Louie Chapman- What a Lad

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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