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One of the joys of watching the Rugby World Cup is being exposed to different commentary. It provides a fresh perspective on the game and makes you realise the shortcomings of the callers you listen to regularly.
Commentating a game of rugby (and I speak with some experience here) is not easy. The game is played at a high speed, has regular stoppages, technical rules and a demanding audience.
Who you like and dislike is ultimately very subjective.
But if any rugby commentator should have a role model, Gordon Bray would surely rank high on the list.
Growing up in New Zealand, I first became aware of Gordon’s commentaries in the early 2000s after attaining pay television and watching Wallabies Tests on a frequent basis.
I liked Gordon straight away, but when the TV rights situation changed in Australia he vanished from my universe.
Recently he has resurfaced on the foreign feeds – and what a treat.
There are several things that separate Gordon from his peers.
His unique voice, for a start, is a real asset. It’s not viciously nasal like a lot of Australian voices, it’s kind of soothing, and sounds authoritative and excitable without being too pitchy.
Gordon doesn’t scream hysterically like some commentators (Justin Marshall take note). At the end of the Japan versus South Africa game – which was easily the most exciting moment of the tournament – he simply said, “Your eyes have seen the glory!” A very succinct and eloquent line that captured the moment perfectly.
Gordon is not biased. He doesn’t fawn over the Wallabies like the Sky commentators in New Zealand fawn over the All Blacks. He acknowledges excellence and error from both teams in a balanced fashion.
He explains the rules very clearly and the fact that he is a Level 2 qualified referee helps this. A lot of commentators are quick to jump on the backs of the referees when they actually don’t know what they are talking about.
He doesn’t over-talk and uses silence as an effect, which is powerful on TV. He rarely ventures into over-abused clichés.
But the most impressive feature of Gordon’s commentary is the insight he provides into the players and his quick wit. Listening to Gordon commentate a game is an education. He personalises the participants, makes them relevant.
When Fiji played Uruguay and Uruguay came out on the field, he went through the occupations of the players rather than merely saying, “Here comes Uruguay.” This immediately provided a context to the magnitude of the challenge facing Uruguay.
What about this line on Japan’s Amanaki Mafi?
“There’s Mafi; he’s the 15th of 16 kids in his family!”
And when there was a huge pile-up for the TMO to sort out, “Hey! Where’s Clark Kent when you need him?”
When Australia played Wales, he set the scene by explaining the colourful history of Twickenham, saying something along the lines of, “The former cabbage patch has been the home of rugby for over a century. A great theatre, it hosted the 1991 World Cup final won by Australia. Twickenham has hosted U2 and the Rolling Stones. It’s even hosted the Jehovah Witnesses.”
Gordon adds to the picture and enhances the enjoyment of the game without becoming bigger than the game like some commentators’ egos do.
Gordon Bray is a commentator for the big occasions.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.