On Sports Fix with Jason Pine for 25th May 2026, following the success of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, Auckland FC's A-League title and the All Whites returning to the FIFA World Cup this year, football has found itself in a golden patch in New Zealand. NZF CEO Andrew Pragnell joins the podcast to discuss what's driving all the success.
Piney is now wondering what else Auckland FC could achieve as they head into their third year of existence as defending A-League champions.
Plus, Adam Cooper is in the Chamber, to discuss how much pressure is on the Hurricanes after securing a home playoff.
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks EDB. Follow
this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
This is Sportsfix howard By News Talks ed B.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Hi there and welcome into the Sports Fix podcast. At
the start of a brand new weekend, at the back
end of a pretty busy old sporting weekend, I'm Jason Pine.
It as Monday, the twenty fifth of May. Great to
have you listening in lots of sport to enjoy over
the weekend, none more so than what happened at go
Media Stadium Saturday night, with Auckland FC claiming the A
(00:41):
League Football Championship in just their second season, off the
back of the Wellington Phoenix Women making their Grand Final
and the All Whites about to head off to a
Football World Cup. How significant a time for the game
of football is this? And our country CEO of New
Zealand Football, Andrew Pragnell joins us on Sports Fix today
to expand on that. Adam Cooper is in the chamber
(01:04):
to talk Super Rugby and a bit of worry is
as well, and the latest and sports hears coming your
wa So let's get into it. In other news, let's
get you underway with a look at some of the
big sports stories around today and to the checkered flag
at the Canadian Formula One Grand Prix.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
He didn't start from.
Speaker 4 (01:21):
Paul today, but he's going to become the first driver.
So when his first four Grand Prix all in.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
A row, the sacred flag's there again for Jimmy Anciday
Ye who has capitalized on a mechanical mishap suffered by
Mercedes teammate George Russell, whose car came to.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
A halt on lap thirty of sixty eight. Meantime, an
accident fueled Indy five hundred has resulted in a red
flag and a scramble to the finish line across the
last seven laps. Yeah, got through to question from Lucas
to face who.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Ex ris a question? My goodness, wow.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Ah, what a month of nay. Felix Rosenquist has triumphed
from David Milucas by point zero two three to three
of a second, the tightest finish in Indy five hundred history,
and Roberto Deserbe's managerial rescue mission at Tottenham and the
Premier League has been successful. They've avoided relegation after a
(02:22):
one Ni'll win over Everton on the final day of
the season.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
As a spirit, as a vievo as at tour, but
also as a quality of the play, especially in the
first half, they played very well. Dissecting the sporting agenda,
It's SPORTSFX with Jason Bene.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
This is the Sports Fix podcast. Football right here writing
an incredible wave right now Auckland their ce A League
champions and just their second season, the Wellington Phoenix reaching
the A League Women's Grand Final and the All Whites
heading back to the FIFA World Cup for the first
time since twenty ten. So what does this moment mean
for the game here and how does New Zealand Football
(03:03):
turn this momentum into long term growth. Joining us on
sports Fix, New Zealand Football CEO Andrew Pregnell, how significant
a period is this for the sport of football at
the moment?
Speaker 4 (03:14):
Andrew, I think, Pony, Yeah, it's an amazing time. You
it always feels like we're having a moment in football,
but it's absolutely a golden age. I mean, it's an
amazing It's obviously we had the expansion of the professional game.
We have been the biggest sport for some time now,
definitely more than ten years. But I think what we're
getting now in football is much much more media visibility.
(03:38):
Having the two pro teams in the A League has
given us another level of visibility. The World Cup is
obviously bigger than anything else that has ever happened, and
when we reflect back to the Woman's World Cup, there's
momentum coming out of that that we're still experiencing. So yeah,
and incredible time to be involved in football.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
How critical is that media visibility to you?
Speaker 4 (03:59):
It's really important because the games, you know, we've had
great growth in terms of the work out community clubs
do to grow the game, the volunteers who are driving
that is really consistent. Footsaw has seen amazing things happen.
But sport is about fandom too and to have you know,
fandom also drives commercial liability. To have to have that
(04:21):
media visibily helps to drive new fans to the game.
It brings new spectators, brings new communities into the game.
So it's really important and you know we're starting to
in over long term as well with a new with
Auckland f CM as well alongside the Phoenix. We need
more and more talent development that brings more money down
into the grassroots of the game too, So yeah, look
(04:42):
it all adds up.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Aukland FC. You have achieved a lot in a very
short space of time. Did they exceed even your expectations
in terms of crowd engagement, atmosphere, public attention and of
course success on the field.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
Yeah, they did, they did. I mean what they've just
done is exceptional. Of course, two years in the league
they have both hosted a Grand Final, won the Premier
Flight now won the Grand Final. It's unbelievable. But they
did a lot of things right. They recruited really well
both off the field and some of their marketing has
been exceptional, but there was also on the field and
(05:21):
getting guys like Jerry mcswinn their various stute they haven't
had those some of those use they haven't had some
of those salary cap restrictions, but they're various. They're recruited
incredibly well and you know, when you perform as well
and you combine the marketing with that, that's where they know.
They've averaged the highest attendance of all league games across
both seasons. So definitely exceeded and done a lot of
(05:45):
things very well.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
I know, you administer of the game from the top
of the North Island to the bottom of the South
you are New Zealand football. But Auckland's a big market.
There's no denying it. How valuable is it to the
game here to have a successful professional club in our
biggest city after years of not having that.
Speaker 4 (06:02):
Yeah, it's so important. Obviously those of us with longer
memories of the Kings and the Nights we'll remember, you know,
attempts in the past. But it's an incredibly diverse city.
It's a big city and it's one of the fastest
growing cities. It's really important. Equally important is that we
get an A League club for the South Island too,
(06:23):
and so you actually want to reflect back. You know,
it's a lot of people to be acknowledged. Everyone withinside
auk they have done a great job. But even to
those early instigators of you know, of the Kings in
the National Soccer League, the attempts at the Knights and
the Phoenix who have fought valiantly and obviously done exceptionally
well in the common team this year, but have fought
for our space in the A League. You know, there
(06:44):
was a time and you remember it well. When that
space is not guaranteed and there were sort of veiled
threats of US or the Phoenix losing their license. So
you know, huge tribute as well to the Wellness Group
and all of their investment over many many years because
now what we are and where we go.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Well, let's talk about their success on the women's game.
As we've said, they made the Grand Final for the
first time, taking a big step forward in the preferational game.
I know after twenty twenty three and the co hosting
of the Women's World Cup with Australia, there was a
big boost and particularly playing numbers of young females. Are
you seeing that continue and are you keen to see it,
(07:22):
you know, to continue to grow. I mean we've got
another Women's World Cup not too far away as well, exactly.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
Yeah, when we'll have a second women's professional side next
year with organ FCS and ideally we're you know, we're
roughly speaking, working pretty hard towards this third A league
team in the next three or four years. So it
should have a third professional women's team, which just gives
great visibility for the women's game. Yet we're seeing continued
growth in participation. It can't happen fast enough, but I
(07:50):
think what where we need to see, you know, we
need more female participation in both our match officials and
referees and our coaches as well, is at every level
of the game. So yeah, I mean that's been phenomenal.
And as you say, we've got to the World Cups
just keep coming and the Women's Work Cup next year.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
It's going to be a massive Well, let's talk about
the one that's on the horizon, the All Whites off
to the FIFA World Cup for the first time since
twenty ten. I think some of the players are there already,
some of the staff. It all hits pretty hard next month.
How powerful Andrew is the World Cup platform for inspiring
participation and attracting investment and interest into the sport.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
It's enormous. It can't be understated. I think, you know,
sometimes it creeps up on you out of reflection. The
other day. In a month's time, we will have completed
our group games and we'll know where we're going, which
it does creep up a little bit. It can't be
every day. There's going to be headlines that's going to
dominate every form of media. It's fantastic this year to
(08:56):
have a free to air or a large part of
it free to air with TVNZ and the rest of
it very accessible, that's for sure. So it means all
keys can get involve. We've got a lot of traveling Kiwi's,
we've went ounce a new partnership that we've signed specifically
around the World Cup, so that's more revenue into the
national body and the game at large. So yeah, it's
(09:19):
enormous and obviously even for the players, the exposure they
get as we saw in twenty ten for the all
whites can propel them into greater heights. And we've got
some free towns of players up and coming. So very exciting.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Time certainly is and long may it continue. Thanks Andrew Pragnell,
CEO of New Zealand Football Sport Sex. Well, there was
nowhere else to be on Saturday night than at go
Media Stadium in the Auckland suburb of Penrose as Auckland
FC made another piece of history in their very very short,
(09:55):
just two year long professional life. In fact, two years
ago Auckland f C were nothing more than a name
on a piece of paper. Bill Foley was given the
license to operate a team in the A League Men's
and took that opportunity and also took the chance to
say we are going to be successful as quickly as
we can. But surely even the most optimistic of backers
(10:19):
of this football team could not have imagined how quickly
that success might come. Premiers in their first season regular
season winners, but they weren't quite able to make it
through to the Grand Final, falling just one game short.
This season, they weren't able to claim the premiers plate.
In fact, they finished third in the regular season, but
through the final series they went earned the right to
(10:42):
host the Grand Final on Saturday night, and in the
biggest game in the club's very short history, they beat
Sydney FC one nil to claim the A League Championship
Premiers last year, champions this year. It is an incredible
rise for a team that has only just arrived on
New Zealand's sporting landscape. So how have they done it?
(11:04):
A couple of ways. It's very very smart recruitment of
player and coaches. Steve Corik at the head coach, has
now won three A League Grand Finals, more than anybody else.
The players, to a man, have brought into the strategy
he's been in parting and have got together a team
culture that is obviously a big part of this as well,
apart from the fact of course that they're very good
(11:26):
football players too. The other is the way they've engaged
with the Auckland community, who have clearly had an appetite
for top level football for quite some time but just
haven't had a way to satisfy that appetite. Now they have,
and again they turned up in massive numbers on Saturday
night to provide the backdrop to what was a very
very special occasion, an A League Grand Final on New
(11:48):
Zealand soil for the very first time and Auckland FC
with another piece of silverware. I guess the big question
now is what on earth might they achieve in season three.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
The Chamber is now in session on Sportsfax.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
On the Sports Fix podcast Let's Pop Inside the Chamber.
Monday's Chamber features head of our News Talks. He'd be
Wellington Sports Bureau Adam Cooper. Coops, you and I are
both pretty happy Hurricanes fans after the weekend. We know
our team's going to finish top of the Super Rugby table.
They'll host right through the final series, depending on how
far they'll go. If we try to be a little
(12:26):
bit objective about this, it feels like they are the
best side in the competition, are they aren't? They not
just the table, they are the best side.
Speaker 5 (12:34):
Yeah, And I think they have been the best team
through what i'll be fifteen rounds now Piney. You know,
they've played thirteen games and I think through the season
we can definitely say that they have been the best,
the best team by by a mile. You sort of
look at their points differential close to I think three hundred,
and no other team is even above two hundred in
that regard, So that just shows the Hurricanes have been
scoring points, have been scoring them at a high feverish
(12:57):
rate and doing it very well. I think if you're
looking at teams that are on a sort of trajectory
at the moment, you'd have to say the Crusaders are
a team that are in some great form and seen
to at this point have no sealing. I mean, what
a great win for them over the Chiefs on Friday
night under the roof in christ Church, and jeez, I
wouldn't say the Hurricanes are feeling any easier about the
playoffs because in terms of the opponents they might have
(13:20):
because they're at home, Yes, great advantage knowing that they
won't be needing to travel any point through that the
three weeks of playoffs, which is great from their perspective,
but goodness me, I'd still be incredibly nervous approaching any game,
even if it's at home and Wellington for the Hurricanes
against the likes of the Chiefs all the Crusaders in particular,
they still just look incredibly tough. I mean, the Hurricanes
(13:43):
had had a few down moments in that went over
the Highlanders. The scrum was exposed by Ethan Degrut and
others from Thehighlanders during that game, so they'll be wanting
to sort of refine a fair few things in these
two weeks before the qualifying final start. But yeah, big
for them to get that sealed before the final round.
And we're hearing that we probably will see a fair
(14:05):
few players rested against the Crusaders this Friday night, which
I think, yes, might not be great for the actual contest.
Makes sense when the Hurricanes have given themselves the privilege
of being in that position to be able to rest
some players.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
Yeah, I'm really curious to see what Clarke label does there.
There's a couple of schools of thought. As you say
your top Anyway, nothing you do against the Crusaders and
christ Chitch on Friday night will change that you are
going to finish top, So yes, why would you risk players.
The other thing I pointed out to me, Coops is
that if the Hurricanes go down there and beat the
Crusaders and then in the games that follow, the Reds
(14:40):
and the Brumbies both win, and the Reds are playing
the Druer at home and the Brumbies are playing Mowana Pacifica,
so they'll be favorites. So if the Hurricanes beat the
Crusaders and then those two Australian teams win, the Crusaders
finish sixth and they will be the first opponent for
the Hurricanes in the final series. Yes, they'll have the
extra life by finishing top, but that is one possible
(15:02):
scenario that the Hurricanes could actually play the Crusaders in
Week one of the finals.
Speaker 5 (15:08):
It's it's bizarre, isn't it. And yeah, just shows just
that that position the Crusaders are in. They you know,
points wise, they're almost twenty points behind the Hurricanes, but
they just feel like they're so much closer given when
they are, and goodness to meet a sixth place Crusaders
coming to Wellington for that first week of the playoffs
would be as I said before one, you'd be pretty
worried about and you'd have to be on your a
(15:28):
game to beat them. They seem to just be in
that you know position now where they are coming right
and maybe buoyed by you know, a couple of games
at their new stadium and just where they're at. They'll
have one more this week obviously to finish the round robin,
so yeah, that'll be interesting. I can't see a psyche
in any super rugby team in New Zealand of going
out to want to lose a game, and I'm sure
that's not what Clark lade Law would would do, but
(15:50):
maybe in their selections that they might lead themselves to
have a slightly less performance against the Crusaders, even though
you look at the Hurricanes depth and actually a second
string Hurricanes team is probably full of starters for most
other franchises at any level. So yeah, we'll see what happen.
It will be interesting, but you bring on those playoffs,
(16:11):
it's going to be exciting.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
A selection quandary of a different sort for Andrew Webster.
The Warriors play the Panthers this coming Sunday night. So
Panthers a top Warri's a second, so a genuine top
of the table clash. What does Andrew Webster do around
Luke Metcalf? He obviously, as we know, is leaving the
franchise at the end of this season. But with the
injury to Tanner Boyd, when you're coming up against the
(16:33):
top side in the competition, do you go with a
guy like Luke Metcalf even though there's a little bit
of reintegration to do back into the playing group, hasn't
played a lot lately. You know, there's a school of
thought that he should come back through reserve grade or
do you know? Do you say, look, he is a
very very good player and we need very very good
(16:53):
players if we are to beat the Panthers. How do
you think Andrew Webster will play the half back position
in his selection this week?
Speaker 5 (17:01):
Yeah, it's one of the most delicate balancing acts he's
probably going to have this whole season, isn't he fine?
I mean, I wasn't a huge fan of Luke Metcalf's move.
I think the Warriors did everything right in terms of
letting him go. He obviously didn't want to be there
based on, you know, the indications he got is to
where he sat after his own injury. But I think
if you're selecting a team to take on the competition leaders,
you've got to just draw a blank canvas on everything, Right,
(17:24):
who are my fittest players, who are my one hundred
percent fit players who can start, and who are my
most experienced players, and who's capable of pushing us towards
a victory against the Panthers? Yere, I don't think Luke
Metcalf needs to go through reserve grape to come back
for such an important game. He's still on the Warrior's
books this year. Yes, there might be a few issues
that need to be ironed out at reintegrating into this team,
(17:47):
but he's a professional. The other players are professional as well,
and they all want to win just as much as
anyone else, as the fans and everyone. So I think
you've kind of just got to swallow your pride in
a way, is that the Warrior is pride and say, well,
he's ours. He's ours now, let's utilize him as much
as he can we can before he goes. Why wouldn't
(18:07):
you want to just thrust him to that starting spot
and give your team the best chance of winning, which
we know Luke Netcuff's credentials, his performances in the Warriors
Jersey last year before his unfortunate injury had him, you know,
right up there en route to a possible Deli and medal.
So I think if he's on the list, if he's
one hundred and fot, he's willing to play, and I
think that's probably one thing they'll need to just check
(18:27):
as mentally as he got his head in the game
for the Warriors. But if that's fine, I can't see
any reason why they should leave it, leave him out.
We want to win the game and they've got to
do it.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
In my opinion, Yeah, I tend to agree. I tend
to agree. We'll find out tomorrow on team naming Tuesday
exactly what Andrew Webster's thoughts on the whole thing are.
There's always great chatting in the chamber, Coops, thanks for
popping in.
Speaker 5 (18:51):
He's funny leading a vix.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
We've got just the ticket.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
It's Sports Fix News Talks.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
And that'll blow the final whistle on Sports Fix for today.
Thank you so much for listening, for downloading, for subscribing,
Sports Fix subscribers will find a fresh episode popping into
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(19:19):
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Speaker 1 (19:24):
For more from News Talks EDB, listen live on air
or online, and keep our shows with you wherever you
go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks EDB. Follow
this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
This is Sportsfix howard By News Talks ed B.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Hi there and welcome into the Sports Fix podcast. At
the start of a brand new weekend, at the back
end of a pretty busy old sporting weekend, I'm Jason Pine.
It as Monday, the twenty fifth of May. Great to
have you listening in lots of sport to enjoy over
the weekend, none more so than what happened at go
Media Stadium Saturday night, with Auckland FC claiming the A
(00:41):
League Football Championship in just their second season, off the
back of the Wellington Phoenix Women making their Grand Final
and the All Whites about to head off to a
Football World Cup. How significant a time for the game
of football is this? And our country CEO of New
Zealand Football, Andrew Pragnell joins us on Sports Fix today
to expand on that. Adam Cooper is in the chamber
(01:04):
to talk Super Rugby and a bit of worry is
as well, and the latest and sports hears coming your
wa So let's get into it. In other news, let's
get you underway with a look at some of the
big sports stories around today and to the checkered flag
at the Canadian Formula One Grand Prix.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
He didn't start from.
Speaker 4 (01:21):
Paul today, but he's going to become the first driver.
So when his first four Grand Prix all in.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
A row, the sacred flag's there again for Jimmy Anciday
Ye who has capitalized on a mechanical mishap suffered by
Mercedes teammate George Russell, whose car came to.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
A halt on lap thirty of sixty eight. Meantime, an
accident fueled Indy five hundred has resulted in a red
flag and a scramble to the finish line across the
last seven laps. Yeah, got through to question from Lucas
to face who.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Ex ris a question? My goodness, wow.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Ah, what a month of nay. Felix Rosenquist has triumphed
from David Milucas by point zero two three to three
of a second, the tightest finish in Indy five hundred history,
and Roberto Deserbe's managerial rescue mission at Tottenham and the
Premier League has been successful. They've avoided relegation after a
(02:22):
one Ni'll win over Everton on the final day of
the season.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
As a spirit, as a vievo as at tour, but
also as a quality of the play, especially in the
first half, they played very well. Dissecting the sporting agenda,
It's SPORTSFX with Jason Bene.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
This is the Sports Fix podcast. Football right here writing
an incredible wave right now Auckland their ce A League
champions and just their second season, the Wellington Phoenix reaching
the A League Women's Grand Final and the All Whites
heading back to the FIFA World Cup for the first
time since twenty ten. So what does this moment mean
for the game here and how does New Zealand Football
(03:03):
turn this momentum into long term growth. Joining us on
sports Fix, New Zealand Football CEO Andrew Pregnell, how significant
a period is this for the sport of football at
the moment?
Speaker 4 (03:14):
Andrew, I think, Pony, Yeah, it's an amazing time. You
it always feels like we're having a moment in football,
but it's absolutely a golden age. I mean, it's an
amazing It's obviously we had the expansion of the professional game.
We have been the biggest sport for some time now,
definitely more than ten years. But I think what we're
getting now in football is much much more media visibility.
(03:38):
Having the two pro teams in the A League has
given us another level of visibility. The World Cup is
obviously bigger than anything else that has ever happened, and
when we reflect back to the Woman's World Cup, there's
momentum coming out of that that we're still experiencing. So yeah,
and incredible time to be involved in football.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
How critical is that media visibility to you?
Speaker 4 (03:59):
It's really important because the games, you know, we've had
great growth in terms of the work out community clubs
do to grow the game, the volunteers who are driving
that is really consistent. Footsaw has seen amazing things happen.
But sport is about fandom too and to have you know,
fandom also drives commercial liability. To have to have that
(04:21):
media visibily helps to drive new fans to the game.
It brings new spectators, brings new communities into the game.
So it's really important and you know we're starting to
in over long term as well with a new with
Auckland f CM as well alongside the Phoenix. We need
more and more talent development that brings more money down
into the grassroots of the game too, So yeah, look
(04:42):
it all adds up.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Aukland FC. You have achieved a lot in a very
short space of time. Did they exceed even your expectations
in terms of crowd engagement, atmosphere, public attention and of
course success on the field.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
Yeah, they did, they did. I mean what they've just
done is exceptional. Of course, two years in the league
they have both hosted a Grand Final, won the Premier
Flight now won the Grand Final. It's unbelievable. But they
did a lot of things right. They recruited really well
both off the field and some of their marketing has
been exceptional, but there was also on the field and
(05:21):
getting guys like Jerry mcswinn their various stute they haven't
had those some of those use they haven't had some
of those salary cap restrictions, but they're various. They're recruited
incredibly well and you know, when you perform as well
and you combine the marketing with that, that's where they know.
They've averaged the highest attendance of all league games across
both seasons. So definitely exceeded and done a lot of
(05:45):
things very well.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
I know, you administer of the game from the top
of the North Island to the bottom of the South
you are New Zealand football. But Auckland's a big market.
There's no denying it. How valuable is it to the
game here to have a successful professional club in our
biggest city after years of not having that.
Speaker 4 (06:02):
Yeah, it's so important. Obviously those of us with longer
memories of the Kings and the Nights we'll remember, you know,
attempts in the past. But it's an incredibly diverse city.
It's a big city and it's one of the fastest
growing cities. It's really important. Equally important is that we
get an A League club for the South Island too,
(06:23):
and so you actually want to reflect back. You know,
it's a lot of people to be acknowledged. Everyone withinside
auk they have done a great job. But even to
those early instigators of you know, of the Kings in
the National Soccer League, the attempts at the Knights and
the Phoenix who have fought valiantly and obviously done exceptionally
well in the common team this year, but have fought
for our space in the A League. You know, there
(06:44):
was a time and you remember it well. When that
space is not guaranteed and there were sort of veiled
threats of US or the Phoenix losing their license. So
you know, huge tribute as well to the Wellness Group
and all of their investment over many many years because
now what we are and where we go.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Well, let's talk about their success on the women's game.
As we've said, they made the Grand Final for the
first time, taking a big step forward in the preferational game.
I know after twenty twenty three and the co hosting
of the Women's World Cup with Australia, there was a
big boost and particularly playing numbers of young females. Are
you seeing that continue and are you keen to see it,
(07:22):
you know, to continue to grow. I mean we've got
another Women's World Cup not too far away as well, exactly.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
Yeah, when we'll have a second women's professional side next
year with organ FCS and ideally we're you know, we're
roughly speaking, working pretty hard towards this third A league
team in the next three or four years. So it
should have a third professional women's team, which just gives
great visibility for the women's game. Yet we're seeing continued
growth in participation. It can't happen fast enough, but I
(07:50):
think what where we need to see, you know, we
need more female participation in both our match officials and
referees and our coaches as well, is at every level
of the game. So yeah, I mean that's been phenomenal.
And as you say, we've got to the World Cups
just keep coming and the Women's Work Cup next year.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
It's going to be a massive Well, let's talk about
the one that's on the horizon, the All Whites off
to the FIFA World Cup for the first time since
twenty ten. I think some of the players are there already,
some of the staff. It all hits pretty hard next month.
How powerful Andrew is the World Cup platform for inspiring
participation and attracting investment and interest into the sport.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
It's enormous. It can't be understated. I think, you know,
sometimes it creeps up on you out of reflection. The
other day. In a month's time, we will have completed
our group games and we'll know where we're going, which
it does creep up a little bit. It can't be
every day. There's going to be headlines that's going to
dominate every form of media. It's fantastic this year to
(08:56):
have a free to air or a large part of
it free to air with TVNZ and the rest of
it very accessible, that's for sure. So it means all
keys can get involve. We've got a lot of traveling Kiwi's,
we've went ounce a new partnership that we've signed specifically
around the World Cup, so that's more revenue into the
national body and the game at large. So yeah, it's
(09:19):
enormous and obviously even for the players, the exposure they
get as we saw in twenty ten for the all
whites can propel them into greater heights. And we've got
some free towns of players up and coming. So very exciting.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Time certainly is and long may it continue. Thanks Andrew Pragnell,
CEO of New Zealand Football Sport Sex. Well, there was
nowhere else to be on Saturday night than at go
Media Stadium in the Auckland suburb of Penrose as Auckland
FC made another piece of history in their very very short,
(09:55):
just two year long professional life. In fact, two years
ago Auckland f C were nothing more than a name
on a piece of paper. Bill Foley was given the
license to operate a team in the A League Men's
and took that opportunity and also took the chance to
say we are going to be successful as quickly as
we can. But surely even the most optimistic of backers
(10:19):
of this football team could not have imagined how quickly
that success might come. Premiers in their first season regular
season winners, but they weren't quite able to make it
through to the Grand Final, falling just one game short.
This season, they weren't able to claim the premiers plate.
In fact, they finished third in the regular season, but
through the final series they went earned the right to
(10:42):
host the Grand Final on Saturday night, and in the
biggest game in the club's very short history, they beat
Sydney FC one nil to claim the A League Championship
Premiers last year, champions this year. It is an incredible
rise for a team that has only just arrived on
New Zealand's sporting landscape. So how have they done it?
(11:04):
A couple of ways. It's very very smart recruitment of
player and coaches. Steve Corik at the head coach, has
now won three A League Grand Finals, more than anybody else.
The players, to a man, have brought into the strategy
he's been in parting and have got together a team
culture that is obviously a big part of this as well,
apart from the fact of course that they're very good
(11:26):
football players too. The other is the way they've engaged
with the Auckland community, who have clearly had an appetite
for top level football for quite some time but just
haven't had a way to satisfy that appetite. Now they have,
and again they turned up in massive numbers on Saturday
night to provide the backdrop to what was a very
very special occasion, an A League Grand Final on New
(11:48):
Zealand soil for the very first time and Auckland FC
with another piece of silverware. I guess the big question
now is what on earth might they achieve in season three.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
The Chamber is now in session on Sportsfax.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
On the Sports Fix podcast Let's Pop Inside the Chamber.
Monday's Chamber features head of our News Talks. He'd be
Wellington Sports Bureau Adam Cooper. Coops, you and I are
both pretty happy Hurricanes fans after the weekend. We know
our team's going to finish top of the Super Rugby table.
They'll host right through the final series, depending on how
far they'll go. If we try to be a little
(12:26):
bit objective about this, it feels like they are the
best side in the competition, are they aren't? They not
just the table, they are the best side.
Speaker 5 (12:34):
Yeah, And I think they have been the best team
through what i'll be fifteen rounds now Piney. You know,
they've played thirteen games and I think through the season
we can definitely say that they have been the best,
the best team by by a mile. You sort of
look at their points differential close to I think three hundred,
and no other team is even above two hundred in
that regard, So that just shows the Hurricanes have been
scoring points, have been scoring them at a high feverish
(12:57):
rate and doing it very well. I think if you're
looking at teams that are on a sort of trajectory
at the moment, you'd have to say the Crusaders are
a team that are in some great form and seen
to at this point have no sealing. I mean, what
a great win for them over the Chiefs on Friday
night under the roof in christ Church, and jeez, I
wouldn't say the Hurricanes are feeling any easier about the
playoffs because in terms of the opponents they might have
(13:20):
because they're at home, Yes, great advantage knowing that they
won't be needing to travel any point through that the
three weeks of playoffs, which is great from their perspective,
but goodness me, I'd still be incredibly nervous approaching any game,
even if it's at home and Wellington for the Hurricanes
against the likes of the Chiefs all the Crusaders in particular,
they still just look incredibly tough. I mean, the Hurricanes
(13:43):
had had a few down moments in that went over
the Highlanders. The scrum was exposed by Ethan Degrut and
others from Thehighlanders during that game, so they'll be wanting
to sort of refine a fair few things in these
two weeks before the qualifying final start. But yeah, big
for them to get that sealed before the final round.
And we're hearing that we probably will see a fair
(14:05):
few players rested against the Crusaders this Friday night, which
I think, yes, might not be great for the actual contest.
Makes sense when the Hurricanes have given themselves the privilege
of being in that position to be able to rest
some players.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
Yeah, I'm really curious to see what Clarke label does there.
There's a couple of schools of thought. As you say
your top Anyway, nothing you do against the Crusaders and
christ Chitch on Friday night will change that you are
going to finish top, So yes, why would you risk players.
The other thing I pointed out to me, Coops is
that if the Hurricanes go down there and beat the
Crusaders and then in the games that follow, the Reds
(14:40):
and the Brumbies both win, and the Reds are playing
the Druer at home and the Brumbies are playing Mowana Pacifica,
so they'll be favorites. So if the Hurricanes beat the
Crusaders and then those two Australian teams win, the Crusaders
finish sixth and they will be the first opponent for
the Hurricanes in the final series. Yes, they'll have the
extra life by finishing top, but that is one possible
(15:02):
scenario that the Hurricanes could actually play the Crusaders in
Week one of the finals.
Speaker 5 (15:08):
It's it's bizarre, isn't it. And yeah, just shows just
that that position the Crusaders are in. They you know,
points wise, they're almost twenty points behind the Hurricanes, but
they just feel like they're so much closer given when
they are, and goodness to meet a sixth place Crusaders
coming to Wellington for that first week of the playoffs
would be as I said before one, you'd be pretty
worried about and you'd have to be on your a
(15:28):
game to beat them. They seem to just be in
that you know position now where they are coming right
and maybe buoyed by you know, a couple of games
at their new stadium and just where they're at. They'll
have one more this week obviously to finish the round robin,
so yeah, that'll be interesting. I can't see a psyche
in any super rugby team in New Zealand of going
out to want to lose a game, and I'm sure
that's not what Clark lade Law would would do, but
(15:50):
maybe in their selections that they might lead themselves to
have a slightly less performance against the Crusaders, even though
you look at the Hurricanes depth and actually a second
string Hurricanes team is probably full of starters for most
other franchises at any level. So yeah, we'll see what happen.
It will be interesting, but you bring on those playoffs,
(16:11):
it's going to be exciting.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
A selection quandary of a different sort for Andrew Webster.
The Warriors play the Panthers this coming Sunday night. So
Panthers a top Warri's a second, so a genuine top
of the table clash. What does Andrew Webster do around
Luke Metcalf? He obviously, as we know, is leaving the
franchise at the end of this season. But with the
injury to Tanner Boyd, when you're coming up against the
(16:33):
top side in the competition, do you go with a
guy like Luke Metcalf even though there's a little bit
of reintegration to do back into the playing group, hasn't
played a lot lately. You know, there's a school of
thought that he should come back through reserve grade or
do you know? Do you say, look, he is a
very very good player and we need very very good
(16:53):
players if we are to beat the Panthers. How do
you think Andrew Webster will play the half back position
in his selection this week?
Speaker 5 (17:01):
Yeah, it's one of the most delicate balancing acts he's
probably going to have this whole season, isn't he fine?
I mean, I wasn't a huge fan of Luke Metcalf's move.
I think the Warriors did everything right in terms of
letting him go. He obviously didn't want to be there
based on, you know, the indications he got is to
where he sat after his own injury. But I think
if you're selecting a team to take on the competition leaders,
you've got to just draw a blank canvas on everything, Right,
(17:24):
who are my fittest players, who are my one hundred
percent fit players who can start, and who are my
most experienced players, and who's capable of pushing us towards
a victory against the Panthers? Yere, I don't think Luke
Metcalf needs to go through reserve grape to come back
for such an important game. He's still on the Warrior's
books this year. Yes, there might be a few issues
that need to be ironed out at reintegrating into this team,
(17:47):
but he's a professional. The other players are professional as well,
and they all want to win just as much as
anyone else, as the fans and everyone. So I think
you've kind of just got to swallow your pride in
a way, is that the Warrior is pride and say, well,
he's ours. He's ours now, let's utilize him as much
as he can we can before he goes. Why wouldn't
(18:07):
you want to just thrust him to that starting spot
and give your team the best chance of winning, which
we know Luke Netcuff's credentials, his performances in the Warriors
Jersey last year before his unfortunate injury had him, you know,
right up there en route to a possible Deli and medal.
So I think if he's on the list, if he's
one hundred and fot, he's willing to play, and I
think that's probably one thing they'll need to just check
(18:27):
as mentally as he got his head in the game
for the Warriors. But if that's fine, I can't see
any reason why they should leave it, leave him out.
We want to win the game and they've got to
do it.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
In my opinion, Yeah, I tend to agree. I tend
to agree. We'll find out tomorrow on team naming Tuesday
exactly what Andrew Webster's thoughts on the whole thing are.
There's always great chatting in the chamber, Coops, thanks for
popping in.
Speaker 5 (18:51):
He's funny leading a vix.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
We've got just the ticket.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
It's Sports Fix News Talks.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
And that'll blow the final whistle on Sports Fix for today.
Thank you so much for listening, for downloading, for subscribing,
Sports Fix subscribers will find a fresh episode popping into
your pod cast feed as if by magic at around
about the same time tomorrow and every weekday, and for
more from News Talks EDB Sport on the radio, check
out Sports Talk weeknights between seven and eight and all
(19:19):
the weekends Weekend Sport midday to three on Saturday and
again on Sunday.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
For more from News Talks EDB, listen live on air
or online, and keep our shows with you wherever you
go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio
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