The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

The All Blacks played against England in a Twickenham test match on Sunday morning, and the final result was a 25-25 tie. The All Blacks dominated in the first half of the match, but England bounced back towards the end, which resulted in this final draw. Elliott Smith, Newstalk ZB's rugby commentator spoke about the match further and reflected on what factors played a part in this tied score. LIS...

Megan Singleton, writer for BloggerAtLarge.com, has recently been travelling around Las Vegas, Nevada on a four day road trip, and she's explored all that the region has to offer. The obvious draw of the location is the casinos and the iconic Strip, but Megan explained that the state has more to offer prospective travellers. The desert is home to Area 51, the Hoover Dam and the most haunted hotel...

Today on The Sunday Panel: commentator and editor, Jo Mccarroll and host of The Front Page podcast Damien Venuto joined us to talk about the following topics from this week-  Black Ferns – is this a turning point for women’s rugby in New Zealand and can they keep on this momentum? Is this now on New Zealand Rugby to put the support behind the women’s game and make sure it progresses? The team have...

Indie record label Flying Nun Records was founded in Christchurch in 1981 by music store owner Roger Shepherd. Since then, Flying Nun has brought us artists like The Chills, Headless Chickens, The Verlaines, and Chris Knox. The early days of Roger Shepherd's iconic Kiwi label have now been compiled into a book, it’s called Needles and Plastic: Flying Nun Records, 1981-1988. Author Matthew Goody, a...

Friends, Lovers and the Terrible Big Thing  by Matthew Perry – star of the TV series Friends. His memoir of his career but also his struggle with addiction which has taken an enormous toll on him – countless stints in rehab costing millions; appalling physical impacts on his body; the sheer amount of drugs he swallowed could have knocked out an army; and yet he’s managed to have this amazing caree...

IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) is an intestinal disorder that causes pain in the stomach, wind, diarrhoea and constipation.  IBS affects about 7 percent of New Zealanders. Erin O'Hara, naturopath and wellness expert explained that this condition refers to a collection of symptoms, which makes is harder to diagnose and research. Erin O'Hara also says that there are many possible causes for this con...

Once upon a time I would scoff at getting organised for Christmas early November, but these days I am a convert!   This week we are getting our Christmas shopping done early!   I want to share my recipe for honey preserved oranges. Which can be made this weekend and will be perfect by the time we get to Christmas.   We make them at the school and use them for a variety of dishes.   Chop them up an...

In a less-than-surprising development, a new study has confirmed that the world's richest people live life differently to most, and that translates over into carbon emissions. Billionaires emit huge and unsustainable amounts of carbon and unlike ordinary people, 50 percent to 70 percent of their emissions result from their investments. Dr Joel Rindelaub, University of Auckland Research Fellow obse...

The highly anticipated sequel to Black Panther was released to theatres this week, and it had plenty of buildup leading to the final product. This movie had a challenging pre-production, with lead actor Chadwick Boseman dying early on into filming. As such, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever had that extra detail hanging over the film's release. Steve Newall, editor at flicks.co.nz says that Black Pan...

In 2008, Hollywood icon Paul Newman tasked his best friend with interviewing all the people that shaped his life.  From those interviews, Paul dictated his own version and this long-lost record has now been released as a posthumous memoir. It’s called Paul Newman: The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man.  Paul’s daughter, Clea Newman Soderlund, talked about her contribution to the memoir today....

The Black Ferns won the 2022 World Cup, in a game many were proud to watch and celebrate. The final score was 34-31, which allowed the Black Ferns to claim their sixth Rugby World Cup title. Former Black Fern Honey Hireme-Smiler was among the mass of New Zealanders proud to celebrate that win, as she explained here. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern travelled to Cambodia to attend the annual East Asia Summit (EAS) , ahead of representing New Zealand at APEC Economic Leaders Week in Thailand.    Adam Pearse, NZ Herald political reporter, explained that these meetings are part of the Government's strategy to connect with world leaders following the pandemic restrictions slowing that process down. Adam Pe...

Over in the US, New York Times business investments editor David Enrich has just released his new book 'Servants of the Damned'. 'Servants of the Damned' looks into the evolution of law firms – particularly one of the biggest in the world, Jones Day, who backed Donald Trump's 2016 election bid. David Enrich talked about the book here today, which is available in stores now. LISTEN ABOVE See omnyst...

Well, they did it. With an over 42,500 strong crowd behind them, the Black Ferns upset the tournament favourites to take home the 2022 Women’s Rugby World Cup. What an incredible story – to rebuild after a disastrous Northern tour at the end of last year and get to the World Cup final would on its own have been an inspiring story. But the Black Ferns have given us so much more. They united the cou...

This week on The Sunday Panel, NZ Herald senior writer Simon Wilson and Coast day host Lorna Subritzky called in to talk with Francesca Rudkin about the following topics:  Today at the Labour Conference, Jacinda Ardern is set to announce cost of living policy today. Ardern has said it won’t include tax cuts, is this likely to be a repeat of August’s three-part payments? The last payment went badly...

The way we live and eat is opening us up to insulin resistance. Our modern world has more choice in terms of carbohydrates and processed foods, which causes this problem. Insulin resistance happens when the body doesn't respond properly to insulin, creating heightened blood sugar levels. This can contribute to other health problems, such as heart disease and PCOS.  Naturopath and wellness expert e...

The team at Pic’s Peanut Butter have released a cook book and whether you're just a peanut butter on toast type of person, or a spoonful from the jar person, this book is set to expand your peanut butter repertoire. The book also tells founder Pic Picot’s journey to creating his famous peanut butter brand and how the company has progressed over those years.  Pic Picot himself explained everything...

This week we have the most amazing recipe using one of my most favourite vegetables, asparagus. We have some popping up in the gardens at the moment, but ours are very long stalks. I've been told that you have to wait for 3 years before you start picking them.   A couple of things to note when you are cooking or looking to serve asparagus.     You don't need to peel new season asparagus, only late...

David Farrier's latest documentary Mr Organ is out in theatres November 10th, but the lead up to the piece suggests viewers are in for a unique experience. Weird and darkly entertaining works are on-brand for David Farrier, and Mr Organ has been five years in the making. David Farrier has promised viewers an in-depth look into Michael Organ and the people who've interacted with him over the years....

Lee and Andrew Child have been collaborating on books for the last two years, with Lee Child originally phasing his brother Andrew in to take over writing the Jack Reacher series completely. Despite previous statements claiming he had outgrown writing the series, Lee and Andrew kept working on the books together, with their third Jack Reacher collaboration out to buy now.  'No Plan B' is the lates...

When we heard about the fire at Pegasus Beach north of Christchurch on Thursday morning or read the news about a fire on Te Mata Peak in Hawkes Bay on Saturday morning, how many of us immediately presumed fireworks were the cause? I did. It always happens this time of year. And I’m going to be honest with you, I think I’ve almost had enough. You see, just quietly between you and I, I’m a lover of...

November marks seven weeks until Christmas, with the big day getting closer and closer. However, some people will be doing it tough around this time of year, and that's where Kiwi Christmas Books comes in. Sonya Wilson established this charity to encourage Kiwis to help out where they can, using books to help out people in need. Sonya Wilson joined us to explain why she chose books as the backdrop...

The Labour Party Annual Conference is taking place this weekend, with Jacinda Ardern using this as an opportunity to refresh before the 2023 election.  Despite an optimistic beginning, Jacinda Ardern and Grant Robertson seemed aware of what was at stake, as they knew 2023 is set to be a close call, election wise. Newstalk ZB's chief political reporter, Aaron Dahmen has been active during this ongo...

The Black Ferns managed to hold off France in last night's semi-final and win the match 25-24. The score was close and the match was intense, but the Black Ferns have advanced to the final against England. Sports journalist Alice Soper broke down the impressive performance from the Black Ferns this morning.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier this morning the All Blacks continued their 69 year dominance over Wales, beating them 55 – 23 at the Principality Satdium in Cardiff. Up until the 53 rd minute there was just 6 points in it, but Wales struggled to keep up in the final 30, with the All Blacks scoring 8 tries to 2.   Newstalk ZB Rugby commentator, Elliott Smith broke down all the details of the morning match worth getting u...