Campfire’s octopus, chorizo, and celery-root entrée.
Gage Forster
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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SANDY, Utah — SANDY, Utah (AP) — Sergi Solans had two goals and an assist, Diego Luna added a goal and two assists, and Real Salt Lake beat San Diego FC 4-2 on Saturday night to extend its unbeaten streak to six games.
Morgan Guilavogui scored his first goal in MLS and had an assist for Real Salt Lake (5-1-1). The 28-year-old designated player has five goal contributions in his first six career games.
RSL hasn’t lost since a 1-0 defeat at Vancouver in the season opener.
San Diego (3-3-2) has lost three in a row and is winless in five straight.
Luna opened the scoring in the fifth minute when he re-directed a misplayed pass by Duran Ferree, San Diego’s 19-year-old goalkeeper, into the net.
Moments later, Solans headed home a perfectly-placed cross played by Luna from outside the right corner of the 18-yard box to the back post to make it 2-0. Solans, a 23-year-old forward, flicked a header from the center of the area inside the right post and past the outstretched arm of Ferree to make it 3-1 in the 37th minute.
Guilavogui slammed home a first-touch shot to give RSL a three-goal lead in the 45th.
Marcus Ingvartsen scored a goal in the 14th minute and Anders Dreyer converted from the penalty spot in the 66th for San Diego.
Ingvartsen has five goals and an assist this season and has 10 goal contributions (seven goals, three assists) in 16 career MLS appearances.
Rafael Cabral had three saves for RSL.
Ferree finished with five saves.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer
When John Resnick opened Campfire on a quaint little street in Carlsbad, Calif., in 2016, some locals weren’t sure what to think. The coastal enclave wasn’t exactly awash in innovative, chef-driven establishments, so it was a shock to see the dining room consistently full. Early on, one woman wondered aloud to Resnick, “Where did all these people come from?”
It’s a moment he remembers vividly. “I was struck by her statement, because I think she was surprised that so many other people in Carlsbad were there,” Resnick says.
The rest of the culinary world would take some time to catch up to what was happening. In 2019, when Michelin expanded to rate restaurants throughout all of California—not just the San Francisco area—Addison was the only one in San Diego to earn a star. But since emerging from the pandemic, the region’s food scene has grown dramatically. Driven by outstanding farms, ingredients, a bumper crop of talented chefs, and a G.D.P. approximately the size of New Zealand or Greece, San Diego County has become one of America’s most underrated dining destinations.
Campfire’s octopus, chorizo, and celery-root entrée.
Gage Forster
Perhaps no single restaurant is a better emblem for this shift than chef William Bradley’s Addison, which opened in 2006. After landing his first star, Bradley knew he wanted more. To get them, he transformed his French-leaning fare to serve what he calls California Gastronomy, which combines the cultures of SoCal with impeccable ingredients and wildly impressive techniques, prizing flavor over flair. Michelin responded, awarding Addison a second star in 2022, and making it the first Southern California three-star restaurant just a year later. The accolade has created a halo effect, attracting culinary tourists from around the world.
Berry beet tartlets at San Diego’s three-star stalwart Addison.
Eric Wolfinger
“Earning three stars forces the global dining community to pay attention to a place that may not have been on their radar before,” says chef Eric Bost, a partner in Resnick’s four Carlsbad establishments.
Resnick recruited Bost, who spent time at award-winning outposts of Restaurant Guy Savoy, to run Jeune et Jolie, which he led to a star in 2021. They’ve since taken over an old boogie-board factory down the street and converted it to an all-day restaurant and bakery, Wildland. The space also hosts an exquisite tasting-counter experience called Lilo, which was given a Michelin star mere months after opening in April 2025. And as Resnick and Bost grew their successful Carlsbad operation, chef Roberto Alcocer earned a Michelin star for his Mexican fine-dining spot Valle in nearby Oceanside.
The stylish tasting counter at Michelin one-star Lilo in Carlsbad.
Kimberly Motos
About 25 miles to the south, another affluent coastal community is going through its own culinary glow up. In La Jolla, chef Tara Monsod and the hospitality group Puffer Malarkey Collective opened the stylish French steakhouse Le Coq. Chef Erik Anderson, formerly of Michelin two-star Coi, is preparing to launch Roseacre. And last year, Per Se alums Elijah Arizmendi and Brian Hung left New York to open the elegant tasting-menu restaurant Lucien, lured by the ingredients they’d get to serve. “A major reason we chose San Diego is the quality and diversity of the produce,” Arizmendi explains. “San Diego County has more small farms than anywhere else in the U.S., and its many microclimates allow farmers to grow an incredible range of ingredients year-round.”
Wildland’s spicy Italian sandwich.
Gage Forster
Chef Travis Swikard has also been a tireless advocate for the region’s ingredients since he returned to San Diego, his hometown, and opened Mediterranean-influenced Callie in 2021. There’s no sophomore slump with his latest effort, the French Riviera–inspired Fleurette in La Jolla, where he’s serving his take on classics like leeks vinaigrette and his San Diego “Bouillabaisse” with local red sheepshead fish and spiny lobster. Its food is bright, produce-driven, and attentive in execution, while the dining room maintains a relaxed and unpretentious style of service. And Swikard sees that approach cohering into a regional style with a strong network of professionals behind it.
“It’s really nice that we are developing our own identity, not trying to be like L.A. or any other market, just highlighting what’s great about the San Diego lifestyle and ingredients,” he says. “Similar to New York, a chef community is starting to develop where chefs are supporting each other. There is a true sense of pride to be cooking here.”
Top: In La Jolla, Lucien serves ocean whitefish with tomatoes turned into concasse, sabayon, and other expressions.
Little Debbie is officially expanding its doughnut range.
On April 14, the brand announced a new sweet snack: Chocolate Old Fashioned Donuts. The company says there was “massive consumer demand” for the original Big Pack Old Fashioned Donuts, which quickly became a top seller. Now, they’re just giving the people what they want.
The new snack is a chocolate old-fashioned cake doughnut finished with a sweet glaze and is launching in two formats:
The original, which includes six individually wrapped cake-style doughnuts with a vanilla glaze, first hit stores in June 2025 and, according to the brand, has been “consistently selling out.”
“We saw an incredible response to the Old Fashioned Donut we introduced last year,” said Scott Brownlow, Little Debbie’s brand manager, in a press release. We’re doubling down on what works and giving both loyalists and new fans an irresistible reason to head back to the store.”
Little Debbie’s Chocolate Old Fashioned Donuts are rolling out now to major retailers, grocery stores and convenience stores nationwide. As with the original Old Fashioned Donut, they become a permanent addition to the brand’s snack lineup.
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