The All Sport Breakfast

NZ Herald reporter Ben Francis spoke to Hamish McKay from the World Darts Championship in London to give updates on the most promising players, and the rise in popularity darts is experiencing. "The amount of people that are starting to play darts now is amazing. Darts, if you look at some of the numbers at Sky Sports, and this is in the UK for example, it's the 2nd most-watched sport behind the Premier League football," he said. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington Firebirds all-rounder Logan van Beek joined Hamish McKay to chat about being 11 wickets away from becoming the all-time Super Smash wicket taker ahead of today's 4:25pm game between Wellington and Central Districts. The record is currently held by ex-Cricket player Andrew Ellis who retired from his 18-year career in 2020. "I'll be giving him a message if I do overtake him because he was, he was my, you know, my mentor back in the Canterbury days," van Beek said. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been an exciting match of test cricket so far at the Bay Oval between the Black Caps and the West Indies. After going into bat first the Black Caps put a mammoth score on the table of 575/8 before declaring spare headed by a 323 opening run partnership between Devon Conway and Tom Latham that nearly lasted the entire first day. Conway top scored with 227, followed by Latham with 137 and finally Rachin Ravindra put on an unbeaten 72 to keep the score board pressure rolling. After being put into bat to end the second day the West Indies fought back with a good batting performance ending on 110/0 heading into day three later today. Mark Richardson is a former Black Cap and broadcaster with TVNZ commentating the game and he joined D'Arcy to look ahead to the days play. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The PDC World Darts Championship got underway last week and will continue through to the start of January 2026. Colin Lloyd is a former professional darts player who spent nearly two years ranked number 1 in the world. He joined D'Arcy to give a tournament update as it enters week two. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The North v South T20 series is currently underway in Nelson. The competition is a best of three series contested between the top domestic talent in women's cricket across the North Island and South Island regions. The South Island women won the first game on Thursday by 5 wickets, but the North Island side won the second by two runs in a rain affected match. It sets up an exciting conclusion that is set to get underway at 11am today. Polly Inglis is a White Fern and representative of the South Island, she joined D'Arcy to chat about the series. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fifth round of the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield gets underway today. The Auckland Hearts are set to take on the Northern Brave in a top of the table clash that also serves as the first of two matches taking place this weekend. Prue Catton is a player for the Hearts, and she joined D'Arcy for a chat about the clash. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's the opening weekend for Open Wheelers at Waikaraka Speedway. Midgets, Sprintcars, TQs, and ¼ Midgets are on the cards in what's set to be an exciting night of racing. Michael Pickens is a long-time speedway driver and joined D'Arcy to discuss the event. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a long season, we've finally reached the business end of the National League. Auckland City FC and Wellington Olympic are set to clash this afternoon in the finals in Wellington, in what promises to be an exciting game. Mario Ilich is the captain of Auckland City, and he joined D'Arcy to preview the match. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two familiar foes are facing off in this weekend's finals for the Premier Hockey League. The Tridents and the Falcons are set to clash this afternoon in a rematch of last year's final, in which the Falcons came away victorious. Ella Hyatt Brown plays for the Tridents and joined D'Arcy to preview the game. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's finals weekend in the Tauihi Basketball competition with the Tauranga Whai travelling down to Christchurch to take on the Mainland Pouākai. The Whai made it through with their 82-76 victory over the Tokomanawa Queens while the Pouākai claimed their spot by defeating the Southern Hoiho 99-92. Tane Bennett is the head coach of the Whai, and he joined D'Arcy to preview the game and reflect on their season to date. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Breakers are having a bit of a mid-season resurgence. After a rocky start to the season, they've now won three games in a row, and will want to keep their streak rolling when they take on the South East Melbourne Phoenix tonight. Breakers shooting guard Sean Bairstow joined D'Arcy to preview the clash. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I was fortunate enough to talk with Greg Barclay this week. Greg Barclay served as the chair of the ICC for four years (2020-2024), a position he also held at NZ Cricket (2016-2020). He now sits on the board of NZ Rugby. It's fair to say that Greg is very well schooled in the vagaries of our summer game and sport administration in general. Greg also had a stint as an independent director on the board of International Rugby League. Greg, a measured and experienced administrator, made some very astute points around the turgid and weighty situation that NZC has found itself in over the future of its T20 programme. The game is in a state of flux. There are many self-interested parties pulling the game in different directions, with a CEO who finds himself on the rack, being stretched like a medieval torture victim. An uncomfortable situation for Scott Weenink to find himself in. Uncomfortable enough to take a week off. Whether this was planned leave or a convenient escape is a moot point. He's not there, that's all we can be certain of. Plainly, a calm and considered process must be followed in order to arrive at a conclusion that is the best for the whole game, not just the gifted few who play cricket at the elite level. Greg said this T20 space has been with NZC for over 15 years. NZ is now the only player in world cricket that doesn't have a competition akin to the major pro leagues. He made point that even without that foothold, has NZ Cricket actually suffered? NZC is adamant that the Super Smash is about player development, nothing more, nothing less. The results and position the Black Caps hold on the international scene suggest that in this space, the Super Smash has hit all its marks. Begs the question really, in grand scheme of things, and while the international calendar is still in flux itself, does anything need to change?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's an exciting volleyball event taking place just across the Harbour Bridge this weekend – the North Harbour Open. It's a two-day beach volleyball tournment with national ranking points up for grabs. Competitor James Sadlier was part of the winning duo last year and joined D'Arcy to discuss the event. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Jeff Crowe Cup has kicked off in Auckland, and there's a massive game set for this weekend. Unbeaten to start the season, Cornwall is taking on their neighbours in a key early season clash. Adrian Dale is the head coach of Cornwall, and he joined D'Arcy to discuss the game and the season so far. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Breakers picked up their first consecutive victories this season with their win over the Sydney Kings in Hamilton on Wednesday night. They're looking to keep the momentum rolling as they return to Spark Arena tonight to face the Tasmania JackJumpers. Breakers centre Rob Loe joined D'Arcy for a chat ahead of the game. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Wellington Phoenix have had a rough run in the New Zealand derby thus far, losing all four meetings to Auckland FC. However, they'll be hoping to change that in tonight's clash at Mt Smart Stadium – the place they suffered a 6-1 loss to the Black Knights in the final derby last season. Phoenix defender Dan Edwards joined D'Arcy to preview the match. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Whangamata Classic is the pinnacle event to start off the Surf Life Saving summer, with lifeguards travelling from all over the country and beyond to take part. Zac Franich is the general manager of sport for Surf Life Saving and he joined D'Arcy to discuss the event. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Persistence. Talent. Desire. Results. And an unerring belief and love for what you do. Hayden Paddon is back in the World Rally Championship, eight years after last competing at the highest level of the sport. The Kiwi peddler, along with long-time collaborator and navigator John Kennard, has been given a third share of Hyundai's third entry into next year's global championship. Thierry Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux will contest every round of the championship, with Dani Sordo, Esapekka Lappi, and Hayden Paddon sharing the third car. Hayden will kick off the season in Monte Carlo next year, the first round of the 2026 Championship, and one of the most iconic rallies on the calendar. Since he departed the world scene not on the best terms with Hyundais world rally team, Hayden has not stopped developing his craft, or the cars he campaigns in in rallies across the world. No sulking, no what ifs, just full focus on the task at hand. Speaking with Hayden a year ago after he won the European Rally Championship for the second consecutive year, as it happens, when he won the first of the two, he became the first non-European rally driver to do so. Hayden told me he believed the WRC ship had well and truly sailed and he was looking at his current campaigns and the development of his primary interest outside of the driver's seat, the electric Hyundai Kona EV. This is pioneering work in the electric rally car space. Although Hayden's tenure with Hyundai's international rally arm faltered, he stuck with the manufacturer here in New Zealand, showing loyalty to the brand. That, along with keeping his sword razor sharp by competing at the highest level he could, he has reignited his rally career. Persistence. Talent. Desire. Results. And an unerring belief and love for what you do. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a big weekend in football with the second NZ derby of the season kicking off tonight at Mt Smart Stadium. Auckland FC have dominating proceedings, winning all four matches, including a 6-1 demolition job the last time the two sides faced off in Auckland. However, the most recent match, a 2-1 Auckland victory, was a tense contest with the Black Knights holding on to win with only nine players on the field. Michael Woud, Auckland FC's goalkeeper, joined D'Arcy to preview the match. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The newly redeveloped Waikaraka Speedway is opening this weekend and they're pulling out all the stops. On the docket are Super Saloons – saloons, stock cars, and of course, fireworks. Super Saloon racer Craig Cardwell joined D'Arcy to preview the event. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Black Foils skipper Peter Burling has returned to the wheel ahead of the SailGP Grand Final. He's been cleared to return having missed the second training session in Abu Dhabi after cutting his finger while investigating an equipment issue. Burling reclaimed the helm and took a full part in practice racing held overnight. Strategist for the team, Liv Mackay joined D'Arcy to preview the final race of the year. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The World Rugby Women's Sevens series gets underway this weekend, with the first round taking place in Dubai tonight. Stacey Waaka is a forward for the Black Ferns Sevens side, and she joined D'Arcy to discuss how the team is looking ahead of the season opener. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

GODZONE. Peak Kiwi madness. Currently Chapter 12 of the most berserk race is unfolding in the Marlborough region. This iconic adventure beggars belief. This year's edition, over 615 kilometres, encompasses many disciplines, not a great deal of sleep, and the tyranny of navigation for the four member teams competing, all operating under the intense stress of fatigue and sleep deprivation. They mountain bike, trek, packraft, kayak, and canyon on a course that takes in 16000m of ascent. The race is expected to take five days for the frontrunners. One of the absolute legends of global adventure racing and 7-time winner of GODZONE is Nathan Fa'avae. This man has finally stepped away from the race, leaving Chris Forne, 10-time champion, to soldier on with Simone Meyer, 7-time winner Sophie Hart, and 5-time Coast to Coast champion Simone Maier. Sam Clarke is also with the team. But the Fa'avae name will still be present in the race, with daughter Tide competing in a team of teenagers. The next generation is here. The teams don't know where they are going until just before the race commences, another twist in the tale of GODZONE. The race has been staged over some of the most stunning regions Te Waipounamu (the South Island) has to offer. Wanaka, Mt Cook Aoaraki, Fiordland, the race even went north once too, 2021 in Rotorua. It's a celebration of the magnificence of our extraordinary home, an event we should all be proud of. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland FC are back in action tomorrow afternoon, taking on the Newcastle Jets at Mt Smart Stadium. They're looking to put on a stronger performance this week after stumbling to a 1-1 draw against Brisbane, and keep their undefeated start to the season alive. Dan Hall is a defender for Auckland FC, and he caught up with D'Arcy to preview the match. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the largest cycling events in the country is happening this weekend in Taupo - The Lake Taupo Cycling Challenge. The event is already well and truly underway, with the first cyclists starting at 1.30am this morning. Hayden Dickason is the director of the event, joining D'Arcy to discuss. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the toughest adventure races is currently underway in Marlborough – the GODZONE event. It's the 12th chapter of the GODZONE race, which began at 5pm Thursday night, and the first racers aren't expected to reach the finish line until Tuesday. Adam Fairmaid is the director of the event, and he joined D'Arcy to get everyone up to speed on what's been happening in the race. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Time to get your togs on. The Ocean Swim series gets underway this weekend, with the first event taking place in Nelson later today. Dan Feist is the event director, and he caught up with D'Arcy to preview this afternoon's event and the series as a whole. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're heading towards the business end of the National League Championship, and every game counts in the race to the final. Auckland City are taking on the Wellington Phoenix Reserves this afternoon, in a must win match if they're to stand a chance in making it to the final taking place in three weeks' time. Mario Illich is the captain of Auckland City and joined D'Arcy to preview the game. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Hockey Premier League continues this weekend with a couple of exciting matchups – one of which being the Tridents clash against the Mavericks in Whangarei. George Muir, Black Sticks and Tridents player, caught up with D'Arcy to discuss the season so far and preview their match later today. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Black Caps have secured their eleventh straight home ODI series win. In a thrilling ending, they claimed victory over the West Indies in Napier by five wickets. There's just one more game to go in the series, the Black Caps looking to sweep their opponents and keep the momentum rolling into their next series, beginning in early December. Nathan Smith is a seam bowling all rounder for the Black Caps, and he caught up with D'Arcy to discuss his bowling and the game later today. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland FC return to action this weekend after the international break. They made quite the statement in their last clash, the NZ derby against the Wellington Phoenix, winning 2-1 despite only having nine players on the field. This weekend will see them take on the Brisbane Roar, looking to cement their place at the top of the A-League ladder. Auckland FC Coach Steve Corica joined D'Arcy to look back at the derby performance and preview tomorrow's clash. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A revamped All Blacks side have been tasked with ending the year on a high. After a disappointing showing at Twickenham, they're looking to maintain an almost 72-year unbeaten legacy against Wales on Sunday morning in Cardiff. Elliott Smith caught up with All Blacks loose forward Wallace Sititi to recap the previous clashes and look ahead to the final clash of the season. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tomorrow morning the All Black 2025 season will be extinguished. Although that is a generous term as the season hardly caught fire. From time to time there was a spark that threatened to ignite the team, bringing forth hell fire, engulfing the opposition, sucking their oxygen, charring them beyond recognition, blazing a trail to victory. But not this year. Nor last year. Any sniff of their former fire starter glory was a smoky nostril tease, a hint of the scorched earth policy the team once dispensed with impunity. Not anymore. This is not the team of days gone by. This is not the team standing on the shoulders of the giants of All Black teams of old. The teams that built the legend of New Zealand rugby. Don't get me wrong, they are not a poor team. At times they poke their head out of the mire of mediocrity they've found themselves in and give us a taste of days gone by, but for the most part, they're a team that is capable of great moments, but incapable of piecing these moments together for a display of consistent dominance. There is nothing that Sunday mornings selection can do to change the course of this distressing narrative. Thrash Wales? Sure, but it's only Wales. Show a defined turnaround from the piecemeal offerings to date? The player make up is so different from the team that wilted in the face of England, we'll be none the wiser as to the development of the group as a whole. The most depressing part of this slow collapse of the AB dynasty is the resignation of the fanbase that this is as good as gets. The fire that burns twice as bright, burns half as long, but the All Blacks did burn so very, very brightly. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

F5000 hits the track this weekend, with the first of four rounds setting off at Mansfield in Fielding. Graeme Lawrence is a former racer in F5000 but still has skin in the game, as his old car is being driven by competitor Anna Collins. Graeme caught up with D'Arcy to preview the event. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The All Blacks are facing the next hurdle in their journey towards a Grand Slam, this weekend at Twickenham. England have struggled against the All Blacks recently, not having defeated them since their 19-7 win at the 2019 World Cup semifinal in Yokohama. Their run against the All Blacks at Twickenham is even worse, with their last home victory occurring in 2012. Chris Ashton is a former English winger who was a try scorer in England's last victory over the All Blacks back home, and he joined D'Arcy to preview the match. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Auckland Hearts are set to get their season of domestic cricket underway with the first round of the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield kicking off today. They're set to take on Otago in the first of ten one day fixtures – a rematch of last year's final. Maddy Green, White Fern and member of the Auckland Hearts will be playing her 100th Hallyburton Johnstone Shield match, and caught up with D'Arcy for a chat about the competition and opening fixture. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Runners in Queenstown are hitting the road this weekend, preparing for the pinnacle running event – the Queenstown Marathon. This year is set to be the biggest rendition of the event to date, with more than 13,000 registered participants across five distances, and nearly 4,000 runners competing in the full-length marathon. One of those competitors is Olympic canoeist Max Brown, who is running as part of a fundraiser for Miracle Feet – he caught up with D'Arcy to preview the event. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This third clash of the All Blacks Northern Tour is kicking off tomorrow morning – arguably the biggest test so far. They're taking on England at their home ground of Twickenham, in front of what's set to be a loud, passionate crowd of over 80,000 fans. The All Blacks will be looking to continue their dominant streak, not having lost to the home side at Twickenham since 2012. Simon Parker is starting at blindside flanker on Sunday morning, and caught up with D'Arcy to preview the test. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yardstick. Barometer. Criterion. Whatever you call it, tomorrow's test match against the most irritating team in world rugby will determine how Scott Robertson's tenure to date will be judged. With no respect whatsoever to the Welsh, the Twickenham bunfight will seal the Grand Slam or leave another dirty smudge in Razor's copybook, which has already attracted a fair amount of filth this year. The phenomenal melt down in Wellington against the Springboks and the Pumas mess will be conveniently overlooked should this season end with Grand Slam success, although imagine rolling the English then getting mugged with a leek the next week. That too would eclipse the South African and Argentine embarrassments, right? The first half of Razor's reign has been punctuated by inconsistency as he has attempted to settle into life in the international arena. His much-referenced armour chink has always been his lack of experience in the rarefied air of global test match confrontations. It's more than fair to say that as sign posted as this issue has been, Robertson has still struggled with direction in this space. He has been conservative with his selections, but he's also given characters a decent shot at retaining their jersey even if they haven't set their matches on fire, Damien McKenzie and Billy Proctor for example. He's also ushered some players out the back door, goodbye Ioane, Sotutu, and Reece, and introduced some potential long-term superheroes in the form of Holland, Parker, Sititi, and Lakai. He's also overseen some truly awful second half stats and his collection of cards would look great at the Armageddon expo, but bloody awful in the sheds. As it stands, his half term report is a B, but knocking on the door of an A-, dependent on the Twickenham exchange.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Hockey Premier League gets underway this weekend, with four sides from across the country taking part in the six round competition. The Central Falcons get their season underway when they take on the Hauraki Mavericks in Napier. D'Arcy spoke with Black Sticks and Falcons striker Hope Ralph to discuss the opening match and the competition as a whole as it enters its second year. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 6th and final round of the 2025 New Zealand Rally Championship goes down this weekend, this time with the Rally of Whangarei. Caleb MacDonald is behind the wheel, and he'll be looking to close out the year by winning his first championship. He caught up with D'Arcy to preview the event and delve into a crash that looked to derail his championship aspirations LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's now the 7th round of the GJ Gardiner Homes Tauihi Womens Basketball competition, and the Northern Kahu have struggled a bit to date, remaining winless. On Sunday they take on the Southern Hoiho at Eventfinda Stadium and will be looking to put on a strong performance and pick up their first win of the season. Haliegh Reinoehl is a Power Forward for the Kahu, and she joined D'Arcy to preview the game as well as chat about her life in New Zealand. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.