Between Two Beers Podcast

Blair Tuke is one of New Zealand's most successful and best sportsmen. He's won an Olympic gold medal and two silvers, two America's Cup titles, six 49er World Championships and with teammate Peter Burling, was named NZ sports team of the year in 2017.  In this episode we talk about his dubious hole-in-one on a par four in Arrowtown, why Tana Umaga, Christian Cullen and Dom Harvey stayed at his house when he was 10, the brutal realities of the round-the-world Ocean race - working four hours on four hours off for 23 days - how and why he won 28 regattas in a row in the 49er with Pete, the best stories from the Olympics, the journey to the top of Team NZ, his marital status, and so much more.  This was a really cool one. We'd never met Blair before this, but he came bouncing into the studios with the most upbeat, positive, fun attitude, and really gave us everything with his thoughtful answers and willingness to share. It was one of those chats where the time just flew by.  A huge thanks to everyone supporting the show on Patreon, if you want to chip in for the cost of a cup of coffee a month, head to BetweenTwoBeers.com  Show notes | Episode 84 | Blair Tuke 1.45: The Bermuda Triangle, quicksand, and spontaneous human combustion 4.40: When Christian Cullen, Tana Umaga, and Dom Harvey turned up for the Christmas Holidays 9.03: A hole in one on a par four in Arrowtown 12.54: The Ocean Race – a deep dive into sailing's greatest round-the-world challenge 30.51: Establishing the Live Ocean Foundation 36.15: The open ocean and the risks involved: the loss of John Fisher in the Southern Ocean 41.20: Life on board: paying respects to King Neptune 45.02: The dramatic finish of The Ocean Race in 2018 50.28: Seamus' series of curious questions on The Ocean Race 56.33: Falling in love with the ocean on a trip to Fiji and moving through the sailing ranks 1.00.49: Linking up with Peter Burling and the first Olympic Games experience in London 1.09.24: The remarkable run between London 2012 and Rio de Janeiro 2016 1.17.26: Carrying the flag and winning Gold at Rio 1.21.05: Silver at Tokyo 1.26.49: The America's Cup: memories of past campaigns and getting the call-up 1.30.57: Winning in Bermuda and defending in New Zealand 1.37.31: The popularity of the America's Cup 1.44.06 The ins and outs of Sail GP 1.50.11 What the future holds for Blair Tuke 1.54.31 Last words from Steven, Seamus and BlairSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Susan Devoy is one of New Zealand's greatest-ever sportswomen and was the world's top-ranked squash player from 1983 until 1992, winning eight British Open women's titles and four World Opens. In retirement, she was knighted aged 34, the youngest Kiwi to achieve the honour since Sir Edmund Hilary. Then after gaining 20 years of experience in a number of roles, Devoy served as New Zealand race relations commissioner from 2013-2018. In this episode we talk about dropping out of school for squash, the bumpy path to No1 in the world, the realities of having four kids under five, why she retired early, her embarrassing encounter with Bill Clinton, fundraising $500,000 in 1988 with a 2500 mile walk, the death-threats and abuse she suffered in the race relations role and why she'd never do it again, her issues with High-Performance Sport NZ and much, much more. This one was an epic. Devoy has packed so much into her life and was incredibly open about all the highs and lows along the way. She also has a lot to still give, and in the second half you'll hear the passion is still there to make change. We loved this chat, and know you will to.Show notes | Episode 83 | Dame Susan Devoy 1.52 Dame Susie D 8.55 Squash battles between Susan and husband John 13.59 The Devoy and Oakley families give willingly to the B2B research team 18.49 A mum of four boys: Julian, Alex, Josh, and Jamie 29.54 Running 3km before and after training at age 10 35.15 Creating an elite athlete: the youngest sibling from a small town 38.15 Leaving school at 17 to pursue a professional squash career 47.49 The realities of being an overseas athlete in the 1980s 50.45 Winning the first British Open at age 20 and her public profile at the peak of her powers 55.51 Dame Susan and the Rosebowl Trophy 58.15 Staying at the top of the game and the fear of failure 1.04.10 The reasons behind deciding to retire at the peak of her powers 1.14.00 The walk for muscular dystrophy in 1988 that raised $500,000 1.19.55 Becoming the Race Relations Commissioner 1.28.33 The worst parts of the job and learnings from five years in the role 1.34.11 Racism in New Zealand 1.38.53 Would Susan do the role again knowing what she knows now? 1.40.47 Thoughts on high performance sport in New Zealand 1.47.28 A few celebrity interactions: Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela, Sir Edmund Hilary 1.52.06 Last words from Steven, Seamus and SusanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dom was one of New Zealand's most popular breakfast radio hosts from 2001 to 2021. He's won the Sir Paul Holmes Award for NZ Broadcaster of the Year, written three best-selling books and has turned his passion for running into a new podcast called 'Runners Only With Dom Harvey'.  In this episode we talk about why he walked away from the Edge after 20 years to focus on his mental health, and what that really means, what his future looks like and what his ambitions are with his podcast, the complexities of working and living with his ex-wife JJ, his difficult IVF journey, the best and worst parts of working on the Edge and his Tom Cruise prank that had a sour twist.  JJ described Dom as a sensitive soul, who used his radio persona to mask that sensitivity. And we got the real Dom here. There were some emotional patches in this ep where Dom opened up on the struggles of his IVF journey, and we're grateful he was comfortable enough to share. Dom is great company and a brilliant broadcasting talent – this was a super entertaining chat.  Show notes | Episode 82 | Dom Harvey 1.41 Dom gets flustered meeting his heroes 2.58 The art of the podcast and learning the craft 7.23 Running five marathons in five days for Ka'iulani Forbes 11.17 Self-sabotage and imposter syndrome 16.15 Basing himself on Howard Stern, and remembering Two Strangers and a Wedding 21.37 Back to the start of the radio journey in Palmerston North and a weird interlude about Kids Songs 27.39 The making of Jay-Jay and Dom 30.51 The complexities of working and living with your wife 35.01 Breakfast radio interviews and on-air pranks 43.09 “Doing a Meg”: Building new on-air relationships post Jay-Jay 45.32 Audiences and listener numbers 50.30 Leaving radio after 30 years 57.17 The tumour that led to the fertility issues 1.03.10 Making peace with not having children 1.09.16 How is life out of radio? 1.11.20 Running chat: sub-three hour marathons and revisiting the Kipchoge Challenge 1.16.00 What the future holds? 1.18.02 Last words from Steven, Seamus and DomSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode we're re-winding the clock nearly two years to September 23, 2020, when we sat down with Alternative Commentary Collective boss Mike Lane.  Lane was Between Two Beers' first big ‘get'. Up untill then, we'd been a relatively niche football podcast, but this chat inspired us to broaden our outlook. Lane is a world-class storyteller and this was one of our most memorable episodes. In it we talk about the worst things the ACC have said on air, what it was like managing Matt Heath, Jeremy Wells, Leigh Hart and Jason Hoyte, what really happened when the ICC booted Lane's commentary team from the Cricket World Cup, battling and beating cancer, men's mental health and the future of sports broadcasting in New Zealand. Show notes: 2.04 How Seamus and Steve know Mike 3.43 Carol from Waldronville complains about an Alternative Commentary Collective story during the Lions tour 11.02 What's the worst thing ever said during an ACC broadcast? 17.00 When the ACC had their media accreditation removed by the ICC during the cricket world cup 27.35 A few tales from the ACC 46.48 Creating a lexicon of terms, players nicknames, dealing with public recognition and the horrendous stories punters share 56.30 Back to St Paul's with Dan Vettori and Jeremy Wells 1.07.07 The Beige Brigade 1.25.08 Working in Abu Dhabi: Formula 1, the FIFA Club World Cup, and Snoop Dogg (with a great interlude about Paul the Saffa and FIFA HQ) 1.44.45 Mike Lane's one in million cancer battle 1.55.06 No Talk Day and men's mental health 2.02.50 What is the future for the ACC and for broadcasting in general? 2.10.25 Radio Hauraki: Managing Jeremy Wells and Matt Heath v Leigh Hart and Jason Hoyte 2.13.32 Sue Lane 2.16.55 Last bits and pieces: Are the WAGs friends with each other? Media influences growing up? Champagne Rugby, and do you trim your downstairs? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark Richardson was a test batsman, who has gone on to become one of New Zealand's most sought-after broadcasters.  He's one of New Zealand's best cricket commentators who's also been a host of the Crowd Goes Wild, Radio Sport breakfast, the Block, the AM Show and The Project.  In this episode we talk about dealing with fame, arguing with Jacinda Ardern on live TV, his grumpy man persona on the Crowd Goes Wild, the full story of *that* viral video where Stephen Fleming 'abuses' him, his slowest-loser running races after tests, his over-the-top celebration after taking his first, and only, test wicket, the realities of working on Breakfast TV, if he believes everything he says and much, much more.    This was a lot of fun and we had a ton of laughs across this one. Mark is such a complex, interesting, entertaining character and I hope we were able to showcase some of the ‘real' Mark Richardson here.  Show notes | Episode 81 | Mark Richardson 1.28 Is Mark Richardson a podcast guy? 2.30 The time he and Grant Elliott nearly got beaten up on a golf course in Queenstown 8.20 The slowest man races 13.19 The Crowd Goes Wild 23.37 THAT interview with Stephen Fleming 31.02 Charting the broadcast journey: From CGW to The Block 39.11 The AM Show 49.51 Breakfast broadcasting and the work / life balance 53.56 “The best seat in the house”: watching Duncan Garner at work 55.51 Dealing with fame 58.32 What happened to the bowling? 1.02.22 The transformation into an opening test bat with help from Lance Cairns 1.11.28 Taking the wicket of Yousuf Youhana at 552/7 1.16.04 The cramp in India 1.21.28 Catching Shane Warne for 99 at the MCG 1.28.48 The mental strain of being Mark Richardson the international cricketer 1.31.57 Mark Richardson the cricket commentator 1.39.55 Facing express pace 1.46.22 Scoring a hundred at Lords 1.50.24 Emotion 1.52.06 Last words from Steven, Seamus and MarkSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Between Two Beers we talk to Chris Cairns.  Chris is one of the best cricketers NZ has produced. A powerful, big-hitting batter who could bowl as well as he could bat. For 15-years, Chris was an ever-present in living rooms across New Zealand smashing sixes and taking wickets on TV – a sporting hero.  But on the 19th of May, 2014 it was revealed Chris was under investigation for match-fixing allegations, and his life has never been the same. In 2015 he was acquitted of charges of perjury and perverting the course of justice after an eight-week trial in London's High Court and in his words “dug a hole in Australia, disappeared from the spotlight and got on with life”.  Then in August of last year he suffered a heart attack. He underwent four open-heart surgeries and had a spinal stroke, which left him wheelchair-bound and paralysed in his legs. Then in February he revealed he had been diagnosed with bowel cancer.  it's been a hell of a ride.  In this episode we talk about why his brush with death has changed his perspective on life, and why he's now open to talking about his trial, and things he wouldn't have in the past, how he mentally coped with two months of hell in London, how it felt to have former teammates testifying against him, If he regretted suing Lalit Modhi, the realities of living with paralysis, what it was like growing up with Lance and what the future looks like.  This convo covered some pretty heavy areas, and a word of warning, there are a few graphic, raw descriptions of his health battle early in the ep. Chris' life has been a real rollercoaster, and we're grateful he felt comfortable and open enough to share so much of it in great detail.  Show notes | Episode 80 | Chris Cairns 2.06: A day in life of Chris Cairns 5.41: How the cochlear implant changed communication with Lance Cairns 11.43: Aortic dissection and spinal stroke 18.22: Waking up to the reality of being paralysed and reflecting on life after the injury 25.41: Bowel cancer 33.25: Mental resilience, choice, and purpose 35.41: Looking ahead: getting back into work 36.58: Looking back: Cairns Fudge 40.20: London High Court in 2015, the mental toll of a two-month trial 43.57: Waiting for the verdict and the experience of sitting in the dock 50.33: Reflecting on the role of former teammates and the trial 53.25: The end of the commentary career 57.09: His friendship with Dion Nash (and Pilates) 59.42: Telling the story with detail: A book on the horizon? 1.00.53: Going back to the tweet from Lalit Modi 1.04.22: The transition from “son of” to New Zealand international 1.11.39: When did you realise you would be an international cricketer? 1.14.12: A man child? 1.16.03: Behind the scenes of the Young Guns 1.18.33: A look into the future and is Isabel Cairns a future tennis star? 1.23.25: A dad with a forgotten cricket career: T20 beige kits and a bowl-off with the West Indies 1.26.28: Cricket Max and Beach Cricket 1.30.27: Medical professionals 1.32.36: Rehab and explaining things in layman's terms 1.34.55: Last words from Steven, Seamus and Chris  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jack is one of the most talented people we've met. He was described to us by one of his colleagues as journalism's Swiss Army Knife – a guy that does it all. He's been a Breakfast host, a 6pm newsreader, he hosts one of NZ's biggest radio shows on Newstalk ZB, is a columnist for the NZ Herald, has moderated live election debates, now hosts TVNZ's Q and A and has seen more, and experienced more of the world – than any 35-year-old we know.  In this episode we talk about how he was given Paul Holmes' radio job on ZB at the age of 25 with no radio experience, *That* interview with Winston Peters where Jack was called James – about 10 times, the time he was recording live TV while fearing for his father's life, dancing with Beyonce, going to a Les Mills grit class with Lorde, flirting with Ann Hathaway, covering Trump, why he left Breakfast TV, the things you don't know about Mike Hosking and so much more.  Jack is such a slick operator, it made this chat so much fun. This was one of our favs, I know you'll enjoy it.  Show notes | Episode 79 | Jack Tame 2.50: Steven's embarrassing correspondence with Jack Tame and a deep dive in some Worldle chat 8.51: Jack on the Late Night Big Breakfast: communication with Leigh Hart and the genius of Jason Hoyte 14.66: Les Mills workouts with Lorde, public recognition, Paddy Gower and John Campbell 19.55 Taking over from Paul Holmes on the Newstalk ZB Saturday morning show from the USA 30.14 Reflections on Paul Holmes and the brilliance of Mike Hosking 37.15 How do you judge your success? Ratings and validation 39.36 Back to the start: the makings of Jack Tame 43.35 Jack's dad goes missing in the bush 52.45 Winston Peters v James Tame 57.22 Q+A: the art of active listening and the work behind the camera 1.08.46 Starting out on One News while still at school 1.11.28 Reflections on being the US Correspondent for TVNZ 1.20.54 US politics broken down by Jack Tame 1.27.30 Interactions with celebrities: flirting with Miley Cyrus and Anne Hathaway 1.33.02 Red wine with Sir David Attenborough 1.37.24 Seven continents 1.39.41 The gruelling nature of Breakfast television 1.46.02 Work / life balance and the future of media 1.51.24 Marshawn Lynch and the Steven Adams come up 1.55.05 A star-studded nightclub in New YorkSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Josh is an All Blacks legend who played at two Rugby World Cups across 54 games for the All Blacks and was a cult hero in Dunedin, where he played over 100 games for Otago and the Highlanders.  In this episode we talk about surfing with Tom Robinson, destroying his downstairs operation on the Crowd Goes Wild, what it was really like to play with and against Jonah, how he avoided food poisoning at the 95 World Cup, what it was like playing in NZ's first Super Rugby season, why schoolboy rugby is better than All Blacks rugby, how he won consecutive seasons of Celebrity Treasure Island and much, much more.  Josh is not your average rugby player. He's a trained physio, he surfs, he paints, he's a reporter for Crowd Goes Wild, he restores Classic Cars, he's a family man, and a deep thinker.  There was so much to talk about with Josh – and as he said at the end after nearly two hours – we barely scratched the surface! You'll enjoy this one.  Show notes | Episode 78 | Josh Kronfeld 1.38: Surfing, “Back Yourself”, and “digging like a demented mole” on Jonah Lomu Rugby 6.01: The third ugliest man at the 1999 Rugby World Cup 7.55: Injuring his downstairs operation in preparation for an interview with Mahe Drysdale 16.33: The Crowd Goes Wild 20.55: Growing up in Hastings and the importance of schoolboy rugby 29.23: From 88kg to 100kg 35.00: Otago: rugby, beating the Lions, court sessions, the supporters club, and the University of Otago experience 48.52: From amateur to professional rugby 1.01.08: The 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa 1.05.50: Meeting Nelson Mandela 1.08.59: A Jonah Lomu interlude 1.14.44: Playing for money at Leicester Tigers 1.18.40: Injuries over the years 1.22.55: No nukes in my backyard 1.28.26: Retiring from rugby and travelling for a year across the USA and South America 1.35.48: Going back to the University of Otago as a 33-year-old ex-All Black 1.38.57: Celebrity Treasure Island 1.48.48: Would Josh ever consider being a team physio?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ryan Fox is one of NZ's best golfers and has won two European Tour titles and has 13 professional wins.  In this episode we talk about how he celebrated his recent win in the Ras Al Khaimah Classic and what happens to the $500,000 dollar prize money, what it was like playing a hole with Tiger Woods – and we hear all his best Tiger stories, memories of his late, great mate Shane Warne, how Steve Hansen's advice helped him out of a funk, what makes Steve Williams such a good caddy and how his upbringing, surrounded by Kiwi sporting royalty, shaped his life. Show notes | Episode 77 | Ryan Fox 1.29: Back in the ACC studios, a Covid test fail from Seamus, and Ryan tells us about fishing and golfing at The Fox with Eric Murray, Neil Wagner, and Wayne Smith 7.30: Ryan Fox on Shane Warne 17.28: Pro-am golf: friendly bets, banter, being outdriven by Martin Guptill, running it close with Tim Henman 21.48: Sleeping on a six-shot lead at the Ras Al Khaimah Classic 29.56: The aftermath of the win at the Ras al Khaimah Classic 41.34: A breakdown of costs on the golf tour 47.11: Learning from Steve Williams and stories on Tiger Woods 55.06: A practice hole with Tiger in 2019 1.01.16: The difference between the top 10 in the world and the rest 1.02.51: Riding the wave of a win and chats with Steve Hansen and Sir John Kirwan 1.07.46: Rubbing shoulders with ex-All Blacks and ex-pro golfers and getting recognised in public 1.10.12: Memories of Grant Fox the All Black and Merv Wallace the cricketer 1.19.12: Falling in love with golf and turning it into a professional career 1.25.20: Are golfers weird guys? 1.27.26: The Saudi Arabia project with Greg Norman 1.29.44: Some long drive chat 1.34.38: Ryan's relationship with golf in New Zealand 1.38.19: Quick fire golf chat: double Albatross, meltdowns, a hole-in-three, hardest shots, best foursome 1.43.45: Last words from Steven, Seamus and RyanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chloe's story tests the limits of human endurance, and it may stretch your appreciation of what the human body and mind can achieve.  She is probably the greatest ultra-marathon swimmer in history, and holds world records for the longest non-stop swim (124 km, 42 hours) and the most crossings of the English Channel (44).  In this episode we talk about where her mental strength comes from, where her mind goes mid-swim - during the dark times, how she deals with shark danger, the time she nearly died 17 hours into a world record attempt, the time she had to abort a swim due to jellyfish stings, the mental anguish of swimming for 42 hours and what it does to the body and mind and so many other incredible stories.  Chloe might be the toughest athlete we've talked to on this pod. The mental strengh it takes to do what she has done is inspiring – and makes you question the limitations you've put on yourself.. And shes so articulate at relaying her thinking at every step of the journey. I know you'll enjoy this one.  Show notes | Episode 76 | Chloë McCardel 1.52: Seamus reveals his rules around water and his fear of the ocean 4.04: Setting the scene: “I wanted to be the best in the world at something” 8.27:Steven's swimming journey towards a 10km open water swim 11.45: Chloë on mental strength, your purpose, and finding your calling 13.33: The English Channel 23.51: Signing Steven up to the England to Belgium Relay Swim 26.33: Coaching athletes to open water swimming 30.07: Breaking down the mechanics of an ultra-marathon swim 35.04: The importance of the support crew 38.07: The failed triple crossing attempt in 2011: 30 minutes from death 43.12: Shark chat 47.34: The Cuba to USA 160km swim attempt 51.11: The 124km world record unassisted open water swim 59.25: Could you do further? 1.02.50: Media exposure and external support for the challenges 1.05.07 Do you learn more from success or failure? 1.07.02: Using her platform to raise awareness on domestic abuse 1.09.51: Mental strength v physical strength 1.14.28: Thoughts on “being the best in world at something” 1.17.05: Weird things seen in the ocean while open water swimming 1.21.00: Last words from Steven, Seamus and ChloëSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.