Full Show Podcast: 08 March 2025

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks EDB. The only place for the big names,
the big issues, the big controversies and the big conversations.
It's all on Weekend Sport with Jason Vain on your
home of Sport News Talks EDB.

Speaker 2 (00:30):
Kilder. Good afternoon, Welcome into the Saturday edition of Weekend
Sport on News Talks EDB. The eighth of March already,
I'm Jason Pine Show producer Andy McDonald here talking sport
until three o'clock this afternoon. How good is Super Rugby
Pacific right now? Plenty of tries, close contests, upsets, free
flowing rugby. Crowd numbers are up, Viewer numbers are up,

(00:52):
and i'd imagine fairly happy. Super Rugby Pacific CEO Jack
Mesley live and studio very shortly for a chat with us.
Your thoughts are encouraged as well. Blues fans, what happened
to your team last night? A third defeat in four games.
Couple of fresh concerns as well. Boden Barrett and Ricky
Ricertelli both in doubt for upcoming matches. So I want
to talk on and off field super Rugby this hour.

(01:14):
Other matters around today, the All Whites couple of games
away from next year's FIFA Men's World Cup. We'll talk
to the man who took them to the World Cup
last time in twenty ten, Rory Fallon with that famous
goal against Bahrain in two thousand and nine. He's with
us after one o'clock. New Zealand Track and Field Champs
on this weekend in Dunedin. One of the glamour events,
the women's pole vault Paris Olympic Games finalist Olivia mctaggett

(01:38):
on the show after two New Zealand squash opener is
on an upset during the week, Wellington teenager Ollie Dunbar
stunning a player two hundred places above him on the
world rankings. He's with us to reflect on that champion's
day at Allesley Racecourse today, including the four and a
half million dollar inaugural n z b keiwe we'll talk

(01:59):
to the trainer of race favorite Evaporate, Adam Peacock, along
in his regular slot covering the big sporting stories from
the Tasman Live Sport while we're on the air. Track
and Field Champs is mentioned in Dunedin Plunket Shield four
day cricket matches to keep tabs on in Auckland, Hamilton
and Wellington, all three games in the balance as they
enter their final day fourth innings run chases happening in

(02:21):
all three. This is your show to contribute to. Of course,
phone lines open all afternoon oh eight hundred eighty ten eighty,
text messages into nine two nine two and emails to
me Jason at Newstalk SEDB dot co dot Nz bang
on nine past midday.

Speaker 1 (02:36):
Analyzing every view from every angle in the sporting world.
Weekends for it with Jason Hie the Call eighty eighty
US Talks EDB.

Speaker 2 (02:46):
Super Rugby Pacific continues to deliver. Round four opened last
night with an upset of Eden Park.

Speaker 3 (02:52):
The Brumby's have it under lock and key, the siren goes,
the arms go up for the Brumbies. They win an
eating park for the first time in twelve years twenty
one twenty. The Rumby stun the Blues in the garden.

Speaker 2 (03:09):
That eat it They certainly didn't. Among those in attendance
last night was Super Rugby Pacific CEO Jack Mesley, who's
joined us in studio. Did the Australian in you enjoy
watching the Brumby speak the Blues last night, Jack.

Speaker 4 (03:22):
Well, I mean, as the competition administrator, unexpected results are
good for us, so I'll put.

Speaker 5 (03:27):
It that way.

Speaker 4 (03:27):
Piney, I was kindly hosted by the Blues, and yeah,
it was a quiet box there at the end.

Speaker 2 (03:35):
I can imagine it would have been. But as you say,
the ongoing jeopardy, including upset results, must be something you're very,
very happy about in overall terms. First of all, how
happy are you with the first three and a bit
rounds of Super Rugby this year?

Speaker 4 (03:49):
Yeah, we're thrilled and thrilled with the response from fans,
through audiences and crowds to have records broken like the
Brumbies broke last last night. The Western Force broke in
playing the Brumbies. You know, some long term wins that
they haven't been able to.

Speaker 2 (04:05):
Achieve for years.

Speaker 5 (04:07):
That's really exciting for the competition.

Speaker 4 (04:10):
So you know, you add those close games, those unexpected
results to the way in which it's being played. You know,
really great running rugby. We're seeing records in meters run
and you know, the best ever season in terms of
average points scored in the.

Speaker 5 (04:26):
Thirty years of Super Rugby.

Speaker 4 (04:28):
So those two things combine close margins and the style
of play we're seeing is really exciting.

Speaker 2 (04:34):
So those on field metrics, that's interesting because you and
I have spoken and we've talked about crowd numbers, we've
talked about viewer numbers. Those are off field things obviously,
but you are also looking at on field metrics when
you're judging the success of Super Rugby.

Speaker 6 (04:47):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (04:47):
Absolutely, you know, I think the way we kind of
can look at our whole strategy is our core product.
You know that that is the thing that we sell,
and so that has to be great. So we look
at our core product, we look at fan engagement, and
we look at commercial outcomes. So our starting position is
always how good is our core product? And we did

(05:08):
a lot of work in the off season and as
the administration have done in the past couple of seasons,
on how do we make you know, how do we
set this product up for success. We've got the best athletes,
as we've talked about, we've got the best coaches, we've
got the best match officials. What do we do to
make sure that they are all set up for success
to go out there and do what they all can do.

(05:29):
And yeah, that's a combination of the law innovation that
we've been driving and pushing and then you know, what
are the sort of what's the direction we give the
match officials in terms of what do we want to
see and within that, you know we've probably you know,
we've got up to like sixty different measures around what
we call our shape of game and that's everything from

(05:49):
a number of scrums, lineout's, number of penalties, number of tries,
et cetera. Also time taken to do those things. So
where does the time go? And really our job is
to look at law innovation, look at match official interpretation,
and then work with the teams on where we want

(06:10):
to really emphasize focus to make sure the products set
up for success. So you know what fans would have
seen this year is those law innovations that are helping
with that. You know, the nine having a bit more protection,
meaning the balls clearing quicker. But you've probably also heard
through the refs mics on broadcast. You know, the ref's

(06:30):
been quite hard on the nine. Get rid of it,
play it or counting down or use it one to
set the scrum and move on. Also off waving off
the water runners and playing on through minor injury. So
all of those things, along with the law innovation and
then just the general intent of the coaches and the
players to have an absolute crack I think is really

(06:51):
what's setting it up for success.

Speaker 2 (06:53):
What about TMO involvement is that one of those metrics
or lack of I guess and an ideal world there none, right,
but there has to be some. But is that a metric?

Speaker 5 (07:02):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (07:02):
Absolutely, well, so we've taken We've got a variation in
the in World Rugby law on TMO, So what we've
agreed with World Rugby is that our TMO intervention will
be only around foul play and only around try scorings,
but led.

Speaker 5 (07:17):
By the on field referee.

Speaker 4 (07:19):
So the on field referee owns the game and he
can go to those things unless it's our play that
will get called in. So what you now see is
less TOMO intervention than when you might have been watching
the Abs up up in the North, or if you're
watching Six Nations, and that's quite deliberate. But we player
safety is absolutely paramount, so we absolutely need need those

(07:43):
tmos there to make sure that should the on field
guys and the ars miss something that we're picking that up.

Speaker 2 (07:50):
Sky Sport released some viewer numbers this week. One point
one four million have tuned into Super Rugby Pacific across
the first three rounds on Sky Sport and Sky Open.
That's a twelve percent rise on last year, which you know,
those are encouraging numbers. What about in Australia, Jack, what
have you and numbers like over there?

Speaker 4 (08:04):
Yeah, well we just release some numbers with Stan and
with nine and both of those are both so nine
the free to wear and stand the streaming are both
up over double digits. And really importantly in FIG as well,
we're seeing great growth forty percent growth in our in
our viewership numbers in FIG as well, So yeah, really
promising signs. And that's off the back in New Zealand

(08:26):
of a great year last year where we also had
double digit growth, So you know, we really want this
momentum to continue a year on year.

Speaker 2 (08:33):
How happy are you with crowd numbers you know in
game spectating?

Speaker 5 (08:37):
Yeah, I think we're pretty pleased. Round one was especially good.

Speaker 4 (08:40):
I think we're forty percent up on Round one last year,
and then round two we had we had Super Round
last year in Melbourne, so we couldn't really get a
comparative analysis. Round three was good as well, So yeah,
I think we're really pleased. And I know last night
the Blues, you know, they would love to see a
full eating park, but for a Brumby's match, I think
that they were that was kind of above expectation. So

(09:01):
there's lots of room to go on that. But you know,
we've just got to chip away at it and it's
really pleasing to see all the work the clubs are
doing to drive initiatives to continue to fill stadium. So
you know, if we talk about you know, the Chiefs
and their rhythms and Rugby Music Festival, great innovations to

(09:22):
be doing, and we've got kids rounds next weekend. The
clubs are doing some great stuff there with Marvel to
really try to bring those younger fans into into stadiums.

Speaker 2 (09:31):
I guess from your point of view, it wouldn't matter
on your balance sheet, would it if nobody turned up,
because the revenue you get us from broadcast, but it
must well it looks better on TV for start, if
it's a full stadium, so that is still an important
I'll use that word again metric for you. The crowds
that are coming to games.

Speaker 4 (09:50):
Absolutely, I mean it is fundamental for club pemals and
the competition cannot succeed unless it has healthy clubs. So yeah,
I think it is absolutely important. And we also know
that you know when you will engage with a broadcast
and more when you have full stadiums with high energy
and high atmosphere. So yeah, when we're when we're talking

(10:12):
to the broadcasters that they want full stadiums, they want
great pitches, as do clubs, as do comp So yeah,
I mean I think, yes, broadcast revenue is a significant
piece of our whole economy, if you like, but crowds
are absolutely vital to fuel that, but also to drive
club panels that are absolutely reliant on people turning up.

Speaker 2 (10:36):
Well seen afternoon rugby as well more to come tomorrow
in christ Church of course. Is that something that you're
you're committed to, that you're keen to see continue.

Speaker 5 (10:44):
Absolutely.

Speaker 4 (10:45):
I think you know, when we talk about start of
play in shape of game, there's no doubt the weather
is helping, you know, with that ball movement, with that,
with those.

Speaker 5 (10:54):
Tries, and with handling, and and.

Speaker 4 (10:57):
And probably the heat as well, you know, the heat
when it's so hot in Fiji and Perth. Even in
Act we've had a few drinks breaks that we've had
to bring in. You know, that's bringing fatigue into the game.
So yes, I really love it. I think watching you know,
watching Napier in the Sunshine the other day. You know,
I'm going down to christ Church tomorrow and I can't
wait to see see christ Church hopefully in sunshine.

Speaker 5 (11:21):
Yeah, I really love it. And I think.

Speaker 4 (11:23):
As we've talked about, you know, we want time slots
that help different people get to games, and you know,
late night games are really tough for people with young families.
You know, a seven thirty kickoff, you know, it means
it's a well passed bedtime by the time you're getting
home getting back from a stadium. So I can if
we can continue to do that, that's really good and

(11:43):
I think really pleasingly because we have scheduled some quite
big matchups in those day slots. The fact that that's
still driving a really good TV result is really promising
for me.

Speaker 2 (11:56):
Is there anything you're not happy with from the first month,
or anything that is a work on that you'd like
to see improvement in.

Speaker 4 (12:03):
Yeah, I think we'll always Yeah, absolutely absolutely, you know,
and I think we've been pretty transparent that. You know,
we've got a long way to go. So what we
hope we're doing is betting in some of these foundational
things like our communication flow each week, like fantasy, like
new tools. But yeah, well, I mean there's plenty more

(12:23):
we can be doing.

Speaker 5 (12:25):
You know.

Speaker 4 (12:26):
The interesting thing is with close result there is microscope
on match official decisions, there's microscope on TMO and siting
commissioners and things like that. So you know, I think
it's a blessing and a curse we have close games.
Everyone looks at the incident in the in the seventy
eighth minute, and there's a lot of tension on that,

(12:49):
but you know, that's not a bad thing. What we've
got to do is just make sure all of our
processes are as good as they can be and they're
as tired as they can be. And yeah, we'll continue
to continue to do that. We think we've got great
processes around those things. And yeah, but yeah, across the board,
there's always opportunities.

Speaker 2 (13:06):
Our guest and studio is Super Rugby Pacific CEO Jack
Missley Jef. We had a story come to light this
week about some major travel disruption and accommodation issues for
the Fiji and Drewer during their Round two clash with
the hurricanes, they busted and turn up to take them
to Napier. They traveled in the back of a truck
that was there to transport all their gear. Have you
gotten to the bottom of what happened here? Yeah, we have.

Speaker 4 (13:29):
Yeah, we're very aware of the situations as they were
unfolding and had very clear communication with the Drawer post
that weekend and no doubt, extremely disappointing what happened, But
we've done a full review about the number of logistical
issues that happened. There are several oversights and breakdowns in
communications which sort of created the challenges for the drawer.

(13:52):
But these have been addressed with both clubs and an
external transport provider and we're very confident that they have
been addressed and dealt with. So yeah, again, really disappointing
what happened, but you know, we've done the review, we
know where those issues were and we've dealt with them,
and we won't really been commenting further. We don't want

(14:14):
to go into those big but you know, disappointing but
dealt with.

Speaker 2 (14:19):
Can I just ask you, though, where does ultimate responsibility
lie for travel and accommodation of Super Rugby sides?

Speaker 4 (14:28):
Yeah, well that is a multi multiple different parties are
involved with every set of player movements.

Speaker 5 (14:37):
So the club itself, sands are and.

Speaker 4 (14:40):
Super Rugby Pacific the hosting club and then obviously a
raft of suppliers that then that then deliver that. So
there is no there is no single point of breakdown here.
There is no one to point the finger out. This
is because of the complexity and the number of different
parties involved. It's the breakdown in comms between some of

(15:03):
those parties that have led to some of these issues.
So I know every on wants to want to point
the finger, but there isn't a single place to point
that finger.

Speaker 2 (15:15):
What takes up most of your time on a day
to day and week to week basis. You know, we're
getting into the into the you know, than thet'sy gritty
of your job here. But you know, when you turn
turn up at work on a Monday, I mean, I
know you'll be traveling back this Monday, But when you
turn up at work, what takes up most of your
time day to day? Yeah, So the early.

Speaker 4 (15:33):
Part of our week in season is all about you know,
as you said, like what what can we do better?
You know, we review every weekend and you know, the
match officials will do a review, will do a review
of a communications, We'll do a review of all the
different elements, and so then we'll have a series of
meetings to look at, you know, what happened, what went wrong,

(15:56):
what do we want to communicate, you know, more broadly,
because we do want to be more transparent with what's
going on in the competition. So that's the early part
of the week, and then we'll get into you know,
really flipping that into the promotion of the coming week.
But really importantly and what we're really trying to change
is also you know, particularly in my role with the

(16:16):
with the board, is getting further out. So you know,
we're already doing a lot of work about twenty six,
thinking about fixturing, thinking about how you know, fixture can
optimize crowds for example, as you asked earlier. So yeah,
it's a balance of the here and now with getting
out in front of future twenty six and beyond. But clearly,

(16:37):
you know, when you're in a competition like this, it
can take you any which way. You know, we've got
everything from you know hia to citing to cyclones. You know,
some of our work this week has been about making
sure the Reds are in a good spot, not just
with their travel, but making sure you know, they've got
families at home going through all this as they're in

(17:00):
christ Church and then they play guitars next week in
Sunkops Stadium, so starting to deliver contingency plans for travel
for them and venues potentially, and also you know match
officials who are some of them are based in based
in Brisbane, so yeah, I mean there's never a dull moment.
And whilst we try to schedule our week and make

(17:22):
sure that we have time set away for long term
planning and things.

Speaker 5 (17:25):
Like that, you just never know what might come on.

Speaker 2 (17:28):
Where are we with a twelfth team?

Speaker 4 (17:32):
Well, I mean yeah, we are looking at it, at
options for expansion, not specifically a twelfth team. So right
now what we're doing is looking at the long term
and what that might hold for Super Rugby, not specific again,
not specifically just trying to find one team because we're
not sure or we don't believe one team is an

(17:55):
easy solution within our current geography. And one team from
further afield becomes really problematic. And so whilst it solves
a fixturing problem if you like, it creates a whole
lot of different issues for us. If we have one
team from you know, wherever that might be, let's say
Japan or the US or whatever, having a lone wolf

(18:16):
over the other side of the world is really problematic.
So we're looking at we're looking at options for expansions
more holistically, but that's a few years away that we
are thinking about that. More importantly, we're thinking about how
is this team this competition optimized and working well. And
I think you know, we're four rounds into eleven team competition,

(18:42):
so you know, it's still very early days on what
does that actually deliver. Clearly you've seen the player depth
benefit for the Australian teams. There's also other things like
you know, more buyers, does that help?

Speaker 5 (18:54):
Does that hinder?

Speaker 4 (18:55):
So there's still a lot of learnings for us to
take place with eleven team competition. As we think about
next year with an eleven team competition, how we optimize
the fixture to drive greater outcomes for our clubs and
for our stakeholder and for fans. That's that's our immediate focus.

Speaker 2 (19:12):
Okay, so we can say that there won't be an
extra team added in twenty twenty six. Correct, look forward
to seeing progress there A couple more for you, Jack,
And you've got to get away how much engagement you're
getting from Fantasy Super Rugby.

Speaker 4 (19:25):
Yeah, it's been incredible. I think we're about sixty five
thousand participants. I heard a stat the other day that said,
I think there's been a million transfers, so you know,
really encouraging that we're seeing that repeat, repeat engagement throughout
throughout the rounds. And yeah, so beyond that, you know,

(19:46):
you can see it's just you know that everyone's talking
about it where they're in broadcast, whether the shoulder content,
whether you guys, I was in I was in your
building here the other just yesterday doing an interview with Chris,
and I could see the screens of some of the
of the employees just fiddling up there with their fantasy teams,
which was great to see. So that's that's one that's fantastic.

(20:08):
You know, we're really pleased with that. I think what's
you know, the secondary benefit is you know, people are
learning more about other teams other other other players, and
people are then switching on to to see those other
games to see how how they might how they might go,
and that's exactly what we want. And then the other

(20:32):
part is what we're seeing is that there's a whole
lot of people that haven't been engaging with Super Rugby
Pacific come in so you can see people as they
sign up.

Speaker 5 (20:42):
We're getting, you know, a whole lot of a whole lot.

Speaker 4 (20:46):
Of people from you know, a school for example, that
one person's got on it and then spreading that. And
you know, we're absolutely, we're unashamedly saying that we do
have a strategic intent to drive engagement with a younger
audience that haven't necessarily engaged with Super Rugby Pacific before
and this is obviously helping us do that.

Speaker 2 (21:06):
All right, And are you expecting another upset tonight when
you watch More One Pacific, a take on My Hurricanes
at Albany Stadium, Jack.

Speaker 4 (21:14):
Oh, Well, firstly, I can't wait to go out there because,
you know, last week just looked so good. I thought,
see see More onea Pacific as whole proposition come to life,
you know, hearing, hearing the crowd singing hymns, in those
last couple of minutes to help help them get over
the line, which unfortunately they couldn't do. They've had three

(21:36):
such close matches, so my heart goes out to mp
who have who have just you know, been so unlucky.
But the Canes have been good, I think. So it's
going to be a tight one again. Seeing Laradie come
up against his old club is going to be really interesting.
No doubt there'll be a few Canes players trying to

(21:57):
nullify him, but.

Speaker 5 (21:58):
You know he's a hard man to nullify, isn't he.

Speaker 2 (22:01):
Indeed, indeed, that's what's that's what's worrying me. That is
one of the things that's worrying me. Jack. Great to
get the chance to have a long chat with you
about the competition. Look, it's going great. I think by
every metric that you've mentioned, you know, things are going well.
It's very watchable, A lot of people are watching it,
the players are clearly enjoying it. Thanks for stopping in
for a chat, mate, Enjoy the rest of your stay
in New Zealand and we'll catch up again soon anytime.

Speaker 5 (22:22):
Thanks for having me, Bernie.

Speaker 2 (22:24):
Oh good on your mate. That's Jack Mesley, CEO of
Super Rugby Pacific joining us here on news talks, he'db
and weekend Sports. So plenty to unpack. There a lot
to unpack there, so I'm keen to get your thoughts.
Going to open the lines, Oh, eight hundred and eighty
ten eighty if you'd like to pick up on anything
you heard there, nine two ninety two on text, or

(22:44):
call us to the show this hour. Go into the drawer,
incidentally for a pretty cool price, because next weekend, what
we're what we're going to see is I'm just sorry.
I'm just moving some screens here so I can see
the text machine. I've got it. Next weekend, all five
of the New Zealand sides are wearing special kit modeled

(23:08):
on Marvel superheroes. This is during super Kids Round the Chiefs,
Black Panther, the Blue Spider Man, the Crusaders, Iron Man,
the Hurricanes, Captain America and the Highlanders Hulk. So all
callers to the show this hour, we'll go into the
draw to win the shirt of your choice. All right,

(23:29):
one of those shirts is going to be given away
this our courtesy of our friends at Super Rugby Pacific
by pretty much every measure Super Rugby has started really
really well, hasn't it in twenty twenty five? If you
had been disengaged, have you become re engaged? And why?

(23:50):
Oh eight hundred and eighty ten eighteen our Blues fans,
I want to get your take on last night and
on the first four rounds. The big issue for you
seems to be scoring points. Just eighty eight points in
four games for the Blue so far this season. Apart
from the Tea games who have only played two games,
every other team has scored more than that, most of

(24:12):
them in only three games. So scoring points seems to
be an issue for the Blues. How much concern is
there Blues fans from you? And just on the Fiji
and Drewer travel shamble story that broke this week. Brenton Pe,
who is the chair of the Fiji and Drewer, was
on with Darcy last night. His view was that the

(24:34):
blame for this lay with the Hurricanes as the host union.
Now listening to Jack Mesley there and just doing a
little bit of phoning around myself, I'm not sure that's
the complete story as I understand it, and I've checked
this out with a few people today. Travel and accommodation
are the domain of the competition organizes. The host team

(24:59):
in this case, the Hurricanes does not book the travel
and accommodation for the traveling team. That is done by SANSA,
the competition organizers. Now we know about the bus that
didn't turn up and that has subsequently been discovered to

(25:22):
be an era by the bus company, So that's not
something that you can lay at the feet of the Hurricanes.
The issue of the late checkout, Now, what happened here
was that the game was in the afternoon. Both teams
were staying, as I understand it, at the same hotel.
The Hurricanes were granted a late checkout, but the Fiji

(25:43):
and Drewer were not. Now, I can only assume that
the Hurricanes arranged that for themselves, and it is not
up to them to make arrangements for their opposition. If
the Fiji and Drewer wanted a late checkout, surely it's
up to them to request it. They're new to the competition,

(26:08):
so they're learning as they go. But to blame the
Hurricanes for what has played out here is very much,
I think, anyway, barking up the wrong tree. If I'm
in a sports team, if I'm a Fijian drew and
player and I land at Auckland Airport and there's no bus.
The first person I'm looking to for answers is my

(26:29):
own team manager. If I get to our hotel and
I'm told I have to check out by ten the
next morning, I'm asking the team manager, my own team manager,
what the plan is for us between then and when
we go to the ground, or whether there's a possibility
of a late checkout or why one hasn't been arranged.
The bus company has accepted responsibility for the mix up there,

(26:51):
Okay again, why is that the Hurricanes issue? It just
feels to me as though people have seen this picture
which was widely circulated of the Fiji and drewer traveling
in the back of a truck to the game or
from the airport to their hotel, you know, aucklind and Napier,
and immediately blame the Hurricanes New Zealand Rugby. It's not
their fault. Super Rugby organization sansa. If I'm the Fijian drewer,

(27:16):
I'm taking some internal lessons from this. Do not assume anything,
check and double check again. If I'm a member of
the Fiji and Drewer and these things happen, and not
just these things, the one hundred and one other things
that might happen during the course of an away trip.

(27:38):
My first point of contact is my own manager. Twenty
four away from One, Gotta get a breakaway. A whole
bunch of calls to get to. We'll get to them
in just a moment. Talking Super Rugby on Weekend Sport.

Speaker 1 (27:52):
The Voice of Sport on your home of Sport Weekend
Sport with Jason Vain and GJ. Gunner Homes New Zealand's
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Speaker 2 (28:02):
Twenty three Away from One, Full Border Calls eight hundred
and eighty ten eighty Hello Joe, good afternoon.

Speaker 7 (28:08):
Thank you for having me on Weekend Sport.

Speaker 2 (28:10):
Thank you for joining us on Weekend Sport.

Speaker 7 (28:12):
Joe so Giffney was one of the fans who got
slightly disengaged. I think the competition, particularly during COVID, just
didn't have the appeal. It wasn't a fast moving game
and we're definitely still missing the staffas Jeff San definitely
enjoying the faster pace of the game, and I think

(28:32):
the Australian coaching and influence you're seeing it in the
teams as well. They're moving a bit faster, playing the
ball and running, more, buring, kicking and so yeah, enjoying
a competition more and pretty happy with how the chests
are going. We just hope Damien's okay.

Speaker 2 (28:46):
I was going to say all the Chiefs fans at
the moment, I'm sure are one of two emotions. They're
loving what's happening. But yeah, but worried about Damien. I
think he'll probably be okay. Joe, it didn't seem like
one of those where they're talking about him being out
for weeks and weeks and weeks. But it's interesting you
say about the Australian teams as well. I think while
we all want to beat Australian teams in any sport,
we all don't we want an even competition where there's

(29:09):
a bit of jeopardy around.

Speaker 6 (29:11):
Yeah.

Speaker 7 (29:12):
Yeah, we want some closer games and it's been nice
this season so far, the highest scoring closer games. Sorry
about the Blues, Gosh, the second half they just slip
through their fingers. But yeah, I still think New Zealand
is missing having the physicality from the South Africans. Sorry,
the Pacific tournament doesn't offer that for us, and that's

(29:32):
where we I guess we've still got to gap.

Speaker 2 (29:36):
Yeah, and look, and I think that goes up to
the All Blacks too, doesn't it. And not that it's
Super Rugby's job to necessarily you know, they don't have
to serve the All Blacks. Yes, they do indirectly by
giving them high quality rugby. But you think you're right,
we do miss that raw boned physicality of the South
African teams up against our teams. I'm miss it. I
used to love watching us, you know, my Hurricanes take

(29:57):
on the Sharks or the Balls, whoever it was, and
I'm sure you would have been the same definitely.

Speaker 7 (30:03):
Well that just was a little bit more predictable in
a little bit different tactics to what we see from
the Pacific and Australian teams. And I think that's what
New Zealand rugby needs. It needs that challenge. We used
to give them the run round and they used to
make us tougher.

Speaker 2 (30:20):
Good on your Joe, enjoy your your team's game against
the drawer this afternoon as well, there'll be another interesting
challenge for them. Three from three, of course, top the
table still favorites in my eyes. But yeah, the Fijian
drawer this afternoon in l'artok will be a good test
for your team minus Damien Mackenzie. Of course. I see
Sean Stevenson is back in the twenty three Emanni Nudder

(30:41):
was going to play at fullback. I think you'll be okay.
I think you'll be okay. Good to Jetty, Joe, Hi, Mark.

Speaker 8 (30:47):
Hey Finy. Yeah, you take that hurricane bow and baron out.

Speaker 9 (30:50):
Of the balloons.

Speaker 8 (30:51):
They look pretty ordinary, don't they really?

Speaker 2 (30:54):
Well, I mean he looked good in the first half. Mark,
I must say that that try he scored vintage body.
I was pleased to see them playing him at first five.

Speaker 10 (31:03):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (31:04):
I worry a little bit about how long it'll take
from to be back. But they do have Harry Plummer
you know who, as you know, played well there last year.

Speaker 8 (31:12):
Yeah, it's quite surprising how bad the Blues have started
the season considering last year where they're sort of dominated. Really,
I think you touched on with the last caller. We
need Australia to succeed, for Super Rugby to be to
be as good as we hope it will be. And
you can dwell on the fact that South Africa has gone.

(31:33):
They've gone and they ain't coming back, you know, to
Super Rugby now. I mean, I think the Fiji and
Druid's great to see them competitive, and I think they've
probably been quite unlucky in their three games and they
could have probably won all those three games I've played
so far. I think to even it up, I'd like
to see what we see in the NRL and some

(31:54):
Kiwi stars getting into those teams because we want to
see weekend week out. I mean, over the years, I
haven't already watched many of the Australian derbies or even
when I've sort of always switched off in the last
few years when New Zealand's played Australian teams because it's
always just been a bit of an exhibition game. And
I think for the Super Rugby competition and our international

(32:16):
teams to get better, we need to see the Australian
teams and some somewhere near power with the Kiwi teams.
And I think that's the challenge for Super Rugby. And
I think Australia, you know, with the World Cup coming up,
and I think they've got a big lions to it
coming up. I think it's a good opportunity to promote
rugby in Australia because I mean, we know how good

(32:38):
they are at sports people Australia, but they don't like losers.
They don't like losing, you know what I mean. And
the teams. If the teams start to beat the Crusaders
or the Blues or not, how hopefully our Hurricanes, but
maybe the Chief it would be it would be good
to watch and it would be good for rugby in

(33:00):
this part of the world.

Speaker 2 (33:01):
I reckon, Yeah, I agree, Mark, And you look at
the table at the moment, and all four Australian sides
as things stand right now, are in the top six.
Chiefs are top. Then the Reds, Highlanders, Forced Brumbies, Warritars. Yes,
we're only one game into a round and the table
will change by dinner time tomorrow night, but you have
to hand it to them. Reds are two from two.

(33:22):
The Force have looked good. The Brumbies beat the Blues
last night. As we know, the Waratars are unbeaten through
two games. They are starting to compete and you have
to draw a correlation between them going from five teams
to four and the talent being spread. I think that's
got to be part of it. Another Mark good they mark, Yeah, Pony.

Speaker 11 (33:44):
Hey, look great game last night. I mean, you know,
we've got to start realizing that. You know, we've seen
a lot of our good coaches to Australia. Obviously they've
sat back, they've listened, they've learned, and they're starting to
show that school levels that you know, they've picked up.
And it's pleasing to see the game. But what really

(34:06):
really worries me is that we are not blooding enough
young guys coming through for the next World Cup in
the three years time. And Australia seems to have a
lot of young guys here. You know, they are showing
their marks now, their school levels and everything like that.
They're going to be a couse to reckon with in
the next couple of years. And that worries me that

(34:27):
we're not actually doing the same thing.

Speaker 2 (34:30):
Yeah, that's that's that's a point Mark. I hadn't even
considered it. I guess I look at the players who
are contracted through until the next World Cup and I think, okay,
it's a decent side, but you're right, they'll be three
years older by the time twenty twenty seven rolls around.
You look at the young gerl guys and the team
and I guess Walla Satiti is the best example. Injured
at the moment, of course, but you'd have to think

(34:51):
that he's one of the new breed. Others like Sam
Dowry another one who's injured at the moment. Ruben Love's
coming back players who have been given opportunities under Razor
in twenty twenty four And I know, do you have
confidence that that those names will appear, that somebody what
you haven't heard of will start for us at the
twenty twenty seven Rugby World Cup.

Speaker 11 (35:13):
Well, so, I mean, you know Damian m Kings's I mean,
he's playing probably some of the bit of rugby this
year than he has for the last couple of years.
I mean, you know, we need to keep we need
to have is you know, a couple of real good
apprentices under him coming through. But it just worries me that,

(35:36):
you know, the front row. Yeah, they've got some good
skill levels, they've got some you know, played quite a
few games over the last few years. But I still
in the back of my mind, I sit and I
look at you know, Australia, what they've miniature achieved the
last this, you know, last few games at the head
Brumby's last night. I mean, you know the skill lebel

(36:00):
is stepping up. I'd feel a lot quicker than one
house is. And what is how are we going to
make them?

Speaker 2 (36:06):
It's a really interesting observation, mark one I hadn't thought of.
As I say, let's chat often over the next three years.
You've got the number. Now just give us a yell
at any stage. Oh eight hundred and eighty ten eighty
quarters to one back with more of your calls after.

Speaker 1 (36:19):
This, the big issues on and after fields call oh
eight hundred eighty ten eighty weekends forward with Jason.

Speaker 12 (36:27):
Pine and GJ.

Speaker 1 (36:28):
Gunderhomes, New Zealand's most trusted home builder.

Speaker 12 (36:31):
News Talk said Baby.

Speaker 2 (36:32):
News Talk said, b all call us this hour and
the draw to win one of the specially designed Super
Rugby Pacific jerseys that the New Zealand teams will wear
and kids around next weekend models on the Marvel Superheroes.
Can I Matt get a boy?

Speaker 13 (36:45):
How are you mate?

Speaker 14 (36:46):
Very good?

Speaker 2 (36:46):
Matt, very good.

Speaker 15 (36:48):
Yeah, I'm I'm one of these people that have been
completely Yeah, I hardly ever used to watch Super Rugby
and I'll tell you what the law changes have made.
It made a huge difference. I mean you can see
the fitness of the boys, you know, and that's I
mean that goes back to traditional rugby, you know, with

(37:10):
the you know, with the amount of subs and stuff
you could have back in my day you couldn't have
any really, But I mean, you know, you're just just
watching it. As the games go on, you know, the
gats get wider, the tackles, they fall off tackles, and
it's just it's actually really entertaining to watch. I was

(37:32):
a bit gutted with me Chiefs the other night, but
and I didn't think the Brumbies were going to get back,
and they did, so, I mean, I just I think
the whole thing's are going really well. Now a question
if with it, are these same rules going to apply
for international rugby this year?

Speaker 2 (37:52):
Unfortunately not, Matt. No, they are just super rugby rules.
I mean, it won't be vastly different. It's just as
you heard Jack Measley say, a couple of rule innovations
which have sped up the game here in terms of
the way it's officiated, the way particularly around the pace
of the game. But if you're super rugby if your
sayings are you looking at it and saying, okay, well
gee this has worked. It's a much better watch. So yes,
let's try and implement this at aternational level as well.

(38:14):
M sure why you're worried about your chiefs, mate, there're
three and three good to tet ya hello Kelvin.

Speaker 6 (38:20):
Yeah, mate, you haven't got a couple of issues with
rugby the last few years. They've sort of switched me
off the game because I've got three points. The first
one is the TMO coming in uninvited, so I now
don't watch international rugby after last year's November window, watching
the video ref come and uninvited all the time. And
if you just take the Hoskins at Tutu one last weekend,

(38:43):
I mean, it should only get a red card if
it's intentional foul play, and I think it only should
have been a penalty, but no, no, he got a
yellow card and upgraded to a yellow So you know,
I just think that's ridiculous. I mean, that's just it's
a physical sport and he didn't do it on purpose.
The other thing is a lot of teams are turning

(39:05):
down three points all the time, I'm a bit old fashion.
I just think you take the points why they're there.
And the other thing is they go for a line
out instead and they can't even throw it in. Just
I don't know why they just don't throw it to
the front all the time if they want.

Speaker 2 (39:20):
Yeah, well I've got to get a couple more calls
on the air. But yeah, look, I think you're turning
out of the three points. I think you know, they'll
wake up this morning, the Blues and wonder why they
didn't take the three more often in a one one
point game. I think as far as the the Yellows
and reds are concerned, the referees are just going under
the letter of the law at the moment. They can't
do anything about it. You know it is you know,

(39:40):
Hoskins are two two Last week it was a red card.
It was a yellow head contact and they're no mitigating factors.
So under the rules of super rugby at the moment
and in fact world rugby, it is a red card.
And I don't think there was any argument from the
Blues about that. You had about sixty seconds turn what's
on your mind?

Speaker 13 (39:56):
I reckon, yeah, the same. The rules these days were
the speeding up was great. Pliney makes it more more
interesting to watch, you know, and I reckon that will
take likes of the South Africans out a little bit
because of the big forwards are going to have to
look at change in their structure a bit because they
can't slow it down.

Speaker 2 (40:17):
Yeah, I think what's South Africa have done though? Today?
They've They've worked us out with their bomb squad, you know,
bringing on using their bench to the to the maximum
impact because you're because fatigue is clearly going to be
You're going to reach for tigue quicker with the game faster, right,
So it's the use of the bench. It's a twenty
three men game. Rasci Erasmus all have his plans made
he already has.

Speaker 13 (40:38):
Hey, well, and keep an eye out for Harry Godfree's air.

Speaker 2 (40:42):
All love that boy? I do, yeah, not just because
I'm a Hurricane's fansom. I hear you, mate, good stuff.
Good to chat to you. It's seven away from one
New Talks b.

Speaker 1 (40:51):
Goo from the trag Field and and the Court on
your Home of Lord Weekend's Fort with.

Speaker 2 (40:57):
Jason John on text. I'm from Melbourne but live here
in New Zealand. I'm an AFL fan through and through.
It's in my blood. But for the first time in years,
I'm engaged in Super Rugby. It's become faster and slicker.
The skills are truly being showcased by the players. The
close scores to date are reflecting that, and any team
can win on the day. All the things I love
about AFL. Bring on more Super Rugby. Thank you, John, appreciated,

(41:20):
appreciate all of your calls and correspondents. Congratulations to Joe, Joe,
we've drawn your name out. You are now the proud
owner of a Super Rugby Marvel jersey of your choice.
These are the special jerseys being worn by the five
New Zealand sides during Kids Round next week and he'll
be in touch Joe to arrange that jersey for you.

(41:42):
After one o'clock we'll flick across to football and relive
one of the great nights in New Zealand football with
Rory Fallon.

Speaker 1 (41:51):
The only place to discuss the biggest spots, issues on
and after fields.

Speaker 12 (41:56):
It's all on Wi Jens Forward with Jason Vain on
your Home of Sports.

Speaker 2 (42:02):
Or one seven. Welcome back into the show. We'll welcome
to the show. I'm Jason pine And and McDonald's show producer.
This is weekend Sport until three. A lot to get
through over the next couple of hours. Just mopping up
the last couple of bits of correspondence from last hour.
Kelly asks on text, Jason, do you think it would
have made the news if all that stuff had happened
to the hurricanes in Fiji rather than the other way around? Kelly, iikes,

(42:25):
you think it probably would have been worse. I think
we would have all beat up in arms about it.
If a New Zealand team had gone to Fiji and
the same thing had happened to them, we would have
been beside ourselves, falling over ourselves to place blame at
the feet of the Fijian drewer authorities or whatever it was.

(42:47):
I can just hear it now, But as is the
situation here, I think the first person that you would
have to look at if the same thing had happened
in reverse would be the manager of the hurricanes, which
is why I said what I said last hour, and
that the first person who needs to I guess he
looked at in the situation is the manager of the

(43:10):
Fijian drewer. What did they do what didn't they do?
You heard Jack Mesley saying, we just heard the cut
from the Massports News there. It wasn't one person blame.
Isn't to be a portion to one person here. But
when you're a professional sports team, the manager of that team,
I'm talking about the coach, the manager of the team,
the one who looks after all the logistics, is the

(43:32):
one who the players go to if something goes wrong
during their travels or in their everyday professional life. So yeah, Kelly,
I think we would have. You know, we would have,
and I think a large section of the of the
rugby public would probably have pointed fingers at the Fijian
drewer where actually fingers need to be pointed at, or

(43:54):
in this case that you talk about hypothetical as it is,
at the management of the Hurricanes. Anyway, we move on.
Thanks for your text, Kelly, Thanks for your calls and correspondents.
We're across the Tasman with Adam Peacock this hour checking
on the impact of Cyclone Alfred on sport in the
state of Queensland. Will update Live Sport as well with
Blunket shield matching match is happening around the place and

(44:15):
the track and Field Champs in Dunedin. This is the
New Zealand Track and Field Champs. Most of our big
stars are there. One of them, Olivia McTaggart, is in
the women's pole volt a bit later on this afternoon
that scheduled to go at he says, checking his schedule.
Four forty this afternoon. Eliza McCartney and Olivia McTaggart both
taking part in the women's pole volts. So Olivia mctagget

(44:38):
with us after two o'clock. But we're going to start
this hour with football. The All Whites two games away
from next year's Football World Cup. For the first time,
Oceania has direct entry into what will be a forty
eight team World Cup co hosted by the United States,
Canada and Mexico. Now New Zealand play Fiji in Wellington

(45:02):
on Friday, the twenty first of March. If they win
that they would then play the winner of Tahiti and
New Caledonia. That's the other semi final if you like,
which also takes place in Wellington on the twenty first
of March. The two winners play at Eden Park on
the night of Monday, March twenty fourth for a place
at the World Cup. The last time the All Whites

(45:24):
went to the World Cup was twenty ten in South Africa.
They got their courtesy of one of the most memorable
nights in New Zealand sporting history, a one miil win
over bah Rain in Wellington on the fourteenth of November
two thousand and nine. The All Whites goal scorer that
night was Rory Fallon. Here comes Burdos right put it out.

Speaker 16 (45:53):
Well, we can't hear a thing but a minute, Tealia,
I think it's Rory Fallon.

Speaker 2 (45:55):
Who's found the back of the net.

Speaker 17 (45:57):
The bar came in from.

Speaker 16 (45:57):
Bertosk Rory Fallon Rose were and headed the ball powerfully
past the keeper.

Speaker 2 (46:02):
Still so vivid when I went now sixteen years on
and a half sixteen years on from that Rory fell
in us with us on Weekend Sport. What stands out
most when you think back to that night.

Speaker 18 (46:12):
Rory, are just the great memories that I kind of
shared with the team, you know, as that whole time
was a magical time, like the two thousand and nine
and ten era was just such a beautiful time in
New Zellan and football, I felt, you know, and it
was a bunch a bunch of mates that kind of
trained together when they were younger, and they all kind

(46:33):
of kind of got to one of the biggest, the
world's biggest stage together and it was just a beautiful time.

Speaker 2 (46:40):
It was a different setup back then. You had to
play a home and away into continental playoffs. So you'd
been to bah Rain, got a nil OL drawer over there,
Do you remember being quite confident heading into the home league.

Speaker 18 (46:54):
Yeah, so we were confident going into that into that
game away. We knew that if we just needed a draw,
we knew that we could scrap for a draw, and
we knew that was going to be a hard game,
but we felt that we had enough in that and
that team was a team of kind of seasoned professionals

(47:15):
in overseas leagues, you know, so we weren't scared. We're
you know, good pros, were tough and we were hard
to beat, and yeah, we we once we knew that
we were going to take them back home and all
we needed to do was get a win. We felt
that we could do it.

Speaker 2 (47:32):
That was a horrible night in Wellington that won't surprise anybody.

Speaker 18 (47:36):
But a great for us though, because that's what we wanted. Yeah,
we wanted to be cold, have that wind coming through
the stadium, and it was perfect conditions for us.

Speaker 2 (47:46):
And I've heard a lot of stories from those who
were there that right before you walked out onto the pitch,
the bar rain players have come out, They're shivering, they
wearing gloves, you know, trying to stay warm, and you
basically just started shouting at your team. These guys don't
want it, they don't want to be here. Is that right?
Is that what happened?

Speaker 18 (48:05):
Yeah, pretty much square it up to them, and I
just like I just looked across at them. I was like,
look at these guys like wearing their gloves and there
and their scarves and stuff like that. They aren't they're
too scared.

Speaker 2 (48:15):
They don't want us, So the game gets under There
was a lot more.

Speaker 18 (48:19):
There was a lot more kind of flavorsome language than
that as well. I'm trying to I'm trying to. I'm
trying to keep it.

Speaker 2 (48:26):
PG here Sentertiz to get for radio. I greatly appreciate
exactly what about the crowd that night, because there was
this call that went at hating you know, we're white,
and I thought I thought it was okay, a few
people all wear white. The whole crowd was white. Man,
What do you remember about the about the crowd that night?

Speaker 18 (48:46):
It was electric from as as soon as we got
in there. I remember even before we got there, the
people walking up to the stadium really early. Usually that
never happens in football and New Zealand around that time,
where people walked to the stadium early. But it was
almost like that kind of fever pitch and an expectation
of this is a big thing, this is something happening,

(49:08):
something's going to something BIG's going to happen tonight. And
when we kind of got in the bus and we
got through to the stadium, ever you know, all the
there was like massive lightings cues outside the stadium waiting
to get in and just you hit this raw of
all the people, like so the buzz of it was unreal.
And then you know usually in New Zealand games for

(49:31):
warm up there's no one in the stadium.

Speaker 12 (49:33):
It was packed.

Speaker 18 (49:36):
It was absolutely packed.

Speaker 2 (49:38):
Just brilliant. Yeah, I remember so well.

Speaker 18 (49:40):
And yeah, and just seeing and just seeing the eighty
two team walk around and like the you know, the
crowd we got behind the eighty two team and it
just kind of put it put shivers down your spine,
like how how magical that was, you know, and then
obviously when we walked out, it was just awesome just
just to see a wait, you know.

Speaker 2 (49:58):
So it was goalless for most of the first half.
Right before halftime, talk us through year goal, Rory, what
do you remember of it? What stands out most vividly
when you think they're to it?

Speaker 14 (50:07):
Jue?

Speaker 18 (50:10):
Obviously, I remember it was almost like the Barnley connection
with me and Leo, because we played football together in
the youth teams and that in the first team at Barnsley,
and he would always whip great balls in for me
and always practice would we would always practice those, you know,
him whipping balls in for me for my head and
stuff like that. We worked on it the night before

(50:30):
and I just remember just him just stepping up, you know,
putting the famous one arm up and just ripping that
ball in their posts, and I just it was it
was one of them things where it was muscle memory.
It wasn't planned. It was a kind of muscle memory
thing where it's just like I went into the flow
of it, you know, and just thankfully I got a
great connection onto it and there was no chance of

(50:53):
saving it.

Speaker 2 (50:53):
So the ball hits the back of the net. What
happens to you physically? Like, can you actually remember the moment?
Because I remember you sprinting off and everybody chasing you.
But what are the emotions when the ball hits the net?
And say just significant matches that, well.

Speaker 18 (51:10):
Well, I'm not the fastest, so but I could have
I could have beat I could have been in Usain
Bolt that There was so much adrenaline running through me.
I don't think you've seen Bolt would have kept up
with me.

Speaker 9 (51:20):
I was.

Speaker 18 (51:20):
It was just like the the kind of the impact
of that goal when it went in, and the kind
of roar of the crowd. It was just like unforgettable
and it's almost like a such a high that is
just you can't even contemplate how kind of how euphoric
I felt at that moment. It was like all those

(51:41):
years of hard work with my dad in the mornings
and overseas, you know, kind of fighting and scrapping away,
and then you have this beautiful moment where it was
just like, I'm going to enjoy this moment, and I did.

Speaker 2 (51:52):
So You're going to halftime, you won this up, and
then early in the second half, bah Rain are awarded
a penalty. Now, if the match finishers won all they
go through by virtue of having scored a goal away
from the home So is ed Nan the Bahrain player
squares up to mark past them for that penalty. What
are your emotions at that time?

Speaker 18 (52:14):
I was actually on the halfway line praying. I was
literally praying. I actually was praying. It's one of their
moments where it's like, oh, this can't happen to us,
and it's so typically sometimes New Zealand where it's like

(52:34):
we get so close, but we just don't, you know,
get there, and it's like I didn't want that to
be that moment for us, Yeah, because we'd work so
hard to get there, all of us, you know, individually
in our own careers and as a team, and to
have that moment because we all knew that there wasn't
many goals in that game. It was always going to
be a tight game, there was never going to be
loads of goals, and so when past the savor, I

(52:59):
could have kissed the guy. I was just so it
was incredible. It was another moment like my goal, and
then that was a kind of iconic moment of the
night as.

Speaker 12 (53:08):
Well, where the where the.

Speaker 18 (53:10):
Crowd you know, kind of roared la was a goal,
So it was like it was just such a magical moment.
But I was like, my heart, I was nearly having
a heart attack.

Speaker 2 (53:21):
Well how were you?

Speaker 18 (53:22):
Then?

Speaker 2 (53:23):
So he saves it. It's one nil, and but there's
still quite a bit of the game to go. As
you take past eighty minutes to eighty five minutes to
eighty eight minutes, it gets close enough for you to
start really believing that you're going to do this thing.
What do you remember about the final few moments of
the game and whose voices were the loudest ones out there.

Speaker 18 (53:42):
I think everyone was just screaming at each other kind
of to kind of come back and to defend and
stuff like that. We got the whole team back and
just defended for our as Obviously, when you're up, especially
in football, if you're up like that, the team has
to kind of press you and try to put pressure
on you to try and get that.

Speaker 2 (54:00):
Goal, you know.

Speaker 18 (54:01):
So we knew if we were going to concede there,
we would have been done for. So we pretty much
defended for our lives. And I actually remember the moment
where there was an actual free kick and one of
the lads got a head onto it and Pastily got
the save. It wasn't the head It wasn't great, but
it was like, you know, those types of moments in football,
they can they can really kind of do a lot

(54:23):
of devastation to your team, you know, because it's all
you need is one moment. So it was, yeah, it was.
It was. There was probably the first time in my
whole career where I felt complete, complete nerves of we
can't let this slip through our hands because we're so close.

Speaker 2 (54:42):
Now, and then the final whistle goes euphoria. What happens
immediately after the final whistle?

Speaker 18 (54:49):
For me, it was relief.

Speaker 5 (54:51):
Yeah, yeah, it was.

Speaker 18 (54:52):
It was just pure relief of kind of the whole
kind of build up to that, you know, from from
where we started to that build up to that final whistle.
I just fell to my knees and I was just
so thankful that we you know, we made it.

Speaker 8 (55:08):
You know.

Speaker 18 (55:09):
It was just complete relief. And to be fair, I
was like all the lads were partying that night. I
actually had it early night. I was so exhausted, like mentally.

Speaker 2 (55:18):
The other story I've heard is about the bus trip
back from the stadium back to where you were staying
around Oriental Parade and how long that took because there
were so many fans out celebrating and what they must
have clocked that that was the New Zealand team bus.
What happened along sort of Courtney Place.

Speaker 18 (55:34):
Oh, it was packed and we went along the waterway,
so you know as you go from sky Stadium or
cakedon whatever you call it, along the waterway yep, and
now it was packed. There was choc a block and
there was actually there was a guy. There was a
guy running after the bus. It was actually behind the

(55:55):
bus on the main road, like running after the bus,
and he was there for.

Speaker 2 (56:00):
About ten minutes.

Speaker 18 (56:01):
I was like, this guy is like proper, like he's
done well, it's proper, sweating up as and everyone was
at the back of the bars, light banging on the
bus light like all celebrated in that and like you
can see the pure joy in the in the guy's
face and he's out there somewhere in Wellington, you know,
And you always have that memory and I always have
that memory of that guy running after the bus.

Speaker 12 (56:22):
It was brilliant.

Speaker 18 (56:23):
It was just one of those great moments you know,
and what.

Speaker 2 (56:26):
This all led to, of course, was seven months later
you went to the World Cup in South Africa, an
unbeating campaign with draws against Slovakia, Italy, Paraguay. What a
moment in any footballer's career to go to a World Cup.
Very few New Zealanders have done it.

Speaker 19 (56:41):
You know.

Speaker 2 (56:41):
What was it like going to a World Cup?

Speaker 18 (56:45):
It was surreal because all I ever wanted to do
when I was younger, too, kind of two dreams was
to be a kind of a top pro and the
other one was to plan a World Cup. And I
didn't ever think I'd ever get close to a World Cup.
And so to have that dream come to reality, it
was kind of surreal because I've as a kid, you
you know, you always dream of playing in a World

(57:07):
Cup and when you're you know, outside playing with your mates,
you know, you pretend it's a World Cup. And then
to actually walk out into that stadium, you know, in
that first game, Yeah, and that was a kind of
another iconic moment with Winnie. But to walk out into
that stadium, I was just like, Wow, I'm I'm actually
playing in a World Cup here, and it's kind of

(57:28):
it's surreal and a lot of these lads. For me,
I have no doubt that we'll get to this World Cup.
A lot of these lads will have the have those
emotions running through their through their heads. You know that
they're potentially going to be in the biggest, biggest tournament
in the world. And it's you know, you you really
understand that when you go to these World Cups that's

(57:50):
so huge.

Speaker 2 (57:52):
Yeah, it's yeah, it's close enough to touch. For the current,
the current crop, the pathway, the road there is slightly
different from what you went through. But let's hope they
can complete the job and head off to a World
Cup next year. Rory love walking down memory lane with you.
I get feeling you'll be reminded about that night until
the day that you die. Mate. It's something that so
many people, me included, just have such fond memories of.

(58:15):
Thanks for joining us for a bit of.

Speaker 18 (58:16):
A chat mate, Thank you so much for having me.

Speaker 2 (58:18):
No, thanks for joining us. Rory Fallon there owner of
one of the most iconic moments in our sporting history.
November fourteen, two thousand and nine, his goal against Bahrain
taking New Zealand to the twenty ten Football World Cup
in South Africa. Mark Paston's save, I think is up
alongside that early in the second half, the penalty save.
In fact, I think the noise for the save was

(58:40):
louder than the noise for the goal that night at
what was Westpac Stadium then now sky Stadium. She just
on sky Stadium. They're actually this weekend tomorrow they're celebrating
twenty five years. The stadium opened in January of the
year two thousand. But tomorrow morning they're having an open day,

(59:00):
or I think it starts at eleven, goes into the
afternoon open day at sky Stadium to celebrate twenty five
year years of existence. There are plenty of history there
over the last twenty five years, and you may well
have been part of that history. But I just wonder
what the next twenty five years might look like at

(59:22):
sky Stadium, and whether that arena is fit for purpose
as we look ahead. I mean, hindsight is a wonderful thing,
But I think if they had their time again, they
would change a few things about that stadium. They'd make
it rectangular for starters. I think that is an absolute

(59:43):
no brainer. When sky Stadium was being planned, the original
plan was that there would be a lot of cricket
played there, not just white ball. I remember the discussions
around Test matches being played at Sky Stadium at the
capton call it whatever you like. That hasn't happened. There's

(01:00:04):
white ball cricket there, but there they've never been a
Test match there, and I think that's the right decision
because just a couple of kilometers up the road they've
got one of the best cricket grounds, not only in
New Zealand but in the world, in the Basemin Reserve.
So I know the reason they made it circular because
they thought there was going to be a lot of
cricket there. That hasn't proven to be the case. And

(01:00:28):
as I say, if they had their time again, they
would make it rectangular. They would probably make it a
bit smaller too. I think having a rectangular ground would
obviously reduce the capacity anyway, unless you're built up. But
I think they'd probably reduce the capacity down to around
the thirty thousand, and I think they chuck a roof
on it. The other thing I'm sure they wouldn't do

(01:00:49):
is paint every seat yellow. I'm pretty sure if they
had their time again, they would not paint every seat
yellow because while it looks absolutely tremendous when it's full.
When it's not, it stands out like the proverbial all
those yellow seats. I think basically what they would do
in hindsight is what they're doing in christ Church rectangular

(01:01:12):
thirty thousand capacity roof, and when that stadium opens in
christ Church, it'll really open up an interesting conundrum for
Sky Stadium in Wellington. That venue has hosted rugby tests
every year since it opened in two thousand, more often

(01:01:34):
than not, too in a year. Is it inevitable that
that will continue? Christ Church will add itself to the
list of potential all Blacks test venues alongside Eden Park,
Forsyth Bar Stadium in Dunedin, which has got a few
test matches in recent years, Hamilton, which I know will
be aggressive and trying to attract all Blacks test matches,

(01:01:56):
and others as well. I'm sure that there'll be renewed
pictures for some of the you know, some of the
I guess the lesser test matches. You're never gonna have
a Bledderlow Cup match at these grants. But the likes
of Nelson new Plymouth, who knows you know, they'll put
their hat in the ring and you could argue Eton Park,
the new christ jur Stadium, Deneed and even Hamilton you

(01:02:17):
could argue that they're all better venues in some way
than sky Stadium is. I mean, history is one thing,
of course, and there is so much history on that
patch of grass alongside the railway station in Wellington in
the last quarter century. But time moves on. Is sky

(01:02:37):
Stadium equipped to keep up? Became for your thoughts oh
eight hundred and eighty ten, eight nine, two, nine to
two on text any particularly special memories as well as
sky Stadium if you want to share those with us.
One twenty eight on News Talks B. We're back after
this on weekend sport. Start yours journey today with a
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Speaker 1 (01:03:47):
NZ one Crunch hold Engage, Weekend Sports with Jason him
and GJ Gunn Homes, new Zealand's most trusted home builder
News talk to.

Speaker 2 (01:03:58):
Tobby Just on twenty eight Away from Two Sky Stadium
celebrates twenty five years of existence, looking ahead to see
what the next twenty five might look like.

Speaker 19 (01:04:06):
Hello, Johny, only twenty five years. Well, I remember when
the Seven's kicked off in two thousand seven?

Speaker 2 (01:04:14):
Jo does the sevens? John? Remember you couldn't get a ticket, mate?
Remember they put tickets on sale and three or four
minutes later they were completely sold out.

Speaker 12 (01:04:23):
Incredible, incredible, right.

Speaker 19 (01:04:25):
I think when it first opened everyone was like, Wow,
a brand new stadium, beautiful, is a bit better than
Athletic Park. You know when that one would have come
through and you're getting at the top stand. I remember that,
But you know, twenty five years on and you've said
it now, you know if they if they were to
build a new stadium, it would be rectangle and it
would have a roof because it's working for the rest

(01:04:47):
of the country. But Eden Park isn't as a dilemma
this year too, I think Wayne Brown and co. Deciding
whether they're gonna get rid of that one and build
a new one in downtown or Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:05:02):
It seems like that ongoing discussion up in Auckland and
for gotten based in Wellington, So I'm not right across
and I've obviously taken a keen interest in what's going
on up there, but it just seems like there's a
lot of talking and not a heck of a lot
of action around around that. I know Bill Foley, who
owns Salkland FC, is keen on building a stadium at
Western Springs. There's talk of the waterfronts. I don't even

(01:05:24):
know what the latest is on that, John. But yeah,
So if there was to be a new stadium, a
waterfront stadium built in Auckland, then what would that mean
for Eden Park?

Speaker 19 (01:05:35):
Well, I think Eden Park would be gone. That's probably
tendet into a retirement home or something will go their
homes kind of order something like that. I think that
downtown stadium is about right now. They want to build
a big precinct. People don't know Ulten that. Well, the
old train station which is near britham Art is going

(01:05:56):
to be transformed into the precinct. So it's going to
have a fifty five thousand six stadium right hear, And
that's the plans of all the super teams are going
to play, the football team and the regular league team.
I don't think there will be cricket. So the idea
is that the cricket ground moves to Victoria Park. You

(01:06:17):
know what that is?

Speaker 8 (01:06:19):
I do?

Speaker 2 (01:06:19):
I know exactly where it.

Speaker 19 (01:06:20):
Is, yep. And so they're going to make it like
what it's taking Christ she exte.

Speaker 2 (01:06:26):
Like, yeah, I've seen that. I've seen some some preliminary
sketches of that of how that area at at Victoria
Park there could could house an international cricket ground like
Hagle Oval. I've seen this sort of a superimposed you know,
the area that would be needed, and it's doable as
as I understand it. It just needs somebody to to have

(01:06:48):
the wherewithal to push go on it.

Speaker 12 (01:06:49):
I guess yeah.

Speaker 19 (01:06:51):
And the problem is there's a big motorway that goes
over it.

Speaker 2 (01:06:54):
There is that, right, But.

Speaker 19 (01:07:03):
Often I can't speak. I mean you commentate the game.
I mean, can they go all the way? Can they
do it?

Speaker 6 (01:07:11):
Well?

Speaker 2 (01:07:12):
I don't see any reason now why they can't.

Speaker 5 (01:07:14):
John.

Speaker 2 (01:07:14):
That's they've got me convinced, because the way it works,
as you know, is that there's a top six. If
you're in the top two, which they will be you
missed the first round of knockout three plus six, four
plus five, then you play a home and away semi
final against whoever comes through, and then you host a
one old final if you finish top. I just don't

(01:07:34):
see anybody beating Auckland at home. They just seem imperious
at home.

Speaker 19 (01:07:39):
Let's say they make the final, where will the final be?

Speaker 2 (01:07:42):
That's another very good question. I think they would want
it at Ego Media, at Mount Smart because the League
itself organizes the finals matches. I'm almost certain they would
want it at Eden Park because they can sell more
tickets and make more money. The club doesn't make any
money out of the finals. That's the oddity of the
A League. Even if they you know, even if they

(01:08:04):
host the final, they don't get any of the ticket revenue.
So so you know, the A League would want it
somewhere bigger. I'm almost certain aucklandlefts would want to play
it what has become a fortress for them at go Media.

Speaker 19 (01:08:16):
Well, I think this year is any one team in Auckland,
there's Ukland. I think the Blues are pretty much gone
and the Warriors already saying signs.

Speaker 2 (01:08:24):
Yeah, yeah, I can imagine. John. I'm not willing to
write the Blues off just yet. We're only four games,
and then the Warriors only had one game by here, John,
good to chat to you mate, Thanks indeed, Jason. Twenty
fifteen Cricket World Cup New Zealand v England Soudi seven
for thirty three and then Brendan McCallum's amazing batting game

(01:08:45):
over by halftime. Also the hurricanes first and only Super
Rugby Championship. Thanks Janis, Yeah, I was. I was at
both of those games that Brendan McCullum, that Tim Soudi
Brendan mccllum game against England. I know we've talked about
this on the show before, but the classic part of
that was that England wore out so quickly that New

(01:09:10):
Zealand came into bat before the scheduled innings break. Normally,
in a fifty over game, you know, one team bats,
you have the forty minute break, and then the other
team bats. But because England wore out so quickly, New
Zealand came out to bout after just ten minutes, and
because Brenda McCullum went absolutely bonkers and just started smashing it.
We're only chasing about one twenty. We got to within

(01:09:31):
ten runs of the winning target and they broke for dinner.
It was a day night match. I remember at the
time thinking this is just so crazy. Just let them
bat for another ten runs and we can all go home.
But they would have had so much food from the caterers,
you know, all there ready for you know, ready for
the dinner break that they had. They had to have

(01:09:52):
the break, so I think could get rid of all
the food as it happened, we had dinner, they came
back out, got the ten runs pretty quickly, and I
don't think they even turned the lights on that night
at Skystadium. Yeah, I remember that day though. It was
a cracker Andrew to change tech until a bit of
Super Rugby.

Speaker 8 (01:10:09):
Yeah.

Speaker 20 (01:10:11):
About the coaches in rugby now, I've played center forward,
half back and might win. Now, the coaches now, especially now,
need incredible ability to watch each player because fatigue. Now,

(01:10:43):
fatigue is your biggest danger in the game, and they've
gotta they've actually gotta spot it before it happens, literally
because it can be dangerous and have a replacement automatically literally,

(01:11:07):
have all the replacement after half time.

Speaker 2 (01:11:11):
Well, Andrew, they do monitor it because, as I'm sure
you know, all of the players where GPS meeters now,
so in real time up in the box, yeah, they do. Yeah,
up in the box they can tell okay, yeah that
like there he's run eleven k so far, and it's
very it's really specific. They, as I say, in real time,

(01:11:31):
they can say and see how much at least sort
of aerobically anyway, how much running each player is done,
and then they can make their replacement decisions accordingly.

Speaker 20 (01:11:42):
That's excellent, brilliant, absolutely brilliant, because fatigue is extreme danger.

Speaker 2 (01:11:53):
Yep, they're all over at Andrew. They are all over it, mate,
and it's some yeah like it back back in the day.
As we say, none of that. You just had a guess, Well,
that guy looks like he's that guy looks like he's
a bit stuffed. We better get him off. But of
course say you couldn't. Then it was only only injury replacements.
Thanks for me to call Andrew just on Skystadium. Wanted
to play a couple of bits of audio for you

(01:12:14):
of a couple of my favorite moments, Dan Carter's test
All Blacks lines two thousand and five. I remember that
so clearly because I paid well over the odds for
a couple of tickets on trade Me for me and
my father in law. I won't even tell you how
much I paid for them, but it was worth it
to watch this bloke.

Speaker 16 (01:12:33):
Yes, soyola, soyola, looking outside them down on the outside.

Speaker 2 (01:12:36):
Oh, kick and chase the karter?

Speaker 12 (01:12:38):
Is it he's done?

Speaker 16 (01:12:39):
Try?

Speaker 5 (01:12:40):
How is Daniel Carter.

Speaker 16 (01:12:41):
Out on the right wing?

Speaker 2 (01:12:43):
The kick and chase the dropper and the bounce goes
his way.

Speaker 16 (01:12:46):
Almost beautiful try, consummate skill, consummate cooled.

Speaker 2 (01:12:52):
Dan Carter thirty three points in that Test match in
two thousand and five, the very first Test match though
at that venue, didn't end the way we wanted Heels.

Speaker 16 (01:13:03):
I want to be captain, kickstor the post and over
dog Wallabies have wanted us full time dog Wallaby's hold
but let us no cup. They hold a chance of
the try nations. The New Zealanders stand like statues, absolutely distraught.
The Wallabies surround that captain. They have stolen this in

(01:13:25):
the forty forty five minute of the game by twenty four.

Speaker 12 (01:13:29):
To twenty three.

Speaker 2 (01:13:30):
Yeah, I was there that day too, the very first
Test match. Let us look up afternoon game John Eels
kicking the winning penalty to give Australia the win. And
isn't it great to hear the dulcet tones. Of the
best there ever was the late great Graham Moody on
commentary there eighteen away from two news talks there they

(01:13:52):
were across the Tasman with our Australian correspondent and Peacock
right after this.

Speaker 1 (01:13:57):
Would you be the TMO have your say on eight
hundred and eighty eighty Weekends Sport with Jason Hin and GJ. Gunnerholmes.
New Zealand's was trusted Owen Builder News Talks one.

Speaker 2 (01:14:10):
Let's get you across the Tasman to discuss Australian sporting
issues with our regular correspondent Adam Peacock. Adam, thanks for
joining us. Actually, can we start with meteorological issues? How
much impact has Cyclone Alfred had on sport in the
state of Queensland.

Speaker 14 (01:14:26):
Oh yeah, it's wiped out sport up there and probably
will for next week as well in terms of saying
not so much the professional sphere, but it's also wiped out.

Speaker 8 (01:14:35):
A bit of that.

Speaker 14 (01:14:35):
There was meant to be a couple of AFL games
up there on the Gold Coast and Brisbane to open
their season this year. That's been wiped away and they've
had to call those off. Conversely, the NRL basically got
the Dolphins, who are both near Brisbane, to fly down
to Sydney and they reversed the fixture with South Sydney,
which was pretty nimble thinking and I think pretty much

(01:14:57):
everyone agreed with it, apart from a few and a
couple of players stayed back in Brisbane. Which is fair
enough to tender matters back there because it's hitting as
we speak.

Speaker 19 (01:15:05):
Basically, it's crossed coast.

Speaker 14 (01:15:06):
This morning and it's there. But yeah, racing, local, football, local,
everything is called off and it's a state of emergency
out there, so we'll wait and see how badly it
gets flat. I've got a bad feeling that it could
cop a bit to Brisbane and the surrounding areas. So yes,
sport takes a back seat.

Speaker 2 (01:15:24):
Yeah, absolutely right. There has been some sport though over
the last little while. In fact, the start of the
AFL season. What happens here there's an opening round before
round one.

Speaker 21 (01:15:34):
Is that right, Yeah, so they try to get a
bit clever.

Speaker 14 (01:15:38):
The AFL under a Week zero basically, and then there's
the opening round doown in Melbourne. I don't know why,
I'm trying to scratch my head. I'm thinking that maybe
because the week zero games are two games in Sydney,
two games in Brisbane or in Southeast Gleeensland. So I
had the Swans get beaten by Hawthorne last night, the

(01:16:00):
SCG forty thousand, great crowd and everything, but then next
week they have all the games for the rest of
the country. And include you know, Melbourne gets activated, but
it's grand pre weekend down mere clon pre So I
don't know why they've done this schedule.

Speaker 19 (01:16:13):
It seems a bit strange.

Speaker 14 (01:16:14):
Why don't you just back yourself and start normally, because
I think they're now looking at it like, oh NRL
does this, They go to Vegas and have a big
thing and blah blah blah, we've got to do something different.

Speaker 19 (01:16:26):
It'd be weird.

Speaker 14 (01:16:27):
Just look after yourself. So yeah, anyway, seasons underway.

Speaker 2 (01:16:30):
Yep, we'll keep tabs on of across the next few months,
as we will the NRL season, which is also underway,
as you mentioned, started in Vegas last weekend. The Warriors
didn't have much of a time there on the field anyway.
I'm not sure about what they got up to off
the field, but the season is underway with a couple
of close contests last night pretty low scoring as well
in the West Tiger's Night's game and the rabbit Oos Dolphins.

Speaker 14 (01:16:54):
Yeah, there was a bit of weather around in Sydney
last night, so, you know, first first proper game of
the season, wet ball. That makes things a bit difficult,
be totally fluid in attacks. They have to rely on
the other things that coach is love relying on, like
resilience and effort and all that. Benji Marshall's filthy that
West Tiger's let ones that last night. I think that
was a real game to be game to take for

(01:17:16):
the Tigers who are trying to rebuild and get away
from the wooden spoon. I don't think Newcastle are going
to set the world on fire either, So those two
I'm not sure their final aspirens. But there two sides
that wanted to win last night. Newcastle didn't and South
without a number of their stars including Cam Murray and
La Tromp Mitchell got it done over the depleted as
mentioned Dolphins. But yeah, the weather played a part in

(01:17:39):
all that last night.

Speaker 2 (01:17:40):
How do you feel about the chances of your seat
Eagles in twenty twenty five?

Speaker 9 (01:17:44):
Pretty good.

Speaker 14 (01:17:45):
I'm pretty happy with the addition of Jazz Tavanga. Actually,
from what he's a player that we need. Our fourd
pack isn't certainly as good as our back line. Mind you,
our back line is pretty hot, so that's been the
issue for Manly that the ability to stop other teams
getting on a roll. So Chazz hopefully comes in. I
saw he's listed as number nine the hooker tonight. I'm

(01:18:07):
not sure he's going to actually play there. But yeah,
I still don't think we have enough depth. I think
landing around five to eight on the ladder would be
about the ideal situation. From the early this season, does it.

Speaker 2 (01:18:20):
Feel like the Storm the Panthers and then a big
gap to the rest. Is that still the case?

Speaker 14 (01:18:24):
Yeah, Well, everyone's tipping the Storm, like bigging up the
Storm big. Basically, they haven't lost, they've gained a bit,
and they get all their good players and they kept fit.
They're going to be like a real hard, hard team
to stop. And I think people looking at Penrith go
and eventually it's going to have to tell losing players
being chipped away the year after year. So yeah, I

(01:18:44):
think Storm and then a pack including Penrith. But around
that it's there for some team to jump out like
a Bulldogs last season. They could improve again this season.
Not sure. So yeah, it's pretty open underneath that, but
everyone's pretty keen on the Storm, all right.

Speaker 2 (01:19:00):
A couple of other metters to discuss Steve Smith after
Australia's exit from the Champions Trophy at the semi final
stage early this week has announced his retirement from one
day international cricket. He'll still play T twenty and Test matches.
Any surprise here, a little.

Speaker 8 (01:19:16):
Bit of a surprise.

Speaker 14 (01:19:16):
It was so abrupt, But when you look at it
and think, oh, it's a long way to the twenty
twenty seven World Cup and he wants to go and
play franchise franchise cricket everywhere. Yeah, so it makes sense
when you look at it like that. It just happened
so quickly, twenty four hours after the Champions Trophy loss.
But yeah, amazing career. Two World Cup wins.

Speaker 2 (01:19:36):
Not bad, not bad indeed. And just before you go,
I saw some foota John line last night of a
National Premier League football game. This is obviously not the
A League, but the one you know, all the States
have their own NPL or National Premier League, and it
was from a Preston Lions game against South Melbourne and
it was absolutely packed.

Speaker 14 (01:19:55):
Nine thousand out of suburban ground. It looked unreal, It's
sounded unreal. Yeah, it was just a great performance by
everyone off the field there at president to be able
to to get a crew like that to the ground
and it's not an outlier for that club. I would
say Pioneer that I'm really impressed with what Auckland FC

(01:20:15):
has done off the pitch to kind of congregate a community,
not out of nowhere, but bring together the football community.
But don't have an academy that's gone in and Nick
and thirty and year roles off clubs who are trying
to develop their actually helping them with resources to build
them up and then they bring them in into a
reserve league and then transition into professional getting a great
crowd there. Preston have got their local Macedonian community right

(01:20:38):
behind the club and they've made Friday nights at their
home ground an event, so it's a social event as
much as anything. And going along there and I noticed
that behind one of the goals there at Auckland it
feels like a social event as much as anything going
to watch a game of.

Speaker 9 (01:20:51):
Football as well.

Speaker 14 (01:20:52):
That's what you need in this k and age. You
need to make it an event something and there's something
that the NURL have done really well in the last
couple of years since COVID to bring people back through
the gates and yeah, Preston hats off doing it as
well as anyone in Australian football about getting you can
in a year around your football club and making something
of it.

Speaker 2 (01:21:09):
Yeah, terrific scenes it was. It was great to see
lost the cover off. We've done it. I think let's
let's catch up again next Saturday. Sound good mate, Thanks
Madam Vicock. There our Australian correspondent ran about this time
every Saturday afternoon on Weekend Sport eight to two New
Stalks Hebb.

Speaker 12 (01:21:25):
When it's down to the line. You made a call
on Weekend Sports with Jason Hine, News Talks.

Speaker 2 (01:21:33):
Hebb five to two, updating you on some live sport.
Plunketshell Cricket matches all three games into their fourth day
run chases. In all three at Seddon Park and Hamilton,
Canterbury need one hundred and eighty four more runs with
five second innings wickets and hands to beat Northern Districts.
They're two fifty three for five, so another hundred and

(01:21:53):
eighty four needed there. At Eden Park's Outer Oval, Auckland
need another one hundred and sixty four runs and they
still have eight second innings wickets and hand. This is
after CD scored seven hundred for five to cleared in
their first innings. Auckland batted cd forfeited their second innings
and so Auckland are on the run chase. This is

(01:22:17):
the game that Tom Bruce got three hundred and forty
five and we have to catch up with him tomorrow
to talk about that and so be happier. I'm sure
of his CDs. I can win the game scoring three
forty five and not winning. And at the Basemin Reserve,
Otago need another two hundred and eighty seven runs. They're
one hundred and two for five against Wellington, so Wellington

(01:22:37):
looking for the five wickets, so Tiger looking for another
two hundred and eighty seven runs. So run chases are
the order of the day and Planket Sheer will keep
eyes on those for you after one o'clock, after two
o'clock rather after two o'clock. The New Zealand Track and
Field Champs are on in Dunedin. One of the glamor
events the women's pole vault. Couple of Paris Olympic Games finalists,
including Olivia McTaggart. She's joining us after two an upset

(01:23:00):
in the opening round of the New Zealand Squash Open
this week. Ollie Dunbar the eighteen year old wild card
from Wellington with a great result. He'll join us after
two as well.

Speaker 1 (01:23:10):
It's the only place to discuss the biggest fourse issues
on and afterfield. It's all on Wee James Forward with
Jason Paine on your home.

Speaker 12 (01:23:19):
Of Sport in New York.

Speaker 2 (01:23:23):
Two o seven. This is Weekend Sport for another hour
or so. Tim Beverage in the chair after three with
the Weekend Collective Saturday edition before we hand over heaps
to get through Champions Day at Alleleie Today are super
Charged Race Day. More than nine million dollars in prize
money across the day, including the inaugural four and a
half million dollar in New Zealand bluds dot Kiwe we'll

(01:23:45):
talk with the trainer of race favorite Evaporate this hour.
New Zealand bred but trained in Australia. JD. Hayes is
the man. He's one of three brothers who trains Evaporate.
Also this hour, want to talk to one of the
rising stars of New Zealand squash, Olie Dunbar. He was
a wildcard into the New Zealand Squash and christ Church

(01:24:07):
earlier this week and stunned the player over two hundred
places above him in the world rankings. How did this
come about? Olli dunbathers our Olivia McTaggart shortly one of
our top pole vaulters ahead of her competition at the
New Zealand Track and Field Champs A but later on
this afternoon they're on at the moment in Danedam will
so get you to Dunedin. Actually, Nick Buley, one of

(01:24:27):
our own is involved in the coverage of the New
Zealand Track and Field Champs. Will get from Nick before
three o'clock some of the big events he's looking out
for this afternoon. You can continue to join the show.
It's easy. Oh, eight hundred and eighty ten eighty gets
you through on the phone nine two nine two per
text messages and emails to Jason at Newstalk SIDB dot
co dot nz. But as we tick over eight past two,

(01:24:51):
it's that time. We always do this on weekend sported
around about this time. We bring you up to date
with the sporting fixtures that have happened while you were
focusing your attention on something else, in case you missed it.
Australian codes underway in the afl Ossie rules. Hawthorne winners
over the Swans.

Speaker 22 (01:25:11):
Farris and Battle, the flexibility for Sicily to go forward and.

Speaker 2 (01:25:14):
Have any impacts and maybe clinch the game.

Speaker 12 (01:25:22):
Smiles of the lights in the Hawthorne.

Speaker 2 (01:25:26):
Couches box ninety six to seventy six in favor of
Hawthorne to get this season underweight and the NRL. The
Knights did it the hard way getting past the West Tigers.

Speaker 17 (01:25:36):
Somehow they hold on. But for how much long down
pong that they've got numbers piste Charley past.

Speaker 12 (01:25:43):
Un the lavable.

Speaker 2 (01:25:45):
It comes away to my shoe. My shoe gets there,
My shoe gets.

Speaker 17 (01:25:49):
There, new Castle on the Virgeon. Look you again, put
my shoe fights. He's waiting the line.

Speaker 2 (01:25:57):
What did he say?

Speaker 12 (01:25:57):
Then?

Speaker 2 (01:26:00):
What did they commentators say? Teen eight the final score
and equally is tough for the Rabbit used to beat
the Dolphins.

Speaker 16 (01:26:07):
Zellis Humphreys Gray right, great ball tescoes revenues hit the.

Speaker 2 (01:26:17):
Fronts sixteen fourteen there for South Sydney and continuing the
trend of two point or two goal margins in the
A League. Melbourne City two mil winners over MacArthur.

Speaker 22 (01:26:29):
Let's see what he does with this one.

Speaker 12 (01:26:34):
No probin's at all for Maxcaputo who stepped.

Speaker 2 (01:26:40):
Top to take it and yet another two point margin.
In Super Rugby, Opicki as Poorscha Woodman Wickliffe sunk the
chiefs Manawa twenty four to twenty two. In the dying moments,
the Blues down by three, charging down the right wing
flank Poorsha Woodman black Cliff.

Speaker 3 (01:26:57):
How many times have we seen her throw away defenders,
She's done it again for the Blues.

Speaker 1 (01:27:06):
They at the front of the schoons from the trag
field and the court on your home of sort weekends
for it where the Jason Vine News talks.

Speaker 2 (01:27:15):
V ten past two. The New Zealand Track and Field
Champs on this weekend in dneed In. One of the
glamour events is the women's pole vault from four point
forty this afternoon. Paris Olympic Games finalists Eliza McCartney and
Olivia McTaggart are in the field. After one of the
more unique pole vault finals at the Olympics last year.

Speaker 22 (01:27:34):
By virtue of coldback, it looks like the New Zealanders,
all three of them will be in the final because
you've got eleven that have qualified automatically. Because you had
eleven rather than twelve. The mandatary twelve for the Olympic
final get through. Nine other athletes have qualified in addition
to those elevens, so you can have twenty in the

(01:27:55):
final field. And that is going to include Imaginariis who
made it at four point two and four point four
and then failed three times at four point five to five,
and Livy McTaggart, who was ditto across each of those heights.

Speaker 2 (01:28:10):
Yeah, quite remarkable scenes last year in the pole vault
final in Paris, Olivia mctaggartt is with us. Let's start
with that. Olivia, You, Eliza McCartney, Emaginis all qualifying for
the pole vault final last year. How big a goal
did you tick off that day by competing in an
Olympic final.

Speaker 10 (01:28:29):
Honestly, it's really funny because that night before the Olympic qualifier,
I wrote a dari I will be an Olympic finalist.
I will be an Olympic finalist about ten times in
my journal and so that was definitely my biggest goal
was to make the Olympic final. In a pole volt event,
you never know what's going to happen, and this was
a prime example. If you didn't know what would happen,

(01:28:50):
and so we had eighteen girls go through and I
was one of them, and so I was absolutely stoked.
I didn't compete my best in the qualification, but it
got me through and that's just the way that sport goes.

Speaker 9 (01:28:59):
So it's awesome.

Speaker 2 (01:29:00):
Indeed, well you manifested it by writing it so many
times the night before. I love it. You cleared four
six and finished thirteenth. Is for sixteen hour mark that
you feel you can you can clear quite consistently, I'd
like to.

Speaker 10 (01:29:14):
Think so, Yeah, for sure, when everything's good on the day,
conditions are going smoothly and I'm on the right poles,
then for me AS sixty should be one of those
heights where I get more consistently sort of.

Speaker 7 (01:29:26):
I think it's within my.

Speaker 10 (01:29:27):
Top ten now almost all of my top ten results
have been for me AS sixty, So it's that height
that we like to aim for each competition, and most
of the time that sort of gets you in that
top field overseas, So definitely over here in New Zealand
this afternoon, that'll be what I'm moving for.

Speaker 2 (01:29:44):
What are the changes that you've made in your technique,
your approach to the sport, whether it's physical mental, I'm
not sure that that have allowed you to more consistently
reach heights like that.

Speaker 11 (01:29:56):
Yeah, I think one of them is.

Speaker 10 (01:29:57):
We've now got our new coach, Scott Simpson. We've been
working with him for about over a year and he's
one of the best, if not the best, technical poll
VOT coach in the world, So very lucky have him.
And what we've been working on is my run ups,
so we really want to get that speed going. I
had about five months off due to injury the year
leading into the Olympics, and so now it's sort of
just getting back on that trajectory of getting faster again.

(01:30:19):
Faster you are, the bigger poles you get on, the
higher you jump, so that's been a big one. But
also the way that I run so very mechanical, very technical,
and so it's just getting that confidence back. I lost
it for a little bit there, probably a few months ago,
and so right now I feel like I'm in a
much better headspace and going in there having fun, just
sort of setting expectations for myself but in the right way,

(01:30:42):
with the right mentality and knowing that I just need
to focus on the process step by step.

Speaker 2 (01:30:47):
Literally indeed, how much heavier are the bigger polls or
are they not?

Speaker 10 (01:30:53):
They're not too much heavier, they're a little bit bigger.
And so it's called demandrule, which I guess, guess is
how sex the pole is and the flexes change as
you go through poles, which you go through about maybe
on average five five poles per competition as you get
faster and adrenaline and maybe more more wind in there.

(01:31:16):
So yeah, not too much heavier a little bit, but yeah,
they all feel similar.

Speaker 2 (01:31:21):
Enough, and in terms of the number of jumps that
you are required to take during a competition, because look,
I don't know, but it feels as though that every jump,
with every jump you'd take, it SAPs a little bit
more energy out of you. Or actually is that made
up because you just got more adrenaline as the height
gets higher.

Speaker 9 (01:31:40):
Yeah, it's a good question.

Speaker 10 (01:31:41):
It's kind of a bit of both, to be honest.
At my most recent competition about three weeks ago in Birmingham,
I jumped Formula sixty five, which was a great height
for me this season season's best, and I did eleven jumps,
which is quite a lot, and it's because two of
my heights I had, I used all three attempts, so
you get three attempts at each height, and I just
happened to use all three of them to get on

(01:32:03):
the right pole and get moving. So ideally you'd actually
prefer to be doing around anywhere between six and ten,
but it depends how many heights you're doing, so again,
I'll be coming in a little bit lower today. Probably
around for me is thirty five and then work through
the competition, so you do fatigue a little bit, so
you need take that into account. But also it's just, yeah,

(01:32:24):
that adrenaline when you get to the big heights is
pre major.

Speaker 2 (01:32:26):
I bet and we mentioned that event in Birmingham three
weeks ago, four sixty five to gain second at that event.
I think you had another event before that as well,
didn't you a couple of events over in Europe in February?
So do you feel like you're coming into the National
Champs in pretty good form?

Speaker 20 (01:32:41):
Yeah?

Speaker 10 (01:32:41):
Yeah, I do feel like a pretty good form at
the moment. I've had a lot of consistency. I've been
injury free, and I think that's the main thing for athletes,
especially as we get older. You just want to have
training under your belt. And no injuries. So yeah, the
first competition for me didn't go too well for me
as forty that was a big sort of mental barrier. Physically,
I'm the best I think I've ever been, if not

(01:33:04):
in the last few years, but mentally I was really
off and it just went to show that coming into Birmingham,
I had to change a few things mentally to make
sure that I was just in a good place and
I was enjoying it and I was having fun and
I actually believed in myself. At the end of the day,
you got to believe in yourself, and then if I'm
in good physical neck, which I am right now, both
of those put together, it should be for a good

(01:33:25):
comp with hopefully some good conditions.

Speaker 2 (01:33:27):
Indeed, well that's yeah, that's something you can't control obviously,
is what the condition's going to be like. But I
think Daneda and it's put on a couple of quite
nice days this week by the sounds of things, so
hopefully that happens this afternoon too. You talk about not
being in a great place mentally, is that just like
a lack of confidence just doubt that Is it that
sort of thing or is it more as you just
reference there just being able to relax in the heat

(01:33:50):
of the battle.

Speaker 9 (01:33:52):
Yeah, it's a little bit of both.

Speaker 10 (01:33:53):
I think last year going into Paris, it was just
all eyes on that one competition and you're almost so
tunnel visioned that Physically I was not in a good way,
having five months off due to injury and then I
got really sick a few weeks before. I was probably
the worst physical build up, but mentally I was almost
maybe not delusional, but in a sense, I was like,
I can do this. I will make the Olympic final,

(01:34:14):
even though the physicality didn't show it, even though I did.
Whereas now physically I'm in a good place and mentally
it just sort of comes down to, yeah, believing in myself,
knowing that I've got that technique in my locker and
I can bring it out when I need to. And
so I think that Birmingham comp really showed that. I
guess tiger in me is sort of what my coach says,
We've got this tiger in me. When I get to

(01:34:35):
those third attempts and I get to those big heights,
they can really bring it out. So I see a
trust that I've got it in me and make it
happen love.

Speaker 2 (01:34:42):
It is there any you've been doing You've been doing
this for a while now, but is there still any
sense of trepidation? Because for meter sixty five is a
long way up. If something goes wrong, you know up there,
you know the outcome might not be that pretty. Is
there still a sense of trepidation or are you past
that now?

Speaker 10 (01:35:02):
I think I'm past that now. Those fights excite me
and I know what poles I need to be on.
I know all of the sort of most of the
strategic planning that goes into into those jumps, and there's
a lot of feel to it. So the more I've
been doing Polvold, I'm, you know, just past ten years now,
the more you know how to bail out of a
jump if it's going to be dangerous or you sort

(01:35:24):
of just like feel it out and so it's not
as dangerous and you're not really hopefully not going to
be going in some weird directions when you're up that high.
It's more you're either getting it or you're not, or
you're on the right pole or you're not where the
stands how far are you bringing them in? So it's
a lot of trust in the coach and a lot
of trust in myself. But we're really lucky we've got
James Stain, he's one of the athletes competing, and then

(01:35:46):
also my coach will be calling in from the UK,
so we've got some good backing outstanding.

Speaker 2 (01:35:51):
It's coming up two years since you jump your PB
four seventy one in Auckland in March of twenty twenty three.
How high you reckon you can go? Can you you
reckon you can jump four seventy five for eighty Yeah?

Speaker 9 (01:36:03):
Yeah, one hundred percent?

Speaker 10 (01:36:04):
And I love that right now today able to that
was one hundred percent certainty, because if you'd asked me
a few months ago, it might have.

Speaker 9 (01:36:11):
Been a different question.

Speaker 10 (01:36:12):
But I really back myself now to be getting into
those heights. I know, you know the polls and everything
I need to be on and it's just bringing everything
together on the day. So whether that happens when I'm
overseas again this year, it would be great for that
to happen at Japan's World Champs at the end of
the year, though.

Speaker 2 (01:36:28):
Absolutely so following this weekend in Dunedin. What does the
path forward look like for you? Obviously World Champs are
a focus of yours. What are the other big events
for you in twenty twenty five.

Speaker 10 (01:36:40):
I mean to be honest, it's just putting together a
successful campaign plan. So it's going to be probably anywhere
between seven and ten competitions leading into the World Championships
in Tokyo, and we're making sure that each one of
them is actually having a purpose to lead towards the
World Championships. Some of them will be fun, some of
them it's for money, some of them it's for just
that higher quality fields and so I'd really love to

(01:37:03):
get back into some diamond leagues. That's a big goal
for me. Yeah, and then that'll prep me really well
for the big, big crowds in Tokyo.

Speaker 2 (01:37:11):
Have you committed to the next Olympic cycle?

Speaker 10 (01:37:14):
Yeah, one hundred percent. Yeah, committed to twenty twenty eight. Yeah,
it's one of those sports where you can be a
little bit older, so who knows, maybe even thirty two.
We'll just take you one step at a time.

Speaker 2 (01:37:25):
Yeah, Let's let's get twenty twenty eight out of the
way first, and then we can go we can go
beyond that. Olivia is such a delight to catch up
with you all the best and Dunedan this weekend and
look forward to seeing what the rest of this year
holds for you. Awesome, Thank you very much, No thanks
for joining us, Olivia Olivia mctaggartt they're part of an
exciting woman's pole vault field including her fellow Olympia and
Eliza McCartney four forty This afternoon, what actually you get

(01:37:49):
you to Dunedin before we close the show at three
o'clock with Nick Beauley, who's part of the television coverage
of the Track and Field Champs, to talk about the
pole vault and some of the other events that have
caught his eye or he's looking forward to in particular
over the next or tonight and then again tomorrow as well.
When we come back though, we're off to Allerslie Champion's
Day including the inaugural running of the four and a

(01:38:11):
half million dollar n ZEDB Kiwi. The trainer of the
favorite is with us right after this.

Speaker 1 (01:38:17):
It's more than just a game weekends for it with
Jason nine and GJ. Garnohoves New Zealand's most trusted home
builder News.

Speaker 2 (01:38:25):
Dog MB two twenty four champions Day at Allesley today
featuring the NZB Kiwi four Group one races and the
Auckland Cup are super charged race day, more than nine
million dollars in prize money across the day. The inaugural
four and a half million dollar n ZB Kiwi is
part of it the richest sporting events in New Zealand

(01:38:47):
for three year olds to be raced over fifteen hundred meters.
Race favorite is Evaporate, New Zealand bred but trained in
Australia and considered one of the highest credential horses ever
to race in New Zealand. Evaporate is trained by brothers
Ben will and j D Hayes. JD is with us, Sir,
why did you decide to bring a vent Parate to
New Zealand for the n ZB can we? JD look there.

Speaker 21 (01:39:10):
As you touched on them with the prize money and offer.

Speaker 23 (01:39:12):
It was too good to offer to refuse and we
feel like we have right horse for the race.

Speaker 21 (01:39:17):
So he's quite short.

Speaker 23 (01:39:18):
At the market and hoping the market's correct because he
does bring very good form lines.

Speaker 2 (01:39:22):
Yeah, tell us about his recent form lines and a
bit about Evaporate the horse as well.

Speaker 21 (01:39:28):
Evaporated himself.

Speaker 23 (01:39:29):
Well, well, the journey started when we bought him out
of the Magic Millions there on the Gold Coast two
years ago. Now, we paid three hundred and twenty grand
for him. He was a big, strong cult that we
thought would only be he really what he did in
the spring, this is the beginning of what we think
he can do for his career. He's really a progressive

(01:39:50):
horse in the stable. His last start was Brave. He
was three deep the trip into the breeze and only
beating a few lengths by some of the best white
performers in Australia.

Speaker 21 (01:39:59):
So he's a horse. But we're really excited about.

Speaker 2 (01:40:02):
How confident can you be when you bring more or
any some fact across to a completely different country.

Speaker 23 (01:40:10):
Look, it's definitely an art. They have to have the
right animal to be able to handle the trip. But
he seems so settled in really well. We've been hosted
staying at Cambridge stud there with Lansdoble and they've been
so supportive and accommodating and the horse has really thrived there.

Speaker 21 (01:40:27):
So he seems to have handled the trip. So we're
very happy with the horse.

Speaker 2 (01:40:33):
Yeah, how do you structure it? Because I've read reports
he looked very comfortable at elles Lee earlier in the week.
How long before the rates do you ideally bring him over?
What do you do while you're here? How do you
get him in peak condition for this afternoon.

Speaker 23 (01:40:46):
Well, he's actually the third horse that we've brought over
to New Zealand this year, and we brought here the
Shock over a bout months ago and we just found
the same blueprint that a get because it seemed to
work with here the Shock he was able to win.
So he arrived on Thursday last week. He's had ten days,
said Lee, and he was able to have two nice
pieces of work into the race. And yeah, just also

(01:41:07):
it also depends on being able to know when the
flight is as well, so you have to have sort
of walked.

Speaker 21 (01:41:12):
Work those two things in.

Speaker 23 (01:41:13):
But ideally ten days before seems to be our spite
that works.

Speaker 2 (01:41:17):
And he has to race right handed for the first
time as well.

Speaker 5 (01:41:20):
Is that right?

Speaker 21 (01:41:21):
Yeah, so that's going to be a question mark for sure.

Speaker 23 (01:41:24):
But we took him to Ellieslie on Monday and he
had a look at the course proper there and he
seemed to have it really well and much strongly through
the line. So you never know till race day, but
he seemed to be quite naturalout.

Speaker 2 (01:41:33):
It, and then you get to the barrier drawer as well,
which hasn't been overly kind. He has a ten. You'd
probably prefer to be three or four places in. Will
that affect things at all, absolutely, But we're.

Speaker 23 (01:41:44):
An optimistic bunch off hazes, so it could be worse
happy with ten. So I think there's a bit of
speed outside, so we should be able to bow forward
and hopefully Nicky d is able to give him the
other race.

Speaker 2 (01:41:56):
You talked before about Evaporate being the third horse you've
brought over, do you, fellows though New Zealand are starting
to become part of the Australian racing ecosystem one hundred percent.

Speaker 23 (01:42:07):
Look, we hadn't troubled the horses New Zealand for years
and it just shows when the prize money is on
the offer, we will come and it's really good for
our owners. We've got all the Evaporate owners here, they've
had a really good week and we're racing it. The
prize money is outstanding. It's good enough for us to
not go to the traditional path to go on with
the Australian guineas, where Evaporate would have been short in

(01:42:29):
the market and very hard to beat because it's just
a lot more money a week later. So yeah, I
think New Zealand racing is in a really healthy state.

Speaker 2 (01:42:38):
So you're here for our cash. Basically, you're here to
take our cash.

Speaker 23 (01:42:42):
Well, you have been the tea weeds have been coming
over and taking ours for years, so we thought.

Speaker 21 (01:42:46):
We might repay the favor.

Speaker 2 (01:42:47):
Fair enough, too, fair enough too, it's great to have you.
Do you get nervous before your horse is run.

Speaker 23 (01:42:54):
Yeah, more excited because it's basically months and months of
preparation coming to basically well two minutes of the race.
So more excited than nervous because the work's been done
and what will happen will what will be will be.

Speaker 2 (01:43:10):
And you must have a sense to you before they jump,
or even on the day like today, you must have
a sense when you wake up this morning that that
evaporators is as good as he can be, that you've
you've given him the ideal preparation.

Speaker 23 (01:43:23):
Yeah, Junior, who's traveled him over, he's stirred up, he's so,
he's stirred up, his rock oud fit.

Speaker 21 (01:43:29):
He's traveled over.

Speaker 23 (01:43:30):
Well, it was bright and well, and he did his
fourteen's yesterday it's lick to been this morning. All things
going well, but everything cross that maintains that because twenty
four hours time.

Speaker 21 (01:43:40):
But yeah, very happy to us.

Speaker 2 (01:43:43):
Do you feel like his best days are still ahead
of him?

Speaker 8 (01:43:47):
Oh?

Speaker 23 (01:43:47):
Sure, he's only just beginning, so hopefully this is ship
of the iceberg.

Speaker 2 (01:43:52):
Well, all the best this afternoon, JD. I hope it
goes well for you. It's a very exciting day elnestly
not just for the MTB key we but the other
races as well. Appreciate you taking time for a chat
and all the best.

Speaker 21 (01:44:02):
Beautiful thank you, no.

Speaker 2 (01:44:03):
Thank you Matte JD. Hayes there one of the three
Hayes brothers that trains evaporate the favorite for this afternoon's
enzb Kiwi over fifteen hundred meters for three year old's
four and a half million dollars in prize money that
jumps at around four point thirty two this afternoon. Part
of a jam pack schedule, a glittering schedule on champions

(01:44:23):
Day at allesleie Bang on half past two week all
weekends for it. A big upset in the first round
of this week's New Zealand Squash Open in christ Church's
gold Back and there you go.

Speaker 22 (01:44:39):
What on absolutely immaculate performance from Holly Dunbar.

Speaker 2 (01:44:46):
Yeah, Wellington teenager tournament wild card and world number two
fifty five Oli Dunbar stunning world number fifty four Ruey
Suarez from Portugal three games to one. It meant he
faced third seed and world number twelve ian yal Ng
in the second round, where he put up a great
fight before going down in three sets. As well as

(01:45:07):
congratulations on a pretty special few days for you allie.
When did you find out first of all that you'd
be included in the New Zealand Open as a wild card?

Speaker 9 (01:45:16):
Oh yeah, well thank you. I got a call from
the national coach about a couple about end of December.
He gave me a ring and told me I'll be
the wildcatter. Yeah, there was a really cool experience or
the draw and yes, just keen to have a good crack.

Speaker 2 (01:45:34):
How did you feel going into your first round match?
What were you know? How did you feel ahead of
your first game?

Speaker 9 (01:45:41):
Yeah? I felt felt good, you know, nothing to lose,
no pressure like obviously being a wildcard, I'm not expected,
not expected to win, so it was good. All the
pressure was on him. I just thought just try to
play my game.

Speaker 2 (01:45:52):
Yeah, at what point in the match did you feel
as though you might have a chance to win it?

Speaker 9 (01:45:58):
Well, after the first ship, I was up about eight
to four in the first set, I think, and about
then all right, going to keep doing what you're doing
and might have a good shot here.

Speaker 2 (01:46:11):
Did you How difficult is it to look across the
court and say, okay, well it's the world number fifty four.
I'm two fifty five in the world, so here's a
bloke two hundred places above me in the world rankings, Like,
how do you not get overawed in a situation like that?

Speaker 9 (01:46:28):
Just I've just tried to stay focused on my game plan,
just try and keep things simple, stay in the monument
the big thing, not think about the end result.

Speaker 2 (01:46:37):
What did you do particularly well that night?

Speaker 9 (01:46:39):
Do you think I think I had found my targets
really well. It's played quite accurate, which was good. Always
helps me, especially on a glass quart it's a bit
different to a traditional court. So yeah, it was good
to you've got that right from the start.

Speaker 2 (01:46:54):
How are the emotions when you secured the one?

Speaker 9 (01:46:57):
Oh yeah, I felt great, Probably one of the best
feelings I've ever had, So yeah, it was it was
awesome and had to crowd behind me as well, so
it was good.

Speaker 2 (01:47:04):
It must be quite nice playing on a home court.
What's the venue like there at the because they basically
put a glass court, a glass court in the middle
of a theater. Is that right?

Speaker 9 (01:47:14):
Yeah, that's right. So it's at the Isaac Theater Royal
and crash shirt. So it was absolutely awesome, like one
of the biggest crowds I've played in front of. And yeah,
it was great. The theater looks awesome just itself. And
then put a squash caught up on the stage. Is
awesome that Not many of the players have played in
anything like that before, so it's come.

Speaker 2 (01:47:34):
How was your opponent Ruy Suarez? Afterwards? Was he was
he humble and defeat?

Speaker 9 (01:47:39):
Yeah, he was humble and defeat. Yeh, look it well,
well it could be quite tough for some people, but yeah,
he took it well.

Speaker 19 (01:47:46):
So that was good.

Speaker 2 (01:47:47):
And then you fit into a second round match against
the world number twelve. How do you reflect on on
the way you performed in that match?

Speaker 9 (01:47:56):
Yeah, I don't think I played too poorly, Like the
score line wasn't that close, but I felt I played okay,
just experience of the big part was specially pipping up
to that. Will also hopefully get a bit more experienced
over the next few years and improved few aspects of
my game and hopefully get to that level.

Speaker 2 (01:48:14):
Because I watched some of that game and there seem
to be a lot of rallies that you were staying in.
You know, it wasn't as though it was a complete
whitewash by any stretch of the imagination. Do you take
a bit of quite a bit of heart from the
fact that that you, you know, you didn't just lie
down against one of the top players in the world.

Speaker 9 (01:48:30):
Yeah, definitely. I spoke to national coach a host and
he who thought it was a bit I thought I
played well, you know then just all the helleys, you know,
competing with him, but just he was just finishing them off. Beenner,
which is a big part, especially at the next level.

Speaker 2 (01:48:46):
Paul Cole, of course is top seed, defending champion. Is
he someone who, as your squash journey has sort of started,
that you look up to.

Speaker 9 (01:48:56):
Yeah, definitely. I remember watching him when I was younger,
and like in the early hours of the morning, him
playing in finals overseas and yeah, getting to know him
over the past few months have been really cool. He's
a great guy and obviously very successful squash player over
his career and more done.

Speaker 2 (01:49:12):
Yeah, have you spent a bit of time, I mean,
you're both in the same tournament, you're both in the
same city at the moment. Have you had the chance
to spend any time with them in the last week
or so?

Speaker 9 (01:49:21):
Yeah, I've spent a bit of time with him, had
a couple of media things to do with him, and yeah,
I had a couple hits of them which have been great,
giving me some advice and it's been really good gain
to know him better.

Speaker 2 (01:49:31):
Good stuff. So are you now a full time squash professional?
Is this your job now?

Speaker 8 (01:49:37):
Yeah?

Speaker 9 (01:49:38):
Well basically do a bit of work, pack and save
on the on the side and make a bit of money,
but yeah, most of the time.

Speaker 5 (01:49:46):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:49:46):
And so what does the next twelve months look like
for you? Then, Ollie? Are you going to be traveling
far and wide? Have you charted out what the year
looks like for you?

Speaker 9 (01:49:55):
Yeah? So the next twelve months, well, the nixt probably
until the end of July of the wording the Champs
in Egypt, which is a big focus for me. Try
and get a middle there, so overseas for about a
month beforehand to England just to get some training over there,
and then play the World Unior Champs in Egypt and
then I come home and regroup for a bit and

(01:50:16):
then get stuck into the senior tour.

Speaker 2 (01:50:19):
Outstanding. How did you become involved in the game? When
did you first pick up a record?

Speaker 9 (01:50:24):
First picked up a record when I was probably about
seven or something like that and my parents just took
me down to the Kendala Squash Club and yeah, just
played ever since. Both of them played.

Speaker 2 (01:50:36):
So yeah, when did it become something you started? Well,
A realizing you were quite good at and B started
to take quite seriously and devote a lot more time
to What age would you.

Speaker 9 (01:50:47):
Have been Well, I played it well since I was
seven or so, but I played other sports like cricket
and football until I was about fifteen maybe, so yeah,
when I was about fifteen, I started to focus a
lot more on squash and yeah it's been good.

Speaker 2 (01:51:04):
Well, this has happened quite quickly then, because we're only
talking about three years. So where are the improvements still
to come in your game? What are you now two
hundred and fifty five in the world to really start
making strides up the world rankings and to have success.
What are the improvement areas that you're targeting at the moment.

Speaker 9 (01:51:23):
I'm targeting my short game and my attacking skills. I
was like, like I said, I can compete in the
rallies against the top guys that just finishing them off
at a whole other level. And obviously fitness can always
been through. You can always get fitter and physicality is
a big thing at that level. Will be able to
do play like that for a long time and the
intensity of the top guys is really high.

Speaker 2 (01:51:45):
Indeed, what about patients, Ollie, do you have to be
quite patient because these rallies? I mean most of us
will never be in rallies as long as the ones
that you'll run. But do you have to be patient
and wait for the right opening to play that winner?

Speaker 9 (01:51:59):
Yeah? Mentally, there's also another area I need to focus on,
like just workin into the right one, because it's like
you say, it's easy to just there's one. I could
go for it and then just go for it and
might not be the right time or might not play
the right shot. So yeah, just being patient is a
big Obviously, that Paul was very patient and wait for

(01:52:19):
the right one, and yeah, it's a it's a really
big part.

Speaker 8 (01:52:22):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:52:22):
And squash is now an Olympic sport or will be
in Los Angeles twenty twenty eight and beyond. Have you
thought about what it might be like to represent your
country yet in Olympic Games?

Speaker 9 (01:52:34):
Yeah, that would be awesome. You know, it's a big
goal of mine to make you the twenty twenty eight
Olympics or hopefully twenty twenty or twenty thirty two. So yeah,
that would be That would be awesome. You know, depennacle
of every sport in the world, So to be able
to do that would be awesome.

Speaker 2 (01:52:50):
And you're eighteen now. I don't know how old Paul Cohlers,
I get the feeling is in his late twenties. Now,
do you feel as though you're like win? Is the
win is the typical peak for a for a male
squash player.

Speaker 6 (01:53:02):
Yeah?

Speaker 9 (01:53:02):
Probably, It varies for a lot of players, but Paul,
I think he's thirty two now thirty three maybe, so
he's like he's still in physically great condition like obviously,
and a lot of the top players. It can be
anywhere from really twenty seven to thirty two or something
that's quite yeah, convariant. There's some great players who are

(01:53:24):
younger as well, in their early twenties as well.

Speaker 2 (01:53:27):
So yeah, so you might have another fifteen years of this,
you know, I could imagine could become all consuming. What
do you do to relax when you're not hitting a
squash bull I've.

Speaker 9 (01:53:41):
Spent time with my family is a big thing. Play
a bit of golf as well, which is good to
get outside obviously squashes indoors. Yeah, so it's good to
get outside and see a bit more sunlight, which is good.

Speaker 2 (01:53:55):
Tremendous Well, it was a great thrill for a lot
of squash fans around the country to watch you win
that first round match during the week. Oli, A terrific
achievement for you, the first of many significant achievements. I'm
sure to come all the best for the rest of
your stay in New Zealand and towards the World Junior Champs.
I really enjoyed the chance to chet to you. Yes,
thank you very much, thank you for joining us. Oli Dunbar.

(01:54:17):
There eighteen year old Oli Dunbar, who yeah, did something
pretty special during the week in his first crack at
the New Zealand Squash Open, a win over the world
number fifty four. He's world number two fifty five, so
that gives you an idea of just what a significant
achievement that is. It's a name to remember. Oli Dunbar
semi final day at the New Zealand Squash Open and
Paul Cole, the top seed and defending champion, is up

(01:54:39):
against the Italian player A Baptiste Missotti. Baptiste Massotti is
is his opponent, and then Muhammad L Shorbagi up against
the third seed Ijan Yao Ing in the second of
the semi finals. The final is tomorrow, nineteen away from three.

(01:54:59):
You're going to take a break, then get you to Dunedin.
Were heard from Olivia mctaggett a short time ago ahead
of the women's pole vault. We'll get a wider view
of the National Track and Field Champs when we come back.
Some of the key events to look out for over
the next few hours. Nick Buley is our man in Duneda.
He joins us on the show after this.

Speaker 1 (01:55:16):
The Tough Questions after Turf Weekend Sport with Jason Paine
and GJ.

Speaker 12 (01:55:21):
Gardner Holmes, New Zealand's most trusted home.

Speaker 2 (01:55:23):
Builder News Dogs V sixteen away from three. As I
mentioned before the break, the New Zealand Track and Field
Champs are on in Dunedin this weekend. In fact, I've
been gone for a couple of days. They've got some
big events to look forward to this afternoon and again tomorrow.
Part of the coverage is one of our colleagues here
at ZB or one of my colleagues, Nick Buley Weather report.

(01:55:45):
First of all, Nick Hower conditions Kita party.

Speaker 24 (01:55:49):
Yeah, it's pretty chilly for March, but most of us
in this part of the country are pretty used to
that sort of twelve with third end degrees is the
high at the moment. A lot of catman do jackets
being warning and around the Grand sand and the athletes
trying to stay warm as well. We have had a
couple of showers in the last hour or so, but
as things stand here at the Caledonian Ground, while it

(01:56:10):
looks a bit murky and gray, no rain to report,
which is great news.

Speaker 2 (01:56:15):
That is great news. Or on Lea's look at some
of the key events which are coming up over the
next few hours. I see the one hundred meters heats
are set to go for both women and men. After
three o'clock we got all the begun. Zoe Hobbs, is there,
Tian Weelpton. You'd expect those two to not exactly romp
to victory, but be favorites.

Speaker 24 (01:56:32):
Oh certainly, yep. No, that's five past three. That opens
our coverage on the live stream with Zoe Hobbs and
Tian Welton. As you mentioned, Tian within two hundreds of
the second of the national record held by Idion Osey
and Kittya when he ran at the Sir Graham Douglas
International about a month or so ago. Zoe Hobbs, what's
Sarah action? A couple of weeks back at the ITM,

(01:56:53):
the International Track Meet and christ Church and she looked
in really strong form term and what was a swiry
old day there in christ Church is southwest, So expect
those two come later in the evening to close our
program for day three. Be right there at the finish
for out the one hundred meter finals.

Speaker 2 (01:57:09):
Now I see another name in the one hundred meter
for men is Tommy Tapoone. Now I believe that might
be the son of Roger Topooni, the former high jump champion.
Have I got that right?

Speaker 24 (01:57:20):
I believe you do. I believe you do. Yeah, Tommy
Tapooney is quite an all rounder on the track. You
can equally as good over the two hundred and the
four hundred as well. Looks like you will focus just
primarily on the one hundred today we've got a men's
four hundred meter final race. A little bit later on,
speaking of national records, a lex reveel Lewis went super
close to breaking a national record that stood the best

(01:57:42):
part of a quarter of a century two hundreds of
a second. He was forty six or eleven, So looking
forward to seeing lex reveel Lewis back in action. But yeah,
Tommy to Pernie, he'll be there or thereabouts, at least
keeping to yard.

Speaker 8 (01:57:53):
Honest, all right.

Speaker 2 (01:57:55):
Speaking of our famous names, my eagle Ie in fact,
not my Eglee, you've pointed it out to me. Has
picked out the surname Warddell, Madeline Wardell. She'd have pretty
good jeans, wouldn't she. A couple of parents who are
fairly handy rowers, and a granddad who's an all black.
She runs four hundred.

Speaker 24 (01:58:14):
Meters, she does run the four hundred. The one lapper
for some one of the hardest events on the track
that Madeline Woodell is making it look easy so far.
She went over and represented New Zealand the Under twenty
World Championships in Peru last year, said all sorts of
age group national records. But she's gunning for a senior
title at just the age of seventeen, So that's going

(01:58:36):
to be a really interesting race, that is at six
six going up against Izzy Neil herself a very accomplished
four hundred meter runner. So you look out for Madeline Widow.
And of course we've got the fifteen hundred meters heats
today to Piney. The fifteen hundred final will be held
tomorrow featuring will feature I'm sure Sam Tana. But speaking

(01:58:59):
of SAMs, this young teenage sensation and Sam Routh, another
coming through the ranks just fifteen years of age, owns
the the world's best time in fifteen hundred meters four
a fifteen year old for the fifteen hundred meters. He
is something to behold and looking forward to seeing him
run in the heats in a short time. So while
we've got your hamous curs and your Jack o'gills, and

(01:59:21):
your Tom Walsh's and your lives and McCartney's there's some
encouraging youngsters coming through that we should be getting excited about.

Speaker 2 (01:59:27):
Absolutely, And I mean you were involved in the coverage
of the Olympic Games last year for Gold Sport News Talks,
MBI Hout Radio. It just feels like there's momentum behind
track and field in New Zealand at the moment. I
mean you mentioned some of the names there, but some
of the up and comers as well. There's a Commonwealth
Games next year, another Olympic cycle is underway. I don't know,

(01:59:47):
does it feel as though track and field is getting
some pretty good traction to you at the moment, so
we did there, Look.

Speaker 24 (01:59:54):
I would have to agree, although you know, I very
much have been in an around the sport over the
last months and look, just based on interest not only
from the athletics community, but just the casual sports fan
on the back of the Paris Olympics and Paralympics let's
not forget you like your Anna Grimaldi's Mitchell Joints, Will
Steedman doing fantastic things on the track as well. It

(02:00:16):
does feel like, yeah, momentum is building. They've got new
relatively new CEO and Cam Mitchell, who I know you
know from cricket Wellington days, who's really trying to elevate
the sports and get it on in front of more eyeballs,
et cetera. But yeah, in terms of depth, when I look,
you know, not only is it the Dame Valerie Adams

(02:00:37):
is and the Nicholas Willis is of a decade ago,
that just seems across the board, whether it's on the
track or on the field, some really encouraging performances and
that's being backed up, it's fair to say. So, you know,
there's a lot of youngsters in around that twenty age
bracket who are over in the American collegiate system at
the moment too piney. So yeah, it's certainly a sport

(02:00:58):
that feels like it is in very good health.

Speaker 2 (02:01:01):
Yeah, exciting times. Final question if you didn't know me,
but you saw me walk in to the Track and
Field Champs there in Juneeda, and what would you assume
my specialist event would be?

Speaker 8 (02:01:14):
Well, look, I think.

Speaker 24 (02:01:15):
Given your heights, piny, you might go okay at the
four hundred hurdles che which is pretty pretty tricky going.
But but luck, I don't know, one might have to
get you down to the Capitol Classic in Wellington next year.
I'm just looking at Sarah Cowley Ross as part of
our coverage, saying maybe the javelin.

Speaker 2 (02:01:36):
JEF some big long levers for the javelin.

Speaker 10 (02:01:40):
Look.

Speaker 2 (02:01:40):
I think you and Sarah I know very well, both
know that I'm much better at spectating and perhaps commenting
than i am competing. But I'm looking forward to your
coverage on the on the live stream this afternoon. And
I guess you'll have to at some point get back
to Christ's for the rugby tomorrow, will.

Speaker 20 (02:01:55):
You, certainly?

Speaker 24 (02:01:56):
Yeah, it's a busy little weekend sort of when it
rains at poor as areas, certainly in our in our industry, Piney,
I'm not going to complain of a lack of work,
but ye'll get back on the plane tomorrow more and
then are really looking forward to the double hitter at
Apollo Project Stadium in christ Is Mutteret two up against
your Hurricanes power and then followed by some Sunday afternoon
footy which is something of a rarity with the Crusader's

(02:02:17):
host in the Red. So you can't wait for that,
but firmly focused on the track in the field to.

Speaker 2 (02:02:21):
Down I know you got to get on the live stream.
Thanks for joining us, mate, call well and we might
catch up tomorrow ahead of the rugby if we get
the chance.

Speaker 24 (02:02:28):
Sounds good fining, Thank you, Thank you mate.

Speaker 2 (02:02:30):
Nick Billy part of the coverage of Athletics New Zealand's
live stream of the New Zealand Track and Field Champs
and of course part of our coverage of rugby and
all sorts of other sport as well. Yeah, he'll be
back on that plane and up to christ Church from
Dunedin to commentate some rugby tomorrow. But as he said,
and as we always say in our industry, if you're
offered the opportunity to do something in the sports media industry,

(02:02:51):
you pretty much take that opportunity. Eight away from three
News Talk's.

Speaker 1 (02:02:54):
Headb breaking down the Hail Mary's and the every field
Weekend Sport with Jason nine News Talk zenby.

Speaker 2 (02:03:04):
Five to three Quick look at It to Weekend Sport tomorrow.
Just after midday, Mark Mitchell, the Minister for Sport and Recreation,
joins us on the show. Will Central Government be pitching
in some money to get the America's cut back to Auckland?
That and other questions around big events and how keen
Central government is on helping get those big sporting events
into New Zealand. Gary Stead's on the show coach of

(02:03:26):
the black Caps headed tomorrow night's Champions Trophy final against India,
and lots more besides tomorrow, including lots of your contributions
to Tim Beverage on the show after or on the
radio after three o'clock with the Weekend Collective. Thank you
for listening in huge thanks to Andy McDonald for pulling
the show together as per usual. Your reward, as per
usual is the exit song.

Speaker 25 (02:03:46):
Yeah my pleasure, Piney, and the exit sign today is
Shania Twain. I feel like man, I feel like a woman.
Obviously International Women's Day, so happy International Women's Day to
you Piney and everyone, particularly to women though that's the
important thing.

Speaker 2 (02:04:00):
I think a very good choice of song. We'll have
the last little bit of it as we celebrate Women's
Day and we will see tomorrow midday bucking.

Speaker 13 (02:04:08):
Up by.

Speaker 12 (02:04:22):
Man She Live warmer.

Speaker 1 (02:04:39):
Y for more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine. Listen
live to news talks it be weekends from midday, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio