Urzila Carlson to Cover RWC 2021

Ubiquitous comedian Urzila Carlson and AM Early’s Bernadine Oliver-Kerby are among the team who will front Spark Sport’s and Three’s Rugby World Cup 2021 coverage.

Here’s the media release:

Expert panel to front Spark Sport and Three’s Rugby World Cup 2021 broadcast

Spark Sport and Three’s Rugby World Cup 2021 (RWC2021) coverage will feature an impressive line-up of experienced broadcasters when Aotearoa takes centre stage as host nation in October and November.

The extensive coverage across all 10 match days will be co-hosted by iconic rugby broadcaster Scotty Stevenson and Newshub news and sports presenter Bernadine Oliver-Kerby, alongside expert panellists Kristina Sue and Sene Naoupu, with Newshub Sports reporter and presenter Narelle Sindos also sharing hosting duties as they bring viewers closer to the action.

Popular entertainment personalities, Brodie Kane and Urzila Carlson join the presentation team as roving reporters to shine a spotlight on the heroes from all 12 nations and showcase the fanfare from the stands.

All 26 matches will be available live and on-demand on Spark Sport while eight matches will be carried by free-to-air partner Three, including both semi-finals and the final live, as well as delayed coverage of two quarter-final matches and all three of the Black Ferns’ pool matches against Australia, Wales, and Scotland.

Head of Spark Sport, Jeff Latch, says: “We’re delighted to announce a line-up of exceptionally talented sports broadcasters who we know will provide a great deal of knowledge and expertise as they delve into the action as it happens.

“Our aim is to make many of these players household names as women’s rugby takes over the nation for six weekends across October and November.

“With World Rugby’s commentary team featuring top Kiwi talent such as Rikki Swannell and Honey Hireme-Smiler, combined with our presentation team which carries a wealth of women’s rugby expertise, I hope Kiwis take advantage of the fantastic RWC2021 coverage we will have available on Spark Sport come 8 October.”

Juliet Peterson, Senior Director Content ANZ, Warner Bros. Discovery says: “We hope that rugby fans around Aotearoa will seize the opportunity to watch rugby’s pinnacle event and support the Black Ferns through the broad range of viewing options available to them, as well as attracting and welcoming new supporters to the game.

“We want to offer all New Zealanders the opportunity to engage with those key sporting moments that have a unique ability to unite people across all communities.”

Spark Sport’s RWC2021 co-hosts Scotty Stevenson and Bernadine Oliver-Kerby, between them, bring over three decades of rugby reporting and commentary experience while former players, Kristina Sue and Sene Naoupu, offer years of recent experience as women’s rugby trailblazers on and off the field.

Four-code New Zealand representative (rugby union, sevens, rugby league and touch), Kristina Sue returns to Spark Sport after beginning her broadcasting career with the sports streaming service during the 2019 Rugby World Cup. She was part of the triumphant 2017 Rugby World Cup winning Black Ferns side and is now the familiar face and voice of Farah Palmer Cup coverage.

Former Otago representative and now Ireland-based rugby star, Sene Naoupu, has forged a stellar career playing for Leinster and captaining Ireland, racking up 48 caps, and was awarded 2016 IRUPA Women’s Player of the Year. She’s a member of World Rugby’s Women’s Advisory Council, the International Rugby Players Association and was named by the Irish Examiner as the 10^th Most Influential Woman of 2020. Her extensive knowledge of the tournament’s European teams and their talent will prove valuable as she dissects the action on the field.

Spark Sport and Three’s showcase of women’s rugby will be complemented by the World Rugby commentary team, including Rikki Swannell, Honey Hireme-Smiler, Melodie Robinson and Rachael Burford.

For access to all 26 RWC2021 matches, sign up at www.sparksport.co.nz.

Scotty Stevenson

Scotty “Sumo” Stevenson is one of the most recognisable and popular sports broadcasters in Aotearoa with over 15 years’ experience in commentary and reporting. In 2019, he led Spark Sport’s coverage of the Rugby World Cup from Japan. He has fronted everything from Rugby World Cups to Olympic Games and is a strong advocate for women’s sport – most recently as an official Champion of RWC2021.

Kristina Sue

Kristina Sue is a four-code New Zealand representative (rugby union, sevens, rugby league and touch) who was part of the World Cup winning Black Ferns squad in 2017. She began her broadcasting career with Spark Sport during RWC2019 and is now a familiar face and voice of Farah Palmer Cup coverage. She is currently a coach and teacher at Manukura School and Senior Tutor at Massey University.

Sene Naoupu

Sene Naoupu is a New Zealand-born, Ireland women’s rugby international who is currently residing in Dublin. She is a former Otago representative having been raised in Oamaru and has forged a stellar career in Ireland with Leinster and has captained Ireland racking up 48 caps for the national team. She was awarded 2016 IRUPA Women’s Player of the Year and currently is a member of the International Rugby Players’ Association and World Rugby’s Women’s Advisory Council. Sene was named 10^th Most Influential Woman in 2020 by Irish Examiner and works as a lifestyle coach and personal trainer.

Bernadine Oliver-Kerby

With over three decades experience in the industry, Bernadine is Newshub news and sports presenter on AM. She also presents AM Early from 5.30am weekdays, serving up New Zealand’s first weekday news bulletin on TV. Bernadine is a seasoned broadcaster with a deep passion for news and sports. She has covered numerous Rugby and Netball World Cups, Olympic and Commonwealth Games and the America’s Cup.

Narelle Sindos

Narelle Sindos is a sports reporter and presenter for Newshub, based in Auckland. Narelle has travelled to Doha to cover the All Whites FIFA World Cup play-off match against Costa Rica in June, and did an exclusive interview with FIFA President Gianni Infantino. She has recently returned from Birmingham where she covered the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Narelle worked on the Black Ferns Pacific Four series win back in June, and outside of sports she has hosted the Super Saturday Vaxathon, an eight-hour television event.

Brodie Kane

An award-winning journalist, Brodie has loved every minute of the 15 years she’s had in broadcasting. Her no-nonsense yet down-to-earth approach is unique in the industry and you can be guaranteed that what you see is what you get. Brodie is based in Auckland and is working on some awesome projects, which include hosting the very popular The Girls Uninterrupted and Kiwi Yarns podcasts, and producing two further podcasts, Three Gals One Beehive, and Out the Gayte. She loves to work on creative campaigns for various brands and within the media industry too. Then there’s the MC duties and public speaking which she’s really passionate about.

Urzila Carlson

Urzila Carlson is a South African born New Zealand comedian and actress, known for her stand-up performances as well as her appearances on television programs in both New Zealand and Australia. Carlson is a regular panellist on 7 Days and Have You Been Paying Attention NZ. She has won numerous comedy awards both in NZ and overseas, including People’s Choice award at the 2022 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, has her own Netflix special Overqualified Loser, is the best-selling author of memoir Rolling With the Punchlines and has topped the comedy charts with her award-winning podcastThat’s Enough Already!