1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,320 Speaker 1: Is this the thing? We've got the Rugby World Cup 2 00:00:02,400 --> 00:00:05,600 Speaker 1: draw and the accusation of Australia is running scared. Organizers 3 00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:07,600 Speaker 1: went with Australia be Hong Kong as an opener as 4 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:10,840 Speaker 1: opposed to Australia be us omahusinized as the chub executive 5 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 1: of the International Rugby Players Association and is with us. 6 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:17,240 Speaker 1: Now we must remember sport, is it. I mean, it's business, 7 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:18,720 Speaker 1: isn't it. You want to bums on seats and that 8 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:20,119 Speaker 1: how it works, and no one's going to go and 9 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:23,479 Speaker 1: watch Australia. You know you're going to sell Australia be 10 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:25,480 Speaker 1: the all blacks out. But Hong Kong's a problem. I mean, 11 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:26,600 Speaker 1: that's how it works, isn't it. 12 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:29,479 Speaker 2: Yeah, you'd like you why you'd like to hope that 13 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:33,040 Speaker 2: Australia could turn up and beat New Zealand, But you 14 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:35,280 Speaker 2: know a recent form when I say recent, the last 15 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:38,200 Speaker 2: twenty years, would indicate that Australia may struggle. So I think, 16 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:42,760 Speaker 2: you know, getting the guaranteed or mostly guaranteed win in 17 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:44,720 Speaker 2: the first match is important. And also I think that 18 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:47,560 Speaker 2: you know they know they're going to sell the opening 19 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:50,280 Speaker 2: opening match out in Perth regardless of the opposition. So 20 00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:53,199 Speaker 2: I think tactically it was it was eploye to make 21 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 2: sure that Australia stays in the tournament and you know, 22 00:00:55,840 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 2: momentum in the tournament continues. 23 00:00:57,640 --> 00:00:59,280 Speaker 1: And is that US sell out because it's in Perth 24 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:01,640 Speaker 1: and they love it, or to sell out because simply 25 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:03,279 Speaker 1: it's the opening of the World Cup and you're going 26 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 1: to sell anything out. 27 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:07,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think it's more the latter, to be honest, Mike, 28 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:09,120 Speaker 2: I think I think an opening ceremony is going to 29 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:12,920 Speaker 2: draw a big crowd and you know, the you know, 30 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:16,039 Speaker 2: the feeling amongst world rugby representatives, which I wouldn't fully 31 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 2: disagree with, is that you know you're going to fill out. 32 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:21,960 Speaker 2: You were going to get Australia in New Zealand. You 33 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 2: want them in a draw card match in Sydney or 34 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:26,680 Speaker 2: one of the big the big hubs in the Eastern seaboards. 35 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:28,120 Speaker 2: So that's that was the reasoning for that. 36 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 1: I think is the twenty four team expansion thing a 37 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 1: problem given I don't know that there are twenty four 38 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:35,280 Speaker 1: teams that can play really high quality rugby. 39 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a really good point. I mean, you're going 40 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 2: to get some potential thrashings that happened numerous years ago. 41 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:44,679 Speaker 2: I'm sure you guys never forget when the All Blacks 42 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:46,920 Speaker 2: thrash Japan by about one hundred and forty points. But 43 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 2: then you know, several World Cups later Japan have developed, 44 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:53,000 Speaker 2: and I guess that is part of the strategy that's 45 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 2: essentral AAMES growth. I think twenty four teams also is 46 00:01:56,880 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 2: really important because when you have an even number of 47 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:03,400 Speaker 2: teams in each pool, it allows for more regularity matches. 48 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:05,560 Speaker 2: When you had five in each pool, there was a 49 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:08,480 Speaker 2: team sitting out and you had then in the situations 50 00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:11,000 Speaker 2: where sometimes teams that'd have a four or five day 51 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 2: layover and an other times fourteen days layover the and 52 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 2: there was inconsistency between matches. This twenty four team layout 53 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 2: actually goes a long way to putting more consistency. Every 54 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:24,320 Speaker 2: six or seven days, all teams will be playing twelve 55 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 2: matches every weekend amongst twenty four teams. It was part 56 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:27,960 Speaker 2: of the rush at all. 57 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:31,079 Speaker 1: Is there any sense of buzz at this particular point? 58 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:33,359 Speaker 1: Does anyone can anyone Ctrichala who say that's going to 59 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 1: be great, the sales are going to be fantastic. There's 60 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:36,919 Speaker 1: going to be more eyeballs were still a bit far 61 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 1: out from it. 62 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:40,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, Look, I guess there's always risk is in there, 63 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 2: and particularly in a zone where you know, I've grown 64 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:44,600 Speaker 2: up since the day I was born in this country 65 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:48,240 Speaker 2: and obviously lived abroad, but I've seen how dominant AFL 66 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:51,960 Speaker 2: and rugby league has been in the winter sport market 67 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:54,360 Speaker 2: here and so we're up against it, and we're trying to, 68 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:56,960 Speaker 2: you know, as part of the strategy to get the 69 00:02:56,960 --> 00:02:59,200 Speaker 2: sport back to the days of the early two thousands 70 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:02,320 Speaker 2: when we were competing with your mob and dare I say, 71 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:03,800 Speaker 2: actually winning bladders like cups. 72 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:06,760 Speaker 1: Those were the days. I am nice to talk to 73 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:09,679 Speaker 1: you appreciate getting up early just before six o'clock a 74 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 1: year where he is in Sydney. Omar Hessenin, who's the 75 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:15,799 Speaker 1: chief executive of the International Rugby Players Association. For more 76 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:18,960 Speaker 1: from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to news talks. 77 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 1: It'd be from six am weekdays, or follow the podcast 78 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:23,080 Speaker 1: on iHeartRadio.