SPRING 2016 | year 02 - issue 04
3 REVIEWS
Find out what our guests have to say about their experiences with Sportsnet Holidays
www.sportsnetholidays.com
4 DESTINATION Find out why Singapore should be at the top of your list of must visit destinations
6 INNOVATION
Take a closer look at the MotoGPTM bike and what puts it at the forefront of motorcycle development
11 INTERVIEW
Prokick Australia founder, Nathan Chapman, prepares Aussies for a career in the NFL
15 CALENDAR Find out what’s coming up in sport over the next six months
MELBOURNE CUP CARNIVAL
With five Melbourne Cup trophies to his name, there is no doubt that LEE FREEDMAN is one of Australia’s great horse trainers. Sportsnet Holidays sat down with the man who trained the legendary, Makybe Diva, to discuss his racing heritage, career and plans for the 2016 Spring Racing Carnival. PAGE 08
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RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP
CORPORATE INCENTIVES
BRISBANE GLOBAL TENS
The Rugby League World Cup is returning to Australia in 2017! As we begin the countdown, we take a quick look at the tournament’s history and evolution.
To help plan your next corporate incentive sports travel program, we’ve put together a list of our top fifteen sporting events from within Australia and around the globe.
We sat down with RACHAEL CARROLL, CEO of Duco Events Australia to chat about the brand new rugby union event set to bring the world’s greatest clubs to Brisbane.
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SPRING 2016
Melbourne Cup Carnival PAGE 8
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It is no secret that Australians have a love of sport and an unrelenting desire to travel within Australia and abroad. This sporting culture turned out to be the driving force behind the creation of the Sportsnet Holidays (Sportsnet) brand in August 1998. Right from the start, Sportsnet’s business plan was simple: make it easy for Australians to attend their favourite sporting events (to “see it live!”), no matter where the event or fixture was being staged in the world. By remaining true to its core business strategy of dedication to excellence, Sportsnet has achieved some memorable milestones in its 18 year history. Sportsnet arranges travel for up to 20,000 clients (and growing) to attend sporting events in Australia and around the world each year.
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ELCOME TO THE SPRING 2016 ISSUE OF THE SPORTS JOURNAL. I can’t believe it’s already been a year since we launched our first issue! We’ve had a blast sharing stories and our experiences from our favourite trips over the last 12 months and look forward to sharing more with you over the coming issues. Since our last issue, the Formula One®, MotoGPTM and Supercars seasons have all launched and we’ve seen plenty of great racing across all three categories. It’s been both exciting and heartbreaking to watch Daniel Ricciardo’s season unfold the way it has and we can’t wait to see him for ourselves when we head over to Singapore in September. This MotoGPTM season has featured some fantastic racing so far and we’re loving the battles between Marquez, Lorenzo and Rossi, but how fantastic was it to see Jack Miller take his maiden win at Assen?!? It was the first time an Aussie has won a MotoGPTM race since Casey Stoner at Phillip Island in 2012. Did Miller’s win remind anyone else of Chris Vermeulen in the wet? After another exciting Australian Open our eye’s turned to the next Grand Slam®, Roland Garros where one of the greatest players in history, Novak Djokovic, claimed his maiden French Open title! Still in France and we spent 3 bleary-eyed weeks surviving on coffee and energy drinks, as we sacrificed sleep to watch the 2016 Tour de France
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unfold, revealing Britain’s Chris Froome as the tour champion for the third time in four years! Speaking of tours, we recently returned from my personal favourite, the Isle of Man TT. What a trip! Fantastic weather throughout TT week meant that we were able to witness some of the best racing we’ve ever seen as multiple records were smashed. Not only did we see the first 133+mph lap completed but we very nearly witnessed a 134mph lap! In this issue we take a look at the history of the Rugby League World Cup. We also catch up with Nathan Chapman, owner and founder of Prokick Australia to discuss how he prepares Aussies for a life in the NFL. We take a closer look at the only night-race on the Formula One® calendar, the spectacular F1® Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix and its stunning city backdrop. We catch up with Lee Freedman to chat about the significance of the Melbourne Cup Carnival. We also speak to Duco Events Australia CEO, Rachael Carroll about the brand new rugby union tournament, the Brisbane Global Tens. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the Spring edition of the Sports Journal.
GREG HO media producer
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PHOTO: © SPORTSNET HOLIDAYS AND DIVULGATION
Barbara Anderson documentation manager Jade Iannotti documentation executive
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SPRING 2016
ISLE OF MAN TT 2016 Very happy I decided to take the Sportsnet tour option. The accomodation, race day locations and included functions were great, and the included GO card to get around the Isle proved great value to sight see and visit other attractions on non race days. Overall very happy with my experience. Rod, QLD We thoroughly enjoyed our tour with Sportsnet. You couldn’t have had any better viewing positions for the TT than the ones we had. The Riders Panel was fantastic. Getting to chat with the top riders of the sport was awesome. We would recommend Sportsnet’s TT tour package to anyone wanting to be a part of this fantastic sport. Gaye, WA
TOURS & PACKAGES NOW AVAILABLE! BOOK BEFORE SEP 30, 2016 to receive a BONUS Limited Edition 2017 IOM TT memorabilia piece, valued at $499*
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DOWNER NRL AUCKLAND NINES 2016 Sportsnet had EVERYTHING organised for us from the second we landed in Auckland until the moment we took off! Will definitely use the company if we do go again! Lauren, NSW Glynn was excellent, it was never too much trouble for him whenever I called with a question or problem...The rooms were lovely and the location was great… [All the] staff were very friendly and helpful! Jennifer - NSW
AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2016 I really liked the middle weekend package. I thought the service from the people I
spoke to was excellent - everything was very straightforward and efficient. I really liked not having to worry about accommodation and knowing that I had good tickets. Jane, NSW We had a great time in Melbourne. Thanks to Ian for taking the time to tailor a travel package to meet our needs. This was not the first time I have booked my travel trough Sportsnet and it won’t be the last. Ann, NSW
SUPERCHEAP AUTO BATHURST 1000 2015 Once again we have received excellent service from Sportsnet and the quality of the whole package was also excellent. Everything was delivered as promised and the Friday night exceeded our expectations. Well done Sportsnet, we will certainly use you again! R Small, New Zealand The simplicity of how everything was arranged was amazing, it only took a couple of phone calls to find the right package for us and when we arrived in Bathurst the package was waiting and everything went smoothly with no stress. Stefanie, New Zealand
2015 F1® SINGAPORE AIRLINES SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX The pre-race function was a definite highlight of the weekend. The venue, the atmosphere and food were all fantastic. The Q&A with David Coulthard was amazing and getting to meet him
Eat. Sleep. Ski. Repeat.
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and get photos and autographs was a once in a lifetime experience. Awesome! Thanks for an awesome experience that I will never forget! Derek, NSW We thoroughly enjoyed the Singapore Grand Prix and felt it was an amazing experience to actually be there! The Sportsnet package was excellent value for money. Caroline Hall, WA
2015 SHELL ADVANCE MALAYSIA MOTORCYCLE GRAND PRIX The riders, Jack (Miller) and Cal (Crutchlow), were great to listen to as they shared their stories and “banter”. The mechanics stories were also fabulous and made for an exceptional evening. The package far exceeded my expectations and I could not fault the service or the documentation supplied. Every aspect of my journey was smoothly and faultlessly accommodated. OUTSTANDING customer service. Brenton, SA
2015 MELBOURNE CUP CARNIVAL Had such a great day that I will most certainly attend next year. Sportsnet Holidays should be congratulated for a great breakfast, entertainment and transport to Flemington. Pat, NSW O READ MORE REVIEWS, T PLEASE VISIT: sportsnetholidays.com
journal
SPRING 2016
SPECTACULAR
SINGAPORE The Formula 1® Singapore Grand Prix delivers the perfect experience for sports fans. Stewart Bell explains why it’s one with the lot…
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HE WORLD’S FINEST drivers racing wheel-to-wheel at up to 320km/h under lights, the big international music acts, tropical weather, dining and shopping heaven – the Formula 1® Singapore Grand Prix delivers from all angles. For Australians, it’s the ultimate postwinter getaway – with Singapore a short flight (approximately 8-hours from Melbourne), and only a few days of annual leave needed either side of a weekend. It’s also one of the most popular events on the F1® calendar, and one chat with Williams’ driver, Valtteri Bottas, tells you why. “Singapore is a very cool place and quite unique in that it’s a night race,” says Bottas, one of the sport’s young hot shots.
“Being in the middle of the city I can walk to the circuit from my hotel, which is convenient and adds to the sense of atmosphere. “For the fans there is nothing more you would want really - you can see the city and racing all in close proximity.” Last year’s Grand Prix was a real thriller, Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel taking full advantage of Mercedes’ puzzling tyre struggles. The four-time world champion secured his third win for the season, ahead of Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo, who chased him down, but couldn’t get past, in the closing stages. This year, we’re expecting more fireworks on-track with all-out war declared at Mercedes with Nico Rosberg leading the championship and teammate, reigning F1® World Champion, Lewis Hamilton, going
SINGAPORE
FORMULA 1® SINGAPORE AIRLINES SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX 16 - 18 Sept, 2016, Singapore
to the limit and beyond to chase him down. They collided in Barcelona in May, taking each other out on the first lap – and anything could happen as the pressure increases exponentially. Behind them, a hungry pack of racers desperate to pick up the pieces from any fallout – including Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo, who is under pressure to stamp his authority on new teammate, Max Verstappen, who won in Spain, becoming the sport’s youngest-ever winner. Of course, pushing them all the way will be the Ferraris – Vettel going for back-to-back wins, and a revitalised Kimi Räikkönen, hell-bent on taking his first win for the Scuderia since 2009. Between them, they have five world championships – for the most successful driver line-up on the grid. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton is keeping one eye on his teammate, and the other on the Prancing Horse – which he counts as the team’s greatest threat. “They’re going to continue to strive. They want to win; [and] they’re very, very hungry – as are we,” says Hamilton. “I think that we do have the power as a team to continue to develop, hopefully at a similar, if not the same rate as they are. So, of course we can always try to keep them at arms’ length but who knows how it’s going to go.” Also keen to steal a result from the big guns are mid-field combatants
PHOTOS: © SINGAPORE TOURISM BOARD
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SPRING 2016
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(LEFT) Singapore lights up behind the circuit. (BELOW) Mercedes wheel to wheel action.
For the drivers, the race is the one they all want to win – and tests them like no other: the heat and humidity pushing them to the limit, with very few places to rest along the lap. Williams, Force India, new-for-2016 team Haas, Toro Rosso and McLaren. It makes for a mouth-watering prospect come September, with battles expected right throughout the field – especially as the title comes into play. “It’s the best grid we’ve had in F1® for a long time, and why I say that it’s not just the numbers, but that we don’t really have any cars off the back of the field that are not really serious,” says Sky Sports F1® commentator Martin Brundle, who’s also a veteran of 158 Grand Prix starts. For the drivers, the race is the one they all want to win – and tests them like no other: the heat and humidity pushing them to the limit, with very few places to rest along the lap. “It is a challenge for the drivers,” says 1980 F1® World Champion, Alan Jones, who has previously been an FIA driver steward at the event. “It’s a bit like Monaco, where you’ve got to have 101 per cent concentration. You just can’t allow the car to drift out too wide, or make any mistakes under brakes, because instead of going out onto asphalt or gravel, you’re going to hit a wall.” For the fans in Singapore, the action doesn’t stop on-track – with F1® and three fantastic support categories: Ferrari Challenge Asia Pacific, TCR International Series and Porsche Carrera Cup Asia. Off-track, get your heart racing
(RIGHT) Sebastian Vettel celebrates his 42nd race win. (BELOW) Vettel, Ricciardo, Raikkonen on the podium.
with amazing interactive activities like the Pit Stop Challenge, where you can challenge yourself against the Singapore GP off track pit crew by changing a tyre. You can even get behind the wheel of a race simulator, for a few laps of the Marina Bay Street Circuit. The fun continues long into the night with superstar music acts (this year features Imagine Dragons, Halsey, Kylie Minogue, Queen with Adam Lambert, Pentatonix, Bastille, KC, The Sunshine Band), trackside bars and hawker-style eateries. For the best views, book seats at the Turn 1 Grandstand or the Turn 3 Premier Grandstand to do it in style. For something a little bit different, the Connaught Grandstand has a great view of the cars heading over the Esplanade
Bridge and accelerating up the short straight to Turn 14. Finally, if you want to meet Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo – there’s now a tailor-made experience for that, with the release of a ‘Red Bull Racing Turbo Seats’ package that features an exclusive evening with the team’s drivers, three-day seat at the Pit Grandstand, official team memorabilia, along with discount and meal vouchers. Regardless of how you do it, the Formula 1® Singapore Grand Prix makes for a fantastic holiday experience. It’s racing under lights, in the heart of one of the world’s great cities – but so much more. Don’t miss it! F OR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT F1® PACKAGES, PLEASE VISIT: sportsnetholidays.com
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SPRING 2016
innovation Staged over 18 races in 12 countries, MotoGPTM is the premier motorcycle racing world championship. MotoGPTM bikes are purpose-built, one-of-akind prototype racing machines that utilise cutting edge technology to gain even the slightest of competitive advantages. MotoGPTM is the Formula 1® of motorcycle racing.
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4. ENGINES
are 1,000cc, 4 cylinders in either an inline or ‘vee’ configuration. Power output on most bikes is somewhere in the vicinity of 240-250hp which is enough to propel these machines to 200km/h in just 4.8 seconds on the way to top speeds of up to 360 km/h.
TEXT: WILL LAMONT PHOTO: COURTESY OF SUZUKI
• Engine Configuration: 75.5º - 90º • Displacement: 1,000cc • Combustion: Four-stroke • Valve-train: Double Overhead Cams, four-valves per cylinder • Fuel: Unleaded 100 octane (no control fuel) • Aspiration: Natural Aspiration • Power: approximately 240bhp (180kw)
•D ry Weight: 157kg •P ower-to-weight ratio: 1.51 bhp/kg •F uel tank: 22 litres •R ev limit: 17,500 - 18,000rpm • 0-100km/h: 2.6 seconds • Maximum deceleration: 1.8g (Formula 1® - 5.7g) •T op speed: 350 km/h
2. SUSPENSION
In 2016 all bikes will be using front forks and rear shocks by Swedish manufacturer, Öhlins. It is estimated that a set of front forks alone can cost up to US$100,000!
3. THE ECU is a standardised unit provided by MagentiMarelli. Following submission to Dorna for homologation, teams are still permitted to use their own sensors and data collecting equipment.
1. TRANSMISSION
Seamless transmissions allow for clutchless up and down shifting by not going into neutral between gears like a traditional motorcycle gearbox does. On a seamless transmission the next gear is engaged while the current gear is still driving.
BOOK NOW FOR THE SHELL MALAYSIA MOTORCYCLE GRAND PRIX 2016 28 - 30 OCTOBER, 2016
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MILESTONES 2002 MotoGPTM replaces the 500cc Motorcycle Grand Prix Class 2003 Honda’s Dajiro Kato is killed in the premier class when he hits a barrier at 200km/h at the Suzuka circuit during the Japanese Grand Prix 2005 ‘Flag-to-flag’ rule is introduced which allows riders to pit and switch to
SPRING 2016
a bike with wet weather tyres if rain falls during the race. 2007 In his first season with Ducati and just his second in MotoGPTM, Australian Casey Stoner wins the World Championship. 800cc engine capacity is introduced. 2008 Dunlop drops out of MotoGPTM. 2009 Michelin withdraws from MotoGPTM, leaving Bridgestone as the sole tyre provider. Kawasaki also
5. CHASSIS
withdraws from MotoGPTM. 2010 One of the most successful and popular riders ever, Valentino Rossi, announces that he’ll be defecting to Ducati at the end of the season. In his two year stint with Ducati, Rossi doesn’t record a win and only finishes on the podium three times. 2011 Marco Simoncelli is killed at the Sepang Circuit during the Malaysian Grand Prix after losing control of his
bike. He is subsequently struck by Colin Edwards and close friend, Valentino Rossi. Casey Stoner wins his second World Championship, this time riding a Honda. Suzuki withdraws from MotoGPTM. 2012 1,000cc engine capacity is introduced. At the age of just 25, Casey Stoner announces that he will be retiring at the end of the season. 2013 In his debut MotoGPTM season, Marc Márquez wins the World
6. TYRES are supplied by French manufacturer, Michelin. Riders have the choice of three different compounds in the dry, two for the wet and an intermediate option when the track is neither wet nor dry.
Chassis are crafted from super light, yet super strong, aluminium that provides the perfect combination of rigidity, handling, flex and rider ‘feel’. Some teams, such as Ducati, also implement carbon fibre components such as swingarms.
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Championship and at just 20 years of age, is the youngest to ever do so. Knockout-style qualifying is introduced. 2014 Márquez becomes just the third rider ever to win 10 races in a row in the premier class on his way to winning 13 out of the 18 races of the season. 2015 At just 20 years of age, Australian Jack Miller becomes one of the youngest ever riders to compete in the premier class. He is also the first to
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make the jump straight from Moto3TM to MotoGPTM. Suzuki returns to MotoGPTM. Bridgestone announces that it is withdrawing from MotoGPTM at the end of the season. Michelin becomes the new official tyre supplier. 2016 Reigning & three-time World Champion, Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo, announces that he will be racing for Ducati from 2017 onwards.
Teams &Riders 11 Teams 05 Factory Teams 21 Riders
Aprilia Racing Team Gresini #6 STEFAN BRADL, 26 (GER) #19 ÁLVARO BAUTISTA, 31 (SPA)
Aspar Team MotoGPTM (Ducati)
Avintia Racing (Ducati)
#29 EUGENE LAVERTY, 30 (NTH IRE) #68 YONNY HERNANDEZ, 28 (COL)
#8 HÉCTOR BARBERÁ, 29 (SPA) #76 LORIS BAZ, 23 (FRA)
Ducati Corse
Estrella Galicia Marc VDS (Honda)
#4 ANDREA DOVIZIOSO, 30 (ITA) #29 ANDREA IANNONE, 27 (ITA)
#43 JACK MILLER, 21 (AUS) #53 TITO RABAT, 27 (SPA)
7. BRAKES
Front brakes are 340mm floating carbon discs made by Italian manufacturer, Brembo. However, if the track is wet, teams will often use steel discs instead as carbon discs require extremely high temperatures to work effectively. Fourpiston monoblock calipers with titanium pistons, also made by Brembo, are the calipers of choice.
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LCR Honda
Monster Yamaha Tech 3
#35 CAL CRUTCHLOW, 30 (ENG)
#38 BRADLEY SMITH, 25 (ENG) #44 POL ESPARAGÓ, 25 (SPA)
Movistar Yamaha MotoGPTM
OCTO Pramac Yakhich (Ducati)
#99 JORGE LORENZO, 29 (SPA) #46 VALENTINO ROSSI, 37 (ITA)
#9 DANILO PETRUCCI, 25 (ITA) #45 SCOTT REDDING, 23 (ENG)
Repsol Honda Team
Team Suzuki ECSTAR
#93 MARC MÁRQUEZ, 23 (SPA) #26 DANI PEDROSA, 30 (SPA)
#25 MAVERICK VIÑALES, 21 (SPA) #41 ALEIX ESPARAGÓ, 27 (SPA)
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PHOTOS: © DIVULGATION AND REPRODUCTION
Aerodynamics
In 2016, ‘winglets’, which are small spoilers that stick out from the front side fairings of the bikes, have been made legal. First utilised by Ducati in 2015 under temporary concessions (which have since expired) given to the Italian marque to help make them more competitive, the purpose of the winglets is to help riders keep the front tyre on the ground under acceleration and increase downforce and traction of the bike’s front end at speed. However, there has been some controversy around the use of winglets as many riders have privately and publicly stated that they believe the winglets have increased the amount of turbulence created by the bikes and therefore made it harder for riders to slipstream each other. It will be interesting to see whether winglets will be allowed beyond the 2016 season as so far there has been significantly less slipstream moves this season compared to recent seasons.
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SPRING 2016
TRAINING
Champions Sportsnet Holidays sat down with five-time Melbourne Cup winning trainer, LEE FREEDMAN in the lead up to the 2016 Melbourne Cup Carnival. PHOTO: GREG HO | TEXT: WILL LAMONT
Q: In your time being involved in racing, is there a moment for you that really stands out? LF: I think there’s no question for me, it was Makybe Diva winning her third Melbourne Cup. That’s been my highlight. I mean, I’ve won five of them but her last win was the most important because it’s an achievement of huge magnitude and will probably never be repeated in my lifetime. So, that day was spectacular you know, it was the one time in recent history apart from Black Caviar that a horse commanded media attention both on the back and the front page of daily newspapers. So it was a big event and she duly delivered.
Q: Could you tell us a little about your introduction to horse racing? LEE FREEDMAN: I’ve been training race horses mainly out of Victoria for about 30 years now. I got involved with racing at an early age, with my father taking me to the races as a boy on Saturday afternoons. Then, working school holidays for some people that had a racing setup. My family’s been based in racing a bit. My great-grandfather was a jockey and my grandfather raced horses and my dad raced horses and that’s basically how I got started.
Q: Is there a particular race during the Cup Carnival that stands out for you as a favourite? LF: Well, the Melbourne Cup is my favourite race but you know, it never used to really be until I started to win it a few times. It’s the centre piece of the whole Carnival. The other days are very important but I like the fact that the Melbourne Cup’s been left as a holiday here. The whole nation sort of stops for three minutes to watch it, so I think it’s a great day and it’s a great day’s entertainment now too.
Q: This year marks the 156th edition of the Emirates Melbourne Cup and Crown Oaks Day. What does the history of these events mean to you? LF: 1 56 years of the Melbourne Cup and Oaks Day is a remarkable achievement for the Victorian Racing Club. It’s become an iconic racing carnival. I’ve always been in a family based in it. My greatgrandfather rode Cup winners in 1909, 1910 and 1917 so it’s been in the family psyche for a long while. As a kid I always wanted to watch Cup week. I don’t think it was even on TV at that stage. Now, being involved as a trainer, I mean it’s our biggest week of the year. Not only because the prize money is the biggest, but they’re iconic races being run and the crowds are at their biggest too. 156 years of that and seeing how it’s developed over the last 20 to 25 years has been fascinating.
Q: You’ve been involved in racing for around 30 years. How has the approach to training changed from when you first started? LF: Well, when I first started there were very few big operations and quite a few small operations. What I mean by big is over 70 to 100 horses. There were very few of them around when I started training. Maybe Colin Hayes, Bart Cummings, Tommy Smith, people like that. But as I’ve gone on in the business, there’s a lot more people training that number of horses and it tends to polarise where the horses go. I’ve been up to having 110 in work myself but in my second incarnation, I’ve limited it to 60 because I think I do a better job with that. So it’s pretty much as it was, except the bigger operations have got bigger and there’s more of them now.
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Q: In terms of preparing the horse itself, has the training schedule changed at all? LF: No unfortunately. It still takes the same amount of time to get a horse fit for its goals in terms of training. The hours haven’t changed. I think nutrition of the horse is a lot better than it probably was 30 years ago. Science plays its part in terms of blood testing and specific age to train horses. There’s also treadmills and water walkers and all that, incorporated into the training of the horse which wasn’t that prevalent years ago either. Q: You’ve had a very successful career but like any career there are highlights and lowlights. Could you touch on some of yours? LF: Yeah highlights and lowlights in racing, there’s quite a few of them. As I mentioned before, the whole career of Makybe Diva for the two years that I had her was a highlight, including her third Cup win in 2005. Also, a horse that I had in the nineties called Super Impose, who I bought myself as a yearling. He was at one stage the leading stake earner in Australia and won eight Group One’s. He was a career highlight every day we had him. From humble beginnings right through to when he retired. I guess the lowlights - keeping the horse theme going - is that we had another great horse that we’d bought as a yearling too. Broke-in and educated and won the Caulfield Cup, called Mummify. At his third attempt at the Caulfield Cup, he broke-down and had to be destroyed after the race which was very upsetting, not only for us and the stable staff but all the owners were good friends of mine and it was a pretty bad time. So I’d say that was probably the lowlight so far.
PHOTO: © FLICKR.COM/OSEDGMAN / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Q: What about sentimental favourites? LF: I think the most important horse sentimentally to me would be Super Impose, because it was very early in my career and I bought him very cheaply against all advice – it’s always nice when you prove a lot of experts wrong. He went on and raced 72 times and won 20 races and was just a lovely, lovely horse. Won eight Group One’s which is nearly unachievable these days. He raced till he was 8 years old and he died peacefully last year at about the age of 25 or 26. He’s been a wonderful old favourite of mine and we’ve got many, many pictures and memorabilia of him. Q: How important when looking at purchasing a horse is heritage vs the physical attributes you can see? LF: T hat’s an interesting question. It’s a balance between pedigree and confirmation, and confirmation is how the horse appears to you. Now, a lot of people look for structurally perfect horses, you can find them but they’re generally slow. You get a feeling of what sort of horse suits you and what looks athletic to you. Sometimes that doesn’t include having the most perfect legs. I put an enormous amount of emphasis these days more so on the character of their head, the depth of their girth - which is where the heart’s stored - big girth usually means big heart space, big hind quarters for big driving power and less and less about legs, because I’ve had so many good horses with average legs that it doesn’t really interest me all that much. Most horses can accommodate their problems and have done so since they were foals. That’s a very interesting part of the business. The straight out pedigree part of looking at a horse on a page is interesting because it’s a blueprint to what its family has been able to produce. Generally those good families keep producing very good horses. To me, I suppose I’ve gone from a 50/50 balance between confirmation and pedigree to almost 70/30 now, confirmation being 70 and breeding being 30.
SPRING 2016
PROFILE
Name: Anthony Lee Freedman Date of birth: 12/08/1956 Place of Birth: Sydney
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Statue of Makybe Diva at Flemington Racecourse
DOMESTIC HIGHLIGHTS Melbourne Cups: 5 • 1989 Tawrrific • 1992 Subzero • 1995 Doriemus • 2004 Makybe Diva • 2005 Makybe Diva Caulfield Cups: 4 • 1992 Mannerism • 1994 Paris Lane • 1995 Doriemus • 2003 Mummify Golden Slippers: 4 • 1993 Bint Marscay • 1994 Danzero • 1995 Flying Spur • 1996 Merlene Derbys: 8 • 1992 Naturalism • 1992 Subzero • 1993 Mahogany • 1994 Mahogany • 1996 Portland Player • 2002 Don Eduardo • 2003 Mummify • 2005 Benicio Oaks: 11 • 1986 Miss Clipper • 1991 Mannerism • 1992 Gatherneaux • 1994 Nothwood Plume • 1997 Kensington Palace • 1997 Derobe • 1999 Miss Danehill • 2000 Grand Echezeaux • 2003 Special Harmony • 2005 Serenade Rose • 2006 Serenade Rose Cox Plates: 2 • 1992 Super Impose • 2005 Makybe Diva INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS Singapore International Stakes: 1 • 2005 Mummify King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot: 1 • 2007 Miss Andretti
Q: W ithout giving too much away, do you have some horses in the pipeline which you think we should keep an eye out for over the Spring Racing Carnival? LF: Yeah, the upcoming Carnival we’ve got what’s probably our headline horse now. A horse called Our Ivanhowe, who won the Doomben Cup during the winter, which is a Group One race in Queensland and he was placed in the Caulfield Cup last year. He’s our best horse at the moment and he’s just preparing to take on another racing season. He’ll be set for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup again. Other than that, I’ve only been back to training for about 16 months now, so the bulk of my horses are either hand-me-downs from the previous regime - now that my brother and I are in partnership - or the young horses that we really haven’t found the bottom to yet. So I’d probably be reticent to reel off a heap of them because they’re like young footballers - we don’t know where they’re going to end up. But we’re pretty happy with them, we’re tending to build up more of our young horses from a staying point of view. You know, horses like Tavistock and the like, who we can have in the system in training, on and off over a period of maybe 3 or 4 years. Rather than the flash-in-the-pan type sprinter who, you know, is a two year old and then nothing else… we do have those horses, but I tend to prefer the horses that have more longevity to their careers. F OR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE MELBOURNE CUP CARNIVAL, PLEASE VISIT: sportsnetholidays.com
“Well, the Melbourne Cup is my favourite race but you know, it never used to really be until I started to win it a few times”
2016 RACE DATES SEPTEMBER SOFITEL GIRLS’ DAY OUT Flemington Racecourse Saturday, 10 September 2016
OCTOBER TURNBULL STAKES DAY Flemington Racecourse Saturday, 1 October 2016 W.S.COX PLATE Moonee Valley Racecourse Saturday, 22 October 2016 AAMI VICTORIA DERBY DAY Flemington Racecourse Saturday, 29 October 2016
NOVEMBER EMIRATES MELBOURNE CUP DAY Flemington Racecourse Tuesday, 1 November 2016 CROWN OAKS DAY Flemington Racecourse Thursday, 3 November 2016 EMIRATES STAKES DAY Flemington Racecourse Saturday, 5 November 2016
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SPRING 2016
RLWC 2017
As we countdown to Rugby League World Cup 2017, we take a look at the tournament’s history and format. TEXT: GREG HO
T
he Rugby League World Cup is back and in 2017, will be run for the 15th time. The next edition of the world’s greatest International Rugby League tournament will see 28 matches played over 5 weeks across 13 cities from the 3 host nations; Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. The idea of a Rugby League World Cup was first floated in 1951 by Paul Barriere, President of the French Rugby League. Two years later, the concept was accepted and in 1954, France played host to the first Rugby League World Cup, with four nations competing in the tournament: France, Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand. Great Britain claimed victory at that inaugural tournament, defeating France in Paris 16-12. The tournament saw numerous changes over the years which followed. The time between tournaments ranged from two to eight years. The host nation concept was dropped in favour of a “home and away” format before being re-adopted in the midnineties. The number of competing teams also ranged between four and sixteen teams before settling on a fourteen team format at the most recent Rugby League World Cup. The 2013 Rugby League World Cup, was seen as the most successful
27/10/17
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP, PLEASE VISIT: sportsnetholidays.com
POOL C
PNG, Euro Qualifier 1, Euro Qualifier 2
POOL D
Fiji, USA, Euro Qualifier 3
28/10/17
28/10/17
28/10/17
Mt Smart, Auckland
Port Moresby (venue TBA)
Townsville Stadium
29/10/17
29/10/17
29/10/17
Euro Q2 vs Euro Q3
Euro Q3 vs USA
Canberra Stadium
Barlow Park, Cairns
Barlow Park, Cairns
Townsville Stadium
03/11/17
04/11/17
05/11/17
PNG vs Euro Q2
Fiji vs Euro Q1
Canberra Stadium
Christchurch Stadium
Port Moresby (venue TBA)
Townsville Stadium
04/11/17
04/11/17
12/11/17
PNG vs USA
Fiji vs Euro Q3
Sydney Football Stadium
Waikato Stadium, Hamilton
Port Moresby (venue TBA)
Canberra Stadium
11/11/17
11/11/17
Samoa vs Scotland
Euro Q1 vs Euro Q2
Sydney Football Stadium
Barlow Park, Cairns
Perth Rectangular Stadium
Australia vs England Melbourne Rectangular Stadium
France vs Lebanon
Australia vs France
England vs Lebanon
Australia vs Lebanon
tournament to date in terms of attendance, viewership and revenue. As a result, a decision was made to retain the fourteen team format and to schedule the tournament to occur every four years (as per the other football World Cup tournaments). The fourteen team format means that the four pools are made up of two groups of four, being Pool A and Pool B; and two groups of three, being Pools C and D. Each team will play three pool matches with the top three teams from Pools A and B progressing to the Quarter-Final rounds. Only the top teams from Pools C and D progress to the Quarter-Final stages. New Zealand currently sit atop the Rugby League International Federation World Rankings, followed by Australia, England and Samoa. Will we see the Kiwis claim their second Rugby League World Cup title? Will the Kangaroos claim an 11th title? Will a Wayne Bennett coached, England squad claim their first Paul Barrière Trophy? Or will we see a dark horse rise to claim the trophy? Only time will tell.
POOL B
N. Zealand, Samoa, Scotland, Tonga
12/11/17
N. Zealand vs Samoa
Scotland vs Tonga
N. Zealand vs Scotland
Samoa vs Tonga
PNG vs Euro Q1
Fiji vs USA
5/11/17
05/11/17
10/11/17
12/11/17
11/11/17
England vs France
N. Zealand vs Tonga
Perth Rectangular Stadium
Waikato Stadium, Hamilton
WORLD CUP FINALS QUARTER FINAL 3
QUARTER FINAL 1
18/11/17
17/11/17
Wellington Regional Stadium
Darwin Stadium
SEMI FINAL 1
SEMI FINAL 2
24/11/17
24/11/17
Brisbane Stadium
Mt Smart, Auckland
QUARTER FINAL 4
QUARTER FINAL 2
19/11/17
18/11/17
Melbourne Rectangular Stadium
Christchurch Stadium
FINAL 02/12/17 Brisbane Stadium
PHOTO BY COLIN WHELAN © NRLPHOTOS.COM
Evolution of the RLWC
POOL A
Australia, England, France, Lebanon
www.sportsnetholidays.com
SPRING 2016
interview
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NATHAN CHAPMAN, PROKICK AUSTRALIA
PROFILE Date of birth: 07/05/1975 Nationality: Australian AFL Career: 1993 - 2000 NFL Career: 2004 - 2005 Prokick Australia launch: 2008 First players sent to US: 2009
Path to the
NFL Sportsnet Holidays caught up with the man who grooms Aussie footballers for a career in the NFL. TEXT: WILL LAMONT PHOTO: GREG HO
Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and Prokick Australia? Nathan Chapman: I’m Nathan Chapman, the owner of Prokick Australia. Basically what we do is train young men who have come out of Australian Rules Football, rugby and soccer backgrounds to punt an American football and try get them college scholarships to university in America. These scholarships are worth $300,000 and they give one out every four years to a punter. Therefore, you need to be the best punter that coach has seen over 10,000 kids in America plus anyone else that we’re training here. They’re quite a sought-after prize. Q: It seems like a very specialised business, what led you to the idea? NC: M y background was 10 years as a professional AFL footballer. I always enjoyed American football. I had a go myself in trying to make it into the NFL. I signed a contract with the Green Bay Packers in 2004 and didn’t quite make the team. Then I went back over for a couple of mini camps in 2005 with the Chicago Bears and Cincinnati Bengals. I didn’t make the roster there and I knew there were some things that needed fixing up from a process perspective in how to go about getting across there. So I set up a program called Prokick Australia, which I run with a good colleague of mine in John Smith.
“There have been many, many NRL players go across who think that because they’re big and strong that they’re going to be very impressive” Q: Are there particular positions that you focus on at Prokick? NC: P rimarily our key market is punters and kickers. Although, we’ve placed a wide receiver over there who ended up being a punt returner. We’ve looked at tight ends as well. The American coaches do know that we can kick a ball. They don’t always know how fast or how good our hands are and that’s a bit of a harder process but something we’ve been working at for a couple of years. Q: We understand you’ve got a player with the Pittsburg Stealers. Can you tell us a little about him? NC: 2 008 was our first year at trying to recruit players into the program and 2009 was our first year when we sent three players
to college. Of our first three college players, one of the names that came out of that group was a kid called Jordan Berry, a really skinny kid, 17 years of age. Fierce worker, trained really hard and you could just tell that he had this competitive nature and that he just wanted to succeed. Jordan then played five years at Eastern Kentucky, which is a 1-AA division college in the US. He went right through the system there and then has transitioned up into the NFL. He now plays with the Pittsburgh Stealers and from a guy who was a skinny 17-year-old, six foot two, he’s continued to grow and now he’s six foot five, 105 kgs and he just completed his first season, moving into his second season with the Stealers.
Q: Jarryd Hayne has generated a huge amount of interest in the concept of an AFL or NRL player trying to make it in the NFL. What’s your take on that? NC: If Jarryd Hayne is the greatest current athlete in the NRL and still took 12 months to transition into trying to make the roster, it shows you how difficult this process is. If the very best NRL player found it difficult, then the very best player in the AFL is going to find it just as difficult. There have been many, many NRL players go across who think that because they’re big and strong that they’re going to be very impressive. Everyone in the NFL is big and strong, and they’re fast. Contracts in the NFL are different to anything you’ll see in the NRL or the AFL. The contracts don’t mean anything. The NFL is about the best player every week and if you’re not it, they cut you and you’re out. They’ll get someone else. If you drop a ball on a Sunday, on Tuesday they’ve got three other guys practising for your position. That’s how it is.
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SPRING 2016
THE CHAMPIONSHIPS, WIMBLEDON 2017 Steeped in tradition, the Wimbledon Championships is the oldest and widely considered the most prestigious tennis tournament in the world. It is also the only Grand Slam® still played on grass courts.
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DETAILS: 0 3 - 16 Jul 2017 All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, UK
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SUPER BOWL
DETAILS: 0 5 Feb 2017 | NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas, US
US
2 2017 MASTERS TOURNAMENT Established in 1934, The Masters Golf Tournament (aka the US Masters) is held at the iconic, Augusta National Golf Club, Georgia and is the first of the four majors to be played each year.
CORPORATE
SPORTS TRAVEL There are a multitude of different incentive programs available to businesses to help drive productivity but time and time again, the opportunity to travel has proven to be the most effective. TEXT: GREG HO
C
orporate incentive sports travel programs motivate your employees or partners by incentivising and rewarding them for their achievements with a once-in-alifetime sports travel package. By offering unforgettable travel experiences, your employees will be left feeling highly motivated and excited to work towards qualifying for the next big event. In turn, this increases productivity, market share and ultimately, company profits.
At Sportsnet Holidays, we don’t simply offer corporate travel packages. We offer travel experiences to some of the world’s greatest sporting events. From the Melbourne Cup Carnival to Wimbledon, the Super Bowl, or the Monaco Grand Prix; our travel packages are custom tailored to suit your business’s specific needs and expectations. To help inspire you for your business’s next incentive sports travel program, here are our top 15 events from around the globe and our own backyard.
DETAILS: 0 3 - 09 Apr 2017 | Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia, US
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Europe
4 FORMULA ONE® GRAND PRIX DE MONACO
Run since 1911, the Indianapolis 500 is billed as “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” and is one of the oldest and richest motorsport events on the planet. The 500 mile race is contested by a grid of 33 drivers, each piloting a 2.2 litre, twin-turbo V6 open-cockpit racecar which produces up to 700hp.
Hosted within the Principality of Monaco and featuring a rich history extending back to 1929, the Grand Prix de Monaco represents the most prestigious race in Formula One®. Set amongst city streets filled with prestige cars and skirting the picturesque harbour, teaming with superyachts, the Circuit de Monaco follows a narrow course and features many elevation changes, tight corners as well as a tunnel.
DETAILS: 28 May 2017 (TBC) | Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis, Indiana, US
DETAILS: 25 - 28 May 2017 (TBC) Circuit de Monaco, Monaco
2017 INDY 500
PHOTOS: (1, 5) PIXABAY, (2) WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, (3) FLICKR / RYAN SCHREIBER, (4) © GETTY IMAGES / RED BULL CONTENT POOL AND DIVULGATION
Coming into its 51st year and set to be played at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, the Super Bowl is easily the biggest sporting event in the USA, attracting over 111 million viewers in the US alone! Far more than a match between the top two teams from the AFC and NFC, the Super Bowl garners almost as much attention for the commercials aired during the match as well as the incredible halftime shows as the game itself.
www.sportsnetholidays.com
Asia & NZ 2016 FORMULA ONE® SINGAPORE AIRLINES SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX The only night race on the 2016 Formula 1® calendar takes place on the Marina Bay Street Circuit against a cityscape backdrop. The Singapore Grand Prix has also become renowned for its spectacular after-race concerts which have featured some of the world’s biggest pop and rock stars.
SPRING 2016
2016 SHELL MALAYSIA MOTORCYCLE GRAND PRIX Staged at the Sepang International Circuit, the Malaysian MotoGP™ is one of the hottest races on the MotoGP calendar! The Sepang circuit is regarded as being one of the most challenging tracks in MotoGPTM – the 5.543km circuit combines long, fast sweeping turns, broken up by very slow, tight corners. The circuit’s unique layout sees the track’s two main straights separated by a single hairpin corner which has seen many a rider come unstuck.
2017 JAPANESE MOTORCYCLE GRAND PRIX
DETAILS: Dates TBA | Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand
2016 FORMULA ONE® PETRONAS MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX
It’s one of the hottest races of the year and this year, the Formula 1® Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix has been moved from March to October and the business-end of the season.
MotoGP circuits.
DETAILS: 30 Sep - 02 Oct 2016 | Sepang International Circuit, Sepang, Malaysia
Australia
AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2017 The Australian Open is Australia’s biggest, and one of the world’s most renowned tennis tournaments. Played in January each year, it is the first of the four Grand Slam® tennis events and represents the Major season opener. DETAILS: 16 - 29 Jan 2017 | Melbourne Park, Melbourne, VIC
2017 FORMULA ONE® AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX Set against the backdrop of the 5-time running, Most Liveable City, the opening race of the 2017 F1® season will once again be held at the iconic Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit!
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DETAILS: 17 - 20 Mar 2017 | Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Albert Park, VIC
ARSENAL SYDNEY TOUR 2017 It’s been 40 years in the making, and now the dreams of Gunners fans across the nation are finally coming true. English Premier League giants, Arsenal, are set to play back-to-back blockbusters in 2017 against Sydney FC and the Western Sydney Wanderers. DETAILS: 1 3 - 15 Jul 2017 | ANZ Stadium, Sydney, NSW
2016 MELBOURNE CUP CARNIVAL
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Located amongst the vast natural beauty of the northern Kanto district, the Twin Ring circuit at Motegi consists of a 2.49 km oval and a 4.8 km road circuit used for MotoGP™. The road course features a unique ‘stop-start’ layout which contrasts the usual flowing nature of most DETAILS: Dates TBA | Twin Ring Motegi, Motegi, Japan
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The Downer NRL Auckland Nines is the unofficial NRL season opener. The weekend tournament sees all 16 NRL teams compete for their share of over $2 million in prize money. Held at Auckland’s iconic Eden Park, the “Nines” carnival atmosphere is unlike any other NRL event. With thousands of fans dressed in costumes ranging from Sesame Street characters to superheroes, there’s just as much to see off the field as there is on the it!
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2017 DOWNER NRL AUCKLAND NINES
DETAILS: 28 - 30 Oct 2016 | Sepang International Circuit, Sepang, Malaysia
DETAILS: 1 6 - 18 Sep 2016 | Marina Bay Street Circuit, Marina Bay, Singapore
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The richest two-mile (3.2km) handicap race in the world, the Emirates Melbourne Cup, otherwise referred to as “The Race That Stops a Nation™”, is without doubt one of the world’s most prestigious and iconic sporting events! DETAILS: 29 Oct - 05 Nov 2016 | Flemington Racecourse, Flemington, VIC
14 BRISBANE GLOBAL TENS 2017
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The Brisbane Global Tens tournament is set to premiere in February 2017 in Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium. The two-day, 10-per-side club tournament will feature 14 of the best teams from around the globe who will compete for their share of $1.6 million in prize money. DETAILS: 1 1 - 12 Feb 2017 | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, QLD
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journal
SPRING 2016
interview EVENT DETAILS Official Name: Brisbane Global Tens Date: 11 - 12 Feb, 2017 Event Category: Rugby Union (10-a-side tournament in 10 minute halves) Prize money and appearance fees: $1,550,000 Broadcast: 20 different markets
Rugby union’s greatest club tournament is set to premiere in Brisbane next February. We chat with the event organiser, Duco Events Australia’s CEO, Rachael Carroll about the tournament and what fans can expect. TEXT & PHOTO: PETER LAMONT
BRISBANE GLOBALTENS Q: How did the Brisbane Global Tens come to be? Rachael Carroll: It’s been almost three years in the making and very much modelled off the experience that Duco Events went through together with the NRL and the NRL Auckland Nines - A nine-a-side, knockout competition, which has been ultimately successful over in New Zealand. So we looked around at other codes, and what was really of interest to us is the sport of rugby union. It’s a tried, true, loved sport in this part of the world, but it truly is a global sport. We talked to a number of people such as John Eales, Robbie Deans and Eddie Jones, and really what rose to the surface was this notion of a 10-a-side rugby match up. Q: What attracted you to the Tens format? RC: It’s a recognised form of the code, 10-a-side. What’s great about that 10-a-side game is it very much brings together everything that you love about the 15-a-side game; the structure, the strategy, you’ve got forwards and you’ve got backs. But it also opens up the field and gives you that pace and that slightly higher
scoring that you would expect from a Sevens competition. It’s a fantastic format to view and watch the game in an entertaining way. Q: How much preparation work has gone into planning the Brisbane Global Tens? RC: Something like the Brisbane Global Tens takes a lot of work to pull together, because there’s so many different organisations and stakeholders involved. We went on a journey as an event promotional company to talk to a number of people. We started with the government in Queensland, and certainly Brisbane and Queensland are right behind this event. We then had to have the endorsement of the Australian Rugby Union, of the New Zealand Rugby Union, and then went to every team in Australia and New Zealand. So we have the five Australian Super Rugby teams, the five New Zealand Super Rugby teams, and we then cherry picked the best of the world. We wanted this event to be the preeminent club rugby competition in the world.
Q: How did you go about selecting teams to compete? RC: So if you’re thinking about preeminent club competition, you start with the best of the best, and that’s very much Australia and New Zealand. And then you say, “Well, what are the best of the rest that we could bring into this competition?”. We asked, “What are the best of the Pacific islands? Let’s have the Samoan national team. What about the best out of South Africa?”. Well, the Bulls have been the only other winner of Super Rugby outside of Australia and New Zealand. The best of the Japanese top league, that’s the Panasonic Wild Knights, coached by Robbie Deans. And then we said “Well, what about France?”, and you know, Toulon comes to mind - the glamour club - many star players from Australia and New Zealand play over there for them. So we’ve put together a 14 team complement of what we truly believe is defendable as the best rugby club competition in the world.
Teams: (14 teams, 6 countries) • Five New Zealand • Five Australian • Samoan International Team • Japan’s Panasonic Wild Knights • South Africa’s Blue Bulls • France’s Toulon Location: Suncorp Stadium
Q: W hat can fans expect when they turn up? RC: A 10-a-side competition with 10-minute halves. It is a fast paced knock-out tournament played over two days at Suncorp Stadium. What you will see is those renowned clubs and renowned star players. We’ve learnt through this process that many of the 15-a-side star players - those that are in the Wallabies and the All Blacks and around the rest of the world - they’re excited about being able to play in a 10s tournament. This will form part of their pre-season preparation. So you can expect it will be fast paced, you can expect all the club brands and star players taking the field, all wrapped up in a festival type two-day atmosphere. Q: O utside of the tournament itself, what else can we expect to see in Brisbane? RC: I t’s not just about the two days that are in Suncorp Stadium. This is certainly a week-long festival for Brisbane, and it’s been so well supported by the government. You can expect fan zones in the CBD and you can expect that the clubs will be out and about doing all sorts of promotional activities. We have actually invited the full squads of all 14 teams to come to Brisbane during that time - to keep them together, to train together. So you’ll feel like these rugby clubs have taken over Brisbane. You’ll see those clubs engaging with local schools, local business districts. There will be gala dinners too, all those things that come around a major event. It really will be a week of rugby heaven. OR MORE INFORMATION F ABOUT THE BRISBANE GLOBAL TENS, PLEASE VISIT: sportsnetholidays.com
“We talked to a number of people such as John Eales, Robbie Deans and Eddie Jones, and really what rose to the surface was this notion of a 10-a-side rugby match up.”
www.sportsnetholidays.com
TO ACCESS THE COMPLETE SPORTS CALENDAR, PLEASE VISIT: sportsnetholidays.com
SPRING 2016
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calendar 02/10 09/10
2. 2016 NRL TELSTRA PREMIERSHIP GRAND FINAL SYDNEY The NRL season reaches
18/09
its climax in October as the competition’s top two teams face-off in Sydney’s iconic ANZ Stadium. The 2015 edition of the NRL Grand Final featuring the North Queensland Cowboys and the Brisbane Broncos was arguably the greatest of all-time - with the scores level at full-time, overtime and Golden Point saw Jonathan Thurston slot a field goal between the uprights, claiming the Cowboy’s first Premiership.
iconic and highly respected motorrace in Australia, the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 returns to the legendary Mount Panorama Circuit in October. With category changes coming next year, 2016 could be the final time that V8s feature exclusively in Australia’s greatest endurance race!
02 OCT | MORE INFO: sportsnetholidays.com/events/rugbyleague/nrl-grand-final-2016/
06 - 09 OCT | MORE INFO: sportsnetholidays. com/events/v8-supercars/bathurst-1000-2016/
1. 2016 FORMULA ONE® SINGAPORE AIRLINES SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX
F1® returns to Singapore in September for the only night race on the 2016 Formula One® calendar. In addition to the spectacular racing on display, Singapore is also renowned for its after-race concerts which this year will feature Queen & Adam Lambert, Kylie Minogue, Bastille, Pentatonix, and KC and the Sunshine Band! 16 - 18 SEP | MORE INFO: sportsnetholidays.com/events/ formula-one/singapore-grand-prix-2016/
06/01
3. 2016 SUPERCHEAP AUTO BATHURST 1000 The most
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4. 2016 MELBOURNE CUP CARNIVAL
The richest two-mile handicap race in the world, the Emirates Melbourne Cup, otherwise referred to as “The Race That Stops a Nation™”, is without a doubt one of the world’s most prestigious and iconic sporting events! 29 OCT - 05 NOV | MORE INFO: sportsnetholidays.com/events/ horse-racing/2016-melbourne-cup-carnival/
11/02
5. AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2017 Boasting
6. 2017 DOWNER NRL AUCKLAND NINES
7. BRISBANE GLOBAL TENS 2017
06 - 29 JAN 2017 | MORE INFO: sportsnetholidays.com/ events/tennis/australian-open-2017-packages/
DATES TBA | MORE INFO: sportsnetholidays.com/events/ rugby-league/nrl-auckland-nines-2017/
11 - 12 FEB 2017 | MORE INFO: sportsnetholidays.com/ events/rugby/brisbane-global-tens-2017/
a history stretching back to the turn of the 20th century, the Australian Open is Australia’s biggest tennis tournament and one of the world’s most renowned majors. Played on the iconic blue hardcourts against a Melbourne cityscape backdrop, it’s small surprise that the Australian Open draws crowds in excess of 700,000!
SPORTSNET ARE PROUD TO BE OFFICIALLY ASSOCIATED WITH:
Coming into its fourth year, the Downer NRL Auckland Nines brings 288 star players together for the ultimate pre-season tournament. See all 16 NRL clubs face off, playing 31 action-packed matches over 2 days featuring the Nines’ signature 9 players per side, 9 minute halves format that the tournament has become famous for!
Rugby union’s newest tournament is set to debut at Brisbane’s legendary Suncorp Stadium in February, 2017. Featuring 14 of the greatest clubs from Australia, New Zealand and around the globe, the Tens promises a perfect balance between the structure of the traditional game and the fast paced action of the Sevens.
journal
16 SPRING 2016
THE WORLD’S GREATEST
CUP EVE GALA
BEGIN YOUR MELBOURNE CUP DAY CELEBRATIONS EARLY AT
‘THE WORLD’S GREATEST’ CUP EVE GALA! DATE: MONDAY 31ST OCTOBER, 2016 TIME: 7.00PM – 10.00PM LOCATION: MELBOURNE TOWN HALL, 90-120 SWANSTON ST (Corner of Collins Street)
Join Sportsnet as we take a look at some of the world’s greatest horse racing events. From the Kentucky Derby, the Champions Mile, Dubai World Cup and of course, the world famous Emirates Melbourne Cup, we’ll hear from the experts about what makes these world class events so unique. Melbourne Town Hall has been at the heart of events which have shaped this city & celebrated monumental milestones. One of Melbourne’s most impressive and glamorous function spaces, the Main Hall can only be described as majestic.
Ticket Includes: • Red carpet entry & reserved seat inside the prestigious Melbourne Town Hall • Special guest panel • Race preview & tips for the upcoming Emirates Melbourne Cup • Live music & entertainment • Premium 2 course dinner served by Epicure • 3 hour beverage package • Exclusive prizes and experiences to be won and much more!
PRICE: $225 pp inc GST
($1,999 PER TABLE 10)
With hot tips, fantastic food, live music, dancing and entertainment, this will be a night not to be missed!
BOOK NOW AT
sportsnetholidays.com/sports-functions travel@sportsnetholidays.com