From the Field to the Boardroom: How Rugby Set Me Up for Business
Published July 23 2025
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When I first had to stop playing professional rugby I didn’t know where to start or what I will be doing next. So, I started with the one thing I knew – Rugby. I ended up coaching part time and I must admit it was something I enjoyed. I always figured I would give back in one way or another when I am done playing. I was still searching though.
I longed for something different, something that will have impact, something other than rugby. My first step forward? Transport and logistics, not by design, purely by chance. It wasn’t glamorous, but honestly, it grounded me. It gave me direction when I needed it most.
What did Rugby Really Teach Me…
Looking back, rugby didn’t just teach me how to perform — it taught me how to live.
- Game plans became business strategies
- Opponents became competitors
- Coaches became mentors
- Physical endurance became mental resilience
It all transferred — just in ways I didn’t expect.
Once again, I was in the Deep End
I didn’t go into Logistics because I was passionate about it. I went into it because I was searching, looking for ways and opportunities to expand my knowledge base and expertise. Looking for different systems to explore and learn.
I didn’t know anything about transport; it was all new and I had to learn quickly. Handling different tasks, I was managing deliveries, figuring out systems, handling clients — most days felt like I was scrambling.
But I’d been here before. On the field, under pressure, learning fast. That muscle memory kicked in. The mindset from sport carried me through the early chaos.
Now, I am Rewriting My Story
These days, I spend most of my time in business development and marketing — helping build brands, drive growth, and most importantly – helping people connect. It’s a different game, but the same principles apply, preparation, execution, trust.
The biggest shift? I’ve gone from chasing personal performance to building something bigger — a career, a brand, a legacy.
What’s Stuck with Me
- Stay humble: You’re never too experienced to start at the bottom again.
- Discipline wins: My habits on the field became my anchor in business.
- Identity can evolve: You’re not limited to who you were — you can become more.
Honestly
I didn’t plan or want to leave rugby when I did - but life has a way of redirecting us when we least expect it.
Now, I’m learning to tap into that past to guide me in building what’s next. It’s not perfect. I’m still figuring things out. But if you’re reading this and you’ve had to start over, I want you to know this:
Starting over isn’t failure. It’s a chance to discover your purpose and build with more intention.
And that, to me, is a win.
The Slipstream Principle
Published July 14 2025
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“A slipstream is a region of lower pressure that forms behind a moving object, like a car, aircraft, or even cyclist.” By riding in the slipstream, cyclists or cars can reduce the force of aerodynamic drag, making it easier to move and potentially increasing speed.
Having been living a life of sport for as long as I can remember it has been the guiding light for me when it comes to dealing with life and its challenges. Over the years I have had to deal with many challenges in sport and in life. Through sport I’ve had the opportunity to deal with great success and massive failure and all within a short time frame, one day you can be up in the clouds and a few days later down in the gutters. I’ve had to learn how to deal with these massive emotional and mental rollercoasters on a frequent basis. Again, it was within sport that I found many of my answers and developed principles that guided me.
We all have dreams and aspirations, if not, we wouldn’t be able to get ourselves out of bed in the morning. The thing with dreams is, they rarely fall into your lap. It takes extreme discipline and perseverance to chase your dreams. So, what happens when you have been doing the work, putting in the hours, operating under enormous amounts of pressure and yet you still no closer to reaching your goal? We end up losing hope, our drive starts diminishing and our cadence declines. Why does this happen? One major reason is because we have been the "lead rider" in a solo race trying to do it all ourselves without even realising it. It was through experiencing rollercoasters like this that I unconsciously found myself applying what I now refer to as the “Slipstream Principle” in all areas of my life.
Let me explain how it works.
1. Find someone who resembles who you want to be or has the career you want to have or the body you wish to have - you get the point.
2. Think of a way you can assist them in achieving what they want.
3. Convince them to allow you to help them.
4. Let them take charge and guide you (let them be “lead rider’’)
5. Learn as much as you can as fast as you can (Ride the slipstream)
By applying these principles, you relieve enormous amounts of pressure from yourself. You mitigate unnecessary costly errors (there will always be errors) and you are forced to operate at a higher cadence, only this time having to exert less energy. Your “lead rider” will be absorbing most of the drag for you and you will likely get valuable exercise in taking the lead by relieving your “lead rider” from time to time, only this time when your cadence starts to drop your “lead rider” will be there to take the lead and push the pace once again. Using this principle with the consent and co-operation of your fellow rider/partner is a sure way of strengthening your resolve, increasing your endurance and getting both of you to your objectives much quicker. Make no mistake, this is not a free ride. To stay in the slipstream, you will need to keep up with the pace and stay close enough, because if the gap gets too big you will be left fighting the drag and surely be left behind.
So, ask yourself this question, are you currently a “lead rider” or do you need to slide into a slipstream?
The Art of Becoming
Published July 10 2025
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One of my favourite concepts in life is a Japanese proverb called Wabi – Sabi which simply means “beauty in imperfection.”
In life we are indoctrinated to believe if we are not perfect then we are not enough. If we do not fit into a system, then we do not fit into society. We spend our entire life fighting and striving to fit in and through that find a sense of belonging. How then do we grow, how do we learn and how do we become?
You see, growth does not lie in always trying to be perfect. The mere aspiration of trying to be perfect unintentionally eliminates countless opportunities and possibilities that cannot be considered unless it will turn out to be perfect.
Consider this. What if you attempted everything you ever dreamed of without attaching a certain result to it. What if you fail while colouring outside the lines as well as inside.
What if you dare to break everything down then try and glue it back together and in the process stumble upon perfection. Isn’t that the point of living.