The best interviews from Radio New Zealand Sport for the week ending Friday 27 May. This week, the New Zealand footballers head for the United States this weekend for the first of two friendlies and we hear from the man who's likely to stand in for the regular skipper Ryan Nelsen. And in Nelsen's home town, we talk to the director of the Christchurch marathon which looked as if it would have to be cancelled after the earthquake on the 22nd of February Another top All Black has re-signed with the New Zealand Rugby Union - the head coach Graham Henry gives his views on what Richie McCaw's decision means while the captain explains why he's staying when others are going. We'll also hear from one of the standout players in the Highlanders team which continues to mock pre-season wooden spoon predictions. Extra Time - a weekly show from Radio New Zealand Sport which provides extended interviews and comment from issues arising from the sporting week.
The Christchurch City Council has confirmed the demolition of the earthquake-damaged Lancaster Park sports stadium will begin this year. Lancaster Park Cricket club was one of the sports ground's first tenants when it was established in 1881. An act of parliament means the ground has to be used for sport and recreation. "We're certainly looking foward to being able to get back on the ground and for it to be turned back into green space," Ric Horsfall from the cricket club says.
Christchurch red zone residents say the area is experiencing an increasing amount of petty crime and dumped rubbish, due to a lack of people.
The red zone was established after thousands of houses - and the land underneath them - suffered severe damage in the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes.
Last year (2019), a Regeneration Plan for the area was signed off by the government - which included building walkways, cycleways, forests, wetlands, and sport and recreation areas.
That's all designed to get people back into the red zone area - but much of the work is still years away.
Logan Church met a resident who told him that in the meantime, things are deteriorating.
A review of the week's news including... a two billion dollar pay equity settlement, the Government announces changes it says are aimed at improving the quality of immigrants and controlling the quantity, irresponsible, unsafe, and unethical -- that's how a new Netflix series aimed at teenagers is being described, the top family court judge fires back at criticisms levelled at the court system by a new women's advocacy group, the Prime Minister who oversaw the dramatic undermining of unions now says unions have probably become too small, a review of Mental Health Services finds they are under pressure, under resourced and not widely understood, the Air Force's NH90 helicopters have been all but grounded, an eight-year-old girl is pulled alive from Manukau Harbour after treading water for more than two hours, the conversion of thousands of hectares of the Mackenzie Basin to dairy farms has been halted, tampons and sanitary pads will not be subsidised for all women by Pharmac, the government department set up to make the economy bigger isn't sure it can reach the goals it set for itself, Central Christchurch residents say they're under siege from sex workers and are threatening legal action, the massive Kaikoura earthquake may have saved the town from having to spend millions of dollars and the largest multi-sport event in the world has arrived in Auckland.
