Commentator Greg Clark refrains from obscenities while calling kung-fu kick on his son
MOST dad would lose their cool if their child was kicked in the face, but Super Rugby commentator Greg Clark had 47,000 viewers listening to his every word.
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HE is only the Aussie Dad who has to watch his son get kicked in the face during a game of footy but can’t swear about it. Or at least not out loud.
Veteran Fox Sports rugby commentator Greg Clark won praise for his composure last weekend as he called the crucial moment of the Waratahs’ win against the Highlanders.
The Highlanders’ winger Tevita Nabura was red-carded for kicking out a leg as he caught a high ball, which saw his boot connect with the chasing Waratahs’ winger.
The winger’s name? Cameron Clark, Greg’s son.
“It’s actually not the first time I have called a game where it looked like he might have been injured,” Clark told us.
“I just try to treat him like any other player, and when I saw him go on with the tackle, I knew it wasn’t bad. I haven’t yet been in a situation where he has been knocked out or anything, thankfully.”
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Greg and Cameron sat down and talked about how they’d deal with the father-son dynamic when Cam first made the Aussie sevens team, on a world circuit where Greg often calls games. Keen to not make it a thing, the Clarks have turned numerous requests (mostly from us) for a picture and story together.
“I don’t want to come across as if I am emotionless or anything but I guess I just try to do the job as professionally as possible, and be neutral and so on, as you always should,” Clark said.
No doubt it’s a tough spot. Poor old Cam probably even ends up with less hype than others, even when its justified. His form has been excellent this year and the chase-down tackle of Rieko Ioane at Brookvale Oval was a highlight-reel play for the season.
CASTLE PROTECTS RELATIONSHIP
RA BOSS Raelene Castle moved to hose down tensions with broadcaster Fox Sports on Thursday after a media report critical of the Aussie pay-TV company’s rugby coverage ruffled some high-powered feathers.
A Fairfax report quoted oft-quoted media consultant Colin Smith as saying Foxtel had taken its “hands off the tiller” of rugby, and suggested the broadcaster was responsible for some of the code’s recent struggles.
That went down like a lead balloon at Foxtel and Fox Sports, and at a delicate time, too, with RA and SANZAAR seeking advice from broadcasters about their best options to revitalise Super Rugby.
“The issues that rugby faces are issues for those who run the game, and that is not us,” Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany said.
“Fox Sports is a broadcaster. We do not run sports. To suggest we should grab anyone else’s tiller is inappropriate. We are here to support our partners and will of course, respond if asked for advice.”
Castle distanced RA from the views of Smith, telling us they were “very fortunate” to have Fox Sports as a partner.
“Fox Sports is our most important partner and they will be significantly involved in the discussions for the evolution of the Super Rugby competition as we move towards 2021,” Castle said.
“We have a strong working relationship with Fox Sports which includes the delivery of all Wallabies Test matches, Super Rugby, NRC, Super W and Sydney 7s.
“They are a world class broadcaster and provide support across many aspects of our business. We are very fortunate to have a broadcast partner that is committed to work with us to drive interest and engagement in the game.”
STILL HAUNTED AFTER 11 YEARS
CANDICE Warner is sorry that Sonny Bill Williams was dragged into the ugly cricket scandal that led to her husband David Warner being banned from the game for ball-tampering in South Africa.
Falzon and Williams were involved in an infamous tryst in the toilets of a Coogee pub 11 years ago, yet both continue to be haunted by the incident to this day.
To get under Warner’s skin, uncouth South African supporters wore Sonny Bill masks during the Test series to remind the former Australian vice-captain of his wife’s past.
It was devastating for the Warners and Williams, who has his own family and wants to leave his past misdemeanours behind him.
The All Blacks star is close friends with several South African cricketers and is comfortable that their players weren’t encouraging the actions of the supporters in question.
Two Cricket South Africa officials were sacked after posing for photos with fans wearing the masks.
Mrs Warner told the Australian Women’s Weekly: “I finally received a weak apology from Cricket South Africa. I realised they’re the ones to feel ashamed, not me. I’d like to extend that apology to Sonny Bill. He’s a husband and father, so imagine how his wife would feel and his kids.”
HOLY TRINITY SINKS ST JOSEPH’S
IT was a losing stretch far longer than the Bledisloe Cup.
Trinity Grammar hadn’t beaten GPS powerhouse St Joseph’s since 1990 - before Wallabies captain Michael Hooper was born.
Then last Saturday, the two schools locked horns. With the game in the balance at 19-all and the siren about to sound, a penalty was awarded to Trinity 40 metres out from the posts.
Up steps Tane Edmed - son of former Balmain Tigers legend Steve Edmed - to take a shot at history.
He strikes it perfectly, the ball sails over the bar, and Trinity win 22-19.
The longest of losing streaks was finally broken, and they’re still celebrating.
YOU MUST BE YOLKING!
YET another great story from the northern beaches derby last week, as told by the Mayor of the Manly Daily Jon Geddes.
After Manly lost heavily to Sydney Uni the week before their clash with premiers Warringah, coach Brian Melrose gave each player an egg and signed it.
“And they had to care for it all week,” Melrose said.
Training, work, home, the whole lot. The idea was that after a defeat where Melrose believed they didn’t show enough care for the jersey and the team, he challenged the players to show they could care for something all week.
“A few blokes broke them and the only way to get on the field was to get another egg and get me to sign it,” Melrose said.
One minute before taking the field for the battle of the beaches, the players were told to put them back into the carton. The Marlins went on to win the game 34-24.
“It wasn’t about the egg, it was about the symbol of caring what you stand for,” Melrose said.
ZIP IT, SOWIE WAAAAAHHHH
FORMER NRL player Jamie Soward chipped rugby on the Backpage Live this week when they showed footage of Tony Abbot skolling a beer on the Manly Oval hill.
“That just sums up rugby union at the moment, they’re more happy about him skolling a beer,” Soward said.
More happy than what Jamie? The footy? The atmosphere? The weather?
Surely you don’t mean the Manly-Rats derby - in little old club rugby - that has now drawn a crowd of over 5000 people for the last six fixtures?
SEVENS EXCITES
SEVENS star Maurice Longbottom believes the touch version of the game will unearth many champion players who ordinarily would choose league as their first footy code.
Longbottom grew up playing league and was in South Sydney’s junior side before he made the switch to rugby sevens, quickly becoming one of the hottest prospects on the world stage.
“I couldn’t watch rugby growing up, I thought it was boring,” Longbottom said.
“It only took me one game of sevens to realise how exciting it and fast it is.”
Longbottom has been signed as an ambassador for Foxtel Touch 7s, a program designed to introduce children to rugby.
At the end of last year 8000 had signed up to play. Midway through 2018, there are already 7000 players and the expected growth will be key to taking on the rival rugby code for emerging talent.
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Originally published as Commentator Greg Clark refrains from obscenities while calling kung-fu kick on his son
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