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Auckland FC unveil new kit for 2025/26 A-League season at New Zealand Fashion Week event

Auckland FC unveil new kit for 2025/26 A-League season at New Zealand Fashion Week event

Auckland FC have unveiled their new kit for the 2025/26 season – and there is a significant twist. It was launched at a glamorous event at Soul Bar in Auckland on Thursday as part of New Zealand Fashion Week. As well as Auckland FC players, others to feature on the catwalk included ex-All Black Carlos Spencer, former Black Cap Jimmy Neesham and ex-Silver Fern Courtney Tairi. It’s a uniform that will turn heads, and is sure to provoke mixed reactions, as the home shirt is significantly different to the strip worn in the inaugural season. That classic shirt, with electric blue and black stripes, was a big seller in the first season. Auckland FC and New Balance were swamped by the demand and had to do several re-orders. The shirt became a ubiquitous sight around Auckland, from playgrounds to shopping malls and everywhere in between, as well as a must-have for matchday fans at Go Media stadium. For the second season, New Balance has opted for a different look. The shirt is predominantly black, with electric blue pinstripes running the length of the jersey. The new Auckland FC home jersey for the 2025/26 season. The move is a departure from the norm as English Premier League teams tend to maintain the same base colour or colours with only slight alterations to collars, sleeves or cuffs. The away shirt has also changed but the differences are more subtle. It remains a white base, with a gold collar and sleeve cuff. For the upcoming season, ANZ has replaced Anchor as the primary front-of-shirt sponsor, with the dairy brand now displayed on the back. Both commercial partners have extended their partnership until 2028. All kits feature a gold inscription of the club’s mantra inside the collar, “Always Advance, Never Retreat”. New Balance worked with Whitecliffe College fashion students for elements of the design. The kit launch was a special event for a New Zealand sporting franchise, continuing Auckland FC’s habit of doing things differently. In front of about 250 people at Soul Bar, those modelling the strip for the first time included Auckland FC players Liam Gillion and Joe Knowles. Spencer, still an icon in this country, raised a big cheer, as did Neesham and Tairi. Others on the catwalk included Stars midcourter Greer Sinclair and former Football Fern Emma Rolston. Hiroki Sakai models the 2025/26 away jersey. “This was a little unusual for me to say the least,” said Gillion. “But I enjoyed it, and I was proud to wear the kit. The designs of fashion students were incredible; they are so talented. I have a lot of respect for those guys. It was a great afternoon and fantastic to get involved in something I wouldn’t usually be exposed to.” After issues with sizing in the first season, partly because of the unexpected demand, the home kit for this campaign has been produced in two different fits – player replica and player elite. The player elite is the exact kit worn on the field by players, while the player replica is a more generous sizing. The home, away and goalkeeper jerseys will be available on the Auckland FC website from Friday. The club is also hosting a pop-up store at Asuwere, Ponsonby Rd, from Friday to Sunday, before general retail release on Monday, September 1. Michael Burgess has been a Sports Journalist for the New Zealand Herald since 2005, covering the Olympics, Fifa World Cups, and America’s Cup campaigns. He is a co-host of the Big League podcast.

Women’s Rugby World Cup: Key areas the Black Ferns can tidy up for Japan clash

Women’s Rugby World Cup: Key areas the Black Ferns can tidy up for Japan clash

With one win and maximum points on the board, the Black Ferns’ win over Spain on Monday was a job successfully completed. The defending World Cup champions outscored their lower-ranked rivals eight tries to one in a 54-8 win, putting the New Zealanders at the top of their pool after the opening round. It wasn’t the best performance the side are likely to field in this tournament, with several changes meaning some new combinations forming and the side as a whole taking some time to settle into the game. But overall, assistant coach Steve Jackson said they were pretty happy with the performance as they looked to build on that against No 11-ranked Japan on Monday morning in Exeter. “To do some of the things we did was pleasing but obviously there is a lot more things we can do with the ball, like looking after the ball for multiple phases and securing the ball. But overall, we were really, really happy,” Jackson said. Japan are expected to be a step up in competition for the Black Ferns. They are ranked slightly above Spain (13) in the rankings and tested Ireland at times in their opening match of the competition before ultimately losing 42-14. The sides have only met once before, in a pre-World Cup test at Eden Park in 2022, where the New Zealand side dominated the Japanese for a 95-12 win. Plenty has changed since then, and Jackson said Japan would be a difficult side to play. “We are feeling pretty confident, but we aren’t taking Japan lightly. We will be going out there to put our best foot forward and put a performance on that we can be proud of, but Japan will be a difficult side to play. There are things in our game that we need to tidy up, which we will work on this week. If we do that really well, we should hopefully get the desired outcome. We are under no illusions; Japan will be tough. “In the Spanish game, they came out with a lot of passion in the first 20 minutes, and they continued that throughout the 80 minutes. Their defensive line was getting up off the line and putting pressure on. Japan won’t be any different; they will go for 80 minutes.” While in the opening-round game plenty of fresh faces were allowed to stake their claim for more involvement later in the competition, Jackson hinted more changes could come for this weekend, and they looked to give everyone an opportunity. “We just need to make sure we’re putting out the team we think can go out there and do a job against Japan.” For fans and pundits, the expectation is that the Black Ferns will put Japan to the sword as they ramp up toward the knockout stages. A win over Japan would confirm the Black Ferns’ place in the quarter-finals, with their remaining pool game likely to sort the seedings. One-sided results were the story of the opening round, with the tournament increasing from 12 to 16 teams this time around. Across the eight matches played, the shortest margin of victory was 24 points – France’s 24-0 win over Italy. The average winning margin was about 48 points. “This is a different World Cup, and teams have been performing really well,” Jackson said. “If we go back to last year, we were beaten by Ireland, Canada and England, so they’re candidates, with England probably being the form team this year coming into this World Cup. We also want to write our own history, and again, we are just taking it game by game, not thinking anything further than Japan this week.” Competition director Yvonne Nolan, a former hooker for Ireland, made note of that in a briefing this week, but said these were important steps in the development of emerging rugby nations. “If you like free-flowing rugby and you like to see tries, you’re seeing it. If you like an arm wrestle, it will come. These matches are going to get tighter and tighter as we get through the pools and into the knockouts. Part of this is about the trajectory of this game. Different teams are at different stages of their development, but they all deserve to be here,” Nolan said. “I, certainly, a...

No Laundry Day returns: How often should you really wash your clothes?

No Laundry Day returns: How often should you really wash your clothes?

An annual campaign is urging Kiwis to take a break from washing their clothes this Friday to help save the planet. The work of environmentally conscious brand ecostore, No Laundry Day will involve households around the country quitting the chore for a day. “Nanogirl” Dr Michelle Dickinson hopes the initiative will encourage New Zealanders to develop more sustainable washing habits. In a release provided to the Herald, Dickinson said New Zealanders can give their clothes a quick “sniff test” to see if they need a wash. “The nose can detect certain odour molecules in very small amounts. You can trust your nose – if it smells clean, it probably is.” The scientist said smell is a good indicator of whether something is dirty, as sweat is typically odourless. “It’s only when bacteria start digesting it, particularly in warm, damp areas like armpits, groins and feet, that they release smelly byproducts.” Underwear still needs to be washed regularly, and Dickinson suggests cleaning anything that is obviously stained. But only washing the rest of your clothes when they smell could go a long way towards reducing your impact on the environment. ecostore’s CEO Pablo Kraus said laundry is expensive and overwashing contributes significantly to energy waste, clothing degradation and pollution. “Synthetic garments like polyester and nylon shed microfibres during washing, which can contribute to microplastic pollution in our waterways”, he said. “Small actions, like skipping one load, can add up – especially when we do it together.” The campaign encourages what ecostore calls “smarter laundry habits”, recommending Kiwis consider making more sustainable choices around the chore. These small changes to your weekly washing routine could have a big impact: Wash one big load rather than several small ones Wash clothes on a cool cycle, reducing microfibre shed Dry clothes on a washing line instead of in a drier.

Holocaust Centre condemns John Tamihere saying Govt ‘worse than Nazi Germany’

Holocaust Centre condemns John Tamihere saying Govt ‘worse than Nazi Germany’

The Holocaust Centre of New Zealand is condemning Te Pāti Māori president John Tamihere’s claim that the Government is “worse than Nazi Germany”, saying the comment is “harmful at worst” and radicalises political discourse. Tamihere’s remark came as he appeared on The Bradbury Group’s politics podcast this week, hosted by media commentator Martyn Bradbury, which discussed Labour’s re-election chances in 2026. Speaking alongside fellow guest Labour MP Arena Williams, Tamihere lamented rates of immunisation in Māori communities before criticising the Government’s “bully-boy mentality”, claiming academics suggesting alternative economic opinions were “beat up”. “This is worse than Nazi Germany, this is a fascist regime that has to be removed,” Tamihere said. Holocaust Centre deputy chairman Giacomo Lichtner viewed the remark as “political hyperbole” which was “unhelpful at best and harmful at worst”. He noted a growing frequency of Nazi comparisons in political debate, which he feared would undermine legitimate allegations of fascism. “If we were ever faced with a regime that actually was fascist, the call to alert would fall on deaf ears because it would be easy to dismiss.” John Tamihere is Te Pāti Māori's president. Photo / Sylvie Whinray Lichtner, also an associate professor of history with Victoria University of Wellington, urged politicians to be cautious when using such language, warning it would shift attention away from other issues. “My message would be to just always exercise great care with historical comparisons, with comparisons to Nazism in particular and with the potential for radicalisation of language of political discourse, which can have really, really dire consequences.” Tamihere did not respond to the Herald’s request for comment. The Holocaust Centre made similar comments when New Zealand First leader Winston Peters appeared to compare Labour’s use of co-governance to “race-based theory”, as seen in Nazi Germany, during a State of the Nation speech last year. Peters later argued his comments were actually in response to claims by Te Pāti Māori concerning superior Māori genes. Also during the podcast, Tamihere described National’s Māori Development and Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka as a “disgrace” to Māori, citing the Government’s social housing policies. Tamihere, who confirmed he would contest Labour deputy leader Carmel Sepuloni’s Kelston seat in 2026, also described National minister Judith Collins as “ugly”. Collins declined to comment. Potaka had yet to respond to Newstalk ZB’s request. Adam Pearse is the deputy political editor and part of the NZ Herald’s press gallery team based at Parliament in Wellington. He has worked for NZME since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland.

Poultry industry, Govt sign landmark biosecurity deal

Poultry industry, Govt sign landmark biosecurity deal

The Government has struck a deal with New Zealand's poultry industry, agreeing how they will jointly prepare for and respond to exotic poultry diseases, including any possible outbreak of high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI). Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says the agreement is a significant milestone in the country's biosecurity preparedness. "The H5N1 strain of HPAI is spreading fast around the world," Hoggard says. "This agreement means we will be ready to respond if that disease, or others, arrives on our shores." He says New Zealand's poultry industry earns approximately $2.2 billion per year domestically and brings in close to $200 million in export revenue. "It's essential we're ready to respond to exotic diseases that could devastate the industry, and impact domestic food supply and international trade," he says. “This agreement formally recognises industry bodies as decision-makers, alongside the Government, guaranteeing PIANZ and EPF a seat at the table if any of these diseases are detected in New Zealand.” The agreement covers Newcastle disease, infectious bursal disease virus and all strains of high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI), including the HPAI strain H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b. “Importantly, the agreement also sets out cost-sharing arrangements between taxpayers and the industry. This recognises the benefits to both parties of being well prepared, reporting early, and responding rapidly,” says Hoggard. “By sharing the costs of preparation and response, we ensure there are strong incentives on farmers to take preventative measures while also encouraging them to report suspected disease as soon as possible.” Under the agreement, industry will contribute 45 per cent of readiness costs for all poultry diseases and 45 per cent of response costs, with the exception of HPAI – for which industry will meet 40 per cent of the response costs. Readiness costs can include the cost of developing plans for response operational activities, running exercises for testing plans, and applied research to improve response operations. Response costs can include diagnostics, communications and activities to control a disease. “We have also agreed that cost-shareable activities for an H5N1 outbreak should be limited, and that industry will lead responding to an outbreak in poultry farms as soon as possible after a detection, with support from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI),” says Hoggard. “Last year’s avian influenza outbreak at a single commercial egg farm in Otago cost an estimated $25 million. That cost could easily have been far greater were it not for the rapid action on behalf of the farmer and MPI to stand up a response and restrict movements. “That outbreak, and the success of containing it to a single farm, showed just how important partnership with industry is in any response.” Executive Director for the Poultry Industry Association and the Egg Producers Federation, Michael Brooks, says the agreement is an important step towards a unified response to exotic poultry diseases. “The industry’s priority now is to ensure our poultry and egg producers have the most robust biosecurity processes possible in place, to protect their flocks and businesses from H5N1 and other unwanted diseases. H5N1 is a disease spread by wild birds, so our industry, like others, is vulnerable without the right planning, regulation and MPI’s support.  We’re pleased with the strong collaboration with MPI.” The agreement comes into effect on 1 September 2025. #Andrew_Hoggard #POULTRY_INDUSTRY_ASSOCIATION_OF_NZ

Winds destroy caravan near Lake Tekapo as gales hit Canterbury

Winds destroy caravan near Lake Tekapo as gales hit Canterbury

Emergency services rushed to a caravan obliterated by the high winds which ripped through the Canterbury region today. Police received a report of a caravan having tipped over on the Fairlie-Tekapo Rd about 10.05am. A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said wind was “definitely a contributing factor” in the destruction. A photo of the rolled caravan shows its shattered remains, torn apart by severe gales and now barely recognisable as a vehicle. “We actually came across it on the way to another job, so we found out about it that way. “We diverted some resources to it,” the Fire and Emergency spokesperson said. Fire and Emergency NZ crews assisted with securing the vehicle and managing traffic. There are no reported injuries. Emergency services rushed to a caravan obliterated by the high winds that have ripped through the Canterbury region today. Photo / Lake Tekapo Volunteer Fire Brigade Wild South Island weather The Canterbury High Country has been under a strong wind watch from 9 am, which is expected to lift at 4pm. Northwest winds were forecast to approach severe gales in exposed places. Gusts reached 116km/h for Mt Cook Airport, 112km/h for Roxburgh Airport and 98km/h for Wallacetown this morning. The chance of thunderstorms with heavy rain and hail continues for the remainder of the day for Nelson, Buller, Grey and Westland. Temperatures are expected to drop tomorrow over southern New Zealand, and snow may affect some elevated parts of the South Island, including some of the higher roads.

Trump’s DC makeover: White House gold bling, giant mirror, and ballroom part of his legacy

Trump’s DC makeover: White House gold bling, giant mirror, and ballroom part of his legacy

From a gold-plated White House to a grandiose revamp for the capital Washington, Donald Trump is trying to leave an architectural mark like no American president has attempted for decades. “I’m good at building things,” the former property magnate said this month as he announced perhaps the biggest project of all, a huge new US$200 million ($340m) ballroom at the US executive mansion. Trump made his fortune developing glitzy hotels and casinos branded with his name. Critics say the makeover Trump has given the White House in his second presidency is of a similar style. Parts of it now resemble his brash Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, particularly the newly paved-over Rose Garden with its picnic tables and yellow and white umbrellas. During Trump’s first term the British style writer Peter York dubbed his style “dictator chic”, comparing it to that of foreign autocrats. But Trump has also recently unveiled a grand vision for the entire US capital. And he has explicitly tied his desire to “beautify” Washington to his recent crackdown on crime, which has seen him deploy troops in the Democratic-run city, where just two months ago he held a military parade on his birthday. “This is a ratcheting up of the performance of power,” Peter Loge, director of George Washington University’s School of Media, told AFP. “That’s what he does. Puts his name on Bibles and casinos, so the logic makes complete sense. Except now he’s playing with lives, the reputation of the US and a democratic legacy.” Trump is far from the first president to carry out major renovations at the White House in its 225-year history. Trump's Washington revamp includes a US$2 billion proposal, aiming to beautify and enhance the capital. Photo / Getty Images Franklin Roosevelt oversaw construction of the current Oval Office in 1934, Harry Truman led a major overhaul that ended in 1951 and John F. Kennedy created the modern Rose Garden in 1961. The White House Historical Association put Trump’s changes in context, saying the building was a “living symbol of American democracy, evolving while enduring as a national landmark”. Its president, Stewart McLaurin, said in an essay in June that renovations throughout history had drawn criticism from the media and Congress over “costs, historical integrity and timing”. “Yet many of these alterations have become integral to the identity of the White House, and it is difficult for us to imagine the White House today without these evolutions and additions,” he wrote. Trump’s changes are nevertheless the furthest reaching for nearly a century. Soon after his return he began blinging-up the Oval Office walls with gold trim and trinkets that visiting foreign leaders have been careful to praise. Then he ordered the famed grass of the Rose Garden to be turned into a patio. Trump said he did so because women’s high-heeled shoes were sinking into the turf. After it was finished, Trump installed a sound system and AFP reporters could regularly hear music from his personal playlist blaring from the patio. Trump has also installed two huge US flags on the White House lawns, and a giant mirror on the West Wing colonnade in which the former reality TV star can see himself as he leaves the Oval. Billionaire Trump says he is personally funding those improvements. But his bigger plans will need outside help. The White House said the new ballroom planned for the East Wing by the end of his term in January 2029 will be funded by Trump “and other patriot donors”. Trump says he expects Congress to agree to foot the US$2 billion bill for his grand plan to spruce up Washington. On a trip to oil-rich Saudi Arabia in May Trump admired the “gleaming marvels” of the skyline – and he appears intent on creating his own gleaming capital. That ranges from a marble-plated makeover at the Kennedy Centre for the performing arts to getting rid of graffiti and – ever the construction boss – fixing broken road barriers and laying new asphalt. Trump’s Washington...