Perspective with Ryan Bridge: Let the Jennie Wyllie saga be a warning to sports PR professionals

A quick Christmas message to all the PR people advising sports people and sporting organisations - could you please start talking?

The less you talk, the dodgier you look.

Stop hiding your CEOS and board chairs under bushes in the hope scandals and poor decisions will be overlooked and forgotten and swept under the carpet. Because if 2025 has taught us anything, it's that they won't and they don't.

Jennie Wyllie is gone from Netball NZ. No surprises there.

There'll be no surprises either when half the board follows her out the door. They'll be lining that up as we speak with announcements to come soon, I would've thought.

But, like cricket, we've got the top dog at a top sporting body disappearing before Christmas without a once-over in the press from their higher-ups. Because Matt Whineray is not fronting this. He's clearly on holiday somewhere.

In the world of American football right now, much is being made of Travis Kelce's media management. He refused to do interviews post-match because they lost. Yes that's TayTay's boyfriend, and yes that's the Kansas City Chiefs. They've won a couple of Super Bowls recently. Now they're not even going to make the playoffs.

So he's upset, obviously, and doesn't wanna talk to pesky journos. And I get that. I understand that. They're athletes, they're emotional, they're up and down like a yo-yo.

But when something goes down in the business of sport, in my view - you should front it in the same way as a regular company CEO or a politician would.

The fans are the voters, the shareholders. And they deserve some respect. Respect is shown through communication and right now, they're getting the corporate equivalent of the middle finger.

And all of this is made worse by the fact that this is what got them into this mess to begin with with Dame Noels.

They didn't front. When they did, they didn't say anything. And then the mood reached fever pitch, almost every single Silver Fern who'd ever donned a bib came out and had their say, even the Government stepped in.

Then, finally, things changed.

One of the reasons I love netball as a sport is because of the straight-up, hard-as-nails personalities that tend to dominate it. They're no nonsense and they're straight up the guts.

Management ought to take a leaf out of their book.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Quick little message, Christmas message, if you will, to all
the PR people out there, advising sports people and sporting organizations,
could you please start talking like now. The less you talk,
the dodgier you look. Stop hiding your CEOs and your
board chairs under bushes and the hope that scandals and
poor decisions will be overlooked and forgotten and swept under

(00:22):
the carpet. Because if twenty twenty five has taught us anything,
it's that they won't and they don't. Jenny Wiley is
gone from Netball New Zealand. No surprises there, and there'll
be no surprises either when half the board probably follows
her out the door. They'll be lining that up as
we speak, with announcements to come soon. I would have thought,
but like cricket, we've got the top dog at a

(00:44):
top sporting body disappearing before Christmas without a once over
and the press from their higher ups. Matt Winner Ray
is not fronting on this. Jenny's gone, Winner Rays apparently,
I don't know, clearly on holiday somewhere somewhere, not here.
In the world of American football. Right now, much is
being made of Travis Kelcey's media management. He's refused to

(01:06):
do a bunch of interviews postmatch because well, they lost
a game. Yes that's Taita's boyfriend for those who are interested,
and yes that's the Kansas City Chiefs. They've won a
few Super Bowls recently of late, and now they're not
even going to make the playoffs. So he's upset. Obviously
doesn't want to talk to pesky journos. And I get that.
I understand that because they're athletes, they're emotional, they're up

(01:31):
and down like a yo yo. But when something goes
down in the business of sport, in my view, you
should front it in the same way as a regular
company CEO or a politician would. The fans are the voters,
the shareholders, and they deserve some respect. Respect is shown
through communication, and right now they are getting the corporate

(01:53):
equivalent of a middle finger. And all of this is
made worse by the fact that this is what got
them into them has to begin with with Dame Knowles.
They didn't front. When they did, they didn't say anything,
and then the mood reached fever pitched and almost every
single silver fern whodever donned a bib came out and
had their say through their five cents into the bucket.

(02:16):
Then the government steps in, then finally things changed. One
of the reasons I quite like netball, in fact that
one of the reasons I love netball and watching it
and following it as a sport is because of the
straight up, hard as Nail's personalities that tend to dominate it.
They're no nonsense, they straight up the guts, and I
think management ought to take a leaf out of their book.

(02:40):
For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to
news Talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.