Author: somegeektoldme@gmail.com

The Epstein Files: The stain of accountability

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn People, Politics, Social MediaLeave a comment

Hi, and welcome back. After last week’s mammoth undertaking of writing six entries for We Didn’t Start the Fire: 1961, I thought I might take it easy and discuss something light, like the Epstein Files. My wife asked me what I was blogging about this week, so I told her. “That’s a can of worms, isn’t it?” she replied. It certainly is.

I know, it’s not the most positive and uplifting story, now is it? However, this blog has been rattling around in my mind for some time now, so I apologise because I needed to get it out.

As usual with the hard-hitting journalism you have come to expect from yours truly, today’s blog post will not cover Jeffery Epstein per se, as in his crimes. His convictions for sex trafficking and child sex offences have been thoroughly covered and documented by seasoned and professional writers and reporters, not some part-time blogger from the South Pacific.

No, I would like to discuss the obvious aspects of the Epstein Files, which I believe need attention. Clear? Great, let’s see how I go with this.

Redacted documents are shown in a photo illustration in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 19, after the Justice Department began releasing records from its investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

Even in New Zealand, the Epstein Files continue to garner attention. Case in point, with my ugly mug. Now, if you don’t know what the Epstein Files are, then you have been either living a lonely lifestyle or living with the bliss of ignorance, and I don’t know which is better.

The best way for me to explain the Epstein Files is, sadly, to go back to Epstein himself. In a nutshell, for decades, Epstein was a high roller investor who, among other things, operated a sex trafficking business, where he located underage boys and girls, as well as adult women, and transported them to his ultra-elite friends/associates for sex crimes. Epstein died of suicide in 2019, while awaiting trial.

As for the Epstein Files, here is another crash course. They are a collection of records, numbering over six million documents, that relate to Epstein’s activities and crimes. They contain videos, documents, images, and emails that connect Epstein to some of his ultra-elite club of mates. There is more to it, but these are the bare bones of the situation.

Recently, the United States Department of Justice released over three million documents from the Epstein Files, where some were heavily redacted, while others were not redacted enough. With me so far?

Some of the names in the files were not a surprise, because they have been linked to Epstein for decades. The media and the public have known about the connections, just not what those connections were exactly. Essentially, just what their relationship to Epstein actually involved.

In the public court, any person named in the Epstein Files is guilty of sex crimes. However, before people are lynched because their name appeared in the Epstein Files, it pays to remember two things: under the law, people are innocent until proven guilty; and just because someone’s name is mentioned in the files, it does not mean they are automatically guilty.

To my understanding, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and even Pikachu were mentioned in the Epstein Files. However, at least to me, there is a colossal difference between being mentioned in Epstein-related emails, like the three above, versus being connected to Epstein’s activities, or at the very least, being in some way associated with him.

Epstein survivors are seen holding photos of their younger selves, as some of them recite their ages when they met first met Jeffrey Epstein in a video from World Without Exploitation published on November 16, 2025. (World Without Exploitation)

Over the last two weeks, we have seen several people resign from their jobs because of internal and external pressure applied to them over their connection to Epstein, no matter how innocent, benign, or small that connection was. Just the fact that they were in some way linked to Jeffrey Epstein means they are trying to save their image by resigning. Fair enough.

Some of these people I feel quite bad for, as they may not have done anything wrong. You are welcome to disagree with me, but I haven’t finished my rant. There’s another group of people I feel sorry for, and that is the survivors. Which, of course, guides us to the other names in the files; the real names of the people we really should care about.

Like the difference between being mentioned in emails versus being involved with Epstein’s activities, there is also a difference between being mentioned three times in the files versus being mentioned 3,000, 30,000, or even 300,000 times. For me, it’s the number of times they are mentioned in the files, which is the concern.

Two people could be mentioned in the files, with one person being mentioned four times, while the other person’s name appears 38,000 times. In my opinion, out of the two, I would want to know why the second person is mentioned 38,000 times in the files connected to a children’s sex trafficking network.

Should the person whose name is mentioned five times in the files be investigated? Sure, by all means, yes. However, before we do that, we should talk to the person mentioned 38,000 times first.

This transition brings us to the bulk of my blog: Are any people ever going to be prosecuted, or at least investigated for possible sex crimes, related to the Epstein Files? I could be wrong about this, but Epstein’s operation lasted for decades, and in all of that time, only Epstein himself, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Jean-Luc Brunel have been prosecuted over the crimes. In saying that, over the new information release, Thorbjørn Jagland (Former Norwegian prime minister) and Peter Mandelson (British politician) are now facing charges.

Sources: Getty Images; Medium; US House Oversight Committee
Graphic: Alex Leeds Matthews, CNN

The sheer scale of the operation, and the famous and ultra-rich people involved in it, just boggles my mind that it went on for so long. It’s a stain of accountability that the perpetrators of these crimes have managed, potentially, to hide their crimes behind wealth, titles, and friends, believing that laws and rules do not apply to them.

That, because of their positions in the world, their belief that they can prey on the most vulnerable members of our society, children, and suffer no consequences or punishment, flies in the face of every adult trying to teach children about consequences.

The Epstein Files remind us of the worst of humanity, on what fame, money and power can bring to a person, to create a concept that they are untouchable; beyond the law, because laws don’t apply to them. They are like a real cabal of supervillains that Batman or Daredevil have finally unmasked to the world.

It also reflects the best of humanity. This is taken in the form of the survivors, their families, and other people supporting them, and advocating for justice, regardless of who and what they are up against.

They are some of the new role models for the 21st century; they are unrelenting in their crusade for the truth, and they are bringing all of the people involved with Epstein’s sex trafficking activities to justice. Because if we can’t, then what’s the point of retelling stories of good triumphing over evil, if we can’t make it a reality?

Maybe I’ve read far too many comic books and watched far too many movies, but I still have hope for us as a society that these people will not be able to hide and cover up their crimes, no matter who they are. Even though a lot of things still amaze me in this world, it’s staggering that releasing survivors’ names and redacting possible abusers’ names, somehow, in the eyes of the DOJ, is bringing justice to the matter, and not the other way around.

Again, just because someone’s name has appeared in the files does not mean they are guilty of anything; it’s the number of times they are mentioned that is worth our attention. Because of this, at the very least, these people whose names appear thousands of times, whether they were abusers or enablers, need to be investigated.

Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, younger brother of Britain’s King Charles, formerly known as Prince Andrew, leaves Aylsham Police Station on a vehicle, on the day he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, after the U.S. Justice Department released more records tied to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, in Aylsham, Britain, February 19, 2026. Photo: Phil Noble/Reuters

This web of corruption needs to be untangled, and this poses an interesting question: What if someone you have admired for years, for whatever reason, is directly linked to Epstein’s criminal activities? A few months ago, I saw a video with a woman on a panel with two other people, and she explained the reality of the situation. I can’t remember her exact words because I couldn’t find the clip again, but I’m going to paraphrase what she said, mixed with some of my own.

It shouldn’t matter whether we admire the people in the files or not, but the names of the abusers and enablers need to be released. Whether they are Republicans, Democrats, conservatives, liberals, actors, politicians, models, CEOs, scientists, musicians, writers, professors, or sports stars, it doesn’t matter; burn the whole house down. Release the names, or at the very least, law enforcement agencies around the world need to start doing something with the information, and to show people that these crimes will not go unpunished.

With the recent arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (Former Duke of York), it pays to wonder if his investigation will bring about more charges levelled against him, but also, will other abusers and enablers be taken down as well?

These horrible threads need to be followed, regardless of where they lead, whether to a CEO’s office or the Oval Office; this needs to happen, for the sake of our own collective morality. The world will never move on from the Epstein Files until every single abuser and enabler has been found, investigated, and if need be, prosecuted and convicted. Nothing, absolutely nothing short of this will be any closure to survivors and their families.

And after that wonderful and positive thought, I shall take my leave of you, amazing people. Thanks again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. Please don’t forget to walk your dog, read a banned book, keep watching the T20 Men’s Cricket World Cup, and I’ll see you next week for some running. Cool bananas.




We Didn’t Start the Fire: 1961

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn History, Music, People, PoliticsLeave a comment

The historic project that skilled historians have written content about for decades has returned for 2026! Yeah, baby, Some Geek Told Me’s We Didn’t Start the Fire is back for its 14th entry. Sometimes I think about all of the various things I could have been doing, instead of writing about this, and I realise that it’s been totally worth it; much like not watching Melania.

If you’re new to this blog, then welcome! It’s always nice to have a new pair of eyes to gaze upon your weekly endeavour to make the world a better place, one badly written blog at a time. If you’re a veteran of this project, then be most welcome as well! You’ve been very patient with this project, but just in case you have skipped any of the previous entries, here they are:

We Didn’t Start the Fire: The Beginning 

We Didn’t Start the Fire: 1948-1949.

We Didn’t Start the Fire: 1950

We Didn’t Start the Fire: 1951

We Didn’t Start the Fire: 1952

We Didn’t Start the Fire: 1953

We Didn’t Start the Fire: 1954

We Didn’t Start the Fire: 1955

We Didn’t Start the Fire: 1956

We Didn’t Start the Fire: 1957

We Didn’t Start the Fire: 1958

We Didn’t Start the Fire: 1959

We Didn’t Start the Fire: 1960

For the last entry, we discussed 1960, so you don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes or Batman to deduce that this blog post will be breaking down the 1961 historical references in Billy Joel’s We Didn’t Start the Fire. Get ready, because we’re going back to 1961! And with that, away we go!

Vintage original 1961 Omaha, Nebraska Advertising Calendar for Motor Machine & Supply. A Division of The Bauer Corporation. Photo: Avid Vintage

Hemingway

I’m sure at some point in your life, you have heard of Ernest Hemingway at least once. Hemingway was a writer and journalist who penned novels, such as The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Across the River and into the Trees, and The Old Man and the Sea, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1953.

Hemingway was also a correspondent and covered the Greco-Turkish War, Spanish Civil War, Sino-Japanese War, and World War II, as well as volunteering as an ambulance driver in World War I. Throughout the 20th century, Hemingway was lauded by critics and readers, and his cult status has only grown over the years.

Now, I would love to say that Hemingway was mentioned in the song because of some amazing literary work, but sadly, that’s not the case. On 2nd July 1961, aged 61 years old, Ernest Hemingway killed himself at his home in Ketchum, Idaho. His death sent shockwaves around the world, impacting various parts of society.

For a modern example, many celebrities have committed suicide over the last 20-30 years. Still, for a famous writer to have died by their own hand, the most relevant example is Hunter S. Thompson, author of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Curse of Lono, and The Rum Diary, who killed himself on 20th February 2005.

LIFE Magazine Cover: 14th July 1961. Credit: LIFE Magazine

Eichmann 

Given the rise of far-right parties and policies around the world, it is poignant to discuss Adolf Eichmann. Eichmann was a member of the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, or in English, the National Socialist German Workers’ Party. If those two names don’t register a response, you may know the party by its informal name: The Nazi Party.

Yes, Eichmann was not only a Nazi, but he was an SS (Schutzstaffel) officer and one of the architects of the Holocaust. After the end of the Second World War, Eichmann fled to Argentina in 1950, since he was implicated during the Nuremberg trials. Because of Argentina’s history of rejecting extradition, Mossad agents captured Eichmann in 1960, and he was taken to Israel to stand trial.

His trial, which became known as the Eichmann Trial, lasted from 11th April to 15th August 1961, where Eichmann faced 15 charges under Israel’s Nazis and Nazi Collaborators (Punishment) Law. He was convicted of 12 charges, but he was only partially convicted of the other three. Eichmann was sentenced to death via hanging, which was carried out on 1st June 1962.

You can be the judge whether it’s a positive or negative thing, but for a contemporary equivalent, we have a large selection of war criminals to choose from. This includes Slobodan Milosevic, Saddam Hussein, Charles Taylor, Radovan Karadžić, Nuon Chea, Théoneste Bagosora, and so many more.

Adolf Eichmann at his trial in Jerusalem (1961).
Credit: Public Domain

Stranger in a Strange Land 

This is the first and last book reference for 1961s time in the sunshine. Written by Robert A. Heinlein and released in, surprise, surprise, 1961, Stranger in a Strange Land was famous throughout the United States and around the world. This science fiction book was about a human who was discovered on Mars and was taken back to Earth, along with the implications.

Stranger in a Strange Land divided critics and fans because of the taboo topics like religion, culture, free love, misogyny, rape, and other topics. Heinlein later explained that the book aimed to expose hypocrisy and to challenge societal norms. The book was very controversial at the time, but it also introduced terms like grok and waterbed into the lexicon.

The legacy of Stranger in a Strange Land can be seen in various media like The Ministry for the Future, The Sparrow, and The Expanse, though maybe you could think of better examples.

Dust jacket of the first edition of Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein. Credit: Wikipedia

Dylan 

Dylan refers to Bob Dylan, the great American singer-songwriter. A few events happened to Dylan in 1961, with the first being that he had already been performing for a couple of years before he moved from Minnesota to New York in January 1961 to pursue his musical career.

Dylan managed to meet Woody Guthrie, his musical idol, as well as playing at venues around Greenwich Village, which helped him make a name for himself. This led him to feature on one of Carolyn Hester’s albums, and as the story goes, his work on the album attracted the attention of John Hammond.

Hammond was the album’s producer, and on 26th October 1961, he signed the 20-year-old Dylan to Columbia Records. This was Dylan’s first contract, and his debut album, Bob Dylan, was produced for about $400. The album sold about 5,000 copies, with Dylan on his way to stardom and a long-time relationship with Columbia Records.

For a modern example of Bob Dylan’s historical signing, I don’t have an answer. I mean, do I present someone like Bob Dylan, who signed their first contract 30-40 years ago, and they are now a household name? Or could it be someone signed their first contract only five years ago, and they are on their way to stardom? You be the judge, unless you can provide some examples of your own.

Bob Dylan performs at New York City’s the Bitter End, 1961. Credit: Sigmund Goode/Michael Ochs Archive/Getty

Berlin 

Back in 1961, Germany was divided into two countries after World War II: West Germany and East Germany. At the time, the Cold War was also in effect, with Western Europe and NATO on one side, and the Soviet Union and the Chinese bloc on the other side. West vs East, Blue vs Red, Capitalism vs Communism, with West Germany and East Germany as a site for that proxy war.

Berlin was in East Germany, but the city was split into three Western sectors (American, British, French) and one Eastern sector (Soviet). Thus, we had West Berlin and East Berlin. The Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) was backed by Western countries, while the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) was backed by the Eastern (Communist) bloc.1

And for me personally, there was no other symbol that represented the Cold War more than the real Iron Curtain, the Berlin Wall.

East Germany started construction on the Berlin Wall on 13th August 1961, and it was infamous. It was a 155 km concrete barrier that surrounded West Berlin, which was lined with anti-vehicle trenches, bunkers, watch towers, and guards. It also served as a de facto border between the two countries, covering 111.9 km along the border.

The function of the Berlin Wall was to stem the flow of people from the East to the West. Records show about 140 people were killed crossing or attempting to cross the wall, though this number is not a true reflection of the human cost. The legacy of the Berlin Wall was that it lasted for 28 years, until after communism in Central and Eastern Europe fell.

During the Peaceful Revolution, on 9th November 1989, sections of the Berlin Wall fell, allowing unimpeded migration from East Germany to West Germany, and vice versa. The Fall of the Berlin Wall was a watershed for world history and paved the way for the reunification of Germany on 3rd October 1990.

Building the Berlin Wall on 13 August 1961. Overnight families and friends were divided.
Photo: Bundesregierung/Lehnartz

Bay of Pigs Invasion 


And speaking of the Cold War, let’s discuss Cuba. Do you remember the Cuban leader, Fidel Castro, from the 1959 blog post? Well, I gave a spoiler that he would return, and he’s back! Castro and his mates had transformed Cuba into the first communist country in the Western Hemisphere, but more importantly, Cuba was only a stone’s throw from the United States.

Since the Cold War was trending at the time, the United States did not like having a communist country so close to its shores. Relations with Castro had soured, and with Cuba building stronger ties with the Soviet Union, but also the injustices that were happening in the country, the U.S. government decided to overthrow Castro.

This, of course, led to the Bay of Pigs Invasion. Backed by the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and the C.I.A, ex-Cuban exiles (mainly the Cuban Democratic Revolutionary Front, and Brigade 2506) were trained to invade Cuba and oust Castro from power. On 17th April 1961, after bombing some Cuban airbases, the invasion was launched at several sites.

The main invading site was the Bay of Pigs, or Bahía de Cochinos, which is located on the south-central coast. The invasion lasted for a few days before they needed to retreat and evacuate. The American-backed Cubans were under-resourced and ill-prepared, as well as being outnumbered and outmanoeuvred by Castro’s forces. It was a humiliating and humbling experience for the U.S. government, as the invasion failed spectacularly in front of the international community.

Operation Gideon in 2020 (the Failed Coup in Venezuela) and the Russian Invasion of Ukraine in 2022 were the two best/worst examples of a failed invasion in the 21st century, where the objective was to overthrow a foreign government, or at least, to capture the leader of another country. Yes, technically Russia have not lost, but it’s been nearly four years, and they are no closer to winning.

U.S.-backed Cuban exiles captured during the failed Bay of Pigs invasion, Cuba, 1961.
Credit: Sovfoto/Universal Images Group/Shutterstock.com

So for 1961, we covered a writer’s death, a war criminal’s trial, a book, a musician, a wall, and a failed invasion. Like all of the years discussed in the song, their events and legacies are still with us today in 2026. Will 1962 be busier or crazier? Tune in next month, same Bat-time, same Bat-channel.

That brings another wonderful blog post to a close. Wait, I don’t think anybody has described this blog as wonderful! Thanks again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. If you’re looking for new social media to follow, then I would recommend my Twitter and Mastodon accounts, pretty please.

Please don’t forget to walk your dog, read a banned book, go and talk to a five-year-old, and if you ever repeat any of the information I write about, and someone asks you where you discovered it, just say, ‘Some Geek Told Me.‘ I’ll see you next week, and look after yourself.

1 We have briefly discussed the “Communist Bloc” in East Germany, with the We Didn’t Start the Fire: 1953 blog post, featuring that historical reference. Please read it for more details, I dare you!

The Six Nations Rugby Championship: The Trophies

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Sports

So, you’ve returned for the sequel? Can’t say that I blame you, because this blog is as addictive as a tub of Cookies and Cream ice cream on a hot day. Seriously, I’m glad you have popped in for the full story. Imagine watching only Kill Bill Vol. 1 and not Kill Bill Vol. 2?

Let’s recap: last week on Some Geek Told Me, Raúl was confronted with the reality that his identical twin brother Carlos had been secretly taking over his life. This included his job, children, and his wife, Isabel. Heartbroken, yet also full of rage… wait. This is the wrong story, sorry.

Last week, we discussed the history of the Six Nations Rugby Championship, which, as you will recall, comes in three different versions: Men’s, Women’s and Under-20s. It also falls to me to remind you that the Six Nations Championship is made up of not three, four, or even five different countries.

No, believe it or not, but the Six Nations Championship has six different countries competing in three different tournaments. These countries, once again, are England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France, and Italy.

I know you can’t wait for the second part of the blog, which is going to discuss the different trophies involved in the Six Nations Championships. The excitement for this is genuine for me, dear reader. Therefore, I shall delay you no longer! Let us begin with The Six Nations Rugby Championship: The Trophies!

Credit: Ball Carrier

For this rant, we are going to start in reverse order, which means we will begin with the Six Nations U-20s Championship. I know I’m delaying the transfer of this exciting information, and I’m sorry, but there are three terms that are going to come up across the tournaments that I need to explain.

Triple Crown: This trophy/title is played for between the Home Nations of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. It is only awarded to the team that defeats all three of the other Home Nation teams.

Grand Slam: This title is awarded to the team that beats all of the other five teams; basically, it goes to the team that is undefeated at the end of the tournament.

Wooden Spoon: This honour is given to the team that finishes last on the table. It’s an award you don’t want to win.

The Six Nations Under 20s Championship Trophies

The Six Nations Under-20s Championship Trophy

This trophy is awarded to the team that has the greatest total of points on the table by the end of the fifth and final round of the tournament; effectively, the winners of the championship. France won this trophy in 2025.

The Six Nations Under-20s Championship Trophy. Credit: Guinness Six Nations

The Six Nations Under-20s Championship Triple Crown

To my best understanding, the Six Nations Under-20s Championship Triple Crown is not a physical trophy, but rather a title. It’s played for every year, but it’s not always given out. The last time the Triple Crown was awarded was in 2023 to Ireland, for defeating the other Home Nations of England, Wales, and Scotland.

The Six Nations Under-20s Championship Grand Slam

Like the previous entry, and as far as I can tell, the Six Nations Under-20s Championship Grand Slam is not a physical trophy, but a title. The Grand Slam was last won in 2023, when Ireland defeated all of the other five teams.

I have researched this, but it appears there are no rivalry trophies in this tournament. If I’m wrong, please let me know.

The Women’s Six Nations Championship Trophies

The Women’s Six Nations Championship Trophy

In 2023, a new Women’s Six Nations Championship trophy was unveiled, replacing the old one. This silver trophy is 63.5 cm tall and has a 24-carat gold plate. The winner of the tournament, the team with the most points on the table, at the end of the fifth and final round, is awarded this trophy. It also has the engraved logos of the six competing teams. The defending champions are England, having won the trophy for the last seven years.

The Women’s Six Nations Championship Trophy. Credit: Thomas Lyte.

The Women’s Six Nations Championship Triple Crown

Similar to what I’ve previously said, I believe that the Women’s Six Nations Championship Triple Crown is a title, rather than a physical trophy. However, England has won this title for the last nine out of ten years, the last being in 2025. The 2021 tournament was altered because of COVID-19 restrictions.

The Women’s Six Nations Championship Grand Slam

It’s important to note that England are the reigning world champions, and it will come as no surprise that this team has also won the Grand Slam title in 2025, as well as in 2024, 2023, 2022, 2020, and 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic prevented them from achieving the Grand Slam in 2021.

The Women’s Six Nations Championship Wooden Spoon

This is the first Wooden Spoon we have discussed, as it’s a non-award, and not an actual wooden spoon; though that would be amazing! Currently, Wales has been awarded the Wooden Spoon for finishing last in 2024 and 2025.

The Solidarity/Solidarité Trophy: Ireland vs France

Information surrounding this is very sparse, but to my understanding, there is only one rivalry trophy in the Women’s Six Nations Championship, but again, I could be wrong.

The Solidarity Trophy is brand new for the Women’s Six Nations Championship, as it was introduced in 2026; so it has not been played for in the women’s tournament. The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) and the French Federation of Rugby (FFR) only revealed this trophy to the public last week.

There are two identical trophies, one for the women’s tournament and one for the men’s, to be competed for between Ireland and France. The trophies,” affirms equal status for both competitions and strengthens the symbolic impact of this joint initiative,” but also highlight the unique relationship and mutual respect between the two countries. The women’s game between Ireland and France is set for 25th April 2026 at Stade Marcel-Michelin, Clermont-Ferrand, France.

The Solidarity Trophy: Six Nations Rugby

The Men’s Six Nations Championship Trophies

The Men’s Six Nations Championship Trophy

The current Men’s Six Nations Championship Trophy was introduced in 2015, after the older one was retired. The trophy is made of sterling silver, weighs 7 kg, is 75 cm in height, and has 24-carat gold plating. This trophy also has six sides, representing the six countries that compete in the tournament.

As you would expect, the trophy is awarded to the team with the highest amount of points on the table, after the fifth and final round. France is the current holder of this trophy, having won it in 2025.

The Men’s Six Nations Championship Trophy. Credit: Guinness Six Nations.

The Men’s Six Nations Championship Triple Crown

Winning the Men’s Six Nations Championship Triple Crown comes with a title, but also a trophy. The Home Nations have been fighting for this honour since its inception in 1883, but it wasn’t until 2006 that a trophy was introduced. The trophy is more like a plate or a shield, which is made of sterling silver, has a width of 42 cm, a depth of 5 cm, and weighs 3 kg.

The Triple Crown Trophy has four different symbols that represent the four Home Nations of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland: a rose, the Prince of Wales feathers, a thistle, and a shamrock. In 2025, the Triple Crown was won by Ireland, who had previously won it in 2023 and 2022. No team won the Triple Crown in 2024.

The Men’s Six Nations Championship Triple Crown. Credit: Getty Images

The Men’s Six Nations Championship Grand Slam

Like the U-20s and the Women’s tournaments, the Grand Slam in the Men’s Six Nations Championship is an honorary title. Achieving the Grand Slam is extremely difficult because you need to defeat the five other teams, which is why nobody has done so since Ireland in 2023.

The Men’s Six Nations Championship Wooden Spoon

The Wooden Spoon award was first introduced during the Home Nations Championship, but since the start of the Six Nations Championship, which was renamed in 2000, four of the six teams have claimed it. Sadly, like the Welsh Women’s team, the Men’s Welsh team have been awarded the Wooden Spoon for 2024 and 2025.

The Men’s Six Nation Championship Rivalry Trophies

Apart from the Championship Trophy and the Triple Crown, and not including the honorary titles of the Grand Slam and the Wooden Spoon, there are an additional eight trophies that are competed for during the Men’s Six Nations Championship. However, not every team can compete for every trophy, because they are known as rivalry trophies. In the case of a draw, the holders of the trophy retain it.

The Calcutta Cup: England vs Scotland

Let’s start with the oldest and most famous of the rivalry trophies, the Calcutta Cup. This trophy was first introduced in 1879, making it the planet’s oldest international rugby trophy. If I understand the story correctly, the Calcutta Rugby Football Club was formed in Calcutta, at the time, in British India.

This was after a rugby game was played in Calcutta in 1872, involving 40 players, which equals 20 players per side, whereas today, it’s only 15 players per side, not counting the reserves. One team represented Scotland, while the other represented England.

A few years later, the club’s membership was decreasing, so the members did something radical. They withdrew the club’s funds, melted the money down, and formed a trophy. This trophy was presented to the English Rugby Football Union and was named the Calcutta Cup. Because of this, only England and Scotland compete for this trophy, and the winner of the fixture is awarded it. The 2025 winners of the Calcutta Cup were England.

The Calcutta Cup. Credit: Raeburn Foundation.

The Millennium Trophy: England vs Ireland

The Millennium Trophy has the shape of a horned Viking helmet, though historical evidence suggests that Viking warriors did not wear horned helmets in battle. The trophy was introduced in 1988 to commemorate two key events, which were to mark Dublin’s millennial celebrations, as well as the 100th game between England and Ireland.

The winner of the 100th fixture between the two nations, England, was presented with the trophy, which was intended to be a one-off prize, but soon became an annual trophy for the winner of the English and Irish game. Ireland is currently the defending champion of the Millennium Trophy, having won it in 2025.  

The Millennium Trophy. Credit: Six Nations Rugby/Getty Images.

The Centenary Quaich: Ireland vs Scotland

Let’s start with what a quaich actually is. Pronounced as “kway-kh“, a quaich is a Gaelic drinking vessel which has two handles, so you can share the drink with someone. In 1989, the Centenary Quaich was introduced to mark the 100th anniversary of the International Rugby Football Board (now World Rugby), but also, if my research is accurate, it was also to mark the 100th fixture between Ireland and Scotland.

Additionally, the Centenary Quaich represents the cultural bond between Ireland and Scotland. This trophy is competed for annually between Ireland and Scotland during the Men’s Six Nations Championship, with Ireland being the current holders of the Centenary Quaich since 2018.

The Centenary Quaich. Credit: Guinness Six Nations

The Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy: France vs Italy

France and Italy slug it out for a separate trophy, called the Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy. It was introduced in 2007 to commemorate the bicentenary of the birth of Giuseppe Garibaldi. He was a figure in both Italian politics and French military history, so the French and Italian Rugby Unions commissioned a trophy to acknowledge Garibaldi’s contributions to both countries, as well as the rugby bond between them.

The Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy is awarded to the winner of the French and Italian game during the Men’s Six Nations Championship, with France being the defending champion, having held the trophy since 2014. In 2024, the game resulted in a 13-all draw, so France retained the trophy.

The Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy. Credit: Six Nations Rugby.

The Auld Alliance Trophy: France vs Scotland

The Auld Alliance Trophy was first awarded in 2018, and it is played for annually during the Men’s Six Nations Championship between France and Scotland. The trophy is named after the 1295 alliance between France and Scotland, which at the time were both kingdoms.

The term “Auld Alliance” means “Old Alliance” in Scots. In addition to this, the trophy represents two things: the first is to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, and the second is dedicated to the memory of the war dead from the rugby communities of France and Scotland.

The trophy especially highlights the memories of Eric Milroy from Scotland and Marcel Burgun from France, as they were the two captains of both teams involved in the last game between Scotland and France, before the outbreak of the First World War. Sadly, both Milroy and Burgun were killed in France in 1916, 46 days apart from each other. France has held the Auld Alliance Trophy since 2022.

The Auld Alliance Trophy. Credit: Six Nations Rugby.

The Doddie Weir Cup: Scotland vs Wales

Presently, the Doddie Weir Cup is the only rivalry trophy available for Wales to play for. Named after George “Doddie” Weir, who had played for Scotland and the British Lions. He was 1.98 m tall, so naturally he was a lock and had a long rugby career. He retired from rugby in 2005, but in 2016, Weir was diagnosed with motor neuron disease (MND).

Because of this, Weir spearheaded fundraising for his foundation called “My Name’5 Doddie” and raised £8 million for research into MND, as well as funding treatments. He did this by campaigning for greater public awareness of the disease. Weir died in 2022 from the disease.

In 2018, the Scottish Rugby Union and the Welsh Rugby Union introduced the Doddie Weir Cup to support Weir’s foundation. Scotland and Wales compete for this trophy during the championship, and the winner of that encounter takes the trophy home. Scotland has won the Doddie Weir Cup for the last three years.

The Doddie Weir Cup. Credit: Guinness Six Nations.

The Cuttitta Cup: Scotland vs Italy

This is the third rivalry trophy that’s named after a person. Massimo Cuttitta was a former Italian rugby player who was involved in Italy’s inaugural entry in the newly minted Six Nations in 2000. He captained Italy 22 times, and after retiring, Cuttitta moved into coaching, taking on several jobs.

Eventually, Cuttitta went to Scotland and worked for Edinburgh Rugby as a scrum coach, but also for the Scottish national team from 2009 to 2015 as their scrum coach. Cuttitta died in 2021 from COVID-19.

In 2022, the Cuttitta Cup was introduced to honour Cuttitta’s contributions to rugby in Italy and Scotland. The winner of the annual game between Scotland and Italy during the Men’s Six Nations Championship is awarded the Cuttitta Cup. In 2025, Scotland won the trophy back from Italy, however on 7th February 2026, Italy defeated Scotland in Rome, 18-15, to win the Cuttitta Cup for the third time.

The Cuttitta Cup. Credit: World Rugby.

The Solidarity/Solidarité Trophy: Ireland vs France

As I mentioned previously, the Solidarity Trophy was only unveiled last week, so it’s freshly minted. All of the information for the women’s entry is the same for the men’s; both Women’s and Men’s Solidarity Trophies are identical, they are brand new, and the winner of each Irish and French game in each annual tournament, both female and male, will win the trophy.

The only difference is that the women’s game has not yet been played, but the men’s has. On Thursday, 5th February 2026, the opening night of the Men’s Six Nations Championship, which was a first for a Thursday night, Ireland played France at the Stade de France, with France defeating Ireland, 36-14, thus becoming the inaugural winners of the Men’s Solidarity Trophy.

Victorious French captain, Antoine Dupont holds the Solidarity Trophy, after France defeated Ireland, 36-14, 5th February 2026. Credit: Guinness Six Nations

If the information is to be believed, in addition to the Solidarity Trophy having been introduced this year, two more trophies will be announced this year or next year. Apparently, there will be a trophy to be contested for Wales vs England, and Wales vs Ireland. That should give Welsh supporters something to smile about.

Another interesting point is that Scotland is the only team in the Men’s Six Nations Championship to have a rivalry trophy with every other team. This means that if Scotland ever won all five games in the championship, they would win seven trophies: The Championship Trophy, the Triple Crown, the Calcutta Cup, the Centenary Quaich, the Auld Alliance Trophy, the Doddie Weir Cup, and the Cuttitta Cup, along with the Grand Slam title. Perhaps 2026 will be their year; who knows? 1

Well, that’s it for another week. The first round of the Men’s Six Nations Championship has been and gone, with France beating Ireland (36-14), Italy defeating Scotland (18-15), and England victorious over Wales (48-7). I know it’s not for everybody, but the Six Nations Championship is fantastic, and like I said last week, if you ever get the chance to watch a game, do yourself a favour and watch one.

Thanks again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. Please don’t forget to walk your dog, read a banned book, watch some ICC Men’s T20 World Cup matches, and I’ll see you next week for some time travel. You know what that means; 1961, here we come!

1 Even though Scotland did just lose the Cuttitta Cup to Italy on Saturday.

The Six Nations Rugby Championship: The History

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Sports

Before I conjure up some more literary magic, I would like to take a fraction of your time to acknowledge some deaths.

1.) Over 30,000 Iranian civilians and anti-government demonstrators have been killed by the Iranian Republic Security Forces since December 2025, in what can only be described as massacres.

2.) Legendary comic book artist, Sal Buscema, died on 23rd January 2026, aged 89. He worked for multiple companies across his long career, having created fantastic characters like Rebecca and Brian Banner, Lady Deathstrike, Grandmaster, The Invaders, Hyperion, Helmut Zemo, U-Foes, Time Variance Authority, Rom the Space Knight, and the Wrecking Crew, among many others.

3.) The recent storm that hit the North Island of New Zealand has resulted in the deaths of nine people, through flash flooding and two landslides.

4.) The beloved actress and comedian Catherine O’Hara passed away on January 30, 2026. Among her many famous roles, my personal favourite was Cookie Fleck in Best In Show. O’Hara had the knack of making any character, especially the unlikable ones, very likeable.

I don’t have any inspiring things to say, other than my family and I are very sorry to hear of their deaths, and to send our condolences and deepest sympathies to their loved ones.

In New Zealand, both national and regional governments have numerous questions that require answers from the media, the public, and grieving families.

My thanks and apologies for bringing this up.

Moving on, I wrote another non-award-winning blog post last week regarding rugby, American football’s older and hotter sibling. I mentioned that I was going to discuss the greatest rugby tournament outside of the World Cup: The Six Nations Championship. I aim to provide my followers with things they didn’t request, except for the three followers this is written for. They know who they are.

So, like Fozzie and Kermit, we need to keep movin’ right along into The Six Nations Rugby Championship: The History. For all my non-rugby supporters, I’m sorry/not sorry. Prepare thyself!

Credit: Guinness Six Nations/Love Belfast

Every year, a fantastic rugby tournament begins that runs from February to April. It’s called the Six Nations Championship, or the Guinness Six Nations Championship, and it comes in three different flavours, Men’s, Women’s and Under-20s.

The Six Nations, as the tournament is commonly known, involves, get ready for it, six nations that are England, Wales, Scotland, France, Italy, and Ireland1. It’s one of the world’s oldest international tournaments.

Once again, I need to interject myself into something that I am actually writing. Since I’m an All Blacks supporter, it may have crossed your wonderful mind as to why I’m writing about the Six Nations. That is another superb question from you, you’re getting so good at this! I’ll do my best to give an over-complicated answer; nothing but the best on Some Geek Told Me.

The All Blacks compete in an annual tournament with three other countries (The Rugby Championship), but before that, it was with only two other countries (The Tri-Nations), which first started in 1996. I love watching and supporting the Rugby Championship, but it pales in comparison to the Six Nations.

Credit: Guinness Six Nations

For me, the Six Nations is the greatest rugby tournament outside of a World Cup, and this is coming from a New Zealander! As a kid, I was enthralled by learning about the tournament, which was called the Five Nations. Obviously, watching delayed coverage, or at the very least, highlights of the games from the other side of the planet, gave me a taste of how other countries played and managed rugby.

It was always interesting to see rugby from a different perspective, which included the size of the stadiums, the singing, respecting the kicker, the age and tradition of the tournament, as well as the rivalries. I soon discovered my love of the All Blacks also transferred into being curious about what our opponents were doing.

As time marched on, my fascination with the tournament became more defined, because as an All Blacks and Black Ferns supporter, following the Six Nations was logical; if your rivals smashed each other up in an annual competition, wouldn’t it be prudent to gauge how they are performing and to see what they’re up to?

Even now, as a fully-grown man-child, watching the Six Nations makes me ask two questions: Who do I want to win? or Who do I want to lose? It also poses more questions if one particular team is performing well: Could the All Blacks beat them in their current form? but also, If the Black Ferns played them next week, who would win? I love the Six Nations.

I’ve finished my interjection, so we’ll return to the spot where we left off. Thanks.

The tournament has a long, rich and proud history, so I’ll do my best to explain it properly. When discussing the Men’s tournament, it first began in 1883, when it was known as the Home Nations Championship2; which included England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. A few years later, an argument about whether a try should have been awarded resulted in the nations establishing the International Rugby Football Board, now known as World Rugby.

From what I understand, England was not happy that Wales, Scotland, and Ireland had formed a new club, and they refused to join. This hilarious incident meant that England was excluded from the tournament from 1888 to 1889, which in turn meant the tournament did not take place. However, by 1890, everything was worked out, and the tournament had restarted.

The format for the Hone Nations continued until 1910, when France was allowed to join the tournament. As you can guess, with an extra nation in the mix, management decided to change the name of the competition to the Five Nations Championship, because, you know, five nations were playing.

The First and Second World Wars meant that fielding international-level rugby players was a little difficult, along with the country being at war, so from 1915-1919 and 1940-1946, the tournament was not played. It’s worth noting that in 1932, France was banned from the competition because of rumours and allegations of various misconduct3 and they were only allowed to rejoin in 1939, but the Second World War prevented them from physically returning until 1947. 

From 1947, the Five Nations Championship marched on until 1999, because Italy was now asking to join the tournament. They were accepted, so in 2000, the Five Nations Championship was renamed again, thus becoming the Six Nations Championship, with the addition of Italy. France is the defending champion.

The 2025 Guinness Women’s Six Nations launch in London. Credit: Guinness Six Nations

The Women’s tournament followed the same trajectory as the Men’s, but the time period is smaller. The tournament started in 1996, which was named the Women’s Home Nations Championship, which included exactly the teams as you would imagine: England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland.

In its format, the tournament lasted three years, until in 1999, you guessed it, France was added to the tournament, changing the name to the Women’s Five Nations Championship. And because history likes to repeat things, this version of the competition lasted only three years, before Italy was introduced into the tournament in 2002, turning the Women’s Five Nations Championship into the Women’s Six Nations Championship. Bet you all of Trump’s orange makeup that you didn’t see that one coming. England won the tournament in 2025.

It is also interesting to note, that Spain played in the Five Nations and Six Nations tournaments from 2000 to 2006.

As for the Under-20s tournament, they started in 2004, but it was called the Six Nations Under 21s Championship, and this lasted until 2008, when they changed the age restriction, which allowed another tournament to have yet another name change. So, the Six Nations Under 21s Championship became the Six Nations Under 20s Championship. Nothing to see here, move along, move along. However, like the Men’s competition, France is the current holder of the title.

In the tournament, each team plays five games, alternating between home and away matches. The following year, the home advantage is reversed for each matchup. For example, the Men’s game between England and Scotland in 2025 took place in England, but in 2026, the England vs. Scotland game will be held in Scotland.

Just because I can, I’m going to list the stadiums that are used in the competition4:

England: Twickenham, London, seats 82,000

Wales: Principality Stadium, Cardiff seats 73,930

Scotland: Murrayfield, Edinburgh, seats 67,140

Ireland: Aviva Stadium, Dublin, seats 51,700

France: Stade de France, Paris, seats 81,330

Italy: Stadio Olimpico, Rome, seats 72,690

The points system for the Six Nations is standard, but with a few quirks:

  • A win gives a team 4 points. (Yay!)
  • A draw gives a team 2 points. (Oh, stink!)
  • A loss gives a team 0 points. (Oh, the shame!)

There are also bonus points to be awarded, which come in handy if teams have the same win/loss records.

  • Scoring four or more tries in a match, gives a team 1 extra point. (Yay again!)
  • Losing by 7 points or fewer, gives a team 1 extra point. (Sweet!)
  • If a team wins all of their games, which is called the Grand Slam, they are automatically given 3 extra points.

At the end of the fifth round, the team with the highest total on the points table wins the championship.

Many trophies are competed for during the different tournaments, which, ironically, is exactly what we will be discussing next week with The Six Nations Rugby Championship: Part 2. Cool bananas!

In my humble opinion, the Six Nations Championship is arguably one of the greatest annual sporting events on the planet, and if you ever get the chance to watch a game, do yourself a favour and do it.

Well, that’s it for another week. Do you follow the Six Nations? What’s your favourite moment? Who will win in 2026? As always, please let me know.

Please don’t forget to walk your dog, read a banned book, remember where you put your keys, and I’ll see you next week for the second and final blog post about the Six Nations Rugby Championship. The excitement is building!

1 When discussing Ireland, I am not referring to the Republic of Ireland, but the actual island of Ireland, which consists of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. At the international level, rugby is one of the few sports that represents all of Ireland, unlike football, which has Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland teams. This is reinforced with the cross-border flag for the Irish Rugby Football Union, which incorporates both countries, the Republic of Ireland (controlled by the Republic of Ireland) and Northern Ireland (controlled by the United Kingdom).

2 When discussing the Home Nations in rugby, it is in reference to England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, collectively known as the Home Nations.

3 France was accused of many things, but the main offence was fielding professional players, when at the time, rugby was an amateur sport. Rugby finally went professional in 1995.

4 France also has a second stadium that they sometimes use for the tournament. It’s the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Villeneuve-d’Ascq, in Northern France. Its capacity is 50,180.

One of the most important jobs in New Zealand is up for grabs

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Sports

Before I launch into another fascinating lecture, I do need to point out that I realise that only about three people will be interested in the aforementioned lecture today. I get it, seriously, I do. Not everybody is perfect, but we can still try.

To the three people who fit into the intersection of a Venn diagram featuring following rugby and following Some Geek Told Me, you are going to love today’s blog, as well as the next two.

To everybody else, from the bottom of my geek-laden heart, I’m very sorry about today’s blog and the next two weeks. Please forgive me.

Warning: this is not a hit piece. It may seem like it, but it’s not.

Scott Robertson before the All Blacks v England Test at Twickenham in 2025  (Source: Getty)

For the three people who have stuck around, thanks. As you know, I enjoy sports, especially rugby, or to be precise, rugby union. I have talked about rugby several times on this delightful platform to express my love for the game, but also to explain the rules, because they can be complicated, even to a veteran supporter like myself.

To continue listing things you already know, like a preschooler detailing the events of a movie to you, forgetting that you just watched it with them, I’m a New Zealander, so I support the Wallabies.

Nah, I did that to see if you were paying attention. No, I’m an All Blacks supporter, which also means I support the Black Ferns. Just in case someone new has accidentally wandered in and started reading this blog and has no idea what those terms mean, the All Blacks are the name of New Zealand’s Men’s National rugby team, while the Black Ferns are the women’s. Savvy?

In Aotearoa New Zealand, we often say that the three most important jobs in the country are the All Blacks’ coach, the All Blacks’ captain, and the Prime Minister, in that order. We take rugby very seriously; it’s part of our national identity. It’s madness. As I’ve mentioned earlier, I have discussed my love for rugby, All Blacks, and the Black Ferns before, but I have not discussed this scandal/conundrum that has rocked the country. Sorry, I’m building up the tension, and don’t need to, but it’s fun.

On 15th January 2026, the All Blacks’ head coach, Scott Robertson, was fired from the position by New Zealand Rugby (NZR). That in itself is nothing new; professional coaches get sacked all the time. Football coaches in England get sacked every other Tuesday. What’s remarkable about this firing is that Robertson is the first All Blacks coach to ever be fired.

Let’s back up and lay the scene. Robertson had a very successful reign as coach of the Canterbury Crusaders, having won five Super Rugby titles and two Super Rugby Aotearoa titles in seven years. Robertson was named All Blacks coach in March 2023, in an unprecedented move, because of two reasons: 1.) The All Blacks coach, Ian Foster, was still in the job, but he was leaving at the end of the year. 2.) 2023 was a World Cup year, one of the most stressful times in the four-year cycle of world rugby.

So suddenly, the All Blacks had one head coach on the field, and one on paper; one in the present and one in the future. Anyway, the All Blacks made it to the World Cup Final, but were defeated 12-11 by their ancient nemesis, South Africa, aka the Springboks. Foster left the position after the World Cup, as planned, and Robertson took over. For a large section of New Zealand’s rugby community, Robertson was hailed as a potential saviour. The All Blacks had not won the World Cup since 2015, so Robertson had four years to transform the team and bring glory to the country.

Ardie Savea, Codie Taylor and Beauden Barrett perform the haka ahead of the International Test Match between New Zealand All Blacks and England at Eden Park on July 13, 2024 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

Now I am going to be honest about something. Over the last 10 years, the All Blacks have had a few setbacks. Some were small, some worrying, and some were humiliating and embarrassing. I won’t go into details; you can look them up yourself, but these issues have been difficult for me to view, believe, and accept.

Having said that, the All Blacks and Black Ferns, like us supporters, don’t focus on the number of wins; we focus on the number of losses. It’s not about how many games we win, it’s about how many games we lose. It’s a small but subtle difference and an insight into how we New Zealanders view the game.

Over the last two years, Robertson was in charge of the All Blacks, but he was sacked two years into a four-year contract. What happened?

It’s complex, but I’ll do my best to be balanced. At the end of 2025, NZR held an end-of-season review. We are two years out for the next World Cup, so we need to know that the team is on the right track. However, after talking to many people, like players, Robertson, and others, it was agreed and decided upon that it would be in the best interests of the team if he left.

Of course, this has led to many theories about the dismissal, but it has also caused the public to confront two questions: Why did Robertson have to leave? And was it the correct choice?

Obviously, I haven’t read every piece of information written about the review, nor the real findings; I’m not even sure if that’s public. In that regard, I’m going to attack these questions, but I’ll base the answers on facts, and not opinions.

The key reasons for Robertson to stay:

  • He guided the All Blacks to 20 wins from 27 tests over two years (10 in 2024 and 10 in 2025).
  • He had a winning rate of 74% with the All Blacks.
  • He is a very successful and creative coach.
  • The All Blacks won a home series over England 2-0 in 2024.
  • The All Blacks took second place in the 2024 Rugby Championship.
  • The All Blacks retained the Bledisloe Cup in 2024.
  • The All Blacks defeated England (for the third time in a year), Ireland and Italy on tour.
  • The All Blacks retained the Hilary Shield in 2024.
  • The All Blacks finished third on the IRB world ranking in 2024.
  • The All Blacks won a home series over France 3-0 in 2025.
  • The All Blacks won the Dave Gallaher Trophy for the first time since 2018.
  • The All Blacks defeated South Africa (the world champions and number one-ranked team) at Eden Park in 2025, as the All Blacks haven’t lost there since 1994.
  • The All Blacks retained the Bledisloe Cup in 2025.
  • The All Blacks took second place in the 2025 Rugby Championship.
  • The All Blacks defeated Ireland, Scotland, and Wales on tour.
  • The All Blacks have beaten Ireland (ranked 1st/2nd in the world) three times in a row (twice under Robertson).
  • The All Blacks became the IRB World Ranked Leader in 2025, for the first time since 2021.
  • The All Blacks finished second on the IRB world ranking in 2025.
  • He was only two years into a four-year contract.
  • The World Cup begins in October 2027.

The key reasons for Robertson to leave:

  • The All Blacks lost seven tests over two years: 3 x South Africa, 2 x Argentina, 1 x France, and 1 x England.
  • Argentina defeated the All Blacks for the third time in 2024 and got their largest score against them.
  • Argentina defeated the All Blacks for the fourth time in 2025 and the first time on home soil ever.
  • France achieved a three-match winning streak over the All Blacks, for the first time since 1995 (one under Robertson).
  • South Africa achieved a four-match winning streak over the All Blacks, for the first time since 1949 (twice under Robertson).
  • The All Blacks’ tour of South Africa in 2024 was the worst South African tour since 2009.
  • The All Blacks suffered their worst defeat in the team’s history, losing to South Africa, 43-10 in 2025.
  • In 2024, the All Blacks lost the Freedom Cup for the first time since 2009.
  • France retained the Dave Gallaher Trophy over the All Blacks for the first time ever in 2024.
  • South Africa retained the Freedom Cup over the All Blacks for the first time ever in 2025.
  • The last time the All Blacks won the Rugby Championship was in 2023, having previously won the title four years in a row.
  • The last time the All Blacks finished 2nd in the Rugby Championship was in 2015.
  • England defeated the All Blacks for the first time since 2019, and their first win at Twickenham against the All Blacks since 2012.
  • The All Blacks lost the Hillary Shield to England for the first time since 2012.
  • Two All Blacks assistant coaches left under Robertson’s leadership: Leon MacDonald in 2024 and Jason Holland in 2025.
  • The last time the All Blacks lost four tests in a year was in 2022, when previously it was in 1998.
  • Not benching older players and playing younger players.
  • Failing to win the Grand Slam for the first time since 2010.
  • For not giving the captaincy to Ardie Savea.
  • The All Blacks were ranked 1st in the world for only four weeks.
  • The media had reported that players were dissatisfied with Robertson.

Ultimately, no matter what the sport, coaches can only select, train, and prepare their players, they can not go onto the field, and play the game for them. Far too often, when a team is not performing well, the blame is usually placed on the head coach, bypassing player responsibility.

New Zealand’s Quinn Tupaea (R) is tackled by Australia’s Ryan Lonergan (L) during the Rugby Championship match between New Zealand and Australia at Eden Park in Auckland on September 27, 2025. Picture: Shane Wenzlick/AFP

Now, everything I have listed on both lists is accurate and true, but was firing Robertson the right choice? I honestly have no idea, I don’t know. I know the reasons to keep him, just as much as I know the reasons to let him go.

Regardless of how I feel, which is just confusion more than anything else, I am stunned. No matter how you feel about Robertson, this was an unexpected and unprecedented move from NZR to fire him. His firing can be viewed as both a positive and a negative thing.

The positive points are:

  • The aura around the All Blacks has slipped, and teams are no longer afraid of them.
  • Robertson was supposed to save the All Blacks, not make things worse.
  • It was great that NZR had discovered and admitted the problems, and had tried to solve them, well before the 2027 World Cup.
  • You can’t expect to stay as head coach after suffering the team’s heaviest defeat in its history.
  • Finding another coach as soon as possible will give them and their coaching staff the time to prepare the players for the next two years, with the World Cup in 2027.
  • Yes, indeed, the focus should not always be about the World Cup, but the reality is that the All Blacks have not won it since 2015.
  • The public’s expectations and standards are high, and NZR needs to meet them.
  • With South Africa, Ireland, France, Argentina, and England now consistently defeating the All Blacks, the NZR must take strong action. It is essential to support the new generation of New Zealand coaches to restore the All Blacks and the Black Ferns to their dominant position in world rugby.
  • Player satisfaction is important, and they need to be listened to.

The negative points are:

  • Apparently, a 74% winning rate is not good enough for the All Blacks anymore.
  • In 1998, when the All Blacks lost five matches straight (the team’s worst losing streak), head coach John Hart was not fired, nor did he resign.
  • Some All Blacks coaches who had a lower winning rate than Robertson after two years, were not fired.
  • No All Blacks coach had ever been sacked before.
  • Robertson deserved to stay until after the World Cup, just like all the other coaches, post-1987.
  • In some international circles, people are saying that New Zealand is in disarray, and Robertson’s firing shows the world that New Zealand Rugby is out of ideas, lacks creativity, and does not back their coaches.
  • The next coach will be under a gargantuan amount of pressure from the press and the public to perform.
  • Will the public ever get to read the 2025 All Blacks end-of-season review?

Being a coach of any sport is difficult, but being the coach of a national team, playing their national sport, takes it to the next level. I love the All Blacks and the Black Ferns, I do. However, two things need to be said:

1.) Over the last 10 years, both teams have had amazing wins and some terrible losses. It could just be me, but things are not totally clicking for the teams, for whatever reason. Playing professional sport is a gift that these players can only do for a small window of time, and they are humans, just like us.

Maybe it’s an illusion, whether the state of rugby in New Zealand is in decline, but it is something we need to discuss and find answers for. I don’t know, I’m not smart enough to answer that question. The Black Ferns have a new coach with Whitney Hansen, and the All Blacks will have one soon, so there is always hope.

2.) Regardless of how New Zealand is playing and operating the game at the men’s and women’s international level, the rest of the world has caught up to and, with some teams, has even surpassed us. In the men’s game, South Africa, France, Ireland, Argentina, and England are deadly, and all of them will be a threat at the World Cup.

As for the women’s game, England, Canada, and France are leading the way, being able to regularly beat us. You have to give these teams credit because they have worked their arses off to be where they are. Well done, seriously, as a New Zealand rugby supporter, that is high praise.

DUNEDIN, NEW ZEALAND – JULY 06: All Black Head Coach Scott Robertson talks to the press following the International Test Match between New Zealand All Blacks and England at Forsyth Barr Stadium on July 06, 2024 in Dunedin, New Zealand. (Photo by Joe Allison – RFU/The RFU Collection via Getty Images)

At the time of writing, the new All Blacks coach has not been named, but whoever it is, they are going to need support. They did not get Robertson fired, so I hope people remember that.

New Zealand rugby supporters have a long tradition of being arrogant with an inflated sense of superiority. I found it hard not to fall into that trap, having lived in the United Kingdom, while the All Blacks were losing to England. It can sometimes be very humbling as a supporter of New Zealand rugby, but that’s life.

I feel sad for Robertson and the rugby community, because it’s not a great look for a national coach to be fired. As I said before, I have no idea whether letting Robertson go was the right choice or not; I can only hope that both the All Blacks and Black Ferns can pick themselves up and go again. I don’t have blind faith in them, but I do have faith, and that’s enough.

I can only hope that the resetting of coaches for both teams will be beneficial to us, but also to themselves. I want them to be in the news for the right reasons, but it’s not up to me. If they win, I love them. If they lose, I still love them.

It’s good that rugby is strong and competitive at the international level in both the men’s and women’s games. It really is, because to be the best in the world, you need to beat the best in the world, because…you know…I bleed back.

I hope this lecture has made sense. Do you have any thoughts about Scott Robertson being sacked? As always, please let me know.

Please don’t forget to walk your dog, read a banned book, don’t let your friends threaten to take over another country, and I’ll see you next week, where we are going to discuss the greatest rugby tournament outside of the World Cup: The Six Nations Championship! I know you can’t wait.

Tour of the Solar System: Pluto

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Science

To mark the 60th anniversary of Batman premiering on ABC, and bringing Gotham’s live-action citizens into our living rooms, I thought I would celebrate by launching another Tour of the Solar System entry.

Sorry, what’s that? Did you just ask what the Batman TV show and the Solar System have in common? Absolutely nothing, of course. As a student of history, superheroes and space, what else was I supposed to do?

In other news, one of the world’s most sought-after projects is back for 2026! No, it’s not about Kim Kardashian’s new clothing line. No, it’s not about Alex Jones’ new “Anti-gay frog” cream. No, it’s not about a new Salt and Vinegar/Pizza chips variant, though that does sound amazing.

The truth is harder to accept, but the astronomy content that would never be introduced into schools and universities has returned! Yes, The Tour of the Solar System has returned! Yay, I mentioned it for a second time.

I know the world has either stopped taking its medication, or it needs to start, so it is forgivable if you have missed the thrilling entries of this project. The previous entries are:

1.) Meet the Family

2.) The Sun

3.) Planets vs. Dwarf planets

4.) Mercury

5.) Venus

6.) Earth

7.) The Moon

8.) Mars

9.) The Asteroid Belt

10.) Ceres

11.) Jupiter

12.) The Galilean moons

13.) Saturn

14.) Titan

15.) The Moons of Saturn

16.) Uranus

17.) Titania

18.) The Moons of Uranus

19.) The Literary Moons of Uranus

20.) Neptune

21.) Triton

22.) The Moons of Neptune

23.) The Kuiper Belt

Our last tour stop brought us to the Kuiper Belt, so today’s lecture will be about one of the first denizens we are going to meet there: Pluto. We have a lot to discuss about this distant ice ball, where a not-so ancient grudge will hopefully not break into a new mutiny. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, get ready for another awkward amateur academic attempt aimed at astronomy. Prepare thyself, for we are going to Pluto!

Enhanced color view of Pluto using images from New Horizons Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) and color data from the spacecraft’s Ralph Instrument. (Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute)

So, here we are at Pluto. Before we venture on, I need to address the grumpy elephant in the room. I’m going to say something that I’ve mentioned previously during this project, but it needs to be repeated. Pluto is not a planet, but rather a dwarf planet. Now, I’m going to leave that statement there to marinate, and we are going to discuss this later.

However, in the meantime, we are going to treat Pluto as a planet during this tour stop until the proper time when we are going to have an intervention. So, going forward, we are treating Pluto as a planet, until we don’t. Clear as mud? Awesome, let’s continue.

At best estimates, Pluto was formed 4.5-4.6 billion years ago, similar to the outer planets, or gas giants. Pluto is a Trans-Neptunian object (TNO) because it orbits the Sun at a greater average distance than Neptune, but it’s also a Kuiper Belt Object (KBO), because, you guessed it, it’s located in the Kuiper Belt.

Pluto’s name and its discovery are connected, but not in the traditional sense. If you can cast your mind back to Neptune’s tour stop, you will remember that Neptune was the first planet to be discovered through mathematics, as predicted by calculations based on observations of Uranus.

For years after Neptune’s discovery in 1846, scientists believed there was another planet, just waiting to be discovered, beyond Neptune’s orbit. This was because of the observations made of Uranus and Neptune. This undiscovered planet was named Planet X, coined by Percival Lowell. In hindsight, this was a pretty boss name, since science-fiction writers liked using it later on.

Anyway, scientists kept looking beyond Neptune with increasingly advanced telescopes and building new observatories, like the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. It was founded by, wait for it….Percival Lowell. The job of finding Planet X at Lowell Observatory was handed to Clyde Tombaugh in 1929.

Using an astrograph, which is a telescope that can take photographs, Tombaugh spent his time taking photographs of various sections of space beyond Neptune and comparing them to detect movement. Eventually, this painstaking mission succeeded in the discovery of Planet X on 18th February 1930, after which the news was released on 13th March 1930.

When naming this new planet, the tradition was to give the planet a name from Roman mythology, but as you know, Earth and Uranus are the exceptions. The public’s response to the first planet to be discovered in 84 years, and the first in the 20th century, was to flood Lowell Observatory with names. Minerva, Cronus, and Pluto soon became the most popular.

As I understand the story, an Englishman, Falconer Madan, read about Pluto’s discovery in the newspaper to his family at breakfast. Listening to this was his eleven-year-old granddaughter, Venetia Burney. She suggested the name Pluto, taken from Roman mythology, as Pluto was the brother of Jupiter and Neptune. Pluto was the god of the underworld, and his Greek equivalent was Hades.

Madan worked at Oxford University, so he passed on the suggestion to Herbert Hall Turner, an astronomy professor, who, in turn, passed it on to the staff at Lowell Observatory. A vote was taken, and Pluto was declared the winner, with the name being published to the public on 1st May 1930.

Sorry, that was a long-winded explanation about Pluto’s discovery and name. I’ll try to be more concise, though I can’t make any promises.

Pluto’s polar area. Image credits: NASA/ESA.

Pluto is a small world, as it’s even smaller than Mercury. It has a diameter of 2,377 km, which makes Pluto only about 1/5th of Earth’s width. Pluto is also smaller than the Moon; however, it is larger than Ceres. Size, like time, is relative.

Pluto’s orbit of the Sun can be quite staggering, along with the distance. We have mentioned this before, but many planets have elliptical orbits in the Solar System. Earth has one, even though it’s slight, we still have one. Pluto’s orbit, on the other hand, is out of control. Just ask the Chemical Brothers.

Pluto’s perihelion, which is its closest point to the Sun, is about 4.43 billion km, while its aphelion, the furthest point away from the Sun, is about 7.37 billion km. This means Pluto’s average distance from the Sun is about 5.9 billion km, and it has an average orbital speed of 4.743 km/s. It’s not a shabby speed, but the Millennium Falcon could still smoke it.

Like all of the planets past Jupiter, the Sun’s light will take a lot longer to reach each world because of the gigantic scale in distance.

Light from the Sun takes about 8 minutes and 20 seconds to reach Earth; in comparison, it takes 5.5 hours to reach Pluto. That’s the same amount of time you could watch Kill Bill: Volume 1, Kill Bill: Volume 2, and Army of Darkness back-to-back.

Pluto’s rotation is nothing to laugh at, because its rotation is part of its identity. One Plutonian day, which is the time it takes for Pluto to make one full rotation, is equal to 6.375 Earth days, which is 153 Earth hours. That’s intense.

As for a Plutonian year, the length of time it takes to make one orbit around the Sun, well, brace yourself because it is the equivalent of 248 Earth years. To understand what that time scale means, since its discovery in 1930, Pluto won’t make a full orbit of the Sun until 2178.

Also, 248 years ago, when Pluto was roughly in its present location in time and space, Captain James Cook and his crew became the first Europeans to visit the Sandwich Islands, later named the Hawaiian Islands; and the American Revolutionary War noted two key moments: the Treaty of Alliance was signed, and the Valley Forge encampment was in its second month. The slave population in the United States at the time equalled about 22% of the total American population, while the world’s population in 1778 was between 750 million and 900 million people.

NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft captured this image of Pluto’s surface shrouded in atmospheric haze. (Credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI)

I mentioned this fact while discussing Neptune, since it’s a very important piece of information about Pluto. It has an orbital angle of over 17°, relative to Neptune’s orbit. This is an oddity because it means, for a short amount of time, 20 years, compared to the universe, of course, Pluto goes inside of Neptune’s orbit.

The last time it happened was between 1979 and 1999. So, that meant from 1979 to 1999, Neptune, not Pluto, was the furthest planet in our Solar System. To make it even crazier than a wedding in Las Vegas, this 20-year cycle has started again, with Pluto currently inside Neptune’s orbit.

Pluto spins with a 120° angle relative to its plane of orbit around the Sun. That doesn’t mean much, until you learnt the fact that, similar to Uranus, Pluto spins on its side, as well as having a retrograde rotation. Pluto does enjoy being weird.

And speaking of being weird, since its axial tilt is so high, Pluto experiences seasons that last for centuries; Westeros has nothing on Pluto. In addition to this, because Pluto is billions of kilometres away from the Sun, the world would be the perfect holiday location for Mr Freeze. Temperatures range from -238°C to -218°C, averaging around -225°C. Seriously, that’s mad.

The thin atmosphere of Pluto is nightmare fuel as well, which consists of nitrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, acetylene, ethylene, and hydrogen cyanide. Life as we understand it would not thrive or survive on such an inhospitable cosmic creation.

Even though Pluto is, for all intents and purposes, devoid of life, it still has some interesting features on the surface, which is littered with craters, valleys, plains, and mountains. It features names like Brass Knuckles, Wright Mons, Piccard Mons, Voyager Terra, Hayabusa Terra, Cthulhu Macula, Sputnik Planitia, Tombaugh Regio, and Al-Idrisi Montes. Pluto also has mountain ranges called Tenzing Montes and Hillary Montes.

Bonus points for anybody who can identify the origins of these fantastic names. New Zealanders and sci-fi fans have a small advantage, sorry.

A black and white image of Pluto captured by NASA’s New Horizons shows a mountain range with peaks reaching as high as 3,500 metres above the surface of the icy body. (Supplied: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI)

We have reached the part of the tour stop, which can make certain worlds a little sensitive about the next two topics: rings and moons. Sadly, Pluto does not belong to the rings club, though Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Sauron, and the Mandarin are members.

As for moons, yes, Pluto is allowed into this VIP section of the Solar System. It has five moons, whose names are just as bad arse as Pluto’s features. Their names are Charon, Styx, Nix, Kerberos, and Hydra, but we will discuss them next time, since they are just as odd as Pluto. I love it.

It’s this part of the tour stop that I would present some quirky or interesting facts about Pluto. That being the case, there’s nothing more important than what I’m about to discuss. I’m sure if you cast your mind back to the start of this outrageous and boorish piece of science communication, we have been treating and discussing Pluto like a planet, but it’s really a dwarf planet. Correct? Great, let’s get into it.

This is another long-winded story, but I’ll try to jazz it up for you. Since Pluto was discovered in 1930, it had enjoyed being classified as a planet. It was in all of the textbooks, and you may have learnt about it at school, with the planet acronym, Mercury/Venus/Earth/Mars/Jupiter/Saturn/Uranus/Neptune/Pluto, which covered some hilarious mnemonic phrases.

However, not all scientists agreed that Pluto was a planet, mainly because of its size, since there were moons larger than Pluto, like Ganymede, Titan, Callisto, Io, Europa, Triton, and even our amazingly named moon, The Moon.

Another argument was about Pluto’s orbit, which, if you remember, cuts inside Neptune’s orbit. It was thought that planets should not be able to do this, so along with other arguments, there was a debate about Pluto’s planetary status.

Things changed in 2005, when a group of astronomers discovered a TNO and named it Eris. This new world was being touted as a possible tenth planet, but there was a problem: it appeared to be slightly larger than Pluto.

This presented the astronomers of the world with a problem: what do we call these small worlds like Pluto, Eris, Sedna, and even poor old Ceres, which are not moons? If they are not planets, what are they? They decided to solve the conundrum once and for all by having a meeting. A very special meeting.

Later that year, a group of 19 members of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) got together to discuss and sort this mess, and hopefully to come up with new planetary classifications and definitions. If Science were a Lego game, then the IAU would be in charge of astronomy and doing all of the digging to get those sweet mini-kits and studs. They did this by dividing the worlds into three groups: planets, dwarf planets, and small solar system bodies.

Image of Pluto from NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft showing different compositions of ices as different colors. Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute.

In the third tour stop, I discussed the differences between a planet and a dwarf planet. I mean, if you’re in a nightclub and you want to buy a world a drink, you want to know whether you’re doomed to fail with a planet or a dwarf planet; am I right? Different strokes for different folks.

I’m repeating myself here, but the IAU definitions of a planet are as follows:

1.) Is in orbit around the Sun.

2.) Has sufficient mass to assume hydrostatic equilibrium.

3.) Has “cleared the neighbourhood” around its orbit.

The first is obvious: the planet must orbit around the Sun.

The second talks about the planet achieving hydrostatic equilibrium, which is just a nearly round shape.

The third is about when a planet orbits the Sun; it must be the most dominant gravitational object in that orbit. It means the planet needs to be able to sling or clear the neighbourhood of any other smaller objects in its path.

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune all meet these criteria. However, if we apply these criteria to Pluto, things get serious. It passed the first and second, but Pluto failed the third criterion, as it hasn’t cleared the neighbourhood in its orbit.

This was mainly because, once again, its orbit cuts inside of Neptune’s orbit. It also has a quirky orbital dance with Charon, one of its moons; and its location in the Kuiper Belt, as it is surrounded by other icy worlds.

Pluto’s status as a planet was revoked, thanks to the IAU swiping left. So if Pluto wasn’t a planet, then what was it?

Don’t panic, for the IAU was here to save the day, and to tidy up their own mess. Enter the brand new classification of dwarf planets, which had not three, but four criteria.

1.) It must orbit the Sun.

2.) Has enough mass to be round.

3.) Has not cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit.

4.) It must not be a natural satellite (moon).

When graded against these four criteria, the IAU swiped right on Pluto and was reclassified as a dwarf planet, along with many others. Ultimately, it meant that the bouncers let Earth, Ceres, Mars, Eris, Saturn, Pluto, and the rest into the nightclub, but once they were in, they divided the worlds into two separate rooms, so they could party and dance with their own kind. Buy one drink and get one free is always popular, especially on noraebang nights.

Yes, it seems cruel and petty to do this to Pluto, but in the pursuit of scientific accuracy, sadly, it needed to be done. I mean, it’s not like Pluto has feelings, right? Right?!

Anyway, it’s one of the reasons that Pluto and Eris don’t get along, especially after a few drinks. Poor Ceres has to play referee, and the Sun, the manager of the nightclub, just ends up threatening to kick both of them out if they can’t behave themselves.

It’s hilarious that Pluto blames Eris for the declassification/reclassification debacle, when in reality, it was Earth’s fault for demanding to talk to the manager. What a Karen move, Earth!

And that brings another thrilling episode of the universe’s least recommended astronomy project to a close. “Some Geek Told Me’s Tour of the Solar System is a masterpiece in science communication,” said no astronomer or astrophysicist ever.

What’s your favourite fact about Pluto? As always, please let me know. Thanks again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. If you don’t push your own boat, no one else will, so if you want to follow someone new, visit my wonderful, but dull Twitter and Mastodon, accounts.

Please don’t forget to walk your dog, read a banned book, continue watching videos where ICE agents slip on ice, and if you ever repeat any of the information I write about, and someone asks you where you learnt it, just say, “Some Geek Told Me.” I’ll see you next week for some rugby!

References:

NASA: Pluto Facts. https://science.nasa.gov/dwarf-planets/pluto

Wikipedia: Pluto. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluto

To control another country, or not to control another country, that is the question

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Geography, People, Politics

As fans of this highly informative blog will undoubtedly know, I’m somewhat of a fan of William Shakespeare’s work. I’ve talked about his work before on this beloved blog, but one day I will discuss the villains, because, in my humble opinion, there’s nothing greater than a Shakespearean villain.

Now, you could be sitting on public transportation as you read this, or maybe in the bathroom, and you would be forgiven if you think I’m going to talk about Shakespearean villains today. Alas, no, not today.

I’m bringing up the term because, once again, in my humble opinion, someone last weekend exhibited actions worthy of being called a Shakespearean villain.

Well, that’s not fair to Iago and Richard III, is it? I mean, they could challenge Trump to a battle of wits, but … oh, you know the rest.

I was honestly going to write a Tour of the Solar System post, but each time I looked at the news, the OCD in me wouldn’t let it go, so here we are.

Unless you have been living in a shoe, I’m discussing the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores by United States forces, after they attacked the capital, Caracas, on 3rd January. At the latest count, at least 57 people were killed in the attack. Like I said last week, it’s an interesting way to start 2026.

This also covers Trump claiming that the United States is going to “run” Venezuela, along with opening up its massive oil reserves and selling them, in addition to prosecuting Maduro in the United States court system.

I’m not here to debate the legality of what Trump has done, purely because I’m not an expert in international law. If I were, my topics would be far more exciting! Trump’s actions can be measured against the United Nations and/or any other international legal body. However, my Spidey-sense has been tripped, and is ringing like a school fire alarm.

Today’s rant will be of interest to roughly only 8% of my readers, but it’s about my hopes and fears regarding the situation.

Credit: Ferguson

Let’s start with the most obvious statement, which I’m going to repeat:

Venezuela is better off without Nicolás Maduro

I’m not going to sit here and list the crimes Maduro has committed against Venezuelans, as they are well documented. Along with former president, the late Hugo Chávez, Maduro has run Venezuela into the ground, and the shenanigans involving various Venezuelan presidential elections have also been well-reported.

So, I’m going to reinforce this point that Venezuela is better off without Nicolás Maduro. They are free of his extrajudicial killings and suicidal financial policies. This, of course, seamlessly brings us to my hopes for Venezuela, because I want to focus on the country first.

My hope for Venezuela is, quite simply, that Maduro’s removal will give them hope. Depending on how much money is created from the sale of the oil, if it happens, of course. Regardless, I hope it is pumped back into the country and its people.

I came across a social media post from a man in Venezuela who stated that people in the West do not understand what it was like living under Maduro’s regime, as it was a time of great despair. He mentioned that if Trump wants to take their oil, he can, because at least the money would bring some financial benefit to the country.

That’s tough to read and argue against.

Venezuela is better off without Nicolás Maduro

My other hope for Venezuela is with the new President, Delcy Rodríguez, the former Vice President. Assuming the US government “allows” her to function in this role, or the opposition leader, María Corina Machado, does not take the job, or if she is just waiting for Maduro’s return, there are a lot of expectations and responsibilities now resting on Rodríguez’s shoulders.

Rodríguez has been involved in previous policies, but not all of them, that have crippled the country, so she’s in a rare position to redeem herself and the government, to Latin America, the world, but mainly to Venezuela. Her government can craft new laws that will lift Venezuelans, and not continue with the same or more Maduro-style policies that have damaged the country.

With Maduro’s removal, there is a possibility that the country could divide and fall into civil war, or it could bring the nation together with steps toward a brighter future for Venezuela.

I hope that Rodríguez is up to the task, because the country has suffered enough. She can bring them hope against inflation and corruption. What’s going to happen? I have no idea, but we can still hope.

Venezuela is better off without Nicolás Maduro

Alright, those are my hopes for Venezuela, so what are my fears?

As I mentioned just before, Venezuela could tear itself apart if it and the world are not careful, but I believe the country will survive. It will be rough, but no worse than the years under Maduro, which have given them a new strength. I am not too fearful for Venezuela’s future. No, it’s what happens outside of Venezuela that gives me fear.

I said before that this blog post is not going into the legality of Trump’s actions towards Maduro, or “seizing” control of the country, or threatening to sell off Venezuela’s oil reserve. Far better writers, reporters, activists, lawyers, and journalists can do that.

Are Trump’s actions illegal, and will the US government suffer no consequences, or are Trump’s actions legal? I don’t know which one scares me the most. This has led me to a revelation; regardless of whether Trump’s actions were legal or not, and whether Venezuela will thrive or not, I fear that this is only the start.

Let’s begin with the United States, because it’s an obvious choice. We are going to play a game and pretend there will be no legal consequences from the international community for Trump and the US government over Maduro’s capture and “seizure” of Venezuela. With me so far? Great.

So, if Trump is allowed to capture a leader from a sovereign country, because that country has resources that the United States needs, what is stopping them from doing it again? What happens if they decide that taking control of Greenland needs to become a reality? While they are at it, maybe taking over Panama to secure the Panama Canal seems like a great idea to strengthen American interests.

Hell, let’s secure Cuba, Haiti, as well, though, securing Colombia is another super idea too.

The problem here is that no matter how it is justified, the world may look at the United States and think, “If they’re allowed to do it, so are we.”

Following Trump’s and the United States’ new foreign policy of 21st-century annexation, we can only guess at what the upcoming chaos could be. Imagine if Russia captured Volodymyr Zelenskyy, or China secured Lai Ching-te, because they followed the United States’ example.

Israel takes Palestine, China annexes Taiwan, Nepal, and Bhutan, and Russia absorbs the former USSR states of Ukraine, Moldova, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

Maybe North Korea decides to unite the Korean peninsula and invades South Korea. Maybe India decides that Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are better off under Indian control. Maybe Sudan thinks that South Sudan has had its fun and its time to come home.

It could be that Egypt takes North Africa, while Nigeria absorbs West Africa. In other parts, Central, East, and Southern Africa descend into carnage. As for the Arabian Peninsula and the Persian Gulf, that could be a royal rumble, with land and oil on the line, involving multiple nations.

Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines could start fighting over islands, with Australia and New Zealand concluding that all Pacific Island nations need to be under their control, to protect everybody’s future.

Where would this strategy of a real-world game of Risk take us? Carving up regions in Antarctica and the Moon? The new land-grab would destroy everything and everyone. Trump just has to do it again, or another world leader decides that their neighbour has a nice pair of resources, and it starts. This, of course, is assuming that no country fights back.

Another possibility is what if one country decides that another country would be better off under their control, but the surrounding countries, or even the world, steps in to stop them? What if a conflict between two nations spills over and engulfs the region or the world? I mean, Russia is already knocking on NATO’s door.

It’s possible this could happen. Highly unlikely, but still possible. I fear that the wrong leaders are surrounded by the wrong people, being told the wrong advice, that if they don’t act and claim what they want from another country, someone else will.

To me, this is madness. It’s just madness. I don’t know how this is going to work out, because I doubt even Trump knows. All I know is that this, if it hasn’t already, could go sideways very quickly.

I’m glad that Venezuela has the opportunity to move forward, since the country has been lacking hope for a long time. Whatever happens next, I hope that world leaders, even my government, whom I trash-talk a lot, manage to calm the situation down, so clearer heads will prevail. Maybe.

Well, this is not exactly how I thought we would be starting 2026, but like many things in life, they are out of our hands; though it’s still nice to know that not everybody agrees with the sparkly new Donroe Doctrine. To quote Pope Leo XIV, “War is back in vogue. And the zeal for war is spreading.”

What are your thoughts on the situation? As always, please let me know.

Thanks again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. Before I depart to have UMC1 and UMC2 kick my arse once again in Monopoly, I thought I would continue the depressing tone of 2026.

I’d like to remind you all to continue discussing the situations I’ve mentioned, as well as those in Palestine, Congo, Sudan, and Ukraine. The ongoing riots and the deaths of protesters in Iran also warrant our attention.

The universe loves and needs opposites, which are being played out across the Earth. War has Peace, Hate has Love, Ignorance has Compassion, Apathy has Empathy, and Sour Cream and Chives has Salt and Vinegar, so don’t lose hope. And with that, I’ll see you next week.

2026 is off to an interesting start

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Blogs, Comics, Literature, Movies, Politics, Social Media, Sports, Television

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more.

All of the staff at Some Geek Told Me are ready and raring to go for 2026. Another Gregorian Calendar year is spread out like a large, inviting beanbag, tempting us with comfort to trap us.

Many things are coming out this year that will evoke a range of emotions and feelings, filling therapists’ offices. Well, not all of them. There are things I’m looking forward to, and some that will make me squint my eyes and cross my fingers.

Over the past few years, I’ve published a version of this blog, and while it may not be entirely original, I believe it’s important to have things or events to look forward to. I also hold onto the hope that it’s all going to work out. Just to clarify, these are not New Year’s Resolutions, but rather Great Expectations for 2026.

And just like anything that happens on this wonderful corner of the internet, there are some rules. I have discussed them before, but let’s go over them.

1.) Just because an event is on the list does not mean I will get to experience that event in 2026. A book might be released in April, a movie might come out in July, or a TV show might be released on a streaming platform that I don’t currently subscribe to, so I may not read and watch them until 2027 or whenever. Also, I can’t watch every single sports game either; I wish.

2.) Some dates could be confusing because of time zone differences, but they are subject to change.

3.) Against popular belief, I don’t know everything. There will be information about an event that hasn’t been released yet, which I could be interested in, but if I don’t know about it, I can’t add it to the list.

4.) Hopefully, Sour Cream and Chives will finally be banned and labelled a plague on humanity. Dreams are free, aren’t they?

Two last things to note: I know the world is a crazy, but beautiful place. People are suffering for different reasons all over the planet, so this post is not ignoring that fact, but rather highlighting some positive and/or interesting things that are coming up in 2026, at least to me.

It also pays to remember that I’m a middle-aged, weird, straight, married white male, living in the South Pacific. The things you’re looking forward to could be very different from mine, and that’s alright.

So, what is there to look forward to in 2026? Let’s begin now, shall we?

Credit: Suncatcher Studio

Let’s start with you, the reader, and what you can expect from New Zealand’s 5th least favourite website in 2026.

  • More spelling mistakes.
  • More grammatical errors.
  • More badly chosen topics.
  • More comic and manga blogs.
  • More blogs that are arguably not funny.
  • More movie previews/reviews.
  • More We Didn’t Start the Fire historic references.
  • More Tour of the Solar System posts.
  • Images and photos that are loosely connected to a post.
  • Possibly more Trump posts.
  • Hopefully, more science-related content.
  • The annual posts about Star Wars Day and Free Comic Book Day.
  • Fingers crossed, to finally start the animals blog posts.
  • Continue to increase subscribers (At the time of writing, I have 242 followers/subscribers across three social platforms. Jealous much?)

I’m sure there are more things, but my media spokesperson said any more information could incriminate myself.

With that, let us move on to other subjects.

Politics

All general elections around the world are important, but these elections I will be following very carefully. Listen to me, talking like an expert.

  • Nepal: General Election (5th March)
  • Vietnam: Parliamentary elections (15th March)
  • Republic of the Congo: Presidential elections (22nd March)
  • Hungary: Parliamentary elections (Expected on 12th April)
  • Peru: General elections (12th April)
  • Libya: Presidential and parliamentary elections (Expected in April)
  • Colombia: Presidential elections (31st May)
  • Lebanon: Parliamentary elections (Expected in May)
  • Ethiopia: General elections (1st June)
  • Haiti: General elections (30th August)
  • Russia: Parliamentary elections (Expected in September)
  • Brazil: General elections (4th October)
  • Israel: Parliamentary elections (Scheduled for 27th October, but will likely happen earlier)
  • United States: Midterm elections (3rd November)
  • New Zealand: General Election (To be confirmed, but no later than 19th December 2026)
  • South Sudan: General elections (Expected on 22nd December)

Sport

There are always watching and following the teams that I support, and one day I’ll write about that, but these single games don’t count. It’s just tournaments and competitions that I’m focusing on, because they include my four favourite sports. I am a New Zealander after all.

Rugby Union:

  • Men’s and Women’s Six Nations Championship (February-March and April-May)
  • Men’s Inaugural Nations Championship (July-November)
  • All Blacks’ Tour of South Africa (August-September)
  • Women’s Pacific Four Series (Dates to be confirmed)
  • Black Ferns Home Series against France (October)
  • WXV Global Series (Dates to be confirmed)

Rugby League:

  • NRL (National Rugby League) Competition
  • Rugby League World Cup (October-November)

Cricket:

  • ICC Men’s T20 World Cup (February-March)
  • ICC Women’s T20 World Cup (June-July)
  • New Zealand Men’s Tour of India (January)
  • South Africa Men’s tour of New Zealand (March)
  • South Africa Women’s tour of New Zealand (March-April)
  • New Zealand Men’s Tour of England (June)

Football:

  • African Cup of Nations (December 2025-January 2026)
  • 2025-2026 UEFA Champions League
  • 2025-2026 English Premier League
  • 2025-2026 A-League
  • FIFA Men’s World Cup (June-July)

Movies

These movies are all coming out this year, and I’m going to hopefully watch them at the cinema or at a later date on a streaming service. Maybe. I’m also very aware that a lot of these entries are adaptations, remakes, or sequels. There are a lot of superheroes and science-fiction choices, sorry.

  • Wuthering Heights (11th February)
  • Hoppers (6th March)
  • Project Hail Mary (20th March)
  • Animal Farm (1st May)
  • Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (22nd May)
  • Supergirl (26th June)
  • Minions 3 (1st July)
  • The Odyssey (17th July)
  • Spider-Man: Brand New Day (31st July)
  • Coyote vs. Acme (28th August)
  • Clayface (11th September)
  • Sense and Sensibility (21st September)
  • Digger (2nd October)
  • The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping (20th November)
  • Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew (26th November)
  • Dune: Part Three (18th December)
  • Avengers: Doomsday (18th December)

Television

Like the movie entries, I would like to watch these shows; it just depends on which streaming service they are on, because we don’t own a television. Basically, what I’m saying is that whether or not I can watch the TV show, it’s on the list because I want to watch it. As you can see, these TV shows are aimed at me.

  • Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (January)
  • A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (January)
  • Wonder Man (January)
  • Lanterns (Mid year)
  • VisionQuest (Date to be confirmed)
  • Spider-Noir (Date to be confirmed)
  • Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord (Date to be confirmed)
  • Star Wars: Visions: The Ninth Jedi: (Date to be confirmed)

Music

I have no idea. Seriously, I suck.

Literature

Comics

Apart from the monthly titles and mini-series I’m already reading; which don’t count, there aren’t a lot of choices.

  • Saga is returning with #73.
  • The Crown: A Tale of Hell #1-2 (Hellboy mini-series)
  • Any Marvel/DC crossovers like Superman/Spider-Man and Spider-Man/Superman.

Manga

Just like the comics, I read some manga titles, so they don’t count.

  • Star Wars: Visions: Tsukumo (July)

Fiction and Non-Fiction

I am embarrassed to admit this, but my to-be-read piles have grown out of control. I now have four piles of books, so because of this, I have not researched any fiction or non-fiction books that are being released this year. I’ve become a dragon hoarding treasure, except the treasure is books. I’ve decided I need to read more books from my piles before purchasing any new ones this year. However, I might still give in if something truly captures my attention.

Honourable Mentions

  • The Commonwealth Games (July-August)
  • Free Comic Book Day/Comics Giveaway Day (2nd May)
  • Star Wars Day (4th May)
  • Any new species discovered.

I know the list is boring, and I also know there are more important things in life than movies, sports, and comics, like capturing a leader of a sovereign nation. Don’t be like the United States, I’m looking at you, Russia and China. It could just be me, but I’m starting to think Donald Trump doesn’t take the FIFA Peace Prize seriously at all.

Have I missed anything? What are you looking forward to in 2026? As always, please let me know. Thank you for reading, subscribing, and following Some Geek Told Me in 2025, and may it continue in 2026. Please remember to walk your dog, read a banned book, the Earth is not flat, and I’ll see you next week.

Happy New Year MMXXVI

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn People

Midnight has passed, and we can say goodbye to 2025 and welcome its new sibling, 2026. Hopefully, 2026 will be kinder to everybody than 2025, so let’s see if we can make that happen.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

I’m still on holiday, so don’t expect too much from this well-articulated blog post. My Twitter and Mastodon accounts are still running, so drop by and roll your eyes at the content, because…I don’t really have a decent answer, sorry.

I’ll be back on Monday, 5th January, so until then, Happy New Year and look after yourselves.

Merry Christmas 2025

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn People

Jingle bells, Batman smells,
Robin laid an egg,
The Batmobile lost its wheel,
And the Joker got away!

From everyone in the Some Geek Told Me office, we wish everybody a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I know how it sounds, but thank you for reading, following, and subscribing to this blog. This venture could not exist if people didn’t read it, so thank you.

As you know, I have started my holiday break away from New Zealand’s 5th least favourite website, as I’m going to get my arse kicked playing board games with UMC1 and UMC2. I’ve taught them too well. My Twitter and Mastodon accounts will still have daily posts, as I plan them three weeks in advance, so visit them if you miss me.

Look after yourselves and your family, and I’ll see you in 2026.