The Roar - A Southland sporting podcast

Southland Shark basketballer Josiah Allick joins The Roar to talk through the frightening lengths he is going to to find the best value groceries in the south, his first experience diving for paua and even a little bit of basketball, including how he is setting himself to be the hardest working player in the NBL. Before then, Logan, Nathan & Nick cover off the big Southland sporting stories of...

Senior Content Lead for the New Zealand Olympic Team Laura Overton played a key role in bringing New Zealand's Olympic successes onto our social media and digital feeds with her incredible work alongside the athletes at last year's Paris Olympics. While she was back in the south to document Ellyse Andrew's performances at the Track Cycling Nationals in Invercargill we chatted to her about how she...

Southern Volts and Southland cricketer Ben Lockrose joins The Roar to preview the Volt's only trip to Invercargill's Queen's Park, takes us through his career to date and gives us an insight into life as a professional cricketer.   Before then, Logan, Nathan & Nick cover off the big Southland sporting stories of the past week. Give us a rate and a review if you're that way inclined and follow...

The Coast to Coast is one of the country's iconic adventure races. At 15 years of age, Southland sporting prodigy Benson Boys teamed with Finn Mitchell to win the Open Tandem category at the 2025 event. We will repeat this bit ... he's 15! We chat to Benson about the event including an incredible story about the kayak leg, what a legend his team mate Finn is and just what is next for this incredib...

Southland Stags' winger Michael Manson joins The Roar to chat through whether a Jamie Joseph pre-season has lived up to its reputation. Spoiler alert: IT HAS! We preview the Highlanders' pre-season Super Rugby clash against the Crusaders at Rugby Park on Waitangi Day and look at the impact the Super rugby environment has had on Michael's development. Before then Logan, Nathan & Nick cover off...

From the NBA to the Southland Sharks in New Zealand's National Basketball League. It's not a traditional coaching pathway, but it's the path new Sharks Head Coach Jonathan Yim has taken as he takes the reins of the southern club in 2025. We chat about just how his appointment has come to pass, share some incredible stories from his years in the NBA and his plans to turn around the fortunes of the...

WE ARE BACK! As non-commital as we were about our return dates, there was just too much great sport over the holiday break and when you get the chance to chat with the person who probably had the biggest impact on the national sporting scene you take it! Cricketer Jacob Duffy starred for the Black Caps in their T20 and ODI series against Sri Lanka so we chat with the man himself on being part of t...

We bring the curtain down on the first year of The Roar with an incredible conversation. Finn Mtichell was 25% of the FEAR Youth Adventure Racing Team that has just returned from trekking through Ecuadorain jungle and mountains to finish sixth in the World Adventure Racing Championships. It is a truly remarkable story of just what the human body is capable of if you have the mental toughness and r...

It's a loaded edition for our penultimate edition of The Roar for 2024 with two guests who havce had massive years. James McLeay became only the fifth New Zealander to ever make a World Under 20 1500m final in Peru this year, whilst also fitting in time to make the national team for the World Secondary Schools Cross Country championships in Kenya and in his spare time earn Dux honours at Southland...

Adopted Southlander and champion lawn bowler Aiden Takarua confirms his reidency with an appearance on The Roar to talk through his incredible year highlighted by his recent final appearance at the World Bowls Champion of Champion Singles in Auckland. Before then Logan, Nathan and Nick cover off the big stories of the Southland sporting week. Give us a rate and a review if you're that way inclined...

18 year old Cormac Buchanan made history a few weeks ago as the first New Zealander contracted to compete in the FIM Moto3 World Championship. Next year he will race 22 rounds across 18 countries after securing a ride with Boe Motorsports team. We find out how it came about, what he's expecting and how he will prepare for the biggest season of his young career. Before then Logan and Nick look at t...

Going to two World Junior Track Cycling Championships is a great feat. Medalling at both is something again. To do it second time after one of the most horrific mountain bike accidents you will hear is unbelievable. That's Caitlin Kelly's story. We are so appreciative she shared it with us this week on The Roar. Before then, Logan, Nathan and Nick go over the last week's local sporting headlines i...

Newly named Highlanders winger Michael Manson joins The Roar to discuss his naming in Jamie Joseph's Highlanders squad for 2025, just how much he is looking forward to Joseph's infamous preseason trainings and just how fast he could run the 100 in these days. Before then Logan and Nick review the big sporting stories from the past couple of weeks including Josh Burnett's near perfect week to make...

On the eve of the 2024 SBS Bank Tour of Southland, Josh Burnett joins the Roar to remember his drought-breaking win two years ago, his securing of a professional contract for Europe for next year and the chances of making it two Tour wins in three years. Give us a rate and a review if you're that way inclined and follow @theroarpodcastnz on Facebook, Instagram or YouTube. Got a Southland sporting...

You can't fault the Stags' script-writer. Southland farewelled their season with a record-breaking day at Bekhuis Park on Saturday as the Stags put 59 points on North Harbour. Coach and Rugby Southland's Director of Rugby Matt Saunders joins us to look back at the finale and reflect on the 2024 season in a warts and all straight-up conversation on the good the bad and most importantly what happens...

When Josh Bekhuis runs out onto Rugby Park (or Bekhuis Park as it has been renamed) this weekend he will become the most capped Southland Stag player in history. 144 appearances is a new mark that will likely never been beaten, made all the more remarkable by his five year stink playing in France and Japan and over 100 Super rugby games. Josh joins us to give us insights to his remarkable career,...

Another Olympic medal was in Southland this week. Women's track cyclistNicole Shields brought her silver medal from the Women's Team Pursuit in Paris back to the south and also took time to share her incredible story with The Roar. Her 2022 was spent on a couch suffering from Long Covid. 2023 was spent learning to function as a person again. The incredible resilience and courage she showed to get...

All of us can lay claim to be Stags' fans, but none of us go to the level that this week's guest does and has every year since 1999. Since then, Lindsay Beer has hardly missed a Stags' game, no matter where or when they are playing in New Zealand. We chat through his love for the Stags, just what makes this team special and get some great yarns from his 25 years supporting the men in maroon. Befor...

rom Southland to Japan to the Highlanders to one of the NRL's gtlamour rugby league clubs. It's not a well-worn path but Simon Jones has done just that. The Sydney Roosters' Head of Performance joins the boys to talk through that path, the learning curve he has been on and just how you keep bodies together over a brutal NRL season. Before then the boys bathe in the glory of the Southland Stags' co...

Kane Thompson is back in the south for a third stint with the Southland Stags, this time in the coaching box. How did it happen? What's the appeal of the south that has brought him back? And what is it about the Stags' Class of '24 that seems different from recent years? Before then, Logan and Nick look at the Stags' frustrating and unsuccessful Ranfurly Shield challenge, Southland Boys High Schoo...

Eight years ago she was watching the Black Ferns win silver in Rio. Today Alena Saili joins us as a double Olympic gold medal winner, the first Southlander to do so. She talks us through her Paris experience, what it means for her to do it as a Southlander and gives us a window into her path back from an injury which threatened to railroad her Olympic dream. Before then, Logan, Nathan and Nick loo...

Catch up on the best bits from our chat with newly named Southern Steel netball coach Wendy Frew. She talks about the appointment process, what the Steel will look like under her stewardship and what makes now the right time for her to take the coaching reins. Catch the full interview along with Southland Stags' co-coach James Wilson in Episode 20 of The Roar earlier in our feed. The Roar is a wee...

It's the most wonderful day of the year for Southland rugby fans, Stag Day and coach James Wilson gives his take on the day, its meaning and his development as a coach over his Stags' tenure. Catch the full interview along with newly-named Southern Steel netball coach Wendy Frew in Episode 20 of The Roar earlier in our feed. The Roar is a weekly Southland sporting podcast hosted by Logan Savory, N...

Two Southland players turned coaches join The Roar this week. Wendy Frew takes the reins as the newly named Southern Steel coach. We find out what the 2025 Steel will look like under Frew's tutelage and what made now the right time for her to put her name in the ring for a franchise she served so incredibly well over a 16-year playing career. Then former Stag James Wilson gets us set for the great...

The Paris Olympics are dominating the sporting headlines and there's noone better equipped to talk about what it takes to get maximum performance at the world's largest sporting event than Academy Southland's manager Jason McKenzie. Not only has Jason been part of the NZ Olympic Team previously, but his Academy programme has provided the foundations for five Southland athletes to book their ticket...