The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

'Bucket list' match and auction bring in $100K

Ben Waterworth
Otago Daily Times·
15 Jan, 2019 09:00 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
All Blacks Anton Lienert-Brown (left) and Sam Cane watch the Blair Vining Bucket List match from the sidelines. Photo / Ben Waterworth

All Blacks Anton Lienert-Brown (left) and Sam Cane watch the Blair Vining Bucket List match from the sidelines. Photo / Ben Waterworth

More than $100,000 has been raised for the Blair Vining Sports Foundation.

The money was collected from a black tie event auction and collections during the Blair Vining Bucket List rugby game in Winton last Saturday.

It was held for Midlands Rugby Club games record-holder Blair Vining, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer last year.

Blair Vining lined up for the national anthem with his mother Pauline and All Blacks players (from left) Sam Cane and Anton Lienert-Brown. Photo / Supplied
Blair Vining lined up for the national anthem with his mother Pauline and All Blacks players (from left) Sam Cane and Anton Lienert-Brown. Photo / Supplied

Vining's wife, Melissa, said additional funds were raised through bar takings and collection buckets passed around during the match.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Read more: All Blacks Sam Cane and Anton Lienert-Brown support emotional bucket list rugby game

She said $9000 was collected from the donation buckets alone.

''People have just been above and beyond generous in supporting the foundation,'' she said.

After Vining was initially told by doctors last year he would not make it past January, Mrs Vining said a positive scan this week had given him an additional three months.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Listen to The Muster's Andy Thompson interview Blair Vining below:

Vining now plans to use his extra time to lobby for improved cancer care for New Zealanders and will share his story at a cancer conference in Wellington at the end of the month in an effort to get a conversation started.

Mrs Vining said her husband was quick to add the new plan to his bucket list.

''What we understand is 40 per cent of New Zealanders will be affected by cancer and it bothers him so much that the Government doesn't have a cancer plan and he wants to go and do his part for the rest of us.''

Discover more

Fish & Game hits back over farming fallout

20 Dec 12:45 AM
Sport

Bucket list rugby game: ABs help dying man's wish come true

12 Jan 06:32 PM

Speed shear double win for Jack Fagan

13 Jan 09:30 PM

Teachers' Day Out at dairy goat farm

14 Jan 11:45 PM
Save
    Share this article

Latest from The Country

Premium
The Country

'It’s verging on ridiculous': Winemaker stunned by earliest harvest in 45 years

14 Feb 05:00 PM
The Country

Red tractor fan’s rare Farmall find becomes Putāruru parade favourite

14 Feb 04:45 PM
OpinionGlenn Dwight

Woolsheds and Wagon Wheel: Glenn Dwight’s Kiwi wedding guide

14 Feb 04:30 PM

Sponsored

Cyber crime in 2025: Increased specialisation, increased collaboration, increased risk

09 Feb 09:12 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

Premium
Premium
'It’s verging on ridiculous': Winemaker stunned by earliest harvest in 45 years
The Country

'It’s verging on ridiculous': Winemaker stunned by earliest harvest in 45 years

'Climate change can not be ignored. The seasons have been getting consistently earlier.'

14 Feb 05:00 PM
Red tractor fan’s rare Farmall find becomes Putāruru parade favourite
The Country

Red tractor fan’s rare Farmall find becomes Putāruru parade favourite

14 Feb 04:45 PM
Woolsheds and Wagon Wheel: Glenn Dwight’s Kiwi wedding guide
Glenn Dwight
OpinionGlenn Dwight

Woolsheds and Wagon Wheel: Glenn Dwight’s Kiwi wedding guide

14 Feb 04:30 PM


Cyber crime in 2025: Increased specialisation, increased collaboration, increased risk
Sponsored

Cyber crime in 2025: Increased specialisation, increased collaboration, increased risk

09 Feb 09:12 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • NZME Digital Performance Marketing
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2026 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP