The All Sport Breakfast

This week the Moana Pasifika Super Rugby Pacific franchise conceded that their round 9 fixture against the Chiefs will not take place in the Kingdom of Tonga. Short of a last-minute significant sponsorship deal, the game will be played in either Pukekohe or Rotorua. This will be the second time in as many years that the Auckland based team will be unable to ply their trade on the friendly islands.
This is wretched news for the fans in Tonga. To have a Super game in their backyard would be a sporting highlight for the populace, to be denied again is heartbreaking for the team (according to CEO Debbie Sorenson) and for the rugby mad fans across the archipelago, all 170 islands....or the 40-odd inhabited ones at least.
Emotionally difficult, but fiscally impossible. Even if they could extract 600 k of sponsorship blood out of the stone of our embattled economy, it would be irresponsible to use that money to spend 80 minutes playing rugby in front of 10,000 people. It makes no sense. And it wouldn’t make any dollars either.
The $600 k is based on the cost of the broadcast; a figure Sky TV won’t assist with. Really? That much? Look at the NPC, they film that on a potato, surely they could drastically reduce costs, shoot an inferior product for the good of the people of Tonga.
Playing there is a wonderfully romantic notion, and I commend Manu Pasifika for having a crack, but the reality is that that trip to Nuku’alofa is a nice to have, nothing more, nothing less - and that’s the long and short of it. Manu Pasifika may represent the islands, but with a Pasifika population in Auckland of 400, 000, this where the focus of the club should be.
Tamaki Makaurau is the hotbed of Pacific rugby talent. This city is where the eyeballs are, where the crowd numbers should be and where their success will be built.
Sure, as an aspirational exercise for the kids of the Kingdom – you've got to see it to be it – it would be a significant exercise, but beyond the moth filled pockets of Moana Pasifika.
I’m under the impression that the king of Tonga is worth a few sheckles, maybe hit him up to cover the costs?
Regardless, it’s not going to happen soon, if it should happen at all.
That’ll do.
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The Tall Blacks are back in action over in the Philippines as they play a series of World Cup qualifying matches. They won their first matchup against the Philippines early yesterday morning and will look to make it two from two when they take on Guam tomorrow night.
Judd Flavel is the head coach of the Tall Blacks and he joined D'Arcy to discuss.
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This weekend the Manu World Champs hits the Auckland waterfront for the first of two qualifying rounds in the city of sails.
Piri Weepu, former All Black and now ambassador for the Manu World Champs joined D'Arcy to discuss.
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The NZ golf open rolls on with the third days play getting underway later today.
Yesterday afternoon D'Arcy caught up with Dan Hillier, a pro golfer representing New Zealand at the open shortly after hopping off the green for the day to discuss how he's been going at the tournament and what it means to compete in New Zealand.
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Theres another exciting night of racing lining up at Waikaraka Park this evening. Tonight racers will be competing for the NZ Modified Grand Prix, with the Auckland street stock champs also in action.
Brad Lane won the modified dirt cup last weekend and will be racing tonight, and he joined D'Arcy this morning to discuss the competition.
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