Kane Williamson: Black Cap unveils new business venture

0:00You're listening to the Weekend Sport Podcast with Jason Fein from News Talks at B We're going to talk with the goat of New Zealand cricket and I can say that because I believe it is true And he's involved now in a new business venture Kane Williamson's decided to release a new piece of Protective cricket equipment. You know exactly what I'm talking about. It's a box. Kane Williamson joins the program at now afternoon. How are you Kane? I'm good. Thanks. Good to chat. How are you? Yeah, and I'm good. It's great to have you on board as well And look we're going to be talking now about this new box that you have helped design and Create. I best not tell people about it because I don't know Lay it on the line. Kane, what have you been doing? What is this? Yeah, well, that's basically it. We've been designing, developing a growing

1:00Guard harness system. It's been five years in the making and I mean the origin stories probably you might remember I certainly do which was getting hit in that region by Dale Stain about 14 years ago and sort of splitting my box in half and then sort of going on the journey of getting hit a few more times and other people that I know and cricket getting hit and getting sort of quite severely injured and kind of thinking there's got to be something out there that can make the demands and the standards of the highest level and so that's kind of how it started and then went from an idea to then meeting with a developer and really sort of trying to come up with something that would work and that's been our journey and we're now here today ready to launch the product which is a really exciting moment for us as a business and the business is called Cover and so yeah, it's quite a big moment for us.

2:05Maybe St. London Dale Stain because he was the guy who split your box in half in the first place. Yeah, he's actually sent a video through he remembers it as well. He not only split it in half but he made sure he let me know as well that he was going to try and hurt me out so hopefully this will help in the future if he comes at me again. But no, it's yeah, it's been a really exciting journey and a new space for me personally which is the business area, you know, a small startup with a big vision and an ambition to kind of modernise sporting equipment and really try and take it to another level and so this is the start of it. Have you put it on and had someone fire a ball at you out of a cannon to make sure it works? We're looking for people to test it if you put your hand up. No, look, we've done a whole lot of testing. We had to build different testing rigs because it was quite

3:06hard to do it accurately with equipment that was out there so it was really quite specific, different angles trying to work out all the different failure modes and obviously the the quality of the box, you know, taking the impact is one of those but making sure that it's held in place by, you know, a really supportive and comfortable harness system is also, you know, key to that and so it has been a few of us wearing it in the international game for the last kind of six months or so. So yeah, we've really gone through quite a rigorous process to make sure that it's really what makes me laugh that boxes have been invoked for over a hundred years but we only just worked out. We needed a helmet shows what men find important. It's the Johnson or the Brains and finally it's their Johnson. Yeah, anyway, don't move on. I think I can work out for what you just said. Yeah, that's right. I mean, we're quick to really try and develop the helmet that any, any mention that there's some humor involved when other people get hit in this region,

4:09but certainly when it's you, that's not the case. And in fact, doing a lot of research about it, you ask anybody in terms of what they value protecting and the helmet is right up there being placed in second place is the groin region. So, you know, it's sort of made a lot of sense in a big gap in the market with the existing standards, it's been, you know, about 50 something kilometres an hour with a drop test, which clearly for the elite level, but the not only that that which implies getting hit at high speeds, but also spinners can cause, you know, injury as well and we saw that with a couple of my, you know, real injury that needed surgery and other things to come back from. So, yeah, it's been a real journey. Outside of protecting Mr. Happy, you said you've been wearing your box, you've been playing as well. What's your future looking like at the moment? Can't not wear a heading. What have you got locked in over the next six months to a year? Yeah, so I mean, I have been playing a lot obviously about the home summer here where we

5:14finished with a 10 series and then went straight over to South Africa and played in that tournament over there, the S820 and from there for a quick trip to Bangladesh and I come home and having a little bit of a break before IPL and then on the horizon of the England test series over there in June. So, a bit going on, but nice to have a little bit of the quiet period and focus on a few of other bits and pieces and cover being, you know, one of those things. I know the lot of the fans and I include myself as one of those. We've missed home games haven't really played since what December. What do you think the future is looking like as far as playing at home? There's all sorts of discussion going on around where the future lies with New Zealand cricket. Play me going to play a part of that, whatever aspect it is, but how do you think it's tracking at the moment? Do you think it's working and going in the right direction with people involved at a higher level? Look, I think it has to be the focus. There are obvious challenges at the moment and I think when

6:17you finish a world event, there's always a few things that can be a bit frustrating with but, you know, a bilateral series coming up which, you know, against South Africa, so there's a bit of content there, but I know that there's a big focus to trying to keep the international bilateral cricket relevant and play some context on it. So, there's a shortage of cricket, but it's that constant sort of grapple with how everything fits with franchise space, international space and amongst world events. So, look, I know that is the conversations that are ongoing and they're trying to come up and move, but it's the challenge. Have you got any involvement of these conversations that are going to go, can you quite handy? What are you reckon? Oh, and formally, the odd conversation and, you know, a little bit through, perhaps the players association, but there's a lot of moving parts at the moment, which I'm sure you're aware of,

7:19and so they're looking to sort that out, I suppose, and then get onto some of these pressing topics. Yeah, in essence, I think there has to be an international programme put in place with possibly window, so we know when we're playing, and then the guys can go off and play franchise cricket. Does that seem like the correct shape if it can get organised in your opinion? Yeah, I think it needs space, so then whatever cricket is on, it's prioritised at the moment. There's just so many clashes, you know, of cricket, and it makes, I think, fans and people want it to watch, it makes it a bit complex, so I know that's the focus, it's tough, there's a lot of challenges, you know, amongst different nations, and some wanting to play others more, etc, and yeah, so I think you're right, and some respects it's trying to find windows where, you know, the priorities where you are, which is, you know, the international game, and not having to kind of

8:22have this situation where, you know, you don't have your players available, and I know that's been probably a little bit frustrating in recent times, but something that we hope to sort, but, you know, there's a lot of other people that have a lot of power in shaping that picture. Do you have a question, sorry to ask? No, dramas, eight, so do you have a preference around what format the franchise cricket takes in New Zealand, because there's big discussions around four different formats, no one knows where it stands. Do you lean in a particular direction around this? In which format? Yeah, either the NZ 20 or the Super Smash, or carrying on a big batch. I think the NZ 20 is a super exciting prospect, and I think it'll be fantastic for the game and in our country, and, you know, we're probably the last, I think we are, the last international country to international playing nation, really, to have our own franchise competition, which kind of

9:22gives it, you know, its own energy, and I think it'll be fantastic to have a domestic competition, in our own country that could get some great support, and I think it'll be great for fans as well, so let's see, there's a bit going on. Can I quickly squeeze in last one? What have you made of the black caps, failing again at the final, hurdle G, it's frustrating, isn't it, Kane? Yeah, look, I thought they were outstanding throughout that competition. I really thought, you know, they played in all the different conditions that you might expect in two different countries, in India, and then in Sri Lanka, and they had a clear pattern with how they wanted to do it, and that was to go with the, you know, the stronger sort of depth in their batting, and I really think it paid off, and they sort of elevated, I thought, their performance throughout, and then to go into a semi, and in achieve what they did there, it was magnificent,

10:23to meet the juggernaut of India on a good day for India, is an incredibly tough assignment for anyone, and frustrating that I guess that happened to be the case. I mean, they are, they did go into the tournament as favourites, and when they played at their full potential, that is the case, and they managed to do that in the semi-final and the final, you know, scoring 250 plus, and both of those games, it's from their perspective, they couldn't have done it any more perfectly, so, from our perspective, very frustrating, but we continue to put ourselves in the right parts of competitions, and I've got no doubt that there's a great pathway there that the team keeps improving, they keep slightly adjusting their style of cricket to take on the world, and that's what we saw. Yeah, I know, it's not ideal, but our time will come, and it's great to see where we're heading. I believe it as well, I tell you what, thanks so much for your time, Kane Williams, and for that, you can strap a box on me and fire a cannon at me, and I'll take the hit for you, bro, thank you.

11:28I don't, I'm just waiting, Darcy signed up for testing as well. Thanks mate. I may live to regret that we will see, it is 20 minutes after one Sunday afternoon, Kane Williamson. For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Pine, listen live to News Talk ZB, Weekends from Midday, or follow the podcast on iHardRadio.