Wandering Bear Podcast

Matt O'Connor is a former Wallaby and professional rugby union coach with a long track record of success at the highest levels. Matt has held head coaching roles at the Leicester Tigers (Winning the English Premiership in 2013), at Irish province Leinster (where he won the Pro12 in 2013–14) as well as the Queeensland Reds (co-head coach) in 2016.

This weeks guest on the Podcast is Simon Strachan. Simon is a co founder of Gain Line Analytics http://www.gainline.biz a company he formed with former Wallabies Prop Ben Darwin. Gain Line Analytics is an operations and management consultancy with a unique perspective on success in professional sport and business. Their work has shown that great teams are more than just the sum of their parts and...

This weeks guest is Mr Aaron Walsh. Aarons work includes developing leadership, culture and mental performance programs for teams in sport and business. He is currently working with the Chiefs in Super Rugby as well as consulting to Harlequins, Texas Rangers and Basketball New Zealand. His work also includes coaching multiple corporate leadership teams in creating and maintaining a high performanc...

This weeks guest on the podcast is 2022 Sydney University Head Coach, Shute Shield Coach of the year, Shute Shield 2022 Premiership winner, former Melbourne Rebels Attack Coach & the current Head of Coaching for the international Rugby Academy Mr Sean Hedger.

This week on the podcast we sit down with one half of the joint Shute Shield Coaches of the year Scott “Bubba” Coleman. We talk about forming the Hunter Wildfires, building an identity and a culture from scratch, lessons learned and some of the main takeaways from the crazy 2022 Shute Shield Season.

After a brief hiatus we are back. Last year I learned an incredible amount from some amazing guests and i’m looking forward to seeing what we can learn from this years guests. The plan will be to put out as many podcasts as consistently as possible, improve our production and hopefully all of you can spend a little time each week learning along with me. This is a solo episode so we can get the fee...

Royce Simmons is an Australian former NRL Player & Coach. During his playing career he represented the Penrith Panthers, NSW Blues and Australian Kangaroos. After he finished playing he moved into the coaching world and ended up coaching the Panthers, Hull FC, St Helens and later worked as an assistant coach to Tim Sheens at Wests Tigers. When Penrith Panthers’ rugby league legend Royce Simmon...

Richard Harry was a halfback, who became a flanker and finally a loosehead prop in order to realise his dream of representing Australia. Harry’s first taste of representative football came when he attended Scotch College in Melbourne and was selected at halfback for Victoria in the 1979 National Age Championships. In 1980 his family moved to Sydney and he attended Barker College. It was there that...

This week on the podcast we sit down with one of the godfathers of Australian Scrum coaching former Wallaby Mark Bell. In Bellys playing career he played his school rugby at St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill - Australia's leading rugby nursery. A consistent hooker, Bell played in the undefeated 1st XV premiership team of 1986. That was the springboard to higher honours as a record-equalling ten pl...

This weeks guest on the podcast is Martin Bingisser. Martin is the founder of HMMR Media, Swiss national hammer throw coach, and 11-time national champion.. During his athletic career he worked extensively under Anatoli Bondarchuk, the most successful Olympic throws coach of all time, and writer of fundamental coaching text “Transfer of Training in Sport”. Martin is currently doing some continued...

This weeks guest on the Podcast is Winter Olympian Matthew Wekpe. Matthew is a member of the 2022 Jamaican Bobsled Team representing his country at the Beijing Olympics.

This weeks guest on the podcast is Scottish Rugby Royalty Dan Parks. During Dans professional career he won 67 caps for Scotland as well as representing the Glasgow Warriors, Cardiff Blues and Connacht. Dan is the Glasgow Warriors record appearance holder as well as holding the record for the most appearances for the club. Until recently Dan was also the all time leading point scorer for the Pro 1...

This week on the podcast is Brumbies Head Coach & Wallabies Forwards Coach Dan McKellar. I have been a massive fan of Dans for a long time and it was an honour to sit down and pick his brain on all aspects of how to build teams & the unique challenge of getting 8 massive humans to work together.

This week on the podcast we have part 2 of our chat with current NSW Waratah Head Coach Darren Coleman. During Darrens coaching career he has won the Shute Shield with both the Warringah Rats & Gordon Rugby Club. In addition Darren was the foundation coach for the Los Angeles Giltinis in the US Major League competition taking them to a championship in their first year. Darren has coached profe...

This week on the podcast we have part 1 of our chat with current NSW Waratah Head Coach Darren Coleman. During Darrens coaching career he has won the Shute Shield with both the Warringah Rats & Gordon Rugby Club. In addition Darren was the foundation coach for the Los Angeles Giltinis in the US Major League competition taking them to a championship in their first year. Darren has coached profe...

A solo podcast giving an update on everything going on in the Wandering Bear Sports Universe

This weeks guest on the podcast is former Waratah, Brumbies and Wallabies back rower Stephen Hoiles. Stephen is currently the head coach of the Los Angeles Giltinis in the US Major League Rugby Competition.

This weeks guest on the Podcast is Brumbies Forwards Coach Laurie Fisher. Laurie began his coaching career with the Brumbies in 2000 when he was appointed head coach of the Brumbies Rugby Academy and later assumed control of the Brumby Runners and the Canberra Vikings. He implemented a rugby program aimed at developing the cream of local ACT rugby talent into players capable of competing for train...

This weeks episode is a bit different. I sit down with Hawkes bay Scrum Coach Francisco Deformes to talk all aspects of scrum coaching.

This weeks guest on the podcast is the head coach of the Kobe Steelers Dave Dillon. I loved talking to Dave. This podcast is such a great resource for people who want to learn how to get the most out of a group of humans. We talked about dealing with conflict, how important it is for people to feel a connection to the organisations they are apart off, coaching teams, learning from mistakes, why bu...

This weeks guest on the podcast is Anthony Seibold. Anthony is a former head coach of the Brisbane Broncos and the South Sydney Rabbitohs. This season he worked as a coaching consultant for the Newcastle Knights before taking over the as the teams defence coach. Anthony has recently taken up the role as the defence coach for the England Rugby Team working with Eddie Jones. I was really excited to...

This week on the podcast we sit down with Pete Fairbairn the Director of Sport for Thrive PR & Communications. During his career Pete has worked as a Media Manager for the Melbourne Rebels, he’s worked as the Communications and Commercial Manager for the Rugby Union Players Association and in his spare time he works as an Adjudicator for Guinness World Records. During our conversation we talke...

This weeks guest on the podcast is Austin Gilgronis backrower Lachlan McCaffrey. As well as representing the Brumbies, Western Force and The Waratahs Lachie has played overseas for London Welsh, Leicester Tigers and Kyuden Voltex in Japan. Lachlan has a unique perspective on a career in professional sport and is refreshingly open and honest about the ups and downs in his career. He has a great sto...

This week we are trying something a bit different and putting out a bitesize episode. What makes the ACT Brumbies So Special with Lachlan Mccaffrey. Lachie Mccaffrey is a former Brumbies Backrower currently playing for the Austin Gilgronis in the US Major League

This weeks guest on the Podcast is known by many in the rugby world as “The Greatest Coach Ever”. Wayne Smith is one of only 2 coaches in history to win back to back Rugby World Cups. During Waynes career he has won Super Rugby titles with the Crusaders and the Chiefs and is considered to be the tactical genius behind the All Blacks Success during his 16 year tenure. As a young coach it was a priv...