D'arcy And Goran

Peter Lusted joins D'Arcy Waldegrave from Australia to talk the first round of the NRL finals, that saw the Roosters, Raiders, Sea Eagles and Eels all post victories.By contrast the Sharks and Broncos are out, while the Rabbitohs and Storm have one more week to prove their worth in the competition.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rugby editor Nigel Yalden joins D'Arcy Waldegrave from Japan to talk about the latest from the All Blacks camp, including Sonny Bill Williams' health and Luke Jacobson's tournament-ending injury.The All Blacks have quashed rumours suggesting Williams will be sent home early.Meanwhile Jacobson was ruled out of the World Cup with a delayed onset of concussion, with Shannon Frizell taking his place in the team.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A stunning concession from Kiwi Supercars driver Shane van Gisbergen.Van Gisbergen believes compatriot Scott McLaughlin, who leads the series by 573 points from Chaz Mostert is simply too good.There's been a number of tweaks to rules around cars this year, with teams desperate to bridge the gap to Ford's McLaughlin.But van Gisbergen says even ahead of changes to the aero package this weekend in the Pukekohe round, McLaughlin is better if all things are equal."I think Scotty is still a level above us and the other teams so if we get with the other Fords we'd have a chance, but we'd still have to improve to get to Scotty's level. Definitely our cars at a deficit as well."He says even with the ongoing rule tweaks, McLaughlin is the better driver and has the better car."The last couple of years we've given him a good run, but this year it's completely changed. You can see the car completely made a joke of it. The series needed to make some changes and it looks like they are ." See omnystudio.com/listener for priv

Sophie Pascoe has won a third gold medal at the para swimming world championships in London.The Kiwi has taken out the S9 100m butterfly title by three and a half seconds. Toni Shaw of Great Britain and American Elizabeth Smith finished in silver and bronze respectively.It's Pascoe's 11th world title.Pascoe's already won the backstroke and freestyle over the 100m distance at the meet, with the 50m freestyle to come.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SANZAAR have listened to public feedback and have introduced earlier start times for Super Rugby in New Zealand and Australia next year.However the 31st of January kick off between the Blues and Chiefs at Eden Park, will mark the earliest start in the competition's 25 year history.Rob Nichol, CEO of the New Zealand Rugby Players Association, joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss how this will - and won't - affect the All Blacks. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In October, the Vantage Black Sticks men's team will take on Japan in a series of matches. Grant says the New Zealand team, currently ranked at number nine, will play the 15th ranked Japanese team in a series of games in October.In November, even more international level hockey will be played in Stratford, in a very important series, says councillor Grant Boyde."The Vantage Men's Black Sticks are fighting for their place in next year's Olympics, and their qualifying matches take place right here in Stratford."The ninth-ranked Black Sticks have drawn the 16th ranked Koreans in a two match home series after the New Zealand Men's team missed its first opportunity to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics when they lost the Oceania Cup in Queensland.The women's Black Sticks have already earned their place in Tokyo by winning their Oceania Cup matches.The Olympic qualifier will give people the chance to see the very best of hockey being played, says Grant."The Black Sticks Men are going to be fighting to get their place i

They became World Champions together, but to win their next title, two Silver Ferns are on opposite sides.Katrina Rore and Laura Langman have both made it to the Suncorp Super Netball Final - Rore for the New South Wales Swifts, and Langman for Sunshine Coast Lightning. If Rore's team wins, it will mean she has won both the Australia and New Zealand competitions, and the World Cup, in the same year.The two joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss how they are preparing for the final.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Tall Blacks have beaten Turkey 102-101 to complete their basketball World Cup campaign in China with a three win-two loss record.Isaac Fotu scored the final two baskets as the lead changed three times in the final minute.Centre Rob Loe top scored for New Zealand with 17 points.Coach Paul Henare says the fight his team showed was exceptional."A little bit lost for words just because that result, in the greater scheme of things, what that says about our programme and what we've done over the course of this tournament."The win secures the side a position at one of next year's four Olympic qualifying tournaments.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The draw for the second season of the NRL women's premiership has been announced, featuring standalone fixtures for the first time.Round one of the season will kick off with the Sydney Roosters taking on the New Zealand Warriors in Melbourne on Saturday, before the St George Illawarra Dragons face defending premiers the Brisbane Broncos in Parramatta on Sunday.The Warriors will host the inaugural standalone match in round two at Mount Smart Stadium before the Dragons play Roosters at Leichhardt Oval in round three.LISTEN TO COACH LUISA AVAIKI TALK TO D'ARCY WALDEGRAVE ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Super Rugby kick-off times have been brought forward by half an hour next year, in a bid to be more conducive for families.New Zealand games will kick off at 7:05 instead of 7:35, while eight weekend 5:15 games will now start at 4:45.The competition will begin on Friday the 31st of January, two weeks earlier than this season's start date with the Blues hosting the Chiefs at Eden Park.LISTEN TO NIGEL CASS TALK WITH D'ARCY WALDEGRAVE ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

White Ferns coach Bob Carter believes the side has the perfect blend of experience and youth to deliver success.As first revealed by Radio Sport, Carter has been confirmed as coach until the end of the 2021 ODI World Cup in New Zealand.His first major challenge is the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia in February.He spoke to D'Arcy Waldegrave following his confirmation to the Head Coach position.LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the end the selection of Ryan Crotty and Anton Lienert-Brown in the midfield for the All Blacks against Tonga was easy for coach Steve Hansen and his fellow selectors because they were the only pair fit and available.Sonny Bill Williams' tight calf ruled him out and Jack Goodhue's hamstring strain suffered against Australia in Perth accounted for him. For them and the All Blacks it's an unfortunate state of affairs because they both need game time and the big question for Hansen now will be whether he can gamble on selecting them – and in particular Goodhue - against the Boks in Yokohama in a fortnight.Goodhue must now be doubtful, but Williams, given his big-game temperament, must be firmly in the frame for second-five for that World Cup opener.That would suggest Lienert-Brown, who has shouldered a fair bit of work lately in playing 80 minutes in the last two tests against Australia, must be the favourite to wear the No 13 jersey against the Boks should he remain fit, an honour that will be fully deserved

Rafael Nadal kept pulling away in his U.S. Open quarterfinal, then getting reeled back in by Diego Schwartzman.In the first set, Nadal led 4-0 before Schwartzman got to 4-all. In the second, Nadal went up 5-1 before Schwartzman made it 5-all.Took more than two hours just for those two sets. Eventually, both were claimed by Nadal. And so, ultimately, was the match and a berth in a 33rd Grand Slam semifinal for Nadal, who prevented Schwartzman from reaching his first by winning 6-4, 7-5, 6-2 after 12:30 a.m. Thursday in Arthur Ashe Stadium."Like a lion in the ... jungle. He's big. He's a fighter. He knows how to play the important moments, every single time," Schwartzman said. "I've played him eight times and every important moment, he played better than me."No wonder Nadal is 8-0 against the guy.Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are both out of the bracket, but Nadal is still around, meaning at least one member of the Big Three is in the semis at a 62nd consecutive major tournament. That trio has combined to wi

Tall Blacks 93Montenegro 83There's still work to be done, but the Tall Blacks are alive – and definitely dangerous - at the Basketball World Cup.A 93-83 victory over Montenegro has kept New Zealand in with a chance of advancing to the second round for the fifth consecutive World Cup, but they require one more win - against a more fearsome foe.The impressive win puts the Tall Blacks at 1-1 in Group F, with a +2 points differential after their opening 102-94 loss to Brazil, and their toughest test still to come, against Greece on Thursday night.Brazil's 79-78 upset victory over Greece has made the Tall Blacks' equation simple though - beat Greece, and they move into the second round. Lose, and they don't.Yes, it remains a tough challenge, but it's at least still in the realm of possibility after grinding down a Montenegrin side who lost their cool, their lead, and eventually the game.For a while, it looked as if the Tall Blacks had run into a repeat of their third quarter issues against Brazil. A nine-point hal

Canadian star Bianca Andreescu has confirmed she'll be returning to the ASB Classic next January after impressing in her maiden appearance earlier this year.The 19-year-old has been the form player of 2019 having a staggering 89 percent win record, the best of any player on the WTA Tour, capturing three titles including the biggest event of the year, the 'Desert Slam' in Indian Wells, and her home tournament, the Rogers Cup in Toronto.Andreescu has not lost a match against a Top 10 player, beating six of the world's best on her rise through the rankings including Caroline Wozniacki, Elina Svitolina, Angelique Kerber, Kiki Bertens, Karolina Pliskova and Serena Williams.She plays in the US Open quarter-finals tomorrow against Elise Mertens aiming for her first ever semifinal appearance at a grand slam.Ranked 152 in the world when she arrived in Auckland last December, the Canadian was forced to make her way into the ASB Classic through qualifying. The heavy-hitting teenager has now reached a career high of worl

Not even the most experienced of tennis experts saw this coming.Struggling with injury, Swiss maestro Roger Federer has been knocked out of the US Open by world no.78 Grigor Dimitrov.Dubbed by some as "Baby Fed" the Bulgarian has not enjoyed much success on the court in 2019 but has stunned Federer to claim a spot in the semi-finals of the US Open.Dimitrov fought from two sets to one down to claim a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 4-6, 2-6 win over the third seed.Grigor Dimitrov. Photo / PhotosportThe win locks in a clash with Russian world no.5 Daniil Medvedev who ousted Stan Wawrinka in four sets."It would be an understatement to say this would be the biggest win of his career if he can pull this off given where he was mentally coming into this tournament," John McEnroe said of Dimitrov during the match.There was an extended break between the fourth and fifth set as Federer took a medical timeout and left the court."When is the last time we saw Federer walk off the court like this?" McEnroe said as the world awaited the dec

The Warriors will field a new-look centre combination for Saturday's NRL match against the Raiders in Canberra.Blake Ayshford and Adam Pompey will team up in the centres, coming in for Peta Hiku and Patrick Herbert who are both ruled out with shoulder and quad injuries respectively.Ayshford last month announced he will be calling time on his NRL career after this season. "I'm happy, mate," Ayshford told D'Arcy Waldegrave. "I'm happy with what I've achieved in the NRL, I'm happy in New Zealand - I don't really want to leave so I don't think I'll be playing for another NRL club so I'll probably just hang 'em up at the end of the year.It will mark the team's final game of the season. Meanwhile, club CEO Cameron George wants the club's ownership issues to be a thing of the past.Part owners Autex Industries are in discussions with the Carlaw Heritage Trust around trying to take full control of the Mount Smart club after a breakdown in their relationship.George says he just wants it sorted sooner rather than later.

Locked in a tight test at the U.S. Open, Rafael Nadal conjured up an over-the-shoulder, back-to-the-net flick of a volley winner that he celebrated with a leap and punch of the air.If that wasn't the shot of the match, then surely this was, a couple of points later: a cross-court backhand passing winner off an overhead by his opponent, 2014 champion Marin Cilic, good enough to earn a yell and four fist pumps from Nadal — along with an uppercut from Tiger Woods in the Arthur Ashe Stadium stands. Then again, maybe it was the sprinting, sliding, bend-it-around-the-net-post forehand winner to get to match point, which Woods loved, too.Nadal is looking healthy and hungry at Flushing Meadows so far, and he quickly broke things open against Cilic by seizing nine consecutive games for a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory in the fourth round Monday night.Asked to explain that shot on the next-to-last point, Nadal chuckled a bit and said: "It's easy to describe and difficult to make.""I hit it well," Nadal said, "but to hit th

Tackling the dropping numbers in youth sport must start with a change in parents' attitudes, according to leaders of several of the country's top sporting codes.New Zealand Rugby, NZ Cricket, Netball NZ, NZ Football and Hockey NZ have signed a statement of intent to make major changes to the way kids play sport, vowing to make it less competitive, more inclusive and more fun in an attempt to combat falling youth participation in sport.The campaign will look at changing the culture around youth sport starting with education and changing the culture at leadership levels and parents, as well as reviewing national and regional representative tournaments and looking at how talent is identified with teenagers.Sport NZ boss Peter Miskimmin says change must start with how parents view youth sport."This is actually a campaign about parents and about parents rethinking youth sport," Miskimmin told Radio Sport Breakfast. "Because what we're seeing and what we're hearing from young people is they're not enjoying the expe

Serena Williams flubbed yet another shot and wailed, "I keep missing my forehand!"She was in trouble, if only briefly, against 17-year-old American Caty McNally, who is friends, and doubles partners, with Coco Gauff.Making key adjustments to her serve and straightening out her other strokes, Williams avoided what would have been her earliest loss in 19 appearances at the U.S. Open, coming back to beat McNally 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 in a match that ended as Wednesday turned to Thursday."You can't win tournaments making that many errors," Williams said. "I knew I had to play better, and I knew I could."And so she did."Obviously, she's going to pick up her level. I knew that was going to happen," McNally said. "Next time, I just have to raise my level with hers."Williams improved to 38-0 in the first two rounds at Flushing Meadows. The only time she was beaten as early as even the third round in New York was in her tournament debut all way back in 1998 — when she was just 16 herself.The following year, Williams won the f