Winning The Away Game

In this episode of Winning The Away Game, hosts Justinus Adriaanse and Flip van der Merwe speak with former Springbok Cabous van der Westhuizen and global entertainment executive Brannon Phillips about reinvention, starting over in new countries, and what elite sport teaches you about succeeding when no one is clapping anymore.

From building a beach bar business in Mauritius to navigating the entertainment industry in Los Angeles, this episode explores resilience, identity, culture shifts, and the mindset needed to win the Away Game.Chapters00:00 Highlights01:04 Welcome02:43 Favourite Springbok moment07:12 Why leave South Africa?15:59 Adjusting abroad25:53 Rebuilding credibility33:24 Culture shifts39:19 Identity and leadership43:00 Final reflectionsCheck out our other channels:
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Winning The Away Game is produced by Jonathan Warncke
⁠⁠Connect with Jon on LinkedIn⁠⁠
⁠⁠Ping Productions⁠

What happens when elite sport ends, the cheering stops, and life asks you to start again?
In this episode of Winning The Away Game, we sit down with Springbok and Bulls legend Wynand Olivier and veteran journalist Robyn Curnow for a powerful, honest conversation about identity, reinvention, and what it really means to begin again.
We talk about the emotional reality of leaving professional rugby, moving countries, and returning home to a version of life that has moved on without you.
Wynand opens up about the shock of retirement, building a business from scratch, and why coming back to South Africa was harder than moving to Japan, France, or England.
Robyn shares her journey through global journalism, covering defining moments in South Africa’s history, and what it’s like to rebuild a sense of belonging after more than a decade abroad.
This is a conversation about grief, growth, masculinity, motherhood, legacy, and the quiet courage it takes to adapt when your old identity no longer fits.
If you’ve ever felt displaced, underestimated, or unsure of who you are after a big chapter ends, this episode is for you.00:00 – Welcome to Winning The Away Game02:10 – Introducing Wynand Olivier and Robyn03:05 – Favourite Springbok Memories & National Pride05:00 – The 2007 Super Rugby Final That Changed Everything07:10 – Growing Up With Rugby and Knowing This Was the Path10:30 – What Springbok Success Meant to South Africans14:20 – Playing Under Pressure in Front of 80,000 People18:40 – The Golden Era of the Bulls Explained20:15 – The Decision to Leave South Africa and Go Overseas24:30 – Landing in Japan Alone and Learning to Adapt28:40 – From France to England: Life Abroad as a Pro Player33:40 – Journalism, Nation Building, and Telling South Africa’s Story37:00 – Covering History: Mandela, Global Leaders, and Hard Truths41:30 – When Careers End and Identity Shifts46:10 – Coming Home vs Staying Away51:00 – Raising Children Across Countries and Cultures56:40 – Why South Africans Adapt So Well Globally1:01:10 – Stepping Away From Careers That No Longer Serve You1:05:50 – Detoxing From Noise, Media, and Modern Life1:08:30 – Where Will We Watch the 2027 World Cup?1:11:30 – Defining Legacy Beyond Titles and Careers1:15:40 – Advice to Our Children and Future Selves1:20:00 – Final Reflections on Winning the Away Game⁠Connect with Justinus⁠
⁠Connect with Flip⁠

Check out Robyn's podcast, Searching For America
Or subscribe to her Substack
Check out our other channels:
⁠Website⁠
⁠LinkedIn⁠
⁠Instagram⁠
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Winning The Away Game is produced by Jonathan Warncke
⁠Connect with Jon on LinkedIn⁠
⁠Ping Productions⁠

In this episode of Winning The Away Game, we sit down with two true South African sporting icons — Springbok legend Rob Louw and world champion surfer Shaun Tomson.This is a powerful, wide-ranging conversation about breaking barriers, choosing adventure over comfort, leadership through change, and rebuilding life after elite sport. From apartheid-era tours and the evolution of South African rugby, to conquering Hawaii’s waves, building global businesses, and finding purpose after profound personal loss — this episode is about resilience in its truest form.We explore what it really means to win the away game when the rules keep changing.
Chapters
00:00 – Introduction & welcome
02:33 – What is your favourite Springbok memory?
07:54 – What was the 1981 tour really like behind the scenes?
10:42 – Shaun, how did rugby shape your upbringing in Durban?
15:02 – Rob, when did you know rugby would define your life?
18:38 – What creates respect across different sports?
24:43 – How did Doc Craven influence your career and values?
29:49 – Shaun, who were your biggest mentors growing up?
38:29 – What did it take to leave South Africa and play overseas?
46:50 – Why were you banned after switching to rugby league?
48:10 – Shaun, what drove you to move to Hawaii and go global?
55:26 – Rob, how did you rebuild life after rugby ended?
1:02:05 – Shaun, how did you navigate life after retiring from sport?
1:10:30 – What role does purpose play in business and leadership?
1:13:30 – Why resilience and hope matter more than ever today

Connect with Justinus
Connect with Flip
Check out our other channels:
Website
LinkedIn
Instagram
TikTok
Winning The Away Game is produced by Jonathan Warncke
Connect with Jon on LinkedIn
Ping Productions

In this episode of Winning The Away Game, we sit down with Springbok legend Coach G (Gurthro Steenkamp) and entrepreneur (and Shark Tank Shark) Tim Vieira for a deep, honest conversation about reinvention, resilience, and starting again when life forces change.
We unpack what happens when identity is stripped away — through injury, rejection, business failure, or relocation — and how purpose is rebuilt through discomfort, discipline, and perspective. From iconic Springbok memories to brutal lessons in France, Angola, and Portugal, this episode goes far beyond sport or business.
This is a conversation about who you become when the comfort zone disappears.

Chapters
00:00 – Opening montage & episode themes
01:12 – Welcome to Winning The Away Game
01:33 – Introducing Coach G
02:09 – Introducing Tim Vieira
02:59 – What is your favourite Springbok memory?
04:12 – How old were you in 1995 and why did it matter?
05:49 – Where did your rugby journey begin, Coach G?
07:12 – When did rugby shift from a dream to a vision?
08:50 – What did the Cheetahs years teach you about toughness?
10:38 – How did early setbacks shape your mindset?
13:09 – Tim, what is your origin story growing up in Johannesburg?
16:40 – How did rugby influence your early life?
16:49 – Why start a microbrewery at 18?
18:44 – What did your first business failure teach you?
19:38 – Why did you decide to move to Angola?
21:29 – How did failure prepare you for later success?
23:27 – Why did you leave South Africa for France?
24:26 – How did rejection reshape your discipline and drive?
26:04 – What does it take to earn respect at the Bulls?
28:16 – Why deliberately step out of your comfort zone?
30:59 – What was it like landing in Angola and Portugal?
32:57 – How do values and reputation carry you through reinvention?
35:08 – What does “profit for purpose” really mean?
39:55 – What was the hardest part of adapting to French culture?
42:24 – How did loneliness and family pressure test you?
45:16 – What did France teach you about balance and resilience?
47:14 – How did you respond when your career was suddenly threatened?
49:20 – When did purpose shift from ego to family?
51:18 – How did Shark Tank Portugal change your trajectory?
53:24 – Why is Europe such a challenging place to build businesses?
55:42 – What does success look like later in life?
56:55 – Why do we need less than we think we do?
58:20 – What ultimately matters most?
01:01:10 – Why faith and values anchor you through uncertainty
01:03:05 – How family reframes success later in life
01:05:02 – What we get wrong about money, ambition, and fulfillment
01:07:12 – Why contentment is a competitive advantage
01:09:18 – Letting go of ego, status, and comparison
01:11:30 – What legacy really means when the game ends
01:13:40 – Advice for the next generation chasing success abroad
01:15:55 – Why health is the ultimate currency
01:17:20 – What truly matters at the end of it all
01:18:45 – Closing thoughts & gratitude
Listen on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/26fB2unP9Ih6IA3QkjnGQF?si=4b4380f24a144716
Listen on Apple:https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/winning-the-away-game/id1853818584

Connect with Justinus:https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinusadriaanse/
Connect with Flip:https://www.linkedin.com/in/flipvandermerwe/

Check out our other channels:
Website: https://wtagpodcast.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/winning-the-away-game-podcast/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wtag_podcast/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wtag_podcast

Winning The Away Game is produced by Jonathan Warncke
Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%8E%99-jonathan-warncke-45b2095/
Ping Productions: https://www.pingproductions.net/

We sat down with BJ Botha (a Sharks man through and through and a Springbok World Cup winner) and Linda Reddy (a South African leader flying the Nando’s flag globally) to talk about what it really takes to build a life and career across borders.

This conversation is about identity, purpose, and the grit it takes to start again: from moving cities, to moving countries, to rebuilding after rugby, to leading teams from the other side of the world.

Key moments:
00:00:00 Intro: What the away game really means
00:01:10 Springbok memories and the moments that shaped us
00:05:48 Identity, national pride, and carrying the flag abroad
00:09:42 Leaving home: expectations when you land overseas
00:13:30 Life after rugby and losing a playing identity
00:16:43 The Nando’s story that changes every immigration conversation
00:19:55 Comfort vs growth when making big moves
00:24:07 The shock of London winter and self-doubt
00:28:36 Why South Africans always have a plan (A, B, C)
00:32:41 Leading teams remotely across continents
00:36:58 Building connection when you’re not in the room
00:42:31 Running toward purpose, not away from pain
00:47:12 Family stability as the foundation for performance
00:53:41 Kilimanjaro, Machu Picchu, Mount Fuji — using challenge for impact
00:57:58 Giving back, leadership, and legacy
00:59:06 Guests ask each other a questionListen on
Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/26fB2unP9Ih6IA3QkjnGQF?si=4b4380f24a144716
Listen on Apple:https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/winning-the-away-game/id1853818584
Connect with Justinus: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinusadriaanse/
Connect with Flip: https://www.linkedin.com/in/flipvandermerwe/
Check out our other channels:
Website: https://wtagpodcast.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/winning-the-away-game-podcast/
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/wtag_podcast/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wtag_podcast

Winning The Away Game is produced by Jonathan Warncke
Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%8E%99-jonathan-warncke-45b2095/
Ping Productions: https://www.pingproductions.net/