#195 - Kennedy Tsimba - Who wins the race to react first?

#195 - Kennedy Tsimba - Who wins the race to react first?

July 19, 2026 · 1h 13m · Season 7 · Episode 195

About this episode

Kennedy Tsimba shares his unique journey in rugby, discussing his experiences as a player and coach, and insights into training and development in the sport.

My guest this week is a former Bath, Cheetahs and Zimbabwe fly-half who has gone on to become a coach at The Bulls in the URC. Kennedy Tsimba has had a fascinating journey through rugby, from growing up in Zimbabwe and learning the game by watching VHS tapes of the Five Nations, to playing alongside and learning from some of the greatest minds in the sport. We talked about: The unique rugby culture Kennedy grew up with in Zimbabwe How skills learned from VHS videos and practised in the backyard eventually made their way into professional training and matches How Kennedy was discovered and signed by Bath in the late 1990s, and the lessons he learned from some of English rugby's greatest minds Playing for his "perfect" team, the Free State Cheetahs, where his captain was Rassie Erasmus How Kennedy developed his thinking around unstructured play, including several key tips for both players and coaches The study Kennedy conducted, how it informed his "SHIFT" framework, and his plans to contribute it to the wider rugby world How VR is now helping to train the Springboks! This is a sensational episode with a wonderful thinker about the game. Kennedy has a unique perspective on rugby…

Sponsors

England Rugby Store, British & Irish Lions Store

More episodes of Amateur Rugby Podcast

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Amateur Rugby Podcast podcast page.