What do you get when you combine your passion for rugby, several years of experience playing at the highest level, and a vibrant personality that could unlock unlimited opportunities? You create a podcast!
This is the journey of Springbok legends Rudy Paige and Juan de Jongh, who traded their rugby studs for the microphone and camera, inspiring others by launching their first-ever podcast, Behind the Ruck.
Nearly two years into the journey, the show is more popular than ever, with players across the world applauding the podcast as a safe space to share career experiences, while their loyal viewers, otherwise known as “the ruckers”, get valuable insights into the lives of rugby’s biggest stars.
This past weekend Behind the Ruck, in collaboration with the life insurance company, BrightRock hosted a BrightRock Suite experience, which allowed several lucky subscribers to interact with Rudy and Juan while watching a live match between the Stormers and Benetton at the DHL Stadium.
The event was aimed at showing appreciation to the show’s loyal supporters who have helped contribute to the success the show sees today.
BONA recently sat down with the charismatic duo and delved more into their collaboration with BrightRock as well as their two-year journey in podcasting.
With Table Mountain providing the perfect backdrop to the stadium and thousands of fans flooding in to fill up the seats ahead of the Stormers game, both Rudy and Juan reflected just how important it was to have an evening where they could show their appreciation to their supporters.
“This is huge for me,” says Juan, who previously represented Western Province, Stormers, Wasps, as well as the Springboks.
“It is another opportunity to give our best to our ruckers. Coming here allows them to interact with us and ask us questions, which they might not always be able to do in the comment section.
Speaking on the partnership with BrightRock, who was integral in making the event possible, he added…
“This is a match made in heaven. Rudy is from the Bulls, and I am from the Stormers, and they (BrightRock) are the associate sponsors of both teams. This just makes it more special that we see things in the same way and can merge our content,” Juan explained.
Meanwhile, co-host Rudy Paige who has represented the Springboks, Bulls, Cheetahs, Sunwolves as well as Clermont in France, echoed these sentiments.
“The way they structure their ‘Love Change’ and do things different as a company, that is what Behind the Ruck is about. Then you got our mutual love for the Stormers and the Bulls, everything just marinades and becomes the perfect relationship.”
The idea
The idea of launching a podcast came naturally for the Springbok duo. Rudy explained that as he and Juan both neared the end of their professional careers, they spent a lot of time on the golf course, often sharing their various opinions on the game.
This was when they decided to move the chemistry they shared from the golf course to a show. While they initially delayed the idea for six months, they later grabbed the bull by the horns and took on the challenge.
Thus far, they have been the go to source for some of the most depth discussion, with guests including the likes of Gio Aplon, Bryan Habana, Siya Kolisi, Cheslin Kolbe, Manie Libbok, Matthew Pearce and many more.
The Journey
In reflection of how far they have come, Juan confessed that when they were first launched, he had no idea how much of an impact the show would have on the rugby community.
“We started this to inform, educate, and just to have some fun by telling our stories, but to see how the people have accepted the two of us and love our stories and voice was fantastic to witness.”
While creating podcasts may come with its challenges, the two believe that the main key to their success has been their ability to have fun, be authentic, and remain consistent with posting weekly episodes.
“I think the success is also based on our friends and former teammates saying, ‘Yes’. All of our guests have been a significant part of why we have been so successful,” Rudy explained.
They believe that creating an environment where their friends could feel relaxed and at ease played an integral part in getting quality interactions for the show, while priding themselves on creating content that is honest, and engaging but eradicates sensationalism.
Reinventing
Over the last few months, the show has gone through several changes, from its introduction to the inclusion of various segments as a way of reinventing itself.
Both Rudy and Juan emphasised that this was important to them as it helps to keep the content of the show unpredictable.
“Re-inventing is probably something I learned in rugby,” Rudy explained.
“If you play the same way, people will figure you out. If you translate that into podcasting, it is the same thing. People will get bored. So if you don’t reinvent ourselves, our show would not grow.”
He added that changing the podcasts introduction clip, switching some of their filming locations and hosting a various guests was, therefore, extremely important to ensuring the sustainability of the podcast.
Juan added: “We have a motto, ‘Keep them guessing,’ which is to keep our ruckers guessing in everything we do. Whether it’s analytics, the guests and hosting female guests, referees, and even educating on doping, the important thing is to have fun with what we do.”
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With episode 100 now being a month away, they want to continue keeping their subscribers guessing. However they hinted to having plans of welcoming a prominent guest come on board and help make the milestone even more special.
Also see: When rugby meets podcasts: These players are killing it
