On Sports Fix with D'Arcy Waldegrave for 7 July 2026, it was officially announced today that the Wellington Rugby Union will be cancelling all the club rugby fixtures this weekend after the Wellington Rugby Referees Association came out yesterday stating they would not be officiating any matches. They have done this to take a stand against the abuse they have been receiving from both the sidelines and players on the park.
Mike Hester is the GM of Community Rugby Participation and Development at NZ Rugby, he joined D'Arcy to discuss.
D'Arcy shares his thoughts on the All Blacks' first test match against the French under Dave Rennie.
And D'Arcy and NZME Head of Sport Winston Aldworth discuss all the latest storylines of the Football World Cup.
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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.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
This is Sportsfix Howard by.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
News Talks ed be Welcome on into the Sports Fix podcast.
Hi there, I'm asking Walter Grave and this is it
all you need to know and want to know in
the wonderful wide world of sport on a day, that
day being Tuesday, the seventh of July twenty twenty six.
Coming up on the potty today we'll have a chat
with Mike Hester's Zidar's boss of Community Rugby, Participation and Competitions,
(00:43):
looking at the situation around Wellington and Rugby, who have
basically blown the hooter on any form of referring over
this weekend because of the repeated abuse from the sidelines
and players as well when it comes to community rugby.
They've had enough. They're calling it. So all talk with
Mike Hester about that. I've got some thoughts as well
(01:04):
on the new look All Black team, their very first
outing under the watchful eye of Dave Rennie up against France.
Here I watched it. I had so much to say
and now I get a chance to say a we
tiny bit about it and we'll be joined to end
the chamber by New Zealand Herald's ahead of sports name
is Winston Aldworth and we'll throw around some thoughts around
(01:26):
the wonderful wide world or sport, and I'll give you
the tip today it's all about football. So let's get
stuck in and in sport today. The narl have signed
a multi billion dollar broadcast deal out. It goes for
seven years, starts in twenty twenty eight. It's going to
(01:47):
have the Papua New Guinea chief centered the Perth Bears
next year and hey, you never know, maybe another New
Zealand team. A happy man is Warriors coach Andrew Webster,
not only because he doesn't have to endure the tyranny
of a buyer anymore because that's done and dusted, but
he's celebrating this deal and the contribution of New Zealand
(02:09):
fans to that billion dollar package.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
I think it's a real praise for the game solf
that people want to watching a huge TV deal.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
My known Zealand can have a big part of playing
that as well.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
The games spready fast and I think everyone should be
real credible.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
And then there were none all three countries charged worth
hosting the twenty twenty six FEEFA World Cup have exited
the stage left in consecutive days. I might add, the
United States of America got dropped captor to join New
Mexico and Canada out of a competition at the round
of sixteen stage. I think they did pretty well getting
(02:44):
that far. Quite frankly, the United States got absolutely flogged
four to one by Belgium in Seattle, and midfielder for
the States, Tyler Adams, admits, well, they were well below
their best tonight.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Can't be a direct reflection of what we were trying
to accomplish. You have good days and you have bad days,
and today it was one of our bad days and
they got the best of us.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
As we know, all club rugby and winning and it's
been canceled this weekend. Someone's standing out and saying, hey,
not on my watch. As a guy that you would
definitely listen to if he stood up in front of you,
you all black prop Xavier Numa said you've got to
respect the referees. He said, they deserve.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
It, not what you want as a referee to be
of use. So I guess that's a good lessen'. See
you run out there to protect there and look after
our referees. So yes, obviously not the best thing to do.
So if we get a bit of outcome for people.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Tuning our referees and in three bite sized chunks, that's
sport today.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
You scavinion. It's Sportsfix with Dancy Vandegreve.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
It's a well welcome now to the Sports Fix podcast.
To Mike Hester, he's the GM of Community Rugby Participation
and Competitions from in z Ah Good evening, Mike, good evening,
Thanks very much for joining us on the program. I
don't believe we're talking about this again, not me and
new but in general. It was a year or so
(04:10):
ago now that Hotoperneur Carpety decided to abandon a round
of games too based on the same thing, Wellington to
pulled the plug on a weekend's rugby action because of
abuse towards referees from players and from sidelines as well.
This carries on. Do you think that maybe banning the
weekend is actually working based on what happened in Hotoperneur?
(04:34):
Is this getting any tracks in this kind of response
to this?
Speaker 5 (04:38):
So it's certainly disappointing that it's come to this I mean,
there's obviously been some issues in that local union around
sort of referee abuse and player and spectator behavior, and
from what I understand, they've been fore warning for a
little while now that there's going to be some more
serious consequences if the problems continued, and unfortunately that appears
(05:01):
to have been the case, and so the Referees Association
have follow through on what they indicated they were going
to do. From an end our perspect they've obviously very
supportive of the union and the RAS they work through this,
and it sounds like there's a problem solving meeting tonight
with the union and the clubs and the referees. So
we're hoping that that will go well and they'll find
a way through. But an essence, the refereeing role is
(05:24):
across all sports is very difficult. You know, their volunteers
are there to serve the game. They often have to
come down and make decisions one way or the other,
and not always they're not always popular. So it's really
disappointing when behavior sort of goes by the line and
the line and so when it is an address stoor,
when we get to a point where the referees don't
feel that they can continue. You know, we end up
(05:45):
with these situations, they withdraw their voluntary services and we
sort of need to respect that. But yeah, certainly disappointing
that's come to this.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
Well, you lose them for the weekend, But more pressing
is that this discouragement for people to want to be
involved in refereeing. This is the bottom line. People are
going to look at it and go still going on,
why would I bother? That's got to be distressing for
ends are.
Speaker 6 (06:09):
Yeah, so.
Speaker 5 (06:11):
One case of referee abuses is simply one too many
if we put it in context. Over the course of
a season, so it's about fifty thousand games delivered across
the country from juniors, teenagers and seniors. Not all of
those games are covered by an official, a qualified referee,
but there's always a referee that is covering those games
in some shape or form. And so the number of
(06:32):
cases that we do have from sort of year to
year still quite a low number. So it's certainly not commonplace.
But as I said, one case is one too many,
and so we're really keen to make sure we understand
what's going on with those without what we could have done,
What can we put in place, how can we provide
local support, and what can we do nationally. So there's
(06:55):
a number of things that we've been advancing to try
and address that. It is, unfortunately one of the things
we do sort of see in sport. It's not just
a rugby issue.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
It is.
Speaker 5 (07:05):
A issue across many sidelines, many codes as where spectator
behavior in particular sort of goes goes too far and
then unfortunately sort of spills over into abuse situations. So
not something we see in every game every weekend, but
certainly one case is one too many.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Is the choice of this? Going back to the initial question,
believe do you believe it's a real issue with getting
people into the referring side of the game. Do they
look to that and go, look, I'm sorry, I can't
even though you said it's not it's not of high traction,
we don't see it all the time. But is this
a reason for people not to be engaged in referring
whatever level?
Speaker 5 (07:47):
It certainly doesn't help with sort of recruitment and retention
both around the profile of officiating and then keeping people
and officiating if they don't have good experiences. So, in
terms of what Rugby's trying to do is you know,
we're trying to ensure that we've got good support mechanisms
around refereenes, particularly those formative years when they're still learning
(08:09):
their craft. They're still learning how to make decisions, they're
still trying to be accurate. They're sometimes working with players
that had more experience playing then they might have afficiating
so it's a little bit of an imbalance. So putting
lots of support around that group is there sort of
finding their feet, getting their training wheels off is really
really critical. And then obviously for those that are engaged
(08:30):
in referring, we do need them to be able to
make tough decisions and anticipate there is going to be
reactions to that, but we don't want that to be
an unpleasant match day experience. So how do we ensure
that they have a really positive match day experience making
those tough calls. And that's around really clear expectations about
clubs and schools about what we're expecting of them and
(08:50):
their sidelines from things like how they have them or
rubbed off, how they have people policing sidelines to encourage
good behavior, sideline behavior programs, through to support of the
referees around how do we support them getting better, how
they improve their performances, and how they have good match experiences.
And then unfortunately, when things don't go well, you know
(09:12):
what's our ambulance at the bottom of the cliff in
the form of our judicial systems to make sure that
if people have overstepped then there's some accountability that goes
with that. To send a message we get all of
those things right. Ideally you avoid getting to a point
where referees feel like they may need to withdraw their
services to make a point. But unfortunately that will happen
(09:32):
from time time and that's where we find ourselves.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Today dissecting the sporting agenda. It's Sportsfix with Darcy Waldergrave.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
Maybe it's the writers I read. Maybe it's the broad
sheets and websites I indulge in. Maybe I should stop
listening to people at the pub. But what I heard
after the first up Test match between the French and
the All Blacks, I say first up in twenty twenty
six and first up for the new coach Dave Ready,
(10:02):
what I heard was was a little on the negative side.
It was a wee bit nasty. It was a wee
I told you so. It was a wee bit, why
did you pick him there? Why did you pick him there?
White criticism, criticism, criticism. We knew. Nobody grew up wanting
to be a critic, but invariably we'll end up in
that space, which is fresh coming from me because I
(10:22):
basically built a career around it. But all I thought
of that game is yet. There were some huge holes
in defense, there were some crazy mad decisions, there was
a lot of ragged edges to be tied up. But
in general, what I saw in that game was a
team that looked refreshed, that looked ready to go, that
(10:44):
looked like they had something to prove and someone to
prove it to. This didn't look like a team that
has come off the back of a couple of years
under a coach that well created some divisions between the
public and the players and the media and everybody else.
This looked like a fresh and engaged team that wanted
to do well, and they were all ears listening to Dave,
(11:08):
you cannot expect, you should not expect, and I do
not expect the finished product in the first test match
of the season. That is insane to think that, And
we can see some of the issues that the team had.
That's something to do later in the piece. That is
something to work on. But the essence of what we
saw with this game was very, very impressive. It can
(11:32):
only get better. No, I don't agree with a number
of the players in the positions they found themselves in,
but I'm not the coach. That is Rennie's job. But
didn't you get a sense that it was a bunch
of young men playing a team they loved playing for
that could actually hate to use the term, but I
will express themselves optimistically and do something good for the
(11:54):
game of rugby this August, for great things, for the
Renny Error and for the All Blacks. I will not,
I cannot, I shall not complain about what I saw.
I saw a base level which will be improved on.
But the direction they are taking, that is the direction
that I want to see. I don't want them walking
(12:15):
towards pressure. I want them running at it and that's
what we've got. Get on there, boys, get up there again.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
The chamber is now in session on Sports Fix.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
I'm back seat. They're here in the chamber and joining
us now. Winston all Worthy is the boss man out
of New Zealand Herald Sport. I like saying things like
that means you feel good about yourself before you start
coming on and throwing hot takes around the place once
the now are you?
Speaker 6 (12:42):
I enjoy this little sessions, Darcy, because it's it is
It is positive for me to hear you saying that
sort of thing, So thank you.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
Good to be here and wonderful to have you on board.
Of course, it's all about football. You can't avoid it now,
can you. Really? And we're into the getting into the
really point at end of things.
Speaker 6 (12:58):
Well, i've heard that even you've started watching the tournament
now darts? Is that correct?
Speaker 1 (13:01):
Man?
Speaker 3 (13:02):
I paid the forty five bucks.
Speaker 6 (13:04):
You paid it yourself?
Speaker 3 (13:05):
Yeah, I paid it myself. Wow, it's not worth it.
I don't watch a lot of the earlier rounds except
for New Zealand. It was great that tvn Z Plus
had it free to way. I think it was fantastic.
But not a massive football fan, so yeah, passing interest.
When it starts getting around to sixteen, things start getting hot,
it gets interesting. This is when I'm engaged. Bang, hit
(13:26):
the pay go And it's been worth it so far,
it really.
Speaker 6 (13:30):
Yeah, there's been some great football all the way through.
You missed some gems. In the early rounds games were
great I saw, but just all through the tournament there's
been good games and they continue into these knockouts one.
I'm probably the only person outside of the United United
States who thinks it's a little bit of a shame
that the US team being knocked out purely because of
(13:52):
the circus that they were going to bring with them,
as if they continue, you would have appeals to the
Court of Arbitration. Sport in Los ann and Switzerland is.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
From journalistic design. Yeah, there's any more trouble.
Speaker 6 (14:06):
So as a sport and journalists, you love that off
field controversy stuff. But fans will say they hate it,
they hate to see it. But everyone's really been mainline
in this Trump's story, right with his him getting on
the getting the you know, it used to be that
the phone line and the White House went through to
the Kremlin so they could prevent nuclear wolves, and now
(14:27):
under Donald Trump, it goes through to FIFA to prevent
red card suspensions and a sport he doesn't even watch,
like he said, he said, he said, he's he doesn't
know what it is. Someone had to explain to him
what a red card is.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
He's the greatest fan of football greater.
Speaker 6 (14:41):
And then I saw it and it wasn't like two
guys punching each other, so I ran fiver it. It's
the maddest story of it, and it is like I
don't get me wrong, the right result has happened. Belgium
are a great team that they've hit their straps. They
look like they wouldn't until they met the All Whites
and they they found their pace and they got going.
So the right result has happened. It's good for the tournament,
(15:01):
but it would have been kind of cool if that
Trump's circus had just rolled on and on. He he's
the perfect president for Gianni Infantino and FIFA. He makes
up the rules as he goes along. They make up
rules as they go along. He's a completely transactional, commercial president.
They are utterly transactional in all they do. So it's
(15:23):
a kind of a match made in heaven. So it's
a little and he'll be done now. He'll probably fire
out something on Twitter or on his own social platform
about this one game and then he's done with it.
You won't see him at the final. That's got to
be a first, right, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
I think he wouldn't because he wouldn't be welcome with
open arms anybody. Yeah, but that's long running story of
can you call them twitter dumb and tweetl d No,
it's more like Laurel and Hardy with the shapes of
those two guys Infantino and Trump, and walk away from
this because this is not about football. What we've got
now is well and then there were We've still got
(15:58):
two big rounds to come to, the games to come tomorrow,
but you still want to look back at something that
has gone on recent times.
Speaker 6 (16:07):
So now that circus has got, you've only got the
on field stuff. And like I said, the games have
been great. That England game yesterday I think was actually
a lot of the wash up now has been about
England's great moment. We picked up a piece from the
Telegraph of Jason Burt's story eight reasons that this was
one of the greatest World Cup games ever, and I
think he's not wrong. It was a cracking game, great
(16:28):
atmosphere and so on. But knowing how these things go,
if a Mexican had popped in an equalizer in the
last ten minutes, there's no way England woul getting a winner.
An extra time they built their entire mindset and their
game plan. And that's and once they were furiously defending
that lead around just sitting deep. They weren't going to
(16:49):
push up if they'd lost that game. The entire narrative
around that whole match switches. It goes from it goes
from being England were resolute and brave and holding their
line and someone to being England were witless and lacking
an imagination and couldn't find a way to get forward
and they'd had their villain and baligan with that sorry
quadsa with so at the other mayor card, Yeah, wrong
(17:11):
red card. Yes, so Quants's red card was a shocker.
It was studs up challenge and didn't need to make
it in the wrong part of the park. So it's
just it's interesting how these these little narratives just just
flip on on on on one little thing. But you know,
if you if your toaster didn't toast toaster, it wouldn't
be a toaster. And if what should have could her
they won it. Good on them. They go through. I
(17:33):
hoping then go all the way through. I'd love to
see them get through to the big show. Ideally, ideally
would get a new winner for the tournament. But as
it's boiling down, you've got Argentina and you've got France,
you've got Spain looking amazing, and you've got England who's
still in there. So I think we'll probably get one
of those four lifting the trophy at the end.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
Us And from what you've seen though, is there astray?
Is there somebody that's going to really ruin it for everybody?
Could it be a Columbia, probably, Egypt, maybe not Mosellas,
not a Hundie. But out of the the outside the
other four.
Speaker 6 (18:07):
If you had to go for your outside is who
would be good? Switzerland'll be a hope. They're better than
people think.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
Go on, mate, you gotta go on. A striking Viking
may yeah, yeah, yeah, Well what fun is that?
Speaker 6 (18:19):
This is a really good point. Okay, So Norway you've
got the striking Viking, you've got Harland and you've got
urder Guard. Now they're kind of matched like for like
in the England set up where the two big the
big stars are the striker and the star midfield. So
you've got Harry Kane with well belling amand and you
put Declan Rice in there as well, so they're kind
(18:39):
of a bit similar similar. I think Norway be a
much better team than Mexico. Granted you're not playing them
at their's techa or what. I don't know what the
Norwegian equivalent there's techor perhaps you go and play them
in the Arctic Circle or something. It did look like
a faarsome venue, it really did.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
Yeah, I like like Norway. I just like the way
this striking Viking rolls. Everything about him is hilarious and
you would have been all out of social media watching
the various means of people impersonating them and oh.
Speaker 6 (19:06):
The rods and things. Yeah, but they do have I
think they got consistently the worst here among the big men,
and they love a ponytail. The ponytail with the shaven sides.
I don't think it's a good look. Like there's there's
a lot of bad here in the NRL, but I
think that I think the Norwegian football team probably tops.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
Them, but maybe not enough to pick up the trophy
at the end. But it's great viewing anyway, And really
quickly before we let you out of here, coming up tomorrow,
a couple of games. Who do you like in these games?
Egypt simply not going to have enough, you believe up
against Argentina.
Speaker 6 (19:44):
Yeah, I think I know. My gat says, Argentina runs short.
It'll be amazing if if Egypt could do it there.
Argentina will be tougher for them than the all whites were.
But between most of la and and you know, they're
they're pretty great up front. But you kind of love
to see MESSI keep going and going. I was a
little bit sad that Ronaldo's gone. You know, he gives
(20:06):
hope to old men like me and you for I mean,
obviously he doesn't look he's almost as old as me.
He doesn't look any of you anywhere there as old
as me. He's an amazing nick almost wouldn't be surprised
he said it's his last tournament. He's forty one.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
But I don't know.
Speaker 6 (20:20):
I almost wouldn't. Wouldn't quite put it past them to
you know, return, well.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
There's no one quite as pretty in the Columbia Switzerland game.
Who do you like there that wounds Swiss Swiss?
Speaker 6 (20:31):
I'm not neutral about that. I'll take the Swiss.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
He is the man of the hour, the tower of
power behind New Zealand. Herald Sports them his name is
Winston Ordworth and we thank you Onceton for joining us
in the chamber leading of X.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
We've got just the ticket. It's Sports Fix, News Talks.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
IVY, sliced and diced. That's sport Today on the Sports
Fix podcast. Jame's Darcy Watergrove, thanks very much for joining us.
I've enjoyed this edition Tuesday, the seventh of July twenty
twenty six. If I enjoyed it, tell your friends, tell
your family, tell everybody, get them to subscribe, and if
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(21:08):
come straight to your inbox on a week daily basis.
We've got sports talk as well. On that News Talk
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is from seven to eight Monday to Friday. Piney's got
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(21:31):
That's it from us. Thanks very much for listening. Get
you again tomorrow for.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
More from News Talk ZEDB. Listen live on air or
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You're listening to a podcast from News Talks EDB follow
this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
This is Sportsfix Howard by.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
News Talks ed be Welcome on into the Sports Fix podcast.
Hi there, I'm asking Walter Grave and this is it
all you need to know and want to know in
the wonderful wide world of sport on a day, that
day being Tuesday, the seventh of July twenty twenty six.
Coming up on the potty today we'll have a chat
with Mike Hester's Zidar's boss of Community Rugby, Participation and Competitions,
(00:43):
looking at the situation around Wellington and Rugby, who have
basically blown the hooter on any form of referring over
this weekend because of the repeated abuse from the sidelines
and players as well when it comes to community rugby.
They've had enough. They're calling it. So all talk with
Mike Hester about that. I've got some thoughts as well
(01:04):
on the new look All Black team, their very first
outing under the watchful eye of Dave Rennie up against France.
Here I watched it. I had so much to say
and now I get a chance to say a we
tiny bit about it and we'll be joined to end
the chamber by New Zealand Herald's ahead of sports name
is Winston Aldworth and we'll throw around some thoughts around
(01:26):
the wonderful wide world or sport, and I'll give you
the tip today it's all about football. So let's get
stuck in and in sport today. The narl have signed
a multi billion dollar broadcast deal out. It goes for
seven years, starts in twenty twenty eight. It's going to
(01:47):
have the Papua New Guinea chief centered the Perth Bears
next year and hey, you never know, maybe another New
Zealand team. A happy man is Warriors coach Andrew Webster,
not only because he doesn't have to endure the tyranny
of a buyer anymore because that's done and dusted, but
he's celebrating this deal and the contribution of New Zealand
(02:09):
fans to that billion dollar package.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
I think it's a real praise for the game solf
that people want to watching a huge TV deal.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
My known Zealand can have a big part of playing
that as well.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
The games spready fast and I think everyone should be
real credible.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
And then there were none all three countries charged worth
hosting the twenty twenty six FEEFA World Cup have exited
the stage left in consecutive days. I might add, the
United States of America got dropped captor to join New
Mexico and Canada out of a competition at the round
of sixteen stage. I think they did pretty well getting
(02:44):
that far. Quite frankly, the United States got absolutely flogged
four to one by Belgium in Seattle, and midfielder for
the States, Tyler Adams, admits, well, they were well below
their best tonight.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Can't be a direct reflection of what we were trying
to accomplish. You have good days and you have bad days,
and today it was one of our bad days and
they got the best of us.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
As we know, all club rugby and winning and it's
been canceled this weekend. Someone's standing out and saying, hey,
not on my watch. As a guy that you would
definitely listen to if he stood up in front of you,
you all black prop Xavier Numa said you've got to
respect the referees. He said, they deserve.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
It, not what you want as a referee to be
of use. So I guess that's a good lessen'. See
you run out there to protect there and look after
our referees. So yes, obviously not the best thing to do.
So if we get a bit of outcome for people.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Tuning our referees and in three bite sized chunks, that's
sport today.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
You scavinion. It's Sportsfix with Dancy Vandegreve.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
It's a well welcome now to the Sports Fix podcast.
To Mike Hester, he's the GM of Community Rugby Participation
and Competitions from in z Ah Good evening, Mike, good evening,
Thanks very much for joining us on the program. I
don't believe we're talking about this again, not me and
new but in general. It was a year or so
(04:10):
ago now that Hotoperneur Carpety decided to abandon a round
of games too based on the same thing, Wellington to
pulled the plug on a weekend's rugby action because of
abuse towards referees from players and from sidelines as well.
This carries on. Do you think that maybe banning the
weekend is actually working based on what happened in Hotoperneur?
(04:34):
Is this getting any tracks in this kind of response
to this?
Speaker 5 (04:38):
So it's certainly disappointing that it's come to this I mean,
there's obviously been some issues in that local union around
sort of referee abuse and player and spectator behavior, and
from what I understand, they've been fore warning for a
little while now that there's going to be some more
serious consequences if the problems continued, and unfortunately that appears
(05:01):
to have been the case, and so the Referees Association
have follow through on what they indicated they were going
to do. From an end our perspect they've obviously very
supportive of the union and the RAS they work through this,
and it sounds like there's a problem solving meeting tonight
with the union and the clubs and the referees. So
we're hoping that that will go well and they'll find
a way through. But an essence, the refereeing role is
(05:24):
across all sports is very difficult. You know, their volunteers
are there to serve the game. They often have to
come down and make decisions one way or the other,
and not always they're not always popular. So it's really
disappointing when behavior sort of goes by the line and
the line and so when it is an address stoor,
when we get to a point where the referees don't
feel that they can continue. You know, we end up
(05:45):
with these situations, they withdraw their voluntary services and we
sort of need to respect that. But yeah, certainly disappointing
that's come to this.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
Well, you lose them for the weekend, But more pressing
is that this discouragement for people to want to be
involved in refereeing. This is the bottom line. People are
going to look at it and go still going on,
why would I bother? That's got to be distressing for
ends are.
Speaker 6 (06:09):
Yeah, so.
Speaker 5 (06:11):
One case of referee abuses is simply one too many
if we put it in context. Over the course of
a season, so it's about fifty thousand games delivered across
the country from juniors, teenagers and seniors. Not all of
those games are covered by an official, a qualified referee,
but there's always a referee that is covering those games
in some shape or form. And so the number of
(06:32):
cases that we do have from sort of year to
year still quite a low number. So it's certainly not commonplace.
But as I said, one case is one too many,
and so we're really keen to make sure we understand
what's going on with those without what we could have done,
What can we put in place, how can we provide
local support, and what can we do nationally. So there's
(06:55):
a number of things that we've been advancing to try
and address that. It is, unfortunately one of the things
we do sort of see in sport. It's not just
a rugby issue.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
It is.
Speaker 5 (07:05):
A issue across many sidelines, many codes as where spectator
behavior in particular sort of goes goes too far and
then unfortunately sort of spills over into abuse situations. So
not something we see in every game every weekend, but
certainly one case is one too many.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Is the choice of this? Going back to the initial question,
believe do you believe it's a real issue with getting
people into the referring side of the game. Do they
look to that and go, look, I'm sorry, I can't
even though you said it's not it's not of high traction,
we don't see it all the time. But is this
a reason for people not to be engaged in referring
whatever level?
Speaker 5 (07:47):
It certainly doesn't help with sort of recruitment and retention
both around the profile of officiating and then keeping people
and officiating if they don't have good experiences. So, in
terms of what Rugby's trying to do is you know,
we're trying to ensure that we've got good support mechanisms
around refereenes, particularly those formative years when they're still learning
(08:09):
their craft. They're still learning how to make decisions, they're
still trying to be accurate. They're sometimes working with players
that had more experience playing then they might have afficiating
so it's a little bit of an imbalance. So putting
lots of support around that group is there sort of
finding their feet, getting their training wheels off is really
really critical. And then obviously for those that are engaged
(08:30):
in referring, we do need them to be able to
make tough decisions and anticipate there is going to be
reactions to that, but we don't want that to be
an unpleasant match day experience. So how do we ensure
that they have a really positive match day experience making
those tough calls. And that's around really clear expectations about
clubs and schools about what we're expecting of them and
(08:50):
their sidelines from things like how they have them or
rubbed off, how they have people policing sidelines to encourage
good behavior, sideline behavior programs, through to support of the
referees around how do we support them getting better, how
they improve their performances, and how they have good match experiences.
And then unfortunately, when things don't go well, you know
(09:12):
what's our ambulance at the bottom of the cliff in
the form of our judicial systems to make sure that
if people have overstepped then there's some accountability that goes
with that. To send a message we get all of
those things right. Ideally you avoid getting to a point
where referees feel like they may need to withdraw their
services to make a point. But unfortunately that will happen
(09:32):
from time time and that's where we find ourselves.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Today dissecting the sporting agenda. It's Sportsfix with Darcy Waldergrave.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
Maybe it's the writers I read. Maybe it's the broad
sheets and websites I indulge in. Maybe I should stop
listening to people at the pub. But what I heard
after the first up Test match between the French and
the All Blacks, I say first up in twenty twenty
six and first up for the new coach Dave Ready,
(10:02):
what I heard was was a little on the negative side.
It was a wee bit nasty. It was a wee
I told you so. It was a wee bit, why
did you pick him there? Why did you pick him there?
White criticism, criticism, criticism. We knew. Nobody grew up wanting
to be a critic, but invariably we'll end up in
that space, which is fresh coming from me because I
(10:22):
basically built a career around it. But all I thought
of that game is yet. There were some huge holes
in defense, there were some crazy mad decisions, there was
a lot of ragged edges to be tied up. But
in general, what I saw in that game was a
team that looked refreshed, that looked ready to go, that
(10:44):
looked like they had something to prove and someone to
prove it to. This didn't look like a team that
has come off the back of a couple of years
under a coach that well created some divisions between the
public and the players and the media and everybody else.
This looked like a fresh and engaged team that wanted
to do well, and they were all ears listening to Dave,
(11:08):
you cannot expect, you should not expect, and I do
not expect the finished product in the first test match
of the season. That is insane to think that, And
we can see some of the issues that the team had.
That's something to do later in the piece. That is
something to work on. But the essence of what we
saw with this game was very, very impressive. It can
(11:32):
only get better. No, I don't agree with a number
of the players in the positions they found themselves in,
but I'm not the coach. That is Rennie's job. But
didn't you get a sense that it was a bunch
of young men playing a team they loved playing for
that could actually hate to use the term, but I
will express themselves optimistically and do something good for the
(11:54):
game of rugby this August, for great things, for the
Renny Error and for the All Blacks. I will not,
I cannot, I shall not complain about what I saw.
I saw a base level which will be improved on.
But the direction they are taking, that is the direction
that I want to see. I don't want them walking
(12:15):
towards pressure. I want them running at it and that's
what we've got. Get on there, boys, get up there again.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
The chamber is now in session on Sports Fix.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
I'm back seat. They're here in the chamber and joining
us now. Winston all Worthy is the boss man out
of New Zealand Herald Sport. I like saying things like
that means you feel good about yourself before you start
coming on and throwing hot takes around the place once
the now are you?
Speaker 6 (12:42):
I enjoy this little sessions, Darcy, because it's it is
It is positive for me to hear you saying that
sort of thing, So thank you.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
Good to be here and wonderful to have you on board.
Of course, it's all about football. You can't avoid it now,
can you. Really? And we're into the getting into the
really point at end of things.
Speaker 6 (12:58):
Well, i've heard that even you've started watching the tournament
now darts? Is that correct?
Speaker 1 (13:01):
Man?
Speaker 3 (13:02):
I paid the forty five bucks.
Speaker 6 (13:04):
You paid it yourself?
Speaker 3 (13:05):
Yeah, I paid it myself. Wow, it's not worth it.
I don't watch a lot of the earlier rounds except
for New Zealand. It was great that tvn Z Plus
had it free to way. I think it was fantastic.
But not a massive football fan, so yeah, passing interest.
When it starts getting around to sixteen, things start getting hot,
it gets interesting. This is when I'm engaged. Bang, hit
(13:26):
the pay go And it's been worth it so far,
it really.
Speaker 6 (13:30):
Yeah, there's been some great football all the way through.
You missed some gems. In the early rounds games were
great I saw, but just all through the tournament there's
been good games and they continue into these knockouts one.
I'm probably the only person outside of the United United
States who thinks it's a little bit of a shame
that the US team being knocked out purely because of
(13:52):
the circus that they were going to bring with them,
as if they continue, you would have appeals to the
Court of Arbitration. Sport in Los ann and Switzerland is.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
From journalistic design. Yeah, there's any more trouble.
Speaker 6 (14:06):
So as a sport and journalists, you love that off
field controversy stuff. But fans will say they hate it,
they hate to see it. But everyone's really been mainline
in this Trump's story, right with his him getting on
the getting the you know, it used to be that
the phone line and the White House went through to
the Kremlin so they could prevent nuclear wolves, and now
(14:27):
under Donald Trump, it goes through to FIFA to prevent
red card suspensions and a sport he doesn't even watch,
like he said, he said, he said, he's he doesn't
know what it is. Someone had to explain to him
what a red card is.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
He's the greatest fan of football greater.
Speaker 6 (14:41):
And then I saw it and it wasn't like two
guys punching each other, so I ran fiver it. It's
the maddest story of it, and it is like I
don't get me wrong, the right result has happened. Belgium
are a great team that they've hit their straps. They
look like they wouldn't until they met the All Whites
and they they found their pace and they got going.
So the right result has happened. It's good for the tournament,
(15:01):
but it would have been kind of cool if that
Trump's circus had just rolled on and on. He he's
the perfect president for Gianni Infantino and FIFA. He makes
up the rules as he goes along. They make up
rules as they go along. He's a completely transactional, commercial president.
They are utterly transactional in all they do. So it's
(15:23):
a kind of a match made in heaven. So it's
a little and he'll be done now. He'll probably fire
out something on Twitter or on his own social platform
about this one game and then he's done with it.
You won't see him at the final. That's got to
be a first, right, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
I think he wouldn't because he wouldn't be welcome with
open arms anybody. Yeah, but that's long running story of
can you call them twitter dumb and tweetl d No,
it's more like Laurel and Hardy with the shapes of
those two guys Infantino and Trump, and walk away from
this because this is not about football. What we've got
now is well and then there were We've still got
(15:58):
two big rounds to come to, the games to come tomorrow,
but you still want to look back at something that
has gone on recent times.
Speaker 6 (16:07):
So now that circus has got, you've only got the
on field stuff. And like I said, the games have
been great. That England game yesterday I think was actually
a lot of the wash up now has been about
England's great moment. We picked up a piece from the
Telegraph of Jason Burt's story eight reasons that this was
one of the greatest World Cup games ever, and I
think he's not wrong. It was a cracking game, great
(16:28):
atmosphere and so on. But knowing how these things go,
if a Mexican had popped in an equalizer in the
last ten minutes, there's no way England woul getting a winner.
An extra time they built their entire mindset and their
game plan. And that's and once they were furiously defending
that lead around just sitting deep. They weren't going to
(16:49):
push up if they'd lost that game. The entire narrative
around that whole match switches. It goes from it goes
from being England were resolute and brave and holding their
line and someone to being England were witless and lacking
an imagination and couldn't find a way to get forward
and they'd had their villain and baligan with that sorry
quadsa with so at the other mayor card, Yeah, wrong
(17:11):
red card. Yes, so Quants's red card was a shocker.
It was studs up challenge and didn't need to make
it in the wrong part of the park. So it's
just it's interesting how these these little narratives just just
flip on on on on one little thing. But you know,
if you if your toaster didn't toast toaster, it wouldn't
be a toaster. And if what should have could her
they won it. Good on them. They go through. I
(17:33):
hoping then go all the way through. I'd love to
see them get through to the big show. Ideally, ideally
would get a new winner for the tournament. But as
it's boiling down, you've got Argentina and you've got France,
you've got Spain looking amazing, and you've got England who's
still in there. So I think we'll probably get one
of those four lifting the trophy at the end.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
Us And from what you've seen though, is there astray?
Is there somebody that's going to really ruin it for everybody?
Could it be a Columbia, probably, Egypt, maybe not Mosellas,
not a Hundie. But out of the the outside the
other four.
Speaker 6 (18:07):
If you had to go for your outside is who
would be good? Switzerland'll be a hope. They're better than
people think.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
Go on, mate, you gotta go on. A striking Viking
may yeah, yeah, yeah, Well what fun is that?
Speaker 6 (18:19):
This is a really good point. Okay, So Norway you've
got the striking Viking, you've got Harland and you've got
urder Guard. Now they're kind of matched like for like
in the England set up where the two big the
big stars are the striker and the star midfield. So
you've got Harry Kane with well belling amand and you
put Declan Rice in there as well, so they're kind
(18:39):
of a bit similar similar. I think Norway be a
much better team than Mexico. Granted you're not playing them
at their's techa or what. I don't know what the
Norwegian equivalent there's techor perhaps you go and play them
in the Arctic Circle or something. It did look like
a faarsome venue, it really did.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
Yeah, I like like Norway. I just like the way
this striking Viking rolls. Everything about him is hilarious and
you would have been all out of social media watching
the various means of people impersonating them and oh.
Speaker 6 (19:06):
The rods and things. Yeah, but they do have I
think they got consistently the worst here among the big men,
and they love a ponytail. The ponytail with the shaven sides.
I don't think it's a good look. Like there's there's
a lot of bad here in the NRL, but I
think that I think the Norwegian football team probably tops.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
Them, but maybe not enough to pick up the trophy
at the end. But it's great viewing anyway, And really
quickly before we let you out of here, coming up tomorrow,
a couple of games. Who do you like in these games?
Egypt simply not going to have enough, you believe up
against Argentina.
Speaker 6 (19:44):
Yeah, I think I know. My gat says, Argentina runs short.
It'll be amazing if if Egypt could do it there.
Argentina will be tougher for them than the all whites were.
But between most of la and and you know, they're
they're pretty great up front. But you kind of love
to see MESSI keep going and going. I was a
little bit sad that Ronaldo's gone. You know, he gives
(20:06):
hope to old men like me and you for I mean,
obviously he doesn't look he's almost as old as me.
He doesn't look any of you anywhere there as old
as me. He's an amazing nick almost wouldn't be surprised
he said it's his last tournament. He's forty one.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
But I don't know.
Speaker 6 (20:20):
I almost wouldn't. Wouldn't quite put it past them to
you know, return, well.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
There's no one quite as pretty in the Columbia Switzerland game.
Who do you like there that wounds Swiss Swiss?
Speaker 6 (20:31):
I'm not neutral about that. I'll take the Swiss.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
He is the man of the hour, the tower of
power behind New Zealand. Herald Sports them his name is
Winston Ordworth and we thank you Onceton for joining us
in the chamber leading of X.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
We've got just the ticket. It's Sports Fix, News Talks.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
IVY, sliced and diced. That's sport Today on the Sports
Fix podcast. Jame's Darcy Watergrove, thanks very much for joining us.
I've enjoyed this edition Tuesday, the seventh of July twenty
twenty six. If I enjoyed it, tell your friends, tell
your family, tell everybody, get them to subscribe, and if
you haven't, what you should do that way, this will
(21:08):
come straight to your inbox on a week daily basis.
We've got sports talk as well. On that News Talk
as ZB. It's regular old normal, old school radio. That
is from seven to eight Monday to Friday. Piney's got
the Monday shift. I've got the rest of the week
and then all through the weekend from twelve midday through
three o'clock Saturday Sunday. Jason pine Is with weekend Sport.
(21:31):
That's it from us. Thanks very much for listening. Get
you again tomorrow for.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
More from News Talk ZEDB. Listen live on air or
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