The Wellington City Council community-led environmental programme Kids Enhancing Tawa Ecosystems (KETE) has been empowering young people to take action for nature 17,000 plants have been planted and maintained in Takapū Valley and many students are leading their own sustainability projects across the suburb Meet the coordinator behind it all and check out what has been done through KETE Programme Coodinator Sue Lum has been driving KETE since it began and says it has come a long way since its early days.   “It’s exciting to see the increasing level of engagement between schools and community the KETE programme has experienced significant growth expanding both in reach and impact within the community For the Student Leadership Team in the first year we started with four students from each school selected by teachers; last year 56 rangatahi applied for 48 positions in the team.” Every school is actively engaged with the programme as witnessed by the variety of ‘backyard’ projects growing Enviro-groups (which sit outside the KETE Student Leaders Team) and improved habitats within schools.  Sue comes to work each day driven by her passion for creating positive change within the local community She is deeply motivated by the opportunity to empower rangatahi and support the growth and development of those involved in the programme Having a connection to and working alongside mana whenua in caring for te taiao and supporting their aspirations for Te Kenepuru and Te Awarua o Porirua are fundamental to KETE’s kaupapa from Sue’s perspective.  over 17,000 plants have been planted and maintained to date Recent efforts were directed towards weeding and matting the existing plants and volunteers who planted 5000 plants and carried out maintenance activities.   Each of the eight Tawa schools have established native planting areas and engage in ongoing activities related to litter management pest control and water quality monitoring in the local Te Kenepuru stream These activities enhance rangatahi understanding of environmental stewardship and its impact on the Porirua Harbour catchment and local biodiversity.    The student leadership teams in each school have their own projects to improve and enhance te taiao These include improving sustainability through planting māra kai litter management and awareness amongst fellow rangatahi and as a combined team looking at local areas where the environment can be enhanced such as Tawa Skatepark wider litter controls and advocating for the mauri of Te Kenepuru.  There is a group of teachers who represent their schools to communicate collaborate and support their rangatahi in their learning and actions The programme coordinator works with this group to upskill and help them make curriculum connections between the KETE principles and their classroom work and long-term planning With the current challenges due to the introduction of new curriculum requirements for reading teachers value help from Sue to continue to integrate Local Curriculum and New Zealand histories into their programmes Find out more about KETE on their Facebook page Anxiety around climate change has increased in schools over the last five years with some young people feeling overwhelmed by the magnitude of issues.. Here’s our pick of places to explore in Wellington this summer and some climate-friendly ways to get there there are more opportunities to make the most of daylight hours after work or dinner Service desk locations Scam alerts: we’ve seen an increase in scam texts and emails claiming to be from us, asking for payments.Check our example scams or report a scam to us NZTA App: our mobile app provides a simple and secure way to access your driver licence and vehicle information.Learn more and download the NZTA app Bad weather last week meant planned work for the Tawa southbound offramp has been rescheduled for this Sunday night (9 March) between 9 pm and 4:30 am Drivers needing to get to Grenada North and Tawa will need to travel south rejoin State Highway northbound and use the northbound Tawa offramp Further resurfacing work is planned for the southbound lanes of State Highway 1 between Tawa and Glenside This will be  done on the nights of 11 and 12 March (Tuesday and Wednesday nights) State Highway 1 will be closed to southbound traffic between Tawa and Glenside Traffic will be required to detour via the Tawa southbound offramp Westchester Drive and rejoin the highway at the Grenada North/Glenside southbound onramp road crews will be resurfacing the Grenada/Glenside southbound onramp During the work the onramp will be closed to all traffic and Grenada residents will need to detour via Middleton Road and the Johnsonville southbound onramp to travel to Wellington Drivers can expect travel delays while this work is underway and should allow extra time for their journeys Resurfacing works may be rescheduled if bad weather continues Dry weather conditions are required for these works Road users should check road conditions before they travel Highway conditions - Wellington(external link) People travelling northbound on State Highway 1 between the Terrace Tunnel and Tawa need to ready for nighttime resurfacing works next week. Night works are planned on the Wellington Urban Motorway, and also at Tawa. On Monday and Tuesday nights (3 and 4 March), between 9 pm and 4:30 am, road crews will be carrying out maintenance on the urban motorway’s northbound lanes between Aotea Quay and Ngauranga. This will mean northbound traffic will be reduced to two lanes. Drivers may experience some delays while this work is completed. On Wednesday and Thursday nights (5 and 6 March), between 9 pm and 4:30 am, resurfacing work will be carried out at Tawa. On Wednesday night contractors will work on the highway’s northbound lanes between the Tawa on and offramps. Traffic will be detoured via the off and onramps. Drivers can expect short delays. Wednesday night off/on ramp detour, SH1 Tawa. On Thursday night, crews will be working on the Tawa southbound offramp, so the offramp will be closed. Drivers needing to get to Grenada North and Tawa will have to travel south, use the Grenada/Glenside offramp, rejoin State Highway northbound and use the northbound Tawa offramp. This will add to travel times so drivers should plan accordingly. This work on State Highway 1 is a key part of the current state highway summer maintenance programme in Wellington. On an average day, more than 30,000 vehicles use the northbound lanes on State Highway 1 between Ngauranga and Porirua. This is why regular resurfacing and road maintenance is essential - it improves the road’s surface, making it safer for drivers, and more resilient. Over the next three years, the Greater Wellington region has $162 million allocated for state highway maintenance and another $116 million ringfenced for state highway pothole prevention – a total investment of $278 million. NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi works to create transport solutions for all New Zealanders – from helping new drivers earn their licences, to leading safety campaigns to investing in public transport, state highways and local roads. Above: Jacob Denyer scores his try against Petone in round two. Photo: Jun Tanlayco The conviction shown by Jacob Denyer on the rugby field extends to his behavior off it. The 20-year-old Tawa fullback, a Hurricanes Under-20 selection, maintains a full-time job as an administrator at the Te Rauparaha Arena. He’s the oldest sibling in his family by more than a decade, yet he still trains as hard as his more fancied colleagues at the Wellington Rugby Academy. “At the start of each week, I organise a schedule. I take notes from other players, do my own study, and work rugby around life,” Deyner said. Denyer runs in to score for the Hurricanes U20s against the Crusaders U20s in their match at NZCIS in early March. Photo: Andy McArthur.  “I want to be a professional player. When I missed all of 2023, injured, I learned not to rush. I made friends with lawyers, doctors, nurses, artists, and people from outside the rugby bubble. In rugby, as in life, you can’t have tunnel vision. You have to adapt to the circumstances in front of you.” Jacob was born when his mother Helen, was 19, the son of longtime Tawa 85s player Joseph Denyer. Growing up with unusually young parents wasn’t without challenges. Jacob laughed; he still remembers when his parents “went out.” But it also instilled a rare initiative and exuberance in his personality. “It felt more like friendship than family. That’s not to say I didn’t have responsibility, but it wasn’t until I had a younger sister that I developed that protective big brother thing,” Denyer said. “I remember going to the rugby club and it being my happy place. I played rugby from the time I could walk. It always felt fun and natural for me.” Denyer first caught the eye of representative selectors when he was picked for the Wellington Under-13s. Impressing as an “undersized” first-five in the Mana College First XV proved more challenging. Mana was a Premiership school for the first time since the halcyon days of TJ Perenara. In 2021 they even beat Aotea College to capture the prestigious Beard Trophy, but the ambition of some teammates was ambivalent. “We had all the talent in the world but the attitude of a president’s team,” Denyer complained. “We’d get ten to practice, sometimes 15, and then on Saturday everyone would show.” Denyer was eager to front every day, so in 2022 uprooted to St Patrick’s College, Silverstream. “My job was easy. I caught the bus. My parents had to find the money,” Denyer said. “Silverstream. That was a culture shock at first. I had to do religious studies every day. The rugby was so serious. You’re competing against 80 boys as skilled as you just to get a look in.” Denyer moved to fullback and became a regular starter for the First XV. That season Silverstream won the Premiership smashing St Pat’s Town 28-14 at a sodden Jerry Collins Stadium in the final. A gritty 16-12 win against Feilding High School followed leaving Silverstream a solitary win from their first appearance at the National Top Four. “We lost on a draw, we still talk about it,” Denyer rued. In the Hurricanes’ Regional final against Napier Boys’ High School, Denyer scored a 30-metre solo try a 17-17 tie. It wasn’t enough to prevent Napier from going through on the first try wins rule. Denyer wasn’t going anywhere in 2023. He sustained his first serious injury while in Year 11. A stress fracture in his back hadn’t healed properly. He was forced to sit out an entire season. “That was tough, man. My spine stretched like a rubber band. I’m a terrible spectator. I even found myself watching soccer. Injury brought perspective. There’s more to life than rugby.” In 2024, Denyer was surprised by how quickly he was promoted to the Tawa Prems. He made a prompt impression, appearing in 14 games and scoring seven tries. One of those tries was in a 26-24 win over defending Jubilee Cup champions Oriental Rongotai in a semi-final. “Playing behind our forward pack was awesome. Most of them are or have been professional players,” Denyer enthused. “The Jubilee Cup final is the biggest game I’ve played so far. It was so quick and intense. It hurt to lose, but there was nothing in it, and we’ll be back. Tawa has started 2025 with two victories in their first three outings. In a replay of the Jubilee Cup final, the students (now 0-3) were stunned 38-36. George Risale scored a late winner after Deyner had dotted down earlier. Petone narrowly had Tawa’s measure in round two, but Deyner thrived again, scoring a sizzling try with a right-foot side step and 30-metre sprint. On Saturday, it was Old Timers’ Day at Lyndhurst Park. Tawa prevailed over Poneke 24-18. A late try-saving tackle by Denyer helped secure the hosts four points in an error-strewn spectacle. “When I left the field against Petone, I was adamant we were the better side. Yes, they won and worked hard for it, but we left a lot of points out there,” Denyer said. “We’ve lost some big names this year, especially Akira Ieremia and PJ Sheck. We can hang our heads high after our start. We’re getting better all the time.” This afternoon Denyer will feature in the Hurricanes Hunters Development side fixture against the New Zealand U20s at midday at NZCIS. Try time for Denyer in the Northwestern corner of Lyndhurst Park last year against Jonsonville. Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 22 May 2025 13:00322150m²Top Tier LivingDripping in modern decadence and vibing to laid back beats this well balanced property is a dreamy opportunity to sidle on into the good life Whether via the street front or the included underground carpark and incredibly spacious environment set against a welcoming backdrop of warm whites An open plan layout creates a cohesive connection within the communal hub Sliding walls at one end offer configuration options to suit your lifestyle is the kitchen with its dark streamlined cabinetry Outdoor living impresses with an expansive balcony spanning the dwelling's length catering options from sun soaking to day long dining while taking in the unique panorama Two superbly sized bedrooms exist along the hall including the master with a walk in wardrobe and an ensuite where Jack and Jill each have their own sink and shower head Secretly tucked away from the main road bustle yet its finger remains firmly on Mount Maunganui's urban pulse Positioned within the seaside township's vibrant heart you'll appreciate the convenient proximity to boutique dining plus a handful of attractive leisurely pursuits It's a known fact that apartment living is easy but where it excels is in the accompanying lifestyle that proves difficult to beat based on a borrower’s individual credit assessment.Canstar's Most Awarded Personal LoanGet a renovation loan up to $70K and bring your vision to life we can approve your home improvement loan quickly and get your renovation started State Highway 59 at Tawa is closed southbound after a serious crash One person has been taken to hospital in a critical condition Police were called to the scene at about 5.55pm The highway is blocked southbound between Mungavin and Tawa and motorists are advised to take alternate routes New Zealand RSS Follow RNZ News Report a problem We're making it safer for all road users to use the intersection at Main Road Cambridge Street and Lyndhurst Road in Tawa As part of the Council's Road Safety Programme Council officers have assessed areas with high crashes for safety concerns To reduce the number of crashes and make it safe for all users we're upgrading the intersection to have two zebra crossings on Main Road (north) and Cambridge Street and speed cushions on all four approaches to the intersection - Main Road (south) In the last 10 years (2012-2022) 23 crashes were reported at this intersection resulting in 8 injury and 15 non-injury crashes Public feedback was sought through the Traffic Resolution process and Community Group engagement Feedback has been incorporated into the design Project construction started on 1st of April 2025 and is planned to be finished in two months Since this work is weather dependent and in the event of unsuitable weather or other unforeseen circumstances Two rounds of Traffic Resolution consultation in February 2024 and May 2024 August 2024 – Comms Advisory on changes to the design resulting from NZTA’s decision not to fund raised traffic calming devices A 2-weeks letter and a 48 hour letter delivered to property owners advising them of the upcoming construction The Petone and Tawa teams in action during the match. Photo: Grant Wall.  The two teams met at Lyndhurst Park, Tawa in the second round of the 2025 Swindale Shield competition, in bright, sunny conditions on 12 April. On the anniversary of the Titanic sinking, the home team didn’t go down easily and indeed did everything they could to stay afloat at the end. After pressing the line for multiple phases, Tawa captain Matolu Petaia lunged at the line but was held up. The match had been a tight, seesaw affair throughout, with a Tawa penalty try giving them the edge at halftime. Petone lost a player to the sin-bin at this stage but Tawa would raise them and have three players sinbinned in the second half, ultimately costing them. Scoring highlights of this contest are below, via Club Rugby Youtube: Bonus track – Petone’s second xv side won the Premier 2 Harper Lock Shield fixture between the two sides as the curtain-raiser to this match. Again, this game was close, but Petone pulled away at the end for what was a comfortable 55-26 victory. Some second half highlights of that contest below; A post shared by Club Rugby (@clubrugby) Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" RodneyAsking Price $1,130,000311110m²5,598m²An exciting opportunity awaitsStep into a time capsule this cherished property has been home to the same owner for 65 years While the house itself isn’t exactly a "show pony," the manicured gardens and over 5,500sqm (more or less) of prized Kumeu land will have your imagination running wild with possibilities build your dream residence in the paddock above one thing is certain: this property will be sold in just four weeks Everyone will agree this is a manageable lifestyle block just waiting to welcome its next generation of owners or call Chris today - viewings by appointment Tawa Community Board has voted to appoint Jesse Elias (Te Āti Awa) as a Board member replacing Jackson Lacy who has resigned as he has moved overseas Tawa fullback Jacob Denyer beats Mitchell McLeod to the tryline in this afternoon’s opening Swindale Shield fixture between Tawa and Old Boys University at Rugby League Park. Photo: Andy McArthur. Swindale Shield Round One Results at a glance: UPDATED – Round One scores and scorers at this link here (opens a Word document): Pre-season form-talk and first round predictions counted for little this afternoon in the opening round of the Wellington Premier Swindale Shield competition. There were a series solid and often spectacular first-up bonus points to Tawa, Hutt Old Boys Marist, Johnsonville, Petone, Oriental-Rongotai, and Northern United, while Pōneke won well against Marist St Pat’s. The replay of last year’s Jubilee Cup final lived up to its top billing, with Tawa reversing that result last July to pip Old Boys University 38-36. A late try to No. 8 George Risale, converted by returning first-five James So’oialo, won the game for Tawa, after Old Boys University’s first-five Tom Henderson had kicked his fifth penalty of the afternoon to put OBU ahead. In a ding-dong second half, OBU stunned Tawa early with a try to halfback Mitchell McLeod which put the home team up 27-24. Momentum seemed to be swinging OBUs way as both kickers advanced the scoreboard with penalties and then Tawa’s Forward of the Day and captain Matolu Petaia crossed to hand Tawa ascendancy. Earlier, Tawa had gone up 12-0 after a rolling maul try and another Hurricanes U20s fullback Jacob Denyer. The Kickers got their games going  – including a monster 52-metre So’oialo penalty, but a try to Hurricanes U20s flanker Harry Irving helped the home side get right back into it. Down on Kilbirnie Park, Pōneke climbed to a 17-0 lead over Marist St Pat’s in their Horan-Millar Trophy interclub trophy match. MSP came back but Pōneke had done enough to hold off any fight back and won 25-10. Over at the Polo Ground, Oriental-Rongotai retained the Bob Lendrum Cup with a five tries to two 36-17 win over the Upper Hutt Rams. Petone had posted five consecutive 50+ scores in Premier matches over the Wellington Axemen, so their 46-5 win over them to retain the Jack Taylor-Bill Francis Cup represented an improvement for the visiting club. Petone won seven tries to one, Wellington’s sole scoring play being a 15th minute try to loose forward James Tuiatua. At William Jones Park, where Wainuiomata had won this corresponding fixture two years ago, the HOBM Eagles did the damage in the second half to account for the home team 38-15. The Eagles scored tries to in the first spell including an early one to left wing Kapumanawawhiti Broughton-Winterburn and one second five Kienan Higgins later in the half, versus one to Greg Leolofi to see HOBM go up 12-8 at halftime. It remained close, but HOBM pulled clear late with a penalty try and then a try to debutant opensid for a well-earned first-up win. At Jerry Collins Stadium, Northern United got their season off to a positive start with a 38-17 win over the Avalon Wolves. At Helston Park, an effervescent Johnsonville Hawks celebrated the start of their 125th anniversary year with a sweeping 46-28 win over Paremata-Plimmerton. In a combined team effort, Johnsonville’s hearty forwards and swashbuckling backs complemented each other well for a six tries to four win. Led by returning lock Anthony Pettett, evergreen prop Haamea Ahio and supported by others such as lock Taani Mafile’o and rookie openside flanker Louis Magelogo, Johnsonville’s pack was all over their opposites all afternoon, while Johnsonville’s backs enjoyed the freedom of open space. After leading 26-14 at halftime, Johnsonville effectively won the game in the opening minutes of the second half by capitalising on two consecutive horror Paremata-Plimmerton handling and passing mistakes on the embankment side of the ground to run in two quick tries and extend their lead to 38-14. The first of these was scored by second five Olly Paotonu in the clubrooms corner, following a pass that went to ground by Paremata-Plimmerton first five Dale Sabbagh. The second saw Johnsonville centre Aukuso Tuitama collect a similar dropped pass by another Paremata-Plimmerton player, leading to a popular try to lock Pettett. Johnsonville were to seal the game with plenty of time still to play when flanker Magalogo scored after a penalty and scrum close to the line to make it 43-14. Paremata-Plimmerton gave themselves a flicker of hope when right wing Sione Baker flew in to score his second try of the day, but Johnsonville’s subs bench was every bit as committed as their starters, and the Hawks put paid to any comeback. Johnsonville closed out their scoring with a penalty whilst the visitors scored a bonus point consolation try on fulltime. Earlier, Johnsonville made the best possible start when their scrum went beast mode which soon led to a lovely try to Hurricanes U20s left wing Jacob Kennedy. Paremata-Plimmerton hit back themselves with a try off a scrum to bring the scores back to level. Right wing Jacob Walmsley was involved in Johnsonville’s next two tries as they extended the score to 19-7 by throwing an inside pass to the scorer of the second try, whilst catching a cross-kick on the full to set up the third try. Paremata-Plimmerton, who were disjointed throughout much of the match, did provide glimpses of what everyone knows they are capable of, through their next try which saw right wing Baker inject himself into the midfield from an attacking scrum and cross on the lefthand side to close the gap to 19-14. Johnsonville closed out the first half with another popular try with right wing Walmsley again in the thick of the action making a midfield burst which led to flanker Magalogo’s first try in front of the scoreboard supporters. The only downside at that point was Johnsonville fullback Finlay Sharp leaving the field with an apparent hamstring issue. On this performance, Johnsonville will take a lot of beating at home this year, while the Hammerheads will want to put this one behind them and quickly regroup. A post shared by Club Rugby (@clubrugby) Holders OBU made a winning start in their defence of the Harper Lock Shield, repeating last year’s Ed Chaney Cup win over Tawa 34-21 in the early game at Rugby League Park. HOBM are expected to contend again this year and saw off Wainuiomata 36-14, while Poneke beat MSP 43-32 in a high scoring affair. Ories beat the Upper Hutt Rams 38-10, Petone beat Wellington (score TBA), and Avalon beat Norths 57-35. In the last match Pare-Plim raced out to lead 46-0 at the break against Johnsonville before winning 53-17. At Helston Park, Paremata-Plimmerton led Johnsonville 46-0 at halftime. Johnsonville came back to win the second half 17-7 making the final score 53-17 to the visitors. Some heavy scoring in the Colts Paris Memorial. Petone threw a shutout in thumping Wellington 88-0, with Norths also holding Avalon scoreless winning 57-0. Pare-Plim also topped 50, beating Johnsonville 64-15, and the Upper Hutt Rams opened with a 36-14 win over Ories. MSP won their Battle of Kilbirnie 31-17 over Poneke, while Tawa were surprisingly big winners 46-29 over OBU. Defending champions HOBM didn’t have to leave the house, defaulted to yesterday by Wainuiomata At Ian Galloway Park, the Tawa Colts enjoyed a 46-34 win over perennial contenders OBU Green, taking charge in the second half. After a long feeling out period by both teams, OBU finally put the first points on the board with a 20th minute penalty. OBU then scored a converted try to go 10-0 up, before Tawa, who had threatened several times playing a positive expansive style, nabbed a defensive OBU lineout and their prop crossed over to make it 10-7. Right on halftime, after previously being held up over the line, Tawa scored another seven pointer to move ahead 14-10. Now with a gentle breeze in their favour, Tawa scored two more tries to go ahead 26-10. OBU scored in reply, but Tawa scored their fifth try to make it 33-17. Once more, OBU scored, but Tawa broke out to extend their lead. Both sides scored further tries but Tawa’s advantage was sufficient. A post shared by Club Rugby (@clubrugby) Results in the Women’s Rebecca Liua’ana Trophy went as anticipated and with all four home sides winning. Petone got their defence off to an ideal start beating Pare-Plim 38-12, while Ories held off returnees Marist St Pat’s 31-24. Wainuiomata accounted for Poneke 29-10, while Norths made no rush of matters in crushing Avalon 80-0. The Tawa Ducks opened their U85kg JC Bowl competition with a 26-14 win over Hutt Old Boys Marist in over four matches that were played this afternoon to usher in the new season of U85kg rugby. The Johnsonville Terrahawks defeated the Wellington Light Axemen 29-19, the OBU Scallywags beat Avalon 52-0 and Eastbourne beat the Paremata-Plimmerton Piranhas 25-10. MSP had the bye. Rahui and Foxton remain unbeaten through three rounds in Horowhenua-Kapiti. Otaki-based Rahui rumbled over Levin College Old Boys 31-10 at the Domain, while Foxton eked out a close one 34-33 away at Waikanae. The third match also saw the away side win with Paraparaumu beating Shannon 41-19. Levin Wanderers had the bye. It was opening day over in the Wairarapa-Bush competitions and the first round of the Lane Penn Cup. In Group B defending champions Carterton opened with a high-scoring 43-38 win over Pioneer and Greytown finished strong to blow out the margin over Masterton Red Star to win 53-12, while in Group A Martinborough made a statement of intent in beating Marist 35-12. On Friday afternoon, Rongotai College defeated Scots College 31-7 in an encouraging result for the eastern suburbs public school contenders. Space and Old-World GraceStep back in time and discover the timeless charm of this 1940s English country home set among sweeping grounds in one of Kumeu's most peaceful rural pockets two-bathroom character home offers a rare chance to live in a piece of history - full of charm - A formal lounge/TV room and separate family room/formal dining room - both flooded with natural light from timber floors to sash/multi-paned windows plus a huge workshop and loft space - perfect for a studio or extra storage and full of quirks that reflect its era - ideal for someone who appreciates the character of a bygone time But if you dream of morning light through wooden windows this home will feel like it was made for you Tenants must be comfortable with the age and original features of the home which has been in the family for over 70yrs - and we're looking for someone special to love it Four of the White Ferns squad are all former Tawa College students and there were bleary and teary eyes at the Wellington school this morning as the team took out the T20 Cricket World Cup for the first time The Ferns took the title after beating South Africa by 32 runs early this morning Jess Kerr and Georgia Plimmer were captured with their medals and the world cup trophy All four are former Tawa College students - Devine the veteran at 35 Tawa College deputy principal Steve Conroy said he was incredibly proud of them and said it was incredible to watch his nieces and their team take out the win He credited the coaching prowess of the Kerrs' father Robbie - and Devine who laid a foundation which the Kerrs picked up and ran with for why the school has turned out so many successful players "I think they looked up to Sophie and Susie Bates and they really set a course for themselves and people like Georgia have looked up to them as inspiration." "I think the current Tawa College team are looking up to Georgia so there's this lovely sort of interplay of inspiration and role modelling in Tawa." Tawa college's current First XI captain Ava Conroy - Steve's daughter - said she was very proud of her cousins but also they're just amazing people and they're just such good role models to look up to." "I think it shows a lot of girls that it actually is a career and you can go into it if you want to." Her mum - and Steve's wife - Charlotte Murray - has taught at Tawa College for 27 years and witnessed some exceptional talent in that time she played for the boys First XI and as the highest wicket taker won the school's Bruce Murray stump sports prize Bruce Murray is Charlotte Murray's late father and played 13 Tests for the NZ mens' cricket team "We just think he'd be so proud of the girls but I think you'd also be proud to see what kind of people they are off the field as well." Tawa College's student leaders were also pretty stoked "It makes us really proud to see how alumni of our school have gone on to do some amazing things on the global stage and it's just really great to know that they came from Tawa College," said Calla Rix "I think it's really inspiring for some of our current students to see that we've got such a big international thing going on and that they're putting Tawa College on the map," said Oriwa Duncan it's a great inspiration for current students to know that they can go on and do those incredible things Just because you come from Tawa doesn't mean you can't represent us on a great world stage and achieve amazing things," said Hamish Scott the football field and the netball court - the wins kept coming NZ's women's cricket team didn't just earn glory at the T20 Cricket World Cup in Dubai - it was also a lucrative payday "This means everything to us," Suzie Bates says after New Zealand produced a near flawless display in the T20 World Cup final We have regular online commentary of local and international sport Sport RSS The opening round of the Colts round-robin Paris Memorial Trophy was in Wellington on Saturday, with Petone defeating Wellington 88-0 and  Norths also holding Avalon scoreless winning 57-0. MSP won their Battle of Kilbirnie 31-17 over Poneke, while Tawa were surprisingly big winners 45-29 over OBU. Defending champions HOBM didn’t have to leave the house, defaulted to by Wainuiomata. The Colts draw for this coming weekend in round two is: At Ian Galloway Park, OBU held a 10-0 lead towards the back end of the first half, before Tawa scored twice before the interval to lead 14-10. They then ran in a further five tries to win 45-29 – highlights of the match below: The ‘try of the match’ was previously posted to Club Rugby Instagram:  Auckland CityAsking price $1,790,000325589m²This Home is Priced for Immediate Sale - BUY NOW!Located in sought-after One Tree Hill this stunning art deco home sits on an expansive section near Cornwall Park and all essential amenities offering an exceptional space for a growing family the residence boasts extra-high ceilings that amplify the sense of space with a modern kitchen and generous proportions ensures practicality meets style The master wing features a walk-in wardrobe and ensuite while two additional bedrooms being serviced by a well-appointed family bathroom Your choice of two outdoor entertaining areas providing endless options for hosting friends and family within this fully fenced freehold 589m² section The location is highly desirable for families with Cornwall Park a few minutes away and Royal Oak shopping centre Don’t miss this rare opportunity—secure your dream home today See this listing on Barfoot & Thompson Wellington CityBuyer Enquiry Over $1,050,000432266m²960m²Tranquil in Tui TerraceDelightfully positioned in the tranquil Tui Terrace cul-de-sac of Tawa rests an enchanting four-bedroom residence that is a true family treasure Spanning a generous 266 square metres (approx) 7 Tui Terrace has been cherished and meticulously maintained by only its second owners for over 35 years creating a perfect haven for families looking to upscale their living experience in the serene surroundings of Wellington The kitchen and family room – with sewing nook or alternative workspace - extend onto a sun-drenched deck that promises endless enjoyment and the seamless indoor-outdoor flow that's essential for easy modern living The master bedroom presents a private retreat featuring views out over the nearby bush reserve a Jack and Jill ensuite and a generous walk-in wardrobe Families will appreciate the additional bedrooms and a rumpus room complete with an ensuite—perfect as a media room or teenage hang-out or as a fifth bedroom for guests or extended families with its own access to the sparkling pool area The outdoor allure is undeniable with a beautifully established and surprisingly private bush-hugged garden and a pool that promises to be the focal point of family fun and large gatherings including a cosy modern gas fire in the lounge plus double glazing throughout the home ensures a warm and inviting atmosphere throughout the seasons with a double garage providing ample storage and secure parking for additional vehicles nestled in a peaceful and safe neighbourhood invites families to envision their future amidst its welcoming walls 7 Tui Terrace is a testament to family living in style and comfort Waiheke IslandPrice by Negotiation74347m²1,449m²Business or pleasure or bothCentrally located Tawa Lodge offers stunning panoramic views over Oneroa Bay and the rare opportunity to buy into the heart of Waiheke's growing tourist accommodation industry Situated on a prime 1,449m2 (+-) hilltop site with views also over Huruhi Bay Tawa Lodge currently offers self catering tourist accommodation in a mixture of self contained units and a wing of bed and breakfast rooms with share bathroom and kitchen facilities The spacious main house makes it ideal for an owner operator to enjoy this popular location while earning an income from the other units Or the ultimate holiday home with space aplenty for family and friends to stay with their own facilities In an area of upmarket tourism accommodation development The property has an easy access concrete driveway with parking for up to five vehicles There's plenty of storage with a large shed/workshop 15 Tawa Street is a seven minute walk from Little Oneroa Beach and a 12 minute stroll to the main village of Oneroa where you'll find a range of shops Close to bus stops for the two main bus routes on the island and easy access to the Matiatia passenger ferries Contact Hayden to learn more or to arrange a private viewing Summer reissue: The New Zealand comedy legend takes us through her life in television including the time she hugged Elton John and the unshakeable legacy of a girl named Lyn The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today In 1981, Ginette McDonald stood on the stage of Auckland’s St James Theatre and directly addressed Queen Elizabeth II. It was a glitzy, glamorous Royal Variety Performance and McDonald was appearing as her comedic alter ego Lyn of Tawa a suburban housewife with a thick New Zealand accent who had burst onto our TV screens a few years earlier “It’d be really neat if you could visit us in Tawa sometime,” Lyn told Her Royal Highness you were supposed to come this Sunday and open the Tawa memorial paddling pool but Mrs Crosbie down the Town Hall got the envelopes mixed up.”  It’s a treasure trove that pays tribute to McDonald’s diverse talents as well as her enduring influence on New Zealand popular culture With such an impressive and varied career to look back on McDonald took us on a delightful trip down TV memory lane including the time she got stage fright with Bruno Lawrence the TV crush that turned into an unexpected friendship My earliest TV memory is… My brother Michael telling me that Stan Dallas the Radio Doctor had a TV in his shop and us both racing up to Hataitai Village to join about 50 kids sitting on the floor to see this new miracle of communication We watched black and white footage of flying geese but so extraordinary to not be in a cinema where we had to stand up when a picture of the Queen came on We all stayed till Stan Dallas chucked us out two American girls from school whose dad was a rep for Rosco ice cream invited me to their swanky house where we watched the news footage of the Kennedy assassination while their mother wept inconsolably The power of that moment and the potential of television to entertain educate and inform in real time has never left me My earliest TV crush was… That would be Peter Sinclair. Host of Happen Inn, C’mon and  numerous other shows that required an attractive, cheerful presenter. Years later, when I  produced the 60s tribute show Peppermint Twist He was so much more than his public persona – highly  intelligent But he is the best broadcaster we’ve ever had A consummate professional who valued his audience and never talked down to them The first TV show I was obsessed with was… I loved the Patty Duke Show where she played  identical cousins who were very different It was entrancing to watch one performer creating two different characters and the special effects photography that enabled the show I smiled radiantly – and froze like a possum in the headlights I was dimly aware of Bruno valiantly doing our entire rehearsed conversation by himself I kept grinning like an idiot till mercifully we finished My most-watched TV show of all time is… Probably Friends My TV guilty pleasure is… Watching ancient 20-year-old reruns of CSI: Vegas with the lead lady cop bringing her backstory as an ex stripper to the world of forensics The science around  identifying mouldering corpses is fascinating More recent episodes are not quite as effective The most stylish person on TV is… Moana Maniopoto My favourite TV moment from my own career is… So many, but producing The Champion and The Fire-Raiser series with my trusty director Peter Sharp are highlights and make me proud He rolled with it and had such warmth I spontaneously hugged him and I usually avoid that sort of thing The TV show I wish I was involved in is… Any show that has need of a cranky old boiler to say a few lines My favourite TV character of all time is… Too many to list but someone who can make me laugh out loud is David Hyde Pierce playing Frasier’s foppish brother Niles in the original series His timing is perfect and his physical comedy a joy Probably not everyone’s cuppa tea but I love all the theatre training behind his work My favourite TV project I’ve ever been involved in is… Everything The thing I wish people knew about being an actor/comedian is… Acting all breezy and organic and devil may care is very hard work My most defining onscreen role was… That would have to be a girl called Lyn. Light entertainment boss Malcolm Kemp (already a highly skilled multi-camera director of big events and who went on to the BBC to direct the camera coverage of Princess Diana’s funeral) spotted me trotting out Lyn on Judith Fyfe’s comedy roast for the Good Day TV show and inserted me into an entertainment series he was doing Every week my brother Michael wrote a monologue and I performed it We were very bemused by all the attention it got and went on being bemused for years afterwards The character seemed to strike a chord with many people which was a bit odd as we certainly weren’t into having a brand and in any case social media didn’t exist All sorts of offers flooded in and being fawned over and given special treatment and paid a bit of money to flounce about is quite intoxicating I was called a “comedienne” when I just saw myself as an actress with comedy as a normal part of the creative toolbox Now 40 years on random strangers still say “gidday Lyn” I get more positive affirmations from international companies than homegrown ones who may have Lyn in their heads they always put me in a wig to mark the distance between the character and Lyn A few old boomers still think I actually am Lyn I choose to take this as a compliment to the gentle satire of Michael’s writing and the organic nature of the performance My most controversial TV opinion is… Cancelling investigative TV journalism like Sunday and Fair Go is an affront to democracy no matter how many people say I should is… Never say never The last thing I watched on TV was… 1News… while it’s still there This summer read was brought to you with support from Resene ColorShops. They’ve got quality paints, a huge range of colours and professionals on hand to help you nail your summer DIY jobs. Shop online today. Tawa College hooker and captain Malachai Suniula and teammates with the Beard Trophy after defending it for the fourth and final time this year at Porirua Park. Photo: Peter McDonald. Tawa College have locked the Beard Trophy away for another summer after successfully defending it for the fourth and final time of the winter this evening against Aotea College at a rowdy Jerry Collins Stadium. Three of Tawa College’s tries – two in the first half and their first one of the second half.  Despite a run of injuries late last term, Tawa have been rarely troubled this year in their first full slate of defences since winning it off Mana College last year. After beating Bishop Viard, Porirua and Mana Colleges in May and June, Tawa have beaten Aotea College 67-0 under lights tonight in fine but slippery conditions. Following rousing hakas, Premier 2 team Aotea were competitive in some areas such as the scrum battle but were no match for Tawa’s expansive running game. Tawa were quick to counterattack from anywhere and tapped and went whenever they won a penalty – the first lineout of the match wasn’t until the 24th minute. Tawa ran in 11 tries on the night, six in the first half and five in the second. Tawa led 36-0 at halftime, and after running in their next try early in the second spell a sizable score was on the cards. Aotea then lost then their attacking second five Kitiona Lua to injury, but this break in play while he was attended to and departed the field disrupted the game’s flow somewhat and there was no further scoring for almost 15 minutes. Both sides also brought their substitutions on in this time and Aotea went close on a couple of occasions. With about 10 minutes to play, Tawa ran in a 70-metre try from an overthrown Aotea lineout, second five Malachai Osman finishing this off. They brought up their half century with a penalty and tap close to the line and then finished the game with a pair of sweeping tries in the final few minutes. A post shared by Club Rugby (@clubrugby) Tawa now turn their attention to hosting Scots College this weekend in the eighth and penultimate round of the College Premiership. Earlier today, St Pat’s Silverstream defeated St Pat’s Town 50-5 at Evans Bay Park. FranklinPrice by Negotiation31399m²726m²URGENT SALE!Located on an expansive 726 sqm freehold lot A short walk to the nearest convenience store and close to the town center Experience the convenience of open living spaces filled with natural light The open-plan layout encompasses the lounge all of which seamlessly connect to outdoor decking This delightful space is perfect for enjoying the sun while watching children play in the backyard Whether hosting guests or enjoying a peaceful day at home this inviting design provides an ideal setting for relaxation and quality family time Reach out to us today to arrange a viewing Disclaimer: The floor and land area sizes provided have been sourced from Relab These measurements have not been independently verified by the Salesperson or South Realty Ltd the property may have been filtered into a specific price range All prospective purchasers are advised to conduct their own due diligence obtain independent legal and expert advice and verify all details provided during the property's marketing campaign A Wellington City Council spokesperson said the recently released National Land Transport Programme has not allocated "any funding" to Wellington's walking and cycling projects over the next three years A walking and cycling upgrade between Johnsonville and Tawa in Wellington has been put on pause as Wellington City Council (WCC) makes cost savings and works with new Government priorities The council does not currently plan to invest any money into the Middleton Rd walking and cycling route over the next three years “In preparing the 2024-2027 Long Term Plan [Wellington City] councillors sought to find savings from within the bike network programme and wanted to address the gaps in the network left in the wake of the Let’s Get Wellington Moving termination,” a council spokesperson told NZME “The recently released National Land Transport Programme which allocates central government funding to local roading projects has not allocated any funding to Wellington’s walking and cycling projects over the next three years,” the spokesperson added The programme put a number of walking and cycling projects on pause Transport Minister Simeon Brown has also previously said New Zealanders were “sick and tired” of the amount of money going towards cycleways The National Land Transport Programme allocates funding of $32.9 billion across 2024-2027; the budget for walking and cycling has been set at $460 million significantly less than the $910m allocated in the 2021-2024 plan Takapū/Northern Ward councillor Tony Randle said he was “not a big fan of cycleways” but had always been supportive of the cycleway on Middleton Rd but it actually is not very safe with the speed of the cars and the blind corners I’ve always been keen to have a cycleway built on there,” he said Randle was “disappointed” the decision to put the walking and cycling project on hold was made suggesting “less important things” were still going ahead A regional transport committee agenda put forward by Greater Wellington Regional Council states WCC has “reprioritised funding” and will look at the Tawa to Johnsonville connection again in the 2027-2030 Long Term Plan Randle said the two sections of the cycleway were estimated to cost around $18m He was not confident it would be back on the table eventually – adding the council “really hasn’t got any money” “Even important safety issues like this cycleway have to take a [place] in the queue while we sort out core Patrick Morgan from advocacy group Cycling Action Network said people were missing out on an essential safety project “because the Government has shortsightedly cut funding for cycling and walking” He added it was not feasible for most people to bike or walk along the 70km/h road A business case that looked at a range of options on Middleton Rd was funded in the 2023/24 financial year after the council voted in 2022 to adopt its Paneke Pōneke plan which looks to grow the city’s cycle network to 166km A 2021 Tawa Community Board submission stated the only route south for cyclists from Tawa was along Middleton Rd a route deemed “winding and too narrow to share safely with buses and commuter traffic” The board called for the section of infrastructure to be “a very high priority” in its 2021 submission on WCC’s bike network plan A council spokesperson has said it would be very difficult to say when or if it will be able to advance the Middleton Rd project Transport Minister Simeon Brown said while the current funding allocation is a reduction from the previous National Land Transport Project it recognises the Government’s priority “which is to build and maintain the roading network which fell into disrepair under the last Government” “The Government is investing a record amount into road maintenance and a 41% increase in funding for public transport services to ensure we are maintaining our roading network to a higher standard while providing more reliable public transport choices,” Brown added Azaria Howell is a Wellington-based multimedia reporter with an eye across the region She joined NZME in 2022 and has a keen interest in city council decisions public service agency reform and transport The only high-reach ladder truck in Auckland broke down last night Nga Tawa Diocesan School’s new boarding manager has held coaching roles with England’s U17 An international women’s cricket coach is returning to her roots and boarding school life in a senior management role at a Rangitīkei private school Nga Tawa Diocesan School in Marton has appointed Charlotte Dickenson its new senior boarding manager and head coach of the school’s cricket team Dickenson said she was incredibly excited to take on the role “Cricket is more than just a sport; it can shape and define us Boarding school has the potential to do the same.” The boarding school environment is not unfamiliar to Dickenson because she grew up in a boarding house when her father worked as deputy headmaster at Whanganui Collegiate School Her journey in cricket began at St John’s Hill Primary School in Whanganui where she first picked up a bat playing for Whanganui and Central Districts Cricket before embarking on a career in the United Kingdom where she made international achievements on the cricket pitch Dickenson’s gap year turned into a 36-year adventure in the UK She excelled in county cricket with Surrey and discovered her passion for coaching as she took on roles with England’s U17 culminating in head coach positions and leading teams to the Euro Cup A career highlight for Dickenson was the 2005 Ashes series where England’s victory over Australia ended a 30-year drought — she was the assistant coach and manager during the iconic win “The women’s team won a few days before the men’s team played and cities stopped to watch and see them win “The country got taken away and overexcited by the success Dickenson’s team were invited to have morning tea with Queen Elizabeth II and to visit 10 Downing Street She then toured London in an open-top bus where the crowds were 10 deep Dickenson remained grounded through her work at a Children’s Behavioural Unit in Hounslow where she balanced her sporting career with a commitment to education and social welfare “While I was working with women who had all these dreams drive and passion to make it to the highest pinnacle of the sport they had chosen I would then go in to work on Monday and wonder if the kids there would make it back alive “Their lives were in such disarray and they spent their whole life fighting — that kept me really grounded Her vision for the Nga Tawa cricket team extends beyond the sport I know that there is a team and some keen cricket girls “I know that they have a lot of pull on their time but I’m hoping that they see the light and become passionate about cricket.” It is hoped Dickenson will energise the cricket programme inspire new players and enhance the school’s reputation on the cricket pitch “The school community is excited to embrace the opportunities ahead and support the girls in their journey with one of our own cricket stars,” principal Lesley Carter said Low temperatures are forecast to temporarily return to double digits this week Fulltime at Lyndhurst Park after Tawa have just held off waves of Ories attack under their own posts.Tawa won 26-24 and will meet OBU in next Saturday’s Jubilee Cup final Old Boys University and Tawa will meet in next weekend’s 2024 Jubilee Cup final at Porirua Park after both winning highly contested semi-finals this afternoon. OBU beat Hutt Old Boys Marist 33-22 in one semi-final, while Tawa defeated Oriental Rongotai 26-24 in the other. It was a successful day for the Tawa club whose U85kg team won their Division 1 championship final, and all three of their semi-finalists today won their matches. Tawa’s Premier 2 and Colts sides will join their Premiers on Finals Day next weekend, after their second XV beat Petone 33-21, and their Colts beat OBU’s Colts 10-8. In today’s Hardham Cup semi-finals, Paremata-Plimmerton beat Johnsonville 20-14, and Wainuiomata defeated Marist St Pat’s 27-14 to set up next week’s final between Paremata-Plimmerton and Wainuiomata. A post shared by Club Rugby (@clubrugby) The prodigious boot of Callum Harkin was the telling difference for Old Boys University in their 33-22 semi-final victory over Hutt Old Boys Marist the newly contracted Wellington Lions first five kicked four penalties and three conversions as the Billygoats outlasted the Eagles in a contest that featured five lead changes Harkin opened the scoring with a 40m penalty but for most of the first half the hosts dictated terms with their monster pack Hutt’s first try was scored by fullback Fritz Rayasi from close range but much of the lead-up work was done by Taine Tata (blindside) Ben Tuiomanufili (No.8) and Teofilo Paulo (lock) but once again Harry Press was a headliner The hooker scored two tries to take his season tally to 11 His first was from a lineout pushover and then early in the second half he stunned the students when he detached from a maul and raced 20m OBU’s defence was resolute and their attack was patient and clinical blindside Harry Irving pushed through two tacklers for a try which saw the Billygoats turn 14-13 down at halftime Has there been a better rookie than Irving in 2024 OBU regrouped to take the lead through a Ty Poe try The underrated utility back sought work and proved elusive Hutt summoned the experience of Brandyn Laursen from the bench and he kicked a penalty to propel Hutt ahead 22-20 The scrums turned drastically in favour of the students after makeshift prop Jason Hoffman had to joust with Laurence Jarel Lim Cody Quinn proved a more than serviceable replacement for lock Boston Hunt With three minutes remaining second five Malo Manuao secured the students’ place in the final when he chipped ahead for whippet Tom Henderson to pursue and touchdown Old Boys University and Tawa have won all seven Jubilee Cup finals they’ve contested Tawa held on to beat Oriental-Rongotai 26-24 in a blockbuster Jubilee Cup semi-final at home at a sodden Lyndhurst Park this afternoon The match finished with both sides out on their feet underneath Tawa’s own goal line after Ories had launched into a 90 second assault started inside their own half in trying to score the winning points and referee Hamish Mexted blew the fulltime whistle to the delight of Tawa and their supporters Tawa themselves had been camped on attack at the other end looking to close out the match Ories had scored the last points of the match through super-sub prop Jonty Bird who snatched a messy lineout in the corner and crashed his way through both sets of forwards to score Centre Alex Ropeti lined up the conversion but it shaved the outside of the right upright and there would be no extra time like last week Tawa had led an intense first 40 minutes 14-7 at halftime The start of the second half continued in the same vein for the best part of 20 minutes with both sets of forwards smashing each other and both teams’ backs trying hard to create opportunities in the wet conditions Tawa openside Hemi Fermanis’ try after a relentless assault was the only scoring as the home side extended their lead to 21-7 The semi-final came alive in the next period of play as Ories The first of these saw fleet-footed fullback Chicago Doyle creating an opening on the left wing for Pose Tuilaepa and the strapping wing scorched in to score in the corner Ories pushed back hot on attack and this time centre Ropeti put through a stab kick for fullback Doyle to regather and run through to score The home side bounced straight back on to attack and within a couple of minutes scored a try of their own after several phases in centre field in front of the posts They ripped it wide and the final pass was tipped on and the try was scored in the corner Tawa had earlier made a fast start to the semi-final when hooker Joyner Gaualofa poured over the line First five Luke Warmsley kicked the conversion to put Tawa up 7-0 Tawa were presented with another penalty from a similar position but this time they chose to kick to the corner and go for the lineout This proved to be the right choice as the forwards scored the driving try and Warmsley converted to put them up 14-0 after 24 minutes Ories rallied and they dominated most of the rest of the first half territorially They were held up over the line on no fewer than three occasions the first by left wing Tuilaepa in his corner and the other two by the forwards closer in This pressure was finally rewarded when No 8 Sione Halalilo made a powerful blindside run off the back of a scrum and crossed the whitewash Tawa closed out the first half hot on attack and perhaps should have scored their third try right on 40 minutes but knocked on over the line With earlier rain and drizzle fully cleared the two teams proceeded to battle it out in an epic second half only one team could win and advance to next week’s final and that was home team Tawa At Evans Bay Park visitors Wainuiomata won the game by halftime against Marist St Pat’s in their Hardham Cup semi-final Wainuiomata were up 12-0 inside as many minutes of play with early tries to openside flanker Greg Lealofi and left wing Renata Kotuhi First five Andrew Wells kicked a penalty to extend the lead to 15-0 after 18 minutes before he scored and converted his own try to put the green and blacks up 22-0 after 25 minutes but then lost prop Vince Sakaria to the sin-bin just before halftime When fullback Mikade Fono scored again for Wainuiomata early in the second half to put them back ahead by more than three converted tries it was too much for the home side to come back from Centre Francis Mettrick completed the scoring his side’s second try about 10 minutes from fulltime Johnsonville opened the scoring with a 5th minute Mark Sutton Penalty before Paremata-Plimmerton turned their own mistake into profit so Johnsonville packed down a scrum on halfway The ball spilt loose and home team first five Sam Clarke kicked it through picked up and passed to centre Ethan Webster-Nonu to score put them up 7-3 inside 10 minutes The next 15 minutes was a scrappy affair in the wet with Paremata-Plimmerton also losing Clarke to the sin-bin in this time The pattern of play remained tense right up until halftime when Sutton kicked his second penalty and the home side led 7-6 at the turnaround Sutton kicked his third penalty on 45 minutes to put the Hawks up 9-7 before Clarke tapped and took off from a free-kick 70 metres back and put left wing Louis Northcott away for their second try to make it 12-9 Another Clarke penalty put the Hammerheads up 15-9 after about 60 minutes The home side then struck with a decisive try who passed inside to right wing Joe Faleafaga to score out wide and put them up 20-9 with about 15 minutes to play through replacement Josh Betham in the corner to close the gap to 20-14 as Paremata-Plimmerton missed another penalty near the end Harper Lock Shield winners OBU and three-time defending champions Tawa will contest the Premier 2 Ed Chaney Cup final after near-matching scorelines in today’s semifinals OBU beat HOBM 33-17 in the Ian Galloway cage while Tawa also put up 33 points in ending Petone’s season 33-21 (a bit on this match just below) The margins were even closer in the HD Morgan Memorial section Ories will get the chance to retain this trophy after they held off Johnsonville 18-13 and they’ll face the Upper Hutt Rams who did just enough to hold out MSP 13-12 at Maidstone Park Tawa beat Petone to book their place in next Saturday’s Ed Chaney Cup final Petone came back with a converted try with about 10 minutes to play after they had scored their second consecutive try of the second half Petone had beaten the same Tawa team in the first weekend of the season which ended Tawa’s then 50 game winning streak Tawa regrouped and after a gritty period in possession inside Petone’s territory they crossed to score their semi-sealing try on fulltime Tawa had previously missed a golden opportunity to perhaps put the game to bed at the very start of the second half when they had a penalty and a lineout in the same corner and coughed up possession with the tryline under their noses the match had started in steady drizzle on a heavy field But that didn’t stop Tawa from making a cracking start They crashed through the midfield after a lineout on the 22 to go 7-0 up which was followed by a penalty and then a second try after another concerted raid to make it 15-0 after about 25 minutes Tawa then piled more pressure on to Petone when they flashed in to score their third try with their halfback making a decisive dash and offloading through his right wing Tawa extended their lead to 23-0 with their second penalty Petone lost a player to the sinbin at this point but they dug deep and after a late assault just before halftime they build up pressure and scored to make it 23-7 at the break It’s no real surprise that HOBM are in the Colts John E Kelly Cup championship final after they kept their unbeaten season intact by overrunning defending champions Ories 56-7 at the Hutt Rec What is the surprise is who’ll they’ll face as seventh-seed Tawa have come through the pack after beating OBU 10-8 at a soggy MacAlister Park The second division Vic Calcinai Memorial Cup will be an all-Porirua affair Norths beat Wellington 31-10 at Jerry Collins while Pare-Plim came from behind late to tip out Pōneke  18-17 at Kilbirnie Park  Home side Pōneke  had led 14-11 at halftime but in the end it was a penalty try with about 10 minutes to go that was the difference The trophy cabinet at Hataitai Park has been empty for what seems an entirety The U85 kg Wellington Sugarwoods pipped the Paremata-Plimmerton Piranhas 11-10 in the second division it was always going to be a slog at the graveyard but who would have thought Wellington would withstand nearly 10 minutes of sustained pressure on their line without conceding a penalty Paremata-Plimmerton first-five Archie Wilison had a chance to push the Piranhas ahead with a penalty close to full time His audacious shot drooped underneath the crossbar and was fumbled and carried back by a Wellington receiver Paremata-Plimmerton pounded away mercilessly but the Sugarwoods stood firm and it is confirmed all 22 are gusty buggers Wellington led after two minutes when Ryan Tsourgas riffled through a 35m penalty Wilson responded for the Piranhas only for Tsourgas to succeed again Paremata-Plimmerton scored a try through prop Tamiti Poki Wellington took a lead they wouldn’t lose in the 65th minute with a trick lineout the saw lock Cody Milne bound for glory the Tawa Ducks demolished the OBU Scallywags 46-10 Tawa competed 2024 undefeated jumping to a 27-3 lead at halftime and only conceding late in proceedings Hooker Wiggy Bloomfield scored four tries profiting from the horsepower of his pack like a King riding a chariot Captain Troy Howie was immense and bagged a double Scoring: Tawa 46: Wiggy Bloomfield 4 tries OBU 10: Keegan Wattrus penalty and a conversion The Upper Hutt Rams J8s met the Johnsonville Cripples in the Reserve Grade Division 1 final today at Maidstone Park for the John Davies Cup Wellington College maintained their faultless Premiership record trouncing Wairarapa College 42-5 in a catch-up fixture An efficient forward display saw Oliver Church Seb Hopkins and Lazarus Webster in lower numbers all cross the chalk Winger Shea Bosher scored twice while Archie Sims slotted all six conversions Wellington has won all seven matches in 2024 and leads St Patrick’s College Silverstream and Town by three points in the Premiership standings The two Catholic schools collide on Wednesday at Evans Bay Park A boilover to end the season in Horowhenua-Kapiti as Foxton lifted the Rambotham Cup with an upset 30-27 win over Rehui and denying the Otaki side an undefeated campaign Rahui did claim the Reserves Bill Muir Cup Further around the country North Shore are the North Harbour champions prevailing 20-15 over Takapuna while in Counties-Manukau Patumahoe tipped over favourites Karaka 17-8 Hamilton Marist won the Waikato Breweries Shield completing an unbeaten season 22-8 over Hautapu and in the south Green Island are the Otago Metro champs after beating Dunedin 21-15 under the Forsyth Barr roof Over the Remutaka’s it was finals day in Wairarapa-Bush Carterton made it three championships on the trot winning a pulsating Moose Kapene Cup final 27-26 over Marist on the Memorial Park turf holding out one desperate last green and white attack in the Marist clubrooms corner Carterton started the stronger in the steady rain knocking over an early penalty to open the scoring Marist nearly responded through their Upper Hutt Rams connection as Soli Malatai was unable to claw in a Tafa Tafa grubber but cashed in moments later when Carterton were unable to deal with the ball Malatai was first there Carterton’s reply started in bizarre fashion Tafa knocked-on on halfway and in frustration booted the ball backwards and out inside his own 22m Referee Ali Payne – refereeing his 10th Moose Kapene final – had no hesitation in awarding the lineout and after some stout defence Marist cracked and Wai-Bush sevens legend Inia Katia on as an early replacement poked his way through Carterton were dominating territory but one of Marist’s few foray’s paid off when they manipulated space for winger Hayden Cooper to cross on the stroke of halftime Just as they started the first half Carterton were swiftly into their work in the second Big Fijian lock Malakai Biumaiwai went close but knocked-on but powerful tighthead Blair Heming won a penalty at the ensuing scrum and from that they pushed Marist back for No 8 Zach Wakefield to score the easiest of tries Marist’s response was immediate; from an attacking scrum halfback Ala Malatai sniped down the blindside and exchanged passes with Cooper before openside Rhys Severn took the last pass and crashed over Carterton seemed to put the game out of reach around the 60th minute with a quickfire double Fiula Tameilau crossed in a mass of bodies and Daryl Pickering’s conversion put them out to 27-21 8 Joe Tako barged over to set up a grandstand finish Tafa missed a long-range dropped goal attempt before Carterton held out one final assault Prop Tupou Lea’aemanu and centre Aseri Waqa were big contributors for the victors with brothers Willie and Charles Mataitai a solid wall for Marist in midfield In the subsidiary final East Coast won the Hodder-Steffert Cup 13-12 over Eketahuna The two Senior Reserve finals were heartbeat finishes The championship Ryan Cup went the way of Gladstone 17-14 over Tuhirangi in a match that was 7-3 for a long period Gladstone scored in the 65th minute before the Pirinoa farmers responded and set up one last attack from an attacking lineout but knocked-on Greytown took the subsidiary Presidents Cup 18-12 over Carterton after leading 15-0 after a dozen minutes and 18-0 after 30 Carterton scored in the shadow of halftime but the second half was scoreless until Carterton scored with four minutes left with the match ending when one last Carterton raid was bundled into touch 5m short of the line The grubber kick in the OBU game was by Malo Manuao that Tom Henderson collected to score – rather than Ty Poe Carterton’s third try scored by Fiula Tameilau After a full 13-week round-robin followed by a three-week knock out series the 2024 Wellington Colts Division 1 champions will be crowned this Saturday on Jerry Collins Stadium kick-off 1.15pm and as the curtain-raiser to the Jubilee Cup decider that kicks off on the same ground Hutt Old Boys Marist will go into the final with an unbeaten season record They defeated Oriental-Rongotai 56-7 in their semi-final while Tawa battled past multiple former champions OBU Green 10-8 HOBM won the first round Paris Memorial Trophy with a week to spare while Tawa finished seventh and sealed the final place for the Division 1 knockout series HOBM head coach Al Tetevano said that his side were pleased to beat Ories in the semi-final in what was expected to be a tough physical battle in wet weather “We know Tawa will be a tough side to play in the final after beating Petone and OBU respectively ” We will need to be on our game and have the same mentality as we did in the semifinal These two teams previously met in the Paris Memorial Trophy round-robin in round 6 on 11 May “We’ve had a good squad of players this season willing to do what it takes to win this Championship for HOBM “We’d love the sun to come out at Jerry Collins stadium on Saturday as our team thrive off playing an expansive game.” HOBM have scored 675 points in 15 games so far in 2024 Top try scorer heading into the final is wing Phelan Rona who has scored 14 tries Their top points scorer is Junior Leleisiuao with 177 HOBM’s captains are Dominic Ernst Captain and Max Fata-Meafou – both out of nearby St Bernard’s College The Eagles are expecting a lift from their supporters on Saturday “We’ve been lucky to have this weekend a supporters bus for us this which we are grateful for.We know how important this final means to not only the team but especially our whanau and friends in the Hutt.” Coach Tetevano is a past co-coach of the Hutt International Boys’ U15 team with Norm Hewitt who tragically passed away last week after a battle with motor neurone disease “We took the team to the top four in both years for the first time in the schools history “Norm Hewitt has been a role model and holds great Mana for us all and I’ll truly miss him Lizzie and Alex all our love from the Tetevano whanau and HOBM rugby community KIA KAHA “UNTIL WE BREAK BREAD AGAIN NORM.” Tawa’s head coach Petaia Petaia said his side was happy and relieved when the fulltime whistle blew for their 10-8 semi-final win over OBU: “Weather conditions dictated how the game was played but I thought our boys stood up to the might of the OBU machine The tenacity and grit they showed with all the spilled and dropped balls due to the conditions was commendable but our boys know that we could have done better Petaia said that with their unbeaten record the HOBM Eagles are firm favourites but win or lose his team will be giving their all “We are aware that we go into this final with the underdog tag but that’s how we like it,” he said “That doesn’t mean that HOBM is the better team however we acknowledge that they’ve been unbeaten all year they just happened to finish first in the Paris Memorial Trophy round and we finished seventh “We see ourselves as a team of battlers and most of us are here because we love playing with our mates That is where the strength of our team lies it’s the comradery and relationships built during the season through our training under the leadership of our HOR Steve So’oialo and management team Tawa will look to their team leaders to be the key for their title tilt “They will guide and lead us in the game and adjust and make decisions that will lead us to glory and the John E Kelly Memorial Trophy We won’t be doing anything different from how we’ve played all season and as a wise man once said “all animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others”…may the best team win.” Tawa will have three teams contesting the six finals on Saturday we will be playing for the people that matter to this team Tony  – stalwarts of the club who are always there for the boys cooking and making sure we’re all taken care of families and friends are the people that will lift us with their voice and support on Saturday when the going gets tough The John E Kelly Memorial Cup was donated to the WRFU by the Wellington Football Club for play in the Under 21 Division 1 Competition in 1985 The trophy is in memory of Wellington’s late Club Captain John played and administrated rugby with the Wellington Club for many years and had the privilege of playing alongside his young son The University club won the first John E Kelly Cup in 1986 and Porirua won the second in 1987 OBU (including University and WCOB) have won this 11 times and Norths (including Porirua) have won four titles The two teams that will contest the final will be selected and finalised from the following players (with their former schools in brackets): HOBM Colts Squad 2024 (likely playing position in final) 5 Hugh Bloomfield Hutt International Boys school 13 Brodee Tetevano  Hutt International Boys school 18 Hunter Anderson Hutt Valley High School 25 Jo Paradis Nanaimo District Secondary school 28 Alec Pedebone Forest Lake High School Australia not numbered but from low numbers to high) Both Tawa and the Upper Hutt Rams were safely through to the ‘top 8’ Jubilee Cup round with two rounds to spare when they met at Lyndhurst Park in this round 12 of 13 first round Wellington club rugby Premier clash Finishing order and home playoffs were at stake in this match that came down to the last play when Tawa first-five Solomon Uelese scored and then converted his own try for a 34-32 win The Rams had earlier established a 32-24 lead and just needed to hang on over the final 10 minutes or so in gathering gloom This was after second five Emmanuel Solomona scored his try after a lineout in the corner Uelese kicked a penalty to see Tawa close to 32-27 and then they won at the end Tawa had scored the first try off a 20 metre lineout drive but the Rams had hit back with three of their own Tawa closed out the first half with their second try It remained tense after the break as both sides scored again in quick succession Scoring highlights of that match are below – or subscribe to our You Tube channel here https://www.youtube.com/clubrugbynz scoring highlights of the Colts curtain-raiser at the same venue below – won by Tawa 26-10: {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"/2024/06/14/comedy-legend-ginette-mcdonald-on-why-lynn-of-tawa-still-haunts-her/"},"datePublished":"2024-06-14T05:00:33.47Z","dateModified":"2024-06-14T05:00:33.47Z","headline":"Comedy legend Ginette McDonald on why Lynn of Tawa still haunts her","description":"McDonald takes us through her life as an actor She's been in front of and behind the screen of New Zealand film and television for decades and now New Zealand on Screen has released her archive online Seven Sharp's Julian Lee caught up with the actor writer and TV producer best known for her comedy role as Lynn of Tawa The Hannah Playhouse on a Monday afternoon This looming faux-brutalist structure on Cambridge Terrace is typical in New Zealand towns and cities One suspects that New Zealanders tried to copy brutalism for all the wrong reasons — one being that concrete is cheap the Hannah Playhouse is a staple of the Wellington cityscape Most of the big names on New Zealand TV and film at one time performed here as a rite of passage into the industry I was waiting for Ginette McDonald to arrive — that instantly recognisable face that has featured on so many of our TV programmes over the years Lynn is a bit of a double-edged sword for Ginette And the reason we were catching up? NZ On Screen has just released a compendium of her work over the years, aptly titled the Ginette McDonald Collection It’s the first time they've ever focused on a single profile Anyone can go online and watch it for free you might get a little personality surprise — if they're a stern person on camera Or you might get a "looks" surprise — they might be much taller But McDonald was exactly what I expected — an enchanting presence She filled the room with her anecdotes and quick-witted comments I asked about the breed because I was trying to learn more dog knowledge It barked during the first part of the interview but I think it added to the sentiment of it all We tried to cover her 50-year career in an hour We discussed her early work — her debut as a runaway teenager in Pukemanu her role as a nymphomaniac housewife from Te Puke called Shirley in the fairly unusual soap Close to Home we talked about her countless roles on and off the camera as a director and producer especially her adaptations of Maurice Gee's novels primarily aimed at teenagers but generally designed with the whole family in mind were popular with New Zealanders in the 1980s Her acting range is tremendous — playing a Pākehā woman living among Māori in Pioneer Women I didn't bring up Lynn of Tawa — McDonald did I think she wanted to get it off her chest the staff were throwing together a mock celebrity roast of then-Fair Go presenter Judith Fyfe (which is weird enough a genre; it has got to be unique to New Zealand The producer spotted her in the hallway and asked her to be on the show Michael told her to do her "Lynn of Tawa" character something she'd invented when she was 16 Something about hearing the suburban New Zealand accent on TV hit a deep nerve with the public our broadcasters and performers spoke with a certain Received Pronunciation from England McDonald attributed Bruce Mason as the first to try and get our own accent out in the open but it was her performance that really took off she had her own TV show entirely based on the character She recalled people giving her abuse — including one woman saying her "father wouldn't cross the road for her" which presumably was a very heavy New Zealand insult at the time I've heard from others who told me their parents "couldn't stand Lynn" I got the feeling she didn't want to bog us down with names of old actors that no one knows any more and perhaps felt like she might be becoming one of them that I was having an interview with McDonald he specifically requested to come along and shoot NZ On Screen's recentely-released Ginette McDonald Collection celebrates her career with videos of her comedy And the reason we were catching up? NZ On Screen has just released a compendium of her work over the years, aptly titled the Ginette McDonald Collection. It’s the first time they've ever focused on a single profile. Anyone can go online and watch it for free. Sometimes, when you meet famous people, you might get a little personality surprise — if they're a stern person on camera, say a politician, they might be goofy off camera. More commonly, "funny folk", like comedians, can often be much more serious in person. Or you might get a "looks" surprise — they might be much taller, shorter, better-looking, or uglier than you expected. But McDonald was exactly what I expected — an enchanting presence. Earthy, straight to the point, says what she likes. And, obviously, absolutely delightful. She filled the room with her anecdotes and quick-witted comments. I felt socially greedy, like she was doing all the work. McDonald came with her dog Fifi. I asked about the breed because I was trying to learn more dog knowledge, but I'd already forgotten what it was. It was one of those little yappy ones. It barked during the first part of the interview but I think it added to the sentiment of it all. Ginette McDonald's canine compaion, Fifi. (Source: Seven Sharp) We tried to cover her 50-year career in an hour, which was practically impossible. We discussed her early work — her debut as a runaway teenager in Pukemanu, her role as a nymphomaniac housewife from Te Puke called Shirley in the fairly unusual soap Close to Home. Later, we talked about her countless roles on and off the camera as a director and producer, especially her adaptations of Maurice Gee's novels. Their "kidults", primarily aimed at teenagers but generally designed with the whole family in mind, were popular with New Zealanders in the 1980s. Her acting range is tremendous — playing a Pākehā woman living among Māori in Pioneer Women, or as one of King Lear's sultry, wicked daughters, performed right here in the Hannah. For the record, I didn't bring up Lynn of Tawa — McDonald did. I think she wanted to get it off her chest. When TVNZ was based in Avalon in the Hutt, the staff were throwing together a mock celebrity roast of then-Fair Go presenter Judith Fyfe (which is weird enough a genre; it has got to be unique to New Zealand, surely). The producer spotted her in the hallway and asked her to be on the show, which happened to be the next day. She called her brother Michael in a panic, not knowing what to do. Michael told her to do her "Lynn of Tawa" character, something she'd invented when she was 16. He gave her some lines over the phone. She did it on the roast, and it was an immediate success. Something about hearing the suburban New Zealand accent on TV hit a deep nerve with the public. Until then, our broadcasters and performers spoke with a certain Received Pronunciation from England. McDonald attributed Bruce Mason as the first to try and get our own accent out in the open, but it was her performance that really took off. Maybe we were finally ready for it. Seemingly overnight, she had her own TV show entirely based on the character. Lynn had her TV specials, hosted events, and did ads. Lynn was everywhere. But McDonald said Lynn haunts her. While many of us loved the character, many didn't. Some folk still weren't ready for it. She recalled people giving her abuse — including one woman saying her "father wouldn't cross the road for her", which presumably was a very heavy New Zealand insult at the time. Anecdotally, I've heard from others who told me their parents "couldn't stand Lynn". Seven Sharp's Julian Lee meets New Zealand comedy legend Ginette McDonald. (Source: Seven Sharp) Then again, she's got Lynn to thank in many ways. During the interview, I got the feeling she didn't want to bog us down with names of old actors that no one knows any more and perhaps felt like she might be becoming one of them. That's when I told her. The week prior, I told Caomh, our young camera operator, 22 years of age, that I was having an interview with McDonald. He not only knew her, he specifically requested to come along and shoot. I told this to McDonald. She looked up at Caomh in disbelief. She was shocked. She didn't know quite what to say. From where? She asked. From school, Caomh said. But in what capacity? MAFS bride hits back at screen groom's claims of abuse Ryan Donnelly and Jacqui Burfoot were paired together in the most recent Australian season of the series but chose to separate in an insult-laden final vows ceremony Entertainment Manu and Colin go Off the Grid in NZ's ultimate foodie road trip The My Kitchen Rules celebrity judges are swapping five-star restaurants for $5 pies Jacob Elordi on his most confronting role yet The Narrow Road to the Deep North tells the story of prisoners of war forced to build the Thai-Burma Death Railway Think you can beat the Chaser A four-episode special of The Chase New Zealand is coming New Zealand Netflix increases subscription prices Disney+ also increased its subscription pricing in NZ earlier this year After The Party scores Bafta nomination has been nominated for the best international series award Film industry anxiously awaits details on Trump's 100% movie tariff 7:17pm Search underway for Masterton man, 74, missing since Sunday 7:07pm Crooks, culture first order of business for Mike Bush in Victoria 7:05pm Charges filed against Woolworths over pricing, misleading specials 6:45pm Police, experts warn 'emerging risk' of 3D-printed firearms rising 6:33pm Trade war: Sir John Key's 'optimism' on Trump's next tariff moves 7:28pm 1US woman who disappeared for more than six decades found safe Govt halts all current pay equity claims, makes it harder to lodge new ones NRL: Sharks centre Iro wants to be known by new name Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one Photos: Lorde among stars at 2025 Met Gala A$AP Rocky and Rihanna also revealed they are expecting their third child. Two arrested over alleged plot targeting Lady Gaga concert in RioBrazilian police said they thwarted an alleged bomb attack planned for Lady Gaga's concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. Lady Gaga rocks Copacabana Beach with free concert for over 2 million fansSun, May 4 Lorde announces new album name, dateThu, May 1 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon, Apr 28 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon, Apr 28 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon ","type":"text"},{"_id":"SI7SNXGG5ZBPZGW7NU3OUZ3XGQ","content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"YNBEQZ57AVABTMQL4SSU65G3AE","content":"McDonald attributed Bruce Mason as the first to try and get our own accent out in the open A Married at First Sight bride has accused her on-air husband of lying in his application for protection against her which she claims he lodged out of retaliation Ryan Donnelly and Jacqui Burfoot were paired together in the most recent season of the hit Australian reality TV series but chose to separate during an insult-laden final vows ceremony Their bickering went from the small screen to the courtroom when Burfoot was granted an interim restraining order in Tasmania preventing Donnelly talking about her on social media Donnelly responded by applying for an apprehended domestic violence order against Burfoot which came before Sydney's Campbelltown Local Court yesterday The ex-reality TV star told reporters he had suffered "a lot of harm" and received menacing messages as a result of "vicious" and "malicious" claims Burfoot made about him online "An individual has tried to destroy my life so men can be victims as well," he said outside the courthouse "At one point I was very afraid." The 37-year-old applied for a restraining order that would stop his TV wife publishing anything about him or his friends on social media for two years or intimidating Donnelly or damaging anything he owned – including harming his dog Freya she would be prohibited from approaching him or trying to contact Donnelly who is living in Tasmania with another MAFS groom did not appear in court today but sent an email opposing the restraining order She told AAP she was fighting the unnecessary and vexatious application because it is "founded on false statements and is in retaliation to my win in court" The alleged lies include accusations she harassed him through direct messages and that their relationship continued for nine months when she claims they only dated for three Domestic relationships are not defined by duration in the NSW Crimes (Personal and Domestic Violence) Act "[Donnelly] is using court proceedings in a way to mislead the public through the media," Burfoot said adding on social media it was a "waste of court resources" Magistrate Shane McAnulty told the court he was unwilling to grant the order in Burfoot's absence and asked the parties to prepare submissions before the matter returns to court on June 24 Donnelly said he wanted to move on with his life but he wanted "to make sure I'm protected" "Justice should be served," he told reporters He said he thought the proceedings were a valuable use of the court's time and opined he would "have an extremely strong case" for defamation action against his on-screen wife The TV groom refused to comment on whether he would stop posting about Burfoot or withdraw from social media completely noting MAFS is a "programme that can do wonderful things for people" Donnelly and Burfoot engaged in a tumultuous relationship on screen which ended with them trading barbs at the final vow ceremony you are the red carpet," Burfoot told Donnelly Burfoot is now engaged to her MAFS co-star Clint Rice who proposed to her at a viewing party for the finale of the show Celebrity chefs Manu Feildel and Colin Fassnidge are no strangers to long days and big personalities but their latest TV adventure takes things to an entirely new level: cramped quarters They spoke to Aziz Al Sa'afin about their next big project exploring the land of the long white cloud The pair – known for their judging duties on Australian cooking competition show My Kitchen Rules – have traded in white tablecloths for winding roads in their new TVNZ series Off The Grid but we want to do something for ourselves,” Feildel told Seven Sharp “We saw this little caravan in the back of someone’s garden and we took a photo of it 'let’s travel around the country in that type of caravan' and voilà But what sounded like a dream trip quickly became a test of patience But I think that’s all part the beauty of the show It’s not all rainbows and happy,” joked Fassnidge And they’re doing it the old-fashioned way: on four wheels “There’s so much to offer in such a small country,” Feildel said “It’s like you’ve got a remote control watching TV and you keep switching these channels and that’s gorgeous.” food is never far from the conversation or the campervan Feildel and Fassnidge said they were especially struck by the richness of Māori cuisine “We thought the French invented confit duck,” Feildel quipped “I think the Māori have been confiting duck for years.” referring to when the pair were invited onto a marae and gifted a piece of sacred pounamu “The chief gave us this huge greenstone from the river,” Manu explained Those heartfelt moments are balanced with a fair bit of silliness and and entertainment Off The Grid promises to offer a raw and hilarious look at two friends well and truly out of their comfort zones in a world of "misadventures" Off The Grid premieres tonight at 7.30pm on TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+ Jacob Elordi has played his fair share of heartthrobs and outsiders a surgeon captured during World War II and forced to build the Thai-Burma Death Railway might just be the one that stays with him the longest Australia Correspondent Aziz Al Sa'afin sat down with Elordi and the cast of Narrow Road to the Deep North ahead of its release on April 18 Elordi starred as Dorrigo Evans in the six-part Australian mini-series based on the Booker Prize-winning novel by Richard Flanagan whose father survived the Thai-Burma Railway It tells the harrowing story of POWs who endured unimaginable conditions under Japanese captivity More than 13,000 Allied soldiers died building the railway Among them were at least 13 recorded New Zealand casualties their names etched into war cemeteries in Thailand shedding weight and wearing down their bodies to reflect the physical toll But Elordi said it was the emotional impact that left the deepest mark It was a spiritual kind of experience,” he said It was this silent thing that happened sort of behind your eyes.” He described a sense of mateship that carried through both on and off-screen “All sort of ego and everything gets cut away when you're doing that sort of thing together but there was something quite magical about it.” known for bold and often brutal Australian films like Snowtown cinematic style was felt throughout the adaptation “Justin has made important cinema from his first film the best-case scenario and the best way to come home.” Rising Australian star Thomas Weatherall who played a young Indigenous soldier named Frank said he chased the role harder than any before joking that he was surprised his agent was still talking to him “I was a fan of the novel long before I ever knew this was happening And I just knew there was one character I could really gun for,” he said “I think he’s a great character when it comes to Indigenous representation in Australian literature At the centre of the emotional fallout was Dorrigo’s complicated relationship with two women: Amy “She’s a firecracker,” Young said of her character “You don’t really get to see rowdy women in imperial dramas.” “Ella’s purposeful and passionate,” DeJonge added. “She is one of Dorrigo’s lifelong loves and navigates through a tumultuous time in Australian history and the world with grace and sincerity.” a man caught in a web of pre-war passion that continued to haunt them all “He's a publican in South Australia embroiled in a love story with Amy and Dorrigo before he goes to war,” Baker said “It’s this sustaining love that kind of carries him through and in a way revealing not just the horrors of war but the lingering trauma in the years that follow While it may have been the most confronting role he had taken on Elordi said it was also one of the most meaningful particularly being able to film it on home soil “We don't make a lot of stuff here,” Baker added “So when there's a quality project like this The Narrow Road to the Deep North is released on Prime Video on April 18 Netflix subscribers face an up to $6 a month price rise as the streamer increases the cost of its service Netflix's basic subscription package increased from $14.99 to $17.99 a month its standard plan rose from $20.99 to $25.99 a month and the premium plan went up from $27.99 to $33.99 Adding extra members to standard or premium plans would also cost more — up to $9.99 per person from $7.99 Email notifications for existing members began on April 3 with the exact timing of the change depending on the specific member's billing cycle "As we continue to invest in programming and deliver more value for our members we will sometimes ask our members to pay more so that we can re-invest to further improve Netflix." last increased prices for Kiwi customers in February last year The price hike also follows increases for customers in the United States and Canada in January Disney+ also increased its subscription pricing in NZ in February Its standard plan rose from $14.99 to 16.99 per month and its premium plan increase from $18.99 to $21.99 Those paying a yearly-standard subscription would see a price increase from $149.99 to $169.99 and for a yearly-premium subscription The critically acclaimed New Zealand TV show After The Party has been nominated for a British Bafta TV award Emily Perkins and Martha Hardy-Ward and filmed on location in Wellington — has been nominated for the best international series award of a sex crime against her daughter's teenage friend Phil returns from Scotland and moves in with Penny's daughter and grandchild The show found success in the UK after it was released by Channel 4 You can watch After The Party on TVNZ+ In a post to Instagram, Malcolm reacted to the nomination, saying: "Just to get in this category is utterly crazy, mindblowing and just plain joyous. "Am wandering about Liverpool in a daze thinking about all our ATP crew who worked like maniacs, rain wind and shine over those weeks back in Te Whanganui a Tara Aotearoa (Wellington New Zealand) . Lads this is a testament to all our work together. I’m f’ing proud of all of us. "We are in a seriously classy category with seriously classy competition." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Robyn Malcolm (@robynjmalcolm) Following its New Zealand release on TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+ the series swept the New Zealand Television Awards and Best Actor and Actress wins for Peter Mullan and Robyn Malcolm The show currently sits at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and 7.6/10 on IMDB which stars New Zealand-born actor Anna Sawai A search and rescue operation is underway for a Masterton man in his 70s missing since Sunday John Rafferty was last seen at Masterton Railway Station about midday on May 4 The 74-year-old did not board a train and left on foot about 20 minutes later Matheson said it was possible Rafferty was staying with a friend but police and loved ones "want to know he’s safe" and John doesn’t have his cell phone or wallet," he said A search team and a helicopter has been out looking for the missing man "We are really keen to know that he’s safe." Police have released an image from CCTV showing Rafferty on a station platform on the day of his disappearance He was wearing a blue jacket with 'NASA' written on the back Anyone who saw him was asked to contact police on 111 or online at 105 if there was Information after the fact The next top cop of the troubled Victoria police force embraces his "outsider" status to curb its leadership malaise and has a stern warning for crooks Former New Zealand Police commissioner Mike Bush won the race to become Victoria's chief commissioner after months of top-level staffing woes The 40-year police veteran steps into the role on June 27 with a five-year contract The Kiwi conceded the job will be no picnic with Victoria's crime rate hitting an almost decade-high in 2024 everyone knows that," he told reporters today "These crime issues are actually global they are quite similar wherever you go but it's not good enough just to turn up after the act Rising youth crime and high-profile cases of alleged offenders committing crimes while on bail spurred the Victorian government to strengthen laws in March Bush said he was familiar with the crackdown but bail laws were just one part of the solution to tackling youth crime along with a "prevention mindset" He retired from the NZ police force in 2020 after joining in 1978 and spending his final six years in the top job Whakaari/White Island volcano eruption and Covid-19 pandemic were among the biggest crises Bush confronted during his tenure Bush also made headlines in 2022 after it emerged he had a past drink-driving conviction when unsuccessfully applying to become head of the UK's Metropolitan Police Former New Zealand police minister Stuart Nash describedr Bush as hard but fair He said Bush regularly met with police forces across the Tasman in his previous role and recalled travelling with him to every district across New Zealand once a year to chew the fat with communities and then we all had biscuits and a cup of tea," Nash told AAP "Mike is someone who had deep credibility in policing." The state government has not handed the reins of Victoria Police to an outsider since former NSW Police assistant commissioner Christine Nixon in 2001 The Kiwi was happy to wear the "outsider" tag and is already hatching plans to hit the ground running "I've got a lot to do to come up to speed," Bush said "Culture is a consequence of leadership." establishing relationships with community groups amid rising tensions and increasing police visibility on the beat were among his other top initial priorities Victoria Police was thrust into leadership turmoil in February with a no-confidence vote from officers costing chief commissioner Shane Patton his job Emergency Management Commissioner Rick Nugent became acting chief and expressed an interest in making the move permanent before throwing in the towel in April Deputy Commissioner Robert Hill will serve in an acting capacity until Bush takes over Bush intends to speak with Patton before starting and said he wouldn't shy away from pushing back if he disagreed with the government Premier Jacinta Allan said a recruitment agency was hired and instructed to find a leader capable of addressing the "challenges" plaguing the force "Mike Bush is the best person for the job," she said whose union led the no-confidence vote against Patton following a bitter pay dispute admitted there was a disconnect between members and leaders The state police union secretary welcomed Mr Bush's appointment and pledge to listen to the mounting workforce concerns "We have a police force that is currently under-resourced that needs fresh officers," he said The Commerce Commission has filed criminal charges against Woolworths NZ for alleged inaccurate pricing and misleading specials that may have breached the Fair Trading Act The commission filed the charges against Woolworths in the Auckland District Court It indicated in December last year that it would be filing separate criminal charges against Woolworths and two Pak'nSave supermarkets the commission said there were ongoing issues with pricing in the supermarket sector and the operators may have breached the Fair Trading Act deputy chair Anne Callinan said operators should know what the expectations were "Supermarkets have long been on notice about the importance of accurate and clear pricing and specials and we're not satisfied with the continuing issues we're seeing across the industry "Pricing accuracy is a consumer right and an expectation of a competitive market well-resourced businesses that should invest the time and effort to get pricing and promotions right." She said the charges were filed to remind all supermarkets that they are expected to fix the pricing accuracy issues and implement better processes In a statement when the charges were announced Woolworths managing director Spencer Sonn said it was important customers could trust prices advertised at their supermarkets Woolworths said it has cooperated with the Commerce Commission's pricing investigation for some time rnz.co.nz Former prime minister Sir John Key says he remains optimistic about Donald Trump's domestic economic policy despite opposing the tariff strategy that has sent global markets into turmoil in recent months who served as prime minister for eight years was the keynote speaker at an Auckland business summit earlier today Sir John told 1News he believed Trump would ultimately take a more moderate approach to tariffs than initially proposed "I'm not a fan of tariff policies I don't think they really work," he said as I think the stock market is telling you at the moment that actually there will be a more sensible landing place for the tariffs that he's wanting to impose." Sir John said he "wasn't entirely surprised" at Trump's call to go ahead with the policy "They're just a negotiating point I think he simply put on widespread and high rates of tariffs on every country to give himself a leverage point and a negotiating point "What I think he actually grossly underestimated was the stock market reaction You can actually make the case that his own strategy hasn't worked The reason the markets have recovered is because he's taken those tariffs off the most part 'I'm going to negotiate case by case'." Sir John suggested Trump's economic policies could still generally be positive for the US but the tariffs could be trickier for the global economy Asked whether he stood by his October comments that Trump would be good for the economy he said: "Do I think he's going to reduce regulatory burden in the United States It depends on where things shake down in terms of tariffs." Sir John acknowledged that for certain industries Trump's policies could be "a really negative thing" particularly if the president's proposed 100% tariff on the film industry were to be implemented "I can't see how it would be cost-competitive to make a movie in New Zealand with a 100% tariff on it," he said noting that films such as The Hobbit would not have been made in New Zealand without government subsidies who now served as a director of US tech company Palo Alto Networks said he had "always been opposed" to Trump's tariff policies but believes they won't be the "dominant part of his economic solutions" "I don't think it's perfect from New Zealand's point of view but I don't think we should panic either and America will still be a very big market for us to sell things to," he said "There are growing markets around the world It's not a great thing from New Zealand's point of view We've got a very sound economy with lots of options in front of us." Sir John suggested a belief that the Republican Trump was was better "on balance" for the US economy than Democratic opponent Kamala Harris he expressed concerns about Trump's tariff approach: "China doesn't pay those tariffs middle-income consumers or consumers in America do because when a tariff goes on a good that you bring into a country He added: "I don't agree with the massive tariffs and I don't think you'll follow through with all of that and I certainly don't agree with this view on trade." Audrey Backeberg disappeared from a small city in south-central Wisconsin after reportedly hitchhiking with her family’s babysitter and catching a bus to Indianapolis Nobody ever knew where she went or what happened to her All that changed last week when she was found alive and safe in another state thanks to the fresh eyes from a deputy who took over the case in February Detective Isaac Hanson discovered an out-of-state arrest record that matched Backeberg which triggered a series of investigative moves that led to finding her alive and safe in another state Turns out Backeberg chose to leave the town of Reedsburg on her own accord – likely due to an abusive husband safe and secure; And just kind of lived under the radar for that long,” he said Hanson was assigned the case in late February and he and other officials met with Backeberg’s family to see if they had a connection with that region They also started digging through Backeberg's sister's Ancestry.com account obituaries and marriage licenses from that region they found an address where a woman was living that Hanson said shared a lot of similarities with Backeberg including date of birth and social security number Hanson was able to get a deputy from that jurisdiction to go to the address "I was expecting the deputy to call me back and say ‘Oh nobody answered the door.’ And I thought it was the deputy calling me I could sense that she obviously had her reasons for leaving.” Most of the information he learned during that call he declined to share saying that it was still important to Backeberg that she not be found “I think it overwhelmed her of course with the emotions that she had having a deputy show up at her house and then kind of call her out and talk with her about what happened and kind of relive 62 years in 45 minutes,” he said Hanson described discovering her safe after more than six decades practically unheard of And while he doesn't know what will happen next in terms of her family reconnecting he said he was happy that she can reach out if she wants to so she has my contact number if she ever wants to reach out or needs anything any phone numbers of family members back here," he said "Ultimately she kind of holds the cards for that.” The government is making it harder to make a claim for pay equity that will cut costs There have been massive pay equity claims in recent years for nurses and resthome workers Workplace Minister Brooke van Velden announced the moves to raise the threshold for proving work has been historically undervalued to support a claim on Tuesday saying changes back in 2020 had created problems "Claims have been able to progress without strong evidence of undervaluation and there have been very broad claims where it is difficult to tell whether differences in pay are due to sex-based discrimination or other factors." Claims were concentrated in the public sector with costs to the Crown of all settlements so far totalling $1.78 billion a year "The changes I am proposing will significantly reduce costs to the Crown," she said "The changes will discontinue current pay equity claims." Van Velden told Midday Report she believes in pay equity but the current thresholds were "a bit too loose" Asked how she ensure women were not hurt by this the minister said "I'm a woman and I support women who work" "I also support removing gender based discriminations from our workforces but what I don't support are muddied laws and unclear laws," she said "So these changes are better for all women who are working where we can genuinely say hand on heart that what they are finding with their claims is genuine gender based discrimination." Van Velden told reporters at Parliament any current claims would be stopped and need to restart under the new threshold to show "genuine" gender discrimination and make sure the comparators were right She gave a figure of 33 current claims that would be stopped as the legislation was put through under urgency "You have librarians who've been comparing themselves to transport engineers We have admin and clerical staff at Health New Zealand comparing themselves to mechanical engineers." Social workers had compared themselves to air traffic controllers "We don't believe we have that setting right." Any comparison would now be between female employees and male employees at the same employer "But you cannot go fishing for discrimination across the New Zealand workforce." All current settled claims would continue but the government was drawing "a line in the sand" "We're not stopping claims." The nurse's union has this year had at least 10 pay equity claims in play The PSA union has said pay equity claims and settlements had resulted in significant improvements in pay and working conditions for many workers The union said the changes would make it "impossible for people in female-dominated professions to be paid fairly" "Women across the country will pay the price for this," PSA national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said "The government's changes today are a dark day for New Zealand women as the government says it will repeal the pay equity law and extinguish 33 existing claims in a constitutional overreach "The PSA is exploring all possible avenues to oppose these unconstitutional amendments and stop this attack on women We will not be deterred in our fight to achieve pay equity for all." "This is a blatant and shameful attack on women," New Zealand Nurses organisation chief executive Paul Goulter said "Women in workforces predominantly performed by female employees have been underpaid and undervalued for generations That is what pay equity claims seek to rectify," he said "This move by the government will widen the pay gap between men and women." The union had at least 10 pay current pay claims across Aged Care These cover many nurses and support workers The E tū union also called the changes an attack on women and a green light to pay them less for work of equal value The government was pulling the rug out from under a 13-year-long fight in aged care "These changes are not about evidence — they are about saving money by keeping women underpaid," national secretary Rachel Mackintosh said in a statement A number of unions have called a snap rally at Parliament at 1pm today in light of the announcement the Council of Trade Unions and representatives of other unions say they will be "protesting the government's attack on women and the destruction of progress on pay equity..." rnz.co.nz The Cronulla player formerly known as Kayal Iro has explained his decision to change his first name midway through the NRL season Iro made a tryscoring return from a hamstring injury in the Sharks' Magic Round win over Parramatta last Friday sporting a new name on Cronulla's team list The 25-year-old has now requested he be referred to as 'KL Iro' The centre is named after his father Kevin Leslie Iro who enjoyed a decorated career in England and represented New Zealand with distinction The left centre's official documents will still read "Kayal" but the Sharks flyer said he made the switch to 'KL' to avoid any doubt as to how his name should be pronounced "Mum didn't want it to be a two-letter name when I was a kid," Iro said "She's the one that changed it to 'Kayal' I think it was just foreign back then to have a two-letter name "But my dad always wanted it to be 'KL' and I like it that way too because it's easier to pronounce and there's no confusion I was too scared to step on anyone's toes "I guess I've built a bit of a relationship with these fellas now so I asked the question and got it done pretty quick." which was often mispronounced by commentators when his father and uncle Tony were playing "Even my dad and uncle when they were playing the Pommies would pronounce it 'aye-ro' rather than 'ear-ro'," Iro added he loved it but it's pretty cool to hear a commentator saying our family name." Iro was born in England while his father was playing for Leeds but spent most of his childhood growing up in the Cook Islands While he hinted he would be open to facing the Kangaroos in the end-of-season Ashes series "I wouldn't say no but my first thing is getting the Cook Islands qualified for the World Cup next year," he said Iro and the sixth-placed Sharks (5-4) will face one of the most daunting challenges of their season to date when they travel to take on Manly (4-4) at Brookvale Oval on Sunday "They've got a strong right edge and also [Tom] Trbojevic at the back," Iro said "[Trboejvic] is a strike weapon in attack and things happen around him we've got to be aware of him." Shane William Pritchard has been charged with crimes he didn’t commit and chased for debts he doesn’t owe That’s because the Dunedin man is not the only Shane William Pritchard in town While the duo’s shared name and age has sometimes been a handy loophole for one Shane for the other it has caused problems for 36 years It’s been years of fearing every knock on the door Years of wondering if he’ll be hand-cuffed and taken to jail to be honest,” says Shane William Pritchard a scout and a member of the Air Training Corp remembers getting quite a shock when her friend called one evening She'd been acting as a referee for a gun licence for Shane whose friend informed her that the police had a long list of offences against Shane’s name Not long after that the police turned up to where Shane was working at the local tannery to arrest him “You're scrambling in your head to think of ways that you can prove it's not you.” Another Shane William Pritchard had been born in Otago They were separated by just two weeks and about 50 miles – one growing up in Mosgiel the other in Milton – but also by the lives they’d been leading To watch the full video story go to TVNZ+ Shane from Milton had huge problems focusing at school He was raised in foster care and then boys’ homes I just wanted to look cool and get in trouble,” he tells Fair Go Milton Shane was used to run-ins with police he got pulled over in his car and asked about his driving licence one’s got a licence and the other hasn’t.’ And I’m like ‘obviously it must be the one with a licence’.” he went to his bank to draw out an ACC payment and was asked which bank account was his He says that at that point he was trying to figure out what was going on “I thought it was just an error.” But he took advantage of the situation and withdrew a large sum of cash Mosgiel Shane became aware of the withdrawal when a scheduled car payment was declined and when Milton Shane turned up at the bank to withdraw more money Identity fraud was considered but Milton Shane was legitimately expecting an ACC payment so the withdrawal appeared to be a genuine mistake and the police couldn’t take any action 'Anything I could get away with Mosgiel Shane thought the bank incident would have alerted police to the problem But his nemesis had cottoned on to the advantages of having a second identity to use Milton Shane acquired a suite of furniture on hire-purchase Milton-Shane clocked up more driving offences Mosgiel Shane thought about changing his name but realised he’d have to provide his previous name in the process the courts and debt collectors such as Baycorp should be able to distinguish between himself and Milton Shane The police first addressed the issue in the 1990s after Mosgiel Shane went to the media He was given a letter to carry with him should he be apprehended He and his parents felt his situation wasn’t being taken seriously Mosgiel Shane went to the media a second time in the mid-2000s the police gave their word that a record in their system would stop the misidentification from happening again This does appear to have worked as far as police action goes But while Mosgiel Shane was given the same reassurance by the Ministry of Justice he continued to receive demands from the courts for unpaid fines He’d also get stopped and questioned whenever he left the country for work trips or holidays It took a huge toll on Mosgiel Shane’s mental health not realising the constant stress it placed on his life John Pritchard says that at times his son felt his life wasn’t worth living worrying about what he was going to do to himself and that really ate me up.” he and his son were in tears as Shane admitted he was at breaking point He described going for days at a time unable to eat or sleep wondering what might happen next "Am I going to be in a position where they've got me in handcuffs or I've got debt collectors coming to the door?" ...You're spiralling into this black hole." He started taking anti-anxiety medication which helped And events regarding Milton Shane seemed to settle Milton Shane was charged for fishing without a licence in Twizel and failing to comply with fisheries officers But a court registrar incorrectly entered the birth date of Mosgiel Shane in the system both Shanes were being chased to pay the $1530 fine It was Mosgiel Shane who spotted the error and rang the court He also sent a statement from his manager saying he’d not been fishing in Twizel that day The reply he got was to say he’d been given the wrong form and that they wouldn’t accept his proof They just wanted to know how I was going to pay the fine.” The first Milton Shane knew about this was when Fair Go told him Mosgiel Shane had been chased for the fine He was told to pay up or face the consequences feeling he shouldn’t have to pay good money to correct someone else’s mistake But it cost Mosgiel Shane over $5000 in legal fees and took months of back and forth between him “Why should anybody have to pay their own money to right somebody else's wrongs and prove who they are I’m sick and tired of proving who I am all the time.” He wanted the Ministry of Justice to take responsibility and reimburse him for his legal costs saying court staff such as the registrar in this case have immunity if they make mistakes such as the one made here and if I make a mistake and it's affecting my client that it's going to cost them money to rectify a mistake that I've made.” he deserves a million apologies from those guys,” she says Milton Shane told Fair Go he still gets in trouble but wants the other Shane to know he doesn’t use his birth date anymore And he had a message for him: “We’ve got to get it sorted for you so you can have a good life with you and your family because I’m trying to get my life together with my son and my grandson” He offers to meet to see if they can sort it out together but I’m not interested in meeting him,.” says Mosgiel Shane He says he doesn’t hold any grudges and accepts Milton Shane’s apology And he believes the only way for that to happen is for the courts and the Ministry of Justice to give him a guarantee that mix-ups won’t occur in the future Fair Go asked the Ministry of Justice to appear in person to apologise and provide reassurance to Shane of its plans to guard against these mistakes The Ministry declined our request to be on camera saying any comment on an individual case would compromise the independence of the courts as the Ministry operates separately But it did send a written apology directly to Mosgiel Shane It also admitted mistakes can occur in clerical records but said instructions were clear and the importance of getting things right had been emphasised to staff Mosgiel Shane isn’t totally convinced that’s the end of it “All I want is for the Ministry of Justice and the courts to do their job I'd like to live without this hanging over me all the time his criminal check has come back showing a clean slate Lady Gaga gave a free concert Saturday night in front of 2 million fans who poured onto Copacabana Beach for the biggest show of her career (...) Thank you for making history with me,” Lady Gaga told a screaming crowd kicked off the show at around 22.10pm local time with her 2011 song Bloody Mary Cries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand Concert organisers said 2.1 million people attended the show switching between an array of dresses including one with the colours of the Brazilian flag Some fans – many of them young – arrived on the beach at the crack of dawn to secure a good spot “Today is the best day of my life,” said Manoela Dobes a 27-year-old designer who was wearing a dress plastered with a photograph from when she met Lady Gaga in the United States in 2019 Madonna also turned Copacabana Beach into a massive dance floor last year The large-scale performances are part of an effort led by City Hall to boost economic activity after Carnival and New Years’ Eve festivities and the upcoming month-long Saint John’s Day celebrations in June “It brings activity to the city during what was previously considered the low season – filling hotels and increasing spending in bars generating jobs and income for the population,” said Osmar Lima the city’s secretary of economic development in a statement released by Rio City Hall’s tourism department last month Rio’s City Hall said in a recent report that around 1.6 million people were expected to attend Lady Gaga's concert and that the show should inject at least 600 million reais (NZ$178.3 million) into Rio’s economy Similar concerts are scheduled to take place every year in May at least until 2028 Lady Gaga arrived in Rio in the early hours of Tuesday The city has been alive with Gaga-mania since as it geared up to welcome the pop star for her first show in the country since 2012 Rio’s metro employees danced to Lady Gaga’s 2008 hit song LoveGame and gave instructions for today in a video A free exhibition celebrating her career sold out While the vast majority of attendees were from Rio the event also attracted Brazilians from across the country and international visitors More than 500,000 tourists poured into the city in the days leading up to the show according to data from the local bus station and Tom Jobim airport Rio’s City Hall said in a statement yesterday made a cross-continent trip from Colombia to Brazil to attend the show “I’ve been a 100% fan of Lady Gaga my whole life,” said Serrano who was wearing a T-shirt featuring Lady Gaga’s outlandish costumes over the years the mega-star represents “total freedom of expression – being who one wants without shame” Rio officials have a history of organising huge concerts on Copacabana Beach Madonna’s show drew an estimated 1.6 million fans last year while 4 million people flooded onto the beach for a 1994 New Year’s Eve show by Rod Stewart in 1994 that was the biggest free rock concert in history sixteen sound towers were spread along the beach Rio state’s security plan included the presence of 3300 military and 1500 police officers Among those present were Lady Gaga admirers who remember their disappointment in 2017 when the artist cancelled a performance scheduled in Rio at the last minute due to health issues “She's the best artist in the world,” the 25-year-old said I love you” in Portuguese rose from the crowd behind him whose real name is Ella Yelich O'Connor which also displayed what appears to be the album cover art — an X-ray of a pelvis "100% written in blood," the website read The new album's announcement came a week after she released her latest single What Was That The song's music video was filmed at a mysterious pop-up event in New York City's Washington Square Park that was initially shut down by police. The event ended up going ahead after all, and fans who stayed got to hear the new song for the first time. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde) It was the first sign of a follow-up to Lorde's previous album, 2021's Solar Power. Her other albums were 2013's Pure Heroine and 2017's Melodrama. Last year, she collaborated with British singer Charli XCX on a remix of Girl, so confusing — on a re-release of the Grammy award-winning Brat. Virgin is Lorde's fourth studio album. Kim Kardashian thought she was going to be raped and killed when criminals broke into her bedroom in central Paris, tied her up and stole more than US$6 million in jewellery. More than eight years later, 10 people will go on trial in Paris over the robbery, abduction and kidnapping of the media personality and the concierge of the residence where she was staying during Paris Fashion Week the night of October 2, 2016. Kardashian’s lawyers said she will testify in person at the trial starting Monday and scheduled to run through May 23. "Ms Kardashian is reserving her testimony for the court and jury and does not wish to elaborate further at this time," they said. "She has great respect and admiration for the French justice system and has been treated with great respect by the French authorities. "She wishes the trial to proceed in an orderly fashion, in accordance with French law and with respect for all parties to the case." In interviews and on her family’s reality TV show, Kardashian has described being terrified as robbers pointed a gun at her. In a 2020 appearance on David Letterman’s Netflix show, she tearfully recalled thinking: "This is the time I’m going to get raped. I’m like, ‘What is happening? Are we gonna die? Just tell them I have children. I have babies, I have a husband, I have a family.'" Twelve people were originally expected in the defendants’ box. One of them has died, and another is seriously ill and can't be tried. According to the investigation, five of the 10 defendants were present at the scene of the robbery. The French press has dubbed them The Granddad Robbers because the main defendants are elderly and have careers as bank robbers with long criminal records. Kardashian told investigators she was taken to a bathroom next to her bedroom and placed in the bathtub. Her attackers fled on bicycles or on foot and she managed to free herself by removing the tape from her hands and mouth. She had also removed the tape from her feet and rushed to her stylist’s room. She called her sister Kourtney to tell her about the theft. Shortly afterwards, Kardashian told investigators that she had not been injured. She filed a complaint, adding that she wanted to leave France as soon as possible to be reunited with her children. According to her testimony and that of the concierge, at least one of the suspects had a handgun, with which he threatened the victims. The gangsters stole many pieces of jewellery, including a ring of great value, estimated to be worth more than US$6 million (NZ$10 million). Only one piece of jewellery — a diamond cross on platinum that was lost during the suspects' escape — has been recovered. Two of the accused have partially confessed to the crime, as their DNA was found at the crime scene. The alleged ringleader, 68-year-old Aomar Aït Khedache, is one of two suspected robbers who allegedly entered the apartment. Nicknamed "Old Omar", his genetic profile was found on the tape used to gag Kardashian. He left the hotel on a bicycle, as did two other robbers, then met his son, who was waiting for him in a parked car at a nearby train station. The second robber said he tied up the concierge with cables but did not go up to Kardashian’s apartment. Yunice Abbas, 71, said he acted as a lookout in the ground-floor reception area, making sure the escape route was clear. He said he was unarmed and did not personally threaten Kardashian, but admitted he shared responsibility for the crime. Abbas was arrested in January 2017 and spent 21 months in prison before being released under judicial supervision. In 2021, he co-authored a French-language book titled I Sequestered Kim Kardashian. Didier Dubreucq, 69, known as "Blue Eyes", is the second alleged robber suspected of entering the flat. He denies any involvement, although he was filmed by CCTV cameras and numerous telephone contacts with the other co-defendants show his involvement, according to the investigation. The other defendants are suspected of providing information about Kardashian’s presence in the apartment. Others are accused of playing a role in the resale of the jewellery in Antwerp, Belgium. First-time nominees Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker and Bad Company will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — in a class that also includes pop star Cyndi Lauper, the hip-hop pioneers Outkast, the rock duo the White Stripes and grunge masters Soundgarden. Salt-N-Pepa, the first female rap act to achieve gold and platinum status, and the late singer-songwriter Warren Zevon will get the Musical Influence Award. The late record producer Thom Bell, pianist Nicky Hopkins and bassist Carol Kaye will each get the Musical Excellence Award. The late Cocker, who sang at Woodstock and was best known for his cover of The Beatles’ With a Little Help From My Friends, had the backing of Billy Joel, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top and Pete Thomas, a member of Elvis Costello & The Attractions, who argued that Cocker is "about as rock and roll as it gets". Soundgarden — with the late Chris Cornell as singer — get into the Hall on their third nomination. They follow two other grunge acts in the Hall — Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Bad Company get in having become radio fixtures with such arena-rock staples as Feel Like Makin’ Love, Can’t Get Enough and Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy. The Ahmet Ertegun Award — given to nonperforming industry professionals who had a major influence on music — will go to Lenny Waronker, a former head of Warner Bros. Records who signed Prince and R.E.M., and had a part in records from Madonna, Randy Newman, the Doobie Brothers, Rickie Lee Jones, Paul Simon and Gary Clark Jr. Some nominees that didn't get in this year included Mariah Carey, Phish, Billy Idol, Joy Division/New Order, Maná, the Black Crowes and Oasis. Checker’s recording of The Twist, and subsequent Let’s Twist Again are considered among the most popular songs in the history of rock 'n' roll. The 83-year-old has expressed frustration that he hadn't been granted entry before, including telling the AP in 2014: "I don’t want to get in there when I’m 85 years old. I’ll tell them to drop dead, so you better do it quick while I’m still smiling." Lauper rose to fame in the 1980s with hits such as Time After Time and Girls Just Want To Have Fun and went on to win a Tony Award for Kinky Boots. OutKast, made up of André 3000 and Big Boi, have six Grammys and a reputation for pushing the boundaries of hip-hop. The White Stripes — made up of Jack White and Meg White — were indie darlings in the early 2000s with such songs as Seven Nation Army. Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they’re eligible for induction. The induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles this fall. Nominees were voted on by more than 1200 artists, historians and music industry professionals. The selection criteria include "an artist’s impact on other musicians, the scope and longevity of their career and body of work, as well as their innovation and excellence in style and technique". Last year, Mary J. Blige, Cher, Foreigner, A Tribe Called Quest, Kool & The Gang, Ozzy Osbourne, Dave Matthews Band and singer-guitarist Peter Frampton were inducted. Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read. Honour the music: Director Charlotte Murray urges members of Vocal FX to use their natural voices. Photos / supplied Auckland was lovely during the recent World Choir Games. Rehearsing singers packed every nook and cranny of the CBD, buskers found themselves unexpectedly accompanied by harmonising choristers, and a Kiwi group, Tawa’s Vocal FX, claimed the champion’s trophy in the Pop Ensemble category. They should be used to acclaim. Vocal FX also pocketed a gold in the Indigenous With Accompaniment division, and they’re the current Barbershop Harmony New Zealand champions. (In what is perhaps the most egalitarian-Kiwi thing ever, they’re not allowed to defend their title in September – “you have to sit out for a year,” Murray says). Most of the international competitors, though, were unknown quantities. “It was cool to see different styles. You go to a barbershop convention and you hear a similar sound. But hearing the range of repertoire, soundscapes, was so interesting.” The Vocal FX soundscape is also interesting. It is not crystalline, the edges are not perfectly chamfered, and the group is clearly from this part of the world. “We just encourage people not to be something they’re not,” Murray says. “I think that’s important, to sing with your natural voice. We have a beautiful instrument already and using it as naturally as possible is key. If we try to manipulate it to be what it’s not, it doesn’t quite work as well.” Murray says that the values of manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, gratitude and growth are also part of the Vocal FX mix. “It’s that willingness to look out for others, but also push themselves and be thankful for what they have,” she explains. “I guess if you’re thankful for what you have, you turn up regularly and you do your best.” Kirsty Gunn’s new short story collection could be a touchstone for the times. Six champions were crowned at Porirua Park this afternoon. A round-up of the action that we covered follows. They’ll be Harkin about it all summer. Old Boys University won a Jubilee Cup final for the ages on Jerry Collins Stadium. OBU won 27-21, holding off waves of Tawa attack on their own goal line right up to the fulltime whistle, winning their fifth championship title since their first in 2015 and doing the Swindale Shield-Jubilee Cup double. As well as gargantuan defence on their own line, OBU won the game at the other end a few minutes earlier with a spectacular try. Here it is: A post shared by Club Rugby (@clubrugby) OBU first five Callum Harkin was the Player of the Final and won the Jim Brown Plate Old Boys University kicked off into the wind and forced an early Tawa error – and made them pay From the first scrum of the match just outside the 22 first five Harkin made a ghosting run at Tawa’s midfield to put the defenders in doubt than offloaded to wing Jan Lammers who scored inside the clubrooms corner Harkin’s kicked the sideline conversion and they led 7-0 early halfback Kyle Preston running blind from a scrum on halfway and forcing Tawa to scramble OBU won a breakdown penalty and Harkin slotted a penalty to put them up 10-0 with as many minutes played The Fighting Billygoats continued to build phases inside Tawa’s half but fullback Randall Bishop put the kick dead OBU set another scrum 38m out and received another penalty for Harkin to call for the kicking tee Tawa settled and started getting their hands on the ball their much-vaunted pack started climbing into its work They had their best chance of the match thus far in the 23rd minute with a penalty and lineout in the far corner But OBU defended the maul and the moment was lost leading to hooker Joyner Gaualofa scoring to the right of the posts First five Solomon Uelese added the conversion and OBU led 10-7 after 30 minutes This sparked Tawa to life and they were dangerous Winning a penalty just on the other side of halfway But try scorer Gaualofa let the Goats off the hook with a not straight lineout openside flanker Hemi Fermanis ran in support of an inside pass up towards the tryline but they couldn’t prevent Fermanis scoring the try himself But OBU sensationally regained the lead moments later when Uelese’s exit kick from the re-start was charged down by OBU flanker Harry Irving and he regathered and scored in front of the clubrooms Harkin’s conversion put them back ahead 17-14 in the shadows of halftime Harkin finished the first spell with a penalty and OBU went into halftime leading 20-14 It was Tawa that started the second half strongly going close to scoring in the corner after a surge into territory Bruising blindside George Risale was bundled into touch in the corner but OBU made a lineout error and Tawa launched again They kept it tight and loosehead prop PJ Sheck darted through to score a try The final remained on tenterhooks before a flashpoint moment in the 60th minute OBU centre Ty Poe regathered a short kick and chase and crossed out wide but the try was disallowed because of another OBU player grabbed a defenders’ shirt and Tawa escaped with a penalty and they went desperately close to scoring at the other end after multiple phases They knocked on and OBU ran it back and won a penalty near halfway Harkin had a shot at goal but missed and it remained a one-point game inside the last 10 minutes Tawa won a huge penalty from a scrum on halfway and kicked for a lineout midway 22 and 10-metre line They went desperately close but OBU turned it over and kicked up field – and the rest is history (see video above) Wainuiomata are the 2024 Premier 2 Hardham Cup champions beating Paremata-Plimmerton 24-19 in the final at a fine but breezy Porirua Park early this afternoon Wainuiomata win Hardham Cup with win over Paremata-Plimmerton In the HD Morgan Memorial Cup final, Ories led 19-5 at halftime, but the Rams came back to push the score close. Ories scored a couple of late tries to pull away and make it the final score 29-17 to Ories against the Upper Hutt Rams. In the Ed Chaney Cup decider that followed, OBU ended Tawa’s three-year grip on this trophy, beating them 46-12. OBU did the first round-second round double. They led 19-12 at halftime. Northern United won the Vic Calcinai Memorial Trophy Division 2 final with a 33-29 win over Paremata-Plimmerton Colts on the top field. Down on Jerry Collins Stadium,  HOBM won the John E Kelly Cup for the first time since 2015, with a 49-19 win over Tawa. HOBM completed an unbeaten season, winning the first and second round Colts titles. They finished the year having scored 724 points in 16 games – a contender for WRFU Team of the Year for 2024. Left wing Phelan Rona scored four tries in the final, to bring his season tally to 18. A post shared by Club Rugby (@clubrugby) HOBM made a dream start to the John E Kelly Cup decider when Rona reined in a chip kick by Tawa and sprinted 50 metres up the grandstand touchline to score Fullback Dom Ernst made a scorching run from halfway to the 22 and then offloaded to openside flanker Sam Morgan left wing Rona ran another 60 metres for his second try of the match Tawa’s outside backs were involved in their comeback try in the 29th minute first fullback Samoan Euta chasing up a kick and chase and forcing a goal-line dropout right wing Floyd Nawaqatabu scored in his corner to close the gap to 20-5 HOBM’s fourth try in reply followed a multi-phase build-up close to the line by the forwards then a kick by first five Junior Leleisiuao out to unmarked right wing Nawaqatabu to score Tawa weren’t about to lie down before halftime and weight of numbers and a patient build-up saw first five Daniel Baker brush over to score to make it 25-12 at halftime HOBM now had the wind in the second spell but took a long time to reassert themselves despite having territorial dominance They were held up over the line twice and then missed a penalty But it was another piece of magic by the outside backs that sparked them again fullback Dom Ernst running back a kick and gliding his way through traffic to score their fifth try and make it 32-12 They might have put it beyond reach with a long-range try from a lineout HOBM ripped it wide through second five Junior Paulo out to left wing Rona who pinned his ears back and scampered 40 metres for his third try But once more Tawa hit back with a well-deserved third try of the final after rampant attack inside the 22 and the Eagles now led 37-19 with about 15 minutes to play the Eagles making immediate inroads and scoring a forwards try out wide it was that man Rona who scored the Eagles’ next try collecting a cross-kick and scoring in the corner to make it 49-19 Two near-boilovers highlighted the eighth round in the College Premiership but ultimately the semifinalists have been found with a week to go Scots confirmed their place in the last four but only just as a shorthanded Tawa College almost pulled off a storied upset before the Strathmore school prevailed 30-29 Wellington College almost found a banana peel too leaving it very late to squeeze past bottom-placed Hutt International 22-19 out at the NZCIS campus in Upper Hutt but return to the top of the table In today’s other matches Rongotai were too good for Paraparaumu by 35-17 and Wairarapa College had a fruitful day south in beating St Bernard’s 28-12 The fifth match was Wednesday’s Traditional where Silverstream beat Town 50-5 Unbeaten pair the Silverstream and Wellington College 2nds maintained their records in Premier 2 Silverstream repeatedly found holes in Taita’s defence in a 65-5 win while College took down previous leaders Hutt Valley High 29-10 but even with the bye coming next week the Lower Hutt school are assured of finishing third Porirua will be fourth irrespective of what happens next week as well The fourth match saw the Rongotai 2nds beat Aotea 20-14 Ponsonby claimed yet another Auckland title rolling on Pakuranga 49-17 to win the Gallaher Shield at Eden Park Pakuranga took the subsidiary Portola Shield The Canterbury Metro decider between University and Linwood takes place tomorrow afternoon Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Tim Tawa flashes a smile before taking infield practice at the Salt River Fields in Scottsdale on Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (Photo by Samuel Nute/Cronkite News) PHOENIX – Quiet settles into the Arizona Diamondbacks clubhouse three hours before first pitch Second baseman Tim Tawa is in a reflective mood thinking back on high school days in West Linn The town isn’t exactly a bursting metropolis with a population of 26,000 people but it’s a small factory for big-time athletes Denver Broncos offensive lineman Alex Forsyth ASU quarterback Sam Leavitt and now Tawa have put the city on the map as the list grows Tawa grew up inspired by the talent that grew in his backyard and believed that the big leagues were possible and they were big parts of helping me get to where I am right now so really grateful for them and their coaching But unlike many big leaguers whose careers were built on perfecting one position Drafted by Arizona in the 11th round in 2021 Tawa climbed through the minors by any means necessary he played every position on the field except catcher in Double-A Amarillo and Triple-A Reno That flexibility became his ticket to the major leagues he made his MLB debut on the road against the Washington Nationals and recorded a hit He’s just got good baseball instincts and he was swinging the bat really well in Triple-A,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Part of Tawa’s good baseball instincts come from his strong academic record in high school and college His parents always wanted him to attend an Ivy League university not only for athletics West Linn baseball coach Joe Monahan offered a hand “I talked to his father about his education and he didn’t want Tim to play at an average academic school … And that is when I reached out to Stanford for him,” Monahan said Stanford offered the perfect fit academically and athletically It also meant the end of Tawa’s two other passions: football and basketball Monahan remembers the first time he met Tawa ‘Coach I need you to play catch with my son.’ (I said,) ‘Your son Tawa’s journey to his debut isn’t just a milestone – it’s a moment of gratitude exciting to be here just to be a part of this team and get this opportunity and I feel very fortunate and excited for the opportunity,” he said football caught his eye in middle school and his talents took off in high school Former West Linn football coach Chris Miller told a story about the first time he met Tawa and his father Miller had been offered the coaching job at West Linn but hadn’t quite made his decision yet John sent a letter to Chris that ultimately sealed the deal sent me about a two thirds page email saying this is what you would be getting if you came up to West Linn,” said Miller “He listed all of Tim’s middle school accomplishments Tawa competed for the starting quarterback position West Linn opened the 2014-2015 season against the second-ranked team in the state Tawa started the season on the bench for the first half and Miller and his staff had a tough decision to make Keep the current quarterback in or switch to Tawa “We were talking about which quarterback to play and one of my coaches said Tim brings us more of his escape ability and athleticism.’ So we went with him and never looked back,” Miller said He finished the season with 2,943 passing yards and 38 touchdowns that season Tawa had a 137.7 QB rating that not only led West Linn to a state quarterfinals appearance but earned him Oregon’s Gatorade Player of the Year Award as the first player in the school’s history to earn the honor While Tawa’s sophomore year was impressive it was only the start to one of Oregon’s top high school football careers The junior broke Oregon’s single-season passing record with 4,420 yards in 2015 Tawa also landed in the top 10 in passing touchdowns in a season with 50 He became one of the nation’s best quarterbacks with 3,394 passing yards and 55 touchdowns Tawa was named to the Max Preps-All American team as an all-purpose player and the MaxPreps National Male High School Athlete of the Year Even after setting multiple state football records and compiling numerous awards Tawa still elected to continue his athletic career on the basketball court where he didn’t receive significant playing time but still made an impact but it wasn’t like he got major minutes but he was a great teammate,” West Linn basketball Eric Viuhkola said wasn’t scared of Peyton (Pritchard) and would challenge him It was just two great athletes going at it all the time in practice.” Tawa played basketball to strengthen his skills on the baseball diamond and improve his conditioning and agility “I always just admired him so much for that when he knew he wasn’t going to have an integral role … I think it said a lot about him and the competitor he is and just an all around athlete,” Viuhkola said The additional work in other sports only helped Tawa on the baseball field Monahan told Tawa that he would have to start in center field His athleticism that came from the basketball court would suit him for the demands of the position After leading the team in hitting and playing a pivotal role toward league championship as a freshman Monahan had no choice but to slot Tawa in at shortstop I asked him to play shortstop and I explained to him and his father when you look at right hitting outfielders a good majority of them played shortstop in high school,” Monahan said Sophomore year saw Tawa return to the outfield Tawa put in a request with Monahan that would stick to this day ‘I am ready to go back to shortstop,’” Monahan said Tawa went on to hit .434 and post a jaw-dropping 0.69 ERA over 33 innings to earn Oregon’s Gatorade Player of the Year It was clear before the age of 5 that he wasn’t just another mult-sport athlete “I’ll try and follow along as best I can with Just see how you know the high school alma mater is doing,” he said Cooper Burns expects to graduate in spring 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in sports journalism Burns has interned as a broadcaster in the Coastal Plain League in North Carolina Samuel Nute expects to graduate in spring 2025 with his master’s degree in mass communication Nute has covered ASU sports for three years the Big 12 Championship and the Peach Bowl Cronkite News is produced by the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University Staff members are listed here Learn more about what we do and how to find our content on our broadcast Find out how your news organization can use Cronkite News content Sign up for daily headlines [email protected] Creative Commons Privacy statement The two teams met at Lyndhurst Park on Saturday in their Premier 2 Conditions were wet but still and not cold They then kicked their second penalty to go 23-0 up Petone lost a player to the sin-bin but rallied and scored a converted try right on halftime to make it 23-7 Petone doubled their score early in the second half but Tawa ran in another try to go 28-14 up Petone wouldn’t lie down and when they scored again to close it to 28-21 there were thoughts of extra time But home team Tawa wanted none of that and crossed for their winner a few minutes to play Tawa will now Old Boys University in Saturday’s Ed Chaney Cup final on Porirua Park 2 OBU won this year’s first round Harper Lock Shield competition Tawa beat Ories 26-24 in their Jubilee Cup semi-final that followed A derelict home in Wellington is on the market and advertised as a property unlike any other The Tawa property has a rateable value of $860,00 with a land value of $690,000 The listing on OneRoof said it was not for the faint-hearted big ambitions and the ability to make things happen then this is the project for you!” The 933sq m of land at 17 Romney Square is zoned for medium-density residential and “ripe for redevelopment” The elderly owner moved out of the house a few years ago due to ill health and is described as a private individual is barely visible because it has become overgrown with trees and foliage It has been described as being in extremely poor and potentially dangerous condition An interior photo of the remnants of a kitchen shows peeling walls “The vendor makes no warranties as to the safety and the structural soundness of the dwelling and the property is being sold ‘as is prospective buyers must organise restricted and supervised access to look at the property “Grab your hard hat and safety boots,” the listing said Ray White real estate agents John Callum and Mark Logan are tasked with selling the property Logan said the land could accommodate multiple homes in a new development It was a property for buyers with experience in big projects you’ve got builders and building companies that haven’t got much work on but they’ve got staff who have been loyal to them for a long time so they’ll want to keep them busy and keep them employed so they might find a project to employ their staff - that could be a buyer for this type of property.” The buyer was unlikely to be a first-home buyer they’re not going to get insurance and if you can’t get insurance So to buy it you’d have to have all the cash in the bank.” Earlier this year, a million-dollar dump too dangerous to step inside was listed in the Wellington suburb of Northland The abandoned home at 4 Puketiro Ave has million-dollar views but was on the market for sale at much less than that. The listing called on buyers to detonate or develop the crumbling four-bedroom concrete home. Tommy’s agent Ramon Kane told OneRoof a brand new home on the 445sq m site could fetch over $2.5 million. The current property has a 2021 RV of $1.06m (only $10,000 of it is the improvement value) but was seeking inquiries over $795,000. Kane said the house and its former resident had been the talk of the neighbourhood “for years”. Georgina Campbell is a Wellington-based reporter who has a particular interest in local government, transport, and seismic issues. She joined the Herald in 2019 after working as a broadcast journalist. The only high-reach ladder truck in Auckland broke down last night. Manukau CityBy negotiation31830m²Corner and Calling All Developers or HomeownersThe owner is selling at a loss so hurry and seize the opportunity to buy!! Discover the perfect family home with a corner section benefit offers a spacious 111sqm floor area brimming with natural sunlight Set on an impressively flat 830sqm corner section the property features a separate garage and immaculate interiors The expansive land is ripe for subdivision presenting an excellent investment opportunity Conveniently located within walking distance to Manurewa South School this property ensures easy access to quality education viewings are available by appointment only Contact us via call or text to schedule your visit today See this listing on Barfoot & Thompson ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS BY ALEX WEINER When the Arizona Diamondbacks placed Ketel Marte on the injured list nearly a month ago they called up a versatile prospect named Tim Tawa Over the past four weeks, Tawa has proven to Arizona’s brass that he should remain on the roster now that Marte is back and healthy The Diamondbacks optioned outfielder Jorge Barrosa to create the roster spot on Friday “At a certain point it became a no-brainer right?” Lovullo told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo on Friday “He came up here to fill in the gap for Marte hit some big home runs and controlled the zone “He started to get grounded a little bit and young players take time for that He knows what it takes to come in and be a part of what we’re trying to do here.” plus he’s walked at a rate higher than league average (13%) He leads MLB rookies in home runs after hitting 31 in the minors last season has graded out pretty well with two outs above average as he’s shown his athleticism tracking down balls or turning double plays has plenty of outfield experience to provide coverage with the D-backs sending out an outfielder He played over 500 innings in the outfield in 2022 and 2023 The D-backs plan to play into his versatility a bit more now we felt like Barrosa needed to go back down and develop What it means for Tawa now is he’s going to split a little bit of time between second base third base and some of the outfield,” Lovullo said “He’s been every day at second base We got to get him working full-speed in center field and you’ll maybe see him get some reps out there.” With Marte getting back from a hamstring strain, the plan is not for him to play second base every day, Lovullo told reporters in Philadelphia on Friday Tawa will play that role when Marte has to slot in as designated hitter in his return-to-play progression Follow @alexjweiner From the infamous Nada Bakery to skate parks – there’s awesome things to do and see in the northern suburb of Tawa We’ve put together five things you can do to explore the area Tucked away near the centre of Tawa is Grasslees Reserve – a family favourite for locals! There’s plenty to do and see in the area with a playground, gardens, a dog exercise area, electric barbecues and Tawa Pool Why not spend the afternoon with the whānau there Not many people know about this hidden track off Kiwi Crescent which has recently been upgraded as a shared path for walkers and people on bikes It takes you on a lovely uphill track through luscious bush and redwoods Spicer Botanical Park or into Ohariu Valley – giving you options for a short walk or a day trip Tawa Skate Park has a fresh new look and feel with awesome new skating elements from fire hydrants to slappie curbs and a flat area for beginners Head down to check it out and give skateboarding a go Just a stone’s throw away from our city centre is the quaint Tinakori village The Tawa Skatepark has been left untouched for decades and was known to the community as an ageing relic The New Zealand comedy legend takes us through her life in television The character seemed to strike a chord with many people, and seriously pissed off others. Suddenly I was deemed a “celebrity”, which was a bit odd as we certainly weren’t into having a brand and in any case social media didn’t exist. All sorts of offers flooded in and being fawned over and given special treatment and paid a bit of money to flounce about is quite intoxicating. I was called a “comedienne” when I just saw myself as an actress with comedy as a normal part of the creative toolbox. Now 40 years on random strangers still say “gidday Lyn”, which is odd as I am officially old. My most controversial TV opinion is… Cancelling investigative TV journalism like Sunday and Fair Go is an affront to democracy.   A show I will never watch, no matter how many people say I should is… Never say never, but I do glaze over a bit at sport.  The last thing I watched on TV was… 1News… while it’s still there. Sign up to Rec Room, The Spinoff’s weekly guide to the very best in entertainment, delivered to your inbox every Friday. A complaint must be first directed in writing the complaint may be referred to the online complaint form at www.presscouncil.org.nz along with a link to the relevant story and all correspondence with the publication but a hearty crowd of spectators from both clubs ringed the field and huddled in the clubrooms A score that flattered the vanquished Ories side somewhat Ories scored a converted try on fulltime to close the game up scoring three tries and leading 17-0 after about 25 minutes while one was an intercept and runaway which summed up a misfiring Ories’ day Ories got back in the game and went close to scoring but were denied They finally did so through lock Samson Alaimoana (the happy ending to this try not captured here owing to a camera meltdown at precisely the wrong moment) They then kicked a penalty to trail 20-10 at halftime and they were still in it Tawa had the wind in the second spell and dominated territory and much of possession for the most part but scores remained locked at the halftime score for almost another 25 minutes kicking consecutive penalties to move ahead 26-10 Ories’ second try at the end was of consolation value only Scoring highlights of that match are below – or subscribe to our You Tube channel here https://www.youtube.com/clubrugbynz Tawa won the Premier 2 curtain-raiser 48-15 – highlights of that below Siti Nur Aina Binti Mohd Nazlee (left) with her parents Siti Hasnah and Mohd Nazlee A Marton student is one of four young people selected to participate in this year’s New Zealand Society of Authors’ Youth Mentorship Programme who is a student at Nga Tawa Diocesan School applied to the mentorship programme she was not sure she would hear back at all – let alone being told she was selected “I was fully certain I wasn’t going to hear back – so it was definitely a happy surprise.” The programme offers four young writers the chance to be mentored by a successful Kiwi writer she will be mentored by poet Kiri Piahana-Wong whose poems have appeared in more than 50 journals and anthologies including Landfall Siti said she had a video call with Piahana-Wong which was their first time meeting and she was super excited to be working together “It’s wonderful to be paired with someone who understands the importance of cultural diversity and its implications on one’s understanding of the world our mentorship will even influence areas of my life outside the written scope.” “I found beauty in the way people used it as a medium to speak from their hearts It simultaneously protects the writer from over-exposing themselves while showcases these unsaid words in an art form.” Siti said she liked poetry because it reminded her that there would always be someone out there who understood and related to her She hoped her mentorship under Piahana-Wong would help develop her writing skills – specifically her ability to better formulate her thoughts instincts and emotions into well-structured sentences “It’s very easy to lose yourself when writing poetry - whether it’s from a personal or creative standpoint I find that ideas usually cloud my judgement and usage of literacy techniques ultimately leading to a neglect of thought into improving the quality of my poems.” who wants to work in policy-making or social change it is something she would like to do as a “side hustle” She has goals to publish her own spin on a collection of art photography and poetry – because “why limit yourself to one medium” Siti’s mentorship will run throughout the rest of the year and she will work on a project Tim Tawa's first week in the major leagues has had its ups and downs: His call-up on April 4, his first big league hit, run and run batted in on April 5 in Washington. It also included a dropped ground ball that could have been an inning-ending double play on April 7 at Chase Field, in an inning in which the Baltimore Orioles scored three runs Tawa knocked in two runs with a single in the fifth inning of a win over the Baltimore Orioles As thrilled as he was to play his first MLB game the flip side was having to take questions about a missed chance at second base Only a few days into his first big league stint Tawa showed accountability for his mistake Maybe that's part of what Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo was getting at in talking about Tawa the day he made his major league debut He's the type of guy that everybody pulls for in the organization," Lovullo said "What I said about him in spring training is he's a good baseball player "Every time I'm looking for him in the dugout I just look around where there's a crowd of people because he's got a presence and people gravitate towards him." cares about what teammates are doing and wants everyone to have success "It's such an individual game sometimes with the statistics and whatever," Tawa said "but when you're rooting for everybody to have success when you genuinely care and try and interact and while his professional baseball path has been uneven "You can do everything right and still not get the results that you want," Tawa said really helped develop me into the player that I am I wouldn't want just the straight (career) trajectory Really grateful for the journey and the coaches and teammates that have been there with me." his father introduced him to baseball and taught as much as he could before taking his son to those who could advance his knowledge and skills of the game Tawa found that he liked the idea of trying to be the best in school and sports He had the passcode to the batting cages at his high school and would go there regularly he met former Diamondbacks catcher Carson Kelly Kelly shared a hitting tip with the younger Tawa that helped him Tawa — also a football player — led West Linn to a big-school state championship as a quarterback in 2016 He left high school with several Oregon state passing records and the award for high school male athlete of the year as chosen by the state's leading newspaper and Tawa chose Stanford for its academic reputation and the school's atmosphere "Going there was pivotal in shaping who I am today," Tawa said Tawa was chosen by the Diamondbacks in the 11th round of the amateur baseball draft in 2021 One of his stops in the minor leagues was Class A Hillsboro less than an hour's drive from where he grew up being able to be at the games whenever they wanted to four or five times a week when we were at home was really cool," Tawa said Tawa would drive back home for family dinners It had been a climb through the Diamondbacks minor league system including this year's spring training in Scottsdale where Tawa spent some time on the major league side before being assigned to Triple-A Reno Tawa was getting set to hit in a day game on April 4 in Reno when he was called into manager Jeff Gardner's office With Ketel Marte injured that day early in the Diamondbacks' game against the Washington Nationals in D.C. who was on a tear at Reno with a .391 batting average in six games would be brought up and make his major league debut Then came two flights to get from Reno to the nation's capital Adrenaline got Tawa through his first day in the bigs on hardly any sleep and his parents and brothers were there at Nationals Park to witness all of it The Aces got video of Tawa's emotional reaction to the news from Gardner the Aces paused their workout to watch Tawa pick up his first major league hit and cheered him from afar "The one of everybody in Reno watching the video and celebrating "Pretty special just to see the support there Did Tawa have a feeling he was going to be called up by the Diamondbacks traveling on a laser-like line straight over the left field wall for a solo homer The drive by rookie Tim Tawa extended the Arizona Diamondbacks' lead over the Tampa Bay Rays to 3-1 in a game they would eventually go on to win 5-1 in Tuesday night's series opener For fans in the stands unfamiliar with Tawa it might have come as a jolt or a shock to see the unheralded rookie hit a ball with such ferocity coming in just his eleventh game of the year Taken in the eleventh round of the 2020 amateur draft out of Stanford as his first taste of Double-A proved to be a challenge batting .256 while clubbing 21 homers and posting a .799 OPS But it was 2024 when Tawa finally broke out and 10 more for Triple-A Reno for a total of 31 while batting .279 and posting an .868 OPS Tawa was batting .391 with three homers through his first six games for Reno when Ketel Marte went down with a hamstring injury on April 4 Tawa was called up to make his major league debut the very next day hitting a single on a line drive to left field in his first major league at-bat Since then Tawa has steadily emerged at the plate showing both good plate discipline and approach along with the ability to hit the ball hard .942 OPS (league average OPS is only .702) He's struck out just eight times in 41 plate appearances Prior to Tuesday's game Tawa's batting average was just .185 But one could feel it coming watching his at-bats and batted balls He hit a very long homer in Chicago against the Cubs and had several sharp lineouts right at defenders in both the outfield and the infield In fact, underlying batted-ball-derived metrics such as expected batting average and slugging suggested that Tawa was performing much better than the results he had gotten to that point or checking the underlying expected metrics it seemed obvious Tawa was going to see improved results if he kept doing what he was doing manager Torey Lovullo was asked if the team considered the expected stats in their player evaluations "We look at some of the expected numbers all the time It helps us get a gauge as to what should be happening We know there's a good player in there," Lovullo said It can be difficult sometimes to know where to draw the line on evaluating a player before there is enough of a track record Results such as batting average and other percentage metrics can be heavily skewed in a small sample size of results The underlying batted ball and expected metrics can often help indicate future performance better than the actual results whether going by traditional or advanced methods of player projection and Lovullo admitted there can be spirited debates over this dynamic "I wish you'd be in my office when we're arguing about that exact topic It just depends on what side of the ledger you're on and who you believe in and who you want more," Lovullo said I just don't want us to lean in one spot too heavily I want us to pay attention to both and continue developing players he likes to simplify things and avoid looking at his results statistics "The only thing I really like to look at is did I swing at a strike "I don't really like to look at the [results] numbers Sometimes it's impossible to avoid it when it's on the board in the stadium but I just try to focus on having quality at-bats each time I try to do whatever that situation requires or driving the ball somewhere," he continued It isn't just the hitting that's being focused on or evaluated of course Lovullo is well known to be a stickler for defense and "picking up the baseball" as he often says Tawa had a couple of early miscues on defense committing two errors and failing to turn a double play on another ball in which he was not charged an error Some of those miscues stood out as costly due to the timing they occurred in the game But Lovullo was impressed by how Tawa responded "He continues to learn and play just as fast the next inning or the next game he's in there because you can start to get very tentative when you're a young player But he's teeing it up there and letting it fly on the defensive side of it," Lovullo said "Making mistakes is part of the game," said Tawa "You're not always going to be perfect even though you strive to be I think more about how you respond to those and how you bounce back is really important I don't want to lose my aggressiveness or my belief in myself So I really try to take each individual rep or pitch as it's own play I'll block that out and go make the next play" A few examples of Tawa doing just that can be found in the video clip below It should be noted that playing fast and athletic is not something new to Tawa The three-time Gatorade Football Player of the year in Oregon had an incredible high school career on the gridiron and during his senior year amassed an astounding 55 touchdowns while throwing just one interception and of course was a standout for the Cardinal in baseball as well Tawa has played all around the diamond in his professional career The term "super utility player" has often been used to describe him While he played more second base than any position in the minors and occasionally some first and third base second base is the position he'll play Marte appears to still be a week away from returning from the Injured List due to his hamstring strain the Diamondbacks will have a very tough decision to make regarding Tawa While Tawa has played a couple of games at shortstop that's not a position they consider him a depth option at He certainly has the athleticism to handle shortstop Light-hitting utility man Garrett Hampson has been getting crowded out of playing time since Tawa has emerged but between him and top prospect Jordan Lawlar all he can do is continue to play fast and athletic and pound the baseball when he sees a strike Diamondbacks fans can expect to see a lot more of both in the coming days The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER St Pat’s Silverstream loosehead prop Heath Tuifao scores in his First XVs tight win over New Plymouth Boys’ High School today Accounts of two follow under the subheadings Liam kicks Silverstream to a Slight victory  St Patrick’s College Silverstream fullback Liam Slight emerged as a hero when he kicked a last-play penalty to sink New Plymouth Boys’ High School 31-30 The annual McDonald Shield clash had six lead changes the last of which was Slight knocking over a fourth penalty goal from directly in front 15m out New Plymouth had taken the lead moments early when hooker Shawn Matuku rumbled over for his third try from a ruthlessly efficient lineout was secure the restart and escort the ball to touch the visitors fumbled and Silverstream summoned a final burst of energy Elijah Solomona made a barnstorming run inside the New Plymouth 22 The retreating defence was caught offside presenting Slight a chance to write a headline Ironically Hurricanes midfield back Riley Higgins presented Silverstream with their match jerseys He missed a kick to win the corresponding fixture in his time at Silverstream There was an early hint it would be an unusual afternoon when Silverstream winger Ashton Steere bobbled the ball over the try line after two minutes Imperious lock Sam Thompson busted down the embankment touchline and supplied for Steere who botched a routine finish Steere is a regular starter and an otherwise brave and dependable player Silverstream found plenty of early holes and prop Noah Krijnen muscled over from the next attacking foray New Plymouth responded through their lineout Silverstream hooker Jericho Wharehinga is busy and uncompromising He resembled a pinball when he ricocheted from New Plymouth’s grasp for Silverstream’s second try The breakdown battle was volatile with both teams lacking discipline Each side would struggle through periods of sustained penalties which explained the turbulent scoreboard Referee Ethan Jefferson was back out in the middle after suffering health pro a fortnight earlier New Plymouth scored ten successive points to flip a deficit into a lead Matuku was unstoppable from close range – second-five Jake Wiseman on target with a conversion and a penalty Silverstream regrouped and three Slight three penalties pushed the Catholics 21-13 ahead The New Plymouth blindside in the pink headgear played an absolute blinder tackling aggressively and winning most of the Tigers lineout possession His try closed the gap to 21-18 and then New Plymouth took the lead following a 40m burst by Jake White but when Matuku was on hand two rucks later New Plymouth reclaimed the lead Heath Tuifao was similarly prodigious in his pink headgear for Silverstream The loosehead prop made a slashing break near halfway to carry Silverstream into the New Plymouth 22 White was yellow carded and Tuifao scored to restore Silverstream’s advantage Reserve halfback Harry Ferve added spark and intellect with clever kicks from the bench New Plymouth hit the post twice from kicks Tawa College ease to Beard Trophy  defence Tawa College successfully defended the Beard Trophy in their second challenge of the year late this afternoon at a windy Lyndhurst Park Tawa scored 12 tries and kicked seven conversions They scored five tries in the first half and led 29-0 at halftime and ran clear comfortably under lights in the second This was a match between a competitive Premiership side (that plays Silverstream this coming Saturday) against one that is Premier 3 this year Tawa laid a solid platform through their forwards in particular through captain and hooker Malachi Suniula and both busy locks Finn Fraser and Lucas Broadley Tawa’s backs were far too slick and opened up Mana more as the game unfolded adhering to their gameplan of keeping ball in hand and less kicking Mana didn’t help themselves by making several unforced kicking errors that played into Tawa’s hands centre Akaata Ruaporo and replacement back Lucas Jones (the last two of the match) each scored two tries while year 10 right wing Kobie Barlow-Roberts left wing Labront Muldrock-Tolai and second-five Malachi Osman were the try-scorers The next Beard Trophy defence against Bishop Viard College is not until the end of June The winner of that plays Aotea College in the fourth and final match of the year This game also doubled as a Wellington Co-ed Cup match There was another Co-ed Cup game being played at the same time at Porirua College that saw visitors Paraparaumu College make the trip south and win the match 36-24