headed a Tuiloma long throw towards goal and it was comfortably held by the towering Devenish-Meares. Piper was substituted soon after, with he and James making way for Nikola Mileusnic and Lukas Kelly-Heald. Kelly-Heald made an almost immediate impact, heading a Matt Sheridan cross goalward only to be denied by a fantastic fingertip save from Devenish-Meares. The Phoenix continued to push for an equaliser but weren’t able to threaten the Sky Blues’ goal again for the remainder of the 90 and seven minutes of stoppage time as Sydney held on to claim all three points. The Wellington Phoenix will have little time to dwell on the defeat as they’re back in action against Adelaide United at Coopers Stadium on Friday night.

Daniel Hillier celebrtes at the New Zealand Golf Open at Millbrook PHOTO: PHOTOSPORT/NZ OPEN Daniel Hillier held off a late surge from Australian Lucas Herbert to hold his overnight lead and to win the 105th New Zealand Open by two shots. The world No 100th ranked player overcame strong winds and cold conditions to post a final round 67 for a 22-under four-round total of 262 at the par-72 Millbrook Resort. LATEST HEADLINES: White Ferns thrash Zimbabwe again Cameron confirmed out for season Alice Robinson second in Super G Crusaders over Chiefs, Canes lose Blues let win slip away vs Brumbies Herbert finished two shots back after a 67, to be 20 under at 264. The winner of the NZ Open receives automatic entry to The Open Championship but as Hillier already has qualified that prize passes to Herbert who will now play at Royal Birkdale from July 16. Hillier, 27 who was married earlier this week, led by one shot at 18 under into the final day. He then had his lead cut to one shot at the 10th hole as he made a bogey and Herbet birdied. However Hillier, a DP World Tour player made birdies at the 11th and 12th holes to retake his lead. On the final hole Herbert had a chance to chip in on the par-three to put pressure on the Kiwi but his shot from off the green slid past the hole. Hillier was able to make par and take the title. He became the first New Zealander since Michael Hendry in 2017 to win the tournament. New Zealander Kerry Mountcastle was tied third at 17-under alongside Japan's Tomoya Ikemura. The next best local player was Hendry tied in 10th at 12-under.

White Ferns captain Amelia Kerr after an easy series win over Zimbabwe PHOTO: TVNZ SCREENSHOT New Zealand have completed a clean sweep of their T20 series against Zimbabwe, winning the third match by 10 wickets in Hamilton. The White Ferns easily chased down the target in just 5.4 overs at Seddon Park, after earlier holding the visitors to 64-9 in their 20 overs. LATEST HEADLINES: Cameron confirmed out for season Alice Robinson second in Super G Crusaders over Chiefs, Canes lose Blues let win slip away vs Brumbies Daniel Hillier leads NZ Golf Open There were four ducks in the top order for Zimbabwe before Adel Zimunu made 20 and Audrey Mazvishaya 20 not out Spin bowler Nensi Patel was outstanding, taking 3-8 in a four-over spell. Whilte Ferns medium pace bowler Jess Kerr took 2-6 from three overs. Amelia Kerr and Maddy Green had one wicket each. There were two run outs - one to Amelia Kerr and the other to Izzy Sharp. The 'Izzy's' Gaze and Sharp opened for the White Ferns with 38 and 18 runs to wrap up the victory with an unbeaten partnership. New Zealand cruised to victory in the series opener by 92 runs and dominated the second match for a 110-run win.

Brett Cameron is carried from the field in the Super Rugby game against Moana Pasifika PHOTO: LINTOTT PHOTOGRAPHY One-test All Black and Hurricanes first five Brett Cameron is out for the remainder of the Super Rugby Pacific season. The 29-year-old is due to undergo surgery after sustaining a significant knee injury during last week’s match against Moana Pasifika. LATEST HEADLINES: Alice Robinson second in Super G Crusaders over Chiefs, Canes lose Blues let win slip away vs Brumbies Daniel Hillier leads NZ Golf Open Auckland FC defeat Melbourne City “It’s obviously hugely disappointing to lose one of our best players in game one, especially given it comes after an ACL injury on his other knee,” said Hurricanes head coach Clark Laidlaw. “We’re here to support and help him through it, initially with the surgery and then with the rehab. “We know it’s a tough road ahead, but we also know that he’s up for it and we’re up for it to support and rehab him so he can get back to playing as soon as possible. “As tough as it is, we have amazing medics, a great facility, and we know how to rehab players really well, so we’ll get on with that once the surgery has been done.” The Hurricanes have one win and one loss in their season so far.