What a Lad

Many of you will be wondering who is Jacob Atkins? Well I can tell you right now, that he is a very talented rugby player and an absolute Lad who just loves code! Although the man they call Snakob may look like a man coming to the end of his career, he is only just getting started! Still just 23 years young, the kid has been involved with the English Premiership side London Irish, for the past 5 seasons. Snake has a massive work ethic, always trying to improve and is patiently waiting for his chance to get some consistent game time to prove himself. A struggle that so many rugby player face at some point throughout career, some longer than others! I personally found this a very entertaining episode, as the Snake shares some classic stories from his time at London Irish which just need to be heard. If you enjoy this episode, as always it'd be much appreciated if you could share it with someone who you think would like it and help grow the podcast. Don't forget to check out www.whatalad.com to see one of the great websites. And if you're keen to get in on the pure sport CBD action head to https://puresportcbd.com/ and enter whatalad20 in the promo code for 20% off. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the first episode of season 2 I knew I had to get one of the biggest lads in the game on! Good news, I have got one in the form of the absolute lad himself, Marty Banks! Banksy, who has built a cult following throughout his career due to his laddish behaviour and his very recognisable image, with his tall skinny frame and lush curly locks! Not only is he a lad but he's also had an incredible rugby journey which has seen him experience some world experiences that not many players or people get to experience. He's played and lived in Russia, Italy, Reefton, Japan, Wellington, Dunedin and Nelson and has stories from each part of his journey. Banksy was also responsible for kicking the winning drop goal in the Super Rugby Final 2015 which caused heartbreak for many (including myself) but also caused so much joy for all the passionate Highlanders fans and Banksy himself. As you'll hear in the episode, Banksy is just a genuinely good lad, who's played out his dream as a professional rugby player and has had a heap of fun doing it! If you enjoy this episode please share it on whatever social media platform you use. Any shares are much appreciated! Also the What a Lad website www.whatalad.com is about to launch so stay tuned for some big moves in that space. Finally if you're keen to try out some PureSport CBD oil, head over to https://puresportcbd.com/ and enter the promo code whatalad20 to receive 20% off your order. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I've just squeezed in an extra episode (solo) before the first episode with Marty Banks is released tomorrow, just to update you all on the plans for What a Lad going forward. In the episode I talk about... Where I'm at with rugby. What I'm up to now. Some of the plans that I have for the podcast. The launch of some what a lad merch. The launch of the website www.whatalad.com If any of the above interests you then have a listen, if not tune in tomorrow for the big one Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here we are, the last episode of season 1! For this one I felt the pressure to bring you one of everyones favourite lads and I think I have come up trumps here, with the champion lad and unbelievable player Brad Weber! Brad has had an incredible journey having played for Otago, Waikato, Hawkes Bay, the Chiefs, the NZ 20s, the NZ Maoris and the All Blacks! However, what makes his journey so incredible is that he was dropped from the Otago ITM cup side and he went from having no contract to becoming an All Black in the space of 2 years. He also had to come back from a the horrific broken Femur which he suffered at the Brisbane 10s. He's also 75kgs on a good day and like any small man in the game, he's been told many of times that he's too small to make it in rugby. In saying all that, Webby is not only inspirational, he's also bloody funny lad who is not afraid to say it how it is and he shares some absolute classic yarns in this one with such honesty! I know you'll enjoy this one so do me a favour and share this episode, this lads journey needs to be heard. Thanks for all the support throughout episode one, thanks to all the guests, the listeners, the sharers you are all very much appreciated and looking forward to bringing you more episodes in season 2 next year. Lastly, as always this episode was brought to you by 3 great partners and below is how you can get involved with any of them Fortune Favours, to purchase any product with a 15% discount head to https://www.fortunefavours.beer/ and put whatalad in the promo code. Delivered to your doorstep anywhere in NZ. Pure Sport CBD and to try some of this great product head to https://puresportcbd.com/ and enter whatalad20 in the promo code for 20% off. Its so good, You will not regret it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get ready for this one as the GOAT lad Andrew Goodman joins me, as we go through his journey as well as some classic yarns along the way! Goody in most known for being the Tasman Mako legend he is, having played 55 games, including captaining the side and has also transitioned into coaching them to back to back Premiership titles. He's also spent time in Japan with Honda Heat and Toyota Shuttle and spent 2 years over in Ireland with powerhouse side Leinster. Any one who's been lucky enough to play with Goody or be coached by him, will know what an absolute lad he is and I'm sure after listening to this episode you will see why he is considered as the GOAT. If you enjoy this episode, please share it to someone you think might enjoy it or even better add to your story to spread the word. This episode as always was brought to you by 3 great partners and below is how you can get involved with them Fortune Favours, to purchase any product with a 15% discount head to https://www.fortunefavours.beer/ and put whatalad in the promo code. Delivered to your doorstep anywhere in NZ. Mascaped, to purchase any product from them with a discount Go to http://manscaped.com/ and get 20% off + free shipping with the code: WHATALAD #manscapedpod Pure Sport CBD and to try some of this great product head to https://puresportcbd.com/ and enter whatalad20 in the promo code for 20% off. Its so good, You will not regret it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I catch up with the hardest player on this planet to tackle, Ngani Laumape. Unfortunately the audio quality on this episode is not great but Ngani certainly makes up for that with his chat and it was awesome to go through the journey of this powerhouse midfielder. Ngani talks about everything is this episode from his time with the Warriors, his transition to Rugby and he has heaps of good stories from his time in both codes. He has also had his fair amount of setbacks throughout his career, through injury and non selection and he shares some great advice for anyone struggling through that. People often assume Ngani is quite an angry guy but as you'll hear in this interview it couldn't be further from the truth, he loves banter and a good laugh and is an all round good lad! If you enjoy this episode it'd be much appreciated if you could share it and thanks heaps for all the support so far! This episode was brought to you by 3 great partners and below is how you can get involved with them Fortune Favours, to purchase any product with a 15% discount head to https://www.fortunefavours.beer/ and put whatalad in the promo code. Delivered to your doorstep anywhere in NZ. Mascaped, to purchase any product from them with a discount Go to http://manscaped.com/ and get 20% off + free shipping with the code: WHATALAD #manscapedpod Pure Sport CBD and to try some of this great product head to https://puresportcbd.com/ and enter whatalad20 in the promo code for 20% off. It's so good, You will not regret it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I catch up with All Black legend, Aaron Smith. In 2007 both Aaron and I missed out on the NZ u19s and I clearly remember sitting in the room with him afterwards both gutted! Fast forward 13 years and the man is now the most capped All Black number 9 in history with 95 caps, while he's also played 150 games for the Highlanders! Thats not to mention the fact he has also represented the Manawatu Turbos, the NZ Maoris and the North side. It's fair to say there's not many players left in the game that have played that amount of games while staying loyal to just 1 club at each level. The man they call Nuggy also shares all sorts of good stories from his journey to the top, starting as a small Fielding lad who just loved to pass. There is plenty of valuable lessons in this episode for any aspiring young rugby player and as you'll hear Nuggy is an absolute lad! As always if you enjoy this episode, please share it and if you want to ask any of my guests a question or just follow the journey head to the link below https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en This episode was brought to you by 3 great partners and below is how you can get involved with them Pure Sport CBD, to try some of this unreal product head to https://puresportcbd.com/ and enter whatalad20 in the promo code for 20% off. I've had heaps of good feedback from this! Fortune Favours, to purchase any product with a 15% discount head to https://www.fortunefavours.beer/ and put whatalad in the promo code. Delivered to your doorstep anywhere in NZ. Mascaped, to purchase any product from them with a discount Go to http://manscaped.com/ and get 20% off + free shipping with the code: WHATALAD #manscapedpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here's a prank from late Super Rugby Aotearoa, where we call one of the best finishers in world rugby, Rieko Ioane. So for this prank, our prank expert Reggie Goodes makes the call, as he is looking to sell more shares in his dodgy adult DVD store, Fiesta Videos. Being a DVD store investment in todays climate is always going to be a tough sell, however, he had obviously just signed up Shaun Stevenson for 43k for 40% of the business so he was feeling pretty confident with the call. For those who know Rieko well, tell me he's an absolute lad and enjoys a good laugh. As always if you enjoy this episode, please share it and if you want to ask any of my guests a question or just follow the journey head to the link below https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en This episode was brought to you by 3 great partners and below is how you can get involved with them Fortune Favours, to purchase any product with a 15% discount head to https://www.fortunefavours.beer/ and put whatalad in the promo code. Delivered to your doorstep anywhere in NZ. Mascaped, to purchase any product from them with a discount Go to http://manscaped.com/ and get 20% off + free shipping with the code: WHATALAD #manscapedpod Pure Sport CBD and to try some of this great product head to https://puresportcbd.com/ and enter whatalad20 in the promo code for 20% off. Its so good, You will not regret it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I never thought this day would come, Finlay Christie coming on What a Lad but we did it! It was a pleasure to sit down with this Scotland born legend, as he talks through his pathway to becoming one of the best halfbacks in the country. The man they call Red didn't have your conventional pathway to the top, after starting off as a talented gymnast before switching to rugby basically for the social side of the game. It wasn't until a standout club season down in Christchurch that his career took off and shortly after made both the Makos and the Chiefs very quickly. Finlay also talks about where he is at in terms of his international career with Scotland, who, as you could imagine are very keen to get this super talented man back to his country of birth. As you'll hear in the podcast Red is a true lad, very chilled, loves a desiel but when he gets on the field is very competitive and is as mad as a snake! If you enjoy hearing Finlays story please share it or tell someone about it who you think might like it. I really appreciate all the support to date! To follow the journey head to the link below https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en Thanks to my 3 great partners for helping bring this episode to you Fortune favours, to purchase any product with a 15% discount head to https://www.fortunefavours.beer/ and put whatalad in the promo code. Delivered to your doorstep anywhere in NZ. Mascaped, to purchase any product from them with a discount Go to http://manscaped.com/ and get 20% off + free shipping with the code: WHATALAD #manscapedpod Pure Sport CBD and to try some of this great product head to https://puresportcbd.com/ and enter whatalad20 in the promo code for 20% off. You will not regret it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I catch up with the NZ Halberg award winner for the best sporting moment of the year 2017 and potentially the decade Mitchell Hunt. Hunty who was born and raised in Nelson, talks me through his journey which has seen him go on to play for Auckland and the Crusaders. He's also had an outstanding first season with the Highlanders in 2020 and has helped lead the Tasman Mako to yet another final in the Mitre10 cup. Although being born and raised in Nelson, Hunty is a proud North Island representative and we spend a good chunk of the episode reliving the famous prank call from Dennis the media manager of the North side. As you'll hear in this episode Mitch is an absolute lad, who at only 25 has plenty more to offer in the game, which includes being a big part of the Mitre 10 cup final with the might Tasman Mako tomorrow night! If you enjoy this episode or just this podcast in general please share it, subscribe or follow to help make it grow. If you're keen to follow the journey head to the link below https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en As always thanks to the 3 partners for bringing this episode to you, heres how to get involved with them Fortune favours, to purchase any product with a 15% discount head to https://www.fortunefavours.beer/ and put whatalad in the promo code. Delivered to your doorstep anywhere in NZ. Mascaped, to purchase any product from them with a discount Go to http://manscaped.com/ and get 20% off + free shipping with the code: WHATALAD #manscapedpod This is the perfect Xmas gift for any lad in your family Pure Sport CBD and to try this great product head to https://puresportcbd.com/ and enter whatalad20 in the promo code for 20% off. This product is unreal for anyone who's struggling with joint or muscle pain, anxiety, sleeping issues and so much more, check out the website to see how it might help you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I catch up with a man very well known for his stories, Hurricanes scrum coach, Dan Cron. Crono has had a pretty unique pathway through the coaching ranks which has seen him involved with teams including the Black Ferns, Northland, Tonga, Samoa, Kubota in Japan and of course the last 10 years with the Hurricanes. Crono is a champion bloke who loves a yarn and he certainly delivers with some classic stories from his career in this episode. He also gives some good insight in to some of the players he's coached and what makes a successful rugby player. As always, if you enjoy this episode please share it and if you want to ask any of my guests a question or just follow the journey head to the link below https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en This episode was brought to you 3 fabolous partners and to get involved with a special discount from any of them see below Fortune Favours, to purchase any product with a 15% discount head to https://www.fortunefavours.beer/ and put whatalad in the promo code. Delivered to your doorstep anywhere in NZ. Pure Sport CBD, to try some of this great product head to https://puresportcbd.com/ and enter whatalad20 in the promo code for 20% off. You will not regret it! Mascaped, to purchase any product from them with a discount Go to http://manscaped.com/ and get 20% off + free shipping with the code: WHATALAD #manscapedpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I catch up with one of the most talented and most exciting young talents coming through the NZ ranks at the moment, Leicester Fainga'anuku. Leicester was a school boy superstar, he was just like he is today big, strong and fast! However, all his life wanted to play rugby league, loved it and never saw rugby union as an option. As a 15 year old kid, he had a very difficult decision to make, whether he goes to Australia to take a contract with the Sydney Roosters and live his dream or stay and play Union with his brother Tima with the Tasman Mako. Leicester also talks about his time playing against All Blacks at the age of 15, his time with the Crusaders, his selection in the South team and some exciting plans for his future. Leicester is a great young lad, who could be anything in this game or whatever he pursues so it was awesome to sit down and talk through the journey. If you enjoy this episode or know someone that you think will please share it, it all helps. If you want to ask any of my guests a question or just follow the journey head to the link below https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en This episode as always was brought to you 3 fabolous partners to get involved with a special discount see below Fortune Favours, to purchase any product with a 15% discount head to https://www.fortunefavours.beer/ and put whatalad in the promo code. Delivered to your doorstep anywhere in NZ. Pure Sport CBD, to try some of this great product head to https://puresportcbd.com/ and enter whatalad20 in the promo code for 20% off. You will not regret it! Mascaped, to purchase any product from them with a discount Go to http://manscaped.com/ and get 20% off + free shipping with the code: WHATALAD #manscapedpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the exciting new partnership What a Lad has formed with Pure Sport CBD, I just had to get on the Co Founder, the self acclaimed journeyman and absolute lad himself, Grayson Hart. So I first met Grayson as an under19 NZ super star, he was one of the true guns in the side, he even started ahead of Aaron Smith. He played for Auckland and the Blues at a very young age and was air marked the next big thing. Hearing from Grayson of the journey leading up to that and through his time in Auckland was incredibly interesting, as he reflects with real honesty. Grayson then moved to Aussie for a fresh start with the Waratahs and shares a great yarn of his times with Michael Cheika. Then he was off to Scotland, with a Scottish passport, where he played for Edinburgh, Glasgow and he even achieved his goal of playing international rugby for Scotland. After struggling with a knee injury and living off pain killers, he decided he needed to do something about it. This is what inspired him to set up his business Pure Sport CBD. This is such an awesome product helping so many people around the world, it was cool to hear what he's been through to get to where it is now and the plans going forward. Grayson has played the last 3 years in the UK in the Championship and is currently playing for the Bedford Blues. I hope you find this podcast as interesting as I did, I love hearing players speak with real honesty about there own careers. If you enjoy the episode it'd be much appreciated if you shared it. Also if you're keen to try Pure Sport CBD then head over to the website https://puresportcbd.com/ and enter the promo code whatalad20 for 20% off! Any questions on it message me. Shoutout to fortune favours beer, to purchase any product with a 15% discount head to https://www.fortunefavours.beer/ and put whatalad in the promo code. Delivered to your doorstep anywhere in NZ. Also shoutout out to Mascaped, Go to http://manscaped.com/ and get 20% off + free shipping with the code: WHATALAD #manscapedpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this prank we go back a few years to when current All Black assistant coach John Plumtree was coaching the Hurricanes. Plum had just had a back operation mid season from carrying the side, so we got one of the great doctors, Dr Rogan Joshua to call him to see if he could get him to miss his flight with the team. Both myself and Reggie Goodes were a bit nervous of losing our spot pranking the coach so we handed this one to a very good info committee member, @mkainga who does a great job! As you'll hear in the prank Plum is a very loyal man who always puts the team first and he also has a great sense of humour. As always if you enjoy the prank please share it or if you're just keen to follow the journey head to the link below https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en With 3 partners now on board head to any of the following links to purchase some of these great products at a juicy discount! Fortune Favours- to purchase any product with a 15% discount head to https://www.fortunefavours.beer/ and put whatalad in the promo code. Delivered to your doorstep anywhere in NZ. Pure Sport CBD- to purchase any Pure Sport CBD product head to https://puresportcbd.com/ and put in whatalad20 to receive 20% off Manscaped- Go to http://manscaped.com/ and get 20% off + free shipping with the code: WHATALAD #manscapedpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The king of Blenheim joins me for this one, as I sit down and go through the career of Tasman Mako legend Quentin MacDonald. Although Q has only ever played for one Provincial side in Tasman, he certainly has done the rounds with other teams having played for the Crusaders, the Blues, the Chiefs, NZ Maori, Munster and even 100 games for Oyonnax in France. From a young age you could always tell that he was going to have a very successful career in Rugby and it was awesome to hear about it in more detail, from all the different moves he had to do to all the new enviroments that he went into. Not only was Q a great player but has always been a great lad, he's always smiling, he loves a beer and can do a great creed impression! As always if you enjoy this episode as always please share it and if you want to ask any of my guests a question or just follow the journey head to the link below https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en This episode was brought to you by fortune favours, to purchase any product with a 15% discount head to https://www.fortunefavours.beer/ and put whatalad in the promo code. Delivered to your doorstep anywhere in NZ. This episode was also brought to you by Mascaped, to purchase any product from them with a discount Go to http://manscaped.com/ and get 20% off + free shipping with the code: WHATALAD #manscapedpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I've said it before but I'll say it again, you can't have a podcast called 'What a Lad' without getting the best lads in the game on! So the lad himself Tim O'Malley was an absolute must! He may not be one of the biggest names I've had on but he certainly is one of the best lads and he has been a massive part of the recent success of the Tasman Mako. As well as the Tasman Mako, the man they call Bruce has also played for the Utah Warriors in America and the NEC Green Rockets in Japan where he's carved it up for his respective teams. Bruce is also very well known for his off field antics and has a big influence in driving a good team culture. As you'll hear from the podcast, Bruce is a great man and it was great to have him come on and share his story and some really valuable life lessons. As always if you enjoy this episode as always please share it and if you want to ask any of my guests a question or just follow the journey head to the link below https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en This episode was brought to you by fortune favours, to purchase any product with a 15% discount head to https://www.fortunefavours.beer/ and put whatalad in the promo code. Delivered to your doorstep anywhere in NZ. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The setting was perfect, the backdrop of the famous deck which over looks the sea, the shiny new bike just to my right with the sofa seat attached and a cold fortune favours in hand. Podcast settings don't get much better and to share it with Samoan International, Kieron Fonotia one of the real lads in NZ rugby, was special. Big Fonny has had an incredible career having played for the Tasman Mako, the Crusaders, the Ospreys and the Scarlets and he has some absolute classic yarns from his experiences throughout his journey. I love the honesty that Fonz brings to the podcast, he's a man who is not afraid to say it how it is. I finished this podcast with sore checks from laughing so that's always a good sign. It's awesome for NZ rugby to have the experienced players come back to the province where it all started for them and it's been awesome to see the influence Fonny has had on this Tasman Mako team. He's a lad! As always if you enjoy this episode as always please share it and if you want to ask any of my guests a question or just follow the journey head to the link below https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en This episode was brought to you by fortune favours, to purchase any product with a 15% discount head to https://www.fortunefavours.beer/ and put whatalad in the promo code. Delivered to your doorstep anywhere in NZ. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I catch up with the one of the most promising players coming through the NZ ranks at the moment, young German sensation Anton Segner! Anton who was born and raised in Frankfurt Germany has had a very unique journey! As a big kid, he in love with Rugby the first time he picked up the oval ball. As a young 15 year old, he decided to leave his family and come to NZ as a 6 month exchange student. He made the Nelson College 1st XV and quickly developed into one of NZs best school boys, playing 2 years in the NZ schools team. Anton in his first year out of school, made his debut for the Tasman Mako last week with an impressive 30mins off the bench. As you'll hear in the podcast he's a great young man who does all the right things and I honestly believe he's going to be a big part of NZ rugby in the years to come! As always if you enjoy this episode as always please share it and if you want to ask any of my guests a question or just follow the journey head to the link below https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en This episode was brought to you by fortune favours, to purchase any product with a 15% discount head to https://www.fortunefavours.beer/ and put whatalad in the promo code. Delivered to your doorstep anywhere in NZ. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When you've been playing Rugby professionally for the past 15 seasons for teams which include, the Crusaders, the Highlanders, the Chiefs, NZ Maori, NTT Shining Arcs and the All Blacks you're bound to have some stories! It doesn't stop either as our man Isaac Ross is still going strong having recently signed with the Tasman Mako for this seasons Mitre10 Cup. With all those experiences, I was really looking forward to this one and he certainly does not disappoint! After Isaac made the All Blacks, he left the NZ rugby scene at a young age to head to Japan, where he has spent the last 10 years. Back then it was seen as a big move to not chase the All Black dream but he talks about he reasons behind leaving NZ and also talks about his time in Japan. It was interesting to hear what it was like for him going into all the new environments he was apart of and he also shares classic yarns about what it was like rooming with some of the greats Richie McCaw and Brad Thorn. Isaac has only been with Tasman for a short time but has made a big impact and would have to be one of the friendliest team mates I've ever had and the definition of a lad! If you enjoy this episode as always please share it. If you want to ask any of my future guests a question or just follow the journey head to the link below https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en And as always this episode was brought to you by fortune favours, to purchase any product with a 15% discount head to https://www.fortunefavours.beer/ and put whatalad in the promo code. Delivered to your doorstep anywhere in NZ. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I catch up with the youngest journeyman in NZ rugby Dan Hollinshead. Dan has played for Bay of Plenty since leaving school and has also had stints with Agen in France, the Coca Cola Red Sparks in Japan as well as being involved with the NZ 7s team, the Chiefs, the Crusaders and the Highlanders. Shedsy has had an eventful career to date with lots of new experiences which he openly shares some great stories about in this episode. He also speaks about some of the hard decisions he has had to make throughout his career to try to and progress it. After having spent a season with Shedsy in Japan, I quickly realised that he's an absolute lad who enjoys a good time and is also very talented rugby player! A man who when gets an opportunity will make a name for himself. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I catch up with Tasman Mako and Chiefs legend Alex Nankivell, who takes us through his journey to date. Its hard to believe but Alex has played the past 6 seasons with the Tasman Mako and is now one of the senior players at the age of just 23. He was a crucial part of the sides first ever Premiership victory last season and he talks about what that year was like including the big after season celebrations! Nanks also talks about the loss of his brother to cancer at a young age, which has inspired him to become an ambassador for Cure Kids, who are doing amazing things in that space. Head to https://curekids.org.nz/ to check them out or help out and donate. Nanks is a bloody good lad off the field! I think everyone who's played with him realises just how good he is on it and that he hasn't reached his full potential just yet. I personally expect a big couple of years from the lad! If you enjoy this episode as always please share it. If you want to ask any of my guests a question or just follow the journey head to the link below https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en This episode was brought to you by fortune favours, to purchase any product with a 15% discount head to https://www.fortunefavours.beer/ and put whatalad in the promo code. Delivered to your doorstep anywhere in NZ. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anyone who has had the pleasure of playing with or just knowing Otere Black, will know that he is one of the best lads you could meet! One of the greats! So it was awesome to have him come on the podcast and talk about his journey. For someone I thought I knew really well, I learnt so much about Oatsy in this podcast. Immersed in Maori culture his whole life, it was awesome to hear the passion he has for his culture and the honour he had representing the NZ Maoris at a young age. Oatsy also talks about what it was like moving to the Blues for an opportunity, only to have 2 of potentially the greatest 10s to play the game, in Beauden Barrett and Dan Carter, to move up there the following year. Otere also talks about recently becoming a father, why he moved to BOP, his time at the hurricanes, how he stays so calm no matter what the situation and heaps more. I hope you enjoy this podcast as much as I did recording it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I catch up with one of the newest All Blacks named in the current squad, Quin Strange. He has been on such a crazy rollercoaster the past few weeks, from being named in the latest All Blacks squad, only to injure his ankle at his first week of training! Quin talks about all sorts of good stuff in this episode, from what it was like to be named in the All Blacks for the first time, to how he really feels about Jordie Barrett. Quin also takes us through his journey to the top, which saw him play for Collingwood, Nelson College, Nelson Rugby Football Club, NZ 20s, Tasman Mako and the Crusaders. The man they call Spiker is one of the real lads in NZ rugby who has a massive future in the game so it was awesome to have him come on 'What a Lad' to share his journey. If you enjoy this episode as always please share it to your friends or add it to your story. If you want to ask any of my guests a question or just follow the journey head to the link below https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en This episode was brought to you by fortune favours, to purchase any product with a 15% discount head to https://www.fortunefavours.beer/ and put whatalad in the promo code. Delivered to your doorstep anywhere in NZ. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here he is, the lad that most of you asked for, the super talented, the very popular, Louie Chapman! Louie has burst onto the NZ rugby scene this season with his impressive cameos off the bench for the Tasman Mako. At the raw age of just 20 Louie makes his podcast debut on 'What a Lad' to share insight into his path to professional rugby. His rugby story is obviously pretty short having just started but wee Russ also answers some good questions from some of you which gives you a good indication of what a lad he is! If you enjoy this episode as always please share it. If you want to ask any of my guests a question or just follow the journey head to the link below https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en This episode was brought to you by fortune favours, to purchase any product with a 15% discount head to https://www.fortunefavours.beer/ and put whatalad in the promo code. Delivered to your doorstep anywhere in NZ. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Like I've been saying the past few weeks, pranks are getting really hard now! However, as always, when a new player arrives a new team, they are always vulnerable. So as soon as I heard Isaac Ross was joining the Tasman Mako, I knew that it was a good chance to try and give Jonty another crack. As you'll hear in the prank, Isaac is an absolute lad, a real good man and has been loving the prank since. Unfortunately the signal cuts out at the end so it doesnt get to finish but it's still worth a listen! As always if you enjoy this episode please share it. If you want to follow the journey head to the link below https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en This episode was brought to you by fortune favours, to purchase any product with a 15% discount head to https://www.fortunefavours.beer/ and put whatalad in the promo code. Delivered to your doorstep anywhere in NZ. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here's an episode I jumped on last week for one of the Nelson lads, Conner Karena, who is out there doing real good things with his podcast. It's always cool to jump on someone else's podcast, to see how they do things and a good chance to reflect on the journey that I've had. Conner has had some real good guests on his podcast, a couple of my favourite episodes are the ones he did with NRL star Brandon Smith and Tasman star Leciester Fainga'anuku which were both awesome yarns. If you want to check them out search 'An Ordinary Kiwi Podcast' on any podcast platform. After a big week of recruiting and suggestions from you all, I have a big list of guests lined up for 'What a Lad' over the next few weeks so stay right on. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this prank I tried the exact same formula as the Billy Proctor prank but this time with Crusader and Tasman Mako star Leicester Fainga'anuku. Here I call up Leciester as a Dunedin radio host for a live radio interview but as we go live on air I introduce him as his brother Highlander and also Tasman Star Tima Fainga'anuku. In this situation you've got two options, either run with it as your brother or completely stuff up the "live" radio interview. Billy obviously went with option 1 but Leciester wasn't having a bar of it. Anyway I hope you enjoy this episode and as always if you do please share it if not all good. If you want to try the greatest brew on the market head over to https://www.fortunefavours.beer/ and purchase yourself some brews. Enter whatalad in the promo code for a handy 15% off. Enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This prank was inspired by real life events, for anyone who has a brother or someone who looks like them. When I came back to Nelson to see my family, I was always mistaken for my brother Tom and would get caught in conversations with people so far that it was just too awkward to tell them that it was me. I've had some very awkward conversations as Tom and that was what I was wanted to try and replicate in this prank. Anyway for the prank, we set up a 'Live' radio interview with Billy Proctor and when we go live on air, we introduce him as his brother Matt Proctor and ask him questions as his brother. My prank expert Reggie Goodes does this one and does a great job at convincing Billy he's on the radio. As always if you enjoy this episode please share it, any shares are much appreciated. If you want to follow the What a Lad journey follow the link below https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I catch up David Havili, the most passionate man in NZ rugby. He's an All Black, a Crusader and of course the very inspirational skipper of Tasman Mako. Davie has had a tough run with injuries of late, including a bowel infection which was days away from ending his career! In this episode he also takes us through his rugby journey, which involved not being able to start for the 1st XV, to becoming the Crusaders 'player of the year' and becoming an All Black. Davie is well known across the country as being one of the best lads in the game, so it was awesome to have him on and share his stories not just on the field but off it. Thanks to everyone who sent in questions to the instagram page, it made for some good discussion points in this episode. If you're keen to ask questions to future guests or follow the What a Lad journey head to the link below https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this prank we go back 2 years to when the big Samoan International, Kane Leaupepe, had just joined the Hurricanes halfway through the year. Whenever that happened it always meant there was a good chance for a new prank. So for this prank, I call Kane as Phil Collins the (made up) son of The Hurricanes owner, just to welcome him to the team. For those who don't know Kane, he is an absolute lad and a very switched on customer so he was always going to be a tough target. Anyway I hope you enjoy the prank, if you do please share it, if you don't all good! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I finally get to catch up with my brother, Tom Marshall, who comes on to make his What a Lad debut! It was good times reminiscing on what life was like for us growing up, the relationship we had and all the weird stuff we use to get up to. Tom also takes us through his rugby career, from bursting on the the NZ rugby scene through the Tasman Mako and straight into a stacked Crusaders team. Then followed by his move to the Chiefs, as well as his last 5 years in the UK with Gloucester which included a horror injury run. The man they call Toejoe, also answers a lot of good questions that came in, including the question he's been avoiding for years about how he got his nickname. As always if you enjoy this chat, please share to as many people as you can and help grow the podcast and if you're keen to follow the journey follow the link below https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After having the great Hugh Renton on the podcast on Monday, I thought it was a good time to go back and find the prank I tried on him when he had just arrived to the Hurricanes straight out of school. So for this prank I ring him as someone from the NCEA and they've just found out that his answers were the same as the person next to him. Anyone who knows Hugh or has listened to his podcast will know that he's a straight up guy and is certainly not the kind of guy to try and cheat in a exam. Unfortunately I didn't know what subjects he took at school so that catches me off guard a bit but anyway it's still worth a listen. If you enjoy this episode please share it and if you're keen to follow the What a Lad journey follow the link below https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some players just get no luck during their careers and that pretty much sums up Hugh Rentons career to date. Hugh has had a massive wrap on him as a player since joining the Hurricanes straight out of school on a 3 year deal but unfortunately due to injury he has struggled to string any decent amount of games together. That's hopefully all about to change as he eyes up a big season, after recently signing with the Tasman Mako for this seasons Mitre10 Cup. Hugh has also had to deal with the shock death of his Dad to suicide which he is incredibly open to talk about, as he just wants to help anyone in a similar situation. He also shares some really good lessons on how he's dealt with that and kept his life moving in the right direction. As you'll hear Hugh is a real lad, one of the most professional players I've played with and it's only a matter of time before his career takes off and I'm certainly hoping its this Mitre10 Cup. As always if you enjoy this episode please share it to others who you think might like it. Also if you're keen to follow the What a Lad journey follow the link below https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this prank I call one of the stand out young players in NZ, Dalton Papali'i to see if he would be interested in becoming the face of the aquarium Kelly Tarltons. Now I don't know Dalton personally but everyone I have spoken to has told me he's an absolute lad and needed to have him feature on the podcast. As always, I offer Dalton a pretty average deal to partner up with them so have a listen to see if he's keen. If you know someone who you think will enjoy this episode then please share it, or just share it to your story, it all helps massively. I also really appreciate all the listens, shares and feedback I've had so far, thank you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If there was an award for the best team mate in World Rugby the my guest for this episode, Tevita Koloamatangi would be shortlisted every year. Absolute champion bloke on and off the field! Tevita takes us through his rugby journey which has involved him playing for the Tasman Mako, Chiefs, London Irish, Tonga, to now where he is currently carving up in Japan with the Mazda Blue Zoomers. Tevita has had more than his fair share of injuries during his career but has always come back a better player but he shares some valuable insight into how he approached his injuries. There's so many good lessons in this chat, I hope you get as much out of it as I did. If you enjoy this episode as always please share it, I really appreciate all the shares and listens the podcast has had to date. If you're keen to follow the journey follow the link below https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This prank was inspired by the recent naming of the North v South teams and seeing a young Nelson lad Mitchell Hunt named in the North team. So I thought it would be a good idea to see if I could call Mitch as the Media guy for the North team and try to get some audio recordings off him to convince the public that he is a true North Islander. As you'll hear Hunty is a great lad and I'm looking forward to him having a big game for the North and a massive season for the mighty Mako. As always if you enjoy this episode please share it, tag the What a Lad account in on it too. I really appreciate all the support! Follow the journey here https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here is an episode that I jumped on a couple of months ago on the podcast called the Life Livers Academy with Jamie O' Donnell. It's an awesome podcast with lots of cool guests who talk about ways you can live your life to the fullest and get the best out of yourself, I personally really enjoy listening to it so go check it out! In this episode in particular I talk about some of my struggles throughout my rugby career and somethings that I've learnt along the way. If you enjoy this podcast please share it and it you are keen to follow the 'What a Lad' or 'Life Livers Academy' then check out the links below... https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en https://www.lifeliversacademy.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pranks are getting tough, players have switched on so we thought it was time to get a legend, who better than potentially the greatest player to ever play the game Christian Cullen! So, Cully is now a Commercial Sales Consultant with Property Brokers and for this prank our 'What a Lad' prank expert Reggie Goodes calls him as to see if he will sell his Caravan for him. You find out a lot about people from a prank call and as you'll hear Cully is just a champion bloke! If you are looking to buy or sell commercial property (or a caravan) in the Kapiti region get in touch with the man himself by following this link https://www.propertybrokers.co.nz/christian-cullen As always if you enjoy this episode please share it, thanks heaps for the ongoing support of the podcast! If you want to follow the journey or get in touch head to the link below https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

He is back and straight on the What a Lad podcast to tell us all about it. It is one of the biggest names in the game, Julian Savea who joins me after his second week training with the Hurricanes. Julz has had an incredible career where he was the best player on the planet for a while and also has one of the best highlight videos you'll ever see. He takes us through his journey to the top and talks with real honesty about his time in France. Everyone wants to know what the man they call the Bus is doing next and he shares where he is at with contract negotiations. As always if you enjoy this episode please share it and if you're keen to follow the What a Lad journey go to the link below https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this prank we go back to a time when Simon Hickey had just arrived at the Hurricanes, a time when the keyboard warriors were out in full force targeting whoever was named in the 10 jersey. So I thought it was a good chance to set up a "live" radio interview to get stuck into the lads and see if I can get Hickey to join in. Obviously this is not what I think of both Jackson and Fletcher as they've both had great seasons in that 10 jersey and both have massive futures. Also Simon is an absolute lad for the way he handles this prank. Thanks for the ongoing support of the podcast and sharing the episodes, it really is appreciated! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We did it, we finally got the best hooker to play the game Dane Coles, to come on and share his stories. Colesy is a completely misunderstood bloke, one of the best guys you'll ever meet off the field but known as an absolute grub on it. We talk at length about his niggle and his thoughts on being voted the biggest grub in NZ. Colesy has had an unreal career which he takes us through with honesty you just don't hear in the professional game anymore. Whatever you thought of Dane Coles before listening to this episode you'll be sure to be a big fan of him at the end of it. One of the greats! Thanks for all the support of the podcast to date and thanks heaps for sharing episodes! If you're keen to follow the What a Lad journey follow the link below... https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I catch up with one of the real lads of the Hurricanes and Manawatu Turbos, Jamie Booth. Boothy has had an eventful rugby journey to date, playing for plenty of teams as he's sat on the fringe trying to force his way into a side. He's battled with injuries and self confidence and shares some really interesting stories around what he's been through. Fast forward to now where he plays a staring role for the Hurricanes off the bench every week, bringing a spark and energy to the side which hasn't been seen before. At only 25 Boothy has a massive future in NZ rugby! If you enjoy this episode as always please share it with someone you think would like it! I really appreciate all the support the What a Lad podcast has been getting if your keen to follow the journey head to https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en This episode was brought to you by fortune favours beer, What a Brew! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With this weekend being Mental Wellbeing round of Super Rugby Aotearoa, I thought it'd be a good chance to chat with Ex professional referee Mike Lash. Lashy has had his own mental health journey and has inspired him to build a platform called The Reel Effect to help other men who may be struggling to deal with the pressure of life. Lashy talks very honestly about his struggles with his mental wellbeing from how it all started, what he was feeling and to how he managed to turn it around. He also gives a real honest insight in to what it is like being a professional referee and the difficulties referees face. If you're keen to try a trip with The Reel Effect you can get in touch with Lashy on the website https://www.thereeleffect.co.nz/ As always if you enjoy this episode or know someone who may benefit from listening please share it and if you want to follow the What a Lad journey click the link below https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I catch up with Hurricanes flyer Kobus van Wyk, as he takes us through his story which has led him to be starring on the wing for the Hurricanes this season. He also talks about his tough decision to leave the Hurricanes at the end of the season to head over to the UK to join the Leicester Tigers. Kobus is a real good man so it was awesome to have him on to give us some insight to his life. If you enjoy this episode please share it and as always if you're keen to follow the What a Lad journey click the links below https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/whataladpodcast/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAKc7G2GSqc Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this prank I call All Black and Chiefs star Damian Mckenzie to see if I can get him to do a nude calendar for the new food company he's using. Damian is one of the real good lads of NZ rugby and handles the prank like a champion. If you enjoy this prank please share it and make sure you tag the What a Lad page when you share. Link below https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this prank I call on my expert pranker Reggie Goodes, who calls Chiefs winger Shaun Stevenson to see if he can get him to invest in a really bad investment idea. This prank was brought to you by Fortune Favours beer, available at all good beer retailers NZ wide. As always if you enjoy the prank please share it and to follow the What a Lad journey head to instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I catch up with one of the biggest names in NZ rugby TJ Perenara. TJ has achieved so much in his career already that it's hard to believe that he is still only 28! He's already the most capped Hurricane is history and has scored a ridiculous 57 tries in Super Rugby! His life off the field is also busy as he prepares to become a father and has recently started his own business (pullup cards). His mindset is something that I think sets him apart from other players and it was interesting to hear how he developed that. I literally could of spoken to TJ for a good couple of hours as he's achieved so much and has so much going on in his life. This is an episode you don't want to miss! If you enjoy this episode as always please share it and if you want to follow journey the What a Lad journey follow the link below... https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this prank we call a young Ngani Laumape who had just joined the Hurricanes. The plan was to see if we could get him to run out for his Hurricanes debut match with a dreadlock wig on, just to pay his respects to Hurricane legends Ma'a Nonu and Tana Umaga. The call was done by one of the greats Reggie Goodes! If you enjoy this prank as always please share it and if you're keen to follow the What a Lad journey then head to the link below.. https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this new prank I give Keithy another crack at calling a player, this time it's Highlanders winger Jona Nareki who gets the invite around for dinner. I had never met Jona before this prank but I quickly learnt that he is incredibly nice guy! As always please share this prank with someone you think might like it and follow the "What a Lad' journey at https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/?hl=en Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This one here was my very first prank which was on a young Hisa Sasagi who had just arrived to the Hurricanes. I call him as a Hurricanes fan called Keithy and try to invite him to my farm. Hisa is a top lad as you will hear in the prank. If you enjoy the prank please share it and follow the journey at https://www.instagram.com/what_a_lad_podcast/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.