Shows
RugbyKOBula DruaMick Byrne is the head coach of the Fijian Drua. Hear how Mick made the transition from playing AFL to rugby, to AFL coach, rugby assistant coach, and now Head Coach of the new franchise in the Super Rugby competition, the Fiji Drua. We dive into the lessons Mick has learned over his extensive career, and why he chose to enroll in a psychology course to address his own ideas when his coaching wasn’t being acted on. Find out what differentiates a great coach from a good one, and why team culture and giving everyone a voice is...2022-03-2531 min
RugbyKOThe 'Mic' Likes WykesAfter his very recent retirement from playing Rugby, like many players, life after professional rugby can be difficult. Sam Wykes’ experience was no different at first. However, with some determined resolve, he has created a wealth of opportunities for himself, from commentating to coaching and even corporate recruitment. We hear what Sam’s transition from the life of a professional athlete to a desk job has been like, and how he has continued to give back to the rugby community. We find out how COVID-19 and injury combined to spell the end of his ca...2022-03-1128 min
RugbyKOImproving IndiaDeveloping Rugby India with Nasser HussainMost nations that play rugby also play cricket. One notable exception is India, where rugby is still a fledgling sport currently categorised under ‘other sports’. Today, we talk to Nasser Hussain, the CEO of Rugby India and the man responsible for putting the game on the map in India. Tune in to find out how Nasser himself got involved in the game and why he felt it was important to become an accredited world rugby trainer. We learn about the two major challenges facing Rugby India (infrastructure and medi...2022-03-0323 min
RugbyKOUnited#A Day In Union is about uniting and connecting the rugby community globally. The initiative of Greg Mumm and John Anderson, A Day In Union aims to bring rugby back to its grassroots and shift the narrative to a more positive one., uniting all. We discuss where the idea came from, how everyone can get involved, and what different clubs around Australia are doing to celebrate it. We also find out what John has been up to as president of The Rugby Club of Victoria, and how he's making the sport more inclusive. Gregg tells us about his in...2022-02-2432 min
RugbyKOSevens HeavenToday’s guest, Robbie McRobbie, is a Scottish-born, British-educated, former police officer who is currently the CEO of the Hong Kong Rugby Union (HKRU). Furthermore, he is a recipient of an MBE award for the role he has played in changing the lives of at-risk youth through sport, as well as the work he has done to advance UK/Hong Kong relations. HKRU was the only national sports association to have a charity component, and we hear about the success of HKRU’s Community Foundation. Robbie's focus though is currently on the globally recognised Hong Kong Sevens...2022-02-0252 min
RugbyKO6 Degrees with LeahSport, rugby in particular, formed the foundation of Nick Leah’s childhood. Walcha where he grew up, had several Ex-Wallabies and aspirational Wallaby trialists namely Peter Fenwick – who captained the Wallabies & Andrew Laurie who both along with his Dad drove a lot of the sport in the town & coached Rugby and Cricket. His dad also coached NSW Country and various zone representative teams, and heavily involved in reviving Junior Rugby in Country NSW during the late 70’s and early 80’s. This passion for developing the next generation of players took Nick from a passi...2022-02-0244 min
RugbyKOTonga in UnionOn the 14th of January 2022, disaster struck Tonga and its surrounding islands in the form of a submarine volcanic eruption deemed to be hundreds of times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb. For a country that is reliant on farming and rainwater, this incident has had devastating impacts on the Tongan people. In today’s episode, Peter Harding and Toutai Kefu, the CEO and Head Coach of the Tongan Rugby Union respectively, join us to share what the situation looks like on the ground at the moment and how you can assist the various organizations th...2022-02-0222 min
RugbyKOGeoff Parkes - Writing and RoaringGeoff Parkes is the author of ‘A World in Union - The Global Battle for Rugby Supremacy, published in 2017 to critical acclaim. He also writes for Australia's leading interactive sports website The Roar in his weekly column on rugby, 'The Wrap'. He has published almost 450 articles, with almost 2 million views. I chat to Geoff about Rugby, the writing he does for the sport, his views on where the game is at, and his views on the global game and its future Geoff talks about his journey with Rugby, writing for The Roar and writing his i...2021-07-0852 min
RugbyKOLolesio Sione - Grassroots Gun S2 Ep2Lolesio Sione played rugby union in his youth in Samoa. He and his family came to Australia in 2017, and settled in Melbourne. He has been ear marked as a grassroots gun, and a promising young talent in rugby union. He is now part of the Victorian Rugby Academy and developed his game at Wyndham City Rhinos. The Backrower has also been recently asked to join the Rebels for preseason training with the club. He was also named in the junior Wallabies. He discusses training at the Rebels, the influence of his brother who also played uni...2021-06-1715 min
RugbyKOKerry Chikarovski - Kicking Goals with ChikaKerry Chikarovski is a former NSW Liberal Leader and was the first woman to lead a major political party in New South Wales. She is also the Founder and Director of Chikarovski & Associates, a governmental relations, community engagement and stakeholder relations consultancy, which she founded in 2003, whose expertise spans a wide range of industries including financial, government, community, property and technology start-ups. Kerry holds a number of non-executive board roles including, NSW Waratahs Rugby Union, Our Watch, Adopt Change, Road Safety Education and the Humpty Dumpty Foundation. She is the Chair of NSW Women’s rugby union, an...2021-06-1044 min
RugbyKOAndrew Lockwood - The Andy ArmyAndy Lockwood grew up in PNG and the UK. In 1999 he travelled to Perth to play some rugby and managed to get selected for the WA U19s. On return to the UK he attended University before starting a career in the British Army. Rugby playing was put on hold for various periods as deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan were on the cards. In 2015 Andy started a part-time internship at Bath Rugby Academy within the Performance team. At the end of the internship in 2018 he was left with no involvement in rugby...2021-05-2834 min
RugbyKODr Adrian Cohen - Cohen, Concussion and the ChekYour mission with head safe and neck safe is ultimately to eliminate or reduce preventable neck and head injuries. Do you have any current information specific to sport in Australia around the number of head and neck injuries occurring in sport each year.What can we do to prevent this or reduce this number? Concussion is of particular concern, even in junior sport. What can be done more actively to reduce the occurrence of this and what are the effects of experience a single concussion, and multiple concussions?There is some litigious discussions currently with...2021-04-2345 min
RugbyKOWill Grant - Grassroots Gun S2 Ep 1Will Grant lives in Rouchel (pronounced 'Roo Kill' he tells me) - a small town in the Upper Hunter, and was introduced to Rugby Union when he started as a boarder at the Kings School in Sydney. He played his junior rugby as a rugby league player in the surrounding league competitions offered near his rural home. In his senior high school years, Will moved to Riverview College where he played in the first XV for two years and cemented his love of union. Following school , he headed to New Zealand and was signed to the provincial c...2021-04-1823 min
RugbyKONick Piper - The Piper ProductionIn the first episode of the 2021 season of Rugby KO, we talk to the talented Nick Piper, owner and producer of Onion TV. His prolific sports documentaries have a combined almost one million views and he is now into the 7th series of The Season, his Rugby Union documentary series. He takes a close look at schools Rugby, and provides access to the inner sanctum of what makes a schools rugby team so entertaining.Nick talks about his devotion to sport and profiling all sports, including Rowing, Rugby, Basketball, Netball, Baseball amongst others and wh...2021-04-0740 min
RugbyKOMatt Taylor - Tackling DefenceFrom knowing your opponent’s key stats to studying their star players, preparing your team’s defence is as vital as their offence game. Today we speak with Wallabies defence coach Matt Taylor about his life, career, and what he does to develop a dogged defensive line. After touching on his professional highlights, we chat about his time coaching in Scotland and how he landed his job at the Wallabies. From there, we discuss his relationship with attack coach Scott Wisemantel and coach David Rennie. Matt shares insights into his defensive plan, what information he uses to develop his stra...2020-11-1629 min
RugbyKOCurtis Bradford - The Austrian AdvantageWith so many styles of play on offer, adaptability has become a necessary skill for the international and modern rugby coach. Today we speak with Curtis Bradford, one of the youngest national coaches in World Rugby, whose career has taken him to Malaysia, Wales, Finland, Rwanda, and Austria. After sharing his professional highlights, we chat with Curtis about his current role as the Head Coach of the Austrian Sevens team. Curtis provides insights into what rugby is like in a smaller nation, diving into their focus on player retention, the sports that rugby competes with, and what Austrian rugby...2020-11-1626 min
RugbyKOTim Wallace - Time to Soar for ShoreHigh-calibre play and healthy interschool rivalries make school rugby a key battleground for developing the next generation players. Today we speak with ex-Wallaby Tim Wallace about school rugby and his work in rugby development at the Shore School in Sydney. We open our conversation by discussing Tim’s career highlights in club and international rugby. After sharing his tips on competing for team spots, we talk about the link between effective school level coaching and building a rapport with your students. Tim then opens up about the challenges faced by Shore School rugby and the solutions they’re introducing to b...2020-11-0932 min
RugbyKOToutai Kefu - An Overview with KefuFor many, rugby has been an incredible outlet where people have found friendship and camaraderie. For Toutai Kefu — arguably the best number 8 that the Wallabies have ever had, transitioning into coaching was a natural step that allowed him to stay connected to the culture that he loves. Today we speak to Toutai about his career as an illustrious player and prolific coach. Early in our conversation, we chat about his love of coaching and the years he spent in Japan. Touching on his current role as a coach for the World Ten Series, we talk about the 10s for...2020-10-2919 min
RugbyKOMark Tonga - ReMARKable and ResilientAccording to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 18% of Australians live with a disability,. With great resilience, and after a 2008 rugby accident resulted in quadraplegia, Mark Tonga has advocated for the rights of people with disabilities. Today we speak to Mark about the contributions that both he and the rugby community have made towards this cause. We open our conversation by exploring the advisory role that Mark plays on boards, as well as his Chairman role with the Disability Council of NSW. Mark talks about how he suffered his injury and his process in adjusting to his new...2020-10-1830 min
RugbyKOGaven Head - Heading up CommunityThe pandemic has shifted Australian rugby, causing it to focus on the aspects of the sport that matter the most, including fellowship, player engagement, and rugby’s ability to foster communities. All of these are hallmarks of grassroots rugby. Today we speak with Queensland Reds’ General Manager for Community Rugby, Gaven Head, about his role in promoting on-the-ground rugby. We open our conversation by chatting about how tackling COVID challenges has allowed him to accelerate the changes that he’s wanted to make. After sharing his team’s successes in maintaining participation rates, Gaven talks about how grants have empo...2020-10-1526 min
RugbyKOPeter Murphy - Fundraising and the FoundationFar from being a “dirty word,” fundraising is a critical part of supporting rugby. Importantly, if you don’t ask, you don’t get. Today, we speak with former Olympic rower and Executive Director of the Australian Rugby Foundation, Peter Murphy, about the role his foundation plays in funding rugby. Our conversation opens as Peter explores the Foundation’s purpose and the five major pillars that it focuses on, including women’s, grassroots, First Nations, and high-performance rugby, along with player welfare. We talk about how the foundation guides local clubs, providing them with toolkits and resources to help them fu...2020-09-2833 min
RugbyKOTrae Stevens - Grassroots Gun Ep 8Trae Stevens is a Bermudian local who began his rugby career in his final year of high school and has not looked back. He was selected in the U19 Bermuda squad, and today plays tight head prop for the Bermudian Mens national side. Last year they won the Rugby Americas North championships, becoming Carribean Champions, edging out Gutaloop, Trae has travelled the world playing rugby and is a promising and committed young rugby talent on the island of Bermuda.I talk to Trae about staying safe in the middle of the Atl...2020-09-2424 min
RugbyKOJamie Barnwell - The Bermudian BreakdownNever underestimate the strength of a small but motivated rugby team. The first episode of our new Going Global format, today we hop over to Bermuda’s tropical beaches to chat with Jamie Barnwell, head coach for the Bermuda men’s national rugby team. Despite having fewer resources and a limited player pool, Bermuda rugby is thriving, in part due to Jamie’s training regime and unassailable optimism. We start our conversation by talking about what Bermuda rugby looks like and how Jamie landed a coaching gig soon after landing in the country. Jamie discusses some of...2020-09-1729 min
RugbyKOPhil Thomson - Bullish BrumbiesBefore Phil Thomson took over as CEO, the Brumbies were facing difficult times. They had posted a financial loss for both 2015 and 2016. Today, they boast a tidy profit and increased membership despite the pandemic. In this episode, we speak with experienced manager and Brumbies CEO Phil Thomson about his experience at the Brumbies’ helm and how the club is positioned to tackle the future. After sharing his career highlights, we ask Phil for his take on the Brumbies 2016 instability. We talk about how his time on the police force impacted his role as an integrity manager before he explains ho...2020-09-0642 min
RugbyKOScott Young - The WhistleblowerSome of the best referees rarely get noticed. And even if they make the right call, they’re likely to suffer abuse from crowds and players alike. With experience officiating over the highest levels of play, Scott Young is a veteran ref who can attest to being sworn at in several foreign languages. As today’s guest, we speak to Scott about our great sport and his career as a match official. After sharing his humble start as a referee — something he agreed to do at a pub — we talk about how referees train to keep up with players. We then...2020-08-3141 min
RugbyKOMitch Watts - Grassroots Gun Ep 7From country Tamworth, Mitchell Watts attends Calrossy School, where he has just completed his year 12 trials. He plays for the Tamworth Magpies in the second row. He was selected for Central North, NSW Country and the the NSW Junior Rugby Union U18’s. Mitch is beginning on his pathway to professionalism, but first hopes to achieve the marks to study commerce /law at university. I talk to the modest and self deprecating Mitch about rugby and his experiences so far in rugby union.2020-08-2819 min
RugbyKOBaden Stephenson - A Rebel with a Cause2017 was a transformative year for the Melbourne Rebels. Having survived being axed from Super Rugby, they also transitioned from being privately owned to joining the Victoria Rugby Union stable. In today’s episode, we speak with Baden Stephenson about his greatest challenges and achievements since becoming the Rebels CEO in 2017. Considering the uncertainty of the time, Baden talks about his early priority in quickly building trust among stakeholders. Reflecting on the ‘start-up’ nature of the 2017 transitions, Baden highlights the importance of developing a club from the ground up. On the topic of sponsors, we talk about modern approaches to corpor...2020-08-2432 min
RugbyKOJosephine Sukkar - Building RugbyWe talk with Josephine Sukkar, Principal of Buildcorp about Rugby Australia’s incredible opportunity to redefine our approach to the sport and meet the challenges of modern rugby. Tied to this is the need to build greater inclusivity into the game, especially increasing women’s participation. A member of the Order of Australia, Buildcorp principle, and president of Australian Women’s Rugby, Josephine is an important rugby sponsor who has been integral in advocating for women’s rugby. We start our conversation by chatting about what sparked her passion for rugby and her company’s involvement in the sport. Josephine...2020-08-1443 min
RugbyKOGrace Hamilton - Amazing GraceAmazing Grace: Women’s Rugby with Grace Hamilton.Despite having a relatively late start in rugby, Grace Hamilton’s commitment to the sport and excellence on the field led her to be named the 2019 Wallaroo of the year. In this episode, we speak with Grace about women’s rugby, her career and leadership challenges, and the future of the sport. We begin by talking about her start in rugby before diving into her career milestones.Grace attributes her success to her drive to see how far she can push herself. We ask Grace ab...2020-08-1124 min
RugbyKOPhil Waugh - A Question of WaughPhil Waugh was able to follow a clear pathway from being a ballboy and then playing for the Warringah Rats to eventually joining the Wallabies. These days the connection between community and professional rugby aren’t as clear. In today’s episode, we talk with Phil about the importance of grassroots rugby and we ask Phil, a non-executive director for Rugby Australia, for insights on where the organisation is headed. Phil discusses the challenges that Rugby Australia is facing and how it’s leaving stormy waters and shifting its attention from addressing controversy and back onto the game. R...2020-08-0327 min
RugbyKORod Seib - Nurturing the Next GenerationWhile winning is important, rugby is a sport that values teamwork and community. Today’s guest is Rod Seib, Queensland Reds Rugby Academy head coach, whose love of the social aspects of rugby has created a life-long commitment to the sport. Our conversation revolves around his position coaching for elite rugby players and early in the episode, we ask him what it takes to coach at that high-calibre level. We then talk about how coaching is as much about managing people as it is about understanding the game. Rod discusses how he developed his coaching skills through exp...2020-07-2726 min
RugbyKOJosh Flook - Grassroots Gun Ep 6Josh Flook started playing rugby at 6 years old for the Brothers Rugby Club in Queensland. He continued at the club through to playing colts and then first grade in 2019 at the age of 17. He was part of the Brothers Rugby Club squad that took part in the Queensland Premier Rugby grand final that year. He played in the first XV for Nudgee college for 2 years, in 2018 and 2019, winning the GPS competition with the team.Last year he was captain of the Australian U18 team and also captained the Australian Schoolboys.He received acclaim when named Quee...2020-07-2419 min
RugbyKOOwen Finegan - Melon Not a LemonFrom player to coach, Owen Finegan, our guest this week, has lived and breathed rugby from an early age. In this episode, we chat about his career and get his opinions on Australian rugby today. We start by asking Owen about his significant work as the CEO for the Kids’ Cancer Project, which funds childhood cancer research and looks for better ways to treat our kids. We then dive into his career and how he went from working as an electrician to being a professional rugby player. Delving into his career highlights, including being a foundation Brumbies player, Owen ta...2020-07-1952 min
RugbyKOBrad Lacey - Grassroots Gun Ep 5Wests Scarborough product Brad Lacey is an electric outside back who looks to threaten the opposition every time he gets the ball in his hands. After spending a year away from WA the versatile winger will returned to Perth last year and made a huge impact for the Force. A product of the RugbyWA development pathway, Lacey spent a year with the Queensland Reds and Brisbane City in 2017 before returning to help Wests Scarborough to their second consecutive Premier Grade title that year. Lacey’s speed and strength with ball in hand will be a huge asset to the Fo...2020-07-1131 min
RugbyKODietrich Roache - Grassroots Gun Ep 4Dietrich Roache started playing rugby at the age of 15. He first played league, but following a family outing to the Sydney 7’s, fell in love with the game of 7’s and Rugby Union. He attended Patrician Brothers Fairfield and plays for the Western Sydney Two Blues in their colts program. He was named in the Sydney U18’s side, then NSWJRU U18’s squad and in the NSW Rugby 'Gen Blue' program. In December 2019, he was named in the Australian 7s team for the World School 7s Tournament held in New Zealand. He recently signed a two year deal...2020-07-0825 min
RugbyKOCraig Morgan - How the West Can be WonThis weeks guest, Craig Morgan, understands how crucial local engagement is to the future of rugby. After all, a school visit by a rugby club president is what sparked his involvement in the sport at the age of seven. In our discussion, Craig talks about his position as the General Manager of Western Sydney Two Blues, and how his focus has been on strengthening the local community’s connection to rugby. Fully believing in the positive impact of rugby, Craig shares how his club uses rugby to teach leadership skills and to help ‘at-risk’ kids figure out what they want t...2020-07-0640 min
RugbyKOBrando Va'aulu - Grassroots Gun Ep 1Brando Va’aulu started his rugby career at the Sunnybank Rugby Club in Queensland. He went to Brisbane State High school and played juniors, then through to senior rugby at the club, being selected to play for Queensland in 2006. He played 34 times until 2010, then headed to Tokyo where he played until 2014. In 2013 he was selected to play for Samoa, and today he has returned to his grassroots club in Queensland where he devotes much of his time. 2020-06-2915 min
RugbyKOJack Bowen - Grassroots Gun Ep 2Jack Bowen is 16 years old and began his Rugby career at Chatswood Junior Rugby Club. He later moved to Mosman and represented Northern Suburbs Juniors where he was involved in the State Championship winning side in 2018. He has twice been selected for Sydney JRU team, and then after being identified as a promising player , became a member of the NSW Gen Blue academy program. He has been selected in the 'train on' Waratahs U18 and U20 training squads. He currently attends St Ignatius College Riverview in Sydney and first represented the First XV in 2019. 2020-06-2913 min
RugbyKOWill Harrison - Grassroots Gun Ep 3In 2018 Will Harrison became the youngest player to sign a professional contract with the NSW Waratahs and is regarded as one of the game’s most promising young talents. The 19-year-old cut his teeth at Marcellin College in Sydney’s east and Harrison has come through the NSW Rugby pathway system but a bad leg injury hampered his 2017 season. Following an extensive rehabilitation program, he returned to his club side Randwick and went on to captain Australia in the Schoolboys Tri Series against New Zealand and Fiji that same year. He is an all-round athlete, who has also excelled in b...2020-06-2928 min
RugbyKODavid Mortimer - Governance and GrassrootsToday’s guest is David Mortimer AO, an eminent businessman and rugby patron with more accolades than we can fit here. In this episode, we talk to David about his contributions to rugby and his views on the state of Australian rugby. David shares the story of how he was approached to become the chairman for Rugby Australia and how his different views on the position prevented him from accepting the position. He explains the key role that a chairman plays in guiding CEOs before detailing the qualities that the upcoming CEO of Rugby Australia will need. We discuss is...2020-06-2825 min
RugbyKOBrendan Cannon - A Candid Conversation with CannoAustralian rugby is in quite a state and today we have Brendan Cannon on the show to speak about the need for us to remedy this by reigniting a lost sense of community around our beloved game. For those who don’t know, Brendan was an Australian Wallaby from 2001 to 2006 and has a large number of games under his belt for the Queensland Reds, the Waratahs, and the Western Force too. In today’s show, we chat with Brendan about his personal journey, the obstacles he overcame to achieve what he has, and his views on the current and futu...2020-06-2253 min
RugbyKOTim Sampson - A Force to be Reckoned WithA Force to be Reckoned With - Tim Sampson Western Force Head CoachTim was appointed in 2018 and has a strong commitment to the team and its community, underlining his philosophy about entertainment, involvement and community spirit in this wonderful conversation. Tim has also coached the Canberra Vikings and is the most capped first grade player at Sunnybank in Queensland. This informative chat covers some of the challenges that the Force has encountered in recent years and the current excitement and determination around the return to the Super Rugby arena. Tim...2020-06-1130 min