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All Blacks fall short in Greatest Rivalry equaliser

_{Featured Image: The Atmosphere at M&T Bank Stadium – Joseph Simpson}

Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. Best known to the outside world for the 1988 and 2007 films of the same name ‘Hairspray,’ Edgar Allan Poe’s brief residence, and not a great deal else unless you are a fan of Major League Baseball (MLB) or the National Football League (NFL). The city flew under the radar during the FIFA World Cup earlier this year, despite the 71,000 capacity dwarfing several other stadiums used in the competition. Overall, Baltimore does not make global, or national headlines very often. On Saturday, international headlines were certainly made, as for the first time thirty years, a victor was declared in a All Blacks-Springbok tour.

Before Baltimore

*_{Fans heading to the stadium – Joseph Simpson}*

The Greatest Rivalry tour had been a difficult watch for Kiwis around the world. The All Blacks started very strong. This siad, the first five games opened with far from gauranteed results. Given the lynch mob that is the New Zealand public, and recently, the New Zealand Rugby executive, and the extended history of not losing (almost!) every game to non-test sides, anything other than a four-from-four sweep of the provincial teams would have likely led to Scott Robertson or Jamie Joseph getting on a flight to South Africa.

One of the main differences discussed in the media is the difference in depth between the two international sides, with the Springboks largely considered to have talent running much further deep than the All Blacks. This is not because of raw talent, as New Zealand has plenty of that, but how the caps have been shared amongst the Springboks differs greatly from the All Blacks. On-form players can be dropped and benched in Rassie Erasmus’ squad without complaint, compared to the All Blacks, whom under Rennie, Robertson, Foster, and beyond, aging players will be given the nod over younger talent almost every time since the game became professional back in 1996, when the All Blacks fatefully exacted their revenge on the Springboks for the 1995 World Cup defeat. It really makes you wonder, have we really learnt nothing from the ‘New Zealand Cavaliers’ and the ‘Baby Blacks’?

With this being said, with ten debutants only halfway through the test calendar, Rennie is certainly more comfortable with giving Black Jerseys to probables and possibles, even if it is to soak up the hurt from Western Province farm boys or Gqeberha (Formerly Port Elizabeth) battlers. Seeing the likes of Ruben Love and Cam Roigard hold onto the inside back jersey for most of the tour shows that the All Blacks are flirting with the idea of returning to a true meritocracy.

It’s a shame that these descisions possibly came too little too late for the men in black. Opening the tour in the fortress of Ellis Park, Johannesburg, the All Blacks took advantage of every loose ball opportunity, every penalty, every poorly formed ruck, to run circles around Pieter-Steph du Toit’s Springboks, winning a comfortable 33 to 16. Josh Moorby gave everyone glimpses of everyone’s favourite express, Paekākāriki’s Christian Cullen with his movement on attack. Fabian Holland might not have saved the scrum but certainly played out of his skin in the lineout and had a defensive workrate of Brodie Retallick, while Love and Roigard looked as composed as they did in their rampaging Super Rugby championship earlier in the year. It’s safe to say the All Blacks do in fact, have an admirable starting 23.

After Ellis Park, everything seemed to go wrong. There are the obvious we can talk about, injuries plagued the All Blacks, with several starters going in exchange for the loss of South Africa’s Cheslin Koble. The scrum was incredibly poor in the first test, slightly remedied by very vigilant officiating in the second test, but never fully recovered for the return to Johannesburg (If you aren’t cheating you aren’t trying – Al Davis). Coaching could be worth mentioning, but the attack and defence of both teams largely did not change from test to test. Kurt-Lee Arendse, who we will mention a lot more in this article, pulled off something that could not have been expected, like Caleb Clarke‘s debut in 2020, or Louis Bielle-Biarrey deciding to put France on his back any time they’re down a try. The Springboks loved their scrum and their maul, but were pretty useless outside of that. The All Blacks only succeded in grinding down the Springboks with extended phases once in all of four tests. The Stregnths and weaknesses of both sides were on full display.

Then comes Baltimore. The staging ground for All Black redemption, currently down two to one to their greatest rivals. While this is the first ever international rugby match held at M&T Bank Stadium, both sides have had disappointing experiences less than an hours drive away, in the national capital of Washington D.C. In Rassie Erasmus’ first-ever test, the Springboks fell short against Wales 22-20, a team that would then go on to have a 4-0 winning streak against the South Africa, broken only in their fateful 2019 Rugby World Cup Clash. The All Blacks visited D.C in 2021 to take on the U.S.A Eagles in a game that the Americans will remember for their first ever tries against the All Blacks, in exchange for a 104 point thumping, but for the All Blacks it was without competition and without a crowd, with well over a third of the stadium visibly empty for the clash. The biggest rugby brand in the world, in the capital of biggest market in the world, and everyone stayed home!

While D.C might already be written off for the men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups, Baltimore clearly isn’t. The city, and both teams, had a lot to prove. So it makes you wonder why Beauden Barrett, Rieko Ioane, Richie Mo’unga, and Patrick Tuipulotu got the nod over the All Blacks of tomorrow for this test? Perhaps it was verancy that Dave Rennie wanted, a change of pace in the game? Perhaps it was in response to the Springboks naming a veteran squad? Cynically, you could ask yourself whether the U.S. stakeholders demanded more recogniseable games for this game? That seems like an absurd theory, but the addition of these players felt like an NBA All Star game, and arguably, many of them played like it was one too.

The Match

*_{M&T Stadium just before the Star Spangled Banner – Joseph Simpson}*

After a rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, which the ground announcer forgot was supposed to take place, the Springboks and All Blacks Arrived on the field to sing God Defend New Zealand followed by Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika. Captain Codie Taylor was joined by golfer and major championship winner Ryan Fox as the flag bearer, a slightly more recogniseable face for the American fans to legends Sean Fitzpatrick and Ruahei Demant. Followed by a return to Kapa o Pango led also by Taylor. Unlike in South Africa where Rassie was fighting a loosing battle to quiet the crowd. There was a surprising hush amongst the stands as the All Blacks performed, especially considering out of the almost seventy thousand spectators present, at least fifty would have been wearing the green and gold.

It’s worth noting that the atmosphere in Baltimore before the game was the eeriest I’ve ever experienced for a rugby game, especially for a New Zealand – South Africa game. I was expecting rambunctious pubs, cheers and quips in the street, photos and jersey swaps. While there certainly was enough of green and gold, and black and white, to make the Baltimore waterfront look like Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour and Wynyard Quarter, you’d think you’d just shown up to sip some bubbly at the ASB Classic. Perhaps several of the South Africans, who must go through a visa process, were intentionally on their best behaviour. Or for the rest of them, including a large portion of New Zealand supporters, were Americans picking national sides to get behind like we do back home with our NBA teams. Does anyone else back the Oklahoma City Thunder solely because of Steven Adams’ drafting? Say what you will about the U.S.A, public drunkeness outside of a university is much harder to come by than it is in the southern hemisphere.

It certainly wasn’t going to be easy to get written off at the game with the average alcoholic beverage setting you back $20 USD after tax and tip (about 35 NZD, or 350 Rand for those at home), nobody will be complaining about the prices at Eden or Ellis Park after this match. Even if you were thirsty, you’d spend most of your time in line as North American sports fans are not ones to wait till half time for their hotdog and Budweisers. Due to the significant number and legnth of stoppages in sport here, you better believe that the concession stands are always busy, and they’ll follow this even when the rest of the world is in town. Scrum? Bathroom break. Lineout? Popcorn. Conversion? Selfies in front of the Baltimore Ravens’ stadium installations.

Quiet atmospehre aside, the match must go on. Richie Mo’unga, who hasn’t played a test since the 2023 World Cup Final, kicked off everything in Maryland. The Springboks took first blood with a penalty through the boot of Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu which was quickly responded to by a break from Will Jordan and Damian McKenzie charging into the Boks twenty-two after after a few failed attempts to find space on the edges. Roigard picking the right man as skipper Codie Taylor crashed over the line about ten metres in from touch.

Springbok tries after this were frustratingly predictable, and even worse, inevitable. It would seem that the All Blacks defence on the try line is not up the the physicality that the Springboks will put in, not just on individual touches and tackles, but every single ruck. When an All Black was taken to ground in Baltimore, the Springbok tackler would always roll and then jackal for the ball, nearly every single time, forward, or back. If it’s contested? Let the All Blacks have it. The reason this worked is because there was no visible structure to the All Black attack, or perhaps the organised chaos of a knock on or loose ball was the structure. The problem with this is often outside backs found themselves in narrowing space without any support runners, forcing them to either make an ambitous pass or concede a penalty holding onto the ball after they get flattened by a cake-munching baby rhinoceros.

This is something we see consistently from All Black loose forwards but only occasionally will the likes of Cam Roigard or Will Jordan bother to attempt to turn over the ball in the ruck. But it’s also a lot harder to do because of how the Springboks attacked, their structure was very tight, there were guards at every rucks and only on a few occasions did the magic feet of Kurt-Lee Arendse turn tactics off and have a go himself, often supported by several midfielders or outside backs. Rassie simply had the All Black attack figured out, and knew they didn’t have the physicality to mount a solid defence.

Damian de Allende socred right under the noses Ethan de Groot and Anton Lienert-Brown, possibly because most of the forward pack were worried about Eben Etzebeth’s carry two phases before hand and hadn’t got to their feet, and eventual player of the match Morné van den Berg ‘broke’ Sam Darry’s ankles after another All Black overcommitment to the driving maul. But was it an overcommitment?

Its worth noting here that a continously exploited and criminally simple tactic from Rassie in earlier tests was simply to take the ball from edge to edge to put defensive weak points Leroy Carter and Damian McKenzie in the same channel. This was such a problem that Jesse Kriel, arguably one of the least powerful bodies in the Springbok arsenal, looked like 1995 Jonah Lomu on the wing, smashing through defenders, when he wasn’t spilling the ball, that is. Come Baltimore, this was no longer a problem with Josh Moorby given the nod over Carter, but where Jessie Kriel might have had a slgihtly quieter game, accross the board the aging Springbok squad (the average age on the team was 31 for this test) were either too strong, or too fast, for the equally aging All Blacks.

Funnily enough, for all the attacking errors and inability to defend the All Blacks found themselves in, one of the best tries came right after this with a thirty-phase monster toward the end of the first half which some might argue was the All Blacks having nothing on for attack. I’d argue it’s the first and only time in eighty minutes the Kiwis matched Springbok physicality. After bunching in the Bok defenders on the right-hand-side, a simple, but perfectly executed series of passes from New Zealand’s playmakers allowed for Will Jordan to find a gap and score under the posts, not without having to muscle through Damian de Allende to get there. So the All Blacks do have the pace and physicality to match the springboks, they are able to run a structured attack. It’s just a shame for the series it felt like they did that for 32 phases in Baltimore and one game in Johannesburg and nowhere else.

Half time: South Africa 17 – 14 New Zealand.

Malcolm Marx through the maul, Pieter-Steph du Toit muscling straight over the edge of a ruck with no guards, the first two score of the second half were the exact same as the first. Instead of veteran Anton Lienert-Brown been caught dozing, Reiko Ioane had a turn staring at both his midfielders in green joining the maul, guarding against a nine already covered by Cam Roigard. This said, two score down, the All Blacks are never out of a game.

Once again, the All Blacks continually run like a bat out of hell the moment the ball spills forward into their hands, and they continually concede a turnover for having no support runners. For most of the second half this was the reoccuring theme in the All Black attack. The moments where the All Blacks looked at their best was when the loose forwards would lead the charge. Perhaps with Ardie Savea out for the test, and the daunting task of matching the inspirational Siya Kolisi, or the physical Pieter-Steph, kept most of the loose forwards out of making big breaks. They spent most of the game sticking to the dog work in the breakdown to make up for the sluggish workrate of Sam Darry and Patrick Tuipulotu who on more than one occasion got blown over or penalised for poorly judged ruck entry. Wallace Sititi, Peter Lakai and Ethan Blackadder all contributed heavily to pinning excess Springbok forwards to provide Blackadder the opportunity to score, and it was one of the only moments we got to see them on the front foot for the whole game.

And then at the 70th minute, eight points down, Damien McKenzie is put into beautiful space thanks to Tupou Vaa’i, there is thirty metres of open space as the entire forward pack of both teams has crumpled together just past New Zealand’s 40 metre mark. Moorby runs in support on the DMac’s left, Jordan to the right. Manie Libbok closes the space in less than a second. Libbock puts his left shoulder into Damian but before he can Damian dummys to Moorby, is he going to pass it right to Will Jordan? Arendse has twisted his body away from Will Jordan, the fastest player on the field. He’s taken the bait of the dummy.

No, Damian still makes the pass, even after he must see Cameron Hanekom breaking Josh Moorby’s two metres of covid social distancing, the same Cameron Hanekom who up until this point had tackled two players off the ball this game so far and was clearly very comfortable going for it a third time. Hanekom’s arms are wrapped around Moorby before Moorby catches the ball, Will Jordan puts his arms up in total hysteria. The error Kurt-Lee Arendse made has now become an advantage, the ball spills straight into his hands and Moorby who is once again without a single support runner is powerless to do anything. Vaa’i doesnt even bother to shift his body weight in the way, whether that’s because of laziness, or the sheer feeling of defeat he must of been feeling, it didn’t change the fact that it left Arendse with 40 metres of space between him and the try line and the only people around to stop him were the exhausted Lakai and Blackadder. 71 minutes in the score sits 36-21 to the Springboks.

If Ardie was the rallying cry for the All Blacks in the first test, just like the French knights in the battle of Agincourt, Kurt-Lee Arendse was the English and Welsh longbowmen that snuffed it out like a flame. Cameron Hanekom was handed the easiest score in All Black Springbok history as the All Blacks decide defending rucks just aren’t worth their time. Shortly after, for the 2019 World Cup strategy’s sake, Richie Mo’unga slots a pass so the veteran Beauden Barret who puts on his afterburners to sneak a consolation prize under the posts.

Full time: South Africa 43 – 28 New Zealand.

The two giants of rugby joined together in prayer, before presenting the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry trophy to the deserving champions, South Africa.

After the Match

*_{Richie Mo’unga after the game – Joseph Simpson}*

Naturally, the questions that came in from journalists when Rassie and Siya arrived in the press conference were simple. In typical fashion of the South African media, much was to be said about the legacy of the Springboks. Can they comfortably call themselves better than the All Blacks? Is this the greatest team of all time? Would the 2019-2026 Springboks beat the 2011-2015 All Blacks? In truth, there’s a real argument for all of these quite silly questions. Sure, every game hung in the balance, sure, the Springboks played a hard to beat, but still very beatable, brand of rugby, sure, they lost the first test at their home fortress, but seated underneath the Baltimore Ravens’ stadium, the All Blacks had lost thress games in a row to them.

This is where the humility of Rassie and Siya shone. Rassie Erasmus humbly described the margin between South Africa and New Zealand by holding his fingers up to journalists about one centimetre apart.

“At minute sixty I still thought it was in the balance” Rassie said, later acknowleded Kurt-Lee Arendse‘s opportune thinking and score was the main moment that tipped the scales out of New Zealand’s reach.

Out of the record crowd, which stood at 68,173, the largest ever in the U.S.A, you would have called it a South Africa home game.

“It’s awesome to go all over the world, we have a massive country, a whole lot of people, and some people (supporting) from other countries.” Rassie said.

In his first test as head coach, the aforementinoed loss to Wales in Washington D.C, he didn’t get a great opportunity to see the country. This time around, he and the coaching staff took some time to visit the surrounding areas, including New York City.

_{Rassie and Siya stoked with the performance – Joseph Simpson}

“I like the country, I didn’t know there was so many South Africans (here)!.

Commenting on the redemption for the bitter loss in his first game, he continued, “Obviously that first time (versus Wales) was awful, – a couple of years later, we win against a great team here like New Zealand, it makes up in a big way for that start I had.”

Both dedicated the victory to the fans and country of South Africa, those abroad and back home, and those who could afford to come and those who couldn’t. The ticket pricing of the tour, not only in Baltimore but also in South Africa, especially for the tests against the United Rugby Championship Sides, has been a particularly sour note in South African media. It will be interesting to see what ticket pricing will look like when they come to New Zealand in 2030.

Upon the arrival of Dave Rennie and the battered and bruised Codie Taylor, the New Zealand journalists droned on in their typical fashion, with the most insightful questions typically revolving around officiating, injuries, penalties, and what can be done differently.

One of the few moments of relief from the slog was surprising the American media, who asked particularly good questions about the games impact on the U.S market, the attendance record, how both teams were enjoying North America, and naturally hinting at the possibility that several of the players and coaches could be meeting again in the 2031 world cup in America. Having this third party of no-fuss professionals was excactly what the tour needed to avoid the repeating the exact same questions that took place after the tests in South Africa.

On the topic of playing in the United States, Codie said, “It’s been amazing to come to come over here and soak up what America has to offer – they obviosly love their sports and have got right behind rugby.”

_{The atmosphere with Rennie and Taylor was very somber and direct – Joseph Simpson}

Rassie Erasmus wasn’t the only person susprised by the large presence of South Africans in the country. Codie continued, “I would have liked to see more black jersey’s but obviously there’s more South African’s over here which I wasn’t aware of until I kept seeing them up and down the hotel elevator!”

Not only did Codie Taylor acknowledge the great experience they had in the United States, but also the hope that they will capitalise on the interest in the sport.

“(We hope American’s see) how exciting rugby can be, America’s got some great sports over here and they’re fanatical about everything they’re involved in. It would be great to see U.S.A Rugby keep building, – Leading into 2031, it’s in a great place to build a foundation on what will be an awesome world cup”

Speaking of the World Cup, if Baltimore were hoping to build a case to host, M&T Stadium and the events building up to this game have made an incredibly strong argument. Despite Egar Allan Poe and Hairspray being the city’s international reputation, there’s so much more to this great place. It certainly does not have Chicago or New York’s infrastrucutre, but it brought the fans and the atmosphere. There will probably have to be significant investment from World Rugby or U.S.A Rugby to make it happen, but it’s better than a half-filled stadium in Washington D.C. Read more about Six60 and the programming in Baltimore here.

Lastly, a Canadian perspective on the game. Canada’s mens rugby team have been a tough watch for over a decade now, with the one fixture they seem to be able to consistently triumph in being against their adversaries south of the border. While the maple leaf might achieve victory over the eagle presently, Codie’s words bring warning, there will be pressure for the USA to perform next World Cup, and as automatic entrants Canada will have to put the work in during qualification to even make it to that World Cup. Kenya, Namibia and Zimbabwe are steadily building, and South American rugby is growing faster than a toddler Ox Nché after his parents introduced him to cake. Less than 4,000 spectators in Edmonton will not grow the game in Canada, and not set them up for success against their continental adversaries. With most club mens teams made up of foreign expats, perhaps it’s not even worth it?

Canada’s women’s team are inches away from World Cup glory, and have three tests against the rampaging Red Roses this year, with two at home. If the leaf can tango just as well as the rose, perhaps Canada should put all their chips into achieving glory in their women’s game? I know several ticket holders in Baltimore that will be visiting Toronto and Ottawa for the girls. I don’t know a single one that watched the boys in Edmonton or Winnipeg.

Or perhaps they can ask the French mens team really nicely if they want to have a test in Québec!

Match Information

South Africa vs New Zealand
M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
43 – 28

South Africa	New Zealand
Coach – Rassie Erasmus	Coach – Dave Rennie
1. Ox Nché	1. Ethan de Groot
2. Malcolm Marx (Try 48′)	2. Codie Taylor (C) (Try 7′)
3. Wilco Louw	3. Fletcher Newell
4. Eben Etzebeth	4. Patrick Tuipulotu
5. Ruan Nortjé	5. Sam Darry
6. Siya Kolisi (C)	6. Tupou Vaa’i
7. Pieter-Steph du Toit	7. Ethan Blackadder (Try 62′)
8. Jasper Wiese	8. Peter Lakai
9. Morné van den Berg (Try 21′) (Con 52′)	9. Cam Roigard
10. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (Con 15′, 22′) (Pen 3′)	10. Richie Mo’unga
11. Ethan Hooker	11. Josh Moorby
12. Damian de Allende (Try 14′)	12. Jordie Barrett
13. Jesse Kriel	13. Anton Lienert-Brown
14. Kurt-Lee Arendse (Try 71′)	14. Will Jordan (Try 36′)
15. Damian Willemse	15. Damian McKenize (Con 8′, 37′, 63′, 79′)
16. Deon Fourie	16. Asafo Aumua
17. Gerhard Steenekamp	17. Xavier Numia
18. Thomas du Toit	18. Tyrel Lomax
19. Lood de Jager	19. Josh Lord
20. André Esterhuizen	20. Wallace Sititi
21. Cameron Hanekom (Try 75′)	21. Kyle Preston
22. Cobus Reinach	22. Rieko Ioane
23. Manie Libbok (Con 72′ , 76′)	23. Beauden Barrett (Try 79′)

Tour Results

7th August, 2026
DHL Stormers vs All Blacks
Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
21 – 38

11th August, 2026
Hollywoodbets Sharks vs All Blacks
Kings Park Stadium, Durban
0 – 54

15th August, 2026
Vodacom Bulls vs All Blacks
Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria
19 – 50

22nd August, 2026
Springboks vs All Blacks (Test #1)
Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg
16 – 33

25th August, 2026
10bet Lions vs All Blacks
Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg
35 – 41

29th August, 2026
Springboks vs All Blacks (Test #2)
Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
33 – 26

5th September, 2026
Springboks vs All Blacks (Test #3)
FNB Stadium, Johannesburg (Soccer City)
29 – 24

12th September, 2026
Springboks vs All Blacks (Test #4)
M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
43 – 28

^{_{Article by Joseph Simpson, 15th September 2026
Want to know more? Reach out to Joseph via our Facebook and Instagram channels.}}

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Six60 Rock Pier Six Pavilion

From Britney Spears, to Coldplay, to Johnny Cash, to Tom Jones – and now Six60.

Pier Six Pavilion in Baltimore has welcomed some of the biggest names in music over the years, and on Saturday night it was the turn of New Zealand’s Six60 to take centre stage, providing the perfect soundtrack for Kiwi rugby fans following the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Tour clash between the All Blacks and Springboks at M&T Bank Stadium.

While the result on the field wasn’t exactly what the Kiwi crowd had hoped for, Six60 made sure the result was quickly forgotten.

After a long tour through South Africa and the USA, this was a chance for Kiwis to let their hair down, celebrate their culture and, most importantly, have a good time together.

“The Champ is Here!”

The party atmosphere was building well before Six60 even took the stage.

Kiwi classics were being belted out across the venue, with the crowd singing along as they waited for New Zealand’s biggest band to arrive.

Then came one of the loudest moments of the night.

“The Champ is Here! The Champ is Here!”

Rang around Pier Six Pavilion as New Zealand UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Carlos Ulberg made his way onto the stage to get the crowd going.

Ulberg was just one of a long list of Kiwi sporting icons who had made their way to Baltimore.

Houston Rockets NBA star Steven Adams was impossible to miss – standing at 6’11”, his presence certainly gave away his location. Adams got right amongst the crowd, chatting with fellow Kiwis and happily posing for photos as fans tried to play it cool despite being clearly star-struck.

British Open champion Ryan Fox was also in attendance, alongside two genuine legends of New Zealand rugby, Rugby World Cup winners Dan Carter and Portia Woodman-Wickliffe.

And then, much to the delight of everyone inside, the full All Blacks squad and coaching staff arrived.

Despite the disappointment of the result, it was clear the team were ready to switch off and enjoy themselves after a long few weeks on the road.

Credit to the players and coaching staff for getting amongst the crowd, taking selfies and stopping for photos with fans throughout the night. It was a level of access that even caught some of the South African supporters by surprise – with a few unable to believe how close they were able to get to the All Blacks.

But that’s what made the night special.

There were no barriers between the players and the fans. Everyone was there for the same reason: to celebrate Kiwi culture.

A Kiwi Party in Baltimore

If there was one thing that stood out throughout the night, it was the sense of community.

Thousands of kilometres from home, Kiwis had found themselves together in Baltimore, singing the songs they grew up with, supporting their sporting heroes and watching one of New Zealand’s best bands do what they do best.

And the chants weren’t limited to rugby union.

“Up the Wahs!” was arguably the most common chant heard throughout the night – another result we won’t talk about.

Six60 fed off the energy of the crowd, playing for over an hour and delivering a set that had the entire venue singing and dancing.

It felt less like a standard concert and more like one giant Kiwi gathering.

Exactly what was needed after the day’s rugby.

Pier Six Pavilion – A Baltimore Gem

The venue itself also deserves plenty of credit.

Sitting on the magnificent Baltimore Harbour, Pier Six Pavilion first opened in 1981 and certainly took a few of the Kiwi visitors by surprise.

It’s a fantastic live music venue with a layout that gives everyone the opportunity to enjoy the show their own way.

There’s a grass bank for those wanting to sit back and take in the atmosphere, plenty of traditional seating and, of course, plenty of room down the front for those wanting to get amongst the mosh pit.

And then there are a few hidden surprises.

Tucked away in the back corner overlooking the harbour is a cigar lounge – the perfect spot for anyone wanting to take a breather while still enjoying the waterfront setting.

The staff were also incredibly friendly and more than happy to help, answer questions and make sure everyone was having a good night.

With the harbour as the backdrop and Six60 providing the soundtrack, it was difficult to imagine a better setting for the final night of the tour

Six60 Are Coming to Canada

For Six60, Baltimore was also a fantastic way to kick off their North American Tour.

The band now heads back to New Zealand and Australia before returning to North America in October and November – and Canadian fans are going to want to pay attention.

The Vancouver show on October 30 is already SOLD OUT, while the Toronto show on November 6 has limited tickets remaining. Montreal on November 7 is also looking likely to sell out.

After seeing the energy they created in Baltimore, it’s clear the Canadian shows are going to be something special.

For Kiwi fans across Canada, it is another great opportunity to come together, celebrate our culture, sing along to the songs we all know and love, and show Six60 just how strong the Kiwi community is on this side of the world.

So, if you’ve been thinking about seeing Six60 live, don’t wait.

Tickets can be purchased here.

What a Way to Finish

From the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Tour match at M&T Bank Stadium to a Six60 party on the Baltimore waterfront, the night was a fitting way to bring the entire tour to an end.

Kiwis came together, the All Blacks got amongst the crowd, sporting legends rubbed shoulders with fans, Carlos Ulberg got the party started, Six60 delivered the soundtrack and Pier Six Pavilion provided the perfect backdrop.

Everyone was there to do what Kiwis do best – celebrate our culture together.

And if you’re ever in Baltimore, make sure Pier Six Pavilion is on your list.You won’t regret it.

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5,000 Kiwis March for the All Whites at FIFA World Cup 2026

When it was announced that The All Whites would play 2 FIFA World Cup 2026 in Vancouver, Kia Ora Canada set out to give Kiwis a place to come together, celebrate and support the team.

Working alongside Kia Ora Vancouver and New Zealand’s official football supporters group, The Flying Kiwis, we organised pre-match events around the All Whites two games in Vancouver.

What started with two pre-match events for the June 21 match quickly grew into five events for the June 26 game, driven by the huge demand from New Zealanders across Vancouver, British Columbia and travelling fans.

Match 1: New Zealand vs Egypt – FIFA World Cup 2026

The Pre-Match Build-Up

The demand for the first All Whites match was enormous.

Both pre-match events – at the Blarney Stone and Portside Pub – sold out two weeks before kick-off, with more than 700 tickets sold between the two venues.

As kick-off approached, even more Kiwis began arriving in Vancouver. Those without tickets to the official events filled neighbouring bars, creating a genuine Kiwi takeover of Gastown.

There was also genuine belief that New Zealand could get a result against Egypt, particularly after the entertaining 2-2 draw with Iran in Los Angeles six days earlier.

The atmosphere started building hours before the Group G match.

Both venues were packed with Kiwi supporters, with New Zealand music playing, All Whites highlights on the screens and fans watching the Belgium vs Iran match. Belgium’s red card and the eventual goalless draw left Group G wide open, meaning a win for New Zealand against Egypt would put the All Whites top of the group.

The Blarney Stone also embraced the occasion with a dedicated Kiwi menu, featuring items such as the “No Payne No Gain” chicken wings, Flying Kiwi Burger and the crowd favourite Chris Wood Chicken Burger.

It was more than a pre-match event – it was a celebration of New Zealand football and Kiwi culture in the heart of Vancouver.

The March to BC Place

As the crowd gathered outside the Blarney Stone ahead of the march to BC Place, the number of supporters continued to grow.

The day before the match, Kia Ora Canada put out a rallying call encouraging Kiwis across Vancouver and British Columbia to come together and support the All Whites.

The social media post generated more than 40,000 views and hundreds of shares – helping turn what was expected to be a small supporters’ march into something much bigger.

An estimated 5,000 people ultimately joined the march to BC Place.

For Kia Ora Canada, it was an unforgettable moment and something we could never have predicted when we first began organising the event.

With Vancouver Police and the local FIFA World Cup organising committee working alongside organisers to facilitate the march, roads were closed and the crowd began its journey towards BC Place.

The scene was unlike anything seen at a New Zealand sporting event in recent memory.

Massive banners filled the crowd, including the now-famous “We Got Wood” sign. Black and white smoke filled the streets, while chants of “O Aotearoa” – sung to the tune of The White Stripes’ Seven Nation Army – echoed through downtown Vancouver.

As the march progressed, more people stopped to watch, take photos and film the spectacle.

Multiple stops, Flying Kiwis chants and All Whites songs kept the energy high as thousands of supporters made their way towards the stadium.

BC Place – New Zealand vs Egypt

The Group G FIFA World Cup 2026 match at BC Place was played in front of a crowd of 52,497.

Inside the stadium, the pre-match atmosphere continued to build.

An Aussie DJ kept the concourse moving with a selection of Kiwi favourites, while thousands of supporters made their way into the stadium.

It felt like a sea of white and black… but once the teams were announced, reality hit – the Egyptian support vastly outnumbered the Kiwis inside the stadium.

The noise reached another level when Egypt’s line-up was announced, particularly when Liverpool legend and Egyptian sporting hero Mohamed Salah’s name was read out.

15th Minute: New Zealand 1-0 Egypt

A corner was delivered by Tim Payne (The most famous not famous player at the world cup) into the box and Finn Surman rose to head the ball into the net.

NEW ZEALAND WERE 1-0 UP.

The Kiwi section erupted.

Shirts came off. Hugs and high-fives filled the stands. For a moment, there was a genuine belief that New Zealand could create a piece of World Cup history.

As the first half continued with the All Whites protecting their lead, the supporters began chanting:

“We are, we are top of the group!”

For a country that had never won a men’s World Cup match, the possibility of a historic victory – and a place in the knockout stages – suddenly felt real.

At half-time, the atmosphere among the Kiwi supporters was one of anticipation. Could this really be the moment?

The Second Half

Unfortunately, the second half didn’t go the All Whites’ way. Egypt turned the game around, scoring three unanswered goals, including fan favourite Mohamed Salah’s 67th-minute strike.

The final score was New Zealand 1-3 Egypt.

While there were certainly moments that left Kiwi supporters wondering “what if?”, Egypt ultimately deserved the victory, but football – particularly World Cup football – is unpredictable. Anything can happen, and the All Whites’ campaign was far from over.

The Kiwi Takeover

The result may not have been what New Zealand fans wanted, but the impact of the supporters’ movement was undeniable.

From more than 700 people attending the pre-match events, to thousands more filling bars throughout Vancouver, and ultimately an estimated 5,000 people marching to BC Place, the All Whites had brought New Zealanders together on an extraordinary scale.

For Kia Ora Canada, it was a huge moment. The goal was always to create opportunities for Kiwis living in Canada to connect with each other and celebrate New Zealand culture. In Vancouver, that vision became a reality on a scale we could never have imagined.

Sunday provided the next chance to make New Zealand sporting history.

Match Summary

New Zealand 1-3 Egypt

New Zealand: Finn Surman (15′)

Egypt: Mohamed Zizo (58′), Mohamed Salah (67′), Trézéguet (82′)

Attendance: 52,497

FIFA World Cup 2026 – Group G

Match 2: New Zealand vs Belgium – FIFA World Cup 2026

Between the Games: A Kiwi Takeover in Whistler

With five days between the All Whites’ Group G matches, a large contingent of New Zealand fans made their way from Vancouver to the beautiful mountain town of Whistler for the week.

After the excitement of the first match and the incredible 5,000-person march through Vancouver, Whistler provided the perfect opportunity for Kiwi supporters to relax, explore British Columbia and soak up more of the FIFA World Cup atmosphere.

It quickly became a mini Kiwi takeover. Local pubs embraced the influx of New Zealand visitors, while New Zealand flags could be spotted around the village, including proudly hanging from balconies.

For many travelling Kiwis, Whistler became a base for taking in more of the World Cup action. Games including Norway vs Senegal, Switzerland vs Canada and England vs Ghana drew large crowds of expatriate and travelling supporters into the village.

The England vs Ghana match, in particular, attracted plenty of attention from English fans, although the performance left many wondering whether football really was “coming home” or whether England could be heading for an early exit.

For the Kiwi supporters, however, the focus remained firmly on the All Whites and the huge opportunity ahead.

Game Day: The Build-Up Gets Even Bigger

Five days earlier, two official pre-match venues had sold out. For the Belgium game, that number had grown to five pre-match venues.

And despite the increase in capacity, one question could still be heard throughout Vancouver:

“Anyone have a spare Blarney ticket?”

The Blarney Stone had become famous among the Kiwi supporters after the first match, and demand for entry was enormous.

Once again, thousands of New Zealand fans gathered across Vancouver to soak up the pre-match atmosphere. There was a genuine belief that the All Whites could pull off something special.

Belgium had struggled during the tournament and were coming into the match out of form. Could New Zealand actually beat one of the world’s traditionally strongest football nations and qualify for the knockout stages?

As the time for the march approached, the crowd gathered for one final chant. Led by The Crowd Goes Wild’s James McOnie, Kiwi supporters belted out “Chris Wood’s on Fire”, sung to the tune of Freed From Desire.

The March to BC Place

Once again, more than 5,000 supporters joined the march towards BC Place.

Many were people who had missed the first march and were determined not to miss their chance to be part of what had quickly become a historic moment for New Zealand sports fans.

New banners appeared, while the black-and-white smoke, chants and songs returned to the streets of Vancouver.

This time, the march took a slightly slower and more scenic route, allowing supporters to soak in the occasion and giving the crowd even more time to sing.

If the first march had surprised Vancouver, the second showed that the movement was no one-off. New Zealand supporters had created their own World Cup tradition.

There was even a sense that the Kiwis had won the unofficial “march-off.”

Belgium had a sizeable and passionate support base, but their supporters had a much shorter journey to BC Place – roughly 500 metres – compared with the 15-minute walk taken by the thousands of Kiwi fans.

The streets belonged to New Zealand once again.

BC Place: New Zealand vs Belgium

Inside BC Place, the All Whites were once again heavily outnumbered. That was always going to be the case. Belgium’s population is roughly twice that of New Zealand, while football is deeply embedded in Belgian sporting culture.

But numbers didn’t matter to the Kiwi supporters, they had come believing.

New Zealand needed a victory to have a chance of reaching the knockout stages, but a draw would still have represented a huge result against a Belgian side packed with world-class players.

The All Whites started nervously and managed to keep Belgium scoreless for the opening 28 minutes.

Then Belgium found the breakthrough via Leandro Trossard.

1-0.

The goal gave Belgium control, and they took that lead into half-time.

For New Zealand, the task was clear, they needed to find a way back into the game.

The Second Half

Belgium extended their advantage early in the second half with a second goal to Leandro Trossard and when Kevin De Bruyne scored 16 minutes later, the All Whites’ hopes hanging by the thinnest of margins.

Then came the moment Kiwi supporters had been waiting for.

84th Minute: Elijah Just

Elijah Just.

The standout New Zealand player of the tournament produced a moment of brilliance, scoring his third goal of the World Cup.

Belgium 3-1 New Zealand.

Suddenly, there were just six minutes of regulation time remaining. Could New Zealand somehow produce one final miracle comeback?

Unfortunately, Belgium’s greatest-ever goal scorer, Romelu Lukaku had other ideas, Scoring almost immediately after Just’s goal.

And in stoppage time, a Alexis Saelemaekers goal completed a 5-1 victory. Belgium had finally shown some of the form that had been missing earlier in the tournament, producing a convincing win at exactly the right time.

For New Zealand and the All Whites, the World Cup journey was over.

Reflection: A New Era for the All Whites

Looking back at the two Group G matches in Vancouver, the results demonstrated where the All Whites currently sit on the international stage. New Zealand entered the tournament as the lowest-ranked team in the group, yet they were competitive for significant periods against two established football nations. There were moments when the All Whites showed they could compete with teams packed with players from some of the world’s biggest clubs.

Regular opportunities to play against top-level opposition can only help New Zealand continue to develop. With a more direct pathway to future FIFA World Cups, attention will inevitably turn towards 2030 and if the performances in Vancouver are anything to go by, the All Whites will be looking to build on this experience.

A New Chapter for Kiwi Football Fans

From a supporters’ perspective, the week in Vancouver truly redefined what New Zealand sports fandom could look like. New Zealand isn’t traditionally known for having the loudest or most elaborate supporter culture. At rugby and cricket matches, chants can often be fairly simple.

But the FIFA World Cup 2026 was different.

The banners, The smoke, The songs, The marches, The thousands of Kiwis travelling together, The chants echoing through the streets of Vancouver, For those who experienced it, the memories will last a lifetime.

The two marches of more than 5,000 people each, the packed pre-match venues and the atmosphere around BC Place demonstrated just how powerful New Zealand’s football community can be when given the opportunity to come together.

And this feels like only the beginning. The Flying Kiwis will look to carry that momentum towards 2030, continuing to create an atmosphere that gives New Zealand supporters a home wherever the All Whites play.

If you ever get the chance to join the Flying Kiwis at an All Whites game – whether in New Zealand or overseas – do it, You won’t be disappointed.

Match Summary

New Zealand 1-5 Belgium

New Zealand: Elijah Just (84′)

Belgium: Leandro Trossard (28′, 50′), Kevin De Bruyne (66′), Romelu Lukaku (86′), Alexis Saelemaekers (90’+4′)

Attendance: 52,497

FIFA World Cup 2026 – Group G

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Ryan Fox Chases History at the 2026 RBC Canadian Open

The 2026 RBC Canadian Open returned to the stunning North Course at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ontario, and Kia Ora Canada was there to follow New Zealand’s own Ryan Fox as he looked to defend the title he won in dramatic fashion just 12 months earlier.

As the reigning champion, Ryan Fox was a major talking point throughout the week. His 2025 victory is permanently recognised with a plaque at the course, celebrating the dramatic playoff battle that saw the Kiwi claim his second PGA Tour title. Fox eventually overcame Sam Burns after four tense extra holes, producing one of the standout moments in recent Canadian Open history.

Spurred on in 2025 by the All Whites after their historic win against Côte d’Ivoire in Toronto a day earlier, Fox went on to produce one of the best runs of his career. Now, with the All Whites once again chasing their own piece of history at the FIFA World Cup Kiwi sporting fans were hoping that inspiration could strike twice.

Saturday’s third round had a fantastic atmosphere. Fox was paired with American Brooks Koepka, one of golf’s biggest names and certainly a fan favourite. The pair attracted big galleries, with plenty of loud cheers – and a few good-natured heckles – from the local Canadian crowd. Koepka was also followed by his wife, Jena Sims, adding to the star power of the group.

It was fantastic to see a scattering of Kiwi supporters around the course. One fan proudly carried a Ryan Fox poster alongside a silver fern flag, earning plenty of smiles from fellow spectators.

Fox delivered another solid performance, carding a two-under-par 68 to finish Round 3 just two shots off the lead and firmly in contention heading into Sunday.

The final round began with heavy rain in the forecast, forcing tournament organisers to adjust tee times and send players out in groups of three to ensure the championship could be completed on schedule.

Fox once again showed his class, producing another steady round of 68, good for two under par on the day. He looked poised for a top-five finish, but two bogeys over the closing holes meant the Kiwi finished tied for eighth, five shots behind winner Bud Cauley.

For Cauley, the victory was a story in itself. The 36-year-old American finally broke through for his maiden PGA Tour title after an incredible 239 starts, earning one of the most emotional wins of the season.

While Fox may not have successfully defended his title, his performance proved once again that he belongs among golf’s elite. Four rounds of composed golf on a demanding course showed that his game is in excellent shape heading into the next major challenge.

That challenge comes immediately at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York, where Fox will tee it up at the 2026 U.S. Open. He will be looking to become just the second New Zealander to win the championship, following Michael Campbell’s unforgettable triumph in 2005.

Fox has shown he has the form to contend.

The next week is shaping up as a massive one for New Zealand sport.

Final Leaderboard

Pos	Player	Country	R4	Total
1	Bud Cauley	United States	-5	-17
2	Matt Fitzpatrick	England	-6	-15
3	Viktor Hovland	Norway	-5	-14
T4	Brice Garnett	United States	-2	-13
T4	Jimmy Stanger	United States	-3	-13
T4	Jackson Suber	United States	E	-13
T4	Jesper Svensson	Sweden	-2	-13
T8	Sudarshan Yellamaraju	Canada	-2	-12
T8	Ryan Fox	New Zealand	-2	-12

Home News Sports

New Zealand Pre-Match Parties – Vancouver

New Zealand Football fans are heading to Vancouver in June and we’ve set up 2 new Pre-Match Parties.

Demand was so high that we SOLD OUT the Blarney Stone – so now we’ve opened a second New Zealand Pre-Match Party! Just 90 metres away at The Portside Pub as the Kiwi take over of Gastown continues!

Nau mai, haere mai!

Join fellow Kiwi fans for an unforgettable New Zealand Pre-Match Party at The Portside Pub in Vancouver on Sunday June 21st!

The Flying Kiwis, Kia Ora Vancouver, and Kia Ora Canada are teaming up to bring you the ultimate match-day build-up. Expect a buzzing atmosphere with travelling fans and local Kiwis coming together before heading to the stadium (approx. 15-minute walk).

What’s on:

• NZ music and classic Kiwi tunes
• Food & drink specials
• Giveaways throughout the day including an Oyster Bay prize

📍 Location: The Portside Pub, 7 Alexander St, Vancouver, BC V6A 1E9

We’ll also be coordinating a fan march to the stadium, kicking off approximately 90 minutes before match time – keep an eye on The Flying Kiwis Facebook and Instagram for updates and details.

Don’t have a match ticket? No worries – you’re welcome to stay and watch the game live at The Portside Pub.

A proper pre-match atmosphere you won’t want to miss, Join New Zealand fans from around the world for a day of banter, tunes, and unforgettable memories.

🎟️ Limited capacity, this event will sell out!

Further information and tickets can be found on the links below:

June 21st Pre-Match

June 26th Pre-Match

* This event is strictly R19 due to licensing regulations *

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What’s the deal with the CPL?

_{Featured Image Credit: Canadian Premier League}

Picture this: It’s May 2006. You’re watching rugby on the TV. Not just any game, the Super Rugby Final, Crusaders versus Hurricanes. Both teams have been indeniably on-form, and are both leaps and bounds ahead of any other team. This is the most anticipated rugby game of 2006. But when you flick on the television you can barely see anything. Half the field is coated in a thick haze, the commentators sound clueless, and any time the ball is kicked, nobody, not even the players, know where it’s gone. It’s the Final In The Fog.

Canada might not have their “Fog Final,” but they do have their −1 °C “icicle kick” scored in the 2025 CPL final. A final that will go down cult history as it was played in a snowstorm.

Canada’s penultimate football/soccer competition might not initially be on your radar as a newcomer to the country, especially as a Kiwi. After all, there’s ice hockey, Canadian football, lacrosse, baseball and so many other sports that aren’t popular back home to enjoy. This was certainly my attitude when I recieved free tickets to my first game on James Street in Hamilton, Ontario. After attending several games now, I can share with you that this is in fact a competition worth watching, and will give those missing their A League fix a great opportunity to watch football at a better price than Major League Soccer or the International game.

_{Ottawa’s supporters ahead of last year’s final – CPL}

While football might not be on every New Zealanders radar. Admittedly, it’s been almost three years since I’ve supported my local team, the Wellington Phoenix, back when Eden Park and Auckland were considered a second home base, it’s currently incredibly topical, particularly for those of us in North America.

New Zealand football touched down in Toronto in June last year for the Canadian Shield Tournament, bringing countries together from four different continents, the All Whites found themseves underdogs against African and European heavy hitters Côte d’Ivoire and Ukraine. In a shock turn of events, the Kiwis toppled the at the time reigning African champions, finishing the tournament in second place after a narrow loss to Ukraine. It was a phenominal spectacle

Combined with the impending World Cup which will see the All Whites play two of their pool matches in Vancouver, Canada, against Belgium and Egypt, and further matches south of the border such as their pool match against Iran and warm-up against the formiddable English, the number of North American has dominated the mind of New Zealand sports fans living in this part of the world all year.

While the All Blacks taking on the Springboks in Baltimore, Maryland will be a battle for the ages, Sail GP coming to Halifax, Nova Scotia and the Sevens getting tournaments in Vancouver, BC and New York (Actually, New Jersey!) are all incredibly exciting, this year is certainly the year of football, soccer, whatever you’d like to call it. But with the first matches not until June, where can you get your fix in the meantime? The answer is the CPL.

What is the Canadian Premier League?

The Canadian Premier League (CPL) is the second flight of Canadian football, and the largest competition solely played in Canada. It sits behind only Canada’s three Major League Soccer (MLS) teams based in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. Major League Soccer is likely more well-known to those from outside of Canada, and has fielded some exciting results in recent history, such as Toronto FC’s record-setting championship season in 2017, and just as of last year, the Vancouver Whitecaps made the final.

While the MLS is an exciting competition, the CPL is a suprising dark horse that can often be seen as a feeder for these three clubs, but in reality, is so much more. The CPL consists of eight clubs spread all accross Canada, from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Most kiwis are lucky to be concentrated in British Columbia and Ontario, the only provinces with multiple teams. BC field teams in Vancouver, and Victoria on Vancouver Island, meanwhile there is a team to watch in Ontario if you live in or nearby Hamilton, Ottawa, or last but certainly not least, Toronto.

_{Toronto versus Hamilton is one of the many rivalries of the league – Michael Chisholm/Canadian Premier League}

So what makes this league worth a watch? Aside from the typically far cheaper tickets (Although certain teams with strong followings such as the Halifax Wanderers and Forge FC are slightly more expensive), it’s often just great football to watch, and there will be a team that you can get behind with a style that resonates with you. The previously mentioned Forge FC of Hamilton, alongside Calgary’s Cavalry and Ottawa’s Atlético are certainly reminiscent in terms of their organisation to that of your favourite Auckland FC and Wellington Phoenix. These clubs were the top three performers in 2025 by a country mile. If you’re more into scrappy, shin bruising, Fielding High School Second XI type of football, then one of the ragtag groups from Inter Toronto FC or Pacific FC might be your team to get behind.

This is however, the biggest drawback to the competition at present. In seven seasons thus far, the Hamilton’s Forge FC has dominated with four championships and three regular season wins. Who’s right behind them? Cavalry and Atlético. It’s a story we’ve heard before in football competitions around the world, such as the Scottish Premiership giving us what feels like half a century of Glaswegian dominance, with Celtic and Rangers passing titles to eachother like it’s a tennis match. With only in 2026, Edinburgh’s Hearts are looking like the first team in decades to challenge that duopoly. The difference between the Canadians and the Scots? There is distinct heritage, investment and cult followings behind each and every one of them. It’s not to say that football clubs in the home islands don’t run into financial trouble, or even go into slumps that their supporters rue the day they reminisce, but more often than not, they bounce back.

Just like many other fledling North American sports leagues in the last decade, the Canadian Premier League, founded in 2019, has already seen several clubs change hands, fold and be reborn, or just cease to exist permanently. Out of all the clubs present in the 2026 season I can safely say only half are likley to be secure in their future as a football franchise in Canada, even last year, due to low attendance and interest, Winnipeg concluded the season for the last time, denying the league an opportunity to have a record eight teams with the introduction of Montreal’s FC Supra du Québec. It’s worth noting that fan speculation on the internet rarely had Winnipeg in mind for a potential team to fold in 2025, with the West Coast teams in particular possibly on the chopping block in the future, if you ask a typical Instagram or Reddit commenter.

In amongst all these trials and tribulations though, you get some brilliant football, and for the first time ever, the Canadian Premier League rocked global headlines with their final last year.

The 2025 CPL Final: Cavalry FC v Atlético Ottawa

*_{Snow kept the battle close-quarters – David Chant / Cavalry FC}*

The 2025 season finished in what some might call a typical fashion for the league. Hamilton’s Forge FC won the regular season title, sitting in a comfortable first, and comfortable favourites. Then the unexpected happened, Ottawa, then Calgary, both travelled to the Hammer and won difficult away games to knock out the title favourites and set the stage for the Ottawa to host the CPL final for the second time in their clubs short history.

Atlético Ottawa, founded by Atlético Madrid in 2020, had the homefield advantage, and the advantage of being able to draw players from Madrid’s network of clubs they own around the world, Auckland FC getting a leg up thanks to Bournemouth, if you will. The Team also featured 29 year old New Zealander Monty Patterson, who after a couple seasons with amateaur and semi-professional teams back home, found himself in Ottawa for the 2025 season.

Cavalry FC, one of the founding clubs of the CPL, also looked on-form and had won the previous year in another upset win over the Forge FC. While certainly not favourites in the matchup, with a previous win and two regular season titles under their belt, the Cavalry had the accolades to suggest there would certainly be fight in them. Invercargill born midfielder Jay Herdman is the closest a New Zealander got to Cavalry’s finals squad, unfortunately placed on loan to Vancouver FC toward the end of the season.

Thirteen thousand fans entered Ottawa’s TD Place, just narrowly falling short of the finals attendance record the city had previously set a few years prior, warm jackets, toques and gloves covering the jerseys of supporters. It’s worth noting that many of these fans would have been learning that they even had a CPL team for the first time! Probably a better watch than Ottawa’s capitulation to Toronto in the Stanely Cup playoffs that year.

*_{Too cold for supporters jerseys –}*_{David Chant / Cavalry FC}

Prepare for some deja vu, and some brain freeze. Snowy conditions meant that there was a potential need to postpone the game, but as with a certain final in 2006, two decades on, they decided to press on. Even as the teams exited the tunnels, the football field was covered in a white blanket of snow.

The game kicked off with some real tenacity from both sides, but whether it was the subzero temperatures, the snow on the field, the stop-start nature of the game as they cleared the field, or the crowd presence, the errors kept building up. It’s hard to say who was in control. Ottawa looked particularly strong on the attack, with Mexican-born David Rodríguez shooting on target and exploiting Cavalry FC’s errors, but David, alongside the rest of Ottawa’s attack, couldn’t connect the ball in the net, the snow clearly adding drag to their boots and the ball, sending it in all sorts of directions.

What Cavalry FC lacked in star power and an ability to capitalise on errors, they made up for with a burning desire to maintain possession at all costs, sacraficing field position to hold on to the ball occasionally. Their greed did in fact, eventually work in their favour. Cavalry’s Fraser Aird struck a penalty in the box which was by no means glamorous, but might go down in history as one of the worst keeper efforts by Ottawa’s captain and keeper, Nathan Ingham. The ball thumped and barged along the snow at a snails pace, like an Antarctic icebreaker, or one of those underarm bowls you do for your youngest nephew in backyard cricket, yet Cavalry FC now held the advantage.

After Cavalry celebrations finished up, in amongst a hail of snowballs from the upset crowd, play was resumed and a fire was lit in both teams. Ottawa’s David Rodríguez, several attempts later, finally had fortune favour him in the antithesis to Aird’s penalty, sent an extrodinary bicycle kick into Cavalry’s net off a disorganised corner that was so magnificent, it has rightfully earned it’s title of the “icicle kick” around the world and is possibly the greatest goal ever scored in the Canadian Premier League.

_{David Rodriguez earns an incredibly unique celebrations – Tim Austen / CPL}

While filed with elation, the snow kept Ottawa or Calgary from capitalising on thier respective goals. The Snow maintained it’s authority on the field for the remainder of the half, and well into the second half. Toward the end of the second, patches of green could finally be seen, and the pace properly picked up, not before the game could go into extra time.

This is when we could finally see the talents of the attack on full display, as the first one-hundred-and-fifty minutes of this three hour battle had been dominated by stalward defensive efforts from both sides, Ottawa’s Roni Mbomio, Noah Abatneh and Loïc Cloutier certainly standout players. But all glory to the plucky Mexican, on loan from another “Atlético” with the last laugh, chipping another beautifully controlled strike, with the only other in the game being his previous goal, straight over the keeper to seal the game for the home side. Ottawa were 2025 CPL champions.

*Deserving WInners – Canadian Premier League*

This game alone, makes this league worth watching. The weather a metaphor for the play that for five minutes might look like you’re watching Liverpool take on Chelsea, then the next twenty make you think the Chatham Islands might field a better team. It’s scrappy, it’s hard work, and my goodness it’s a beautiful game.

So, while we wait for the All Whites to arrive on Turtle Island, get out their and go support your local CPL team! You never know, you might get to see some absurdity from David Rodríguez if you’re lucky!

Current Clubs
Atlético Ottawa – Ottawa, Ontario
Cavalry FC – Calgary, Alberta
Forge FC – Hamilton, Ontario
Halifax Wanderers FC – Halifax, Nova Scotia
Inter Toronto FC – Toronto, Ontario
Pacific FC – Victoria, British Columbia
FC Supra du Québec – Montreal, Quebec
Vancouver FC – Vancouver, British Columbia

2025 CPL Finals Highlights

^{_{Article by Joseph Simpson, 12th April 2026
Want to know more? Reach out to Joseph via our Facebook and Instagram channels.}}

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Kia Ora – Welcome to Canada!

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We also have a WhatsApp group to share event info and answer any questions.

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Public Transport in Toronto: A Guide

After departing Aotearoa on an intrepid twenty-hour journey toward Ontario, figuring out public transport at the end of it certainly isn’t an undertaking for everyone. Some of you might be lucky enough to have a ride waiting at Pearson Airport, some might be considering forking over the small fortune for an Uber or taxi, and yes, that small fortune is considerably larger than what you are used to paying out of Auckland or Wellington airport. Or, some more clued on individuals might have purchased a Union-Pearson express ticket before they even landed!

Regardless of what type of traveller you are, and whether you have yet to arrive, are a new addition, or a true Canadian “hoser,” the below guide will make you an expert on public transport in Toronto, the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Ottawa, and Hamilton.

PRESTO

A PRESTO card is your key to getting around much of Ontario on public transport.

The cards are available for purchase at all Shoppers Drug Marts in the GTA, GO Transit & UP Express stations, and TTC stations. They are only $4 CAD (with a minimum load required), and work immediately after purchase.

PRESTO cards provide discounted fares on almost all services and allow you to conveniently tap on and off where you would usually have to buy an advance ticket for the best rate, such as the GO Trains or the UP Express. There are usually further discounts offered by some municipalities and services for students, children, seniors, Canadian veterans, and more.

Just like your Auckland Transport card, Bee, or Snapper, these are physical cards. However, if you’d prefer not to have a physical card, you can swap your card to be digital, loaded onto your Apple Wallet or other phone wallet service.* **
_{*You can NOT have both a physical and a digital card, changing to digital deactivates your physical card.
** PRESTO cardholders travelling to Ottawa should NOT change their card to a digital card as OC Transpo does not accept digital PRESTO cards.}
PRESTO Cards work on any public transport service in the cities of Toronto, the wider GTA, Hamilton, and Ottawa. The cards also work on GO Transit, which connects Toronto to several smaller Ontario cities. It’s important to note that PRESTO is not provincial-wide (yet, anyway). So those looking to travel to the likes of Kitchener-Waterloo, Sudbury, Kingston, St. Catharines, and so on, will need to conduct further research.

Bonus, PRESTO cardholders also get discounts and perks at some attractions around Ontario. Click this link to see what discounts are currently on offer!

Don’t have a PRESTO yet? Every service mentioned in this guide allows you to tap most credit and debit cards, Wise and Revolut cards. Some international debit cards may not work, but in our experience, cards issued by New Zealand banks work just fine.

In some cases cash and paper or digital tickets can also be purchased, such as the Union-Pearson Express.

Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)

Finch, Vaughan, Union. These are names you’ll be hearing several times upon arriving in Toronto. The infamous TTC is known for lengthy construction times, delayed departures and a subway that has surprisingly lost more stops than gained in the last two decades. Yet it is the apparatus that keeps two of the six million strong city moving. The TTC is responsible for Toronto’s subway system, buses, and street cars. Below is a bit of insight on each of them.

The Toronto Subway’s ability to bypass traffic makes it one of the fastest and best methods of transportation in the city. Missed your train? You won’t be waiting much longer than five minutes for the next one. The biggest rapid-transport system in Canada (although Montreal is catching up!), this will be many people’s go-to from the work commute, to shopping, sports games, concerts and connecting transit. TTC subway entrances can be identified by their iconic red and white TTC logo, or by the coloured circles (typically yellow or green signifying the line they are on) with the stop’s name.

While the street cars are certainly better than the novelties in Auckland and Christchurch, they are in our experience, not to be relied on for punctuality, and don’t hold a candle to the tramways of San Francisco, Melbourne or much of Europe. They are a great way to see downtown Toronto and provide a smooth and comfortable journey. For job interviews, stick to the bus.

The buses of the TTC are relatively reliable and connect most of the space left in between the subway and street cars. They are naturally subject to traffic so be sure to plan ahead and give yourself a bit of extra time in case of delays. A note that outside of Toronto proper, local municipalities operate their own buses, not the TTC. They all accept PRESTO, but information as fares and reliability will vary from Burlington to Oshawa.

All TTC transport is tag on when boarding, you do not need to tag off when disembarking.

GO Transit

GO Transit is the best option for mid-ranged travelling around the GTA. If you don’t have a car, it will be the key to getting to Niagara Falls, and surrounding cities. Easily identified by their iconic green branding, they are a popular choice for out of town commuters and visitors alike. They are the Te Huia or Capital Connection equivalents.

GO Trains are what run on Toronto’s heavy rail. The main hub is Union station, which converges with the TTC’s subway. There are seven main lines which operate with varying frequency, usually on the half-hour or the hour, but check ahead and plan your visit in advance to avoid having to wait around unnecessarily. The Lakeshore West line is the train line that takes you to Niagara Falls.

Just like the train, GO Busses connect Toronto to the wider region, but they can travel to neighbouring cities that do not have the same rail infrastructure, and are in some cases, even quicker than the train! Once again, this is subject to the traffic on the day. GO Busses are incredibly useful for those in the outer region of the GTA, as they are the best public transport option for reaching Pearson Airport.

GO Transit offers weekend passes which give unlimited travel on one weekend day (and public holidays) for $10. These must be bought online and are a great way to save some money on your weekend excursions.

GO Transit is one of the only services where you have to tag on, and off.

Union-Pearson (UP) Express

The Union-Pearson Express is the conduit between Toronto’s busiest train station and her busiest airport. This express connection is incredibly fast and efficient.

As mentioned earlier, the UP express can use a PRESTO card, most debit and credit cards, and tickets can be bought online, or in person. Fill your boots!

The UP Express only goes to-and-from Pearson Airport’s Terminal 1, so for flights arriving and departing from Terminal 3 will need to use the free Toronto Pearson International Airport Terminal Link to head to Terminal 1.

The UP Express is one of the only services where you have to tag on, and off.

VIA Rail

VIA is the long-range rail system that services both the whole province, and all of Canada. For those cities in Ontario far away from Toronto such as Windsor, Sudbury, and Ottawa. This is not a tag-on-tag-off service, and tickets must be purchased in advance.

The VIA rail is incredibly efficient, and has a low risk of cancellation, so is one of the safest options for inter-provincial travel, though it is often more expensive than private bus companies.

Booking well in advance is the best way to keep the price as low as possible. There are also discounts for certain groups such as students at certain universities, and CAA members. Those of you under 25, keep an eye on the “Canada Strong Pass” which has been providing periodic VIA rail discounts throughout 2025 and 2026.

Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) & Ottawa’s OC Transpo

In addition to Toronto, PRESTO can also be used for public transport in Hamilton and Ottawa.

Hamilton’s HSR has a very reliable bus service. The city’s significantly smaller population means traffic has minimal impact on the busses. Most routes connect at the Frank A. Cooke terminal near the Hamilton GO station, allowing for easy connection to Toronto.

In 2025, a bus was stolen and the considerate crook still took the time to made all the stops along the route! No matter who’s behind the wheel, you’ll be in safe hands.

In addition to the busses, the Hamilton LRT has been “coming” for over fifteen years, so, expect to see ground broken in 2080 at this stage.

Ottawa’s OC Transpo does do one better than Hamilton, with the O train line connecting the East and West of the city, and the airport, for an affordable price. Heeded North or South? That’s too bad, you’ll have to find another way to get around

The city does have a relatively reliable bus service, especially downtown and around the university, with mixed reviews in the outer parts of the city.

Despite being less than a fifth of the size of Toronto, Ottawa’s public transport is certainly lagging behind other cities in Canda, and is one of the most expensive to use in Ontario. As of writing this, it’s a full dollar more than the HSR and TTC on one-way trips.

Toronto Island Ferries

*Be cautious of water taxis in the harbour*

Lastly, Toronto Island Ferries, unlike the rest of Toronto’s transport, are run directly by the city. They are the only public transport connection between the island and the mainland.

A round trip will set you back just shy of $10 CAD as of 2026, with a few discounts for seniors and children. This makes it one of the more expensive options on this list, but be wary of water taxis. They do have the advantage of convenience, but will sting you dollars well into the double digits!

Tickets can be purchased online or at the terminal, they run with varying frequency throughout the seasons, usually on the half-hour, forty-five minute, or hour marks.

If you are flying in and out of Toronto’s Billy Bishop Airport (YTZ), do not take the ferry. Instead, there is an underwater pedestrian tunnel you can take for free!

And that’s a guide on Toronto’s public transport, by kiwis, for kiwis. Not comprehensive enough for your liking? Don’t worry, we’ve got you. Below is a link to the landing page of every service mentioned above for you to keep on learning to make you a Toronto public transport maestro.

PRESTO
Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)
GO Transit
VIA Rail
UP Express
Hamilton Street Railway (HSR)
OC Transpo
Toronto Island Ferry

^{_{Article by Joseph Simpson, 23rd March 2026
Want to know more? Reach out to Joseph via our Facebook and Instagram channels.}}

Home News Sports

Black Ferns Sevens Crowned Champions at Inaugural HSBC SVNS – New York

Kia Ora Canada was on the ground as the HSBC SVNS Series made its debut in New York City, marking the first time the event has been hosted in the city after previous stops in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Las Vegas. Held at Sports Illustrated Stadium, home of the New York Red Bulls (MLS), the tournament delivered a weekend of world-class rugby and atmosphere.

Black Ferns Sevens Deliver Dramatic Final Victory

The Black Ferns Sevens continued their dominant, unbeaten run in spectacular fashion, scoring three tries in the final four minutes to edge Australia 22-21 in a thrilling final.

Once again, Jorja Miller, who hails from Timaru, stood out as one of the tournament’s top performers. reinforcing her status as one of New Zealand rugby’s brightest stars. Speaking during the tournament, Miller reflected on the experience of playing in New York:

“I grew up watching New York in movies. To travel here and experience the city is one thing, but to play rugby here is an amazing opportunity.”

Her sentiment was echoed across teams, with players embracing the unique opportunity to compete and play in one the world’s most iconic cities.

Mixed Results for All Blacks Sevens

It was a more challenging outing for the All Blacks Sevens, who finished sixth after losses to Australia, France, and eventual champions South Africa.

South Africa claimed the men’s title with a tense 10-7 victory over Fiji in the final.

USA Women Highlights Opening Day

One of the biggest talking points of the tournament came on day one, when the United States Women stunned rivals Canada with a dominant 24-0 win. Adding further misery for Canada in the recent USA V Canada sporting rivalry.

The result ignited a passionate home crowd, who stayed in full voice throughout the weekend. The USA women carried that momentum to finish third overall, while Canada placed seventh.

A Festival Atmosphere in New York

Across the two-day event, a crowd of 20,527 brought energy and colour, with New Zealand flags scattered throughout the stands and fans in fancy dress evoking memories of the golden era of Sevens in Wellington and Hong Kong.

While still in its early stages in New York, the tournament showed strong potential for growth in the “city that never sleeps,” particularly as the USA builds toward hosting the Rugby World Cup 2031 (Men) and Rugby World Cup 2033 (Women)

League Champions and What’s Next

The New York stop also confirmed overall League winners, with the Black Ferns Sevens claiming the women’s title and South Africa taking out the men’s competition under the new HSBC SVNS format.

Attention now turns to the restructured World Championship series, with upcoming events in:

More International Rugby to Come

Rugby fans in North America won’t have to wait long for more international action. The Black Ferns (XV) will feature in the upcoming Pacific Four Series, facing:

Meanwhile, the All Blacks will return to the United States later this year, taking on the Springboks in Baltimore on September 12th as part of their “Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry” tour.

Home News Sports

All Blacks Overcome Ireland in Chicago Rematch

Kia Ora Canada hit the road from Toronto to Chicago for a blockbuster clash between the All Blacks and Ireland, arriving Friday morning to a city awash in Irish green, with only a scattering of black jerseys in sight.

It quickly became clear that New Zealand supporters would be outnumbered, as Chicago filled with local and travelling Irish fans. Even at the All Blacks’ own Adidas fan event-featuring Beauden Barrett, Caleb Clarke, and Cam Roigard-the Q&A session was dominated by Irish voices, drawing laughter from players and fans alike in a lively, good-natured atmosphere.

Captain’s Run Sets the Scene

Later that afternoon, attention shifted to Soldier Field for the All Blacks’ captain’s run. The squad appeared relaxed and upbeat ahead of the much-anticipated “rematch,” eight years on from Ireland’s historic first win over New Zealand at the same venue.

Coach Scott ‘Razor’ Robertson cut a calm figure. In a lighter moment, when asked by Kia Ora Canada about the Toronto Blue Jays and whether they would wrap up the World Series that night, Razor quickly spotted the Kia Ora members Blue Jays hats and engaged in a chat about the team and star slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Irish Dominance Early on Game Day

By Saturday morning, game day had arrived. While the Blue Jays had fallen short the night before, there was a sense that something special could be brewing in Chicago and hopefully Toronto.

A crowd of 61,841 packed into Soldier Field, with a sea of green dominating the stands. The atmosphere was electric, though briefly stunned early when Tadhg Beirne received a yellow card that was later upgraded to a red-amid confusion due to the lack of a replay on the big screen.

Despite being down a man, Ireland rallied impressively, heading into halftime with a 10-7 lead. With 20 minutes remaining, they still held a 13-7 advantage, and memories of the 2016 upset in Chicago began to resurface for New Zealand fans.

All Blacks Surge Late

However, the All Blacks found another gear in the final quarter.

Tries from Tamaiti Williams, Wallace Sititi, and Cam Roigard turned the match on its head, with another effort ruled out right on full time.

The late surge secured a hard-fought 26 – 13 victory and provided crucial momentum heading into their next test against Scotland at Murrayfield Stadium, as the All Blacks eye going 2/2 in the quest for a Grand Slam.

Looking Ahead

Overall, the match reflected two sides still finding rhythm after limited recent play, but delivered a contest for fans.

While the Irish crowd brought the energy, it wasn’t enough to carry their side to another famous win. Ireland will now return to Dublin to face Japan, before tougher tests against the Wallabies and Springboks.

For Kia Ora Canada, it was a memorable weekend on the road-proof once again of rugby’s global reach and the unmatched atmosphere of test match rugby.

P.S. Lets not talk about Blue Jays and game 7…

Category: Home

Before Baltimore

The Match

After the Match

Match Information

Tour Results

Match 1: New Zealand vs Egypt – FIFA World Cup 2026

The Pre-Match Build-Up

The March to BC Place

BC Place – New Zealand vs Egypt

15th Minute: New Zealand 1-0 Egypt

The Second Half

The Kiwi Takeover

Match Summary

Match 2: New Zealand vs Belgium – FIFA World Cup 2026

Between the Games: A Kiwi Takeover in Whistler

Game Day: The Build-Up Gets Even Bigger

The March to BC Place

BC Place: New Zealand vs Belgium

The Second Half

84th Minute: Elijah Just

Reflection: A New Era for the All Whites

A New Chapter for Kiwi Football Fans

Match Summary

Final Leaderboard

What is the Canadian Premier League?

The 2025 CPL Final: Cavalry FC v Atlético Ottawa

PRESTO

Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)

GO Transit

Union-Pearson (UP) Express

VIA Rail

Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) & Ottawa’s OC Transpo

Toronto Island Ferries

Black Ferns Sevens Deliver Dramatic Final Victory

Mixed Results for All Blacks Sevens

USA Women Highlights Opening Day

A Festival Atmosphere in New York

League Champions and What’s Next

More International Rugby to Come

Captain’s Run Sets the Scene

Irish Dominance Early on Game Day

All Blacks Surge Late

Looking Ahead