CLASSIC - Rugby gives you that camaraderie that lasts for years after the fact - Ben Mercer - #14

Now, Ben and I have never actually met, but he came with a very strong recommendation from a former team-mate of both of ours Geoff Griffiths. Ben has experienced all different sides of rugby over a lengthy playing career and his story is one that I really wanted to share with you. This interview was recorded in November of 2019 and we talked about life on the fringes of the professional game and Ben's varied experiences playing in different countries. LINKS Ben's book 'Fringes' can be found on Amazon: https://amzn.to/48AwHh2 Ben's website - https://www.benmercer.me/ Ben on X - https://x.com/bcemercer 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 Orkney RFC's Glen McLellan. We talked about: The travel challenges of playing rugby on a remote island Long away trips every other weekend! The Come Ashore Cup The joy of being involved in Penguins RFC, including plenty of tour stories Coaching kids in Mexico This is a proper rugby episode - I hope you enjoy. LINKS Orkney Rugby Football Club: http://www.orkneyrfc.co.uk/ & https://www.facebook.com/OrkneyRFC Come Ashore Cup: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1167758211686710/ & https://www.instagram.com/comeashorecup Farmstrong Podcast: https://www.farmstrongscotland.org.uk/wellbeing-hub/come-ashore-come-ashore Penguins: https://www.penguinrugby.com/ Orkney LIVE streams: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbK-mhWiL4VH57fataSe9ng Viking Barbarians - https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1347429110725635&set=pcb.1347430074058872 Iain "Sinky" Sinclair - https://sea2sea.co.uk/ Happiness is EggShaped - https://www.facebook.com/happinessiseggshaped.org 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.  

Former Cheltenham RFC President - Dave 'Towner' Townsend was my coach for Cheltenham Colts back in 1995/96 and is also the father of Matt Townsend from Episode No.2. Sadly, Towner is no longer with us, but it was lovely to hear his voice once more and to listen to all the nuggets of wisdom gathered over a lifetime in the game! This interview was recorded in August 2019 at Cheltenham RFC, where we appropriately sat in Colts Corner and chatted about the goals of the club, the trials and tribulations of being on the brink of the semi-professional game and some of the highly niche scrummaging techniques that Towner used to employ. So, listen in for some genuine old-school west-country wisdom! LINKS Cheltenham Tigers website (https://cheltenhamtigers.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.  

The 2025 Autumn Internationals are in full swing, and the fourth weekend of fixtures did not disappoint. Join me as I discuss Ireland vs South Africa and England vs Argentina. 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.

The 2025 Autumn Internationals are in full swing, and the second weekend of fixtures did not disappoint. Join me as I discuss Scotland vs New Zealand, England vs Fiji and France vs South Africa. 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.  

The 2025 Autumn Internationals have started and it was a decent first weekend of fixtures. And as usual, I got a load of special guests to add some wonderful insight for England vs Australia and Ireland vs New Zealand. 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.  

Hello Amateurs! We're back with another Classic episode and this one is with my former Cheltenham RFC team-mate and Prem Rugby Assistant Referee - Phil Watters. This interview was recorded in August of 2019 and we talked about playing and coaching the England Police and Phil's transition into refereeing including some incredible insights into the role of the modern day official. LINKS You can get hold of Phil on Instagram @daddles2243 (https://www.instagram.com/daddles2243/) England Police RUFC (https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/englandpolicerufc/) 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 Ellingham & Ringwood player and Defence Coach - Adam Higgins. We talked about: Adam's passion for defence What principles underlie his coaching Some of Adam's defence heroes A world tour of Adam's playing experience, including time in Canada, Australia and Cornwall! This is a fantastic episode - I hope you enjoy. LINKS Adam Higgins on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-higgins-85b2a883/ Adam Higgins on Instagram - @Adam.higgins13 - https://www.instagram.com/Adam.higgins13 Ellingham & Ringwood RFC - https://www.errfc.com/ Bournemouth RFC - https://bournemouth-rugby.co.uk/ Brothers RFC - https://brothersrugby.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.  

My guest this week is Bristol Bears hooker, Tom Lindsay. Tom and I first locked horns during a London 1 game between Sutton & Epsom and Old Colfeians. We later went on to become team-mates at both Blackheath and Esher. This interview was recorded August of 2000 and 19 and we took a lovely stroll down memory lane through Tom's career with some key learning points around player development, the role of the coach and especially team culture. LINKS You can get in contact with Tom: @tomlindsay02 on Twitter (https://twitter.com/tomlindsay02) @tomlindsay02 on Instagram (https://instagram.com/tomlindsay02) Rugby Players Association (https://therpa.co.uk/) Restart Rugby (http://restartrugby.org.uk/) Tom also mentioned my Instagram which is @tunnocks_world_tour (https://www.instagram.com/tunnocks_world_tour/) 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 Gloucester, Bath, and Dragons prop-forward Shaun Knight. We talked about: Breaking into the Gloucester side Playing in u20 World Cups The influence of some of the game's great props His most difficult opponent His return to boyhood club, Matson, as a player-coach. This is a great episode full of front-row chat - I hope you enjoy. LINKS Shaun Knight on Instagram - @ShaunKnight3 - https://www.instagram.com/shaunknight3/ Matson RFC - https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/matson/ Gloucester Rugby - https://www.gloucesterrugby.co.uk/ Cinderford RFC - https://www.cinderfordrfc.co.uk/ Birmingham Moseley RFC - https://moseleyrugby.co.uk/ Dragons Rugby - https://www.dragonsrfc.wales/ Bath Rugby - https://www.bathrugby.com/ Rouen Rugby - https://rouennormandierugby.fr/ 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.