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April 26, 2025 • 16 mins

It's been a difficult start for the Blues this Super Rugby season, but the team's boss is hoping this will change.

A 35-21 defeat to the Reds in Brisbane is the team's seventh loss - leaving them languishing in ninth on the ladder after 10 matches.

Blues CEO Andrew Hore joined Piney to discuss.

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Episode Transcript

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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks EDB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Let's continue our journey around the Super Rugby franchises based
here in New Zealand. With it the opportunity over last
weekend and yesterday to chat to the CEOs of the Highlanders,
the Crusaders, the Hurricanes and the Chiefs, and we've arrived
at the Blues. Blue CEO Andrew Whore joins us on
the show. Andrew, thanks for taking the time. I guess
it's been what you might call a fairly challenging season

(00:36):
on the field for the Blues, particularly given the success
of last year with that drought breaking title that the
Blues won. You're latest outing a loss of the Reds
on Friday night, So as CEO, what can you do
to try and help out?

Speaker 3 (00:52):
Yeah, I know it is and I think eon Bee agree.
After the fantastic performance of last week, we didn't quite
get the same And I think the key thing is
you support good people and doesn't go well, good to
tell by the night and searching for the answers, and

(01:13):
you've got to support them in finding those solutions because
I think we've shown and I think people would agree
that the next four games, if we get up and
get into that even fifth six spot, it's on for
young or old. And that's the beauty of the competition.
So panicking and getting in a flux is going to
do anything. It's actually supporting and motivating and supporting these

(01:38):
people to reach their potential. And if we do that,
there's still a lot of a season to go, which
is when you look at how far through the season
we are, it's it certainly is a fantastic competition this year.

Speaker 2 (01:49):
Oh, without question. With that question, yeah, one of the
best I can remember. And you talk about supporting the
coaching staff, the playing group and such like, what does
that support look like? What do you what can you
actually specifically physically do.

Speaker 3 (02:06):
Well? Sometimes I think the best thing you can do
is actually just listen. Listen about how they're working through
those problems and what they're looking to do. Make sure
that you've got an environment that's enabling to give them
the time to breed and the support that they need
within that environment. They may need some time where they

(02:26):
need extra time as a team, and making that time available.
There's also just staying to systems and structures which we
know works and looking out for those people as well,
so that they've got support at times of high stress,
because you're going in each week and your work is

(02:47):
on a scoreboard in front of well, now, there's been
one hundred and fifty three million viewers a Curiousy blogs
all alone. That's a lot of people that have a
lot of opinions, and that can be trying, and that
can be challenging for people at times when they're working
so bloody hard to get it right and sometimes they're

(03:09):
so entwined into what they're doing, they need to step
back and giving that ability to breathe, And I think
we saw that after that during the break can sometimes
be the best thing you can do. So making sure
that they're not getting emboiled and getting sucked into that

(03:32):
spiral and making sure that they can come out and
think clearly at times of high pressure. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (03:39):
Word you mentioned there, which is always going to be
around top level sport is opinions. And you know what
fans are like, you know what people involved in the
game are like. How do you separate the unhelpful noise
from the helpful noise but also embrace the fact that
people actually care a lot about your team?

Speaker 3 (03:59):
Yeah, and that's the key. You've got to remind yourself.
Dan went into it and interested, they probably and invested,
and that can be your family at home and everything
that you do. And so I think keeping in their
head on the facts and where you're at in that season.

(04:22):
See very easy now to start looking at what which
could have, should have, would have done, But in reality
we're still in the fight in this season. So it's
what can we do and what leaders do we pull
now and not getting embroiled and sometimes going into those

(04:44):
comments and with social media and I like, but respecting
that people are entitled to a view too. A person
writing a columns entitled to write a point there as well,
and you've just got to that that is the job
and accepting that and just going well, okay, what can
I control them the situation? What am I going to

(05:04):
go back to? What can we do a team? What
can I do as an individual? And we've really worked
hard in the club in the last few years around
self responsibility, So it starts with you and what you
can do to enhance the team, enhance our own performance,
and then how do you help the others within your

(05:26):
team an organization to get out of the whole, and
we've seen some great examples that are the years of
teams and organizations that have done that to a lot
of success. I think if where the Crusaders were last
year to where they are this year, and we've seen
it with the Chiefs so the last few years. So
even with our own competition, and that's the beauty of sport, right,

(05:50):
you get another week and then you may not at
the end of the year and you get another prefson
if you're looking in that context. And so again, we've
got a real chance here to get this rise, and
we've had glimpses when we've got it right, and so
it's working that out and staying present in the moment

(06:12):
to do that over the next few weeks.

Speaker 2 (06:14):
Do you think the spotlight shines brighter and more harshly
on the Blues compared to other New Zealand franchises as
the side based in our biggest city.

Speaker 3 (06:26):
Yeah, I look statistically, we generally have higher one of
the higher media reaches, and you can't get away from
that that they it's a thirty year old institution that
people are passionate about, So yeah, I do. In the
same way, I think the Wartas probably are in Sydney,

(06:49):
and and that again, that is that is the job
you take on and I wouldn't want it any other way,
to be honest with you. I think rugby is, I've
always said to you as a game I deeply love
and I know that people in our organization VP love
and our honored to represent the rugby players in our region.

(07:12):
So if you've got that scrup me because of the
size of population, et cetera, celebrate that in reality, as
hard as that sometimes can be. And so yeah, I
think so it's like the argument about you know, keeping
every player. The fact is you only get a squad
of thirty eight and you can't. You've just got to

(07:35):
make sure as many as the kids as you can
for as long as you can to then be able
to produce the best squads you can. And yet we
get under a scrutiny. So those kind of things can
be a little bit out of balance because of that,
But you just have to accept that that's actually it's
an honor if you look at it another way, and

(07:56):
that that that's that's the way we should approach it,
I think, and make sure just and foremost that rugby
stays the permanent sort of sport in our region because
you know, there's broader pressures on the game right now,
and they celebrate the sport that it is and the

(08:19):
competition we're.

Speaker 2 (08:20):
In and let's not forget you're won it last year.
We can't move on too quickly from that. I know
we're in a new season now, but how much did
the title when last year mean to you?

Speaker 3 (08:33):
Yeah? I think it means a lot to a lot
of people. I was really proud of a IB Blues
the women's team this year back to back and playing
such great rugby too in the trans Tasman Final as well,
So you're always really delighted for your people when they excel.

(08:54):
And I think the region needed the Blue and probably
the competition the Blues to be successful. I think what
we've got to do is look at getting and improve
response after victories like that. And if you look outside
of one organization and everyone else has actually struggled to

(09:16):
go back to back in this competition. I think the
only eleant was a Blusing on the other day. So
that is our challenge and that is not over yet
and there will be some learnings, I can assure you that.
And you know, we forget that even for this is
the first time as head coaching a super environment and

(09:39):
that is distinctly different to France. You've got far more variables,
far more people coming back from New Zealand day and
the all blacks there that you have to integrate and
those kinds of things, and I'm sure there'll be some
learnings but it's not over yet. But as far as
what did it mean to people, I think you saw

(10:01):
the response with the sellout in three hours and those
kinds of things, But we can't live on that now.
That's in the past and we've got to ever say
stay right here, right present, right here, now, right.

Speaker 2 (10:12):
Now, just to look ahead the next year. Rico you
want he's going to miss the next season as he
takes up his opportunity in Ireland. How did these discussions
play out.

Speaker 3 (10:22):
Well? Generally, as an athlete goes through their career, I
think all of us are cognizant of the fact that
you want to keep them fresh and not have them
sell so use is a financial component to these athletes
going overseas, but there's there can be at times sometimes
a chance to freshen them so that they want to

(10:43):
stay here.

Speaker 4 (10:45):
And so what happens is and as time goes on,
I mean every representative of their player tries to push
for it earlier and earlier to.

Speaker 3 (10:55):
Get these these incentives. And it was you know, the
time of doing Rito's contract that was agreed and we
wish them well. You know, he there's Japanese clubs at
one of them for three four years and he's chosen
to come back here and represent his country and represented

(11:16):
his blues and as a proud grammar and pomps and
bee boy that that feels he's I was with his
dad last night. Then we're delighted that he'll come back.
And obviously that'll give the likes of the zab Tayles
of this world an opportunity to shine. And we saw
have gotten Savada and the Chiefs game this year, so yeah,

(11:42):
come with you, come with the animal and and those
people have to come to the war.

Speaker 2 (11:48):
Are you tied to Eden Park as your home venue?

Speaker 3 (11:53):
No, No, we're not. No, that's a that's a choice
and one that's done us proud over the years. It's
still it's still a benue that people want to go to.
It has its challenges when crowds aren't to where we

(12:13):
want to be. But I think if you with the
Chiefs this year, with that sort of twenty three and
a half, you're starting to really get at the bounce
there and even on the lighter games. What we've try
to do is to make sure we've used that we
stand a lot more. We'll change it this year, whether
it be a corporate function or whether it be Bounce

(12:33):
the Castle, that kind of stuff to change the change
the environment. And the other beauty of being part was
probably with minor Pacifica a match when we had the
Pacifica Festival which I've got to stay without standing out
the two thousand people with through there and we ended
up with eighteen and a half thousand that a trics

(12:53):
you last year only well eight and a half. So
there's things you can do with the part, which I
think we've sort of tried this year, and that of work.
Sometimes it doesn't, and you know we look each and
review that each and every year. I think Fong Lray,
for example, last year was outstanding for us. They got

(13:17):
us off to an absolutely buy. It was ten and
a half thousand people and it looked incredible from a
podcast perspective, and I think that's what some of the
environments some of the stadiums can give you when you've
got those small crowds that Christmas New Year to to
AFC versus one of the teams in New South Wales.

(13:40):
There there, I think the force on the table. They
had eleven and a half thousand there and it was
still bouncing and so horses for courses and we've got
to consider that each and every year.

Speaker 2 (13:51):
Just to finish, you operate on a sporting ecosystem which
is getting increasingly crowded. Andrew, you've got one of Pacific
in your city. The Warriors, of course are now Aukland
f C, who are pulling big crowds every time they
play at home. Our challenging is the the sporting ecosystem
of Auckland.

Speaker 3 (14:10):
Yeah, I think we're all much of a muchness. I
think the worries probably would tip on average the great
I think we've got to embrace it. To be honest
with you, my attitude changed quite a lot because if
you look at Melbourne, you look at Sydney. I think
we're going to be a city not too long away

(14:31):
one point act to two million people and if we
can put a product on the field which is exciting
like this year and intriguing, and we can perform, then
you will have a place in the sporting landscape. And
we've got to start celebrating the fact that, you know,
I work in the UK for over fifteen years and

(14:53):
kids don't get the same opportunities from a sports because
that they do in New Zealand and so we actually
are a sports mad nation as of Australia, and I
actually do truly believe that these sports can coexist. I
would yeah question having two professional rugby teams and an
economy our size is challenging, but it can be done,

(15:18):
and a rugby league shown that. So we've got to
embrace it and not be threatened by it. We've got
to celebrate what's good about our sport, our comp and
and make the most of been probably New Zealand's capital sport.
I know that to aggravate some but the simple fact
matter is now with the Breakers, with the Warriors, with

(15:41):
the football. I think there was that weekend in March
where you could go to effectively four different sporting events
where you could go to the poly Fest. Now does
that not make for a great city. I went to
the Cracket on Friday night and then obviously our game.
And so Cameron, George and I caught up for a
coffee and I think we're both of the same mindset
that there is opportunity in this that we can make

(16:04):
this work for Hods and actually enhanced the lifestyle from
Menialklanders and more broadly whether it be South Orkland or
North Aukland in Northland to have activities that they can
do every weekend.

Speaker 2 (16:23):
Could not agree more, could not agree more with that
big month coming up for your forced draw one to Pacific,
a Warataz Andrew, all the best on the field to
the team and thank you for being so generous with
your time off of this afternoon, no.

Speaker 3 (16:36):
Problems, Thanks mate, have a good day.

Speaker 1 (16:38):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to news Talks it'd be weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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