TJ Va'a was a school boy star and one of the brightest prospects coming through NZ rugby. The reality of this sport is that not every gifted young player gets to have the careers that they all hope for and TJ certainly fits that category. He  played for the Wellington Lions as a teenager and also made the Hurricanes wider squad and he was well on his way to becoming a household name. Unfortunately straight after school he went on a shocking run of injuries which lead him to retiring at the young age of 21!

The challenges of the transition to life after rugby is incredibly tough even after a full career let alone it being taken away from you 3 years in while hardly getting a shot. TJ talks about all the battles he faced mentally with the situation he was in and shares so much good advice for anyone transitioning or struggling with mental health or injuries.

I really enjoyed this episode, I think plenty will benefit from it so if you do enjoy it please give it a share.

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In this episode you'll hear the brutal reality of professional sport, one minute Ollie Hoskins has 2 more years left on his significant London Irish contract, the next minute he has nothing! What makes it worse is that there are now 50 other players in the same boat, on top of the players from Wasps and Worcester meaning that negotiation power as a rugby player is incredibly low. That's not to mention the staff either, so the collapse of London Irish has been very tough times for all involve. However it was great to get an insight into how thar whole process went down from the most passionate London Irish man I know. 

It was also cool to go through his journey from growing up in Perth and going from being a massive Western Force fan to becoming a Western Force player. A converted loosie who was moved into prop shares his battles with becoming a frontrower and all the mental struggles he had to overcome to get to where he is today. Even how Ollie became a one cap Wallaby is a fascinating story in itself!

So much in this episode to get your ears around and as you'll hear Ollie is an absolute lad!

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I'm super grateful to get Sione Havili Talitui on What a Lad this week, I know it's not easy to go on a podcast when English is your second language but I'm so glad Sione was brave enough to come on and share his story.

It's a story that I think will inspire many young islanders to chase their dreams and gives valuable insight into what a transition from Tonga to NZ as a schoolboy is like. I know Sione as one of the toughest players in the game, he's not a big man but not many hit harder than the Tongan axe. 

I really enjoyed hearing how he grew up in Tonga after being adopted at birth, how he handled his move to NZ without speaking any english and how the pressure of being the 'Golden Boot' winner at school level may have held him back more than it help him.

Sione has had a very successful career here in NZ winning 2 NPC titles and 4 Super Rugby title and about to head off to the RWC with Tonga.

As you'll hear Sione is an absolute lad who is an inspiration for so many. If you enjoy this epsiode please give it a share.

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When I saw Ryan Crotty strolling down my street the other day I thought I need to get this Canterbury, Crusader and All Black legend on the podcast because he is one of the great lads!

Fresh after returning from Japan after winning the Top League with Kubota, Crotts was straight back helping out at the Crusaders at training which basically sums up what a lad this man is.

In this episode he goes through his pathway through the NZ ranks which saw him go from being the ball boy for Dan Carter to playing outside him in the space of a few years. Ryan talks about some of his tougher years battling with injuries in particular concussion and also missing out on selection for the 2015 RWC. There was also plenty of good times to reminisce on as well, winning 7 NPC title, 3 Super Rugby titles, 5 Rugby Championships and heaps more.

As you will hear Ryan Crotty is one of those genuine good guys who has an awesome mindset towards life.

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For episode 200 I could not think of a better guest than the large chested All Black midfielder Jack Goodhue! It was so good to get him on What a Lad to share plenty of laughs and thoughts from his career to date.

Jack the proud Northland boy has had a career many dream of. Winning NPC titles with Canterbury, winning 6 Super Rugby titles with the Crusaders and becoming an All Black all make for a great CV. Amongst all that success is also a fair amount of hard times as well, in particular dealing with long term knee injuries. It was awesome to hear how he managed to deal with these and some advice for anyone in a similar situation.

He also talks about his beloved mullet, how one book changed his life and he even tells the story on why his testicles distracted him from is All Black call up.

I'm sure you will all enjoy this episode and if you do remember to please give it a share.

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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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