February 17, 2025 • 10 mins
Five teams have enjoyed a more comfortable Sunday than others after Super Rugby's opening round.
The Chiefs, Crusaders, Force, Waratahs and Brumbies recorded victories, leaving the Blues, Hurricanes, Drua, Highlanders and Moana Pasifika winless - the Reds sat the week out.
CEO Jack Mesley joined Piney to recap the start to the season.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News Talk zed.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Be Round one of Super Rugby Pacific is in the
books and what around it was?
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Fatima?
Speaker 4 (00:17):
Now here's some space Mackenzie's flight through. How appropriate Damien
Mackenzie over twenty three fourteen check to come?
Speaker 5 (00:29):
That might be enough for the Chiefs to win it?
Well a second half statements from the Chiefs fourteen six
down at halftime, twenty five fourteen winners.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Yeah, the Chiefs betting the Blues in a repeat of
last season's final just one of the talking points of
the weekend. In fact, all five games had storylines galore,
lots to get excited about. Let's bring in competition CEO
Jack Mesley Jack in general terms, first of all, how
did you assess the first weekend of Super Rugby Pacific
for twenty twenty five.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Well, I mean, firstly, you just got to on the park.
I mean one of the amazing five games. We had
incredible spectacles, a lot decided by a point in and
a lot of them going all the way into into
and pass the eighty eight minute. So yeah, we've sort
of spent the day to day reviewing all of those
(01:21):
sorts of things, looking at the product itself, looking at
the match officials reviews, looking at our marketing and attendance
and audience reviews and all of those things. And yeah,
we were very lucky. We had a we had a
great start and a highlights reel that you know you'd
be you'd be lucky to get at the end of
a season after the first round.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Indeed, well, I want to unpack a few of the
things you've said there. But high scoring games with close margins.
I know you can't manufacture these things, but is that
kind of the ideal combo for you across a round
of Super rugby?
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Absolutely? I mean, we know Super rugby is always always
been high point scoring, you know, lots of tries and
we sort of innovated the first bonus point mechanisms back
in the day. But it's that with an average of
a five point march, I think we had on average
nine tries a game and with a five point margin.
(02:14):
You know, that's the ideal kind of balance. We find.
We have free flowing, attacking rugby, but close games with
lots of lead swings and at the end of the day,
nice and close games.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
All three Australian sides who played one as well, and
I know how much a competitive super rugby pasi of
a competition is important to you. Does it give you
optimism for the strength of those sides and the reds who,
of course we'll see in a round two the season
given the fact we've gone from five to four teams
in Australia.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
Yeah, absolutely, I mean we want to see ladder position
change from year on year, and regardless of where those
teams come from, the Brumbi's winning on the road in
FG is a tough road trip for anyone, so that's
a great effort. But yeah, I think one of the
things we look at his ladder position change year on here,
(03:09):
which we know creates interest. So you know, we really
want to continue to see that.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
You talked about about your Monday review and highlighted a
few different categories inside that review. What were the main takeaways,
you know, from from giving the weekend a but a
breathing room and discussing it all today.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
We're really pleased with how our laws and focus areas
were dealt with by the match officials. We think they
did a great job on the weekend. Still some things
to a few small things to nail. But in terms
of the way that they moved the game forward, you
would have seen, you know, we're only stopping for major injuries.
(03:50):
For example, the referees were very consistent and focused on
getting the ninth to clear the ball. So all of
those things were really good and I think helped set
up the spectacle. There was no doubt the games were fast,
fatigue with the factor, and I think that helped us,
(04:12):
you know, help the games set up to go deep
into into the eightieth minute and beyond.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
As far as the officials role in all of this,
how how deep is your involvement with them, Jack, in
terms of making sure that they that they play their
part in the product that you want to see.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Well, I mean we you know, collectively, they're a committee
that looks at what our focus is for the season.
That then goes into the match official team, and the
managers of those teams then go and work work through
that on a on a weekly basis. The match off
was manager will do a full review across every game
(04:53):
and then we'll just check in with them to see
if there are you know, there are any sort of
glaring issues that we need to we need to talk
about or address and you know, also go public with
if need be. Thankfully, you know, we don't think there
were any major decisions that were that needed clarification, and
in terms of just flow of game, implementation of laws,
(05:14):
and implementation of interpretation, we're really pleased with that. So yeah,
so there was no major sort of outcomes or changes
for this next round.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
And we receive the media Judicial update this morning that
simply said there are no disciplinary matters resulting from Round
one fixtures of Super Rugby specific so nothing to see here.
I know that you know that won't be the case
right throughout the season. Seven yellow cards, none upgraded, but
you'd be pretty happy with that as a metric to.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Yeah, exactly. I mean, I think, you know, we talked
a lot about increasing the transparency and communication around the competition,
but when we don't, we don't have anything to report.
That's also good news in many instances.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
How happy were you with viewer numbers if you've seen
them and attendance numbers for the weekend.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Yeah, I haven't got the full debrief on audience, but
in terms of attendance, we were really really pleased. I
think almost twenty percent up on Round one last year,
with one less fixture, which is which is a great result.
So some really strong signs there, and you know, just
really pleased that all of those that went to stadium
(06:24):
and watched on broadcasts got such a such a great
spectacle to watch across all five games.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
And Fantasy Super Rugby had its launch a week or
so ago, well in the lead into round one. Have
you received any sort of feedback anecdotal or or quantifiable
around Super Rugby and the Fantasy element this weekend?
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Yeah, well we had over fifty six thousand fans playing
Fantasy over the weekend, which were really really pleased with
four year one and great to see just the discussion
that that is fueled, you know all the way through
just from discussions I'm having with my mates too, you
(07:06):
know how that's fueling discussion on social media and threw
into the broadcast itself. So really pleased with that, and
you know, you know, what we really wanted to do
was make sure that it not only heroed our big stars,
but also featured the emerging stars, so you know, to
have that narrative play out where the big stars scored
(07:27):
big points, but then you also everyone that played Fantasy
now knows Kyle Preston for example, you know who Only
zero point one percent of those fantasy teams had him
in there, but there'll be a lot of people looking
looking at that going forward. So that's played out really well. Yeah,
I mean we're certainly listening and looking for feedback to
(07:50):
see how we can improve things in future iterations. That's certainly,
you know, one of our core focuses, not just within Fantasy,
but in all facets of the game, to make sure
we're listening and learning and seeing what we can do
to improve moving forward.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Did you say fifty three players? Is that what you said?
Speaker 3 (08:08):
I think it was over fifty six out.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
Well, okay, well that makes me feel like about my
sixteen thousand, six hundred and ninetieth place. I'm almost I'm
in the top third. Jack, This is an excellent start.
This is an excellent start for me.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Yeah, your expertise is not been questioned.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
I can assure you that it is. I can assure
you that it is all right. So round one of
the books. I know there was a big build up
to the start of the season. Now I guess you
got to do it again and again and again. How
do you feel as you look forward now to this
week and how different will it be from last week
where it was all new Well, I.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Mean, I just look at the features we've got this
week and we've got some.
Speaker 6 (08:45):
Absolute ripperts, so you Chiefs hosting the Crusaders will be phenomenal.
We've got the Canes hosting the Drewer, which is going
to be great to see Figi on the road see
if they can back up that great performance they put
on the.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
Weekend Highlanders Blues as well. And then we've got Reds
coming off the Bye who were really strong last year
and had a great preseason. And then it finishes off
with Brumby's Force and a local Australian derby down in Canberra.
So you know, I think this is the great thing
this season. We've got five fixtures, they're all going to
(09:19):
be tight, and you know there's no rest for the wicked.
I mean, I think we've only got a short season.
But it's sort of like a middle distance run, isn't it.
Like it's only sixteen rounds but there is no break.
So it's a spring in many regards.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Well, you're sprinted well from the starting blox around one
of the boxes. I say, thanks Jack for joining us.
And being successful. All the best for walleyes I hit
of no doubt we'll catch up again at some stage soon.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
Thanks Boyne. I hope you get up in that top
top third.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
So thanks for your time, mate.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
Thank you. Yes.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Jack Measley, CEO of Super Rapi Pacific a Philly happy CEO.
You'd have to think after round one of the competition.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
For more from sports talk, listen Lived and News Talks.
It'd be from seven weekdays or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News Talk zed.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Be Round one of Super Rugby Pacific is in the
books and what around it was?
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Fatima?
Speaker 4 (00:17):
Now here's some space Mackenzie's flight through. How appropriate Damien
Mackenzie over twenty three fourteen check to come?
Speaker 5 (00:29):
That might be enough for the Chiefs to win it?
Well a second half statements from the Chiefs fourteen six
down at halftime, twenty five fourteen winners.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Yeah, the Chiefs betting the Blues in a repeat of
last season's final just one of the talking points of
the weekend. In fact, all five games had storylines galore,
lots to get excited about. Let's bring in competition CEO
Jack Mesley Jack in general terms, first of all, how
did you assess the first weekend of Super Rugby Pacific
for twenty twenty five.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Well, I mean, firstly, you just got to on the park.
I mean one of the amazing five games. We had
incredible spectacles, a lot decided by a point in and
a lot of them going all the way into into
and pass the eighty eight minute. So yeah, we've sort
of spent the day to day reviewing all of those
(01:21):
sorts of things, looking at the product itself, looking at
the match officials reviews, looking at our marketing and attendance
and audience reviews and all of those things. And yeah,
we were very lucky. We had a we had a
great start and a highlights reel that you know you'd
be you'd be lucky to get at the end of
a season after the first round.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Indeed, well, I want to unpack a few of the
things you've said there. But high scoring games with close margins.
I know you can't manufacture these things, but is that
kind of the ideal combo for you across a round
of Super rugby?
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Absolutely? I mean, we know Super rugby is always always
been high point scoring, you know, lots of tries and
we sort of innovated the first bonus point mechanisms back
in the day. But it's that with an average of
a five point march, I think we had on average
nine tries a game and with a five point margin.
(02:14):
You know, that's the ideal kind of balance. We find.
We have free flowing, attacking rugby, but close games with
lots of lead swings and at the end of the day,
nice and close games.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
All three Australian sides who played one as well, and
I know how much a competitive super rugby pasi of
a competition is important to you. Does it give you
optimism for the strength of those sides and the reds who,
of course we'll see in a round two the season
given the fact we've gone from five to four teams
in Australia.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
Yeah, absolutely, I mean we want to see ladder position
change from year on year, and regardless of where those
teams come from, the Brumbi's winning on the road in
FG is a tough road trip for anyone, so that's
a great effort. But yeah, I think one of the
things we look at his ladder position change year on here,
(03:09):
which we know creates interest. So you know, we really
want to continue to see that.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
You talked about about your Monday review and highlighted a
few different categories inside that review. What were the main takeaways,
you know, from from giving the weekend a but a
breathing room and discussing it all today.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
We're really pleased with how our laws and focus areas
were dealt with by the match officials. We think they
did a great job on the weekend. Still some things
to a few small things to nail. But in terms
of the way that they moved the game forward, you
would have seen, you know, we're only stopping for major injuries.
(03:50):
For example, the referees were very consistent and focused on
getting the ninth to clear the ball. So all of
those things were really good and I think helped set
up the spectacle. There was no doubt the games were fast,
fatigue with the factor, and I think that helped us,
(04:12):
you know, help the games set up to go deep
into into the eightieth minute and beyond.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
As far as the officials role in all of this,
how how deep is your involvement with them, Jack, in
terms of making sure that they that they play their
part in the product that you want to see.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Well, I mean we you know, collectively, they're a committee
that looks at what our focus is for the season.
That then goes into the match official team, and the
managers of those teams then go and work work through
that on a on a weekly basis. The match off
was manager will do a full review across every game
(04:53):
and then we'll just check in with them to see
if there are you know, there are any sort of
glaring issues that we need to we need to talk
about or address and you know, also go public with
if need be. Thankfully, you know, we don't think there
were any major decisions that were that needed clarification, and
in terms of just flow of game, implementation of laws,
(05:14):
and implementation of interpretation, we're really pleased with that. So yeah,
so there was no major sort of outcomes or changes
for this next round.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
And we receive the media Judicial update this morning that
simply said there are no disciplinary matters resulting from Round
one fixtures of Super Rugby specific so nothing to see here.
I know that you know that won't be the case
right throughout the season. Seven yellow cards, none upgraded, but
you'd be pretty happy with that as a metric to.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Yeah, exactly. I mean, I think, you know, we talked
a lot about increasing the transparency and communication around the competition,
but when we don't, we don't have anything to report.
That's also good news in many instances.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
How happy were you with viewer numbers if you've seen
them and attendance numbers for the weekend.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Yeah, I haven't got the full debrief on audience, but
in terms of attendance, we were really really pleased. I
think almost twenty percent up on Round one last year,
with one less fixture, which is which is a great result.
So some really strong signs there, and you know, just
really pleased that all of those that went to stadium
(06:24):
and watched on broadcasts got such a such a great
spectacle to watch across all five games.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
And Fantasy Super Rugby had its launch a week or
so ago, well in the lead into round one. Have
you received any sort of feedback anecdotal or or quantifiable
around Super Rugby and the Fantasy element this weekend?
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Yeah, well we had over fifty six thousand fans playing
Fantasy over the weekend, which were really really pleased with
four year one and great to see just the discussion
that that is fueled, you know all the way through
just from discussions I'm having with my mates too, you
(07:06):
know how that's fueling discussion on social media and threw
into the broadcast itself. So really pleased with that, and
you know, you know, what we really wanted to do
was make sure that it not only heroed our big stars,
but also featured the emerging stars, so you know, to
have that narrative play out where the big stars scored
(07:27):
big points, but then you also everyone that played Fantasy
now knows Kyle Preston for example, you know who Only
zero point one percent of those fantasy teams had him
in there, but there'll be a lot of people looking
looking at that going forward. So that's played out really well. Yeah,
I mean we're certainly listening and looking for feedback to
(07:50):
see how we can improve things in future iterations. That's certainly,
you know, one of our core focuses, not just within Fantasy,
but in all facets of the game, to make sure
we're listening and learning and seeing what we can do
to improve moving forward.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Did you say fifty three players? Is that what you said?
Speaker 3 (08:08):
I think it was over fifty six out.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
Well, okay, well that makes me feel like about my
sixteen thousand, six hundred and ninetieth place. I'm almost I'm
in the top third. Jack, This is an excellent start.
This is an excellent start for me.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Yeah, your expertise is not been questioned.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
I can assure you that it is. I can assure
you that it is all right. So round one of
the books. I know there was a big build up
to the start of the season. Now I guess you
got to do it again and again and again. How
do you feel as you look forward now to this
week and how different will it be from last week
where it was all new Well, I.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Mean, I just look at the features we've got this
week and we've got some.
Speaker 6 (08:45):
Absolute ripperts, so you Chiefs hosting the Crusaders will be phenomenal.
We've got the Canes hosting the Drewer, which is going
to be great to see Figi on the road see
if they can back up that great performance they put
on the.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
Weekend Highlanders Blues as well. And then we've got Reds
coming off the Bye who were really strong last year
and had a great preseason. And then it finishes off
with Brumby's Force and a local Australian derby down in Canberra.
So you know, I think this is the great thing
this season. We've got five fixtures, they're all going to
(09:19):
be tight, and you know there's no rest for the wicked.
I mean, I think we've only got a short season.
But it's sort of like a middle distance run, isn't it.
Like it's only sixteen rounds but there is no break.
So it's a spring in many regards.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Well, you're sprinted well from the starting blox around one
of the boxes. I say, thanks Jack for joining us.
And being successful. All the best for walleyes I hit
of no doubt we'll catch up again at some stage soon.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
Thanks Boyne. I hope you get up in that top
top third.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
So thanks for your time, mate.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
Thank you. Yes.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Jack Measley, CEO of Super Rapi Pacific a Philly happy CEO.
You'd have to think after round one of the competition.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
For more from sports talk, listen Lived and News Talks.
It'd be from seven weekdays or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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