Jeff McTainsh- What a Lad

Jeff McTainsh- What a Lad

From What a Lad by Presented by Betcha

May 27, 2026 · 1h 19m · Season 7 · Episode 322

About this episode

Jeff McTainsh shares his journey and insights into the world of New Zealand rugby commentary.

Jeff McTainsh is quickly becoming one of the leading voices in New Zealand rugby. From growing up in Dunedin dreaming of the All Blacks, to commentating games off the TV as a kid, Jeff has built an incredible career through persistence, passion and years of hard work behind the scenes. After working through radio, journalism, TV news and sports reporting, Jeff slowly carved his way into the commentary world — eventually earning the opportunity to call All Blacks test matches on Sky Sport. Along the way he’s covered Olympic Games, NPC rugby, Super Rugby, international rugby and become one of the most respected commentators in the country. Some parts that stood out for me in this episode were… - The story behind sending a commentary clip to Sky Sport in hopes of getting an opportunity - Getting the call to commentate college rugby and how that changed everything - The surreal moment he got called in to commentate the All Blacks at Eden Park - How commentators prepare for games, player pronunciations and big moments - His hilarious impressions of Dave Rennie, Ray Warren, Hamish McKay and more - Why balance, fitness and routine completely changed his life over the last few years…

People in this episode

Guest: Jeff McTainsh

Topics covered

  • New Zealand rugby
  • sports broadcasting
  • commentary
  • All Blacks
  • career journey
  • sports journalism

Keywords

  • rugby
  • commentary
  • Sky Sport
  • All Blacks
  • sports journalism
  • New Zealand
  • broadcasting
  • career

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Sky Sport

Places: New Zealand, Dunedin

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