Opinion
The three performers of the week from Hilux NPC round one
Northland are second after pulling clear of Manawatu 40-14. All Blacks Sevens winger Brady Rush touched down twice.
Adam Julian
02 Aug 2026, 13:49
2
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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.
Interview
'There will always be a place for the short, stocky, grubby, hard-nosed seven'
Lucas Rumball has played 66 Tests for Canada, including the 2019 Rugby World Cup, where he faced the All Blacks and eventual champ…
Adam Julian
31 Jul 2026, 15:03
Opinion
Five emerging players to watch this NPC season
The 50th NPC sees Canterbury enter 2026 as champions with a roster that suggests it could repeat. There are 11 Super Rugby winners…
Adam Julian
30 Jul 2026, 19:36
15
'Just us for us': Blues seeking double Super Rugby success again
“Just us, for us” is a mantra the Blues have applied during their Super Rugby Aupiki-winning season.
Adam Julian
30 Jul 2026, 2:59
Interview
Adam Lennox ready to roll for Taranaki after All Black departures
Adam Lennox is one of Taranaki’s most important and versatile players. Since 2022, the halfback, winger and fullback has feature…
Adam Julian
28 Jul 2026, 19:40
1
Interview
All Blacks snub Lucas Casey opens up on breakthrough season
Otago enjoyed their best NPC season since 2005 last year, successfully challenging for the Ranfurly Shield against Canterbury in C…
Adam Julian
28 Jul 2026, 15:39
13
Interview
Cohen Norrie: 'I’ve always dreamed of playing for Auckland'
“Personally, I’ve always dreamed of playing for Auckland. Having the opportunity to become a fulltime rugby player was a huge …
Adam Julian
27 Jul 2026, 22:37
Analysis
2026 Super Rugby Aupiki | RugbyPass' Team of the Season
The Blues successfully defended their Super Rugby Aupiki title for a third consecutive year with a thrilling 28-21 win over Matatu…
Adam Julian
27 Jul 2026, 3:10
2
Interview
Antonio Prim on taking Portugal to new heights with historic Nations Cup wins
Prop Antonio Prim, 23, says Os Lobos seek to be groundbreakers, elevating Portuguese rugby to places it's never been before.
Adam Julian
23 Jul 2026, 22:24
2
Analysis
2026 Super Rugby Aupiki Final preview: 'It’s going to be a special day'
Te Kaha/One New Zealand Stadium, New Zealand’s newest enclosed $683 million, 25,000-seat stadium, has electrified Christchurch.
Adam Julian
23 Jul 2026, 7:06
Interview
Amarante Sititi: 'Growing up in a rugby family definitely inspired me'
When Amarante Sititi, 19, goes shopping with her good friend, Black Ferns World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year Braxton Sore…
Adam Julian
20 Jul 2026, 6:11
Analysis
Super Rugby Aupiki: Talking points as Blues and Matatu set up showpiece finale
Three teams finished with four wins each in the Super Rugby Aupuki 2026 regular season, but Matatu will host the Blues in the fina…
Adam Julian
20 Jul 2026, 2:28
Interview
Hurricanes' Holmes enjoying 'happiest rugby' and helping Poua turn the tide
Renee Holmes has a new lease on life at Hurricanes Poua. The perennial Super Rugby Aupuki strugglers have suddenly found unprecede…
Adam Julian
10 Jul 2026, 3:28
1
Analysis
Super Rugby Aupiki: Talking points after four rounds of the 2026 season
Super Rugby Aupiki is four rounds down, and the biggest surprise are the surging Hurricanes Poua, who have won two matches in a ro…
Adam Julian
06 Jul 2026, 10:00
What happened the last time New Zealand U20 beat Scotland in Georgia
The New Zealand Under-20s made it two from two at the World Rugby Junior Championship in Kutaisi with a 36-26 win over Scotland in…
Adam Julian
02 Jul 2026, 19:19
Interview
New Zealand U20 wary of Scotland's star trio after bizarre Japan finish
New Zealand escaped their first game of the World Rugby Junior Championships with a 38-21 win against Japan at AIA Arena in Kutais…
Adam Julian
30 Jun 2026, 15:52
Interview
New Zealand U20s on patchy start to 2026 ahead of Junior World Championship
In a four-20-minute quarters hitout, with neither team wearing numbers and rolling substitutions, Georgia beat New Zealand 22-19 i…
Adam Julian
26 Jun 2026, 18:34
1
'Most honourable week of my life': Sullivan on Maori All Blacks captaincy nod
Bailyn Sullivan is not renowned for saying much, but when asked why he was appointed Maori All Blacks captain for their two-game …
Adam Julian
25 Jun 2026, 22:40
2
Analysis
Super Rugby Aupiki: Who is setting the pace early on in New Zealand?
What have been some of the talking points through the first two rounds of Super Rugby Aupiki?
Adam Julian
24 Jun 2026, 15:00
Opinion
The three top performers from the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific final
The Chiefs have become the Buffalo Bills of Super Rugby. Four straight losses in the competition’s Super Bowl, each essentially …
Adam Julian
20 Jun 2026, 17:30
8
