Amateur Rugby Podcast
155 episodes - English - Latest episode: 11 days ago - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingThis weekly show will explore the world of amateur rugby union - the people, clubs and stories that make it the lifeblood of the game we love.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
#154 - Mike Friday - You’ve got to play to learn
April 14, 2024 03:08 - 57 minutes - 47.1 MBMy guest this week is USA 7’s Head Coach - Mike Friday. This interview was recorded in April of 2024 and we talked about the development of young, elite players in England. We talk about how the demands have changed over the years, the pros and cons of different pathway systems, and why English players don’t seem to get enough game-time. Mike has a huge amount of experience of coaching young elite players, including his two sons Harrison and Lucas. This is a fascinating episode - I hop...
#153 - Dan Tanner - Pints, Scrums and Rugby Canada
April 07, 2024 02:18 - 1 hour - 50.4 MBMy guest this week is former rugby player, now rugby promoter - Dan Tanner. This interview was recorded in April of 2024 and we talked about the remarkable tale of how Dan got into rugby, and what it was like to be a rugby nomad. We talked about playing in Canada, the incredible end-of-season tournaments and the challenges facing Rugby Canada from the grassroots to the National Team, before finishing talking about 99Social and how Dan is helping to promote and grow the game in North Amer...
#152 - Andrew Foster - Union player - League supporter - Bereaved Father
March 31, 2024 02:30 - 1 hour - 66.3 MBMy guest this week is Rugby Union player and Rugby League fan - Andrew Foster. This interview was recorded in March of 2024 and we talked about Foz growing up in League country, what it’s like to take a bunch of southern softies to the Challenge Cup Final, thoughts on player recruitment and retention in lower teams and what it’s like as a teacher to play alongside one your students. We also spoke about Foz’s son, Rycroft - who is sadly no longer with us having passed away last year after...
#151 - Sam Smith - Living with Joe Marler - Retiring young - Becoming a coach
March 24, 2024 03:33 - 51 minutes - 41.6 MBMy guest this week is former Harelquins and Worcester winger - Sam Smith. This interview was recorded in March of 2024 and we talked about Sam’s rapid rise into the pro ranks, the perilous spiral he routinely found himself in when his form dipped, dealing with harsh criticism and living with Joe Marler! We discussed the trials of retiring young and losing your identity, post-rugby entrepreneurship, self-work and a new passion for helping others in transition. This is a deep and insight...
#150 - Match Reviews - 6 Nations - Week 5
March 18, 2024 00:03 - 1 hour - 63.5 MBWith the Six Nations now complete, I spoke with Simon Elkinson about all the fixtures from the final weekend. The battle for the wooden spoon in Cardiff where Wales tackled Italy. Saturday late afternoon in Dublin as Ireland took on Scotland. And grand finale in Lyon as France took on England. LINKS Simon Elkinson on Twitter - @OnsideRecruiter - https://twitter.com/OnsideRecruiter Simon Elkinson on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonelkinson/ BUY ME A COFFEE Coffee helps me ...
#149 - Match Reviews - 6 Nations - Week 4
March 10, 2024 21:02 - 1 hour - 65.9 MBWith the middle weekend of the Six Nations now complete, I spoke with Simon Elkinson about all the fixtures. The surprisingly wild encounter in Rome where Italy beat Scotland. Saturday late afternoon at Twickenham as England put and end to Ireland’s back-to-back Grand Slam hopes. And finishing up with the crazy, Wales versus France from Cardiff. LINKS Simon Elkinson on Twitter - @OnsideRecruiter - https://twitter.com/OnsideRecruiter Simon Elkinson on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/...
#148 - 6 Nations Special - England’s Attack
March 03, 2024 23:34 - 26 minutes - 21.6 MBDespite it being a rest week, I’ve still got some awesome Six Nations content for you. Former podcast guest (and coaching partner of mine at Old Colfeians) Phil Greenaway jumped in to lend his expert analysis on what is going on with England’s attack. LINKS Phil is available for consultancy services. For anyone interested please visit the website - https://pgreenawayltd.com/ BUY ME A COFFEE Coffee helps me make more and better episodes. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/amateurrugbypodcast...
#147 - Match Reviews - 6 Nations - Week 3
February 25, 2024 23:06 - 1 hour - 58 MBWith the middle weekend of the Six Nations now complete, I spoke with Simon Elkinson about all the fixtures. The surprisingly close encounter in Dublin where Ireland overpowered Wales. Saturday late afternoon at Murrayfield for Scotland versus England. And finishing up with the epic, France versus Italy from Lille. LINKS Simon Elkinson on Twitter - @OnsideRecruiter - https://twitter.com/OnsideRecruiter Simon Elkinson on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonelkinson/ BUY ME A CO...
#146 - 6 Nations Special
February 17, 2024 21:54 - 23 minutes - 19.5 MBDespite it being a rest week, I’ve still got some awesome Six Nations content for you. Former podcast guest (and coaching partner of mine at Old Colfeians) Phil Greenaway jumped in to lend his expert analysis on why James Lowe’s left peg is such a weapon, but we start with the 6 reasons why Wales are so goddamn hard to beat! LINKS Phil is available for consultancy services. For anyone interested please visit the website - https://pgreenawayltd.com/ BUY ME A COFFEE Coffee helps me make ...
#145 - Match Reviews - 6 Nations - Week 2
February 11, 2024 20:04 - 1 hour - 58 MBWith the second weekend of the Six Nations now complete, I spoke with Simon Elkinson about all the fixtures. The tense affair in Edinburgh where Scotland lost to France. Saturday late-afternoon at Twickenham for England versus Wales. And finishing up with Ireland versus Italy from sunny Dublin. LINKS Simon Elkinson on Twitter - @OnsideRecruiter - https://twitter.com/OnsideRecruiter Simon Elkinson on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonelkinson/ BUY ME A COFFEE Coffee helps me...
#144 - Match Reviews - 6 Nations - Week 1
February 04, 2024 14:08 - 1 hour - 50.8 MBWith the opening weekend of the Six Nations now complete, I spoke with Simon Elkinson about all the fixtures. The incredible opening game in the Orange Velodrome in Marseille where Ireland took on France. Saturday lunchtime in Rome for Italy against a new-look England. And finishing up with Scotland looking to end their Cardiff draught with a win against a youthful Wales. LINKS Simon Elkinson on Twitter - @OnsideRecruiter - https://twitter.com/OnsideRecruiter Simon Elkinson on LinkedIn...
#143 - France vs Ireland - 6N preview
February 01, 2024 19:36 - 25 minutes - 23.7 MBWith the opening match of the Six Nations just hours away I spoke with Simon Elkinson about France vs Ireland. We chatted about selection, psychology, and key match-ups and hang around till the end to hear our score predictions. LINKS Simon Elkinson on Twitter - @OnsideRecruiter - https://twitter.com/OnsideRecruiter Simon Elkinson on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonelkinson/ BUY ME A BEER Does what it says on the tin - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/amateurrugbypodcast ...
#142 - Ashleigh Walters - Sea You On The Sand
January 27, 2024 06:34 - 58 minutes - 47.8 MBMy guest this week is former Welsh Universities fly-half and Beach Rugby Wales founder, Ashleigh Walters. This interview was recorded in January of 2024 and we talked about how Ashleigh fell in love with rugby after attending a Wales fixture. How he got started in the game, originally playing hooker, before moving to fly-half. Appearances for Wales Universities and a 3-year stint in France where he played against Stade Francais! We also discussed Beach Rugby Wales - How it got started, w...
#141 - 6Nations Squad Review
January 21, 2024 16:30 - 1 hour - 75.6 MBWith the Six Nations on the horizon, I spoke with Simon Elkinson about the squad selections for each nation. How are the teams shaping up, are there many changes and are they likely to change playing styles? LINKS Simon Elkinson on Twitter - @OnsideRecruiter -https://twitter.com/OnsideRecruiter Simon Elkinson on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonelkinson/ PATREON Join The Amateur Rugby Podcast Patreon community for some extra amateur rugby goodness! (https://patreon.com/a...
#140 - Luke Hoben - The rugby-hating Kiwi
January 14, 2024 23:13 - 36 minutes - 30.4 MBThe rugby-hating Kiwi - Luke Hoben - #140 My guest this week is self-confessed, rugby-hating Kiwi…. Luke Hoben. This interview was recorded in January of 2024 and we talked about what it was like growing up ambivalent to rugby in New Zealand, going to New Zealand’s top rugby school, reflections on watching a single All Blacks test and meeting All Blacks whilst running the rugby club bar in Otago Uni. I give Luke a fun test of some All Blacks trivia and he returns the favour with a quiz...
#139 - Geraint Reynolds - Home grown players (not what you think!)
January 07, 2024 04:36 - 55 minutes - 45 MBMy guest this week is Forgeside RFC Chairman, Geraint Reynolds. This interview was recorded in January of 2024 and we talked about Geraint’s playing days in the front-row, what it was like to tour South Africa and the challenges of having to retire at a young age. We then discussed Foregeside’s incredible idea to create a Community Garden on a spare piece of land that was not being used. It has become an award-winning centre of the community and they have even recruited new players as a ...
#138 - Jamie Gibbs - More tools than Bob the Builder
December 17, 2023 05:51 - 1 hour - 56.4 MBMy guest this week is my former Esher RFC teammate, Jamie Gibbs. This interview was recorded in November of 2023 and we talked about his time at Hartpury and how it shaped his club career, a fantastic and fun time at Esher RFC where he grew as a player within a strong group of scrum-halves, a short, ill-fated spell with Ealing Trailfinders, before finding the love again at Richmond RFC with their refreshing community feel. Jamie then shares his experience of playing and coaching ...
#137 - Huw Jones - I didn't really have a choice!
December 10, 2023 18:53 - 1 hour - 54.7 MBMy guest this week is Dragons pathway coach Huw Jones. This interview was recorded in November of 2023 and we talked about running challenges and the psychology of distance running. I asked Huw about what it was like growing up in a Welsh rugby family and how playing was therefore inevitable. We talked about Huw's early days in the game, playing alongside some future legends. We then moved on to coaching where we discussed the challenges of coaching groups where the standard can ...
#136 - I ran 25 Marathons in 25 Days - then tried to play Rugby! [I nearly broke!]
December 03, 2023 07:38 - 14 minutes - 12.2 MBExperience the highs and lows of this year's Great Rugger Run as I ran a million metres for MND from the West of Wales to the West Country. LINKS The Great Rugger Run website The Great Rugger Run on Twitter @RuggerRun The Great Rugger Run on Instagram @thegreatruggerrun The Great Rugger Run on Facebook @thegreatruggerrun Picadilly One - https://www.piccadillyone.com/ Renouf Wealth Management - https://renoufwmltd.co.uk/ Griffin Dale - https://griffindale.co.uk/ BUY ...
#135 - Chris Tombs - Train to survive
November 26, 2023 06:12 - 1 hour - 51.8 MBMy guest this week is elite S&C coach - Chris Tombs. This interview was recorded in November of 2023 and we talked about Chris' rugby beginnings in South Africa, how and why he got into Strength & Conditioning. We delved into the history of S&C within rugby and Chris' reflections on his time with Leicester Tigers during a legendary era. Chris shares stories about the top players he coached at Cardiff Rugby, his adventure to coach in Seattle in Major League Rugby and his thoughts ...
#134 - Chris Swann - The Rugby Swamp
November 19, 2023 05:47 - 53 minutes - 44 MBMy guest this week is former Stags RFC DoR and now Level 12 player with Woking RFC - Chris Swann. This interview was recorded in October of 2023 and we talked about the current rugby landscape and how to analyse club structures, how to find alignment and identity within a rugby cub and the realities of playing at Level 12. There is plenty of light and shade in this episode - I hope you enjoy! LINKS Chris Swann on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-s-50137350/ ...
#133 - Ben John - From Loughor to The Ospreys to Social Media domination!
November 12, 2023 04:01 - 1 hour - 55.1 MBMy guest this week is former Ospreys centre and Social Media superstar - Ben John This interview was recorded in September of 2023 and we talked about Ben's recent journey to the World Cup in a campervan, starting out at Loughor RFC, playing in the Junior Rugby World Cup in Argentina, reflections on being a Pro with the Ospreys (including a brief stint in the back row with Jerry Collins) and how that crosses over into the real world. We spoke about how Ben had to retire prematurely due...
#132 - Rugby World Cup - Final Review
November 02, 2023 16:34 - 29 minutes - 24 MBWith the Rugby World Cup now over, I spoke with Simon Elkinson about the Third/Fourth Playoff between England and Argentina and the Final which saw South Africa take on New Zealand. https://youtu.be/9La55l3JLUE What do you think? What impressed you this weekend? #rugby #RWC2023 #RugbyWorldCup LINKS Simon Elkinson on Twitter - @OnsideRecruiter - https://twitter.com/OnsideRecruiter Simon Elkinson on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonelkinson/ PATR...
#131 - Rugby World Cup - Final Preview
October 25, 2023 13:56 - 16 minutes - 13.9 MBAfter the epic Rugby World Cup semi-finals last week, I spoke with Simon Elkinson about the upcoming Final as New Zealand takes on South Africa! https://youtu.be/UZMCruGIgCY What do you think? Which game are you most looking forward to this weekend? #rugby #RWC2023 #RugbyWorldCup LINKS Simon Elkinson on Twitter - @OnsideRecruiter - https://twitter.com/OnsideRecruiter Simon Elkinson on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonelkinson/ PATREON Join Th...
#130 - Rugby World Cup - Semi-Final Review
October 24, 2023 18:00 - 36 minutes - 30.1 MBWith the Rugby World Cup now nearing its conclusion, I spoke with Simon Elkinson about the Semi-Finals. https://youtu.be/v3ZJV73aU2M What do you think? What impressed you this weekend? #rugby #RWC2023 #RugbyWorldCup LINKS Simon Elkinson on Twitter - @OnsideRecruiter - https://twitter.com/OnsideRecruiter Simon Elkinson on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonelkinson/ PATREON Join The Amateur Rugby Podcast Patreon community for some extra amateur ...
#129 - Rugby World Cup - Semi-Final Preview
October 19, 2023 16:47 - 25 minutes - 20.9 MBAfter the epic Rugby World Cup quarter-finals last week, I spoke with Simon Elkinson about the upcoming semi-finals as Argentina faces New Zealand and England takes on South Africa! https://youtu.be/6xKcnZrlaAE What do you think? Which games are you most looking forward to this weekend? #rugby #RWC2023 #RugbyWorldCup LINKS Simon Elkinson on Twitter - @OnsideRecruiter - https://twitter.com/OnsideRecruiter Simon Elkinson on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in...
#128 - Rugby World Cup - Quarter-Final Review
October 17, 2023 17:20 - 46 minutes - 37.9 MBWith the Rugby World Cup now underway, I spoke with Simon Elkinson about the epic Quarter-Final weekend. What do you think? What impressed you this weekend? #rugby #RWC2023 #RugbyWorldCup LINKS Simon Elkinson on Twitter - @OnsideRecruiter - https://twitter.com/OnsideRecruiter Simon Elkinson on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonelkinson/ PATREON Join The Amateur Rugby Podcast Patreon community for some extra amateur rugby goodness! (https://patreon.c...
#127 - Rugby World Cup - Quarter-Final Preview
October 11, 2023 18:38 - 18 minutes - 15.2 MBWith the Rugby World Cup group stages now over, I spoke with Simon Elkinson about the upcoming quarter-finals as Wales face Argentina, Ireland battle New Zealand, England take on Fiji and France come up against South Africa! https://youtu.be/ztSad8ffdLg What do you think? Which games are you most looking forward to this weekend? #rugby #RWC2023 #RugbyWorldCup LINKS Simon Elkinson on Twitter - @OnsideRecruiter - https://twitter.com/OnsideRecruiter Simon Elkinson ...
#126 - Rugby World Cup - Week 5 Review
October 11, 2023 18:34 - 36 minutes - 29.7 MBWith the Rugby World Cup now underway, I spoke with Simon Elkinson about the games from the final weekend of the group stages. https://youtu.be/5elvPolqzRA What do you think? What impressed you this weekend? #rugby #RWC2023 #RugbyWorldCup LINKS Simon Elkinson on Twitter - @OnsideRecruiter - https://twitter.com/OnsideRecruiter Simon Elkinson on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonelkinson/ PATREON Join The Amateur Rugby Podcast Patreon community ...
#125 - Rugby World Cup - Week 5 Preview
October 04, 2023 14:31 - 17 minutes - 13.2 MBWith the Rugby World Cup now well underway, I spoke with Simon Elkinson about the games coming up on the final weekend of the group stages. https://youtu.be/ilyEanPJpn8 What do you think? Which games are you most looking forward to this weekend? #rugby #RWC2023 #RugbyWorldCup LINKS Simon Elkinson on Twitter - @OnsideRecruiter - https://twitter.com/OnsideRecruiter Simon Elkinson on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonelkinson/ PATREON Join The Am...
#124 - Rugby World Cup - Week 4 Review
October 02, 2023 18:50 - 33 minutes - 27.2 MBWith the Rugby World Cup now underway, I spoke with Simon Elkinson about the games from the fourth weekend. https://youtu.be/3WYqXjdwidY What do you think? What impressed you this weekend? #rugby #RWC2023 #RugbyWorldCup LINKS Simon Elkinson on Twitter - @OnsideRecruiter - https://twitter.com/OnsideRecruiter Simon Elkinson on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonelkinson/ PATREON Join The Amateur Rugby Podcast Patreon community for some extra amat...
#123 - Rugby World Cup - Week 4 Preview
September 28, 2023 13:49 - 14 minutes - 12.7 MBWith the Rugby World Cup now underway, I spoke with Simon Elkinson about the games coming up on the fourth weekend. https://youtu.be/6tmXT74E0ek What do you think? Which games are you most looking forward to this weekend? #rugby #RWC2023 #RugbyWorldCup LINKS Simon Elkinson on Twitter - @OnsideRecruiter - https://twitter.com/OnsideRecruiter Simon Elkinson on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonelkinson/ PATREON Join The Amateur Rugby Podcast Patr...
#122 - Rugby World Cup - Week 3 Review
September 27, 2023 19:56 - 34 minutes - 28.3 MBWith the Rugby World Cup now underway, I spoke with Simon Elkinson about the games from the third weekend. https://youtu.be/-s42epkEq4Q What do you think? What impressed you this weekend? #rugby #RWC2023 #RugbyWorldCup LINKS Simon Elkinson on Twitter - @OnsideRecruiter - https://twitter.com/OnsideRecruiter Simon Elkinson on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonelkinson/ PATREON Join The Amateur Rugby Podcast Patreon community for some extra amate...
#121 - Rugby World Cup - Week 3 Preview
September 19, 2023 20:39 - 20 minutes - 17.1 MBWith the Rugby World Cup now underway, I spoke with Simon Elkinson about the games coming up on the third weekend. https://youtu.be/rZw8XMdv4zk What do you think? Which games are you most looking forward to this weekend? #rugby #RWC2023 #RugbyWorldCup LINKS Simon Elkinson on Twitter - @OnsideRecruiter - https://twitter.com/OnsideRecruiter Simon Elkinson on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonelkinson/ PATREON Join The Amateur Rugby Podcast Patre...
#120 - Rugby World Cup - Week 2 Review
September 19, 2023 20:04 - 27 minutes - 10.2 MBWith the Rugby World Cup now underway, I spoke with Simon Elkinson about the games from the second weekend. https://youtu.be/UEPW_CuxYD8 What do you think? What impressed you this weekend? #rugby #RWC2023 #RugbyWorldCup LINKS Simon Elkinson on Twitter - @OnsideRecruiter - https://twitter.com/OnsideRecruiter Simon Elkinson on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonelkinson/ PATREON Join The Amateur Rugby Podcast Patreon community for some extra amat...
#119 - Rugby World Cup - Week 2 Preview
September 14, 2023 17:13 - 23 minutes - 19.3 MBWith the Rugby World Cup now underway, I spoke with Simon Elkinson about the games coming up on the second weekend. https://youtu.be/I8rvNRI5Cv4 What do you think? Which games are you most looking forward to this weekend? #rugby #RWC2023 #RugbyWorldCup LINKS Simon Elkinson on Twitter - @OnsideRecruiter - https://twitter.com/OnsideRecruiter Simon Elkinson on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonelkinson/ PATREON Join The Amateur Rugby Podcast Patr...
#118 - Rugby World Cup - Week 1 Review
September 13, 2023 13:12 - 17 minutes - 15 MBWith the Rugby World Cup now under way, I spoke with Simon Elkinson about the games from the first weekend. https://youtu.be/YbdSqr7S7p8 What do you think? What impressed you this weekend? #rugby #RWC2023 #RugbyWorldCup LINKS Simon Elkinson on Twitter - @OnsideRecruiter - https://twitter.com/OnsideRecruiter Simon Elkinson on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonelkinson/ PATREON Join The Amateur Rugby Podcast Patreon community for some extra amat...
#117 - Who on earth is winning this Rugby World Cup?!
September 13, 2023 12:59 - 20 minutes - 17.5 MBWith the Rugby World Cup mere hours away from kicking off in Paris I spoke with Simon Elkinson about the runners and riders. Which teams have a chance of winning and where you'd place your bets. https://youtu.be/-zBwiAtEnH8 What do you think? Who are you backing to win? #rugby #RWC2023 #RugbyWorldCup LINKS Simon Elkinson on Twitter - @OnsideRecruiter - https://twitter.com/OnsideRecruiter Simon Elkinson on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonelkinson/ ...
#116 - Geoff Griffiths - Tackling Transition
July 30, 2023 05:30 - 39 minutes - 32.7 MBMy guest this week is my former Esher Rugby teammate and also my former podcast guest - Geoff Griffiths. This interview was recorded in July of 2023 and we talked about the thorny subject of players transitioning out of the game when their playing days are over. We discuss who is affected by this, what challenges they face, why some of these challenges are subtle and difficult to process, and most importantly, what players can do to prepare themselves for the toughest day of their care...
#115 - Simon Elkinson - How much is too much?
July 16, 2023 06:30 - 1 hour - 57.7 MBMy guest this week is my former Esher S&C Coach - Simon Elkinson This interview was recorded in July of 2023 and we talked about Elko's playing days in Ireland and the importance of a dominant and disciplined tighthead for a hooker, his troubles with injuries and how it hampered his progress in senior rugby, the role of an S&C coach at different levels of the game and how to get the best out of teams taking into account the amount of time you have with the players. There are tons...
#114 - David Sanderson - Stories from the 3rd XV
July 02, 2023 07:36 - 48 minutes - 39.9 MBMy guest this week is my former Old Colfeians teammate - David Sanderson This interview was recorded in July of 2023 and we talked about the landscape of Old Boys rugby in the 1980s, tour stories from many of the famous Old Colfeians overseas adventures, the role of a good 3rd XV in a rugby club and playing with genuine legends of the game. This is a really fun episode - I hope you enjoy! LINKS David Sanderson on Instagram - @david_ld_sanderson - https://www.instagram.com...
#113 - Simon Goldsmith - Hooker by choice
June 25, 2023 06:46 - 57 minutes - 46.9 MBMy guest this week is my former Esher teammate - Simon Goldsmith This interview was recorded in May of 2023 and we talked about how he became a rugby keeno and a dedicated hooker, his pride at playing for Kent, THAT try against London Welsh, horrific injuries and an epic trip to support the Lions in New Zealand in 2017. This is a really fun episode - I hope you enjoy! LINKS Simon Goldsmith on Instagram - @sigoldsmith - https://www.instagram.com/sigoldsmith/ Tunbridge We...
#112 - Sam Howard - It's all about decision making
June 18, 2023 05:40 - 1 hour - 54.4 MBMy guest this week is three-time Nat Schools winning coach - Sam Howard. This interview was recorded in May of 2023 and we talked through Sam’s playing days at Blackheath, Rosslyn Park and Bedford Blues (including promotion to the Premiership!), and an absolutely gold-ridden exploration of Sam’s thoughts around coaching, how he builds his attack and a big chunk about the psychology of our sport too. This interview has been a long time coming and it did not disappoint - I hope you...
#111 - Tim Abrams - They'd never even played a team sport before
June 11, 2023 06:12 - 45 minutes - 37.6 MBMy guest this week is Head Coach of Glasgow's inclusive rugby team - The Glasgow Raptors - Mr Tim Abrams. This interview was recorded in May of 2023 and we talked about Tim's early years in the sport and the behaviour of others that dissuaded him from playing, how he got back into rugby and his passion for coaching, the phenomenal growth of the Raptors under his guidance and the huge number of brand new adult players they are bringing into rugby via summer boot camps for complete begin...
#110 - Chris Swann - Why culture beats budget
June 04, 2023 04:27 - 45 minutes - 37.7 MBMy guest this week is the outgoing DoR of CS Stags - Chris Swann. This interview was recorded in May of 2023 and we talked about how you build a squad with character, why it's important to listen to your players, the joys of being a club with limited resources and tons of fun stories from the murky world where the amateur and professional games overlap. This episode is packed with great tactics and really took me back to my time playing at a similar level - I hope you enjoy! ...
#109 - Tom Hicks - Coaching salad
May 28, 2023 08:07 - 53 minutes - 43.6 MBMy guest this week coaches rugby in many different environments and his name is Tom Hicks. This interview was recorded in May of 2023 and we talked about his experience under awesome coaches at Clifton, what it means to be a pathway coach, some technical details about what makes a good player, coach development, the challenges around the environment that young players will be going into and the opportunities that are out there. This episode is absolutely packed with great informa...
#108 - Jonathan Flynn - Rugby around the World
May 14, 2023 08:07 - 1 hour - 51.7 MBMy guest this week is Alcobendas RFC Coach - Jonathan Flynn. This interview was recorded in May of 2023 and we talked about Jonathan's extraordinary journey through rugby in Canada, New Zealand, France, Belgium, Germany and even Luxembourg - where Jonathan played for and coached the national side. He's now in Spain and we deep dive into the rugby landscape on the continent. This is a journey through the vagaries and pitfalls of a rugby life just outside the elite level - I hope y...
#107 - Hot Topics - Discussing current rugby affairs
April 23, 2023 06:48 - 12 minutes - 10.5 MBOn this week's show offer up a selection from the best episodes of my 'Hot Topics' YouTube series. Listen in as I speak with Matt Barton about the Super Rugby ELVs, Simon Elkinson about the Ireland team, Dickon Moon about the Papa Johns Cup, Matt Townsend about England's tactics and Phil Greenaway about AGPs. It's a star-studded episode and I hope you enjoy! https://youtu.be/0toxU0X5hYM LINKS The Great Rugger Run website The Great Rugger Run on Twitter @RuggerRun The ...
#106 - The Great Rugger Run route for 2023 - but where will it end?
April 16, 2023 18:18 - 6 minutes - 5.61 MBI'm delighted to announce the route for this year's Great Rugger Run. West to East through a rugby heartland and with some hugely personal reasons for choosing this location. Come and join me? It's all happening in August this year! LINKS The Great Rugger Run website The Great Rugger Run on Twitter @RuggerRun The Great Rugger Run on Instagram @thegreatruggerrun The Great Rugger Run on Facebook @thegreatruggerrun PATREON Join The Amateur Rugby Podcast Patreon commu...
#105 - Karl Cross - I want to be a coach, not a choreographer
April 09, 2023 05:00 - 49 minutes - 40.4 MBMy guest this week is long time grassroots rugby coach - Karl Cross. This interview was recorded in March of 2023 and we talked about Karl's incredible entry to rugby, his near-vertical learning curve when playing tighthead prop, a transition into coaching, and some incredible, powerful lessons learnt whilst coaching and we finished by discussing the absolute stream train that is the women's game at the moment. This chat surprised me and inspired me in equal measure - I hope you ...