The Coach G Show

Flip van der Merwe — 30-cap Springbok, back-to-back Super Rugby champion with the Bulls, Cambridge MBA holder, data strategist, and the man who bought Biarritz Olympic for one euro — sits down with Coach G for one of the most honest conversations yet on the show.

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This isn't a greatest-hits career recap. It's a real discussion about identity, failure, late blooming, mental health, and what happens when the game ends.

What you'll hear:
How Flip played just 7 games in 4 years at the Cheetahs — and why it made him
Getting called up to the Springboks from a camping holiday in Namibia, 18 hours from Cape Town
The lineout philosophy Victor Matfield installed that still holds up today
Buying Biarritz Olympic for €1 — and why he walked away 7 months later
The loneliness and identity crisis that hit after rugby ended
Studying for a master's in big data and an MBA at Cambridge while playing professionally
Why AI is transforming rugby coaching — and what teams are getting wrong about it

00:00 The Journey Begins: Rugby and Life Balance
09:51 Overcoming Challenges: The Path to Professional Rugby
20:00 Debut and Family Legacy: The Springbok Experience
29:50 The Art of Lineouts: Learning from Legends
30:21 Cultural Differences in Lineout Strategies
34:10 Balancing Rugby and Education
35:33 The Journey of Continuous Learning
42:20 Transitioning from Rugby to Data Strategy
46:01 Leveraging AI in Rugby Coaching
52:07 Enhancing Player Development with AI
56:20 Ensuring Data Security in Rugby
58:28 Reflecting on Fond Memories with the Bulls
01:02:12 The Journey of Buying Beer Rits
01:05:46 Cultural Shock in French Rugby
01:10:51 Personal Transformation and Health Challenges
01:16:40 Navigating Mental Health Post-Rugby
01:23:20 Insights from Coaching with Rassie Erasmus

Honest. Sharp. Elite.
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Bob Skinstad. 42 Springbok caps. The first professional rugby player signed in South Africa. Venture capitalist. Club owner.

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And one of the most honest people Coach G has ever shared a dressing room with.
This is not a highlights reel. This is a real conversation about what happens when the final whistle blows — and no one's prepared you for what comes next.
In this episode:
The mental crash that follows winning — and why players spiral without the right tools
The "big hollow": depression, self-doubt, and what Bob wishes someone had told him earlier
How he started building business skills during his playing career while most players stopped being curious
The brutal reality of owning a French rugby club as a South African outsider
Why being paid to play rugby can quietly destroy your hunger and work ethic
AI in rugby — what it can and can't replace, and why the human element still leads
Protecting your energy as an empath, and what years of giving to others costs you
Bob doesn't pretend to have it all figured out. That's exactly what makes this episode so valuable.

00:00 Intro & Bob's Current World
03:24 Managing Multiple Projects & Staying Focused
05:22 The Challenge of French Rugby Culture
16:56 USN Sponsor Message
17:30 Bob's Journey From Player to Businessman
21:00 The First Professional Rugby Player in South Africa
25:51 The Mental Crash After the Highs of Professional Rugby
32:35 Coping Mechanisms Alcohol and the Evolution of Self-Awareness
34:30 Challenges Facing Modern Players
41:44 AI in Rugby and High Performance Sport
47:24 How Coaches Can Use AI to Save Time
49:40 Would Bob Come Back as a Prop

Whether you're a player navigating the transition, a coach building something on the side, or a leader in any high-pressure environment — there is something in here for you.
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Drew Mitchell played 71 tests for Australia, scored 14 World Cup tries across three tournaments, and won back-to-back European Champions Cups with Toulon.

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He did it all clinically blind in his right eye — a fact he hid from clubs, coaches, and medical teams for his entire career.
In this episode of The Coach G Show, Drew sits down with Coach G for a wide-open conversation about the parts of an elite rugby career nobody talks about.

What you'll hear:
The blind right eye he concealed from French club medicals to protect his contract
Why he retired on Twitter — mid-season, unannounced — and never looked back
The social anxiety, identity loss, and breakdown moment that hit after the jersey came off
Learning to fly helicopters to replace the adrenaline rugby gave him
How George Gregan's "Apples" callout turned him into a harder player
His zero-routine game day that always ended the same way — vomiting before kickoff
What really held the Toulon Galacticos together when egos could have torn it apart
Why therapy was the most important thing he did before the problems started
00:00 – Cold Open: "I'm done with rugby"
01:00 – Introduction: Drew Mitchell's career
01:37 – Life after Toulon / living in Bondi
03:15 – Relationship with training post-rugby
06:23 – "Chubb Club" and fat club stories
07:30 – Playing international rugby blind in one eye
13:04 – How he overcame the obstacle and kept it quiet
14:44 – Family, discipline, and what drove him as a kid
18:46 – Making the Wallabies and the gym reality check
21:13 – Why respect is the only currency that matters
22:36 – Rugby union over rugby league — the real reason
26:29 – Bond with Gits, Ashley Cooper, and the podcast
31:12 – The Twitter retirement nobody saw coming
36:13 – Flying helicopters to fill the void
41:38 – Selling pubs, finding structure, and commercial real estate
45:06 – Mental health, anxiety, therapy, and breaking down in the car
51:34 – Starting at 60kg in the Reds Academy
54:36 – The "Apples" story with George Gregan
57:32 – Pre-game routine: chaos, calm, and vomiting every test
1:00:22 – Australian sledging culture on the field
1:07:59 – Inside the Toulon Galacticos era
1:13:44 – What actually built the culture at Toulon
1:14:49 – Johnny Wilkinson's habits up close
1:19:43 – The New York Marathon and Busta Rhymes
1:27:10 – Final question: reincarnated as which prop?

This one covers the full picture — career, character, culture, and the messy reality of life on the other side of elite sport.
Listen, follow, and share with anyone who loves rugby, high performance, or honest conversations.

Scott Spedding walked away from South Africa at 22 with almost nothing — because his own attitude had closed nearly every door behind him.

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What followed was one of rugby's most unexpected journeys: from scrapping in French junior rugby to earning 23 caps for the French national team.
In this episode, Scott and Coach G go deep on the decisions, obsessions, sacrifices, and setbacks that defined a remarkable career — and what the transition out of rugby really looks like when no one has the answer.
What you'll take from this episode:
Why bad attitude at 19 nearly ended his career before it started
How obsession — even when it went too far — drove him onto the French team
The night Serge Blanco knocked on his door and changed everything
How Joe Rokocoko kept him focused play by play through the most important game of his life
The criticism he faced for wearing the French jersey as a South African
Why the rugby network is one of the most underused assets former players have
The financial advice every professional player needs to hear before it's too late
0:00 Intro
1:47 Meet Scott Spedding
2:10 Life in Southwest France
4:31 Why He Left South Africa at 22
7:18 The Mentors Who Changed Everything
9:59 What It Really Takes to Listen
13:16 Arrogance, Mistakes & Hard Lessons
14:57 The Toughest Years in French Rugby
16:54 When Playing for France Became the Obsession
20:26 What the Obsession Actually Looked Like
25:30 On Balance vs Going All In
26:40 Serge Blanco at the Door & the Plane Ticket Moment
31:15 Facing Criticism as a Foreigner in the French Team
37:46 Greatest Players He Shared a Changing Room With
42:44 What Transformed French Rugby
50:37 2023 World Cup Quarterfinal France vs South Africa
51:48 Life After Rugby Property Meat Business & Safari Lodge
59:05 The Real Value of a Rugby Network
1:03:48 What He Would Do Differently
1:09:45 Final Advice for Players & The Money Conversation

A raw, honest, and genuinely inspiring conversation for players, coaches, and anyone chasing something that feels just out of reach.

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Steve Kitshoff. Springbok legend. Bomb Squad co-founder. A man who was 2mm from never walking again.

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In this episode of The Coach G Show, Coach G sits down with one of the greatest loosehead props to ever play the game for a conversation that covers the full spectrum — from school rugby fundamentals to building a licensing empire, and from scrum mechanics to the mental shift required when everything you've built your identity around is suddenly gone.
What you'll learn in this episode:
The career-ending neck injury Steve never saw coming — and the moment everything became clear
The Bomb Squad origin story: how a boardroom conversation with Rassie became a beer, a clothing line, and a national licensing brand
The 3 pillars of scrum dominance every prop needs to develop — conditioning, power transfer, and unit understanding
What makes the Springbok scrum the most destructive in world rugby right now
Rassie's philosophy: "right players, not best players" — and why it changed everything
How Steve overcame imposter syndrome in the business world
Practical advice for young props, parents of junior players, and anyone navigating a major life transition

00:00 Cold Open & The Spicy Plum Nickname
01:32 Introducing Steve Kitshoff
05:35 School Rugby & The Foundation Years at Paul Roos
08:28 Mentors & Players Who Shaped His Career
14:17 The State of Scrummaging Today
19:22 3 Keys to Scrum Dominance for Props
24:00 What Parents of Young Players Need to Know
27:48 Quickfire Scrum Questions
29:06 Why the Springbok Scrum Is So Destructive
34:52 The Bomb Squad Origin Story
40:33 Business Lessons from Rugby Leadership
45:49 The Career-Ending Neck Injury
49:57 Life After Rugby & What Comes Next
53:11 Advice for Players Still Playing

This is a conversation about identity, reinvention, and what it really takes to build something that lasts.
🎧 Listen, follow, and share with anyone who plays, coaches, or loves rugby.

Follow us on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ - https://www.instagram.com/thecoachgshow
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