Podcasts about Piney

Every Monday, Jason Pine ranks the best and worst sporting moments from the week that was - and everything in between. This week, he talked about the final games of the FIFA World Cup, record breaking runs, and Liam Lawson's F1 points streak coming to an end. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Plenty of history surrounds tonight's clash between the All Blacks and Ireland. Ireland's last visit to our shores saw them claim victory in two of the three tests in 2022, and the All Blacks' 32 year unbeaten streak at Eden Park may be on the line. As what's sure to be an intense match looms, Piney was joined by Frano Botica, a former All Black with a lot of history himself in the world of rugby. They discussed his incredible career both in international rugby union, and league, and the current teams. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 18th July 2026, Piney is broadcasting live from The Kingslander in Auckland, counting down to tonight's clash between the All Blacks and Ireland. He was joined by dual-international Frano Botica, 100 test All Black Mils Muliaina, and Irish rugby journo Murray Kinsella to preview the big test. He caught up with former Warriors captain, now Sky Sport commentator Monty Betham ahead of tonight's match against the Dragons. We headed across the ditch to get the latest from Adam Peacock, and English football commentator Mike Minay reviewed the tough World Cup semi-final loss. Get the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast every Saturday and Sunday afternoon on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A tough challenge lies ahead for Dave Rennie's All Blacks. Their third Nations Championship clash will see them defend the Fortress against Ireland – aiming to maintain their 32 year unbeaten streak. Plenty of debate has surrounded the team since the season began, so former All Black Mils Muliaina joined Piney to give his expert analysis on the key selections and tactical talking points. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Warriors are back in the winner's circle and full of confidence as they search for back-to-back wins against the St George Illawarra Dragons this weekend in Auckland. After battling a severe mid-season injury crisis, they have named their strongest possible side as they look to maintain their position inside the NRL's top four. This week, they face the Dragons, who are in last place, but will provide an intriguing challenge for the Warriors. Former player and Sky Sport Commentator Monty Betham joined Piney to preview tonight's clash. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's show, Jase embarrasses himself at home again, Mike's cat clearly loves him and Keyzie going worldwide. Follow The Big Show on Instagram Subscribe to the podcast now on iHeartRadio, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts!Featuring Jason Hoyte, Mike Minogue, and Keyzie, "The Big Show" drive you home weekdays from 4pm on Radio Hauraki.Providing a hilarious escape from reality for those ‘backbone’ New Zealanders with plenty of laughs and out-the-gate yarns.Download the full podcast here:iHeartRadio Apple Spotify ROGER TIMEVASA-SHECK:(00:00) Intro: Another Semi!(04:14) Keyzie's lunch (07:10) What's On The Breakfast(11:45) Sports Headlines(14:48) The Semi!(19:06) QOTSA ARE COMING(22:05) Intro: Distracted by the game(23:45) What's On The News?(27:34) Jase's Tradie Debacle(32:02) Sports Headlines(34:50) Gifts From The Cat(39:04) Piney at Half Time!(44:02) Intro: The Bunnings Boys(46:13) Keyzie's Big Proposal(50:02) Pies That Pay(53:02) Sports Headlines(54:56) ROGER TUIVASA-SHECK(61:14) Bec Sandys Football Update!(64:27) The fellas' football wrap(67:01) Pugs saw The Odyssey(72:22) What's On Telly?Farewell! Follow The Big Show on InstagramSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After two decades, former All Black Doug Howlett's test try has been broken. All Blacks outside back Will Jordan scored a hat-trick in the 47-17 win over Italy, overtaking Howlett for the New Zealand test record with 50 tries. Howlett joined Piney to express his relief in having his record beaten. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every Monday, Jason Pine ranks the best and worst sporting moments from the week that was - and everything in between. This week, he talked about The All Blacks' ongoing success, Will Jordan making history by beating Doug Howlett's test try record and more. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been a big week for All Blacks star Will Jordan, after he made history over the weekend. The All Blacks outside back scored a hat-trick in the 47-17 win over Italy and overtook Doug Howlett for the New Zealand test record with 50 tries. Crusaders assistant coach Brad Mooar joined Piney to discuss. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jude Bellingham is England's hero after bagging a second consecutive World Cup brace to beat Norway 2-1 in the quarterfinals in Miami. The winner came three minutes into extra time after scores were locked at 1-all at the end of regulation. Western Springs football director Scotty Hales joined Piney to discuss the win - and whether football could come home this time. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss England beating out Norway in the FIFA World Cup, and the All Blacks keeping their winning streak alive in Wellington against Italy. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mixed emotions for Dave Rennie after the All Blacks' clunky 47-17 win over Italy in Wellington. Rennie was pleased a four-try burst in the 14 minutes after half-time turned the game, but believes they should have driven Italy into the turf. Former All Black and rugby analyst Ant Strachan joined Piney to explain further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will Jordan hopes he's inspired a new generation of rugby players after an historic achievement in Wellington. The All Blacks outside back scored a hat-trick in the 47-17 win over Italy, as he overtook Doug Howlett for the New Zealand test record, with 50 tries. He joined Piney to discuss the game-winning performance. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The All Whites will have rare football internationals against India late this year, with matches scheduled for Auckland and Christchurch. The matches will be at Auckland's Mt Smart Stadium on Thursday, 12 November, and at Christchurch's Te Kaha Stadium on Sunday, 15 November. The games were announced by Sport Minister Mark Mitchell as part of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to New Zealand. New Zealand Football CEO Andrew Pragnell joined Piney to discuss further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Linda Noskova has become Wimbledon's 9th different women's singles champion in the past nine years, overcoming fellow Czech Karolina Muchova in the three-set final. Tennis commentator Craig Gabriel joined Piney to recap the action. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 11th July 2026, Piney broadcasts live from Wellington's Green Man pub as the All Blacks look to break the capital curse in their clash against Italy. NZ Rugby's new men's head of high performance, Conrad Smith joins Piney, along with NZR President Erin Rush, for a chat. And The Big League Podcast host Nathan Limm dissects the Warriors win over Wests Tigers. Get the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast every Saturday and Sunday afternoon on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's men's American Football team, the Iron Blacks, is facing one of the biggest fixtures in their history. They're one of three teams facing Australia in the Festival of Football this weekend, and will be looking to overturn last year's agonising 20-16 defeat on the Gold Coast. Head Coach Harry Siono told Piney the result's been a huge motivation for those who played last year, as well as the coaches and staff who were around at the time. He says they have a fairly young squad, with 18 debutants, so this match is a bit more personal for them than it is to most people there. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Erin Rush has made history. Back in May, she was the first woman to elected as President at New Zealand Rugby – the first in the organisation's 134-year history. She's long been involved in the sport – a former Black Fern, commentator, and a volunteer at the grassroots level, as well as NZR's first female vice-president. Rush told Piney having the role is a huge privilege, and they're not ones she knew existed before she was asked to stand for vice-president a few years ago. But now that she's here, her priorities for the next couple of years include continuing to elevate the voice for women and girls in the sport, which means making herself visible. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

World Cup-winning All Black Conrad Smith has returned to New Zealand Rugby (NZR) in a role with the high-performance team. Smith, a veteran of the legendary 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cup campaigns, has been appointed as head of men's high performance. He told Piney it's a great opportunity and something he thinks will challenge him. Looking back at the rugby talents of the past, Smith believes New Zealand was producing so many great players because of the great environment that surrounded the sport. He says we wanted to be the greatest of all time, and while he's not suggesting that we're suddenly going to get back to that at the click of the fingers, but it's what you aspire for. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Warriors have continued their strong season with a 32-6 win over the Wests Tigers. Their return to winning form cements their second-place spot on the NRL ladder, though there were a few performance issues, the Warriors making over a dozen errors throughout the game. Host of the The Big League Podcast, Nathan Limm joined Piney to offer his thoughts on the match. He highlighted the performance of Te Maire Martin, saying that he continues to step up to the plate and perform every time, and as long as continues to stay fit, Limm has no doubt he'll be in the halfback jersey. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How good was that All Blacks test? I want to say I'm a little surprised by the number of commentators moaning about it and saying they're not impressed - but if I'm completely honest with you, I'm not that surprised. Some of the criticism is fair. There were fumbles, there were discipline issues, the French scored first, they threatened throughout the game and it was a very close scoreline in the end. But some of the criticism feels like it's still stuck in 2011, 2013 or 2015, back when the All Blacks were at their peak. The norm has changed. The Northern Hemisphere has caught up since then. The French are not a side to be underestimated. We do it every time. We say, "Oh, they're not sending a full-strength team." It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter whether they send an A team, a B team or a C team. They have so much depth in that competition now. They're good, whoever comes here. So I think we probably underestimated who we were playing and thought there should have been - what was it Piney said? - 12 or 13 points on the French. Plus, don't forget, this was the first test of the season and it is always a shaky start, especially lately, for the All Blacks. It's also the first test for a new coach and this was a team that had only been in camp together for, what, 10 days? Something like that. When you consider all of that, it was actually impressive. It was a confident start. It was fast-paced. It was full of opportunity. There was a hunger for possession. I loved it. I loved watching a team that wanted to win and seemed to have some idea of how it was going to do it. Yes, of course, the critics make some fair points and you have to acknowledge them. But the All Blacks showed some spark and, most importantly, they won. If it wasn't good, it was good enough, wasn't it? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Dave Rennie coaching era has started off well for the All Blacks, with the Kiwi side beating out France in Christchurch. The All Blacks are back in Auckland for a couple of days before heading to Wellington to face Italy. Former All Black Matt Todd joined Piney to discuss. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every Monday, Jason Pine ranks the best and worst sporting moments from the week that was - and everything in between. This week, he talked about the teams and players leading in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Warriors women starting strong in their NRLW season and more. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi softball coach Mike White has been making progress in Texas. He joined Piney to discuss the state of his career in the US. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One All Blacks coach says there's room for the team to improve ahead of the team's next match against Italy. The All Blacks ran in five tries to four in the win over France in Christchurch, but were noticeably more willing to keep the ball in hand to attack. All Blacks assistant coach Neil Barnes joined Piney to discuss. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The All Blacks scored a narrow victory over France - and a former player joined Piney to recap the team's performance. The Kiwi side beat out France 34-32 at Christchurch's One NZ Stadium in their first game under Dave Rennie. Former All Black Jon Preston joined Piney to unpack some of the factors at play. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

England is set to face off against Mexico in the FIFA World Cup, and excitement is growing. This will be a big test for England, and concerns have been raised over the altitude at the Azteca Stadium. TVNZ football commentator Nathan Alleyne joined Piney to discuss ahead of the match. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, the Black Caps wrapped up a 160-run third test victory over England at Trent Bridge to secure a 2-1 series victory. Coming from 1-nil down in the series, the Black Caps won the third Test without two of the match winners from the side who levelled the series last week. Zak Foulkes was one of the players who helped the Kiwi side to victory and he joined Piney to discuss. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss the All Blacks' narrow win over France in Christchurch. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the conclusion of the Super Rugby season comes the end of Rob Penney's tenure with the Crusaders. His three years coaching the team were something of a rollercoaster – with a horror first season at the helm followed by a title win, and this year making it only to the semi-finals. Penney told Piney that for him, the greatest privilege is being a local lad and getting the opportunity to be involved with a great organisation. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the All Blacks prepare to put on their jerseys for the first time this season, a former All Black is reminiscing on one of his most iconic tries. Casey Laulala played for a range of Kiwi teams in the 2000's - including the All Blacks and the Crusaders. In fact, he scored the winning try for the Crusaders in 2006's Super Rugby final, which became known as the ‘Fog Final' thanks to the thick blanket of fog that coated the pitch. He told Piney that thinking back, it was a bonkers situation. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today will see the All Blacks kick off their season in the first Nations Championship clash against France – the first test of Dave Rennie's tenure as coach. And as the match looms, Billy Bush, an All Blacks icon and Cantabrian joined Jason Pine to reflect on his career in rugby. Bush told Piney that the game was different when he played; the things they got up to then would probably net them a red card today – or get them locked up in jail. “But the referees stand back and say you boys want to play rugby, and carry it on ... and that's sort of missing out of the game quite a bit.” “Doesn't have to be how we played, it was quite ruthless, really.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The time has nearly come for the All Blacks to kick off their 2026 season. They're facing France in the first Nations Championship clash, which also happens to be the first test in Dave Rennie's tenure as coach. NZ Rugby Chair David Kirk told Piney that the stakes are high – the team needs to play well. He says they need to see the early stanzas in a new style of rugby and a new chapter for New Zealand, as this is the first step in building towards the World Cup. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's belief the All Whites will benefit from their latest World Cup experience. They've been eliminated in the group stages of the 2026 tournament, taking just one point from their three matches. NZ Men's U-20 national coach José Figueira joined Piney to recap what went wrong for the Kiwi side. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild host joined Piney to recap the latest 2026 FIFA World Cup action - including the All Whites getting knocked out after they were beaten out by Belgium. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Author and famed sports historian Joseph Romanos knows his way around New Zealand's top Olympic athletes - and he's ranked them in his new book. Our Olympic Legends ranks New Zealand's top 50 Olympians, from the 1900s to the high points of the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics. Romanos joined Piney to explain further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A lock-down defensive effort on the Steel shooters by Mystics' goal keep Phoenix Karaka has been highlighted as key to the Mystic's ANZ Premiership title win. Mystics captain Michaela Sokolich-Beatson says Karaka's defensive efforts were crucial in the 56-46 win over the Steel. She joined Piney to recap the action further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An opportunity missed for the Warriors after suffering a 26-24 loss to the Dolphins in Brisbane. A late Sam Healey try gave the visitors a four-point lead with four minutes to play. But the Dolphins regained their short kick-off, before Selywn Cobbo dotted down - the successful conversion sealing the home team's eighth straight win. NRL commentator Matt Russell joined Piney to recap the results. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The All Blacks and Wallabies have been given the go-ahead to create a significant new trans-Tasman sporting tradition, with ANZAC Day Bledisloe Cup Test matches confirmed for 2027, 2029 and 2031. All three fixtures will be played at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. The Bledisloe Cup in those years will be a three-match series, remaining a two-test challenge in 2028 and 2030 due to the new Nations Championship. New Zealand Rugby CEO Steve Lancaster joined Piney to discuss further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The All Whites bid to upset 10th-ranked Belgium and advance to the knockout rounds at the Football World Cup is getting underway in Vancouver. New Zealand start the match with two changes - Tyler Bindon replacing Michael Boxall in defence and Ryan Thomas coming into the midfield for Callum McCowatt. All White Finn Surman joined Piney ahead of the big clash against Belgium. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia are eyeing history after advancing to the round of 32 at the Football World Cup. A nil-all draw with Paraguay in San Francisco has secured the Socceroos a place in the knockout stages for a third time. Australian correspondent Adam Peacock joined Piney to discuss further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The All Whites are hoping to make history today, as they stare down the barrel of their upcoming clash against Belgium. The Kiwi side needs to secure victory today in Vancouver, or they'll exit the tournament at the group stage. Louis Verstraete plays for Auckland FC, but he was born and raised in Belgium, and he joined Piney to discuss the conflict. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The All Whites are gearing up for their crucial match against Belgium in order to keep their World Cup hopes alive. New Zealand will meet their 10th-ranked opponent in Vancouver this afternoon needing a win to progress to the knockout rounds for the first time. British Columbia Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, Anne Kang, joined Piney to express her excitement in welcoming Kiwi fans to the region. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The All Whites have made two changes as they look to make history against Belgium at the Football World Cup. Tyler Bindon has replaced Michael Boxall at centre-back, while Ryan Thomas comes into the midfield for Callum McCowatt. New Zealand know anything else but victory will end their tournament. Coach Darren Bazeley joined Piney to discuss. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thousands of Kiwi fans have descended on Vancouver as the All Whites look to make history at the FIFA World Cup. New Zealand must beat world number ten Belgium this afternoon, or they'll exit the tournament at the group stage. Flying Kiwis FC supporters group founder Matt Fejos joined Piney to discuss the mood ahead of the big match. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For this Slush Pile encore, we're going WAY back to our first season where we revisit an episode featuring poems by Laura McCullough. McCullough has a collection forthcoming from Cornerstone Press called “The Collection Jar.” This episode also features the poet Jennifer L. Knox as a guest editor. Her most recent book is “Crushing It” from Copper Canyon Press. We hope you enjoy this look back into the archive.   In this podcast, we discuss three of Laura McCullough's poems. The box score above is the spoiler alert: though today's podcast crew spanned from the east coast to Iowa, included an undergrad and people who've done this work of editing for more than two decades, we were unanimously enamored of all three poems.   Welcome to Episode 11 of PBQ's Slush Pile! In this podcast, we discuss three of Laura McCullough's poems. The box score above is the spoiler alert: though today's podcast crew spanned from the east coast to Iowa, included an undergrad and people who've done this work of editing for more than two decades, we were unanimously enamored of all three poems.   “Leafless” moved us and took us on a journey that also spanned decades. “Reclaimed Wood” told a tale we only want even more of, and “Maggot Therapy” simply left us thunderstruck. Read along and listen in—these poems are even more breathtaking aloud.     She hates the word feminist and she's no stranger to PBQ! Laura McCullough is an award-winning poet with six (!) poetry collections which include her most recent, Jersey Mercy, which narrates the lives of two people affected by Hurricane Sandy. Watch a brief interview after her first book or watch part of a reading from this past spring. Check out more of her work on her website.   The fact that we were going to discuss Laura's work and we've known her for years, spurred us to invite Jennifer L. Knox to join us for this episode, as Jennifer fits a similar profile: she's a poet whose work we admire and the added bonus—we can call her a friend.   We discussed the conundrum many of us find ourselves in—how difficult is it to be a poet who wants to send work to journals she loves and respects, but whose editors she knows well. No one wants to be published out of obligation or to put her friend in an awkward position. The flip side is just as bad: no editor takes pleasure out of rejecting anyone, let alone a friend. Our discussion focused on social ties and aesthetic taste—or, as Jennifer put it, discerning the “heart-to-brains-to-balls ratio” of any given magazine or press in order to find the right home for your work. Listen in as we explore our practices, then chime in on our FB event page and share your own.   Sign for our email list if you're in the area, and even if you're not! Send us a self-addressed stamped envelope, and we'll send you a PBQ Podcast sticker. Follow us on Twitter @PaintedBrideQ and Instagram @paintedbridequarterly.  Don't forget to subscribe and rate us on our iTunes page! Read on!   Present at the Editorial Table: Kathleen Volk Miller Marion Wrenn Jason Schneiderman Alexa Josaphouitch Tim Fitts Jennifer Knox   Production Engineer: Joe Zang   PBQ Box Score: 3:0 ------------------------   Laura McCullough Leafless In the end, my mother's shoulders, barely covered and quivering, were like birds.                         Once, I made a dress   for her, the fabric creamy white, the print a single brown tree spanning the width, with stark branches.   It was 1974.    I was fourteen.                       Each night, I taught myself to sew,                                   feeding the fabric through the foot,                 thinking how surprised she would be.              I remember   seeing her in it, how we'd both loved the gesture, the achievement, and though it fit poorly, the print was enough for us.      She wore it once and never again, let me see her walk out the door in it.             Maybe love's architecture is exposed when we try and fail at what we mean.   Outside the hospital, winter had flayed everything, the trees charcoaled against the sky, their shadows thumb smudges on the institutional snow hid lawn, and inside the air was redolent of shit, flowers, and chlorine.   The first time I changed her clothes, peeling back from her shoulders the blue flecked cotton gown, then sliding a clean pink one up her arms, we held each other in the oily light, spent. Reclaimed Wood I confess now I have begun to henna             my red hair gone dull in parts and penny bright in others.             And I always tried to subdue its wildness. But when the hull of our             marriage busted rock   and began to leak, we both thought             it was a good idea to renovate the kitchen, together, by ourselves.             We closed up the hall to the back rooms to create more             privacy and took down a load-   bearing wall in hoped of opening             the “flow.” My husband looked like Christ hauling the salvaged             timbers from a warehouse deep in the Piney woods one by one             up the front stoop, laying   them in our suburban living room,             posing as a Brooklyn loft. We framed the new wide space:             one as header, two as column braces, then sat on the floor cross-legged             looking at our work in progress,   the way the wood had aged,             the colors and striations, notches and hammered pegs. We felt our             fifties ranch had a new story now, something with weight, and we             held hands a little while before   getting up, heading to the shower,             falling back into our routine.     Maggot Therapy   Near death, sometimes the hands curve             into themselves like claws. I held my mother's open, smoothing             the fingers, trimming the wild nails.   Once, years before, my husband and I awoke             to a fawn caught in the family compost, a hole on its back end festering with worms,             and he pinched each one out   swiping his little finger in the bowl             of the wound, then coating it with antibiotic salve. I loved him,             and how he saved this small thing.   It's a story I have told over and over.              Today though, I'm thinking of the medical uses for maggots: biodebridement and extracorporeal             digestion, their enzymes liquefying   dead tissue in wounds, and wonder,             do I feed off the dead who live inside me? When my mother was dying,             she had a vision of her non-corporeal   father, brothers, sisters. Her last words,             Why have you left me alone? She never opened her eyes again,             her chest a drowning well.   The bodily signs of death:             the skin mottling as blood flow slows; breathing, open mouthed; jaw, unhinged.             I won't recount the signs of a dying marriage,   but he left two days after her funeral. Physically,             he returned but told me he'd fallen in love with someone else,             that his love for me had passed.   Above my mother's body, orange mist             had exhaled and dispersed, a light bulb busted open, its luminescent gas escaping.             The word fluorescent is so similar   to the word florescence, meaning flowering,             and somewhere between these two, there is a splendor I can barely stand.             Inflorescence refers to flowers clustering   on one branch, each a separate floret,             but if they are tightly clustered as in the dandelion seed head, they look incomplete             alone, though the whole is an illusion.   The word for this—pseudanthium—means “false             flower.” Infrutescence, its fruiting stage, gives us grapes, ears of corn, stalks of wheat,             so many of the berries we love.   This morning my hands ache             as though in the night I'd been trying to claw my way out of a hole             I am down in, having lost the body   I came into this world through, and my husband's             as well. It's almost as if my body had come to believe his was a part of its own,             a connection he would have to break or die.   Medical experts say it takes two moltings             for maggots to do the job well, to feed enough to clean a wound. I do not feel             clean at all, though in our shower,   my husband and I still huddle some days,             hunched into the spray. We call it watering.  When we do, we scrub each other, grateful             for the living, dying flesh, but trying to get clean   of each other. That fawn he saved way back             when we were new in love was released into the wild. Surely, it had a scar             identifying it, evidence of what flesh   my husband was willing to enter             in order to keep something alive. Lately, he seems more clear-eyed, and it is as if a cicatrix husk             is cracking. Neither of us know who   will emerge, but he seems luminescent,             a kind of light created by the excitation of the smallest elements, and not giving off warmth,             but a cold glow that at least illuminates.  

Northland Paralympic legend Cam Leslie has welcomed a national grant programme designed to get more disabled people into para sports. Paralympics New Zealand (PNZ) and Bupa New Zealand have joined forces to launch the PNZ Bupa Inclusive Para Sport Grant. Cam Leslie joined Piney to discuss further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Hurricanes will be celebrating hard today, following last night's victory over the Chiefs. With the All Blacks squad announcement looming, it's likely last night's big win will be taken into account ahead of coach Dave Rennie's announcement tomorrow. Former All Black and Sky Sport commentator Mils Muliaina and Jeff McTainsh joined Piney on The Rugby Panel to outline their predictions. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Warriors believe everyone at the NRL club understands their responsibility to their fans outside the Auckland region. The Warriors play their first game at One NZ Stadium in Christchurch from 4pm when they meet North Queensland. Former Warrior Mark Tookey joined Piney to discuss. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild host joined Piney to recap the Super Rugby final and speculate about the upcoming All Blacks squad. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.