Sport News 31st January 2012.

By Online Editor
2:46 pm GMT+12, 31/01/2012, New Zealand

The New Zealand sevens coach, Gordon Tietjens, believes the Pacific Island teams will be the biggest threat to the home sides defence of their Wellington title.

Tietjens yesterday confirmed his 12-man squad for the Wellington leg of the IRB World Series with the team bolstered by the inclusion of All Blacks winger Hosea Gear.

He says New Zealand’s large Polynesian community makes the Pacific Island teams that much harder to beat.

“Any of these Pacific Island teams, particularly when they’re playing in New Zealand. They’ve got so much support and they’re always very dangerous. This is their game and, particularly Fiji and Samoa, we’ve got Samoa in our pool so we can never look too far ahead of ourselves. It is a real challenge and certainly I believe anyway those Pacific Island teams playing in New Zealand, they’re a real threat.”

SOURCE: RNZI/PACNEWS

*******

By Online Editor
2:45 pm GMT+12, 31/01/2012, Fiji

Five athletes have qualified to represent Fiji at the London Olympic Games to be held from July 27 to August 12 this year.

Robert Elder (Archery) and Josateki Naulu (Judo) have now joined Glenn Kable (Shooting), Leslie Copeland (Athletics) and Iliesa Delana (Paralympics) after surpassing the criteria set to make it to the Games.

Apart from the confirmed five, the race for London is not over for the remaining athletes who have been training consistently throughout the past years. Chef de Mission to the London Games, Christopher Yee said they were liaising with the national federations on athletes that still have the potential to qualify.

He says several athletes are close to achieve the required benchmark and were hopeful of joining Team Fiji.

“Weightlifting has two available quotas, one each for men and women. The two leading contenders are Fiji’s weightlifting sensations, Manueli Tulo and Maria Liku,” Yee said.

The duo competed in the World Weightlifting Championship at Disneyland in Paris last year where Tulo was ranked 21 overall and Maria lifted a personal best to be placed on 25th place.

However, they missed out on automatic qualification to London but the race is not over for them. “From the 22nd to the 26th of May, Samoa will host the Oceania Weightlifting CQT (Continental Qualification Tournament) in which the two athletes can achieve their ambition. Fiji has the chance to qualify its top lifters by achieving a place in the top five for men and top four for women during the championship,” Yee said.

Other athletes who can make it to the London Games include Miriama Senokonoko and Danni Alakija (Athletics), Tieri Erasito, Paul Elaisa, Douglas Miller and Matelita Buadromo (Swimming) and Sisilia Rasokisoki (Judo).

“For those that have qualified and the others contesting for a qualifying spot, the race to London is gathering momentum and there is no better motto than “Citius, Altius, Fortius” signifying “Swifter, Higher, Stronger” as these athletes strive to represent Fiji in a gathering of friendship, excellence and respect at the London 2012 Olympic Games,” Yee added….

SOURCE: FIJI TIMES/PACNEWS

By Online Editor
2:41 pm GMT+12, 31/01/2012, United Kingdom

New Zealand’s Thomas Waldrom turned in a barnstorming performance for England’s backup team that will have done his chances of a full debut in the Six Nations no harm.

The former Crusaders No 8 scored a try as the Saxons – England’s B team – beat the Irish Wolfhounds 23-17.
With England No 8 Luke Narraway ruled out of England’s Six Nations opener against Scotland this weekend, Waldrom has been drafted into the top squad.

England’s interim coach Stuart Lancaster was clearly impressed with Waldrom’s game as England look to launch a new era following their World Cup disaster.

Waldrom will be hoping he has better luck than during last year’s World Cup when he flew south as injury cover but never got a game as England were bundled out in the quarter-finals.

“The World Cup was a great opportunity even though I didn’t play and, once you’ve had a taste, you want more,” Waldrom told Britain’s The Express newspaper.

Waldrom has been credited with helping Leicester’s revival in the English Premiership. Since he returned from the World Cup they have hardly missed a beat, losing just one of their 11 matches since then, and have charged up to fourth on the points table.

England have serious injuries concerns for the Scottish game with Toby Flood, Courtney Lawes (both knee), Manu Tuilagi (calf) and Tom Wood (foot) unavailable.

Meanwhile, former All Black coach Graham Henry says England are the ”world champions at wasting talent”.
Henry, the World Cup-winning coach, writing on the new rugby training tool the Rugby Site ahead of the Six Nations, said England had to head to Murrayfield for their first match against Scotland with a total change of policy.

”They have to smash the Scottish forwards past the ball instead of conservatively stopping at the tackled player in order to secure possession.

”We want quick ball in New Zealand and so we concentrate on dominating the space beyond the ball carrier. We want our supporting players to get under the opposition and to move them backwards. We flood past the ball to create good possession for our strike runners.

”At national level and at club level English teams are far too worried about securing possession. They are obsessed with sealing off the ball carrier. The English teams are paranoid that an opponent might steal the ball and so everyone jams on the brakes and seals off possession. It is fearful and often illegal.”

Henry said it was ”no wonder” England had trouble scoring tries against the better teams at the World Cup, where they bowed out in the quarter-finals.

”A country with over a million players should be the best team in the world and England’s potential in the backs is as good as it has ever been.

“Ben Foden is a good player, Chris Ashton is a handful and Delon Armitage has always impressed me. But how frustrated those players must get in a white shirt. England has top-drawer attacking players and they are seldom used.

”It sometimes seems that England are World Champions at wasting talent.”

Henry said England proved during the 2003 World Cup that they could play rugby in many different ways.
”That legacy seems to have died… the England winning World Cup team had players like Martin Johnson and Richard Hill who were expert at cleaning out opponents beyond the ball. What has happened since? England and the English clubs play a game based on fear and a generation of promising backs are dying on their feet. That has to change.”

The Guardian’s Robert Kitson said while Henry’s comments would ”ruffle feathers in some quarters at Twickenham”, ”his diagnosis is as frank as it is clear”.

”Sometimes it requires an outsider to deliver home truths effectively and Sir Graham, to give him his new title, has not held back.

”Now Henry has stepped aside as New Zealand coach, having hoisted the Webb Ellis Cup last year, he is free to say what he really thinks. And who can accuse him of being seriously wrong on any count?”

SOURCE: FAIRFAX NZ/PACNEWS

4) Beach v/ball eyes London

By KILA NAO

A strong performance by the men’s beach volleyball teams to be held in Auckland, New Zealand, next month will move PNG closer to taking part in the 2012 Olympic Games in London this year.
PNG will be facing teams from New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, Samoa and Vanuatu in the Asian Volleyball Confederation Beach Volleyball Cup.
Papua New Guinea Volleyball Federation (PNGVF) president, Turaho Morea said: “The event is the second round of the Olympic qualification tournament for the Oceania Region.
“Two top teams from this tournament will progress to the third and final round later in China, to determine entry into the London Olympics in July 2012.
“PNG’s ‘Team 1’ will feature our 2011 Pacific Games duo, Moha Mea and Manly Kapa, while VAVA’s Ravu Mahuru and Gerea Kila will pair up in Team 2.”
Another Ake Walo, who shone for Tatana Araira volleyball team in last November’s national volleyball championships, has earned a spot as replacement player.
Walo will also team up with Mea in the “Mt. Wanganui International Series” which is a separate tournament to be held a weekend earlier in Auckland.
The Mt. Wanganui International Series will feature world-ranked beach players from Germany, Norway, Sweden, Great Britain, Vanuatu and Netherlands and should give our teams a strong lead up to the main event.
Morea said: “Our men have been training intensively under coach Kila Dick in the past two weeks.
“The players are all elite indoor volleyballers and the focus of the training program has been on transition from indoor to beach, which is very much the same but differs in certain rules.
“This is an opportunity for PNG to increase its participation in the Olympic Games so I invite business houses to get behind the PNG Men’s beach volleyball team.”
The contingent, which includes five players and two officials, will depart for Auckland, New Zealand on February 8, 2012.
Anyone willing to provide support can contact the PNG Volleyball Federation President, Turaho Morea, on 325 4393 or 722 63373.http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20120131/tuhome.htm

***********

5) Wisil on track in Adelaide

By CHARLES YAPUMI

PNG’S top female runner Toea Wisil was in sensational form in her first individual competition settling for third in both the 100 and 200 metres race at the Adelaide Track Classic last Saturday in Australia.
Wisil clocked 11.67 seconds in the 100 metres to finish third behind Australian favourite Sally Pearson (11.32) and Charlotte Van Veenendaal (11.60) despite a headwind of 1.4 metres per second.
It was the same result in the 200 metres, but in daunting condition as the headwinds reach 3.6mps but Wisil was still able to run under 24 seconds.
Pearson clocked 23.11 seconds with Van Veenendaal 23.78 seconds and Wisil 23.83 seconds. Wisil is aiming to qualify on merit for the London Olympics and needs to run under 11.38 seconds in the 100m or 23.30 in the 200m.
But if PNG has no qualified athlete in track and fieldit may still select one male and one female under the universality rule which is designed to ensure that every country in the world is represented at the Games.
Wisil had been invited to Adelaide by Athletics Australia to provide competition to best Australian female sprinters.
“This was the second of five major meets which followed on from the Brisbane Track Classic,” Athletics PNG president Tony Green said.
She currently trains in Gold Coast alone side Pearson who is the 2011 IAAF World Athlete of the Year under the IAAF High Performance programme for Oceania Region.
Meanwhile, Mowen Boino will be in action again this weekend in Hobart before moving on to Perth.
The three time Pacific Games 400m gold medal hurdler made a good start to his campaign with a time of 51.78 seconds at the Hunter Classic last week finishing second behind his current training partner Brendan Cole.
On the other hand, Nelson Stone made a cautious start to his campaign, running very conservatively for the first half of his 400m race in Brisbane on Saturday before powering home with a time of 48.61 seconds. All PNG runners must run good times in Hobart and Perth to get an invitation to the Sydney meet. The Australia Athletics tour concludes in Melbourne on March 3 with IAAF World Challenge and selection trials for the Australian team for London Olympics.http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20120131/tuhome.htm

###############################################

28 January 2012

 

By Online Editor
3:19 pm GMT+12, 27/01/2012, Vanuatu

The men who will attempt to lead Vanuatu to the 2014 FIFA World Cup have been revealed and will shortly begin preparing their charges for the OFC Nations Cup, an event that doubles as stage two of the World Cup qualification process.

The Vanuatu Football Federation (VFF) held a press conference this week to announce that William Malas, Kaison Maki and Percy Avock would be takings the reins of the national team for the qualifying campaign but are yet to identify which of the trio will be named as head coach.

“After very careful consideration and a rigorous recruitment process I am delighted that we have secured the services of three very experienced and respected coaches,” VFF vice-president Robert Calvo said.

“We will announce later on who will be the head coach of the national team before they head off in June for the World Cup qualifiers. But at the moment the three coaches must work together to select their players and plan their training programmes.”

The trio all have extensive backgrounds in football and currently hold roles within the game.
Maki is a former Vanuatu international who now works for VFF as a Just Play development officer and Malas is the technical director of O-League representatives Amicale, while Avock is part of the coaching staff at New Caledonian side Mont-Dore, who are also competing in this season’s O-League.

Maki has not been involved in international football since his playing retirement and is excited about the challenge.

“I’m very proud and happy to have been appointed as one of the coaches and it will be a great experience for me,” he said.

“The World Cup qualification path is not easy. Our main objective now is to select the right players and start making plans for training. I am looking forward to working with William and Percy – they have a lot of experience in coaching and I am confident that we will work well together.”

Calvo was joined by VFF president Lambert Maltock and technical director Charles Vatu at the conference, during which the coaching appointments for several other Vanuatu national sides were also announced.

Etienne Mermer takes on the U-17 men’s job, Moise Poida assumes the U-20 position and Richard Iwai takes the reins of the U-23 Olympic team.

Florian Sam has also been appointed as the new head coach of the national women’s team.

“We need to support all the coaches appointed today and let them do their jobs,” Calvo said.

“We believe that when our coaching principles and processes are applied, it will produce great results for Vanuatu football in the future. We also believe our new coaches are capable of doing what it takes to establish and fulfill our vision if they commit their time wisely and coach their teams in a proper way.”.
SOURCE: OFC/PACNEWS

********************************************

1)Avaiki challenge competition set to kick off

Monday, 23 January 2012 12:52

Action in last year’s Avaiki challenge.

The well known Avaiki Challenge competition is set to kick off on February 20.

This was confirmed by the Chairman of Avaiki challenge committee, Brian Pongotapu yesterday.

The Avaiki challenge is an annual tournament which features teams from Rennell and Bellona Province.

The competition will feature rugby for men and netball for the women.

The competition this year marks the fifth Avaiki Challenge competition since it was initiated five year ago.

Mr Pongotapu urged all teams which will be participating to begin training as only a few weeks is left before the tournament starts.

Last year’s champions, Eastern Highlanders will be back to defend their title along with, Tonardo Green, Manuganu, and Western Sharks.

For this year Luapel rugby team has requested to join in the competition.

Mr Pongotapu said the committee will confirm if Luapel will take part sometimes this week.http://www.solomonstarnews.com/sports/national/13507-avaiki-challenge-competition-set-to-kick-off-By TAKIKA TU’ATA

**********************

2)Lae Blazers spice up Aussie carnival

Source: The National, Thursday 26 January 2012

MACKAY’S Australia Day Basketball Carnival will have an international flavour when the first ball of the event is bounced tonight.
The Lae Blazers, a men’s squad from Papua New Guinea, will compete in the 16-team event.
The carnival is expected to attract thousands of spectators and organisers think it will be a great success.
Mackay Basketball general manager Joel Khalu said it was shaping up to be huge.
“We have 33 teams in total, about 250 players,” he said.
“In terms of spectators, we are expecting 800 to 1000 each day.
“It’s a huge event for the region, with teams from around the state, as well as PNG playing.”
Khalu said it was fantastic that a PNG team had nominated to play.
“I know Lawrence and his staff have been working extremely hard in Lae, securing sponsors for the team so they could make the long journey down to Mackay,” he said.
“It’s definitely a feel good story when you consider a lot of these young men have never travelled outside of Papua New Guinea.”
That was what the tournament was all about, bringing in teams from different places to have fun playing basketball together, Khalu said.
“This will make them an exciting team to watch throughout the tournament,” he said.
“Hopefully the Papua New Guinean community in Mackay can come out in large numbers to support the boys, which will make it all that more special for them.”
The Papua New Guinea team, made up of players aged 18-21, has been training for the competition since early November.
Lae Blazers head coach and PNG basketball legend Lawrence Lahari said the team had been working hard for the intense competition.
“We have been varying our sessions from long-distance running to sprint work for our fitness, while also making sure we get in a few sessions on-court each week also,” Lahari said.
“Our players are pumped about the tournament and playing in Australia.
“Most of our players have never played on an indoor basketball court, so it’s definitely exciting for us to be travelling to Mackay to have some fun playing the game we love.”
Thirty-two teams will battle it out for K13,333 (A$6,000) in prize money.
The first game starts at 6 o’clock tonight.
Tomorrow, Friday and Saturday will feature action from 9am to 9pm.
Sunday’s grand finals start at 10.30am.
Entry to the stadium is $4 per person per day.
For more information contact Mackay Basketball on 4957 5543. – Daily Mercury-http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/28302

******************

3)PNG to play Hawthorn in Charity Challenge

Source: The National, Thursday 26 January 2012

PAPUA New Guinea will play the Hawthorn Cricket Club in a 30-over-a-side Charity Challenge match at Rathmines Road Reserve in East Hawthorn on Sunday.
Players competing include Jason Kila, Lega Siaka, Assad Vala, Tony Ura, Vani Vagi Morea, Norman Vanua, Chris Amini, Charles Amini, John Boge Reva, Willie Gavera, Jack Vare and Joel Tom.
PNG have shown enormous improvement in world cricket in recent times and are now ranked 19th in the world (ninth in the ICC Associate/Affiliate World Rankings).
The U19s have qualified for their sixth World Cup after beating Ireland, Canada and Kenya and will take on India in Queensland later this year.
PNG will be taking part in a Global T20 qualifying event in Dubai in March against the best non-Test playing countries in the world in an attempt to qualify for the World T20 in Sri Lanka later this year.
With a number of national players in Melbourne on scholarships with sub-district cricket clubs this summer, the match against Hawthorn will be great preparation for the side as they build towards Dubai with only a few of their best 11 unavailable.
One player who will not be there is former English keeper Geraint Jones who was born in PNG and has recently made himself available for the Dubai tournament.
He will join the players for a pre-tournament camp in Canberra next month.
PNG are also on the hunt for a new coach for the Dubai event after current coach Brad Hogg was forced to step down after his remarkable come back to the Australian team.
The match against Hawthorn also aims to attract donations of used cricket equipment to help the development of children’s cricket in PNG.
Spectators can bring their old gear on the day including: bats, pads, gloves, helmets, kit bags, plastic bats, tennis balls, stumps, nets, matting etc.
Alex Keath and Steven Reid from the Victorian Bushrangers as well as Australian Indoor World Cup winner Jarrod Armitage will be attending the big day.
A signed Bushrangers bat will also be raffled to those attending.
The action starts 10am with an U19s curtain raiser and the main event starting at 2pm.
During the lunch break there will be a Milo In2 Cricket display open to kids from 5 to 10 years of age. http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/28300

*******************

4)New intakes set for busy AFL season

Source: The National, Thursday 26 January 2012

By LESLIE OMARO
THE 2012 intakes at the De La Salle Bomana Academy are in for a big year with some of the players expected to have stints with overseas AFL clubs.
Academy director Moses Kar and some of the AFLPNG staff were busy yesterday renovating the dormitories and playing fields and getting them ready for the school year.
Kar said yesterday they were given an outline of the programmes the players were expected to be involved in as part of their scholarship programme together with their studies.
He also gave an insight into what they would be expecting when they were attached with AFL clubs this year.
“The players will be travelling early next month (Feb 1, Feb 2 and Feb 3).
“A total of 26 players will be the intakes for the 2012 academic year with three of them – Theo Gavuri, Gideon Simon and Brendan Beno – attached with their overseas clubs.”
Gavuri is attached with the Greater Western Sydney Giants, Simon is with the Richmond Tigers and Beno with the Brisbane Lions.
Kar said Jason So-ong would also be heading to Sydney and attached with a first division club under Sydney Swans.
Kar said there were six programmes the new intakes would be involved in with the first one starting in the first term.
“The boys will be doing Grades nine, 10 and 11 so the first week of the first term will be development and they will be expected to behave themselves.
“There will also be fitness training and tests to improve their skills development.
“Walter (Yangomin) will be doing weights with the boys once a day for three weeks,” Kar said.
He said the players would be concentrating on game skills in the other three terms of the school year.
He also gave a run down on field preparations for the junior competition starting next month.
“There field will be irrigated and the power line that runs in the middle of the field will be moved. PNG Power will be assisting us on that.
“The junior competition will have teams from Moresby East, Moresby West, Moresby South and Moresby North,” Kar said.
The 2012 AFLPNG Academy intakes: Jason So-ong (Mt Hagen), Freddy Kalandi (Mt Hagen), Ori Nilmo (Kimbe), Michael Macca (Port Moresby), Francis Junior Giau (Kimbe), Harry Kambuou (Lae), Ezra Gotuno (Mt Hagen), Ezra Kautu (Kimbe), Theo Gavuri (Kimbe), Bruno Arnold (Mt Hagen), Issac Bakani (Kimbe), Albert Gabi (Lae), Eddie Meli (Port Moresby), Jacky Tony (Mt Hagen), Nane Rai (Lae), Mcqueen Malt (Mt Hagen), Kennedy Lavatu (Kimbe), Luke Severe (Port Moresby), Fitzgerald Jee (Kavieng), Ben Tirang (Mt Hagen), Hosea Wartovo (Port Moresby), Eddie Kusup (Port Moresby), Daniel Gitua (Port Moresby), Carter Siwee (Port Moresby), Ben Kias (Mt Hagen) and Daniel Lloyd (Port Moresby).http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/28296

*********************

5)Cricket wins award

Source: The National, Wednesday 25th January 2012

Cricket PNG have the best overall development programme in the region.
They won the top award in the 2011 Pepsi International Cricket Council East-Asia Pacific region announced yesterday.
The programme recorded 116,381 participants from 300 schools in 2011, more than double the figure from 2010.
This strong growth is a result of the hard work, commitment and stability of the Cricket PNG administration.
Cricket PNG also took out the category of best junior participation initiative for their Liklik cricket programme.
On the back of the success of the BSP junior participation programme, PNG has begun making the vital link of turning their mass participation into organised junior competitions via Liklik Cricket.
Children are now competing against each other on a weekly basis in the U12 to U17 age groups in seven of the 10 provinces which have established cricket competitions.
Photo of the Year also went to Cricket PNG for a promotional shot taken by Australian photographer Mark Dadswell of a young boy participating in the BSP School Kriket programme in Central province.
Other EAP award winners were the Cook Islands (best cricket promotion and marketing programme and best volunteer of the year – Taoi Nooroa),  Fiji (best women’s cricket initiative and lifetime service award – late Luisa Rika) and Japan (best sprirt of cricket initiative).
The EAP award winners will now join winners from the four other Pepsi International Cricket Council development programme regions at the ICC Global Awards later this year.http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/28287

**********************

6)Sport: Vanuatu volleyballers begin preparations in NZ

Posted at 23:58 on 26 January, 2012 UTC- http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=65772

Vanuatu’s top beach volleyballers will get some valuable match practice in ahead of next months Asian Zone Olympic Qualification event in New Zealand.

Starting on Friday they’re competing in the second annual North Harbour Open at Mairangi Bay, along with teams from Netherlands, Great Britain, USA, New Zealand and Germany.

The squad also competed in Australia earlier this month and Henriette Iatika says everything is progressing well towards their goal of competing in this years Olympics.

“We’ll do our best to make the qualifications. We started a couple of years ago and we gave our best to qualify for the Olympics and hopefully the event will come.”

The top three countries from next months qualifying event in Mount Maunganui will advance to the Asian Continental Final in June, from which the winner will qualify for London.

******************************

7)Karate gets nod for PNG Games

By Online Editor-2:24 pm GMT+12, 26/01/2012, Papua New Guinea

The PNG Karate Federation is delighted karate has been admitted as an optional sports in the PNG Games in East New Britain in November.

Federation president Carl Mari urged karate clubs to prepare for the games.

He asked all clubs to contact their respective provincial sports offices to be included in their provincial squads.

Mari thanked the East New Britain Games committee and the national sports foundation for including karate as an optional sport in November.

“It will not only give opportunities to our grassroots to take part in karate but will give us an opportunity to scout for candidates for other regional and international competitions, including the 2015 Pacific Games in Port Moresby,” he said. SOURCE: THE NATIONAL/PACNEWS

*****************

8)New-looks Fiji 7s squad for NZ and Las Vegas

By Online Editor-2:35 pm GMT+12, 26/01/2012, Fiji

A new-look twelve member Fiji 7s team to Wellington and Las Vegas was named in Suva today.

Captain Setefano Cakau, forward James Brown, halfback Emosi Vucago and utility Osea Kolinisau are the only survivors from the first leg of the HSBC World Sevens Series.

Forcing their way  back in the squad are Taniela Rawaqa, Nemani Nagusa, Lepani Botia and Metuisela Talebula while four players will make their debut.

Multi-talented Sekonaia Kalou, Jone Ragamate and brothers Waisea Vuidravuwalu and Avenisi Vusuinubu are the new faces.

Digicel Fiji 7s squad:  Setefano Cakau (C), James Brown, Emosi Vucago, Lepani Botia, Sekonaia Kalou, Nemani Nagusa, Osea Kolinisau, Taniela Rawaqa, Jone Ragamate, Metuisela Talebula, Waisea Vuidravuwalu, Avenisi Vusuinubu.SOURCE: FIJI LIVE/PACNEWS

10))NZ sevens named: Gear in line for Wellington

By Online Editor-2:31 pm GMT+12, 26/01/2012, New Zealand

New Zealand rugby sevens coach Gordon Tietjens has named four new caps in his 2012 national contracted squad, while All Blacks winger Hosea Gear has been released to play in next weekend’s Wellington sevens tournament.

Wellington’s Ardie Savea, 18, the younger brother of Hurricane and former New Zealand sevens player Julian Savea, has been named in Tietjens squad for the first time, with other new caps in the 15-strong squad including Hawke’s Bay’s Mark Jackman, Taranaki’s Waisake Naholo and 19-year-old Lolagi Visina from Auckland.

The squad includes plenty of experience with senior players Lote Raikabula, captain DJ Forbes and playmaker Tomasi Cama all heading into their seventh season with the side.

Titejens said his squad had a good mix of youth and experience.

”DJ, Lote and Tomasi have played in over 40 tournaments and there are quite a few players in this squad that travelled to every tournament in the series last year which gives them invaluable experience to pass down to the younger players.

”There are some young players in this squad showing great promise which bodes well for the future as we head towards the 2016 Olympics.”

Meanwhile, new Highlander and All Blacks winger Hosea Gear will join the squad in Wellington on Friday.

Gear has made himself available for selection for the New Zealand leg of the world series and will be released by the Highlanders for the tournament should he be selected.

Squad: Toby Arnold, Tomasi Cama, Scott Curry, DJ Forbes, Frank Halai, Bryce Heem, Mark Jackman, Solomon King, Tim Mikkelson, Waisake Naholo, Kylem O’Donnell, Charles Piutau, Lote Raikabula, Ardie Savea, Lolagi Visinia.SOURCE: STUFF NZ/PACNEWS

**************************

9)Sport: Cook Islands team assembles ahead of Wellington 7s

Posted at 23:58 on 26 January, 2012 UTC- Radio New Zealand International

A new-look Cook Islands sevens team assembles in Auckland on Friday ahead of the next of the IRB World Series in Wellington next weekend.

Coach Ramsey Tokomino has named eight world series debutants in his 12-man squad, which includes players based in New Zealand, Australia and Rarotonga.

He says the team is looking as fit and strong as they’ve ever been.

“The body shape of our boys are a lot different this year also. They were all training at One Tree Hill the other day and they all ended up taking shirts off and one of the guys commented that this is probably the best looking, muscular looking side that we’ve had in a long time. Obviously guys have adhered to what we’ve been saying about changing their body shapes and just having a look at the other athletes around them.”

Ramsey Tokomino says the team is competing at a Fijian sevens tournament in Auckland this weekend before heading down to Wellington.

****************************

10)Nadal through to Australian Open final

 

Rafa Nadal recovered from dropping the first set to beat Roger Federer in their Australian Open semi-final. (Tony Trung/ABC News)

Rafael Nadal once again proved Roger Federer’s nemesis, withstanding a withering opening from the Swiss great to reach the final of the Australian Open.

The Spaniard won 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 to prolong the agony for his greatest rival, who has now lost eight times to the Spaniard in 10 meetings at a major.

Federer was left a weeping wreck when Nadal remorselessly ground him down in 2009?s nail-biting five-set final in Melbourne but failed in his bid for revenge under the lights on Rod Laver Arena.

“For me it’s a dream to be back in the final,” said a smiling Nadal.

“It’s a real honour to play against Roger, it was a fantastic match. It’s fantastic to have one player in front of you who doesn’t make mistakes, having a totally complete game.”

Nadal, who has won 10 majors, now goes on to meet either defending champion Novak Djokovic or Britain’s Andy Murray in Sunday night’s final.

Federer produced flawless tennis at the start of the match but his game unravelled when put under pressure by Nadal and he finished with 63 unforced errors.

Unleashing his full arsenal, four-time Australian Open champion Federer held serve to love and broke the Spaniard at his first opportunity with a devastating cross-court backhand with Nadal struggling to gain a foothold.

Nadal broke back but third-seed Federer raised his game again after his mid-set wobble and he took the tie-break when Nadal went long.

The players swapped service breaks at the start of the second set but the turning point came when Nadal held off a Federer break point in the fifth game and then broke the Swiss in the very next game to move ahead 4-2.

Fireworks

The match was suspended for 10 minutes for Australia Day fireworks with Nadal leading 5-2 and when play resumed Federer badly lost his focus, losing 11 consecutive points on top of straight three points he lost before the break.

Nadal, 25, levelled the match at one set apiece, took the first game of set three to love and held three break points after two consecutive Federer double faults, only for the misfiring Swiss to claw himself out of the hole.

Federer, 30, battled hard to break Nadal in game seven of the third set but the Spaniard broke back immediately to level things up and Nadal went on to take the tie-break on his sixth set point.

A tense fourth set went with serve with Nadal looking mentally the stronger, continuing to chase down balls from seemingly impossible situations.

He saved a break point from Federer in the eighth game and broke the Swiss in the following game.

But the Spaniard still had to fight hard to serve out for victory, saving two Federer break points, including an astonishing retrieval onto the baseline which the Swiss then wafted wide.

Federer, seeking his first major in two years, had not dropped a set until Thursday’s semi-final but Nadal, who now leads their overall series 18-9, once again proved he has the edge over Federer on the biggest stage.27/1/12http://www.radioaustralianews.net.au/stories/201201/3416570.htm?desktop

**********************************

11)Dippenaar set to make Springbok Sevens debut

By Online Editor-2:27 pm GMT+12, 26/01/2012, South Africa

 

Stephan Dippenaar, the former Vodacom Bulls centre, is set to make his Springbok Sevens debut in New Zealand after he was included in the squad of 14 players for the next two legs of the HSBC Sevens World Series, in Wellington and Las Vegas.

The World Series resumes on 3 and 4 February in New Zealand capital after a new-look opening leg of three tournaments towards the end of 2011 in Australia, Dubai and South Africa respectively. Following the stopover in Wellington, which is regarded as one of the most popular Series destinations, the Blitzbokke will then defend their USA title in Las Vegas from 10 to 12 February.

Dippenaar signed a two year contract last year with the Springbok Sevens team and he will now get his chance to show his worth after he was included in the travelling party in the place of William Small-Smith, who is currently part of the SA Under-20 training squad.

The former Vodacom Bulls player was a member of the newly established SA Sevens Academy team that played inUruguay last month, where he helped them to reach the final in Punta del Este.

Last year, Kyle Brown’s team won their first tournament of the season in Las Vegas. That victory kick-started a good run of form for the team, who went on to lift two more titles in Scotland and England and to eventually claim second place overall behind series winners New Zealand.

South Africa is currently placed third on the Series log, three points behind joint leaders Fiji andNew Zealand, who have 51 points each. Just one point separate South Africa and England in the standings after three exciting tournaments.

Springbok Sevens coach Paul Treu, whose team lost their home tournament in heart-breaking fashion against the Kiwis in Port Elizabeth last December, said his team will be striving to maintain their consistency during the next two tournaments.
“The new points system on offer as well as the additional ninth tournament has really brought another dimension to the Series. There are no more easy pool matches because the teams want to secure a good seeding position for the next tournament, so we can expect two more very competitive tournaments in Wellington and Las Vegas,” explained Treu.

The Blitzbokke coach said he was keen to see how newcomer Dippenaar performs in Bok Sevens colours. “He has learnt a lot since his switch to Sevens last year and I would like to see how he handles the much tougher demands of the very competitive Series.”

According to Treu, his team has put the huge disappointment of losing their home Cup Final behind them and they are looking forward to resume the Series. “Our previous Cup success in Wellington was ten years ago, so that will be a huge motivating factor for us. The New Zealand leg is always tough because of the great support for the Pacific Island teams, but we will embrace the challenge and hope to improve on our most recent performances in New Zealand,” said Treu.

Departure time on Friday from the Cape Town International Airport to Wellington via Johannesburg is 13h00.

The Springbok Sevens squad for Wellington and Las Vegas is:
1. Chris Dry
2. Chase Minnaar
3. Frankie Horne
4. Boom Prinsloo
5. Cornal Hendricks
6. Kyle Brown (captain)
7. Branco du Preez
8. Bernado Botha
9. Paul Delport
10. Cecil Afrika
11. Steven Hunt
12. Mark Richards
13. Stephan Dippenaar
14. Renfred Dazel.

SOURCE: SARU/PACNEWS