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Warriors head coach Andrew Webster at an NRL training session. Photo: Phil Walter/Getty Images
Opinion

Social media has become a corrupted shitscape and the tech giants just shrug

Ghoulish fake news about Andrew Webster is part of a griefbait slop epidemic.
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By Toby Manhire | 12th June, 2026
Editor-at-large
The stars of world football (Image: Getty/The Spinoff)

Fifa World Cup 2026: Your absolute last-minute beginner’s guide

How to watch, when not to schedule a meeting and enough talking points to bluff your way through the next five weeks of sporting chit-chat.
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By Calum Henderson | 12th June, 2026
Production editor
A low cloud of pessimism (smoke from fireworks let off in a covered stadium) lingers over Super Rugby Pacific (Photo: Joe Allison/Getty Images)

What’s wrong with Super Rugby?

We're approaching the end of another season of angst over the competition's format and future. But are there any viable alternatives?
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By Paul Thomas | 11th June, 2026
Guest writer
Kruze Tangira plays for New Zealand, left, and Kane Evans plays for the Roosters. (Photos: supplied & Getty)
Opinion

Sexuality, sport and shame: Kane Evans isn’t alone and that’s a problem

No matter the code, the problems are the same. 
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By Kruze Tangira | 11th June, 2026
Guest writer
Fa’afetai lava, Moana Pasfika
Opinion

Fa’afetai lava, Moana Pasfika

The team leaves behind a lesson in resilience for the next generation of brown excellence.
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By Elijah Fa'afiu | 30th May, 2026
Guest writer
Watch live: the 2026 New Zealand Scrabble Nationals

Watch live: the 2026 New Zealand Scrabble Nationals

Who's ready to spend the long weekend watching Scrabble?
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By Calum Henderson | 30th May, 2026
Production editor
El jugador, Tim Payne (Photo: Getty Images / The Spinoff)

Five things Tim Payne fans should know about their new football hero

¡Hola! to my million or so fellow Payniacs.
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By Calum Henderson | 29th May, 2026
Production editor
Gullermo May share his thoughts and feelings with The Port after Auckland FC’s win on penalties against Melbourne City at Go Media Stadium on May 2. Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images

A beginner’s guide to Auckland FC’s biggest match yet

Everything you need to know about the season climax, on Saturday against Sydney FC.
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By Toby Manhire | 22nd May, 2026
Editor-at-large
Dave Rennie has time travelled back to the All Blacks’ glory years to headhunt Gilbert Enoka and Sir Graham Henry (Image: Getty / The Spinoff)
Opinion

Dave Rennie is leading the All Blacks back to the future

The new coach has assembled some old familiar faces to help restore the team's dominance. But will his nostalgia-tinged appointments pay off?
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By Paul Thomas | 21st May, 2026
Guest writer
Photo: Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images

Viva la Bevolution: Watching the Wellington Phoenix women make history

Their first two seasons resulted in two wooden spoons. This weekend, the Wāhinix become the first NZ side to play in an A Leagues grand final.
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By Miriam Moore | 15th May, 2026
Guest writer
Could a ball hit the roof of Christchurch’s One NZ Stadium?

Could a ball hit the roof of Christchurch’s new stadium?

In photos, the steel beams above the pitch look tantalisingly kickable. We asked Dan Carter and a physics professor if they think it’s possible.
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By Calum Henderson | 17th April, 2026
Production editor
It looks like it’s goodbye to Moana Pasifika (Photo: Getty)
Opinion

Moana Pasifika: ‘We don’t just lose a team, we lose a village’

When the team goes, the relationship between Pacific communities and New Zealand Rugby will be strained.
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By James Nokise | 17th April, 2026
Guest writer
The Crusaders horses at the Apollo Stadium in 2025 (Photo: Getty Images)

Alternative career prospects for the Crusaders horses, ranked

A devastating blow for rugby fans across Christchurch could be a huge opportunity for six local horses to follow their dreams.
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By Alex Casey | 16th April, 2026
Senior writer
Charlisse Leger-Walker (Photo: Getty Images)
Opinion

We should have known Charlisse Leger-Walker’s name before this

Get your Connecticut Sun merch because a New Zealander has made it into the WNBA! But you know why we'd never heard of her until this month, eh?
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By Zoe George | 15th April, 2026
Guest writer
It’s just Elijah Just (Photo: Getty Images)
Opinion

Why the All Whites should switch to black

NZ Football said it to fool us, but the joke’s on them – it’s actually a good idea.
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By Calum Henderson | 10th April, 2026
Production editor
Watch live: the 2026 New Zealand Scrabble Masters

Watch live: the 2026 New Zealand Scrabble Masters

The top-rated Scrabble players in the country go head-to-head this Easter weekend.
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By Calum Henderson | 4th April, 2026
Production editor
Shane Christie (Photo: Getty)

Rugby player Shane Christie had chronic traumatic encephalopathy

In life, he suspected he had the neurodegenerative disease. Now a brain autopsy following his death has confirmed it.
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By Dylan Cleaver | 2nd April, 2026
Contributing writer
Israel Adesanya has had a stellar career, but could it be coming to an end? (Photos: Getty Images; additional design: The Spinoff).
Opinion

Is it time for Israel Adesanya to retire?

The question is no longer what he’s achieved – it’s what he risks by staying.
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By Liam Rātana | 31st March, 2026
Ātea editor
Fireworks during a Big Bash League match between the Brisbane Heat and the Hobart Hurricanes at Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast in 2018 (Photo: Albert Perez – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)
Opinion

Can NZ’s new T20 cricket franchise attract the dollars, players and fans it will need?

New Zealand Cricket opting for a franchise league funded by private equity raises questions about the future of the local game – and the ability of national sporting bodies to keep acting in the public interest.
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By Chris McMillan | 30th March, 2026
Guest writer
Don’t give it if you can’t take it. (Image: Sky New Zealand. Additional design: Tina Tiller)

Warriors CEO Cameron George might be the coolest boss in rugby league

Most sports executives are anonymous suits in corporate boxes. He prefers the sideline, a cold one in hand, and occasionally trolling the opposition.
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By Liam Rātana | 17th March, 2026
Ātea editor

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The Spinoff is subject to NZ Media Council procedures. A complaint must be first directed in writing, within one month of publication, to info@thespinoff.co.nz. If not satisfied with the response, the complaint may be referred to the online complaint form at www.presscouncil.org.nz along with a link to the relevant story and all correspondence with the publication.

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