Matthew Ridge is a Kiwi sporting legend.

He was one of NZ’s top rugby union players then made a stunning switch to rugby league as a 21-year-old in 1990. Over the next decade he played 122 times for the Manly Sea Eagles, 25 times for the Kiwis and 37 times for the Warriors before he became a part-owner of the club.

After retiring from league, he became one of New Zealand’s most popular and successful TV stars – before enjoying success in the business world.

In this episode we talk about his bromance with Marc Ellis and how they created TV magic, 90s rugby league, Warriors regrets, the taxi incident which shaped his outlook on life as a teenager, mental resilience, relationship breakdowns and the realities of being NZ’s biggest star for a decade.

Matthew was an open book in this one and we also talked at length about his relationship with drugs – and his reflections on many of the most difficult chapters of his life.

It was a gripping chat, full of incredible insights into one hell of a life.

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Listen on iHeart Radio or wherever you get your podcasts from or watch the video on YouTube.

Enjoy.

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