Riccardo Michele Salizzo ONZM is a New Zealand journalist, television presenter, and producer, widely recognised for producing and presenting the iconic sports chat show SportsCafe and for his executive production work on the sports current affairs show The Crowd Goes Wild.
Ric began his career as a newsreader at Tauranga's Radio 1XX before taking on several newsreading roles 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, a role later dramatised in a TV3 docudrama.
In 1996, Ric launched SportsCafe through his new production company, Leftfield, with initial sponsorship from the TAB. The 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 early appearances by comedian Rhys Darby and the duo 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 highly successful, with Ric serving as executive producer and occasional presenter.
Beyond television, Ric has been involved in various ventures. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Auckland Blues and engaged in consultancy work, advertising, and public speaking. He contributed to 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 SportsCafe 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 keynote is designed to unlock creativity in you and your team. Ric shares insights from a career spent turning ideas into reality across books, television, video, and professional sport. He explores the challenges faced, the lessons learned, and the mindset required to bring concepts to life. Some ideas became household successes, others taught invaluable lessons about resilience and innovation.Creativity: How to Make Your Ideas Real
Key Takeaways
- How to identify and nurture creative ideas in any environment
- Practical strategies for overcoming obstacles and turning concepts into reality
- Lessons from successes and failures that drive innovation and growth
- How to build a culture that encourages creativity and collaboration
MC & Host
Ric brings a relaxed, humorous style to his role as MC. With decades of experience hosting unscripted television, he is comfortable ad-libbing and engaging audiences in real time.MC & Host
Ric combines sharp wit with warmth, ensuring events flow seamlessly while keeping audiences entertained and connected. His ability to make people laugh, think, and feel at ease makes him an ideal choice for conferences, awards nights, and corporate gatherings.
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
Ric was a pleasure and delight to work with, professional, engaging with the right amount of humour. Look forward to working with him again!
