Rugby Royalty, Done Right: A Night with the Centurions in Cape Town

There are some events where you arrive with high expectations and leave disappointed. And then there are those occasions that remind you just how powerful a beautifully conceived and executed event can be.

Last night at Zeitz MOCAA was one of those occasions.

Having spent much of my working life in the entertainment and events industry, I know how easily an evening built around sporting legends can become overproduced or even a little tacky.

An Evening with the Centurions, hosted by Peregrine Capital, was anything but that.

It was classy, warm, intelligent and, most importantly, understood the gravitas of the occasion.

Here we were in Cape Town, in the middle of rugby’s greatest rivalry, with six Springbok Centurions Percy Montgomery, John Smit, Victor Matfield, Bryan Habana, Jean de Villiers and Willie le Roux alongside two of the greatest All Blacks of all time, Richie McCaw and Dan Carter.

McCaw played 148 Tests and captained New Zealand to back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles, while Carter earned 112 caps.

The two played 96 Tests together at the heart of one of the most dominant All Black teams ever assembled.

For a lifelong rugby supporter, you don’t need much more than that.

But what impressed me was how Peregrine Capital used the entire Zeitz MOCAA venue to create an experience rather than simply put on a function.

From drinks, food and interviews on the rooftop through to the main production downstairs, there was a wonderful flow to the evening.

And a special word about the media experience.

Too often at major events the media are invited along and then treated almost as spare parts. Last night was exactly the opposite.

It was great to be part of a strong media contingent that included people such as Vata Ngobeni, John Goliath, Jon Cardinelli, Herman Gibbs and Warren Kirkland.

We were made to feel integral to the occasion.

We were beautifully fed and watered, but more importantly, we were given proper access to the rugby greats and enough time to have meaningful conversations rather than simply grab a rushed quote or photograph. That access had been part of the promise to media from the outset, and Peregrine delivered on it.

And what struck me again is just how articulate these great rugby players are.

Bryan Habana was my pick of the bunch.

He is an exceptional communicator: thoughtful, funny, engaging and able to move beyond the obvious rugby answers.

Dan Carter and Richie McCaw were a short head behind, to borrow a horse-racing term.

McCaw in particular carries that quiet authority that perhaps explains why he achieved everything he did. There is no need for him to announce his greatness. It is simply there.

The choice of Jim Hamilton as host was also inspired.

A former Scotland international who understands the dressing room, Hamilton knows how to get rugby players talking. He brought humour, knowledge and enough irreverence to encourage the Centurions to move beyond the standard press-conference answers. The conversations were filmed as part of a series for SuperSport, exactly the sort of deeper rugby storytelling the evening was designed to produce.

There was also substance beyond the glamour.

The evening raised R500,000 for charity, split between the Chris Burger Petro Jackson Players’ Fund and Get Into Rugby South Africa. That gave an already special occasion an additional sense of purpose.

What I liked most, though, was that Peregrine Capital understood its opportunity.

Bringing these Springbok and All Black Centurions together during Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry could easily have become simply another corporate event with famous people in the room.

Instead, they seized the moment and created something memorable.

The concept of the Centurions is powerful because reaching 100 Tests is about far more than talent. It speaks to resilience, discipline, consistency, professionalism and the ability to perform year after year.

The original invitation summed it up beautifully:

“What lasts is shaped by what you do consistently.”

That applies to rugby. It applies to business. And after more than four decades around music, media and events, I would argue it applies equally to the entertainment industry.

Talent may open the door.

Consistency is what keeps you in the room.

Peregrine Capital did a superb job.

Kudos to everyone involved. They recognised the importance of the occasion, understood the history and emotion attached to Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, and put on a damn fine event.

And sometimes it is worth simply saying that.

Martin Myers

Martin Myers hosts The Business of Entertainment on CapeTalk, every Thursday at 9pm, with a rebroadcast on Sunday at 9pm.