Between Two Beers Podcast

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• Matthew Ridge Tells All: Wrongful Conviction, Addiction & Working with Marc Ellis (Re-Release) 31.05.2026 1ч 52мин

  Matthew Ridge is one of New Zealand's most recognisable sporting figures - All Blacks captain, NRL star, television personality. But behind the swagger and the highlights reel is a story most people have never heard.Originally released in 2024 and one of our most popular episodes, we're bringing this one back because it deserves to be heard again.Ridgey sits down with Steve and Seamus to tell it all. At 16, he was wrongfully convicted of aggravated robbery - three High Court trials, a 14-year sentence hanging over his head, and a sports career that nearly never happened.He talks about growing up without his father, finding mental toughness through tennis, and the moment he got a voicemail from Graham Lowe asking if he wanted to play rugby league for Manly.He opens up about the NRL years, the TV relationship with Marc Ellis - and he talks honestly about his meth use, functioning as an addict while the cameras rolled, and the moment he looked at a photo of himself and saw no light in his eyes.This is Matthew Ridge like you've never heard him before.Between Two Beers is proudly brought to you by One New Zealand. We believe that One NZ connects New Zealand, while Between Two Beers connects New Zealanders. And together, we are NZ's most trusted connection platform.Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers Clothing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• “Don’t Believe You Own BS!” - Behind the Scenes of the World Cup, TVNZ Deal & Steven Adams 27.05.2026 41мин

  It’s been our biggest six months ever - landing on TVNZ+, heading to the World Cup, and sitting down with Steven Adams.Steve and Seamus sit down with business and mindset coach Di Foster to pull back the curtain on how it all actually came together, the chaos behind the scenes, and what it really takes to turn a podcast into a mainstream media brand.They break down the TVNZ deal, how they landed four World Cup sponsors at 100% conversion rate (and why that's actually a red flag), and the Steven Adams episode that had Seamus too nervous to speak for the first five minutes.Plus - the mindset that keeps it all in check. Because the most dangerous thing you can do when things are going this well is start believing your own BS. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Darren Shand: 20 Years Inside the All Blacks' Golden Era 24.05.2026 2ч 45мин

  For 20 years, Darren Shand was the most powerful person in All Blacks rugby that nobody knew about.As Team Manager across four Rugby World Cups - including the back-to-back title wins of 2011 and 2015 - Shand sat above the coaches, managed the operation, and helped build the cultural architecture of the most successful international rugby team in history.He worked alongside Sir Graham Henry, Sir Steve Hansen, Sir Wayne Smith, Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, and some of the greatest players to ever pull on the black jersey.He talks about the 2004 wake-up call that forced the entire culture to change. The private battles with depression. The end of his marriage. The moment a former Crusaders teammate came to his house to tell him he was fired.He shares stories that have never been made public - including a stunning incident before the 2015 Rugby World Cup final that nearly ended his campaign entirely. And he gives his most honest assessment yet of what happened to the All Blacks after he left - and why Ian Foster never really had a chance.Between Two Beers is proudly brought to you by One New Zealand. We believe that One NZ connects New Zealand, while Between Two Beers connects New Zealanders. And together, we are NZ's most trusted connection platform.Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers Clothing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• We're Going to the Football World Cup with the All Whites! 20.05.2026 35мин

  This week on Hambassadors, Steve and Seamus reveal their biggest project yet: a dedicated All Whites fan show heading to Vancouver for the FIFA World Cup.They're going in camp with the team, bringing the families, and building something that hasn't been done before in New Zealand sports media.Also this week: a behind-the-scenes look at the Joseph Parker x Barkers event (with some Chatham House rules intel that stays in the room), gut health is officially on the agenda, and the guys reflect on the overwhelming response to the Nate Alley episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Stacey Morrison: The Te Reo Journey She Almost Quit, Losing Her Mum & 30 Years of NZ Media Unfiltered 17.05.2026 2ч 19мин

  Stacey Morrison has been a fixture of New Zealand television and radio for thirty years - but this is the story behind the story.In this episode she opens up about growing up embarrassed by her Māori identity, a gruelling fifteen year journey to te reo fluency, the heartbreaking loss of her mum Sue, and finding the love she never thought she'd have with Scotty Morrison.Between Two Beers is proudly brought to you by One New Zealand. We believe that One NZ connects New Zealand, while Between Two Beers connects New Zealanders. And together, we are NZ's most trusted connection platform.Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers Clothing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Is Being a 'Good Bugger' Enough? Values, Identity & the Team Behind the Vision 13.05.2026 38мин

  Steve sits down with our business and mindset coach Di Foster for a candid 1:1 coaching session.They get into what it really means to be a 'good bugger' in business, whether values alone are enough to build something lasting, and the identity shift that happens when your business starts moving faster than you expected.They also tackle the team question - why having the right people around you isn't just a nice to have, and what it actually takes to stop being the bottleneck in your own business.Plus Di and Steve dig into the difference between identity and habits - and why getting clear on who you are might matter more than any morning routine.This episode is proudly supported by Odoo, the all-in-one business management platform. Thanks to Odoo for supporting the show.Got a listener question? DM us on social media and it could be answered on the next episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Nate Alley: Growing Up Without a Dad, Driving $200M in Construction & Why He Nearly Lost It All 10.05.2026 2ч 6мин

  Nate Alley grew up in Tokoroa without a father, got kicked out of school at 16, and spent the better part of a decade angry, lost, and making decisions he's not proud of.Today he runs his own Sentinel Homes franchise in the Waikato, with nearly 200 million dollars in construction work completed over the last decade.In this episode Nate speaks publicly for the first time about his upbringing, a failed first business, burnout, and divorce - and the moment holding his newborn daughter that forced him to confront who he was really becoming.Between Two Beers is proudly brought to you by One New Zealand. We believe that One NZ connects New Zealand, while Between Two Beers connects New Zealanders. And together, we are NZ's most trusted connection platform.Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers Clothing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Steven Adams Goes Viral, Our Football World Cup Announcement & Lost Wedding Rings 06.05.2026 40мин

  The Steven Adams episode has gone global. NBA Twitter picked it up, US news sites started writing stories, and the clip of Steven's journaling practice has racked up millions of views. Steve and Che take you behind the scenes of watching it snowball in real time, from the 3am Instagram collab to waking up to floods of comments and mentions.Plus, we make it official: Between Two Beers is going to the FIFA Football World Cup. Flights are being booked, the gear is coming, and it's happening in six weeks.And before all of that, Seamus had the biggest case of head loss in his 43 years, his wedding ring went missing, sexy cameraman Sam got dragged into it, and somehow the storage cupboard is to blame.Also on this week's show: a preview of our next Lowkey Legend episode with Nate Alley, the Reflections business turns one, a Joseph Parker x Barkers live event, and the TAB pays out $500 to five lucky listeners. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• How Steven Adams Accidentally Became The NBA's Most Beloved Star (Exclusive) 03.05.2026 2ч 12мин

  In the most personal interview of his career, New Zealand's most beloved NBA export Steven Adams sits down with Between Two Beers exclusively to tell his full story.From growing up the youngest of 14 in Rotorua, losing his father at 13, and never dreaming of the NBA - to rookie years alongside Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden at the Oklahoma City Thunder, the infamous Draymond Green kicks in the 2016 Golden State Warriors playoffs, and signing a new Houston Rockets contract at 32 after a serious PCL injury, this is the complete Steven Adams story.Steven opens up about going viral for sleeping on an air mattress despite earning millions, training with Dame Valerie Adams, speaking at MIT's Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, owning a regenerative dairy farm near Pukahina, investing in Auckland FC, and a six-year journalling practice that got him through his darkest moments.Plus - 24 free basketball camps across New Zealand for 10,000 kids, and why giving back is the only thing that truly matters to him.Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers Clothing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• How a Cold Email Landed One NZ as Our Biggest Sponsor 29.04.2026 41мин

  Steve cold emailed Jason Paris, the CEO of One New Zealand. He replied in three minutes. In this episode, Seamus and Steve sit down with business coach Di Foster to unpack what landing the biggest naming rights deal in Between Two Beers history actually means for the business, and what it exposes about everything they still haven't figured out.Di doesn't let the celebration last long. With a One NZ contract signed, she turns the lens on the stuff both of them have been avoiding: Steve's got no emergency fund, no real Plan B, and a YOLO attitude to financial planning that works fine until it doesn't. Seamus' catastrophising about $200 oil and backyard bunkers while quietly knowing the business needs reserves. And Di, despite decades of business experience, admits she's never actually felt financially secure either.Thanks to our friends at Odoo for supporting the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Stacey Jones: 27 Years as a Warrior, 2002 Grand Final Regrets & The Pre-Game Ritual He Kept Secret 26.04.2026 1ч 58мин

  Stacey Jones has given 27 years to the Warriors - from foundation player to the coaching staff helping build the next generation.In this episode, he opens up on the try that still haunts him from the 2002 NRL grand final, what it meant to be a household name in New Zealand before social media existed, and why he's never left the Wahs.Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• We Landed Steven Adams... Behind The Scenes of Our Biggest Episode 22.04.2026 41мин

  We landed him. Steven Adams, New Zealand's most beloved basketball export and our number one dream guest for years, is coming to Between Two Beers.In this episode of Hambassadors, Seamus and Steve take you behind the scenes of the biggest week in the podcast’s history. Four recordings in six days, a surprise Easter weekend email that changed everything, eight steaks on order, and two and a half hours with a seven-foot legend who had a flight to Houston that night.Plus, a live appearance on TVNZ Breakfast, the Stacey Jones recording, a World Cup update, love languages, and a new full-time hire joining the team.Hambassadors is proudly brought to you by Stark Property.-- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Raelene Castle: The NRL's First Female CEO & NZ's Most Powerful Sports Executive (Re-Release) 19.04.2026 1ч 29мин

  She ran the Bulldogs, steered Australia Rugby through one of their biggest controversies, and led NZ sport through its toughest years.So why don't more people know the real Raelene Castle?In this episode we sit down with one of the most significant sports executives the southern hemisphere has ever produced - and discover that the woman behind the headlines is nothing like the one in them.We cover the six phone calls she made in four hours that launched her career in sport, what was really happening behind the scenes during the Israel Folau saga, her relationship with Des Hasler, living publicly with alopecia, and why the moment a rugby league legend walked across a sideline just to introduce himself told her everything she needed to know about the game she'd just entered.Raelene Castle is generous, funny, tough as nails, and completely open in this conversation - it’s so good, we need to re-share it with all our new listeners!Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers Clothing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• We Smashed Our Goals... Then Got A Reality Check 15.04.2026 45мин

  Steve and Seamus sit down with coach Di Foster for their unofficial Q1 review - and it's a big one. New naming sponsor (they can't tell you who yet), a TV deal in the works, and their first ever full-time hire. On paper, the best quarter Between Two Beers has ever had.But Di isn't letting them off that easy.In this episode: why securing long-term partnerships changes everything, the embarrassing process breakdown that quietly cost them sales, what it actually means to understand your own value, and why getting what you want is just the beginning. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Dai Henwood: What Facing Death Is Teaching Me About Life 12.04.2026 2ч 26мин

  In April 2020, during lockdown, Dai Henwood received a terminal cancer diagnosis. He kept it hidden. He kept doing stand-up. He kept doing interviews. He kept being Dai Henwood, while privately getting to grips with something nobody in his family had ever faced before.Four and a half years after his first appearance on the show, he sits back down with Steve and Seamus.Dai walks us through 52 rounds of chemo, 8 surgeries, a death ceremony in Japan, a three-part documentary, a book, and the moment he stopped acting like himself and started actually being himself.But this isn't a cancer story. It's a story about what happens when the fear of death is gone, and nothing remains but the joy of living.They talk about what a successful week actually looks like now. Why men need to hug each other more. The hardest thing he's ever done that isn't chemo. Why happiness is a calm emotion and most of us have never actually felt it.Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by the legends at Barkers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Kieran Read's ‘Iron Gate' Explained, All Whites Brilliance & Steve’s Perspective Shifts 08.04.2026 45мин

  Behind the scenes of Between Two Beers this week, Steve and Seamus break down the Kieran Read shirt scandal that has gripped our viewers, reflect on driving the former All Blacks captain to his parents' place, and tease what might be their most powerful episode yet.Dai Henwood returns to the show - 52 rounds of chemo, eight surgeries, and a conversation about life, death, and what actually matters.Plus: Steve's soul-searching session with Carl Sheridan, Seamus MCs the All Whites legends dinner before their 4-1 win over Chile, Easter chaos with four kids, and Bowie's Easter Bunny conspiracy letter.Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers, and massive shout out to the legends at Stark for supporting this show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Kieran Read: The World Cup Final Call, Replacing Richie McCaw & Why He's Just Getting Started 05.04.2026 2ч 17мин

  Kieran Read is one of the greatest All Blacks of all time. Two-time World Cup winner, Crusaders legend, and the man who replaced Richie McCaw as captain with 800 tests of combined experience suddenly out the door.But four years on from his first appearance on Between Two Beers, the most interesting chapter of Kieran's story is only just beginning.In this episode we get into the leadership journey from the very start - Rosehill College, the PE teacher who changed everything, displacing Reuben Thorne at the Crusaders, calling the Teabag lineout in the 2011 World Cup final, the Argentina moment where the coaches walked out, what Steve Hansen told him that stung, and why going to Japan felt like dropping 100 kilograms.Plus his $300K lads fund, a whiskey barrel in Reefton, and the Kieran Reed Human Endeavour leadership course.Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by the legends at Barkers! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Our Plan to 5x Revenue in 3 Years 01.04.2026 34мин

  Steve and Seamus sit down with their business coach Di for their first session of 2026 - and they're not holding back.On the table: a plan to 5x revenue in three years, double their audience in twelve months, and finally build the team around them that the business actually needs.They get into why growing your audience doesn't pay off in the same year, why neither of them are natural team builders, and why after six years of running on instinct, the numbers are starting to matter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• The Forensic Scientist Who Investigated 160 Murders & Lost Himself in the Process: Ruben Miller 29.03.2026 2ч 13мин

  Ruben Miller spent 22 years as a forensic scientist in New Zealand, working on more than 160 homicide investigations. This is the story of what it cost him.In this episode we talk about what it actually feels like to walk into a homicide scene, the forensic principle that guides every investigation, the case that still hasn't left him, and what two decades of witnessing violence quietly does to a person. We also get into PTSD, therapy, what resilience actually means versus what we tell ourselves it means, and how Ruben found compassion for people most of us would write off entirely.Ruben's book The Blood Says Otherwise is out now at all good bookstores and online.Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by our friends at Barkers Clothing.⚠️ This episode contains discussion of homicide, child death, trauma, and PTSD. Please take care.If anything in this episode brings something up for you:Mental health — Need to talk? Free call or text 1737, any time.Depression & anxiety — Lifeline: 0800 543 354Domestic violence — Are You OK: 0800 456 789In a crisis right now — call 111 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• A Day with Kieran Read & Why We Broke Up with Chat GPT for Claude 25.03.2026 45мин

  Have you made the switch from ChatGPT to Claude yet?Steve and Che did - and they're not going back.In this week's Hambassadors they break down why they ditched ChatGPT, what Claude is actually doing for their business, and why one of them still can't bring himself to fully commit.Plus: the truth about what happens in the studio before guests arrive, Che’s horror dentist bill, going solo at Homegrown, and why putting IKEA furniture together is a life lesson.Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by the legends at Barkers Clothing! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.