A year of highs, lows and hard questions: Inside New Zealand's rollercoaster sporting season

The country's biggest sports teams delivered everything from turmoil to triumph in 2025, with a mixed bag of results across rugby, league, netball and cricket, with off-field drama often dominating headlines.

Guests:

• Rikki Swannell - Sports commentator and journalist

Learn More:

• The Post's All Blacks season player ratings
• RNZ's deep dive into the Netball NZ and Dame Noeline Taurua incident
• RNZ's piece on the Silver Ferns' win over England
• More rugby news here and here
• More on the Warriors here
• More on NZ football here
• Liam Lawson's 2026 season confirmation

Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The opening has been pushed back again, the price is extraordinary, but Auckland's City Rail Link is expected to deliver the region the wow factor

Those in charge of the country's most expensive transport infrastructure are confident the new timetable for opening will stick - but they won't name a date

Guests:

• Alan Trestour - CRL Head of Delivery for Auckland Transport
• Patrick Brockie - CRL chief executive
• Stacey van der Putten - Auckland Transport director of public transport and active modes
• Russell McMullan - CRL Assurance and Integration general manager
• Adrian Price - Auckland Transport head of completion of Karanga-a-Hape station

Learn More:

• CRL official website

Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

There's a lot of hand-wringing but few answers when it comes to culling New Zealand's rapidly expanding deer population

In a war between hunters and conservationists over the control of one of our most damaging pests, only the deer are winning

Guests:

• Richard Dawkins - Federated Farmers meat and wool chair
• Jill Herron - Newsroom journalist
• John Bissell - hunter and conservationist

Learn More:

• RNZ's podcast Deer Wars
• More on Herd of Special Interest
• Details of talks on special interest wapiti herd revealed

Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details