August 8, 2024 • 17 mins
New Zealand Rugby Players Association CEO Rob Nichol has been at the forefront of what has been a rather tubulent time for professional rugby.
Originally from Stewart Island, Rob moved to Auckland, initially working as a police officer, before settling on a 10-acre lifestyle block near Pokeno.
After laying the law aside, the qualified accountant turned his talents to helping run the NZRPA.
Since his time as CEO he's navigated the Silver Lake controversy, governance concerns, and eligibility rules on behalf of some of our most well known players.
Rob Nichol joined Simon Barnett and James Daniels for this week's Six and a Song.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Simon Barnett and James Daniels Afternoons
podcast from News Talk zedb SO.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
New Zealand Rugby Plats Association CEO Rob Nicol has been
at the forefront of I guess what's best described as
a rather turbulent time for professional rugby. He was originally
from Stuart Island. Rob then moved to Auckland, initially working
as a police officer before he settled on a teen
acre lifestyle block near Porkinal. After laying the law aside
the qualified account he was qualified accounting. This guy's done
(00:33):
everything He turned his talents to help him run the
New Zealand Rugby Plats Association. Since his time as CEO,
he's navigated, of course, the Silver Lake controversy, governance concerns
and eligibility rules on behalf of some of our most
well known players. It is a pleasure to welcome Rob
nickelon for six and a song. Good a Rob, Yeah,
good luck mate. Thank you very much for your time.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Hey Rob, obvious question did you play rugby and or
did you play it to a high level?
Speaker 4 (01:01):
Yeah? I did play rugby. I went to well because
I sort of grow up in Southend and Stirred Island.
I ended up going boarding school when I was pretty young,
and school was based in South Canterbury and so cricket
and rugby were an absolute stable and it kind of
became part of our blood, if it made sense. We
loved it every single day. We're into it and played
all the way through school and a little a little
(01:23):
bit here and there after that. So yeah, I love
love both sports, love all sports, which I'd been exposed
to more sports at that age, to be honest. It
was back in those days it was kind of like
the core stuff. It was rugby, cricket, maybe tennis. I loved.
I loved this feat with so much choice. Nowadays it's
so good.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
You must be delighted then, because I'd imagine when you started,
you're still a young man rob by the way, but
when you started women's sport, particularly women's rugby, wouldn't really
have been the thing. It was almost a laughing stock.
And yet now it's right up there, isn't it.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
Yeah, that's true. I mean when I started playing sports,
I was at a preparatory boarding school for boys, and
I was at Couldturam Hostel boarding at Southland Boys. So
I didn't even know women existed, to be fair, It's
kind of like I was institutionalized very early, shall we say,
off the boarding score at eight or nine, it's exactly there.
And so many other aspects of life, you know, which
(02:15):
have become open and more people more understanding and providing
access to whether it's disability, all those kind of things,
you know, the Paralympics and how fantastic that kind of
inspirational kind of movement is and what it does for people.
So I just love the fact that there's more available
for more and we're constantly pushing the barrow out to
(02:36):
make it even better.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
Yeah, it's interesting because the women's rugby thing has really
taken off. The World Cup was sensational even for non believers.
It suddenly became like this thing. It really gained some
massive momentum. I suppose pay and we'll touch on this
with the male planers as well, but pay is always
going to be an issue and pay parity. Do you
think there will come a day when women will get
exactly the same our female or backs will get the
(02:58):
same pay as the males.
Speaker 4 (03:01):
You'd like to think, So that's for sure, that's something
that's you know, it's one of the things, one of
the outcomes we might focus on. It's interesting we launched
the Netball Player Association in two thousand and six and
so I can assure you the female network players has
done a lot better than the male counterparts. We're also
a big part of the cricket and watching women's cricket
explode frankly around the world has been so good. And
(03:22):
before we had that fantastic you know women's rugby Will
Cup fifteen's final, we have been treated to an unbelievable
evolutions of women's sevens. Watching New Zealand and Australia go
head to hear in Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games seven's
World final and the female side of the sport is
something incredibly special. I swear like some of my top
(03:43):
more time rugby experiences have been watching those contests for
everything they put on the table, and so I think,
my the players and where I see around this is
it's happening. It's kind of a wave that's coming and
it's welcomed. But what we actually need is we need
commercial partners, and we need broadcasters, and we need fans
to see the value in it. We need them to
(04:05):
engage and want it. Like sports is just been around forever,
it will be around forever. It's a great conduit for
businesses and people to reach people, market and all that
kind of stuff and do good around health and education.
We just need all those parties that control those budgets
to see the value of women's sport. Once they start
seeing there and that it is a great conduit to
(04:26):
people to households, then you'll start to see the money
flow and then you start to see paperity and all
those wonderful things we want to see.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
So obviously you advocate for the rugby players. Is it
only professional rugby players and can you describe what your
relationship is with those individuals.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
Yeah, so when we're in terms of the New Zealand
Rugby Players Association, it's just professional players. So we're talking
kids that leave school and go into a high performance
academy right the way through their time. If they're fortunate
enough to get a contract into New Zealand to play
at EPC level, Opickie level, SUPERB Pacific, the SEVENS program,
(05:07):
and then they stay as part of our membership when
they go overseas. So we've got four hundred and twenty
players playing overseas at the moment, and I think we've
got about fifteen hundred retired professional players on our books
as well, so it's reasonably substantial in that sense. But
it is very much a professional players association, where actually
a ridge the trade union, so we negotiate all their
keip agreements, etc. So the players themselves are members. They
(05:31):
in turn, through a constitutional structor, elect the board and
the board and game management team. And I'm part of
that management team. So we're you know, for those that
are out there, it's the classic representative body of the
professional rugby players. And we focus on representation, and we
focus on personal development, that concept of self identity and
self leadership and growing yourself well beyond sport into a
(05:55):
whole lot of other aspects of life and career, and
making good decisions, all that sort of stuff.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Very good. There's been a recent discussion about whether players
that apply their trade off sure robs should be eligible
for the All Blacks. What's what's your personal view and
do you think there will come a time when that happens.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
My personal view and the view of the players and
the majority is that what we have right now is
incredibly precious and special to keeping rugby and the rugby
professional rugby pathways strong in New Zealand, and to keeping
the teams in Black strong. And remember the teams in Black.
You know, for a player to have the opportunity to
play for those teams is incredibly special. But they mean
(06:39):
something to this country that is bigger combat. It's more
a part of our identity fabric you go overseas, along
with some other very special things about New Zealand. The
All Blacks and the All Blacks brand and what rugby
stands for for this country is really important. But it's
also it's still it has played a huge role and
it continues to play a role in shaping our identity
and our society and kind of reflects us as a
(07:02):
country in a way in terms of and that's the
whole idea. So you know, we don't want to lose
rugby here. And if you look at every other professional
sport in this country, on almost every instance you actually
have to leave the country to play your trade, and
that would be a tragedy. You know, we've got a
really unique opportunity in here. There's a small nation of
(07:24):
five million people at the bottom of the world to
continue to compete in a global and expanding sport and dominate,
and that's what our athletes are incredibly motivated to do,
and at the moment we think it's really important that
we do that from New Zealand with the players coming
through the programs here and pushing each other here and
making each other better. Well, one of the things that
you never really hear in this debate is that the overseas.
(07:47):
The culture around a lot of the overseas clubs, it's
not quite It's very intense here about wanting to get
better and improve. You've got this legacy of the game
on your shoulders, and you've got people watching you and
driving you. When you do go overseas, it's a different
kind of culture within the professional clubs overseas is not
quite that same each to it. You know, for an
old and more experienced player to go away, you know
(08:09):
that they're going to do what's required to come back
and play at the top level. But for a lot
of the players still in that path of refining their
craft and becoming better and better, we think we can
do it better here with the best talent and the
best coaches to produce the best national teams, and I
think there's that whole side of the equation. So it
is where it is at the moment, but we keep
an open mind and we're constantly debating it amongst our
(08:33):
membership with New Zealand Rugby, with the Super Aby clubs,
and we show little pockets of innovation when we firm
we have to The final thing I'd say, guys, is
that at the last several World Cups and when we
started in nineteen ninety nine, but every World Cup always
do this thing where we sit down with all Black
coaches and say are you happy with the players that
you are selecting the squad for this world cut from?
(08:55):
And almost inevitably they are. They think they've got the
best players available to them to select, and that's probably
the barhmater that drives us. As long as we can
keep fighting and keeping the best players here, keeping them
available to the all Blacks by and large, we think
we're in the right space.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Well said, good on you. Every Thursday, we'll finished our
show with six and the song and a special guest
today that man is Rob Nickel, CEO of the Rugby
Plans Association. Thank you so much, Rob for chatting with us.
Speaker 4 (09:22):
It's pleasure I'm enjoining it. Then I hope everyone else is.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Yeah, they are. They are absolutely that text about you.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
I've got some quick fire questions. Now, you grew up
on Stuart Island, and I understand it's beautiful down there,
But what's one place you never get tired of Apart
from there?
Speaker 4 (09:41):
I'm going to say in New Zealand, because from the
mountains to the sea. Man, it is such a beautiful country.
It's culture, it's people, and I guess in a weird
kind of way, it's my home right and I'm really
grateful to have such a great home. And every now
and again you sort of hear and people having to
crack about this or that or the economy or whatever,
but sometimes just stepping back and just appreciating how blooding
(10:02):
this place is it's a good thing to do.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
I've just been in Bali recently and I I had
a good time over there, but by Craigie, it was
good to come home.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
Yeah it is, you know, and we are so lucky,
like we can always be better, but this is a
this is a real special country and we should be
very proud of it.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Nicely said, what's one of the nicest compliments you've ever
received in your life. Doesn't have to be with the
Rugby plays.
Speaker 4 (10:26):
Yeah, no, I hope only. I don't think about being
Matt often I will say my wife's saying, yes, how's that?
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Oh, that's a good answer, your brown nose.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
That I kind of like a few people listen to
your show apparently and go through my head, was should
I be to get the strip? Good?
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Cal all right, Hey, if you had the power to
change any one thing in your world, what would that be?
Speaker 4 (10:52):
She's good one. I reckon and Jesus could come across
quite waffy, but I just want to I would love
a situation where no one has denied the opportunity to
learn and develop because of their circumstance or background, if
you like. Kind of comes down to, like, I am
older despite what you've said. Yeah, I'm on the better
side of fifty or just around that age. But the
(11:14):
value of experience and knowledge, being able to think strategically
and logically, having good principles guide you, and being able
to listen and ask people questions, you know, like it's
so good. But young people don't always Like when I
was young, I didn't get that, you know, I didn't
understand that, and I wish that everyone kind of got
that a hell of a lot earlier. And I suspect
(11:35):
if we had that, then people would be better, humans
would be better and probably end up with a better place.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
Yeah, that's good opportunity. What's something that when you were young, Rob,
you know, fifteen sixteen round there, and you thought, man,
that's so important I get this or i'm this that. Now,
as a bit more mature, you go, you know what,
that wasn't so important.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
Yeah, that's another one. And I think this one is like,
when I was young, it was always about focusing. I
shall sort of focus way too much on the outcome.
I was pretty competitive when it came to sports, so
it was always about wanting to be the best and
wanting to do things well. And I never was. But
that's not the point, you know. It was kind of like,
(12:18):
you've become so focused down the outcome you missed the
big point. And I wish that And I think that
you know the thing that I wish I well, I
know now is you're way better off being curious and
learning and understanding the process is more important. So it's
more important to understand who you are, what you stand
(12:38):
for and being proud of how you behave and how
you go about doing things, so that whatever it is
you're presented with, you can look in the mirror at
the end of it and say, you know, what, I
did the right thing, or I behaved well through that,
or I thought of others. And I genuinely think if
you get all that kind of stuff right, that the
outcome takes care of itself. And so in a way,
(12:59):
it's kind of saying when I was younger, it's probably
a bit too selfish. Now I understand that it's actually
you end up tripping yourself up. You're much better sort
of stepping back a bit and taking a different approach here.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Excellent, Rob Nichol.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
What are you most proud of in your life so far?
Speaker 4 (13:17):
I would say in my family, friends and work colleagues.
I'm pretty lucky because they kind of humble me every
single day and the work that I do, and with
my family and the friends that I have, it's just
they all do so well and they constantly are having
me with stuff that blows me away, and then you
get rid of proud because you're like, it's so nice
(13:38):
to know them or to know they've got your respect,
and you've got their respect and that kind of thing.
So it would definitely be Yeah, my family and friends
and work colleagues to be friends.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
You are a very nice man. Last question, If you
could invite any one person in the whole world anywhere,
they have to be alive, though, who would you choose
to ask around for dinner?
Speaker 4 (14:01):
I don't know, but I reckon I could describe them.
So I'm a little bit when it comes to reading
books or reading up on things or listening to podcasts,
I struggle with that kind of thing. But I love
nothing better than sitting down with someone who does a
lot of that, and they have wonderful stories that are
full of inspiration and knowledge, and they kind of open
(14:22):
your mind up, you know, like you listen to something
and it stays with you for the days afterwards. Yeah,
so I would have dinner with those type of people.
That's who I would want, and I probably need to
get out there and meet a few more. I didn't
mean that family brings You're all good.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
No, that's actually an inspired well played Hey. Look, we've
really genuinely enjoyed talking with you, Rob, Thank you, and
you do sound like such a good man. A top man,
So one more thing of you. If you could choose
a song for us and tell us which one, which
song is it, and why you've chosen, that'd be great.
Speaker 4 (14:58):
Okay, well, thank you for the compliments, but I'm sure
you say that to everyone. No, I don't know the
show anyway. Okay, this is a challenge for me because
I listened to song. I love music, but I never
remember their names or the band or anything. Were useless
like that. So I wanted to go with the New
Zealand song because I love New Zealand artists. But then
(15:18):
I actually went back to when I was at school
in the early eighties mid eighties, and we the first
bit of music we got exposed to beyond Simon and
garfun Collin ever and our cars with our parents was
actually John Cougar mellencamp Or And then all of a
sudden you two came along and it was like, oh
my god, I love you too. And then Joshua Tree
came out and the whole boarding hostel I was part
(15:39):
of a boarding school. We just loved it like that
became our music. So I went back to Joshua Tree
and I was having look through the songs again and
One Tree Hill came up and it's got this most
awesome New Zealand connection. Yeah, Simon, I know you know
the story. But basically, when Bono and the band were
here for the first time ever, they are out walking
late at night, couldn't sleep because of the jet lag.
(16:02):
They've bump and some and Kiwis who took them on
the tour of the city, and they took them up
One Tree Hill in Cornwell Park there and he loved
the place. And one of the guys I think his
name was Greg Carol maybe yeah, Greg Carol, he was
one of the guys and he just helped them out
for the rest of the tour. And at the end
of the tour, the band managers he had come with
us to Dublin and worked with us, and so he
(16:23):
did and he became kind of like the guy that
just worked around the band. And then tragically he is
a motorbike accident and a car takes him out in
Dublin and he dies and the band was seriously seriously upset.
As you would imagine, the upset was one of the
first close people to then lost and so long story short,
(16:45):
they came down to the tonguey in New Zealand. I
think Bono's song was checking it out the other day,
so let it be and knock it on Heaven's door,
and the funeral was moving. I think he visited One
Tree Hill before he left again. And then they wrote
that song and dedicated the album Joshua Tree to Greg
cal and his memory, which I thought was pretty special
(17:05):
and a cool connect. And I really like the song
and I love the band.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
That's such a well told story. Rob, you are a
solid dude. Thank you so much. We're going to play
your song all the very best and thanks again for
your time.
Speaker 4 (17:18):
Cheers mate, Thanks both much, and really Rob Nickel.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
Chief executive of the Rugby Planers Association, this is his song.
It has an amazing story behind it, as he mentioned
One Tree Hill at News Talks EDB.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
For more from Simon Barnett and James Daniels afternoons, listen
live to News Talks EDB or follow the podcast on
iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Simon Barnett and James Daniels Afternoons
podcast from News Talk zedb SO.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
New Zealand Rugby Plats Association CEO Rob Nicol has been
at the forefront of I guess what's best described as
a rather turbulent time for professional rugby. He was originally
from Stuart Island. Rob then moved to Auckland, initially working
as a police officer before he settled on a teen
acre lifestyle block near Porkinal. After laying the law aside
the qualified account he was qualified accounting. This guy's done
(00:33):
everything He turned his talents to help him run the
New Zealand Rugby Plats Association. Since his time as CEO,
he's navigated, of course, the Silver Lake controversy, governance concerns
and eligibility rules on behalf of some of our most
well known players. It is a pleasure to welcome Rob
nickelon for six and a song. Good a Rob, Yeah,
good luck mate. Thank you very much for your time.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Hey Rob, obvious question did you play rugby and or
did you play it to a high level?
Speaker 4 (01:01):
Yeah? I did play rugby. I went to well because
I sort of grow up in Southend and Stirred Island.
I ended up going boarding school when I was pretty young,
and school was based in South Canterbury and so cricket
and rugby were an absolute stable and it kind of
became part of our blood, if it made sense. We
loved it every single day. We're into it and played
all the way through school and a little a little
(01:23):
bit here and there after that. So yeah, I love
love both sports, love all sports, which I'd been exposed
to more sports at that age, to be honest. It
was back in those days it was kind of like
the core stuff. It was rugby, cricket, maybe tennis. I loved.
I loved this feat with so much choice. Nowadays it's
so good.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
You must be delighted then, because I'd imagine when you started,
you're still a young man rob by the way, but
when you started women's sport, particularly women's rugby, wouldn't really
have been the thing. It was almost a laughing stock.
And yet now it's right up there, isn't it.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
Yeah, that's true. I mean when I started playing sports,
I was at a preparatory boarding school for boys, and
I was at Couldturam Hostel boarding at Southland Boys. So
I didn't even know women existed, to be fair, It's
kind of like I was institutionalized very early, shall we say,
off the boarding score at eight or nine, it's exactly there.
And so many other aspects of life, you know, which
(02:15):
have become open and more people more understanding and providing
access to whether it's disability, all those kind of things,
you know, the Paralympics and how fantastic that kind of
inspirational kind of movement is and what it does for people.
So I just love the fact that there's more available
for more and we're constantly pushing the barrow out to
(02:36):
make it even better.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
Yeah, it's interesting because the women's rugby thing has really
taken off. The World Cup was sensational even for non believers.
It suddenly became like this thing. It really gained some
massive momentum. I suppose pay and we'll touch on this
with the male planers as well, but pay is always
going to be an issue and pay parity. Do you
think there will come a day when women will get
exactly the same our female or backs will get the
(02:58):
same pay as the males.
Speaker 4 (03:01):
You'd like to think, So that's for sure, that's something
that's you know, it's one of the things, one of
the outcomes we might focus on. It's interesting we launched
the Netball Player Association in two thousand and six and
so I can assure you the female network players has
done a lot better than the male counterparts. We're also
a big part of the cricket and watching women's cricket
explode frankly around the world has been so good. And
(03:22):
before we had that fantastic you know women's rugby Will
Cup fifteen's final, we have been treated to an unbelievable
evolutions of women's sevens. Watching New Zealand and Australia go
head to hear in Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games seven's
World final and the female side of the sport is
something incredibly special. I swear like some of my top
(03:43):
more time rugby experiences have been watching those contests for
everything they put on the table, and so I think,
my the players and where I see around this is
it's happening. It's kind of a wave that's coming and
it's welcomed. But what we actually need is we need
commercial partners, and we need broadcasters, and we need fans
to see the value in it. We need them to
(04:05):
engage and want it. Like sports is just been around forever,
it will be around forever. It's a great conduit for
businesses and people to reach people, market and all that
kind of stuff and do good around health and education.
We just need all those parties that control those budgets
to see the value of women's sport. Once they start
seeing there and that it is a great conduit to
(04:26):
people to households, then you'll start to see the money
flow and then you start to see paperity and all
those wonderful things we want to see.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
So obviously you advocate for the rugby players. Is it
only professional rugby players and can you describe what your
relationship is with those individuals.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
Yeah, so when we're in terms of the New Zealand
Rugby Players Association, it's just professional players. So we're talking
kids that leave school and go into a high performance
academy right the way through their time. If they're fortunate
enough to get a contract into New Zealand to play
at EPC level, Opickie level, SUPERB Pacific, the SEVENS program,
(05:07):
and then they stay as part of our membership when
they go overseas. So we've got four hundred and twenty
players playing overseas at the moment, and I think we've
got about fifteen hundred retired professional players on our books
as well, so it's reasonably substantial in that sense. But
it is very much a professional players association, where actually
a ridge the trade union, so we negotiate all their
keip agreements, etc. So the players themselves are members. They
(05:31):
in turn, through a constitutional structor, elect the board and
the board and game management team. And I'm part of
that management team. So we're you know, for those that
are out there, it's the classic representative body of the
professional rugby players. And we focus on representation, and we
focus on personal development, that concept of self identity and
self leadership and growing yourself well beyond sport into a
(05:55):
whole lot of other aspects of life and career, and
making good decisions, all that sort of stuff.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Very good. There's been a recent discussion about whether players
that apply their trade off sure robs should be eligible
for the All Blacks. What's what's your personal view and
do you think there will come a time when that happens.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
My personal view and the view of the players and
the majority is that what we have right now is
incredibly precious and special to keeping rugby and the rugby
professional rugby pathways strong in New Zealand, and to keeping
the teams in Black strong. And remember the teams in Black.
You know, for a player to have the opportunity to
play for those teams is incredibly special. But they mean
(06:39):
something to this country that is bigger combat. It's more
a part of our identity fabric you go overseas, along
with some other very special things about New Zealand. The
All Blacks and the All Blacks brand and what rugby
stands for for this country is really important. But it's
also it's still it has played a huge role and
it continues to play a role in shaping our identity
and our society and kind of reflects us as a
(07:02):
country in a way in terms of and that's the
whole idea. So you know, we don't want to lose
rugby here. And if you look at every other professional
sport in this country, on almost every instance you actually
have to leave the country to play your trade, and
that would be a tragedy. You know, we've got a
really unique opportunity in here. There's a small nation of
(07:24):
five million people at the bottom of the world to
continue to compete in a global and expanding sport and dominate,
and that's what our athletes are incredibly motivated to do,
and at the moment we think it's really important that
we do that from New Zealand with the players coming
through the programs here and pushing each other here and
making each other better. Well, one of the things that
you never really hear in this debate is that the overseas.
(07:47):
The culture around a lot of the overseas clubs, it's
not quite It's very intense here about wanting to get
better and improve. You've got this legacy of the game
on your shoulders, and you've got people watching you and
driving you. When you do go overseas, it's a different
kind of culture within the professional clubs overseas is not
quite that same each to it. You know, for an
old and more experienced player to go away, you know
(08:09):
that they're going to do what's required to come back
and play at the top level. But for a lot
of the players still in that path of refining their
craft and becoming better and better, we think we can
do it better here with the best talent and the
best coaches to produce the best national teams, and I
think there's that whole side of the equation. So it
is where it is at the moment, but we keep
an open mind and we're constantly debating it amongst our
(08:33):
membership with New Zealand Rugby, with the Super Aby clubs,
and we show little pockets of innovation when we firm
we have to The final thing I'd say, guys, is
that at the last several World Cups and when we
started in nineteen ninety nine, but every World Cup always
do this thing where we sit down with all Black
coaches and say are you happy with the players that
you are selecting the squad for this world cut from?
(08:55):
And almost inevitably they are. They think they've got the
best players available to them to select, and that's probably
the barhmater that drives us. As long as we can
keep fighting and keeping the best players here, keeping them
available to the all Blacks by and large, we think
we're in the right space.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Well said, good on you. Every Thursday, we'll finished our
show with six and the song and a special guest
today that man is Rob Nickel, CEO of the Rugby
Plans Association. Thank you so much, Rob for chatting with us.
Speaker 4 (09:22):
It's pleasure I'm enjoining it. Then I hope everyone else is.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Yeah, they are. They are absolutely that text about you.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
I've got some quick fire questions. Now, you grew up
on Stuart Island, and I understand it's beautiful down there,
But what's one place you never get tired of Apart
from there?
Speaker 4 (09:41):
I'm going to say in New Zealand, because from the
mountains to the sea. Man, it is such a beautiful country.
It's culture, it's people, and I guess in a weird
kind of way, it's my home right and I'm really
grateful to have such a great home. And every now
and again you sort of hear and people having to
crack about this or that or the economy or whatever,
but sometimes just stepping back and just appreciating how blooding
(10:02):
this place is it's a good thing to do.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
I've just been in Bali recently and I I had
a good time over there, but by Craigie, it was
good to come home.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
Yeah it is, you know, and we are so lucky,
like we can always be better, but this is a
this is a real special country and we should be
very proud of it.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Nicely said, what's one of the nicest compliments you've ever
received in your life. Doesn't have to be with the
Rugby plays.
Speaker 4 (10:26):
Yeah, no, I hope only. I don't think about being
Matt often I will say my wife's saying, yes, how's that?
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Oh, that's a good answer, your brown nose.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
That I kind of like a few people listen to
your show apparently and go through my head, was should
I be to get the strip? Good?
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Cal all right, Hey, if you had the power to
change any one thing in your world, what would that be?
Speaker 4 (10:52):
She's good one. I reckon and Jesus could come across
quite waffy, but I just want to I would love
a situation where no one has denied the opportunity to
learn and develop because of their circumstance or background, if
you like. Kind of comes down to, like, I am
older despite what you've said. Yeah, I'm on the better
side of fifty or just around that age. But the
(11:14):
value of experience and knowledge, being able to think strategically
and logically, having good principles guide you, and being able
to listen and ask people questions, you know, like it's
so good. But young people don't always Like when I
was young, I didn't get that, you know, I didn't
understand that, and I wish that everyone kind of got
that a hell of a lot earlier. And I suspect
(11:35):
if we had that, then people would be better, humans
would be better and probably end up with a better place.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
Yeah, that's good opportunity. What's something that when you were young, Rob,
you know, fifteen sixteen round there, and you thought, man,
that's so important I get this or i'm this that. Now,
as a bit more mature, you go, you know what,
that wasn't so important.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
Yeah, that's another one. And I think this one is like,
when I was young, it was always about focusing. I
shall sort of focus way too much on the outcome.
I was pretty competitive when it came to sports, so
it was always about wanting to be the best and
wanting to do things well. And I never was. But
that's not the point, you know. It was kind of like,
(12:18):
you've become so focused down the outcome you missed the
big point. And I wish that And I think that
you know the thing that I wish I well, I
know now is you're way better off being curious and
learning and understanding the process is more important. So it's
more important to understand who you are, what you stand
(12:38):
for and being proud of how you behave and how
you go about doing things, so that whatever it is
you're presented with, you can look in the mirror at
the end of it and say, you know, what, I
did the right thing, or I behaved well through that,
or I thought of others. And I genuinely think if
you get all that kind of stuff right, that the
outcome takes care of itself. And so in a way,
(12:59):
it's kind of saying when I was younger, it's probably
a bit too selfish. Now I understand that it's actually
you end up tripping yourself up. You're much better sort
of stepping back a bit and taking a different approach here.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Excellent, Rob Nichol.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
What are you most proud of in your life so far?
Speaker 4 (13:17):
I would say in my family, friends and work colleagues.
I'm pretty lucky because they kind of humble me every
single day and the work that I do, and with
my family and the friends that I have, it's just
they all do so well and they constantly are having
me with stuff that blows me away, and then you
get rid of proud because you're like, it's so nice
(13:38):
to know them or to know they've got your respect,
and you've got their respect and that kind of thing.
So it would definitely be Yeah, my family and friends
and work colleagues to be friends.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
You are a very nice man. Last question, If you
could invite any one person in the whole world anywhere,
they have to be alive, though, who would you choose
to ask around for dinner?
Speaker 4 (14:01):
I don't know, but I reckon I could describe them.
So I'm a little bit when it comes to reading
books or reading up on things or listening to podcasts,
I struggle with that kind of thing. But I love
nothing better than sitting down with someone who does a
lot of that, and they have wonderful stories that are
full of inspiration and knowledge, and they kind of open
(14:22):
your mind up, you know, like you listen to something
and it stays with you for the days afterwards. Yeah,
so I would have dinner with those type of people.
That's who I would want, and I probably need to
get out there and meet a few more. I didn't
mean that family brings You're all good.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
No, that's actually an inspired well played Hey. Look, we've
really genuinely enjoyed talking with you, Rob, Thank you, and
you do sound like such a good man. A top man,
So one more thing of you. If you could choose
a song for us and tell us which one, which
song is it, and why you've chosen, that'd be great.
Speaker 4 (14:58):
Okay, well, thank you for the compliments, but I'm sure
you say that to everyone. No, I don't know the
show anyway. Okay, this is a challenge for me because
I listened to song. I love music, but I never
remember their names or the band or anything. Were useless
like that. So I wanted to go with the New
Zealand song because I love New Zealand artists. But then
(15:18):
I actually went back to when I was at school
in the early eighties mid eighties, and we the first
bit of music we got exposed to beyond Simon and
garfun Collin ever and our cars with our parents was
actually John Cougar mellencamp Or And then all of a
sudden you two came along and it was like, oh
my god, I love you too. And then Joshua Tree
came out and the whole boarding hostel I was part
(15:39):
of a boarding school. We just loved it like that
became our music. So I went back to Joshua Tree
and I was having look through the songs again and
One Tree Hill came up and it's got this most
awesome New Zealand connection. Yeah, Simon, I know you know
the story. But basically, when Bono and the band were
here for the first time ever, they are out walking
late at night, couldn't sleep because of the jet lag.
(16:02):
They've bump and some and Kiwis who took them on
the tour of the city, and they took them up
One Tree Hill in Cornwell Park there and he loved
the place. And one of the guys I think his
name was Greg Carol maybe yeah, Greg Carol, he was
one of the guys and he just helped them out
for the rest of the tour. And at the end
of the tour, the band managers he had come with
us to Dublin and worked with us, and so he
(16:23):
did and he became kind of like the guy that
just worked around the band. And then tragically he is
a motorbike accident and a car takes him out in
Dublin and he dies and the band was seriously seriously upset.
As you would imagine, the upset was one of the
first close people to then lost and so long story short,
(16:45):
they came down to the tonguey in New Zealand. I
think Bono's song was checking it out the other day,
so let it be and knock it on Heaven's door,
and the funeral was moving. I think he visited One
Tree Hill before he left again. And then they wrote
that song and dedicated the album Joshua Tree to Greg
cal and his memory, which I thought was pretty special
(17:05):
and a cool connect. And I really like the song
and I love the band.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
That's such a well told story. Rob, you are a
solid dude. Thank you so much. We're going to play
your song all the very best and thanks again for
your time.
Speaker 4 (17:18):
Cheers mate, Thanks both much, and really Rob Nickel.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
Chief executive of the Rugby Planers Association, this is his song.
It has an amazing story behind it, as he mentioned
One Tree Hill at News Talks EDB.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
For more from Simon Barnett and James Daniels afternoons, listen
live to News Talks EDB or follow the podcast on
iHeartRadio
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
40s and Free Agents: NFL Draft Season
Daniel Jeremiah of Move the Sticks and Gregg Rosenthal of NFL Daily join forces to break down every team's needs this offseason.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.