1 00:00:06,707 --> 00:00:10,467 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Fine 2 00:00:10,707 --> 00:00:11,747 Speaker 1: from Newstalk zed B. 3 00:00:12,747 --> 00:00:16,627 Speaker 2: Australian doctor Brett Robinson has been elected as the new 4 00:00:16,747 --> 00:00:19,787 Speaker 2: Chair of World Rugby following two rounds of voting at 5 00:00:19,827 --> 00:00:24,147 Speaker 2: the twenty twenty four Interim meeting of Council in Dublin, Ireland. 6 00:00:24,467 --> 00:00:27,867 Speaker 2: He becomes the first elected chair from the Southern Hemisphere, 7 00:00:27,947 --> 00:00:32,347 Speaker 2: chosen over fellow candidates Abdul a la Tife Benazi from 8 00:00:32,387 --> 00:00:36,067 Speaker 2: France and Andrea Ronaldo from Italy. The fifty two members 9 00:00:36,187 --> 00:00:38,667 Speaker 2: of the World Rugby Council were the ones who were 10 00:00:38,707 --> 00:00:43,107 Speaker 2: doing the voting, and Brett Robinson succeeds Bill Beaumont on 11 00:00:43,307 --> 00:00:46,387 Speaker 2: a four year term. He joins us now, congratulations Brett 12 00:00:46,467 --> 00:00:50,867 Speaker 2: on being elected World Rugby Chair. What sort of organization, 13 00:00:50,987 --> 00:00:54,747 Speaker 2: what sort of sport do you inherit as the chair 14 00:00:54,787 --> 00:00:55,627 Speaker 2: of World Rugby? 15 00:00:56,387 --> 00:00:59,907 Speaker 3: I look first, I just want to say how incredibly 16 00:00:59,987 --> 00:01:02,187 Speaker 3: humble I am to be elected to be World Rugby Chair. 17 00:01:02,427 --> 00:01:05,907 Speaker 3: And I also want to say thank you to the 18 00:01:05,907 --> 00:01:09,467 Speaker 3: support of New Zealand, the New Zealand rug Reunion in 19 00:01:10,227 --> 00:01:12,627 Speaker 3: asking me or pushing me and giving me a nudge 20 00:01:12,667 --> 00:01:17,547 Speaker 3: to step forward. And then also the support they've given 21 00:01:17,587 --> 00:01:21,027 Speaker 3: me right through to the final vote yesterday. So I 22 00:01:21,107 --> 00:01:23,867 Speaker 3: just wanted to say thank you very much. And I 23 00:01:23,867 --> 00:01:27,387 Speaker 3: guess I also want, you know, to recognize, you know, 24 00:01:27,987 --> 00:01:30,747 Speaker 3: as you've said, Bill Bowmont is stepping down after eight 25 00:01:30,827 --> 00:01:36,147 Speaker 3: years in the role, and I'm taking on the leadership 26 00:01:36,187 --> 00:01:39,547 Speaker 3: of effectively what's a new board for the organization. We'll 27 00:01:39,587 --> 00:01:43,067 Speaker 3: have some new directors coming together and we'll be coming 28 00:01:43,067 --> 00:01:47,627 Speaker 3: together with a management team in the next month or so, 29 00:01:47,787 --> 00:01:51,267 Speaker 3: just to really navigate through what the path forward really 30 00:01:51,267 --> 00:01:54,707 Speaker 3: looks like. I'm sitting down with Allan Gilben on Monday 31 00:01:55,347 --> 00:01:57,267 Speaker 3: and we're getting to work to plan out the next 32 00:01:57,307 --> 00:02:01,187 Speaker 3: sort of six months. And I guess really to consider 33 00:02:01,227 --> 00:02:04,947 Speaker 3: that the journey we've been on, but also the journey 34 00:02:04,947 --> 00:02:08,427 Speaker 3: that we need to tinue with or what we need 35 00:02:08,467 --> 00:02:11,147 Speaker 3: to stop, start or do more of. And I think 36 00:02:11,227 --> 00:02:15,187 Speaker 3: that's probably to your question about the future of the game. 37 00:02:15,267 --> 00:02:18,667 Speaker 3: I mean, we have a wonderful sport. I think the 38 00:02:18,707 --> 00:02:22,067 Speaker 3: product itself is something that we are constantly looking and 39 00:02:22,147 --> 00:02:26,027 Speaker 3: improving upon. We've just had some wonderful trials actually that 40 00:02:26,187 --> 00:02:29,907 Speaker 3: have been approved to go through into this upcoming autumn 41 00:02:29,907 --> 00:02:34,947 Speaker 3: series that speed the ball in play and also reduced downtime. 42 00:02:35,027 --> 00:02:38,147 Speaker 3: So I think there's positive energy about the product at 43 00:02:38,227 --> 00:02:41,267 Speaker 3: the moment in the game, and I think we need 44 00:02:41,307 --> 00:02:44,747 Speaker 3: to continue that momentum as we head into next year 45 00:02:44,787 --> 00:02:48,787 Speaker 3: and particularly a World Cup year for the women in 46 00:02:48,867 --> 00:02:51,467 Speaker 3: the UK next year. So there's plenty ahead of us 47 00:02:51,467 --> 00:02:55,587 Speaker 3: and I know the New Zealand national women's team will 48 00:02:55,587 --> 00:02:57,267 Speaker 3: be looking to try and win another World Cup. 49 00:02:58,027 --> 00:03:00,787 Speaker 2: So the big challengers facing the game right now, you've 50 00:03:00,867 --> 00:03:02,227 Speaker 2: you've alluded to a couple of them. 51 00:03:02,307 --> 00:03:02,547 Speaker 3: Brett. 52 00:03:02,787 --> 00:03:05,307 Speaker 2: What do you see though as the major challenges facing 53 00:03:05,347 --> 00:03:06,787 Speaker 2: the game globally right now? 54 00:03:08,107 --> 00:03:11,307 Speaker 3: Well, there's the biggest challenge I think facing the game, 55 00:03:11,347 --> 00:03:15,147 Speaker 3: which isn't necessarily an organizational issue for World Rugby. It's 56 00:03:15,187 --> 00:03:17,667 Speaker 3: an organization, it's an issue for the whole of the game, 57 00:03:18,227 --> 00:03:23,787 Speaker 3: is I guess final challenges of managing revenue and cost 58 00:03:23,947 --> 00:03:31,307 Speaker 3: based and I think we've seen over the last sort 59 00:03:31,347 --> 00:03:35,067 Speaker 3: of four or five years particularly, and that's predominantly driven 60 00:03:35,107 --> 00:03:39,147 Speaker 3: by wage inflation, players salary pressures and ability to sustain 61 00:03:39,227 --> 00:03:42,707 Speaker 3: revenues to support. So we've had the crisis meeting about 62 00:03:42,747 --> 00:03:44,867 Speaker 3: six or eight weeks ago we Dublin where we brought 63 00:03:44,867 --> 00:03:47,787 Speaker 3: the top unions together to actually talk about the revenue 64 00:03:47,827 --> 00:03:50,387 Speaker 3: and cost leaders that we think we can control together. 65 00:03:50,707 --> 00:03:53,067 Speaker 3: They're not things that World Rugby on its own can 66 00:03:53,427 --> 00:03:56,507 Speaker 3: deal with, the things that all the major unions are 67 00:03:56,507 --> 00:03:58,947 Speaker 3: there to deal with. And there was a follow up 68 00:03:58,947 --> 00:04:02,867 Speaker 3: meeting actually the day before the election where the unions 69 00:04:02,947 --> 00:04:07,267 Speaker 3: came together degree on action plans, some accountability and working 70 00:04:07,267 --> 00:04:09,067 Speaker 3: groups that actually going away to look at some of 71 00:04:09,107 --> 00:04:11,667 Speaker 3: those levers. So for me, that's probably one of the 72 00:04:11,667 --> 00:04:15,267 Speaker 3: biggest issues. The other is obviously this, you know, the 73 00:04:15,387 --> 00:04:19,267 Speaker 3: ongoing challenges of making sure that mums and dads want 74 00:04:19,307 --> 00:04:22,187 Speaker 3: their kids to play the game and safely, and so 75 00:04:22,307 --> 00:04:25,467 Speaker 3: I'm as a clinician, I'm very passionate about the player 76 00:04:25,507 --> 00:04:27,947 Speaker 3: welfare initiatives that the game is undertaken and the need 77 00:04:27,987 --> 00:04:30,067 Speaker 3: for the game to be safe and healthy. And I 78 00:04:30,067 --> 00:04:32,267 Speaker 3: think that's the other significant issue we've got to continue 79 00:04:32,267 --> 00:04:32,867 Speaker 3: to stare into. 80 00:04:33,547 --> 00:04:38,587 Speaker 2: You talked about costs and revenue there our player salary 81 00:04:38,627 --> 00:04:40,987 Speaker 2: is too high. Is that the long and the short 82 00:04:40,987 --> 00:04:41,267 Speaker 2: of it. 83 00:04:42,347 --> 00:04:45,107 Speaker 3: Well, I think there's clearly some top you know, there's 84 00:04:45,107 --> 00:04:48,347 Speaker 3: some top end pressure that's blown up a few clubs 85 00:04:48,347 --> 00:04:52,147 Speaker 3: here in the Northern hemisphere. You know that the Premiership 86 00:04:52,187 --> 00:04:54,987 Speaker 3: here actually have introduced salary cap to try and manage 87 00:04:55,027 --> 00:04:59,427 Speaker 3: and control that. We have other markets in Europe and 88 00:04:59,507 --> 00:05:03,707 Speaker 3: in Asia that clearly are pushing salaries higher and higher, 89 00:05:04,107 --> 00:05:06,147 Speaker 3: and I think if we don't look at some way 90 00:05:06,147 --> 00:05:10,147 Speaker 3: of energy, Ultimately, I'm a player and was a player, 91 00:05:10,827 --> 00:05:13,107 Speaker 3: I understand you know that we want to make sure 92 00:05:13,107 --> 00:05:15,627 Speaker 3: it's a competitive market and players are well rewarded. But 93 00:05:15,707 --> 00:05:19,627 Speaker 3: ultimately if the system falls over, then you know we 94 00:05:19,707 --> 00:05:22,467 Speaker 3: haven't got a sustainable opportunity for players to play. So 95 00:05:22,507 --> 00:05:23,227 Speaker 3: it's a balance. 96 00:05:24,747 --> 00:05:28,947 Speaker 2: You mentioned revenue as well. How important is it for 97 00:05:29,067 --> 00:05:32,267 Speaker 2: rugby to expand into new markets. 98 00:05:32,147 --> 00:05:35,947 Speaker 3: The Nation's championship? For me, when we announced the World 99 00:05:36,027 --> 00:05:39,587 Speaker 3: Cup last year that we were expanding Rugby World Cup 100 00:05:39,627 --> 00:05:44,067 Speaker 3: in Australia to twenty four teams, so another four teams, 101 00:05:44,627 --> 00:05:47,147 Speaker 3: and that we also were kicking off in twenty twenty 102 00:05:47,227 --> 00:05:50,947 Speaker 3: six two times in every cycle, a twenty four team 103 00:05:51,027 --> 00:05:54,987 Speaker 3: competition with two tiers that ultimately have promotion relegation. Where 104 00:05:54,987 --> 00:05:58,027 Speaker 3: these matches that we're playing now and these windows actually 105 00:05:58,067 --> 00:06:01,147 Speaker 3: have meaning and they end up delivering an outcome through 106 00:06:01,187 --> 00:06:05,347 Speaker 3: a final. I think that is going to really create jeopardy, 107 00:06:05,667 --> 00:06:09,907 Speaker 3: energy positivity and more revenue for the markets that we 108 00:06:09,947 --> 00:06:12,427 Speaker 3: play those games in, and equally is it's important it 109 00:06:12,467 --> 00:06:16,227 Speaker 3: will provide competition for those other unions that haven't got 110 00:06:16,387 --> 00:06:20,987 Speaker 3: certain year competition right now, particularly emerging nations. So I 111 00:06:20,987 --> 00:06:24,387 Speaker 3: think that's a really exciting initiative. We obviously need a 112 00:06:24,427 --> 00:06:27,827 Speaker 3: deal to be done between SANSAR and six nations and 113 00:06:27,867 --> 00:06:30,827 Speaker 3: then that'll enable us we'll rub me to finalize what 114 00:06:30,867 --> 00:06:32,827 Speaker 3: we're doing with the remaining twelve teams. 115 00:06:33,867 --> 00:06:36,587 Speaker 2: Do you believe or perceive there to be a North 116 00:06:36,667 --> 00:06:41,067 Speaker 2: South divide when we talk about rugby's traditional nations. Do 117 00:06:41,067 --> 00:06:43,427 Speaker 2: you think there's a north south divide on some of 118 00:06:43,427 --> 00:06:44,747 Speaker 2: the key issues facing the game. 119 00:06:45,227 --> 00:06:50,707 Speaker 3: I think this election kicks that into touch. You know, 120 00:06:51,067 --> 00:06:56,227 Speaker 3: this was an election based on philosophy, a collection of 121 00:06:56,347 --> 00:06:58,507 Speaker 3: unions from the north and the south for helping and 122 00:06:58,627 --> 00:07:01,947 Speaker 3: enabling to deal with these issues that we're discussing, because 123 00:07:01,947 --> 00:07:05,067 Speaker 3: they're not just northern. They're not Southern hemisphere is shoes 124 00:07:05,107 --> 00:07:08,507 Speaker 3: or Northern hemisphere is shues that game related issues. So 125 00:07:08,627 --> 00:07:11,347 Speaker 3: I think that's what I'm quite optimistic about, is the 126 00:07:11,387 --> 00:07:15,267 Speaker 3: fact that you know, Jonathan Webb is now my deputy chair. 127 00:07:15,587 --> 00:07:19,867 Speaker 3: You know, I've got strong support from Northern Hemisphere countries 128 00:07:19,987 --> 00:07:23,107 Speaker 3: and they all agree we need to get on and 129 00:07:23,147 --> 00:07:24,267 Speaker 3: deal with some of these issues. 130 00:07:24,867 --> 00:07:27,267 Speaker 2: What is New Zealand's role to play in the game 131 00:07:27,307 --> 00:07:28,347 Speaker 2: globally right now? 132 00:07:28,747 --> 00:07:32,787 Speaker 3: Well, New Zealand Rugby have and will continue to be 133 00:07:33,627 --> 00:07:36,667 Speaker 3: the gold standard of a high performance union. You know, 134 00:07:37,707 --> 00:07:42,467 Speaker 3: there's a reason why Australian rugby has benefited from a 135 00:07:42,467 --> 00:07:45,467 Speaker 3: two hour flight across the Tasman It's because we've got 136 00:07:45,507 --> 00:07:48,427 Speaker 3: to play since I was a young boy, and my 137 00:07:48,667 --> 00:07:51,227 Speaker 3: young kid and my young boy himself who played against 138 00:07:51,227 --> 00:07:54,067 Speaker 3: New Zealand schools a few weeks ago in Hamilton. We 139 00:07:54,187 --> 00:07:56,347 Speaker 3: get to play against year guys all the time and 140 00:07:56,387 --> 00:08:00,387 Speaker 3: for around women's and men, that enables and it elevates performance. 141 00:08:00,907 --> 00:08:05,147 Speaker 3: And I think that, you know, the influence that New 142 00:08:05,227 --> 00:08:08,667 Speaker 3: Zealand plays on the field is significant, but equally off 143 00:08:08,707 --> 00:08:11,467 Speaker 3: the field, you know, I have to say, you know, 144 00:08:11,547 --> 00:08:17,387 Speaker 3: the leadership of Mark Robinson, the strategic opportunities he can 145 00:08:17,427 --> 00:08:21,067 Speaker 3: see for the game globally, I think you've got some 146 00:08:21,227 --> 00:08:25,267 Speaker 3: really capable leadership at the top of your game that 147 00:08:25,467 --> 00:08:29,387 Speaker 3: also is really having an influence around where the game 148 00:08:29,467 --> 00:08:30,387 Speaker 3: is going. Globally. 149 00:08:30,947 --> 00:08:33,227 Speaker 2: Hey, thank you Brett for joining us across New Zealand 150 00:08:33,267 --> 00:08:37,187 Speaker 2: and congratulations again on your election as the new Chair 151 00:08:37,227 --> 00:08:41,467 Speaker 2: of World Rugby. That is doctor Brett Robinson, who on 152 00:08:41,507 --> 00:08:43,387 Speaker 2: a four year term, is now the new chair of 153 00:08:44,147 --> 00:08:48,627 Speaker 2: the Game of Rugby's governing body. Further to that election, 154 00:08:48,707 --> 00:08:53,067 Speaker 2: New Zealand Rugby's influence also bolstered the election of Bart 155 00:08:53,227 --> 00:08:57,627 Speaker 2: Campbell and Melody Robinson to the World Rugby Executive Board. 156 00:08:58,827 --> 00:09:04,267 Speaker 2: Bart Campbell is a Southern Hemisphere representative and Melody Robinson 157 00:09:04,307 --> 00:09:08,387 Speaker 2: are players representative. Bart Campbell and South African Rugby President 158 00:09:08,507 --> 00:09:12,467 Speaker 2: Mark Alexander were elected. The others in the running were 159 00:09:12,467 --> 00:09:17,867 Speaker 2: former Wallaby John Eels and Argentina's Gaspio Melody Robinson nominated 160 00:09:17,867 --> 00:09:22,067 Speaker 2: alongside Island Rob Carney by the International Rugby Players Association. 161 00:09:22,227 --> 00:09:26,227 Speaker 2: So Bart Campbell and Melody Robinson congratulations to those two 162 00:09:26,307 --> 00:09:30,627 Speaker 2: Keywis for their election to the World Rugby Executive Board. 163 00:09:31,507 --> 00:09:34,707 Speaker 1: For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live 164 00:09:34,787 --> 00:09:38,067 Speaker 1: to News Talk sed B weekends from midday or follow 165 00:09:38,107 --> 00:09:39,747 Speaker 1: the podcast on iHeartRadio.