Rugby Swag Show with Gift 'GiftTime' Egbelu

Keisha Ann Down is a force to be reckoned with in rugby. Keisha has been in rugby from birth, where her father was a significant figure in the early developments of Jamaican rugby. Her journey took her too London, UK where she actually stepped on the pitch for some contact rugby, and she never looked back. Keisha has found her journey take her from being just a casual participant of the sport, to...

Ryan Ginty has been one of the people behind the scenes involved in the growth and development of live streaming rugby in the USA. He has broadcast USA Rugby National games, Club National championships, 7s National Championships, and Major League Rugby. Coming out of Connecticut, this former veteran has been fully involved in rugby as a coach, player, and now media influencer. We speak about the p...

Sarah Sall has been quietly making movement happen in the background for the USA Rugby Men's National Team for almost two decades. Sall has been a team muscle therapist to team manager through multiple Rugby World Cups and the 2016 Olympics. Being one of the more connected people in USA Rugby, she has been able to turn this into a new company known as TORI (The Original Rugby Influencer) that she...

Katie Sadleir has been a growing force in the sporting community for over 20 years. Coming as an executive for the New Zealand Sports Authority, she joined World Rugby in 2017, with a focus on developing the outlook of the women's game. Sadleir talks to us about how she developed her outlook of rugby, new initiatives that World Rugby has put into place to become more inclusive, the impact she has...

Ada Milby is the president of the Philippines Rugby Union, the former captain of the Philippines Women National team, military vet, and a member of the World Rugby Council. Ada Milby has been changing the game for years, and has continued to do so to this day. We spoke about her transition from the military to rugby, the culture shock of moving from the United States to the Philippines, and what c...

Tosan Tutse-Tonwe is a 20 year coach, player, administrator and media influencer of rugby. Based out of Maryland, he's been working on moving the needle in rugby. We had the opportunity to talk about the direction of media in rugby.  We spoke about how the most recent cultural issues that happened over the past year will impact rugby in the USA and the overall rugby community.  Check out Tosan Tut...

The pandemic forced USA Rugby to become more innovative with the way it was connecting with its membership. As a result, the USA Club Rugby Training and Development Committee was formed. The mission, to provide ways of educating the USA Rugby membership in the areas of coaching, player welfare, and refereeing. I had the chance to speak with:  Mary Swanstrom, the lead for Medical and Wellness educa...

Curitiba Rugby Club is one of the premier rugby clubs in  Brazil. Based in south Brazil, the Curitiba Rugby Club is led by Gabrielle De Pelligrini, the captain and senior player for the women's side, Vitor Ancina, the captain for the men's side, and Leo Crema, head of media for Curitiba Rugby. We speak about what it's like to play rugby in Brazil, how people perceive Brazilian rugby, and what are...

Tiffany Fa'a'ae has become a very prominent fixture in the USA rugby community over the last 3 years. A Women's Premier League Champion and Captain for the Women's Rugby World Cup in 2017, she has transitioned into one of the up and coming head coaches in the country. She spoke with us about her migration from New Zealand to the USA,  getting to meet her rugby family in New York, her time wit...

Tiara Mack is a name you will probably be learning about for a long time. She just won her first bid as state senator for the state of Rhode Island in November, and is ready to take the world by storm. We speak about her story of going from Georgia to Rhode Island, and how she started playing rugby. We spoke on how rugby helped her win her congressional campaign, as well as where she feels the spo...

Anne Onwusiri is the founder and host of the podcast, Black Girls Ruck. She has been bringing attention to black women in rugby around the world. We had the chance to speak about how women's rugby is developing in the United Kingdom, the expectations of being a black woman rugby player, and where she plans to take the podcast to.  --------------------------------- Sponsors-------------------------...

Koma Gandy Fischbein has been a significant staple in the USA rugby community. A former Navy officer, and international rugby player, she has been bringing her rugby knowledge and talent to the rugby community for over 2 decades. She has been a coach for USA Rugby national team, for the All Navy Men's Rugby team, R.O.O.T.S. Rugby and more. We talk about her journey from Harvard to USA Rugby Nation...

Dr. Amelia Luciano is a renaissance woman in the sport of rugby. She is a World Rugby level referee, the commissioner for the Ivy League Rugby Conference, all while working in Pharmacology and molecular medicine. We speak about her journey into rugby, and how it transitioned her into an elite ref. She tells us about how she analyzes the games when making calls, and how she balances that out with h...

Gordon Hanlon has been developing in name in coaching around the world for the last ten years. Migrating to the USA from Ireland, Gordon found himself in Dallas, TX and discovering a new passion with coaching. Hanlon would talks with Gift about his journey in coaching rugby and how it has lead him to learn and coach all over the world. Gordon speaks about the highs and lows that have come across h...

We are back with a new episode of Greaux Rugby as we open season 2. Host, Gift Egbelu, takes the time to go over his story and why he has been working in rugby media and industry since 2013. Gift talks about why he slowed from playing rugby, how he started working with USA Rugby, struggles of growing, and obstacles he faced along the way.  Use promo code "GREAUX RUGBY" for 20% Gift-Time Rugby...

Rugby N Beauty is one of the most unique rugby pages on the web. The basis of his rugby page is presenting different rugby players from around the world. Jorge Cota has provided a platform for people to get recognized by a larger public audience. We talk about the impact that Rugby and Beauty has had on the rugby community, how rugby is impacting Brazilian rugby and the where it's going, and we sp...

Kimani Davis has become a staple of the community in the northeast part of the United States. He is one of the co-founders of R.O.OT.S Rugby, and the founder of the M.A.D.E. (My Actions Defy Expectations) movement. He has focused on educating minds and creating programs of mentorship for those looking to find their public voice through their identity. Davis spoke on his path through rugby and how...

Matt Upton has been a life long rugby player. Entering the game in high school while playing as a star offensive linemen in Texas, he quick found a deep love for the sport of rugby. Upton has since played at all levels of rugby, including winning national championships with the New Orleans Rugby Club. He's now returned as the head coach for Jesuit-Dallas High School Rugby and we speak on the thing...

Freddi Henry-Ajudua has been playing rugby for a short period of time, but he's already been making an impact. He's won championships with Life University Rugby and had been called up to play Major League Rugby. He's now set to take on the biggest endeavor of his rugby career, as he heads to his home country of Nigeria to play for the national rugby squad, Nigeria Black Stallions. Henry-Ajudua is...

Derek Lipscomb has been a premiere player for Old Blue Rugby for a decade, but that's not just who he is. A Colombia graduate, who has motivated passion to help improve the misunderstandings and clear the misinformation that occurs with inclusive and diverse racial issues. Derek talks to us about his journey to play rugby, as well as his work with kids on social issues. We speak on  ROOTS Rug...

Pat Evans is a beer loving, sports business writing journalist who has written for major publications like The Athletic , 247Sports, Thrillist, Beer Connoisseur, and more. He currently is a lead writer for Front Office Sports, a sports business news website.  We spoke about the history of beer, how rugby can improve its perception, and just general fun conversation. Sponsored by Rugby Outlet...

Kelli Smith is the example of what it means to be a crossover athlete in all formats. Smith is a former track and field star, and women's American Football player who found herself on the reality show, "The Next Olympic Hopeful", where she was introduced to rugby, and a new way of life. We speak on her rise in sports, how awkward it was to enter into rugby, and the sacrifices and experiences she h...

Adam Gray-Hayward is an actor, and multi-sport athlete from  Australia by way of California. He is best known for playing the starring role in the movie, "Play On", about a cocky Scottish rugby player who comes to the United States to try and play for the Kansas City Chiefs. We talk about how he got into acting, what it was like to be on the set of Play On, what was one of his greatest achiev...

Jackie Finlan is the founder and editor of The Rugby Breakdown, a rugby news and information website focused on covering girls and women's rugby on all levels. She has been a champion for the expansion and development of women's sports, and has helped bring many players into the spotlight that may not have been before. This episode was actually done in 2017, so some of the recent events aren't men...