When I think of Scotland Rugby I straight away think Greig Laidlaw, the absolute lad who has captained his country more than any other player.

He's also someone who has had so many great experiences playing all around the world which included Edinburgh in Scotland, Gloucester in England, Clermont in France and the Shining Arcs in Japan. Over his career he was known as one of the best goal kickers in the game and ended up with the 2nd most point ever scored for Scotland.

Having just retired from the game it's always cool to hear the story from the start all the way through and how he has gone straight into coaching next season in Japan.

Full of good stories this one and although I had never actually meet Greig before it felt like I'd known him for years, such a lad!

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What’s better than having one Crusader and All Black legend on the podcast? Thats right, having two of them and for  this episode we have just that, with Sevu Reece and George Bower coming on together.

Both Sevu and George have just had major knee surgery which will rule them out for the the year including the RWC. So disappointing for them and all that fans that we won’t get to see them on the biggest stage, however it was awesome to hear both of their mindsets and plans for the 9months recovery.

Both men have incredibly cool stories on how they got to the All Black jumper too. Sevu who lived in Fiji until moving to Hamilton Boys on a rugby scholarship burst on to the scene with an incredible debut season with the Crusaders which saw him make his All Black debut the same year.

While George battled away in the Taita College 2nd XV and played many years in the Dunedin Club scene before eventually getting his chance at Super Rugby winning the competition in his first season.

I loved this episode, two great Fijian lads who have had incredible careers and plenty of good stories and advice for you to enjoy.

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If there is one job in rugby that is under appreciated it has to be the referee, such a tough job in such a complex game where the expectation is to always be right. This week I was lucky enough to have Paul Williams on What a Lad and Paul is in my opinion one of the best referees in the game.

It's always good to get an insight into a different side of the game and hearing more about life as a referee is fascinating. I also think hearing Paul speak helps you realise that he is just a good lad who is making spilt second decisions to the best of his ability. 

I really enjoyed this episode and grateful to have Paul come on and share some valuable insight in to being a ref and some good yarns.

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Stacey Waaka is one of the biggest stars in the womens game, she has been a key member of the successful NZ womens 7's side as well as the Black Ferns! She has won gold medals at the Commonwealth games and the Olympics and has also won the RWC in both forms of the game.

The journey of Stacey's rugby career has been over a period of time where the women's game has changed dramatically. Women's rugby is one of the fastest growing team sports in the world and after seeing the Black Ferns sell out Eden Park I am not surprised. Stacey is hugely admired around the world and she is such a good role model for any young athlete looking to make it in the game.

I really enjoyed this one, awesome story, great energy and Stacey is just an all round good sort.

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Codie Taylor is one of NZ rugbys great lads, a champion man on and off the field. He's also one of the best hookers in the modern era where his speed and skillset set him apart.

Codie is someone who takes great care of his body, he has a rigorous training and recovery schedule which has certainly helped him avoid injuries throughout his 12 year career to date. However that doesn't mean its all smooth sailing, hearing him speak about how tough it can be under the spotlight when your form isn't where you'd like it to be was interesting.

Codie has also launched his own recovery and performance drink called Eclipse, an unreal drink! That was cool to hear about how he got into running his own business and what he has learnt from that experience. I really enjoyed this one,

Codie Taylor is one of the greats.

Thanks to our mates at Speights for sponsoring this episode.

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Israel Dagg is one of the all time greats! At his peak the gifted fullback made rugby look easy, even in the All Black jersey in some of the biggest tests

In his first ever podcast appearance, Izzy Dagg is incredibly open and honest about his journey through the good and the bad. He obviously had some amazing highs in the game such as winning Super Rugby with the Crusaders and the 2011 RWC at home. However like everyone he has had some real tough periods to get through too and the moment when he got caught going out before the RWC quarter final is certainly one. 

With his life after footy being a huge success for him becoming a Radio host with SENZ and TV star, it was surprising to hear how much he struggled once he rugby career had finished. So grateful to have Izzy come on and be so honest and vulnerable, he really is an absolute lad.

Cheers to our mates at Speights for sponsoring this episode.

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Life after rugby or life after professional sport is hard. As you would’ve heard in previous episodes with retired players, everyone handles it differently. The goal of this episode is to help prepare players better for that transition and who better to give advice than the legend Tim Bateman. Timmy has nailed his transition, he’s formed NZ’s largest wellbeing centre in @ostudio_nz, he’s written and released 2 top selling children’s books, he’s coaching the Crusaders development team, he’s a great father to his kids and husband to his wife and he is just a champion all round lad. 

However as you’ll hear, even Tim has struggled with life post footy but what he has done, is he has narrowed it down to 6 challenges. These challenges are what he believes are key to overcoming to nail the transition. Even thinking about and/or understanding some of these challenges, I think will help massively for when that time comes. This is a podcast I wish I could’ve done 5 years ago as some of Timmys theory’s are gold for anyone coming to the end.

If you know someone who is coming to the end of their sporting career, sharing this episode with them could help them massively so please do so.

Also thanks to our mates at speights for sponsoring this episode.

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Elijah Taylor is a Rugby League legend here in NZ. He has played big roles for NRL sides including the Warriors, Panthers and Tigers, as well as playing internationally for the Kiwis. He is a man with the drive to succeed more than most and has put everything into his rugby league career, which is still going strong today. He is also a qualified pilot and a future rap star, a man of many talents!

However, the bulk of this episode is about one of the craziest stories I've ever heard. During his career his manager stole over 400k from his bank account! I love how open and honest Elijah is in this episode, he's a seriously good lad who just wants no one else to be in the same position he got in to.

If you enjoy this episode as much as I did please give it a share.

And thanks to our mates at Speights for bringing you this episode.

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The Speights What a Lad podcast season 4 is under way and what a guest to start! Michael Fatialofa 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.

While playing for Worcester, Michael Fatialofa was hit awkwardly in a tackle that caused him to be Paraliyzed from the neck down and told he will never walk again. From that moment his life completely changed and hearing the battle he has gone through the last 3 years left me feeling inspired, sad and proud of what he has been able to achieve.

This episode is an awesome reminder to be truely grateful for everything you have in your life, as like in Michaels case it can literally be taken away from you over night. I'm so grateful for Fat's coming on What a Lad and speaking so openly about his journey, it is one of the most powerful and inspiring episodes yet! If you enjoy this episode please give it a share!

Cheers to our mates at Speights for bringing you this episode, good on ya mate!

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Here it is, the last episode of Season 3 and there is no better way to finish what has been a massive season then with greatest lad of them all Tamati Ellison! 

The gifted singer, actor, rugby player, baby maker and coach has had some journey to date and there was so much to go through in this one.

From his child acting days to his pathway into the All Blacks and so many good stories along the way. Tamati is widely regarded as one of the best lads you could meet and after listening to this episode I'm sure you will see why. I loved this conversation and enjoyed listening back to it even more. If you enjoy the episode please give it a share 🙏🏼

If you're keen to make the most of this free class opportunity at O-Studio use the code WHATALADCLASS at check out for 100% off! Also if you’re interested in more information about O-Studio from the legend Tim Bateman then click here O-Studio

Also if you’re looking to build, renovate your existing home or looking at a commercial development get in touch with Hayden. Email [email protected]

P 027 255 4977

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