Swords drawn
It was in 1992 that Northland last fielded a representative women's rugby league team but this Queen's Birthday weekend, for the first time, a female Northern Swords team will represent Northland at the New Zealand rugby league national women's tournament at Cornwall Park, Auckland. If playing two games a day isn't tough enough in the eight-team competition the Northern Swords have been drawn in the pool of death meaning they will play reigning champions Counties-Manukau, Auckland and Canterbury. Women's rugby league was reignited in Northland last year with volunteer Chantez Connor being the driving force behind creating a Whangarei team to play teams from the Far North and Auckland.
Driver resists police
A 40-year-old man faces numerous charges arising from his apprehension on driving matters in Kaitaia on Friday night. Having failed an alcohol breath screening test, he resisted police, and in the ensuing scuffle allegedly punched one officer in the face, head-butted another and kicked a third in the face. He was eventually subdued with pepper spray, as was an associate who was eventually charged with obstruction.
Attempted burglary
A 30-year-old man who allegedly tried to kick his way into the Price Cutters shop in Kaitaia on Friday night, then shoulder-charged the door - and bounced off - has been charged with attempted burglary. A police spokesman described the man as "amazingly drunk".
Health funding boost
Health Minister Jonathan Coleman said new funding for Northland District Health Board in last week's Budget increases the DHB's total allocation to a record level. Northland DHB will receive an extra $21 million in new money this year, taking the DHB's total funding to $602m for 2017/18. That's an extra $182m in funding over the past nine years, he said. "Continuing to increase access to health services remains this Government's number one funding priority."
