November 20, 2024 • 41 mins
D’Arcy Waldegrave is back to round up this week’s sporting news. Highlights for tonight include:
New Zealand Rugby head of women's high performance Hannah Porter on Super Rugby Aupiki playing a championship game against the Aussie league.
Talkback- what can the men's and women's games learn from each other?
NZ Herald sports writer Michael Burgess on Rafael Nadal's retirement from tennis.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Darcy Waldegrave
from News Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Greetings, greetings, Hello, welcome to sports Talk abright after seven.
I'm Darcy Watergrave, which through tail eight o'clock tonight O
eight hundred and eighty ten eighty. That's how I communicate
with us in on the studio, so you have your
voice right across New Zealand then to far our climbs.
I could climb across the internet nine nine two ZBZB
(00:58):
that's another way to communicate with It's all. You can
even try Darcy at news talks EB if you were
rather here your voice though, we'll be taking your calls
up after our first interview. Your two interviews today will
be joined by Michael Burgess later on and the piece
Michael Burgess, multi media journalist for n Z means it
(01:18):
in Herald loves tennis like there's no tomorrow, absolutely bleeds
for it. Announced today that Game on Feasts is the
next signing for the ASB Classic. A veteran player but
still a draw card and why we'll find out from
Michael Burgess. And I'm sure that Michael as well would
like to doff as cap to RAFA Nadell, who has
(01:41):
finally decided to step away from the game that has
defined him professionally when his team Spain were wiped out
of the Davis Cup the quarter final stage. But first up,
we're going to be talking advances in women's rugby here
in a TIERROA. If you've just tuned in and haven't
heard the news, there is a draw out for Super
(02:04):
Rugby Opiki's got a cherry on the top of the
cake of Opicky and that is there's going to be
a Trans Tasman Final. The best Super w team from
Australia Women's competition the best New Zealand team through Super
Rugby Opicky will meet in a grand final if you
will at the conclusion of both competitions. Again the game
(02:26):
being advanced by Super Rugby Opicky in an attempt to
pick it up and keep on running. We'll talk with
Hannah Porter about that shortly head of a high performance
for women's rugby for n z are about where they're going,
why they're going, why they're going to do it, what
they want to do, what they hope to achieve. Will
(02:49):
take your calls on it as well. I've got a
couple of questions for you around that what can Super
Rugby Opicky actually learn from what's happened disastrously or not
through Super Rugby, And conversely, what can super Rugby learn
and what Super RUGBYO Picky have achieved in the last
few years. Keep thinking about that and will be joined
(03:12):
by Hannah shortly before any of that. Though a whole
lot of this sport today, any sport today, arguably one
of the biggest improvers of twenty twenty four. A man
who solidified his all black locking position is not running
on empty yet. Tupu Vati will leave whatever he has
(03:32):
out on the field versus Italy.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Body's good, mine's good as well.
Speaker 4 (03:37):
The last TESTIFO I can go back home and no
feld the tank over my friends and family, So you
know it's the last test, but I've still got a
job to do.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Willie Walker, a coach of Super Rugbio Picky's title Hold
of the Blues, says the crossover championship match versus the
Australian Super w champs at the conclusion of both tournaments
brings a little extra to the table.
Speaker 5 (03:58):
It's a little bit of added incentive to one stay
as a team for an extra week. I suppose and
to just that added motivation, Leeds has got to work
quite hard over the summer and then into the next
year to give ourselves that opportunity.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Quite rightly, Spanish tennis player Carlos Operas doesn't want a
bar of being the next big thing an Ibery in tennis.
There will never be another rough and adele whose career
wound up after a Davis Cup ejection.
Speaker 6 (04:28):
This, let us say, is going to be eternal. It
is difficult, least for me, and I don't want to
just to think that I should continue, you know, the
legacy that he has left. It is difficult, almost impossible.
I will try to do my bed.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Yeah, precisely, don't fill his shoes, bring their own sand shoes.
And he may have legged it from the New Zealand
entry and sell GP, but that doesn't mean flight controller
Andy Maloney doesn't want to add to his America's Cup
head count. He has three and fancies some more on
Team New Zealand's COO. Given Shoebridge, He's good with.
Speaker 7 (05:00):
That one hundred percent. Want to race for ten years
and again in the future. And you know, I think
Shoe as well myself. We saw this as a really cool,
growing opportunity for me as a sailor and something that
will help me develop as more of an asset for
Tim New Zealand as well.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
He's off to Brazil, of all places. And that's we
joined now by New Zealand and Rugby's head of women's
High Performance, Hannah Porter. Hello to you, hon do I
trust you well?
Speaker 8 (05:25):
I'm very well, thank you Darcy?
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Are you yeah?
Speaker 9 (05:27):
Good?
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Big day a champions Final. This is the headline Champion
Final headlines the twenty twenty five sky At Rugby O
Picky draw announced with the draw is out, but there
is a cherry on the top. This is exciting stuff.
How does this all finish? Where's this heading? Hannah?
Speaker 8 (05:44):
Yeah, really exciting and look it's taken a while to
get to this point. It's the first year that Super
robw and Super Rugby Opicky will align their dates with
each other, so that's the first step and this is
how we've got to the championship match at the end,
which is really exciting and I know the clubs are
really looking forward to taking part in the first ever
(06:05):
Championship five. But certainly our intention that these two competitions
keep growing together and there's further alignment in the future.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
When you say in the future, there's mentioned in the
release that possibly it becomes a competition a unit. It
all runs to the same drum. Is that the thought
process behind this.
Speaker 8 (06:26):
Yeah, look, there's still a lot of work to get
to that point, but Rugby Australia and New Zealand Rugby
are working really closely in what would be the best
thing for the competition and we both know that providing
a longer competition for our women's players and a really
meaningful competition Oprah Key and Super Rugby Super w is
(06:47):
from a performance point of view really important to get
players ready for international level. But not only did that
engage with the fans and provide a meaningful rugby competition
and domestically so lots of benefits for these competitions to grow,
really open communication around what it could look like in
the future and knowing that we want these competitions to
(07:10):
run for longer periods of time.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
It's a growth area in sport, in rugby, in women's sport,
is rugby union that is the way forward and you
guys appear to be running ahead of the curve by design.
You've really been active in the space, haven't you.
Speaker 8 (07:29):
Yeah, I don't know if we're leading the space. The
northern hemisphere have probably been at it a little bit
longer than what we have, But I think what we
are doing is we're listening to sent me what the
athletes want and what the fans want, which is growing
in this domestic space. So look, I would hope to
(07:51):
think in the next couple of years where we've got
a product that's it's really cool to watch, but not
only that, it provides a really good performance opportunity for
our athletes.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
It's also very important to have aspirations and inspirations for
young athletes come through. They have to be up there,
don't They are these players, So there are young girls going, hey,
I'm six years old, I want to play this game
because look at them. I mean, that's a massive part
of what you're doing, surely, Hannah.
Speaker 8 (08:18):
Yeah, absolutely, And I think playing domestically, I think having
it at times where everyone can watch it and engage
with it is really important. Not certainly not all of
our international games have played at bringly times for younger watchers.
So being able to put that domestic product up at
primetime TV for everyone to be able to engage with
(08:39):
it is really important in this competition. Along with FPCR
allows us to do that so that people that are
really interested in it have the chance to actually view
it and take part.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Would have been your biggest challenges around promoting the game
and pushing Opicky FOURD the way you have over the
last three or four years.
Speaker 8 (08:59):
Look, challenges, opportunities. Rugby's a little bit of a slow
moving beast sometimes. People to consider and lots of opinions
to consider is what the best way forward is. So
I think we're getting there. We definitely want to keep
showing progression and I think this championship game does that.
But we do actually just want to keep progressing the game.
(09:20):
We know how important having this domestic product is for
our females, so we do want to keep growing that
out and getting it to a point where it looked
potentially it's a longer period in the next couple of
years or in the future anyway.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Well, we know all about want though, but what's slowing
that down? Is there an interest from the public as
a sponsor money behind it? Is there anything particularly holding
you back that needs to be addressed.
Speaker 8 (09:45):
No, there's nothing holding us back. I think what's playing
out in the background is also the Woman's global calendar.
We've not had a global calendar for the Woman's Game before,
So as of twenty twenty six, you will see two
distinct windows where in the front end of the year
there will be internationals and that they will be regionally based.
So what that means in New Zealand is packed for
where we played in and the front end of the year,
(10:08):
and then a global calendar will sit in September October,
and so that really what that piece of work, and
it's been a big piece of work and it's taken
two years to get there, is to really solidify what
those windows international windows are so when you're creating domestic competitions,
you can sit outside of those windows to make sure
that all of your best players can actually be parting
(10:28):
domestic rugby. So that will come into play in twenty
twenty six. And now that we know that that that
calendar is in place, it becomes a lot easier to
put our domestic products in place. But it has taken,
as I said, it has taken two years to get
to that point. So really excited about what the future
looks like from both international game and the domestic game.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
It's pretty quick, cool things said and done. When you
look at the glacial pace world rugby works out. In general,
we're joined by and he's in on Rugby's head of
women's High Performance, Hannah Porter, you're ahead of the curve
when it comes to the blokes game, No, aren't you.
As far as an international program schedules concerned, that's going
to take forever to walk out. It seems to me
(11:11):
that women's rugby is a lot more nimble. Is it
a fair thing to say?
Speaker 8 (11:17):
Yeah, we're also a lot younger, So I think there's
there's obviously a few things to unperk in the men's
game that as soon as the game turned professional, if
those kind of stepping stones were in place, it all
becomes a little bit harder to unpack when you've got
private investors in the game. So we certainly in that case,
(11:37):
I think we're pretty lucky that we have got to
this point where actually all the nations have worked together
really well to get to international windows, which essentially means
any female could play anywhere across the world in their
domestic game, and if their laws allowed, it would allow
them to go back and play international rugby as well.
(11:59):
So that's a real positive. I think when you look
at women's rugby at the moment, there's not the opportunity
at the end of your career to go and live
life in southern France on a not a bad wicket
as there is in the men's game. So again, providing
opportunities for our ladies as they're playing throughout their careers
that could be in another domestic competition around the world
(12:23):
I think is really important.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
And is this all bearing fruit when you look across
the development of the women's game where it's come in
the last more recently the last ten to fifteen years
since it all started off. Is this proving to everybody
that this is a way forward? Are you getting more
people playing the game, You're getting more advertisers interested. What
do you look at I hate the old phrase key
(12:45):
performance indicators, but I will use it. How do you
know this is working? And does that matter?
Speaker 3 (12:52):
Yeah?
Speaker 8 (12:52):
It does matter. So probably the two things you would
look at as registration numbers, and we've had some really
great growth in the women's game and our registration numbers
this year, and not just not just at junior levels,
but also a woman's club rugby, which is really important.
We still need more players playing the game in New Zealand,
so that that's really positive, and I think commercially there's
(13:15):
still a little bit of work to be done in
that space. We still need to engage with our fans,
we need to engage with our commercial partners. And that'll
be the true success when we can start generating revenue
and putting that back into the game. And obviously that
would just grow the development system and the system underneath
it and the community rugby game as that money flows down.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
Well, you've been, as I said, laid into it. Men's
rugby has been around for a long time. Have you
guys got a target as far as when you want
this game to stand on its own two feet financially
and be worth it. You can't expect to achieve that
in the first couple of years. How much rope have
you guys got?
Speaker 8 (13:54):
Yeah, something that we're working with ends at our commercial
on getting a really clear strategic plan around when we
think that date would be. But you're right, it is
going to take time to grow that out and it
is I think you'll see across the world across women's
sport at the moment, the likes of football and basketball
that a couple of years ahead of us. And finally,
(14:15):
I suppose getting bums on seats to watch games and
being commercially viable for the clubs that are running the sport.
So something that we're currently working through and look forward
to having that strategic plan done in.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
A dream world. What would you like to see happening
in women's rugby in the next year or so? What
needs to happen from a financial basis, from a participation basis.
What do you really want, Hannah, I'd.
Speaker 8 (14:46):
Love to win another World Cup next year? Can I
be as simple as that?
Speaker 1 (14:51):
Now?
Speaker 8 (14:51):
Look, I think the continued growth. I think super robi
Opek is going to be really excited. I look forward
to the Black Ferns going into England and having a
real good crack at that Rugby World Cup. That's going
to be a tough one to win on English home soil.
I look forward to the Sevens getting back into competition
in the next couple of weeks, and community rugby still
(15:12):
pushing ahead with some strong numbers in the community game.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
Just going back to the community engagement, what's the biggest
issue around getting people playing the game in the women's game,
what's the roadblock there.
Speaker 8 (15:24):
I don't think there's actually initial getting people to play
the game. We've got amazing junior numbers. The drop off
for us, and I think it's similar in the men's
game is in and around that secondary school participation. So
a lot of our rugby for our junior girls at
junior club rugby is the non contact version ripper rugby.
So it's how do we keep bringing ripper through. So
(15:45):
there's a version of non contact rugby for those that
want to stay in the non contact version, but how
do we actually get a few more transitioning to playing
tackle rugby and whether that be sevens or fifteen's an
area of a focus area that we've got for next year.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
The right call is your call on oh eight eighty
Sports Talk on your home of Sports News Talk Zibby.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
You been listening to and he's on a Rugby's head
of Women's High Performance Hannah Porter talking about twenty twenty
five Super Rugby opicky and what happens at the very
end of that where there is a women's Super Champions
Final between the dominant and winning Australian side and the
same here in New Zealand. Another innovation for the women's
(16:34):
game to attract more eyeballs and more interest to the game.
I've got a couple of questions for you around that
before we go in near that. Now, let's get to
Peter out of Queensland. He's been having a wee Listen
you know, mate, how are you?
Speaker 9 (16:48):
Yeah? Yeah, get mate. Look, I'll tell you what I
love watching women's rugby. I think it's fantastic. I you know,
you can ditch me as far as shall I the
All Blacks and or Esbert because I see those girls
and you know when Nick on a penalty it's it's
(17:08):
a voice, you know, kick from over the half line. Well,
those girls don't. They kick for the corner and they
have a crack every time. They have a crack at it,
and they are brilliant and some of the things that
you see those girls getting up to is just absolutely fantastic.
(17:31):
So and sometimes I absolutely I credit them that they're
absolutely fantastic, those girls.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
What could they do, Peter? What could they do better?
If you're being really critical, what could they do better?
What would increase your interest in the game?
Speaker 9 (17:49):
Oh? Nothing, no, nothing, no nothing, Peter.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
That's a great answer. And as far as the concept
of a final trans Tasmin the best team.
Speaker 9 (18:01):
Brilliant. Yeah, those girls are absolutely brilliant. And you know
what really gets up lie those there's a there's a
big game at Auckland, you know, at Eden Park and
all the restfort and nobody talked turns up to the
games before and the holy hick they should be.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
You know, well, you can lead a horse to water,
but you can't make a drink right or probably drown.
You can try, you one, And I think that comes
a time that the hopefully critical mass will build and
more and more people will go to these games. But
I might be dreaming.
Speaker 9 (18:41):
No, you're not going to be dreaming. I think that,
you know, because I think there's a lot of Kiwis
that think they bloody girls, you know, they won't go
and have a look.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
Yeah, I think that, Peter, thanks for your call. I
think the Woman's World Cup Finals said it's not the case.
I mean New Zealand by rights probably shouldn't have been
there with what happened the French game, but they were
there and they got it done, and the crowd was
and credible. The atmosphere was outrageous and as I said
after watching that game, the lack of testosterone balancing around
(19:15):
the stadium was one of the biggest positives of the game.
It wasn't tension and stress and anger and rage. It
was how is this for New age? Was love? What
it was? People were happy to be there, that was smiling,
They were enjoying it, and it came to the crunch
and the English nearly won. I don't know how many
(19:36):
people would have gone out angry, drunken fighting. I just
don't think so. This is something that women's rugby brings
to us. What can the man's game, the super rugby
man's game, learn from what Opicki the women's game is doing.
I think one of the big takeaways I've got from
(19:56):
the draw that has come out playing their games in
the afternoon. It's pretty simple, isn't it? To thirty five?
Four thirty five, twelve thirty five two o five. They're
playing their games in the afternoon. I think that increased
interest in the game. People want to go and watch
it when it's not freezing cold and they have to
(20:18):
venture out in the middle of the night, keep their
children up late. They can actually go the afternoon. It's
a bit of sun going on and going it well.
Hopefully and winter there's a bit of sun going on.
We're talking March through to what mid April when the
final is there? There's something else they could learn? Make
the season is shorter? Does that make for a more
(20:42):
intriguing viewing prospect, knowing it's not going to amble and
wander on forever and ever are men before eventually they
get to some kind of ridiculously ridiculously bloated quarter a
semi final situation. Look, they've they've alted that, granted with
Super Rugby.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
But this is.
Speaker 2 (20:59):
Something that the women's teams are doing and that should
be commended. Tell me what each competition can learn from
each other, how we can make them better. Is there
a case of they're at home New Zealand playing New
(21:23):
Zealand teams and at the end of it the best
ones meet in the middle. Would that be better? I
just give me some suggestions. Opick your drawers out. Looks
pretty exciting to me. Let me know what either gender
can learn from their various games or the various tournaments.
Who can learn from whom? Twenty nine minutes after seven,
(21:43):
the sports talk on News Talk ZB lines are open
on eight hundred eighty ten eighty your text nineteen nine two.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
That is z B z B.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Look it's slow. It's not going to happen overnight, but
slowly but surely the game is getting traction. How can
they make it more engaging, more inviting? You know this
is News Talks EB Who's Codia.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
You don't need for the TMO. We've got the breakdown
on Sports Talk call eight hundred News Talks.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
It's like a.
Speaker 10 (22:38):
Modern Kate Bush seven thirty two Sports Socre on News
Talks their BM Darcy water Grave lines are open on
one hundred eighty ten eighty Talking Super Rugby Opicky.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
The draw has been announced and at the conclusion of
the six round competition plus a final, there will be
a Women's Super Rugby Champions Final where the Opicky champion
takes on the Super w champion from Over the Ditch.
Innovation nice, something else, constantly changing, constantly looking at what
(23:13):
could be better, in what way we can encourage more
people to watch the game go to. The game is
an area of growth, as Han a porter told us before,
keeping them in it long term is a little more interesting.
And now that's another story which you might cover off later.
But i'd like your cause and thoughts I one hundred
(23:34):
eight ten eighty what I do like about opicking. Look,
I know it's hard because it's club rugby played during
the day and it's Babba Dad during the day, and
they don't want to put super rugby up direct competition
with other rugby. I want to put it at night
when it's freezing cold and you can't take your kids
in it. People from Europe can watch it. Bugger then
(23:56):
what about us? So these games are all in the afternoon.
The earliest kickoff is I want to say mid day,
but I think it's five past two, No, twelve thirty five.
There you go, Apollo Projects lying to a much two
taking on power four thirty five to five sensible times
(24:22):
and it's over a short period. It's not that long.
Maybe we haven't got as many teams. Maybe it's not
going to be as well attended. A bit all on time.
It's probably the biggest thing that this women's game can
show the men's game. Start playing your games at that
time at night. I think people are sick of it.
(24:43):
I may be completely wrong. I'm just a broadcaster. I
don't run rugby in the country. It's probably a good thing.
I don't quite frankly, give us your thoughts. I dred
eighty ten eighty run through a couple of texts for
you now, Darcy, I've really started to watch the women's
game and I'm enjoying. I'm finding more entertaining sometimes the
girl's defense systems than not as robusts than men. The
(25:06):
rugby is more free flowing. A lot of bloke's rugby
is collision base when a lot of women's rugby is
running holes. I want a collision. I want to run
around you and run away from you. Not quite as gladatorial. Look,
it still is in the loose and up front, yes,
(25:28):
but it's a different method of playing the game and
it does make it more open. Yeah, there are defensive frailties,
there are, no doubt, but this is a very early competition.
The prevalence of women's rugby is there. It's currently building,
and the bigger it gets, the more players play, the
(25:48):
better it's going to become. From a structural or defensive
point of view. But there is an exuberance and a
life about the women's game that I think men can
learn a wee bit from. Darcy, writes Derek, Kay, you
know what women's Rugby can do. What about paying for them?
It's a commercial failure. Derek, maybe you should look at
(26:17):
New Zealand rugby as a whole and tell me how
much money they're stacking up, because I think what you'll
find is that Super Rugby, the men's version, is also
a commercial failure. No one goes it, staggers, it's constantly changing.
(26:39):
That I'm saying this is good because it does change.
But they're trying to develop. The money maker is the
all blacks, that is it. They make the money. But
New Zealand Rugby they're hemorrhaging money left right and center.
And there's not women. That's everybody. And you've got to
give the chance, the growth theory of the opportunity to grow.
(27:03):
It's getting bigger, So do you all the potential for
growth and expansion and eyeballs therefore dollars by going oh,
I'm not sure about that. We'll forget about well, carry
on flogging this dead man's horse over here. It might
take ten years. That's why I asked Hannah Porter about
(27:23):
a time span, a scale, how long before it needs
to be commercially viable. Money that rugby makes isn't just
for the all Blacks. The all Blacks make all the money.
And if you only spend all the all Blacks money
on the all Blacks, the rest of the structure collapses.
(27:45):
We have no more rugby. The money generated by the
all Blacks is for rugby in New Zealand across the board,
right down from the lowbrow right up to the high
and women's rugby is a space of growth. And look
if it goes ten to fifteen years and it's still
(28:07):
tanking or it's still not making the money they wanted
to make out, you have another look. But you can't
run and hide and avoid it because you're unsure. And
if you are going to do it, be innovative, do
something different, try something so like, I firmly with respect,
(28:29):
disagree with you, Derek, but thanks for your text. Brien says,
I was at the semi final when in New Zealand
beat France. Was amazing atmosphere, the ladies played so well.
It can't be compared to the men's game. No, you're right,
because it's a different game. With respect of the black
fans whort to play a top first fifteen from christ
Church Boys, how they will probably possibly lose. So it's
(28:50):
a moot point comparison of the men's game. It's its
own game and its own right. And it's true there's
no points, say, but they're not men. It's a different game.
It's a different attitude and that's what I enjoy about
watching women's cricket. Different structure, different way of looking at you,
(29:10):
the same rules, but a different application and attitude is
used in the women's game. It's refreshing. It's not based
on out and out power. You've actually got to have
a bit of skill about you. You've got a bit
of cunning. You've got to think as opposed to trying
(29:33):
to smash the ball over the boundary or run straight
through your opposition guy, which also has its place. What
rugby is different and interesting? Good Ben, how are you?
Speaker 4 (29:46):
Oh?
Speaker 11 (29:46):
Very good? Thank you for having me on. Yes, a
Woman's ARTOK. I loved that last year. I watched every
game and most of the time I was like, what
they're playing here in pocket coring. I'm living on the
North Shore. Oh my god, I could have made that game.
And what I'm saying right now is there wasn't enough
advertisements for their competition, you know, And it came down
(30:10):
to me going through the sky sport a week ahead
and you can't get you find out what games are playing.
And I think New Zealand Rugby really needs to promote
the women's game so we can turn up. I don't
care if I'm playing paying the same price for a
super rugby game. I just want to go there and
(30:31):
see them play because it's such a fantastic, fast flowing game.
It's very technical. People say it's not as brutal as
men's rugby, but when two girls hit each other, when
two forwards and the women's team come together and take
one of each other out, oh my god, it's still
a brutal sport. But it's very technical, it's very fast flowing,
(30:51):
it's very festival and it's such a wonderful game to watch.
I just want to have that schedule head so I
can go. All right, I'm going to make sure I
can have those days off so I can go down
and watch our teams play.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
Is it better in the afternoon better at night? Does
it matter to you when they play it?
Speaker 3 (31:08):
Then?
Speaker 2 (31:09):
Oh?
Speaker 11 (31:10):
Daytime, daytime rugby is amazing.
Speaker 3 (31:13):
I love it.
Speaker 11 (31:14):
You know, it's like two in the afternoon or just
after midday and you're going down there, the sun is out,
people seem more i know, engaging and friendly and just happy.
And the teams are out there just you know, go
and hammer and tom to it and it's just yeah,
I would love to see professional rugby have more mid
(31:36):
day games because it's just it's just more wonderful to watch.
It's nothing like going home, sitting around having your meal
at night and talking about the match you just watched.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
And on that beam, we'll let you go, We'll let
you fly. Thanks very much for ringing the program a
fan like that. Eighteen away from eight This is a
sports look on in a news talk zb I dark.
The women's game isn't on at prime time because no
one watches it. It's lunch time, but they are contracted televised. Well,
so what, it's not a finished product. They're not going
(32:09):
to land it and go. But a look at this
and everyone's gonna come and watch. It's going to be
huge built. You've got to build these things slowly. Take
the lessons from Super Rugby the men's version. What went wrong?
It used to be a runaway trainer. It's an extraordinary
it's it's it's falling over, it's on its knee. So
what needs to change, What can the women's game learn
(32:30):
from the men's game, and vice versa. AnyWho as his
news dogs here, but let's talk about a tennis coming
up next. Michael Burgers joins us. We've got a new player,
an old player signed for the ASP Classic and it's
the end of the line for roughen the do go
(32:51):
and fav We're joined now on Sports Talks by Michael Burgess,
a multi media sports writer and an absolute tennis tragic.
That's a fair thing to call you, isn't it, mister Burgess,
And welcome.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
Absolutely absolutely. It's tennis nut from way back.
Speaker 4 (33:08):
And I'm so excited around this time of year that
ask because this is when we start talking.
Speaker 3 (33:12):
About our tennis season, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
Yeah, And it's when the releases keep coming. We know
a lot of the field for the ASP Classic for
the women, but the men's names are coming. Game more
Feast is the latest person to be released. He's got
a special place in tennis, hasn't it. He's quite the character,
mister more Fez.
Speaker 3 (33:32):
He's amazing.
Speaker 4 (33:33):
I mean, I've watched a lot of tennis over the years,
and to see someone as entertaining as him. He's so
charismatic on the court, plus his shot making. I mean,
if I think back, I've been covering the ASP Classic
a long time and two of the most memorable matches
I've covered both involved him. One was in January he
lost the three sets thriller, and the other was against
(33:54):
Tommy Hasse way back in twenty thirteen in a quarter file.
Speaker 3 (33:57):
So he's just he's just magic to watch.
Speaker 4 (34:00):
The crowd loves watching him play, and it's just he's
the kind of guy that excites everyone, that sells tickets.
Speaker 3 (34:06):
And he's still he's still at a good level.
Speaker 4 (34:08):
He's thirty eight years old, Dace, which is pretty old
for tennis player, but he's still on number fifty five.
And the other thing is he had pretty solid year
and he beat a couple of top ten players, including
Carlos Algarez, so he's still pretty impressive.
Speaker 2 (34:20):
He's been a professional now for well over twenty years.
How does he keep at the top of his game
like that? Superb fitness, He's maybe got a bloody minded
attitude toward what he does. How has he been around
so long such a physical sport.
Speaker 4 (34:35):
Yeah, it's a good question, mate, because you're right twenty
one years on tour and one of the most physical
sports where the players coming through younger and younger. I
asked him about that when he came this year and
he said, you know, he still trains pretty hard. He's
got a bit smarter, but basically just still loves the sport.
Speaker 3 (34:52):
Because he's said, Yate, he doesn't have to be doing this,
but he's still likes driving the world and playing tennis
and people still love watching him play.
Speaker 4 (35:00):
So he's pretty disciplined with his training. Even though he's
he's got a family now, he's got a young daughter,
and he's still he's still got all the shots. You know,
he's slowing down, but he's always been really quick on
the court, so you know, he's still really competitive.
Speaker 3 (35:14):
We don't know if next year will be his last year.
Speaker 4 (35:16):
It might be, but it's just fantastic he's coming back
to Akland because he's only been here. I think this
will be his fourth visit from memory. He's tried to
come a few times and had injuries.
Speaker 3 (35:26):
And things like that.
Speaker 4 (35:27):
So the fact that he's going to be coming two
years in a row, it's just magic.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
I think, is he a threat? Will he actually get
through and cause a ruckus. Is he a quarter finalists,
a semi finalist? Goal for big could he actually win
the whole thing?
Speaker 3 (35:42):
I mean, if you got going, he can beat anyone
on the day.
Speaker 4 (35:44):
I think the challenge for Gale now is backing up,
you know, backing up one performance after the other. But
he reached a couple of semi finals this year, which
is semi Finland Doha. Doha has a big tournament. Big
Money has always has a descent field, so he certainly can.
Speaker 3 (35:59):
I mean, I think the draw's got to be kind.
Speaker 4 (36:00):
He was pretty unlucky lart Or this year January with
the draw he got a pretty tough, talented young Hungarian
super fit.
Speaker 3 (36:08):
So it depends on the drawer.
Speaker 4 (36:10):
But yeah, I mean, if he gets rolling, gets confident,
he's certainly a guy that can make a run in
this tournament. He'll be a dark horse in the field
and no one will want to draw him first round.
Speaker 2 (36:20):
And draws fattening up got me. Hence ideas nudges around
who else might sign because obviously there's limit on rankings
and who can actually turn up. You got an idea
about where they may be hitting the tournament directors.
Speaker 4 (36:34):
Well, women's field is looking, like you say, it's looking
pretty pretty sharp. With Nomeo Saka Emerti Kanu lu Lusan,
that's has three massive names there. The men's field have
announced Cameron Nora, they've got my feast. They've announced Ben Shelton,
the American who's been a couple of times now and
he's a top twenty players. Once he's been, he's been
top fifteen, he's made a Grand Slam semi finals.
Speaker 3 (36:56):
He's all class.
Speaker 4 (36:57):
I think they've got a couple of young, you know,
players on the rise coming.
Speaker 3 (37:02):
I assume they'll be top fifty.
Speaker 4 (37:03):
They'll be young, kind of the next generation, I hope,
but not sure if they've got any more big names
to come.
Speaker 3 (37:13):
He's still working on that or not.
Speaker 4 (37:14):
But it'll be a it'll be an impressed the field,
but certainly the women's field really catches the eye.
Speaker 2 (37:21):
Any chance we could lure an old Spaniard over because
he's finished playing, Oh I suppose it's still professional, was it?
Did you think rapping and down now that he's hung
up as racket might just roll over for a bit
of a look. He must love it over here. Short
has he been here?
Speaker 4 (37:34):
He's been here twice to US, and he was part
of the reason I started loving tennis. I mean, I
love tennis from the eighties with Stephan Edburgh and Pat
Cash and Brus Becker. But Raffa came to Auckland in
two thousand and four and that was my first year
down there kind of as a journalist. And he was seventeen,
couldn't speak English, muscles on muscles, wearing a single at
the long hair, and he was world number about fifty
(37:56):
fifty fifty three, fifty four from memory, and so we
knew this guy potential, but you know, he just he.
Speaker 3 (38:02):
Was just amazing.
Speaker 4 (38:02):
He just he just could run and run every ball
down at this massive shot you've never seen before, this huge,
huge topspin back end and forehand. And he made the
final and all the way the finals a seventeen year old,
was his first ATP Tour final and lost to Dominique Barty.
But that sort of, you know, I think that introduced
him to Auckland and New Zealand certainly. So it's kind
(38:25):
of a sad day, but great memories of him.
Speaker 2 (38:28):
He's had a long in illustrious career. How come he's
lasted so long?
Speaker 4 (38:32):
Yeah, and he's he's done it in a different ways
in my feast, because he's just been plagued with injuries
from basically the start, you know, like he I'm sure
your listeners remember him winning Wimbledon against Roger feder in
two thousand and eight, won the great tennis matches, but
a couple of years before he had massive.
Speaker 3 (38:49):
Issues with his feet, with his knees, with his shoulders.
Speaker 4 (38:52):
So he's been carrying injuries his whole career, missed a
lot of tournaments. But he's just he's the hardest trainer
on tour. He absolutely loves the sport. He said, some
great coaches, great family behind him. But the main thing
of it, Rafford that stands out to me as I've
never seen a player with such a will to win
and such an ability to play under pressure, even better
(39:13):
than Feeder and Djokovic. Like I've seen him so many times.
You were seeing it two ds. He's down love forty
in the ship. If he gets broken, he might lose
the seat or something, and he finds a way back,
finds a way back from crazy situations.
Speaker 3 (39:24):
So he was just he was just so hard to beat.
Speaker 4 (39:26):
Mentally, he was just he just really was And that's
sort of the special thing I remember about him as
well as as well as his amazing shot making and
everything else about him.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
Promises so much. The upcoming as B classic, both the
women's and the mens draw all the fun of the
circus sid seven minutes to eight.
Speaker 1 (39:46):
Study Q.
Speaker 3 (39:57):
Marke's lights up next to.
Speaker 2 (39:58):
You, take it through to a midnight Finally grafted and
wonderful talkback whole shell, Hi Darcy, writes Jeff from christ Jurdge,
describing women's rugby defense is less robust than the men's
is a polite way of saying that tackle. Excuse me,
(40:19):
the tackling is rubbish, is it? I don't think it's
as Maybe robust is the wrong word, brutal. I don't know.
It's a different style of playing. It's not about the collision.
Speaker 4 (40:40):
Is it.
Speaker 2 (40:40):
It's about avoiding the collision, and they are still huge collisions.
Ain't be wrong. There's some some scary collisions. But it's
a different way of playing the game. Jeff also goes
on to say everyone says it not to compare the
two sports, but they do yourself included. To say compare
(41:00):
them is to say one's better than the other. Because
that's what I'm talking about They are both games of rugby,
but they come from a different space. That's what I'm
trying to say. I'm saying one's better, one's worse. They're different,
They're in the same game and they both have their
high points and their low points rugby. This is News
(41:24):
Talks A B. And I said autograve catch again tomorrow
from the seven Looking forward to it too.
Speaker 1 (41:30):
For more from sports talk, listen live to News Talks
It B from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Darcy Waldegrave
from News Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Greetings, greetings, Hello, welcome to sports Talk abright after seven.
I'm Darcy Watergrave, which through tail eight o'clock tonight O
eight hundred and eighty ten eighty. That's how I communicate
with us in on the studio, so you have your
voice right across New Zealand then to far our climbs.
I could climb across the internet nine nine two ZBZB
(00:58):
that's another way to communicate with It's all. You can
even try Darcy at news talks EB if you were
rather here your voice though, we'll be taking your calls
up after our first interview. Your two interviews today will
be joined by Michael Burgess later on and the piece
Michael Burgess, multi media journalist for n Z means it
(01:18):
in Herald loves tennis like there's no tomorrow, absolutely bleeds
for it. Announced today that Game on Feasts is the
next signing for the ASB Classic. A veteran player but
still a draw card and why we'll find out from
Michael Burgess. And I'm sure that Michael as well would
like to doff as cap to RAFA Nadell, who has
(01:41):
finally decided to step away from the game that has
defined him professionally when his team Spain were wiped out
of the Davis Cup the quarter final stage. But first up,
we're going to be talking advances in women's rugby here
in a TIERROA. If you've just tuned in and haven't
heard the news, there is a draw out for Super
(02:04):
Rugby Opiki's got a cherry on the top of the
cake of Opicky and that is there's going to be
a Trans Tasman Final. The best Super w team from
Australia Women's competition the best New Zealand team through Super
Rugby Opicky will meet in a grand final if you
will at the conclusion of both competitions. Again the game
(02:26):
being advanced by Super Rugby Opicky in an attempt to
pick it up and keep on running. We'll talk with
Hannah Porter about that shortly head of a high performance
for women's rugby for n z are about where they're going,
why they're going, why they're going to do it, what
they want to do, what they hope to achieve. Will
(02:49):
take your calls on it as well. I've got a
couple of questions for you around that what can Super
Rugby Opicky actually learn from what's happened disastrously or not
through Super Rugby, And conversely, what can super Rugby learn
and what Super RUGBYO Picky have achieved in the last
few years. Keep thinking about that and will be joined
(03:12):
by Hannah shortly before any of that. Though a whole
lot of this sport today, any sport today, arguably one
of the biggest improvers of twenty twenty four. A man
who solidified his all black locking position is not running
on empty yet. Tupu Vati will leave whatever he has
(03:32):
out on the field versus Italy.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Body's good, mine's good as well.
Speaker 4 (03:37):
The last TESTIFO I can go back home and no
feld the tank over my friends and family, So you
know it's the last test, but I've still got a
job to do.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Willie Walker, a coach of Super Rugbio Picky's title Hold
of the Blues, says the crossover championship match versus the
Australian Super w champs at the conclusion of both tournaments
brings a little extra to the table.
Speaker 5 (03:58):
It's a little bit of added incentive to one stay
as a team for an extra week. I suppose and
to just that added motivation, Leeds has got to work
quite hard over the summer and then into the next
year to give ourselves that opportunity.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Quite rightly, Spanish tennis player Carlos Operas doesn't want a
bar of being the next big thing an Ibery in tennis.
There will never be another rough and adele whose career
wound up after a Davis Cup ejection.
Speaker 6 (04:28):
This, let us say, is going to be eternal. It
is difficult, least for me, and I don't want to
just to think that I should continue, you know, the
legacy that he has left. It is difficult, almost impossible.
I will try to do my bed.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Yeah, precisely, don't fill his shoes, bring their own sand shoes.
And he may have legged it from the New Zealand
entry and sell GP, but that doesn't mean flight controller
Andy Maloney doesn't want to add to his America's Cup
head count. He has three and fancies some more on
Team New Zealand's COO. Given Shoebridge, He's good with.
Speaker 7 (05:00):
That one hundred percent. Want to race for ten years
and again in the future. And you know, I think
Shoe as well myself. We saw this as a really cool,
growing opportunity for me as a sailor and something that
will help me develop as more of an asset for
Tim New Zealand as well.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
He's off to Brazil, of all places. And that's we
joined now by New Zealand and Rugby's head of women's
High Performance, Hannah Porter. Hello to you, hon do I
trust you well?
Speaker 8 (05:25):
I'm very well, thank you Darcy?
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Are you yeah?
Speaker 9 (05:27):
Good?
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Big day a champions Final. This is the headline Champion
Final headlines the twenty twenty five sky At Rugby O
Picky draw announced with the draw is out, but there
is a cherry on the top. This is exciting stuff.
How does this all finish? Where's this heading? Hannah?
Speaker 8 (05:44):
Yeah, really exciting and look it's taken a while to
get to this point. It's the first year that Super
robw and Super Rugby Opicky will align their dates with
each other, so that's the first step and this is
how we've got to the championship match at the end,
which is really exciting and I know the clubs are
really looking forward to taking part in the first ever
(06:05):
Championship five. But certainly our intention that these two competitions
keep growing together and there's further alignment in the future.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
When you say in the future, there's mentioned in the
release that possibly it becomes a competition a unit. It
all runs to the same drum. Is that the thought
process behind this.
Speaker 8 (06:26):
Yeah, look, there's still a lot of work to get
to that point, but Rugby Australia and New Zealand Rugby
are working really closely in what would be the best
thing for the competition and we both know that providing
a longer competition for our women's players and a really
meaningful competition Oprah Key and Super Rugby Super w is
(06:47):
from a performance point of view really important to get
players ready for international level. But not only did that
engage with the fans and provide a meaningful rugby competition
and domestically so lots of benefits for these competitions to grow,
really open communication around what it could look like in
the future and knowing that we want these competitions to
(07:10):
run for longer periods of time.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
It's a growth area in sport, in rugby, in women's sport,
is rugby union that is the way forward and you
guys appear to be running ahead of the curve by design.
You've really been active in the space, haven't you.
Speaker 8 (07:29):
Yeah, I don't know if we're leading the space. The
northern hemisphere have probably been at it a little bit
longer than what we have, But I think what we
are doing is we're listening to sent me what the
athletes want and what the fans want, which is growing
in this domestic space. So look, I would hope to
(07:51):
think in the next couple of years where we've got
a product that's it's really cool to watch, but not
only that, it provides a really good performance opportunity for
our athletes.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
It's also very important to have aspirations and inspirations for
young athletes come through. They have to be up there,
don't They are these players, So there are young girls going, hey,
I'm six years old, I want to play this game
because look at them. I mean, that's a massive part
of what you're doing, surely, Hannah.
Speaker 8 (08:18):
Yeah, absolutely, And I think playing domestically, I think having
it at times where everyone can watch it and engage
with it is really important. Not certainly not all of
our international games have played at bringly times for younger watchers.
So being able to put that domestic product up at
primetime TV for everyone to be able to engage with
(08:39):
it is really important in this competition. Along with FPCR
allows us to do that so that people that are
really interested in it have the chance to actually view
it and take part.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Would have been your biggest challenges around promoting the game
and pushing Opicky FOURD the way you have over the
last three or four years.
Speaker 8 (08:59):
Look, challenges, opportunities. Rugby's a little bit of a slow
moving beast sometimes. People to consider and lots of opinions
to consider is what the best way forward is. So
I think we're getting there. We definitely want to keep
showing progression and I think this championship game does that.
But we do actually just want to keep progressing the game.
(09:20):
We know how important having this domestic product is for
our females, so we do want to keep growing that
out and getting it to a point where it looked
potentially it's a longer period in the next couple of
years or in the future anyway.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Well, we know all about want though, but what's slowing
that down? Is there an interest from the public as
a sponsor money behind it? Is there anything particularly holding
you back that needs to be addressed.
Speaker 8 (09:45):
No, there's nothing holding us back. I think what's playing
out in the background is also the Woman's global calendar.
We've not had a global calendar for the Woman's Game before,
So as of twenty twenty six, you will see two
distinct windows where in the front end of the year
there will be internationals and that they will be regionally based.
So what that means in New Zealand is packed for
where we played in and the front end of the year,
(10:08):
and then a global calendar will sit in September October,
and so that really what that piece of work, and
it's been a big piece of work and it's taken
two years to get there, is to really solidify what
those windows international windows are so when you're creating domestic competitions,
you can sit outside of those windows to make sure
that all of your best players can actually be parting
(10:28):
domestic rugby. So that will come into play in twenty
twenty six. And now that we know that that that
calendar is in place, it becomes a lot easier to
put our domestic products in place. But it has taken,
as I said, it has taken two years to get
to that point. So really excited about what the future
looks like from both international game and the domestic game.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
It's pretty quick, cool things said and done. When you
look at the glacial pace world rugby works out. In general,
we're joined by and he's in on Rugby's head of
women's High Performance, Hannah Porter, you're ahead of the curve
when it comes to the blokes game, No, aren't you.
As far as an international program schedules concerned, that's going
to take forever to walk out. It seems to me
(11:11):
that women's rugby is a lot more nimble. Is it
a fair thing to say?
Speaker 8 (11:17):
Yeah, we're also a lot younger, So I think there's
there's obviously a few things to unperk in the men's
game that as soon as the game turned professional, if
those kind of stepping stones were in place, it all
becomes a little bit harder to unpack when you've got
private investors in the game. So we certainly in that case,
(11:37):
I think we're pretty lucky that we have got to
this point where actually all the nations have worked together
really well to get to international windows, which essentially means
any female could play anywhere across the world in their
domestic game, and if their laws allowed, it would allow
them to go back and play international rugby as well.
(11:59):
So that's a real positive. I think when you look
at women's rugby at the moment, there's not the opportunity
at the end of your career to go and live
life in southern France on a not a bad wicket
as there is in the men's game. So again, providing
opportunities for our ladies as they're playing throughout their careers
that could be in another domestic competition around the world
(12:23):
I think is really important.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
And is this all bearing fruit when you look across
the development of the women's game where it's come in
the last more recently the last ten to fifteen years
since it all started off. Is this proving to everybody
that this is a way forward? Are you getting more
people playing the game, You're getting more advertisers interested. What
do you look at I hate the old phrase key
(12:45):
performance indicators, but I will use it. How do you
know this is working? And does that matter?
Speaker 3 (12:52):
Yeah?
Speaker 8 (12:52):
It does matter. So probably the two things you would
look at as registration numbers, and we've had some really
great growth in the women's game and our registration numbers
this year, and not just not just at junior levels,
but also a woman's club rugby, which is really important.
We still need more players playing the game in New Zealand,
so that that's really positive, and I think commercially there's
(13:15):
still a little bit of work to be done in
that space. We still need to engage with our fans,
we need to engage with our commercial partners. And that'll
be the true success when we can start generating revenue
and putting that back into the game. And obviously that
would just grow the development system and the system underneath
it and the community rugby game as that money flows down.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
Well, you've been, as I said, laid into it. Men's
rugby has been around for a long time. Have you
guys got a target as far as when you want
this game to stand on its own two feet financially
and be worth it. You can't expect to achieve that
in the first couple of years. How much rope have
you guys got?
Speaker 8 (13:54):
Yeah, something that we're working with ends at our commercial
on getting a really clear strategic plan around when we
think that date would be. But you're right, it is
going to take time to grow that out and it
is I think you'll see across the world across women's
sport at the moment, the likes of football and basketball
that a couple of years ahead of us. And finally,
(14:15):
I suppose getting bums on seats to watch games and
being commercially viable for the clubs that are running the sport.
So something that we're currently working through and look forward
to having that strategic plan done in.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
A dream world. What would you like to see happening
in women's rugby in the next year or so? What
needs to happen from a financial basis, from a participation basis.
What do you really want, Hannah, I'd.
Speaker 8 (14:46):
Love to win another World Cup next year? Can I
be as simple as that?
Speaker 1 (14:51):
Now?
Speaker 8 (14:51):
Look, I think the continued growth. I think super robi
Opek is going to be really excited. I look forward
to the Black Ferns going into England and having a
real good crack at that Rugby World Cup. That's going
to be a tough one to win on English home soil.
I look forward to the Sevens getting back into competition
in the next couple of weeks, and community rugby still
(15:12):
pushing ahead with some strong numbers in the community game.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
Just going back to the community engagement, what's the biggest
issue around getting people playing the game in the women's game,
what's the roadblock there.
Speaker 8 (15:24):
I don't think there's actually initial getting people to play
the game. We've got amazing junior numbers. The drop off
for us, and I think it's similar in the men's
game is in and around that secondary school participation. So
a lot of our rugby for our junior girls at
junior club rugby is the non contact version ripper rugby.
So it's how do we keep bringing ripper through. So
(15:45):
there's a version of non contact rugby for those that
want to stay in the non contact version, but how
do we actually get a few more transitioning to playing
tackle rugby and whether that be sevens or fifteen's an
area of a focus area that we've got for next year.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
The right call is your call on oh eight eighty
Sports Talk on your home of Sports News Talk Zibby.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
You been listening to and he's on a Rugby's head
of Women's High Performance Hannah Porter talking about twenty twenty
five Super Rugby opicky and what happens at the very
end of that where there is a women's Super Champions
Final between the dominant and winning Australian side and the
same here in New Zealand. Another innovation for the women's
(16:34):
game to attract more eyeballs and more interest to the game.
I've got a couple of questions for you around that
before we go in near that. Now, let's get to
Peter out of Queensland. He's been having a wee Listen
you know, mate, how are you?
Speaker 9 (16:48):
Yeah? Yeah, get mate. Look, I'll tell you what I
love watching women's rugby. I think it's fantastic. I you know,
you can ditch me as far as shall I the
All Blacks and or Esbert because I see those girls
and you know when Nick on a penalty it's it's
(17:08):
a voice, you know, kick from over the half line. Well,
those girls don't. They kick for the corner and they
have a crack every time. They have a crack at it,
and they are brilliant and some of the things that
you see those girls getting up to is just absolutely fantastic.
(17:31):
So and sometimes I absolutely I credit them that they're
absolutely fantastic, those girls.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
What could they do, Peter? What could they do better?
If you're being really critical, what could they do better?
What would increase your interest in the game?
Speaker 9 (17:49):
Oh? Nothing, no, nothing, no nothing, Peter.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
That's a great answer. And as far as the concept
of a final trans Tasmin the best team.
Speaker 9 (18:01):
Brilliant. Yeah, those girls are absolutely brilliant. And you know
what really gets up lie those there's a there's a
big game at Auckland, you know, at Eden Park and
all the restfort and nobody talked turns up to the
games before and the holy hick they should be.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
You know, well, you can lead a horse to water,
but you can't make a drink right or probably drown.
You can try, you one, And I think that comes
a time that the hopefully critical mass will build and
more and more people will go to these games. But
I might be dreaming.
Speaker 9 (18:41):
No, you're not going to be dreaming. I think that,
you know, because I think there's a lot of Kiwis
that think they bloody girls, you know, they won't go
and have a look.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
Yeah, I think that, Peter, thanks for your call. I
think the Woman's World Cup Finals said it's not the case.
I mean New Zealand by rights probably shouldn't have been
there with what happened the French game, but they were
there and they got it done, and the crowd was
and credible. The atmosphere was outrageous and as I said
after watching that game, the lack of testosterone balancing around
(19:15):
the stadium was one of the biggest positives of the game.
It wasn't tension and stress and anger and rage. It
was how is this for New age? Was love? What
it was? People were happy to be there, that was smiling,
They were enjoying it, and it came to the crunch
and the English nearly won. I don't know how many
(19:36):
people would have gone out angry, drunken fighting. I just
don't think so. This is something that women's rugby brings
to us. What can the man's game, the super rugby
man's game, learn from what Opicki the women's game is doing.
I think one of the big takeaways I've got from
(19:56):
the draw that has come out playing their games in
the afternoon. It's pretty simple, isn't it? To thirty five?
Four thirty five, twelve thirty five two o five. They're
playing their games in the afternoon. I think that increased
interest in the game. People want to go and watch
it when it's not freezing cold and they have to
(20:18):
venture out in the middle of the night, keep their
children up late. They can actually go the afternoon. It's
a bit of sun going on and going it well.
Hopefully and winter there's a bit of sun going on.
We're talking March through to what mid April when the
final is there? There's something else they could learn? Make
the season is shorter? Does that make for a more
(20:42):
intriguing viewing prospect, knowing it's not going to amble and
wander on forever and ever are men before eventually they
get to some kind of ridiculously ridiculously bloated quarter a
semi final situation. Look, they've they've alted that, granted with
Super Rugby.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
But this is.
Speaker 2 (20:59):
Something that the women's teams are doing and that should
be commended. Tell me what each competition can learn from
each other, how we can make them better. Is there
a case of they're at home New Zealand playing New
(21:23):
Zealand teams and at the end of it the best
ones meet in the middle. Would that be better? I
just give me some suggestions. Opick your drawers out. Looks
pretty exciting to me. Let me know what either gender
can learn from their various games or the various tournaments.
Who can learn from whom? Twenty nine minutes after seven,
(21:43):
the sports talk on News Talk ZB lines are open
on eight hundred eighty ten eighty your text nineteen nine two.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
That is z B z B.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Look it's slow. It's not going to happen overnight, but
slowly but surely the game is getting traction. How can
they make it more engaging, more inviting? You know this
is News Talks EB Who's Codia.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
You don't need for the TMO. We've got the breakdown
on Sports Talk call eight hundred News Talks.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
It's like a.
Speaker 10 (22:38):
Modern Kate Bush seven thirty two Sports Socre on News
Talks their BM Darcy water Grave lines are open on
one hundred eighty ten eighty Talking Super Rugby Opicky.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
The draw has been announced and at the conclusion of
the six round competition plus a final, there will be
a Women's Super Rugby Champions Final where the Opicky champion
takes on the Super w champion from Over the Ditch.
Innovation nice, something else, constantly changing, constantly looking at what
(23:13):
could be better, in what way we can encourage more
people to watch the game go to. The game is
an area of growth, as Han a porter told us before,
keeping them in it long term is a little more interesting.
And now that's another story which you might cover off later.
But i'd like your cause and thoughts I one hundred
(23:34):
eight ten eighty what I do like about opicking. Look,
I know it's hard because it's club rugby played during
the day and it's Babba Dad during the day, and
they don't want to put super rugby up direct competition
with other rugby. I want to put it at night
when it's freezing cold and you can't take your kids
in it. People from Europe can watch it. Bugger then
(23:56):
what about us? So these games are all in the afternoon.
The earliest kickoff is I want to say mid day,
but I think it's five past two, No, twelve thirty five.
There you go, Apollo Projects lying to a much two
taking on power four thirty five to five sensible times
(24:22):
and it's over a short period. It's not that long.
Maybe we haven't got as many teams. Maybe it's not
going to be as well attended. A bit all on time.
It's probably the biggest thing that this women's game can
show the men's game. Start playing your games at that
time at night. I think people are sick of it.
(24:43):
I may be completely wrong. I'm just a broadcaster. I
don't run rugby in the country. It's probably a good thing.
I don't quite frankly, give us your thoughts. I dred
eighty ten eighty run through a couple of texts for
you now, Darcy, I've really started to watch the women's
game and I'm enjoying. I'm finding more entertaining sometimes the
girl's defense systems than not as robusts than men. The
(25:06):
rugby is more free flowing. A lot of bloke's rugby
is collision base when a lot of women's rugby is
running holes. I want a collision. I want to run
around you and run away from you. Not quite as gladatorial. Look,
it still is in the loose and up front, yes,
(25:28):
but it's a different method of playing the game and
it does make it more open. Yeah, there are defensive frailties,
there are, no doubt, but this is a very early competition.
The prevalence of women's rugby is there. It's currently building,
and the bigger it gets, the more players play, the
(25:48):
better it's going to become. From a structural or defensive
point of view. But there is an exuberance and a
life about the women's game that I think men can
learn a wee bit from. Darcy, writes Derek, Kay, you
know what women's Rugby can do. What about paying for them?
It's a commercial failure. Derek, maybe you should look at
(26:17):
New Zealand rugby as a whole and tell me how
much money they're stacking up, because I think what you'll
find is that Super Rugby, the men's version, is also
a commercial failure. No one goes it, staggers, it's constantly changing.
(26:39):
That I'm saying this is good because it does change.
But they're trying to develop. The money maker is the
all blacks, that is it. They make the money. But
New Zealand Rugby they're hemorrhaging money left right and center.
And there's not women. That's everybody. And you've got to
give the chance, the growth theory of the opportunity to grow.
(27:03):
It's getting bigger, So do you all the potential for
growth and expansion and eyeballs therefore dollars by going oh,
I'm not sure about that. We'll forget about well, carry
on flogging this dead man's horse over here. It might
take ten years. That's why I asked Hannah Porter about
(27:23):
a time span, a scale, how long before it needs
to be commercially viable. Money that rugby makes isn't just
for the all Blacks. The all Blacks make all the money.
And if you only spend all the all Blacks money
on the all Blacks, the rest of the structure collapses.
(27:45):
We have no more rugby. The money generated by the
all Blacks is for rugby in New Zealand across the board,
right down from the lowbrow right up to the high
and women's rugby is a space of growth. And look
if it goes ten to fifteen years and it's still
(28:07):
tanking or it's still not making the money they wanted
to make out, you have another look. But you can't
run and hide and avoid it because you're unsure. And
if you are going to do it, be innovative, do
something different, try something so like, I firmly with respect,
(28:29):
disagree with you, Derek, but thanks for your text. Brien says,
I was at the semi final when in New Zealand
beat France. Was amazing atmosphere, the ladies played so well.
It can't be compared to the men's game. No, you're right,
because it's a different game. With respect of the black
fans whort to play a top first fifteen from christ
Church Boys, how they will probably possibly lose. So it's
(28:50):
a moot point comparison of the men's game. It's its
own game and its own right. And it's true there's
no points, say, but they're not men. It's a different game.
It's a different attitude and that's what I enjoy about
watching women's cricket. Different structure, different way of looking at you,
(29:10):
the same rules, but a different application and attitude is
used in the women's game. It's refreshing. It's not based
on out and out power. You've actually got to have
a bit of skill about you. You've got a bit
of cunning. You've got to think as opposed to trying
(29:33):
to smash the ball over the boundary or run straight
through your opposition guy, which also has its place. What
rugby is different and interesting? Good Ben, how are you?
Speaker 4 (29:46):
Oh?
Speaker 11 (29:46):
Very good? Thank you for having me on. Yes, a
Woman's ARTOK. I loved that last year. I watched every
game and most of the time I was like, what
they're playing here in pocket coring. I'm living on the
North Shore. Oh my god, I could have made that game.
And what I'm saying right now is there wasn't enough
advertisements for their competition, you know, And it came down
(30:10):
to me going through the sky sport a week ahead
and you can't get you find out what games are playing.
And I think New Zealand Rugby really needs to promote
the women's game so we can turn up. I don't
care if I'm playing paying the same price for a
super rugby game. I just want to go there and
(30:31):
see them play because it's such a fantastic, fast flowing game.
It's very technical. People say it's not as brutal as
men's rugby, but when two girls hit each other, when
two forwards and the women's team come together and take
one of each other out, oh my god, it's still
a brutal sport. But it's very technical, it's very fast flowing,
(30:51):
it's very festival and it's such a wonderful game to watch.
I just want to have that schedule head so I
can go. All right, I'm going to make sure I
can have those days off so I can go down
and watch our teams play.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
Is it better in the afternoon better at night? Does
it matter to you when they play it?
Speaker 3 (31:08):
Then?
Speaker 2 (31:09):
Oh?
Speaker 11 (31:10):
Daytime, daytime rugby is amazing.
Speaker 3 (31:13):
I love it.
Speaker 11 (31:14):
You know, it's like two in the afternoon or just
after midday and you're going down there, the sun is out,
people seem more i know, engaging and friendly and just happy.
And the teams are out there just you know, go
and hammer and tom to it and it's just yeah,
I would love to see professional rugby have more mid
(31:36):
day games because it's just it's just more wonderful to watch.
It's nothing like going home, sitting around having your meal
at night and talking about the match you just watched.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
And on that beam, we'll let you go, We'll let
you fly. Thanks very much for ringing the program a
fan like that. Eighteen away from eight This is a
sports look on in a news talk zb I dark.
The women's game isn't on at prime time because no
one watches it. It's lunch time, but they are contracted televised. Well,
so what, it's not a finished product. They're not going
(32:09):
to land it and go. But a look at this
and everyone's gonna come and watch. It's going to be
huge built. You've got to build these things slowly. Take
the lessons from Super Rugby the men's version. What went wrong?
It used to be a runaway trainer. It's an extraordinary
it's it's it's falling over, it's on its knee. So
what needs to change, What can the women's game learn
(32:30):
from the men's game, and vice versa. AnyWho as his
news dogs here, but let's talk about a tennis coming
up next. Michael Burgers joins us. We've got a new player,
an old player signed for the ASP Classic and it's
the end of the line for roughen the do go
(32:51):
and fav We're joined now on Sports Talks by Michael Burgess,
a multi media sports writer and an absolute tennis tragic.
That's a fair thing to call you, isn't it, mister Burgess,
And welcome.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
Absolutely absolutely. It's tennis nut from way back.
Speaker 4 (33:08):
And I'm so excited around this time of year that
ask because this is when we start talking.
Speaker 3 (33:12):
About our tennis season, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
Yeah, And it's when the releases keep coming. We know
a lot of the field for the ASP Classic for
the women, but the men's names are coming. Game more
Feast is the latest person to be released. He's got
a special place in tennis, hasn't it. He's quite the character,
mister more Fez.
Speaker 3 (33:32):
He's amazing.
Speaker 4 (33:33):
I mean, I've watched a lot of tennis over the years,
and to see someone as entertaining as him. He's so
charismatic on the court, plus his shot making. I mean,
if I think back, I've been covering the ASP Classic
a long time and two of the most memorable matches
I've covered both involved him. One was in January he
lost the three sets thriller, and the other was against
(33:54):
Tommy Hasse way back in twenty thirteen in a quarter file.
Speaker 3 (33:57):
So he's just he's just magic to watch.
Speaker 4 (34:00):
The crowd loves watching him play, and it's just he's
the kind of guy that excites everyone, that sells tickets.
Speaker 3 (34:06):
And he's still he's still at a good level.
Speaker 4 (34:08):
He's thirty eight years old, Dace, which is pretty old
for tennis player, but he's still on number fifty five.
And the other thing is he had pretty solid year
and he beat a couple of top ten players, including
Carlos Algarez, so he's still pretty impressive.
Speaker 2 (34:20):
He's been a professional now for well over twenty years.
How does he keep at the top of his game
like that? Superb fitness, He's maybe got a bloody minded
attitude toward what he does. How has he been around
so long such a physical sport.
Speaker 4 (34:35):
Yeah, it's a good question, mate, because you're right twenty
one years on tour and one of the most physical
sports where the players coming through younger and younger. I
asked him about that when he came this year and
he said, you know, he still trains pretty hard. He's
got a bit smarter, but basically just still loves the sport.
Speaker 3 (34:52):
Because he's said, Yate, he doesn't have to be doing this,
but he's still likes driving the world and playing tennis
and people still love watching him play.
Speaker 4 (35:00):
So he's pretty disciplined with his training. Even though he's
he's got a family now, he's got a young daughter,
and he's still he's still got all the shots. You know,
he's slowing down, but he's always been really quick on
the court, so you know, he's still really competitive.
Speaker 3 (35:14):
We don't know if next year will be his last year.
Speaker 4 (35:16):
It might be, but it's just fantastic he's coming back
to Akland because he's only been here. I think this
will be his fourth visit from memory. He's tried to
come a few times and had injuries.
Speaker 3 (35:26):
And things like that.
Speaker 4 (35:27):
So the fact that he's going to be coming two
years in a row, it's just magic.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
I think, is he a threat? Will he actually get
through and cause a ruckus. Is he a quarter finalists,
a semi finalist? Goal for big could he actually win
the whole thing?
Speaker 3 (35:42):
I mean, if you got going, he can beat anyone
on the day.
Speaker 4 (35:44):
I think the challenge for Gale now is backing up,
you know, backing up one performance after the other. But
he reached a couple of semi finals this year, which
is semi Finland Doha. Doha has a big tournament. Big
Money has always has a descent field, so he certainly can.
Speaker 3 (35:59):
I mean, I think the draw's got to be kind.
Speaker 4 (36:00):
He was pretty unlucky lart Or this year January with
the draw he got a pretty tough, talented young Hungarian
super fit.
Speaker 3 (36:08):
So it depends on the drawer.
Speaker 4 (36:10):
But yeah, I mean, if he gets rolling, gets confident,
he's certainly a guy that can make a run in
this tournament. He'll be a dark horse in the field
and no one will want to draw him first round.
Speaker 2 (36:20):
And draws fattening up got me. Hence ideas nudges around
who else might sign because obviously there's limit on rankings
and who can actually turn up. You got an idea
about where they may be hitting the tournament directors.
Speaker 4 (36:34):
Well, women's field is looking, like you say, it's looking
pretty pretty sharp. With Nomeo Saka Emerti Kanu lu Lusan,
that's has three massive names there. The men's field have
announced Cameron Nora, they've got my feast. They've announced Ben Shelton,
the American who's been a couple of times now and
he's a top twenty players. Once he's been, he's been
top fifteen, he's made a Grand Slam semi finals.
Speaker 3 (36:56):
He's all class.
Speaker 4 (36:57):
I think they've got a couple of young, you know,
players on the rise coming.
Speaker 3 (37:02):
I assume they'll be top fifty.
Speaker 4 (37:03):
They'll be young, kind of the next generation, I hope,
but not sure if they've got any more big names
to come.
Speaker 3 (37:13):
He's still working on that or not.
Speaker 4 (37:14):
But it'll be a it'll be an impressed the field,
but certainly the women's field really catches the eye.
Speaker 2 (37:21):
Any chance we could lure an old Spaniard over because
he's finished playing, Oh I suppose it's still professional, was it?
Did you think rapping and down now that he's hung
up as racket might just roll over for a bit
of a look. He must love it over here. Short
has he been here?
Speaker 4 (37:34):
He's been here twice to US, and he was part
of the reason I started loving tennis. I mean, I
love tennis from the eighties with Stephan Edburgh and Pat
Cash and Brus Becker. But Raffa came to Auckland in
two thousand and four and that was my first year
down there kind of as a journalist. And he was seventeen,
couldn't speak English, muscles on muscles, wearing a single at
the long hair, and he was world number about fifty
(37:56):
fifty fifty three, fifty four from memory, and so we
knew this guy potential, but you know, he just he.
Speaker 3 (38:02):
Was just amazing.
Speaker 4 (38:02):
He just he just could run and run every ball
down at this massive shot you've never seen before, this huge,
huge topspin back end and forehand. And he made the
final and all the way the finals a seventeen year old,
was his first ATP Tour final and lost to Dominique Barty.
But that sort of, you know, I think that introduced
him to Auckland and New Zealand certainly. So it's kind
(38:25):
of a sad day, but great memories of him.
Speaker 2 (38:28):
He's had a long in illustrious career. How come he's
lasted so long?
Speaker 4 (38:32):
Yeah, and he's he's done it in a different ways
in my feast, because he's just been plagued with injuries
from basically the start, you know, like he I'm sure
your listeners remember him winning Wimbledon against Roger feder in
two thousand and eight, won the great tennis matches, but
a couple of years before he had massive.
Speaker 3 (38:49):
Issues with his feet, with his knees, with his shoulders.
Speaker 4 (38:52):
So he's been carrying injuries his whole career, missed a
lot of tournaments. But he's just he's the hardest trainer
on tour. He absolutely loves the sport. He said, some
great coaches, great family behind him. But the main thing
of it, Rafford that stands out to me as I've
never seen a player with such a will to win
and such an ability to play under pressure, even better
(39:13):
than Feeder and Djokovic. Like I've seen him so many times.
You were seeing it two ds. He's down love forty
in the ship. If he gets broken, he might lose
the seat or something, and he finds a way back,
finds a way back from crazy situations.
Speaker 3 (39:24):
So he was just he was just so hard to beat.
Speaker 4 (39:26):
Mentally, he was just he just really was And that's
sort of the special thing I remember about him as
well as as well as his amazing shot making and
everything else about him.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
Promises so much. The upcoming as B classic, both the
women's and the mens draw all the fun of the
circus sid seven minutes to eight.
Speaker 1 (39:46):
Study Q.
Speaker 3 (39:57):
Marke's lights up next to.
Speaker 2 (39:58):
You, take it through to a midnight Finally grafted and
wonderful talkback whole shell, Hi Darcy, writes Jeff from christ Jurdge,
describing women's rugby defense is less robust than the men's
is a polite way of saying that tackle. Excuse me,
(40:19):
the tackling is rubbish, is it? I don't think it's
as Maybe robust is the wrong word, brutal. I don't know.
It's a different style of playing. It's not about the collision.
Speaker 4 (40:40):
Is it.
Speaker 2 (40:40):
It's about avoiding the collision, and they are still huge collisions.
Ain't be wrong. There's some some scary collisions. But it's
a different way of playing the game. Jeff also goes
on to say everyone says it not to compare the
two sports, but they do yourself included. To say compare
(41:00):
them is to say one's better than the other. Because
that's what I'm talking about They are both games of rugby,
but they come from a different space. That's what I'm
trying to say. I'm saying one's better, one's worse. They're different,
They're in the same game and they both have their
high points and their low points rugby. This is News
(41:24):
Talks A B. And I said autograve catch again tomorrow
from the seven Looking forward to it too.
Speaker 1 (41:30):
For more from sports talk, listen live to News Talks
It B from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
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