Chasing Nothing

The beautiful 'Flower of Scotland' describes the triumph of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots, over Edward II, King of England, at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. The unofficial hymn of Scotland was adapted as the pre-game anthem for Scottish Rugby in 1990. Coached by the peerless Ian McGeechan and led by prop David Sole, the Scots did the Flower proud, beating a strong England team 13-7 to claim what was their most recent Grand Slam. Scotland have won only one Five/Six Nations Rugby since (in 1999). This lack of success at rugby's highest table has been part of the reason why the Union has posted a £10m loss in recent years, despite record revenues of £68.3m in 2022/23. Commercially Scotland Rugby has been reinforcing their deals: - In 2023 British Gas (trading as Scottish Gas in Scotland) took over naming rights for Murrayfield. - In 2024 Arnold Clark became the Principal Partner and front-of-jersey sponsor. - In 2024 Italian apparel giant Macron re-signed a relationship dating back to 2013. A financial reset program is underway but the union has ensured that player recruitment for their domestic sides, Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors, hasn't been affected. This has paid dividends, with the Warriors winning the United Rugby Championship this year, beating the Bulls in South Africa. This experience will prove critical for the Thistles match against the World Champions at a sold out Murrayfield. The quality of the Boks, winners of The Rugby Championship, is very well known. Scotland, with a fair number of near misses in recent years, will look to snap an eight match losing streak against the South Africans, with their last win coming in 2010. With the Warriors providing the spine of the team, this could be a new era for the Scots. - 𝑶 𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒄𝒐𝒕𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒘𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏, 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒘𝒆𝒆 𝒃𝒊𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒈𝒍𝒆𝒏 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒅 𝒆𝒅𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅'𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒚, 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝑻𝒂𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏. - Their new captain is Melbourne born back Sione Tuipulotu, who qualified for Scotland via his grandmother from Greenock. While Fiji, beaten 57-17 by the Scots over the weekend, were missing a number of international players, it was hard not to be impressed by the attack of the hosts. The backline was imperious. Hastings, son of Scottish legend Gavin Hastings, showcased tricks not typical of a team wearing the famous dark blue. While four-try hero (v Fiji) Darcy Graham will not be available to play the Boks, the team will be significantly reinforced by their foreign stars. Ben White, Blair Kinghorn and Finn Russell are all available for Scotland (the Fiji Test took place outside the international window). To say the Boks are like Edward II's army is a clumsy metaphor, but these Scots have the skills to repel these impressive invaders from South Africa.

England Rugby, and #sport in general, bid adieu to a great man this week as Joe Marler, he of OnlyFans and Durex Condom fame, announced that after 95 Tests he was hanging up the boots. Marler will continue playing for Harlequins until the end of the season. The 34-year-old, winner of three Six Nations Rugby crowns, two Premiership Rugby titles and a Challenge Cup, was a product of the English system, captaining the Under-18s team and featuring for the U20 and 'England A' sides. He made his Test debut in 2012 against the Springboks. The announcement closes the curtain on a 12 year career - becoming the ninth-most capped player for England and third-most among England props, behind Dan Cole and Jason Leonard. Marler is one of the great characters of the game. In 2022 he appeared in an ad for Durex while the following year he announced, via his podcast, that he was setting up an OnlyFans page for his feet. Perhaps the game's biggest extrovert, his contribution to rugby extended well beyond the sport, with the East Sussex man very vocal about his mental health. - "Before I met him I thought I’d lie on a leopard-print bed and he’d be a German in glasses," Marler said about his first meeting with a psychiatrist called Humphrey. "We sat in two chairs and chatted and he said: ‘You’re suffering with severe depression so we’re going to treat you accordingly. I was like: ‘Brilliant. We’ve got a plan.’ Not knowing is the tough bit." “He recommended that I go on antidepressants. I said: ‘Humphrey, I don’t need that. I want to be strong enough to fight this with my brain.’ He’s like: ‘Joe, when you’re ill, do you take antibiotics?’ I said: ‘Yeah.’ So he said: “Antibiotics help fight the infection and then your body beats it. That’s how you should look at the antidepressants. They’re there as a chemical to help you whilst you’re learning these different techniques and understanding more." - Marler was prominently in the press last week when he made a comment about the Haka. It was met with a predictable response even if the context of his remark that the ceremonial challenge be "binned" was lost in translation. All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson's comments were akin to a group of Great White Sharks weighing up how to deal with a human swimming into their territory. “The boys are aware of it,” he said. “We’ll discuss, and decide how we’ll deal with it. Respectfully.” Theirs, and England's, response was pure Mana. The most beautiful reaction came from Sir John Kirwan in the video below. - Marlers fears about sharing his mental health with his wife is a lesson for us all. "I’d been worried about burdening Daisy because she’s got enough shit on her plate. Daisy was like: ‘As if it’s a burden! That’s the whole point of us being together – to support each other,'" he said. Joe leaves a important legacy, and I wish his family (Daisy and his children Pixie, Maggie, Felix, and Jasper) the very best. Rugby will be less without his presence.

There is a saying that there are as many Tongans in Auckland, the Polynesian capital of the world, as there are in Tonga. Their 25-24 win over the Kiwis, amidst a sea of red at Mount Smart Stadium, propels the Kingdom of Tonga to their first ever tier-one Final. In a match that many are proclaiming to be one of the best rugby league game's ever, Tonga's first win over a top ranked nation in five years will become the stuff of legend. The Kiwis, defending Rugby League Pacific champions, courtesy of their astonishing 30-0 win over the Australian Kangaroos last year, were expected to be too strong for Tonga - having never lost to the Pacific Islanders in Auckland while their only prior defeat had been in 2017. But the Tongan forwards, the nine selected weighed over a ton (1,004kg), wrecked absolute chaos on New Zealand. It was 24-0 after 33 minutes to Tonga, before a comeback by the Kiwis saw them draw level 24-24 with 12 minutes remaining. A snap drop goal in the 75th minute to Isaiya Katoa secured the match. While Rugby Union is Tonga's national sport, Rugby League entered the national consciousness in 2017, when the team defeated the Kiwis in the pool stages and Lebanon Rugby League in the quarter-finals. Their 20-18 SF loss to England was iconic to the Kingdom, whose King Tupou VI declared November 29 to be Mate Ma'a Tonga Day. What will occur in Tonga across it's 171 Islands and just over 100,000 people if they defeat the Kangaroos in the decider this weekend? - The Pacific Nations Championship, formerly the Oceania Cup, was announced in 2023 by Anthony Albanese and the National Rugby League with a $7M (AUD) commitment. It features women’s and men’s teams from Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and Tonga. - While Tongans have a reputation for being wonderfully warm (the Kingdom is known as the "Friendly Islands"), they were for hundreds of years the dominant power of Polynesia. Fiji, Samoa, Niue and parts of the Solomon Islands and French Polynesia fell under the Tuʻi Tonga Empire until the Samoan revolution of the 13th century and the European"s discovery of the islands in 1616. Their athletes are constant sights in Union, League and the NFL. Last year the NRL revealed that 45% of all players have Pasifika heritage while 44 players were born in the Cook Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa or Tonga. The Rugby League World Cup, the game's biggest event, will be hosted by Australia and Papua New Guinea in 2026. The Kangaroos have won 12 of the 16 tournaments. Rugby League, via the NRL, is eyeing off American expansion, with two matches of the opening round this year being played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. In 2025 this expands to include the Super League. The Canberra Raiders, Cronulla Sharks, One NZ Warriors, Penrith Panthers, Wigan Warriors Rugby League Club and Warrington Wolves will face off alongside the Jillaroos and Lions international Women's League teams.

The unearthing of a Michael Jones level flanker, supreme backs, a Kiwi bomb squad and a spine tingling Haka response headlined the All Blacks 8th win of the 2024 season. In a game undecided until the final seconds, the 24-22 victory at Allianz Stadium featured a high penalty count for the visitors and another yellow card, but showcased the greatest attribute for a #sports team to possess. Guts. There is a growing resilience behind this All Blacks team that is more impressive considering their stubbornness to play attacking rugby. But first, to the hosts. While England lost for the third time in 2024 to the All Blacks, they could have had this game. Their backs, led by Marcus Smith (17 points), Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (try) and Ollie Lawrence (a game high 22 tackles) continually threatened while up front they matched the visitors in every department. Until changes were made. Smith was substituted for George Ford which in hindsight was a puzzling move, while the changing of the entire English front row de powered the scrum. They are better than this defeat. Meanwhile Patrick Tuipulotu, Ofa Tuʻungafasi and Pasilio Tosi (all 395kg of them) made serious impact when coming on. It wasn't quite Bok Bomb Squad but it did the job. Out wide, Mark Telea continued to break tackles with two tries, Will Jordan scored his 36th five-pointer in his 38th Test and Damian McKenzie had a sublime cameo to set up the final try and convert the match winning points. - However for the first time in nearly two decades, the All Blacks have unearthed a special loose forward. Wallace Sititi, just 22-years-young, was flawless. He led the All Blacks on attack with 16 carries for 76 metres, completed ten tackles with no misses and set up the game's opening try. Son of former Samoan Semo Sititi, the Chiefs Rugby Club loose forward debuted for the All Blacks in San Diego against Fiji and has effectively become the first choice blindside. Many greats, such as Jerry Collins and Jerome Kaino, took years to dominate at international level but Wallace looks comfortable at the game's top table. His Father Semo was playing for Border Reivers when he was born, unable to fly back to Samoa for his birth. "It was a very difficult time, and obviously disappointing (that I couldn't be there), but I talked to my wife and she said that we better start looking for a Scottish name for our son so that we could remember the time he was born," he said. So it was only natural he was named after the Braveheart himself, William Wallace. - The two point win, the 8th of the year, was the 497th Test triumph for the All Blacks over 648 internationals played since 1903. With Ireland, France and Italy to come, the diamond in the rough that is the 2024 All Blacks is indeed beginning to look a little more polished. There are still a few rough edges. But along with a box office Haka confrontation it's all very fun to watch. Craig Fenton W C 👽 Simon McMaster David Algie Gordon Bray AM

The Minister for Regulation David Seymour has insinuated England rugby prop Joe Marler has a low IQ after politics waded into the old as time itself argument. Is the Haka fair/overused/tapu (scared)? Joe Marler has commenced the psychological warfare. He mocked the Haka. Marler is notable for incidents such as the 2019 Rugby World Cup where he was warned by officials for getting to close to the Haka. England were eventually fined £2,000 for crossing the halfway line. It was great theatre. Kieran Read turning his head left to right in the video as England advances while Owen Farrell is smirking. Goosebumps. Marler opened the mother of all cans with suggestions the Haka needs to be binned, although he did follow up (via X) that challenges should be allowed. A passionate Siva Tau war dance was performed by Toa Samoa ahead of their rugby league clash with v England over the weekend. There was an old fashioned stand off. Typically challenges are frowned upon by the All Blacks. Or more to the point, the game's overlords. His comments have prompted much response, including from Seymour, leader of the ACT party of New Zealand Parliament. While Seymour has a political legacy, overseeing the End of Life choice act in 2019, he has been vocal regarding the Treaty of Waitangi. Te Tiriti, signed in 1840, is the most important document in the history of modern New Zealand. Seymour oversees a ministry that is dismantling of many of the nation’s dedicated Maori initiatives "Who is this Joe Marler guy?" he said. "I've never heard of him. An English prop? Well, in my experience, there are very few props with high IQ. It could be something in that area." Ouch. The Haka has become more than a cultural act, it is an often used weapon against the All Blacks. New Zealand Rugby has offered no comment so far. The comment sections of media sites in New Zealand highlighted a public with views against the Haka. "I agree...I'm 100% Kiwi, 5th Generation but I find the Haka is overdone" "You know the saying - NZ would perform a Haka for the opening of an envelope" "Used to love the Haka. Now I cringe. Sick of it. Overhyped, overdone, underwhelming" "It seems everytime a fridge gets opened out comes a Haka. What used to be special is now mundane....throat slitting is embarrassing" Ouch. For the All Blacks, this is nothing view. The stories about this are consistent throughout history, from the Wallabies turning their backs on the Haka in 1996, Ireland walking up to the All Blacks faces in 1989, the changing room Haka in Wales in 2006, through to an Airbus A380 flying overhead mid routine. The English will be hungry to win for the first time in London since 2012. The All Blacks have won ten of the last 12 Tests between the sides. In 26 visits to England NZ have won 19 times - a statistic consistent with what is a lopsided rivalry, with the All Blacks winning 35 of 45 matches. W C 👽 Andy Marston Nick Riggall 🏉🤖Matt

It was hardly a good omen when Australian flanker Chris Roche accidentally broke a table at Buckingham palace when the 1984 Wallabies met the Queen prior to their Grand Slam tour. Before heading to Europe they had lost back-to-back Tests against the All Blacks. In 1983 they lost to France in Paris and were defeated by Argentina who claimed their first win on Australian soil. If that wasn't enough, they had been beaten by England, Scotland and Wales during their 1981/82 Slam attempt. In other words, prior form counted for little. Nick Farr-Jones, DAVID CAMPESE, Michael Lynagh and Mark Ella created history - with the latter scoring a try in every Test as Australia won their first, and only, sweep of the Home Nations. So here we are, 40 years later, as the Wallabies prepare for their 11th Grand Slam attempt. There is a bit of a different feeling this time around. Today Rugby Australia unveiled their kit (their very nice kit) for The British & Irish Lions 2025 tour, while there is a sense that head coach Joe Schmidt has finally settled on his top tier squad. Over their last five Tests, despite the solitary win, they have been competitive enough to hint at a potential corner https://shorturl.at/4VFqw Despite 16 new caps this year, the most since 1962, the touring party for Europe has a fair amount of steel about it. Almost half the squad has 30 or more caps while the average age of the team is 26.4 years. Notably there are recalls for Rugby World Cup squad members Samu Kerevi and Will Skelton. Only three players are uncapped, Harry Potter, Tane Edmed and Joseph Sua'alii. Edmed recently spent the season with North Harbour Rugby (scoring 33 points v Manawatu) while Potter played 67 games with the Leicester Tigers - winning a Premiership Rugby trophy in 2022. But all eyes will by on Sua'alii. The $5M (AUD) man comes from the Sydney Roosters and his 100kg, 196cm frame will, alongside many veterans, hope to ignite the Wallabies. In 1984, Ella, Farr-Jones, Campese and Lynagh sprung a trick move called "Leaguie" against England. Decoys, loops and a sublime dummy set the tone. It was a magnificent example of the Wallaby Way. One hopes that their new 'Leaguey' and a coach that knows Europe very well will once again showcase all that is good about the green and gold. Image credit: Wallabies Instagram Gordon Bray AM W C 👽 James Horwill Phil Waugh Peter Horne Drew Mitchell Michael Atkinson

NEW ZEALAND CRICKET'S BLACK CAPS HAVE ACHIEVED THE GREATEST KIWI SPORTING SUCCESS IN HISTORY 🏏 I don't think I've ever used all caps (yelling) in a post before but this is warranted. Overnight the NZ Cricket men's Test team defeated the might of India, in India, for the second time in just over a week. This gives them an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. - It is the first time that New Zealand has won a series in India. - It's the first series win by any visiting team since England won in 2012 and just the fourth this century (joining Australia in 2004 and South Africa in 2000). - It breaks a sequence of 18 straight home Test series wins for India. - Before this series New Zealand had only won two Test matches in India (in Nagpur in 1969 and at Wankhede in 1988). Now they have won four. - The loss is India's third home Test defeat this year. Only twice before did India lose three or more Tests at home in a calendar year (four in 1969 and three in 1983). Such victories always reveal a hero. This time it was Hamilton born Mitchell Josef Santner. His 13/157 match figures in Pune are the third-best match figures for New Zealand in a men's Test. The peerless Sir Richard Hadlee took 15 for 123 against Australia in 1985, while Ajaz Patel claimed 14 for 225 against India in 2021 at the Wankhede. Like their female counterparts (with the White Ferns claiming the ICC T20 championship last week), there had been frustrations this year with series defeats to Australia and Sri Lanka. But for now, New Zealand Cricket is on top of the world. To put the victory into more perspective, India is home 1.45 billion people. New Zealand, my birth country, has 5.2 million. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as a governing body In financial year 2023-2024 earned ₹18,700 crore (US$2.2 billion). Last year NZ Cricket made $97 million (US$57.9 million). It really is David and Goliath stuff. And it was achieved with Kane Williamson, the best batsman in New Zealand's history, on the sidelines. New Black Caps captain Tom Latham heralded the team coming together as one. “I’m obviously very proud to be up here in this position. Obviously it’s not just me, it’s a whole team effort," he said. “This game was a clear example of everyone pitching in when they needed to and everyone standing up at different times." “I'm just stoked for the guys that we’re in this position now.” Scott Weenink Robin Mathew Ben Mackey Leanne Bats ᵍᵐ David Algie Simon McMaster

Why is American #sport so successful? The video below via the Boston Celtics Instagram showcases all that is awesome about the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the other big leagues. Below we see the 18-time champions, the most successful team in the NBA (by rings and overall wins), celebrating with their faithful as they hoist the banner. "2024 World Champions" The reasons for their sports success is plentiful, the USA has a near $30B (USD) economy, over 300M people and a sports market roughly 50% larger than that of all of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa combined. Earlier this year the NBA reached an agreement with ESPN/ABC, NBCUniversal and Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios for a new $76B, 11-year contract. An increase of 160% per season from the previous deal. The biggest sports broadcast contract in Australia is the AFL's $4.5B, seven-year deal with Seven West Media and Foxtel Group. For me there's five key facts for their success 🥇 They celebrate winners. No tall poppy syndrome in the United States. The crowning of champions is an absolute vibe. Diamond, emerald and parquet encrusted championship rings to the lifting of the 18th championship banner alongside the retired numbers on the ceiling of TD Garden. The centerpiece of the ring is a shamrock and “Celtics” against a field of emeralds. The top can be removed to reveal a piece of the famous floor, painted green and white with the 106-88 score of the June 17 clincher against the Mavericks. Beautiful. 🤜 🤛 They relish the moments, from the team to the fans. The speech from Jayson Tatum summed it up: "Enjoy this moment together" "Let's do it again!" 🏟 The US stadiums are a cut above. From the moment you enter through to seeing the hallowed court. It is all mint. Delaware North has lifted their game again this season. The offerings are insane https://shorturl.at/STMZl 🏀 Legends are celebrated. Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, John Havlicek and Larry Bird. Over the fifties and sixties many of these greats won 11 titles in 13 years. The presentation began with 96-year-old Bob Cousy, a six-time NBA champion, and 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell, coming out with 2008 champions Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. With them they carried the 2024 trophy. Goosebumps. ⚾ There's a connection across the sporting ecosystem. While the New York Knicks were getting an old fashioned beating by the champions, the chant of "Yankees suck!" reverberated around the stadium. The New York Yankees of course are in the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. As fate would have it the Yankees lost thanks to the heroics of Freddie Freeman (who hit the first walk-off Slam in the history of the Series). If all of that wasn't enough, the Celtics tied the record for most three-pointers with 29. The 79th regular season of the NBA runs from October through to April 2025. Andy Marston Daniel Ross Roger Mitchell Michael Broughton Rich Johnson Jo Redfern Leanne Bats ᵍᵐ

Cycling legend Sir Chris Hoy has sent an inspirational message about hope and living in the present after revealing he has terminal cancer. Hoy, born in Edinburgh, is an six-time Olympic Gold Medal winner and 11-time World champion. He was the most successful British Olympian and the most successful Olympic cyclist of all time until 2021, overtaken by Sir Jason Kenny and Harrie Lavreysen respectively. Hoy, 48, revealed last year he has stage 4 prostate cancer. Overnight, he confirmed that the condition was terminal. The man renowned as perhaps the best all-round cyclist in history (Hoy has won more Olympic gold medals in more separate events than any other cyclist), revealed he had initially lost hope. 𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐦, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐨𝐮𝐭. 𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐚 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬, 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧. The warrior that is Hoy has turned his news into inspiration, now concentrating on writing a book to inspire those, and others, living with stage 4 cancer. His bravery in speaking so openly has resulted in a 672% increase in searches on the NHS website regarding information about prostate cancer. The message, and positivity, has been remarkable. “Most of the battle for me with cancer hasn’t been physical," he told the Sunday Times. "For me, it has been in my head. Hand on heart, I’m pretty positive most of the time and I have genuine happiness. This is bigger than the Olympics. It’s bigger than anything. This is about appreciating life and finding joy." Hoy reminded people that all we have is now. Not the past. Not the future. 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲. 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐫 𝐣𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧. Hoy's book 'All That Matters' (https://lnkd.in/gftx3Yty) is out in November. He also revealed that next year a charity event, Tour de 4, will take place. Grief counselors often remark that when a terminal diagnosis comes, there is always someone who is the “hope carrier”. Often it is the patient themselves. Thank you Chris for carrying hope and spreading such an important message to us all.

A wonderful piece of Kiwiana from NEW ZEALAND CRICKET's White Ferns highlighted perhaps New Zealand's best ever sporting weekend. Wow. It is hard to fathom sometimes how a country with a population of just over five million consistently competes on the global #sports stage. Led by the NZ Women's Cricket team winning the T20 World Cup, breaking Australia's stranglehold on the trophy (they have won six of the nine editions, including the last three before the White Ferns triumph), it was a few days to relish. - Emirates Team New Zealand defends the America's Cup. It is their third Cup in a row, and fifth since 1995. - The men's cricket Test team defeats India, in India, for the first time since 1988. India's first innings total of 46 is their lowest total at home. - Netball New Zealand's Silver Ferns beat the Australian Diamonds by 14 goals, the biggest margin in 14 years. - New Zealander Hayden Wilde won the world triathlon series finale in Spain, beating Olympic champion Alex Yee (who overtook the Kiwi in the final minute in Paris, denying Wilde the Gold Medal). - Kiwi Formula 1 driver Liam Lawson comes from the back of the grid in Texas to secure his equal best finish (ninth). - Auckland FC make their A-Leagues debut, beating Brisbane Roar FC 2-0. But the White Ferns triumph, and their wondrous celebrations, stand tall. Not only did they win the trophy, but record prize money from the International Cricket Council (doubled from the previous edition) meant that the White Ferns would receive $3.8M (NZD). Each player in the 15-Women squad will receive $205,000. It was the White Ferns form, or rather lack of it, that brings the achievement into folklore status. They had won just five of their last 21 matches and their last ten leading into the tournament. The victory also saw them tear up the form book against South Africa, who bowled the White Ferns out for just 67 at the previous World Cup. Heroes were everywhere. Melie Kerr was named player of the match and player of the tournament, after making 43 with the bat and taking 3-24 in the final. Georgia Plimmer, Brooke Halliday, Rosemary Mair, Fran Jonas, Eden Carson, Maddy Green, Izzy Gaze and Lea Tahuhu played key roles, taking pressure off the veterans Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine. The Women's approach to mental health should be noted. Devine, now a World Cup-winning captain stepped away from the game in 2021 to prioritise her mental health. Kerr later that year also took personal leave, getting away from the sport for seven months to recharge her focus. It clearly worked. The video of the team singing 'Te iwi e' has been going viral off the ICC Instagram page. While there are many different versions of the tune, the Waiata (song) calls for one's Iwi (tribe) to stand together. In Dubai, the White Ferns came, and stood, together to make all Kiwis proud. Scott Weenink Craig Fenton Simon McMaster Leanne Bats ᵍᵐ Rebecca Sowden