Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Hey guys, welcome to another episode of the Waterland Podcast presented to you by Betcha and here's a little sample of what's about to come in this episode.
Chapter 2: What inspired Jeff McTainsh to pursue a career in rugby commentary?
You dream about becoming an All Black or representing the Highlanders or playing for Otago but that obviously wasn't the path, calling games off the telly in the lounge and so I started to think, you know, how could I potentially get a crack? So it was actually a Will Jordan try for the Crusaders and I thought... I'll just chuck my voice down on this and send it to the boss and see what happens.
So I think that same year in 2020, I started calling MPC. I looked down and it was a text from the boss and it was, call me. And he said, you need to get to Eden Park. I thought I was just going to be there on standby in a safety capacity, but as it turned out, I needed to be in the hot seat.
Chapter 3: How did Jeff McTainsh land his first commentary gig?
The lights dimming on Eden Park and looking out at just this complete packed sea of black was just... was just unreal. You know, it wasn't until later that I realized, kind of dawned on me a bit, mate, just how big that test was.
Well, today I'm joined by a man who is quickly becoming the voice of rugby union in this country.
Chapter 4: What is the preparation process for rugby commentators?
He now sits as one of the leading commentators in the game, calling some of the biggest games on offer with the perfect blend of energy and accuracy. But like plenty of the best broadcasters, the path wasn't an overnight success. He spent years working through radio, journalism, even the TV news.
He's also covered three Olympic Games and he's continually built his craft to becoming one of the most trusted voices in New Zealand sport. On top of all that, he's also a massive lad who everyone speaks extremely highly of. It is, of course, the great Jeff McTainch.
What an intro, mate. What an intro.
Chapter 5: How does Jeff McTainsh handle player pronunciations during commentary?
We're done, I think. We're done. Yeah. I nailed the last name. You nailed it. You got the last name perfect. Not everyone does. So thank you for doing your homework.
What are the ones? you usually get?
Chapter 6: What are some memorable moments Jeff experienced while commentating?
Oh, mate, I've had all sorts. McTanish is probably the one you get most. Yeah, that's probably what I've been guilty of calling you. McTanish, yeah. McTavish, sometimes they throw a G in there. McTaggart. McTaggart, that's a bolter. It's a tough one, but the way I describe it, and so people remember, is think Tane Randall.
Chapter 7: How has Jeff's fitness journey impacted his life and career?
Tane, that's in there. So it's Mc, Tane, and then sh.
Tane, sh. Yeah. Where's that sort of... So it's obviously we hail from Scotland.
Oh, it's Scottish. Scottish. I tried to do a bit of digging around it, mate, to be honest, and to find out exactly where we were, what tartan we could wear, all that type of thing. But given that the Scots weren't the most literate, like fairly illiterate, you know, there was a bit lost in translation at times when we came to New Zealand. So the name got changed a bit.
So I couldn't exactly lock it down when I went overseas to Scotland to find out where we hailed from. But it's in and around Edinburgh somewhere.
Chapter 8: What insights does Jeff have about the future of rugby commentary?
So I suppose if I'm ever over there, we support Edinburgh.
Yeah, your parents are Scottish, are they?
No, my great-grandparents. Oh, great-grandparents, oh yeah.
So you were born in New Zealand, Dunedin.
Born in Dunedin on the East Coast, grew up there over in a suburb called Waverley. Oh yeah. So that's where we grew up. And yeah, primary school in Dunedin, went to Bayfield High School, John McGlashan College for intermediate, and I was around Dunedin until I was about 20 years of age, and then
popped up to Christchurch to broadcasting school but certainly the stomping grounds are down there, blue and gold in the veins and that's obviously where I got introduced to footy and sort of got the bug as well.
Did you play footy from a young age or was that always a sort of a dream of yours to get into it?
I think like most kids, you want to see how far you can go with rugby. I remember getting introduced to it around the age of sort of six or seven, like most kids at Pirates Rugby Club. Dad took me along there and signed me up. And yeah, so Pirates out by the beach was the club and it's sort of where I fell in love with the game.
Played juniors there, and then I went to Johnny's for intermediate, bit of rugby there, and then it was Bayfield High School where I played first. Not exactly renowned for footy, Bayfield for rugby at least, but it was great to play some code there. And as I left school, a bit more cults at Pirates. So that's kind of where I guess the footy side of it playing.
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