S2E9: Shaun Edwards - The Kind Warrior

Fresh off France’s Six Nations win, I sat down with my old mate Shaun Edwards for a rare, wide-ranging conversation.

This isn’t just an interview — it’s two lads from Wigan catching up after decades walking very different, but strangely parallel paths. Both of us came up through rugby, through hard graft and old-school values. But over time, we’ve both had to evolve. As coaches. As leaders. As men.

We talked about it all, from the early days and the systems that changed the game, to fear, fatherhood, grief, and what it means to lead with heart, not just tactics.

Shaun opened up in a way I don’t think many have heard before. And for me, this episode felt special.

We get into:
Why Shaun hates losing more than he loves winning
What fear can teach you and where it can fuck you
How he sees leadership and masculinity now
The shift from hardness to softness
Coaching at the highest level, and what really drives performance

If you’re interested in what makes a great coach, a great team, or just a good man, this one’s worth a listen.

The Making of a Competitor

• Growing up in Wigan, and early life lessons from his dad
• Why grief became a driving force
• The difference between rugby league and union — and what it taught him

Coaching with Fire

• The early years at Wasps and Wales
• Lessons from working with Gatland, Farrell and co
• What still motivates him after all these years

A Brother Beyond Rugby

• The early days of my friendship with Shaun
• What we’ve learned from each other and where our paths crossed again
• The moment he started embracing softness

Leadership that Lasts

• What players really need from a coach today
• The evolution of Shaun’s leadership style
• Why presence, empathy and intuition matter more than ever