Coaching Culture with Ben Herring

Want a culture that actually lives on the field? We sat down with Eddie Jones to unpack the coaching choices that create real belonging, sharper decision-making, and braver rugby. From leaving a safe career to grinding through 100‑player university squads in Japan, Eddie shows how risk, clarity, and context build both teams and coaches who last. We dive into designing culture through the game itse...

Send us Fan Mail Hurry Book Japan Coaches tour here https://gullivers.com.au/product/elite-coaches-tour-of-japan/ For all your sports equipment for your club book here https://silverfernsport.com.au/?srsltid=AfmBOor-fPBP0LQQzULWdxM0rE-B4bqPrsoa6j9zROuksE21oxHu8ZA6 Contact Ben direct: Ben@coachingculture.com.au Support the show Subscribe and Share, it makes a massive difference! Appreciation in adv...

526 professional games ! How do elite rugby teams cultivate environments where players willingly run through brick walls for their coaches? Jimmy Gopperth, with an unprecedented 526 professional games across 23 years at the highest levels, provides rare insights into what truly builds championship team cultures. Drawing from experiences at powerhouse clubs like the Hurricanes, Leinster, Wasps, and...

The hardest weeks test more than your game model—they test your culture. When results wobble and the temptation is to drown the room in clips, we take a different route: start with why, connect the people, and then coach the work. Drawing on stories from pro rugby and lessons from coaches who’ve been in the fire for decades, we map out five anchors that keep a team steady when the scoreboard isn’t...

What transforms a drinking club with a rugby problem into championship winners? According to Alando Soakai, it begins with crystal-clear values that everyone truly lives by. In this captivating conversation, Alando takes us through his remarkable coaching journey from player-coach to his current roles with Moana Pacific and the Tonga national team. His perspective on culture development comes aliv...

Have you ever had a moment when someone's casual comment completely transformed your thinking? In this deeply personal reflection, I share three unexpected insights from players that revolutionized my coaching philosophy over decades in professional rugby. The first revelation came in Japan, where after stubbornly trying to implement systems that worked at Leicester Tigers, a captain gently e...

Have you ever wondered what truly makes a championship team culture? Dan McKellar, current Waratahs head coach with a coaching resume spanning the Brumbies, Wallabies, and Leicester Tigers, cuts through the noise with refreshing honesty and clarity. "Culture is just the actions of the people in the building," McKellar explains, offering a deceptively simple yet profound definition that f...

Send us Fan Mail Hurry Book Japan Coaches tour here https://gullivers.com.au/product/elite-coaches-tour-of-japan/ For all your sports equipment for your club book here https://silverfernsport.com.au/?srsltid=AfmBOor-fPBP0LQQzULWdxM0rE-B4bqPrsoa6j9zROuksE21oxHu8ZA6 Buy your set of "How to be a great Coach" By Ben Herring books here (amazon worldwide) https://www.amazon.com.au/s?k=ben+herr...

What if the secret to building championship teams isn't found in tactics or talent, but in a single, powerful word?  Pat Lam, architect of the Bristol Bears' transformation from strugglers to European powerhouse, offers a refreshing perspective on leadership that challenges conventional wisdom. At the heart of his philosophy lies an unexpected foundation for team culture: love, defined a...

What truly defines a coach's legacy? For Jim Mackay, it's not the championship trophies or international honors – it's the journey of becoming and the meaningful experiences along the way. In this enlightening conversation, Jim shares his remarkable path from coaching amateur clubs in England to leading the Queensland Reds to Super Rugby glory and eventually becoming Australia'...

Ever wonder how a guy who started his working life digging holes transformed into a rising star in rugby coaching? Ryan Schultz's journey from manual laborer to head coach at Canberra Vikings reveals the gritty reality behind professional coaching success. In this illuminating conversation with host Ben Herring, Ryan peels back the curtain on his coaching philosophy built around three core pi...

What makes championship teams truly exceptional? The answer might surprise you. It's not extraordinary talent, cutting-edge tactics, or even flawless execution during competition—it's what happens when nobody's keeping score. Drawing from Sam Vestey's remarkable success with Northampton Saints, this episode reveals how elite teams deliberately build three critical foundations o...

What does it truly mean to build an authentic culture in high-performance sports? Greg Peters, whose remarkable 25-year career spans leadership roles at Bay of Plenty Rugby, New Zealand Rugby Union, the Hurricanes, Argentina Rugby, SANZAR, and now as CEO of New Zealand Rugby League, reveals the profound insights he's gathered from both sides of the rugby divide. Peters challenges conventional...

If you want to book Wal for your team you can reach her here: wal@walherring.com or check out her womans wellness programs here: Walherring.com What if everything you see on your body was made from what you ate at some point? This profound insight from sports nutritionist Wal Herring serves as the foundation for a revolutionary approach to nutrition and wellness. Drawing from her extensive experie...

What does it really mean to build a winning culture in sports? Few coaches can answer this question with the depth and global perspective of Mike Friday, international rugby sevens coach whose 25-year journey has taken him from England to Kenya to a decade with USA Rugby. "Culture is a group of individuals that have alignment in the way they go about their business," Friday explains with...

The quest for high performance in team sports often leads coaches down the wrong path. What if the secret to winning isn't about collecting the most talented individuals, but something far more fundamental? Ben Darwin's groundbreaking research through Gainline Analytics has produced a data goldmine that challenges conventional wisdom about building successful teams. As I unpack five cruc...

What if everything you thought about building team culture was wrong? Chris Boyd, the celebrated coach who transformed teams from the Hurricanes to Northampton Saints, challenges conventional wisdom by arguing that "culture grows organically and internally" rather than being imposed from above. Drawing from decades of experience across multiple continents, Boyd reveals the leadership pri...

The difference between good coaches and great ones isn't found in tactical knowledge or technical expertise—it's their ability to read people. This fascinating exploration of interpersonal sensitivity reveals why the world's elite coaches prioritize human connection before anything else. High-performance manager Chris Webb, who has worked with multiple World Cup rugby teams, shares...

What makes a great coach? Joey Mongalo, defense coach at the Sharks in Durban, doesn't hesitate when answering this question: it's the ability to understand context, connect authentically, and treat leadership as a core skill rather than a "soft" one. Joey brings extraordinary perspective to coaching culture as someone with both elite rugby coaching experience and multiple acad...

The silent opponent every coach must face isn't on the field—it's within. This episode dives deep into the complex relationship coaches have with their egos and how mastering (not eliminating) this powerful force can transform your leadership. Drawing from wisdom shared by elite coaches like Steve Hansen and John Wooden, we explore the crucial distinction between healthy competitive driv...

Seilala Mapusua takes us on a profound journey through the cultural landscapes of rugby, drawing from his remarkable career spanning from Samoa to New Zealand's Otago, London Irish in England, and Japan's Kubota Spears. At the heart of this conversation lies a powerful coaching philosophy: "Connect with the person, then you can coach the player." Mapusua reveals how this approa...

When James Dolman steps onto a rugby field to referee a test match, he carries years of mental preparation, relationship-building, and self-reflection with him. In this revealing conversation with Ben Herring, Dolman takes us behind the scenes of elite officiating, exploring the psychological challenges that come with making split-second decisions under immense pressure. "The struggle is tryi...

What separates championship team cultures from the rest? For legendary All Blacks halfback Aaron Smith, it comes down to something invisible yet incredibly powerful: "that feeling that binds you all together." Drawing from his extraordinary career spanning 185 games for the Highlanders and 124 tests for the All Blacks, Smith reveals the stark contrasts between navigating life as both an...

What makes a truly meaningful team culture? It's not just putting values on a wall or running team-building exercises. According to Ben Herring, it requires a deliberate framework with three essential components working together to form what he calls your "culture circle." The first component challenges conventional thinking about success. While public definitions of success—winning...

When a coach with 42 years of experience and three World Cup titles speaks, the rugby world listens. Mike Cron, forwards coach for the Wallabies and veteran of 217 All Blacks matches, opens up about the coaching philosophy that's made him a legend in the sport. What makes a great rugby culture? According to Cron, it starts with having "an aim or goal that's higher than an individual...