Monday Sport Blast From The Past: Neroli Knight
Known as "Bart" Neroli Knight was a pioneer of women's rugby.
These days she is a primary school teacher and coaches juniors at the Waihi Athletic Rugby club.
In August, 1990 she set a record that will probably never be broken, when she became Black Fern no 28 at aged just 15 against the Netherlands at the RugbyFest in Christchurch.
Neroli attended the Rugby World Cup in Cardiff in 1991, appearing the play-off for third against France. She next played for New Zealand in 1999, playing a test against against Canada in Palmerston North. She played her last test in 2001 but continued playing club rugby with success and for Wellington at rep level.
Clubs she was associated with include Stokes Valley, Petone and Hutt Old Boys Marist. It was not only her youthful international debut that makes Neroli unique.
She began playing in a boys team in Blenheim in 1982 when she was eight years old. She continued playing in boys teams and did so again at Hutt Valley High School.
In 2009, she married Waihi church pastor Benhur Matautia.
And how did she get that nickname? She made her international debut in 1990, the same year that Bart Simpson first appeared and with her spiky hair, she had a passing resemblance to the famous cartoon character.
Best way to use leftovers?
I'm sure you've got some excess ham at home or cold roast potatoes.
What are some of your favourite ways to use leftover food from Christmas day? Share below.
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️