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Ulster legend John Cooney pops into the Waterfront Hall studio fresh off the plane from France, and straight away it's clear pre-season hasn't quite kicked in yet — he reckons he's put on five kilos on a diet of Ulster fries and Guinness.
On this week's show, John joins us to talk life in France, from butchering the language mid-training-drill to not understanding a word of changing-room banter. We get into how he became one of the URC's best-ever kickers almost by accident, the mental tricks he's nicked from Kobe and Steph Curry, and the flat tyre that nearly cost him his Ulster career before it started. Plus his Ireland heartbreaks, the funniest man in the dressing room, and some proper advice for his younger self.
Recorded at the Waterfront Hall, co-created with the Waterfront's podcast studio. Find full event listings at waterfront.co.uk.
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"John Cooney: Kicking on" is an episode of Stand Up: An Ulster Rugby Show. Runtime 1 hr 7 min. Published July 1, 2026. Hit play above to stream it here, or open the free Spot Sports app for background play and offline downloads.