I worked on the Aus-Wales game and the final 30mins and aftermath was genuinely difficult to watch - a total unraveling and a bunch of Aussie players who were absolutely broken at the end.
The sentiments of the neutrals were similar to you, that while we can have a bit of a laugh at their expense, the ramifications for NZ are significant.
On the flip side side, Wales’ performance showed to me why we need more coverage & analysis of the northern hemisphere comps in NZ. The URC is a bit ropey, but the UK Prem, European comps are superb and clearly producing test-ready players.... we in NZ know all about Michael Hooper, but how many could genuinely talk about the quality of Jac Morgan until last night? (Sorry, this morning!)
Hello Rikki! Lovely to hear from you and congrats on the trailblazing.
You've reminded me of a tale I need to repurpose later. The short version is that I was flatting briefly in Cork, Ireland around the turn of the century with a guy who was playing Champions Cup (then Heineken Cup). He reckoned Kiwis didn't understand, or want to understand, what a high standard it was. He was right...
There’s a column in that 😉 ... I’m working with a predominantly welsh/English/Irish tv crew and the knowledge, let alone the passion, has been something else.
I expect the worst from the quarter final, but it's kind of the Wallabies to repeat the solid they did us in 2007 and ensure that Australian fans have nothing to taunt us about if the All Blacks disappoint.
Strangely, one of the most frustrating things to me about that White Ferns performance was our top scorer. It was a very classy innings by Halliday, and it showed what she can do when she has the time to build an innings (and she sure had that this time, thanks to the unpleasantly early departures of Bates, Devine, Green and Kerr).
But I think she's batting far too low for the way she plays, both in ODIs and T20s. She has a strike rate of 73 in ODIs and 92 in T20s, which really isn't much use when she's coming in towards the end of an innings.
I tend to agree, though it always looks as if she should have a higher strike rate because she can make batting look easy. Perhaps the idea is to force her to play more aggressively down the order with a view to bumping her up when Bates or Devine retires.
I was comparing Rugby global growth with Netball, eg. Netball used to be just NZ & Au with others turning up to make up the numbers, but now (presumably) through a strategy of making sure nations got plenty of chances to play good teams, we see the growth of Jamaica and the UK and hopefully others....
Because Rugby makes money for some (and by some I mean not so much players but the administrators) they perhaps think of themselves as a 'smaller football/soccer', but in reality, they should see themselves as netball. Maybe then the ABs might have played at least one test in Fiji, Georgia would be part of the 6 nations, and the question of how to include Japan would actually be figured out.
I mean, if Rugby was anywhere near the level of football or seen as a growth option, the Saudi's would be after it...but as far as I know they are not knocking on any Rugby associations doors.
Silver Lake has an entangled relationship with the Saudis and the Middle East in general. It is not beyond the realms of possibility that the ABs will end up playing a test in the UAE in the near future.
The decline of Aussie rugby really is worrying long-term. As much as they really don't add much to SRP at the moment (both in terms of money and fan interest) is a 7-team SRP really viable without them?
Personally I'd like to see a 2 division NPC-style comp with the Drua, Moana and no more than 3 Aussie teams which I think could just about be viable.
I'd love to see the RC expanded to include Japan and Fiji and one day Samoa and Tonga with the likes of USA, Canada, Uruguay and maybe Chile. But don't know if a club comp could ever work.
All I know is that NZR's review of the domestic comps has come at a very interesting time with 2026 just around the corner now
To say I've been looking forward to this newsletter all day would be an understatement haha
Two things I've noticed at RWC so far:
1- (Bar the Wales/Fiji game) The officiating has been pretty sharp in all of the games I've watched. There'll be no parade or anything but we tear them apart when they get it wrong, so...
2- The defence in the marquee games has been tight so far. There have been very few 'freak' open field sort of tries (exclude the minnow games).
I agree re refs. Aaprt from the Fiji-Wales game where the card inconsistency was galling, they've been pretty bloody good. I did laugh when Wayne Barnes said to Valentini I think it was, "Yeah, I know, but it's the law". It was tacit acknowledgement that rugby is sometimes it's own worst enemy.
One thing I noticed in the Ireland Boks game was that even when there was a line break - usually Aki (!), the cover defence or scrambling always seemed to be there. Feels damn near impossible to score tries against either of those teams.
Lots of sport going on. Coincidentally I was in Brisbane for the Warriors game - I didn’t go, but it did influence me to watch them for the first time in a long time. Town was abuzz as Brisbane hosted Carlton in the AFL semi at the Gabba the same day. After the first 20 minutes I felt the writing was on the wall, though the blowout came later than I expected as the Warriors hung tough. A bit of fuss about the Reece Walsh forward pass and in general I felt the Warriors got the rough end of the refereeing stick, but the rub of the green often goes in favour of the dominant team and Brisbane were going forward and the Warriors backwards nearly all game. Brisbane also prevailed in the AFL after being down by 30 points at quarter time. Plenty of happy locals after all that.
A little late to the party, but as a kiwi living in Aus (WA for 10 years) although upsetting to the wallabies fans here - none were shocked.. I think the Welsh fans here were more shocked, given their own poor form.
Being heavily involved in community rugby out west, it feels repetitive - but there’s no connection to the community game, the pathways are unclear and the appeal of a long career in a national league (see NRL, and to a lesser degree AFL) it is hard to attract, then retain the talent we need.
I think it’s also the appeal of the product, when you’re not winning, you’ve got to attract participants in other ways - rugby has always struggled in this department and Aus rugby just offers nothing to a casual fan.
Look at Big Bash - regardless of Aus cricket form... that tournament is HUGE and often attracts the casual fans. Although it’s a little Apples for Oranges, there’s something there that Aus rugby just aren’t getting.
Dylan,
I worked on the Aus-Wales game and the final 30mins and aftermath was genuinely difficult to watch - a total unraveling and a bunch of Aussie players who were absolutely broken at the end.
The sentiments of the neutrals were similar to you, that while we can have a bit of a laugh at their expense, the ramifications for NZ are significant.
On the flip side side, Wales’ performance showed to me why we need more coverage & analysis of the northern hemisphere comps in NZ. The URC is a bit ropey, but the UK Prem, European comps are superb and clearly producing test-ready players.... we in NZ know all about Michael Hooper, but how many could genuinely talk about the quality of Jac Morgan until last night? (Sorry, this morning!)
Hello Rikki! Lovely to hear from you and congrats on the trailblazing.
You've reminded me of a tale I need to repurpose later. The short version is that I was flatting briefly in Cork, Ireland around the turn of the century with a guy who was playing Champions Cup (then Heineken Cup). He reckoned Kiwis didn't understand, or want to understand, what a high standard it was. He was right...
There’s a column in that 😉 ... I’m working with a predominantly welsh/English/Irish tv crew and the knowledge, let alone the passion, has been something else.
Forgive me for the use of overused sports term “passion”
I get that there are flow on effects from the shocking Wallabies situation but can't we be allowed 5 minutes to enjoy it first?! 😉
I expect the worst from the quarter final, but it's kind of the Wallabies to repeat the solid they did us in 2007 and ensure that Australian fans have nothing to taunt us about if the All Blacks disappoint.
Yeah fair point. Maybe that’s why I wanna enjoy it before our own crushing disappointment comes.
I remember waking up that Sunday morning to hearing about the Australian loss in 07 thinking ‘that’s the it, it’s our year!’... 80 mins later
Strangely, one of the most frustrating things to me about that White Ferns performance was our top scorer. It was a very classy innings by Halliday, and it showed what she can do when she has the time to build an innings (and she sure had that this time, thanks to the unpleasantly early departures of Bates, Devine, Green and Kerr).
But I think she's batting far too low for the way she plays, both in ODIs and T20s. She has a strike rate of 73 in ODIs and 92 in T20s, which really isn't much use when she's coming in towards the end of an innings.
I tend to agree, though it always looks as if she should have a higher strike rate because she can make batting look easy. Perhaps the idea is to force her to play more aggressively down the order with a view to bumping her up when Bates or Devine retires.
I was comparing Rugby global growth with Netball, eg. Netball used to be just NZ & Au with others turning up to make up the numbers, but now (presumably) through a strategy of making sure nations got plenty of chances to play good teams, we see the growth of Jamaica and the UK and hopefully others....
Because Rugby makes money for some (and by some I mean not so much players but the administrators) they perhaps think of themselves as a 'smaller football/soccer', but in reality, they should see themselves as netball. Maybe then the ABs might have played at least one test in Fiji, Georgia would be part of the 6 nations, and the question of how to include Japan would actually be figured out.
I mean, if Rugby was anywhere near the level of football or seen as a growth option, the Saudi's would be after it...but as far as I know they are not knocking on any Rugby associations doors.
Silver Lake has an entangled relationship with the Saudis and the Middle East in general. It is not beyond the realms of possibility that the ABs will end up playing a test in the UAE in the near future.
Awesome....🤮
The decline of Aussie rugby really is worrying long-term. As much as they really don't add much to SRP at the moment (both in terms of money and fan interest) is a 7-team SRP really viable without them?
Personally I'd like to see a 2 division NPC-style comp with the Drua, Moana and no more than 3 Aussie teams which I think could just about be viable.
I'd love to see the RC expanded to include Japan and Fiji and one day Samoa and Tonga with the likes of USA, Canada, Uruguay and maybe Chile. But don't know if a club comp could ever work.
All I know is that NZR's review of the domestic comps has come at a very interesting time with 2026 just around the corner now
To say I've been looking forward to this newsletter all day would be an understatement haha
Two things I've noticed at RWC so far:
1- (Bar the Wales/Fiji game) The officiating has been pretty sharp in all of the games I've watched. There'll be no parade or anything but we tear them apart when they get it wrong, so...
2- The defence in the marquee games has been tight so far. There have been very few 'freak' open field sort of tries (exclude the minnow games).
I agree re refs. Aaprt from the Fiji-Wales game where the card inconsistency was galling, they've been pretty bloody good. I did laugh when Wayne Barnes said to Valentini I think it was, "Yeah, I know, but it's the law". It was tacit acknowledgement that rugby is sometimes it's own worst enemy.
One thing I noticed in the Ireland Boks game was that even when there was a line break - usually Aki (!), the cover defence or scrambling always seemed to be there. Feels damn near impossible to score tries against either of those teams.
Yeah and what depresses me a bit is I don't see the attacking genius in our boys to break down either of them.
Agreed. Will need full strength 15 out there and then all to have a blinder!
Lots of sport going on. Coincidentally I was in Brisbane for the Warriors game - I didn’t go, but it did influence me to watch them for the first time in a long time. Town was abuzz as Brisbane hosted Carlton in the AFL semi at the Gabba the same day. After the first 20 minutes I felt the writing was on the wall, though the blowout came later than I expected as the Warriors hung tough. A bit of fuss about the Reece Walsh forward pass and in general I felt the Warriors got the rough end of the refereeing stick, but the rub of the green often goes in favour of the dominant team and Brisbane were going forward and the Warriors backwards nearly all game. Brisbane also prevailed in the AFL after being down by 30 points at quarter time. Plenty of happy locals after all that.
A little late to the party, but as a kiwi living in Aus (WA for 10 years) although upsetting to the wallabies fans here - none were shocked.. I think the Welsh fans here were more shocked, given their own poor form.
Being heavily involved in community rugby out west, it feels repetitive - but there’s no connection to the community game, the pathways are unclear and the appeal of a long career in a national league (see NRL, and to a lesser degree AFL) it is hard to attract, then retain the talent we need.
I think it’s also the appeal of the product, when you’re not winning, you’ve got to attract participants in other ways - rugby has always struggled in this department and Aus rugby just offers nothing to a casual fan.
Look at Big Bash - regardless of Aus cricket form... that tournament is HUGE and often attracts the casual fans. Although it’s a little Apples for Oranges, there’s something there that Aus rugby just aren’t getting.