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.

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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 Arrows

Kamaishi 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.

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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.

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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 Olympics

Some 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!

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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 him

His relationship with gambling throughout his career

Getting 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 footy

Dealing with injuries and his regret in how he attacked his rehab

Becoming the Stags captain and the pressure involved with that

And 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.

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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. 

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Mark Nawaqanitawase

03:01 Cultural Heritage and Family Background

05:51 Early Sports Journey and Transition to Rugby

08:55 Pathway to Professional Rugby

12:02 Joining the Waratahs and Initial Experiences

14:56 Debut in Super Rugby and Family Support

18:02 Transition to the Wallabies and International Experience

25:06 Mark Nawaqanitawase's Wallabies Debut

28:12 Coaching Changes: From Dave Rennie to Eddie Jones

30:07 Experiencing the Rugby World Cup in France

33:21 Transitioning to Olympic Sevens Rugby

39:26 Signing with the Roosters: A New Chapter

51:04 Adjusting to NRL: The Challenges of Transition

52:59 Transitioning from Union to League

55:55 Mastering Aerial Skills in Rugby

57:54 Debut Excitement and Family Support

59:58 Future Aspirations and Potential Returns

01:00:59 Fan Questions and Personal Anecdotes

01:04:00 Comparing League and Union

01:08:04 Tackling Challenges in Rugby

01:10:07 Speed and Athleticism in Rugby

01:11:49 Advice for Aspiring Players

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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 2025

What he remembers about the infamous name calling of the reporter

Growing 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 then

How he made his transition into coaching

Hearing all about coaching Canterbury, NZ u20s, Munster, the Waratahs, Shining Arcs.

His recall on the Simon Zebo phone call with the Lions

How his high optimism has got his through the tough times of head coaching

And 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.

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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.

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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 rugby

How at the age of 11 he was arguably faster than Rieko Ioane

His journey into High Jump and why he quit after school

An insight in to the training schedule of an individual athlete

How important your mindset in as a world class athlete

Why he wasn't keen to settle on the split gold medal

What made him take off to the middle of the Javelin field once he had won the gold

And 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.

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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 me

• How the working the milk run growing up helped his rugby
• Debuting for Horowhenua straight out of school against Jonah
• Making the NZ 7's sides with Titch and stories from Hong Kong and the Commonwealth games
• The old school nature of the All Black environment he went in to
• I loved hearing about some of the greatest tries ever scored
• How he ended up at 13 for a RWC
• His relationship with John Mitchell
• Why he left to Munster and his time playing over there
• Why he hated warming up
• And heaps heaps more.
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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.

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