Luke Kirkness
Sport Planning Editor
Sport Planning Editor, Luke Kirkness has worked for NZME since 2017, operating in Auckland and the Bay of Plenty.
I love sports and telling stories so you could say being a sports journalist is living the dream for me. Growing up in Otago, I thought I'd end up farming but instead found my way to journalism and haven't looked back. I started working for the Herald in 2017 casually on weekends before taking on a full-time role as the evening breaking news reporter. I moved on to the consumer affairs round in 2019, spending two years on that desk before moving from Auckland to Tauranga to become an assistant news director in the Bay of Plenty. In 2019, I was named the New Zealand Student Journalist of the Year. I love getting out of the office and spending time reporting on the ground. Since I started, I've covered every major story, including the Nelson fires, the Christchurch massacre, the Whakaari/White Island eruption, general elections, the Covid-19 pandemic, and Cyclone Gabrielle. I’m currently an online sport editor at NZ Herald, based in Auckland and covering all sports. I'm working towards becoming a newsroom editor. I like having a good laugh, meeting new people and telling stories in non-traditional ways.
Check out Luke’s latest content
All Blacks ease to victory over Fiji
All the action as the All Blacks cruised past Fiji in San Diego.
Best of Premium 2023: State highway pothole plague - the regions with the most revealed
Pothole plague: The quality of roading is 'leaving a lot to be desired'.
Johnathan Thurston's cricket threat and thoughts on Warriors 2024
The rugby league all-time great didn't hold back in his typical, gritty fashion.
Beauden Parrot's bold prediction for All Blacks v Italy
Watch: Our mascot for the Rugby World Cup makes his prediction.
All Blacks v Namibia: Beauden Parrot pecks the winner
Watch: Our mascot for the Rugby World Cup makes his prediction.
All Blacks v France: Beauden Parrot, our psychic bird, pecks a winner
Watch: Meet our new team member with one sole purpose.
How to solve our road circus: Kick these dangerous habits
Opinion: It’s not just about getting there; it’s about getting there safely.
The Good, the Bad, and the Annoying: Uncovering the worst driving habits
Habits that drive road users up the wall.
Crane company boss slams state of NZ roads
'The roads are the worst I've seen them,' says McLeod Cranes’ Scott McLeod.
Beyond Border Patrol: A shoutout to those in these vital and often thankless jobs
OPINION: Biosecurity NZ officers battle invasive species to preserve New Zealand's beauty.
Pineapple on pizza? Christopher Luxon shows his lighter side - and a hidden talent
The National Party leader has some fun before getting down to serious business.
DNA testing reveals human remains found by hunters are missing Murupara man
Lofty Maki was last seen at a Rotorua supermarket on December 6.
Preserving paradise: The hidden battle at our borders
Guardians of the border: Unveiling the unsung heroes of Biosecurity New Zealand.
Taking matters into his own feet: Why Cane's kick is justified
OPINION: If you play with fire, you're going to get burned.
Luke Kirkness: Engineer's compensation triumph offers hope to motorists
Frustration on the roads: Getting compensation for pothole damage shouldn't be so hard.
Hold up: National calls on Waka Kotahi to answer their 0800 number faster
National's call for a timely service as taxpayers complain about phone wait times.
Searcher recalls 'horrific' crash: 60 years since the Kaimai tragedy
A tramper recalls the search for the wreckage of New Zealand's deadliest air disaster.
Pothole plague: Motorist's 'winning formula' for tyre damage compensation
Man takes on Waka Kotahi - and wins.
State highway pothole plague - the regions with the most revealed
Pothole plague: The quality of roading is 'leaving a lot to be desired'.
Are boring rugby matches driving fans away? Ian Foster doesn't think so
Former All Blacks coaches have spoken out about what they believe is dull rugby.
What Ian Foster is looking out for during Super Rugby Pacific final
The coach talks about the big final and bolter Emoni Narawa's World Cup chances.
Opinion: Police allowing gang mayhem is a national disgrace
Opinion: The law-abiding citizens caught up in the disruption deserve better.
From tailgating to trailblazing: The ultimate traffic hack for commuters
Opinion: Say goodbye to congestion - a solution to New Zealand's traffic woes.
'We were not out-manned': District Commander defends police in Ōpōtiki
Hundreds of motorbikes, cars, utes and vans descended on Whakatāne and Ōpōtiki.
PM says ‘gangs contribute nothing to society', gunshots reported in Whakatāne
Mongrel Mob Barbarians president Steven Taiatini was killed on Friday in Ōpōtiki.
Ōpōtiki Mongrel Mob procession: Police vow to impound vehicles, issue fines, charge drivers
Mongrel Mob Barbarians president Steven Taiatini was killed on Friday in Ōpōtiki.
Simple steps to make winter healthier and avoid system overload
Opinion: What Kiwis need to know to stay healthy with winter illnesses on the rise.
Luke Kirkness: From tragedy to triumph: How we can reshape water safety in New Zealand
Surfers making a splash in water safety show giving power to the people is key.
Cloud nine or clouded minds? Why we need to take a harder line on vaping
Opinion: We need to follow Australia's hardline measures.
From peaceful to perilous: Innovations needed to combat crime
Opinion: Supermarkets resorting to bodycams in a desperate bid for safety is a smart move.
Beating traffic and saving money: How e-bikes changed one man's commute
One question has led to a transportation revolution for a Tauranga construction worker.
Investigator acknowledges family, colleagues in King's Birthday Honour
'I think history will show that we have done a pretty damn good job.'
100 years in the making: Rugby clubs face-off in historic double-header
Rotoiti and Mount Maunganui rugby clubs unit to celebrate a century of rugby.
Deadly waters: Urgent call for new lifejacket laws after 'staggering' stats
Coastguard boss says too many volunteers have had to "pull dead bodies from the sea".
Luke Kirkness: Beating the winter blackouts
Opinion: It's time to shine a brighter light on power solutions after an outage warning.
Luke Kirkness: Thinking beyond roadworks to fix pothole crisis
Opinion: Roads of despair - will drivers ever be safe from NZ's pothole epidemic?
How you can transform food waste into sustainable savings
Opinion: Expert tips on saying goodbye to food waste and hello to savings.
Food prices: How to stop throwing your money in the bin
An expert shares how people can make the most of their groceries as living costs increase.
Your ultimate guide to using ChatGPT
Plus 10 ways to use it to better yourself professionally.
Crackdown on dangerous drivers: Fleeing drivers could lose cars for good
More fleeing drivers prompts tough legislation: cars seized and stronger penalties.
'Little passion bug': Distillery wins big after only six weeks in existence
'Winning any award is amazing, but double gold is truly phenomenal.'
One Love 2024 line-up, date and when tickets go on sale revealed
Some of the world's biggest reggae and dancehall acts are set to return to Tauranga.
Disaster-fatigued? How to manage the mental impacts of storms
An expert explains the signs of disaster fatigue to watch out for after the latest storm.
What you need to know about Anzac Day in Tauranga and Western Bay
All you need to know about local road closures, commemoration timings and locations.
'My daughter could have died': Mum vents anger at Tauranga boy racers
A mother was trying to rush her daughter to Tauranga Hospital but the road was blocked.
Veterans talk about their service and why Anzac Day is celebrated
ANZAC Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand.
The Tauranga connection to forgotten Kiwi heroics in WWI
"I’m humbled to be part of this amazing story."
'It's gotten worse': Stories of human struggle behind the cost of living crisis
Herald interactive and Kiwi accounts show the impact of rising costs, inflation.
'Supporting them as much as we can': Mount RSA donates $18k to cyclone relief
Earlier this month, Red Cross granted $1 million to the Hawke's Bay Disaster Relief Trust.
Luke Kirkness: Hard lessons learned gardening to avoid
OPINION: I'm no master but there are a couple of lessons people can avoid learning.
How to save money: Meet people growing their own food - and learn how you can too
Your guide to growing your own fruit and vegetables.
Opinion: It's time to stop pussyfooting with Covid rules
Other countries have moved on, and so should we, writes Luke Kirkness.
Tauranga traffic delays: Road closure in Poike to blame, council says
Tauranga City Council expects updated road signage to ease congestion at peak times.
Opinion: The key to plugging New Zealand's brain drain
OPINION: There's no quick fix to get people to stay in New Zealand.
How to keep your house warm without driving your power bill up
The call is going out for curtain donations to help hundreds of households in need.
Basketball: Rising star and the unclear pathway to going pro
Rotorua Boys' High School student Elijah Fonotia dreams of making it big in the NBA.
Easter traffic: Delays in Tauranga after crash on State Highway 29A
The cars collided just after 3pm.
Coromandel cut off: What geotechnical investigations reveal at SH25A
Bridge, bypass or rebuild the options for repairing road.
The billion-dollar problem: NZ's most common injury
The Bay of Plenty was among the top five for most fall-related injury claims in 2022.
'Nothing left for food': Rising cost of living hitting home
A price tracker launched today aims to guide and inform Kiwis through tough times,
Food prices have been 'hiked up' - but here's how a mum saves money
A Tauranga mum's food bill has doubled in three years, but these actions keep costs down.
Number of banned guns seized after mosque shooting revealed
Local deerstalkers take aim at the Govt for how hunters were treated after March 15.
Plunged: Tough time to sell despite house price drop
Demand is expected to drain from the housing market in the coming months.
Cocaine use soars, beyond 'small pockets' of NZ society
It comes as methamphetamine and MDMA consumption nationwide has been on a downward trend.
Extensive algal bloom: Health warning issued for Lake Rotoiti bay
Contact with the affected water could cause asthma and hay fever attacks for some people.
Mystery of the missing doctor: New CCTV footage released over vanishing
David Holland was last seen at his Pāpāmoa Beach home on March 11 last year.
Opinion: Two things especially clear after Cyclone Gabrielle
OPINION: We all have a part to play in the response to Cyclone Gabrielle.
'The screams were horrendous': Surfer's warning after saving mum, kids from 'gnarly' rip
A surfer says the rip was like nothing he had seen before in 20 years of living there.
All-female Mount Maunganui surf lifesaving patrol celebrates International Women’s Day
Sixteen wahine patrolled the beach and consisted of different ages and abilities.
Turtle-y awesome: 'Cheeky' green turtle Smee returned to ocean
He needed help after being hooked by a fisherman.
Cyclone Gabrielle: Napier records second-wettest day ever
'Gabrielle is one of the worst storms to hit Aotearoa New Zealand in living history.'
Opinion: Community effort needed in cyclone response
OPINION: Emotions are going to be running high after a wet summer and recent flooding.
All you need to know about the BOP state of emergency
Bay of Plenty Civil Defence announced a region-wide state of emergency on Monday.
Imported measles case visited Tauranga
The case is isolated at home and contact tracing under way.
Cyclone Gabrielle: All you need to know for Bay of Plenty
Severe weather is widespread across the North Island.
How to make your money work for you in a recession
With a recession looming and the cost of living increasing, experts share some tips.
Appeal for sightings of Bay of Plenty man missing for two months
Despite 'extensive searches' across the region, the Murupara man cannot be found.
Mike Dawson on the 'massive undertaking' skiing 1000km across Antarctica
The coldest day nearly got to -40 but Mike Dawson says the trip was 'very incredible'.
‘A real sharp one’: 4.8 earthquake near Te Aroha jolts North Island
Thousands across the Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Coromandel and Auckland felt the shake.
Cash, alcohol, chocolate and cruises: The gifts offered to police
Most gifts were accepted and either donated to a charity or shared among staff.