Beyond the Breakdown is a podcast rooted in Wales’ rugby clubs, with legends sharing stories of life in and beyond the game, and the challenges facing our communities and clubs.

In our first episode we talk to Shane Williams, the epitome of what this podcast series is about – people who are rooted in, working hard for, and championing their communities.

Shane was the face of rugby in Wales for so long, but he was always the boy from the Amman. World player of the year! 87 caps and 58 tries for Wales , and 4 Lions caps. But Shane’s story is much more than these moments in the spotlight, even though he’s had his fair share. It’s a story of belief, belief in himself in the face of crushing setbacks, it's a story of his love for where he comes from, and a driving motivation to give back to a community he is so passionate about.

In this episode we discuss the need to ensure the future of our game is rooted where it begins, at home, in our communities, with the fans . At the moment the clubs in our communities are struggling to heat showers, keep the lights on and stay afloat, but these are spaces that we need to fight for, so they survive and thrive for all the generations coming through.

And of course we delve into highs and lows of Shane's career, the things he remembers and the lessons learnt.

It was a privilege to spend time with Shane discussing the game and his home club. We really hope you enjoy it too!

Beyond the Breakdown is a podcast rooted in Wales’ rugby clubs, with legends sharing stories of life in and beyond the game, and the challenges facing our communities and clubs.

In our second episode we are talking to Jon Fox Davie, a product of Carmarthenshire and Scarlets with 96 Welsh caps and 6 British and Irish Lions caps. Jon grew up in the hustle and bustle of his parents pub in Bancyfelin, where he gets his nickname from and as you’ll hear in our conversation today the place that raised and supported him still means as much today as it did back then.

This episode is filmed at the International Players Lounge at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, a dedicated space for those who have been lucky enough to play for Wales. Originally we were set to have our conversation at Carmarthen Athletic RFC, which is where a pair of Jon’s boots are on display, but as part of the critical role they play in their community they had an NHS outpatients clinic booked in, and so rightly couldn’t fit us in.

It was fantastic to talk with someone as thoughtful as Jon and to hear his insights as a player and about the lessons rugby has taught him beyond the game - striving to be the best version of himself and how seriously he took the responsibility of representing not just his country, but his community. Amongst all the achievements, and all the amazing stories, the story he tells about playing with his brother was especially moving. But most striking was the direct line of connection and purpose in so much of what he talked about leading straight back to his community in Carmarthenshire, and the local clubs and the support from those clubs that have sustained him through his whole career.

It was brilliant to be able to spend some time with Jon deep diving into the game, the challenges Carmarthenshire is facing, what being a Dad means and the importance of place – the smile on Jon’s face as he was talking about the boys with a Whitland RFC flag at a Lions game was something else! We really hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did!