Public Address | Cafe | Hard News: Rugby Now

Russell Brown

Fri, 09 Jun 2017 19:25:31 +1200

Sorry, but that really is nonsense.

I confess, I have thought along similar lines to Geoff. I followed football when I lived in the UK, but the lack of resolution in football drives me nuts these days. A rugby match is full of small victories and defeats – not just…

dave stewart

Fri, 09 Jun 2017 13:27:04 +1200

Can somebody please explain to me why in NZ we tolerate monopolistic business practices by television broadcasters (e.g. exclusive sports rights), yet in almost every other sector of commerce we have rules and tools to prevent businesses from obtaining a monopolistic advantage?
Does the ComComm not have enough teeth to…

simon g

Thu, 08 Jun 2017 23:27:48 +1200

Good rugby is so more satisfying in terms of the stories it constructs--the final moments of the Lions vs Blues last night, for example,

Sorry, but that really is nonsense. Feel free to prefer one sport to another – none is "better" by any quantifiable standard, people might get their…

BenWilson

Thu, 08 Jun 2017 23:06:00 +1200

With some blokes I know, following soccer seems like a rather snobby strategy to differentiate themselves from the mainstream sport of NZ rugby,

It always seemed to involve British/European signalling when I was a kid. But the signalling was both ways, rugby always staking the claim of being salt of…

Geoff Lealand

Thu, 08 Jun 2017 22:41:00 +1200

My theory (possibly half-baked) about the links between soccer and racism, sexism and violence is that is a game which often lacks narrative resolution ie a bunch of over-paid blokes kick a ball around for 90 minutes, ending up with one or two goals--or, worse still, a scoreless draw or…

BenWilson

Thu, 08 Jun 2017 21:08:23 +1200

What you described above is a bunch of people who actually aren’t that into the game.

Yes, although they were more into it in the past.

Sacha

Thu, 08 Jun 2017 19:25:55 +1200

Nothing to do with the code – it's a problem that will attach itself to the mainstream/working class sport in any country.

Your thoughts on rugby league?

Hugh Wilson

Thu, 08 Jun 2017 18:22:20 +1200

My experience is that any team sport activity is likely to result in injuries, usually because other people (especially blokes) get so gee'd up on adrenaline, testosterone and/or frustration they end up impacting others (be it through fouls, poor coordination or poor judgement). I threw the towel in when I…

Russell Brown

Thu, 08 Jun 2017 17:36:46 +1200

Yes, a lot do that. But when I say you don’t see “many” guys my age playing rugby, I actually meant I NEVER see it. Whereas middle aged guys playing soccer, I know half a dozen guys. The die-hard-est rugger fan mate of mine joined a club about 5 years…

BenWilson

Thu, 08 Jun 2017 11:40:44 +1200

Nothing to do with the code – it’s a problem that will attach itself to the mainstream/working class sport in any country.

Yes, a lot do that. But when I say you don't see "many" guys my age playing rugby, I actually meant I NEVER see it. Whereas middle aged…

Rich of Observationz

Thu, 08 Jun 2017 11:31:31 +1200

You don't see too many guys my age playing rugby, their participation in the sport is sitting around in shitty bars drinking beer and reliving their glory days, and making homophobic and racist slurs the whole time, while the soccer guys are still running around actually doing their sport.

In…

BenWilson

Thu, 08 Jun 2017 11:20:00 +1200

I've had a general decline in interest in all televized sport. I used to like the Olympics, but for the last couple I haven't even bothered. I put it down to excessive professionalism. Essentially, the whole point of it seems lost. To me, sport was a part of life that…

BenWilson

Thu, 08 Jun 2017 09:43:22 +1200

I think at the end of this winter I’ll be ditching my Sky subscription and joining the local bowling club so I have somewhere to go to watch the odd game.

Now that is not a bad idea.

BenWilson

Thu, 08 Jun 2017 09:36:52 +1200

When you give up Sky, rugby ceases to exist.

So that's what happened to me.

Sky seem to want all or nothing from viewers. How's that working out for them?

They lost me, that's for sure. Too greedy and too crap.

Alan Perrott

Wed, 07 Jun 2017 22:49:13 +1200

that game was just good, but we still sucked. Long term, the Lions must be feeling like road kill about now. Sucks be to them, but from what I hear about their off-field popularity, maybe that’s not quite their problem.
Popular touring party, is the Lions.

dave stewart

Wed, 07 Jun 2017 22:30:29 +1200

Contender for PA word of the year: warrenball!?

Ian Dalziel

Sun, 04 Jun 2017 07:05:38 +1200

plenty of passion, skill and courage
Ditto for the Provincial Barbarians v. Lions – the radio announcers were beside themselves....

Rob Stowell

Sat, 03 Jun 2017 21:26:14 +1200

As if to confound the sceptics, todays crusader – highlander game was just magic. plenty of passion, skill and courage – and a nail-biting finish. Almost got keen on the old game again. :)

Ian Dalziel

Sat, 03 Jun 2017 16:02:41 +1200

Annie's gorgeous by the post!!
I'm rather enjoying the radio coverage of Highlanders vs Crusaders game this afternoon...
https://www.iheart.com/live/Radio-Sport-6194/?autoplay=true
It's just like being there, but with your eyes shut!

izogi

Sat, 03 Jun 2017 05:48:25 +1200

Like others here it’s been the pay TV model that killed it for me. I’ve never played the game but used to enjoy following the All Blacks matches, Super 12 and NPC. That habit died overnight when I shifted out of the parents’ house and had no desire to pay…

Gaz Tayler

Fri, 02 Jun 2017 19:25:39 +1200

oh, there's much more to it than that...

Timmy Hayward

Fri, 02 Jun 2017 19:14:21 +1200

Over the last couple of years I have enjoyed super rugby more and more to the point I see it more important than AB's. My wife's family is from Waikato, I have roots back to Dunedin and we all live in Auckland. So we go round to the cousins place…

linger

Fri, 02 Jun 2017 18:03:37 +1200

you probably couldn’t have had 3 Super teams in the top half of the North Island
Given that that accounts for half the total population of NZ, I reckon we bloody well could have, except that on the same basis we would have at most two teams for the whole…

Dave Patrick

Fri, 02 Jun 2017 14:37:38 +1200

I'm a Counties supporter, have been ever since I was 10 (North Auckland before that, but that's another story). When Super Rugby started, Counties was overlooked as one of the Super teams, despite being one of the top teams in the country at the time. Yes, you probably couldn't have…

Russell Brown

Fri, 02 Jun 2017 12:36:13 +1200

one day over a beer Russell I'll tell you all about why it does not work

Flash, innit.

Gaz Tayler

Fri, 02 Jun 2017 11:59:55 +1200

one day over a beer Russell I'll tell you all about why it does not work

Tom Semmens

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 17:44:49 +1200

It used to be that the players in your region came from your region, parochialism at its finest

Those cheats in Canterbury were buying in players back in 1960s.

Ian Dalziel

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 17:12:14 +1200

Simply because the games had meaningful context. Super Rugby barely has any context at all.
It used to be that the players in your region came from your region, parochialism at its finest – nowadays one's local players could come from anywhere in the country or rugby playing world!

simon g

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 16:49:49 +1200

I used to go to Eden Park, and genuinely cared if Zinzan's team beat Waikato, North Harbour et al. Simply because the games had meaningful context. Super Rugby barely has any context at all.

The quality of play now can be outstanding (let's not get too nostalgic about a golden…

Rob Stowell

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 15:30:36 +1200

Or split broadcast and online rights, given Sky’s lack of aptitude or interest in providing an online service.

The difference between the two is getting more marginal by the minute :)

Russell Brown

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 14:22:44 +1200

at the end of the day NZRU will probably stick with dealing with a single broadcasting partner, but may force them to start “on-selling content” to other channels

Or split broadcast and online rights, given Sky’s lack of aptitude or interest in providing an online service.

Its not just FanPass,…

Russell Brown

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 14:21:32 +1200

When the super teams were created they were given identities that were independent of location. This allows for a super team to move location without loss of identity and most importantly allows the team to be SOLD.

I’m sure some suit wearer at union headquarters had wet dreams about selling…

Gaz Tayler

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 14:15:13 +1200

at the end of the day, even if someone else takes over rights from Sky, that Sky'll still be in the mix... they are 100% owners of the OSB, the biggest on-site broadcasting unit in NZ.

at the end of the day NZRU will probably stick with dealing with a…

Russell Brown

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 14:13:53 +1200

One assertion he makes I believe is accurate: that limiting TV sports coverage to pay-to-view results in a smaller audience than if it were free.

Undoubtedly true. We’ve seen it with netball and cricket. It’s the difficult bargain those sports find themselves having to strike – losing currency in order…

Russell Brown

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 14:11:19 +1200

From a production point of view, that’s at least a headache (unless one production company gets the contract to produce all the different games, it could get very messy) and at worst, only the bigger games are covered (and then ‘on the cheap’ – not necessarily a bad thing. It…

linger

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 13:53:23 +1200

Soccer participation has been higher than rugby participation in NZ for quite some time now. It is frustrating to watch the media rediscover this fact every few years and react as if it’s a shock (or some fatal blow to our national identity).
Yet somehow it hasn’t translated into a…

Bart Janssen

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 13:50:23 +1200

Even though the super rugby teams have been around for 21 years now, they have never really commanded the sort of fanatical parochial passion that the provinces did/have.

That was deliberate. The provincial teams were always tied to a place. When the super teams were created they were given identities…

Rob Stowell

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 13:49:22 +1200

When the current NZRU deal with SKY is up, my bet is on internet providers gaining the rights to some or all All Blacks games. Maybe the NZRU will split up the product – Tri Nations to one, end-of-year tour to another, with Lions and RWC negotiated as well.
From…

dave stewart

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 13:14:04 +1200

See also Brian Rudman's opinion piece in the Herald related to this yesterday:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11866160.
One assertion he makes I believe is accurate: that limiting TV sports coverage to pay-to-view results in a smaller audience than if it were free. When Sky doesn't even offer one-off streaming options for major events (e.g.…

Rickai

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 12:29:51 +1200

Tom Semmens

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 12:18:16 +1200

The loss of passion for me began with the reduction of the provincial championship to a second rate feeder comp for the five professional teams. Even though the super rugby teams have been around for 21 years now, they have never really commanded the sort of fanatical parochial passion that…

Hugh Wilson

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 11:24:10 +1200

I've never been, but it certainly looks average on the tele when the heavens open

Geoff Lealand

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 11:19:36 +1200

And the Waikato Stadium?

Hugh Wilson

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 11:18:30 +1200

And, oh, wouldn't it be great to have a compact, single-purpose 25,000-capacity rugby ground in Auckland?

It certainly would – Eden Park, despite all of its history, clearly has an average at best configuration for watching rugby (and thats being kind). Smaller to mid size stadia have an important role…

Bart Janssen

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 11:03:45 +1200

For me the problem isn't Sky, although I can see how restricting viewing based on wealth is a good way to reduce passion about a sport.

For me the problem is, I find rugby boring now. Part of it is too much rugby. Part of it is the utterly ridiculous…

Glenn Pearce

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 10:12:05 +1200

I think at the end of this winter I'll be ditching my Sky subscription and joining the local bowling club so I have somewhere to go to watch the odd game.

Glenn Pearce

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 10:10:19 +1200

I saw on One News last night that the Lions touring party expanded to include 4 extra players at an additional cost of $1m. On that basis the overall cost of the touring party must be in excess of $10m.

It doesn't make me feel any better but does go…

Tom Semmens

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 08:33:07 +1200

I don’t think the NZRU thinks that. They’re contracted into the present deal until 2019, so the action starts next year. The chair of its board is former Mediaworks CEO Brent Impey, who I am very sure has been exploring the options already.

I am not sure if the NZRFU…

Richard Ram

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 08:30:49 +1200

One option to access rugby at a better price. Approx $200 for 12 months.

1/ Get a VPN account (eg www.tunnelbear.com) and sign up for the unlimited package. Set it to Hong Kong.

2/ Get a RugbyPass account. Use your NZ credit card and find a Hong Kong address. I…

Ian Dalziel

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 07:12:13 +1200

so we will watch it on Sky–along with the SoHo channel, the reason why we stick with it
Game of Throw-ins!

Russell Brown

Wed, 31 May 2017 22:23:24 +1200

Its been good to see Super Rugby visiting the Pacific a couple of times this season

The great atmosphere at that Chiefs-Crusaders game in Suva was apparent even on the TV coverage.

the relentless and booming mix of music & announcements makes you wonder why you bothered.

It could be so…

Russell Brown

Wed, 31 May 2017 22:19:33 +1200

Cleaver’s piece highlights the overbearing role the ABs play in rugby, sucking up all the sponsorship and providing the game as a consumable product which replaces the grassroots involvement in the game.

That’s affecting SR teams too, almost none of which fill their AB test designed caverns of stadia, meaning…

Hugh Wilson

Wed, 31 May 2017 22:12:43 +1200

I can remember seeing Sean Fitzpatrick out for a Sunday drive on our little dead end street around 1989 or 1990 – he was in his blue builders ute, which I suspect was dispensed with (along with the carpentry career) soon afterwards. I can also remember school boy stakes being…

Russell Brown

Wed, 31 May 2017 22:11:43 +1200

I gave up going to live games two or thee years ago when I went with my English in-laws to a game at Eden Park – the Blues v someone. It was expensive, the alcohol was also ridiculously expensive and the food limited and also expensive.

Yeah, like I said,…

Allan Moyle

Wed, 31 May 2017 21:10:52 +1200

I used to have season tickets in Hamilton up until 2005 before the Chiefs were considered contenders. Watched 2-3 games on Sky each week. Scroll forward 12 years and my live rugby fix is typically 5 or 6 games of Auckland club rugby and 1 AB game at Eden Park.…

Geoff Lealand

Wed, 31 May 2017 20:15:37 +1200

Tickets for Lions games are rather too expensive so we will watch it on Sky--along with the SoHo channel, the reason why we stick with it.
I just hope that there will be as spectacular an encounter as the Maori All Blacks game of the last Lions tour.

billtaylor

Wed, 31 May 2017 18:02:00 +1200

I gave up going to live games two or thee years ago when I went with my English in-laws to a game at Eden Park — the Blues v someone. It was expensive, the alcohol was also ridiculously expensive and the food limited and also expensive. And the stupid blaring…

John Palethorpe

Wed, 31 May 2017 16:55:27 +1200

Since Sky decided to double the monthly FanPass cost and treat its modern customer base like dicks I've not watched a game.

Fortunately I've reacquainted myself with live sport on the radio; leaning in towards the speaker as it gets close and enduring some of the terrible banter that gets…

TurtsPaulTaylor

Wed, 31 May 2017 16:51:36 +1200

I was going to post some kind thoughtful response but I've defaulted to saying how excited I am for the Lions Tour. In a few weeks, my son and I are having what I think will be the best day of rugby on the planet this year: The Kings /…

Nick Russell

Wed, 31 May 2017 16:44:18 +1200

I have been whinging loudly about the decision to cancel the daily Fanpass service. That was great – pay your $15 to watch a rugby or cricket match, no ongoing commitment to 75 channels of dross which I just don't want and won't pay for. A great way to get…

Rob Stowell

Wed, 31 May 2017 16:25:59 +1200

When you give up Sky, rugby ceases to exist.
True that. Unless you’re a pub regular (I’m not) you just don’t see it. The only games I see are the (very few) games I point one of many cameras at. And from behind the scenes, it’s evident Sky drop massive…

Russell Brown

Wed, 31 May 2017 16:07:09 +1200

thanks to the NZRFU seeming to think the game is safe with the dying Sky business model

I don't think the NZRU thinks that. They're contracted into the present deal until 2019, so the action starts next year. The chair of its board is former Mediaworks CEO Brent Impey, who…

Tom Semmens

Wed, 31 May 2017 15:44:54 +1200

When you give up Sky, rugby ceases to exist. A huge section of the population won't even notice the Lions and, thanks to the NZRFU seeming to think the game is safe with the dying Sky business model, care even less a few months after they sent the decoder back.

Public Address

Wed, 31 May 2017 15:44:54 +1200

Discussion from blog post.