WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand house prices fell year-on-year for the first time in more than a decade, a report showed Thursday, as rising interest rates finally halted a dizzying boom that had only gained momentum after the coronavirus pandemic first hit.
Head coach Ian Foster is confident he will be present at Auckland's Eden Park on Saturday when the All Blacks take on Ireland in the first of three rugby tests, a match which might be pivotal to his own career.
Winger Leicester Fainga’anuku has been named to make his test debut as part of a COVID-hit All Blacks team in Saturday’s first rugby test against Ireland.
For the visitors, flyhalf Johnny Sexton will captain an experienced and consistent Ireland lineup in his 106th test match and combine with New Zealand-born scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park .
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — All Blacks head coach Ian Foster, two assistant coaches and two leading players have tested positive for COVID-19, severely disrupting the team’s preparation for Saturday’s first rugby test against Ireland.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A man wounded four people in a stabbing rampage stopped by bystanders who brought him to the ground in a New Zealand city neighborhood Thursday, police said.
Police District Commander Naila Hassan said the attack in Auckland was random and the suspect was in custody.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — As part of a deal they struck to avoid extradition to the United States, two men pleaded guilty Wednesday in New Zealand to their involvement in running the once wildly popular pirating website Megaupload.
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — The Christchurch-based Crusaders produced a dominant first-half performance then held out against an energized second half from the Auckland-based Blues on Saturday to win the Super Rugby Pacific final 21-7 for their 13th Super Rugby title.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The Super Rugby Pacific final between the Auckland-based Blues and Christchurch-based Crusaders on Saturday is the contest many hoped for and may be the one New Zealand rugby needs to rebuild flagging interest after COVID-19 and other challenges.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The Auckland-based Blues have retained the same starting XV that beat the ACT Brumbies 20-19 in the semifinals for Saturday's Super Rugby Pacific final against the Christchurch-based Crusaders.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The Auckland-based Blues set up an all-Kiwi final against the Christchurch-based Crusaders by hanging on under immense pressure to beat the ACT Brumbies 20-19 on Saturday in the second semifinal of Super Rugby Pacific.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — From the middle of the season in Super Rugby Pacific it seemed the Auckland-based Blues and Christchurch-based Crusaders were on course to meet in the final.
The Blues were building a club-record winning streak — now 14 games — and the Crusaders, after early setbacks, were looking more like the team that has won 12 Super Rugby titles.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The ACT Brumbies prevented a Kiwi sweep of the Super Pacific quarterfinals with a come-from-behind win over the Wellington-based Hurricanes and now face the toughest task in the tournament — playing the top-ranked Blues in Auckland.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The Crusaders have grappled for the past week with the causes of a form slump which has damaged their title chances in Super Rugby Pacific.
The 12-time champions began their slide down the standings three weeks ago with a loss to the Auckland-based Blues in a match between the top-ranked teams in New Zealand.
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Large crowds gathered in Australia on Monday to pay tribute to their war dead on Anzac Day largely free of pandemic restrictions for the first time since 2019.
Australia and New Zealand commemorate Anzac Day every April 25 — the date in 1915 when the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps landed in Turkey in an ill-fated campaign that was the soldiers’ first combat of World War I.
Emirates Team New Zealand will defend the America’s Cup in Barcelona in 2024, a once unthinkable move that the Kiwis say is needed for their financial survival.
The 37th America’s Cup match will begin in early October 2024 on the Mediterranean following the challenger trials that will determine Team New Zealand’s opponent for the oldest trophy in international sports.
NEW YORK (AP) — Elton John has added 11 new dates on the North American leg of his farewell tour, including concerts in New Jersey, Massachusetts, California, Arizona and Washington state.
John begins his final run of dates in North America in Philadelphia on July 15, finishing with a three-night engagement at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Nov.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand's flagship airline said Wednesday it has started selling tickets for direct flights to and from New York, a new route that will take more than 17 hours southbound and be among the longest nonstop flights in the world.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand police said Wednesday they had seized more than half a ton of methamphetamine at the border and arrested six people in one of the nation's biggest drug busts.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The second round of Super Rugby Pacific was supposed to be all about the Auckland-based Blues.
No one told the Wellington-based Hurricanes.
Anticipation of the Blues’ first appearance of the season had been heightened by delay: their scheduled first-round match against Moana Pasifica was postponed because of a small COVID outbreak among the Pasifika team.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Monday she has tested negative for the coronavirus after coming into close contact with an infected person on a commercial flight.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said late Saturday she is self-isolating after coming into close contact with a person infected with the coronavirus.
The exposure came on a flight from the town of Kerikeri to the largest city of Auckland.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is postponing her wedding after announcing new COVID-19 restrictions Sunday following the discovery of nine cases of the omicron variant in a single family that flew to Auckland to attend a wedding.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Bars, restaurants and gyms reopened in Auckland on Friday as the last major parts of a lockdown that lasted more than 100 days ended.
New Zealand has begun a new phase in its coronavirus response in which there won’t be lockdowns but people will be required to be fully vaccinated — and prove it with vaccine passes — in order to access many services.
SYDNEY (AP) — Australia and New Zealand will each stage 24 games in the group stage when the countries host the Women’s World Cup for the first time in 2023.
FIFA released further details of the schedule Wednesday after previously announcing that Auckland will stage the opening match on July 20 and the final will be at the Olympic stadium in Sydney on Aug.
ZURICH (AP) — Chelsea will have to reschedule two Premier League games to play at the pandemic-delayed Club World Cup, which FIFA said Monday will be held from Feb. 3-12 in the United Arab Emirates.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The emergence of the omicron variant hasn't changed New Zealand's plans to ease restrictions in Auckland and move the nation into a new, more open phase of its pandemic response, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Monday.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A year after suffering a huge election loss, New Zealand's conservative opposition leader Judith Collins was ousted Thursday by her caucus.
Collins was in the role for a tumultuous 16 months.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Bars, restaurants and gyms can reopen in Auckland from early December but customers will be required to show proof they've been fully vaccinated, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Monday.