June 16, 2024 • 7 mins
Former All Black Conrad Smith has traded in the rugby ball for a whistle.
Following a move to New Plymouth, the former 94 test player has taken up refereeing, after being curious about it for years.
He joined Piney to discuss his new direction.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalks EDB. It's more than just a game. Weekend
Sport with Jason Vine and GJ. Garnomes, New Zealand's most
trusted home builder News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
EDB coming up to forty five. You often hear about
elite athletes wanting to give back to their sport. It's
very easy to talk the talk not always matched by
walking the walk, but one man is doing it.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
It's been away for collinstickends Smith Smith Smith starts for
your wax.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
The ninety four Test Double World Cup winning All Black
Conrad Smith has taken up refereeing. He's controlled a combination
of schoolboy and women's rugby in Taranucky's competitions this season
and Conrad Smith is with us. Great to have you
join us, Conrad, and congrats for picking up a whistle.
How did this all come about?
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Thanks Jason. Yeah, to be honest, it was it was
a bit of curiosity. I was. I'm still working, you know,
with the game with the international rugby players, so we
deal with will Rugby on player related issues and so
a lot of that is around the rules of the game. Regulations.
So I talked with referees a lot, talk with Ben
(01:28):
o'keeith and a lot of the referees up in the
Northern Hemisphere. And then obviously when you talk about the
laws that often you end up talking about policing, you know,
how how the laws actually work in practice and how
hard it is or easy it is to referee. So
that's sort of how it started a couple of years ago,
and then I thought, oh, I'd give it a go,
and this year it's sort of eventuated and done a
(01:52):
few games. I'm not I'm not reliable. I'm not doing
it every weekend unfortunately, but yeah, doing a little bit,
really enjoying it.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Actually, Yeah, how I was going to ask, how have
you found it? Have you have you found?
Speaker 3 (02:01):
It?
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Was what you expect?
Speaker 3 (02:03):
That Yeah, in terms I knew it was to be challenging,
and but I wanted to see, Like I say, that
was sort of the reason for doing it. And I'm
learning a lot in terms of, yeah, just just how
difficult it is to make calls, to see everything, to
get into a right position to particulate community rugby, like
(02:24):
we're spoiled. I'm like anyone. I watched most of my
rugby is the elite level on TV cameras, you know,
giving perfect images, but at a community level you don't
have any help and it's all on you to get
into position to make a to make a call, and
that's bloody tough. So yeah, there's more than one or
(02:45):
two occasions on scratching the head wanting a replay or
I think I got that right. You just got to
back yourself. And yeah, as long as the players are supportive,
which they have been up until now.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
That's good one. I mean her back chants to Conrad
Smith though, or do they give it a crack?
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Oh? Yeah, I think there's a young but young guys
and girls that even get to see me play so
at the start that don't really know. And I have
to say I have. I have played a few games,
so I know that role and that's normally an interesting conversation,
but respectful and I've been spoiled with the players I've
(03:27):
had so far have been really good.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Do you have any aspirations to emulate the likes of
Glenn Jackson and take it, take it further, become a
teaset referee one day?
Speaker 3 (03:36):
No, not at all, not a stage. And that's not.
You know, Look, I think it's a great role. I'm
actually you know, I'm really enjoying what I'm doing, working
sort of off the field with referees, players, coaches around
the laws of the game, and this sort of role helps,
you know. I don't and don't envisage me giving that
up to the end to see refereeing, but who knows.
(03:58):
I'm enjoying it so far, so you never know. Give
it a few more months and terms of the terms
of the thought, it might change, but I can't see
that to be perfectly.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Honest, as you say, you've stayed involved through the International
Rugby Players since you're retired from the elite level. So
you're in London recently launching the Global Rugby Players Foundation
charity to support elite level players and their lives beyond
the game, making sure they lead healthy and for filling
lives once their rugby careers end. Can you tell us
a bit more about that.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Yeah, that's sort of something I suppose. It's sort of
a part of what the player associations do that I'm
pretty passionate about. Just look, there's a lot of programs,
a lot every union, every player associations wanting to help
players if they leave the game. You know, we're understanding
more and more how challenging that is for all sports,
(04:52):
particularly for rugby. You guys getting involved in girls younger
and younger, which you know, sort of knowing them, the
normal opportunity and normal routes around education and the areas
where you normally develop yourself for careers, and so then
it's sort of like, well, how do you help plars
as when they finish your careers? And there's a lot
(05:14):
of good ideas and programs, but they're all lacking resource,
and so this, you know, the foundation is just about
recognizing it's a global issue, So let's do it globally,
raise some money and then then feed the money the
resource to to these programs that are really well run
and just need a bit of extra support, and then
(05:35):
and hopefully they can ultimately help help plars and as
they leave the game. You know, they plenty of support
while we play and clean and support to get in
you know, the academies and that that are becoming more
and more popular. So now we just want to see
the support at the other end of the planers career.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Such valuable work you're doing in this area. Conrad and
congrats on picking up the whistle as well. Make great
to get the chance to chet you no problem, Thank
you Conrad. Conrad Smith there ninety four Test All Black Double,
World Cup winner and now grassroots rugby referee. What a
terrific thing that is our email from Leon and Melbourne.
Always enjoy getting your emails, Leon. He has focused in
(06:14):
on the Warriors. As you know, I'm a huge stats fan,
says Leon. Here are a few to chew over from
the Storm Warriors game last night. After sixteen minutes Melbourne
were behind fourteen nil, that had to make sixty eight
tackles to only six against, had mist eleven tackles, had
made three errors, had given away three pen release and
made only three runs. Yet they stuck to their game
plan and still won against the Warriors for the sixteenth
(06:37):
straight time. Incredibly, it's now been three two hundred and
sixty one days since the Warriors last week. The Storm.
The Storm have arguably, says Leon, been the most consistent
team since joining the NRL in nineteen ninety eight, winning
their made entitle the following year and six in total.
They have a winning culture from the front office to
the players, which sets them apart from most other clubs
and is why they're always there at the business end
(06:58):
of the season. Enough said, Thanks Leon, appreciate your email
as always. Australia fifty one for two in the eight,
over chasing one eighty one to beat Scotland. Weekend Sport
ninety three.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk zed B weekends from midday or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalks EDB. It's more than just a game. Weekend
Sport with Jason Vine and GJ. Garnomes, New Zealand's most
trusted home builder News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
EDB coming up to forty five. You often hear about
elite athletes wanting to give back to their sport. It's
very easy to talk the talk not always matched by
walking the walk, but one man is doing it.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
It's been away for collinstickends Smith Smith Smith starts for
your wax.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
The ninety four Test Double World Cup winning All Black
Conrad Smith has taken up refereeing. He's controlled a combination
of schoolboy and women's rugby in Taranucky's competitions this season
and Conrad Smith is with us. Great to have you
join us, Conrad, and congrats for picking up a whistle.
How did this all come about?
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Thanks Jason. Yeah, to be honest, it was it was
a bit of curiosity. I was. I'm still working, you know,
with the game with the international rugby players, so we
deal with will Rugby on player related issues and so
a lot of that is around the rules of the game. Regulations.
So I talked with referees a lot, talk with Ben
(01:28):
o'keeith and a lot of the referees up in the
Northern Hemisphere. And then obviously when you talk about the
laws that often you end up talking about policing, you know,
how how the laws actually work in practice and how
hard it is or easy it is to referee. So
that's sort of how it started a couple of years ago,
and then I thought, oh, I'd give it a go,
and this year it's sort of eventuated and done a
(01:52):
few games. I'm not I'm not reliable. I'm not doing
it every weekend unfortunately, but yeah, doing a little bit,
really enjoying it.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Actually, Yeah, how I was going to ask, how have
you found it? Have you have you found?
Speaker 3 (02:01):
It?
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Was what you expect?
Speaker 3 (02:03):
That Yeah, in terms I knew it was to be challenging,
and but I wanted to see, Like I say, that
was sort of the reason for doing it. And I'm
learning a lot in terms of, yeah, just just how
difficult it is to make calls, to see everything, to
get into a right position to particulate community rugby, like
(02:24):
we're spoiled. I'm like anyone. I watched most of my
rugby is the elite level on TV cameras, you know,
giving perfect images, but at a community level you don't
have any help and it's all on you to get
into position to make a to make a call, and
that's bloody tough. So yeah, there's more than one or
(02:45):
two occasions on scratching the head wanting a replay or
I think I got that right. You just got to
back yourself. And yeah, as long as the players are supportive,
which they have been up until now.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
That's good one. I mean her back chants to Conrad
Smith though, or do they give it a crack?
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Oh? Yeah, I think there's a young but young guys
and girls that even get to see me play so
at the start that don't really know. And I have
to say I have. I have played a few games,
so I know that role and that's normally an interesting conversation,
but respectful and I've been spoiled with the players I've
(03:27):
had so far have been really good.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Do you have any aspirations to emulate the likes of
Glenn Jackson and take it, take it further, become a
teaset referee one day?
Speaker 3 (03:36):
No, not at all, not a stage. And that's not.
You know, Look, I think it's a great role. I'm
actually you know, I'm really enjoying what I'm doing, working
sort of off the field with referees, players, coaches around
the laws of the game, and this sort of role helps,
you know. I don't and don't envisage me giving that
up to the end to see refereeing, but who knows.
(03:58):
I'm enjoying it so far, so you never know. Give
it a few more months and terms of the terms
of the thought, it might change, but I can't see
that to be perfectly.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Honest, as you say, you've stayed involved through the International
Rugby Players since you're retired from the elite level. So
you're in London recently launching the Global Rugby Players Foundation
charity to support elite level players and their lives beyond
the game, making sure they lead healthy and for filling
lives once their rugby careers end. Can you tell us
a bit more about that.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Yeah, that's sort of something I suppose. It's sort of
a part of what the player associations do that I'm
pretty passionate about. Just look, there's a lot of programs,
a lot every union, every player associations wanting to help
players if they leave the game. You know, we're understanding
more and more how challenging that is for all sports,
(04:52):
particularly for rugby. You guys getting involved in girls younger
and younger, which you know, sort of knowing them, the
normal opportunity and normal routes around education and the areas
where you normally develop yourself for careers, and so then
it's sort of like, well, how do you help plars
as when they finish your careers? And there's a lot
(05:14):
of good ideas and programs, but they're all lacking resource,
and so this, you know, the foundation is just about
recognizing it's a global issue, So let's do it globally,
raise some money and then then feed the money the
resource to to these programs that are really well run
and just need a bit of extra support, and then
(05:35):
and hopefully they can ultimately help help plars and as
they leave the game. You know, they plenty of support
while we play and clean and support to get in
you know, the academies and that that are becoming more
and more popular. So now we just want to see
the support at the other end of the planers career.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Such valuable work you're doing in this area. Conrad and
congrats on picking up the whistle as well. Make great
to get the chance to chet you no problem, Thank
you Conrad. Conrad Smith there ninety four Test All Black Double,
World Cup winner and now grassroots rugby referee. What a
terrific thing that is our email from Leon and Melbourne.
Always enjoy getting your emails, Leon. He has focused in
(06:14):
on the Warriors. As you know, I'm a huge stats fan,
says Leon. Here are a few to chew over from
the Storm Warriors game last night. After sixteen minutes Melbourne
were behind fourteen nil, that had to make sixty eight
tackles to only six against, had mist eleven tackles, had
made three errors, had given away three pen release and
made only three runs. Yet they stuck to their game
plan and still won against the Warriors for the sixteenth
(06:37):
straight time. Incredibly, it's now been three two hundred and
sixty one days since the Warriors last week. The Storm.
The Storm have arguably, says Leon, been the most consistent
team since joining the NRL in nineteen ninety eight, winning
their made entitle the following year and six in total.
They have a winning culture from the front office to
the players, which sets them apart from most other clubs
and is why they're always there at the business end
(06:58):
of the season. Enough said, Thanks Leon, appreciate your email
as always. Australia fifty one for two in the eight,
over chasing one eighty one to beat Scotland. Weekend Sport
ninety three.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk zed B weekends from midday or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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