San Diego, CA
All Blacks 2024 Test schedule announced
Home Tests in Dunedin, Auckland and Wellington and an historic clash with Fiji in San Diego headline a blockbuster 14-Test season for the All Blacks under new Head Coach Scott Robertson.
New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has announced the All Blacks full 2024 Test schedule, which will start against England in front of home fans at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on Saturday 6 July for the first of three Steinlager Ultra Low Carb Series Tests.
The All Blacks will play England in a return match at Eden Park in Auckland a week later before rounding out a unique third leg of the Steinlager Ultra Low Carb Series in a one-off rugby showcase in San Diego against fast-rising World Cup quarterfinalists Fiji. The All Blacks have played in San Diego once previously, against the USA in 1980.
Back to back Tests against Argentina at Sky Stadium in Wellington on Saturday 10 August and Eden Park on Saturday 17 August respectively will kick off an All Blacks Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship defence before back to back Tests against the Springboks in South Africa. The Rugby Championship campaign concludes with Bledisloe Cup Tests in Sydney on 21 September, and Sky Stadium in Wellington on 28 September.
The 2024 campaign concludes with a Northern Tour that starts against Japan in Yokohama on 26 October and takes in four November Tests against England, Ireland, France, and Italy.
“Playing England under the roof in Dunedin is a great start for us in a world class stadium, and then we go up to Auckland where we have a great record that we are really proud of,” Robertson said. “We then fly off to San Diego which is exciting in itself. The Fijians know their way around the world, and they’ll come out from everywhere. I know a lot of Kiwis will make the trip as well.”
Planning had already begun for the challenge that Argentina and Australia would present during the Rugby Championship while the tour to South Africa was expected to be another highlight, he said.
“We are playing up on the Highveld at Ellis Park and then down to Cape Town – they are iconic Tests and I know a lot of Kiwis will be excited about that. It is a great chance to find out about ourselves against the world champions. It’s a chance to support us locally but also internationally. It’s also a chance to get behind this team and experience it with us, which is the exciting thing about it. And be proud to wear your All Blacks jersey no matter where we go.”
All 14 All Blacks Tests will be live and exclusive in New Zealand on Sky TV. Tickets for the Steinlager Ultra Low Carb Series will go on sale to the public from 10am Wednesday 29 May. Tickets for the Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship will go sale to the public from 10am 19 June. Fans can register their interest to purchase tickets HERE
NZR CEO Mark Robinson said:
“There is no better way to start the year on home soil. To have four of the first five Tests of 2024 at home in Aotearoa Dunedin, Wellington and Auckland is a great result and we’re excited to be taking the All Blacks to San Diego to play Fiji. It’s been a long-held ambition for New Zealand Rugby and part of our wider strategy to increase the visibility and understanding of rugby in North America and to build our brand presence ahead the men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups in 2031 and 2033 respectively.
“The All Blacks and Fiji share a deep connection to the game of rugby and to the Pacific region and we’d like to thank USA Rugby and our event partner TEG Rugby Live for embracing the opportunity to bring this Test to America. We want to deliver an event that will capture the imagination of sports fans across the United States and showcases the best qualities of our game. It promises to be unique and entertaining afternoon of rugby and Pacific culture, and a great advertisement for the game.”
Terry Davies, Dunedin Venues CEO said: “We are thrilled to be hosting the opening test of the year. Forsyth Barr Stadium last hosted England in 2014, so it’s exciting to have them back for a great Northern versus Southern Hemisphere clash under the roof.”
Warrick Dent, Wellington Regional Stadium Trust CEO said: “We are delighted to be once again hosting test rugby in Wellington at Sky Stadium and are particularly pleased to bring two All Blacks matches to the capital in 2024. The matches against Rugby World Cup semi-finalists Argentina in August and the Bledisloe Cup clash with Australia in September will undoubtedly be huge occasions for Wellingtonians and visitors alike.”
Annie Dundas, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited Director of Destination said:
“Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland comes alive in winter when there’s an All Blacks test match in town. Since 2015 rugby test matches have boosted Auckland’s economy by $21 million and generated 170,000 visitor nights for the region. Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, the region’s economic and cultural agency, works hard to secure, support and invest in these games for Aucklanders and visitors to enjoy.”
Nick Sautner, Eden Park CEO, was thrilled to be hosting England and Argentina: “With the All Blacks’ rich history and an unmatched winning record at Eden Park, New Zealand’s national stadium welcomes these two All Blacks fixtures to our great city for what are sure to be some of Auckland’s biggest sporting moments in 2024.”
The All Blacks full 2024 Test schedule is below: (Home fixtures in bold)
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The waves were pumping — big, bombing and beautiful.
For the “Thriller at Killers” surf contest off the islands of Todos Santos Island near Ensenada, the forecast was a fun event for the world’s best big-wave riders.
But when the surfers showed up for the one-day event on Feb. 7, the waves were twice as big as expected — upward of 30 feet.
“It was just epic. Everyone was so psyched,” said Encinitas surfer Katie McConnell, who won the women’s division.
The event included 12 men and six women; among them were San Clemente’s Greg Long, a well-known fixture in the big-wave world, La Jolla standout Jojo Roper and Newport Beach’s Spencer Pirdy.
McConnell is no stranger to this surf break, a demanding wave that can be “big, gnarly and consequential,” she said. “For me, it takes a lot of courage to really position myself for one of the legit, big bombs.”
The San Dieguito Academy grad remembers being mesmerized by big-wave surfing when her dad watched reruns of the tour on television.
“I was passing by the living room and looked over his shoulder. I became transfixed,” she recalled. “It’s always been in the back of my mind. I never imagined I’d be surfing out there, let alone winning out there.”
Only a handful of surfers in the world tackle waves in the 30- to 40-foot range. It’s a tight-knit group that travels the world to spots known for their big drops — and big wipeouts.
During the event, French big-wave surfer Justine Dupont suffered a back injury that will keep her out of the water for several months.
McConnell has also had her “gnarliest and most humbling” experiences there.
“I’ve missed waves, narrowly missed injury,” she said. “I feel like I’m finally starting to make peace with that wave, and I can’t wait to catch more. To invite that fear to step aside and feel confident enough to send it is so freeing.”
McConnell said all the stars aligned in her final heat, an extra pulse of swell making for the biggest waves of the event.
As the clock ticked down, McConnell had to make a decision: try and score whatever she could on any wave that came through, or wait for the bomb.
“It was just so big and beautiful out there; in my mind, I put the competition aside and just focused on the wave and just surfing for the love of it,” she said. “It was either be patient and give it your all, or settle for less.”
Just as she decided to wait it out, a set showed up on the horizon.
“It was a technical drop, I got mowed down at the bottom, but it felt really good,” she said. “I didn’t know if I was going to win, but at the time, it didn’t matter. I was just psyched to get it.”
While she took the women’s win, repeating her 2024 victory, it was Grant “Twiggy” Baker who earned the men’s trophy. Roper made it to the semifinals.
Authorities alerted the public Friday to a possible child-abduction attempt that occurred this week in a neighborhood near El Cajon.
An 8-year-old boy was walking home from school in the unincorporated Bostonia area about 2 p.m. Thursday when a white pickup truck stopped alongside him on Greenfield Drive near state Route 67 and the man behind the wheel told him to get in the vehicle, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office.
“The boy ran away from the vehicle, which then drove away,” Detective Sgt. Colin Snodgrass said Friday. “A woman witnessed the incident and, believing it suspicious, waited with the boy until his mother arrived. … The case has been assigned to a sheriff’s detective, and the investigation is ongoing.”
The driver of the truck was described as a bald, muscular white man with several tattoos.
Anyone who might be able to help identify the suspect is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at 858-868-3200.
The San Diego State Aztecs are still on the bubble in NCAA Tournament projections, but at least it’s the right side of the bubble in the latest ESPN Bracketology projections.
Bracket expert Joe Lunardi kept the Aztecs (17-6, 11-2 Mountain West) in the Last Four In in his Friday update.
Lunardi still has the Aztecs as the penultimate team into the tournament, at No. 67 in the Field of 68, but has tweaked their assignment a bit. He has them slotted for a First Four date with Missouri, with the winner getting the No. 11 seed in the West Region and a first-round matchup with No. 6 Clemson in Tampa.
Lunardi had dropped the Aztecs out of the bracket altogether a week earlier, before reviving their chances on Tuesday when he brought them back in via the Last Four In.
SDSU had a midweek bye and hasn’t played since an 88-54 win at Air Force on Saturday night.
SDSU, which now trails Utah State by half a game because of the bye, returns to action Saturday night at home against Nevada, seeking a season series victory. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. and the game will air on CBS Sports Network. SDSU won 73-68 at Reno on Jan. 6.
Lunardi continues to project Utah State as the MW’s automatic qualifier. He still has the Aggies as a No. 7 seed but has moved them into the South Region with a projected first-round date with No. 10 Miami in Oklahoma City.
The Mountain West is down to a projected two-bid league after Lunardi dropped New Mexico from the Last Four In to the Last Four Out. New Mexico won 70-64 at Grand Canyon on Wednesday night, but had lost its previous two games, including by 20 points at Utah State.
The Aztecs were the unanimous preseason pick to win the MW regular-season title in their final season in the league before moving into the Pac-12 along with Utah State, Boise State, Fresno State and Colorado State.
The Aztecs remain at No. 42 in the NCAA NET Rankings, which are used by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee as the primary sorting tool for selection and seeding for March Madness.
A rough performance in the non-conference portion of the schedule hurt the Aztecs’ resume for an at-large bid, meaning their best bet for getting into March Madness for the sixth straight season is to claim the MW’s automatic bid by winning the conference tournament.
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