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InternationalNew Zealand

Whale rescue sees retired World Cup winner Ali Williams make Easter headlines

(Photo by Getty Images)

Former All Blacks rugby player Ali Williams and Zuru Inc founder Nick Mowbray helped rescue a stranded false killer whale from a New Zealand beach on Monday. Williams and Mowbray were returning by helicopter from the Bay of Islands when they spotted the stranded whale at Mangawhai Heads, north of Auckland, according to the New Zealand Herald.

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“We noticed what we thought was a shark or dolphin stranded at a beach north of Auckland… as we got closer we saw it was actually a whale,” Jaimee Lupton, Mowbray’s partner, told Reuters.

The 39-year-old Williams, who helped the All Blacks win the 2011 World Cup in a 77-cap, eight-year Test level career that began in 2003 and ended with the trophy win, and Mowbray jumped into the water to save the whale and were later joined by eight or nine lifeguards.

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Will Beauden Barrett come back fresh from Top League and who will captain the All Blacks?

“We freed the whale successfully after about an hour. It was almost dark so we had to move fast and spring into action otherwise he may not have survived,” Lupton said.

Videos posted by Lupton on Instagram show people pushing and pulling the whale as the surf rolls in until it is finally able to swim free. “It was really emotional and we were all cheering once he swam out to sea,” Lupton said.

Whale rescue charity Project Jonah said on its Facebook page, however, that the techniques used were dangerous to the whale and its rescuers. “The video shows members of the public using a rope around the tail and dragging the whale backwards… to get it to deeper water. 

“This is incredibly dangerous not only for rescuers but can cause significant damage to the whale,” it said. “While we understand the desire to get the whale back into deeper water it is important that this is done correctly and safely,” the charity said.

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Comments on RugbyPass

f
fm 35 minutes ago
Malelili Satala: The Scottish-Fijian starlet who slept outside a train station to make it

Because he was born in Scotland, making him Scottish and he was brought up in Fiji as he has a Fijian family. Not hard to understand if you read the article

3 Go to comments
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KwAussie 58 minutes ago
HSBC SVNS World Championship Series: A beginner’s guide

Really looking forward to this. While there are a couple of teams in each of the men’s and women’s who are strong, there are definitely opportunities for them to have a bad day and others grab the points. The big thing for me is some teams relying on one or two players and while this has helped them it also opens up games for other teams if they are negated.

1 Go to comments
B
BH 1 hour ago
The All Blacks need Rennie, but they also need the public

The worst NZ league fans are the ones who hate the Warriors and support another team instead. And the ones who watch State of Origin but don’t watch and support either the Warriors or the Kiwis or both.

30 Go to comments
B
BH 1 hour ago
The All Blacks need Rennie, but they also need the public

Just admit you hate the Warriors and are trolling. You guys are so lame.

30 Go to comments
B
BH 1 hour ago
The All Blacks need Rennie, but they also need the public

Hahaha you sound so sensitive. And you’re too lazy to debate any of my points with any intelligence or rationale. Stay drunk on the haterade.

30 Go to comments
B
BH 1 hour ago
The All Blacks need Rennie, but they also need the public

You’re South African and you guys don’t play league because it’s just not a thing. So we don’t expect you to know. And your opinion doesn’t matter on this particular subject.

30 Go to comments
S
SS 1 hour ago
The All Blacks need Rennie, but they also need the public

We build huts on the rim of the volcano and hope it doesn’t blow

30 Go to comments
J
Jordon 1 hour ago
The All Blacks need Rennie, but they also need the public

As a bok fan its hard to understand. Part of the reason the ABs have been so great over time is because that is the expectation of the nz public, to be great. The NZ public has a relationship with the ABs that few if any national populations have with an elite team anywhere in the world. It is the strong link, not the weak one. And it’s why we still have a winning record over you despite SAs obvious advantages. We will always produce the players capable of being the best team in the world at any moment.

High performance starts at the top. The nz rugby public has been let down by inept leadership and decisions that resulted in us burning our best coaches and sending them overseas disgusted at how they were treated by NZR. There is good reason that for years NZR has been referred to as the politburo. Dave rennie should have got the job in 2019, JJ and TB should have got the job in 2023. Our optimism now is because the top brass looks a lot different than it has for a long time



...

30 Go to comments
J
Jordon 1 hour ago
The All Blacks need Rennie, but they also need the public

I’m talking about guys I knew at school and in my 20s who had probably never even been to aus

30 Go to comments
f
frandinand 1 hour ago
Barrett's Irish adventure is propelling the Hurricanes to new heights

He “ resigned” as chair of KMD after 12 years in the job which has seen the share price slump from $A 3.40 to $A 0.15. Their latest six monthly report was a disaster with losses of millions of dollars. It's reported that his resignation wasn't voluntary.

This is the man that many in NZ described as a financial genius and a major corporate figure in Australia when he was appointed Chair of NZR.



...

157 Go to comments
B
Ben A 2 hours ago
Five 'Moneyball' players who could be All Blacks bolters under Rennie

What a stupid article.

Nothing about this is remotely "moneyball” in any way.



...

14 Go to comments
U
Utiku Old Boy 3 hours ago
Barrett's Irish adventure is propelling the Hurricanes to new heights

agreed.

157 Go to comments
S
SB 4 hours ago
‘It's a pressurised job. International rugby has higher scrutiny but club coaching is relentless’

You can understand why he was annoyed. He didn’t need to push or use the language but I feel he was more in the right than the presenters.

2 Go to comments
H
Hammer Head 4 hours ago
The All Blacks need Rennie, but they also need the public

Yes certainly I agree with you mostly. The direction the ABs headed was very un-All Black. And a return to the values and traditions of the past is definitely needed.

One of the reasons why the ABs have lost more, also, is that the quality of opposition has improved materially as the game has grown in its sophistication. Which is a very good thing.



...

30 Go to comments
j
johnz 5 hours ago
The All Blacks need Rennie, but they also need the public

I wouldn’t call it tough love; it’s frustration that the game was overtaken by commercial priorities and cronyism.

Besides, what’s unrealistic anyway? Many who have dared to be better have been told they were unrealistic, only to prove otherwise. I still say it would be a sad day if we dropped our standards.



...

30 Go to comments
G
Gavin 5 hours ago
Malelili Satala: The Scottish-Fijian starlet who slept outside a train station to make it

How is it possible to have a Scottish Fijian starlet. What a farce!

3 Go to comments
A
Ayre123 None 7 hours ago
Glasgow sign van der Merwe as Smith lifts lid on long-term pursuit

Franco Smith, the one that got away,,,

Comparing the Glasgow budget to that of Saracens makes one appreciate that coach!



...

2 Go to comments
N
NB 7 hours ago
Barrett's Irish adventure is propelling the Hurricanes to new heights

That is some man to be playing scond fiddle to G, you should be proud of your Uncle. That 1937 tour of NZ still strikes a nerve now. So many of the Boks who toured with Philip Nel seemed to have enlightened attitudes ahead of their time…

157 Go to comments
A
Ayre123 None 8 hours ago
Report reveals Saracens are PREM Rugby's 'homegrown heroes'

Any statistics can be “adjusted” to match certain agenda, that’s why the percents of Non whites 29.5 or the England qualified of 94% are frown upon.

15 Go to comments
u
unknown 8 hours ago
The All Blacks need Rennie, but they also need the public

Part of the problem has been all the off field drama over the last number of years. Also what hasn't helped is the NZ media covering these storys which has turned into an All Blacks, Super rugby, NZR bashing machine by focusing more on negatives then positives. I like Gregor Paul but he has been one of the worst. I get that we need Truth to Power etc but it becomes counter productive for the game in the long run.

30 Go to comments
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