Flip van der Merwe — 30-cap Springbok, back-to-back Super Rugby champion with the Bulls, Cambridge MBA holder, data strategist, and the man who bought Biarritz Olympic for one euro — sits down with Coach G for one of the most honest conversations yet on the show.

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This isn't a greatest-hits career recap. It's a real discussion about identity, failure, late blooming, mental health, and what happens when the game ends.

What you'll hear:

How Flip played just 7 games in 4 years at the Cheetahs — and why it made him
Getting called up to the Springboks from a camping holiday in Namibia, 18 hours from Cape Town
The lineout philosophy Victor Matfield installed that still holds up today
Buying Biarritz Olympic for €1 — and why he walked away 7 months later
The loneliness and identity crisis that hit after rugby ended
Studying for a master's in big data and an MBA at Cambridge while playing professionally
Why AI is transforming rugby coaching — and what teams are getting wrong about it

00:00 The Journey Begins: Rugby and Life Balance

09:51 Overcoming Challenges: The Path to Professional Rugby

20:00 Debut and Family Legacy: The Springbok Experience

29:50 The Art of Lineouts: Learning from Legends

30:21 Cultural Differences in Lineout Strategies

34:10 Balancing Rugby and Education

35:33 The Journey of Continuous Learning

42:20 Transitioning from Rugby to Data Strategy

46:01 Leveraging AI in Rugby Coaching

52:07 Enhancing Player Development with AI

56:20 Ensuring Data Security in Rugby

58:28 Reflecting on Fond Memories with the Bulls

01:02:12 The Journey of Buying Beer Rits

01:05:46 Cultural Shock in French Rugby

01:10:51 Personal Transformation and Health Challenges

01:16:40 Navigating Mental Health Post-Rugby

01:23:20 Insights from Coaching with Rassie Erasmus

Honest. Sharp. Elite.

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flip van der merwe