
Bob Skinstad | First Pro, The Dark Side of Winning & Life After Rugby
From The Coach G Show by Gurthro Steenkamp
May 23, 2026 · 59 min · Episode 121
About this episode
Bob Skinstad discusses the challenges of life after professional rugby, including mental health issues and the transition to business.
Bob Skinstad. 42 Springbok caps. The first professional rugby player signed in South Africa. Venture capitalist. Club owner. 📩 Join Coach G’s Scrum Dominator Community -https://www.skool.com/coach-g-1708 And one of the most honest people Coach G has ever shared a dressing room with. This is not a highlights reel. This is a real conversation about what happens when the final whistle blows — and no one's prepared you for what comes next. In this episode: The mental crash that follows winning — and why players spiral without the right tools The "big hollow": depression, self-doubt, and what Bob wishes someone had told him earlier How he started building business skills during his playing career while most players stopped being curious The brutal reality of owning a French rugby club as a South African outsider Why being paid to play rugby can quietly destroy your hunger and work ethic AI in rugby — what it can and can't replace, and why the human element still leads Protecting your energy as an empath, and what years of giving to others costs you Bob doesn't pretend to have it all figured out. That's exactly what makes this episode so valuable. 00:00 Intro & Bob's…
People in this episode
Host: Gurthro Steenkamp
Guest: Bob Skinstad
Topics covered
- mental health in sports
- life after rugby
- professional sports challenges
- business skills for athletes
- depression and self-doubt
- rugby culture
- AI in sports
Keywords
- Bob Skinstad
- rugby
- mental crash
- business skills
- depression
- French rugby
- AI in rugby
- self-doubt
- professional athlete
- life after sports
Sponsors
USN
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Scrum Dominator Community
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