Inspiring Sporting Journeys

In this episode of Inspiring Sporting Journeys I spoke to Lucy Renshall. An Olympic Judo athlete who has recently returned fromTokyo.  We spoke about her journey and how Judo became of such importance in her life and the adversity she had faced along the way. In this episode there is many key messages but none stronger than the importance of balance in a life which is so packed with one passion. I am sure we all have heard of Wetherspoons, well interestingly Lucy also worked alongside training at Wetherspoons and the reasoning for why is something I believe many other athletes should as well follow.Enjoy this podcast as much as I enjoyed doing it because it its brilliant.

In this episode of The Burgess Podcast we got the opportunity to speak with Olympic Rower Beccy Muzerie. Beccy spoke about how she got into rowing and the adversity she had faced along the way, whilst realising that these setbacks have helped her reach the next level performance wise in a boat. I won't spoil too much because it is a great episode!

In this episode of The Burgess Podcast I got the chance to speak to Olympic Triple Jump athlete Ben Williams who has recently come back from Tokyo. In this episode we speak about Ben's career and journey to becoming Olympian whilst talking about the set backs along the way.

In Episode 7 of The Burgess Podcast I got the opportunity to speak to Harlequins Women's player Beth Wilcock. Beth has also recently represented England in 7's and quickly becoming one of the up and coming youngsters in England. We spoke about how Beth got into rugby and how she grew into the role as a rugby player and dealing with the pressures that has on and off the field. It was a real pleasure getting the opportunity to speak to Beth and I'd like to wish her all the best for the future and recovering from her recent injury. 

CHARITY EVENT 1st July - 8th July

In Episode 6 of Season  2 I got the opportunity to speak to Worcester Warriors player Tom Howe. Tom who used to go to Shiplake College and started his rugby at Beaconsfield RFC shared his stories and highs and lows of his career. This is a very interesting episode one of which you would be silly to not involve yourself in. Give it a listen and leave a review on how you enjoyed the podcast with Tom Howe.

In Episode 5 of Season 2 I got the chance to speak to London Irish Senior Academy Player Calum Scott. First of all, I'd like to send Calum congratulations for recently getting his first contract. We began talking about how Calum got into rugby and his time at Tadley Tigers and how he stopped rugby after the first year due to not enjoying it. Then he decided to rejoin and in my eyes I don't think that could have been a better decision.  Calum then continued to progress into the London Irish DPP set up and Berkshire. In which he was dropped from after the first year and then got re-selected the year after, showing hard work and resilience. We then continued to progress to talk about his time with London Irish Academy and more specifically Wellington Festival and how this was a great opportunity for Calum to show his worth to earn a spot in the U18 Academy.  This was a great time for Calum as he earned a spot in the Academy and then found himself as an EAP (England Academy Player)  which has lead to great opportunities training with some great players and more recently Calum was awarded a 2 year contract at London Irish.Instagram ~  https://www.instagram.com/theburgesspodcast/Facebook ~ https://www.facebook.com/BurgesspodcastJames also runs his own coaching business where he offers his services to young rugby players in Berkshire & Oxfordshire. If you are looking for coaching to improve as a rugby player get in touch with James.Coaching Instagram ~ https://www.instagram.com/burgesscoaching/Coaching Facebook ~ https://www.facebook.com/burgesscoachinguk

In episode 4 of Season 2 on The Burgess Podcast I got the opportunity to talk to Saracens Woman Captain  Lotte Clapp, this was a great episode and one in which I hope to inspire more young girls to get involved in Rugby.We spoke about the ins and outs of Lotte's career and also touched on the stereotypes currently surrounding females playing rugby. From this we spoke about how rugby can continue to support the growth of the girls game and influence more to take up the great sport. Lotte's career is one of hard work and commitment to the game and therefore I would encourage you to listen and take in the perspective of a woman in the game. It was a real honour to talk to Lotte and I would like to wish her all the best with the future.

In this episode on The Burgess Podcast we got the opportunity to speak with Premiership referee Tom Foley . This was the first time we spoke with a referee on the podcast and it provided great insight into the possibilities of being in professional rugby without being a player. We spoke about Tom's time as a player and how he found himself as part of the refereeing set up which has allowed him to progress to the level he is at today. We spoke about his debut London Wasps Vs London Welsh and how the first 20 games as a referee impacts the future of the referee as it is at this moment players begin to test referees and work them out. I do not want to give away too much about the life as a referee in this text as it is so well explained by Tom that it would be best to listen from himself. It was an honour talking to Tom and listening about his life as a referee.Instagram ~  https://www.instagram.com/theburgesspodcast/Facebook ~ https://www.facebook.com/BurgesspodcastJames also runs his own coaching business where he offers his services to young rugby players in Berkshire & Oxfordshire. If you are looking for coaching to improve as a rugby player get in touch with James.Coaching Instagram ~ https://www.instagram.com/burgesscoaching/Coaching Facebook ~ https://www.facebook.com/burgesscoachinguk

In episode 2 of Season 2 I got the chance to speak with Noah Sixton, a player who has had the opportunity to play for England 7's. We spoke all about Noah's journey in rugby and how his time at Truro impacted his development and how himself overcame the challenge of balancing 3 A-levels and Rugby. As we covered the ins and out on Noah's career we also spoke about the challenge of Covid-19 and how Noah kept himself busy during the Covid period. We also spoke about the moment when Noah met Johnny Wilkinson which for any rugby fan would be an absolute honour. Following on from that we continued to talk rugby and focused on Noah's career out of Covid and his aspirations of playing on the World Series again in the near future.Overall this is a great episode with a lot of laughs and great advice from a quality player like Noah, it was a real honour to get the chance to talk to Noah and I want to wish him all the best in the future. Instagram ~  https://www.instagram.com/theburgesspodcast/Facebook ~ https://www.facebook.com/BurgesspodcastJames also runs his own coaching business where he offers his services to young rugby players in Berkshire & Oxfordshire. If you are looking for coaching to improve as a rugby player get in touch with James.Coaching Instagram ~ https://www.instagram.com/burgesscoaching/Coaching Facebook ~ https://www.facebook.com/burgesscoachinguk

Season 2 is here and what an episode this is getting the chance to speak to a player who was an integral part in the 2003 Rugby World Cup Winning squad, he represented the British & Irish Lions on 3 separate tours and has recently been awarded an MBE for his services on and off the field. Will's career is one of success and hard work and something a lot of people can learn from. Rugby started for Will in Italy when his father was playing over there, therefore rugby has always been a huge part of Will's life.  We then progressed to talk about time post university being at Harlequins, before moving to Leicester. We then spoke about the reasons for Will returning to Harlequins and spoke in detail about his club career before progressing to the famous and successful International career Will has had. We spoke about the famous 2003 Rugby World Cup and that moment where Johnny Wilkinson slotted the winning drop goal. We continued to speak about his career with England and the involvements he had with the British & Irish Lions. Finally we wrapped up the podcast talking about Will's current roles with more focus on his career as an analyst for big games throughout the season. It was a pleasure and an honour to speak with Will Greenwood MBE and something which provided me with great inspiration and insight and this is what I hope you can gain from the episode by listening to it.Instagram ~  https://www.instagram.com/theburgesspodcast/Facebook ~ https://www.facebook.com/BurgesspodcastJames also runs his own coaching business where he offers his services to young rugby players in Berkshire & Oxfordshire. If you are looking for coaching to improve as a rugby player get in touch with James.Coaching Instagram ~ https://www.instagram.com/burgesscoaching/Coaching Facebook ~ https://www.facebook.com/burgesscoachinguk

In Episode 10 of The Burgess Podcast we got the opportunity to talk to current London Irish player Theo Brophy Clews. This episode is full of insight and advice surrounding playing at the top level of English rugby. We began talking about Theo's time at school where he attended Abingdon which facilitated his development in reaching the top level. It was interesting listening to how Theo balanced rugby, school and his social life as a teenager. We then progressed to talk about Theo's time with England U18's and U20's which gave him the chance to show himself on an international level. It was also at this time when Theo was 17 he made his debut for London Irish, in which he scored in making him the youngest ever London Irish Try scorer. Following on from this, we covered Theo's time at Irish from then on and spoke about the highs and lows that Theo has faced as a pro rugby player and how the adversity he has faced in the game due to injury has lead to bigger and better things off the pitch. This is evident as Theo set up RugbyGrub alongside fellow London Irish team mate Harry Elrington. We spoke about how this came about and the future plans they have for RugbyGrub.It was a real honour to chat to Theo, a top bloke and I would like to wish Theo all the best in the future.

In Episode 9 of The Burgess Podcast we got the opportunity to speak to former Wasps player Will Wilson. This is an episode filled of advice and insight on facing adversity not just in rugby but also in life. For myself this was a very inspiring episode and I hope it proves to be the same for you.We started off talking about how Will got into rugby and spoke about his time at Wellington College one of the most notorious rugby schools in the UK. From that we continued to speak about his time at school before moving onto his time at Oxford University where Will studied History and tried to balance Uni work and rugby. Will then got the opportunity to play for England 7's and he speaks about his amazing experience over in Hong Kong. Following on from that we spoke about when Will reconnected with Wasps, but his time their was interrupted by injury and mental health issues. Will suffered from bad depression and anxiety during his first year back at Wasps. This is an inspiring moment when speaking about Will's battles with depression and I really hope if anyone today is listening to the podcast and feels the same way, do not hesitate to get in touch with myself as I want to offer myself as a listening ear for people who may be struggling. We then spoke about how Will overcame these challenges before heading out to play rugby in South Africa and returning to play in the Championship for Cornish Pirates which ended up being his final season in rugby.  Will is now studying to become a lawyer, we wish Will all the best with his future endeavours and it was an honour to have him on the podcast.Instagram ~  https://www.instagram.com/theburgesspodcast/Facebook ~ https://www.facebook.com/BurgesspodcastJames also runs his own coaching business where he offers his services to young rugby players in Berkshire & Oxfordshire. If you are looking for coaching to improve as a rugby player get in touch with James.Coaching Instagram ~ https://www.instagram.com/burgesscoaching/Coaching Facebook ~ https://www.facebook.com/burgesscoachinguk

In this episode of The Burgess Podcast we got the opportunity to have a chat with current Saracens player Tom Whiteley. This episode is action packed with insightful and interesting information about his career, with a slight addition to a couple of minutes of football chat at the end for all you football fans.We spoke about how Tom got into rugby and his time at Millfield; one of the most notorious rugby schools in the UK. Tom played for a couple of academies in his youth and we spoke about the challenges he faced at these stages of his career. After failing to get a pro contract through the academy system, Tom continued to work hard and show his skills which was evident at the 2014 Rosslyn Park 7's which Tom won player of the tournament and consequently got offered a contract after some trials with Saracens. We then continued to talk about Tom's time at Saries and his various loan spells he went on and talked about how his time away from the club learning new styles of rugby helped his development.  We then talked about Tom's experiences playing 7's and 10's for Saracens where he has seen much success leading the 7's side to a Premiership title.  Following on from this we spoke about Tom's more recent success which has seen him sign a two year contract at current Premiership leaders Bristol Bears where Tom will look to develop himself further and get regular minuted in the Premiership.It was an absolute honour talking to Tom and hope you enjoy listening to his journey within rugby.

In episode 7 of The Burgess Podcast we get the opportunity to talk to former London Irish and Wasps player and current Seattle Seawolves player Ross Neal. This episode is packed with valuable and interesting information about life as a premiership rugby player on the fringes of first team rugby. This episode helps show how hard it really is to make it at the top level of the game we all love.Ross began his time at Beaconsfield Rugby Club and we progressed to talk about his time at RGS High Wycombe where he got the chance to play regular first team school rugby. Ross got picked up by London Irish in Upper Sixth which is fairly late on for a schoolboy. Ross then got offered his senior academy contract and trained with the first team and managed to make his debut for London Irish. After a season on loan at Scottish, Ross decided to get regular first team rugby the Championship is going to be the best place for that and Ross ended up signing permanently for Scottish. We then spoke about Ross' move to Premiership giants London Wasps and how this move came about and we also spoke about Ross' very impressive debut Vs Bristol for Wasps.After struggling for consistent game time Ross moved to Seattle and joined up with Seattle Seawolves over in the states to embark on a new journey which has allowed Ross to again play regular rugby. As we approached the rugby restart after COVID-19 Ross got the chance to join up with London Irish again on a 10 week contract to help with the intense run of games which saw Ross play again for London Irish. We spoke about how this opportunity allowed Ross to realise he has made the correct decision in moving to Seattle Seawolves as he is enjoying playing over in the states and is excited for the season ahead.This was a great episode to record and is a brilliant listen, hope you enjoy.Instagram ~  https://www.instagram.com/theburgesspodcast/Facebook ~ https://www.facebook.com/BurgesspodcastJames also runs his own coaching business where he offers his services to young rugby players in Berkshire & Oxfordshire. If you are looking for coaching to improve as a rugby player get in touch with James.Coaching Instagram ~ https://www.instagram.com/burgesscoaching/Coaching Facebook ~ https://www.facebook.com/burgesscoachinguk

In Episode 6 of The Burgess Podcast we got the opportunity to talk to former Western Force and current London Irish Prop Ollie Hoskins. This podcast is a long one... but be assured it is full of insight on life as a professional rugby player and the journey Ollie has taken himself to reach this level. Ollie also provides a wealth of advice throughout the podcast which I am sure young aspiring rugby players can take away.We began in Perth, where Ollie's rugby started and spoke about the influence his parents had on his game and how his love for rugby grew as a child, Ollie attended Scotch College as a schoolboy where he spoke about having some of his most enjoyable times playing rugby. As well as this at this time Ollie was part of the Western Force Academy where he trained and learnt off some high quality coaches. We then proceeded to talk about Ollie's debut for Western Force and how his time there impacted his development. We then spoke about when the opportunity to move for more game time came about and how close he was to signing for Scarletts before signing for London Irish. Ollie's first season for Irish was in the Championship which he said at first came as a slight disappointment but how that turned into a humbling, career changing experience where he got the chance to develop and grow as a player without the pressure always on him. We then continued to speak about Ollie's time at Irish speaking about promotion, relegation and the impact that had on the team and himself. We then progressed to more recent times and spoke to Ollie about how he found training during COVID-19 and the restart of rugby and the intensity that this came with. Following on from this we moved onto talking about this season and more specifically the special occasion that was his 100th appearance for Irish in an exciting 27-27 draw Vs Harlequins.

In Episode 5 of The Burgess Podcast we got the opportunity to talk to Scott Steele current Harlequins and Scotland Scrum-Half. The chat with Scott is full of valuable advice for young rugby players as well as providing a very interesting listen into how Scott made it as a professional and the adversity that he faced along the way.We began the episode by talking through Scott's life before becoming a professional, we covered how he got into rugby and his time at his amatuer club Dumfries Saints. We also looked into Scott's time at Merchiston School where he got the opportunity to focus on his rugby in an environment which allowed him to flourish. Following on from that, we spoke about how Scott's opportunity to sign for Leicester Tigers as a youngster came about and how his time at Leicester training with a side that won the Premiership that year.  In Scott's time at Leicester he got the chance to train alongside Ben Youngs who Scott learnt huge amounts off as we speak about the impact of training alongside the caliber of players that were at Leicester. This lead us on niceley to talk about when and how Scott signed for London Irish, this was a really interesting part of the podcast as it was a huge decision for Scott to make but it was clear that it was the correct decision for his career as his 6 years at London Irish was full of success. We spoke about the adversity in getting relegated and how the club bounced back and dealt with this situation.  We then continued to speak about Scott's time at London Irish before addressing the situation that we are all involved in at the moment once again... COVID-19 we spoke to Scott about how he dealt with training at home and his challenge of finding a new club during this time before speaking about his move to Harlequins. Finally we spoke about Scott's more recent debut for Scotland when he came on Vs Wales in Scotland's famous 14-10 win. Scott spoke about how important this moment was for his career and how he aims to progress and hopefully make the squad for the upcoming Six Nations. It was a real honour to speak to Scott and I am sure you will all really enjoy this episode.

In Episode 4 of The Burgess Podcast we got the opportunity to talk to Chris Wyles who has 4x Aviva Premiership Titles, 2x European Champions Cup Titles and represented USA at 3 Rugby World Cups and at Rio 2016 Olympics. It was an absolute honour and privilege to get the chance to chat to Chris as we covered some very interesting moments of his career.We started off by talking about how and when Chris got into Rugby initially and how the impact of Academy Rugby helped his development. We then covered a bit about Chris' time at Nottingham University and how that lead to the opportunity for Chris to gain 40 apps for the Nottingham Senior side giving valuable mens rugby experience. Chris then got his move to Northampton Saints which he faced obvious adversity and speaks about why he felt his time at Saints was hindered which he gives really valuable advice on how to deal with situations where you are not excelling as you wanted too.Following on from this, we started to talk about the beginning of the success of Chris' career when he got the chance to represent USA at France 2007 Rugby World Cup where he got the chance to play on the international stage for the first time. This then lead to a move to Saracens with Eddie Jones and this was the start of a journey that you are going to want to listen too. So feel free to tune into Episode 4 of The Burgess Podcast to listen about his time at Saracens where he scored 375 points in 244 appearances for the prestigious club that is Saracens.Go check us out on Instagram where we will be posting new updates on a daily basis about The Burgess Podcast. @theburgesspodcast

In this episode of The Burgess Podcast we got the opportunity to talk to Wasps Academy and England U18 player Archie Mcarthur. It was really good to talk to Archie about his Rugby journey so far. We started off talking about Archie's early years in Rugby about his time at RAMS and Moulsford and how these  early years in the game has impacted his development to allow him to be the player he is today. We then proceeded to speak about Archie's involvement in London Irish DPP and attending school at Shiplake. It was inspiring to hear how Archie overcame the struggles of being dropped from London Irish DPP and Wasps DPP a couple years later. It was after these moments of adversity that Archie began to progress and take his game to the next level. He got the chance to play for Oxfordshire for two years and consequently getting the chance to play for Scotland Greens and Captain that team. Following on from this, Archie joined up with City of Oxford College and there ACE programme where he earnt the chance to be involved in the Wasps Academy where he has developed to become the starting prop for the U18's. With his performances catching the eye of England U18 coaches as he got the call up to join the England U18's camp recently. It was a great chance to chat to a player who demonstrates high levels of resilience and dedication to reach the level he wants to consistently play at and understand how Archie dealt with adversity faced along the way.

In the second episode of The Burgess Podcast I got the opportunity to talk to England U18 & Wasps Academy player Fyn Brown.  We spoke about Fyn's journey so far in Rugby and the progression he has made over the last few years through training with Wasps and Shiplake and now with the England U18's.In the podcast we cover how Fyn got into Rugby at his old school and how that year lead to him getting a call up to train with the Wasps DPP.  After a year in the programme Fyn got the chance to train a year up in the Wasps Academy, which later lead to him getting the opportunity to gain a Rugby Scholarship at Shiplake College. Shiplake provided Fyn with a platform and the opportunity to continuously develop as a player through the support of Bespoke Conditioning and Mr Beckett and other coaches around the school. Fyn is now the current 1st XV Captain for Shiplake and is using this opportunity to develop his leadership skills.In addition to this, we talk about Fyn's Wasps career so far as last season he represented Wasps in all of the Academy league fixtures where he got the opportunity to turn his training performances into real game situations. Fyn had performed well across these games and been called up to the England U18's to train with the other elite performers in Fyn's age group.  This podcast will give you a great insight into life as a student athlete and how to deal with adversity faced along the way and how to stay motivated when trying to balance School and Rugby.

In this episode of The Burgess Podcast we got the opportunity to talk to former Hurricane and London Irish player James Marshall. James' career has been one of adversity and success which will be an inspiring listen for many rugby fans. We begin by taking James back to when he was a youngster and had him explain what it was like for him to grow up in New Zealand playing rugby. He spoke about his time at Nelson College and the struggles and hard work that was needed for him to be a success in the game. We then moved onto James' career which is packed with James travelling the world and it is a really interesting to see how James' career fell into place and how opportunities came about for him. For example we spoke about his time in Italy, England and Japan all away from where he was used to playing rugby in New Zealand. Following on from speaking about James's career we spoke about what he is up to at the moment and aspiring to do with his life after rugby. Finally James managed to give his advice to all the young aspiring rugby players advice which he feels is key to becoming a successful player. If you enjoyed this episode and would like to hear more go follow my page on Instagram which I will leave a link to or follow my page on Facebook and drop me a message on who you want to see next on the podcast. Instagram - @theburgesspodcastFacebook & Youtube - The Burgess Podcast