read more Admittedly I am not the biggest sports fan around, so I was somewhat aghast when, on watching the Warriors make it into the semi-finals, my father suggested postponing our family weekend away. The only way to appease him was to find out if the bach had Sky (ah, no) or if there was anywhere local to see the game. The last time I set foot in the public bar of a country pub, smoking wasn't only legal, it was obligatory - especially if you were a passive inhaler. That was until last weekend. Dad and I trooped in expecting an 8pm kick off. No, it was 10pm NZ time, 8pm Australia time. Instead we filled the couple of hours bonding over a pre-mix rum and coke, and a red wine that had about 1mm freeboard. The Warriors defeat marks not only their missing out on the championship, but also the decimation of the team as we know it, a team like family. This week we talk to Wairangi Koopu about what the future holds for him and why he has succumbed to the lure of an overseas placement. We wish him well.