Welcome!

And what to expect

Welcome to all the new subscribers!

I assume you found my blog from 8/9 Rugby on Substack (should be called 1/2/3 Rugby) and want to warn you that this blog hasn’t been about rugby for a long time.

Its mostly been a place where I think aloud while trying to figure out life after sport.

I’ve written 200 posts+ over 6+ years ranging from clear and useful insights, to complete garbage written mostly by ChatGPT.

But all of it has been me trying to work out what to do in retirement from Rugby.

Because I fucking loved playing for the Brumbies, and it’s only recently I’ve started feeling like the transition to my new career is complete.

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These days I spend most of my time speaking and working with leaders and teams on sustainable performance.

The core idea is simple: “Effort builds growth. But your energy is what sustains it.”

But next week, I start coaching a group of 18 public service leaders on this, and I’m as excited about it as I ever was running onto a rugby field.

Not because it’s more exciting. Because it feels more meaningful. And what I want to do with the rest of my life.

Alongside that, I help drive Running for Resilience which is going from strength to strength.

If you’re new here and haven’t heard of it, it’s a charity focused on erasing suicide in the ACT. And we’re doing that by sharing stories to fight stigma (like the one below) and by putting on as many free community events as we can to bring people together.

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My posting rhythm is unpredictable.

Sometimes I’ll write a lot, sometimes nothing for a while. Basically I’m all over the place.

But I want to get back to writing more often, consistently, as I love slowing down to think properly.

And when do I write, it’s almost always about what’s giving me energy at the time.

It could be rugby, leadership, burnout, community, or the tough, but rewarding process of building a life after professional sport.

So if you’re expecting polished and well thought out posts, you’ll be disappointed.

But if you’re interested in watching someone figure things out in real time, you’ve come to the right place.

Welcome to the thoughts of a now slightly less crazy man. And well done on the launch Brett McKay!