What a Lad

Everyone who has played with Brayden Mitchell will testify that he is one of the greatest lads to play the game, he was a champion team mate on and off the field, who loved a good time and could always back it up when on the pitch. Some of the stories and reflections that the man they call Scratcher has in this episode were incredible to hear. He was so honest, held back nothing and can tell a seriously good yarn!Some bits that stood out for me in this one were...How hard the struggle of retiring from rugby due to a neck injury was for himHis relationship with gambling throughout his careerGetting his first contract straight out of school.Dealing with a lack of confidence in himself His relationship with alcohol during his career and during the transition post footyDealing with injuries and his regret in how he attacked his rehabBecoming the Stags captain and the pressure involved with thatAnd honestly some of the best behind the scene stories of a professional rugby player you will hear.I've got so much time for Scratcher, just a champion human who played the game for enjoyment and he certainly did that! If you enjoy this episode please give it a share and let me know what stood out for you in the comments.

Mark Nawaqanitawase has had one of the most eventful 12 months in sport! Firstly heading to the Rugby World Cup with the Wallabies before changing code to the 7’s format of the game for the Paris Olympics, where he narrowly missed out on a medal. He then changed codes again, this time to the 13 man game playing NRL for the Sydney Rooster to cap off what was an incredible 12 months.What stood out for me in this one was..How his Fijian heritage plays a significant role in his identity and sports career.He emphasizes the importance of having fun while playing sports.How his Waratahs debut in Super Rugby was a dream come true for him.What it was like debuting for the Wallabies.How his transition to the Aus 7s team was a rewarding challenge for him.Why he moved to the Roosters.Adjusting to NRL required learning new rules and strategies.All the questions you want to know, fastest player, hardest to tackle etc! And heaps more! Mark is one of those players who is just a joy to watch whatever game he is playing, the way he can leap in the air, beat defenders and score tries! You’ll also learn in this episode that he is a massive lad, such a likeable character who has a huge future ahead of him.If you enjoyed this episode let me know what stood out for you in the comments and share the episode if you can. Chapters00:00 Introduction to Mark Nawaqanitawase03:01 Cultural Heritage and Family Background05:51 Early Sports Journey and Transition to Rugby08:55 Pathway to Professional Rugby12:02 Joining the Waratahs and Initial Experiences14:56 Debut in Super Rugby and Family Support18:02 Transition to the Wallabies and International Experience25:06 Mark Nawaqanitawase's Wallabies Debut28:12 Coaching Changes: From Dave Rennie to Eddie Jones30:07 Experiencing the Rugby World Cup in France33:21 Transitioning to Olympic Sevens Rugby39:26 Signing with the Roosters: A New Chapter51:04 Adjusting to NRL: The Challenges of Transition52:59 Transitioning from Union to League55:55 Mastering Aerial Skills in Rugby57:54 Debut Excitement and Family Support59:58 Future Aspirations and Potential Returns01:00:59 Fan Questions and Personal Anecdotes01:04:00 Comparing League and Union01:08:04 Tackling Challenges in Rugby01:10:07 Speed and Athleticism in Rugby01:11:49 Advice for Aspiring Players

The life of a head coach can be as brutal at times and it's fair to say that Rob Penney has been on the receiving end of his fair share of public criticism. However, what I am excited to share with you in this episode is just what a champion man he is. From playing 100 games for Canterbury as a tough loose forward to becoming a Head Coach who has coached all around the world, the Rob Penney journey is a fascinating one!Some parts that stood out were...Firstly hearing his thoughts on the Crusaders 2024 season and expectations for 2025What he remembers about the infamous name calling of the reporterGrowing up in Canterbury dreaming of playing for them and then achieving that dream.Hearing how hard it was for a young guy coming into those environments back thenHow he made his transition into coachingHearing all about coaching Canterbury, NZ u20s, Munster, the Waratahs, Shining Arcs.His recall on the Simon Zebo phone call with the LionsHow his high optimism has got his through the tough times of head coachingAnd heaps more.As you'll hear Rob Penney has so much wisdom, he has had so many highs and lows in the game so was able to share plenty of gold advice from his experiences. If you enjoy this episode please give it a share and I will promise to keep bringing you more great guests like Rob Penney.

This week on What a Lad we are joined by Hugh Pyle who in my opinion is the greatest Australian rugby player never to be capped by the Wallabies. Standing at over 2 meters tall, Hugh's combination of skillset and workrate has seen him have a remarkable career firstly in Australia with the Rebels before moving to France, where he became a centurion with Stade Français. He finished off in Japan with Toshiba before calling time on his Rugby career.In his podcast debut, Hugh shares candid insights about his life post-rugby, including his transition to a career as a mortgage broker. He dives into his unique method of reflecting on his career through four key pillars: enjoyment, playing form, salary, and game time, revealing the lessons he learned along the way. Hugh also talks about plenty of challenges he faced while playing which included battling with dodgy knees, adjusting to life in different parts of the world and even dealing with a serious brain injury.As you'll hear, Hugh is a massive lad, someone who's reflective personality makes for thought provocative content, he also has a great sense of humor, and can tell a yarn. I'm sure you'll enjoy this one and if you do please give it a share so I can keep bringing you great guest like Hugh.

Hamish Kerr is officially the greatest High Jumper in the world having recently won Gold at the Paris Olympics. However, what you're about to hear in this episode is an insight into the mind of the Olympic champion and you'll be amazed at how close he came to bowing out in the Qualifiers which in his mind would have meant retirement. The pressure that come on one single jump is insane and when you need to be relaxed and in flow when jumping how you handle that pressure is the difference.Some other cool parts of this episode that should out for me was..Growing up playing lot's of sports, playing on the wing in rugbyHow at the age of 11 he was arguably faster than Rieko IoaneHis journey into High Jump and why he quit after schoolAn insight in to the training schedule of an individual athleteHow important your mindset in as a world class athleteWhy he wasn't keen to settle on the split gold medalWhat made him take off to the middle of the Javelin field once he had won the goldAnd heaps more!As you'll hear Hamish is a very smart, open and honest man who gives so much gold (excuse the pun) in this episode. What he has done for High Jump and Athletics in this country has been massively and he is such a champion! If you enjoyed this episode please give it share and I will continue to bring you more great guests like Hamish.

Christian Cullen is a legend. You only have to watch a few minutes of his highlights package to remind yourself how good he really was. The speed and agility, his ability to change direction at full pace, his deceptive strength, add on top his attacking mindset and his braveness in defence! He was a joy to watch. He's also such a champion man who prefers not doing things like this so super grateful to get him on.In this whopping 2 hour episode some parts that stood out for meHow the working the milk run growing up helped his rugbyDebuting for Horowhenua straight out of school against JonahMaking the NZ 7's sides with Titch and stories from Hong Kong and the Commonwealth gamesThe old school nature of the All Black environment he went in toI loved hearing about some of the greatest tries ever scoredHow he ended up at 13 for a RWCHis relationship with John MitchellWhy he left to Munster and his time playing over thereWhy he hated warming up And heaps heaps more.Growing up Christian Cullen was my absolute hero, he inspired me to play the game so to sit down with him and have this conversation was truely incredible. What I'm sure will stand out for you is how humble and down to earth he is, you certainly wouldn't think I'm talking to one of the greatest to ever play the game listening to this. If you enjoy this one, please give it a share and I will continue to bring you the big guest like Christian Cullen.Special mention to Paraparaumu Rugby Club for allowing me to record this episode in their Clubrooms.