Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Newstalk ZB
Newstalk ZB
  • 5.0 (1)
  • News
  • Updated Daily

With a straight down the middle approach, Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive on Newstalk ZB delivers the very latest news and views to New Zealanders as they wrap up their day.

  1. 22h ago

    Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: I'm shocked by Nick Hill's rugby argument

    Nick Hill is the principal of Christchurch Boys’ High School, and I have no doubt he is a very good headmaster with the best of intentions. But I am not exaggerating when I say I am shocked by the argument he seems so keen to advance. Last month, he wrote an article for the Herald, and this month he has doubled down on those views in a letter to principals. In that letter, he urges schools to stop recruiting rugby players, arguing there is a link between the recruitment of talented schoolboy rugby players and sexual offending. He says his thinking has been influenced by Chanel Contos, an Australian advocate who has written about allegations of sexual offending by students at an elite Sydney school. Her argument is that this behaviour stems from a broader cultural problem in some schools, where boys are taught to feel entitled. Nick Hill argues that rugby recruitment can reinforce that sense of entitlement. He says  when schools recruit a 14-year-old because of his rugby ability, offer him a scholarship and treat him differently because of his sporting talent, what is he learning? He learns that talent brings special treatment. I can't claim to know any schoolboys talented enough to have been recruited for rugby scholarships but I doubt they are all, or even many of them, sexual offenders or sexually entitled. On the contrary, I think school rugby recruitment is often a very positive thing. In many cases, it gives young men from disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity to attend schools and access opportunities they otherwise would never have had because their parents could not afford the fees. I suspect many people will read both the article and the letter and be offended by the link that has been drawn here. As I said, I think Nick Hill means well but the connection he has made stretches credibility and is, frankly, unfair on young men. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  2. 1d ago

    Shaun Newman: TrailLite joint Managing Director says younger kiwis are taking an interest in motorhomes

    For the first time, the odds driving past an NZ-built motorhome are higher than ever. After a boom-bust cycle during COVID, New Zealand's motorhome market is starting to stabilise, and it's no longer a boomer-dominated market.  Kiwi motorhome company TrailLite's joint Managing Director Shaun Newman says, "for a lot of people, a holiday house isn't a viable option for them anymore." He says motorhomes and caravans offer a cheaper and more versatile holiday for families. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  3. 2d ago

    Full Show Podcast: 23 October 2026

    On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday, 23 October, 2026, is the election over for Chippie after the gang fiasco? We question the Labour leader. An expert's warning to check your connections after a cyber security flaw takes down websites around the world. Business is booming for motorhomes - and it's not just Boomers buying them. And one of our Sports Huddlers, Nathan Limm and Lavina Good, makes a big call on our highest-performing team of the year. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Full Show Podcast: 23 October 2026

  4. 2d ago

    Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: I cannot see Chris Hipkins winning the election

    Oh, I tell you what, I cannot see Chris Hipkins winning the election now. I mean, if you thought that Mongrel Mob fiasco was bad before, it's got so much worse for Labour. Their candidate has quit and Chris Hipkins himself now looks like he's been fibbing to the public. It turns out, now that we've seen the video of Kerrin Leoni at the Mongrel Mob event, that it wasn't at all the family gathering Labour told us it was. She was there in her red Labour jacket with a placard featuring a picture of herself and Chippy, telling gang members to enrol and change the government. That doesn't look like a family barbecue, does it? I don't know how many family barbecues you turn up to wearing your work jacket. I also don't know how many voters are going to believe Hipkins when he says he didn't know about it and that Leoni misled him. Anyone paying attention would have seen Labour doing a fair bit of misleading themselves. When Leoni was first accused of meeting the Mongrel Mob the week before the Green and Māori parties had, Labour said it wasn't true. They said she hadn't met the gang the week before. But she had. It was nine days before, not seven, and that looks very much like Labour playing silly buggers with the timeline so we'd never know the event had happened. If they were prepared to mislead us on that, do you really believe they didn't try to mislead us when they said, "Hey, it's just a family event," when it was actually a political event? This is devastating for Labour because it's no longer just about whether you share Labour's values or what you think about criminals and gang members. It's now also about the integrity of the party leader and whether he and the party tried to hide this from voters. My suspicion is that, yes, they very much did. And that, with only two weeks until election day, is, in my view, unsurvivable for Labour short of a miracle. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  5. 2d ago

    Barry Soper: Senior Political Correspondent wraps the week in politics

    Senior Political Correspondent Barry Soper sits down with Heather du Plessis-Allan to review the week in politics.  Labour candidate Kerrin Leoni has cut ties with the party after a video circulated of her campaigning with the Mongrel Mob.  The debates are wrapped up, Barry picks his winners...and losers.  And the founder of the Opportunity Party says the party is leaning too far to the left! LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  6. 2d ago

    The Huddle: Can the Northland Taniwha win the NPC?

    Tonight on The Huddle, NZ Herald Sports Journalist Nathan Limm and Sports Commentator Lavina Good join Heather du Plessis-Allan to the review this weeks' sports.  The Northland Taniwha have soldiered to the NPC final, can they defeat heavyweights Canterbury and take the trophy home? The Constellation Cup continues over the ditch, can the Silver Ferns maintain momentum? And why was Grace Nweke subbed off moments before breaking a historic record?  And the new PNG Chiefs have revealed their logo, Heather gets our guests thoughts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  7. 2d ago

    Scott Styris: Cricket Commentator and former Black Cap reviews India's first game against the Black Caps

    India have won the first match against the Black Caps of the T20I series.  They beat the Black Caps by a narrow four wickets at Hagley Oval, taking the first win of the 5 match series.  Cricket Commentator and former Black Cap Scott Styris told Heather du Plessis-Allan that, 'the six frontliners on that surface, which looked a good one for betting, didn't quite have the key to unlock that Indian lineup' LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  8. 2d ago

    Matthew Hague: Military Lawyer and Former Member for the Defence Force comments on Chief's resignation

    The Defence Force Chief is resigning after 42 years of service due to an undisclosed inappropriate relationship.  Air Marshal Tony Davies says he's taking responsibility for errors of judgement he made in the past.  He says he regrets not disclosing the relationship when given the opportunity, and his actions run contrary to Defence Force values. Military Lawyer Matthew Hague told Heather du Plessis-Allan that the details are unclear at this stage, but Davies' resignation shows this is a serious matter.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See All (2K)

Hosts & Guests

About

With a straight down the middle approach, Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive on Newstalk ZB delivers the very latest news and views to New Zealanders as they wrap up their day.

Information

More From Newstalk ZB

You Might Also Like