What a Lad

Harry Wilson in 2023 missed out on the Wallabies RWC squad and was even struggling to make the Australia A side! Fast forward to 2024 and he is not just in the Wallabies but he's captaining his country to some of the best form they have been in for a long time. For the last 5 years Harry has been one of the best loose forwards in Super Rugby, where his work rate and collisions are up there with the best in the world! At only 25 years old, he's got a massive future still ahead of him!Some other parts that stood out for me in this one were..His mindset off a goal line dropoutHearing his pathway to the Wallabies through Brothers Rugby Club and the RedsWhy he choose rugby over cricketHow he dealt with being in and out of the Wallabies for several yearsWhere he feels Australia Rugby is at right nowWhy he decided to stay in Australia for 4 more years And all of your questions!As you'll hear Harry is the ultimate lad, just a good human who loves his footy and a good time. He's the type of guy you'd love to follow into a battle!

Kyle Preston is someone who deserves every bit of success he gets. His work ethic is unmatched and to hear his journey and how he has stuck to the plan even when he wasn't getting the rewards was truely inspiring. Having had one of the all time great Super Rugby debuts a few weeks ago scoring 3 tries, it was an opportunity for Kyle to show the world he was as ready as he knew he was. Whether it was doing body weight exercises till tears, kicking and passing at the park by himself for 2-3 a day or avoiding all junk food from a young age, Kyle has definitely made plenty of sacrifices to get his opportunity.Some other parts that stood out for me were..Where this drive for Kyle to train like he does come fromHow he handled non selection for being "too small"How hard the juggling of roofing and chasing the professional rugby dream isWhy he decided to move to the Crusaders over his hometown HurricanesKyle clears the air on who is dad really isAnd heaps more!As you'll hear Kyle is committed to being the best player he can be and its clear that he has a huge future ahead of him. I hope you enjoy the episode and if you do please give it a share.

The fact that Christian Lio-Willie is a qualified dentist still blows my mind! Almost every player I have spoken to has said it's too hard to juggle both but this man has done it! How he has got to this point has been some effort, juggling huge days of study while playing professional rugby, he mentions he had to plan every minute of the day.Having focused on his study straight out of school after a recommendation from his mum, Christian felt like he may have missed the boat on his rugby career as his peers all started making the teams. After an outstanding club season and then a very impressive debut for Otago, he'd done enough to impressed Razor to get him up to the Crusaders. A few years later after a couple of outstanding seasons for the Crusaders he was called up as an injury replacement into the All Blacks. This episode was inspiring hearing how hard Christian hustled to set himself up to succeed not just on the field but off it. He speaks openly about the struggles and has plenty of good yarns. If you enjoy this episode or there is a young player out there trying to juggle sport and study, please share it on to them.

Get ready for one of the most inspiring episodes yet with the legendary lad Morgan Mitchell. Born deaf, Morgan’s journey to becoming a professional rugby player was never going to be easy. Although he was an absolute beast on the rugby field from a young age, he was always told that he would never be able to play professional rugby. Thankfully the man who is known for his stubbornness was not having a bar of it and did manage to debut for his beloved Southland stags in 2014. He has since gone on to play over 50 games for the Stags as well as playing overseas with the Toronto ArrowsKamaishi Seawaves and Houston SaberCats.This story is a great one about never giving up on your dreams and a great reminder of some of the obstacles you can overcome when you put your mind to it. Morgy is such a champion, a very funny man and like his brother Brayden can tell a hell of a yarn. It was an honour to be the first podcast to share Morgans journey and if you enjoy this episode then I ask if you could please like the video and let me know what you enjoyed about this one in the comments.EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/whatalad Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

With Super Rugby just around the corner, who better to talk to than the Super Rugby CEO Jack Mesley. The fact that Jack was keen to come on What a Lad and share his very honest thoughts on the game and where it is heading, is proof that this man will do what he can to grow the game.Transparency was a big part of what Jack wants to see going forward and he certainly leading the way with how open he was around the challenges Super Rugby is facing but also some great ideas he has around the opportunities we have in the game. We speak about the highly anticipated fantasy rugby game that was be live for the 2025 Super Rugby season which will be an absolute game changer.I left this conversation very exciting about the 2025 Super Rugby season, I do believe it will be one of the best yet and I was also left excited about where the competition and the game is heading. Jack will be an outstanding addition to the competition, he's a passionate rugby man who is a massive lad and I'm sure you'll enjoy this insight. EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/whatalad Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Tom Walsh has been one of the best shot-putters in the world for the last decade so it was an honour to get him on What a Lad for this one.Plenty of people have suggested over the years to get him on and I can see why, he isn’t just good at what he does but he’s a massive lad with an incredible mindset which has seen him win Gold Medals at the World Champs (outdoor and indoor) and the Commonwealth games while twice picking up a Bronze at the OlympicsSome parts that stood out for me were..How he is sometimes awkwardly mistaken for the great Joe Moody.Growing up with Dyslexia and the challenges that came with that.His upbringing in all sports, a rugby no8, cricket wizard and shot put beast.How he ended up in shot-put and the unique lifestyle of a shot-putter Why he kept throwing at this years Olympics even with a torn abductor As well as plenty of great advice for everyone!As you’ll hear Tom Walsh is a very likeable character, who has had an incredible career to date and the best thing is that it is not over yet. Hearing the mindset that Tom has, I've got no doubt there's more success to come for this great New Zealanders.If you enjoy this episode please give it a share!This episode was brought to you by Nord VPN!EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/whatalad Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee