Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking news.
Ben Francis is a journalist at the NZ Herald. With a career in sports media dating back to 2016, he has previously contributed to Newshub and Sports Nation. He has a strong passion for rugby league and darts. You can contact Ben at ben.francis@nzme.co.nz.

'Not sure yet' – Penney coy on Crusaders coaching future
Rob Penney is keeping his cards close to his chest with regards to his coaching future.

Super Rugby final player ratings: One All Black picked the worst time to disappoint
Opinion: Which players made their case for All Blacks selection?

'We beat ourselves': Webster rues Warriors defeat to depleted Panthers
Andrew Webster is confident the Warriors will bounce back next week against the Broncos.

From the catwalk to the Paralympics: The remarkable journey of Michael Whittaker
For Michael Whittaker, there's more to life than being really, ridiculously good-looking.

State of Origin: Underdog Queenslanders set series alight
Warriors star Kurt Capewell led the way for the Maroons.

Ben Francis: Why State of Origin doesn't belong in New Zealand
OPINION: Tribalism is diluted when major sports events are exported to neutral territory.

Crusaders playmaker confirms departure after Super Rugby Pacific final
James O'Connor will be looking to depart as a champion when the Crusaders host the Chiefs.

White Ferns captain to retire from ODI cricket
Sophie Devine will opt for a casual contract after this year's World Cup.

Smart mouthguards under fire ahead of Super Rugby Pacific final
Ethan Blackadder was wrongly sent for an HIA during the Crusaders' semifinal win.

'Leaking out both holes': Van Gisbergen overcomes illness for historic Nascar win in Mexico
Shane van Gisbergen's win has won him a spot in the Nascar playoffs.

Inexperienced French squad set to feature against All Blacks
Only a handful of top players will tour New Zealand next month to face the All Blacks.

On The Up: The 'Heartstopper' with big ambitions in motorsport and acting
Leighton Leevard has big dreams despite living with a rare heart condition.

Lotto's detective work tracks down $500k prize winner after ticket lost
The ticket was purchased last June at an Auckland supermarket.

'Earned his opportunity': Warrior Capewell recalled for Queensland
Queensland must beat New South Wales to keep the State of Origin series alive.

'World-class': Tributes flow for All Blacks captain Stu Wilson
Stu Wilson is regarded as one of New Zealand's best wingers, featuring in 34 tests.

'Maybe they could do the same': Chiefs hopeful of Blues favour
The road to the title runs through Christchurch after the Chiefs lost to the Blues.

Cancer-stricken Blues forward cheers team to victory from hospital bed
Cameron Suafoa watched the Blues beat the Chiefs from his hospital bed.

'Only scratched the surface': Webster highlights leadership for Warriors success
Coach Andrew Webster believes the Warriors are far from being the finished product.

Christchurch set to host Super Round in 2026
Officials have confirmed plans are in motion for city's new stadium to host Super Round.

Walsh produces season-best throw to secure victory in Rome
Tom Walsh's effort resulted in his first Diamond League event win in nearly four years.

Watch: The Kiwi aiming to break the land speed record in homemade car
Dave Alexander will attempt to break the record of 422km/h in his Lakester.

Warriors mid-season report card: Tackling machines top the ratings
The Warriors sit third with a 9-3 record, defying wooden spoon predictions.

Did Donald's slip of the tongue reveal new Chiefs coach?
Former All Black Stephen Donald appears to have made the announcement before the Chiefs.

Warriors co-captain Barnett ruled out for NRL season
Mitch Barnett ruptured his ACL in the Warriors' NRL win over the Rabbitohs.

Mo’unga shrugs off broken hand to win Japanese title
The former All Blacks first-five played a key role in the win.

'Wouldn’t change it for the world': Metcalf embraces fatherhood
The Warriors halfback was leading the Dally M voting when it went behind closed doors.

Super Rugby Pacific finals permutations
Find out what the best and worst positions your team can finish in Super Rugby Pacific.

'Feed the faith': Reviewing Warriors' Wendy's range – the experts' assessment
Tom Ale, Adam Pompey and Luke Metcalf got to taste-test the burgers.

'He's a freak': Warriors in awe of Leka Halasima
The teenager is quickly emerging as one of the NRL's hottest prospects.

State of Origin I: New South Wales claim series opener
The Blues have drawn first blood, with a convincing win over the Maroons.

Warning to cancel club rugby games after referee stabbing threat
The Horowhenua-Kāpiti union will cancel senior club games if serious abuse continues.

Warriors co-captains return to face Rabbitohs
Co-captains James Fisher-Harris and Mitch Barnett are back to lead the team.

Genetic condition meant she was not meant to live past two, now Milly Marshall-Kirkwood eyes Paralympics
Milly Marshall-Kirkwood has already broken many records and has her eye on LA 2028.

'Where I want to be': Proctor eyes All Blacks return
Billy Proctor's form would have caught the attention of Scott Robertson.

Moana Pasifika primed for biggest game in history against Hurricanes
Moana Pasifika must beat the Hurricanes to qualify for the Super Rugby Pacific playoffs.

'I don't know how many I scored': Woodman-Wickliffe after creating Black Ferns history
Portia Woodman-Wickliffe became the Black Ferns' all time leading try-scorer.

'Special moment': Reece on becoming Super Rugby's leading try scorer
Sevu Reece scored his 66th career try as the Crusaders beat the Highlanders.

Why former Warrior Brown knew Metcalf was destined for greatness
Lewis Brown and Luke Metcalf were teammates back in 2018 at the Manly Sea Eagles.

Second 'run it straight' event cancelled in 24hrs, organiser cites backlash from other events
The events involve a runner and a tackler running full speed at each other and colliding.

On The Up: Campaign under way to 'Make Play Possible'
Foundation is attempting to raise funds to allow kids with disabilities to play sport.

Old returns for All Whites as quest towards World Cup begins
The All Whites face Ivory Coast and Ukraine in Canada next month.

'Significant moment': Warriors re-sign promising duo to long deals
Leka Halasima and Jacob Laban have been locked down until the end of the 2029 NRL season.

'Outrageous': Concussion charity urging ban of Auckland 'run it straight' comp
Headway is urging the Auckland Council to stop the dangerous event.

'Decision to amputate was wrapped in hope': How losing a leg changed Finn Murphy's life
Finn Murphy is eying the 2028 Paralympics, with plans of competing in the paracanoe.

McLaughlin 'sad' after crashing during Indy 500 practice
The Kiwi driver crashed during a practice session ahead of qualifying.

'Natural talent': Kiwi darts star on the rise of Luke Littler
The teenage world champ will be taking part at the NZ Darts Masters in August.

On The Up: The Northland charity saving sports gear
ReSport Charitable Trust is celebrating two years with a sports memorabilia auction.

On The Up: Jim Coe personifies Mr Counties
Jim Coe has played a key role in helping Karioitahi Beach get a new surf club.

Hurricanes rocked by Covid-19 outbreak
The Hurricanes had a disrupted bye week with players stuck at home with Covid-19.

Crusaders face nervous wait on Will Jordan's knee injury
The Crusaders are waiting for scan results to know the severity of the injury.

Auckland FC learn A-League semifinals opponents
The winner will face either Melbourne City or Western United in the grand final.

'Gritty': Warriors seek improvements despite winning streak
The Warriors keep finding ways to win, even though it's not pretty at times.

Chiefs score 32 unanswered points to beat Crusaders
The Chiefs trailed 19-3 late in the first half but came back to win big.

NZ Rugby posts huge financial loss, despite record income for 2024
The deficit follows $8.9m loss in 2023 and a $47m loss in 2022.

Dartitis: When a darts player can't throw a dart
Freezing up on the oche even happens to the champions.

On The Up: Amy Ellis chasing Paralympic dreams
Amy Ellis will compete in her eighth Halberg Games this weekend.

'Chiefy' to stay as Wellington Phoenix coach
Giancarlo Italiano has re-committed for another A-League season.

'New level of freedom': Halberg Games' positive impact on young athletes
Kiran Dixon has attended every Halberg Games, from being a competitor to now an employee.

Nicoll-Klokstad rejects overseas offers to remain with Warriors
The fullback is staying put until the end of the 2027 NRL season.

'Definitely pushing me': Lawson's teammate wary of Kiwi's F1 improvements
The Kiwi says he's starting to feel more comfortable in Racing Bulls' car.

Why Woodman-Wickliffe backflipped on Black Ferns retirement
Portia Woodman-Wickliffe is eyeing up a third Rugby World Cup later this year.

Woodman-Wickliffe to end retirement for Black Ferns World Cup bid
Woodman-Wickliffe announced her international retirement after last year's Olympics.

‘A great challenge’: Jordie Barrett on life in Ireland, Ioane move, and contact with ABs
The All Blacks midfielder is currently on sabbatical with Irish club Leinster.

'Special': Pompey to join Warriors' centurion club
Adam Pompey will play his 100th NRL match for the Warriors when they face the Broncos.

How ex-tropical Cyclone Tam will affect Easter weekend sport
Some events have been cancelled but many will still go ahead as planned.

'Threat multiplier': What is fuelling ex-tropical Cyclone Tam?
Maritime NZ says some of the winds forecast are the strongest since 2017.

Warriors sweat on injury to co-captain
James Fisher-Harris left the field with a pec injury in their loss to the Storm.

Debutant inspires Highlanders to snap four-game losing streak
The Highlanders have beaten the Fijian Drua to claim their third Super Rugby Pacific win.

'Not the most enjoyable': Lawson chasing redemption in Bahrain
Liam Lawson is determined to hit the ground running at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

'Still holding out hope': Nweke on potential Silver Ferns comeback
After moving to Australia, Grace Nweke is ineligible to play for the Silver Ferns.

Barrett says criticism ‘not far off the mark’
Scott Barrett admits he's been far from his best during the Super Rugby Pacific season.

Black Caps coach Gary Stead steps down from white-ball role
Gary Stead is weighing up his options but will step down as white ball coach.

The iconic moment from Warriors’ last win over Storm
Nathan Friend's backflip sent the sporting world into a frenzy.

‘Didn’t want to live’: Ex-All White’s battle after medical ordeal
The former All Whites keeper won NZ$35.7 million in damages after a lengthy court case.

‘Long way to go’: Blues confident of Super Rugby playoff push
The Blues have won one of their six Super Rugby Pacific games this season.

Wagner bows out with heroic performance in Plunket Shield triumph
Neil Wagner took five-wicket bag to help Northern Districts win the Plunket Shield.