The Race To Rugby World Cup Pod

209 days later, around 16 000km later, 11 countries and so many good people that Ron & Adam have met. They come to you from Auckland, New Zealand where they have been off the bike for 2 weeks, and for the first time in a while, don’t have sore legs. They wrap-up their amazing journey from Turangi to Auckland, where they officially handed over the Rugby World Cup whistle to Maggie Cogger-Orr at Eden Park on Saturday 8 October 2022. Highlights of this leg included visiting Cycling New Zealand at the High Performance Center in Cambridge; visiting the DHL team at their brand new service center near the airport and having an amazing welcoming ceremony in Whangārei. This was one of the most special experiences that both Ron & Adam have engaged in and they are so grateful to Northland Rugby for the warm welcome. Arriving at Eden Park was something so special, emotions were high and the reality that Ron & Adam had cycled all the way from Tokyo with the whistle became a surreal thought. They handed over the whistle and then spent the afternoon watching a few great matches from the hospitality suite. What a day of being able to enjoy the rugby and look back on their journey. Ron & Adam have seriously enjoyed producing this podcast, can’t explain the growth they have experienced since March 2022 and leave us with the message - start small, tour where you would like to go and start. You will never regret it. Thank you to all the people who have fed and housed Ron & Adam along their way to Auckland. BIG LOVE. Catch you when we are on our way to France for Rugby World Cup 2023!

Ron & Adam catch up with Alex Baddeley, a friend of Ron's, who joined the duo on Day 183 in Invercargill. Alex has had the opportunity to cycle across his country and has acknowledged that it really is one of the most incredible ways to see New Zealand. He was able to adapt to the cycling routine quickly and has proven to be a great support with all the pronunciation of places in New Zealand.  Ron & Adam talk through their route from Invercargill, one of the most southern parts of the world that the trio have been to and started making their way towards Auckland, where they will hand over the official Rugby World Cup whistle to referee, Maggie Cogger-Orr. The weather has been temperamental but towns that they have camped in and visited have been beautiful.  On their way to Auckland, they were able to visit Wellington Girls College - which is where the first ever female game of rugby was played - which was a special stop on our way to the Women's Rugby World Cup a week later. They also were able to visit the New Zealand Rugby Museum, which brought back a few great memories for Ron. There is a lot of other interesting history, especially seeing the old official whistle which Ron & Adam were able to compare theirs to!  This whole journey is to raise awareness and funds for ChildFund Rugby, an amazing charity that promotes community growth and development through sport. Please donate if you can via our website, www.racetorugbyworldcup.com. 

Ron and Adam come to us from Wellington, New Zealand to tell us about their journey from Brisbane to Fiji and then their cycle from Brisbane down to Sydney, Australia - which wraps up their 6 weeks in Australia.  They flew into Nadi, Fiji from Brisbane and were privileged to experience Fijian's love of the game of rugby. Fiji was an important country for Ron & Adam to visit for two reasons, one that they have teams playing in the 2021 and 2023 Rugby World Cups but also to acknowledge the work that ChildFund Rugby is doing in Fiji. They had an extremely special day with the DHL Express team in Fiji and another great day on a fellow Pretoria Boys High boy's fishing charter. Thank you for that! They flew back to Brisbane and got back on the bikes towards Sydney, via cool surfing towns and with a few great coffees along the way. Ron & Adam got to explore towns that they did not have high expectations for and these places would come to completely change their opinions of them. From watching the Springboks vs Wallabies in a bowling club in Maclean to being treated to great accommodation by Wyndham Hotels group, this part of their cycle has been beautiful and so interesting. Only thing is that they wish they could have seen a koala!  A huge thank you to the team at ChildFund who hosted an epic fundraiser lunch in Sydney & thank you to all the people who donated on that day. If you are able to (and if you are inspired by this story so far), please donate to ChildFund Rugby via our website, www.racetorugbyworldcup.com. 

Ron & Adam sit down with Mere Baker, a Former World Cup Winning Kiwifern and Aotearoa 7s International player. Mere is a Sky Sport and Maori TV commentator as well as an ambassador for ChildFund, the charity that Ron & Adam are currently raising funds for as they cycle to the Rugby World Cup 2021 to deliver the official whistle to the opening match.  With the excitement growing in New Zealand for the Rugby World Cup starting in October, Mere shares more women in sport and the growth of women's rugby all over the world. If you are able to, please donate to ChildFund Rugby here: www.racetorugbyworldcup.com 

Adam and Ron talk us through their time in Townsville, Queensland, down to Rockhampton and further south towards Brisbane. A few adjustments to the amounts of people following a few weeks in the Outback and a few great meals  Ron and Adam met a few other adventure-seeking junkies, budding professional athletes and other outdoor adventurers. We are always amazed when we find out about different people's journeys and travels and how we have ended up in the same hotel/campsite.  Saw a platypus (Adam's highlight), a few kangaroos and other amazing Australian wildlife. Ron had a few great friends join the cycle from Gympie, past the Sunshine Coast towards Colundra. Definitely a highlight of our trip so far!  Please remember to donate to ChildFund Rugby via www.racetorugbyworldcup.com. All donations go directly to ChildFund!  Day 139 

Adam and Ron talk us through their journey from the border crossing of Indonesia and Timor Leste, as well as their trek across the outback of Australia, starting in Darwin. Smiling children helped them get through the tougher days and the beautiful coastline on the way to Dili kept spirits up. They got to visit the ChildFund offices in Timor Leste and were made to feel like part of the team there, which also gave Ron & Adam further insight into the amazing work that ChildFund does. Ron & Adam were really humbled and impressed seeing the passion that people have to commit to the growth of their communities in Timor Leste. Thanks to the New Zealand Embassy for hosting us in Dili too.  They chat about the excitement about arriving in Darwin, a friendly interaction with border patrol and a sense of relief in being able to communicate in English. Headwinds & long days were made better by having cold water on the bike & having a warm shower at the end of a day. Thanks to the kind souls that hosting us along the way! If you want to cycle across the Outback, this is the episode to listen to! Ron & Adam have a few interesting stories and experiences that they share in this episode.  Listen up if you want to hear the names of Adam's two future children & remember to donate to ChildFund if you can! www.racetorugbyworldcup.com

We hear from Ron and Adam while they are sitting on the island of Timor, which is the final island of their Indonesian experience before reaching the country of Timor Leste. It has been a real adventure up to this point with Ron getting slightly ill, the pair requiring a few ferries between the islands and the pair having their longest cycle on the tour so far - 185km in a day!  A highlight of our past few weeks definitely includes meeting up with different friends and families that live in South East Asia,  include being part of the part of the Patterson family for a few days in Jakarta, meeting the Greens (through the Pattersons), enjoying home made meals and getting some proper TLC. Thank you again!  This has been a tougher part of their journey but Ron and Adam are appreciative to be able to push their bodies as they have - and all to raise funds for ChildFund Rugby. Please donate here if you can: www.racetorugbyworldcup.com

Ron & Adam give us an update of their trip from South Sumatra in Indonesia. It has been a month since we last had an update from the guys - where they are sharing the stories about their ferry crossings, meeting people who have never seen foreigners before and being able to experience the magic of cycling through places that we would never see otherwise.  They have been lucky to reconnect with some old faces, join the Phuket 10s Rugby tournament, meet a Sultan and eating some amazing food along the way. Ron & Adam were also privileged to visit the Malay College Kuala Kangsar, a premier residential school in Malaysia, where they shared their rugby skills. They are doing this journey to raise funds for the amazing ChildFund Rugby and you can donate here: https://www.racetorugbyworldcup.com/

Ron  chats to Sophoan, a rugby referee from Cambodia. She is a passionate sports woman and rugby fan who has stepped up to her role as one of the only female referees in her country. After watching men playing rugby, she wondered how she could get involved. So she starting off playing touch rugby, and then was invited to be a referee.  Sophoan gives us further insight to her culture, one which makes it difficult for women to participate in sport, including non-contact sports. Sophoan is proud to be a referee supporting coaches working with the Cambodian Rugby Federation in partnership with ChildFund Rugby, the charity that Ron and Adam are supporting on their journey. You can make a donation to their impactful work here: https://www.racetorugbyworldcup.com/

The last time we heard from Ron and Adam was from the French Embassy in Cambodia. They fill us in on their cycle from there to Thailand, where they arrived to quite a lot of rain, high humidity levels and delicious food! They continue to meet amazing people, stay in cool places (including a place that has its own driving range) and explore new cycling routes.  They fill us in on a few special occasions on this trip, including a special day Cambodia with DHL & ChildFund Rugby, which is the the reason that Ron & Adam are doing this trip is to raise funds for the incredible charity, ChildFund Rugby (Have a listen to Episode 14 and 16 to hear more about ChildFund and the amazing work they are doing!) You can donate here: https://www.racetorugbyworldcup.com/ 

Chris Mastaglio is the ChildFund Sport for Development Director and has worked to bring together sports and social impact through ChildFund Rugby. Ron and Adam were able to catch up with him in Phnom Penh where he shares a bit about his rugby story and how his team has partnered to use sport to deliver a positive social impact. He chats about how ChildFund Rugby works and what the next few years ahead look like. Chris has been involved with rugby for a long time, having played for many years previously, and sees the opportunities sport can offer to positively impact children. Adam and Ron are cycling to raise funds for ChildFund Rugby, which makes this a very special episode for them! Follow this link to donate to ChildFund: https://www.racetorugbyworldcup.com/ 

Ron & Adam come to us from the French Embassy in Cambodia where they were offered a place to stay for 2 nights. They fill us in on their last 20 days from mid-Vietnam up into Phnom Penh. As usual, they have met incredible people but on top of that, they have had the privilege of joining cycle groups and playing more rugby with the coaches & players from ChildFund.  Donate to ChildFund through our website: https://www.racetorugbyworldcup.com/

Ron & Adam chat to Ann Huong, who has worked with Child Fund Rugby since 2015. She tells us a bit more about what Child Fund is about and how they are able to use sport for development in her community.  Rugby is a sport that is so inclusive and Child Fund is proving that all countries, genders and cultures can join in this game. They are active in recruiting new coaches, inspiring community members to join and encourage current members to upskill themselves.  Ann tells us how she gets to do something that she is passionate about everyday - which includes inspiring and being inspired by the women around her, both players and coaches. 

Adam and Ron find themselves in on a beach Vietnam with some time to fill us in on their journey since leaving Awaji Island, Japan.  Along the way, they have met interesting people, been offered cool drinks and money for food while being surrounded with kindness, despite language barriers. Their stories also include becoming one with the elements, long inclines and sweet downhills - with a nice cool beverage at the end of a long day in the saddle. 

Ron and Adam catch up with Jesse Kriel, South African born rugby player who is currently playing for the Canons Eagles Rugby Club in Tokyo, Japan. Ron and Adam were privileged to watch one of Jesse's rugby matches in Tokyo where they were able to leave their fully loaded touring bicycles outside the stadium and watch the game.  Jesse fills them in on his life in Japan and how rugby has influenced his life, specifically with regards to the values & morals that the sport has instilled in him. Ron, Adam and Jesse share their views on school level rugby in South Africa and the inspirational coaches/mentors that they have had along the way. 

Ron and Adam fill us in on their first 10 days of Race to Rugby World Cup 2021. Despite a few unexpected hiccups along the way, the duo have remained positive and are happy to be able to focus on the mission at hand - which is to deliver the Rugby World Cup whistle. We get the low down on their path to Day 1, Mt Fuji's magic and the big wake up call Ron and Adam got when they realized that their fitness was not where they thought it was after not cycling for over a month. Cycling through long tunnels, chilly nights camping and meeting the most interesting and generous people along the way make for an epic start to their journey!

Ron & Adam chat to Hiro, a passionate rugby and sports fan, in Tokyo, Japan. Hiro worked in sponsor activation and hospitality at the 2019 Rugby World Cup and had had the privilege to work at both the 2022 Olympics and Paralympics, where at the Paralympics, he was assigned to support the New Zealand’s rugby team with regards to schedules, managing kits and helping with COVID protocols. The Ron, Adam & Hiro have interesting discussions about the success of the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, the magic of the Japanese fans and the success of Japanese rugby over the years and the future of Japanese rugby.  Hiro explains a bit about the importance of anime culture in Japan, why he supports the Wallabies & his goal to be involved in sport related work going forwards.

In this episode, Ron & Adam chat to us about what have been up to since they cycled from Cape Town into Windhoek, thereafter arriving back in South Africa and working hard to ensure that they got their Japanese visa in order to start the Race to Rugby World Cup 2021!  Ron and Adam explain the importance of starting their journey in Tokyo & collecting the opening-match whistle. With the world map in front of them, they give us an overview of the countries that they will cycling through while on their way to the Rugby World Cup in Auckland, which kicks off on the 8th of October 2022. 

In this episode, Ron & Adam visit Springbok Lerato Makua in her home in Mamelodi. She talks about her rugby career starting in 2014 and how her life path has continued in the rugby world, despite not knowing much about it when she started playing the sport. Lerato currently plays for the Blue Bulls Rugby Club as well as for the Springboks Sevens and Fifteens teams.  She has a busy schedule with the training camps and tournaments that she is attending, yet has still has found time to chat to us about receiving her first cap for the Springboks, her teams' Rugby World Cup 2021 dreams in Auckland and how she is inspiring younger women in her community to play rugby, despite it still being a male dominated sport. 

Rumandi Potgieter, Ron & Adam's first professional rugby playing guest, sits down to chat to them about women in sport, studying International Law and her sporting goals, including her dream of playing in the upcoming Rugby World Cup 2021 in New Zealand. Born in Kwa-Zulu Natal and growing up in Limpopo (South Africa), ocean loving Rumandi previously played netball at university level and now plays rugby for the University of Pretoria and the Blue Bulls rugby club.  Rugby is currently her primary focus and she speaks encouragingly about the future of women's rugby in South Africa, as well as throughout the world. Rumandi also chats about playing a 'typically' male sport and how there are increasing opportunities for females to take on the challenge of playing rugby, and surrounding one's self with powerful women - both physically and mentally.