George North: "I learned my biggest core values in rugby."

In our sixth and final episode of this series we are talking to Wales’ top six nations try scorer and all-around superstar George North. Last but by no means least, this conversation saw us laugh, cry and really reflect on the ways in which rugby, and sport in general, can embellish your life. Together we traced the arc of his legendary career to look at the man behind the highlights – fatherhood, moments of doubt and how we build resilience.

George started in the wilds of Llangefni up in Anglesey, where his Mum is from, and from where his Dad, a Yorkshireman, drove him from, up and down the lengths and breadth of Wales to make sure he was where he needed to be to become the player we know him as today.

George is still playing and for this episode we went over to Stade Maurice David in Provence to see him in his new home turf. But his first home turf was in Llangefni, down on the fields beyond the cabbage patches and in football country, which meant it wasn’t always 14 others he was playing with but a mish mash of players from here and there, but still it’s the place that he says he learned his core values that still take him through life today.

From George talking about the challenges he’s faced in the game through injury, the highs of Lions and World tours and his favourite tries and all the way through to how important his relationships with his own Dad is and what he wants for his own boys now, this is a conversation that you’ll want to sit down and take in. George is a special guy, and when you meet him you’re not meeting “George North”, one of the world’s best rugby players, you’re meeting George from Llangefni. At the start of his book he says: “Here’s what you need to know about me, at this point. I’ll shake your hand when we first meet. I’ll ask you how you are. I’ll bring the energy and I’ll bring positive vibes.” And that’s the George you meet everytime, just a kid that still loves the game and is thankful for all it’s given him

We’ve got a lot more to see from George, and it was a pleasure to talk to him while he’s still in the game and looking towards the future but also with curiosity as he thinks about what else is to come. What a guy, what a player, what a conversation. As ever we hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did, and hope you enjoy spending your time with George and getting to know him a little better. The man behind some of your favourite tries – that knows his Mum and Dad are stood behind him cheering him on, as he does with his own family now. This conversation, and George himself is the spirit of rugby and of the story we have tried to tell throughout this series.

From our conversation with Chief last week, someone who played the game before the professional era kicked in to our chat this week with George, still playing week-in week-out, we can see how fast and how much the game has changed but also the important stuff that’s stayed the same. So too as we bookend this series with Wales two top try scorers, one the childhood hero of the other. The game evolves, and mantels are passed but in the end it’s a game we all play together for each other, and it’s in your blood and in the way you live even when the boots have been put away. Beyond the Breakdown is that story of life inside, alongside and after the game – we’ve only just started to tell this story and would love to hear from you about yours.