Coco Talanoa — Sports / Page 49
Rieko Ioane, Sonny Bill Williams share trade secrets
Sonny Bill Williams arrived for his first official day in All Blacks Sevens camp on Sunday with numerous question marks hanging over his head.
"The big thing for me is just getting out there and doing it, getting reps in," Williams said.
"I've got confidence that I'll be able to pick it up eventually but that's the reason I'm a full-time Sevens player this year, because I knew coming into it that it would be really tough and I've got to give it my all."
Rubbing shoulders with Sevens veterans DJ Forbes and Tim Mikkelson has been invaluable for Williams' education in what is his fourth professional sport and he has already begun drawing from their combined 62 tournaments' worth of experience.
But it's not only the old heads helping out, with 18-year-old Reiko Ioane revealing he has also been sought after by the code-hopping star for advice.
"He definitely has a lot of learning to do.…more
Maria Tutaia joins tennis stars on streets of Newmarket!
Traffic stopped for a celebrity tennis match on the streets of Newmarket, Auckland in preparation for the upcoming ASB Classic next Monday.
A section of popular Auckland shopping destination Newmarket was closed off on Sunday as tennis stars Ana Ivanovic and Caroline Wozniacki had a friendly few hits with Silver Fern Maria Tutaia and TV host Makere Bradnam.
The ASB Classic favourties went head-to-head with their Kiwi partners right in the middle of Broadway on a makeshift tennis court spanning the entire road.
Silver Fern Maria Tutaia - the only one of the four without a background in tennis - was paired with Wozniacki. The pair lost both sets gracefully to Ivanovic and Bradnam.
"Well, for me it was pretty easy, I'm quite the tennis guru!" Tutaia joked.
Bradnam said it was an awesome opportunity to smack the ball around with her heroes.…more
SBW sparks conflict with graphic images of dead children
Sonny Bill Williams tweeted extremely graphic images of two dead children after returning from Syrian refugee camps in Lebanon, demanding to know what they had done to deserve death.
The two images, which thecoconet.tv has chosen not to publish due to their graphic nature, show young children lying on the ground with wounds to their heads, torso and legs.
"What did these children do to deserve this?" SBW tweeted on Tuesday evening.
Williams recently returned from visiting a Syrian refugee camp in Lebanon as a Unicef ambassador working to bring awareness to the plight of the children and their families living in the camps.
The All Black star said his time at the temporary settlements at Faida in the Bekaa Valley, made him realise how "ignorant" of the refugee crisis he was.
He continues, "This summer share a thought for the innocent lives lost everyday in war,"
Early mixed reactions to Williams' tweet were followed by a flood of support on Twitter.…more
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and the great 'King Tonga'
The Rock is known for not only looking out for his fans, but also his family - check out his awesome Facebok post about his Uncle - King Tonga!
Years later and I get a call from WWE saying "Vince McMahon wants to see you wrestle immediately. He's flying you to RAW tomorrow and you'll have a tryout match." I thought holy shit that's awesome, buuuut there's a few problems: For me, I wasn't just having "a tryout match", because I had never actually HAD a real match in my life. Ever.…more
Jarryd Hayne back in business!
After being banished to the 49ers' practice squad for almost two months, Jarryd Hayne became the team's top running back option in today's game.
His time in the practice squad quickly paid off, Hayne showing the power and speed that made him an NRL star, including an 11-yard run that put quarterback Blaine Gabbert in a position to connect with tight end Vance McDonald for the first touchdown of the game.
Hayne also showed his toughness, with one highlight late in the second half when he was hit by the Lions' 185cm tall, 110kg linebacker Josh Bynes, but bounced off and kept moving forward for a three yard gain and, more importantly, a first down.
The former rugby league star had five receptions and nine carries for a combined 47 yards at running back, including the 11-yard run that set up the 49ers' first touchdown.
Jonah Lomu Legacy Trust launched for his children
Following the sudden and tragic death of global rugby icon Jonah Lomu last month, the New Zealand Rugby Players Association (NZRPA) has established the Jonah Lomu Legacy Trust to care for his two children.
NZRPA chief executive Rob Nichol said:
“With the cooperation of those assisting Jonah’s immediate family and using our own professional advisers we have a reasonable picture of the family’s ongoing financial situation following Jonah’s passing.
“While the probate of the estate will take some time, we know enough to realise that the family will not be able to rely on any financial proceeds or ongoing financial benefit.
“It appears that because of Jonah’s well-known generosity, he had taken on obligations, financial and otherwise, to support others at the expense of himself, Nadene and the children.…more
Loni 'The Tongan Bear' Uhila wins Buttabean rematch
The Hurricanes prop lost their controversial first fight but wasn't to be denied when the pair met again in Hamilton.
In the nailbiting fight in Hamilton last night, the rematch between Uhila and Dave 'Brown Buttabean' Letele was won by unanimous decision.
Source: TV One News
Fiji win Dubai Sevens!
Check out Fiji's awesome win over England in the final at the World Sevens series in Dubai!
Fiji's victory is the first time they have beaten England in a men's World Sevens Series final and they are set to be one of the favourites for the title at the Rio Olympics next year!
Meet Poly WWE Diva Nia Jax
Savelina Fanene is a professional wrestler currently signed to WWE under the ring name Nia Jax.
Fanene was born in Honolulu, Hawaii and is the daughter of Joseph and Renate Fanene. She attended Palomar College in San Marcos, California where she played college basketball.
While in California, Fanene was a plus-size model. (ALL THATT!!)
Fanene is of Samoa and German ancestry. A fan of professional westling since her childhood, Fanene decided to pursue a career in westling after watching her cousin Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson perform at Wrestlemania XXVIII
'Tongan Thor' named in Reds squad!
Tongan born Taniela Tupou, nicknamed the Tongan Thor, has been confirmed in the Reds' Super Rugby squad for next season.
The ex-Sacred Heart College student moved to Australia two years ago after being blocked by the NZRU for not having a NZ passport.
Despite this, Tupou has gone from strength to strength, starring for the Brothers club and turning heads for Queensland Country in Australia's National Rugby Championship where he scored three tries in six matches this year.
He is one of eight new faces in the 37-man Reds' squad.
The Reds began pre-season training this week in preparation for the 2016 Super Rugby season, which starts on February 27 against the Waratahs in Sydney.