Caleb Tangitau is one of the most exciting young talents in New Zealand rugby. Known for his incredible speed, footwork and ability to score tries from anywhere, he has become one of the most dangerous attacking players in Super Rugby with the Highlanders.

In this episode of What a Lad, Caleb opens up about the journey behind the highlights. He shares the highs, the setbacks and the people who have helped shape him along the way, giving an honest insight into life as a professional rugby player chasing his dream.

Some parts that stood out for me in this episode were…

- How his dad inspired his dream of playing Sevens

- Making the New Zealand Sevens team as a teenager and the emotional moment he found out

- Struggling with the transition from Sevens to fifteens at the Blues

- Why he initially wanted to stay at the Blues rather than join the Highlanders

- The surprise phone call from Israel Dagg that completely changed his career

- The brutal Highlanders preseason that helped transform him as a player

- His breakout season and feeling closer to his All Blacks dream

- The devastating Achilles injury and the mental challenges that followed

- What the injury has taught him about appreciating every opportunity in rugby

One thing you’ll take from this episode is that Caleb is an absolute lad. His journey is a great reminder of how quickly things can change in professional sport, from the highs of living out your childhood dreams to the setbacks that test you the most. There’s plenty still to come from this man, and I’m backing it won't be long him before he achieves that All Blacks dream.

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Lachie Brook’s journey to becoming an Auckland FC champion has been anything but straightforward. From making his professional debut at just 16 in the A-League, to playing around the world in England and America, his career has included some incredible highs and some seriously tough lows.

In this episode of What a Lad, Lachie opens up about losing his love for football in England, finding it again back in Australia, and then reaching his lowest point mentally while playing in America.

He also shares the story behind joining Auckland FC, why he initially wasn’t excited about the move, and how it turned into one of the best chapters of his career — culminating in an unforgettable first season and finally experiencing what it feels like to win.

Some parts that stood out for me were…

• What made him so good at such a young age
• How quickly things can change in Football
• How important it is to be enjoying yourself off the field to thrive on it.
• He shares how tough he found it mentally while in America
• How algorithms are being used to recruit footballers
• What he's loved about the Auckland FC environment
• Winning with Auckland FC and experiencing that championship feeling

As you'll hear Lachie is a great lad, honest, reflective and has had an incredible journey for such a young man.

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Five years ago Louie Chapman first came on What a Lad with a very different story to where he is now. Back then, Louie was still trying to establish himself in professional rugby in his first season with the Tasman Mako.

Since then, he’s experienced the highs and lows of chasing a career in the game, become a key player for Canterbury, fought his way into the Crusaders, and is now preparing for the next chapter of his career with Edinburgh in Scotland.

What I love about Louie’s story is hearing just how much perseverance has gone into getting to this point. Louie has always been a classy player, but nothing has come easy for him. He speaks openly about the periods where opportunities weren’t coming, the pressure of trying to prove himself whenever he did get a chance, and how doing anything you can to help the team can ultimately give you a better chance of getting your own crack.

We also get into why he has decided to leave New Zealand at a point where he is playing some of the best rugby of his career, what excites him about joining Edinburgh, and what the move could potentially lead to in the future.

Some parts that stood out for me in this episode were…

• Nearly going 1,000 days between Super Rugby appearances
• Being told there might not even be a fourth halfback spot for him at the Crusaders, and what that meant for him
• Why leaving Tasman for Canterbury changed his career
• The emotional moment he found out he had earned a full Crusaders contract
• His parents driving six hours just to watch him sit on the bench
• The Dave Havili moment that taught him an awesome lesson about being a good teammate
• His decision to join Edinburgh and move to Scotland
• His Scottish family connection and ambitions for what the move could lead to
• His advice for young halfbacks trying to make it
• Plenty of quality stories from along the journey

As you’ll hear, Louie is one of the genuine good buggers of New Zealand rugby. He has a massive impact on his teams both on and off the field, he speaks so well, and it was awesome to catch up again five years on.

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