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Former All Black Jeff Wilson hosts rugby discussion series Breakdown on Sky Sport.
Honey Hireme-Smiler was five years old when she started running around on a field with an oval-shaped ball. Back then the child who would grow up to represent New Zealand in league and rugby wanted to play sport alongside her brothers.
Supplied “I come from a small community,” says Hireme-Smiler, a Sky Sport presenter. “I grew up in Putāruru. I suppose the whole town can be seen as a sporty community. There is not a lot else to do down there. “My family was right into rugby and rugby league. So it is kind of natural that all of us kids just played one or both of those codes. Initially my brothers were playing. They are younger than me but I sort of tagged along to their trainings and kind of got involved that way.
Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, Taranaki, Manawatū, Dsport, Tasman, Canterbury, South Canterbury, and Otago/Southland all had teams. The event, which was rescheduled from October due to Covid-19 restrictions, had 20 different sports on offer, including swimming, wheelchair basketball, netball, wheelchair rugby and athletics. The games provide an opportunity for athletes to compete, connect, build confidence and pursue further opportunities in sports. Alongside the sports was a Saturday festival including fun family activities, and on Anzac Day about 100 attendees joined a silent Anzac lap at dawn around the athletics track to honour fallen soldiers. Athletes were presented with medals and trophies to recognise their achievements.