Winning The Away Game

Wayne Hendricks was the most junior member of Nelson Mandela’s protection team when he walked into the President’s office wearing a novelty lapel pin he had not read properly. Thirty years later he runs global security for MetLife, has worked across Goldman Sachs and Macquarie, and has landed in more countries than most people can name — and the lesson from that first exchange still sets how he hires, leads and argues.

This episode is for operators who have moved countries, changed industries, or rebuilt an identity from scratch, and for anyone who suspects that technical skill is a shrinking advantage.

The core tension is a hard one: Wayne argues South Africans have to stop reasoning from what was done to them and start reasoning from what happens next — while agreeing, without hedging, that apartheid still shapes how millions grow up. He holds both at once, and explains why most people can’t.

Along the way: the geography lottery, a girl called Rebecca who wanted to be a pilot, and the day decisiveness locked the President of South Africa inside a stadium.

Winning The Away Game is brought to you by The Lekker Network. The Lekker

Network brings together South Africa’s top entrepreneurs, executives,

innovators, and everyday people from all over the world to connect, engage,

support, do business with each other, and create lasting impact. Find out

more at https://thelekkernetwork.com/

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/

Gary Boddington represented South Africa at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, then built a business intelligence company out of a Durban garage that was eventually acquired by Sage — a journey that landed him in a ski resort in British Columbia.

Wayne Fyvie played three tests for South Africa, captained the Sharks, and walked out of a change room in Cardiff knowing his body was finished and his income was about to disappear.

This episode is for anyone facing the end of one identity and the blank page of the next: athletes in transition, founders in the grind, and operators trying to work out what they are actually building for.

Chapters
00:00 Cold Open
00:41 Welcome: Gary Boddington and Wayne Fyvie
02:56 Favourite Springbok Memories
05:30 The Ticky Box That Changed Wayne’s Life
08:07 First Cap, Injuries and the Press
11:56 Gary’s Road From Ice Hockey to Atlanta
15:37 Walking Into the Stadium at Atlanta 1996
19:10 Retirement and the Salary That Stops
22:32 The Haircut That Cost 200 Rand
27:28 Job First or Play First: Which Is Better?
33:52 Mentors, Relationships and Working the Room
37:54 Eating Glass for 30 Years
41:31 The Two-Year Plan and the Sage Acquisition
47:41 Sales, Cartridges and Solving Problems
50:35 Finding Purpose at 38
54:49 Building a South Africa That Works

Winning The Away Game is brought to you by The Lekker Network. The Lekker Network brings together South Africa's top entrepreneurs, executives, innovators, and everyday people from all over the world to connect, engage, support, do business with each other, and create lasting impact. Find out more at https://thelekkernetwork.com/

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/

This episode is for founders, operators, and anyone rebuilding an identity after a chapter of life ends. Deon Gouws, Chief Investment Officer at Credo in London, and Alistair Hargreaves, former Springbok and Saracens captain turned Wolf Pack co-founder, sit down with Justinus and Flip to talk about judgement under pressure and reinvention without a script. The core tension: rugby careers and investment careers both come with hard-won instincts, but neither guarantees you'll succeed the moment you step outside the environment that built them. From a stadium beer ban to the 2008 financial crisis to a concussion that ended a professional career, this is a conversation about building good judgement when certainty isn't available.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:49 Favourite Springbok Memories
08:29 Family, Fathers and the Game
09:54 Alistair's Springbok Memories
14:04 Growing Up Together in SA Rugby
17:34 The Concussion Decision
20:42 Building a Culture That Puts People First
23:56 From Cambridge to Credo
30:20 How Deon and Alistair Became Friends
34:53 The Myth of Transferable Skills
38:01 Building Wolf Pack From Scratch
47:04 Lessons From 2008 and Covid
51:00 Building a South Africa That Works for Everyone
55:00 World Cup 2027 and Sign Off

Winning The Away Game is brought to you by The Lekker Network. The Lekker Network brings together South Africa's top entrepreneurs, executives, innovators, and everyday people from all over the world to connect, engage, support, do business with each other, and create lasting impact. Find out more at https://thelekkernetwork.com/

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/

This episode is for anyone who has had to lead people without the authority, language, or home-field advantage they used to rely on.

Andre Pretorius went from Springbok flyhalf to head coach in Japan, coaching players through a translator and rebuilding his entire leadership style from the ground up.

Hank van der Merwe emigrated to Australia, lost most of his wealth in the process, and had to learn to lead people who didn't respond to the direct South African style that had always worked for him. Together they unpack the night Andre nearly lost his players' trust for good, why servant leadership isn't a buzzword, and what Hank believes AI can never replace: judgement.

Chapters

00:00 Cold Open

00:44 Welcome and Episode Setup

01:53 Favourite Springbok Memories

09:29 The Culture Shock of Emigrating to Australia

17:20 From the Leopards to Coaching in Japan

20:52 The Loneliest Month of Andre's Career

28:33 The Night Andre Broke His Players

34:35 Servant Leadership and Letting Go of Ego

42:06 Why Hank Wrote Yes I Can

55:10 Trust, AI and the Future of Judgement

59:04 Connecting With the Next Generation

01:00:10 Hank's Advice for Parenting Teenagers

01:02:32 What Andre Has Learned About People in Japan

01:06:00 World Cup Predictions and Sign-Off

Winning The Away Game is brought to you by The Lekker Network. The Lekker Network brings together South Africa's top entrepreneurs, executives, innovators, and everyday people from all over the world to connect, engage, support, do business with each other, and create lasting impact.

Find out more at https://thelekkernetwork.com/

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/

What happens when the biggest decision of your life looks completely irrational to everyone around you?

Former professional rugby players Jonathan Mokuena and Ernie Kruger share how faith, identity and purpose shaped the defining moments of their lives. From walking away from rugby dreams to rebuilding life in America, this conversation explores what it really means to succeed when success is no longer measured by status, titles or recognition.

If you're an entrepreneur, leader, immigrant or anyone facing a difficult life decision, this episode offers practical wisdom on navigating uncertainty with conviction.

Chapters

00:00 The Decision That Changed Everything

01:12 Meet Jonathan & Ernie

04:18 Favourite Rugby Memories

08:05 Walking Away From Rugby

14:36 Hearing "Turn Around"

19:42 Starting Again in America

27:18 The Four Stages of Immigration

35:10 Identity Beyond Sport

43:52 Confronting Racism

52:15 Faith During Uncertainty

01:01:40 Leadership Through Obedience

01:09:12 Final Reflections

Winning The Away Game is brought to you by The Lekker Network. The Lekker Network brings together South Africa’s top entrepreneurs, executives, innovators, and everyday people from all over the world to connect, engage, support, do business with each other, and create lasting impact. Find out more at https://thelekkernetwork.com/

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/