The Post Rugby Podcast (Anthony Andrews)

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:

On Instagram

Or his business on instagram

You can follow host, Anthony here:

On Instagram

On LinkedIn

Website www.moveplaypause.com

Harry Rowland is a former rugby player with playing stints at London Irish, Moseley, Ealing and Rosslyn Park and is now a mobility and movement coach.

His journey in rugby includes an impressive list of injuries including 3 spinal fractures, neck operations, metal work in his arm, a reconstructed and arthritic knee, numerous broken noses as well as a fair few concussions. These injuries helped lay the foundations for him to explore movement at a much deeper level training in Functional Range Conditioning, Kinstretch and Pilates to name a few modalities and he has created a life around teaching others the benefits of movement.

A mantra of his that I really liked which I read whilst researching for this podcast was - 'Don’t sit and vegetate to allow your bodies history define your potential'.

In this conversation we talk about some of Harry's highs and lows within the game of rugby and his interest in different styles of training such as Pilates which served him throughout his career and beyond. Having recovered from a number of injuries including a serious knee injury we discussed what it was like to go through the rehab process whilst his team was on a successful run of form and how he found the process not just physically challenging but mentally too. He talks about how his curiosity with movement which started during his playing career has allowed him to flow into retirement through building a movement coaching business. Since retiring he has seeked out experts from around the world to learn more about the body and recommends you rebuilding your body by starting at your foundations - with your feet! He goes on to discuss the benefits of minimalist shoes and how this can have a positive knock on effect to the rest of the body. 

He also shares lots of great insights which would benefit not just retired rugby players but current ones too and invites you to treasure all the moments and opportunities playing rugby can bring. A huge gratitude to Harry for sharing his story. To find out more about Harry you can check out his website here: 

https://www.hspacemovement.com/

Or you can follow him on instagram here: 

https://www.instagram.com/hspacemovement/

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 or retired) and like minded people to continue your journey to a happier and healthier life post rugby. 

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

Or via his website

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:

On Instagram

On LinkedIn

Or via his website

To find out a little more about your host, Anthony you can find him here:

On Instagram

On LinkedIn

Or via his website

Rick Cooper is a former rugby player and inspirational Leadership and Performance coach.  

Rick’s upbringing in sport was one where he initially tried to find validation, recognition and significance through the competition of rugby. This led him to embark on a professional career with Saracens.   

In doing so, he broke his back, making him temporarily semi paralysed with the medical profession ruling out any physical endeavour in his lifetime at the age of just 21. Defiant, he went on to spend 10 years as a London Firefighter, proudly serving and helping the people of London. In this time he made a return to the rugby field and even received an invite to represent GB as a power lifter.   

Now a qualified Personal Trainer, Educator, Assessor, Life and NLP coach, Rick has become an integrated man and consistently coaches men to personal transformation.

In this conversation we delve into his journey with rugby from his early days as a fiery front rower to finding his home in his later years in the back row via the bulk of his career as a crash ball centre. We talk about some of the challenges throughout his career and also some of his revelations as a retired player and how he transformed his approach to training. Through connecting with nature on a regular basis and enjoying short sharp training sessions among other things he has found a new sense of freedom with his body after many significant injuries sustained in the game. He uses this new found freedom and his inner fire, which he used to channel into the rugby field, to fuel his new life which includes creating some amazing programmes for the people he works with and coaches. 

He shares many nuggets of wisdom through the podcast and wraps it up with some huge inspiration to anyone involved in the game! A huge gratitude to Rick for sharing his story. To find out more about Rick check out his website here: 

https://www.rick-cooper.com/

Or you can follow him on instagram here: 

https://instagram.com/rick__cooper?igshid=1xv1c7oru11k7

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.

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:

On Instagram 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:

On Instagram here

On LinkedIn 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.

Paul Sampson is a former professional and international rugby player for Wasps, Bath, London Welsh, England & England 7s. Before his rugby career took off he was a successful sprinter, winning the 100m school boy championship at 17 years of age and once even beat famous sprinter Dwain Chambers in a race.

His life after rugby has led him to become a successful wellbeing and transformative coach and he is also on the advisory board for looseheadz a mental health charity. He has recently started a new company Beacon Global Sports Welfare to support athletes with their well-being and human performance drawing on his vast experience as a sportsman and now coach.

In this conversation we talk about Paul's career in the game and his life since retirement as a coach. We discuss the difference between Personal Training and Coaching and also how to tap into the deeper aspect of what drives people and how they can tap into their potential. We also discuss mental health and how a focus needs to be put more on making it more lighthearted and fun - focusing on the flows and positive things in life and not just the ebbs and the low points.

A big thanks to Paul for his time, you can follow him on instagram here:

https://www.instagram.com/coachsampson15/

And check out his new company to support athletes here:

www.bgsportswelfare.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 :)

A quick summary of my journey within the game of Rugby so far and why I have started the Post Rugby Podcast. I hope you enjoy it and I look forward to starting this podcast journey with you! 

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:

On Instagram

Via his website

You can follow host Anthony and connect with him:

On Instagram

On LinkedIn

Via his website

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 :)

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:

On Instagram

On LinkedIn

Or Via his website

You can find out a bit more about host Anthony here:

On Instagram

On LinkedIn

Or Via his website

Alecs Donovan is former Ospreys player and Wales International who has recently retired to focus on running her two Yoga businesses Yogability and the Yoga Hub. She has been a Yoga teacher for over 5 years after getting into Yoga after rupturing her achilles and now teaches players from the Bristol Bears and also a number of professional and former professional players in Wales. Her Yogability method is targeted at helping athletes incorporate Yoga into their training regime combining Yoga with mobility exercises to improve their performance. She describes Yogability as ‘Yoga without the zen’.

In this conversation we talk about her journey in women’s rugby and some of the challenges and harsh realities of the sport. We then move onto talk about Yoga and how this practice helped her recover from a snapped achilles to representing her country and now to her teaching Yoga to some of the best players in the game to help with their mobility and also recovery from the demands of professional sport.

Huge gratitude to Alecs for sharing her story and shining a light on the powerful practice of Yoga. You can check Alecs out here on instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/alecs_donovan1/

or visit her website here to get involved in a Yogability class by visiting her website here: 

www.yogability.fit

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 :)

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 :)

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 :)

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.

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:

www.moveplaypause.com

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 :)

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:

On Instagram

Or you can purchase his book from Amazon here

To connect with the host Anthony you can follow him here:

On Instagram

On LinkedIn

Or Check out his website to sign up for his weekly newsletter here

Riki Crib or more popularly known as the Maori Mystic has been involved in the game of rugby for over 20 years as a player and now as a mental skills coach helping professional teams (including most recently Brumbies in Australia) and also players individually across the world to improve their performance. Riki combines pedagogy, sport psychology, and mindfulness to create a transformative mental skills approach, where player welfare and holistic well-being are at the core.

Riki is from NZ and has previously lived and working in the U.K., Australia, Saudi Arabia and South Korea crafting his approach to mental training along with working as an international teacher. In this time he has created his own model for tapping into the flow state using a combination of mental skills, mindfulness and holistic wellbeing and says

‘To fully grasp the Ideal Performance State or Flow one must go beyond the mind’.

In really quite profound conversation we talk about the importance of tapping into the deeper aspects of the mind and how this can improve your performance not just on the rugby field but in life. 

A huge thank you to Riki for this time and for sharing these ideas and thought provoking topics. You can find out more about his work on instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/themaorimystic/

And on LinkedIn Here: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariki-mataki-415970175/

Finally, The Post Rugby Podcast would like to invite you 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 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 :)

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:

Instagram

Linkedin

Website

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:

Instagram

LinkedIn

Website

Thank you for listening, we will see you next time for more information and inspiration to tackle your challenges post rugby!

James Strong is a former rugby player having represented Wales at age group levels plus on the IRB 7s circuit. He played for 8 years at London Welsh and 4 years at Rosslyn Park semi professionally. Alongside rugby, he qualified as an accountant while working in financial services and completed a full time MBA at Cass Business School in 2010.

After rugby he got into endurance sports such as triathlons but soon after started to suffer with his recovery and even his focus. He started to seek out ways to help with this and one of the things he found was light therapy. Off the back of this and the amazing results he achieved in 2017, he founded Red Light Rising as a passion project. Since then the company has grown significantly, with players in 3 of the 6 Nations teams using their lights, plus world champion heavy weight boxers, F1 drivers, Olympic athletes and many more.

In this conversation we dive pretty deep into a discussion on health and various ways you can improve and optimise it. One of the key components is sleep and James goes into depth on the affect of different types of light has on us and our sleep patterns. His company aims to offer solutions to some of the challenges faced in the modern world with exposure to blue light through with our use of technology among other things with blue light blocking glasses. These glasses along with red light therapy devices offers modern ways to help us replicate our ancient connection to the natural cycles called our circadian rhythm. 

We also discuss some healthy hacks and things you can do around the home to create your own 'biohacking house' as James has successfully done after taking on a renovation project to create his new family home in the midlands. 

A huge huge thanks to James for his time this morning and I hope you are able to pick something out of that talk today to implement in your own routine. To find out a bit more about James and his company Red Light Rising their website is here: 

www.redlightrising.co.uk

You can also follow them on Instagram here: 

https://www.instagram.com/redlightrising

Finally, The Post Rugby Podcast would like to invite you 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 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 :) 

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.

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

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:

Instagram

LinkedIn

To connect with host Anthony you can follow him on:

Instagram

LinkedIn

Or on his business website www.moveplaypause.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.

Dai Rees is former rugby player at Newbridge, Swansea, Newport & Cross Keys and made the transition after retiring from injury into a successful career as coach. Some of his rugby coaching highlights include a number of head coach positions at Wales Representative level including Wales 7s, U19, 20, 21s and Wales Women. He then spent around a decade in Hong Kong coaching and was the Chief Rugby Operations officer and general manager for high performance.

Now back in the UK he has been working as a teacher in a private school as well as building on his vast experience as a mentor and high performance coach. He has very recently made the decision to finish his full time role at his school and jump with two feet into following his passion for authentic leadership, personal development, mentoring and coaching.

In this conversation we talk about Dai's learning and experience of over 40 years involved in the game of rugby. We go pretty deep into his revelations around his own early struggles with managing his emotions and how his exploration into emotional intelligence has revolutionised his approach to leadership, coaching and teaching. He talks about the importance of learning, especially as we enter later life and recommends the book 'A permission to feel' by Marc Brackett to anyone who wants to take a first step into learning about their emotions. He also touches on some of the ideas of masculinity in the book 'Backbone' by David Wagner and in our discussion we talk a little bit around how men especially find it hard to express emotions. One final recommendation from Dai to the teachers and coaches out there was the book 'Inside out coaching' by Joe Ehrmann which he says has helped him implement some of his experience with emotional intelligence into the High Performance environments he has managed in recent years. 

I am sure you will enjoy this slightly longer but more in depth conversation with someone with such a rich experience in the game. Huge gratitude to Dai for sharing with us today, you can find him on LinkedIn here: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dai-rees-56297223

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 this podcast but please be encouraged to take action today but trying some of things the guest talks about or joining the community and getting involved in the next challenge or programme. See you next time :) 

Stevie Ward is an ex-professional rugby league player and former captain of the Leeds Rhinos before recently choosing to step away from the game due to a concussion injury. Stevie’s career demonstrates not only the highest of highs in sport, with being a two time Grand Final and a Challenge Cup winner, but also the devastating adversities that come with them, 10 operations and 3 major concussions all before the age of 27.

His story not only shows the boyhood dream of representing his home town club but also the shear grit that it takes to get there. Along with this his ability to keep cutting through the adversity to maintain this position has been truly inspiring. But maybe more inspiring is his work he has been doing along side playing over the past 5 years which he has recently transitioned into full time. Stevie has become a key figure in the sporting community for progressing conversations and culture around mental health after he launched his company Mantality in 2016.

This work has led him to delivering resilience, values, and purpose workshops within his team the Leeds Rhinos and other high-performance institutions such as the NHS, Arup Engineering and a number of Universities. Along with this he continues to share amazing stories on the Mantality Podcast and helps people to evolve through his online community showing them how to train their mental health as well as their physical health.

In this conversation we talk about his recovery from a career ending head injury last year and how he is coping with the continued symptoms of concussion. We talk about his highlights from his career playing for Leeds Rhinos and how a long list of injuries has led him to some mental health challenges but then creating his company Mantality off the back of it. He talks about his 'Evolve' programme which helps people 'train their mental health regime' with the practice of gratitude forming a key part of that.

A huge gratitude to Stevie for sharing his story and his powerful advice to help people with taking control of their mental health. To follow Stevie you can follow his personal Instagram here: 

https://www.instagram.com/ste_ward

And follow his company Mantality here: 

https://www.instagram.com/mantality/?hl=en

or at their website here: 

https://mantality.co.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 :)

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:

On instagram

On facebook

And to follow me, Anthony, the host of the show you can follow me here:

On instagram

On LinkedIn

Website: www.moveplaypause.com

David Jackson (Jacko) is a former professional rugby player at Nottingham Rugby Club making over 300 first team appearances and scoring over 100 tries. He then turned to Strength and Conditioning becoming an accredited member of the UK Strength and Conditioning Association and co-founded the School of Callisthenics. He also explored breathing with the Oxygen Advantage after finishing rugby with a traumatic Brain Injury. As a result of this injury his brain function and breath was initially effected, so with a strong desire to get back to optimal health he explored many things but realised, after reading the Oxygen Advantage book, that breathing would be a critical part in this journey. 

In this conversation we talk about his retirement from the game due to a nasty head injury sustained at training and the challenging year he faced as a result. We go on to talk about a tool he has used in recent years to transform his health - breathing! Sounds too simple or even too good to be true but Jacko describes some of mechanisms of the breath and how changing the way we breath can have a huge impact on the rest of our body.

A big thank you to Jacko for sharing his time today and talking about his recent work with the breath. To find out more about his work follow his personal page on instagram here:

www.instagram.com/jackohumanflag

Or check out his online breath course here:

https://www.rootedlife.co.uk/breathwork

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 :)