Daily Archives: March 24, 2024

CHICAGO (March 20, 2024) The United States will face France, New Zealand and the Asia-Africa intercontinental playoff winner in Group A at the 2024 Olympic Mens Soccer Tournament, set for July 24-Aug. 9 in seven cities and stadiums across France. The Olympic Final Draw took place this evening at the headquarters of the Paris 2024 Olympic Organizing Committee in Saint-Denis.

Paris 2024 marks the U.S. mens first time back at the Games since 2008. The USA will kick off its Olympic return on Wednesday, July 24 two days before the Opening Ceremony against host France (9 p.m. local / 3 p.m. ET) at Stade de Marseille in Marseille. The U.S. will then take on New Zealand on Saturday, July 27 (7 p.m. local / 1 p.m. ET) and finish the group stage against the AFC-CAF playoff winner on Tuesday, July 30 (7 p.m. local / 1 p.m. ET). The AFC-CAF playoff will be contested between Guinea, the fourth-place finisher at the 2023 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations, and the fourth-place finisher from the upcoming 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup.

Date

Opponent

Venue

Kickoff

Wednesday, July 24

France

Stade de Marseille; Marseille, France

9 p.m. local / 3 p.m. ET

Saturday, July 27

New Zealand

Stade de Marseille; Marseille, France

7 p.m. local / 1 p.m. ET

Tuesday, July 30

AFC-CAF Playoff Winner

Stade Geoffroy-Guichard; Saint-Etienne, France

7 p.m. local / 1 p.m. ET

Its an important day for every team to learn their opponents and the challenges that await in the Olympic Games, said Mens Olympic Team head coach Marko Mitrovi. We know that this is an elite tournament, with 16 elite teams that are the best in their confederations. Now, we can picture the opponents, the cities and the stadiums where well play. The excitement is here. We will keep that excitement over the next four months of work, preparing in the best way possible to convert that excitement into achievement on the field.

The Mens Olympic Soccer Tournament is restricted to players under the age of 23, with an allowance for three overage players. The competition features 16 teams, with the top two finishers in each group advancing to the quarterfinals.

Group A

Group B

Group C

Group D

France

Argentina

AFC 2*

AFC 1*

USA

Morocco

Spain

Paraguay

AFC-CAF Playoff^ Winner

AFC 3*

Egypt

Mali

New Zealand

Ukraine

Dominican Republic

Israel

*Will be determined at the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup. ^Will be played between Guinea (fourth place at 2023 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations) and fourth-place finisher at 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup

Should the USA advance to the knockout stage, it would meet a team from Group B.

The U.S. was drawn out of Pot 3 alongside Egypt, Mali and the third-place finisher from Asia. Teams were sorted into pots based on a ranking determined by success in the last five Mens Olympic Soccer Tournaments, with more recent tournament results weighted more heavily, as well as performance in confederation qualifying tournaments.

Mens soccer has been a part of the Olympic program since France 1900. The tournament served as the sports world championship until the launch of the FIFA World Cup in 1930. In 1992, it became an under-23 competition with an allowance for three overage players. The U.S. mens best finish came at Sydney 2000, when the likes of Landon Donovan, Brad Friedel and Josh Wolff led the red, white and blue to fourth place.

The U.S. qualified for the 2024 Olympics with a dominant performance at the 2022 Concacaf U-20 Championship in Honduras, defeating the host nation 3-0 in the tournament semifinals to secure its Olympic berth.

The U.S. men have never faced France or New Zealand at the Olympics.

FRANCE FIFA Country Code: FRA 2024 Olympic Qualifying: Qualified automatically as host country, quarterfinalist at 2023 UEFA U-21 Championship Olympic Games Appearances: 14 (1900, 1908, 1920, 1924, 1928, 1948, 1952, 1960, 1968, 1976, 1984, 1996, 2020, 2024) Best Olympic Finish: Champion (1984) Overall Record in Olympics: 18-14-5 U-23 Era Record in Olympics: 3-3-1 Record vs. USA at Olympics: 0-0-0 Coach: Thierry Henry (FRA) Leading Olympic Qualifying Scorers: Bradley Barcola, Rayan Cherki (two goals) Language: French

NEW ZEALAND FIFA Country Code: NZL 2024 Olympic Qualifying: Champion at 2023 OFC Mens Olympic Qualifying Tournament Olympic Games Appearances: Four (2008, 2012, 2020, 2024) Best Olympic Finish: Quarterfinals (2020) Overall Record in Olympics: 1-5-4 U-23 Era Record in Olympics: 1-5-4 Record vs. USA at Olympics: 0-0-0 Coach: Darren Bazeley (ENG) Leading Olympic Qualifying Scorers: Riley Bidois (five goals), Jesse Randall (four goals) Language: English, Maori

Read this article:

U.S. Men's Olympic Soccer Team to Face France, New Zealand and Asia-Africa Playoff Winner in Group A at 2024 ... - U.S. Soccer

Author

20 March 2024

Having travelled from the other side of the world, in terms of geography, New Zealand may have had the longest journey to Sydney for the BKT Tires Womens Worlds.

On the ice, the New Zealand team believe their journey has just begun.

They had a troubled debut last year in Sandviken, Sweden, hampered by illness and failing to win a single game. But now, the New Zealanders have made the historic step of winning their first game by 8-6 over Scotland.

As skip Jessica Smith says, beating Scotland, getting a first win thats pretty big for us. We came out last year and obviously we didnt win any games, so getting that first win on the board was a big step forward for us. Hopefully we can get another one out there in some part of the week.

Weve got last years experience behind us now, added third player Bridget Becker. Its not so overwhelming. We didnt know what to expect last year. This year coming into it, we just felt a little bit more confident and a little bit more comfortable.

Bridget admitted they had a bit of a rough worlds last year.

We had illness and things werent going our way. This time round, were all fit and healthy and everythings gone a little bit more the way that we hoped it would. With that behind us, its only onwards and upwards, hopefully.

The situation many of the other teams at this level enjoy with many of the top nations now fully-funded.By contrast, the New Zealanders had to take unpaid leave from their full-time jobs and are involved in a variety of fund-raising back home. This includes a new business venture by Jess, who is now manufacturing lip-balm, which she is selling to help support their campaign.

However, behind all this effort, Bridget gives voice to a familiar sentiment among curlers at all levels, from all countries its always fun why else would I be curling if I didnt enjoy it?

Despite the real competitive challenges this team faces, like all the others in Sydney, they have one eye on the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.Jess confirms, the Olympic Games is on our agenda, but for us to get funding, we need to be in the top eight in the world, so weve got a little bit to go.

Having said that, they are aware of the challenges they face in their Olympic quest. Bridget says, we live all over New Zealand and we get to practise probably a quarter of what the rest of these teams do together.

Given the New Zealanders popularity throughout the curling world, it is not just the team themselves who would enjoy seeing them continue to make improvements.

Excerpt from:

Around the world: New Zealand settling into World Championship - worldcurling.org

Thailands immigration authorities have revoked the visas of two New Zealand tourists accused of assaulting a traffic police officer on a popular resort island in an incident widely shared online, police said on Monday.

Brothers Hamish Day and Oscar Mattson Day were charged with offences including robbery, causing physical harm to an on-duty officer, attempted bribery and driving a motorcycle without a licence, Phuket provincial police chief Sinlert Sukhum told a news conference. The chief said police would request the court to deny their release on bail.

Police said officer Somsak Noo-iat on Saturday spotted the men speeding on their motorbikes and tried to stop them. They allegedly tried to speed away then tried to offer a bribe to Somsak, who refused to take it. He tried to film the two men on his phone, and they allegedly tackled him and wrestled the gun away from him, causing a bullet to be fired. No one was injured by the bullet, police said.

In the video, bystanders could be heard shouting at them to stop. The footage went viral online and was broadcast by Thai news outlets.

The police chief alleged that the man who attacked the officer is a mixed martial arts fighter.

The chief said the brothers denied all charges and declined to give any statement.

The brothers could not immediately be reached. The video did not show what happened before the tussle.

The Chalong police chief Ekkarat Plaiduang, Somsaks supervisor, said the officer was injured but recovering well.

Phuket governor Sophon Suwannarat said such attacks were unacceptable and that officials will tighten scrutiny of tourists who may behave inappropriately or break the laws.

Read more from the original source:

Thailand revokes visas of New Zealand tourists after roadside brawl with police - South China Morning Post

Jack Black spoke to The Hits hosts Jono Pryor, Ben Boyce and Megan Papas. Photos / The Hits

Jack Black has been living in New Zealand while filming the upcoming Minecraft movie with Jason Momoa, and now hes been introduced to a staple of Kiwi culture: the Warriors rugby league team.

The actor spoke to Jono Pryor, Ben Boyce and Megan Papas on The Hits Breakfast over the weekend to promote his newly-released film Kung Fu Panda 4.

Black noted that it wasnt his first time living in New Zealand. About 20, exactly 20 years ago, I was in King Kong, he recalled, referring to Kiwi director Peter Jacksons 2005 film.

And I had an amazing, life-changing experience on that one too.

For Black, Aotearoa is paradise, he said, adding, I understand why Jason Momoa has made this home base.

Asked if his family would join him during his time here, Black revealed they would come over for the Easter holidays, though he wouldnt reveal where they planned to spend their downtime. I dont want it to blow up and become a thing. Like, thats where well find them! Well corner them there.

My family dont like photos. They dont like it when I stop for photos, so I try to fly under the radar. But were gonna see some things. Dont worry, were going to see some sweet, sweet things.

It was then the radio hosts gifted him a Warriors jersey and explained the meaning behind the catchphrase Up the Wahs.

Thanking them for the jersey, Black joked, I thought it was going to say Skadoosh or Dragon Warrior or something on it.

Then, in a moment thats now going viral online, he donned the rugby jersey and showed off the catchphrase to the camera, complete with a kung fu high kick.

Yo, whats up? Im Jack Black and Im here to say, Up the Wahs! he declared.

Kiwi fans were delighted, with one commenting on the clip, Welcome on board buddy. Lets go, Warriors. Another wrote, This is the absolute best.

Another labelled Black A great New Zealander!

Its not the first time Black has popped up during his time in New Zealand.

When the Foo Fighters played a show at Aucklands Go Media Stadium Mt Smart in January, Black stormed onto stage in a tie-dye T-shirt singing AC/DCs Big Balls, to the audiences delight.

Looking back on the moment, Black told the radio hosts frontman Dave Grohl didnt give me much notice.

He was just like, Get up on stage and sing Big Balls with me tonight ... so I got my butt up there and had a little thrill ride. Thats a big crowd, you know. When the Foo Fighters play, you get a little adrenaline rush.

Black has previously toured with the Foo Fighters with his own band Tenacious D.

Hes filming the Minecraft movie alongside Jason Momoa and Jennifer Coolidge, as well as Netflix star Emma Myers.

See the article here:

Jack Blacks epic New Zealand Warriors moment goes viral: Up the Wahs! - New Zealand Herald

Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasa2explore/14368569376/

New Zealand is "actively looking" for ways to participate in the controversial AUKUS pact, where work is already underway into putting AI into submarine-hunting planes and radar into deep space for military targeting, according to a newly released government briefing.

The first briefing to the new government on AUKUS Pillar Two shows growing enthusiasm for a deal with AUKUS Pillar One partners the US, Australia and the UK.

It stresses the economic and political benefits, rather than the costs of signing up to a pact that is central to the US's race with China to deploy advanced military technologies.

Minister of Defence Judith Collins told RNZ she had talked about the opportunities, "especially around technology", with US Under-Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security earlier this month.

"I think there may well be opportunities for us ... we're exploring all those angles," Collins said.

Critics say New Zealand risks taking a more hawkish stance against China. Proponents say Pillar Two is a geopolitical game-changer in the world's most hotly contested lndo-Pacific region.

Government security and foreign affairs ministers from China and the UK have just been in New Zealand and Australia for top level meetings.

The briefing to Collins and Foreign Minister Winston Peters came just before they met their Australian counterparts last month.

"We are actively looking for ways in which New Zealand can participate in Pillar Two, particularly in those areas where New Zealand can make a material contribution," it said.

"We expect to take a formal decision on participation at some point this year."

Last week, overseas media quoted unnamed officials saying the US was looking to hurry and sign up new Pillar Two partners amid uncertainties around a possibly isolationist Trump White House, with Canada and Japan to the fore.

The briefing, while heavily blanked out, gives more clues to what is at stake for New Zealand.

"'Our approach to AUKUS is particularly important in terms of how we manage our relationships," it said.

"New Zealand's approach to AUKUS is an important part of our foreign policy settings."

AUKUS aligned with New Zealand's "national interest".

How closely New Zealand's intelligence and security sector aligns its interests with the country's Five Eyes partners was newly demonstrated in last week's revelations about secret foreign spy operations hosted for years by the GCSB in Wellington, without the government knowing.

On the economic front, "Pillar Two may create potential openings for collaboration with the New Zealand defence industry and adjacent technology companies", it said.

"The Pillar Two trials to date have involved defence and technology firms from all three AUKUS partners ... there may be future opportunities for New Zealand firms."

It noted the pact has given Australia's defence industry preferential access to the US.

The pact's "progress" included work to add artificial intelligence to submarine-hunting Poseidon P-8A maritime patrol planes. New Zealand has just spent $1.3 billion on four new Poseidons (though Defence papers reveal it lacks enough mechanics to service them, after a lot of workforce resignations).

Other work was going on into Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability that will include Australia having a new ground site. New Zealand is a partner already in a US military satellite system, and recently coughed up extra millions to expand it.

This extends Pillar Two into outer space, where the US has been stoking fears that China and Russia are making big military advances.

The briefing makes clear the pact addresses the need to harness commercial industry to support "increasing technological needs" for defence. Rocket Lab that runs launches at Mahia and in the US, has been doing this, through many contracts with the Pentagon.

The New York Times this month ran a story titled 'Why More American Weapons Will Soon Be Made Outside America', detailing how Australia is on the verge of making shells and guided missiles alongside American firms.

Earlier, briefings to the previous Labour-led government, also released under the OIA, sounded similar themes: "There are likely to be significant opportunities to develop other planned capabilities through future cooperation with AUKUS development programmes," said one in 2021.

From a 2023 dialogue paper with the US: "The US relationship is fundamental to our national security As the international situation becomes more complex and unstable, it is in New Zealand's interests to maintain this close and trusted relationship."

Briefings showed that last year the public messaging was "recalibrated" to stress that New Zealand agreed with the rationale for setting up AUKUS, that the region was getting scarier.

New Zealand told the US in October: "We are acutely aware that the environment in the Pacific has changed."

It noted the "high tempo of engagements across our [NZ-US] systems".

Previous Prime Minister Chris Hipkins characterised this as being "clear-eyed" about the region's security challenges.

His government issued a defence policy and strategy statement in 2023 that said:

"The wider Indo-Pacific is now the central global theatre for strategic competition. Indo-Pacific states are rapidly investing in their military and security capabilities in response to

the range of security challenges they are facing.

"Intensifying strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific is increasing the potential for confrontation and means conflict could occur, potentially with little warning."

Now, however, the Labour Party has said AUKUS Pillar Two is all about containment of China and questions if joining would be wise.

The OIA briefing from January said there remained "gaps in our understanding" of Pillar Two and talks continued.

More:

More details revealed about New Zealand interest in joining AUKUS security pact - RNZ

Before the 1960s, tourism in New Zealand was still a fledgling industry and one enterprising young pilot knew the country's natural beauty was best seen from the sky.

Brian Chadwick had been in the Royal Air Force in World War II and by the 1950s he was ready to leave Europe.

He took his young family to New Zealand where, he believed, he could build a business that would become a major player on the South Island tourism scene.

Chadwick was the first pilot to run non-stop scenic flights from Christchurch to Milford Sound apioneer who improvised and innovated his way to success.

For 25 pounds per person, tourists could sit in the back of Chadwick's Dragonfly or Dominie planes as he flew through the peaks of New Zealand's Southern Alps.

A precious home movie made more than 60 years ago reveals what it was like onboard.It would alsobecome a significant piece of evidence.

Sitting in a war-era plane made of mostly fabric and wood, the film shows how passengers weaved through ancient peaks of more than 3,000 metres elevation.

They would get close to the snow-topped mountains that would be impossible to climb and the glaciers that had carved a path between them.

Often with a full load of passengers and full tanks of fuel, these small machines would go up against the conditions of the day.

Chadwick would clear the mountains before heading down the west coast.

The view was spectacular, but as with so many tourism experiences in New Zealand, it came with risk.

On February 12, 1962, Chadwick and his guests set out on a journey that would go down in New Zealand aviation history.

Normally, Chadwick would land at the spectacular Milford Sound and his guests would have lunch and enjoy the scenery before making the return trip.

Chadwick had flown this route more than 100 times before and he knew the limitations of his aircraft.

He'd cancelled flights over recent days due to weather, but on this Monday morning, he met his passengers at Christchurch Airport, took off and headed for the hills.

But later that day, a voice on the end of a phone line would say: "Your cobber Chadwick is an hour overdue at Milford Sound. We are a little worried."

The person receiving the call was fellow pilot Brian Waugh, who would go on to spend the rest of his life wondering what happened to his friend.

Chadwick and his passengers had set off from Christchurch in his Dragonfly plane, but they never made it to Milford Sound or any of the other airstrips dotted throughout the Southern Alps regions the Dragonfly was missing.

Because thevast and rugged landscape that makes the perfect backdrop to a scenic flight becomes treacherous in the wrong conditions and impossible in a search-and-rescue operation.

Chadwick, his passengers and the Dragonfly have now been missing for more than 60 years in what is widely considered New Zealand's greatest aviation mystery.

There were three Australians on board that day and, from across the ditch, their families have never stopped hoping they'll be found.

One family is appealing to the New Zealand authorities to again look for Chadwick and his plane and to listen to those who have been most dedicated to finding it for decades.

Because despite their best efforts, time is very much running out.

It was in the 1950s that Chadwick convinced his former colleague and friend Brian Waugh to also leave the United Kingdom and raise a family in Aotearoa.

The two Brians spent years working for smaller airlines, pioneering routes across the South Island, butChadwick would eventually launch his own charter flight business.

His grandson Mark Chadwick now lives in Australia and told the ABC how Chadwick was trying to establish himself.

"With a whole lot of others that came across to Australia and New Zealand, post World War II, he wassetting up a new life," he said.

"He was very entrepreneurial, a good pilot, he was a good engineer."

Mark was born after the Dragonfly went missing, but the story of his grandfather and his place in New Zealand's history has long been part of the Chadwick family.

By 1962 there were a small group of pilots darting across the South Island, ferrying tourists back and forth, stopping to refuel, and forging friendships along the way.

Chadwick's fleet included a Dominie and Dragonfly. On the morning of February 12, the larger Dominie plane was out of action, so a flight plan was prepared for the Dragonfly.

A detailed first-hand account of that morning has been preserved in Brian Waugh's memoir.

Chadwick's plan was to fly directly from Christchurch to Milford Sound, but there were several airstrips across the region where he might have gone if he got into trouble.

Waugh recounts that as he entered the metrological office at Hokitika on February 12, the forecaster warned him: "Bit unusual this morning, Brian."

"Sunshine for you almost all the way 10 miles inland. Raining like hell in the ranges and rotten weather in Canterbury."

"Just over an hour later I landed in Haast in sunshine, picked up six passengers and headed home for the return trip," Waugh wrote.

He noted the forecaster was right, "while the coast weather was good, it was pitch black in the ranges".

"I smiled smugly. 'Chaddy will not be carrying any scenic passengers to Milford today' I thought."

Hours later, when Waugh picked up that phone call, he learnt Chadwick did take off from Christchurch, but never made it to Milford.

He also hadn't been seen at airstrips at Franz Josef, or Fox Glacier and now his pilot friends, and an official search and rescue effort, were scouring the region for his dragonfly.

It would later emerge that Chadwick probably decided to take a different route.

He had reportedly intimated to the duty forecaster at Christchurch that because of the weather he would probably fly to Milford by way of "Mackenzie Country" a region to the east of the Southern Alps that includes the small townships of Twizel and Fairlie.

To this day, there is debate over whether Chadwick and the Dragonfly made it over the mountains.

Brian Waugh's son Richard was just five when the Dragonfly went missing and says this story has been part of his life ever since.

"I do remember as a child people coming to our house and sitting around the oak table, these sort of deer stalkers, outdoorsy sort of guys, talking to dad about the inhospitable terrain of the Southern Alps, South Westland, the bush, the mountains," Richard told the ABC.

He said his father Brian would constantly ask: "Where is Chadwick? Where is the Dragonfly?"

Every day for the following five years that he remained on that route, as he flew over a ravine, or down a valley, Brian Waugh would look for his friend.

"That's quite powerful isn't it, every day a friend searching for years and still found nothing," Richard said.

In the years since Brian died, Richard has kept the Dragonfly story alive.

He became a historian, with a particular interest in New Zealand's aviation history. And he authored the definitive book on what the world does know about what happened to the Dragonfly.

In Lost Without a Trace, Richard documents five other aircraft that went missing in the same area, calling it "New Zealand's Bermuda Triangle", a label he knew would get attention.

Since publishing, a helicopter has been found, but the others remain missing.

Together with those on the Dragonfly manifest, 21 people have vanished in the area between Haast on the West Coast, Mt Aspiring and down to Milford Sound.

"I describe this lower area of the South Island as New Zealand's Bermuda triangle," Richard said.

It is a vast area where a small plane could slip beneath the forest canopy with very little left visible to search-and-rescue professionals.

After 60 years, one Australian family wants authorities to use take the technology available to them the devices that can see what is hidden to the naked eye and put some of the most popular theories about the location of the Dragonfly to the test.

On that February 12 flight were three Australians Louis Rowan, 25, Darrell Shiels, 33, and Elwyn Saville, 20.

Elwyn boarded alongside his New Zealand-born wife Valerie, 22, as part of their honeymoon.

Adventurous Sydneysider Louis Rowan had just spent a year in New Guinea and had decided New Zealand was next.

But by the end of January, in a letter sent home to his family, he said he would be making his way back across the ditch sooner than expected, just as soon as he finished the tours he had already booked.

One of those tours was a scenic flight to Milford Sound.

On the day the Dragonfly went missing, Louis's brother John Rowan was at school, but as he approached home, he knew something was wrong.

He was 15 years old then, but as life has gone on and his own family has grown older, larger too, the memory of that day has not faded.

"It is a very vivid memory. I remember I was coming home from school and I rounded the corner and a neighbourhood kid told me he's missing."

Even now, when John talks about Louis he describes him as "lost".

He has a letter from the New Zealand coroner that says Louis is deceased, but that document also says: "the cause of death being unknown".

John has never been able to do thethings families do when someone dies.

"There was no funeral. We've got a plaque on mum and dad's grave for Louis and if he was ever found, if there were remains of any description, we would bring them home and put them in that grave," John said.

"So in that way the mystery is still ongoing and there is no closure.

"I really hoped for closure when mum was alive, but that didn't happen. Mum died in October 1997."

Elwyn and Valerie Saville were the honeymooning couple who went missing on the Dragonfly. Their photos were front and centre in media coverage at the time.

They were married in Valerie's home country of New Zealand, but Elwyn's Australian family has long waited for news from across the Tasman.

Elwyn's brother Barrie Saville told the ABC he remembered the disappearance of the Dragonfly "very clearly".

"It was a poor day, they should not have flown, but it's easy to be wise in hindsight," he said.

For Barrie, even if the dragonfly is found, he would like his brother to rest in peace in the mountains, as he has done for decades.

"I wish they'd found them in the first place," he said.

Valerie Saville grew up in a big family, and her great niece Debbie McGarva said they still hoped she would be found and the mystery solved.

"I grew up in a family who always talked about Valerie, and [asked] when is this plane going to be found," she said.

"The family did really miss her. She was a topic of conversation for many, many years.

"I just hope they find the plane. We just want an answer of where it went down."

The families of those who were lost on the Dragonfly are part of a community of people who exist around the mystery of it.

For John Rowan, his grief is a present and enduring thing.

But for another man, the Dragonfly is a story of a near miss.

Just weeks before the Dragonfly disappeared, a young man from Southend-on-Sea on England's east coast sat in the back of a Chadwick flight.

Robin Fautley and his family were on holiday in New Zealand and spent weeks documenting their adventure on a 8mm Bell and Howell video camera.

On that film, they captured one of the last flights Chadwick would ever take and one of the routes that would be traced hundreds of times in the search for the Dragonfly.

Robin was 13 at the time. Now, as a 75-year-old man, he can still remember the feeling of being up in the clouds.

"It was exciting and I felt at times we were so close to the snow, I could just reach out my hand and pick up a few snowballs and sort of pelt them at the pilot," he said.

The Fautleys were on an epic adventure. They'd travelled across the Atlantic on the Southern Cross, a ship built for the mid-century Europe to Australia and New Zealand service.

The family travelled through the Panama Canal to Tahiti, Fiji and then New Zealand when their path crossed with Chadwick.

That holiday would have a lasting impact on Robin's life.

Not just because that's what grand adventures tend to do, but because the family would forever be part of an enduring mystery.

Robin estimates it was about two weeks between when his family made the now-treasured film of Chadwick flying above the Southern Alps and February 13, the day they were walking through Auckland Airport preparing to board a flight to Sydney when they saw a newspaper billboard about a missing plane.

"It was a little bit scary because my father and mother said to me, 'crikey, we were on [a] previous flight. Aren't we lucky'," he said.

"It has always been in the back of my mind, subconsciously, that I was a lucky boy to escape something like that."

As Robin's father chopped up the film to make a show reel of the Fautleys' tour of the Pacific, his son picked up everything left on the cutting room floor.

Even as a child, he knew those slices of film were precious mementos.

Nearly 60 years later, in the depths of the pandemic, Robin found a website about the search for the Dragonfly with an open call for any images of Brian Chadwick or his plane.

"I said, 'well now, I haven't got any photographs, but I've got some videos, would that be any good?' Within five minutes of posting that I had a phone call," he said.

What happened next thrust Robin into the modern era of the Dragonfly story.

More:

For 60 years NZ has searched its 'Bermuda Triangle' for the Dragonfly a plane that got lost in the clouds - ABC News - ABC News

Filipina-Kiwi actress Franki Russell is set to represent New Zealand in this year's Miss Universe pageant.

On Instagram, Thursday, Dubai-based magazine XPEDITION announced Franki's appointment.

"Recognized as a reality star and actress in the Philippines, the half-Kiwi, half-Filipina beauty is eager to leverage her new platform to address a prevalent concern among youth in New Zealand and worldwide - cyberbullying," the magazine said.

XPEDITION is headed by its editor-in-chief, JoshYugen, who owns multiple franchises of the prestigious pageant.

Among Franki's recent projects include the movie "Pabuya" with her ex-boyfriend, Diego Loyzaga.

Meanwhile, the Philippines is also set to crown a new Miss Universe Philippines queen soon.

The organization has been introducing this year's candidates on social media, releasing their evening gown photos, official headshots, swimsuit photos, and also their introduction videos.

Carby Basina/MGP, GMA Integrated News

Originally posted here:

Filipina-Kiwi actress Franki Russell appointed as Miss Universe New Zealand - GMA News Online

Maia Bouchier scored her first IT20 half century as England Women were beaten in their third encounter of a five-match series against New Zealand with the hosts winning by three runs at Saxton Oval, Nelson.

The result means England lead the series by two games to one with two matches remaining.

Heather Knight named an unchanged side to the team who beat the White Ferns at the same venue on Friday.

New Zealand captain Sophie Devine won the toss and elected to bat.

Openers Suzie Bates and Bernadine Bezuidenhouts partnership racked up 44 before the former was dismissed by Sarah Glenn.

Skipper Devine impressed with the bat, hitting 60 off 37 balls while Amelia Kerr recorded 44 meaning the hosts ended their innings on 155-3, Danielle Gibson taking two wickets.

Tammy Beaumont and Maia Bouchers partnership of 84 set England on their way with the latter hitting 71 off 47 balls which included 11 fours and one six.

New Zealands Amelia Kerr ran out Knight before quick wickets left the visitors 6-25 and the match set for a tense finish as England needed eight runs off the last over but just fell short.

White Ferns veteran Bates claimed two wickets for four runs as England fell just shy at 152 for 8.

Knight's outfit return to action on Wednesday 27 March where they take on the White Ferns in Wellington in their fourth of this five-match IT20 series. Tammy Beaumonts post-match press conference is available to watch and download here.

England Women's Fixtures and Results

New Zealand Women v England Women fixtures (all timings in GMT)

19 March - 1st IT20 - Dunedin England won by 27 runs

22 March - 2nd IT20 - Nelson England won by 15 runs

24 March - 3rd IT20 - Nelson New Zealand won by three runs

27 March - 4th IT20 - Wellington - 1am

29 March - 5th IT20 - Wellington - 1am

31 March - 1st ODI - Wellington - 11pm

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England Women suffer defeat against New Zealand in Nelson - SuperSport

New Zealands Black Foils driven by Peter Burling claimed victory at the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix in Christchurch, New Zealand.

After the cancellation of racing Saturday, SailGP implemented a Super Sunday race format, consisting of three fleet races and then a winner-takes-all final podium race.

What Race Day One lacked in action, Race Day Two certainly made up for, with chaos and collisions on the racecourse.

Season leader Australia was ruled out of the event following a collision with a course mark just after the start of race 1, leaving them with event-ending damage., and changing the dynamic for the entire event.

Driver Tom Slingsby said: The moment was a blur. As we rounded the mark we had two boats on our inside and we looked like we were going to hit Canada. It hasnt really sunk in yet and the results are what they are, Im just glad that all our people are safe.

The first race of the day went the way of hometown favorites, the Black Foils, with New Zealand taking the lead on the start and finishing by overtaking France on the final mark to claim the opening victory on Lyttelton Harbour.

Race two went the way of Canada with native Kiwi driver Phil Robertson at the wheel.

The third and final fleet race to the podium saw Quentin Delapierres France take the win, resulting in three races with three different winners France, New Zealand and Canada set to go head-to-head in the three-boat podium final.

A strong start in the final podium race from the Kiwis saw Canada having to keep clear of them on the line, with the Black Foils taking the first mark with France in hot pursuit.

Canada split the pack after the second mark, a decision that caused them to trail for the remainder of the race and allowing the Black Foils to take a strong early lead, ahead of France.

Leading on the course all the way to the finish, Burling took the finish line in a convincing fashion, to the delight of the 11,000 strong home crowd. The win put them top of the overall season leaderboard.

Penalties played a decisive part in the event and season Leaderboards.

The penalty points awarded to Australia for the damage caused in race 1 a total of eight season points sees the Kiwis overtake top the overall leaderboard, nine points in front of Australia. However, Australia have requested a points penalty review.

Nicolai Sehesteds ROCKWOOL Denmark was docked four season points for an incident at the start of the first race with Canada, causing substantial damage to the bow of the Danish F50. The Danish team sustained damage to their bow but all three teams continued to race.

And Emirates GBR finished the event in seventh place, but it would have been fifth had they not received penalty points for a collision with Spain during practice racing on Friday. They finished the three fleet races with a 4-3-8 result.

Emirates GBR Driver Giles Scott said: It was a pretty big day out there and it looks like we wont be the only ones to come away from this event with penalty points. The Aussies have some pretty major damage and Denmark were sailing with part of their bow missing, so there was lots of carnage which luckily we were able to avoid today.

Our aim is still to make the Grand Final in San Francisco in July, thats not going to be easy but we will take every race as it comes and were looking forward to the next event in Bermuda in May.

2024 ITM NEW ZEALAND SAIL GRAND PRIX | CHRISTCHURCH RESULTS

1st NEW ZEALAND 2nd FRANCE 3rd CANADA 4th SPAIN 5th GERMANY 6th SWITZERLAND 7th EMIRATES GBR 8th UNITED STATES 9th ROCKWOOL DENMARK 10th AUSTRALIA

2023/24 SAILGP SEASON 4 OVERALL LEADERBOARD

Note that Emirates GBR received an eight-point event penalty, and also deducted four season points after their collision during practice racing.

The league now moves to the tenth stop of the season the Apex Group Bermuda Sail Grand Prix on 5-6 May.

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SailGP Christchurch Dolphin on race course prevents day 1 racing

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SailGP Black Foils win ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix in the chaos and collisions - Sailweb

New Zealand has become the 29th country to book at least one archery quota place at the 2024 Olympic Games, following Ben McLean and Nuala Edmundsons wins at Oceanias continental qualifying tournament last weekend in Auckland.

Archers from Fiji, Samoa and Tonga also competed, with Australia having already booked two individual spots by winning the mixed team event at the Pacific Games.

Im proud and honoured to have made it through to the final. I feel really humbled to have won, said 19-year-old Edmundson after beating compatriot Julia Harrison, 10-7 in a tiebreak. I have big goals and Im going to do whatever it takes to achieve them.

Both their recurve womens final and the recurve mens McLean 7-3 Finn Matheson were contested by archers from New Zealand.

Should the places won here need to be reallocated, either by New Zealand upgrading to a team space or declining a ticket, bronze medallists Arne Jensen (Tonga) and Chaandvi Prasad (Fiji) will become the next eligible for the quotas.

Olympic qualifying continues in the Americas in early April.

Header photo courtesy David Edmundson.

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New Zealand adds two Paris 2024 Olympic spots at Oceania qualifier - World Archery