Tag: New Zealand

Costa Rica defeats New Zealand to reach third straight World Cup

The Ticos have qualified for their third consecutive World Cup

Costa Rica has booked its place in the 2022 World Cup with a 1-0 win over New Zealand in the intercontinental playoff on Tuesday in Qatar.

Joel Campbell scored off a cross from 17-year-old Jewison Bennette in the third minute, and that goal stood up the rest of the match as the Ticos reached a third straight World Cup and fifth out of six.

Costa Rica finished fourth in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, reaching the playoff after Canada, the United States and Mexico all qualified automatically.

Luis Fernando Suárez’s side will now go into World Cup Group E alongside Spain, Germany and Japan.

The Ticos were beneficiaries of two major decisions in their favor after a VAR review.

First, Chris Wood’s equalizer for New Zealand five minutes before halftime was waved off due to a foul in the build-up.

Midway through the second half, New Zealand’s Kosta Barbarouses was shown a straight red card after a video review for a studs-up challenge on Costa Rica defender Francisco Calvo.

The 32-team field for the World Cup has now been finalized after three final spots were earned this month.

In Europe, Wales defeated Ukraine to seal the final UEFA spot, while Australia defeated Peru on Monday in the other intercontinental playoff.

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Lusk: Five new golf courses I can’t wait to see in 2022, from Nebraska to New Zealand

Landmand, Te Arai, among others have golf architecture fans champing at the bit for 2022 to arrive.

After a decade of course closings dominating the headlines starting with the economic downturn in 2008, architects have been busier moving earth over the past several years. Coast to coast as well as abroad, several top-tier layouts have come online from noted architects – think Tom Doak, Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, even Tiger Woods.

This new year promises more of the same, with the following five new courses being among those I can’t wait to see in 2022.

In keeping with recent development trends, these courses aren’t necessarily close to major population centers. Only one of them – the East Course at PGA Frisco – is near a big city, situated as it is on the northern outskirts of Dallas. The other four on this list? You’ll need planes, trains, automobiles or maybe a boat, and definitely a passport.

Doesn’t matter. Great golf is worth any travel. So in no particular order, here are five new courses I want to sink my nubby spikes into during 2022.

‘Showstopper’ yellowtail catch just shy of 34-year-old world record

A New Zealand angler this week came within a few pounds of breaking a yellowtail kingfish world record that has stood for 34 years.

A New Zealand angler last Saturday came within a few pounds of breaking a yellowtail kingfish world record that has stood for 34 years.

Giovanni Wright, pictured above, caught the massive kingfish at Three Kings Islands during an Enchanter Fishing Charters expedition.

A spokesman for the company told FTW Outdoors that the fish weighed 50 kilograms, or 110 pounds, on an “unofficial” boat scale. It was released “to fight another day” after the crew determined that it would not exceed the current record weight of 114 pounds, 10 ounces.

According to the International Game Fish Assn., the record is a tie between yellowtail kingfish caught in 1984 and 1987, both off New Zealand.

The IGFA lists the species (Seriola lalandi lalandi) simply as yellowtail (southern). New Zealanders commonly refer to them as yellowtail kingfish or kingfish.

ALSO ON FTW OUTDOORS: Hunter hit with fines, suspensions for poaching bighorn sheep

The species occurs in warm waters off Australia, New Zealand, southern Brazil, St. Helena, and South Africa.

Wright was fishing with 100-pound-test line and fresh squid caught the night before as bait. The battle lasted 35 minutes.

“The showstopper for the trip went to Giovanni with a horse kingfish of 50 kg. This is one of the biggest kings I have ever seen,” Enchanter Fishing Charters exclaimed on Facebook. “They also landed a couple of kings over the 40 kg mark and plenty of others ranging from 25 kg to 30 kg making for some very tried and sore boys at the end of the day.”

The charter company, which specializes in multi-day trips to remote destinations, bills itself as the “Three Kings Specialists.”

New Zealand Breakers youngsters Hugo …

Orcas greet swimmer face to face; ‘They were speaking to me’

A New Zealand distance swimmer is used to spotting seals, rays, and the occasional octopus. But Steve Morris said he felt “a rush of euphoria” Monday during a face-to-face encounter with large orcas.

A New Zealand distance swimmer is used to spotting seals, rays, and the occasional octopus. But Steve Morris said he felt “a rush of euphoria” Monday during a face-to-face encounter with large orcas.

“Yes, we were face to face, and they were ‘speaking’ to me,” Morris told For The Win Outdoors.

The Tauranga resident was with others from the Ocean Swim Squad off Mount Maunganui when a pod of eight orcas was spotted nearby. Two of the killer whales swam directly toward Morris, who carries a GoPro stuffed in his wetsuit during his swims.

RELATED: Watch as blue whale ‘explodes out of the sea like a submarine’

“I first saw orcas from a distance while swimming four years ago,” he said. “Since then I dreamed of an encounter like [Monday].”

He told the New Zealand Herald that it was “the best day of my life.”

Morris posted two video clips and several images to Facebook along with the description: “Look who decided to join us for a lap of The Mount this morning!”

https://www.facebook.com/seamenmorris/posts/10157822034760178

Orca vocalizations can be heard in one of the video clips.

The mammals belong to a pod that frequents the region.

While it’s against the law for people to approach and interact with orcas, in this case the mammals approached and interacted with the swimmers.

“Obviously you are not allowed to swim with orca whales on purpose, but they came up to us,” Morris told the New Zealand NewsHub.

–Images courtesy of Steve Morris

The first two OKCThunder Films …

The first two OKCThunder Films productions weren’t even under the name. The term “OKCThunder Films” isn’t even on the poster for the 30-minute Collison tribute, “Mr. Thunder.” The film made its debut at the 2018 deadCenter Film Festival. That was three years after the Thunder took their first swing at the medium with “The Kiwi Way.” The 2015 film about Steven Adams and his native New Zealand has been re-branded into the OKCThunder Films lineup. The Thunder were creating a brand of distinctive film making before they realized it.