July 16, 2026 • 7 mins
John and Debbie Moorby are large-scale Waikato dairy farmers and the proud parents of All Black Josh, who will make his starting debut at Eden Park tomorrow night against Ireland.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back to the country. Just about miss my musical
intro there. I was that busy gassing to a man
I hadn't talked to for eleven years. John Morby, along
with his wife Debbie proud parents of Josh Morby, who
will make his starting debut for the All Blacks at
Eden Park against Ireland. Can fortress Eden Park remain? We'll
come back to the footy, hey, John, you and Debbie run.
(00:24):
It's almost an empire. Fifteen hundred cows on five hundred hectares.
You've done well. You didn't have that many when we
went on our Rugby World Cup tour in twenty fifteen.
Good afternoon.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
I had about half that. Jamie, he had about six
hundred and fifty egneens.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Yeah. You and Debbie started out or started your careers
as sheer milks and it just goes to show that
through the dairy industry the pathway is there.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Yeah. Yeah, we did. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
So tell me about about your dairy farming operation. You
are one of the biggest operations as I understand that
in the Wipa district.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Yep. Yeah, we're side of Tao Mudu. We milk fifteen
hundred cows through two sheds. I have a contract milker
doing two sixty and myself would staff to twelve forty
and eighty bar Rout Tree.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Yes, and my informants tell me John that your your
farm features one of the most technologically advanced milking parlors
in the Wipa district. What is that? That's flash parlance
for what?
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Oh, no, we've just got We've just got a seven
year old cowshed with what was the most latest stuff
at that time, So seven year old now, but it's
all a Whitekado plant and a locally built cowshed from
local builders, and yeah, it all looks pretty good.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
Yeah, has that technology been surpassed? Now if you built
a brand new one? Now, how much different would it be?
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Oh? I think they'd probably be a little bit more
in the air, and it would certainly cost probably double
to what iplaid in the last you know, it's just
gone up in the last even years, I would have presumed.
So yeah, no, it's still basically milks the cows. But
we've just got the standard automatic cut removers, an automatic
peach spray, we've got an auto draft in there. So yeah,
(02:12):
we can milk about four hundred and eighty cows an hour,
so it goes good. It's good.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Are you are you a Fonterra supplier. Yes, yes, So
they came out excuse me earlier this week on Monday,
I think it was spoke to Richard Allen that forecast
milk price down fifty cents. Disappointing but not really a surprise.
And when we marry that up with the other number
that break even milk, this is Dairy and Z's break
(02:39):
even milk price. Because I talked to Tracy Brown, another
Whitehadow dairy farmer midweek on the show eight seventy nine
break even price nine to twenty five forecast milk price
for what it's worth. The margins are getting a bit squeezed.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
They are getting a bit squeezed. But now we've got
all We've just got to live with that and try
and say, I guess where we can. But I always
have a I always follow just to feed the cows
and they'll look after you. So so we just carry
on and we just feed them.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
You'll be taking a bit of time off the farm
in the next month or two, will you. You're going
to South Africa.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Well, I'm still fully involved. I still yeah, I still
run the day to day. So Josh making the All
Blacks has sort of got the jump on me a
little bit. So I will we're we're we're two hundred
cows into carving. So no, I won't go to South
Africa because I'll be carving. But but I have made
(03:38):
a promise to him, myself and my wife that we
will will go over to the UK when the All
Blacks go that way. Hopefully he does enough to still
be there.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Well, he started with a hiss and a row. The
only disappointing thing I said, John and introing this, I
don't know whether you heard this. I'm just a wee
bit disappointed he's he's not still playing for myself and
Staggs because he was great for us.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Yeah, actually it was a really good time in his life.
He he h south on off a chance to sort
of go for it, and so so we did and
and he's never regretted it. Some damn good people down
the are We certainly enjoyed our trips to turn the
card to watch him, and that did some really good
(04:22):
people there, mainly Breach sheperd pup nickname it.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Well, I don't know if I don't know if I'd
described him as a really good person. You you you
obviously never played rugby against him. There will be a
few people who would probably argue otherwise.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Well, I'll tell you what. He was damn good to Josh.
When Josh was down there, Josh arrived, He got him
into the Woodlands Club like he likes to get there.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
He no like he gets likes he gets every rugby
player that ever comes to South. I mean, people will
think I'm having a crack. I love Puppy. He's a
good mate. But he's he does he does absolutely great work.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
He does well. He he got Josh down there, bought
him a double bed, gave him a little car. A
little shit he mind you, but he gave him a
little car to get around him and and you know
those sort of things you don't forget a so yeah,
so yeah that was good. And that little car drove
him up to to do need him now and again
(05:19):
to do a fill in training with with the Highlanders
and so yeah, no, that's yeah, that's yeah, that's all
history now. But it was it was good times. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
What I love about Josh's story is that he wasn't
one of these kids who played for every New Zealand
Age group team. And I think he only got into
the first fifteen in his final years at Hamilton Boys High.
Is that about right?
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Am? I?
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Right there?
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Yeah? It was. That's that's when he grew. And he
when he was intermedia was a little fella. He was
quite small. He played role of Mills rugby in the
y KDO for two years because he was quite skillful,
but he was just small. And so when he got
to Hamilton Boys, he was he just wasn't big enough
and now was he still had a school and it
(06:05):
wasn't until his last year school that he that he
actually grew and they put him in the sixteen in
the easters. Year has just gone well from.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
The air well he's had, he's had a ripper of
a year for the Hurricanes. Deserved his selection made every
post or Wanner and to be compared in your first
Test match to Will Jordan, because there's a lot of
similarities between the pair of them, he must.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Be very proud, very proud. Yeah. Actually the odd time
you've got to look twice to see if it's Josh
or Will, yeah, or who it is?
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Yeah, they're very similar. Hey, And just before I go
another Southland connection. Your other son, Cam, who's doing very
well as a rugby coach, as I understand that, is
married to a good Southland girl, Tory Peters, who's of
course the New Zealand javelin champion.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
That's right, yep, that's right, yes, and.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Daughter of and daughter of Southland's best dairy farmer Harry Peters.
Just ask Carrie.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Yeah, yeah, he tell you that.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
He good. Good Riversdale people. Hey, John, I hope you
and Debbie and I know you'll be heading to Eton
Park tomorrow night. It's great to catch up again after
all these years. And good luck tomorrow night. I'm so
pleased that he's made it because he's absolutely deserved it.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Oh, thanks very much, Jamie. Hey, just before I go,
I just want to mention a couple of other people
that have been involved in Josh's juny Aaron Major, t
Shoulder tapped, Jason Holland. So you know, guys like Aaron Major.
Jason Holland's been very good to Josh, and so was
Cory Jane. Cory Jane's been fantastic. So yeah, good people,
(07:35):
good people around you. You can you can achieve anything.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
Hey, all right, I'll let you off for saying Brent
Shepard was a good bloke, good Jamie
Welcome back to the country. Just about miss my musical
intro there. I was that busy gassing to a man
I hadn't talked to for eleven years. John Morby, along
with his wife Debbie proud parents of Josh Morby, who
will make his starting debut for the All Blacks at
Eden Park against Ireland. Can fortress Eden Park remain? We'll
come back to the footy, hey, John, you and Debbie run.
(00:24):
It's almost an empire. Fifteen hundred cows on five hundred hectares.
You've done well. You didn't have that many when we
went on our Rugby World Cup tour in twenty fifteen.
Good afternoon.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
I had about half that. Jamie, he had about six
hundred and fifty egneens.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Yeah. You and Debbie started out or started your careers
as sheer milks and it just goes to show that
through the dairy industry the pathway is there.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Yeah. Yeah, we did. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
So tell me about about your dairy farming operation. You
are one of the biggest operations as I understand that
in the Wipa district.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Yep. Yeah, we're side of Tao Mudu. We milk fifteen
hundred cows through two sheds. I have a contract milker
doing two sixty and myself would staff to twelve forty
and eighty bar Rout Tree.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Yes, and my informants tell me John that your your
farm features one of the most technologically advanced milking parlors
in the Wipa district. What is that? That's flash parlance
for what?
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Oh, no, we've just got We've just got a seven
year old cowshed with what was the most latest stuff
at that time, So seven year old now, but it's
all a Whitekado plant and a locally built cowshed from
local builders, and yeah, it all looks pretty good.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
Yeah, has that technology been surpassed? Now if you built
a brand new one? Now, how much different would it be?
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Oh? I think they'd probably be a little bit more
in the air, and it would certainly cost probably double
to what iplaid in the last you know, it's just
gone up in the last even years, I would have presumed.
So yeah, no, it's still basically milks the cows. But
we've just got the standard automatic cut removers, an automatic
peach spray, we've got an auto draft in there. So yeah,
(02:12):
we can milk about four hundred and eighty cows an hour,
so it goes good. It's good.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Are you are you a Fonterra supplier. Yes, yes, So
they came out excuse me earlier this week on Monday,
I think it was spoke to Richard Allen that forecast
milk price down fifty cents. Disappointing but not really a surprise.
And when we marry that up with the other number
that break even milk, this is Dairy and Z's break
(02:39):
even milk price. Because I talked to Tracy Brown, another
Whitehadow dairy farmer midweek on the show eight seventy nine
break even price nine to twenty five forecast milk price
for what it's worth. The margins are getting a bit squeezed.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
They are getting a bit squeezed. But now we've got
all We've just got to live with that and try
and say, I guess where we can. But I always
have a I always follow just to feed the cows
and they'll look after you. So so we just carry
on and we just feed them.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
You'll be taking a bit of time off the farm
in the next month or two, will you. You're going
to South Africa.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Well, I'm still fully involved. I still yeah, I still
run the day to day. So Josh making the All
Blacks has sort of got the jump on me a
little bit. So I will we're we're we're two hundred
cows into carving. So no, I won't go to South
Africa because I'll be carving. But but I have made
(03:38):
a promise to him, myself and my wife that we
will will go over to the UK when the All
Blacks go that way. Hopefully he does enough to still
be there.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Well, he started with a hiss and a row. The
only disappointing thing I said, John and introing this, I
don't know whether you heard this. I'm just a wee
bit disappointed he's he's not still playing for myself and
Staggs because he was great for us.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Yeah, actually it was a really good time in his life.
He he h south on off a chance to sort
of go for it, and so so we did and
and he's never regretted it. Some damn good people down
the are We certainly enjoyed our trips to turn the
card to watch him, and that did some really good
(04:22):
people there, mainly Breach sheperd pup nickname it.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Well, I don't know if I don't know if I'd
described him as a really good person. You you you
obviously never played rugby against him. There will be a
few people who would probably argue otherwise.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Well, I'll tell you what. He was damn good to Josh.
When Josh was down there, Josh arrived, He got him
into the Woodlands Club like he likes to get there.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
He no like he gets likes he gets every rugby
player that ever comes to South. I mean, people will
think I'm having a crack. I love Puppy. He's a
good mate. But he's he does he does absolutely great work.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
He does well. He he got Josh down there, bought
him a double bed, gave him a little car. A
little shit he mind you, but he gave him a
little car to get around him and and you know
those sort of things you don't forget a so yeah,
so yeah that was good. And that little car drove
him up to to do need him now and again
(05:19):
to do a fill in training with with the Highlanders
and so yeah, no, that's yeah, that's yeah, that's all
history now. But it was it was good times. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
What I love about Josh's story is that he wasn't
one of these kids who played for every New Zealand
Age group team. And I think he only got into
the first fifteen in his final years at Hamilton Boys High.
Is that about right?
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Am? I?
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Right there?
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Yeah? It was. That's that's when he grew. And he
when he was intermedia was a little fella. He was
quite small. He played role of Mills rugby in the
y KDO for two years because he was quite skillful,
but he was just small. And so when he got
to Hamilton Boys, he was he just wasn't big enough
and now was he still had a school and it
(06:05):
wasn't until his last year school that he that he
actually grew and they put him in the sixteen in
the easters. Year has just gone well from.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
The air well he's had, he's had a ripper of
a year for the Hurricanes. Deserved his selection made every
post or Wanner and to be compared in your first
Test match to Will Jordan, because there's a lot of
similarities between the pair of them, he must.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Be very proud, very proud. Yeah. Actually the odd time
you've got to look twice to see if it's Josh
or Will, yeah, or who it is?
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Yeah, they're very similar. Hey, And just before I go
another Southland connection. Your other son, Cam, who's doing very
well as a rugby coach, as I understand that, is
married to a good Southland girl, Tory Peters, who's of
course the New Zealand javelin champion.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
That's right, yep, that's right, yes, and.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Daughter of and daughter of Southland's best dairy farmer Harry Peters.
Just ask Carrie.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Yeah, yeah, he tell you that.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
He good. Good Riversdale people. Hey, John, I hope you
and Debbie and I know you'll be heading to Eton
Park tomorrow night. It's great to catch up again after
all these years. And good luck tomorrow night. I'm so
pleased that he's made it because he's absolutely deserved it.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Oh, thanks very much, Jamie. Hey, just before I go,
I just want to mention a couple of other people
that have been involved in Josh's juny Aaron Major, t
Shoulder tapped, Jason Holland. So you know, guys like Aaron Major.
Jason Holland's been very good to Josh, and so was
Cory Jane. Cory Jane's been fantastic. So yeah, good people,
(07:35):
good people around you. You can you can achieve anything.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
Hey, all right, I'll let you off for saying Brent
Shepard was a good bloke, good Jamie
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