Sam Lane is one of NZs very best hockey players and an absolute lad! He is 100+ gamer for the New Zealand Black Sticks, two-time Olympian, captain and full-time financial advisor… somehow all at once. His journey is one of the most unbelievable combinations of talent, tragedy, resilience and pure Kiwi grit you’ll hear. This episode has everything — the brutal reality of playing for a national team with almost no funding, a run of injuries that would end most careers, the inspirational comeback t...
Nov 26, 2025•1 hr 23 min•Season 6Ep. 298
Freedom Vaha'akaolo’s story is one of the wildest and most emotional you’ll ever hear. He is one incredibly talented rugby player who certainly didn't take the typical pathway. From the age of just 11 years old he was homeless, eating from trash cans, and learning how to survive. Years later, he was scoring tries for Otago using his speed and power which earned him a spot with the Highlanders. During that time he was involved in a cruel catfish scam almost ended it all. In this episode, Freedom ...
Nov 19, 2025•1 hr 35 min•Season 6Ep. 297
Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens is one of the most electric players in New Zealand rugby! A proud Taranaki man, who went from Blues prospect to a Highlanders star as his story takes a wild turn when a routine game left him with a fractured neck! What followed is a powerful story of perspective, gratitude, and rediscovering his love for the game. Jacob’s honesty and maturity in this chat is incredible and the way he speaks about identity, family and resilience is seriously inspiring. Some parts tha...
Nov 12, 2025•1 hr 22 min•Season 6Ep. 296
Two absolute lads on one outrageous mission. Alex and Ben decided they wanted to do something that would really push them to their limits for Movember so became the first ever to walk across New Zealand in a straight line. What followed was six days of chaos: rafting rivers in a leaking dinghy, crawling through blackberry, dodging bulls, and getting zapped by electric fences, all to raise money and awareness for men’s health. In this episode they open up about around the challenges they have fac...
Nov 05, 2025•51 min•Season 6Ep. 295
Steve Devine is one of the toughest men to ever pull on a rugby jersey. A proud Aussie who moved over to NZ for an opportunity with Auckland, where he quickly made NZ home. Where the fearless competitive halfback played a huge part in Auckland and the Blues success. From that came an his chance to wear the All Black jersey which he managed to do 10 times. But behind that toughness was a brutal reality, years of repeated head knocks that left him battling crippling migraines, light sensitivity, a...
Oct 29, 2025•1 hr 16 min•Season 6Ep. 294
Tom Christie is one of the toughest workhorses in New Zealand rugby. In this episode the multiple Super Rugby champion opens up on leadership, injuries, and why he’s leaving the Crusaders to chase a new challenge with Newcastle’s Red Bulls. From captaining the NZ U20s to battling setbacks and rediscovering his love for the game, this is Tom Christie like you’ve never heard him before. In this episode we chat about... How he learnt to tackle as a young fella What it meant leading the NZ U20s side...
Oct 22, 2025•1 hr 15 min•Season 6Ep. 293
Mitchell Scott was one of the most talented outside backs in New Zealand rugby, electric pace, unreal footwork, and a try-scoring instinct few could match. But behind the highlight reels was a rollercoaster journey through tragedy, addiction, injuries, and redemption. From losing his father at just three years old, to wearing an ankle bracelet just months before representing New Zealand U20s in one of the greatest teams ever assembled. Mitch’s story is raw, honest and full of lessons. In this ep...
Oct 15, 2025•1 hr 21 min•Season 6Ep. 292
Jacob Ellison is one of Wellington’s great unsung heroes – a tough, mobile front-rower who gave absolutely everything every time he pulled on a jersey. From the Wellington Lions and Hurricanes to the Highlanders, the Māori All Blacks and several seasons in Japan, Jacob built a reputation as the ultimate team man. But this chat is about far more than scrums. Jacob opens up about his remarkable life: His unusual pathway from the wing to the front row The shift from Hurricanes to Highlanders and li...
Oct 08, 2025•1 hr 30 min•Season 6Ep. 291
Kylem O’Donnell is a lad who has truly lived the highs and lows of chasing the rugby dream. From starring at Hamilton Boys’ High to winning an NPC title with Taranaki and travelling the world with the All Blacks Sevens, he looked destined for it all. But behind the speed, fitness and flair, Kylem’s story is one of setbacks, mental battles, and resilience. In this episode he opens up like never before from the challenge of dealing with injuries and non-selection, to a being on the receiving end o...
Oct 01, 2025•1 hr 47 min•Season 6Ep. 290
Mark Hammett has done it all in the game. With 81 games for the Crusaders, 4 Super Rugby titles, 29 Tests for the All Blacks and now a spot in the Crusaders Hall of Fame, Hammer’s rugby journey is an incredible one. Add in a coaching career that’s taken him from the Crusaders, Hurricanes, Cardiff Blues, Sunwolves, Tasman and Highlanders, the influence he has had on each side has been huge! In this episode we dive into his remarkable journey: from a soccer player, to the early days of professiona...
Sep 24, 2025•1 hr 38 min•Season 6Ep. 289
Will Genia is one of the all-time great halfbacks and after this conversation I'm sure you'll understand why. With over 100 Tests for the Wallabies, a Super Rugby title with the Reds and stints with the Rebels, Stade Francais and the Kintetsu Liners Will had a bit of everything in his career! In this episode we dive into his remarkable journey: from growing up in Papua New Guinea where he dreamt of becoming a cricketer, to falling in love with Rugby and the insane work ethic that took him from C...
Sep 17, 2025•1 hr 26 min•Season 6Ep. 288
In this powerful episode I’m joined by Holly Parkes, someone who lived through the reality of caring for Shane Christie in his final years. Holly has bravely come on the podcast not for herself, but to continue Shane’s mission, to shine a light on the devastating impact of brain injuries and to give others a clearer understanding of what life with CTE really looks like. She opens up about what it was like supporting Shane day-to-day, the heartbreaking changes she witnessed, and the strength it t...
Sep 10, 2025•1 hr 49 min•Season 6Ep. 287
Du’Plessis Kirifi has had one of the more inspiring journeys to the top and is one heck of lad to top it off. From growing up in Taranaki and spending part of his childhood in Samoa, to working three jobs while chasing his rugby dream, Dups has had anything but a straight road to the top. He opens up on the setbacks that shaped him — missing out on NZ U20s after being told he was “good enough but a bit of a dickhead”, the grind of trying to pack on size when everyone said he was too small, and t...
Sep 03, 2025•1 hr 34 min•Season 6Ep. 286
The latest Western Force signing George Bridge is our guest this week and what a lad he is! From humble beginnings in Gisborne, to carving up for Canterbury, the Crusaders, and then going on to wear the black jersey on the biggest stage of all! But it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. George had his struggles moving down to Christchurch as a 17 year old, he had to deal with some brutal injuries – knees, pec tears, appendicitis, he had three surgeries in eight months! He even played a Super Rugby F...
Aug 27, 2025•1 hr 17 min•Season 6Ep. 285
For this one I am joined by one of the Black Ferns’ most exciting talents, Amy du Plessis. Amy’s journey has been nothing short of inspiring, from growing up in South Africa to becoming a Rugby World Cup winner with the Black ferns! Her silky skills and ability to play anywhere has made her a hugely valuable asset for NZ Rugby and now she’s now preparing to take on the world again in the 2025 Rugby World Cup! In this episode we chat about.. * Life growing up in South Africa and why her family mo...
Aug 20, 2025•47 min•Season 6Ep. 284
Angus Ta’avao is one of the biggest characters in New Zealand rugby, someone who is always good value to be around and has a great ability to bring a side together with his personality. Angus has done it all: NPC champ with Taranaki, Super Rugby champ with the Blues, he's an All Black, TV star, saxophone shredder and he is still playing rugby as good as he ever has! Angus is the ultimate lad. In this episode we get into - Why he has decided to move down to the Highlanders for 2026! - He talks th...
Aug 13, 2025•1 hr 32 min•Season 6Ep. 283
Oli Mathis is one of the most talented young players in the country. The Hamilton Boys star produced some of the most iconic NZ Schools performances we’ve ever seen. Whether he’s been playing loose forward or on the wing, the 20-year-old has been unstoppable playing for Waikato, the All Blacks 7’s side & the NZ U20s. In this episode, we chat about: What it was like growing up in Waihi on the farm Why he moved to Hamilton Boys and his time in the First XV We talk about those incredible NZ Sch...
Aug 06, 2025•47 min•Season 6Ep. 282
Jamison Gibson Park has gone on to be without a doubt one of the best 9s in world rugby! He's one of my favourite players to watch the way he plays with speed and controls the tempo of games while always nailing the basics. He was also one of my favourite team mates to play with because he was just a massive lad. 4 years ago this episode was recorded where he had just debuted for Ireland so it's pretty cool to hear some of the conversations we had around his future plans to see how far he has ex...
Jul 30, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 6Ep. 281
Daniel Bell might not be a recognisable name for you all, but as soon as you hear that voice – you will definitely recognise the voice. The man widely regarded for having the greatest larynx in the country which we have heard delivering some of the great moments in Heartland Rugby! Donny Bell has an infectious love for the game and brings the fizz like no other. In this episode, we chat about: •Why he always wanted to be a commentator as a kid •Commentating with some of his childhood hero’s incl...
Jul 22, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Season 6Ep. 280
Sam Darry is a massive lad! Standing at over 2 metres tall and at just 24 years old the man has achieved and been through a lot! And it feels like he is still just getting started, After dominating schoolboy footy, Sam signed with Canterbury young and then made a bold move to head north to the Blues, a decision that he felt gave him the opportunity to become one of the best young locks in the game. It's fair to say it's worked out pretty well for him, being an important piece of the puzzle in th...
Jul 15, 2025•1 hr 25 min•Season 6Ep. 279
No one has won more Super Rugby titles than Mitchell Drummond! A man who has done it all in the red and black jersey, Drummy has won 3 NPC titles with Canterbury and a ridiculous 8 Super Rugby titles with the Crusaders – yes, 8 titles! Add to that a test for the All Blacks, a stint with the Barbarians, over 100 games for Canterbury, and being the youngest ever Crusaders centurion and you start to get the picture. But beyond the stats, Mitch has been the Glue Guy for the Canterbury Region for ove...
Jul 09, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Season 6Ep. 278
Rugby fans don't get much bigger than Colin Mansbridge! Who also just happens to be potentially the most successful CEO in all sport, having been the Crusaders CEO for the last 8 years which includes 7 Titles! However, for many it was the way he handled himself and the organisation last season when Crusaders missed the top 8 which was most impressive! In this episode, Colin brings plenty of honesty, insight, and laughs and we go through some of the challenges and triumphs of being the boss! Some...
Jul 02, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Season 6Ep. 277
He’s trained the greatest All Blacks of the modern era, he's survived the pressure cooker of test rugby, and has done so for the past 18 years! Nic Gill, the legendary All Blacks trainer, sits down for one of the great yarns full of honesty, laughs, and elite-level insight. In this episode we cover: What makes him one of the most respected S&C coaches in world sport His reaction when Razor took over — and if he thought he’d be staying on Why he initially turned down the All Blacks job The st...
Jun 25, 2025•1 hr 40 min•Season 6Ep. 276
For this weeks Fan Favourite episode we throw back to one of the most powerful episodes to date, I’ll always remember this episode for the feeling of goosebumps I got down my spine as Michael Fatialofa shared his incredible journey. Fats was one of the toughest players on the field I ever played with and he proved he was even tougher off it after a life changing tackle. The former Auckland, Southland and Hurricanes star was over in the UK playing for Worcester, when he was hit awkwardly in a tac...
Jun 14, 2025•1 hr 31 min•Season 6Ep. 275
This one has it all — Scott Waldrom , one of the most explosive loose forwards to play the game, jumps on for an absolute ripper of a chat and does not hold back. From growing up as a rugby super fan idolising his hero’s to playing with legends like Jonah Lomu, Jerry Collins, Christian Cullen and Justin Marshall, to getting dropped from Sevens after a scrap in Lower Hutt, Scooters career is full of highs, lows, and unreal yarns. We talk about: His early days which involved plenty of battles with...
Jun 07, 2025•1 hr 36 min•Season 6Ep. 274
Marty Banks was a cult hero, fans loved him. He looked like your average kiwi bloke, tall, low muscle mass and ran a distinctive curly mop. On the field he was a point scoring machine, he kicked goals from everywhere and made a habit of scoring long range tries which his deceptive pace. That's the Marty we all knew from the screen. The Marty you'll hear from in this episode is the one who struggled with self confidence, the one who battled through serious injury pain and the one who has had his ...
May 24, 2025•1 hr 22 min•Season 6Ep. 273
We got back to an early fan favourite for this one with the great Mark Stafford! The beauty of a podcast, you think you know someone well, then you sit with them on the podcast and you are absolutely blown away with their story. That is exactly how this episode with the great man Mark Stafford aka Staffy went. Staffy has had an incredible journey to become the face of the TAB and the face of sport here in NZ but he certainly had a few bumps along the way. He shares some mind blowing stories in t...
May 17, 2025•1 hr 35 min•Season 6Ep. 272
"Who's that new hooker at the Crusaders?" That's a question I'm hearing everywhere! Well in fact that man is Ioane Moananu and this is your chance to hear all about this great man in his first ever podcast. Now Ioane is incredibly humble and down to earth with a infectious laugh and cool story. From struggling to start for Counties Manakau to becoming arguably the form hooker of Super Rugby Ioane has had an incredible 12 months and the future is so bright for this great man. This episode is a go...
May 10, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 6Ep. 271
Scott Fuglistaller was one of those champion team mates who did everything he could to be the best he could be. Unfortunately for the self acclaimed battler it was just never quite enough during his time at the Hurricanes competing with some pretty gifted athletes. He found a way though with moves to the Highlanders and then the Melbourne Rebels for him to become a regular Super Rugby starter and even captain. Sitting at a natural weight of around 80kgs, Scotty had to work so hard in the gym and...
Apr 26, 2025•1 hr 23 min•Season 6Ep. 270
Voted by you guys as the funniest episode ever! Charlie Gubb is one of my all time favourite Warriors, not just because of the way he played on the field (even though he was an absolute animal) but more importantly because of how big of a lad that he is off it. Gubby is the kind of team mate everyone loves to have in the team environment, loves a yarn, loves banter and just loves being around the lads. What I didn't realise before going into this podcast was the incredible journey Rugby League t...
Apr 19, 2025•1 hr 37 min•Season 6Ep. 269
