April 18, 2025 • 7 mins
The Highlanders are in a scrap for a position in the Super Rugby finals.
Piney had a midseason catchup with their CEO Roger Clark, to break down how the season’s been tracking.
“All the games we've played this year, we've been pretty close, we just haven't finished the big moment.”
“If we want to be part of the playoff contention, we're gonna need to start finishing those big moments.”
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from news Talk ZEDB over.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
This weekend and next to catch up with some of
the CEOs from Super Rugby franchises around New Zealand. Highland
Is CEO Roger Clark joins us on Weekend Sport. Roger,
let's start on the field as we speak your seventh
I went over the drool last weekend snapping a four
game losing streak. So how do you evaluate where the
team is on the field? First of all, with six
(00:34):
games to go?
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Oh, I think that's a bit of a tough one, Jason.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
At the moment, as you know, all teams that I
think third to tenth, there's only eight points difference, So
I think I don't think there's a lot in it.
All the games we've played this year, we've been pretty close.
We just haven't finished the big moment. So if we
want to be part of the playoff contention, we're going
to need to start finishing those big moments.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
And you know, we've got some big challenges of the.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
Next couple of weeks with some local derbies, and then
it'll be a good test for this young group.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
The new Zealand Derby's have always been tough, but have
you noticed a lift and competitiveness in games against the
Pacific Island sides and the Australian sides this year as well?
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Well, I think we all have.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
I think it depending an awesome competition really because the jeopardy
and the competition has been so high. As I said,
we know the Australian teams were taking the rebels out.
The Australian teams have through tremendously. They've all got very
good coaches. And yeah, we're known in the difference, the difference,
(01:42):
as I said, we've we've lost every game against an
Australian team, not by March, but and all you look
at them and all say, all winnable. But I mean
that's great for them because they were the games they
were losing in the past.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Are you happy with your decision to move Jamie Joseph
into the head coaching role this season?
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Ah?
Speaker 4 (02:02):
You look, I think you don't leave a great coach
like me on the sidelines. And he is a head
coach and Clart Germany's flourishing under his leadership. It would
be good for Clark and it's good for Jamie and
it's really good for the club and we will see
the impact of that over the next couple of years.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
I guess they could have been a slightly challenging conversation
to have with Clark Deermody. Did he respond to it
pretty well.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
Well?
Speaker 4 (02:31):
I think if we put it in context, when Tony
Brown left, we were keen to keep a local person involved,
and so Doom's was somebody that, you know, it was
a natural progression, but it wasn't a natural job shift,
and it wasn't.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Something that he was after.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Something he did because we asked him to as a
club and we needed him to do that at that stage.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
So I think Dooms will be the first to.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Let everyone know that he did a great job. You know,
he did the best he could possibly do. But at
the end of the day, and he wasn't in a
job that he wanted to do. He was there because
we asked him.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
To do it.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Rogie, I mean, let's talk about players. You have fewer
all blacks than any of the other New Zealand franchises.
How difficult is it still to attract players to the Highlanders.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
I think it's always been challenged, Jason, but it's I
think in the past, it used to be through university
and that's the way it is now. We've built up
I think forty eight percent of our squad have come
through the High Perporte program we set up five years ago.
Hence why the average age of the teams so young.
But our jobs to credle blicks. You know, we had
(03:48):
one last year, like to think we'll have three or
four this year. In about three or four years time,
we'll have seven or eight. And if I look back
at twenty fifteen, we had nothing and then we had
seven or eight and that's what won us a championship.
So our job for New Zealand Rugby, as much as
the club is to credle blacks and the only way
to do that is to build with from him. So
(04:08):
you're never going to and we don't want to bring
all black down into our environment. We want to grow them.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
How how happy are you and what are the key
the key planks of your of your high performance system,
your academy program that that is producing plaiyers of that caliber.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
Well, it's it's looking at players that want to come
down to university. I mean, our point of difference in
our region is our university it's one of the best,
and not only the country, but one of the best
in austral Asia.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
And so.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
People that want to come to university then we give
them the same opportunity they get anywhere else around, you know,
like the opportunities to play. And if I look at
a young guy, you know, let's say Josh keen Blad,
who's the New Zealand twenties lot, wants to go to university,
really wanted to go to Otaga.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
A little bit like the old days, Jason, when you know.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
The Jamie Joseph and Jeff Wilson came down to Otaga
University all came up and you've skated.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
Except these days you've got to put a rugby offer.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
With it as well, to show them that they're not
only going to be able to do their degree, finish
their tertiary qualifications, but we're also going to develop them
as rugby plasing and show them that we can get them.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Into the orblis.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
And if I look at at a guy like Fabian Holland,
he's probably a head of the curve and he's a.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Guy i'd like to think we'll be in the orbits shortly.
But has done that come down and he'll have finished
three years of university by the end of this year.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
So that's the sort of thing we're trying to do
and that's the basis for our.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
High Performance Broager.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Are there any other challenges you face as Highland as
CEO that you believe are specific to you compared to
the other New Zealand based CEOs.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
No, I don't think so, Jason.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
I think the model, the sports model, was a really
challenging one for everybody, and everybody has their point of
difference in their regions. I mean, I think of us now,
we talked about a high performance program being based there
in the university.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
One of the biggest points of difference in and our
fan for our fans is our zoo, which is student based.
Speaker 4 (06:19):
Again, so I think we all have challenges, but we
all have to create. We'll use the resources we've got
in our region the best we can. But the commercial
challenge is probably a tough one for everybody. And it's
not just like you've seen the stories right across austral
Asia and then across the world, there's not too many
(06:39):
sporting clubs, sporting franchises around the world that are fiscally doing.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Really well even given that, you feel optimistic about the
future of the Highlanders and of Super Rugby.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
Yeah, look, I think that I do because I look
at this would be the best competition I've been involved,
and I've been involved for a long time. The audiences
are up tremendously, both at game I think twenty one percent,
up at game broadcast in Australia.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
At thirty percent and in New Zealand twelve percent.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
That are incredible numbers and what that does is drive
commercial growth and that's what we've seen. So from a
sponsorship perspective, it's higher than it's ever been in the
clubs and growing.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
So look, I think the interest in the game and the.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
Fact that the competition at the moment is awesome is
what's giving me that optimism.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
Jason.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
All right, well, it's great to get the chance to
chat to you over Easter weekend. Roger, thank you for
taking the time. I already do appreciate it. All the
best for the rest of the season. Tough running for
your boys with a few Derby's coming, but we look
forward to seeing how they go for the rest of
twenty twenty five.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
Now, looking forward to it. Thanks very much, Jason.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Now, thanks for your time Roger Roger Clark, CEO of
the Highlanders.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, Listen live
to news talks b weekends from midday, or follow the
podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from news Talk ZEDB over.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
This weekend and next to catch up with some of
the CEOs from Super Rugby franchises around New Zealand. Highland
Is CEO Roger Clark joins us on Weekend Sport. Roger,
let's start on the field as we speak your seventh
I went over the drool last weekend snapping a four
game losing streak. So how do you evaluate where the
team is on the field? First of all, with six
(00:34):
games to go?
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Oh, I think that's a bit of a tough one, Jason.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
At the moment, as you know, all teams that I
think third to tenth, there's only eight points difference, So
I think I don't think there's a lot in it.
All the games we've played this year, we've been pretty close.
We just haven't finished the big moment. So if we
want to be part of the playoff contention, we're going
to need to start finishing those big moments.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
And you know, we've got some big challenges of the.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
Next couple of weeks with some local derbies, and then
it'll be a good test for this young group.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
The new Zealand Derby's have always been tough, but have
you noticed a lift and competitiveness in games against the
Pacific Island sides and the Australian sides this year as well?
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Well, I think we all have.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
I think it depending an awesome competition really because the jeopardy
and the competition has been so high. As I said,
we know the Australian teams were taking the rebels out.
The Australian teams have through tremendously. They've all got very
good coaches. And yeah, we're known in the difference, the difference,
(01:42):
as I said, we've we've lost every game against an
Australian team, not by March, but and all you look
at them and all say, all winnable. But I mean
that's great for them because they were the games they
were losing in the past.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Are you happy with your decision to move Jamie Joseph
into the head coaching role this season?
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Ah?
Speaker 4 (02:02):
You look, I think you don't leave a great coach
like me on the sidelines. And he is a head
coach and Clart Germany's flourishing under his leadership. It would
be good for Clark and it's good for Jamie and
it's really good for the club and we will see
the impact of that over the next couple of years.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
I guess they could have been a slightly challenging conversation
to have with Clark Deermody. Did he respond to it
pretty well.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
Well?
Speaker 4 (02:31):
I think if we put it in context, when Tony
Brown left, we were keen to keep a local person involved,
and so Doom's was somebody that, you know, it was
a natural progression, but it wasn't a natural job shift,
and it wasn't.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Something that he was after.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Something he did because we asked him to as a
club and we needed him to do that at that stage.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
So I think Dooms will be the first to.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Let everyone know that he did a great job. You know,
he did the best he could possibly do. But at
the end of the day, and he wasn't in a
job that he wanted to do. He was there because
we asked him.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
To do it.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Rogie, I mean, let's talk about players. You have fewer
all blacks than any of the other New Zealand franchises.
How difficult is it still to attract players to the Highlanders.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
I think it's always been challenged, Jason, but it's I
think in the past, it used to be through university
and that's the way it is now. We've built up
I think forty eight percent of our squad have come
through the High Perporte program we set up five years ago.
Hence why the average age of the teams so young.
But our jobs to credle blicks. You know, we had
(03:48):
one last year, like to think we'll have three or
four this year. In about three or four years time,
we'll have seven or eight. And if I look back
at twenty fifteen, we had nothing and then we had
seven or eight and that's what won us a championship.
So our job for New Zealand Rugby, as much as
the club is to credle blacks and the only way
to do that is to build with from him. So
(04:08):
you're never going to and we don't want to bring
all black down into our environment. We want to grow them.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
How how happy are you and what are the key
the key planks of your of your high performance system,
your academy program that that is producing plaiyers of that caliber.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
Well, it's it's looking at players that want to come
down to university. I mean, our point of difference in
our region is our university it's one of the best,
and not only the country, but one of the best
in austral Asia.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
And so.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
People that want to come to university then we give
them the same opportunity they get anywhere else around, you know,
like the opportunities to play. And if I look at
a young guy, you know, let's say Josh keen Blad,
who's the New Zealand twenties lot, wants to go to university,
really wanted to go to Otaga.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
A little bit like the old days, Jason, when you know.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
The Jamie Joseph and Jeff Wilson came down to Otaga
University all came up and you've skated.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
Except these days you've got to put a rugby offer.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
With it as well, to show them that they're not
only going to be able to do their degree, finish
their tertiary qualifications, but we're also going to develop them
as rugby plasing and show them that we can get them.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Into the orblis.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
And if I look at at a guy like Fabian Holland,
he's probably a head of the curve and he's a.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Guy i'd like to think we'll be in the orbits shortly.
But has done that come down and he'll have finished
three years of university by the end of this year.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
So that's the sort of thing we're trying to do
and that's the basis for our.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
High Performance Broager.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Are there any other challenges you face as Highland as
CEO that you believe are specific to you compared to
the other New Zealand based CEOs.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
No, I don't think so, Jason.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
I think the model, the sports model, was a really
challenging one for everybody, and everybody has their point of
difference in their regions. I mean, I think of us now,
we talked about a high performance program being based there
in the university.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
One of the biggest points of difference in and our
fan for our fans is our zoo, which is student based.
Speaker 4 (06:19):
Again, so I think we all have challenges, but we
all have to create. We'll use the resources we've got
in our region the best we can. But the commercial
challenge is probably a tough one for everybody. And it's
not just like you've seen the stories right across austral
Asia and then across the world, there's not too many
(06:39):
sporting clubs, sporting franchises around the world that are fiscally doing.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Really well even given that, you feel optimistic about the
future of the Highlanders and of Super Rugby.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
Yeah, look, I think that I do because I look
at this would be the best competition I've been involved,
and I've been involved for a long time. The audiences
are up tremendously, both at game I think twenty one percent,
up at game broadcast in Australia.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
At thirty percent and in New Zealand twelve percent.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
That are incredible numbers and what that does is drive
commercial growth and that's what we've seen. So from a
sponsorship perspective, it's higher than it's ever been in the
clubs and growing.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
So look, I think the interest in the game and the.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
Fact that the competition at the moment is awesome is
what's giving me that optimism.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
Jason.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
All right, well, it's great to get the chance to
chat to you over Easter weekend. Roger, thank you for
taking the time. I already do appreciate it. All the
best for the rest of the season. Tough running for
your boys with a few Derby's coming, but we look
forward to seeing how they go for the rest of
twenty twenty five.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
Now, looking forward to it. Thanks very much, Jason.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Now, thanks for your time Roger Roger Clark, CEO of
the Highlanders.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, Listen live
to news talks b weekends from midday, or follow the
podcast on iHeartRadio
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com