Well, welcome to all our readers here in New Zealand & around the world, I'm Whetu Ngapo & you're tuning in to my KiwiAvenger blog here on blogger, but first that the war between Israel & Hamas in Gaza continues as there were 24 casualties according to the death toll when the Israeli forces launch a new ground assault on Gaza's capital of Rafah, but the ceasefire plan is back on the table according to Egypt last Thursday with the remaining 65 hostages (Just 5 of them will be released for the truce) urging Israel (Who broke the ceasefire deal to start invading Hamas again) to stop the war already (And there's growing protests already in Israel urging Hamas to release all 65 hostages being held in captivity by Hamas, but that's not going to happen until the war ends).
And secondly that there's something sombre as an earthquake which measured 7.7 on the Richter scale has struck in Myanmar (Which is one of the world's most poorest countries at the middle of a civil war in which they agreed to make a partial ceasefire according to the resistance movement in light of the powerful earthquake in an impoverished nation being piled by fresh misery), especially killing 1,644 of them (Compared to 11 in Thailand when a building under construction in Bangkok had been collapsed) & there were 3,408 people who suffered injuries according to the military rulers on state TV, meanwhile rescue workers who battled for a second night are searching for survivors (Then dozens remained trapped in the rubble) in a race against time in which tremors felt across Thailand & in nearby Chinese provinces, but all condolences go to their loved ones who lost in this dreadful disaster situation over there, as well as the victims of Palestinian people trapped in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war over there.
And thirdly in rugby related news such as in the sevens as the defending Olympic champions the Black Ferns 7's of New Zealand piled on the pressure against the Wallaroos 7's (Which featured the likes of the danger person of defending World Rugby women's 7's player of the year, Maddison 'Maddie' Levi) as they overcame the yellow card against Jorja Miller (The women's sevens rugby player of the year at the NZ rugby awards back in December last year who later bagged in for a double, but could be in the frame of joining the Black Ferns squad for our road to England which starts at the upcoming Pac 4 series alongside her Black Ferns sevens teammate, Risi Pouri-Lane) for a tip tackle on a female Aussie sevens player to win the Hong Kong sevens at the brand spanking new state of the art venue of Kai Tak Sports Park (In which they're preparing to host a concert by the UK rock slash pop band Coldplay (Who had performed sold-out shows just like Oasis there at Eden Park in Auckland in November last year) due on the 10th of April), while in the men's section as Argentina dominate the reigning Olympic champs France (Who had their player conceded a penalty on halfway for a cheap shot on the try scorer ala Rob 'Gronk' Gronkowski after a certain Argentinian try had been scored that ruined their chance of winning the Hong Kong sevens event during the men's cup final) to remain on top of the table with 1 round to go which is the next one in Singapore (And there is the equation that if Argentina need a favourable result, the men's SVNS league title is still theirs, just like in the women's section that if New Zealand require a chance of a strong showing in Singapore, the women's SVNS championship remains ours), meanwhile in Super Rugby Pacific as the Hurricanes outmuscle the NSW Waratahs side who lost 3 backs such as Wallaby Max Jorgensen early with injury at Sky Stadium in Wellington during round 7 of this years Super Rugby Pacific Competition in a comprehensive thrashing, but a day later that there was much better news as Moana Pasifika (In just their 4th season altogether) led by its inspirational captain of incumbent All Black Ardie Savea (The one who got a double during the upset of the ages for who I thought was the standout performer of the game, but I also thought that his move to Moana would eventually destroy his career, & he didn't as Savea (Who is maybe an apparent heir of Richie McCaw in which the headlines would possibly say: RICHIE WHO? MOANA STUN CRUSADERS IN EPIC SRP GAME) got his act together when they notched up just their 2nd win of the season just to complete the impossible mission) who pulled off the Christchurch heist with an incredible victory against the Crusaders (Who were missing their skipper David Havili with an injury just moments prior to kick off, but coach Rob Penney had opted to rest the quartet who were always their best performers of lock forward Antonio Shalfoon (Who plays for the Tasman Mako in the Bunnings NPC competition), number 8 Christian Lio-Willie (Who was the key signing for the Crusaders in 2023 following the departure of Los Pumas player Pablo Matera who spent one season in 2022 with the most successful Super Rugby franchise in history), first-five eighth Taha Kemara (Always the first choice first five for the Crusaders as he is first in line in the Crusaders first fives pecking order ahead of former Wallaby James O'Connor), & winger Sevu Reece (The speedster who is always the danger man in the Crusaders team) for that game (And they would've gone on top of the table if they beat Moana (Who were the underdogs for that game against the overwhelming favourites of the Crusaders in terms of the bookmakers), but now that the Queensland Reds have taken over on top of the table after the 7th round of the competition following their win against the Western Force (And that is the first time that an Aussie side had taken the lead in the standings since 2014 (The year that the NSW Waratahs was the last Aussie side to win a full Super Rugby competition, & the last time that Australia had hosted a full Super Rugby final when the Tahs hosted it in the same year against the Crusaders in Sydney when they eventually triumphed in front of their adoring home crowd), but it looks like the Aussie sides have been improving by finding their competitiveness (Especially in the competitive edge department should I say) after the Melbourne Rebels pulled out of the comp last year due to lack of funding to keep operating, quite frankly) for the first time at the Apollo Projects Stadium in the garden city for a visiting team which is much hard to beat against the 14 time Super Rugby champs, in one of the biggest boil overs (And if not one of the amazing upsets ever, while April fools day hasn't even started yet which is not due on the 1st of April) in Super Rugby Pacific history (And what a match that has been for Moana Pasifika who were riding high after their win against the Hurricanes again before losing to the Chiefs in Pukekohe, & to cap off something special in one of the giant killing moments of all time in SRP, in akin to a David against Goliath battle like that, & what a beauty it was (And one of the first fives for Moana of Patrick 'Patty' Pellegrini (Who is Aussie born, but of both Italian & Tongan descent) would've played for the Wallabies later this year should he been uncapped for Tonga earlier), in one of the landmark achievements for Moana has ever witnessed in their 4th year of competition altogether), how about that! (Great work guys, thank you, you & your men deserve it (Nice one uce, CHEHOOO!!!).
And finally that I wanted to give a shout out to my dear cuzzie, as well as my honorary sister & bestie who is a lovely girl/lady/woman of Paige Ahearn (Who is a millennial just like me as she is best known as Cathey Middelplaats's daughter, Luca & Nico's sister, as well as Jarrod's wife & Norah's mum who I have not seen her since 2016 (That was the day after me, Pops & John Coburn saw an AB's test in Welly against Wales for which was my one & only live All Blacks rugby test that I have ever been (That was 4 years prior to COVID (The one serious disease that I never had before in my whole life along with Pops & Carole, but if I'd wish I remained at Dad's place when COVID had been around, I would've got it, but luckily I didn't since I made my decision to live with Pops back in 2017, 3 years before the world changed everything, again (Which was in 2020, but now we're this year (2025), & it's been 8 years since I lived at 15A Kells Ave where I've been lucky to be here since, so here I am) for which I was willing to meet Paige (The one fave person who I'd like to have dinner with & the one favourite person who I'd like to have a selfie with (Even if I have a cell phone) again one day along with Cathey (My biological aunty who could be both my honorary mum & my old bestie) & Norah (My first cousin once removed who could potentially be both my honorary niece & god daughter, duh (And she was conceived in April 2022 after her parents of Jarrod & Paige who were having an intimate affair with each other like a love scene, so that's why that Paige revealed that she was pregnant at the time, in due course) next time when I go to Wellington with either Dad (He's got 9 years left of his teaching job before his retirement compared to Aunty Tan who has got 6 years remaining because of the retirement age there in Canada is 63 (And Rejean has recently retired from his work when he turned 63 recently on March 31st) while here in our country of New Zealand is 65) or Pops (Whether he wished to either go or not to go regardless of his old age as well as the price hike regarding to travel costs during this cost of living crisis that we're currently having, or if the weather is decent), but I first met her when she was a little girl in 1999 here in Whanganui were she was with Cathey when I was with Dad at the late Nan & Pops place which is me & Pops place now as of today that used to be my school holiday retreat during my both Raetihi Primary School & Ruapehu College days when I was a kid & in my early to mid teens, but now that she's a grown up now when I met Paige compared to Dad's fave person who would likely to have a selfie with which it's Jans as Dad told me before) again along with Cathey 17 years later back in 2016 (And she was 22 at the time (Compared to Cathey who was 49), but Norah had not been around where she wasn't born until January 26th, 2023) 7 years before becoming a full time mother (I heard that she's always busy looking after a child like that, as well as her job that she works in Wellington that Paige still lives as a business development manager at 2degrees according to Dad last year while me & Pops was at the Cobb with him for dinner) as she gave birth to her daughter of little Norah in January 2023) wishing her a 31st birthday so best wishes, xoxoxoxoxo.
So that is my 604th blog of the year 2025 (MMXXV) & my 28th of this year, viva Ukraine & Palestine.
P.S. And the entertainment world is in mourning as Hollywood movie star & A-lister Val Kilmer (The man who appeared in famous films, such as Top Gun with Tom Cruise, Batman Forever with Nicole Kidman, Jim Carrey & Tommy Lee Jones, & MacGruber) has recently passed away, but all condolences have being sent to his loved ones in the United States, especially for his family for that sad but emotional & hard, difficult time, rest in peace (RIP), meanwhile the motor racing community is also in mourning as Irish former F1 team owner & businessman Eddie Jordan (Who was once dubbed as the rock'n'roll team principal, in Formula One history (Their first win in Formula One for Jordan came way, way back in 1998 after former world champion Damon Hill won in a rain sodden Belgium (Which was marred by the huge accident that took Michael Schumacher (Who made his F1 debut in Belgium also way, way back in 1991 after Bertrand Gachot was sent behind bars for the assault on a London taxi driver a year earlier, but had to retire due to a clutch problem), David Coulthard & 11 others out during the Grand Prix that caused a big pileup) in which he beat his teammate at the time of Ralf Schumacher (That was the year before way, way back in 1999 (Their most successful season to date with a 3rd place finish in the constructors championship behind Ferrari, but ahead of Stewart (Who had gone on to become Jaguar from way back in 2000 right through to also way back in 2004, until Red Bull took over since 20 years ago way back in 2005 in which they won 6 constructors championships & 8 world drivers titles with German Sebastian Vettel & Dutchman Max Verstappen having won 4 world championships each) they would secure another victory in France also under the wet weather conditions with German Heinz-Harald Frentzen, & Italy for which was their only ever win in the dry), but their last win was way back in 2003 in another race affected by the wet weather in Brazil after who I thought McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen won, but it went to an Italian of Giancarlo Fisichella (The man known as Fisi or Fisico who comes from Rome) who was declared the victor instead) has recently passed away aged 76, but all thoughts & prayers go to the family of Eddie in this toughest of times, requiescat in pace.
Val Kilmer
1959 - 2025
& Eddie Jordan
1948 - 2025
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