1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,800 Speaker 1: New Zealand Rugby has posted a nearly nine million dollar 2 00:00:02,880 --> 00:00:05,960 Speaker 1: loss for last year. Match day income was down twenty 3 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:08,520 Speaker 1: eight million, down to seventeen million dollars compared to the 4 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:10,720 Speaker 1: year before, and broadcast income took a dive as well. 5 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:12,840 Speaker 1: It's the second loss making year in a row, but 6 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:14,960 Speaker 1: at least it's an improvement on the forty seven million 7 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:17,919 Speaker 1: dollar loss the year before. Mark Robinson is n z 8 00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:19,799 Speaker 1: RCEEO and with us Now, Hey. 9 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:22,239 Speaker 2: Mark, hi, Heather, how are you well? 10 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:24,360 Speaker 1: Thank you? Why is the broadcast income down? You had 11 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:25,320 Speaker 1: more people watching? 12 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:29,880 Speaker 2: So, yeah, this is a World Cup year obviously, twenty 13 00:00:29,880 --> 00:00:34,160 Speaker 2: twenty three. So traditionally our revenues around broadcast and match 14 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:38,640 Speaker 2: day down and that's because there's less content in New Zealand. 15 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:44,960 Speaker 2: We don't play, for example, a traditional rugby Championship series, 16 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 2: so we lose a bit of content out of our 17 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:49,600 Speaker 2: own domestic markets, which impacts on on. 18 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:52,240 Speaker 1: Our revenue pretty much the same I would imagine with 19 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:52,880 Speaker 1: a match day. 20 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 2: Income, Yeah, exactly the same. 21 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:57,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, So now that we don't have a World Cup 22 00:00:57,160 --> 00:00:59,720 Speaker 1: in this upcoming year, do you reckon it'll be boosted 23 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 1: in our to actually make a profit. 24 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 2: Well, obviously those revenues will bounce back. But we have 25 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:12,479 Speaker 2: a long standing sort of financial model that I think 26 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:14,800 Speaker 2: is well well understood here that it means that we've 27 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:16,320 Speaker 2: got a lot of fixed costs in the model, and 28 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:19,120 Speaker 2: it is a challenging environment we're working in. But we're 29 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:23,760 Speaker 2: certainly making a lot of attempts to change what that 30 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 2: model looks like. We've been pretty open about the fact 31 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:29,760 Speaker 2: that although it served the game impredibly well for a 32 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:32,039 Speaker 2: long period of time with a growth and revenue, we 33 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:33,880 Speaker 2: do need to look at a range of different areas. 34 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:36,320 Speaker 2: So I've actually just got to nap here. We're meeting 35 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:38,720 Speaker 2: with all of our provincial union CEOs to talk about 36 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 2: what the future model could look like, and that's to 37 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:47,480 Speaker 2: do with our funding arrangements, our competition models, our pathway models, 38 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:51,720 Speaker 2: and overall, I think everyone acknowledges we could do a 39 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:53,400 Speaker 2: few of these things better and that we could work 40 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 2: towards a more optimal model. So that's what we're spending 41 00:01:55,360 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 2: a lot of time on at the moment. 42 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:58,560 Speaker 1: So, so, have you got some idea of where else 43 00:01:58,600 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 1: you can make money? Is that what you're saying? 44 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 2: No, I mean, broadly speaking, we don't think revenues in 45 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 2: the game at the moment. The issue we've got a model. 46 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:12,640 Speaker 2: What I'm saying is we've got a model that you 47 00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 2: know doesn't quite suit where the game is heading. So 48 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 2: the revenues across the game, you know, if you combine 49 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:24,120 Speaker 2: our revenue with their provincial union, provincial union revenue and 50 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 2: super revenue, is probably close to free hundred and fifty 51 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:29,359 Speaker 2: million dollars across the game. But what we're spending more 52 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:33,079 Speaker 2: time on is looking at our strategy and the role 53 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:35,880 Speaker 2: that each of our different stakeholder groups has to play 54 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:37,720 Speaker 2: in the game, and trying to build more alignment on 55 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:41,359 Speaker 2: that and therefore align the spending and the investment in 56 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 2: different levels that we. 57 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:45,480 Speaker 1: Can believes the revenue you got to cut some things 58 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:47,320 Speaker 1: out of your budget. Is that what you're talking about. 59 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:53,480 Speaker 2: Well, some of it might rationalize costs, some more apportion 60 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:57,080 Speaker 2: investment from one area to another, but yeah, the overall 61 00:02:57,080 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 2: we're looking at both of those opportunities. 62 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:01,840 Speaker 1: Really, are you talking about who pays the salaries of 63 00:03:01,919 --> 00:03:03,840 Speaker 1: the in the wages of the players? 64 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:10,200 Speaker 2: Look, we're not. We're not talking about any one particular moment. 65 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:14,079 Speaker 2: I guess we're talking about a whole range of things 66 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:18,520 Speaker 2: coming together. So we've got clearly the players and the 67 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:21,440 Speaker 2: RPA are really active partners as it relates to what 68 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:23,280 Speaker 2: our competitions look like a union. 69 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:26,360 Speaker 1: It's so biggest cost, isn't it Actually paying these people 70 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 1: to play the game is a significant cost for you, inn't. 71 00:03:31,760 --> 00:03:34,440 Speaker 2: We have significant costs around lots of parts of the business. 72 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:37,480 Speaker 2: You know, we're an isolated country sitting you know, a 73 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:38,920 Speaker 2: long way away from where we play a lot of 74 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:42,160 Speaker 2: our international rugby, so being involved in our competitions is 75 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:45,600 Speaker 2: a significant cost. Retaining our best talent as a significant cost, 76 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:48,800 Speaker 2: investing in the community games as a significant cost. We're 77 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:50,480 Speaker 2: looking at how I think we are in a real 78 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 2: position compared to a lot of other national unions. We're 79 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:54,520 Speaker 2: actually investing in growth as well, So we have a 80 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:57,840 Speaker 2: new commercial entity that we're we're looking at investing in 81 00:03:57,880 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 2: for the long term future growth of the game. So 82 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:03,240 Speaker 2: all of those things require investment, and I think what 83 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:05,160 Speaker 2: we are singling is we think the model can be 84 00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:07,040 Speaker 2: a more optimal model. It's just going to take a 85 00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 2: bit of time. Like all things in you know, stakeholder organizations, 86 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 2: it just takes a bit of time to work through. 87 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:14,760 Speaker 1: Fair enough. Hey, by the way, while I've got you. 88 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:16,240 Speaker 1: Has Patsy really quit yet? 89 00:04:17,880 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 2: No? Absolutely not, No, she's I took that question a 90 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:23,440 Speaker 2: while ago and wasn't sure where it had come from. 91 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 2: But no, no, she's. She was in what was last night? 92 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:28,599 Speaker 2: You're talking about? 93 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:31,000 Speaker 1: Mark? What are you talking about? She said if she 94 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 1: didn't get proposal won through, she was quitting, and then 95 00:04:33,839 --> 00:04:34,680 Speaker 1: she didn't propose. 96 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:39,200 Speaker 2: I've been really clear on this, Heather. I'm not. I'm 97 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:40,960 Speaker 2: not getting into talking about the government. 98 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 1: I'm not talking about that either. I'm asking you where 99 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 1: the parts. 100 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:45,160 Speaker 2: Are? 101 00:04:45,279 --> 00:04:46,040 Speaker 1: Did she quit or not? 102 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:50,240 Speaker 2: That's a question. Well she's No, she hasn't, and and 103 00:04:50,279 --> 00:04:54,559 Speaker 2: that's a question for for Patsy. But she's she's very ecnive, 104 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:57,880 Speaker 2: engaged in her open and hasn't resigned. 105 00:04:57,880 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 1: The old boy who cried Wolfe by the having a 106 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:02,880 Speaker 1: look at that squad, are you confident? 107 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:07,960 Speaker 2: I'm excited. Isn't it great? Yeah? You know, I think 108 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:13,400 Speaker 2: an awesome balance of some real experienced talented players. It's 109 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:17,200 Speaker 2: an emerging talent. So now we're really looking forward to it. 110 00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:20,280 Speaker 2: Dunedin has sold out, Auckland sold out. I think we're 111 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:24,800 Speaker 2: looking the extra seats for Auckland and San Diego is 112 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:27,840 Speaker 2: close to selling out. So you combine that with Super 113 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:31,000 Speaker 2: Rugby Finals selling out last weekend and you know it's 114 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:34,400 Speaker 2: really exciting for the game. The products clearly grabbed the 115 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 2: attention of fans and we're really excited at first choice. 116 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:39,800 Speaker 1: First five? Is it Bowden or is it Damian. 117 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:43,240 Speaker 2: I don't get into that sort of thing. That's well 118 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 2: beyond my a remit Heather, but I've got full confidence 119 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:50,160 Speaker 2: in this true to pick the right people and we're 120 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:52,080 Speaker 2: lucky we've got great depth and number of positions. So 121 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:52,640 Speaker 2: it's good stuff. 122 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:55,359 Speaker 1: Hey, thank you very much. Make I really appreciated Mark Robinson, 123 00:05:55,360 --> 00:06:03,000 Speaker 1: New Zealand Rugby CEO. Patsy hasn't quite what surprise mate. 124 00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:05,040 Speaker 1: If you're gonna say, like, if you're gonna be all 125 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 1: petulant and say that ain't get in my way, I'm 126 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:09,960 Speaker 1: gonna quit, then you need to do the honorable thing 127 00:06:10,520 --> 00:06:13,119 Speaker 1: and fall on your sword. Afterwards, I'll be hanging around 128 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:17,040 Speaker 1: like a bad smell Patsy just saying for more from 129 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:20,400 Speaker 1: Hither Duplessy Allen Drive. Listen live to news talks it'd 130 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:24,520 Speaker 1: be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.