TONIGHT ` AN UNDERGROUND DRAMA IS UNFOLDING IN WAIHI. A RESCUE TEAM HAS BEEN SENT IN AFTER LOSING CONTACT WITH THE DRIVER OF A FRONT-END LOADER. A DEADLY TURN TO A SERIES OF SUSPECT FIRES IN CHRISTCHURCH. AND SOME SWAGGER WITH THE SWING. THE CHEEKY RESPONSE FROM A KAPA HAKA GROUP WHO WERE TOLD THEY COULDN'T USE POI. DUE TO THE LIVE NATURE OF TONIGHT, WE APOLOGISE FOR THE LACK OF CAPTIONS FOR SOME ITEMS. RESCUE TEAMS ARE SEARCHING FOR A MISSING WAIHI MINE WORKER WHO DISAPPEARED AFTER THE LOADER HE WAS DRIVING ROLLED DOWN A SHAFT THIS EVENING. THE EMERGENCY TEAM WAS SENT INTO THE UNDERGROUND CORRENSO MINE, WHICH SNAKES FOR 40KM UNDER THE WAIHI TOWNSHIP. CREWS ARE YET TO HEAR FROM THE DRIVER OF THE UNDERGROUND LOADER, WHO WAS CAUGHT IN WHAT POLICE ARE DESCRIBING AS A WORKPLACE ACCIDENT SHORTLY AFTER 6.30 THIS EVENING. THE MINE HAS BEEN SHUT DOWN WHILE THE SEARCH IS UNDERWAY. BARACK OBAMA HAS URGED DEMOCRATS TO UNITE TO MAKE HILLARY CLINTON THE NEXT US PRESIDENT. CLOSING THE THIRD DAY OF THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION, THE OUTGOING PRESIDENT SAID HIS FORMER RIVAL WAS THE ONLY CHOICE FOR AMERICA. BUT AS THE ABC'S ZOE DANIEL REPORTS, DONALD TRUMP MADE SURE THE DEMOCRATS DIDN'T HAVE IT ALL THEIR OWN WAY. WHEN HE SPOKE IN THIS FORUM ON THIS DAY 12 YEARS AGO, HE WAS A FRESH-FACED SENATOR WHO INSPIRED A NATION. CHEERING I LOVE YOU BACK. TODAY FOR THE PRESIDENT IT WAS ABOUT HOLDING IT TOGETHER AND BEATING DONALD TRUMP. WE'RE NOT A FRAGILE PEOPLE. WE'RE NOT A FRIGHTFUL PEOPLE. OUR POWER DOESN'T COME FROM SOME SELF-DECLARED SAVIOUR PROMISING THAT HE ALONE CAN RESTORE ORDER AS LONG AS WE DO THINGS HIS WAY. WE DON'T LOOK TO BE RULED. BARACK OBAMA KNOWS HILLARY CLINTON BETTER THAN MOST. SHE WAS DOING EVERYTHING I WAS DOING, BUT JUST LIKE GINGER ROGERS, IT WAS BACKWARDS IN HEELS. SHE'S BEEN HIS OPPONENT, HIS COLLEAGUE, HIS FRIEND. NOW HE WANTS HER TO TAKE HIS PLACE AS COMMANDER IN CHIEF. AND TONIGHT I ASK YOU TO DO FOR HILLARY CLINTON WHAT YOU DID FOR ME. REPUBLICAN NOMINEE DONALD TRUMP ALMOST STOLE THE MEDIA MOMENT BY SUGGESTING RUSSIA SHOULD HACK HILLARY CLINTON'S EMAIL ACCOUNT AND EXPOSE EMAILS FROM HER TIME AS SECRETARY OF STATE. RUSSIA, IF YOU'RE LISTENING, I HOPE YOU'RE ABLE TO FIND THE 30,000 EMAILS THAT ARE MISSING. ONE BY ONE, THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY'S MEN STOOD UP AGAINST HIM, TO THE DELIGHT OF THE FAITHFUL. CHEERING YOU CANNOT BELIEVE ONE WORD THAT COMES OUT OF DONALD TRUMP'S MOUTH. HE HAS NO CLUE ABOUT WHAT MAKES AMERICA GREAT. ACTUALLY, HE HAS NO CLUE, PERIOD. CHEERING FROM BARACK OBAMA, IT WAS A SPEECH ABOUT STRENGTH AND OPTIMISM AGAINST FEAR AND ISOLATION. AMERICA IS ALREADY GREAT. AMERICA IS ALREADY STRONG. THAT'S WHY ANYONE WHO THREATENS OUR VALUES ` WHETHER FASCISTS OR COMMUNISTS OR JIHADISTS OR HOMEGROWN DEMAGOGUES ` WILL ALWAYS FAIL IN THE END. 'STRONGER TOGETHER' IS HILLARY CLINTON'S CAMPAIGN SLOGAN. AND SHE HAS A POWERFUL ALLY TO HELP DELIVER SUPPORT. BUT THERE'S A LONG CAMPAIGN AHEAD BEFORE VICTORY IS SEALED. BACK HERE, A SERIES OF SUSPICIOUS CHRISTCHURCH FIRES THERE WERE CONCERNS ABOUT EARLIER THIS WEEK HAS TAKEN A DEADLY TURN. A BODY'S BEEN DISCOVERED IN THE REMAINS OF A WOOLSTON FLAT THAT CAUGHT FIRE YESTERDAY. THE BUILDING WAS THOUGHT TO BE VACANT AT THE TIME. KIM SAVAGE REPORTS. IT'S A DISTURBING SIGHT ` A BODY BEING CAREFULLY REMOVED BY HEARSE FROM THE SCENE OF YESTERDAY'S BLAZE. THE PERSON IS YET TO BE IDENTIFIED, BUT IT WAS AN UNEXPECTED FIND FOR POLICE, WHO WERE CERTAIN YESTERDAY NOBODY HAD BEEN TRAPPED IN THIS INFERNO. PRETTY UPSETTING, ACTUALLY. WE OBVIOUSLY CAME AWAY FROM THE WHOLE SITUATION YESTERDAY THINKING, 'WELL, AT LEAST EVERYONE WAS SAFE.' AND THEN TO FIND OUT THAT WE ALL, SORT OF, CAME AWAY FROM THE BUILDING... FIRE SAFETY INVESTIGATORS HAVE ALREADY BEEN ON-SITE AND WILL BE BACK ON THE SCENE TOMORROW. FIRE INVESTIGATOR BRUCE IRVINE TOLD ONE NEWS... AS LONG AS WE'VE BEEN LIVING HERE, I HAVEN'T KNOWN ANYONE TO BE OCCUPYING THE BACK PART OF THE PROPERTY. THIS WOMAN WAS ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES YESTERDAY. SHE WAS SLEEPING IN A SEPARATE BUILDING WHEN THE FIRE TOOK HOLD. PASSERS-BY SMASHED WINDOWS AND DRAGGED HER TO SAFETY BEFORE EMERGENCY SERVICES EVEN ARRIVED. NEARBY RESIDENTS ONE NEWS HAS SPOKEN TO HAVE DESCRIBED SEEING DRAMATIC FLAMES IN THE EARLY HOURS OF YESTERDAY MORNING. THE OCCUPANTS OF ONE NEIGHBOURING PROPERTY SAY THE FIRE GO SO CLOSE IT MELTED A DRAIN PIPE ON THE SIDE OF THE HOUSE. I WOKE UP, AND THE FIRST THING I THOUGHT WAS, 'GET MY FAMILY OUT OF THERE,' COS THERE'S SPARKS ALL OVER THE PLACE. EMERGENCY SERVICES QUICK TO THE SCENE BUT UNAWARE THAT ANYBODY WAS LIKELY TO BE IN THE SELF-CONTAINED UNIT BEHIND THE MAIN HOUSE. THE GUYS GOT HERE PRETTY QUICK AND JUST GOING FORM PERSON TO PERSON TO FIND OUT IF THEY'RE ALL RIGHT, SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE WE CAN DO. A POST-MORTEM WILL BE HELD TOMORROW AS POLICE TRY TO IDENTIFY WHO THIS IS. THEY WANT TO HEAR FROM ANYONE WHO WITNESSED WHAT HAPPENED HERE YESTERDAY MORNING. KIM SAVAGE, ONE NEWS. AGENCIES SAY TWO CHILDREN WHO RAN AWAY FROM THEIR WAIKATO FOSTER HOME ARE BEING HIDDEN BY FAMILY MEMBERS AND THERE ARE CONCERNS FOR THEIR SAFETY. THE 15-YEAR-OLD BOY AND HIS SEVEN-YEAR-OLD SISTER LEFT THEIR CARERS' HOME IN TUAKAU LAST MONDAY NIGHT. CHILD, YOUTH AND FAMILY HAS BEEN TOLD BY THEIR MOTHER THEY'RE WITH WIDER FAMILY MEMBERS. BUT CYFS SAYS THEY CAN'T CONFIRM THEY'RE SAFE AND CHILDREN SHOULDN'T BE USED AS BARGAINING CHIPS OVER CUSTODY ISSUES. A WARNING ` THIS NEXT STORY CONTAINS SOME GRAPHIC IMAGES. A SLAUGHTERMAN (38) HAS RECEIVED HOME DETENTION FOR 'CRUEL AND GRATUITOUS VIOLENCE' AGAINST MORE THAN A HUNDRED BOBBY CALVES. NOEL ERICKSON WAS SENTENCED IN HUNTLY TO 10 MONTHS' HOME DETENTION AND 200 HOURS' COMMUNITY WORK FOR ANIMAL CRUELTY. THE PROSECUTION FOLLOWS THE BROADCASTING OF SHOCKING IMAGES, CAPTURED BY ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS, SHOWING ERICKSON ABUSING CALVES AT A WAIKATO SLAUGHTERHOUSE. THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE WELFARE OF ANIMALS IS NOT JUST THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE REGULATOR ` THE GOVERNMENT. EVERY ONE OF US HAS A PART TO PLAY IN THAT, AND WE WOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE THAT SEE MISTREATMENT OR ABUSE OF ANIMALS TO REPORT IT TO US. NEW RULES GIVING GREATER PROTECTION TO BOBBY CALVES WILL BE INTRODUCED NEXT MONTH. AUCKLAND CITY'S NEW BLUEPRINT FOR HOUSING ITS GROWING POPULATION WILL LEAD TO MANY MORE PEOPLE LIVING IN APARTMENTS. THE NEXT 30 MONTHS WILL SEE 40 NEW BLOCKS BUILT, TAKING THE TOTAL PAST 500, WITH 31,000 APARTMENTS ALL UP. MOST ARE SMALL AND BUILT FOR SINGLES OR COUPLES ` A LONG WAY FROM THE KIWI FAMILY DREAM. IDEALLY MOST NZERS AND MOST PEOPLE THAT EVEN MOVE FROM OVERSEAS THAT COME TO LIVE HERE, THAT'S THEIR ULTIMATE AIM IS TO HAVE A HOUSE WITH A BIT OF A BACKYARD. BUT WITH HOUSE PRICES LOCKED IN AN UPWARD SPIRAL, THE DEMAND FOR APARTMENTS IS SET TO KEEP GROWING RAPIDLY TOO. AUCKLAND'S HUGE BUILDING CHALLENGE IS GOING TO BRING AN EQUALLY HUGE CHALLENGE TO FIND ENOUGH TRADIES. INSIDERS SAY IT'S ALREADY TOUGH FINDING ENOUGH SKILLED WORKERS. POLITICAL REPORTER KATIE BRADFORD'S BEEN TALKING WITH SOME OF THOSE WHO'LL BE ON THE FRONTLINE OF AUCKLAND'S MAJOR HOUSING EXPANSION. FOR THESE CONSTRUCTION APPRENTICES, FINDING A JOB'S NO PROBLEM. FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE, YEAH, DEFINITELY. THE WORK'S MASSIVE. EVEN A MAN WITH 20 YEARS IN CORPORATE BUSINESS HAS SWITCHED TRADES. IT WAS VERY HARD. IT WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE SCARIEST DAYS OF MY LIFE, ACTUALLY. BUT IT'S GREAT FUN NOW. I'M ENJOYING IT. DEMAND IS SO HIGH, THEIR LECTURER SAYS HIS PHONE'S RINGING OFF THE HOOK. I'M GETTING PHONE CALLS ALMOST DAILY FROM BOSSES ASKING FOR STUDENTS ` YOU KNOW, GOOD GUYS TO HELP WORK IN THE WORKFORCE. AUCKLAND'S UNITARY PLAN RECOMMENDS BUILDING 131,000 HOUSES OVER THE NEXT SEVEN YEARS. THAT'S 51 NEW DWELLINGS A DAY. IT IS A REAL STRETCH FOR US, BUT ONCE WE'VE GEARED UP FOR IT, THAT LONGER-TERM TARGET'S FEASIBLE, BUT THE SHORT TERM ONE'S A PROBLEM. BECAUSE MORE WORKERS WILL BE NEEDED, AND THOSE WORKERS WILL NEED HOMES IN A CITY THAT'S DESPERATELY SHORT OF THEM. I GET A LOT OF AUCKLAND EMPLOYERS SAYING ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS THEY HAVE RECRUITING ANY KIND OF PERSON INTO AN OCCUPATION IS THEY CAN'T GET PEOPLE THERE WHO CAN AFFORD TO RENT OR BUY. THERE ARE 38,000 PEOPLE IN CONSTRUCTION TRAINING NATIONWIDE. BUT IT'S NOT ENOUGH, SO MIGRANTS WILL NEED TO FILL THE GAPS. SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING IN ON THE SKILLS CATEGORY ARE COMING IN BECAUSE THEY ARE PART OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AND WE NEED THEM. MANY INDUSTRY EXPERTS SAY AUCKLAND COULD LEARN A LOT FROM THE CHRISTCHURCH REBUILD WHEN IT COMES TO RECRUITING STAFF AND HOUSING THEM. THE OTHER WORRY IS, THOUGH ` WILL THE RUSH TO BUILD LEAD TO SHONKY WORKMANSHIP? WE'RE STARTING TO SEE SOME OF THOSE PROBLEMS CREEP INTO THE AUCKLAND MARKET NOW, AND AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL IS GRAPPLING WITH HOW TO RESOLVE THOSE ISSUES, AS IS THE WIDER CONSTRUCTION SECTOR. I THINK IT SHOULD CONCERN EVERYBODY. AND JUST ANOTHER REASON WHY WELL-TRAINED APPRENTICES WILL BE IN HOT DEMAND. KATIE BRADFORD, ONE NEWS. KIWI MOVIE STAR JAMES ROLLESTON HAS BEEN MOVED TO AN INTENSIVE CARE UNIT AFTER HE WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED IN A CRASH. THE DARK HORSE STAR, WHO ROSE TO FAME AS THE LEAD IN THE FILM 'BOY', IS IN A STABLE CONDITION IN WAIKATO HOSPITAL. THE 19-YEAR-OLD NEEDED EMERGENCY CARE AFTER THE CAR HE WAS IN CRASHED INTO A BRIDGE IN OPOTIKI ON TUESDAY. THE PRIME MINISTER URGED HIS TONGAN COUNTERPART TO CRACK DOWN ON THE SALE OF ILLEGALLY ISSUED PASSPORTS AS THE PAIR MET FOR BI-LATERAL TALKS IN AUCKLAND TODAY. ONE NEWS REVEALED TWO YEARS AGO THAT DOZENS OF DIPLOMATIC AND ORDINARY PASSPORTS HAD BEEN ISSUED TO CHINESE NOT ENTITLED TO THEM. AKILISI POHIVA, ON HIS FIRST OFFICIAL VISIT HERE, HAS PROMISED THE PROBLEM IS BEING INVESTIGATED. IT'S A SERIOUS MATTER. THEY ARE DEALING WITH THE ISSUE AND NZ NEEDS THE ISSUE TO BE DEALT WITH BECAUSE THESE ARE PASSPORTS WHICH ARE IN THEORY NOT FAKE PASSPORTS. OTHER ISSUES DISCUSSED INCLUDED CLIMATE CHANGE AND AID PROJECTS TO TONGA. PACKAGING TYCOON GRAEME HART'S PERSONAL FORTUNE IS DOWN $2B BUT HE STILL TOPS THE COUNTRY'S 2016 RICHLIST. NZ'S WEALTHIEST MAN HAS A NET WORTH OF $7B. THAT'S WELL IN FRONT OF SECOND ON THE LIST, INVESTOR RICHARD CHANDLER, WHO IS WORTH $4.2B. THE TODD FAMILY IS THIRD, ACCUMULATING A $3.3B FORTUNE IN ENERGY AND INVESTMENTS. THE RICH LIST SHOWS NZ'S WEALTHIEST ARE GETTING RICHER. THEY'RE $4B BETTER OFF THAN THEY WERE LAST YEAR. BUT MANY ARE ALSO GIVING A LOT BACK. JESSICA MUTCH SPOKE TO ONE RICH LISTER WHO IS CALLING ON OTHERS TO STEP UP. FOR SIR JAMES WALLACE, ART IS HIS THING, AND HE GIVES VAST AMOUNTS OF MONEY TO IT EACH YEAR. IT FILLS THE CRACKS IN SOCIETY. ACCORDING TO THE NBR RICH LIST, HE'S THE 92ND RICHEST PERSON IN NZ AND WORTH $150M. THE GROWING GULF BETWEEN THE VERY RICH AND VERY POOR REALLY WORRIES ME, AND IT IS NOT BEING FILLED GREATLY BY PHILANTHROPY. THERE ARE PLENTY OF ESPECIALLY PEOPLE WITH NEW MONEY WHO DO NOT GIVE MUCH BACK. SO HE'S CALLING ON HIS FELLOW RICH LISTERS TO STEP UP. THE ONLY REASON I EVER RELUCTANTLY TALK ABOUT THESE THINGS IN PUBLIC IS BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO SHOCK A FEW OF THEM INTO REALISING THAT THEY SHOULD BE CONTRIBUTING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY THAT SUPPORTED THEM AND MADE THEM WHAT THEY ARE. THE PEOPLE WHO WRITE THE LIST SAY NZ'S WEALTHIEST USUALLY DON'T WANT THEIR DONATIONS MADE PUBLIC. WE SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT IT, WE SHOULD BE TELLING PEOPLE THE STORIES ABOUT OUR PHILANTHROPY, BUT UNFORTUNATELY SOME PEOPLE ARE A BIT RESERVED ABOUT IT. JOHN KEY BELIEVES PHILANTHROPY HAS ITS PLACE. THE PRIME MINISTER IS RANKED 175 EQUAL ON THE RICH LIST; ESTIMATED WORTH ` 60 MILLION. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THERE IS A GREAT AMOUNT GIVEN AWAY BY PEOPLE THAT ARE WELL OFF, AND THEY DO THAT BECAUSE THEY HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY OR THEIR FAMILIES MAY NEED. IT IS VERY REWARDING. IT'S WORTHWHILE. WHAT ELSE? YOU CAN'T SPEND IT ALL ON YOURSELF. AND MANY ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE BENEFITTING FROM THAT SENTIMENT. JESSICA MUTCH, ONE NEWS. REMEMBER THE FAMOUS ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE, THE GLOBAL CHARITY CAMPAIGN THAT WENT VIRAL? WELL, IT TURNS OUT THE ENDLESS CLIPS OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE BEING DUNKED WITH ICY WATER WERE WORTH IT. THE $300M RAISED HAS LED TO A BREAKTHROUGH IN RESEARCH INTO MOTOR NEURONE DISEASE. A GENE LINKED TO THE DEGENERATIVE DISEASE HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED, PAVING THE WAY FOR FUTURE TREATMENT. JUST AHEAD ` CAN SHE MAKE IT A TRIPLE? LYDIA KO TEES OFF IN THE BRITISH OPEN, HOPING FOR MAJOR TITLE NUMBER THREE. IT'LL BE A LAST-MINUTE DECISION, BUT IF HURRICANES CAPTAIN DANE COLES FRONTS UP FOR THIS WEEKEND'S SEMI, HE'S ADAMANT THERE IS ONE THING HE WON'T BE DOING. HOW SWIMMING NZ IS HOPING TO KEEP TEENAGERS IN THE SPORT LONGER ` IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THE 'F' WORD. LYDIA KO IS JUST ABOUT TO TEE OFF IN THE OPENING ROUND OF THE WOMEN'S BRITISH OPEN, AND SHE HAS A CHANCE TO BECOME THE YOUNGEST PLAYER IN ALL OF GOLF - NO MATTER THE ERA - TO CAPTURE THREE MAJOR TITLES. MEANWHILE, THE WICKETS HAVE BEEN TUMBLING IN DAY ONE OF THE BLACKCAPS' OPENING TEST AGAINST ZIMBABWE IN BULAWAYO. THE HOME SIDE WON THE TOSS, CHOOSING TO BAT FIRST, BUT THE COIN TOSS HAS SO FAR BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT OF ZIMBABWE'S INNINGS, LOSING FOUR EARLY WICKETS IN QUICK SUCCESSION. GOT HIM! CHEERING THERE'S A WICKET. SHOUTING OH DEAR. THAT'S IT. OH DEAR. THAT'S IT. THE BLACKCAPS LOOK ON TRACK TO KEEP THEIR UNBLEMISHED RECORD AGAINST ZIMBABWE. THEY'RE YET TO BE BEATEN IN A FIVE-DAY GAME. ZIMBABWE 76 FOR THE LOSS OF 8. HURRICANES CAPTAIN DANE COLES HASN'T BEEN RULED OUT OF THIS WEEKEND'S SUPER RUGBY SEMI-FINAL AGAINST THE CHIEFS. IN FACT, THE HARD-NOSED HOOKER IS PROBABLY MORE LIKELY TO PLAY THAN NOT, DESPITE A PAINFUL RIB INJURY HE SUSTAINED LAST WEEKEND. JOHN MCKENZIE WITH THIS FROM THE HURRICANES CAMP. FIVE DAYS AGO DANE COLES THOUGHT HIS SEASON WAS OVER. I'VE NEVER HAD PAIN LIKE THAT IN MY LIFE. I THOUGHT I WAS HAVING A HEART ATTACK TO BE HONEST. TODAY, HE'S A REAL CHANCE OF SUITING UP SATURDAY NIGHT AGAINST THE CHIEFS, ALTHOUGH A FINAL DECISION MIGHT BE A LATE ONE. 7:34 AND A HALF IF WE NEED TO. COLES SAYS HE'LL RE-EVALUATE THE PAIN AFTER TOMORROW'S CONTACT TRAINING RUN, BUT WON'T PLAY IF HE'S BELOW 90%. HE ALSO REFUSES TO WEAR ANY SORT OF PROTECTIVE PADDING. I ACTUALLY HAVEN'T TRIED ANYTHING ON YET. IF I END UP PLAYING I DON'T THINK I'LL WEAR ANYTHING. IF COLES PLAYS, THE RUN-ON 15 REMAINS UNCHANGED FROM LAST SATURDAY NIGHT'S 41-0 WIN OVER THE SHARKS. THAT MEANS THERE'S STILL NO ROOM FOR THE OUT-OF-FORM JULIAN SAVEA. AN INTRIGUING PICK, WITH THE NEXT ALL BLACKS SQUAD TO BE REVEALED IN JUST FOUR DAYS. JULIAN HAD SOME NICE TOUCHES WHEN HE CAME ON, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WOODY DID ENOUGH TO KEEP HIS SPOT AND SO THAT'S HOW IT IS. THE TWO TEAMS HAVE PLAYED JUST ONCE THIS SEASON, THE CHIEFS WINNING AN END-TO-END NAIL-BITER. ALTHOUGH THE BIGGEST TALKING POINT FROM THAT MATCH WAS THE DECISION TO ENFORCE GOLDEN OLDIES SCRUMS. ALTHOUGH THE BIGGEST TALKING POINT FROM THAT MATCH WAS THE DECISION TO ENFORCE GOLDEN OLDIES SCRUMS. ARE YOU SUGGESTING WE SHOULD START WHERE WE FINISHED LAST TIME? WOULD YOU BE IN FAVOUR OF GOLDEN OLDIES THEN TO HELP THE RIBS? (LAUGHS) NAH, MATE. NEVER GOLDEN OLDIES SCRUMS. AROUND 25,000 TICKETS HAVE ALREADY BEEN SOLD, WITH THE FORECAST FOR ANOTHER WET AND WINDY NIGHT IN THE CAPITAL. WE'RE PREDICTING DRY WEATHER, AGAINST THE FORECASTERS BECAUSE THEY'RE WRONG MORE THAN THEY'RE RIGHT. HE'LL BE HOPING THAT PREDICTION ISN'T THE ONLY THING HE GETS RIGHT SATURDAY NIGHT. JOHN MCKENZIE, ONE NEWS. THE CHIEFS HAVE MADE A KEY CHANGE TO THEIR SIDE TO TACKLE THE HURRICANES. LIVEWIRE HALFBACK BRAD WEBER HAS GIVEN WAY TO MORE EXPERIENCED ALL BLACK TAWERA KERR-BARLOW, WHO IMPRESSED OFF THE BENCH AGAINST THE STORMERS. MEANWHILE TEST MIDFIELDER SETA TAMANIVALU RETURNS FROM A KNEE INJURY, WHILE JAPAN CAPTAIN MICHAEL LEITCH IS BACK, VIA THE RESERVES, AFTER DISLOCATING HIS THUMB NINE WEEKS AGO. SWIMMING NZ IS CHANGING ITS NATIONAL COMPETITION STRUCTURE IN THE HOPE OF KEEPING TEENAGERS IN THE SPORT LONGER AND INCREASING THE CHANCES OF SUCCESS AT THE TOP LEVEL AT EVENTS LIKE THE OLYMPICS. AS ABBY WILSON REPORTS, IT'S ALL ABOUT KEEPING SWIMMING FUN FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. CHEERING NO BORING SWIMMING SESSIONS FOR THESE AUCKLAND SCHOOLKIDS. IT IS REALLY FUN, COS YOU'RE COMPETING WITH ALL YOUR FRIENDS, AND YOU KNOW EVERYONE. EVERYONE'S ENCOURAGING, AND IT'S JUST REALLY FUN. AND THEY KEEP COMING BACK FOR MORE. HALF OF OUR TEAM NOW WANNA SWIM MORE TIMES A WEEK, WHICH IS GREAT. SWIMMING IS A REGULAR ACTIVITY FOR ALMOST 50% OF KIWI 5-YEAR-OLDS, BUT BY THE TIME THEY GET TO 15, PARTICIPATION HAS FALLEN TO AROUND 10%. CHEERING SWIMMING NZ THINKS IT'S ABOUT TOO MUCH PRESSURE TOO EARLY. WE'RE ONE OF THE ONLY COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD THAT HOLDS NATIONAL CHAMPS FOR UNDER-12S. QUITE OFTEN IT SENDS A MESSAGE TO PARENTS AND COACHES TO BE PUSHING THE KIDS TOO HARD. SO FROM NEXT YEAR, JUNIOR COMPETITION WILL GO BACK TO THE REGIONS, THE EMPHASIS ON PARTICIPATION, LIKE IN THIS SCHOOL LEAGUE. IT'S A HARD SPORT. YOU GOTTA SWIM UP AND DOWN THAT BLACK LINE FOR A LONG TIME FOR QUITE A FEW YEARS, SO IF YOU CAN HAVE LOTS OF FUN DOING IT, THEY'LL STAY IN A LOT LONGER. THE HOPE IS WE WILL END UP WITH A BIGGER POOL OF SWIMMERS AND MORE AT THE TOP LEVEL. BUILDING REALLY STRONG CLUBS AND MAKING IT A REALLY FUN ENVIRONMENT FOR YOUNGER PEOPLE IS A FANTASTIC WAY TO GO. SWIMMING IS TRYING TO LEARN FROM SUCCESSFUL HIGH-PERFORMANCE SPORTS LIKE CYCLING AND ROWING. THEY DON'T FOCUS SO MUCH ON THEIR ATHLETES UNTIL THEY'RE DEFINITELY INTO THEIR MID-TEENS AND WHEN THEY'RE GETTING A LITTLE OLDER AND MATURE. UNTIL THEN, ITS HOPE TO FOCUS ON FUN WILL KEEP KIWI TALENT IN THE POOL FOR LONGER. JUST AHEAD ` IT'S SLEEK, IT'S MODERN, IT'S NOW. IT'S OUR WEATHER FORECAST. AND POI, OH POI. HOW ONE COLLEGE TOOK A DIG AT KAPA HAKA ORGANISERS WHO TRIED TO STOP THEM DOING WHAT THEY DID BEST. SWIMMING NZ IS CHANGING ITS NATIONAL COMPETITION STRUCTURE THE MAORI BOYS BOARDING SCHOOL THAT LED THE CHARGE TO PERFORM POI, WHICH ARE USUALLY SWUNG BY WOMEN, TOOK THE STAGE TODAY AT THE NATIONAL SECONDARY SCHOOLS KAPA HAKA COMPETITION. BUT THEY HAD TO OVERCOME OPPOSITION TO DO SO. MAORI AFFAIRS REPORTER YVONNE TAHANA WITH THEIR STORY. CHEERING AND APPLAUSE THESE POI BOYS KNOW HOW TO MAKE A DOUBLE-LONG POI ` THAT'S FOUR OF THEM ` LOOK EASY, BUT HATO PAORA COLLEGE TEENAGERS WERE ALMOST DENIED THE CHANCE TO DO THIS ITEM. A RULE CHANGE MEANT THEY WERE EXPECTED TO DROP THE POI FOR A WEAPONRY-BASED ACT. THAT DECISION WAS REVERSED AFTER AN OUTCRY BY PARENTS. KAPA HAKA IS PERFORMING. IT'S ALL ABOUT ENTERTAINMENT. IT'S ALL ABOUT HAVING FUN. THERE'S NO ROOM FOR POLITICS. THEY WANTED TO MAKE A STATEMENT THAT MEN FROM THEIR REGION POI ` AND POI WELL. IT'S PRETTY COOL HOW BOYS CAN ALTERNATE BETWEEN A VERY RUGGED HARD-LOOKING HAKA AND THEN WE CAN GO ELEGANT AND YET STILL SHARP. IT'S NOT EXCLUSIVELY A WOMEN'S THING, BUT IT'S RARE TO SEE MEN PERFORM IT. HOWEVER, ONE EXPERT SAYS THESE BOYS' SWING WAS SPECIAL TO WATCH. DOUBLE-LONG POI ` IT WAS EFFORTLESS IN WHAT THEY DEMONSTRATED AND ALSO DELIVERED. I DO BELIEVE THAT THE POI JUDGES AT THEIR LEVEL WOULD'VE BEEN NOT EXPECTING THAT. THE GROUP'S TUTOR SAYS THE BOYS NEVER WANTED TO UPSET ORGANISERS, BUT HE WAS PROUD THEY'D TAKEN A STAND. I'M PRETTY PROUD, YEAH. PRETTY PROUD OF THEM. I THINK IT WAS A GOOD TEST OF THEIR CHARACTER. THE ORGANISERS DECLINED AN INTERVIEW, BUT A SPOKESMAN ACCUSED ONE NEWS OF REHASHING THE PAST RATHER THAN CELEBRATING THE PRESENT BY COVERING THE ISSUE. THE CROWD THOUGH WERE LEFT IN NO DOUBT THAT THESE BOYS CAN POI. YVONNE TAHANA, ONE NEWS. NOW TO TOMORROW'S WEATHER WITH SOULS OF MISCHIEF. FOR WEATHER, SEE ONENEWS.CO.NZ THAT'S IT FROM US HERE ON TONIGHT. THANKS FOR WATCHING. GOODNIGHT. CAPTIONS BY IMOGEN STAINES AND CATHERINE DE CHALAIN. CAPTIONS WERE MADE POSSIBLE WITH FUNDING FROM NZ ON AIR.