Nine To Noon for Friday 1 December 2023

09:05 Duty-of-care case against World Rugby starts tomorrow

A major case brought by 268 former players against World Rugby and other authorities is to start tomorrow at the London High Court. The players - including former New Zealand great Carl Hayman - say they were exposed to head injuries that led to disorders such as motor neuron disease and early onset dementia among others. The case is led by law firm Rylands Garth, which says rugby authorities failed in their duty of care by exposing players to these injuries. The law firm is seeking a group litigation order for claims against World Rugby, England-based Rugby Football Union and the Welsh Rugby Union. This type of litigation is often used for industrial disease claims such as respiratory problems for coal miners. World Rugby says it has taken steps to manage the impacts of concussion, by introducing smart mouthguard technology for better information about the impacts on players' heads, as well as trialing lower tackle heights in community rugby. Alix Popham is a former Welsh rugby international and he was diagnosed with early onset dementia in 2019. Richard Boardman is the lawyer representing the players. 

09:20 Genesis shifts approach to renewable energy; large battery planned at Huntly

Genesis Energy wants to install a grid-scale battery at its Huntly Power Station as part of a shift to a renewable energy based electricity generator. It says it will spend $1.1 billion in the next six years on solar, wind, biomass and battery projects - with some of the money coming from its almost half share ownership of the Kupe natural gas field. The company burns coal and gas in its three working Rankine units at Huntly, which back up the country's heavily renewable power system during dry years and energy demand peaks. At the moment renewables in the form of hydro power at schemes like Waikaremoana and Lake Tekapo along with a small amount of wind energy make up 40 percent of what Genesis typically generates. Genesis' chief executive Malcolm Johns announced their new strategy yesterday to lift renewables to 95 percent of the gentailer's profile by 2035.

09:45 Pacific correspondent Koroi Hawkins

RNZ Pacific Editor Koroi Hawkins is in the Solomon Islands, where the 2023 Pacific Games is wrapping up. Koroi looks at who is leading the board, and how the games have played out security-wise.

10:05 Dunedin's long-running walking ghost tour, and the spooky history it unearths 

Historian Andrew Smith has been running walking ghost tours around Dunedin for 25 years now, and admits even he still gets spooked. He says everyone has an unnerving or supernatural story of their own, and they often share them with him - so often, in fact, that he's released a book of them, and has many more to tell.

10:35 Book review: Secret Gardens of Aotearoa by Jane Mahoney and Sophie Bannan 

Sonja de Friez reviews Secret Gardens of Aotearoa by Jane Mahoney and Sophie Bannan published by Allen and Unwin

10:45 Around the Motu : Mike Tweed in Whanganui

The Dublin Street Bridge needs replacing and it's going to cost $62.5 million. Mike says Waka Kotahi will come to the party but the council will still need to stump up 40-odd per cent of the cost. A local councillor is proposing the council investsin a massive solar scheme, which involves members of the public "renting" their roofs to the council to put solar panels on. There are some safety concerns in and around the Whanganui River, and Mike has reaction to a local florist's pooch Elton -  who had an encounter with a dog ranger.

Mike Tweed is a Multimedia Journalist for the Whanganui Chronicle 

11:05 Music reviewer Grant Smithies​

Something of an indie “supergroup” containing past and present members of The Bats, The Clean, Tall Dwarfs and Toy Love, the Sundae Painters have just released a cracker debut LP. Grant Smithies brings us two key tracks from that today, alongside the first new songs in 11 years from Auckland hip hop crew Home Brew and an early classic from The Pogues, whose lead singer Shane MacGowan has just died.

11:30 Sports commentator Sam Ackerman

Kane Williamson’s 29th test century has been the highlight of the Black Caps opening gambit in the new world test championship cycle - what does the future hold for the cricketer? And the cricket community is now calling for Lou Vincent - banned for life for match-fixing - to be welcomed back in.

11:45 The week that was with Te Radar and Elisabeth Easther

Comedians Te Radar and Elisabeth Easther chew over why many schools are banning Crocs from students' feet.