May 2, 2025 • 9 mins
Sir Graham Henry joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss New Zealand rugby's newest team, which is touring Sri Lanka in an attempt to grow the game globally.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
We'll join now in the Sports Fixed podcast by former
All Black coach. In fact, I've got a list as
long as my arm about what he's done and what
he's been involved in. But now he's the patron of
the New Zealand under eighty five kg men's side. Sir
Graham Henry joins us. Hello, Graham, Evan Jasey. You're off
on the way to Sri Lanka for this under eighty
(00:35):
five kg rep tour. This is fascinating and it's something
all the patron of. So could you just expand on
this What exactly all we looking at? Where are we going?
What does it all mean?
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Well, it's the first underweight New Zealand rugby team, so
it's a national team to play for New Zealand with
a black jersey and a silver food supported by the
Barbarians Rugby club touring Sri Lanka playing the Tuskers. That's
the name of the Sri Lankan te The All Blacks
are the name of New Zealand team, so the Tuskers
(01:10):
obviously elephants. They are ranked thirty eighth in the world.
Rugby is very, very very popular in Sri Lanka. They
love the All Blacks. It's their second team. Rayman and
I have toured there before and we went to a
first fifteen game between two private schools, one in Candy
(01:34):
and one in Colombo, the two largest cities in Sri Lanka.
Twenty seven thousand people were at the game. So it's
a very popular sport. They're just not big enough to
compete it at the top level.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Obviously, the game itself under eighty five is increasing in
popularity due to the pretty much the way a lot
of smaller people are playing the game. What's the acceleration
like as far as engagement for the sport and picking
this sport up.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
I think it's very very important for New Zealand rugby.
Theise are quality rugby players who are good. I mean
mast them probably played first fifteen at their schools and
they either are not big enough or have got other
ambitions outside of the game which doesn't allow them to
play serious rugby if you like, they still take it seriously,
(02:28):
but you know, trying to be a provincial player or
a national player for the All Blacks. So these are
guys who love the game. We're not big enough or
got major interests outside of rugby, which takes their time.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
So I'm presuming the quality here is of pretty high
standard if that's what you're fleeting on guys from first
fifteen and guys that can't go the full professional.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
There is a national club competition for under eighty fives.
It's the only national club competition in New Zealand rugby.
I think there's a message there for the senior teams
to have a national senior champion. But let's move on
from that, Darcy. That's my little, my little word for today.
(03:13):
But now, and there's fifty teens, fifty clubs competed in
that last year, Old Boys from christ Church played pack
Oranger from Auckland in the final. It was played as
a curtain raiser to the the Wallaby Test in Wellington.
Pack Oranger pipped up Old Boys in the last minute,
(03:35):
high scoring game in the thirties. Both teams, wouldn't it game?
Very athletic, very schoolful, very fast? Yeah, no, brilliant.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
The light Bears, the high school Old Boys team were
called the Black Panthers. What are they calling the under
eighty five New Zealand Rep Team?
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Well, I think they're called the light Blacks, but that's
just my opinion. Maybe that'll that'll that'll stick. They want
to be they want to try and be the thirty
seventh best team in the world by beating the Sri
Lankans thirty eighth, and I think that might be a
talks tall ass because this is there. Obviously their national
(04:18):
men's team, their top team is Sri Lanka. They just
they beat Malaysia last weekend by fifty points, so they're
pretty tidy.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
With people playing the game and getting into the game
of under eighty fives. And the increase in interest of this,
is this also a global desire? Is it likely to
get bigger than it is?
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Great? Well, it's interest in Australia, and that is that's
really good because we're just across the ditch and we
can play in a regular basis. But as you can appreciate,
you think about Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, go
on and on. So I think there's a real target
(05:02):
audience for lightweight rugby in in the Asian region. You know,
obviously is a cost factor here as well. So the
Sri Lankan Rugby Union and the Sri Lankan airlines in
delmar Te and Sri Lankan businesses have gone behind this
(05:24):
because it's costly. There's twenty six players and I think
eight management to get there and they're looking after all
you internal costs, So pretty impressive.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
What about New Zealand Rugby's involvement in this. I think
Mike hess, the Rugby's head of Rugby participation, is pretty
keen on that. But do they climb in, much like
with any form of support, the fiscal supporter.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
I'm not sure how it was all financed. To be fair,
they don't kill the patron that stuff, and the patriot
is not interested in that stuff, But Patron's very interested
in young people playing the game. Because I got so
much out of the game. It was a change changes
your life. You have great friends and who builds resilience
(06:13):
and a lot of fun and team teamwork and camarader
in all those things. So I just want kids to
be playing teen sports. And because I got a huge
amount out of it, and it's a good way to
put back into the game, you know, and hopefully we
can build the under eighty five and every province so
it becomes a major part of New Zealand rugby game forwards.
(06:36):
It's a pretty big part already, and we keep these
young people in the game.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
I'd suggest, Graham, please don't hang up on me that
when you were playing, eighty five kg was probably quite
a sizable character in the game.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
No, I think that's fair. I probably played the game
at about seventy five, but that was one hundred years ago.
I see, you know, several generations since then, but today
you know, like there's still a I was at the
Jersey presentation on Tuesday night at the Coraca Rugby Club
(07:13):
in Auckland, and I was so impressed with the quality
of the young guys who were being selected, and they
look quite big, and they're all taller than me. They
don't look they don't look under eighty five, but obviously
they have to be otherwise they would they couldn't be
selected as opposed to the patron who whose shape has
(07:37):
changed to weeper.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
What I mean you're still in good shape though it's
still in shape regardless of what you think it is. Oh,
you're very kind, we'll ask the Graham. Thanks so much
for joining us Sky TV. You're covering this as well
so people can actually get their eyeballs and look, if
you can't see it, you don't want to be it.
That's really important that there is a TV network who
(08:01):
actually want to put this to the air.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Yeah, which will be fabulous because these guys play a
very fast, open, skillful athletic game and you know, so
that's the way they play, and that's the way they
enjoy it. And there's probably some messages there, but yeah,
because it's it's it's it's it's fabulous, you know, and
(08:28):
I'm very pleased that this is happening. You know, it's
it's a great advertisement for the game, and it's also
a big message for the young people out there who
think after school I might not play. And you've got
guys in their middle forties, maybe touching fifty, guys who
(08:48):
was seventy and eighteen playing in this grade. Some of
them have played in this grade for twenty five years.
My club University Aubenn University have got three under eighty
five teams, so it's a very special part of the
part of the club.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Or from sports talk, listen live to News Talks it
B from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
We'll join now in the Sports Fixed podcast by former
All Black coach. In fact, I've got a list as
long as my arm about what he's done and what
he's been involved in. But now he's the patron of
the New Zealand under eighty five kg men's side. Sir
Graham Henry joins us. Hello, Graham, Evan Jasey. You're off
on the way to Sri Lanka for this under eighty
(00:35):
five kg rep tour. This is fascinating and it's something
all the patron of. So could you just expand on
this What exactly all we looking at? Where are we going?
What does it all mean?
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Well, it's the first underweight New Zealand rugby team, so
it's a national team to play for New Zealand with
a black jersey and a silver food supported by the
Barbarians Rugby club touring Sri Lanka playing the Tuskers. That's
the name of the Sri Lankan te The All Blacks
are the name of New Zealand team, so the Tuskers
(01:10):
obviously elephants. They are ranked thirty eighth in the world.
Rugby is very, very very popular in Sri Lanka. They
love the All Blacks. It's their second team. Rayman and
I have toured there before and we went to a
first fifteen game between two private schools, one in Candy
(01:34):
and one in Colombo, the two largest cities in Sri Lanka.
Twenty seven thousand people were at the game. So it's
a very popular sport. They're just not big enough to
compete it at the top level.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Obviously, the game itself under eighty five is increasing in
popularity due to the pretty much the way a lot
of smaller people are playing the game. What's the acceleration
like as far as engagement for the sport and picking
this sport up.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
I think it's very very important for New Zealand rugby.
Theise are quality rugby players who are good. I mean
mast them probably played first fifteen at their schools and
they either are not big enough or have got other
ambitions outside of the game which doesn't allow them to
play serious rugby if you like, they still take it seriously,
(02:28):
but you know, trying to be a provincial player or
a national player for the All Blacks. So these are
guys who love the game. We're not big enough or
got major interests outside of rugby, which takes their time.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
So I'm presuming the quality here is of pretty high
standard if that's what you're fleeting on guys from first
fifteen and guys that can't go the full professional.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
There is a national club competition for under eighty fives.
It's the only national club competition in New Zealand rugby.
I think there's a message there for the senior teams
to have a national senior champion. But let's move on
from that, Darcy. That's my little, my little word for today.
(03:13):
But now, and there's fifty teens, fifty clubs competed in
that last year, Old Boys from christ Church played pack
Oranger from Auckland in the final. It was played as
a curtain raiser to the the Wallaby Test in Wellington.
Pack Oranger pipped up Old Boys in the last minute,
(03:35):
high scoring game in the thirties. Both teams, wouldn't it game?
Very athletic, very schoolful, very fast? Yeah, no, brilliant.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
The light Bears, the high school Old Boys team were
called the Black Panthers. What are they calling the under
eighty five New Zealand Rep Team?
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Well, I think they're called the light Blacks, but that's
just my opinion. Maybe that'll that'll that'll stick. They want
to be they want to try and be the thirty
seventh best team in the world by beating the Sri
Lankans thirty eighth, and I think that might be a
talks tall ass because this is there. Obviously their national
(04:18):
men's team, their top team is Sri Lanka. They just
they beat Malaysia last weekend by fifty points, so they're
pretty tidy.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
With people playing the game and getting into the game
of under eighty fives. And the increase in interest of this,
is this also a global desire? Is it likely to
get bigger than it is?
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Great? Well, it's interest in Australia, and that is that's
really good because we're just across the ditch and we
can play in a regular basis. But as you can appreciate,
you think about Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, go
on and on. So I think there's a real target
(05:02):
audience for lightweight rugby in in the Asian region. You know,
obviously is a cost factor here as well. So the
Sri Lankan Rugby Union and the Sri Lankan airlines in
delmar Te and Sri Lankan businesses have gone behind this
(05:24):
because it's costly. There's twenty six players and I think
eight management to get there and they're looking after all
you internal costs, So pretty impressive.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
What about New Zealand Rugby's involvement in this. I think
Mike hess, the Rugby's head of Rugby participation, is pretty
keen on that. But do they climb in, much like
with any form of support, the fiscal supporter.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
I'm not sure how it was all financed. To be fair,
they don't kill the patron that stuff, and the patriot
is not interested in that stuff, But Patron's very interested
in young people playing the game. Because I got so
much out of the game. It was a change changes
your life. You have great friends and who builds resilience
(06:13):
and a lot of fun and team teamwork and camarader
in all those things. So I just want kids to
be playing teen sports. And because I got a huge
amount out of it, and it's a good way to
put back into the game, you know, and hopefully we
can build the under eighty five and every province so
it becomes a major part of New Zealand rugby game forwards.
(06:36):
It's a pretty big part already, and we keep these
young people in the game.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
I'd suggest, Graham, please don't hang up on me that
when you were playing, eighty five kg was probably quite
a sizable character in the game.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
No, I think that's fair. I probably played the game
at about seventy five, but that was one hundred years ago.
I see, you know, several generations since then, but today
you know, like there's still a I was at the
Jersey presentation on Tuesday night at the Coraca Rugby Club
(07:13):
in Auckland, and I was so impressed with the quality
of the young guys who were being selected, and they
look quite big, and they're all taller than me. They
don't look they don't look under eighty five, but obviously
they have to be otherwise they would they couldn't be
selected as opposed to the patron who whose shape has
(07:37):
changed to weeper.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
What I mean you're still in good shape though it's
still in shape regardless of what you think it is. Oh,
you're very kind, we'll ask the Graham. Thanks so much
for joining us Sky TV. You're covering this as well
so people can actually get their eyeballs and look, if
you can't see it, you don't want to be it.
That's really important that there is a TV network who
(08:01):
actually want to put this to the air.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Yeah, which will be fabulous because these guys play a
very fast, open, skillful athletic game and you know, so
that's the way they play, and that's the way they
enjoy it. And there's probably some messages there, but yeah,
because it's it's it's it's it's fabulous, you know, and
(08:28):
I'm very pleased that this is happening. You know, it's
it's a great advertisement for the game, and it's also
a big message for the young people out there who
think after school I might not play. And you've got
guys in their middle forties, maybe touching fifty, guys who
(08:48):
was seventy and eighteen playing in this grade. Some of
them have played in this grade for twenty five years.
My club University Aubenn University have got three under eighty
five teams, so it's a very special part of the
part of the club.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Or from sports talk, listen live to News Talks it
B from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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