#198 - Alex Mead - Pathways should be banned as a word

This week I'm joined by Alex Mead: editor of The Rugby Journal, managing director of sports content agency Sporting Eric, and a player, coach and chairman at Southgate RFC. Alex moved Southgate from a pitch hidden behind the trees to a public park in Palmers Green, and he has strong views on minis rugby: keep it fun, accept every kid, and stop talking about pathways. As he puts it, "I think pathways should be banned as a word." We also cover his rugby journey from Brixham, a season on the TV show Total Rugby (including his first ever sushi, with Eddie Jones in Tokyo), meeting his hero Graham Dawe, how The Rugby Journal's covers come together, where the name Sporting Eric came from, and Rugby Kitchen of the Year, won by 84-year-old volunteer Keith and Caernarfon RFC. Plus Alex takes on the Rugger Law Bore question, picks his worst and best kits, and tells the story behind his Sons of Serevi tattoo. His closing message: support your smaller rugby clubs, because that's what gives the game its character. LINKS The Rugby Journal: https://www.therugbyjournal.com Sporting Eric: https://sportingeric.com Southgate RFC: https://www.southgaterugby.co.uk Brixham RFC: https://brixhamrfc.co.uk Rugby Kitchen of the Year: https://www.therugbyjournal.com/rugbykitchenoftheyear The early day motion for Caernarfon's rugby kitchen: https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/66495 Rugby Photographer of the Year 2026 winners: https://www.therugbyjournal.com/rugby-blog/rugby-photographer-of-the-year-2026-winners-revealed Rugby Lives podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0b4FRL7IRGY5oQMZ6wRkmq Rhino Rugby: https://www.rhinorugby.com Graham Dawe: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Dawe Southwark Tigers: https://www.englandrugby.com/follow/news-and-media/southwark-tigers-burning-bright The Amateur Rugby Podcast: https://amateurrugbypodcast.com If you've enjoyed this one, the best thing you can do is mention the podcast to someone next time you're down your local rugby club. And until then, get out and play.

James Inglis and I were team-mates at Esher Rugby Club where I learnt from him what it meant to be a serious rugby player. This interview was recorded in December of 2019 and he told me what it was like to be one of the very first Academy players in the UK and the challenges of spending years striving for Premiership rugby. We go deep on one of Jingles' specialist subjects: Lineouts, and finish with some great advice around youth development in the modern era. LINKS James Inglis can be contacted on Instagram - @jjinglis (https://www.instagram.com/jjinglis/) or email ([email protected]) GET STASH England Rugby Store - https://ers.pxf.io/KjV30v British & Irish Lions Store - https://bil.sjv.io/9gNaL4 BUY ME A COFFEE Coffee helps me make more and better episodes. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/amateurrugbypodcast PATREON Join The Amateur Rugby Podcast Patreon community for some extra amateur rugby goodness! (https://patreon.com/amateurrugbypodcast) SUPPORT If you would like to support the podcast in some way there are plenty of options for you on my Support the Podcast (https://www.amateurrugbypodcast.com/support/) page.

My guest this week is Jack Vass, a young English rugby player who grew up in Kent, came through the Saracens Academy and is now playing with the Espoirs at Toulouse. Jack has previously appeared on the Amateur Rugby Podcast as a French rugby analyst, but this time we're talking about his own journey through the game. Jack's route has been anything but straightforward. He moved away from home as a teenager to attend Trinity School, dealt with significant periods of injury, continued his studies and eventually made his way to France, where he has experienced a very different approach to developing and playing rugby. We talked about: Growing up in Kent and the influence of Jack's dad The kicking sessions that became a foundation of his game How playing football helped develop his rugby Moving away from home at 15/16 to attend Trinity Why France was always part of Jack's plan The differences between English and French rugby Keeping the ball alive and playing through contact Why French rugby has helped develop his offloading game Dealing with injuries and setbacks Balancing university with rugby in France His plans for his final year at Toulouse I particularly enjoyed the discussion about the differences between the two rugby cultures. Jack isn't simply saying that one is better than the other. He's describing what he has learned from being exposed to both, and how that has changed the way he plays. LINKS Jack Vas on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jackvas_ GET STASH England Rugby Store - https://ers.pxf.io/KjV30v British & Irish Lions Store - https://bil.sjv.io/9gNaL4 BUY ME A COFFEE Coffee helps me make more and better episodes. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/amateurrugbypodcast PATREON Join The Amateur Rugby Podcast Patreon community for some extra amateur rugby goodness! (https://patreon.com/amateurrugbypodcast) SUPPORT If you would like to support the podcast in some way there are plenty of options for you on my Support the Podcast (https://www.amateurrugbypodcast.com/support/) page

Dave Phillips - 'Mr Dartfordians' has been a member of the Dartfordians club since leaving school and has held almost every role within the club over 50 years. This interview was recorded in December of 2019 and Dave told me the secrets of keeping a club flourishing in this modern age - Darts regularly put out 5 sides plus thriving Minis, Juniors, Girls and Women's teams. I also uncovered some wonderful coaching tips and Dave's thoughts about what is important for kids in rugby. Oh, there are some touring stories too. It's a wonderful chat and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. LINKS Dartfordians website (https://www.dartfordiansrfc.co.uk/) GET STASH England Rugby Store - https://ers.pxf.io/KjV30v British & Irish Lions Store - https://bil.sjv.io/9gNaL4 BUY ME A COFFEE Coffee helps me make more and better episodes. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/amateurrugbypodcast PATREON Join The Amateur Rugby Podcast Patreon community for some extra amateur rugby goodness! (https://patreon.com/amateurrugbypodcast) SUPPORT If you would like to support the podcast in some way there are plenty of options for you on my Support the Podcast (https://www.amateurrugbypodcast.com/support/) page.  

My guest this week is Alan Zondagh, a veteran coach and rugby educator whose career has taken him from South Africa to England, France and beyond. Alan has worked with players and teams at every level, including Western Province, London Scottish and Saracens, and his new book, Attack, Attack, Attack, brings together the coaching philosophy he has developed throughout his career. At the heart of it is a fascinating idea: rugby coaches can provide structure, but they also need to prepare players for what happens when the structure disappears. We talked about: • Creating chaos in the opposition defence • Why Alan starts his coaching with the individual ball carrier • Teaching supporting players to recognise what the ballman sees • The X and Y axes of attacking rugby • Why positioning can ask questions of a defence before the attack begins • Alan's 48% box-kick statistic and his concerns about the modern game • Why he believes coaching is an art rather than a fixed programme • His experiences learning from Pierre Villepreux and French rugby • His time with London Scottish and Saracens • The evolution of rugby conditioning and weight training • The rugby laws he would like to see changed • Why the scrum should be used more as an attacking platform One thing I particularly enjoyed about this conversation is that Alan doesn't simply offer another set of rugby coaching drills. He keeps coming back to the idea of developing players who can actually see the game and respond to it. That sounds simple. It probably isn't. But when it works, as Alan says, you get the goosebumps. LINKS Contact Alan at https://www.az-rugby.com/ GET STASH England Rugby Store - https://ers.pxf.io/KjV30v British & Irish Lions Store - https://bil.sjv.io/9gNaL4 BUY ME A COFFEE Coffee helps me make more and better episodes. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/amateurrugbypodcast PATREON Join The Amateur Rugby Podcast Patreon community for some extra amateur rugby goodness! (https://patreon.com/amateurrugbypodcast) SUPPORT If you would like to support the podcast in some way there are plenty of options for you on my Support the Podcast (https://www.amateurrugbypodcast.com/support/) page.  

Peter Short, the former Leicester Tigers, Narbonne and Bath lock forward is my guest this week. Shorty and I caught up in December of 2019 in Dorset, where he now works and lives to talk about the early days of professionalism, what it was like to be involved at Leicester Tigers during the halcyon days, his experience in French rugby at Narbonne and lastly a successful period at Bath. It's a fascinating chat which also delves into his development as coach and some very interesting insights into some more scientific aspects of the game. GET STASH England Rugby Store - https://ers.pxf.io/KjV30v British & Irish Lions Store - https://bil.sjv.io/9gNaL4 BUY ME A COFFEE Coffee helps me make more and better episodes. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/amateurrugbypodcast PATREON Join The Amateur Rugby Podcast Patreon community for some extra amateur rugby goodness! (https://patreon.com/amateurrugbypodcast) SUPPORT If you would like to support the podcast in some way there are plenty of options for you on my Support the Podcast (https://www.amateurrugbypodcast.com/support/) page.  

My guest this week is a former Bath, Cheetahs and Zimbabwe fly-half who has gone on to become a coach at The Bulls in the URC. Kennedy Tsimba has had a fascinating journey through rugby, from growing up in Zimbabwe and learning the game by watching VHS tapes of the Five Nations, to playing alongside and learning from some of the greatest minds in the sport. We talked about: The unique rugby culture Kennedy grew up with in Zimbabwe How skills learned from VHS videos and practised in the backyard eventually made their way into professional training and matches How Kennedy was discovered and signed by Bath in the late 1990s, and the lessons he learned from some of English rugby's greatest minds Playing for his "perfect" team, the Free State Cheetahs, where his captain was Rassie Erasmus How Kennedy developed his thinking around unstructured play, including several key tips for both players and coaches The study Kennedy conducted, how it informed his "SHIFT" framework, and his plans to contribute it to the wider rugby world How VR is now helping to train the Springboks! This is a sensational episode with a wonderful thinker about the game. Kennedy has a unique perspective on rugby, shaped by his experiences as a player, coach and researcher. I hope you enjoy it. GET STASH England Rugby Store - https://ers.pxf.io/KjV30v British & Irish Lions Store - https://bil.sjv.io/9gNaL4 BUY ME A COFFEE Coffee helps me make more and better episodes. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/amateurrugbypodcast PATREON Join The Amateur Rugby Podcast Patreon community for some extra amateur rugby goodness! (https://patreon.com/amateurrugbypodcast) SUPPORT If you would like to support the podcast in some way there are plenty of options for you on my Support the Podcast (https://www.amateurrugbypodcast.com/support/) page

My guest this week is former pro rugby player and now a Major in the British Army - Will Simpson. We talked about: Will's dream to become a pro player The steps and opportunities he took to achieve that goal Playing for Ampleforth, Loughborough Uni, Leicester Tigers A team and Doncaster Knights in The Champ His following career with the British Army, and the incredible playing opportunities that provided The genesis of Real Meal - his meal replacement bar, and why it's cornered the market. This is a fascinating insight into the world of rugby just below the elite - I hope you enjoy. LINKS Use code TARP at checkout and subscribe for more savings! - https://realmeal.co.uk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-simpson-54657b67/ https://www.menshealth.com/uk/fitness/a70865848/army-dad-real-world-training-approach   GET STASH England Rugby Store - https://ers.pxf.io/KjV30v British & Irish Lions Store - https://bil.sjv.io/9gNaL4 BUY ME A COFFEE Coffee helps me make more and better episodes. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/amateurrugbypodcast PATREON Join The Amateur Rugby Podcast Patreon community for some extra amateur rugby goodness! (https://patreon.com/amateurrugbypodcast) SUPPORT If you would like to support the podcast in some way there are plenty of options for you on my Support the Podcast (https://www.amateurrugbypodcast.com/support/) page.  

My guest this week is former Scotland International and now wild swimmer, Suzy Rook. We talked about: The highs of her international career How far the Women's game has progressed Being diagnosed with cancer Wild swimming and the Polar plunge! This is a remarkable, feel-good, riot of an episode. - I hope you enjoy. LINKS Suzy's Just Giving page - https://www.justgiving.com/page/suzanne-rook-8  Suzy Rook on facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SwimQueenSuzy Suzy Rook on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/swimqueensuzy/ Suzy Rook on x - https://x.com/suzyhex Suzy Rook on tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@swimqueen Stewartry Rugby Club - https://www.stewartryrugby.co.uk/ GET STASH England Rugby Store - https://ers.pxf.io/KjV30v British & Irish Lions Store - https://bil.sjv.io/9gNaL4 BUY ME A COFFEE Coffee helps me make more and better episodes. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/amateurrugbypodcast PATREON Join The Amateur Rugby Podcast Patreon community for some extra amateur rugby goodness! (https://patreon.com/amateurrugbypodcast) SUPPORT If you would like to support the podcast in some way there are plenty of options for you on my Support the Podcast (https://www.amateurrugbypodcast.com/support/) page.  

'Curtin' and I are Nomad friends, we met at a big floating conference on a cruise ship in the sea. We then spent 3 weeks living on a beach in Brazil with a load of other nomads where we surfed, worked, did Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and even took part in an Improv Comedy night. This interview was recorded in December of 2019 in Dubai and we talked about comparisons between Rugby and traditional American sports, Curtin's extensive experience of playing all around the world, from America to England, Italy, Austria, Uganda, and China! Oh, and you can't miss his story about how he attempted to get a Fijian to play in the NFL! LINKS Greg Curtin Email ([email protected]) Curtin's website (https://americarex.com/) Nomad Cruise (http://nomadcruise.com/) GET STASH England Rugby Store - https://ers.pxf.io/KjV30v British & Irish Lions Store - https://bil.sjv.io/9gNaL4 BUY ME A COFFEE Coffee helps me make more and better episodes. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/amateurrugbypodcast PATREON Join The Amateur Rugby Podcast Patreon community for some extra amateur rugby goodness! (https://patreon.com/amateurrugbypodcast) SUPPORT If you would like to support the podcast in some way there are plenty of options for you on my Support the Podcast (https://www.amateurrugbypodcast.com/support/) page.