Contributors
Adam Julian
Adam Julian is a freelance sportswriter and broadcaster based in Wellington. He's been a regular contributor on Clubrugby.co.nz and Te Upoko O Te Ika radio for a dozen years. Between 2010 and 2018 he was the official statistician for Sky Sports Land Rover First XV program. Adam is the author of the A to Z of the Black Ferns on allblacks.com, a member of the Association of Rugby Historians and Statisticians and a long-suffering Wellington Lions and Hurricanes supporter. His interests outside of rugby include blues music, history, travel, and food.
Latest
Elinor-Plum King: 'You never want to miss the first tackle'
SVNS star embracing new role after Josh Jacomb’s All Blacks call-up
All Blacks, Springboks Double World Cup Winning Best XV
The three top performers from round seven of the Hilux NPC
2026 WXV Global Series preview: New Zealand's Black Ferns
The Black Ferns have a stern WXV Global Series campaign ahead of them. Over the next two months, the second-ranked team in the wor…
Pia Tapsell: 'I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little worried about the reception'
The Black Ferns' euphoric 2022 season was a nightmare for Pia Tapsell.
The three top performers from round six of the Hilux NPC
With 12 tries in six games, he’s only three short of the record for most tries by a player in a single NPC Division I season of …
The former England U18 star thriving after taking a chance in New Zealand
Worboys scored 23 points, kicking nine goals from nine attempts: five penalties and four conversions, as Manawatu snapped North Ha…
Amy du Plessis: 'The game you love doesn’t always love you back'
Some of the most moving social media content at Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 featured tearful Black Ferns bidding farewell to grie…
The four top performers from round five of the Hilux NPC
Northland retained the Ranfurly Shield with a 20-10 win against Tasman that looked like it came out of the other side of a hangove…
Tasman back firepower against surging Northland with Ranfurly Shield on line
Ranfurly Shield fever has gripped Northland after the Taniwha demolished defending NPC champions Canterbury 36-12 in Christchurch …
The three top performers from round four of the Hilux NPC
The Log o’ Wood was last played in Whang?rei on September 22, 1979, when North Auckland lost to Auckland 9-3.
Jona Nareki on the All Blacks' new 'beast', Otago's new star and Wellington's woes
For Otago winger Jona Nareki, losing the Ranfurly Shield to Canterbury and then also to Manawatu in the same week would have been …
Ex-Auckland prop Renata helping Northland strengthen up their set piece
Tighthead prop Marcel Renata played 76 games for Auckland between 2015 and 2024, winning an NPC Premiership in 2018. Since 2025, h…
Atlanta Lolohea: 'My rugby is the most settled it’s been'
Established in 1861, Westport is New Zealand's oldest European settlement on the West Coast. Best known as a coal-mining centre, W…
The four top performers from round three of the Hilux NPC
The third round of the NPC saw some landmark records established and new contenders emerge.
New All Blacks Sevens coach reveals stance on XVs stars chasing Olympics
Willie Rickards played in eight tournaments for the All Blacks Sevens from 2006 to 2009. He succeeds Tomasi Cama.
Bay of Plenty sniff history: 'Times might have changed, the Shield hasn’t'
Bay of Plenty has a sorry Ranfurly Shield record with only two wins in 25 matches stretching back more than a century.
Canterbury's latest Ranfurly Shield hero describes chaotic Otago win
Dominic Gardiner wrote himself into Ranfurly Shield folklore in Canterbury’s successful 19-15 challenge against Otago at Forsyth…
Dermody determined to do family name proud in Black Ferns trial
Trials aren’t easy to prepare for or play in. How does one balance the team's best interests with personal ambition, especially …
The three performers of the week from Hilux NPC round two
Hannah started 13 of his 15 appearances for the Crusaders in Super Rugby Pacific 2026, ranking among the top ten players in tackle…
'Rugby can be humbling': The rise of breakout Magpies star Hunter Morrison
Hunter Morrison has packed a lifetime into a few years. He represented New Zealand at the Barbarians, Under 19, and Under 20 level…
Brayden Iose on Hurricanes' 'perfect storm', Aaron Smith and Manawatu royalty
On August 28, Manawatu officially marks its 140th Anniversary with a special dinner at Central Energy Trust Arena in Palmerston No…
Ranfurly Shield not only thing at stake for Corey Kellow against Otago
Corey Kellow isn’t a player who seeks the limelight. The dogged openside flanker, however, has scored a try in his last five NPC…