Weekend Sport with Jason Pine

New Manly interim head coach for Kieran Foran can breathe a sigh of relief after a stunning start to the job.  The Sea Eagles beat the Dolphins 52-18 in their round five NRL clash – Manly put 28 points on their opponents at the breaks  Adam Peacock told Piney it was quite literally an Easter miracle.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the Football World Cup edges closer, the All Whites are looking to finalise their squad.  In the most recent international, the team fell to Finland, but managed to pick up an impressive 4-1 over Chile.  Head Coach Darren Bazeley told Piney the Finland game was disappointing, but they had a solid review the following day that left them determined to not have that type of performance again.  He says that while the loss wasn’t ideal, the reaction and the real accountability they got as a result was great, and then on Monday, they got exactly the performance they wanted.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 4th April 2026, the Crusaders have farewelled their temporary home at Addington – CEO Colin Mansbridge talks about what the stadium has meant for the city.  Bev Priestman has led the Wellington Phoenix women to their first ever playoffs and their best ever regular season. She joined Piney to reflect on the team's success.  And Adam Peacock reflects on a scarcely believable first outing for new Manly Sea Eagles head coach, Kieran Foran.  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.

The Wellington Phoenix women have booked tickets to their first A-League playoffs with a 2-nil win over hosts Adelaide in their last regular-season match.  Brooke Nunn delivered the cross for the first goal in the 30th minute before putting herself in position for the second not long after.  Sitting in second, they're all but guaranteed direct entry into the semifinals.  Head Coach Bev Priestman told Piney the team should be immensely proud of the way they stepped up and performed in a context that is traditionally difficult for the visiting team.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eyebrows have been raised over Super Rugby Pacific’s light schedule for the Easter weekend.  Only three matches were scheduled – the Crusaders v Fijian Drua, the Chiefs v Waratahs, and the Reds v Force.   CEO Jack Mesley told Piney they faced quite a few scheduling difficulties for the weekend when they were initially building the draw.  He says that the sporting landscape is very competitive over Easter, and while some might think they’re losing out, others could say they’d be missing a trick to go up against it, and that they’re being quite strategic about how they place their matches and how they compete.  “We’re pretty confident with what we’ve rolled out.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of football’s biggest clubs is coming to our shores.  Tottenham Hotspur is taking part in the NZ International Football Festival for 2026, set to face off against Auckland FC.  Tottenham icon Ledley King told Piney he knows how much the team is looking forward to coming out and playing in front of a new audience.   He says the team has a massive global fanbase, and it’s important for them to give back to them and not just stay in their comfort zone in the UK.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A tribute to the Crusaders now former home from CEO Colin Mansbridge in the wake of the Super Rugby team's final match there.  Apollo Projects Stadium housed the team for 14 years and saw them take home multiple Super Rugby titles.  It has been farewelled with a 69-26 thumping of the Fijian Drua – hooker Codie Taylor scoring four tries in what was his 150th game for the franchise.  Mansbridge told Piney it’s always going to be a place that every time he walks past, no matter what shape or form it takes in the future, it’ll be a place that grabs the heart.   “I think it’ll always be like our folks’ home – you know, it’ll always be that thing that you hope they don’t sell.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We now say goodbye to what was only ever supposed to be a temporary venue but has become a fortress for the Crusaders and a graveyard for anyone who tried to go there and win.  Seven championship winning seasons were played there from 2017 to 2023 – another one last season.  A place that came to represent something far greater than a place to watch the Crusaders.  It's only when you go to Christchurch to watch the Crusaders play that you fully realise what this team means to its region.  For a city that's had to endure so much, the Crusaders have been a uniting force. A symbol of togetherness.  And they have provided a distraction from the often challenging lives of those who inhabit that great city.  It feels like the new stadium is the final piece in the rebuild puzzle.  After what they've endured in the 15 years since that dreadful day in February 2011, the opening of a new stadium signifies the completion of a long road back to normality.  Christchurch is now complete once more.  Now of course there's a tendency to look at things like this with a sense of misty-eyed romanticism and overlook the faults of Addington.  It’s a bit hard to get to. Very, very cold. Short on modern-day facilities for the teams, sponsors, media, and the fans.   But the legacy of that so-called temporary stadium will be as significant as what Lancaster Park was, and what Te Kaha will almost certainly become.  In the midst of difficulty and destruction and despair, Addington brought people together.   It provided pockets of joy to a city that badly needed them and came to represent much, much more than just a place to watch a game of rugby. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss the Warriors' first loss of the season and the ongoing Super Rugby season. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for Sunday 29 March. Get the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast every Saturday and Sunday afternoon on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aerodynamic issues mean Liam Lawson will start from 14th in this evening's Japanese Formula One Grand Prix. The two Mercedes will start from the front row of the grid. NZ Herald sports journo Alex Powell joined Piney to discuss. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Wellington Phoenix women  can secure a home playoff with a win over Western Sydney Wanderers - which is set to take place this evening. The match will take place at Porirua Park at 4pm. Player Emma Pijnenburg joined Piney to discuss. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand Rugby’s head of high performance chief Mike Anthony is set to make a move over to football. He's set to join English Premier League side Brighton as the club's first head of player development and high performance. He joined Piney to discuss the move. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

England coach Brendon McCullum will keep his job despite the team’s Ashes debacle, following a review into his performance. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) promised a 'thorough review' after Ben Stokes’ team were demolished 4-1 on their five-test tour of Australia, which ended in January. English cricket journalist Tim Wigmore joined Piney to discuss. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The All Whites will conduct an honest review after losing 2-nil to Finland in their football friendly at Eden Park last night. A strangely flat first half was followed by an improved second, but the visitors took the spoils courtesy of a goal in each half. All Whites Ben Waine and Ben Old joined Piney to recap the match. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie has confirmed his assistant coaching group and Head of Performance to take the team through to the 2027 Men’s Rugby World Cup. Forwards coach Jason Ryan is the only one who survived under the Scott Robertson era. Ryan joins Piney to talk his reappointment - and what he can bring to the role in the months ahead. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The All Whites are seeking major improvements in the second game of their international football window.  They've fallen 2-nil to world number 75 Finland at Eden Park, conceding goals in each half, and they’ll be meeting Chile at the same venue on Monday evening.  Former All White Ivan Vicelich joined Piney to recap the loss, as well as look back at his memories of the 2010 FIFA World Cup – the last time New Zealand reached the global showcase.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Warriors have been smacked with a brutal reality check, their unbeaten start to the NRL season coming to a crashing halt.  They were defeated by the Wests Tigers, who snapped a nine-game losing streak against the New Zealand side with a 32-14 victory.  Sky Sports Warriors Commentator Beaven Dewar joined Piney to recap the loss and dig into whether this is just a minor blip, or if it’s time to sound the alarms.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The cost of amateur sports is a growing issue, not just for families, but for clubs trying to survive.   With the increasing cost of living, sport can often be the first thing on the chopping block for families trying to make ends meet, which flows on to the clubs themselves.  Coaching and Sports Management professional Steven Dillon joins Piney to discuss what can be done to keep club sports going.    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for 28th March 2026, Sports Management Administrator Steven Dillon unpacks the growing issue that is the cost of playing amateur sport.   We also recap the Warriors shock loss to the West Tigers with Sky Sports caller Beaven Dewar, and the All Whites loss to Finland with former player Ivan Vicelich.  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.

Listen to the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for Sunday 22 March. Get the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast every Saturday and Sunday afternoon on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss the Warriors' latest victory and the ongoing Super Rugby season.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi target shooter Isaac Junc has already broken plenty of records at 17, and he's hoping to take his skills further. He was recently selected to represent New Zealand at the ISSF Junior World Championships in Germany in June. He joined Piney to discuss further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Veteran all-rounder Jimmy Neesham will captain the Black Caps for the first time in tonight's fourth T20 cricket match against South Africa in Wellington. Usual captain Mitch Santner is taking a break for the final two games of the series, and Tom Latham was due to stand-in before being withdrawn with a thumb injury. Black Cap Tim Robinson joined Piney to discuss ahead of the match. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An indication there will be a level of consistency within the Blues coaching team for Super Rugby in 2027. With head coach Vern Cotter moving on - Hurricanes assistant Jason Holland's moving north to take the helm. Holland joined Piney to discuss what fans can expect from next season. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Warriors coach Andrew Webster's welcoming the pressure being added by Tanah Boyd after another impressive performance in league's NRL. The halfback was again the orchestrator - including scoring another try -  as the Warriors went to the top of the ladder with a 38-12 win over the Knights in Newcastle. Webster joined Piney to discuss the win. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand Cricket is poised to decide whether to keep domestic T20 cricket as is, form a new privatise franchise league, or bid for expansion spots across the Tasman. Discussions have been taking place, with many cricketers and industry experts voicing their insights into NZ Cricket's next steps.  Daily Telegraph cricket writer Ben Horne joined Piney to share his thoughts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Chiefs crashed from a 24-7 lead to fall 33-24 to the Brumbies in Super Rugby in Canberra.  The visitors were on course to upset prop James Slipper's record 203rd game with 24 minutes remaining, before three tries in ten minutes changed the course of the game for the Brumbies.  The home side then capped the win with a Corey Toole try with a minute left.  Chiefs Coach Jono Gibbes told Piney they have to look at the error rate.  “We we’re inaccurate and we gave the ball back to them after only one phase ... we gave them opportunities to get back in the game, and you know, a good team like that, you do that, you invite danger.”   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A milestone moment for Auckland FC as they host Macarthur this afternoon, bringing up their 50th match in football's A-League.  Defender Francis de Vries has been there every for game since the team's entry to the competition at the start of last season.  He says it's a privilege to be part of the Black Knights squad.  De Vris told Piney the team’s consistency can be attributed to the way they break things down week by week and look at what each person needs to do individually and what the team needs to do as a whole.  “If you can consistently do that and then have quality as we do within the squad, then it’s a great recipe for success.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast for Saturday 21 March. Get the Weekend Sport with Jason Pine Full Show Podcast every Saturday and Sunday afternoon on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Hurricanes gave the Highlanders a thumping in Dunedin.  Claiming victory 50-7, they ran eight tries to one to stay atop the Super Rugby ladder – their biggest win over the Highlanders.  Though he was moved to fullback after a groin injury, first five Ruben Love told Piney that he wants to have a crack at the number 10 role once again.  “I grew up as a 10 and I started at the Hurricanes as a 10 ... I enjoy being in the pressure cooker and getting back to goal kicking.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand’s oldest rugby club is scrapping all junior fees in a bid to keep kids on the field.   Nelson Rugby Football Club says the decision’s been brewing for a couple of seasons, but the support of the community means they can finally move forward with it.   Junior club captain Lisa Trusler told Piney that families all over are struggling financially at the moment, and sport is one of those things that unfortunately falls off the end.  “We just want to do whatever we can to get people back into it.”   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.