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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

Padres roster review: Sung-Mun song

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Padres roster review: Sung-Mun song





Padres roster review: Sung-Mun song – San Diego Union-Tribune


















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SUNG-MUN SONG

  • Position(s): Third base, second base
  • Bats / Throws: Left / Right
  • 2026 opening day age: 29
  • Height / Weight: 6-foot / 194 pounds
  • How acquired: Signed as a free agent in December 2025
  • Contract status: A four-year, $15 million deal will see Song make $2.5 million in 2026, $3 million in 2027, $3.5 million in 2028 and $4 million in 2029 if he does not opt out of last year; Half of his $1 million signing bonus is due in January 2026 and the other half in 2027; There is a $7 million mutual option for 2030.
  • fWAR in 2025: N/A
  • Key 2025 stats (KBO): .315 AVG, .387 OBP, .530 SLG, 26 HRs, 90 RBIs, 103 runs, 68 walks, 96 strikeouts, 25 steals (144 games, 646 plate appearances)

 

STAT TO NOTE

  • .214 — Song’s isolated power in 2025, a career high as he prepared for a jump to the majors. Isolated power measures a player’s raw power (extra bases per at-bat) and Song had a .190 OPS in 2018, in his third year as a pro in Korea, before it dropped to .101 in 2019 and then a career-low .095 in 2023. Hitting 19 homers pushed Song’s isolated power to .178 in 2024 and then a career-high 26 homers push it even higher in 2025.

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San Diego, CA

Poway removes hundreds of trees to make city safer

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Poway removes hundreds of trees to make city safer


Drivers traveling through the city of Poway may have noticed a dramatic change to the landscape. Since September, more than 1,400 trees — many of them eucalyptus — have been removed as part of the city’s hazardous mitigation grant project aimed at reducing wildfire risk and improving public safety.

Poway is spending roughly $3 million on the effort, which focuses on removing trees that are dead, dying or considered dangerous. Much of the cost is being reimbursed by FEMA. Officials say the project is designed to make emergency evacuation routes safer while improving the overall health of trees along major roadways, rights-of-way and open spaces.

“I was relieved that there were some efforts being put into improving our resiliency to wildfire in our community,” said Poway Fire Chief Brian Mitchell.

Mitchell said spacing out trees can slow the spread of a wildfire and prevent roads from becoming blocked during an emergency.

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“That certainly has the potential to block our first responders from accessing somebody’s house in the middle of an emergency,” Mitchell said.

City leaders also point to storm safety as a key reason for removing hazardous trees under controlled conditions rather than risking falling limbs or entire trees during severe weather.

“I don’t want to be driving down that street and just a random limb just happened to collapse, you know, just hit me,” said Poway resident Dawn Davis.

Davis said she also worries about the threat the trees pose to nearby homes.

“I don’t want anybody’s homes here to be damaged, either by them or fire,” Davis said.

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A Poway spokeswoman said a certified arborist evaluated nearly 6,800 trees in Poway. About 2,800 invasive trees were recommended for removal.

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication.



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San Diego, CA

Aztecs land twin transfers from Michigan State to bolster offensive line

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Aztecs land twin transfers from Michigan State to bolster offensive line


The front of the Fowler Athletic Center at San Diego State includes a pair of double doors that open from the inside out. Replacing them with revolving doors would seem appropriate, given all the comings and goings nowadays.

SDSU had two dozen football players — including five starters on the defense — enter the NCAA transfer portal, which opened Friday. The first wave of candidates to replace them visited over the weekend.

And by Sunday afternoon, SDSU announced its first two signings. It was a package deal.

Sophomore offensive linemen Charlton and Mercer Luniewski are Michigan State transfers from Cincinnati. And twins.

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Charlton Luniewski’s social media says that he goes by “Big Chuck,” although Mercer is listed as an inch taller and 13 pounds heavier at 6-foot-6, 320. Mercer is also, by the way, 45 minutes older.

Charlton profiles at guard and Mercer at tackle, though SDSU typically works players in multiple spots to find the ideal fit. The twins are expected to challenge for spots on the two-deep if not the starting O-line, which lost three starters to graduation.

The twins were highly recruited two years ago out of Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, where they also competed in track and basketball. They have three years of eligibility remaining.

The Luniewskis were among a dozen transfer recruits who visited SDSU over the weekend. Commitments have come from half of them. More recruits are scheduled for the coming this week as the Aztecs look to replenish the roster.

SDSU also received a commitment Sunday from Nate Henrich, a 6-6 edge from Division II Gannon University in Pennsylvania. Henrich had six tackles at Gannon, but he is viewed as having high upside with good size and length. He could provide needed depth at a position where the Aztecs lost four players to the portal.

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SDSU also expects commitments from Oregon State edge Kai Wallin, Portland State safety Isaiah Green and College of the Sequoias wide receiver Marshel Sanders.

Wallin is a 6-5 senior from Sacramento who played in nine games this season (seven starts) for the Beavers, making 17 tackles with one sack and four quarterback hurries. Green, a 6-1 junior from Oxnard, had a team-high 101 tackles at Portland State. Sanders is a 5-11 junior from Fresno who had 70 receptions for 929 yards and four touchdowns.

Bostick back

SDSU wide receiver Jacob Bostick announced on his social media Sunday that he is returning for the 2026 season.

His post read, in part: “Excited to get back to work with my coaches and teammates.”

Bostick had 11 catches for 157 yards and three touchdowns over six games before suffering a season-ending knee injury during practice six games into the season. He anticipates being ready to return by fall camp.

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