Jono, Ben & Megan - The Podcast - We Chat To All Black Legend Ian Jones!

Episode Date: October 7, 2024

Join us in the studio as Ian Jones drops by with the iconic Bledisloe Cup! We’ll dive into his incredible journey with the All Blacks, discover what it truly takes to become an All Black, and hear about the significance of wearing the famous jersey. Plus, Ian shares insights on Richie McCaw’s special display and tests his knowledge on Stat Attack stats! Don’t miss the All Blacks Experience’s exciting Weet-Bix Stat Attacks activation this Wednesday and Thursday (9th and 10th), where kids can create their very own cards! Come check it out!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This John O'Byrne podcast, hey that's us, brought to you by HelloFresh, the experts and tastes that Kiwis love. We've got All Black Legend Ian Jones joining us in the studio and you brought in, I was going to say a little guest, but a big special guest with yourself. Thanks so much Ben, hey Megan. Well I cannot come just on my own right now. Well you can, you're an All Black Legend. Yeah, I think you'd be fine. I couldn't bring scones, I couldn't bring cakes, I brought the Bledisloe Cup. Pretty special to All Blacks, pretty special to New Zealand. And it is a huge trophy. I've never, like, you see it

on TV, you see the captains lifting it up, but it is massive. But you've got to remember on TV, Ben, the captains are massive. Yeah, yeah. Kieran Reid, Artie Sarvia, you know, big men. Yeah. Big trophy. I couldn't lift it above my head. No. I couldn't lift it very far, to be honest.

It's very impressive. But the great thing, Megan, when you did lift it, you felt on point, you felt in sync. You actually felt like you could have been there lifting it. Yeah. Now, I imagine there's been a few beers over the years. It would actually hold quite a lot of liquid, wouldn't it? Well, Ben, the thing about a test match, the build-up

Monday to Saturday, it is hard. It is stressful. So, yep, when you do win, you have to celebrate Monday to Saturday, it is hard. It is stressful. So, yep, when you do win, you have to celebrate, right? Yeah. And that is a message for everyone. Hit a goal, tap yourself on the back,

celebrate that goal, and yep, sometimes that thing does get filled up. The thing I find confusing, though, is the Bledisloe Cup is huge, but then when you see the World Cup, it's very little. Yeah, but Megan,

you're a lady of the world. That is silver. Yeah. Oh, yeah, okay. The World Cup is gold. Yeah. Yeah, but Megan, you're a lady of the world. That is silver. Yeah. Oh, yeah, okay. The World Cup is gold. Yeah, okay. Gold, blingy, and beautiful. That's what, I mean, not as a cup, it's great,

but the World Cup, yeah, they've got to make it a little finer. So All Blacks Experience is something that you're now the general manager of, Ian. Yeah, and I'm super stoked. So All Blacks Experience, based in the Sky City precinct, come on in there all the time. Come for a chat. Even if you have to YouTube who I am, come in for a chat.

It's an amazing interactive experience, Ben. It's just fantastic. It hits to the core. And that's why I like to say I like to share my wairua. The All Blacks wairua, you know, you go into the start and you leave just absolutely buzzing and deep to the heart because you take it through the making. How do you make all-black or black fern well how you make a rugby player or any sports

person or even a radio dj is let them fall in love with what they do once you absolutely love it you're into it then we play shaping how do you shape that love into the skills that you two have right here or the all-blacks black ferns have lots of little games and then a real special treat at the end, Ben, I want you to bring you in, because you sit in the changing room. What is it like being an All Black? You know when you put that All Black jersey on for the first time, you feel like Superman. You're almost invincible.

Yeah, right. And you walk down the tunnel, start to hear the anthem, start to hear the crowd noise, all those anxieties kind of come back. And then you stand and face the haka, both All Blacks and Black Ferns, and it was just mind-blowing. So you leave that, you are an All Black Black Ferns fan forever. Do you remember the first moment putting on the jersey and having that moment yourself, the first time you put on the All Blacks jersey?

Do you remember? Absolutely. It was a long time ago, 1989. I was actually presented my jersey by Buck Shelford, the captain at the time. So it was a long time ago 1989 uh i was actually presented my jersey by buck shelf with the captain at the time so it was pretty special treat and he just kind of looked at it and you almost think this isn't real but then you put it on the instant i put it on i kind of knew we're never going to lose it was almost that mindset okay clearly sometimes you did but felt i'll never lose in this jersey look around these men and you literally do grow 10 foot tall yeah like i'm nearly there yeah quite tall yeah

but but you feel so strong so powerful and so connected it is an amazing experience and yet you come down anyone who comes along you sit in those change rooms and you realize, if you're in an All Black change rooms, right, you're good. But we want people to be great. And how you go from good to great is handle those moments walking down that tunnel. You know, you thrive or some people tense up and never hit your peak. Well, that's what people find out walking down the tunnel. It is so, so inspiring. A very cool thing, a very unique thing that we have here on offer in new

zealand the all blacks experience and you being in charge now what are they getting you like putting a paper in the photocopier cleaning the bathrooms i mean what sort of things do you have to do man i opened up this morning on their dawn till dusk tackling people coming in yeah hey come on in but the best thing we've got coming up these school holidays of course because i'm there i can do things i want to do right so hey kids come free or one one kid per one adult come free because i want them to be inspired i want them to kind of feel the all blacks and the black fans values but you've heard about the wheatbix data tax right big cards been around a long long time on wednesday and thursday of this week so a.m. through till 5 p.m. Come along.

They can, Weet-Bix data tax, big activation there. Kids can make up their own cards. So you might have a Ben Boyce Legends card or an Ian Jones Legends card. But I'll tell you, I'll make it up. You can make your own one. You can make your own. That's awesome. And the biggest thing here, we're giving away,

because this is me, Ben, and we can give away things when you're general manager. There's going to be some gold cards. So if you're into the Wheatbix stat attack and you know who the gold card is, it's Dr. Farah Palmer. There's cards going to be down there. So come on in, do the tour, buy yourself a jersey, get into the Wheatbix stat attack, be inspired,

and you may even recognise who I am. And obviously people can see the Bledisloe Cup and other trophies on display? Yep, that's one of the best things about opening the All Black Experience. Up until then, and not just New Zealand rugby, but all organisations around the world, we used to hide our trophies in the corporate offices. Now we can display them.

So I'm going to have the Bledisloe Cup out during the week. I even rang Richie McCaw last week and I've got the 2015 Rugby World Cup. So you can come along, take a photo of that. Richie said, no problems whatsoever. Just don't let any Australians to touch it, was his message. Wait, he doesn't hold on to it, actually.

Yeah, so there are different World Cups. So for every time you win a World Cup, 87 for us, 2011, 2015, you get the real, the gold one, one Megan for a year with security guards yeah right then you get this beautiful replica okay so I rang up Richie because he was a captain of course yeah hey Richie can we display and for these people come along for the Weet-Bix stat attack Wednesday Thursday can they take photos of the World Cup and he said yep no problems whatsoever so there we go we're going to have the bread of the World Cup? And he said, yep, no problems whatsoever. Oh, he's a good man.

So there we go. We're going to have the Bledisloe Cup. You have a photo with it. That's awesome. Once again, no Australians to touch it. You can have a photo. And we'll have the World Cup. But come along, man.

And all this week, parents, if you know, or caregivers, grandparents, what do you want to do with those kids during the holidays? Bring them down. We'll look after them for a couple of hours. They'll have the time of their life. That's a really cool thing. You can see how excited you are about doing it, which is great. Well, it's just so powerful.

It's not just about rugby, right? It's just about who we are as Kiwis, the values that we share, the culture of the team, of the country, every step of the way. I don't actually say our guides are world class because they're not. They are all black class. Yeah. And that is higher than you could ever get.

And they just share their stories or, you know, have a chat to them about different things. We've got jerseys there that they can take a look at, touch, feel. And just, you want that buzz. You know when you go to a game for the first time or head along to a test match, there's always that buzz and the excitement, anticipation. That's what we want to feel every time.

It's just so cool. And to see not just kids but see people walk out the end just connected to who New Zealand rugby is, the All Blacks, the Black Ferns, the Māori team, absolutely connected to our teams in black. It is beautiful, man. I am so proud when people come out like that. I feel that just being in your presence. the Māori team, absolutely connected to our teams in black. It is beautiful, man. I am so proud when people come out like that.

Well, I feel that just being in your presence. Because to me, you're a legend as well. Well, do you know, Ian, when I first started, wanted to get into TV, I made a crappy pilot for Pop Sport, the first show I became. Obviously it wasn't that crappy. Well, yeah, that was the thing. But no experience really, just had a dream of being on TV. And we rang around a few people to make this pilot for free. And Ian Jones, one of my heroes, said yes to being in this pilot for nothing.

Came along to a flat, a scungy flat in the North Shore that we were filming it at. It was amazing what you did. And, you know, I think we had this skit, 101 uses for Ian Jones because he was so tall. And so we had you like getting cats out of trees and like holding things out of reach of children because you're tall. But it was a wonderful thing that you did. So thank you. And the one I loved about that was the lighthouse.

That's right, you were just like, yeah. We forgot about that. You were just so tall. It was all about the fact you were so tall. But it was wonderful that you came along and did it. And now I look like the Sky Tower. Yeah. Right next door.

So no, come along. I mean, absolutely phenomenal to just come up and as I say, I'm always there. Lots of All Blacks and Black Ferns just come walking around the place because the All Blacks experience was built on the legacy of all the players who've worn black. So it's their space in Auckland.

So there's lots of players always coming around using my office, using my free Wi-Fi. Using your Wi-Fi. Using my tea and coffee. So if you see Ian Jones there, ask him if he can my free Wi-Fi, using my tea and coffee. So if you see Ian Jones there, ask him if he can use his Wi-Fi. Yeah, Ian Jones, all the experience. We've got some family passes to give away. Just before you go, we talk about Weet-Bix stats.

Do you remember some of your stats? I might throw you some questions. Yep, throw away. How many tests did you play? I don't know. Was it 79? Yes, it was. Well done. So how many games did you play for New Zealand?? Yes, it was. Well done.

So how many games did you play for New Zealand? I know that. 105. Well done, yeah. There you go. Okay. Your All Black debut, do you remember what year it was? Yep, 1989.

It was against the Carter Rugby Club at Carter Farm Park. Oh, you're right. And your actual All Black test debut was the year after. Yep, 1990. And the unique thing about my All Black debut was in a white All Black jersey. Oh, Scotland, yeah. I scored a try on debut, 50 tests later, on the same ground, on the same blade of grass,

against the same opposition, Scotland, scored another try. So you know your stats. How many test tries did you get overall? Am I nine? Yeah, nine. Yeah, well done. And finally, you scored three tries in a Super Rugby game,

a Super 12 rugby game in 1996. Who were you playing against? I do remember that. That was in Hamilton against New South Wales. Yeah, it was the Waratahs. There you go. You know your stats. What's wrong with your memory?

Yeah, very good. Hey, well, wonderful to see you again. It's really, really awesome what you're doing. And people should get along. School holidays. Sounds like a great time. Yep, come on down. We've got the Bledsoe Cup, got the World Cup, got the Weet-. It's really, really awesome what you're doing. And people should get along. School holidays. Sounds like a great time. Yep.

Come on down. We've got the Bledsoe Cup. We've got the World Cup. We've got the Weet-Bix Stat Attack, of course. We've also got some signed jerseys that we can give away. Plenty to do. So Sky City Precinct. And the other thing, because I'm just ad lib it now,

and I'm sure Sky City will be happy with this, free parking. I saw that on your Instagram. I'll give them free parking. If they come down, do a tour, we'll offer them free parking. I'll sort out the details later. Just tell them the Carmo Kids said you got free parking. The All Blacks experience, go along the school holidays. And this week, of course, the special Weet-Bix thing they're doing as well. Sounds awesome. Nice to see you again. Thanks very much.