Those looking for clues as to how Kieran Read went from being a promising but skinny kid to one of the best rugby players in the world should start at his modest secondary school at Papakura, a working class suburb south of Auckland.

British Chancellor Gordon Brown insists today he remains upbeat about his baby son Fraser’s future after revealing that his third-born has cystic fibrosis.

Tourist chiefs today took advantage of one of the most eagerly awaited showbiz weddings of the year to drum up a bit of extra business.