Kylem O’Donnell is a lad who has truly lived the highs and lows of chasing the rugby dream. From starring at Hamilton Boys’ High to winning an NPC title with Taranaki and travelling the world with the All Blacks Sevens, he looked destined for it all. But behind the speed, fitness and flair, Kylem’s story is one of setbacks, mental battles, and resilience.

In this episode he opens up like never before from the challenge of dealing with injuries and non-selection, to a being on the receiving end of brutal bouncer assault. He even shares some incredibly hard moments in his life including a terrifying drug-induced psychosis that had him running to on the motorway naked! However the most powerful of all are the moments where Kylem shares his raw struggles with mental health, including times he nearly didn’t make it through, and the support that helped him fight back.

This episode is not just about the rugby it’s about honesty, vulnerability, and rediscovering who you are. An incredible chat with a man who is now using his own journey to inspire and help others.

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Mark Hammett has done it all in the game. With 81 games for the Crusaders, 4 Super Rugby titles, 29 Tests for the All Blacks and now a spot in the Crusaders Hall of Fame, Hammer’s rugby journey is an incredible one. Add in a coaching career that’s taken him from the Crusaders, Hurricanes, Cardiff Blues, Sunwolves, Tasman and Highlanders, the influence he has had on each side has been huge!

In this episode we dive into his remarkable journey: from a soccer player, to the early days of professional rugby, and the mindset that carried him through as both player and coach.

In this episode we go through..

The competitive edge that drove the Crusaders dynasty

What he learnt from coaches like Robbie Deans and Wayne Smith

The realities of early professional rugby contracts and suspensions

All Black memories including the infamous SAS camp

His move to coach the Hurricanes & the controversial decisions around Ma’a Nonu and Andrew Hore

His stints overseas with Cardiff and Japan’s Sunwolves

Lessons learned at the Highlanders and what he’d do differently

His passion for neuroscience, brain health and life after rugby

What he’s most proud of and the advice he lives by

And heaps more

Hammer is humble, competitive, brutally honest and one of the most authentic leaders you’ll hear from. There's so much gold in this one for everyone and whether you loved him or not as a player or a coach I know you'll have a new found respect for him after this one!

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Will Genia is one of the all-time great halfbacks and after this conversation I'm sure you'll understand why. With over 100 Tests for the Wallabies, a Super Rugby title with the Reds and stints with the Rebels, Stade Francais and the Kintetsu Liners Will had a bit of everything in his career!

In this episode we dive into his remarkable journey: from growing up in Papua New Guinea where he dreamt of becoming a cricketer, to falling in love with Rugby and the insane work ethic that took him from Colts to the Wallabies in the blink of an eye.

In this episode we go through..

One of the strongest mindsets to continually get better I have hear.

His journey through the grades and how he felt like an imposter at each step.

Winning super rugby and that incredible try that he scored in that final!

The highs and heartbreaks of three Rugby World Cups

His brutal ACL injury and his comeback to star against the Lions

Life in France and six more years in Japan

Why he walked away when he still could’ve played on

His transition into coaching alongside Quade Cooper

And heaps more.

If you think you work hard this episode might question that, Wills work ethic and drive blew me away. He's also humble, honest, insightful and just one of the absolute great lads!

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In this powerful episode I’m joined by Holly Parkes, someone who lived through the reality of caring for Shane Christie in his final years. Holly has bravely come on the podcast not for herself, but to continue Shane’s mission, to shine a light on the devastating impact of brain injuries and to give others a clearer understanding of what life with CTE really looks like.

She opens up about what it was like supporting Shane day-to-day, the heartbreaking changes she witnessed, and the strength it took to stand by him as he fought through some heavy paranoia episodes. Holly also shares her own journey — the lessons, the love, and the hope she wants to pass on to players, families, and anyone impacted by brain injury.

This was the hands down the heaviest podcast I've ever done. It’s raw, honest and emotional, but above all it’s a conversation that Holly wanted to have so that Shane’s suffering wasn’t in vain. This is an episode that will move you, challenge you, and hopefully help those who might be facing similar battles.

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Du’Plessis Kirifi has had one of the more inspiring journeys to the top and is one heck of lad to top it off. From growing up in Taranaki and spending part of his childhood in Samoa, to working three jobs while chasing his rugby dream, Dups has had anything but a straight road to the top.

He opens up on the setbacks that shaped him — missing out on NZ U20s after being told he was “good enough but a bit of a dickhead”, the grind of trying to pack on size when everyone said he was too small, and the lessons he learned from competing hard in his early Hurricanes days.

But through sheer hard work and resilience, he’s gone from labouring on worksites and sleeping in mates’ garages to captaining Wellington, becoming a leader at the Hurricanes, and finally achieving his All Black dream.

In this episode we chat about…

• Growing up between Samoa and Taranaki, and the values his family instilled in him
• The brutal honesty that sparked his turnaround after missing NZ U20s
• The conscious effort he puts into his speaking
• The near move to Japan and the moment that kept him in New Zealand
• The call from Razor
• How he got such big Quads!
• And heaps more

An inspiring story of perseverance, self-awareness — this is such a good epiosde. Dups is not only a competitor on the field but also one of the most thoughtful and articulate players in the game. What a lad!

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The latest Western Force signing George Bridge is our guest this week and what a lad he is! From humble beginnings in Gisborne, to carving up for Canterbury, the Crusaders, and then going on to wear the black jersey on the biggest stage of all! But it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. George had his struggles moving down to Christchurch as a 17 year old, he had to deal with some brutal injuries – knees, pec tears, appendicitis, he had three surgeries in eight months! He even played a Super Rugby Final with a nasty vomit bug. Despite all that, he kept bouncing back and showing his class and always finishing of tries!

Some highlights for me in this one were..

Hearing why he made the leap from Gisborne to Christchurch,

The pathway he took to becoming an All Black,

The influence of Leon MacDonald,

The heartbreak of the 2019 World Cup semi-final,

Why he moved to France and how he found it

His next chapter with the Force,

And heaps more including all your questions.

George is someone who always took his opportunity on the field through work rate and the never give up attitude. Players loved playing with this man cause he would never let them down and he is a champion lad!

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For this one I am joined by one of the Black Ferns’ most exciting talents, Amy du Plessis. Amy’s journey has been nothing short of inspiring, from growing up in South Africa to becoming a Rugby World Cup winner with the Black ferns! Her silky skills and ability to play anywhere has made her a hugely valuable asset for NZ Rugby and now she’s now preparing to take on the world again in the 2025 Rugby World Cup!

In this episode we chat about..

* Life growing up in South Africa and why her family moved to NZ

* How she got into Rugby

* Why she travelled 5 hours a day to play for Otago

* Why her move to Canterbury was “the best thing I’ve ever done”

* Being named in the Black Ferns and working under legends Wayne Smith & Graham Henry

* Playing in front of sold-out crowds and winning the RWC

* Her love for Super Rugby and Matatū

* The build-up to the upcoming RWC and her expectations heading in

* And plenty of great advice

As you’ll hear, Amy is such a champion human, and this yarn is packed with stories, laughs and some really inspiring takeaways. This is such a cool insight into the women’s game as we look to cheer on our Black Ferns to hopefully another RWC!

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Angus Ta’avao is one of the biggest characters in New Zealand rugby, someone who is always good value to be around and has a great ability to bring a side together with his personality.

Angus has done it all: NPC champ with Taranaki, Super Rugby champ with the Blues, he's an All Black, TV star, saxophone shredder and he is still playing rugby as good as he ever has! Angus is the ultimate lad.

In this episode we get into

- Why he has decided to move down to the Highlanders for 2026!

- He talks through the moment when he said he’d never play rugby again.

- He reflects on "that tackle" where he was concussed, red carded and suspended.

- The journey he has been on as a father

- He goes through the potential options for life after footy

- We chat why he’s decided to move south

- And of course plenty of random chat

This one’s got everything – laughs, honesty and a heap of inspiration from one of the great characters of our game.

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