In part two of a three-part series, NZME’s stable of sports journalist reflect on their years. Today, they’ve been asked to reflect on their favourite athlete to interview in 2023.
Andrew Alderson: Kane Williamson
Try finding an athlete with less ego and more sporting ability than cricketer Kane Williamson. Youcan ask the audience or phone a friend. He’s an outlier.
A paradox is at work. The more self-effacing he becomes, the more we want to know about how and why he has succeeded in his field.
The man’s acute modesty resonates with the public, but his technical knowledge and whimsical sense of humour also provide nuggets worth sluicing for.
This purist’s favourite came when Williamson was asked at a media conference whether Twenty20 was his favourite format: “It’s in my top three,” he deadpanned. Presumably the antennae of the country’s diplomatic corps twitched.
Williamson has always charted his own course and refused to bow to peer pressure, intrinsic elements in creating a more inclusive Black Caps culture. However, when you chat, just make sure you focus on the team’s performance more than him.
Kane Williamson. Photo / Photosport
Steve Holloway: Mea Motu
Mea Motu’s story brought me to tears - in the best way.
After our 90-minute interview, which canvassed her life highs (her path to becoming a world champion boxer) and her lows (the most horrific domestic abuse over a sustained period), I broke.
“We’ve done over 120 episodes of this podcast, and this might be the most inspirational story I’ve ever heard,” I said.
But it wasn’t just the story, it was the storytelling - and her approach to life. Motu refuses to be a victim. She is so full of energy, full of life, and full of fun.
She is New Zealand’s poster child for dealing with adversity - and bouncing back. And deserves all the world-conquering success she is getting.
Mea Motu. Photo / Photosport.
Chris Rattue: Marc Ellis, Taine Randell
It was a very enjoyable interviewing year, thanks to an array of subjects willing to go well beyond mere sound bites.
From the inspirational boxer Mea Motu to former All Black Marc Ellis, and the likes of golfer Michael Hendry and kayaker Luuka Jones in between, almost all stick out in their own way.
Former All Blacks captain Taine Randell’s views on New Zealand rugby were particularly enlightening and refreshing because Rugby HQ has such a grip on the overall thinking.
Rugby faces a lot of problems and the national sport has not helped itself by suppressing free thought and speech.
It will be interesting to see if Ellis and Randell - new Highlanders franchise owners - can bring about some changes.
Former All Black, TV and radio personality, businessman, Marc Ellis. Photo / Dean Purcell
Jason Pine: Sam Tanner
Funny, quirky, irreverent, and always accessible. His laid-back, relaxed manner belies the pressure-cooker environment he operates in as a 1500-metre runner on the global stage.
He seems completely unaffected by the fact he’ll eventually run faster than any other man in the black singlet in the storied history of our most iconic middle-distance event.
Ruby Tui has breathed life back into rugby. She’s carrying the code. You could compare her communication style to former Prime Minister, Dame Jacinda Ardern - Tui is raw, relatable and authentic.
From her emotional Rugby World Cup winning speech, singing Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi in front of a sold-out Eden Park, or the one-on-one off-the-record chats you might be lucky enough to get, she’s real.
She’s educated and passionate about her game, but equally uses her platform to advocate for more.
And she’s not all talk, she backs up her character on the field, as one of the best wingers in the World right now.
Ruby Tui. Photo / Photosport
Michael Burgess: Wayne Bennett
Not strictly an athlete, but a remarkable achiever. He has a prickly reputation – and I’ve seen him burn young journalists over the years – as stupid or unnecessary questions can be ruthlessly dismissed. But he also speaks with a rare depth and wisdom, devoid of the cliches that are so rampant within modern sport and is remarkably straight.
When you listen back to an interview, it’s invariably full of gems.
On a local level, Tom Walsh. He is engaging, honest and funny - sometimes you need to remind yourself you are chatting with a double Olympic medallist and world champion, rather than just swapping yarns with a bloke you met at a BBQ.
But Walsh is also a superb analyst of his sport, which makes for great insight.
Wayne Bennett. Photo / Photosport
Christopher Reive: Dan Hooker
What you see of UFC star Dan Hooker in his post-win interviews in the cage or on social media is exactly what you get any time you place a recording device in front of him.
The man who brought you such lines as “don’t hunt what you can’t kill”, “when I bite down on this mouthpiece, oh boy, I make nails look soft” and “tough times don’t last, Dan Hooker does”, Hooker gives you his genuine self in interviews, is up for just as much banter on the record as he is off it and is generous with his time.
He provides great insights into his sport and career, and doesn’t shy away from speaking his mind on those topics – a recent interview in which he said he was pissed off at how he found out his fight on December 3 against Bobby Green - which was ultimately cancelled due to Hooker breaking his arm - was scheduled for five rounds rather than the usual three is a prime example of exactly that.
