October 25, 2025 • 9 mins
Canterbury rugby coach Marty Bourke's hailing his team's culture and depth, after beating Otago in the NPC final in Christchurch.
They were down 14-10 at halftime, the Cantabs turned it around in the second spell to win 36-28.
Canterbury Rugby CEO Tony Smail unpacked the results further.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Afternoon at Apollo Project Stadium in christ.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Church, and there's Todd Kristian in the Northern stand, question
Apollo Complete, Chanterbury in the tenure and Apollo Projects Stadium
as champion.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Indeed they do with their victory over Otago yesterday afternoon.
The Canterbury Rugby CEO is Tony Smail. He joins us
now Tony good afternoon.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
Yeah, good afternoon earlier, wonderful day here in christ Church.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Well, I'm sure the celebrations have been in full swing
as well after what was a pretty special occasion yesterday too.
Speaker 5 (00:53):
Yeah, it was a reasonably late night later for some
than me, but I'm sure they'll go on for a
couple of days yet.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Yeah, pretty special occasion. Otago obviously the Southern Classic, the rivalry,
but the match delivered as well for a sold out crowd.
Speaker 5 (01:09):
Yeah, I mean, can't underestimate that crowd of blue and
gold and red and black. It was just a magnificent occasion.
And the two teams have played a pretty a pretty
crowd for.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
Endly style of rugby all year, so couldn't have had
a bit of final.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
It was right in the balance. Of course, later on,
how you as a CEO feeling with the game of
the balance.
Speaker 5 (01:32):
I'm generally pretty good, but I knew yesterday it would
be a little bit different, so I did spend a
bit of time pacing up and down.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
How do you bottle that? I guess for the NPC
what we saw yesterday, eighteen thousand fans and the Sunshine
and christ Church supporting, they had seen plenty of passion
in the stands as well. How do we bottle that
as a rugby country for future NPCs?
Speaker 5 (01:55):
Yeah, well, I think that the thing is the NBC's
built on those rivalries, doesn't it, and they stand the
test of time. We've been going over one hundred years.
Those passions still exist. So it's it's up to us
as leaders in our game to make sure we keep
that alive. What was the magic bullet?
Speaker 4 (02:15):
You just? I think.
Speaker 5 (02:17):
What can and what our organization has prided itself on
this year is trying to connect back to those fans
to make sure that we're at the part of the game.
And yeah, it's just an awesome occasion yesterday.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Yeah, speaking to it Tiger as well, they talked about connection.
Do you feel that maybe it's been lost over the
last few years and now it's important to restore that
that local connection.
Speaker 5 (02:39):
I think that the break off COVID definitely put it
into that and it is if you've watched the NBC
for the last couple of years, all of the unions
have made it a focus of trying to connect, making
sure that connection is strong. So it has it's not
by accident, it's been deliberate and we've just got to
keep doing it.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
You would have seen Tom Christy up close for it
for a number of years. Now what does he mean
to Canterbury and look you put in a heck of
it before once again yesterday and that final and his
last game for the side before he heads up to
the Northern Hemisphere.
Speaker 5 (03:12):
Yeah, like pretty special for Tom. We started off with
Collen as our captain, who only lasted one game I
think maybe two, maybe even only one. But Tom stepped
up and when he said about his journey for this season,
it was so important and you could tell to him
just giving back to Canterbury and then it being there
(03:35):
last season at that stadium, it just meant everything to
him personally and he watch his performances over the whole season,
being absolutely outstanding and a great leader. The boys love
it and I couldn't ask for more from the.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Man mentioned that stadium obviously a temporary one, but for
players like Tom Christie and you know most of all
this generation really it's all the Nolan Apollo Projects stadium.
So how important was it to sign off with a
victory like that?
Speaker 5 (04:05):
Were the Yes, most of those players have only played
at that stadium, so they know nothing different. For Canterbury
we set out in theme in the organizations theme that
this year was all about signing off at Apollo as
we head to one New Zealand stadium. So it became
a key part of the whole campaign and for ourselves
(04:26):
as an organization it served us well. But boy, we
are looking forward to what the new one will bring.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
I was going to say, will will you miss it?
Or you quite content to be heading to that new
stadium which every time I'm in christ Church looks like
it's coming along very very nicely.
Speaker 5 (04:40):
Yeah, it has been in a couple of times to
have a lock and it's looking magnificent. But I can't
underestimate how good that stadium has been particularly for NPC.
The fact of if you remember Lancaster Park, it was
one of the old round stadiums who played cricket in it.
This is a rectangular stadium. The team is up close
(05:03):
to our closest fans and they both I love it.
The fans like being close to the action and the
players love being close to the fans. So it's actually
served us really well. And if you look at the
design of the new stadium, it's it's for rugby and
football and all the other rectangular codes. There will be
no cricket in it, so it's going to be magnificent.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
How will you approach that new stadium as an MPC side,
because it is bigger than a polyprojects stadium, the more capacity,
how do you approach that? I guess given the challenges
around getting in PC crowds, although used today was a
fantastic crowd obviously, have you thought about how you might
approach that?
Speaker 5 (05:41):
You know, we definitely have and we talked about it
at the game with all the people who are there.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
We will have.
Speaker 5 (05:47):
An accessible, an accessible entry point into that stadium and
our plan is to encourage and join as much of
the community as we can, so that absolutely we know
it's sitting there and it's coming at us. It is bigger,
but we have a deliberate pain to make sure that
anyone who will to come to this stadium and be
(06:08):
a part of that action will encourage it.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Marty Burke's final game is Canterbury coach as well before
he takes on other challenges. What's he been able to
do with this very young team? And you know MPC
is often and your players come in and change every year,
you have to change and remold the team. How important
has he been in connecting these players together?
Speaker 5 (06:31):
Yeah, Marty, Marty and his wife Kate just been magnificent
supporters of the game, is what I would say. Marty
has Mardy shares similar views to myself. The game is
about our community and making sure we build that connection
to it. So it was quite a perfect alignment. But
he he has spent his time in the community game.
(06:52):
He's out there with the club coaches, making himself visible
and that's that's pretty important in the job that I
need to do, which has encouraged people into the game.
We need to be Canaby Rugby needs to be seen
out there and so Marty brought that not only to
the rugby community but also to the fans.
Speaker 4 (07:10):
So just been magnificent.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
How will you go about replacing him for twenty twenty
six and beyond.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
Well, we're undertaking the reviews.
Speaker 5 (07:19):
They'll start next week and then we will be formerly
out in the market seeking applications for a head coach.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Tony Smail Canniby CEO with us. Tony, look, let's talk
the important question the mascot race, Larry the Lamb. That
was quite the effort from your mascot to win that
mascot race yesterday. You must be pretty proud to add
that title to the province as well.
Speaker 5 (07:42):
Absolutely, we haven't. We haven't performed very well in that
in recent years. But just magnificent.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
I'm hearing all sorts of rumors. I'm hearing rumors Tony
about who might have been in that suit. Can you
confirm clarify anything for us this afternoon.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
Well, just that the man had a bit of pace,
that's all I can say.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
He may have represented New Zealand maybe is that possibly.
Speaker 4 (08:07):
To be truthful?
Speaker 5 (08:08):
I actually don't know who it was, but what was
very clear was they were they were blessed with some speed.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
They certainly were well Tony enjoy the celebrations and congratulations
NPC champions for twenty twenty five. Well done. Thank you,
Tony Smile. Joining us on News Talk zeb you might've
heard last hour, James Maconie sugdu. I think it was
tiar Whelpdon the New Zealand sprinter in that suit. If
you did see the mascot race yesterday, basically Larry the Lamb,
the Canterbury mascot, is about ten meters behind early on
(08:39):
and then just surges to the front and wins it
with about no one within thirty meters of them. Maybe
a little bit more could be t r Weldon. If
it was tiarnt we saw what a if of that is.
But I'm not sure they should be substituting next year.
We're gonna have someone's gonna try and get Usain bolt down,
aren't they. Next year one of the big unions might
(09:03):
be Auckland, maybe North Harbor. There'll be a way they
could get to when just get Usain bolts into the
mascot for the mascot race. Good fun none the less.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talks it B weekends from midday or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Afternoon at Apollo Project Stadium in christ.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Church, and there's Todd Kristian in the Northern stand, question
Apollo Complete, Chanterbury in the tenure and Apollo Projects Stadium
as champion.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Indeed they do with their victory over Otago yesterday afternoon.
The Canterbury Rugby CEO is Tony Smail. He joins us
now Tony good afternoon.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
Yeah, good afternoon earlier, wonderful day here in christ Church.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Well, I'm sure the celebrations have been in full swing
as well after what was a pretty special occasion yesterday too.
Speaker 5 (00:53):
Yeah, it was a reasonably late night later for some
than me, but I'm sure they'll go on for a
couple of days yet.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Yeah, pretty special occasion. Otago obviously the Southern Classic, the rivalry,
but the match delivered as well for a sold out crowd.
Speaker 5 (01:09):
Yeah, I mean, can't underestimate that crowd of blue and
gold and red and black. It was just a magnificent occasion.
And the two teams have played a pretty a pretty
crowd for.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
Endly style of rugby all year, so couldn't have had
a bit of final.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
It was right in the balance. Of course, later on,
how you as a CEO feeling with the game of
the balance.
Speaker 5 (01:32):
I'm generally pretty good, but I knew yesterday it would
be a little bit different, so I did spend a
bit of time pacing up and down.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
How do you bottle that? I guess for the NPC
what we saw yesterday, eighteen thousand fans and the Sunshine
and christ Church supporting, they had seen plenty of passion
in the stands as well. How do we bottle that
as a rugby country for future NPCs?
Speaker 5 (01:55):
Yeah, well, I think that the thing is the NBC's
built on those rivalries, doesn't it, and they stand the
test of time. We've been going over one hundred years.
Those passions still exist. So it's it's up to us
as leaders in our game to make sure we keep
that alive. What was the magic bullet?
Speaker 4 (02:15):
You just? I think.
Speaker 5 (02:17):
What can and what our organization has prided itself on
this year is trying to connect back to those fans
to make sure that we're at the part of the game.
And yeah, it's just an awesome occasion yesterday.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Yeah, speaking to it Tiger as well, they talked about connection.
Do you feel that maybe it's been lost over the
last few years and now it's important to restore that
that local connection.
Speaker 5 (02:39):
I think that the break off COVID definitely put it
into that and it is if you've watched the NBC
for the last couple of years, all of the unions
have made it a focus of trying to connect, making
sure that connection is strong. So it has it's not
by accident, it's been deliberate and we've just got to
keep doing it.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
You would have seen Tom Christy up close for it
for a number of years. Now what does he mean
to Canterbury and look you put in a heck of
it before once again yesterday and that final and his
last game for the side before he heads up to
the Northern Hemisphere.
Speaker 5 (03:12):
Yeah, like pretty special for Tom. We started off with
Collen as our captain, who only lasted one game I
think maybe two, maybe even only one. But Tom stepped
up and when he said about his journey for this season,
it was so important and you could tell to him
just giving back to Canterbury and then it being there
(03:35):
last season at that stadium, it just meant everything to
him personally and he watch his performances over the whole season,
being absolutely outstanding and a great leader. The boys love
it and I couldn't ask for more from the.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Man mentioned that stadium obviously a temporary one, but for
players like Tom Christie and you know most of all
this generation really it's all the Nolan Apollo Projects stadium.
So how important was it to sign off with a
victory like that?
Speaker 5 (04:05):
Were the Yes, most of those players have only played
at that stadium, so they know nothing different. For Canterbury
we set out in theme in the organizations theme that
this year was all about signing off at Apollo as
we head to one New Zealand stadium. So it became
a key part of the whole campaign and for ourselves
(04:26):
as an organization it served us well. But boy, we
are looking forward to what the new one will bring.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
I was going to say, will will you miss it?
Or you quite content to be heading to that new
stadium which every time I'm in christ Church looks like
it's coming along very very nicely.
Speaker 5 (04:40):
Yeah, it has been in a couple of times to
have a lock and it's looking magnificent. But I can't
underestimate how good that stadium has been particularly for NPC.
The fact of if you remember Lancaster Park, it was
one of the old round stadiums who played cricket in it.
This is a rectangular stadium. The team is up close
(05:03):
to our closest fans and they both I love it.
The fans like being close to the action and the
players love being close to the fans. So it's actually
served us really well. And if you look at the
design of the new stadium, it's it's for rugby and
football and all the other rectangular codes. There will be
no cricket in it, so it's going to be magnificent.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
How will you approach that new stadium as an MPC side,
because it is bigger than a polyprojects stadium, the more capacity,
how do you approach that? I guess given the challenges
around getting in PC crowds, although used today was a
fantastic crowd obviously, have you thought about how you might
approach that?
Speaker 5 (05:41):
You know, we definitely have and we talked about it
at the game with all the people who are there.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
We will have.
Speaker 5 (05:47):
An accessible, an accessible entry point into that stadium and
our plan is to encourage and join as much of
the community as we can, so that absolutely we know
it's sitting there and it's coming at us. It is bigger,
but we have a deliberate pain to make sure that
anyone who will to come to this stadium and be
(06:08):
a part of that action will encourage it.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Marty Burke's final game is Canterbury coach as well before
he takes on other challenges. What's he been able to
do with this very young team? And you know MPC
is often and your players come in and change every year,
you have to change and remold the team. How important
has he been in connecting these players together?
Speaker 5 (06:31):
Yeah, Marty, Marty and his wife Kate just been magnificent
supporters of the game, is what I would say. Marty
has Mardy shares similar views to myself. The game is
about our community and making sure we build that connection
to it. So it was quite a perfect alignment. But
he he has spent his time in the community game.
(06:52):
He's out there with the club coaches, making himself visible
and that's that's pretty important in the job that I
need to do, which has encouraged people into the game.
We need to be Canaby Rugby needs to be seen
out there and so Marty brought that not only to
the rugby community but also to the fans.
Speaker 4 (07:10):
So just been magnificent.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
How will you go about replacing him for twenty twenty
six and beyond.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
Well, we're undertaking the reviews.
Speaker 5 (07:19):
They'll start next week and then we will be formerly
out in the market seeking applications for a head coach.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Tony Smail Canniby CEO with us. Tony, look, let's talk
the important question the mascot race, Larry the Lamb. That
was quite the effort from your mascot to win that
mascot race yesterday. You must be pretty proud to add
that title to the province as well.
Speaker 5 (07:42):
Absolutely, we haven't. We haven't performed very well in that
in recent years. But just magnificent.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
I'm hearing all sorts of rumors. I'm hearing rumors Tony
about who might have been in that suit. Can you
confirm clarify anything for us this afternoon.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
Well, just that the man had a bit of pace,
that's all I can say.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
He may have represented New Zealand maybe is that possibly.
Speaker 4 (08:07):
To be truthful?
Speaker 5 (08:08):
I actually don't know who it was, but what was
very clear was they were they were blessed with some speed.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
They certainly were well Tony enjoy the celebrations and congratulations
NPC champions for twenty twenty five. Well done. Thank you,
Tony Smile. Joining us on News Talk zeb you might've
heard last hour, James Maconie sugdu. I think it was
tiar Whelpdon the New Zealand sprinter in that suit. If
you did see the mascot race yesterday, basically Larry the Lamb,
the Canterbury mascot, is about ten meters behind early on
(08:39):
and then just surges to the front and wins it
with about no one within thirty meters of them. Maybe
a little bit more could be t r Weldon. If
it was tiarnt we saw what a if of that is.
But I'm not sure they should be substituting next year.
We're gonna have someone's gonna try and get Usain bolt down,
aren't they. Next year one of the big unions might
(09:03):
be Auckland, maybe North Harbor. There'll be a way they
could get to when just get Usain bolts into the
mascot for the mascot race. Good fun none the less.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talks it B weekends from midday or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
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