Riccardo Michele Salizzo ONZM (born 22 July 1962) is a New Zealand journalist, television presenter, and producer, widely recognized for his role in producing and presenting the iconic sports chat show SportsCafe and for his executive production work on the sports current events show The Crowd Goes Wild.
Ric began his career as a newsreader at Tauranga's Radio 1XX before taking on several newsreading positions at private radio stations. He then moved to London to work at a radio news agency. Returning to New Zealand in 1986, he joined TVNZ's One News sports reporting team and soon became a prominent sports news presenter. During this period, Ric co-founded Pasta Productions with All Black Sir John Kirwan, producing several successful documentaries about the All Blacks, including The Good, The Bad and the Rugby. He also served as the All Blacks Media Liaison Officer, managing media relations for rising star Jonah Lomu, which was dramatized in a TV3 docudrama.
In 1996, Ric launched SportsCafe through his new production company, Leftfield, with initial sponsorship from the TAB. This show became a defining moment in his career, bringing him fame and recognition as both producer and presenter. SportsCafe's success led to Ric part-owning a restaurant and bar complex on Auckland's Princes Wharf. After the initial run of SportsCafe ended in 2005, he launched The Sugar Shack on TV3, which featured an early appearance by comedian Rhys Darby and an early TV show appearance of Flight of the Conchords. SportsCafe returned in 2008 and again in 2011 for a series of live-streamed episodes in partnership with Telecom.
In 2006, Ric developed The Crowd Goes Wild, a sports news show for SKY Network Television's free-to-air channel Prime. The show has been successful, with Ric serving as executive producer and occasional presenter.
Beyond television, Ric has been involved in various other ventures. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Auckland Blues and engaged in consultancy work, advertising, and public speaking. He played a role in the production of Fred Dagg's 1998 chart-topping song "We Don't Know How Lucky We Are" and appeared in the music video for Neil Finn's 1999 Rugby World Cup anthem "Can You Hear Us". Ric also authored and conducted interviews for the best-selling book I Know This to be True, which was accompanied by a top-rated documentary.
In recent years, Ric has been active in the United States, first in Austin, Texas, as part of the startup community, and then in New York City, where he served as CEO of the city's professional rugby team, leading them to win the Major League Rugby title in 2022. During the 2023 Rugby World Cup, he worked with the All Blacks on a daily online show as part of Silver Lake's investment in NZ Rugby.
Ric's latest venture involves reprising TAB Sports Cafe as a podcast and YouTube show, bringing the beloved format to a new digital audience.
In the 2021 Queen's Birthday Honours, Ric was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to sports media.
Talking Points
Creativity How to make your ideas real.
This speech is designed to unlock the creativity in you and the people around you . Ric goes through hiscareer and talks of the challenges overcome and the lessons learned as hes brought countless ideas to life .Books, Videos, TV shows and Rugby Teams. Some of them have worked and some of them taught valuable This speech is designed to unlock the creativity in you and the people around you . Ric goes through hiscareer and talks of the challenges overcome and the lessons learned as hes brought countless ideas to life .Books, Videos, TV shows and Rugby Teams. Some of them have worked and some of them taught valuable
Creativity How to make your ideas real.
Ric was perfect for our function, he was humorous, and engaging with the group, and he had a great balance of talking about his past experiences and relating this to the current environment. ... keep reading Bus & Coach Association New Zealand
