June 6, 2025 • 9 mins
With the Super Rugby Pacific playoffs upon us, questions have once again been raised about the format.
This year saw the introduction of the ‘lucky loser’ format, in which the three winners from the Qualifying Finals will be joined in the Semi-Finals by the highest-seeded losing team.
CEO Jack Mesley joined Piney to discuss the format, and how the regular season went from his perspective.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks, edb in.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
To Finals weekend and Super Rugby Pacific.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Back to Sibu rees and he boots it over the
South Brand stand and the Crusaders are through to the
semifinals and their almighty Hope playoff record remains thirty wins
of the Trots and Finals football at christ Church full
time thirty two place twelve.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Yeah, goodwin by the Crusaders last night. Always great to
get the chance to catch up with Super Rugby Pacific
CEO Jack Mesley. Now, Jack, you didn't come across for
this game. You're off to Canberra this afternoon to watch
the Brumbies against the Hurricanes tonight. You wisely chose, I
think anyway, not to be in a very chilly christ
News last night. You're happy to dodge that bullet.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
It was very cold, wasn't it. It looked it looked
very tough. I mean, I think the Crusaders fans had
got out there should should be congratulated because looking on
the TV, they were rugged up and they look like
they're about to go for go for a ski. You know,
I thought it was a great game. I mean, the
Crusaders were clinical in that first half and what to
(01:20):
turn around from last season to this. But the new stadium,
how good is that going to be down in in
christ Church? So that so that all those mad Cantabrian
fans don't have to sit out in the freeze in
the freezing cold.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Yeah, can't come quickly enough. I think everybody you talk
to in that part of the world says so, so
look forward to that next season. Before we look at
the games today and the finals in general. How happy
were you Jack with the way the regular season played
out in terms of the measures which are most important
to you.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
Yeah, we're really pleased with the season. I think all
teams should be congratulated, you know, for the for the
style of rugby and the closeness and competitiveness of the competition.
Probably the one that one stat that I think kind
of sums up the season was the fact that we've
you know, the number of points and the ladder between
(02:14):
first and last is the is the tightest it's been
since two thousand and four. So I think that sort
of tells the story largely about just how competitive it's been.
And the high Landers on the bottom were great and
had so many matches where they won a bonus point
for being within seven but just couldn't get enough wins. So,
(02:34):
you know, I think that that was really really pleasing
to see, and I think that's what we all sort
of experienced with with the closeness of games, the high
try scoring and closeness of ladder. So we're really pleased.
And that's all reflected in all of our our audience
data and our ten data, our digital data, which is
which is great.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
And the rugby that was being played. If a casual fan,
you know, dipped in and out of Super Rugby, you
reckon that'd be happy with what they saw game to game,
week to week.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
Yeah, I really think so. I mean I think that
that common nation of a high point, high points scored,
and closeness of of game was excellent. And then you know,
in terms of the style, we had high high try scoring,
we had really fast play ball in playtime was was
(03:24):
was really good as well. So you know, I think
as a as a casual observer, hopefully you watch some
grouping rugby and are coming coming back to Super Specific
more often.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
How happy have you been with the officiating?
Speaker 4 (03:38):
Oh? Really happy? Yeah, I think the guys have done
a great job, you know, we've we've made some decisions
around you know, their role is super important in in
getting the game going, in moving it forward quickly, and
I think they've done a great job in that, you know,
and in doing that, we've taken away some of their tools,
(03:59):
Like we've we've limited the ability of the TMO to
come in throughout the game. And in doing so, you know,
we know where we're not necessarily setting those guys up
for success all the time because they don't have all
the technology and interference at their fingertips. So with that,
you know, we accept sometimes clearly, like all of us,
(04:20):
we're not going to get it right one hundred percent
of the time. But I think I think it's very excellent.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
The finals format. There's been a bit of chat about this,
and now that we're here, probably the chat's got a
bit louder the fact that tonight's game between the Brumbies
and the Hurricanes could be in, if you want to
use a cliche, a dead rubber in some ways. If
the Chiefs beat the Blues, the Brumbies and the Hurricanes
both know they'll be playing next week in regardless of
what happens tonight. What's your what's your response to to
(04:46):
the you know, any any criticism of the finals format.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
Yeah, well, I mean I think, you know, like everything,
we will listen and we'll sit back at the end
of it and and do a few a full review. Yeah.
In terms of the scheduling of this weekend, we know
we had a difficult set of circumstances here in where
to play the Brumby's Canes match or when when to
(05:13):
play it. Sorry, you know, and there are a few
competing forces there. Friday night, the local rugby all got
moved to Friday night because of the long weekend in Australia.
So had we played it Friday night, we would have
been going up against the John I. Dent Cup and
all the local rugby. And then so had we played
(05:35):
it early Saturday, two thirty on a Saturday on a
long weekend in Australia, you know, we'd be playing it
in front of no one on television. So there's some
of the some of the kind of I guess tensions
of you know. We ultimately decided to try to put
it in front of as many people as we can,
but in doing so, we ran the possibility that it
(05:58):
may mean the less. It's not a dead rubber. Obviously,
who plays who's still important and where you play is important.
Some of the kind of tensions that were behind it,
and ultimately, you know, we made that call, but you know,
in practice, when we're when we're trying to run this
structure across multiple time zones, it is it is a
(06:20):
bit difficult, and we don't have all the all the
freedom that we would like with that obviously.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
So just to confirm Jack the finals format and having
the six teams that that was to guarantee an extra
game on weekend one of the finals, is that right,
it's to play.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
Yeah, it's just to maximize the amount of premium content
in the maximum amount of locations throughout throughout that final series.
So you know, we've only got a nineteen week competition.
We have two buys for every team. You know, in
some ways it's counterintuitive to then be resting out their
(06:57):
teams at the most important team at the time of
the year. So I think that's some of the some
of the theory behind it. You know, that's that's kind
of where where we needed out as to this final series.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
All right, And just a quick look ahead the next season.
You mentioned christ Church Stadium before all reports have it
ready sort of March April time next year for action,
but a chat about a possible Super Round in Canterbury,
anything you can tell us.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
Jack, Yeah, we're working really hard to make that a reality.
So I think it'd be, you know, such a great
event to bring all of super rugby down to christ
Church to help open that amazing stadium. So yeah, we're
working hard on that. We're working hard with a number
(07:44):
of government bodies to make that a reality and we
really hope that things can come off and that we
can announce that soon. It would be you know, it
had been around the ANZAC weekend as well, which I
think would just be a fantastic event.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
I will book my tickets tentatively to be there for that, Jack,
because I know you will as well. Congratulations on getting
us the finals weekend. Yeah, I think by most measures,
by all measures, it's been a terrific season for viewers,
so spectators for listeners to this show anyway. Always good
to catch up mate, Let's do it again before the
Grand Final.
Speaker 4 (08:19):
Yeah, that'd be great, pony, thanks mate, and yeah, looking
forward to the games of Afternoon who have you got.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Well, I mean I'm a Hurricanes fan, so I've got
you know, I've got in camera where you are. I
don't expect you to chair for my Hurricanes, but that's
how I've got and look I much as Yeah. I
just don't see anybody beating the Chiefs in Hamilton. I
just can't see it. I don't know what you think
of me the Blues. I think if anybody was going
to beat them, it might be the Blues. But I
don't know. I've got the Chiefs, what about you.
Speaker 4 (08:45):
Yeah, I think it's a good match up. Actually, I think, yeah,
the Blues are probably one of the few sides that
could do it. So yeah, we look forward to kick
off this afternoon DWN in Hamilton and then and then
in Canberra following.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Good stuff. Great to check Jack, Thanks for your time,
Thanks Pony, Thanks Jack, Jack Messli super Rigby Pacific CEO
joining us. That is new information think about christ Church,
isn't it. In terms of super Round, I hadn't heard that.
I'd heard it rumored, As I said to Jack Measley there,
I'd heard rumors that they want to bring super Round back.
You know, they had it in Melbourne. Never going to
(09:18):
work there, right, never going to work there. Didn't have
it this year, but from what Jack just said then
they are keen to have it back and are targeting
the new Stadium in christ Church for Super Round and
twenty twenty six across a Zach weekend. How good would
that be?
Speaker 1 (09:38):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine. Listen live
to News Talk Said 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 in.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
To Finals weekend and Super Rugby Pacific.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Back to Sibu rees and he boots it over the
South Brand stand and the Crusaders are through to the
semifinals and their almighty Hope playoff record remains thirty wins
of the Trots and Finals football at christ Church full
time thirty two place twelve.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Yeah, goodwin by the Crusaders last night. Always great to
get the chance to catch up with Super Rugby Pacific
CEO Jack Mesley. Now, Jack, you didn't come across for
this game. You're off to Canberra this afternoon to watch
the Brumbies against the Hurricanes tonight. You wisely chose, I
think anyway, not to be in a very chilly christ
News last night. You're happy to dodge that bullet.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
It was very cold, wasn't it. It looked it looked
very tough. I mean, I think the Crusaders fans had
got out there should should be congratulated because looking on
the TV, they were rugged up and they look like
they're about to go for go for a ski. You know,
I thought it was a great game. I mean, the
Crusaders were clinical in that first half and what to
(01:20):
turn around from last season to this. But the new stadium,
how good is that going to be down in in
christ Church? So that so that all those mad Cantabrian
fans don't have to sit out in the freeze in
the freezing cold.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Yeah, can't come quickly enough. I think everybody you talk
to in that part of the world says so, so
look forward to that next season. Before we look at
the games today and the finals in general. How happy
were you Jack with the way the regular season played
out in terms of the measures which are most important
to you.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
Yeah, we're really pleased with the season. I think all
teams should be congratulated, you know, for the for the
style of rugby and the closeness and competitiveness of the competition.
Probably the one that one stat that I think kind
of sums up the season was the fact that we've
you know, the number of points and the ladder between
(02:14):
first and last is the is the tightest it's been
since two thousand and four. So I think that sort
of tells the story largely about just how competitive it's been.
And the high Landers on the bottom were great and
had so many matches where they won a bonus point
for being within seven but just couldn't get enough wins. So,
(02:34):
you know, I think that that was really really pleasing
to see, and I think that's what we all sort
of experienced with with the closeness of games, the high
try scoring and closeness of ladder. So we're really pleased.
And that's all reflected in all of our our audience
data and our ten data, our digital data, which is
which is great.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
And the rugby that was being played. If a casual fan,
you know, dipped in and out of Super Rugby, you
reckon that'd be happy with what they saw game to game,
week to week.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
Yeah, I really think so. I mean I think that
that common nation of a high point, high points scored,
and closeness of of game was excellent. And then you know,
in terms of the style, we had high high try scoring,
we had really fast play ball in playtime was was
(03:24):
was really good as well. So you know, I think
as a as a casual observer, hopefully you watch some
grouping rugby and are coming coming back to Super Specific
more often.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
How happy have you been with the officiating?
Speaker 4 (03:38):
Oh? Really happy? Yeah, I think the guys have done
a great job, you know, we've we've made some decisions
around you know, their role is super important in in
getting the game going, in moving it forward quickly, and
I think they've done a great job in that, you know,
and in doing that, we've taken away some of their tools,
(03:59):
Like we've we've limited the ability of the TMO to
come in throughout the game. And in doing so, you know,
we know where we're not necessarily setting those guys up
for success all the time because they don't have all
the technology and interference at their fingertips. So with that,
you know, we accept sometimes clearly, like all of us,
(04:20):
we're not going to get it right one hundred percent
of the time. But I think I think it's very excellent.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
The finals format. There's been a bit of chat about this,
and now that we're here, probably the chat's got a
bit louder the fact that tonight's game between the Brumbies
and the Hurricanes could be in, if you want to
use a cliche, a dead rubber in some ways. If
the Chiefs beat the Blues, the Brumbies and the Hurricanes
both know they'll be playing next week in regardless of
what happens tonight. What's your what's your response to to
(04:46):
the you know, any any criticism of the finals format.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
Yeah, well, I mean I think, you know, like everything,
we will listen and we'll sit back at the end
of it and and do a few a full review. Yeah.
In terms of the scheduling of this weekend, we know
we had a difficult set of circumstances here in where
to play the Brumby's Canes match or when when to
(05:13):
play it. Sorry, you know, and there are a few
competing forces there. Friday night, the local rugby all got
moved to Friday night because of the long weekend in Australia.
So had we played it Friday night, we would have
been going up against the John I. Dent Cup and
all the local rugby. And then so had we played
(05:35):
it early Saturday, two thirty on a Saturday on a
long weekend in Australia, you know, we'd be playing it
in front of no one on television. So there's some
of the some of the kind of I guess tensions
of you know. We ultimately decided to try to put
it in front of as many people as we can,
but in doing so, we ran the possibility that it
(05:58):
may mean the less. It's not a dead rubber. Obviously,
who plays who's still important and where you play is important.
Some of the kind of tensions that were behind it,
and ultimately, you know, we made that call, but you know,
in practice, when we're when we're trying to run this
structure across multiple time zones, it is it is a
(06:20):
bit difficult, and we don't have all the all the
freedom that we would like with that obviously.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
So just to confirm Jack the finals format and having
the six teams that that was to guarantee an extra
game on weekend one of the finals, is that right,
it's to play.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
Yeah, it's just to maximize the amount of premium content
in the maximum amount of locations throughout throughout that final series.
So you know, we've only got a nineteen week competition.
We have two buys for every team. You know, in
some ways it's counterintuitive to then be resting out their
(06:57):
teams at the most important team at the time of
the year. So I think that's some of the some
of the theory behind it. You know, that's that's kind
of where where we needed out as to this final series.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
All right, And just a quick look ahead the next season.
You mentioned christ Church Stadium before all reports have it
ready sort of March April time next year for action,
but a chat about a possible Super Round in Canterbury,
anything you can tell us.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
Jack, Yeah, we're working really hard to make that a reality.
So I think it'd be, you know, such a great
event to bring all of super rugby down to christ
Church to help open that amazing stadium. So yeah, we're
working hard on that. We're working hard with a number
(07:44):
of government bodies to make that a reality and we
really hope that things can come off and that we
can announce that soon. It would be you know, it
had been around the ANZAC weekend as well, which I
think would just be a fantastic event.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
I will book my tickets tentatively to be there for that, Jack,
because I know you will as well. Congratulations on getting
us the finals weekend. Yeah, I think by most measures,
by all measures, it's been a terrific season for viewers,
so spectators for listeners to this show anyway. Always good
to catch up mate, Let's do it again before the
Grand Final.
Speaker 4 (08:19):
Yeah, that'd be great, pony, thanks mate, and yeah, looking
forward to the games of Afternoon who have you got.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Well, I mean I'm a Hurricanes fan, so I've got
you know, I've got in camera where you are. I
don't expect you to chair for my Hurricanes, but that's
how I've got and look I much as Yeah. I
just don't see anybody beating the Chiefs in Hamilton. I
just can't see it. I don't know what you think
of me the Blues. I think if anybody was going
to beat them, it might be the Blues. But I
don't know. I've got the Chiefs, what about you.
Speaker 4 (08:45):
Yeah, I think it's a good match up. Actually, I think, yeah,
the Blues are probably one of the few sides that
could do it. So yeah, we look forward to kick
off this afternoon DWN in Hamilton and then and then
in Canberra following.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Good stuff. Great to check Jack, Thanks for your time,
Thanks Pony, Thanks Jack, Jack Messli super Rigby Pacific CEO
joining us. That is new information think about christ Church,
isn't it. In terms of super Round, I hadn't heard that.
I'd heard it rumored, As I said to Jack Measley there,
I'd heard rumors that they want to bring super Round back.
You know, they had it in Melbourne. Never going to
(09:18):
work there, right, never going to work there. Didn't have
it this year, but from what Jack just said then
they are keen to have it back and are targeting
the new Stadium in christ Church for Super Round and
twenty twenty six across a Zach weekend. How good would
that be?
Speaker 1 (09:38):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine. Listen live
to News Talk Said B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
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