Senior reporter Jared Savage

Age: 36 Location: Tauranga Number of years as a journalist: Coming up 15 years.

Best story I’ve worked on, and why

The trial of Chris Cairns on perjury charges in London in 2015, I think. I didn’t break the story (Herald colleague Dylan Cleaver did) but I covered every moment of the trial, which is rare these days. The case had everything and I had a ringside seat. Cairns was one of the biggest names in New Zealand sport when I was growing up and the allegations of match-fixing were explosive. Especially coming from Brendon McCullum, his former friend and then Black Caps captain, and Lou Vincent, whose sad spiral into corruption played out in court. There was gripping evidence and some true characters turning up in court. Despite working for rival newsrooms, a strong camaraderie was forged with the other Kiwi journalists covering the case. The trial lasted two months and filing multiple stories each day from the other side of the world (with the time difference changing twice) for print, online and radio interviews was difficult. On top of that, it was an awfully long time to be away from my wife and son (I missed his first birthday!). After all that, beating the clock (with a bit of fortunate timing) so readers woke up to news of Cairns’ acquittal on the front page of the Herald was one of the proudest moments of my career.

The one that got away

Too many to recount!

Career highlight

Being named Reporter of the Year, for the second time, in 2015 against a very strong field.

I love journalism because

Every day is different. And I’ve experienced so many people, places and events I otherwise wouldn’t have.

But if I couldn’t be a journalist, I’d

Probably be coming to the end of long career in the All Blacks. Joking aside, a career in criminal law would keep life interesting.