From the Pro12 to personal training to becoming one of the biggest rugby creators online — this is the story of how Ben John turned retirement into a movement.

In this episode of The Sound Important Podcast, Sam Portland sits down with Ben John (The Rugby Trainer) to break down how he went from professional rugby player to building one of the most influential skill coaching brands in sport.

Ben shares the mindset, habits, and creativity behind building an online following of over 700,000, coaching players worldwide, and creating content that inspires the next generation of athletes.

💡 You’ll learn:

• The realities of pro rugby life and player burnout

• Why “weights don’t influence the scoreboard”

• How game IQ and skill play matter more than raw data

• The injuries that forced early retirement — and what came next

• How The Rugby Trainer started in lockdown and became a global brand

• The three golden rules for making content as a coach

• How to build structure, habits, and a brand that lasts

🔥 This episode blends elite performance, coaching philosophy, and content strategy — a must-listen for every S&C coach, skills coach, and creator in sport.

🎧 Listen on Spotify | Apple | YouTube

📲 Follow Sam: @coach_samportland

🏉 Follow Ben: @therugbytrainer

⏱️ 3. Timestamps

• 00:00 – Welcome to The Sound Important Podcast

• 00:45 – Introducing Ben John: pro rugby to content creator

• 02:00 – The reality of strength & conditioning in pro rugby

• 04:00 – Speed IQ vs Game IQ

• 05:00 – Growing into your body and confidence

• 06:30 – Overtraining, obsession, and injury cycles

• 09:30 – Lessons from senior pros and recovery habits

• 10:30 – Volume tolerance and athlete archetypes

• 12:00 – Animal archetypes: Wolves, Collies, and Giraffes

• 16:00 – Skill development through play and 1v1s

• 17:00 – The concussion that ended a career — and started a business

• 18:00 – The birth of The Rugby Trainer during lockdown

• 19:00 – From one kid in the park to global influence

• 24:00 – The hard truth of S&C career ceilings

• 26:00 – Hiring structure, working with mentors

• 29:00 – Building a 700K following across multiple platforms

• 33:00 – The three content rules: Entertain, Educate, Inspire

• 35:00 – Simple content that helps one person

• 40:00 – The Rugby Trainer Academy and 10-minute skill sessions

• 42:00 – How consistency compounds

• 44:00 – Collaboration over competition in sport

• 47:00 – The simplest details often make the biggest difference

• 49:00 – Final thoughts: drop the ego and just start