New zealand chase 347 against australia

WELLINGTON: New Zealand Rugby has labelled as "unacceptable" the actions of a group of Canterbury Crusaders players who breached the country's strict coronavirus lockdown rules on Monday by training together in a local park. The players, including All Blacks flyhalf Richie Mo'unga, were filmed informally training in Christchurch where they were shown keeping their distance but passing and kicking a ball between each other. New Zealand's nationwide lockdown restricts people from leaving their homes unless it is for essential services like groceries. They can exercise as individuals or with people in the same lockdown 'bubble'. "Some of the Crusaders players have not followed these rules and that is unacceptable," NZR Chief executive Mark Robinson said in comments published by the New Zealand Herald on Tuesday. "We have reminded everyone involved in rugby that they must abide by the New Zealand government COVID-19 guidelines and this situation must not happen again." The … [Read more...] about Crusaders’ players public training ‘unacceptable’, says New Zealand Rugby

SYDNEY: Australia coach Justin Langer says playing cricket without fans in the stadiums is an option worth considering if it helped get the game going again after the worst of the coronavirus crisis has passed. As with most sports, efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic have forced the shutdown of cricket around the world and Langer thinks teams would be keen to play in empty stadiums upon resumption if the alternative was a longer furlough. "When you started off playing underage cricket, there's no crowds there," the Western Australian told BBC radio. "Maybe your mum and dad came and watched, or your brother and sister were bored and playing on the swings somewhere else. "You played it because you loved playing the game, you loved playing with your mates and you loved playing the game." The Australian team had the experience of playing behind closed doors in the opening match of their most recent ODI series against New Zealand at the Sydney Cricket Ground on March 13. … [Read more...] about Australia coach says empty stadiums an option on resumption

SYDNEY: Rugby Australia's chief executive Raelene Castle could be sacked in a matter of days, local media reported on Saturday, as the embattled governing body struggles to deal with a financial crisis compounded by the coronavirus shutdown. Castle this week took a 50per cent pay cut and laid off 75per cent of Rugby Australia staff, saying the body faced losses of up to AUS$120 million (US$71.94 million) if no more rugby was played this year. With no pay agreement secured with the players, and their representatives saying they had yet to be shown sufficient financial information to enter into negotiations over cuts, the sport has endured another week of negative headlines. The Australian and The Daily Telegraph both reported that Castle had lost the confidence of a board to which three new members were added at this week's Annual General Meeting. Former Australia captain Phil Kearns, who lost out when New Zealander Castle was appointed in 2017, was named as her likely … [Read more...] about Rugby Australia chief executive Castle set for axe – reports

British Queen Elizabeth unveiled her new statue in Australia and joked about the sculpture, saying, “It must be quite alarming” The Queen showcased her sense of humour as she poked fun while unveiling the statue during a video call. The monarch, 94, held a video call meeting with South Australian Governor Hieu Van Le and Premier Steven Marshall and it was shared on official British Royal Family Twitter handle. During the video call, the Queen also unveiled the statue made by sculptor Robert Hannaford which was recently installed in the grounds of Government House in Adelaide. She was interested to hear that the statue has become a popular spot for photographs. Unveiling the statue, Queen joked, "I would think possibly it might be quite alarming to suddenly see it out of the window - you'd think, gracious, has she arrived unexpectedly?" Sculptor Robert Hannaford, who was also present at the video call, also presented the Queen with a smaller version of the statue. “The … [Read more...] about Queen Elizabeth jokes about her statue unveiled in Australia: ‘It must be quite alarming’

Young Wellington conservationists are among the recipients of a scholarship aimed at supporting a new generation of biodiversity champions. The Department of Conservation (DOC) has awarded one-year postgraduate research scholarships of $15,000 each to 10 masters students in the natural and social sciences. Four of this year’s Te Papa Atawhai postgraduate scholarship programme scholarships went to students from Victoria University of Wellington. Conservation Minister Kiri Allan said DOC received 82 eligible applications – “a great response, considering this is the scholarship’s inaugural year”. READ MORE: Enough talk - time for action on tourism's environmental impact, says commissioner Tourism report: add $6-155 tax to long-haul flights to pay for climate fixes Five ways tourism in New Zealand could become more sustainable “I’m told the selection panel was impressed by the high quality of the applications, and found it challenging to choose just 10 recipients,” … [Read more...] about Wellington students awarded new $15,000 DOC scholarships for conservation research