Adrian Seconi

The World Cup starts next Friday. In our look at the 20 teams involved, Adrian Seconi examines four of the five teams in Pool B.

Dylan Thomas is heading in a good direction.

Southern has already had a loss.

Southland captain Brayden Mitchell will bring up 50 games for the province this weekend.

Nothing to see here.

Glory days - they pass you by.

Kelly Southwood plans on packing plenty of power into her forehand this weekend ... and definitely a puffer jacket.

This time next year Claudia Peyroux will be able to call herself a doctor.

A superb defensive effort from Otago has lifted the side into the playoff for fifth and sixth at the national under-19 championships in Taupo.

The Otago Indoor Open has attracted a strong women's field but is down on numbers from last year.

The New Zealand University team selected to contest the University world under-23 invitational tournament in Japan next week will have a strong Otago influence.

Changes to the way the national competitions are structured have been welcomed by the Otago Hockey Association.

King's High School kept defying the odds all the way to a historic championship title.

Otago has dropped its opening game at the national under-19 tournament in Taupo.

The Palmerston Flyer, the Kawasaki Kid - call Courtney Duncan whatever you like but make sure you call her champ.

Greer Muir has reinvented herself as a loose forward and rediscovered the joy of rugby.

Territory, tick. Possession, tick. Attitude, tick. Scoreboard, oh well.

The New Zealand Ice Blacks have struck first in the three-game series against Australia in Queenstown.

More talk.