D'Arcy Waldegrave: The bold ambitions of the Blues' new CEO

The Blues’ new Chief Executive Karl Budge has already marked his tenure with some bold statements. His brazen desire to hijack the wildly successful Super Round from Christchurch is an audacious move for the administrator who has an enviable record of success across the sports he has been involved in, notably tennis’ ASB Classic.  

Like the target on the back of the Super Round, arguably a revery based dart, his pronouncement that the Blues home base Eden Park should be the teams’ superpower is as fanciful as the Super raid.   

It’s unlikely that the Blues could regularly stuff the park to near capacity, such is the palpable lack of success the team has experienced, and the yawning emptiness that the stadium presents when a meagre crowd is in attendance.   

However, even though Karl’s pipe dream appears to be based on ambition cloaked in hope, the mere fact that he has approached this matter with such unabashed positivity, speaks volumes for his ‘why not?’ philosophy in sport management.   

Along with the Hurricanes owner’s calls for mass change in the Super Rugby ownership arena, the broom that has gone through NZR and the fresh approach in Super Rugby navigation, I dare say the want for an acceleration in Blues attendance-based passion isn’t as sky-based pie as we would think.  

Karl also has a key ally in the limitless enthusiasm and drive of Eden Park CEO Nick Sauntner. 

If the Blues are to rise again and bring the ever-expanding Auckland populace along for the ride, these to blokes are the men to do it. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldgrave from News Talk SEDB.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
The blues new chief executive Carl Budge has already marked
his tenure with some pretty bold statements. His brazen desire
to hijack the wild less successful super Round from christ
Church is an audacious move for the administrator, who has
an enviable record of success across the sports he's been
involved in, notably Tennis's ASP Classic. Like his target on

(00:34):
the back of the super Round, arguably a reverie based
dart is, pronouncement that the Blues home based Eden Park
should be the team's superpower is as fanciful as the
Super Raid. It's unlikely that the Blues could regularly stuff
the park to near capacity, such as the palpable lack

(00:54):
of success, the team's experience, and the yawning emptiness that
the stadium presents when a meager crowd is in attendance. However,
even though Carl's pipe appears to be based on ambition,
cloakt and hope, the mere fact that he has approached
this matter with such unabasted positivity speaks volumes for his

(01:17):
why not philosophy and sport management. Along with the Hurricanes
owner's call for mass change and super Rugby ownership Arena,
the broom that has gone through n z R and
the fresh approach and super Rugby navigation. I dare say
the want for an acceleration in Blues attendance based passion
isn't as sky based pie as we would think. Carl

(01:41):
also has a key ally in the limitless enthusiasm and
drive of Eden Park's CEO, Nick Sortner. If the Blues
are indeed to rise again and bring the ever expanding
Auckland populace along for the ride, these blokes are the
men to do it. That'll do.

Speaker 1 (01:59):
For more from the Your Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave,
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or of the podcast on iHeartRadio