Winning The Away Game

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.Chapters00:00 – Opening montage & episode themes01:12 – Welcome to Winning The Away Game01:33 – Introducing Coach G02:09 – Introducing Tim Vieira02:59 – 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 uncertainty01:03:05 – How family reframes success later in life01:05:02 – What we get wrong about money, ambition, and fulfillment01:07:12 – Why contentment is a competitive advantage01:09:18 – Letting go of ego, status, and comparison01:11:30 – What legacy really means when the game ends01:13:40 – Advice for the next generation chasing success abroad01:15:55 – Why health is the ultimate currency01:17:20 – What truly matters at the end of it all01:18:45 – Closing thoughts & gratitudeListen on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/26fB2unP9Ih6IA3QkjnGQF?si=4b4380f24a144716Listen on Apple:https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/winning-the-away-game/id1853818584Connect 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_podcastWinning The Away Game is produced by Jonathan WarnckeConnect 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=4b4380f24a144716Listen on Apple:https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/winning-the-away-game/id1853818584Connect 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_podcastWinning The Away Game is produced by Jonathan WarnckeConnect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%8E%99-jonathan-warncke-45b2095/Ping Productions: https://www.pingproductions.net/

We sit down with Springbok legend AJ Venter and technologist-turned-founder Gus Byleveld to talk about what really happens when the first big chapter of your life ends – and you have to start again from scratch.From barefoot schoolboy rugby on frozen Free State and Paarl fields to Test matches against the All Blacks, Silicon Valley term sheets and a fresh start in Colorado, this conversation is about identity, resilience and doing hard things on and off the field.

We open Season 1 of Winning the Away Game with two guests who know what it means to be tested far from home.Bryan Habana is a Rugby World Cup winner, Springbok legend and Toulon star who has had to rebuild his identity after retirement. Orrin Klopper is the CEO of NetSurIT, a global MSP that has survived multiple crises, acquisitions and a full reinvention of its business model in recent years.In this conversation we explore how both of them learned to win long after the final whistle.In this episode we cover:The day a 13-year-old Bryan watched the 1995 Rugby World Cup final at Ellis Park and realised rugby could unite a country – and change his life.How King Edward VII School created a sense of brotherhood and belonging for both Bryan and Orrin, even when they weren’t the stars or prefects.Why Orrin went from being expelled from schools to selling hot dogs, VHS tapes, second-hand shoes and eventually technology services.The early NetSurIT years: bootstrapping, Microsoft partnerships, and the first US acquisition that nearly broke everything.Bryan’s move from the Bulls and Stormers to Toulon: French club politics, media pressure, injuries and learning to live in a totally different culture.The brutal personal chapter in New York where Orrin’s marriage imploded, the NYPD were looking for him after false allegations, and he had to rebuild his own sense of reality through deep self-work.How COVID, the loss of major clients and an uncertain future forced NetSurIT to cut costs aggressively, rethink its core and launch a new “Innovate” offering in AI, automation and digital transformation.Bryan’s lowest moment: realising a knee injury had quietly ended his career, announcing his retirement, and breaking down at home as he opened the door and heard his son laugh.The five transferable traits Bryan believes every successful person needs: discipline, sacrifice, hard work, resilience and perseverance – regardless of industry.Why he says rugby was never his full identity, and how “unlearning to learn” is the key to his next chapter as an entrepreneur with Paymenow.How fatherhood shifted Orrin’s decision-making, made him more decisive, and paradoxically helped the business grow faster.What legacy looks like for both men over the next decade: purpose-driven businesses, stronger families and using their stories to help others win their own “away games”.GuestsBryan Habana – World Cup–winning Springbok, former Toulon wing, entrepreneur and co-founder of Paymenow.Orrin Klopper – CEO and founder of NetSurIT, a global managed services provider with operations in South Africa and the US.About the showWinning the Away Game is hosted by Justinus Adriaanse and Flip van der Merwe. We bring together stories from rugby and business to explore what it really takes to succeed when you’re far from your comfort zone.Winning The Away Game is produced by Jonathan Warncke

In this episode we sit down with two South Africans who know all about pressure, change, and starting again: former Springbok captain Corne Krige and blind adventurer and speaker Hein Wagner.They take us from leaving home for boarding school as young kids, to captaining the Springboks and crossing oceans, to starting businesses and building institutions that create opportunity for others. Along the way we talk discipline, identity, independence, and what it really means to build a country that works for everyone.In this episode we cover:- Growing up far from home: boarding school at 4 and 5, and learning independence early- Corne’s journey from Zambia to Paarl Boys’ and captaining the Springboks on debut- Hein’s story of blindness, adventure, and crossing the Atlantic with a deaf skipper- Land-speed records, Cape Epic on a tandem, Ironman, and chasing challenge after challenge- The brutal England test, retiring from rugby, and starting over in business- Building discipline, resilience, and identity beyond a Springbok jersey- Moving to Sweden and how a different system changed Hein’s view of South Africa- Hein’s daughter’s leukemia, the Swedish healthcare system, and what “a country that works for everyone” can look likeAbout Winning the Away Game:We are Justinus Adriaanse and Flip van der Merwe. Connect with us on LinkedIn.Got a guest you’d love to see on the show? - Drop some suggestions in the comments and we’ll try to get them on the show. And if you have a question you think we should ask our guests? Let us know. Winning The Away Game is available on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, and on the Winning The Away Game website at www.wtagpodcast.com. Subscribe to our newsletter for latest releases and behind the scenes content. Winning The Away Game is produced by Jonathan Warncke