This week on The Sporting Transition Podcast I’m joined by Lloyd Ashley, who spent fifteen years at the Ospreys and is now Head of Mental Health and Wellbeing and Personal Development Manager at the Welsh Rugby Players Association.
An early ACL injury pushed Lloyd to think about life after rugby long before retirement, and what followed was a journey built on curiosity, balance and genuine personal growth.
Here is what we explore 👇👇
📚 How plumbing qualifications, counselling and leadership training reduced stress and created real optionality
🤝 Why vulnerability, honest feedback and openness became his biggest strengths
💼 Turning on field habits into off field skills that players can name, recognise and use with confidence
🏉 Why exploring interests outside rugby is not a distraction, it is perspective and protection
🔥 How he now supports players to build identity, purpose and confidence beyond the sport
Lloyd’s message is practical and human. Start early, explore widely and define success for yourself. Above all, remember you are a person before you are an athlete.
A huge thank you to Lloyd for such a grounded and meaningful conversation.
Jackson Wray shares how he planned his transition years in advance, building education, networks and practical experience alongside 300 plus Saracens appearances to create a new career with clarity and purpose.
Former Saracens prop Ralph Adams Hale reflects on his first year in the Lloyd’s market, sharing how education, networking and mindset shifts helped him transition from elite sport to underwriting at Apollo.
Former Worcester Warrior and London Irish prop Tom Warren shares how a career ending injury at 28 pushed him into a new path in sales leadership, proving that discipline and resilience from rugby can build a thriving business career.