WEEKEND SPORTS ROUNDUP: WARRIORS HEARTBREAK AS KIWI STARS SHINE AROUND THE WORLD

It was a weekend of heartbreak, records and international success across Waatea’s sports platforms, with the Warriors’ NRL season coming to a crushing end at Eden Park, while Kiwi athletes delivered standout performances from Europe to the mountain-bike circuit.

The biggest disappointment came in Tāmaki Makaurau, where the New Zealand Warriors were eliminated from the NRL finals after a 12-10 loss to the Newcastle Knights.

With a huge Eden Park crowd behind them, the scores were locked at 6-6 at halftime before Newcastle crossed early in the second half. The Warriors responded with a try out wide with around 10 minutes remaining, but the conversion was missed, leaving the Knights clinging to a two-point advantage and ending the Warriors’ 2026 campaign.

It brought a painful conclusion to a season that had once again captured the imagination of supporters across Aotearoa, with around 45,000 fans expected for the sudden-death Eden Park encounter.

Across the Tasman, the Sydney Roosters demolished the Cronulla Sharks 46-10 to book their place in the NRL preliminary finals. The Roosters led 18-10 at halftime before scoring 28 unanswered second-half points, with Daly Cherry-Evans, James Tedesco and Mark Nawaqanitawase among the standouts.

In women’s rugby, the Black Ferns continued their unbeaten WXV Global Series campaign with a commanding 66-14 victory over Scotland in Edinburgh. New Zealand crossed for 10 tries in another powerful attacking performance as they continue their European campaign.

Triathlon star Hayden Wilde continued his remarkable form in France, taking victory in the T100 race after another world-class performance over the 100-kilometre distance.

On the track, middle-distance star Sam Tanner smashed the New Zealand road mile record at the World Road Running Championships, adding another national mark to an increasingly impressive international résumé.

There was more Kiwi success on two wheels, with Sam Gaze sprinting to victory in the UCI Mountain Bike World Series, continuing his place among the world’s elite mountain-bike riders.

Back home, Canterbury survived a huge North Harbour comeback to claim a thrilling NPC victory, holding on in a contest that went down to the final stages.

But there was disappointment on the tennis court, with Japan defeating New Zealand 3-1 in their Davis Cup tie, ending the Kiwi team’s hopes after Japan proved too strong across the weekend.

From Warriors heartbreak at Eden Park to Kiwi victories and records on the international stage, it was another huge weekend of hākinakina across Aotearoa and beyond.

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