January 28, 2025 • 42 mins
D’Arcy Waldegrave returned to wrap today's sporting news. Highlights for tonight include:
Sir Gordon Tietjens - Former All Blacks Sevens Coach - On their shock loss at the Perth event.
Talkback
Melie Kerr - On being named ICC women's cricketer of the year.
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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 zed B.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Why Hello there, Hello, Hello, hello, Welcome on in as
a sports talk on new still ZB. I'm Darcy Watergrave
with to teil eight o'clock this evening, seven after seven now,
Jane twenty eight, twenty twenty five. As Alistair Wilkinson mentioned
in the News, Merely Kerr will appear on the program
and about forty five minutes time I see see Women's
(01:04):
Cricketer of the Year. First he is eleving to win
the award. We'll talk about what that means. Dare I
say it? How does she feel?
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Sorry?
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Worst question ever in sport? Couldn't help myself? First, stay
back right, that's later on the piece. First up, though,
Sir Gordon Titchens joins us All Black sevens coach back
in the day when they are outrageously successful and extraordinarily fit.
What was it happened? All Black's got knocked out by Uruguay? Uruguay?
(01:36):
I mean, you're granted they also dogs dinner defeat gans. Well,
so it's not so bad, but the tides and the
times they are are changing. Talk to Sir Gordon about
that time to whack a panic button. Where is the future?
What is the future? And I'll be asking you a
similar question. I'd love for your response on eight hundred
(01:59):
eighty ten eighty, after you've listened to Skodon Kitchens, we'll
open up the lines on eight hundred eighty ten, will
open the texts on nineteen ninety two. That is z
B z B so godon it's on the show Mealy
Kerr later on on the piece. But they're here and
now let's do this Sport Today and in Sport Today
(02:21):
up THEO wors coach Andrew Webster is loving the contribution
pre season from his quiver of halves Martin Boyd Metcalf
and Harris de Vita, all giving it what for.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
There've been one of our highlights, that's for sure. I
think we realize we're need to create that depth every
probably every season, just as best as we can. It's
really important that you know they win your game, so
you got to have them. They're competing really well. I
see a difference that they're really trying to help each
other as well, So they're competing at one minute and
then they want each other to get better.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Fleet Footed Kiwi Sprinter Fresh from his demo job in
z indoor sixty meters record. He knows just whelpedon why
he's gotten better. There's this new coach, the Huger, respected
strength and conditioning guru Angus Ross.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
He's one of the topest and seas in the country,
probably one of the top sprint bio mechanists in encias
in the world to be fees. He's published quite a
few really good papers and I think he's pretty well
revered around the world. So to have a guy like
that on your team is truly unreal. You know, he's
real outside the box thinker.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
And football Ferns interim gaffer Michael Maine is all about
internal competition as their team start their journey toward the
twenty twenty seven DEFO World Cup. This year's campaign begins
with two friendlies versus Costa Rica in San Jose next month.
Speaker 5 (03:38):
I've seen the challenge of making sure we're buildings and
dip from this teas and competition in this team, so
I think there's a there's a real opportunity here. I
guess showcase some some play that maybe have been in
the squad previously and some that may be new to
the squad.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
That's sport today.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
The boy they've taught the they're taking they are going
to take the penalty and take the tea points and
that they knocked out. Now this spatch New Zealand in
the second round, you're just a good ouch. Indeed they
(04:16):
were to Fiji. To New Zealand didn't go on to
win the whole lots Argentina who did that by tying
up and thrashing the Australians with a stick. But that
is another story. Let's talk about the all Black sevens
and where seven sits at the moments? Are good and
Titchens that joins us for more Black sevens coach evening.
Speaker 6 (04:34):
Mate, Yeah, good evening. Do see how you going?
Speaker 2 (04:37):
I'm going very very well, a little shocked, maybe not
shocking or but having Uruguay not only beat New Zealand
but beat Fiji in Perth sevens. It's the world's changing,
is it not?
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Should we be.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Really freaked out by this? Is there a panic button
to be hit?
Speaker 6 (04:54):
I don't think he hit a panic button to be
to start pressing. I think well, on any any given day,
and if you look at the twelve teams that are
currently in the World Series, on their day, any team
can be any team. The end's competition is very very competitive,
and that Uruguay was one of those teams that performed
exceedingly well in the Challenger Series last year to qualify
(05:15):
for the World Series. Kenya was another one of those
teams that pushed New Zealand very very close as well,
you know, and they're putting a lot of more emphasis
perhaps should I say, than perhaps what we are and
we gave us sevens. I mean, they're centrally based in
their countries. They worked tremendously hard. They worked particularly hard
to qualify for the World Series. Now they're in there
(05:37):
and they want to stay there. And you look at
the Spanish team. The Spanish team's actually co leaders in
the World Series at the moment. There's four of them
sitting on I think forty eight points or something like that,
and which with tweet TG and who would have thought
that Spain would be at the top of that ladder now?
Speaker 2 (05:52):
And they are so resource wise you said, they're pouring
a lot at it. Some of these countries, can you
zilla not keep up with that or they haven't got
what is required to keep up with that. They've caught
up and we can't go any was that s what
you're saying?
Speaker 6 (06:08):
No, No, that's certainly you know, in terms of the
analysis done on the other sevens, every yes and see
coach put they emphasize in different ways, I supposed to
get the best out of their players. And I've always
said our game is sposed around conditioning, you know, And
there's a lot of series around players being over worked
now and I think, honestly, it's it's a game that's
(06:30):
you're challenged mentally and you're challenged physically if you want
to be the best. And I look at our side
and I just we just don't have that same emphasis
on the sevens game. And I say that because we
have no national tournament. Now where do the players once
I've finished with the Condor sevens, because the Condal sevens
(06:51):
is really the only tournament and our secondary school players
that we have, you know, of any of any standing,
I suppose, and that's where we go and look as
coaches to try and find the next youngster to come
to the your wax seven seam. But when we had
the Queenstown sevens, the provincial seven in northern regions, southern regions,
you know, they started to give players perhaps some hope
(07:13):
of making the national side, but we don't have that now,
so they go to fifteen's.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
And this is a pathway situation essentially, is what you're saying.
You get to a particular and you stop, you can't
go any further. Who holds ultimate responsibility for that?
Speaker 6 (07:26):
Gordon Well, and he's in a rugby unit. I mean
when you look at it from the World Series, and
I know that in the World Series they've lost a
billion dollars. I think just in the World Series alone,
going through the tournaments, I've reduced it from I think
twelve tournaments to seven tournaments. Now there's no sevens have
become a wealth games. So a lot of players, you know,
(07:47):
and in the women's case, some of them are going
off the league. Some of the players here now I
gotta put more emphasis into being a fifteen a side player.
So it's just it's set a Crossroads's the believer at
a crossroads on how do we because we're still in
an Olympic sport and for a lot of players, they're
their dreamers will be an Olympian. I mean, I look
(08:09):
at the Australian women's team. You know they lost their
two best players and the tournament just on the record
weekend in Perth, and they've got all these new young
players that they're bringing through. They've got quite a good
system in Australia now. And of course they turn around,
but our Black Fan seven, you know, in a great final.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
It was a final, it was outrageous, it was stuff,
it really was, and right about the two of the
best players. Not then so they've got that had a.
Speaker 6 (08:37):
New nineteen year old out on the wing there. Look,
she's a tremendous got player of the or the final,
you know. And but so they're doing something in Australia
that's bringing a lot of players through with a lot
of depth. You know, we're going to lose a few
of our players out of the Black Fan seven soon,
certainly at the end of this Warse series, because some
of them are going off the league and they may
come back during the Olympic years or something. Perhaps I
(09:00):
don't know, but I know, for instance, in the men's program,
it's it's tough at the moment, and when you lose
to teams like you know, Uruguay and they turn around
and beat Fji as well, it sort of says something
that there is a lot of countries wanting more emphasis
into the game of sevens and they are a danger.
Let's face at South Africa. Sorry, Agentina won and sort
(09:21):
them on the weekend comfortably, very easily. They won the
final way forty odd points against Australia.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
There's always so Gordon Tenchens joints that there's always been
an arm wrestle obvious or underlying between z are internally
with sevens versus fifteens? Is there much more of a
golf now, do you think, which is why they just
don't have those pathwords, all the pathways. The focus is
solely on the fifteens and the sevens again being left
(09:47):
poor cousins here.
Speaker 6 (09:49):
It is well and I suppose, as I go back
to my time back in the day, I suppose if you,
if you put it that way, was with a lot
of players, that they use the sevens game as a
launching pad to go on to be a super ruby player.
They'd becoming all bay you know. And to me, that's
how it should still be. There should be still opportunities there.
(10:10):
And I'm not saying that we haven't got the I
just don't believe we've got the depth at the moment.
We lost a lot of good players and Scott Curry
finished up, Sam Dickson finished up. You know, that's just
all finished up at the same time, and we should
have been developing newer players around that time before they
finished up. So then then there was some players coming
(10:33):
through and that's how we used to do it. But
now they all finished at the same time, which has
made it pretty tough. So we've got a relatively young
and experienced team and a series of the moment except
for two or three of them that have got a
number of gentlements under their belt.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Out of sight, out of mind to a degree as well,
since the Sevens experience here in New Zealand, they're from
winning on to Hamilton, since that disappeared a lot of
the games in the middle of the night on the
other side of the world. I wonder if he said
anything a little detached from this game as well.
Speaker 6 (11:05):
Yeah, I totally agree with you. It's just there, isn't
you know, the same emphasis there and losing our own tournament,
then the will and the wand and the drive to
go and watch these these tournaments are not there anymore.
So you've got to venture off shore and go to
the Hong Kongs and in some cases like in the weekend,
just the Perth were having it have need their very
(11:25):
first sevens tournament at the international level, and I mean
it's pretty hard sometimes to sit back and see how
it actually took off, but it certainly looked like it
was fairly good in the sense that they was getting
to support there and even better when Australia made the
made the you know, the final and in both programs,
the men and the women's program and we've currently got
(11:47):
a new Zealand coach and Liam Vara who's coaching the men.
Australian men's even seen.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
And I got absolutely flogged in that final. It was
for the Australia.
Speaker 6 (11:58):
I feel, I really feel for Tamassia because Tumasia is
a Certainly it was a great class on me as
he was wonderful in a sense his knowledge of the game.
He worked particularly hard as a player, he knows the
levels they need to get to. But I don't think
that at the moment that he's getting the support that
he really needs, because I truly believe he could be
(12:21):
an outstanding, if not an outstanding coach now. But when
you haven't got that depth around you, you know, you've
got to basically get out and put the cattle that
you have out on the park, and you get injuries
and you haven't got that death. So therefore you're going
to take a few hits. And at the moment, for
some much he's taking a few hits, which is sad.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
You mentioned the global financial issues that the game has
right now, billion dollars is the game itself and a
world scale starting to staggers that got a way forward.
Speaker 6 (12:54):
Well, oh yeah, I mean it's quite frightening in a
way because I think the game is certainly it's got
to stay. I mean, you think go right throughout Asia,
in China, and I was involved with the Chinese team
for a while there in the last six months, and
they love the game of sevens. The Asian Series to
them is everything, you know, because they use those you
(13:17):
know in the Asian seven Series is to qualify for
the Olympics, et cetera. You know, from the Asia from Asia,
So it'll never go away for sure. Even teams like Korea,
they are pretty good at the game. And in China,
I know they're building their women's team and now they're
going to put a lot of emphasis into their men's team.
So it's okay and that's side of the world, but
from other parts of the world where we're falling away.
(13:39):
And if we haven't got a World Series for Willy
b who knows, it's going to be pretty tough. And
I think in the next Sydney, the next to twelve
eighty months, I think there'd be a lot of decisions
made around sevens.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Your confidence that it will bounce back. You said it's
not panic button stage yet, but there are a number
of issues surrounding the game. Can they be rectified? Is
it all up to New Zealand Rugby? Do you give
them no?
Speaker 6 (14:02):
You know, Jasy are worth noting too. In the last
two Olympics, especially the last Olympics in Paris, you could
not get a seat to any of the sessions and
any of the days in the men's program. That's how
it's how popular it was. It was amazing. You know.
The game. The game, if you look at it and
(14:23):
right around the world, is a great game to be
part of, you know. And if you went to the
Olympics and you went to some of those sessions and
there are some great games, then to me is why
should the game be failing but it's not at the moment.
It's it's not working for us, and for for whatever reason,
I don't know whether we'll well, whether we'll keep it
(14:44):
or not. We may. I certainly hope you're not. We're
talking together in two years time, that the game is
still out there and that we keep building because it's
an opportunity for athletes, and while it's an Olympic sport,
I think there's always a chance.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
And on that uplifting note, and I want to leave
it like that because that's much better for everybody's soul.
So good intentions. Thanks very much for your time. You
have a tremendous twenty five mate, Go well.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
The right call is your call on eight hundred eighty
Sports Talk call on your home of sports news Talks be.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Seven twenty two. Sir Gordon Titchens there, Seven's coaching maestro
from back in the day, scratching his head and looking
across what we saw in Perth rightly pointed out, Look,
it's one poor result against Uruguay. But what it does
do it shows us that the results this year and
(15:38):
of previous theres it's it's trending down. All the rest
of the world's catching up all the rest of the
world are putting money into something that they consider is
worthwhile for their sporting health and their athletes, whereas New
Zealand don't appear to think that way, Sir Gordon saying
(15:59):
the pathways pretty much end at Condor, a secondary schools
tournament and there's nowhere to go, even though recently Chris
Lendrum of n z R said, look, it's a really
important part of our strategy. These players go from SEVENS
to NPC, from NPC to Super Rugby to Super Rugby
(16:21):
and to Test Rugby. It appears detached and when I
watched this over the weekend, I shrugged my shoulders. The
same emotion wasn't there? And I've watched sevens for as
long as I can remember. Now it put my finger
(16:45):
on what's disappeared, it said to Gordon just then, we
can't see it. There's no pathway through it. We don't
really watch it. If it's not there, does it exist?
So the question for you should end Z are and
(17:06):
indeed should a high performance sport in z Remember they
gassed them by twenty five percent after the failure in Paris,
so their annual contribution from a million bucks down to
seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars, which is hardly an
all black paypack. It is it, it's at high performance,
bought in New Zealand and be investing more money and
its ends z are be investing into seven's rugby? Is
(17:30):
the game of sevens worth investing in? I'm not sure
I think that from a development point of view, yes
it is, But I'm struggling to ascertain where sevens sits?
What it is, what does it provide? What does it mean?
(17:55):
It's not only at a crossroads. It may have come
to a screeching holt. I want you to share with
me what you think Seven's where its future lies. We've
got a story has to in sevens. It's produced some
magnificent times, some moments and players. It's just stuttering. The
(18:17):
wa hanad doing great. But let's face it, there are
only two teams in world rugby and SEVENS that are women,
and that is the Australians and the New Zealanders. Right
beyond that, I don't think it goes much further. And
that fine, it was incredible too. Tell me about sevens?
Does it keep need to be invested in? Are you
still attached to this does this still means something to you?
(18:38):
What does it mean as a sport for New Zealand?
Twenty five minutes after seven lines are open on eight
hundred and eighty ten eighty Looking forward to your thoughts
on this. It was a staple in New Zealand, the
Wellington sevens. Maybe the Hambleton sevens wasn't quite as vibrant,
but still being a part of our sporting summer Commwealth
(19:00):
Games is essentially toast. So there's no sevens there. It's
an Olympic sport now once every four years. It is
it enough to hold us hold our attention? One hundred
eighty ten eighty lines are open. We keep investing in
the sevens rugby program? Is this game worth carrying on with?
This is news talks, B You're on sports talk in
(19:21):
text nineteen nine two, you can ring one hundred and
eighty eight.
Speaker 7 (19:25):
Why do y'all sleep on me?
Speaker 1 (19:26):
Howney reasons?
Speaker 2 (19:29):
I got plagued in the Male Picks season.
Speaker 6 (19:31):
Shout out to my UPS workers making sure I received.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
No need for the TMO. We've got the breakdown on
Sports Talk cool hundred news talk.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
Much I never seen again?
Speaker 6 (19:58):
This is sometimes since we last ball this is gonna
sound like a.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
Badge it all out hip hop remix of Super Tramp.
I'll get my Coat and it's up us seven sports
look on News Talk ZB it's a Tuesday evening and
Mely curse still to come. Talking at rugby sevens, now,
the point of rugby sevens, the point of putting resources
into it? Where does it sit in the wider rugby
(20:23):
or sporting landscape for New Zealand? I think it has
relevance once every four years at the Olympics, although producer
Duff rightly points out this is not an IRB situation,
this is an IOC so they can't even flaunt the
sponsors across their jerseys when they do it. I just
wonder if it's losing tracks. Hi, Alan, how are you?
Speaker 8 (20:46):
I'm good. Thanks. They thought i'd give you a call
about the sevens.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
And what about the sevens?
Speaker 8 (20:52):
So, firstly, where it sits in all sport is entertainment.
Sevens is the most entertaining form of rugby. I love
my sevens. I don't think in the last thirty years
I've not been to one of the international sevens tournaments.
Went to Perth last year after they canceled the New
Zealand sevens. I'm heading up to Vancouver in a couple
of weeks ago to the Vancouver seven and then i'll you're.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
A super fan, ol, you're a super fan. Missus fantas home.
Speaker 8 (21:21):
I've been to about eight Hong Kong sevens. I've been
to the Rio Olympic sevens, the first one. I've been
to San Francisco World Cup. Did you read Chris rattor
to his article about sevens in the Herald of.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
Christopher Too, No, no, I haven't I know that. Liam Nape,
you put a good one out of a couple of
a couple of weeks ago around the same thing.
Speaker 8 (21:44):
It might have been lear. I can't remember what it was,
but it was all about basically, when World Rugby took
over running the international tournaments instead of allowing local countries
to run them. That's when the big losses started running out.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
Well they've lost. I think it's nearly fifty million New
Zealand dollars, not not at billion dollars as to Gordon seven.
I see what it seems. No flaming this situation, but
it was running.
Speaker 8 (22:07):
At a loss. Well, now, Gordon a bit of discretion,
but it it's not that much, but it's still a
lot of money. But it's the it's the executives. They're
flying out from World Rugby, you knows, to half run
by volunteers and profitable.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
The bunny's going to the wrong place.
Speaker 8 (22:28):
Changing the format and help, I don't think so. You know,
reducing the number of tournaments, reducing the teams from sixteen
teams down to twelve means you have this messy format
of you know, you can't play four pools of four.
You've got to play you know, it depends some tournaments.
They even change from tournament to tournament now from pools
(22:49):
of four to pools of three and one goes through.
So they reduced the number of tournaments.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
It's it's what's gone down to seven, isn't it? Well,
it's gone from a leaving to seven. Is that right?
Speaker 8 (23:02):
I think it went from twelve to nine and it's
now eight this year because they've brought Madrid, right, Okay,
somebody's working somebody's working up that if you're playing a
non rugby playing country, nobody bloody turns up.
Speaker 2 (23:14):
I gotta ask. You've got quite an addiction and this
is great. I'm really I'm stoked. I think you spend
all that time and money following them around, But why sevens?
What does it do for you?
Speaker 8 (23:26):
I followed fifteens as well. I spent three months in
fence last year or a year before last. I just
love my rugby play, and I particularly love seven You know,
sevens is exciting.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
You know.
Speaker 8 (23:42):
Fifteens is technical and and a great game. But but
but sevens is exciting.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
Do you think that the playing field that's why it
seems like Uruguay and Spain actually competing at that level
because it's not as complex or nuanced as fifteens.
Speaker 8 (23:59):
I think it is. I think it's at the simplicity
of the game makes it easier for other nations to compete,
and so all you know, if you've got a great athlete,
they can have an impact in sevens, whereas in fifteen
it's very very hard. But you know, if you go
to a sevens tournament and there's a poor game on,
it doesn't matter. You wait ten minutes and the next
(24:21):
game starts.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
I'm interested in the future around why the players play
the game, because in essence, if they're going on some
form of journey toward all black representation, once they get
close to that that that sevens is over for them.
They're not going to go any further. Yeah, you know
that the superstars. What did Sunny Bill play in rear
you were then? I think a couple of other big
players did too.
Speaker 8 (24:43):
But I fortunate it was injured in the first game
against Japan that we lost twelve.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
Ten and got third or was it third? What we
actually finishing those?
Speaker 8 (24:53):
No, no, we no, we didn't even make the I
don't think we made the bond the medal round or
we may have got No, I don't think we made
the bond the medal round even.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
I'm I'm just we had we.
Speaker 8 (25:08):
Had the Ioni brothers in there as well.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
The Iani boys.
Speaker 8 (25:13):
Yes, both Rito and Material were both in the and
the team that year.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
And then we had a guy Caleb Clark Villa.
Speaker 8 (25:23):
Wanted to join it. Ardie Sylvia wanted to join and
was basically told by Steve Hanson that if he went
there there was he was saying goodbye to his all
black career. So when you have that attitude from senior
people in New Zealand rugby, it's no wonder we struggled
to get some of the talent into the sevens team, Well, I.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
Think Allen, thanks very much for your call. I'm a
huge admirer of your ability to follow rugby all over
the world, which I did there he's a job for
it was a job sounds like fun, but New zeal
And rugby and you look at some roadblocks have been
put in place by coaches, by CEO whatever during the
time that have really choked the life out of seven's
(26:03):
representation at the top level. The themes games a lot
more important, and even though the sevens game helps players
understand playing at big tournaments, playing in front of big crowds,
getting used to the extreme required fitness, it's basically a
training ground. And once you start getting to a level
(26:24):
where you're a good football or a good rugby player,
you're going to be lost to the game if you
actually want a half decent career, because you simply not
you can't play too. Caleb Clark, he said no to
the All Blacks to go and become an Olympian, didn't
even get packed. They ain't be doing that again. Will
(26:45):
He got a few texts to read out for you.
I'll do that shortly. I love your calls. Eight one
hundred and eighty ten eighty does where does sevens sit?
What does it provide? What is it?
Speaker 3 (26:59):
What is it?
Speaker 2 (27:00):
He used to be so big here in New Zealand,
and I feel it's slipped through our finger fingers. It's
not there anymore. What's the future. I'll eight one hundred
and eighty ten eighty. I'll leave you this text from Faye.
Why are you always so negative against rugby? Do you
want it to go away like the dog racing? Give
(27:20):
it a rest and say something positive for a change.
That's a great text from someone who plainly listened to
my show once in a blue moon. Thanks for your
time in your twenty cents. It's twenty three minutes away
from eight.
Speaker 7 (27:33):
Some pretty crazy stories in my side suits. You probably
wouldn't get it if I sold you.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
Yeah, if you know, I mean put some.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
Twenty minutes to eight. I'm being negative about rugby, asking
questions about the lack of umph behind the sevens. I
think most of us sports and rugby fans would agree
with that it's lost something because we haven't got it
any backyard anymore, because the past plays are not here anymore.
(28:08):
We don't have a strong diet of sevens unless it's
at the Olympic Games because come also haven't got any
more either. The women's sevens games better to watch anyway
by the bye and knows he did particularly well. Let's
run through some texts for you before we get to
Melie Kerr. I see see Women's Cricketer of the Year
(28:29):
cool award. She joins us next Darcy Seven's last. It's
mojo when rugby world rugby took over. Now any people
having a fun now the world rugby officials traveling around
the world living in five star hotel yet fair enough.
Sevens are great. It's a stepping stone through the ranks.
I'm sure someone like the line again would come up
with a national comp to nurture future players. Shout out
(28:51):
there for Dino. Why should high performance sport invest in
New Zealand rugby if they don't. Uruguay was the best
of the rest in the fifteen Rugby World Cup twenty three.
They have no fear in their DNA against teams like
Fiji and some more, And he goes on, thank you Jaffer.
Of course the sevens is like junk food rights another.
(29:12):
It's nice and fun, but you can't live on it.
And the sevens used to be crowd centric. It's a
festival event. Now it's just a boring World Rugby Run tournament. Yeah,
I get what you're saying, but enough all that already,
let's walk away from that and run head first at
Mealy Kerr, who joins us next on News Talks. There,
(29:33):
but it's eighteen away from.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
Eight forget the refs call.
Speaker 6 (29:37):
You make a call.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
Sports Talking on your home of Sports News Talks, Eben.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
Emily Kerk joins us now. It was announced the evening
at quarter past six that she's become the ICCs Women's
Cricketer of the Year. She picked up the T twenty
I gone earlier on in the week, but now she's gone.
The whole hog, the first New Zealander to win this award.
(30:07):
Tremendous for athlete who's had an incredible year, actually joins
us now merely Kirk. Congratulations and welcome mate, Chada.
Speaker 7 (30:17):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
What a time for you. Not only did you pick
up the gong for the T twenty I your Women's
Cricketer of the Year, now you've got the whole shooting
match the ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year. How good
And your initial reaction when they gave you the call
and said we think you're quite good. Do you want
to meddle?
Speaker 7 (30:38):
Yeah, I mean I saw I was nominated for those awards,
and yeah, I guess it's not really what you camere for.
What you think about that, it's nice there after, I guess,
a tough year at times the white Ferns, but then
to top it off with a World Cup one. Then
to be able to perform at different stages throughout the
(31:01):
year was the highlight. And I guess, yeah, the most
special thing is the people I get to share it
with them. I love representing New zealanm with that with
that group. They're awesome, awesome girl or some of my
best mates.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
And yeah, it means a lot, quite a down toward
character meinly from the times I've been talking with you anyway.
So that answer was just about what I thought. You
play for polls, you play for runs, you play for victories,
you play for team's success. This is nice, but it's
not the be all and end all. Do you feel
a bit I don't like shy taking it on board
(31:35):
and kind of going thank you very much.
Speaker 7 (31:40):
Yeah, I mean, yeah, awards, you know, it's not like
you've won of title or anything like that, like winning
the World Cup as a whole different feeling and awards
you don't think about because in the moment you're just
competing in the game and trying to get the best
(32:00):
out of yourself and get the best out of each
other as teammates. So yeah, I mean runs and wickets
and all of that. That's awesomember. I also know, at
the end of the day, and even when you look
back on days that have been bad days are good
back good bad days or good days, you don't actually
necessarily remember what you did. You more remember the memories
(32:24):
you made with your teammates. So although winning is a
lot more fun and losing, it's also the off field
stuff so important. And I think that's what I've been
most what I've most loved about this year is that
through I know, like we lost ten ten games in
a row with the White Fans, and the way we
(32:45):
stuck together through that period and just stayed so close
and then had the resilience and characters to bounce back
during the World Cup was probably the.
Speaker 2 (32:55):
Most pleasing thing in your own game itself. Do you
look to areas of improvement because you get that gone
being part of that team is incredible or instrumental in
that victory. But as far as your own roles are concerned,
where have you lifted, where are you happy with and
where do you think there needs to be more polished
and more work so they can win another one next year.
Speaker 7 (33:18):
Yeah. I think that's a great thing about cricket. There's
so many different aspects of the game that you're never
the complete player and you can always keep getting better.
So that's the exciting thing for me. I've been around
the international circuit for a while now, but I'm still
very young and there's still so much more I can
do to keep getting better. And I think, I guess
(33:42):
a little bit. Within the last years, I think my
bowling's improved a lot, and a lot of it is
just simple things in terms of field sets, game plans
and actually going back to what my best bowl is
and bowling to field that suit that rather than bowling
to the better strengths their times and then becoming more
(34:04):
defensive in my plans. And the spin group we have
within the White Furns, that's such an awesome group. They
make bowling so much fun. The spin coach we have
and I think a lot of my personal success goes
down to that spin group we have because I absolutely
love browling with them in the nets, competing with them,
learning with them, and yeah, it's probably been again.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
Another highlight of my ear ICEE see Women's Cricketer of
the Year merely. Kerr joins us. It's been quite the
era that you've been involved in. You've been around for
I like to think how long it's going to say
ten years at an international level, but you didn't debut
at fourteen, but a long time and watching the rise
and the relevance of women's cricket over that time, it's
(34:51):
been astonishing, hasn't it.
Speaker 7 (34:53):
It has been. I think back too when I debuted
for New Zealand in twenty sixteen and we were playing
out at Lincoln at the University and it was on
the on the live stream. What we have for domestic
cricket these days, for the longer formats and yeah, to
think of that eight years ago to where the game
(35:16):
is now, where we're always playing on TV. Now you're
traveling the world, there's all the different comps around the world.
It's now my job. It's pretty cool to see that,
you know, eight years ago actually wasn't that too long ago,
so to see that growth and it needed to grow
as well, and hopefully it continues to grow, because yeah,
(35:37):
the investment is going to help improve the product of
the game, and it's so awesome to see it not
only in just women's cricket, but also we've seen it
a bit of women's rugby and women's football, and yeah,
you want sport to be a game for all and
a pathway for all. So that's that's been awesome to see,
and I guess be alongside the growth of the.
Speaker 2 (35:59):
Game, Test Cricket's the next step, really, isn't it. If
you're like me and most other cricket fans, you be
hanging out to play tea to cricket. How long it's
going to take before you start getting relevant cricket? All
do you expect t twenty one day? I says, love it,
but surely this is where you want to end. This
has got to be the future.
Speaker 7 (36:18):
Yeah, I agree. I mean test cricket. Everyone speaks about
how much they love playing the game, and I'd absolutely
love to play it and never played a red ball
game in my life, So there's obviously a lot of
things that would have to be put in place beforehand
in terms of loading for I guess physical reasons and
(36:40):
injury management.
Speaker 5 (36:41):
That.
Speaker 7 (36:42):
Yeah, I mean, the woman's ashes are starting very soon
and I know they love playing in that so if
the White firm's got a test opportunity one day, I'm
sure the girls would definitely be putting their hands up.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
You mentioned that you're still young in your career at
still early doors. At twenty four. You have achieved the
status in the game in New Zealand and globally does
that well for you. You have to grop a bit
fast when you're shouldering all of that because it is
responsibility to lead the women's game forward here.
Speaker 7 (37:16):
Yeah, I don't really think about it as responsibility or
anything too much, as there's so much cricket now. You're
always moving on to the next thing and just trying
to perform and get ready for the next one. And
like the White men's at the moment, we are a
pretty young group and I don't think my responsibility to
(37:38):
grow the game in New Zealand, but I'd love to
play a part in it and how to inspire the
next generation and more players to get involved. And I'm
excited about the future of the White men's too. With
the group we have, there's so many young kiders coming
through and you know, I think at some point we're
(37:59):
going to lose some of the best players we've ever had,
but Susie and Sophie who we lost amy a few
years ago. So people got to keep adapting and evolving.
But this young group we have have is exciting and
I hope it's a bright future for everyone.
Speaker 2 (38:15):
Congratulations on your gong, Melely Kerr. Always great chatting with
you and now go get on and win yourself a title.
Yesterday wasn't happy hunting for you at all on Auckland City,
was it?
Speaker 7 (38:26):
It wasn't. But yeah, we'll bounce back and hopefully hopefully
get the Wellington Wellington crowd happy and make it through
the finals.
Speaker 1 (38:36):
You hear it from the biggest names and sports and men.
Have your say on O Wait eighty Sports Talk or
more on your home of sports news Talks.
Speaker 2 (38:45):
It be such an ambuliant character. Amelia Kerr aka Mealy
Kerr is want of self the ICC Women's Cricketer of
the Year award. Stunning season for her and you can
tell them a voice Ganja that that's lovely. Thanks for
the I just want to play cricket with my mates,
(39:05):
win games, want to take polls. My smash runs, but
thinks it's pretty look good on my shelf. Thanks. I'm
not kind of belittling her award, but she gets much
more excited when she talks about the game she loves.
And that is so cool. Merely Kerr, you rock. It's
(39:26):
eight minutes to eight sports Stalk Care and News Talks ZB.
More texts still to come. I'm not even a couple
of calls rolling than if you want to say congratulations
l eight under eighty eighty non sports talk news talks
by sports Talk on NEWSTALKSB A couple of texts for you.
(40:00):
I love Amelia Kerr and I'm so happy for her.
I just wish you would go back to calling herself Amelia.
Why do you care what someone calls themselves? Thanks for
leaving your name? Oh you didn't? This is better. Great
interview and women that sports people are always so good
(40:24):
compared to men. Rule of fun, They are strong, ability
to communicate, and I always get a great sense of
honesty when I interview female athletes, saying that guys are lying.
They're not, but they appear to be a lot more
in touch with their ability to communicate, say what they
(40:44):
really think, a mean, and they're not scared to say
something that people might deem to be wrong or upsetting
or it doesn't matter. Speak from the heart. And I
can't say enough about the ability of athletes who do that.
And the Wahini right at the top of it that
said for me a day, another five cents. My name
(41:09):
is Darcy Watergrove. Coming up next, it's the Gorse Farmer,
Marcus Lush On Marcus lush Nights. Myself and producer Extraordinary
Andrew Duff will be back in the hot seats tomorrow
from seven And if you want more sports Sports Fix,
(41:29):
it's our podcast Monday through Friday. Get them ext you
on and subscribe. There's a good potty look after yourself,
Hey catching tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (42:08):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talk
Set 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 zed B.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Why Hello there, Hello, Hello, hello, Welcome on in as
a sports talk on new still ZB. I'm Darcy Watergrave
with to teil eight o'clock this evening, seven after seven now,
Jane twenty eight, twenty twenty five. As Alistair Wilkinson mentioned
in the News, Merely Kerr will appear on the program
and about forty five minutes time I see see Women's
(01:04):
Cricketer of the Year. First he is eleving to win
the award. We'll talk about what that means. Dare I
say it? How does she feel?
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Sorry?
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Worst question ever in sport? Couldn't help myself? First, stay
back right, that's later on the piece. First up, though,
Sir Gordon Titchens joins us All Black sevens coach back
in the day when they are outrageously successful and extraordinarily fit.
What was it happened? All Black's got knocked out by Uruguay? Uruguay?
(01:36):
I mean, you're granted they also dogs dinner defeat gans. Well,
so it's not so bad, but the tides and the
times they are are changing. Talk to Sir Gordon about
that time to whack a panic button. Where is the future?
What is the future? And I'll be asking you a
similar question. I'd love for your response on eight hundred
(01:59):
eighty ten eighty, after you've listened to Skodon Kitchens, we'll
open up the lines on eight hundred eighty ten, will
open the texts on nineteen ninety two. That is z
B z B so godon it's on the show Mealy
Kerr later on on the piece. But they're here and
now let's do this Sport Today and in Sport Today
(02:21):
up THEO wors coach Andrew Webster is loving the contribution
pre season from his quiver of halves Martin Boyd Metcalf
and Harris de Vita, all giving it what for.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
There've been one of our highlights, that's for sure. I
think we realize we're need to create that depth every
probably every season, just as best as we can. It's
really important that you know they win your game, so
you got to have them. They're competing really well. I
see a difference that they're really trying to help each
other as well, So they're competing at one minute and
then they want each other to get better.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Fleet Footed Kiwi Sprinter Fresh from his demo job in
z indoor sixty meters record. He knows just whelpedon why
he's gotten better. There's this new coach, the Huger, respected
strength and conditioning guru Angus Ross.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
He's one of the topest and seas in the country,
probably one of the top sprint bio mechanists in encias
in the world to be fees. He's published quite a
few really good papers and I think he's pretty well
revered around the world. So to have a guy like
that on your team is truly unreal. You know, he's
real outside the box thinker.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
And football Ferns interim gaffer Michael Maine is all about
internal competition as their team start their journey toward the
twenty twenty seven DEFO World Cup. This year's campaign begins
with two friendlies versus Costa Rica in San Jose next month.
Speaker 5 (03:38):
I've seen the challenge of making sure we're buildings and
dip from this teas and competition in this team, so
I think there's a there's a real opportunity here. I
guess showcase some some play that maybe have been in
the squad previously and some that may be new to
the squad.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
That's sport today.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
The boy they've taught the they're taking they are going
to take the penalty and take the tea points and
that they knocked out. Now this spatch New Zealand in
the second round, you're just a good ouch. Indeed they
(04:16):
were to Fiji. To New Zealand didn't go on to
win the whole lots Argentina who did that by tying
up and thrashing the Australians with a stick. But that
is another story. Let's talk about the all Black sevens
and where seven sits at the moments? Are good and
Titchens that joins us for more Black sevens coach evening.
Speaker 6 (04:34):
Mate, Yeah, good evening. Do see how you going?
Speaker 2 (04:37):
I'm going very very well, a little shocked, maybe not
shocking or but having Uruguay not only beat New Zealand
but beat Fiji in Perth sevens. It's the world's changing,
is it not?
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Should we be.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Really freaked out by this? Is there a panic button
to be hit?
Speaker 6 (04:54):
I don't think he hit a panic button to be
to start pressing. I think well, on any any given day,
and if you look at the twelve teams that are
currently in the World Series, on their day, any team
can be any team. The end's competition is very very competitive,
and that Uruguay was one of those teams that performed
exceedingly well in the Challenger Series last year to qualify
(05:15):
for the World Series. Kenya was another one of those
teams that pushed New Zealand very very close as well,
you know, and they're putting a lot of more emphasis
perhaps should I say, than perhaps what we are and
we gave us sevens. I mean, they're centrally based in
their countries. They worked tremendously hard. They worked particularly hard
to qualify for the World Series. Now they're in there
(05:37):
and they want to stay there. And you look at
the Spanish team. The Spanish team's actually co leaders in
the World Series at the moment. There's four of them
sitting on I think forty eight points or something like that,
and which with tweet TG and who would have thought
that Spain would be at the top of that ladder now?
Speaker 2 (05:52):
And they are so resource wise you said, they're pouring
a lot at it. Some of these countries, can you
zilla not keep up with that or they haven't got
what is required to keep up with that. They've caught
up and we can't go any was that s what
you're saying?
Speaker 6 (06:08):
No, No, that's certainly you know, in terms of the
analysis done on the other sevens, every yes and see
coach put they emphasize in different ways, I supposed to
get the best out of their players. And I've always
said our game is sposed around conditioning, you know, And
there's a lot of series around players being over worked
now and I think, honestly, it's it's a game that's
(06:30):
you're challenged mentally and you're challenged physically if you want
to be the best. And I look at our side
and I just we just don't have that same emphasis
on the sevens game. And I say that because we
have no national tournament. Now where do the players once
I've finished with the Condor sevens, because the Condal sevens
(06:51):
is really the only tournament and our secondary school players
that we have, you know, of any of any standing,
I suppose, and that's where we go and look as
coaches to try and find the next youngster to come
to the your wax seven seam. But when we had
the Queenstown sevens, the provincial seven in northern regions, southern regions,
you know, they started to give players perhaps some hope
(07:13):
of making the national side, but we don't have that now,
so they go to fifteen's.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
And this is a pathway situation essentially, is what you're saying.
You get to a particular and you stop, you can't
go any further. Who holds ultimate responsibility for that?
Speaker 6 (07:26):
Gordon Well, and he's in a rugby unit. I mean
when you look at it from the World Series, and
I know that in the World Series they've lost a
billion dollars. I think just in the World Series alone,
going through the tournaments, I've reduced it from I think
twelve tournaments to seven tournaments. Now there's no sevens have
become a wealth games. So a lot of players, you know,
(07:47):
and in the women's case, some of them are going
off the league. Some of the players here now I
gotta put more emphasis into being a fifteen a side player.
So it's just it's set a Crossroads's the believer at
a crossroads on how do we because we're still in
an Olympic sport and for a lot of players, they're
their dreamers will be an Olympian. I mean, I look
(08:09):
at the Australian women's team. You know they lost their
two best players and the tournament just on the record
weekend in Perth, and they've got all these new young
players that they're bringing through. They've got quite a good
system in Australia now. And of course they turn around,
but our Black Fan seven, you know, in a great final.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
It was a final, it was outrageous, it was stuff,
it really was, and right about the two of the
best players. Not then so they've got that had a.
Speaker 6 (08:37):
New nineteen year old out on the wing there. Look,
she's a tremendous got player of the or the final,
you know. And but so they're doing something in Australia
that's bringing a lot of players through with a lot
of depth. You know, we're going to lose a few
of our players out of the Black Fan seven soon,
certainly at the end of this Warse series, because some
of them are going off the league and they may
come back during the Olympic years or something. Perhaps I
(09:00):
don't know, but I know, for instance, in the men's program,
it's it's tough at the moment, and when you lose
to teams like you know, Uruguay and they turn around
and beat Fji as well, it sort of says something
that there is a lot of countries wanting more emphasis
into the game of sevens and they are a danger.
Let's face at South Africa. Sorry, Agentina won and sort
(09:21):
them on the weekend comfortably, very easily. They won the
final way forty odd points against Australia.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
There's always so Gordon Tenchens joints that there's always been
an arm wrestle obvious or underlying between z are internally
with sevens versus fifteens? Is there much more of a
golf now, do you think, which is why they just
don't have those pathwords, all the pathways. The focus is
solely on the fifteens and the sevens again being left
(09:47):
poor cousins here.
Speaker 6 (09:49):
It is well and I suppose, as I go back
to my time back in the day, I suppose if you,
if you put it that way, was with a lot
of players, that they use the sevens game as a
launching pad to go on to be a super ruby player.
They'd becoming all bay you know. And to me, that's
how it should still be. There should be still opportunities there.
(10:10):
And I'm not saying that we haven't got the I
just don't believe we've got the depth at the moment.
We lost a lot of good players and Scott Curry
finished up, Sam Dickson finished up. You know, that's just
all finished up at the same time, and we should
have been developing newer players around that time before they
finished up. So then then there was some players coming
(10:33):
through and that's how we used to do it. But
now they all finished at the same time, which has
made it pretty tough. So we've got a relatively young
and experienced team and a series of the moment except
for two or three of them that have got a
number of gentlements under their belt.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Out of sight, out of mind to a degree as well,
since the Sevens experience here in New Zealand, they're from
winning on to Hamilton, since that disappeared a lot of
the games in the middle of the night on the
other side of the world. I wonder if he said
anything a little detached from this game as well.
Speaker 6 (11:05):
Yeah, I totally agree with you. It's just there, isn't
you know, the same emphasis there and losing our own tournament,
then the will and the wand and the drive to
go and watch these these tournaments are not there anymore.
So you've got to venture off shore and go to
the Hong Kongs and in some cases like in the weekend,
just the Perth were having it have need their very
(11:25):
first sevens tournament at the international level, and I mean
it's pretty hard sometimes to sit back and see how
it actually took off, but it certainly looked like it
was fairly good in the sense that they was getting
to support there and even better when Australia made the
made the you know, the final and in both programs,
the men and the women's program and we've currently got
(11:47):
a new Zealand coach and Liam Vara who's coaching the men.
Australian men's even seen.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
And I got absolutely flogged in that final. It was
for the Australia.
Speaker 6 (11:58):
I feel, I really feel for Tamassia because Tumasia is
a Certainly it was a great class on me as
he was wonderful in a sense his knowledge of the game.
He worked particularly hard as a player, he knows the
levels they need to get to. But I don't think
that at the moment that he's getting the support that
he really needs, because I truly believe he could be
(12:21):
an outstanding, if not an outstanding coach now. But when
you haven't got that depth around you, you know, you've
got to basically get out and put the cattle that
you have out on the park, and you get injuries
and you haven't got that death. So therefore you're going
to take a few hits. And at the moment, for
some much he's taking a few hits, which is sad.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
You mentioned the global financial issues that the game has
right now, billion dollars is the game itself and a
world scale starting to staggers that got a way forward.
Speaker 6 (12:54):
Well, oh yeah, I mean it's quite frightening in a
way because I think the game is certainly it's got
to stay. I mean, you think go right throughout Asia,
in China, and I was involved with the Chinese team
for a while there in the last six months, and
they love the game of sevens. The Asian Series to
them is everything, you know, because they use those you
(13:17):
know in the Asian seven Series is to qualify for
the Olympics, et cetera. You know, from the Asia from Asia,
So it'll never go away for sure. Even teams like Korea,
they are pretty good at the game. And in China,
I know they're building their women's team and now they're
going to put a lot of emphasis into their men's team.
So it's okay and that's side of the world, but
from other parts of the world where we're falling away.
(13:39):
And if we haven't got a World Series for Willy
b who knows, it's going to be pretty tough. And
I think in the next Sydney, the next to twelve
eighty months, I think there'd be a lot of decisions
made around sevens.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Your confidence that it will bounce back. You said it's
not panic button stage yet, but there are a number
of issues surrounding the game. Can they be rectified? Is
it all up to New Zealand Rugby? Do you give
them no?
Speaker 6 (14:02):
You know, Jasy are worth noting too. In the last
two Olympics, especially the last Olympics in Paris, you could
not get a seat to any of the sessions and
any of the days in the men's program. That's how
it's how popular it was. It was amazing. You know.
The game. The game, if you look at it and
(14:23):
right around the world, is a great game to be
part of, you know. And if you went to the
Olympics and you went to some of those sessions and
there are some great games, then to me is why
should the game be failing but it's not at the moment.
It's it's not working for us, and for for whatever reason,
I don't know whether we'll well, whether we'll keep it
(14:44):
or not. We may. I certainly hope you're not. We're
talking together in two years time, that the game is
still out there and that we keep building because it's
an opportunity for athletes, and while it's an Olympic sport,
I think there's always a chance.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
And on that uplifting note, and I want to leave
it like that because that's much better for everybody's soul.
So good intentions. Thanks very much for your time. You
have a tremendous twenty five mate, Go well.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
The right call is your call on eight hundred eighty
Sports Talk call on your home of sports news Talks be.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Seven twenty two. Sir Gordon Titchens there, Seven's coaching maestro
from back in the day, scratching his head and looking
across what we saw in Perth rightly pointed out, Look,
it's one poor result against Uruguay. But what it does
do it shows us that the results this year and
(15:38):
of previous theres it's it's trending down. All the rest
of the world's catching up all the rest of the
world are putting money into something that they consider is
worthwhile for their sporting health and their athletes, whereas New
Zealand don't appear to think that way, Sir Gordon saying
(15:59):
the pathways pretty much end at Condor, a secondary schools
tournament and there's nowhere to go, even though recently Chris
Lendrum of n z R said, look, it's a really
important part of our strategy. These players go from SEVENS
to NPC, from NPC to Super Rugby to Super Rugby
(16:21):
and to Test Rugby. It appears detached and when I
watched this over the weekend, I shrugged my shoulders. The
same emotion wasn't there? And I've watched sevens for as
long as I can remember. Now it put my finger
(16:45):
on what's disappeared, it said to Gordon just then, we
can't see it. There's no pathway through it. We don't
really watch it. If it's not there, does it exist?
So the question for you should end Z are and
(17:06):
indeed should a high performance sport in z Remember they
gassed them by twenty five percent after the failure in Paris,
so their annual contribution from a million bucks down to
seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars, which is hardly an
all black paypack. It is it, it's at high performance,
bought in New Zealand and be investing more money and
its ends z are be investing into seven's rugby? Is
(17:30):
the game of sevens worth investing in? I'm not sure
I think that from a development point of view, yes
it is, But I'm struggling to ascertain where sevens sits?
What it is, what does it provide? What does it mean?
(17:55):
It's not only at a crossroads. It may have come
to a screeching holt. I want you to share with
me what you think Seven's where its future lies. We've
got a story has to in sevens. It's produced some
magnificent times, some moments and players. It's just stuttering. The
(18:17):
wa hanad doing great. But let's face it, there are
only two teams in world rugby and SEVENS that are women,
and that is the Australians and the New Zealanders. Right
beyond that, I don't think it goes much further. And
that fine, it was incredible too. Tell me about sevens?
Does it keep need to be invested in? Are you
still attached to this does this still means something to you?
(18:38):
What does it mean as a sport for New Zealand?
Twenty five minutes after seven lines are open on eight
hundred and eighty ten eighty Looking forward to your thoughts
on this. It was a staple in New Zealand, the
Wellington sevens. Maybe the Hambleton sevens wasn't quite as vibrant,
but still being a part of our sporting summer Commwealth
(19:00):
Games is essentially toast. So there's no sevens there. It's
an Olympic sport now once every four years. It is
it enough to hold us hold our attention? One hundred
eighty ten eighty lines are open. We keep investing in
the sevens rugby program? Is this game worth carrying on with?
This is news talks, B You're on sports talk in
(19:21):
text nineteen nine two, you can ring one hundred and
eighty eight.
Speaker 7 (19:25):
Why do y'all sleep on me?
Speaker 1 (19:26):
Howney reasons?
Speaker 2 (19:29):
I got plagued in the Male Picks season.
Speaker 6 (19:31):
Shout out to my UPS workers making sure I received.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
No need for the TMO. We've got the breakdown on
Sports Talk cool hundred news talk.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
Much I never seen again?
Speaker 6 (19:58):
This is sometimes since we last ball this is gonna
sound like a.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
Badge it all out hip hop remix of Super Tramp.
I'll get my Coat and it's up us seven sports
look on News Talk ZB it's a Tuesday evening and
Mely curse still to come. Talking at rugby sevens, now,
the point of rugby sevens, the point of putting resources
into it? Where does it sit in the wider rugby
(20:23):
or sporting landscape for New Zealand? I think it has
relevance once every four years at the Olympics, although producer
Duff rightly points out this is not an IRB situation,
this is an IOC so they can't even flaunt the
sponsors across their jerseys when they do it. I just
wonder if it's losing tracks. Hi, Alan, how are you?
Speaker 8 (20:46):
I'm good. Thanks. They thought i'd give you a call
about the sevens.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
And what about the sevens?
Speaker 8 (20:52):
So, firstly, where it sits in all sport is entertainment.
Sevens is the most entertaining form of rugby. I love
my sevens. I don't think in the last thirty years
I've not been to one of the international sevens tournaments.
Went to Perth last year after they canceled the New
Zealand sevens. I'm heading up to Vancouver in a couple
of weeks ago to the Vancouver seven and then i'll you're.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
A super fan, ol, you're a super fan. Missus fantas home.
Speaker 8 (21:21):
I've been to about eight Hong Kong sevens. I've been
to the Rio Olympic sevens, the first one. I've been
to San Francisco World Cup. Did you read Chris rattor
to his article about sevens in the Herald of.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
Christopher Too, No, no, I haven't I know that. Liam Nape,
you put a good one out of a couple of
a couple of weeks ago around the same thing.
Speaker 8 (21:44):
It might have been lear. I can't remember what it was,
but it was all about basically, when World Rugby took
over running the international tournaments instead of allowing local countries
to run them. That's when the big losses started running out.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
Well they've lost. I think it's nearly fifty million New
Zealand dollars, not not at billion dollars as to Gordon seven.
I see what it seems. No flaming this situation, but
it was running.
Speaker 8 (22:07):
At a loss. Well, now, Gordon a bit of discretion,
but it it's not that much, but it's still a
lot of money. But it's the it's the executives. They're
flying out from World Rugby, you knows, to half run
by volunteers and profitable.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
The bunny's going to the wrong place.
Speaker 8 (22:28):
Changing the format and help, I don't think so. You know,
reducing the number of tournaments, reducing the teams from sixteen
teams down to twelve means you have this messy format
of you know, you can't play four pools of four.
You've got to play you know, it depends some tournaments.
They even change from tournament to tournament now from pools
(22:49):
of four to pools of three and one goes through.
So they reduced the number of tournaments.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
It's it's what's gone down to seven, isn't it? Well,
it's gone from a leaving to seven. Is that right?
Speaker 8 (23:02):
I think it went from twelve to nine and it's
now eight this year because they've brought Madrid, right, Okay,
somebody's working somebody's working up that if you're playing a
non rugby playing country, nobody bloody turns up.
Speaker 2 (23:14):
I gotta ask. You've got quite an addiction and this
is great. I'm really I'm stoked. I think you spend
all that time and money following them around, But why sevens?
What does it do for you?
Speaker 8 (23:26):
I followed fifteens as well. I spent three months in
fence last year or a year before last. I just
love my rugby play, and I particularly love seven You know,
sevens is exciting.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
You know.
Speaker 8 (23:42):
Fifteens is technical and and a great game. But but
but sevens is exciting.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
Do you think that the playing field that's why it
seems like Uruguay and Spain actually competing at that level
because it's not as complex or nuanced as fifteens.
Speaker 8 (23:59):
I think it is. I think it's at the simplicity
of the game makes it easier for other nations to compete,
and so all you know, if you've got a great athlete,
they can have an impact in sevens, whereas in fifteen
it's very very hard. But you know, if you go
to a sevens tournament and there's a poor game on,
it doesn't matter. You wait ten minutes and the next
(24:21):
game starts.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
I'm interested in the future around why the players play
the game, because in essence, if they're going on some
form of journey toward all black representation, once they get
close to that that that sevens is over for them.
They're not going to go any further. Yeah, you know
that the superstars. What did Sunny Bill play in rear
you were then? I think a couple of other big
players did too.
Speaker 8 (24:43):
But I fortunate it was injured in the first game
against Japan that we lost twelve.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
Ten and got third or was it third? What we
actually finishing those?
Speaker 8 (24:53):
No, no, we no, we didn't even make the I
don't think we made the bond the medal round or
we may have got No, I don't think we made
the bond the medal round even.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
I'm I'm just we had we.
Speaker 8 (25:08):
Had the Ioni brothers in there as well.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
The Iani boys.
Speaker 8 (25:13):
Yes, both Rito and Material were both in the and
the team that year.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
And then we had a guy Caleb Clark Villa.
Speaker 8 (25:23):
Wanted to join it. Ardie Sylvia wanted to join and
was basically told by Steve Hanson that if he went
there there was he was saying goodbye to his all
black career. So when you have that attitude from senior
people in New Zealand rugby, it's no wonder we struggled
to get some of the talent into the sevens team, Well, I.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
Think Allen, thanks very much for your call. I'm a
huge admirer of your ability to follow rugby all over
the world, which I did there he's a job for
it was a job sounds like fun, but New zeal
And rugby and you look at some roadblocks have been
put in place by coaches, by CEO whatever during the
time that have really choked the life out of seven's
(26:03):
representation at the top level. The themes games a lot
more important, and even though the sevens game helps players
understand playing at big tournaments, playing in front of big crowds,
getting used to the extreme required fitness, it's basically a
training ground. And once you start getting to a level
(26:24):
where you're a good football or a good rugby player,
you're going to be lost to the game if you
actually want a half decent career, because you simply not
you can't play too. Caleb Clark, he said no to
the All Blacks to go and become an Olympian, didn't
even get packed. They ain't be doing that again. Will
(26:45):
He got a few texts to read out for you.
I'll do that shortly. I love your calls. Eight one
hundred and eighty ten eighty does where does sevens sit?
What does it provide? What is it?
Speaker 3 (26:59):
What is it?
Speaker 2 (27:00):
He used to be so big here in New Zealand,
and I feel it's slipped through our finger fingers. It's
not there anymore. What's the future. I'll eight one hundred
and eighty ten eighty. I'll leave you this text from Faye.
Why are you always so negative against rugby? Do you
want it to go away like the dog racing? Give
(27:20):
it a rest and say something positive for a change.
That's a great text from someone who plainly listened to
my show once in a blue moon. Thanks for your
time in your twenty cents. It's twenty three minutes away
from eight.
Speaker 7 (27:33):
Some pretty crazy stories in my side suits. You probably
wouldn't get it if I sold you.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
Yeah, if you know, I mean put some.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
Twenty minutes to eight. I'm being negative about rugby, asking
questions about the lack of umph behind the sevens. I
think most of us sports and rugby fans would agree
with that it's lost something because we haven't got it
any backyard anymore, because the past plays are not here anymore.
(28:08):
We don't have a strong diet of sevens unless it's
at the Olympic Games because come also haven't got any
more either. The women's sevens games better to watch anyway
by the bye and knows he did particularly well. Let's
run through some texts for you before we get to
Melie Kerr. I see see Women's Cricketer of the Year
(28:29):
cool award. She joins us next Darcy Seven's last. It's
mojo when rugby world rugby took over. Now any people
having a fun now the world rugby officials traveling around
the world living in five star hotel yet fair enough.
Sevens are great. It's a stepping stone through the ranks.
I'm sure someone like the line again would come up
with a national comp to nurture future players. Shout out
(28:51):
there for Dino. Why should high performance sport invest in
New Zealand rugby if they don't. Uruguay was the best
of the rest in the fifteen Rugby World Cup twenty three.
They have no fear in their DNA against teams like
Fiji and some more, And he goes on, thank you Jaffer.
Of course the sevens is like junk food rights another.
(29:12):
It's nice and fun, but you can't live on it.
And the sevens used to be crowd centric. It's a
festival event. Now it's just a boring World Rugby Run tournament. Yeah,
I get what you're saying, but enough all that already,
let's walk away from that and run head first at
Mealy Kerr, who joins us next on News Talks. There,
(29:33):
but it's eighteen away from.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
Eight forget the refs call.
Speaker 6 (29:37):
You make a call.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
Sports Talking on your home of Sports News Talks, Eben.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
Emily Kerk joins us now. It was announced the evening
at quarter past six that she's become the ICCs Women's
Cricketer of the Year. She picked up the T twenty
I gone earlier on in the week, but now she's gone.
The whole hog, the first New Zealander to win this award.
(30:07):
Tremendous for athlete who's had an incredible year, actually joins
us now merely Kirk. Congratulations and welcome mate, Chada.
Speaker 7 (30:17):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
What a time for you. Not only did you pick
up the gong for the T twenty I your Women's
Cricketer of the Year, now you've got the whole shooting
match the ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year. How good
And your initial reaction when they gave you the call
and said we think you're quite good. Do you want
to meddle?
Speaker 7 (30:38):
Yeah, I mean I saw I was nominated for those awards,
and yeah, I guess it's not really what you camere for.
What you think about that, it's nice there after, I guess,
a tough year at times the white Ferns, but then
to top it off with a World Cup one. Then
to be able to perform at different stages throughout the
(31:01):
year was the highlight. And I guess, yeah, the most
special thing is the people I get to share it
with them. I love representing New zealanm with that with
that group. They're awesome, awesome girl or some of my
best mates.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
And yeah, it means a lot, quite a down toward
character meinly from the times I've been talking with you anyway.
So that answer was just about what I thought. You
play for polls, you play for runs, you play for victories,
you play for team's success. This is nice, but it's
not the be all and end all. Do you feel
a bit I don't like shy taking it on board
(31:35):
and kind of going thank you very much.
Speaker 7 (31:40):
Yeah, I mean, yeah, awards, you know, it's not like
you've won of title or anything like that, like winning
the World Cup as a whole different feeling and awards
you don't think about because in the moment you're just
competing in the game and trying to get the best
(32:00):
out of yourself and get the best out of each
other as teammates. So yeah, I mean runs and wickets
and all of that. That's awesomember. I also know, at
the end of the day, and even when you look
back on days that have been bad days are good
back good bad days or good days, you don't actually
necessarily remember what you did. You more remember the memories
(32:24):
you made with your teammates. So although winning is a
lot more fun and losing, it's also the off field
stuff so important. And I think that's what I've been
most what I've most loved about this year is that
through I know, like we lost ten ten games in
a row with the White Fans, and the way we
(32:45):
stuck together through that period and just stayed so close
and then had the resilience and characters to bounce back
during the World Cup was probably the.
Speaker 2 (32:55):
Most pleasing thing in your own game itself. Do you
look to areas of improvement because you get that gone
being part of that team is incredible or instrumental in
that victory. But as far as your own roles are concerned,
where have you lifted, where are you happy with and
where do you think there needs to be more polished
and more work so they can win another one next year.
Speaker 7 (33:18):
Yeah. I think that's a great thing about cricket. There's
so many different aspects of the game that you're never
the complete player and you can always keep getting better.
So that's the exciting thing for me. I've been around
the international circuit for a while now, but I'm still
very young and there's still so much more I can
do to keep getting better. And I think, I guess
(33:42):
a little bit. Within the last years, I think my
bowling's improved a lot, and a lot of it is
just simple things in terms of field sets, game plans
and actually going back to what my best bowl is
and bowling to field that suit that rather than bowling
to the better strengths their times and then becoming more
(34:04):
defensive in my plans. And the spin group we have
within the White Furns, that's such an awesome group. They
make bowling so much fun. The spin coach we have
and I think a lot of my personal success goes
down to that spin group we have because I absolutely
love browling with them in the nets, competing with them,
learning with them, and yeah, it's probably been again.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
Another highlight of my ear ICEE see Women's Cricketer of
the Year merely. Kerr joins us. It's been quite the
era that you've been involved in. You've been around for
I like to think how long it's going to say
ten years at an international level, but you didn't debut
at fourteen, but a long time and watching the rise
and the relevance of women's cricket over that time, it's
(34:51):
been astonishing, hasn't it.
Speaker 7 (34:53):
It has been. I think back too when I debuted
for New Zealand in twenty sixteen and we were playing
out at Lincoln at the University and it was on
the on the live stream. What we have for domestic
cricket these days, for the longer formats and yeah, to
think of that eight years ago to where the game
(35:16):
is now, where we're always playing on TV. Now you're
traveling the world, there's all the different comps around the world.
It's now my job. It's pretty cool to see that,
you know, eight years ago actually wasn't that too long ago,
so to see that growth and it needed to grow
as well, and hopefully it continues to grow, because yeah,
(35:37):
the investment is going to help improve the product of
the game, and it's so awesome to see it not
only in just women's cricket, but also we've seen it
a bit of women's rugby and women's football, and yeah,
you want sport to be a game for all and
a pathway for all. So that's that's been awesome to see,
and I guess be alongside the growth of the.
Speaker 2 (35:59):
Game, Test Cricket's the next step, really, isn't it. If
you're like me and most other cricket fans, you be
hanging out to play tea to cricket. How long it's
going to take before you start getting relevant cricket? All
do you expect t twenty one day? I says, love it,
but surely this is where you want to end. This
has got to be the future.
Speaker 7 (36:18):
Yeah, I agree. I mean test cricket. Everyone speaks about
how much they love playing the game, and I'd absolutely
love to play it and never played a red ball
game in my life, So there's obviously a lot of
things that would have to be put in place beforehand
in terms of loading for I guess physical reasons and
(36:40):
injury management.
Speaker 5 (36:41):
That.
Speaker 7 (36:42):
Yeah, I mean, the woman's ashes are starting very soon
and I know they love playing in that so if
the White firm's got a test opportunity one day, I'm
sure the girls would definitely be putting their hands up.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
You mentioned that you're still young in your career at
still early doors. At twenty four. You have achieved the
status in the game in New Zealand and globally does
that well for you. You have to grop a bit
fast when you're shouldering all of that because it is
responsibility to lead the women's game forward here.
Speaker 7 (37:16):
Yeah, I don't really think about it as responsibility or
anything too much, as there's so much cricket now. You're
always moving on to the next thing and just trying
to perform and get ready for the next one. And
like the White men's at the moment, we are a
pretty young group and I don't think my responsibility to
(37:38):
grow the game in New Zealand, but I'd love to
play a part in it and how to inspire the
next generation and more players to get involved. And I'm
excited about the future of the White men's too. With
the group we have, there's so many young kiders coming
through and you know, I think at some point we're
(37:59):
going to lose some of the best players we've ever had,
but Susie and Sophie who we lost amy a few
years ago. So people got to keep adapting and evolving.
But this young group we have have is exciting and
I hope it's a bright future for everyone.
Speaker 2 (38:15):
Congratulations on your gong, Melely Kerr. Always great chatting with
you and now go get on and win yourself a title.
Yesterday wasn't happy hunting for you at all on Auckland City,
was it?
Speaker 7 (38:26):
It wasn't. But yeah, we'll bounce back and hopefully hopefully
get the Wellington Wellington crowd happy and make it through
the finals.
Speaker 1 (38:36):
You hear it from the biggest names and sports and men.
Have your say on O Wait eighty Sports Talk or
more on your home of sports news Talks.
Speaker 2 (38:45):
It be such an ambuliant character. Amelia Kerr aka Mealy
Kerr is want of self the ICC Women's Cricketer of
the Year award. Stunning season for her and you can
tell them a voice Ganja that that's lovely. Thanks for
the I just want to play cricket with my mates,
(39:05):
win games, want to take polls. My smash runs, but
thinks it's pretty look good on my shelf. Thanks. I'm
not kind of belittling her award, but she gets much
more excited when she talks about the game she loves.
And that is so cool. Merely Kerr, you rock. It's
(39:26):
eight minutes to eight sports Stalk Care and News Talks ZB.
More texts still to come. I'm not even a couple
of calls rolling than if you want to say congratulations
l eight under eighty eighty non sports talk news talks
by sports Talk on NEWSTALKSB A couple of texts for you.
(40:00):
I love Amelia Kerr and I'm so happy for her.
I just wish you would go back to calling herself Amelia.
Why do you care what someone calls themselves? Thanks for
leaving your name? Oh you didn't? This is better. Great
interview and women that sports people are always so good
(40:24):
compared to men. Rule of fun, They are strong, ability
to communicate, and I always get a great sense of
honesty when I interview female athletes, saying that guys are lying.
They're not, but they appear to be a lot more
in touch with their ability to communicate, say what they
(40:44):
really think, a mean, and they're not scared to say
something that people might deem to be wrong or upsetting
or it doesn't matter. Speak from the heart. And I
can't say enough about the ability of athletes who do that.
And the Wahini right at the top of it that
said for me a day, another five cents. My name
(41:09):
is Darcy Watergrove. Coming up next, it's the Gorse Farmer,
Marcus Lush On Marcus lush Nights. Myself and producer Extraordinary
Andrew Duff will be back in the hot seats tomorrow
from seven And if you want more sports Sports Fix,
(41:29):
it's our podcast Monday through Friday. Get them ext you
on and subscribe. There's a good potty look after yourself,
Hey catching tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (42:08):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talk
Set B from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
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