On Sam Larner’s and my “Whiteboard Rugby Podcast” this week, we managed to grab half an hour with the legendary Israel Dagg.

Now, I know you have a lot of things on at the moment but I promise you, putting some time aside to listen to how Israel talks about rugby in New Zealand, his career, playing for the All Blacks, and a life after rugby is utterly worth it.

The whole episode is invaluable listening, whatever your interest level in rugby. But there was a particular extract that I thought would be fascinating to regular readers of this website. I’ve cut it out so you can hear it below.

Here, he is talking about post-2015 (where he had not been selected for the All Blacks’ World Cup Squad). He was out of form, struggling with the weight of expectation, and was seriously considering retiring from the sport of rugby altogether. He then dislocated his shoulder, a seemingly terrible development, but… I’ll let Izzy pick up the story:

This is an extraordinary insight into how Dagg rediscovered a love and appreciation for the sport. He readjusted his mindset to what really mattered and, in doing so, found freedom from a weight that had previously hampered him, and ended up playing his best rugby.

A great reminder to re-find your ‘why’. Remind yourself about the things that really matter. Not the things we think others find important; not the things we think we should find important; not outcomes, money or fame; but what is really important to us.

Why are you really doing what you do? Take a leaf out of Izzy’s book and find freedom in the simplicity of that reason.