Sean Lamont played for Scotland 107 times after making his debut in 2004. A powerful winger his 100th cap came in the 2015 Rugby World Cup victory over Samoa, becoming only the second ever Scottish player to achieve that special landmark after Chris Paterson. His younger brother Rory was also a Scottish international, the pair running out alongside each other on a number of occasions. He also represented his country in the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2002 and at home in Glasgow in 2014. After hanging up his boots in 2017, he worked with Scotland's academy players before transitioning to become Team Manager and Strength and Conditioning Coach with the Scotland Sevens team on the HSBC Sevens World Series. We began the chat though focussing on his other passion, classic cars.

Our guest this week is a giant of Australian Rugby in every sense. Nathan Sharpe played 116 test matches for the Wallabies including 20 as captain. The six foot seven inch lock forward represented his country for sixteen consecutive seasons, having first pulled on the green and gold jersey for the under 19s' in 1996, the year professional rugby began.

After retiring in 2012, having played in three Rugby World Cups, he made an impressive transition away from the game with various entrepreneurial activities and can now be found turning his attentions to the mining industry, while also working in the media and setting up a family business alongside his wife.

Links to listen and SUBSCRIBE on the various platforms:

Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/3j29W9r

Google Podcasts - https://tinyurl.com/y4f5gmdt

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TuneIn - http://tun.in/pj2dd

Sam Whitelock is the fastest player ever to reach 100 test caps, achieving the feat just eight years and two months after his debut. In that time he's won two Rugby World Cups and countless other domestic and international accolades. He epitomises the modern lock, agile, athletic, teak tough but also adept with the ball in hand. He's also a natural leader and when the tap on the shoulder came from coach Steve Hansen to lead the All Blacks, he was ready to follow in the footsteps of his Canterbury teammates Richie McCaw and Kieran Read and as he started by telling us, it was a massive day for the whole family.

Links to listen and SUBSCRIBE on the various platforms:

Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/3j29W9r

Google Podcasts - https://tinyurl.com/y4f5gmdt

Spotify - https://spoti.fi/342vQ6a

Amazon Music - https://amzn.to/3jY0Uen

TuneIn - http://tun.in/pj2dd

Jean de Villiers spent his childhood picturing one day running out at Newlands in Cape Town for his beloved Springboks. He not only did that on 10 occasions, but would win 109 caps for his country across a 13-year international career, including 37 matches as captain. If it wasn’t for a succession of cruel injury blows he might well have added another 30 appearances to that total. in recent times the pandemic has ensured no excuse for getting in shape.

The beautiful island of Sicily is probably best known for the volcanic Mount Etna, but it’s also the birthplace of Andrea Lo Cicero. Growing up by the sea he dreamt of competing in water sports, but when his legs grew so big he couldn’t fit in a canoe rugby beckoned and over a 13 year international career he would win 103 caps for Italy and play in three Rugby World Cups. Since retiring in 2013 he has gone on to become a household name on Italian TV, competed in the Americas Cup and works for UNICEF, but Andrea joined us from his farm in Tuscany. He was surrounded by various farm animals where he also runs a Donkey Sanctuary that he uses to help children connect with the environment.

You don’t win 115 international caps for England without demonstrating all the qualities of the Rugby Centurions. A World Cup winner but also having lost in the final three times, the dedication to her country for no financial gain, the fight for equality in a male dominated environment, Tamara Taylor has been there and done that and is still doing it! Everything considered though, perhaps her biggest challenge came in 2019 when, despite having a fear of heights, she was part of a team that that set a new World Record for the highest game of rugby ever played, at over 20,000 feet near the summit of Mount Everest.

Rugby Centurions Website - https://rugbycenturions.com/podcast

Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/3j29W9r

Google Podcasts - https://tinyurl.com/y4f5gmdt

Spotify - https://spoti.fi/342vQ6a

Amazon Music - https://amzn.to/3jY0Uen

Welcome to our first show of 2021 and we’re thrilled to kick off Series 2 with one of the greatest players of all-time, Ireland and Lions legend Brian O’Driscoll.

The Dublin born centre is the fourth most-capped player in rugby union history with 141 appearances over a stellar 15 year international career. He captained Ireland on 83 occasions and also led the Lions on their tour to New Zealand in 2005. The holder of numerous records within the sport he remains one of the most recognisable and respected figures across the rugby world. These days Brian can be seen on tv and when’s he’s away from the spotlight, juggling newborn baby duties and homeschooling his two older children, but we began our chat by looking back to when he reached that landmark 100th cap milestone back in 2009 and what it meant to him.

A stellar guest list joins us to look back over some of the highlights from series 1 of the Rugby Centurions Podcast. Over the course of this programme we'll hear John Smit and Richie McCaw talk about Resilience, Jamie Heaslip and Gareth Thomas speak about Courage, Sarah Hunter and Gonçalo Uva discuss Selfless Commitment, Matt Giteau, Bryan Habana and Jason Leonard talk about Respect and Sergio Parisse and George Gregan tackle the subject of Leadership. To round off proceedings, some of the players speak about the best advice they were given during their career and in life post-rugby.

Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/3j29W9r

Google Podcasts - https://tinyurl.com/y4f5gmdt

Spotify - https://spoti.fi/342vQ6a

Amazon Music - https://amzn.to/3jY0Uen

A true modern-day gladiator, Sergio Parisse is widely considered as one of the greatest number eights to play the game and is without question the finest Italian rugby player of the modern generation. With 142 appearances for the Azzurri he is the third-most capped player of all time and has played in a record-equalling five Rugby World Cups. Having recently welcomed his baby daughter Emily into the world alongside her two elder siblings, we began by chatting about how testing life has been on all levels.

Rugby Centurions Podcast Page - https://rugbycenturions.com/podcast/

Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/3j29W9r

Google Podcasts - https://tinyurl.com/y4f5gmdt

Spotify - https://spoti.fi/342vQ6a

Amazon Music - https://amzn.to/3jY0Uen

Matt Giteau made his international debut as a 20-year-old in 2002 before he had even played a Super Rugby match and for the past 18 years his talent and dedication has seen him light up stadiums from Toulon to Tokyo and most places in-between. 103 caps for the Wallabies, two Rugby World Cup finals and numerous domestic titles across three continents he set the standard as one of rugby’s new age travellers and that journey might not be quite finished, but we began this podcast by uncorking his first venture into business away from the pitch, Backline Wines!