Saluting 'The Man in the Arena'
OPINION: As I was putting the final touches on my column for last month, the hottest ‘breaking news’ was the Scott Robertson story from New Zealand Rugby.
OPINION: While most of the country is still lamenting the All Blacks one point loss to the South Africans in the Rugby World Cup final, the Hound – always on the outlook for a cloud with silver lining – found one bright spot on the sporting front.
Just 24 hours before the ABs heart-breaking loss, New Zealand regained the coveted Wayleggo Cup in the hotly contested Trans-Tasman Sheep Dog Trial Test Series held, late last month, in Ashburton.
The event saw the country’s four most talented sheepdogs taking on their Australian counterparts vying for supremacy.
The Kiwis dominated, winning by 84.25 points across the two tests.
NZ has now won 22 of the 36 matches since the competition’s inception in 1985, which is far superior to the Springboks’ four RWC victories (as opposed to NZ’s three) since the William Web Ellis Cup came into existence in 1987.
The closure of the McCain processing plant and the recent announcement of 300 job losses at Wattie’s underscore the mounting pressure facing New Zealand’s manufacturing sector, Buy NZ Made says.
Specialist agriculture lender Oxbury has entered the New Zealand market, offering livestock finance to farmers.
New research suggests Aotearoa New Zealand farmers are broadly matching phosphorus fertiliser use to the needs of their soils, helping maintain relatively stable nutrient levels across the country’s agricultural land.
Helensville farmers, Donald and Kirsten Watson of Moreland Pastoral, have been named the Auckland Regional Supreme Winners at the Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
Marc and Megan Lalich were named 2026 Share Farmers of the Year at last night's Canterbury/North Otago Dairy Industry Awards.
William John Poole, a third year Agribusiness student at Massey University, has been awarded the Dr Warren Parker and Pāmu Scholarship.

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