Welcome to The Post Rugby Podcast my guest today is Callum Wilson.
Callum is a Transformative and Executive coach and former rugby player with England 7s, Ealing, as well as a number of top European sides.
In this episode we go deep into the nature of transformation and how people can get stuck in loops when solely focused on the doing.
Callum expertly guides some quite profound explorations and if you are open to these words they can certainly give you the listener the experience of real transformation and paradigm shift.
Many thanks for your time and amazing energy Callum and what a way to wrap up season 2 of the podcast!
You can find out a bit more about Callum here:
You can find out a bit more about host Anthony here:
Welcome to The Post Rugby Podcast my guest today Rhys Thomas.
Rhys is a former Professional Rugby Player and Welsh international now inspirational speaker, breathwork practitioner and charity co founder.
In this episode Rhys describes his journey in professional rugby and the very sudden ending to his career with an almost life ending heart attack.
We discuss the impact of this on his life and how it led him down a path of destruction as he struggled to adapt to life with the sudden loss of identity as well as the physical restrictions it placed on him.
This path then led him to hit rock bottom and have an intervention to seek help overcoming his alcohol addiction and turn his life around.
He shares how this opportunity to be vulnerable and to share his struggles kick started his journey to self enquiry and later becoming a breathwork coach and inspirational speaker as well as starting his charity Tidy Butt which aims to help people with tools to help them manage their mental health.
An amazing story and amazing episode, thank you Rhys for your time and energy. To find out more about Rhys you can find him here:
To find out a little more about your host, Anthony you can find him here:
Welcome to this episode of the podcast my guest today is Ruth Whitehead. Ruth is a Personal Trainer and Strength Coach from York and a sort of ex rugby player who now coaches the York RI ladies rugby team.
In this episode we talk about Ruths journey in rugby from an early age to a career disrupted by injuries. We talk about the ups and downs of injury and recovery and how Ruths focus has shifted recently to more restorative approach.
Thank you Ruth for your time and sharing your story with us, if you would like to find out a little more about Ruth you can follow her here:
On Instagram
Via her website
If you would like to follow host Anthony you can follow him here:
On Instagram
On LinkedIn
This week I am joined by Ben Coomber. Ben is a multi award-winning high performance Coach, speaker, bestselling author of ‘How to Live an Awesome Life’ and CEO of Awesome Supplements, a 16x award winning supplement company on a mission to elevate human potential.
In this episode we dive into Bens journey from amateur rugby player to award winning business owner. He offers so much wisdom and gold throughout on all kinds of topics from health, to parenting to business.
It was an extra special episode for me personally as Ben's podcast 'Ben Coomber Radio' was one of the first Podcasts I ever listened to and was very much a major influence of me starting this show.
Many thanks Ben for your time and your truly AWESOME energy and insights shared.
If you enjoyed listening to Ben and you would like to follow him you can find him here:
Or check out his award winning supplement company here
Or buy is latest book 'How to live an awesome life' here
And if you wanted to follow host Anthony you can do so here:
Sign up for his weekly newsletter via his website here
Thank you for supporting the show, if you enjoyed this episode please share it with someone you know or possibly leave us a review as this helps us reach more people with these transformative conversations.
My guest this week is Henry Purchase. Henry is a former University and Junior Academy rugby player who stopped playing after a concussion that left him unable to work for 3 months. He now runs two businesses that serve over 2000 businesses worldwide and travels the world while documenting his journey on his YouTube Channel.
In this episode we talk about Henrys injuries in his early career and the impact these had on his wider life then and still to this day. And also how these shaped his decision making post university which inadvertently led to his big success in business.
Henry shares some of his passions in tech and gives us the low down on SEO which is a crucial element in business in the busy online space. He also shares some of his important routines around his tech usage so it doesn't pull him away from his goals and also some of the inner work he has done which has contributed to the personal freedom he has created for himself.
A great episode from one of the leaders in the digital age and one not to be missed if you yourself run a business and are looking to gain more presence online.
To find out some more about Henry and his SEO businesses you can follow him here:
On Instagram
On LinkedIn
On Youtube
To find out some more about Anthony the host you can follow him here:
On Instagram
On LinkedIn
Via his website and sign up for his weekly newsletter here.
Welcome to The Post Rugby Podcast with me Anthony Andrews, my guest today is Joe Van Niekerk
Joe is a former Springbok International now Spiritual Guide. His journey has been a profound transformation - Seeking solace in Costa Rica after retiring from playing rugby at Toulon he discovered inner peace and ancient wisdom through herbal medicine.
Now, he helps others embrace their authentic selves and embark on their own awakening journey..
In this episode Joe shares about how the set backs he faced throughout his rugby career help kick start his inner transformation he has had post retirement.
He now helps people on their own inner journey through body work practices such as Lomi Lomi Massage and Holistic Coaching to help them create their own transformative breakthroughs.
You can follow Joe and connect with him:
You can follow host Anthony and connect with him:
Stephen Hihetah is a former professional and international rugby player and is now re-building his career after a doping scandal left him serve a 4 year ban from the sport.
Stephen has also recently released his first book called My Kind of Faith. The book is described as a testament to the power of love, faith and resilience to heal even the deepest wounds.
In this episode we dive into Stephens journey through rugby which led him from starting rugby randomly at school after missing a football trial to captaining the Romanian 7s team on the European 7s circuit.
We then talk about his ban from the game after a failed drug test and a number of personal tragedies that he suffered including losing his mum and sister to suicide. Stephens shares how these really hard challenges he has been through has led him to grow a wealth of personal strength. A strength that he aims to channel back onto the rugby pitch this coming season as he looks to re start his career.
A huge thank you to Stephen for being so open about these hard topics and I know you speaking about these things will help others going through challenging times!
To hear more about Stephens Journey you can connect with him here:
Or you can purchase his book from Amazon here
To connect with the host Anthony you can follow him here:
Or Check out his website to sign up for his weekly newsletter here
Welcome to The Post Rugby Podcast my guest today is Tom Brown.
Tom is a former professional rugby player turned rugby coach and now rugby tots entrepreneur.
In this episode we talk about Toms varied rugby background which included spells at Cardiff, Dragons, London Welsh and Ealing. He then shared how rugby had a major influence on him after retirement from playing through firstly teaching and coaching then taking the exciting step into impacting the game at the start of the chain working with 2-7 year olds with RugbyTots.
Tom shares passionately his love of the game and how this is translating into inspiring the next generation from the early ages and how rugby Tots is a fun and engaging entry point for children and also a fun and engaging activity for parents to get involved too.
We hear about some of the lessons he has learnt only a few months into new business and hear his plans for building on its success in the future.
Thanks Tom for sharing this time and I know you will be inspired to check out your local Rugby Tots after listening to this if you have young children as Toms passion really shines through- I mean I already have :)
To find out a little more about Tom and his new venture can follow Tom here:
On LinkedIn
And Rugby Tots here:
On Instagram
And you can follow Anthony, the host here:
On Instagram
On LinkedIn
Via his website: www.moveplaypause.com
Thank you for listening and as always if you enjoyed the show please share with someone you know or leave us a review as this helps us reach more people with these transformative conversations.
This week I am joined by Holistic Therapist, Group Wellness Facilitator and founder of Mindful Elements Ollie Frost.
In this episode we breakdown this idea of an holistic approach to healing post rugby which begins with a holistic view on movement. From things like stretching and connecting with nature we can begin to build this idea of this other energy that we rarely utilise in the game of rugby that we can access to help heal our broken bodies and also often unbalanced minds.
We also talk about the power of play and how this can help us find a place of presence where we can feel young and free again.
I hope you enjoy this conversation and as always if you resonate with what was talked about please share this episode with someone or possibly leave us a review as this helps us reach more people with these important and transformational conversations.
You can follow Ollie here:
You can follow host, Anthony here:
Website www.moveplaypause.com
This week of the podcast I talk with Leah Kicks. Leah is a Reiki Practitioner and Massage Therapist and has worked in the wellness industry for over 10 years.
In this episode we discuss Leah's journey in Rugby from playing from a very young age and picking it up again in later life before a knee injury stopped her playing again.
We also talk about the fascinating topic of energy healing where Leah discusses her training in Reiki and how this has helped her with her healing from an ACL reconstruction.
This is maybe a challenging conversation to relate to if you have not heard of energy healing before but I encourage you to listen and be open to hearing what we share in this epic discussion.
To find out a little more about what Leah is up to you can follow her:
And to follow me, Anthony, the host of the show you can follow me here:
Website: www.moveplaypause.com
My guest today is Joel Burgees. Joel is a coach with a passion for all things performance, mindset, business, and somatics.
Currently, Joel enjoys the tranquility of the Portuguese island of Madeira. Here, he shares his life with his wife and daughter, continuing to grow, inspire, and make his mark on the world as a dedicated coach.
In this episode we talk about the transformative power of coaching! Joel gives us his insights from being a coach and also a coach for coaches. We also talk about overcoming fear, the power of the bodies intelligence and how tapping into this idea of your future self can help you achieve what you want in life.
To find out more about Joel you can find him on:
To connect with host Anthony you can follow him on:
Or on his business website www.moveplaypause.com
This week I am joined by Brian Moylett. Brian is a Mindset & Performance Coach who works 1:1 with players and teams all over the world helping them be happier and more successful.
Brian played age grade rugby for Ireland and is the host of ‘The Brian Moylett Podcast’. He also recently wrote the Book ‘How You Become A Pro Rugby Player’ which went to #1 on Amazon, with the foreword by Ireland International - Robbie Henshaw.
In this episode we talk about his journey in rugby and the ups and downs of his career which like many was interrupted by some challenging injuries. We then talk about how these challenges and other dark moments he faced led him to the exploration of his own mind. With his he now works with players all over the world with helping them with their mindset and teaching tools to empower players to perform at their best.
This was a really fascinating chat. If you are interested in looking at ways to take your own mindset to the next level then this is a must listen. Brian shares many golden nuggets from both his book and the work he does with players. Thank you Brian for sharing your time and energy!
To find out some more about Brain you can follow him on:
You can also purchase his book 'How to become a pro rugby player' from amazon here.
And listen to his podcast 'The Brian Moylett Podcast' here.
Finally you can find me, your host on:
Thank you for listening, we will see you next time for more information and inspiration to tackle your challenges post rugby!
For this episode I welcome my brother Edward Andrews to the podcast to talk about his time playing rugby and life beyond it. We discuss his successes in Rugby and Boxing and then dive into his other passions of business and academia.
In this inspiring episode Ed breaks down the new model of finance his business and others like his are stepping into. This episode is an absolute game changer for anyone interested in the world of finance and are looking to bridge more sociability and sustainability into it.
We also break down the tools Ed has used to help him stay balanced throughout his highly successful career in the city - some to the benefit of his health and others not so...
We finish with a discussion on the joys of becoming a father and how raising a child is kind of like a rugby season which I absolutely loved. With the initial stages being HARD WORK (like pre-season) but then you find your flow and start to enjoy the journey a lot more, creating many magical memories along the way!
If you like this episode please share it or maybe leave a review as this helps us reach more people through these conversations.
To connect with Edward you can find him on:
LinkedIn: Edward Andrews
Or check out his new project at Whalesborough.
And to connect with me, you can find me on:
Instagram: @therugbyyogi4
LinkedIn: Anthony Andrews
Or check out my website:
Sam Portland is a former rugby player now Speed Coach, Coach Educator, Business Owner and also describes himself as addicted to growth.
In this conversation we talk about Sams journey to speed coaching and how his personal journey of success and also loss has shaped his career.
In this epic conversation we talk about the importance of speed in the game but also how important it is look outside of the rugby world post playing to bring balance to the body and mind.
For more information on Sam's work you can find him here:
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coach_sportland/
Via his website: www.samportland.com
In this podcast I relaunch the podcast with a solo cast describing my 11 year healing journey in 11 steps from retiring from playing rugby after my knee injury.
I go from discussing my journey from rehab in the early days to deep healing at an advanced Meditation retreat and everything in between with the intention of giving you some insights into the things available to you to potentially explore on your journey to optimal physical and mental health post rugby.
Craig White is a High Performance Coach, Mentor, and Retreat Facilitator, specialising in working with men. He has over 26 year’s experience working predominantly in professional sports and most notably in rugby union. He has worked or consulted for more than 30 different rugby nations, perhaps more than any other coach in his field. Some of these include working with the Irish and Welsh National teams and he has also been part of two Lions tours!
He is the Founder of Craig White Mentoring, a company dedicated to the development of Professional Sports Coaches and Business Leaders. He is also the Creator of Men Without Masks, an organisation dedicated to support and empower the lives of men. By offering private men’s life coaching and group retreats Craig helps men who want to fulfil untapped potential and move forward into a life of inspired purpose.
In this conversation we talk about Craigs amazing career in Rugby and the Yoga retreat that flipped his life on its head. We discuss the power of Yoga, Nature, Slowing down to connect with the feminine energy within us. We then go on to talk about Craigs work with his retreats and the map used to create real transformation in the men in attendance in just 5 days. We finish with a brief discussion on love and what it means in Rugby.
A big thanks to Craig for his time and this very deep conversation to wrap up season 1. You can find out more about his retreats and his work with men here:
https://www.menwithoutmasks.com/
https://www.instagram.com/men_withoutmasks/
And more about Craigs work with coaches and business leaders here:
https://www.craigwhitementoring.com/
https://www.instagram.com/craigwhitementoring/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-white-737087a/
Finally, The Post Rugby Podcast would like to invite you to our Free Facebook Group - The Post Rugby Community to connect with other rugby players (current and retired) and like minded people to continue your journey to a happier and healthier life post rugby.
The time for raising awareness for improved physical and mental health in the game of rugby is over and the time for taking action is here. I hope you found some inspiration listening to the podcast today and are encouraged to take action by trying some of the things the guest talks about. See you next time :)
Manuel Carizza is a former Argentina international earning 46 caps during a 13 year professional career predominantly playing in France with Biarritz, Racing Metro, Racing 92 and Lyon as well as Western province and The Stormers in South Africa.
Since retiring Manuel has become a full time barista opening up his own coffee shop in Biarritz as well as co-owning a wine business with 3 other former pumas and friends.
In this conversation we talk about some of his highlights in his career and the big differences between playing in the southern and northern hemispheres. We then discuss his journey with starting his own business after retiring and how he had the idea of build his coffee shop in the south of France and some of the challenges this brought with it. We talk about the link between serving coffee and his role within his teams on the field of play and also how he has struggled to find a new physical pursuit without the purpose of playing on a Sat.
A great conversation to listen to for anyone interested in hearing about the life of a top professional and international player and how he transitioned to becoming a successful business owner post retirement. A big thank you to Manual for sharing his story, you can find out more about him here:
https://www.instagram.com/manuchocarizza/
And more about his coffee shop here:
https://www.instagram.com/lobitacafe/
Finally, The Post Rugby Podcast would like to invite you to our Free Facebook Group - The Post Rugby Community to connect with other rugby players (current and retired) and like minded people to continue your journey to a happier and healthier life post rugby.
The time for raising awareness for improved physical and mental health in the game of rugby is over and the time for taking action is here. I hope you found some inspiration listening to the podcast today and are encouraged to take action by trying some of the things the guest talks about. See you next time :)
Charlie Beech is a former professional rugby player with a career spanning 15 years including stints at Northampton Saints, London Wasps, Bath, Yorkshire Carniegie, Coventry and Doncaster.
Having retired from the professional game in 2019 he still plays part time for Hull alongside running his own company Front Row Support - specialising in Business to Business development, sales and training. The culture at his company has been built on his 15 years experience of playing professional sport focusing on straight forward, results oriented, business support.
Charlie has been quite outspoken and honest about the some of the challenges he has faced transitioning from playing professional rugby and has written articles offering advice to those going through a similar situation. He has also recently announced a new challenge to run a marathon next year in memory of an inspirational old friend Matt ‘Milton’ King who passed away earlier this year.
In this conversation we talk about some of the challenges Charlie faced with retiring from professional rugby and how important it is to address the mental health of professional players just as it is to address their physical health. He talks openly about his experience of mental health and how he found the benefit of sharing his experiences in a group therapy setting and also what it was like playing professional rugby for all that time without the space to feel like he could open up to anyone about his challenges.
An inspiring and heart felt discussion with a very warm and humble guy who is now out to help others who have maybe been through their own challenges and life transitions with his new business. A big thank you to Charlie, you can find out more about his journey and connect with him on LinkedIn here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlie-beech-frontrow/
Finally, The Post Rugby Podcast would like to invite you to our Free Facebook Group - The Post Rugby Community to connect with other rugby players (current and retired) and like minded people to continue your journey to a happier and healthier life post rugby.
The time for raising awareness for improved physical and mental health in the game of rugby is over and the time for taking action is here. I hope you found some inspiration listening to the podcast today and are encouraged to take action by trying some of the things the guest talks about. See you next time :)
Alix Popham is a former Wales international earning 33 caps and had a 13 year professional career with time at Newport, Leeds Tykes, Llanelli Scarletts and Brive.
During his career Alix’s entrepreneurial instincts prompted him to open a property portfolio and he even started his own company 8 total management whilst still playing. Fast forward to today Alix’s now runs another company HUB XV which specialises in bringing people together for work in world class sporting facilities. In this past year he has also invested time founding the charity ‘head for change’ which helps families from the rugby and football communities deal with some of the challenges of neurodenerative disease sustained as a result of playing rugby and football.
After getting diagnosed last year with probable CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) and early onset dementia himself, he and a large group of over 300 former players are currently going through legal proceedings with rugby’s governing bodies with the aim to push through change to the way head injuries are managed going forward in the game of rugby.
In this conversation we talk about Alix's inspiring work he has been doing with other former rugby players to safeguard the players and the game going forward and the ways in which he has helped himself with his ongoing recovery from the brain injury sustained whilst playing. We discuss the importance of diet and exercise in improving health and managing his symptoms as well as giving up alcohol. We also talk about the importance of planning out your time to ensure you stay on top of the healthy habits and manage your boundaries to ensure you are not overdoing things.
A truly inspiring conversation with an special man who is leading the charge for serious and hopefully long lasting change within the game of rugby to look after the future generations playing this sport, a massive thank you Alix! To follow Alix and to support his charity check it out below:
https://www.headforchange.org.uk/
Finally, The Post Rugby Podcast would like to invite you to our Free Facebook Group - The Post Rugby Community to connect with other rugby players (current and retired) and like minded people to continue your journey to a happier and healthier life post rugby.
The time for raising awareness for improved physical and mental health in the game of rugby is over and the time for taking action is here. I hope you found some inspiration listening to the podcast today and are encouraged to take action by trying some of the things the guest talks about. See you next time :)
Keir Wenham-Flatt, also known in the rugby circles as the Rugby Strength Coach is a Strength & Conditioning specialist with over a decade’s experience of working at the elite level of sport in 5 different countries. Some highlights include roles at a number of professional and international rugby teams including London Wasps, London Scottish. Rotherham Titans, The Sydney Roosters and The Toshiba Brave in Japan. He was also an integral part of the Argentina Pumas success at the 2015 World Cup where they reached the semi finals.
Fast forward to today he now lives in the states and runs the Strength Coach Network along with his famous Rugby Strength Coach online training platform. With the Strength Coach Network Keir works to provide educational, networking and career resources from some of the world’s best coaches to strength & conditioning professionals of all levels across the globe.
In this conversation we discuss his involvement within the game of rugby and his experience of rugby from around the world. We also get into talking about life, wealth and business and discuss this concept called Anti-Fragility where you can try and position yourself to become stronger in times of chaos. Keir also talks about some of the challenges but also rewards of entrepreneurship and even talks about some of his own personal struggles with having an overly analytical and inquisitive mind.
A huge thanks to Keir for speaking his truth so honestly, I know you are going to love this episode. To find out more about Keir you can follow him on instagram here:
https://www.instagram.com/rugby_strength_coach/?hl=en
And check out the Strength Coach Network here:
https://strengthcoachnetwork.com/
Finally, The Post Rugby Podcast would like to invite you to our Free Facebook Group - The Post Rugby Community to connect with other rugby players (current and retired) and like minded people to continue your journey to a happier and healthier life post rugby.
The time for raising awareness for improved physical and mental health in the game of rugby is over and the time for taking action is here. I hope you found some inspiration listening to the podcast today and are encouraged to take action by trying some of the things the guest talks about. See you next time :)
