Ric Salizzo is New Zealand sports broadcasting royalty – journalist, television presenter and producer – turned rugby consultant in New York.

Ric started his career as a journalist with TVNZ before becoming the All Blacks’ first ever media liaison officer in 1992. Prior to that he pioneered sports media coverage producing the behind-the-scenes documentary The Good, the Bad and the Rugby which kickstarted a series of follow ups over the years.

After four years inside the All Blacks camp he then created, and hosted the wildly popular Sports Café, a cult hit which ran for 11 years creating some memorable TV moments and turned Marc Ellis and Leigh Hart into household names. He then moved behind the camera as the executive producer of The Crowd Goes Wild, which has been running for 16 years.

Now based in New York working in Major League Rugby, Ric shared some of the best bits from his career.

Show notes | Episode 88 | Ric Salizzo

1.47 Rugby New York and the realities of Major League Rugby

6.10 Moving to the US to “get away from rugby” and what the All Blacks can learn from US sport

13.26 Sport in New York

18.20 Newsreader Ric at TVNZ in the 80s

25.10 The first ever All Blacks media liaison officer

31.19 Inside the All Blacks camp

36.03 Jonah Lomu and the 1995 Rugby World Cup

41.18 The original All of Nothing series: The Good, the Bad and the Rugby

45.24 The origins of Sports Café: “…after being the media liaison officer everyone hated me…”

50.09 The genius of Leigh Hart

58.03 The perfect end of Sports Café and the brief return in 2008

1.01.00 Sugar Shack: “one of the most important things I’ve ever done”

1.03.43 Going behind the camera with The Crowd Goes Wild and letting go

1.08.14 Last words from Steven, Seamus and Ric

Ric Salizzo is New Zealand sports broadcasting royalty – journalist, television presenter and producer – turned rugby consultant in New York.
Ric started his career as a journalist with TVNZ before becoming the All Blacks’ first ever media liaison officer in 1992. Prior to that he pioneered sports media coverage producing the behind-the-scenes documentary The Good, the Bad and the Rugby which kickstarted a series of follow ups over the years.
After four years inside the All Blacks camp he then created, and hosted the wildly popular Sports Café, a cult hit which ran for 11 years creating some memorable TV moments and turned Marc Ellis and Leigh Hart into household names. He then moved behind the camera as the executive producer of The Crowd Goes Wild, which has been running for 16 years.
Now based in New York working in Major League Rugby, Ric shared some of the best bits from his career.
Show notes | Episode 88 | Ric Salizzo
1.47 Rugby New York and the realities of Major League Rugby
6.10 Moving to the US to “get away from rugby” and what the All Blacks can learn from US sport
13.26 Sport in New York
18.20 Newsreader Ric at TVNZ in the 80s
25.10 The first ever All Blacks media liaison officer
31.19 Inside the All Blacks camp
36.03 Jonah Lomu and the 1995 Rugby World Cup
41.18 The original All of Nothing series: The Good, the Bad and the Rugby
45.24 The origins of Sports Café: “…after being the media liaison officer everyone hated me…”
50.09 The genius of Leigh Hart
58.03 The perfect end of Sports Café and the brief return in 2008
1.01.00 Sugar Shack: “one of the most important things I’ve ever done”
1.03.43 Going behind the camera with The Crowd Goes Wild and letting go
1.08.14 Last words from Steven, Seamus and Ric

Good questions. Great guests. Few beers... Steve and Seamus like asking good questions. And they love good answers. After over 20 years of friendship, they bought a microphone and started a podcast, allowing them to sit with, and learn from, the most interesting people they can access.

From Kiwi legend Marc Ellis, to media personalities Jeremy Wells and Paddy Gower, Rugby coach extraordinaire Wayne Smith, sexologist Morgan Penn, and Olympian Dame Lisa Carrington...  Between Two Beers has produced countless hours of incredible stories, career highs, lows and moments of raw vulnerability. And it’s only the beginning.

iHeartRadio NZ Podcast Network

Good questions. Great guests. Few beers... Steve and Seamus like asking good questions. And they love good answers. After over 20 years of friendship, they bought a microphone and started a podcast, allowing them to sit with, and learn from, the most interesting people they can access.
From Kiwi legend Marc Ellis, to media personalities Jeremy Wells and Paddy Gower, Rugby coach extraordinaire Wayne Smith, sexologist Morgan Penn, and Olympian Dame Lisa Carrington...  Between Two Beers has produced countless hours of incredible stories, career highs, lows and moments of raw vulnerability. And it’s only the beginning.
iHeartRadio NZ Podcast Network

Good questions. Great guests. Few beers....

Between Two Beers Podcast

Good questions. Great guests. Few beers... Steve and Seamus like asking good questions. And they love good answers. After over 20 years of friendship, they bought a microphone and started a podcast; allowing them to sit with, and learn from, the most interesting people they can access. 

From Kiwi legend Marc Ellis, to media personalities Jeremy Wells and Paddy Gower, Rugby coach extraordinaire Wayne Smith, sexologist Morgan Penn, and Olympian Dame Lisa Carrington...  Between Two Beers has produced countless hours of incredible stories, career highs, lows and moments of raw vulnerability. And it’s only the beginning.

Good questions. Great guests. Few beers... Steve and Seamus like asking good questions. And they love good answers. After over 20 years of friendship, they bought a microphone and started a podcast; allowing them to sit with, and learn from, the most interesting people they can access. From Kiwi legend Marc Ellis, to media personalities Jeremy Wells and Paddy Gower, Rugby coach extraordinaire Wayne Smith, sexologist Morgan Penn, and Olympian Dame Lisa Carrington...  Between Two Beers has produced countless hours of incredible stories, career highs, lows and moments of raw vulnerability. And it’s only the beginning.

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