Win for Finlay

Manawatu Muay Thai kick boxer Keagan Finlay beat Jayden Pye of the Jackals Gym in Napier by unanimous decision in their fight at Arena Wars 6 at Napier at the weekend. The 15-yearold Finlay goes to Palmerston North Boys’ High School and fights out of Fight Shop NZ. It was Finlay’s fourth Muay Thai bout and his first under the International Federation of Muay Thai amateur rules, making him the first and youngest Manawatu junior to compete under these rules. These rules are used at the Oceanias, world championships, World Youth Games and eventually will be used at Olympic. Bouts are contested under full Thai rules (with elbows), but competitors wear head gear, chest protectors, elbow pads and shin pads. Pye was recently selected for the Black Gloves New Zealand team to compete in Thailand in August. Finlay is hopeful of being selected for the Black Gloves team to go to the IFMA world championships in Mexico. Moore has made a few changes from the team’s 28-16 win over Canada on Saturday. Rebecca Wood will debut at lock, while Toka Natua replaces Pip Love at prop, and Charmaine Mcmenamin, Aldora Itunu and Theresa Fitzpatrick are all named in the starting XV. New Zealand driver Hayden Paddon has crashed out of Rally Italia Sardegna after hitting a dry stone wall on the final day. Both Paddon and co-driver Seb Marshall were unharmed but special stage 18 was stopped for following competitors. Paddon went off on a right-hand corner. The car went onto two wheels and crashed heavily into the wall. It was the second time Paddon had crashed during Rally Italia, a ‘‘schoolboy’’ error costing him the lead. ‘‘After Saturday’s misfortune, we wanted to use today to get back into a rhythm. Things started out well with a stage win, but that was the extent of our positives from today,’’ he said. Hyundai Motorsport extended its run of consecutive podium finishes with Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul securing a hard-fought third place finish.