July 31, 2025 • 8 mins
The NPC is back for another year!
Auckland and Waikato have kicked things off at Eden Park tonight.
Veteran commentator Tony Johnson spoke to D'Arcy Waldegrave on Sportstalk.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Darcy Waldergrave
from News Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
She said, Hi, nice to meet your name. Dares get
up off us? She's said, is life forever? Not a
plenty of times? Is news TALKSB Sports look on Darcy
Wadergrave coming out now we're talking about of the NPC
(00:35):
because it is underway tonight, five to go in the
first half Aalkland still leading like I thought, seventeen to twelve.
Of course, you want to listen to any of these games,
you can Radio gold Sport as we will get these
local calls. We go to Tony Johnson now though long
time at Rugby Broadcast, a great friend of the programs,
and now good eight Tony the MPC cometh I returned
(00:59):
to the heart of rugby union in New Zealand.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Right, Well, you get there's a simplicity about it that
I think people like, I mean, I always sign up
by saying it's about who you are and where you're from,
and that, in a nutshell, is part of the appeal
of it. It's just a far more simpler world than
the exacting demands of international rugby or the role of
Super Rugby or whatever it is it's about going back,
(01:24):
particularly to the provincial places around the country. But there's
an enticing mix as well, because as well as some
old provincial rivalries that still mean a heck of a lot,
you've got that mix of a bunch of new players
coming in. There's quite a few graduates from the under
twenty program that are going to be making their mark.
(01:45):
You've got guys trying to find their way or force
their way back into the All Black team. You get
a few All Blacks released here and there. It always
ups the level of interest. But you also get a
few people coming back from overseas that we haven't seen
for a while and people fighting for super Ragby contracts.
So there's a good backdrop to it. But to me
(02:06):
that the beauty of it is when it gets to
the regional grounds, the smaller grounds. The fans turn out
and it's a lot of fun it is, and.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
The smaller grounds it's I think the word I eat
to use is intimate, because that's what it is. If
you feel like back in the healthy in days when
you're younger, that you're actually there when you're watching it
on TV. It's got that honest feel about it. I
believe this is something they should be going out more.
I know, big match tonight, the opening match, Battle of
the Bombays. It's an Eden Park, good comp between Auckland
(02:37):
and White Huttle, but it still leaves me here but cold.
Is that being negative? Is it being nasty?
Speaker 1 (02:43):
No? No, But what I would say is don't judge
it on the sways of empty seats at Eton Park,
which is after all New Zealand's biggest sports stadium, and
there's always a fevit a room there. But it's more
about what people are doing. Like even this weekend you
look at the match between Southland and Otago. Now that
has become a thing. I think people are starting to
realize that to get people interested in New Zealand, it's
(03:05):
got to be some event. People aren't just going to
truck up out a loyalty every single week or not
many people are going to do that. You've got to
create something around it and so and then for Cargo
it's stag day, Lock them up. You know it's going
to be as much action off the field as there
will be on it. I love what they've done in
torong Or where they've created a genuine community feel about
(03:27):
the games there Canterbury taking a game to Rangiura, which
has been a terrific success. And then you go to
places like Nelson or Blenham or New Plymouth or Napier
or whatever where the local fans who don't see Super
Rugby in the flesh they get to come out. So
to me, that's where it should be judged is the success.
(03:48):
The connections I guess that they're making with the community
Northland is another one. That they have done the most
incredible things that probably people but don't even know about
within the Northland community. A for engagement but also to
serve their community, So that to me is a really
important part of it. And that's where I think could
judge the success. And I guess the deep meaning of
(04:10):
this competition.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
And it is a deep meaning because it is very
much ass and what we stand for. And sometimes you
feel like a little disenfranchised with the Super Rugby franchises
because they're vastly big, they're professional, so it's got a
down home feeling about it, which of course there is
nothing wrong with that. The clamor to be professional, I
think is it's a horrible overarching feeling that can sometimes
(04:35):
wreck stuff.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Yeah, although I thought Super Rugby this year was really good.
I think because just because they responded to what they
think the fans want in terms of how the games
are managed, the refereeing, sort a bit more engagement in
the stadium, that sort of thing. I thought Super Rugby
was really good. But there's just something there's still something
(04:57):
a little bit old fashioned about this. It'll probably when
you get to the business end of it, you'll get
the big crowds. It will probably never go back to
the days where you know, they get forty thousand at
Eton Park for a big match sometimes. But it was
a really important purpose and I know that there's a
lot of talk about the future of it and the
(05:19):
famous line from the CEO Mark Robinson about it not
being fit for purpose. Well, to me it is. It's
just they've got to find better ways of making it work.
And I think it lasts that the unions have actually
taken that on themselves to provide a bit of initiative
and not waiting around for someone else to do it
for them.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Brilliant and out of the competition leaders in the like
what our expectations? Can Wellington do it again? In the
eight hundredth minute, Where's the favorite doesn't line this well.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
They've got a great game to start off this weekend
with a match against Canterbury, which has always been one
of the tasty arrival reason. I see Peter Luckeye's making
a comeback from his injury, Reuben Love's going to be
playing for Wellington and then Brady McCallister has been released
by the All Blacks, Darry making his comeback, so there's
a bit of an extra element there. But of course
(06:10):
it's being played at Jerry Collins Park, Jerry Collins Stadium
put her to it, and I think that's a brilliant
thing that they're doing there because there's no worse sight
than all those yellow seats at Sky Stadium and Wellington.
So yeah, Wellington defending champions that were dramatic last year
the way they achieved it, I don't know. I think
(06:30):
we're going to have to wait and see just what
the early form is. There's some really impressive rosters, that's
for sure. I think Tarer Nucky looked really strong. They've
got a game against Northland this weekend and they've had
the advantage of a couple of Shield games before the
season started. Some of the teams haven't had a lot
in terms of preseason preparation because of a clash with
Club Rugby, but tarerannucky you've had a couple of outings
(06:53):
in Sheield games. Of course, the Shield always such a
great impetus for a team to do well in their
home games. And like you look at the lineup, they've
got Northland and Waycott to Bay of Planty, Hawk's Bay
and Wellington. That's a tasty lineup of Shield challenges. I
think Tasman look really strong. Lesterfying o'noko is not playing
this weekend, but Timothy Ta Tava naway is, And then
(07:15):
you've got the likes of Finley Christy, David Harvelli Ethan
Blackadder who are trying to work their way or force
their way back into the all black reckoning. How about
White Cutter. I know you had a chat with Lemo Superwanga,
but how well off are you when you start the
game with Aaron Crudin, who's still an outstanding player even
at thirty six years of age, and then when he
(07:37):
goes off you can bring Lima Soupuwanga on. You're not
too badly off there are you.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
There's going to be a lot to love about it,
bringing on very much, looking forward to it, to the coverage,
to your commentary, because you're going to get involved, aren't you, Tony.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
I love it, Yeah, always do. It's often a chance
to go and you know, visit places that mean a
lot to you and just talk, you know with local
rugby fans, genuine rugby fans who are there for the
footy and there for their to provide that pride that
they have in their province. And at the end of it,
I mean, if last year's anything to go by, you know,
(08:13):
last year it was excellent and I don't see why
it won't be the same again this year.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talks.
It'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Darcy Waldergrave
from News Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
She said, Hi, nice to meet your name. Dares get
up off us? She's said, is life forever? Not a
plenty of times? Is news TALKSB Sports look on Darcy
Wadergrave coming out now we're talking about of the NPC
(00:35):
because it is underway tonight, five to go in the
first half Aalkland still leading like I thought, seventeen to twelve.
Of course, you want to listen to any of these games,
you can Radio gold Sport as we will get these
local calls. We go to Tony Johnson now though long
time at Rugby Broadcast, a great friend of the programs,
and now good eight Tony the MPC cometh I returned
(00:59):
to the heart of rugby union in New Zealand.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Right, Well, you get there's a simplicity about it that
I think people like, I mean, I always sign up
by saying it's about who you are and where you're from,
and that, in a nutshell, is part of the appeal
of it. It's just a far more simpler world than
the exacting demands of international rugby or the role of
Super Rugby or whatever it is it's about going back,
(01:24):
particularly to the provincial places around the country. But there's
an enticing mix as well, because as well as some
old provincial rivalries that still mean a heck of a lot,
you've got that mix of a bunch of new players
coming in. There's quite a few graduates from the under
twenty program that are going to be making their mark.
(01:45):
You've got guys trying to find their way or force
their way back into the All Black team. You get
a few All Blacks released here and there. It always
ups the level of interest. But you also get a
few people coming back from overseas that we haven't seen
for a while and people fighting for super Ragby contracts.
So there's a good backdrop to it. But to me
(02:06):
that the beauty of it is when it gets to
the regional grounds, the smaller grounds. The fans turn out
and it's a lot of fun it is, and.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
The smaller grounds it's I think the word I eat
to use is intimate, because that's what it is. If
you feel like back in the healthy in days when
you're younger, that you're actually there when you're watching it
on TV. It's got that honest feel about it. I
believe this is something they should be going out more.
I know, big match tonight, the opening match, Battle of
the Bombays. It's an Eden Park, good comp between Auckland
(02:37):
and White Huttle, but it still leaves me here but cold.
Is that being negative? Is it being nasty?
Speaker 1 (02:43):
No? No, But what I would say is don't judge
it on the sways of empty seats at Eton Park,
which is after all New Zealand's biggest sports stadium, and
there's always a fevit a room there. But it's more
about what people are doing. Like even this weekend you
look at the match between Southland and Otago. Now that
has become a thing. I think people are starting to
realize that to get people interested in New Zealand, it's
(03:05):
got to be some event. People aren't just going to
truck up out a loyalty every single week or not
many people are going to do that. You've got to
create something around it and so and then for Cargo
it's stag day, Lock them up. You know it's going
to be as much action off the field as there
will be on it. I love what they've done in
torong Or where they've created a genuine community feel about
(03:27):
the games there Canterbury taking a game to Rangiura, which
has been a terrific success. And then you go to
places like Nelson or Blenham or New Plymouth or Napier
or whatever where the local fans who don't see Super
Rugby in the flesh they get to come out. So
to me, that's where it should be judged is the success.
(03:48):
The connections I guess that they're making with the community
Northland is another one. That they have done the most
incredible things that probably people but don't even know about
within the Northland community. A for engagement but also to
serve their community, So that to me is a really
important part of it. And that's where I think could
judge the success. And I guess the deep meaning of
(04:10):
this competition.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
And it is a deep meaning because it is very
much ass and what we stand for. And sometimes you
feel like a little disenfranchised with the Super Rugby franchises
because they're vastly big, they're professional, so it's got a
down home feeling about it, which of course there is
nothing wrong with that. The clamor to be professional, I
think is it's a horrible overarching feeling that can sometimes
(04:35):
wreck stuff.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Yeah, although I thought Super Rugby this year was really good.
I think because just because they responded to what they
think the fans want in terms of how the games
are managed, the refereeing, sort a bit more engagement in
the stadium, that sort of thing. I thought Super Rugby
was really good. But there's just something there's still something
(04:57):
a little bit old fashioned about this. It'll probably when
you get to the business end of it, you'll get
the big crowds. It will probably never go back to
the days where you know, they get forty thousand at
Eton Park for a big match sometimes. But it was
a really important purpose and I know that there's a
lot of talk about the future of it and the
(05:19):
famous line from the CEO Mark Robinson about it not
being fit for purpose. Well, to me it is. It's
just they've got to find better ways of making it work.
And I think it lasts that the unions have actually
taken that on themselves to provide a bit of initiative
and not waiting around for someone else to do it
for them.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Brilliant and out of the competition leaders in the like
what our expectations? Can Wellington do it again? In the
eight hundredth minute, Where's the favorite doesn't line this well.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
They've got a great game to start off this weekend
with a match against Canterbury, which has always been one
of the tasty arrival reason. I see Peter Luckeye's making
a comeback from his injury, Reuben Love's going to be
playing for Wellington and then Brady McCallister has been released
by the All Blacks, Darry making his comeback, so there's
a bit of an extra element there. But of course
(06:10):
it's being played at Jerry Collins Park, Jerry Collins Stadium
put her to it, and I think that's a brilliant
thing that they're doing there because there's no worse sight
than all those yellow seats at Sky Stadium and Wellington.
So yeah, Wellington defending champions that were dramatic last year
the way they achieved it, I don't know. I think
(06:30):
we're going to have to wait and see just what
the early form is. There's some really impressive rosters, that's
for sure. I think Tarer Nucky looked really strong. They've
got a game against Northland this weekend and they've had
the advantage of a couple of Shield games before the
season started. Some of the teams haven't had a lot
in terms of preseason preparation because of a clash with
Club Rugby, but tarerannucky you've had a couple of outings
(06:53):
in Sheield games. Of course, the Shield always such a
great impetus for a team to do well in their
home games. And like you look at the lineup, they've
got Northland and Waycott to Bay of Planty, Hawk's Bay
and Wellington. That's a tasty lineup of Shield challenges. I
think Tasman look really strong. Lesterfying o'noko is not playing
this weekend, but Timothy Ta Tava naway is, And then
(07:15):
you've got the likes of Finley Christy, David Harvelli Ethan
Blackadder who are trying to work their way or force
their way back into the all black reckoning. How about
White Cutter. I know you had a chat with Lemo Superwanga,
but how well off are you when you start the
game with Aaron Crudin, who's still an outstanding player even
at thirty six years of age, and then when he
(07:37):
goes off you can bring Lima Soupuwanga on. You're not
too badly off there are you.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
There's going to be a lot to love about it,
bringing on very much, looking forward to it, to the coverage,
to your commentary, because you're going to get involved, aren't you, Tony.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
I love it, Yeah, always do. It's often a chance
to go and you know, visit places that mean a
lot to you and just talk, you know with local
rugby fans, genuine rugby fans who are there for the
footy and there for their to provide that pride that
they have in their province. And at the end of it,
I mean, if last year's anything to go by, you know,
(08:13):
last year it was excellent and I don't see why
it won't be the same again this year.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talks.
It'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
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