New Zealand Rugby has confirmed details of a structured Super Rugby development competition. Now there is a proper development programme that will run concurrently with the first couple of months of the big dance. All five New Zealand Super Rugby clubs will get five games for their development sides, offering an important opportunity for fringe players, provincial youngsters and those returning from injury to get some action. The Highlanders play their first game in the development competition against the Crusaders in Timaru tomorrow, and the rivals return to Timaru on March 6. While the annual Super Rugby under-20 tournament has, regrettably, been canned in favour of a provincial age-group event to be confirmed, NZR is soon to confirm details of an under-20 development programme.

The ship, operated by Princess Cruises, had departed Dunedin on January 27, where it would pass through Milford Sound on a scenic cruise before returning to Sydney. The alleged attack took place onboard the Discovery Princess, operated by Princess Cruises, during a 14-day cruise around New Zealand. “He deserves the maximum penalty for this savagely brutal attack on an innocent gay man, after a verbal attack about him being gay,” she said. The alleged assailant was removed from the ship by AFP officers upon arrival in Sydney, charged with one count of assault occasioning bodily harm. Princess Cruises has been approached for comment.

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Firefighters from across Auckland have contained a blaze at a two-storey commercial address on Patrick St in Onehunga overnight. Both levels of the building at Patrick St are extensively fire-damaged. They arrived to find the upper floor of the two-storey building “well ablaze”, Fire and Emergency northern shift manager Lauren Sika said. It was the second major blaze in a commercial building in Onehunga in the past month, after fire ripped through buildings in Onehunga Mall on January 25. Photo / Imogene BedfordThe cause of that fire will never be determined, as the damaged building has been demolished because of safety concerns.

A young man who fell 10 metres off the side of a University of Otago building is understood to be still in an induced coma days later. The Otago Daily Times understands the young man is still in an induced coma in the Dunedin Hospital Intensive Care Unit. Police work on top of the University of Otago Centre for Innovation building on Wednesday after a young man fell about 10m on to the concrete below. He fell from the University of Otago Centre for Innovation building near the intersection of Cumberland and Saint David Sts, and was discovered at 12.10am. Investigations found a wine bottle sitting on a ledge — it is believed that was where the man fell from.

Bradford School year 1 pupil Willow Pattison, 5, loves oranges. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSHA Dunedin school hit by government cost-cutting is asking businesses to help get fresh fruit back on its pupils’ lunch menu. Yesterday, in a social media post, principal Emma Knopp asked Dunedin businesses if they would be willing to sponsor fruit for Bradford’s 96 pupils. Ms Knopp said there was a ‘‘huge need’’ for the lunches and fruit at the school. ‘‘Lots of our families are really, really struggling.’’For a lot of children the meal at school was the only reliable one they had every day.

File photoFour people have been injured, one critically, in a crash in north Canterbury this morning. Police said they were alerted about 6.40am after a car went off the road on State Highway 7 north of Waikari. At least four fire crews worked to help free people trapped in the car, a Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesperson said. One person was in a critical condition, two people had been seriously hurt and a fourth person had sustained moderate injuries. The Serious Crash Unit has been notified.

PHOTO: GUY WILLIAMSAfter more than six years of planning, physical work is about to start on Queenstown’s $3billion Lakeview Te Taumata project. At a sod-turning ceremony on the site yesterday, Queenstown Lakes Mayor John Glover said it marked a ‘‘new start’’ for the project. CMP Construction regional manager Daniel Dwyer said site preparation would start next week, and excavation and earthworks would be fully under way next month. That work would take up the rest of this year, with two years of construction to follow. Five percent of the proceeds will be given to the Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust.

Former Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan is now the Taumata Arowai local government engagement specialist. Photo: Julie AsherA former mayor-turned water specialist has offered some humorous advice on dealing with complaints - just ask people how much contamination they're comfortable with. On Wednesday, water regulator Taumata Arowai specialist Tim Cadogan dialled in from Wellington to share safety insights with Southland district councillors. The former Central Otago mayor's presentation was upbeat but also included some sobering details, such as results from recent testing showing 43 E coli notifications around the country. Cadogan served as Central Otago mayor from 2016 to 2024 before stepping aside to take up the role of local government engagement specialist at Taumata Arowai.

Queenstown Lakes District Council has teamed up with local police to create videos for tourists promoting safe driving in the region. The council said tourists were travelling on unfamiliar roads, in some cases driving on a different side of the road than they were used to. One of the videos provided general guidance on how to drive on open roads, while the other focused on road signs. "Queenstown Road is usually very windy and much narrower, [and] China usually has multi-lanes in each direction and probably quite a high standard for their motorways. "The road signs and languages are also different, which is why the videos explain ... the common signs and what they mean."

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A sentence of home detention was not appropriate for Paul Faavaoga’s crayfish crimes, a judge has ruled. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSHA gang member who distributed nearly $200,000 of stolen crayfish has won an appeal — but will remain behind bars. Paul Faavaoga, 37, did not get the home detention term he sought from the High Court. Because the result did not bring the sentence to less than two years’ imprisonment, a community-based outcome could not be considered. Typically, Faavaoga would receive payment for the stolen crayfish by way of bank transfer.

Feb. 12 (UPI) -- A serial thief who has been stealing items including towels, shoes and underwear from a New Zealand school for over a year was finally caught on camera and identified as a literal cat burglar. "Initially we noticed single shoes and goggles and undies and towels left along the footpath into the school," Stewart told Stuff.co.nz. Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementThe school posted a video to Facebook when the thief was finally caught on a security camera. We're calling him Slinky Malinki," Stewart said. "I think we're going to have a lot of fun writing stories about our own school's Slinky Malinki," she said.

Jon CornwallPicture this — you are a young medical student, conducting a dissection and the deceased suddenly says: ‘‘You are now cutting into my heart. ‘‘Use of griefbots for this purpose is controversial,’’ Dr Cornwall said. Their research showed thanatobots could hypothetically be loaded with a donor’s medical records, and could contain anatomy education software. ‘‘If used, potential benefits might include enhancing learning via linking medical history to anatomical findings and clinical reasoning through personalised teaching assistance,’’ Dr Cornwall said. ‘‘Ethical, cultural, and pedagogical challenges around thanatobot development should be critically examined prior to any incorporation into anatomy education.’’john.lewis@odt.co.nz

Photo: FilesThe New Zealand Merino Company (NZM) is sourcing fine wool from a pool of 200 South African suppliers to keep up with strong demand from big brands. To meet customer needs, NZM has reached agreements with two South African brokers to top up its mainly New Zealand and Australian supply base. NZM now has access to merino wool from about 200 South African farmers certified with its ZQ programme to meet high animal welfare, environmental and social standards. ‘‘They are wool types in South Africa we can’t readily buy in New Zealand in the volumes we need, so typically [19.5 to 22] microns. The South Africa micron range sits within the broader end of the active-wear market as well as the sock market.