July 23, 2024 • 19 mins
On Sports Fix with D'Arcy Waldegrave for Tuesday 23 July 2024 - Former Olympic gold medallist Eric Murray talks about the controversary surrounding NZOC's selection process and the athletes that are snubbed despite qualifying.
D'Arcy delivers an opinion piece on why the Warriors will be thankful the Olympics are just around the corner.
Plus, Newstalk ZB Sports News Director Clay Wilson talks about the expansion of women's cricket for future World Cups - is it happening too fast?
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from Newstalks EDB. Follow this
and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
This is Scefix Howard By News Talks EDB.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Why Hello, the welcome on into Sports Fix.
Speaker 4 (00:24):
You're a home of a brief but precise summary of
the day in sport here at Newstalk ZB. My name
is Darcy Waldergrave. It is a Tuesday's the twenty third of.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
July twenty twenty four.
Speaker 4 (00:37):
Our attention today is focused on the Olympic Games and
why not.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Eric Murray joins the show as.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
We look at qualification, the standard that is applied to
our athletes, how stressful, how important it actually is leading
up to the big dance Eric Murray. Shortly we also
get around the Lucky Warriors. Lucky Yeah, the Lucky Warriors.
Why I'll let you know in my editorial piece. And
then we go to Clay Wilson, sports news director for
(01:06):
News Talk ZEDB as we get into the chamber and
have a look across some of the big sports stories
of the day. That is our master plan, get amongst.
We're so key to have you on board.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Let's go in other news.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
So what's happened in sports today.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
Let me tell you, along with the assistance of some
of the key players, all black, Artisavia has a point
to prove now that his move from the Hurricanes to
Mowana Pacifica has been confirmed. The reigning UP Men's Rugby
Player of the Year has a huge driver for next
year's Super Rugby Pacific season.
Speaker 5 (01:42):
Here it is, but I'm looking forward to most is
proving a lot of people wrong, proving people that you know,
Wind not a speakers, a great team and these great players.
Therese great coaches in that team, and I'm looking forward
to that challenge.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
The games are the thirty third Olympia, it's said to begin,
and the city of Paris is taking security very very seriously,
he said on the shift to Michelan. Mister Nigel Avery
speaks of the presence of the forces driving back towards
the village that two am, and it was really notable.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
It was just on every corner.
Speaker 6 (02:13):
It's the same through them.
Speaker 5 (02:15):
But in the village itself there are security people there
that they're not flowing around with weapons.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
They're not really a present.
Speaker 4 (02:22):
And in ziaur Ceo Mark Robinson is satisfied with the
experience of taking the All Blacks to San Diego, obviously
designed to get some hooks into the massive American sport market,
but he's happy.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
He told Mike Hosking, are.
Speaker 6 (02:36):
You definitely more work to do?
Speaker 7 (02:37):
Mike, I don't think the plan is fully fledged, but
what we're seeing through content the influence of the you know,
I'm self spent a couple of days of at stand
sitting around Silicon Dalley talking to some people about what
the future could look like down the West coast with
regards to rugby.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
They said it, we were there, and that's sport today
leading a VIX.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
We've got just the ticket. It's sports Fix News Talks IVY.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
We'll join now on Sportsbox by Eric Murray, a long
time celebrated and decorated Olympian. Eric joins as now as
we look at qualification, that always a sticky subject at
this time of year. Some athletes qualify in the top sixteen,
but they don't get selected by the New zeal Olympic Committee.
Some athletes take it all the way to the top
(03:21):
and end up getting in through legal means. Eric, welcome
to the program. Tell us about that you qualify but you.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Don't get to go.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
What kind of considerations the athletes have in that space
in the lead up to being nominated for the Olympic Games.
Speaker 8 (03:36):
Well, you do, and there's just so many complexities around
it because you know, not only most sports, because of
the Olympics, can't be absolutely massive, you know, these limited
quota spaces.
Speaker 6 (03:48):
Depending on your sport or your event.
Speaker 8 (03:50):
And then obviously we're seen in the media and stuff
like that that we don't just send people to be representatives,
you know, which I'm on the fence about a little
bit as well. You know, like you know, we want
people to excel. There's obviously a cost to it, there's
everything else. So it's a really tricky scenario in terms
of that. But yes, everybody, everybody is searching to try
(04:11):
and be at the Olympics because it's obviously your pinnacle
event and it's very special, you.
Speaker 6 (04:16):
Know, and from my experience the first one.
Speaker 8 (04:19):
In Athens years ago, it was the catalyst to be.
Speaker 6 (04:24):
Like, I don't just want to be here and be
a number. I want to be further.
Speaker 8 (04:27):
And that's what you find, especially in our team as well,
that you've got some I guess some of the senior
experienced people, you know, whether that's in the rugby, or
you take the likes of in the Twig, you know,
or you've got young people that are just in the team,
you know, their first Olympics and they're like, wow, this
is going to be an experience and you know, to
get to that point obviously as massive. But our team
(04:50):
and New Zealand team and over the years with our
different shift of missions, has done an amazing job in
creating a culture of our team, you know, and the
New Zealand team is probably one of, you know, one
of the titles that you'd probably see just in the
way that we do everything overseas and the camaraderie within
the whole group and and the whole team being able
(05:10):
to sit in in a communal.
Speaker 6 (05:11):
Area to watch and support the team members.
Speaker 8 (05:14):
And I think that's really does what make that special
and probably does make it even special for New Zealand itself.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
You touched on the qualification and it's been called not
my quote, but fundamentally flawed the enzoc's approach around the
blanket top sixteen standard for people to actually qualify regardless
of the sport. Now, there is trouble there when you
consider I'm supposing Eric Murray just how deep some sports
(05:43):
run and how big they actually are. In your time
as an Olympian, was that discussed much about that cutoff mark.
Speaker 8 (05:50):
There was a few occasions, you know, and I think
that's what we've got to realize, is it's not in
every single sport, right And there are a few occasions.
You know, you can take road for example, some of
them don't even have sixteen crews, you know, so there automatically,
like a beauty, I'm in. It doesn't matter, I'm going
to be top sixteen anyway. But of course there are
there are cases, yes, where there's criteria and there's more
(06:12):
people that are doing it that could potentially be there,
and the numbers for entry are quite large, So yes,
there are there are things that are spoken about.
Speaker 6 (06:20):
But I guess it's.
Speaker 8 (06:21):
One of these scenarios where you know, we talk about it,
and we have the media that talk about and you
have athletes and stuff that talk about it.
Speaker 6 (06:28):
But we've got to look at the flip side.
Speaker 8 (06:29):
You know, who's paying for it, you know, as a
tax bat paying for this is the IOC paying for it,
because I know they pay for a.
Speaker 6 (06:34):
Chunk, but they don't pay for it all. So then
we could we could keep going on this all day, Darcia.
Speaker 8 (06:39):
It's about you know, medals, medals and the and the
funding that goes towards high performance sport. You know, is
there a model that can be done better?
Speaker 6 (06:46):
I don't know.
Speaker 8 (06:47):
These are all the things that I think with the
development of society and just with open and honest conversation
with everybody, that it's things that we can talk about
in the future going forward.
Speaker 4 (06:58):
But the case of this badminton player, I don't know,
my not is walked away and after being denied a spot.
Apparently he qualified, he should have been fine, he just
wasn't selected and that was just enough.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
He's just walk That's quite damaging for his careers.
Speaker 4 (07:11):
Sold that be something that has looked at in the
wider scale about the effect that has mentally on athletes
who are.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
Good enough but not deemed good enough by the Olympic Committee? Oh?
Speaker 6 (07:21):
No, absolutely, yeah.
Speaker 8 (07:22):
And I think that I think that those you know,
those those conversations are going deeper, right And we're obviously
pinpointing one because it's it's the forefront of what everybody's
talking about.
Speaker 6 (07:33):
And I don't know the solution.
Speaker 8 (07:35):
You know, we've obviously it's like anything, Darcy, You've got
to put a criteria in place, right, you have to,
and it just means, you know, and you're going to
get some people that fall outside of that criteria who
are going to feel hard done by.
Speaker 6 (07:48):
Now.
Speaker 8 (07:48):
I truly believe, yes, if we could, if it's not costing,
and we could afford to send as many people that
qualify under international standards, send a lot of them.
Speaker 6 (07:58):
Right, I believe that that's how it should be.
Speaker 8 (08:01):
But this is this is the problem that we've got
is that I'm not the one making the decisions in
the ENSOC. I don't know the ins and outs of
the funding. I don't know the ins and outs of
all those models. So what can we do? You know?
And obviously it's going to be something that comes out
of this going forward.
Speaker 6 (08:15):
And I believe that, yes, if you qualify.
Speaker 8 (08:18):
As an international standard, there's a reason that there's an
international standard. And I know that New Zealand wants to
keep this high level of you know, competition and standard
of people that are going. But I can honestly say
there's been so many people that have gone to the
Olympics and spent one one Olympics going there and the
next time they come out, they're so much better, right,
(08:40):
and what's that done for the development of the sports?
You know, you'd let's take kayaking for example. We's cano
racing and kayaking come since Beijing. Right, we had Fowey,
now we've got Carrington and look at what that's done
for the sport in New Zealand. And that's what we've
really got to look at is how this can affect
those sports going forward.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
And on that, mister Murray, we thank you very much
for your time and your consideration.
Speaker 6 (09:03):
You go, well, mate, no worry.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
Beating of X. We've got just the ticket. It's force fix.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
How lucky are the Warriors? Hold on, what do you
mean lucky? It was unlucky if you don't know what
I'm talking about.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
The Warriors again beaten at the posts in the game,
and the NRL an unfortunate lack of conversions throughout the
game means yet again the Warriors last in the last
minutes by a very small margin, and now they find
their season teetering face It's been teetering now for the
last few weeks. They're not quite yet in the twilight
(09:41):
zone of the mathematical equation, but that dreaded must win. Well,
it's very near, it's very present. It's really quite relevant.
They playing it on Friday night up against the West Tigers,
who are basically being roadkilled for every.
Speaker 3 (09:56):
Team that have played them this season.
Speaker 4 (09:58):
But the Warrior's case, who wouldn't put past them the
West Tigers to finally stand up and do something. So
why do I call the Warriors lucky? I've got them
lucky because of this. In a couple of days, it's
the start of the thirty third Olympiad in Paris. This
will capture the hearts, the imaginations, the minds, and the
eyeballs of sports fans right up and down the country.
(10:22):
I don't think too many people unless they are hard
core Warriors fans, and I know there's a lot of
you out there, will give two hoots what happens to
the Warriors over the next couple of weeks. They won't
be focused on it. They won't be interested in what
the NRAL does. They'll be looking at a broad global
competition that reverberates around the world. Sports that we don't
(10:44):
normally see. Sports possibly we don't understand, but sport at
the very highest level. It's not an Australasian competition. It
is a global competition and that will swamp all of
our sporting minds over the next couple of weeks. So
if that twilight zone is approached and it becomes a
case of mathematical equations for the Warriors, I think they're
(11:05):
lucky because I'm not sure if the sporting public of
New Zeland will even notice.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
The Chamber is now in session on Sportsfax.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
Ti'm now to dive headlong and to the chamber.
Speaker 4 (11:18):
We're joined by Newstalk's eb's director of Sport, Clay Wilson.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
Lovely to be in your company in Clay, are you
ready for this?
Speaker 9 (11:27):
I guess I have to be. I'm here, I can't
get out. You've locked me in, So here we go.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
That's the way we roll here in the chamber. It's
very very important.
Speaker 4 (11:33):
Hey, talk to Eric Murray earlier on in the podcast
about Olympic qualification standards. This comes up every year. Is
it a realistic issue in this situation?
Speaker 3 (11:44):
Do you think that MZOC are just basically doing the
best they can and look, some people are going to
get hurt, some people are gonna slip through the cracks.
Speaker 9 (11:51):
I think for an organization like the ns of DOC.
It's perhaps a damned if you do, damned if you don't,
or there's no real right answer to a situation like
this when you're trying to select athletes for these pinnacle events,
because there's so many factors that come into it.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
It's not just performance.
Speaker 9 (12:09):
You have to think about some of these decisions I'm
sure are based around financial about how much money organizations
have to send people to these kind of events. And also,
you know, if you're going to be spending a lot
of money on these athletes, you have to have to
trust that they're going to go there and and perform
and do well. Although winning medals is not the only
(12:30):
metric you're going to have athletes.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
They can't be the only metric.
Speaker 4 (12:33):
And Olympics surely it can't just be a you going
to win a medal, because the people only get sented
they're going to win a metal.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
We're not sending anybody. We're sending twelve people, aren't we.
Speaker 9 (12:41):
And so yeah, and this is where it becomes complex, right,
It's where are athletes at in their career, particularly the
athletes at the start of their career that are trying
to get this experience at Olympic, Commonwealth, whatever level they're
being selected for, and it does, You're right, every time
we have one of these pinnacle events, it does come
up around this top sixteen criteria because an athlete can
(13:01):
qualify under their individual sports criteria or an IOC criteria,
but they're not get selected by the n zos. I
think it's hard really to say whether it's right or wrong,
because in some cases you might say, yes, it was
a fair decision, and the other cases you might say, well,
that seems hard because this person has proven in the
past that they've finished top five or top ten. Some
(13:22):
certain World championships were similar. So yeah, it's just such
a complex issue that I think it's it's really difficult
to say one by the other whether it's it's right
or wrong. Do you go lower than time? I mean,
what do you think do you go lower than top sixteen?
Do they need to watch tailor made? Doesn't it for
each individual sport? And I think there's a complexity there
in the fact that as the man power of the
(13:44):
thought power, the woman pow the power around actually within sport,
and you sent them to actually spend all of that
time determining what level is for each sport.
Speaker 4 (13:53):
How good are you at a local, at a national,
at an international level? How relevant are you in the
sport globally? Is it a tiny sport? Is it a
massive sport? I don't think there's anyway you can win this.
But as far as the smaller sports, is this a
kick in the guts for them, because not getting that
aspirational recognition, they probably need to encourage more people to play.
Speaker 9 (14:14):
Yeah, perhaps it is on occasion, but you do make
a good point about, you know, perhaps the type of
sport you know, some of these smaller, smaller sports. You
talk about sports where perhaps that they might be ranked
fifties in the world, but on their day they might
still be capable of a top ten finish because that
sport when you think about something like cycling or running
(14:36):
on the track, these kinds of things where it's less
less sort of black and white than what we might
think about in terms of rugby or other certain events.
I think we were having a discussion the other day
about swimming. Often the fastest people you know win, whereas
events that involve tactics or other factors on the day,
then you know, maybe they are capable of a better finish.
(14:57):
So I mean, look, I certainly wouldn't want to be
in the selector's shoes, but perhaps top sixteen for each
event is a bit of a rigid measure for them
to have.
Speaker 4 (15:08):
Seric Murray pointed out, we're only talking about half a
dozen athletes here top so maybe the media as per
are making too much of it. Once the Olympics starts,
all forget about this anyway. But hey, lucky one gold
or she women's T twenty World Cups being expanded to
sixteen teams? Are there sixteen teams of relevance? Were going
back to this Olympic conversation. Does that actually matter? Should
(15:29):
be about the best women's teams in the world performing
or everybody getting a medal in a certificate?
Speaker 9 (15:35):
Yeah, and we've had this issue in the men's World Cup,
haven't we about being expanded as well? And I tend
to think, I mean, if you're going to do it,
T twenty is the format where you do it, isn't it?
But I mean I do struggle to think about sixteen
international women's teams and what sort of interest I mean,
I guess you're getting You're getting some of these lower
(15:55):
ranked teams experience that they wouldn't get against. You know,
if they grouped with some of these big teams.
Speaker 4 (16:00):
Is that a World Cup or is it just an experience,
as you said, for everybody. What does that represent the
cream of world cricketers to everybody.
Speaker 9 (16:08):
Maybe it's just a way of getting some of these teams,
these sort of teams in the ten to sixteen kind
of area, that experience in a game or two against
some of these top teams and expose them to that level.
When we have seen at work in men's cricket. I
mean you have to look at Afghanistan in this last
T twenty World Cup. But yeah, women's cricket internationally and
(16:31):
professionally is still in its relative infancy compared to men's cricket,
isn't it.
Speaker 3 (16:35):
So?
Speaker 9 (16:36):
I mean, like I have to think about the conversation
we're having at the moment around the White Ferns and
listening to Brian Stromach Brian Stronach from New Zealand Cricket
talk the other day about the domestic women's competition. I mean,
I mean even that in terms of the depth that
that's producing at the international level and it's six teams
in New Zealand, So is there's sixteen world teams. I
guess the proof will be in the pudding, and I'm
(16:57):
sure that the decision makers have got some logic around
why they're trying to do it.
Speaker 7 (17:00):
Well.
Speaker 4 (17:00):
At least the ferns will be guaranteed a couple of
victory set.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
It's a cruel thing to say, isn't it. I should
have said that.
Speaker 5 (17:07):
Wow.
Speaker 9 (17:07):
Yeah, Unfortunately, it's the reality of where that team is
at the moment. So yeah, yeah, that's just affect of
effect of the situation.
Speaker 3 (17:15):
Let's walk away from a cricket and go to netball.
I'm going to call you ferrel. What's your reaction to that,
Clay Wilson.
Speaker 9 (17:23):
I just don't I'm not offended by it, although I
like to think I'm not easily offended. What if I
called you pharaoh?
Speaker 3 (17:30):
Would you care?
Speaker 6 (17:31):
No?
Speaker 3 (17:31):
I just think you're referencing my west Auckland roots, which.
Speaker 4 (17:34):
I haven't got any I just lived out there for
a long long time, and to me, pharaoh's a good thing.
It's you know, it's bourbon, it's dirty fingernails, it's signats,
it's mullets, it's just down dirty, and we're referencing the
fact that tactics coach Mary and Delini Hoshik said that
the Pulses defense was feral and some people take offense
to that.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
I don't see why. I think it's almost a backhanded compliment.
Is that you guys will fall on.
Speaker 9 (17:59):
Yeah, I think like it's one of those one of
those words where depending on who you are, you're either
going to take it as a as a slight or
you're going to be like I am and be proud
of it like you're talking about right.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
So I don't know.
Speaker 9 (18:12):
I have to say I saw that, and then and
then to read the context around it in terms of
her talking about it as a style of defense, a
bit of a storm and a teacup if you ask me.
I mean, I'm just good on her for although it
was picked up in a team talk through the through
the TV cameras, but's that's just what happens in a
I mean, you've been in a team huddle plenty of times.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
I have as well.
Speaker 9 (18:35):
Are just things that get said. It's not trying to
offend anyone or I have a personal crack at anyone.
So yeah, I'm not I'm not that bothered about it.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Well, maybe if someone described your look or your dress
sense is fair, you.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
Might have a reason to go. Hey, hold on, you're
coming from there. And on that subject, we'll get out
of the chamber. Thanks for joining us, Clay Wilson, sports
news director for News Talks he Be, thanks so much
for your time.
Speaker 9 (18:59):
Always a pleasure, Dark, Thank you.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Dissecting the sporting agenda, It's Sportsfix with Jason Paine and
Darcy Water.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
Sign seal and delivered.
Speaker 4 (19:10):
That's the Sports Fixed podcast for yet another day, Tuesday,
the twenty third of July twenty twenty four.
Speaker 3 (19:17):
My name's Darcy Walter Graven.
Speaker 4 (19:18):
For more on sport, don't forget myself and Jason Pine
weekdays between seven and eight on News Talk ZB and
of course over the weekend it's all about the Pine
Man between twelve midday and three with weekend Sport.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
You guys, look after yourself. Get you again tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
For more from News Talk ZEDB. Listen live on air
or online and keep our shows with you wherever you
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You're listening to a podcast from Newstalks EDB. Follow this
and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
This is Scefix Howard By News Talks EDB.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Why Hello, the welcome on into Sports Fix.
Speaker 4 (00:24):
You're a home of a brief but precise summary of
the day in sport here at Newstalk ZB. My name
is Darcy Waldergrave. It is a Tuesday's the twenty third of.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
July twenty twenty four.
Speaker 4 (00:37):
Our attention today is focused on the Olympic Games and
why not.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Eric Murray joins the show as.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
We look at qualification, the standard that is applied to
our athletes, how stressful, how important it actually is leading
up to the big dance Eric Murray. Shortly we also
get around the Lucky Warriors. Lucky Yeah, the Lucky Warriors.
Why I'll let you know in my editorial piece. And
then we go to Clay Wilson, sports news director for
(01:06):
News Talk ZEDB as we get into the chamber and
have a look across some of the big sports stories
of the day. That is our master plan, get amongst.
We're so key to have you on board.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Let's go in other news.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
So what's happened in sports today.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
Let me tell you, along with the assistance of some
of the key players, all black, Artisavia has a point
to prove now that his move from the Hurricanes to
Mowana Pacifica has been confirmed. The reigning UP Men's Rugby
Player of the Year has a huge driver for next
year's Super Rugby Pacific season.
Speaker 5 (01:42):
Here it is, but I'm looking forward to most is
proving a lot of people wrong, proving people that you know,
Wind not a speakers, a great team and these great players.
Therese great coaches in that team, and I'm looking forward
to that challenge.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
The games are the thirty third Olympia, it's said to begin,
and the city of Paris is taking security very very seriously,
he said on the shift to Michelan. Mister Nigel Avery
speaks of the presence of the forces driving back towards
the village that two am, and it was really notable.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
It was just on every corner.
Speaker 6 (02:13):
It's the same through them.
Speaker 5 (02:15):
But in the village itself there are security people there
that they're not flowing around with weapons.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
They're not really a present.
Speaker 4 (02:22):
And in ziaur Ceo Mark Robinson is satisfied with the
experience of taking the All Blacks to San Diego, obviously
designed to get some hooks into the massive American sport market,
but he's happy.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
He told Mike Hosking, are.
Speaker 6 (02:36):
You definitely more work to do?
Speaker 7 (02:37):
Mike, I don't think the plan is fully fledged, but
what we're seeing through content the influence of the you know,
I'm self spent a couple of days of at stand
sitting around Silicon Dalley talking to some people about what
the future could look like down the West coast with
regards to rugby.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
They said it, we were there, and that's sport today
leading a VIX.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
We've got just the ticket. It's sports Fix News Talks IVY.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
We'll join now on Sportsbox by Eric Murray, a long
time celebrated and decorated Olympian. Eric joins as now as
we look at qualification, that always a sticky subject at
this time of year. Some athletes qualify in the top sixteen,
but they don't get selected by the New zeal Olympic Committee.
Some athletes take it all the way to the top
(03:21):
and end up getting in through legal means. Eric, welcome
to the program. Tell us about that you qualify but you.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Don't get to go.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
What kind of considerations the athletes have in that space
in the lead up to being nominated for the Olympic Games.
Speaker 8 (03:36):
Well, you do, and there's just so many complexities around
it because you know, not only most sports, because of
the Olympics, can't be absolutely massive, you know, these limited
quota spaces.
Speaker 6 (03:48):
Depending on your sport or your event.
Speaker 8 (03:50):
And then obviously we're seen in the media and stuff
like that that we don't just send people to be representatives,
you know, which I'm on the fence about a little
bit as well. You know, like you know, we want
people to excel. There's obviously a cost to it, there's
everything else. So it's a really tricky scenario in terms
of that. But yes, everybody, everybody is searching to try
(04:11):
and be at the Olympics because it's obviously your pinnacle
event and it's very special, you.
Speaker 6 (04:16):
Know, and from my experience the first one.
Speaker 8 (04:19):
In Athens years ago, it was the catalyst to be.
Speaker 6 (04:24):
Like, I don't just want to be here and be
a number. I want to be further.
Speaker 8 (04:27):
And that's what you find, especially in our team as well,
that you've got some I guess some of the senior
experienced people, you know, whether that's in the rugby, or
you take the likes of in the Twig, you know,
or you've got young people that are just in the team,
you know, their first Olympics and they're like, wow, this
is going to be an experience and you know, to
get to that point obviously as massive. But our team
(04:50):
and New Zealand team and over the years with our
different shift of missions, has done an amazing job in
creating a culture of our team, you know, and the
New Zealand team is probably one of, you know, one
of the titles that you'd probably see just in the
way that we do everything overseas and the camaraderie within
the whole group and and the whole team being able
(05:10):
to sit in in a communal.
Speaker 6 (05:11):
Area to watch and support the team members.
Speaker 8 (05:14):
And I think that's really does what make that special
and probably does make it even special for New Zealand itself.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
You touched on the qualification and it's been called not
my quote, but fundamentally flawed the enzoc's approach around the
blanket top sixteen standard for people to actually qualify regardless
of the sport. Now, there is trouble there when you
consider I'm supposing Eric Murray just how deep some sports
(05:43):
run and how big they actually are. In your time
as an Olympian, was that discussed much about that cutoff mark.
Speaker 8 (05:50):
There was a few occasions, you know, and I think
that's what we've got to realize, is it's not in
every single sport, right And there are a few occasions.
You know, you can take road for example, some of
them don't even have sixteen crews, you know, so there automatically,
like a beauty, I'm in. It doesn't matter, I'm going
to be top sixteen anyway. But of course there are
there are cases, yes, where there's criteria and there's more
(06:12):
people that are doing it that could potentially be there,
and the numbers for entry are quite large, So yes,
there are there are things that are spoken about.
Speaker 6 (06:20):
But I guess it's.
Speaker 8 (06:21):
One of these scenarios where you know, we talk about it,
and we have the media that talk about and you
have athletes and stuff that talk about it.
Speaker 6 (06:28):
But we've got to look at the flip side.
Speaker 8 (06:29):
You know, who's paying for it, you know, as a
tax bat paying for this is the IOC paying for it,
because I know they pay for a.
Speaker 6 (06:34):
Chunk, but they don't pay for it all. So then
we could we could keep going on this all day, Darcia.
Speaker 8 (06:39):
It's about you know, medals, medals and the and the
funding that goes towards high performance sport. You know, is
there a model that can be done better?
Speaker 6 (06:46):
I don't know.
Speaker 8 (06:47):
These are all the things that I think with the
development of society and just with open and honest conversation
with everybody, that it's things that we can talk about
in the future going forward.
Speaker 4 (06:58):
But the case of this badminton player, I don't know,
my not is walked away and after being denied a spot.
Apparently he qualified, he should have been fine, he just
wasn't selected and that was just enough.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
He's just walk That's quite damaging for his careers.
Speaker 4 (07:11):
Sold that be something that has looked at in the
wider scale about the effect that has mentally on athletes
who are.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
Good enough but not deemed good enough by the Olympic Committee? Oh?
Speaker 6 (07:21):
No, absolutely, yeah.
Speaker 8 (07:22):
And I think that I think that those you know,
those those conversations are going deeper, right And we're obviously
pinpointing one because it's it's the forefront of what everybody's
talking about.
Speaker 6 (07:33):
And I don't know the solution.
Speaker 8 (07:35):
You know, we've obviously it's like anything, Darcy, You've got
to put a criteria in place, right, you have to,
and it just means, you know, and you're going to
get some people that fall outside of that criteria who
are going to feel hard done by.
Speaker 6 (07:48):
Now.
Speaker 8 (07:48):
I truly believe, yes, if we could, if it's not costing,
and we could afford to send as many people that
qualify under international standards, send a lot of them.
Speaker 6 (07:58):
Right, I believe that that's how it should be.
Speaker 8 (08:01):
But this is this is the problem that we've got
is that I'm not the one making the decisions in
the ENSOC. I don't know the ins and outs of
the funding. I don't know the ins and outs of
all those models. So what can we do? You know?
And obviously it's going to be something that comes out
of this going forward.
Speaker 6 (08:15):
And I believe that, yes, if you qualify.
Speaker 8 (08:18):
As an international standard, there's a reason that there's an
international standard. And I know that New Zealand wants to
keep this high level of you know, competition and standard
of people that are going. But I can honestly say
there's been so many people that have gone to the
Olympics and spent one one Olympics going there and the
next time they come out, they're so much better, right,
(08:40):
and what's that done for the development of the sports?
You know, you'd let's take kayaking for example. We's cano
racing and kayaking come since Beijing. Right, we had Fowey,
now we've got Carrington and look at what that's done
for the sport in New Zealand. And that's what we've
really got to look at is how this can affect
those sports going forward.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
And on that, mister Murray, we thank you very much
for your time and your consideration.
Speaker 6 (09:03):
You go, well, mate, no worry.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
Beating of X. We've got just the ticket. It's force fix.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
How lucky are the Warriors? Hold on, what do you
mean lucky? It was unlucky if you don't know what
I'm talking about.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
The Warriors again beaten at the posts in the game,
and the NRL an unfortunate lack of conversions throughout the
game means yet again the Warriors last in the last
minutes by a very small margin, and now they find
their season teetering face It's been teetering now for the
last few weeks. They're not quite yet in the twilight
(09:41):
zone of the mathematical equation, but that dreaded must win. Well,
it's very near, it's very present. It's really quite relevant.
They playing it on Friday night up against the West Tigers,
who are basically being roadkilled for every.
Speaker 3 (09:56):
Team that have played them this season.
Speaker 4 (09:58):
But the Warrior's case, who wouldn't put past them the
West Tigers to finally stand up and do something. So
why do I call the Warriors lucky? I've got them
lucky because of this. In a couple of days, it's
the start of the thirty third Olympiad in Paris. This
will capture the hearts, the imaginations, the minds, and the
eyeballs of sports fans right up and down the country.
(10:22):
I don't think too many people unless they are hard
core Warriors fans, and I know there's a lot of
you out there, will give two hoots what happens to
the Warriors over the next couple of weeks. They won't
be focused on it. They won't be interested in what
the NRAL does. They'll be looking at a broad global
competition that reverberates around the world. Sports that we don't
(10:44):
normally see. Sports possibly we don't understand, but sport at
the very highest level. It's not an Australasian competition. It
is a global competition and that will swamp all of
our sporting minds over the next couple of weeks. So
if that twilight zone is approached and it becomes a
case of mathematical equations for the Warriors, I think they're
(11:05):
lucky because I'm not sure if the sporting public of
New Zeland will even notice.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
The Chamber is now in session on Sportsfax.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
Ti'm now to dive headlong and to the chamber.
Speaker 4 (11:18):
We're joined by Newstalk's eb's director of Sport, Clay Wilson.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
Lovely to be in your company in Clay, are you
ready for this?
Speaker 9 (11:27):
I guess I have to be. I'm here, I can't
get out. You've locked me in, So here we go.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
That's the way we roll here in the chamber. It's
very very important.
Speaker 4 (11:33):
Hey, talk to Eric Murray earlier on in the podcast
about Olympic qualification standards. This comes up every year. Is
it a realistic issue in this situation?
Speaker 3 (11:44):
Do you think that MZOC are just basically doing the
best they can and look, some people are going to
get hurt, some people are gonna slip through the cracks.
Speaker 9 (11:51):
I think for an organization like the ns of DOC.
It's perhaps a damned if you do, damned if you don't,
or there's no real right answer to a situation like
this when you're trying to select athletes for these pinnacle events,
because there's so many factors that come into it.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
It's not just performance.
Speaker 9 (12:09):
You have to think about some of these decisions I'm
sure are based around financial about how much money organizations
have to send people to these kind of events. And also,
you know, if you're going to be spending a lot
of money on these athletes, you have to have to
trust that they're going to go there and and perform
and do well. Although winning medals is not the only
(12:30):
metric you're going to have athletes.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
They can't be the only metric.
Speaker 4 (12:33):
And Olympics surely it can't just be a you going
to win a medal, because the people only get sented
they're going to win a metal.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
We're not sending anybody. We're sending twelve people, aren't we.
Speaker 9 (12:41):
And so yeah, and this is where it becomes complex, right,
It's where are athletes at in their career, particularly the
athletes at the start of their career that are trying
to get this experience at Olympic, Commonwealth, whatever level they're
being selected for, and it does, You're right, every time
we have one of these pinnacle events, it does come
up around this top sixteen criteria because an athlete can
(13:01):
qualify under their individual sports criteria or an IOC criteria,
but they're not get selected by the n zos. I
think it's hard really to say whether it's right or wrong,
because in some cases you might say, yes, it was
a fair decision, and the other cases you might say, well,
that seems hard because this person has proven in the
past that they've finished top five or top ten. Some
(13:22):
certain World championships were similar. So yeah, it's just such
a complex issue that I think it's it's really difficult
to say one by the other whether it's it's right
or wrong. Do you go lower than time? I mean,
what do you think do you go lower than top sixteen?
Do they need to watch tailor made? Doesn't it for
each individual sport? And I think there's a complexity there
in the fact that as the man power of the
(13:44):
thought power, the woman pow the power around actually within sport,
and you sent them to actually spend all of that
time determining what level is for each sport.
Speaker 4 (13:53):
How good are you at a local, at a national,
at an international level? How relevant are you in the
sport globally? Is it a tiny sport? Is it a
massive sport? I don't think there's anyway you can win this.
But as far as the smaller sports, is this a
kick in the guts for them, because not getting that
aspirational recognition, they probably need to encourage more people to play.
Speaker 9 (14:14):
Yeah, perhaps it is on occasion, but you do make
a good point about, you know, perhaps the type of
sport you know, some of these smaller, smaller sports. You
talk about sports where perhaps that they might be ranked
fifties in the world, but on their day they might
still be capable of a top ten finish because that
sport when you think about something like cycling or running
(14:36):
on the track, these kinds of things where it's less
less sort of black and white than what we might
think about in terms of rugby or other certain events.
I think we were having a discussion the other day
about swimming. Often the fastest people you know win, whereas
events that involve tactics or other factors on the day,
then you know, maybe they are capable of a better finish.
(14:57):
So I mean, look, I certainly wouldn't want to be
in the selector's shoes, but perhaps top sixteen for each
event is a bit of a rigid measure for them
to have.
Speaker 4 (15:08):
Seric Murray pointed out, we're only talking about half a
dozen athletes here top so maybe the media as per
are making too much of it. Once the Olympics starts,
all forget about this anyway. But hey, lucky one gold
or she women's T twenty World Cups being expanded to
sixteen teams? Are there sixteen teams of relevance? Were going
back to this Olympic conversation. Does that actually matter? Should
(15:29):
be about the best women's teams in the world performing
or everybody getting a medal in a certificate?
Speaker 9 (15:35):
Yeah, and we've had this issue in the men's World Cup,
haven't we about being expanded as well? And I tend
to think, I mean, if you're going to do it,
T twenty is the format where you do it, isn't it?
But I mean I do struggle to think about sixteen
international women's teams and what sort of interest I mean,
I guess you're getting You're getting some of these lower
(15:55):
ranked teams experience that they wouldn't get against. You know,
if they grouped with some of these big teams.
Speaker 4 (16:00):
Is that a World Cup or is it just an experience,
as you said, for everybody. What does that represent the
cream of world cricketers to everybody.
Speaker 9 (16:08):
Maybe it's just a way of getting some of these teams,
these sort of teams in the ten to sixteen kind
of area, that experience in a game or two against
some of these top teams and expose them to that level.
When we have seen at work in men's cricket. I
mean you have to look at Afghanistan in this last
T twenty World Cup. But yeah, women's cricket internationally and
(16:31):
professionally is still in its relative infancy compared to men's cricket,
isn't it.
Speaker 3 (16:35):
So?
Speaker 9 (16:36):
I mean, like I have to think about the conversation
we're having at the moment around the White Ferns and
listening to Brian Stromach Brian Stronach from New Zealand Cricket
talk the other day about the domestic women's competition. I mean,
I mean even that in terms of the depth that
that's producing at the international level and it's six teams
in New Zealand, So is there's sixteen world teams. I
guess the proof will be in the pudding, and I'm
(16:57):
sure that the decision makers have got some logic around
why they're trying to do it.
Speaker 7 (17:00):
Well.
Speaker 4 (17:00):
At least the ferns will be guaranteed a couple of
victory set.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
It's a cruel thing to say, isn't it. I should
have said that.
Speaker 5 (17:07):
Wow.
Speaker 9 (17:07):
Yeah, Unfortunately, it's the reality of where that team is
at the moment. So yeah, yeah, that's just affect of
effect of the situation.
Speaker 3 (17:15):
Let's walk away from a cricket and go to netball.
I'm going to call you ferrel. What's your reaction to that,
Clay Wilson.
Speaker 9 (17:23):
I just don't I'm not offended by it, although I
like to think I'm not easily offended. What if I
called you pharaoh?
Speaker 3 (17:30):
Would you care?
Speaker 6 (17:31):
No?
Speaker 3 (17:31):
I just think you're referencing my west Auckland roots, which.
Speaker 4 (17:34):
I haven't got any I just lived out there for
a long long time, and to me, pharaoh's a good thing.
It's you know, it's bourbon, it's dirty fingernails, it's signats,
it's mullets, it's just down dirty, and we're referencing the
fact that tactics coach Mary and Delini Hoshik said that
the Pulses defense was feral and some people take offense
to that.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
I don't see why. I think it's almost a backhanded compliment.
Is that you guys will fall on.
Speaker 9 (17:59):
Yeah, I think like it's one of those one of
those words where depending on who you are, you're either
going to take it as a as a slight or
you're going to be like I am and be proud
of it like you're talking about right.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
So I don't know.
Speaker 9 (18:12):
I have to say I saw that, and then and
then to read the context around it in terms of
her talking about it as a style of defense, a
bit of a storm and a teacup if you ask me.
I mean, I'm just good on her for although it
was picked up in a team talk through the through
the TV cameras, but's that's just what happens in a
I mean, you've been in a team huddle plenty of times.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
I have as well.
Speaker 9 (18:35):
Are just things that get said. It's not trying to
offend anyone or I have a personal crack at anyone.
So yeah, I'm not I'm not that bothered about it.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Well, maybe if someone described your look or your dress
sense is fair, you.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
Might have a reason to go. Hey, hold on, you're
coming from there. And on that subject, we'll get out
of the chamber. Thanks for joining us, Clay Wilson, sports
news director for News Talks he Be, thanks so much
for your time.
Speaker 9 (18:59):
Always a pleasure, Dark, Thank you.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Dissecting the sporting agenda, It's Sportsfix with Jason Paine and
Darcy Water.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
Sign seal and delivered.
Speaker 4 (19:10):
That's the Sports Fixed podcast for yet another day, Tuesday,
the twenty third of July twenty twenty four.
Speaker 3 (19:17):
My name's Darcy Walter Graven.
Speaker 4 (19:18):
For more on sport, don't forget myself and Jason Pine
weekdays between seven and eight on News Talk ZB and
of course over the weekend it's all about the Pine
Man between twelve midday and three with weekend Sport.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
You guys, look after yourself. Get you again tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
For more from News Talk ZEDB. Listen live on air
or online and keep our shows with you wherever you
go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio.
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