1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, more rugby might be coming our way. There's ninety 2 00:00:02,200 --> 00:00:05,560 Speaker 1: called R three sixty. It's a grown pre styled competition 3 00:00:05,680 --> 00:00:08,320 Speaker 1: involving twelve franchises from around the world. You compete in 4 00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:10,320 Speaker 1: sixteen different global then you're sort of an F one 5 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:13,000 Speaker 1: style event. Anyway, Rob Nicholers with the Players Association, is 6 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:15,880 Speaker 1: back with us. Rob morning, Good morning, Mike. How real 7 00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:16,280 Speaker 1: is this? 8 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 2: Ah, that's a really good question. I mean, it's not 9 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:21,919 Speaker 2: the first time these things have come along, and it's 10 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:24,639 Speaker 2: not going to be the last. But they've been working 11 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:26,200 Speaker 2: on it for a couple of years. We've been across 12 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 2: it for a year or so, and they've got some 13 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 2: good people in terms of rugby people, if you like, 14 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:33,960 Speaker 2: who know the landscape behind it, and they seem to 15 00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:36,319 Speaker 2: or have said, they've got a lot of investment behind them. 16 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 2: But they've got a three the needle here, Mike. It's 17 00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:41,519 Speaker 2: not straightforward to start up global running competition in the 18 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:43,120 Speaker 2: face of the ones that already exist. 19 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:46,040 Speaker 1: I'm reading in Australia yesterday, offers have already been made. 20 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:47,320 Speaker 1: Have they been made here? Do you know? 21 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:52,159 Speaker 2: Yeah? All our agents and players are aware of of 22 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:54,040 Speaker 2: this league and have been for a while. And the 23 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:56,480 Speaker 2: league has certainly reached out to ourselves New Zealand Rugby 24 00:00:56,520 --> 00:01:00,480 Speaker 2: and all our sins are countries in the Northern Hemisphere 25 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:04,040 Speaker 2: leagues and they've put some offers on the table. But 26 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 2: to be fair from a New Zealand player perspective, it 27 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:10,520 Speaker 2: so it's about wait and see. We've been through this 28 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:12,400 Speaker 2: in other sports. We've been through it in rugby before, 29 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:14,039 Speaker 2: we've been through it and cracket with the IPL and 30 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:17,160 Speaker 2: the likes and yeah, these things they do pop up, 31 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:20,040 Speaker 2: but they've got to get through some pretty strong headwinds 32 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:23,440 Speaker 2: to really find that window. And this particular competition, as 33 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:26,399 Speaker 2: an example, is saying that the first three months will 34 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:29,000 Speaker 2: be between April and June. Well, that's straight in the 35 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 2: face of the French Top fourteen finals, the Heineken Cup finals, 36 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 2: the English Premiership final, United Rugby Final series, Super Rugby 37 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 2: Final series, and I suspect every country associated with those 38 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 2: competitions is going to go, hey, hang on a sec. 39 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:45,039 Speaker 2: You can't come along and just buy all our top 40 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 2: players and then expect us to be happy with them 41 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 2: playing international rugby. So the real head wins. 42 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:52,160 Speaker 1: Again, there's too much rugby full stop, isn't there. 43 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 2: Well, I have to say in the Southern hemisphere with 44 00:01:56,600 --> 00:02:00,120 Speaker 2: super rugby only been the eighteen to nineteen weeks and 45 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:02,960 Speaker 2: then the international season, and our top players tracing those 46 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 2: prospects thirty max games per year twenty five twenty six, 47 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:10,640 Speaker 2: sort of average. We're not too bad. But you go 48 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 2: to that northern hemisphere and it is out of control. 49 00:02:13,639 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 2: It's you know, there's players up there still playing a 50 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:19,120 Speaker 2: hell lot of rugby. They'll come away play international rugby, 51 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:22,600 Speaker 2: go straight back into club rugby six weeks at of offseason. 52 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:25,200 Speaker 2: There is way too much rugby. But I think what 53 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:28,200 Speaker 2: these guys are saying is, you know what, We've got 54 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:31,360 Speaker 2: some serious capital behind us. We've been involved in rugby 55 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:34,399 Speaker 2: for a long time. There is way too much rugby. 56 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:38,320 Speaker 2: You're not producing what the fans really want and potentially 57 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:41,040 Speaker 2: what some players want. If we can come along and 58 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:43,840 Speaker 2: grab the talent we can take advantage of if you like, 59 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:47,480 Speaker 2: the disorganization of rugby or an industry that might be struggling. 60 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:50,520 Speaker 2: And that's what private capital does is they look at 61 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:52,919 Speaker 2: an opportunity. Sport is always going to be a conduit 62 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:55,400 Speaker 2: to people, so they want to have the best talent 63 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:57,120 Speaker 2: and they want to connect with people just like you've 64 00:02:57,160 --> 00:02:59,919 Speaker 2: seen in Formula one, in golf, et cetera, et cetera, 65 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:02,600 Speaker 2: And that's what these people are doing. They're looking and 66 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:04,600 Speaker 2: they're saying, you know what, Rugby is not organized. It's 67 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 2: really messy. If we're coming over the top with a 68 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:09,600 Speaker 2: whole lot of money, grab all the talent we can 69 00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:12,280 Speaker 2: steal the show, connect with the people and create a 70 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:14,480 Speaker 2: really big business out of it. So you know, the 71 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:16,760 Speaker 2: game needs to play attention to it and look at 72 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:18,960 Speaker 2: itself and say, you know, how do we make sure 73 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:22,200 Speaker 2: we're organized and don't provide this opportunity because there will 74 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:24,720 Speaker 2: come a point where frustration Baill was over, particularly in 75 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:26,359 Speaker 2: the Northern hemisphere, and the talent. 76 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:29,440 Speaker 1: Walks super interesting. We'll see where it. Guys. Appreciate your 77 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:32,679 Speaker 1: time as always, Rob Nicol, New Zealand Players Association. 78 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 2: For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to 79 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:39,480 Speaker 2: news talks it'd be from six am weekdays, or follow 80 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio.