The Country 08/08/25: Hamish McKay talks to Jamie Mackay

McKay on Sport. He talks about Richie Mo’unga and the renaissance of free-to-air sport.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Just a moment of panic here at the country HQ
couldn't find Hamish Mackay, I thought the useless s bugger.
I told him ten to ten to ten to one.
You can't let the family name down. But in true
MacKaye fashion, he came through. Hello, hay Mish, how.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
Are you, Jamie? Are you made? I'm fantastic. I'm actually
in Toup for today with the great team from Remains
Poor and down the rain of Desit roads about it now,
So I might not get back the fielding.

Speaker 1 (00:26):
Well you might not because you spent you're splitting your
time between Auckland and the Manure two where you're selling
real estate these days, and auctioneering and doing heaven knows
what else for Tremain's. How's it going.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
I couldn't be happier. In fact, I've just said to
be good mate C J. Christra Mayne and told him
how much I'm enjoying it actually, you know, and being
back in fielding, back in the man o Or two,
the field of Dreams just across from Paradise North and
the Manor were Two too much, you know, it's just brilliant.

Speaker 1 (00:54):
Yeah, okay, look mcmckaye on Sport. We'll have a look
at that, Richie Muwanga. You know, some people are winging
that he's that he's calling the tune, but he's the
sort of not once in a generation footballer. We've got
Damien mackenzie and Bowden Barrett who are both damned good
as well, but you if we want to win a
World Cup, we probably want him there as well.

Speaker 2 (01:17):
Exactly. You know, you know, look as good as Bowden
is at his absolute peaking, as good as you say
d mack and you know, you go back to we've
had very fine first five ahs. But this guy I
believe is integral to winning a World Cup and he is,
here's a Mick Jagger of rugby. You got to you
accommodate him, You put up with him. And I just

(01:38):
don't see how anybody could could winge about this because
I think that slowly but surely I was a jury,
was a bit outlast year. Raised is taking a while
to build this team. But if we're looking ahead to
a World Cup, he could still deliver some goods, you know,
And I just think it's a no brainer. And there
are certain players and he falls into that. Dan Carter,
Richie mccork on cano zone where you actually been over

(02:00):
backwards for them and do what it takes.

Speaker 1 (02:01):
Yeah, and I think Rays has been much more adventurous
this year. He was sort of en I was going
to say Ian Taylor from We'll Try n Foster two
point zero he had. He picked exactly the same team,
like picking this big raw bone bugger from Northland, Simon
Parker that I like him. We did Monsters, if we're
going to monster the spring Box.

Speaker 2 (02:22):
Yeah, I look I like him a lot. You know
park Oreckon and obviously probably would have been part of
the scene a bit earlier for you. Yeah, we need
to match like with like. And you know, even this
Leroy Carter that's appointed towards us having our own bomb
squad and having a guy that could play half back
ten cent a wing.

Speaker 1 (02:39):
So yeah, you know, you know what hamish with him.
I would start him on the All Blacks tomorrow on
the wing. He's better than what we've got, so.

Speaker 2 (02:49):
What at a pound for pound, Well, he's absolutely outstanding.
I mean, you know, I'll be lucky enough to be
back calling NPC in a couple of games last year
for Bayer Pride. I was like, what the hell wasn't
it getting it and it's good to see he's getting
the acknowledge. The same with Parker. No, I think they're
starting to really get it right, and it's just he's
not you know, it's not like the Jigs was missing

(03:09):
a piece, but he asked of the Jigsal.

Speaker 1 (03:11):
Okay, let's just wrap it with free to air sport.
Back in the day, of course, you were commentating. I
remember you commentating a Rugby World Cup for TV three
when it was free to air.

Speaker 2 (03:21):
That's right. I remember you doing some netball when I
was free to wear. If my memory says they're right, well,
you know, did I make that up somewhere along with.

Speaker 1 (03:28):
Me doing netball?

Speaker 2 (03:29):
Yeah? I remember?

Speaker 1 (03:30):
No, No, if that's that's the dodgy old mate Lee Piper,
he did the net that was.

Speaker 2 (03:35):
I wonder whether he dragged you along for that one.

Speaker 1 (03:37):
But I'm just no, okay, I don't know a goal
attack from a goal defense.

Speaker 2 (03:42):
Yeah, I reverse and retract entirely. Look, I just think
free to air sport is a lost leader for the sports.
It's good. I'm sorry to say this. It's nice to
get a bucket of money from pay TV for a sport,
but you've got to Actually, you think back to the
days and you were to love this the Tries World
crick in the early eighties. Everybody watched it. Who knows

(04:02):
we're playing at barbe at the moment you know nobody
and it's alvious. Think it's a great thing for a
net bought now for rugby. Let's let's embrace it a
little bit and maybe sponsors will come on board and
start paying for the coverage as opposed to the patvs
paying for it all. I think it's not a bad thing.

Speaker 1 (04:19):
Okay, Hamish, thanks very much for your time. There. We
go fill and host for the country, Hamish Mackay doing
a splendid job.