Steve Hepburn

Joanna Ma started playing table tennis when she was 8 and now, at 50, she has picked up a bucketful of medals.

There may be a small silver lining to Otago's placing of last in this year's ITM Cup, with Canterbury and Southland lined up as home opponents next year.

Otago made a great start then the wheels fell off and it now finds itself on the back foot going into the second day of its Plunket Shield game against Wellington at the Basin Reserve.

The Otago Rugby Football Union has set up a apprentice programme to help it keep young talent in the province.

Jamie Mackintosh's promotion to captain the Highlanders next season is reward for his good work this year but is no indication of wanting to bring a complete Southland culture into the team, new coach Jamie Joseph says.

Otago coach Phil Mooney wants to continue in the role next season and says the team needs to get its systems more precise.

The future of Otago coach Phil Mooney appears clouded, though officials deny he has already been given his marching orders.

The Broom brothers put themselves in the record books in Queenstown yesterday and helped set up Otago with a chance of an outright win today.

The Lion Foundation Arena will play host to the foil, sabre and epee this weekend as the national fencing championships come to Dunedin.

Carisbrook will host the Crusaders, the Blues and the Chiefs next year while the Hurricanes will venture to the deep south.

New coach Jamie Joseph will name his Highlanders for the 2011 season in Auckland this morning. Rugby writer Steve Hepburn looks at who may make the side, and who the key men will be.

Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph is on the lookout for a halfback, hooker and a prop, while there are concerns over the fitness of new outside back Kurt Baker.

The "Sherrins" are flying at Otago Boys' High School, and the boys kicking them are attracting some attention from across the Tasman.

Greg Henderson is back on the bike but sports reporter Steve Hepburn finds the former Dunedin rider is this week thinking more about next year than winning on Southland roads.

North Otago captain Luke Herden believes many of his side can go to the next level, although he says being able to mix work and play has real benefits.

Motocross rider Ben Townley has competed all around the world but says racing at Carisbrook later this month will be something special.