July 5, 2024 • 10 mins
Anyone and everyone is descending on Dunedin for the All blacks' first test of the year...
...and that includes NZ Rugby boss Mark Robinson, who's in town to watch the match against England.
He joined D'Arcy Waldegrave on Sportstalk ahead of the match.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Darcy Wildergrave
from News Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
We're joined now by Mark Robinson, CEO of New Zealand Rugby.
As we look toward the start of what will be
and I keep using this word mark and epic season,
there is so much to look forward to. It really
is a clean slate, is it not. You must be
stoked to be talking about this, the rugby on the park,
(00:33):
the coaches, the players as opposed to any of that
administrative stuff that's basically been haunting endsit are for so long.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Hi Darcy, Yeah, and I'm great to be with the listeners. Yeah,
we are excited, you know. I'm down and got into
Dunedin on Wednesday night. The town's slowly filling up. It
feels like we've just come out of a few meetings
about to you know, get out and watch a bit
of training, what you say, and get around the rugby
and cap checking with our team. So Louis are really excited.
(01:03):
This is an amazing series to start off for a
new regime of of of management and raises tenure as
coach and also for the exciting new talent was' see
comes through as well. And then you extend into the season.
I'm sure you want to talk about the the other
things we're doing in the States and Ruggy Championship as well,
and any of your tour is a massive, massive tour
with the my tenor we have so lots to lots
(01:26):
to look forward to and get excited about for the punters.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
So how complicit have you been with the actual players
and the coaching stuff. Do you get in and maybe
you have a chat or the contribute any think or
is it a case of I'm just going to stay
well away from you guys on what you call the
fish head, I've got no place.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Well, yeah, I guess having been a former player, I
understand you know what the environments are like pretty well. Look,
I spent a little bit of time here and there
that the team has some social connection times through the
through the week, I try to get into that. I
catch up with the management occasionally if they have a
weekly dinner, I'll pop my head in and obviously with them,
(02:05):
you know, after the games, and try to get to
the odd training. So yeah, I try to be around
where I can, Darcy, but certainly certainly not in any
way other than being supportive in general and you know,
just just being around to show that we really care
and are riding behind this group. Certainly, no advice on
selection tactics or anything like that. I'm well pasted that
and my technical rugby knowledge. Now when I listen to
(02:27):
you know, some of these guys talk about it, it
truly feels like a different game from my day. But
definitely there to support them and make sure they've got
everything they need to succeed.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Must be great now that Scott Robinson's actually in the seats.
Mark Robinson, it's been a long time and he's been waiting.
There were issues around the way he was appointed, but
that is revision mirror stuff. Now it's all about looking
to what Scott can do in this role. He's been
in front of the media, now he's sleeped at a
squad and his team. How satisfied are you with the
way he's handled what is a pretty explosive start to
(02:58):
the season before I've even played today.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Oh, look, he's done an outstanding job coming in. If
you go back to the end of last year, he
obviously spent time with the board and stakeholders before Christmas,
set out a bit of a plan and a vision
for how he was going to take the role on
and how he saw the leadership of the All Blacks
into this year. You know, him and I have spent
(03:22):
a bit of time in the Northern Hemisphere with our partners.
Again he's been very open and accessible around the media
without sort of diminishing the airtime that we needed to
create to give to Super Rugby, you know, to be
a really prominent competition as it has been in a
really strong success and you know, I guess as the
start of the English series has gotten closer, he's really
(03:43):
narrative focus around as you say, selection and preparation and
getting team ready, which he should do. So I look,
we're really really happy. You look at the way him
and his team are integrating across all of our national teams.
It's really outstanding. We've had Leon and Jace Ryan away
with the twenties during the Rugby Championship. Great result from them,
(04:04):
you know, overnight beating France in a big match in
South Africa. So he's seeing some of the benefits of
that alignment coming through that. Others other of those coaches
in with the sevens teams as well. So lots of alignment,
lots of connection which raise, the talks about a lot
and a lot of work to make sure the rugby
(04:24):
side of the program is really well joined up. So
looking forward to seeing them get out there now, and
I think the whole country is and that's really exciting
to us.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
You said regime, interesting choice of words for Razor. How
has this changed from what you can see under and
I won't say regime, but under Ian Foster's control. Has
there been any market difference in the way this has
been handled, approached, looked after? Have you moved forward from
that last coaching group?
Speaker 3 (04:51):
Oh? Look, I think you know the way you framed
it before, Darcy. You know, people know about the background
of that, and we are focused on going forward. But
a lot of the stuff I've described and raises six
months has been really energizing for the organization and the game,
and I think a lot of our stakeholders, the way
they've engaged with Super Rugby, the way they've engaged with
the media. You know, we're focusing on them now and
(05:14):
it's their time and we have a huge amount of
respect for the people that have gone before, both on
and off the field, around the All Blacks over a
large period of time, and that will always be the case,
but this is the evolution of the team and the
environment and as I say, we're looking forward to really
supporting them make the most of their journey.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
You touched Mark Robinson on Super Rugby and the success
we've seen viewing numbers. People are turning up to gains,
people have got their eyeballs back on the screens again.
This is great news for New Zealand rugby. Super Rugby
is on a bit of a stagger right now. So
what do you attribute to Why do you think things
have packed up in that viewership and that attendance space.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Mark, Well, we've been really open about how we see
our leadership role to help evolve the product on field.
So that's been it's been really critical. You know, people
have I love the game and what we saw was
you know, more ball and play time, less intervention, you know,
the game speeding up, high degrees of tempo, amazing sweeping movements.
(06:16):
And then on top of that, we saw some great
storylines in the competition about uncertainty of results each weekend.
You know, there's clearly a change up in the in
the teams competing for that top six and eight every
every week. It felt like we saw emerging talent come through.
There's you know, every cycle we go through at this time,
you know, people question the depth and talent in New
(06:36):
Zealand rugby, and yet we saw another group of young
athletes come through who not only performed on the field,
but are really great people off it, and we saw
some insights into their their character. So you know, there's
just a whole lot of good stuff hanging together and
coming together at the right time. And then we've got
the commission up and running now for Super Rugby where
we're hoping to drive a lot more initiatives around marketing,
(07:00):
communications and the way we promote the competition as well.
So you know, we just genuinely hope we're on the
start of some really good things around the game. But
it's probably a number of things in combination rather than
any one thing that stand out to us.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Kevin Manloy I think has been extraordinarily helpful for Super
Rugby direct line keen to talk about anything, and I
suppose to look mister Barlow as well and his involvement
this has been very successful. It does augur well basically
open up the communication lines and talk as opposed to
be behind closed doors. That's a deliberate move, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Mark, Well, we you know, we think it's important to
give really direct focus for the competition, and you know,
we feel really proud about the way we've evolved quickly
to give the competition that direct sort of standalone entity
that can focus on a fair and sixty five days
(07:55):
of the year twenty four to seven. As national unions,
we have a multitude of things going on at any
given time, but we've got really strong links in with
Kevin you know, myself and Phil Willson on the board
of the Commission. So the national views are certainly certainly
coming through, but we've also got some great independent thinkers
and like I say, that independent focus with Jack Mesley
(08:17):
coming on board very very soon, you know, we hope
that this is just the start of the difference that
the Commission can make.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
We'll joined by Mark Robinson, CEO of n z Epic
Season said it again, can't help myself a better get
that out of a vernacular, but fourteen test matches going
all over the globe, encompassing a number of different teams,
different venues. I'll go back to the eighties and use
the word KPI. What do you want out of this
(08:43):
season to look back at the end of the Northern
tour at what you've done. What's the most important part
of this result. Obviously you've probably got a target there,
but what else do you need to achieve as the
union over the next eight months.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Well, we're obviously always looking to succeed on the field,
aren't we. So you know, you're right, that's sort of
a given for any of our teams and in our
national programs. But you know, we've certainly given the team
here a large amount of games, fourteen fixtures with a
challenging schedule, and we just felt that was important to
help bid this new group in in terms of the
(09:21):
management team and also the playing group which has a
degree of newness to it as well. So you know,
all the time they can get together at the stage
in a World Cup cycle is really important. But you know,
notwithstanding that, as standalone set of fixtures, it's really important
we do well and perform well around the Bleederslow Cup
and the Rugby Championship, and we want to go to
(09:41):
the Northern Hemisphere and really expose the team to some
of those amazing stadiums up there. So look, there's there's
certainly results that we look to, but we also look
for growth, building cohesion, you know, building continuity across our
environments and and just an opportunity is a bit of
a spring board, as I said before, for this new group.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talks.
The'd be from seven pm weekdays. We'll follow the podcast
on a radio
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Darcy Wildergrave
from News Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
We're joined now by Mark Robinson, CEO of New Zealand Rugby.
As we look toward the start of what will be
and I keep using this word mark and epic season,
there is so much to look forward to. It really
is a clean slate, is it not. You must be
stoked to be talking about this, the rugby on the park,
(00:33):
the coaches, the players as opposed to any of that
administrative stuff that's basically been haunting endsit are for so long.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Hi Darcy, Yeah, and I'm great to be with the listeners. Yeah,
we are excited, you know. I'm down and got into
Dunedin on Wednesday night. The town's slowly filling up. It
feels like we've just come out of a few meetings
about to you know, get out and watch a bit
of training, what you say, and get around the rugby
and cap checking with our team. So Louis are really excited.
(01:03):
This is an amazing series to start off for a
new regime of of of management and raises tenure as
coach and also for the exciting new talent was' see
comes through as well. And then you extend into the season.
I'm sure you want to talk about the the other
things we're doing in the States and Ruggy Championship as well,
and any of your tour is a massive, massive tour
with the my tenor we have so lots to lots
(01:26):
to look forward to and get excited about for the punters.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
So how complicit have you been with the actual players
and the coaching stuff. Do you get in and maybe
you have a chat or the contribute any think or
is it a case of I'm just going to stay
well away from you guys on what you call the
fish head, I've got no place.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Well, yeah, I guess having been a former player, I
understand you know what the environments are like pretty well. Look,
I spent a little bit of time here and there
that the team has some social connection times through the
through the week, I try to get into that. I
catch up with the management occasionally if they have a
weekly dinner, I'll pop my head in and obviously with them,
(02:05):
you know, after the games, and try to get to
the odd training. So yeah, I try to be around
where I can, Darcy, but certainly certainly not in any
way other than being supportive in general and you know,
just just being around to show that we really care
and are riding behind this group. Certainly, no advice on
selection tactics or anything like that. I'm well pasted that
and my technical rugby knowledge. Now when I listen to
(02:27):
you know, some of these guys talk about it, it
truly feels like a different game from my day. But
definitely there to support them and make sure they've got
everything they need to succeed.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Must be great now that Scott Robinson's actually in the seats.
Mark Robinson, it's been a long time and he's been waiting.
There were issues around the way he was appointed, but
that is revision mirror stuff. Now it's all about looking
to what Scott can do in this role. He's been
in front of the media, now he's sleeped at a
squad and his team. How satisfied are you with the
way he's handled what is a pretty explosive start to
(02:58):
the season before I've even played today.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Oh, look, he's done an outstanding job coming in. If
you go back to the end of last year, he
obviously spent time with the board and stakeholders before Christmas,
set out a bit of a plan and a vision
for how he was going to take the role on
and how he saw the leadership of the All Blacks
into this year. You know, him and I have spent
(03:22):
a bit of time in the Northern Hemisphere with our partners.
Again he's been very open and accessible around the media
without sort of diminishing the airtime that we needed to
create to give to Super Rugby, you know, to be
a really prominent competition as it has been in a
really strong success and you know, I guess as the
start of the English series has gotten closer, he's really
(03:43):
narrative focus around as you say, selection and preparation and
getting team ready, which he should do. So I look,
we're really really happy. You look at the way him
and his team are integrating across all of our national teams.
It's really outstanding. We've had Leon and Jace Ryan away
with the twenties during the Rugby Championship. Great result from them,
(04:04):
you know, overnight beating France in a big match in
South Africa. So he's seeing some of the benefits of
that alignment coming through that. Others other of those coaches
in with the sevens teams as well. So lots of alignment,
lots of connection which raise, the talks about a lot
and a lot of work to make sure the rugby
(04:24):
side of the program is really well joined up. So
looking forward to seeing them get out there now, and
I think the whole country is and that's really exciting
to us.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
You said regime, interesting choice of words for Razor. How
has this changed from what you can see under and
I won't say regime, but under Ian Foster's control. Has
there been any market difference in the way this has
been handled, approached, looked after? Have you moved forward from
that last coaching group?
Speaker 3 (04:51):
Oh? Look, I think you know the way you framed
it before, Darcy. You know, people know about the background
of that, and we are focused on going forward. But
a lot of the stuff I've described and raises six
months has been really energizing for the organization and the game,
and I think a lot of our stakeholders, the way
they've engaged with Super Rugby, the way they've engaged with
the media. You know, we're focusing on them now and
(05:14):
it's their time and we have a huge amount of
respect for the people that have gone before, both on
and off the field, around the All Blacks over a
large period of time, and that will always be the case,
but this is the evolution of the team and the
environment and as I say, we're looking forward to really
supporting them make the most of their journey.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
You touched Mark Robinson on Super Rugby and the success
we've seen viewing numbers. People are turning up to gains,
people have got their eyeballs back on the screens again.
This is great news for New Zealand rugby. Super Rugby
is on a bit of a stagger right now. So
what do you attribute to Why do you think things
have packed up in that viewership and that attendance space.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Mark, Well, we've been really open about how we see
our leadership role to help evolve the product on field.
So that's been it's been really critical. You know, people
have I love the game and what we saw was
you know, more ball and play time, less intervention, you know,
the game speeding up, high degrees of tempo, amazing sweeping movements.
(06:16):
And then on top of that, we saw some great
storylines in the competition about uncertainty of results each weekend.
You know, there's clearly a change up in the in
the teams competing for that top six and eight every
every week. It felt like we saw emerging talent come through.
There's you know, every cycle we go through at this time,
you know, people question the depth and talent in New
(06:36):
Zealand rugby, and yet we saw another group of young
athletes come through who not only performed on the field,
but are really great people off it, and we saw
some insights into their their character. So you know, there's
just a whole lot of good stuff hanging together and
coming together at the right time. And then we've got
the commission up and running now for Super Rugby where
we're hoping to drive a lot more initiatives around marketing,
(07:00):
communications and the way we promote the competition as well.
So you know, we just genuinely hope we're on the
start of some really good things around the game. But
it's probably a number of things in combination rather than
any one thing that stand out to us.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Kevin Manloy I think has been extraordinarily helpful for Super
Rugby direct line keen to talk about anything, and I
suppose to look mister Barlow as well and his involvement
this has been very successful. It does augur well basically
open up the communication lines and talk as opposed to
be behind closed doors. That's a deliberate move, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Mark, Well, we you know, we think it's important to
give really direct focus for the competition, and you know,
we feel really proud about the way we've evolved quickly
to give the competition that direct sort of standalone entity
that can focus on a fair and sixty five days
(07:55):
of the year twenty four to seven. As national unions,
we have a multitude of things going on at any
given time, but we've got really strong links in with
Kevin you know, myself and Phil Willson on the board
of the Commission. So the national views are certainly certainly
coming through, but we've also got some great independent thinkers
and like I say, that independent focus with Jack Mesley
(08:17):
coming on board very very soon, you know, we hope
that this is just the start of the difference that
the Commission can make.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
We'll joined by Mark Robinson, CEO of n z Epic
Season said it again, can't help myself a better get
that out of a vernacular, but fourteen test matches going
all over the globe, encompassing a number of different teams,
different venues. I'll go back to the eighties and use
the word KPI. What do you want out of this
(08:43):
season to look back at the end of the Northern
tour at what you've done. What's the most important part
of this result. Obviously you've probably got a target there,
but what else do you need to achieve as the
union over the next eight months.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Well, we're obviously always looking to succeed on the field,
aren't we. So you know, you're right, that's sort of
a given for any of our teams and in our
national programs. But you know, we've certainly given the team
here a large amount of games, fourteen fixtures with a
challenging schedule, and we just felt that was important to
help bid this new group in in terms of the
(09:21):
management team and also the playing group which has a
degree of newness to it as well. So you know,
all the time they can get together at the stage
in a World Cup cycle is really important. But you know,
notwithstanding that, as standalone set of fixtures, it's really important
we do well and perform well around the Bleederslow Cup
and the Rugby Championship, and we want to go to
(09:41):
the Northern Hemisphere and really expose the team to some
of those amazing stadiums up there. So look, there's there's
certainly results that we look to, but we also look
for growth, building cohesion, you know, building continuity across our
environments and and just an opportunity is a bit of
a spring board, as I said before, for this new group.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talks.
The'd be from seven pm weekdays. We'll follow the podcast
on a radio
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