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All Blacks 2024 Test schedule announced

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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.

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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

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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.”

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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)

Date/Time (NZ)

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Opposition

Venue

City

Competition

7:05pm: Saturday 6 July

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England

Forsyth Barr Stadium

Dunedin

Steinlager Ultra Low Carb Series

7:05pm: Saturday 13 July

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England

Eden Park

Auckland

Steinlager Ultra Low Carb Series

2:30pm: Saturday 20 July (NZ)
7:30pm: Friday 19 July (USA Pacific)

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Fiji

SnapDragon Stadium

San Diego

Steinlager Ultra Low Carb Series

7:05pm: Saturday 10 August

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Argentina

SKY Stadium

Wellington

Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship

7:05pm: Saturday 17 August

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Argentina

Eden Park

Auckland

Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship

31 August

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South Africa

Emirates Airline Park

Johannesburg

Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship

7 September

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South Africa

DHL Stadium

Cape Town

Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship

21 September

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Australia

Accor Stadium

Sydney

Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship /Bledisloe Cup

7:05pm: Saturday 28 September

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Australia

SKY Stadium

Wellington

Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship /Bledisloe Cup

26 October

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Japan

Nissan Stadium

Yokohama

Lipovitan D Challenge Cup

2 November

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England

Twickenham

London

Northern Tour

9 November

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Ireland

TBC

TBC

Northern Tour

16 November

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France

TBC

TBC

Northern Tour

23 November

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Italy

TBC

TBC

Northern Tour

 

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San Diego, CA

San Diego State firmly on bubble in latest NCAA Tournament Bracketology

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San Diego State firmly on bubble in latest NCAA Tournament Bracketology


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.

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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. 

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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. 

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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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San Diego, CA

Suspected Escondido serial flasher jailed

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Suspected Escondido serial flasher jailed


A man who allegedly exposed himself to schoolgirls and at least one woman in Escondido in recent weeks was jailed Thursday, authorities reported.

Hector Santa Maria Toledo, 49, is suspected of flashing the underage victims while seated in a parked white car near Orange Glen High School on the mornings of Jan. 14 and Feb. 2, according to the Escondido Police Department.

“The victims photographed the vehicle and license plate and promptly reported the incident to school officials,” EPD Lt. Ryan Hicks said.

On Feb. 4, a woman who had seen social-media posts regarding the incidents reported that she had been the victim of a similar crime while walking through a parking lot in the 2400 block of East Valley Parkway on Dec. 18.

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Toledo, an Escondido resident, was booked into county jail in Vista on suspicion of five counts of annoying or molesting a minor and one charge of indecent exposure. He was being held on $110,000 bail pending arraignment, scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

“The suspect is believed to have committed additional indecent- exposure offenses within the city of Escondido,” the lieutenant said.

Any other victims in the series of crimes is asked to call Detective Moe Santini at 760-839-4958.



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City of San Diego closes Tecolote Canyon Golf Course for sewer line replacement

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City of San Diego closes Tecolote Canyon Golf Course for sewer line replacement


SAN DIEGO (CNS) – Ongoing construction work forced the City of San Diego to temporarily pause tee times at the city-owned and leased Tecolote Canyon Golf Course.

City crews are rehabilitating and replacing 4.7 miles of a major sewer line that runs through the golf course. Construction on the line, originally built in the 1950s, began along Tecolote Canyon in late 2024. In August of last year, the course was reduced to a 9-hole layout to allow for crews to continue construction and prioritize public safety.

Wednesday’s announcement means all 18 holes are now closed, though the driving range remains open until Sunday.

While the course is closed, the city will reconsider its lease for the property with golf course operator American Golf Corporation. City staff in the next month will release a request for proposals for a new lease.

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“Tecolote Canyon Golf Course is a beloved course for many, and our goal is to make sure it continues providing enjoyment for all,” San Diego’s Economic Development Director Christina Bibler said. “This is an opportunity for us to revisit the management of the course, improve operations, better align with market value and enhance long-term revenue and public benefit.”

Proposals for the new lease will be evaluated based on “vision for course improvements and capital improvements plan, operational experience, financial capacity, and the ability to deliver strong, sustainable operations for this city-owned asset,” according to a city document.

The course is slated to reopen this summer when construction is complete, followed by a five-year vegetation restoration effort “to ensure the canyon’s ecosystem thrives for generations to come.”

More information on the project is available at sandiego.gov/TecoloteCanyonTrunkSewer.

Copyright 2026, City News Service, Inc.

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