August 20, 2025 • 28 mins
Ahead of the upcoming Women's Rugby World Cup, U.S. players Alivia Leatherman and Catie Benson join Sarah to discuss living across the pond to play the sport they love, the differences between rugby 15s and rugby 7s, Ilona Maher’s insane impact on coverage of the sport, and the things they wish folks knew about the game. Plus, one woman's kick-push across America and we'll never stop trying to make "scruttle" happen.
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The Women’s Rugby World Cup schedule is here
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're all
getting fitted for mouthguards because we've got rugby fever and
because safety comes first.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
It's Wednesday, August twentieth.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Then on today's show will be skipping the need to
know and jumping straight into my conversation with USA rugby
players Olivia Leatherman and Katie Benson ahead of the Women's
Rugby World Cup.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Starting Friday in England.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
We dig into how they both got their start in
the sport, the difference between rugby fifteens and rugby seven's,
Alona Mar's insane impact on rugby coverage, and what they
wish more folks knew about the game. That conversation's coming
up right after this. Joining US now, she's a prop
(00:42):
for the US national rugby team, the Eagles, plus the
Boston Banshees of the Women's Late Rugby League and the
Sale Sharks of Greater Manchester, England. Originally from Buffalo, New York,
where she grew up starring and cross country, she started
her rugby career at Penn State, where she helped lead
her team to five national championships across fifteens and sevens.
Made her national team debut against England in twenty fifteen,
(01:03):
and is one of the most capped women's Eagles, having
represented the US at the twenty seventeen and twenty twenty
one Rugby World Cups. Her Insta pics make every city
she's in look like absolute magic. I'm booking a flight
to Sale asap. It's Katie Benson.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Hi, Katie, Hi, how are you? I'm good? Thanks for
joining us? Also joining us.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
She's a prop for the US national rugby team, the Eagles,
and the Ealing Trail Finders Rugby Club of West London.
A native of Parma, Ohio, she played rugby and soccer
growing up and joined the rugby club at Notre Dame
College in South Euclid, Ohio, and has worked her way
up to the senior national team, getting her first call
up this year. Her go to karaoke song is Carrie
Underwood's Before He Cheats, and she recently celebrated her birthday.
(01:45):
But she's the oldest twenty three year old you've ever met.
She somehow prefers phone calls to texts, shopping in store
to online, and she loves staying in with the book.
Next thing She's gonna tell us She's taken up knitting
and staring out at the lawn.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
It's Olivia Leatherman.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Hi, Olivia Helthough, actually I dochet. I'm working on a project.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
Here are there we go?
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Yeah, we're gonna there we go. Okay, we are going
to club.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Okay, we're gonna dive into how you're the oldest twenty
three year old I've ever heard of. Later, but thank
you for joining us and getting us pumped for the
upcoming Rugby World Cup in England. It's kicking off later
this month. We can all watch it live on Paramount Plus.
But if we're gonna watch it, we need to understand it.
So y'all have to help us with some of the basics. Katie,
can you explain the format for this World Cup tournament?
(02:29):
Just like pool play, how you advance all that good stuff.
Speaker 5 (02:33):
Yeah, So we have pool plays. So there's four pools
and you play each team in your pool. Our first
game is against England in two weeks, and then we
moved to Australia and then Samoa and then based on
how that goes, we you go to quarterfinals, semifinals, finals.
(02:53):
First three games are the most important to us right now.
Big game against England and then we go from there.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Okay, so it's similar to the soccer or footy World
Cup that we're all sort of aware of. You got
to get out of your pool and then you start
to get into the elimination rounds. Olivia, can you help
us understand the difference between rugby fifteens and rugby sevens?
What's the basic gist of both of those kinds of rugby?
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Yeah, so sevens is seven v seven and those are
fourteen minute games, so those go buy a lot quicker
and you can play more than one in a day,
and fifteen's is fifteen v fifteen and they're eighty minute games.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
And then the set pieces also look a little bit different.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Yeah, the scrums are eight versus eight and a scrum
in fifteens, and then in sevens the scrums are three
B three.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
So set pieces are things that we might be familiar
with in soccer, like corner kicks or things where the
whistle has blown, everybody stops and then you do something
that you've already written up the x's and oh's of,
And there's a variety of kinds in rugby. But what
are the biggest skill sets in fifteens versus seven does
one prioritize fast players or versatile players or players who
(04:05):
have more endurance? Is there a big difference in who
might start in fifteens versus sevens, Olivia?
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Yeah, so I'd say fifteen's is a little bit more
position specific. So like a prop, for example, is not
necessarily going to be your fastest player out there. They're
going to be typically the stronger player, and they're in
the front row of the scrum, so that's their biggest job.
Speaker 4 (04:31):
Is just being able to scrum.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
Well, you know, and we have like our flat half,
who is like our most tactical position on the field,
is like our big playmaker, decision maker, and then you
have like the wings who are really finishing plays off
for us and scoring the tries.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Okay, so taking a swing at this, props are kind
of like linemen, and the second one you said, it's
kind of like a quarterback, and the third one kind
of like wide receivers.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
Yeah, I say so, okay.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Katie, we all watched the Olympic rugby that was sevens,
but in the World Cup there's actually fifteens and sevens
that are competed.
Speaker 5 (05:12):
So for fifteens it's every four years and sevens is
every four years, so it's kind of like the summer
and Winter Olympics where it goes like every two years.
We did have because of COVID, we had it at
another year for last World Cup, so this has been
like a three year cycle, so usually it kind of changes.
And then with also with the men, it kind of
(05:35):
it's like you have like a World Cup like every
year every two years.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
So okay, cool and are a lot of the same
people doing the fifteens and the sevens or at the
very very highest level do people start to really specialize
and only focus on one.
Speaker 5 (05:49):
I think it's the mixture of both. You know, we
have a few sevens players on our team right now.
But it depends on what year it is for World Cup.
So if it's a fifteen, some people focus more a
little bit more on fifteen's. If it's seven's, they focus sevens.
If the Olympics comes like it just depends on that year.
But it's usually a lot of our wings and are
(06:12):
like our backs and sometimes our back row. That kind
of enter switch between the two styles of rugby.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
Cool, okay, so Olivia, you're both props. You mentioned sort
of like the lineman up front do a lot of
your work in the scrum or the word that my
friend invented scruddle, which is both a huddle and a scrum.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
So are you tight heads or loose heads? And what's
the difference?
Speaker 4 (06:35):
Ironically we are both.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
We are, but.
Speaker 4 (06:41):
There is a difference.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
Uh, loose head, you're on the left side of scrum and.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
Trying to figure out how your head free.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Yeah, your head is free, like you're on the more
open side, whereas tight head you're in between two other players.
Your head goes in between two other players, so you're
like trapped in if that makes sense.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
Like shoulder to shoulder, pushing against someone all the time.
Speaker 4 (07:11):
Yeah, got it?
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Okay, so quite literally, tight head.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
Or yeah, I'd say they both require different like technical
skill sets, Like just because you can play one, does
it mean you can play both. Like they both require
especially at the international level, they both require different skill sets.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
So I've been working on learning how to play both.
And I will tell you that it is different. It's
not a same.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Well that brings me to the beginning.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
So, Katie, how did you start playing rugby and how
did you figure out like that this was a great
sport for you and a fit for what you were
good at.
Speaker 5 (07:51):
Yeah, so my dad played rugby, and I think that's
a big reason why my mom was like, yeah, we
could wait a few years so you can start playing
rugby because my dad would come home with ah, he
couldn't even walk up the stairs some games. Granted he
was getting a little bit older, but yeah, I didn't
start playing rugby until I got into college. I tried
(08:14):
really hard when I was younger. I used to Irish
dance and at the Irish Center they had rugby like practices,
and I was really trying to get my dad to
sign me up, but my mom, I think we were
just rushed so much that day, and my dad's like, okay,
we need to actually between me and my sister, he's like,
we have so many sports, we need to get you going.
So then when I got to college, one of the
(08:37):
girls in my science class, her roommate was playing rugby
and she goes like, oh, yeah, you should try it out.
And I was at that time doing club cross country,
so I was like, you know, let's try this out,
and fell in love with it. I think I called
my dad right away and I was.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
Like, this is the best sport ever. And he was just.
Speaker 5 (08:54):
Like, I've told you this so many times and he
was so excited, and yeah, just kind of from there,
I just kept playing and I was awesome. Was really
really lucky to have a great foundation.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Yeah, what about you, Olivia.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
Yes, I was in high school and I played soccer
and I swam, and I was like looking for like
a third sport to like fill that last, you know, season.
And one of my friends played for the guys team
and he was recruiting for the girls team, and I
was like, you know, I feel like this would be
a lot of fun. So I went and tried it out,
and I think like my first or second practice actually
(09:29):
got concussed.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
And so I was out for right.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
So it was out for quite a while, but I
ended up like sticking with it, and yeah, I had
a lot of fun, and I'm really glad I tried
it out.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Katie, when you were coming up because your dad played,
did you have rugby players you could admire and look
up to even as a kid or when you got
to college or was it hard to try to find
sort of the role models in the sport.
Speaker 5 (09:56):
To be honest with you, my dad played to like
maybe I was like ten years old, and I think
that's when my sister and I. Oh, granted he was
getting older so it was a little bit rough. But
I used to just watch games and like I didn't
really think much of it. I think I was just
playing with my sister. I I was in a million
(10:20):
other sports, so I wasn't really focused on rugby at
that time. But once I could start focusing, I did.
I used to go to some like watch some games
with him, and then I would start to like see
these players and be like, oh, that's really cool. But no,
not really, like not when I was just just I
just wasn't focused on it.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Yeah, Olivia, how about you are there like all time
favorite rugby players that you'll look up to.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
I don't think like when I was like playing in
high school, like it was just like such a for
fun thing for me that like I wasn't really I
didn't really watch too much international rugby when I was
growing up, so I didn't really have Yeah, and I
think also at the time, at least for women's rugby,
it was it wasn't as easily accessible. So yeah, I
(11:06):
don't think I ever really had that player who stuck
out to me, I used.
Speaker 5 (11:12):
To watch a lot of like the like the old
men's games, like that's what like, you'd watch whatever. There
wasn't a lot of women's games that were always broadcasts.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
We got to take a quick break when we come
back more with Olivia and Katie back in a jiff.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
All right, Well, now.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
We do get to watch this upcoming Rugby World Cup
and Olivia team USA. The Eagles get started against the
home team of England.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
That's one of the three opponents in your pool.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
So how tough will it be facing England at home
in front of their fans in the very first game.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
Yeah, I think it'll be tough.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
I mean every game is tough, but I think there's
just it's like an incredible opportunity to play that opening game,
and yeah, I think that energy will be pretty electric.
But at the end of the day, it will be
a tough game, and I think that will have to
definitely be level headed going into the game and trust that,
you know, we are prepared because we've been preparing for
(12:16):
a long time. So yeah, I think just trusting that
we're prepared and trusting a system.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
Katie, who are some of the expected favorites in the tournament.
Speaker 5 (12:25):
England is probably one of them. We're in there. We're
also in that country. New Zealand is always a top
for Canada. I think since the last World Cup it's
just been a lot of growing that there's a lot
of teams that will probably put a big foot on
the or put their foot out there. So there's a
(12:46):
lot there's a few teams that I think and I
think there will be will be some surprises.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
So yeah, over three hundred and thirty thousand tickets sold,
probably more by the time this runs, more than double
the previous Women's Rugby World Cup totals, so Olivia. What's
been the biggest driver of new interest in rugby across
the world?
Speaker 3 (13:05):
I think just you know, obviously Alona mar has been
like a huge driver in that, Like just her presence
on social media during the Olympics I think really drove that.
But then also I think like we're just having as
a society just like a change in starting to follow
women's sports. And I think Caitlyn Clark definitely I started
(13:25):
that drive like just for women's sports as a whole,
which has been really cool. So I think a lot
more people are starting to follow women's sports because it
is fun, it is exciting, and rugby is a really
awesome sport and a really empowering sport for women. So
I think people are starting to realize that and are
wanting to invest their time and their money into it.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
Yeah, obviously, Alona mar it's a combination of her personality,
her social media, her ability, and then of course the
bronze that came at the Olympics, which was so huge
for the US and really helped Americans sort of like
get on board with this women's team. Katie, You've been
at this for a long time. How is it balancing
the excitement and enthusiasm that the team must have for
(14:10):
Alona and bringing so much attention with the sort of
weirdness of it being this one person from the team
that's out there sort of representing everybody. Is it hard ever,
whether that's in terms of jealousy of her attention or
whether it's wanting people to know more about the rest
of the team.
Speaker 5 (14:29):
No, I think it's been great. I think Low. You know,
obviously Low has so much spotlight on her, but she
also shows that spotlight to her teammates, so like I
she'll just if we're walking through this campus, like people
will be like, oh, like, oh, it's low and she'll
be like, oh, hey, these are my teammates, and you know,
(14:52):
she doesn't just bring that spotlight. I'm so happy she
brought so much spotlight to the sport. But she's also
bringing so much spotlight to other players, and not just
from our country, other countries, because there are a ridiculous
amount of talent in this pool of women that is
here just front with rugby and everything. So it's been amazing.
(15:12):
I think she's shown so much light to the sport
and it's cool to see, you know, little kids, girls
and boys be like, I want to play rugby because
they see her, like even if she's from Dancy with
the Stars in Canto and they see her holding up
the dog like it's enough. Yeah, Like they just see
that and they want to keep trying, so like they
(15:34):
want to do this sport that she is involved in.
So it's just been great all around.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
It's obviously brought a lot of attention to the sport
in the States, but it still seems like the most
viable way to be a professional is overseas Olivia.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
Both of you are playing on teams in England.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Obviously, World Elite rugby started and is trying to get
going in the States, but it's not really fully professional
the same way what you're doing overseas is. So how
is it have to go across the pond and play
in England Olivia?
Speaker 3 (16:03):
Yeah, it's a wonderful experience.
Speaker 4 (16:05):
I'm not gonna lie.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
At first, I was really closed off to the idea.
I never wanted to leave home. I then I took
the opportunity that was given to.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
Me and I have really loved it. I'm not gonna lie.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
It's always tough being away from home and away from
your family, but I think my life over in England
has been great, and I've met some really great friends,
and I get to experience new things and new cultures,
and I think overall it's a great experience, and the
rugby has been great, you know. Still having a full
(16:41):
time training environment and a very high level training environment,
training with internationals from all over the world is a
great experience and it has helped me and my rugby a lot.
Speaker 4 (16:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
I've seen a lot of your posts on Instagram just
talking about all the travel in the countries and places
that you get to visit and where rugby has brought,
which is really cool. Obviously, Katie, the same for you.
First of all, is Sale as magical as it looks
in your photos? Or are you just a dynamic photographer?
Speaker 5 (17:09):
It's even more magical. I'm not gonna lie. Pictures don't
even do it justice.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
It looks so delightful.
Speaker 5 (17:15):
It is, honestly Sale. It's a suburb of Manchester, so
where I was pretty lucky to live, maybe fifteen minute
tram ride into the city, so you kind of get
the best of all worlds. Canals amazing, coffee's great, food's amazing,
rugby's amazing. Ten out of ten place. I'm not gonna lie.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
You're making me want to go.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
But also you play in women's lead rugby for the
Boston ban Cheese. What's the biggest difference right now that
you see in this up and coming league here in
the US versus more established stuff across the pond.
Speaker 5 (17:50):
You know, I think that's probably the only really well,
there's differences, but I think the main one is that
this was the first year. Honest the PWR has been
It's been for long years, but I think four five
years in like this certain system, So I think WR
(18:12):
is great. Getting all a bunch of the talent with USA,
it's just going to take a few more years to
keep the ball rolling and getting it more professionalized than everything.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
So PWR is a premiership women's rugby out across the Pond,
and that's been around for a while.
Speaker 5 (18:32):
Yeah, twenty seventeen is when it started, but there's been
so much history, That's what I'm trying to say. There's
a lot of history of women's rugby before that, So
it's kind of like we're just America is doing the
same thing. We're just starting to get more professionalized, getting
more people and getting more of the public to see that.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
Olivia, what do you wish more people knew about rugby
in the States as we get prepared for this World Cup?
Speaker 3 (18:56):
I think that I wish people knew that it's physical,
but it's dynamic, and I think that there's a lot
of really wonderful personalities that are behind the players who
step out onto the field each game. You know, a
lot of the players are funny and just have great personalities,
and I think a lot of people would enjoy to
see more of Katie.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
Do you have any advice for the rookie You've been
at this for a handful of years.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
This is Olivia's first World Cup. What does she need
to know?
Speaker 5 (19:25):
Oh, she's she's learning it as she goes. I think,
just enjoy it. These tournaments are like pressure cookers a
little bit like physically, emotionally mentally, So it's just like
making sure that you have a you can take care
of yourself, and you have to rely on your teammates
and just knowing that everyone is there for you. Because
(19:48):
this we're just starting and we've been with each other
for I think six seven weeks and we're at that
halfway part where we're like, oh, this is, this is
We're feeling it, but just knowing that your teammates are
there with you and just be excited for it. It's
like World Cups are fun, so much, so much, so
much excitement Olivia.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
What can our listeners read, watch, or listen to to
get themselves ready for the World Cup? Is there a
great resource where they can kind of give themselves like
a quick study and get ready to watch.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
I'm pretty sure YouTube has a few, just like rugby
videos that really explain it pretty well and pretty quickly
that I think could be a good resource for people
who don't know much about rugby or anything at all.
Speaker 5 (20:33):
You might not know what's going on in rugby. I
don't think my mom even knows what's going on in rugby,
and she's been involved with it for over maybe thirty
five years. So just have fun watching.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
Yeah, you'll figure it out as you go. Basically, yeah, yeah, Olivia.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
I was reading about this flashing led mouthguard that's gonna
be worn during the World Cup. It's gonna kind of
light up if a player gets head impact during a match,
and it will be read. If the impact is severe
enough that it could potentially cause a concussion, the referee
is going to stop play, the player has to go
off get assessed for a head injury, and they sort
(21:10):
of work by measuring how much your head moves up
and down or rotates during a collision. What do the
players think about this technology and the opportunity for the
officials to kind of potentially pull you if something serious happens.
Speaker 4 (21:24):
Overall, I think the mouthguards are a good thing.
Speaker 3 (21:27):
I think that having a piece of technology that will
alert the med staff or visibly be seen that there
was high impact to someone's head, I think will be
really beneficial for the long run. I think some players
feel a little iffy about them sometimes just because like
(21:48):
if there's like a misreading and they have to be
taken out of the game for an HIA. Also, the
hias are sometimes a little bit of a tough test
because you get taken off. You know, you're adrenaline, like
really running, and you're being asked these questions and you're
not necessarily in like a calm state where I think
some people aren't necessarily in the best position to like
(22:10):
answer the questions. But I think ultimately at the end
of the day, the mock carts are really good and
we'll do a lot for the game and people's safety.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
Head injury assessment HIA is what you're talking about. Yeah,
I mean, Katie, it's obviously can be a violent sport,
can be a dangerous sport. We know in other more
highly publicized and covered sports like the NFL, there's a
lot of conversation about head injuries. What's the larger conversation
(22:40):
in women's rugby about of course wanting to play and
you know, do your thing, but also protect yourself.
Speaker 5 (22:48):
I think the biggest thing that we do to protect
our head is just learn how to fall correct, like
the right way and how to tackle correctly.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
Like we do.
Speaker 5 (22:58):
There's a lot of technique you can just tackle and everything,
because that is like the biggest thing to help with
those injury injuries to the head. There's a lot of
technology out there that some people wear scrum caps and
some people There's all different things that people do, but
(23:19):
I think the biggest thing is just knowing how to
tackle correctly and knowing how to fall and that mouthguard
because that mouthguard does help you with like the biting
down which can also cause those head head injuries. So
biggest thing is just, yeah, learn how to tackle and fall.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
Yeah, learn how to fall for life in general.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
Yeah, all right, before we let you go, you have
to do our version of bench start cut. It is good, gooder, goodest.
So nothing has to be cut. You just go something's good,
something's gooder, and something is the very best.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
It's goodest.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
So scoring a try, nailing a killer drop goal, or
a juicy tackle, Olivia, give me those good good or goodest.
Speaker 4 (24:06):
Well, I can't say I'll be hitting many a drop goals.
I'll say that's good.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
Scoring a try would probably be goodest, and then a
tackle will be gooder, gooder.
Speaker 5 (24:20):
How about you, Katie, I am with the good with
the drop goal. I don't think I should ever be
drop kicking a ball. I think gooder would be scoring
a try and goodest would just be nailing a tackle.
Speaker 2 (24:39):
Yeah, spoken like a true prop.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
If I know anything about being a prop, which I don't,
but I gathered that your job would be to hit.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
The snot out of people a lot.
Speaker 5 (24:49):
Yeah. Yeah, that's one of the top five things to
do as a prop. I won't lie. Well.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
Thank you guys so much for giving me some time
as we get ready for the World Cup. We can't
wait to watch, and I do love how Alona has
been taking every opportunity, whatever stage she's on, whatever post
she's making, to try to draw attention to this event
for everybody to really get involved and start watching the
US at more than just the Olympics. So good luck
to both of you. We're looking forward to watching the
(25:16):
eagles fly.
Speaker 4 (25:17):
Thank you so much, Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
Thanks so much to Olivia and Katie for joining me
from across the pond. We got to take another break
when we come back. A skateboarder on a mission to
raise money does her big one welcome back slices. We
love that you're listening, but we want you to get
(25:43):
in the game every day too, So here's our good
game play of the day. Make time on your schedule
to watch Olivia and Katie in action. The Women's Rugby
World Cup kicks off on Friday at two thirty pm Eastern,
with the tenth ranked US facing the hosts world number
one England in pool play. You can watch that one
live on CBS Sports or streaming on Paramount Plus. We'll
(26:04):
link to the full World Cup schedule in our show notes.
And we always love to hear from you, so hit
us up on email good game at wondermedianetwork dot com
or leave us a voicemail at eight seven two two
oh four fifty seventy And y'all, I tell you every time,
don't forget.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
To subscribe, rate and review.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
Just scroll down to those stars, click five and say
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Speaker 2 (26:23):
It's so easy.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
Watch the first woman to skateboard across America rating one
hundred eighteen out of one hundred eighteen days of kick
pushing and Kickin' ass review. Twenty nine year old Brook Johnson,
a woman from Seattle, completed her journey across the US
on August fifteenth and yes slices. She did it all
on a skateboard. Johnson started her three thousand and ninety
(26:47):
one point seven mile quest in Venice, California, and for
one hundred eighteen days she rode her four wheels toward
the East Coast, finally finishing in Virginia Beach.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
Now why'd she do it all? The challenge was in.
Speaker 1 (26:59):
Memory of for he step dad, Roger, who passed away
from a spinal cord entry. She spoke to Wavy News
in Virginia Beach about her motivation, saying, quote, I promised
him I would skate across America to raise money for
his recovery. Unfortunately we lost him during that period of time.
I told him I would get a world record in
his name, and so we would raise money and we
would get this world record end quote.
Speaker 2 (27:20):
And she did both.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
Her goal was to raise fifty thousand dollars for Wings
for Life USA Spinal Cord Research Foundation, and per the
updated donation page, she crushed it. Brook's efforts helped to
raise over fifty four thousand dollars. Brook, you're officially a badass.
You made that promise, set that goal and skated right
by it.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
Hats off to you and slices.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
The donation page is still live, so we'll link to
it in our show notes in case you want to
show a little love. Now it's your turn rate and review,
but really do it like right now, Go.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
Do it now. Thanks listening, See you tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (27:58):
Good game, Olivia and Katie, Good game, Brooke Hugh, the
fact that scruttle isn't a thing yet. Good Game with
Sarah Spain is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership
with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us
on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get
your podcasts. Production by Wonder Media Network, our producers are
(28:20):
Alex Azzie and Misha Jones. Our executive producers are Christina Everett,
Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan and Emily Rudder. Our editors are
Emily Rutter, Britney Martinez, Grace Lynch, and Gianna Palmer. Our
associate producer is Lucy Jones. Production assistance from Avery Loftus
and I'm Your Host Sarah Spain
Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're all
getting fitted for mouthguards because we've got rugby fever and
because safety comes first.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
It's Wednesday, August twentieth.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Then on today's show will be skipping the need to
know and jumping straight into my conversation with USA rugby
players Olivia Leatherman and Katie Benson ahead of the Women's
Rugby World Cup.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Starting Friday in England.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
We dig into how they both got their start in
the sport, the difference between rugby fifteens and rugby seven's,
Alona Mar's insane impact on rugby coverage, and what they
wish more folks knew about the game. That conversation's coming
up right after this. Joining US now, she's a prop
(00:42):
for the US national rugby team, the Eagles, plus the
Boston Banshees of the Women's Late Rugby League and the
Sale Sharks of Greater Manchester, England. Originally from Buffalo, New York,
where she grew up starring and cross country, she started
her rugby career at Penn State, where she helped lead
her team to five national championships across fifteens and sevens.
Made her national team debut against England in twenty fifteen,
(01:03):
and is one of the most capped women's Eagles, having
represented the US at the twenty seventeen and twenty twenty
one Rugby World Cups. Her Insta pics make every city
she's in look like absolute magic. I'm booking a flight
to Sale asap. It's Katie Benson.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Hi, Katie, Hi, how are you? I'm good? Thanks for
joining us? Also joining us.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
She's a prop for the US national rugby team, the Eagles,
and the Ealing Trail Finders Rugby Club of West London.
A native of Parma, Ohio, she played rugby and soccer
growing up and joined the rugby club at Notre Dame
College in South Euclid, Ohio, and has worked her way
up to the senior national team, getting her first call
up this year. Her go to karaoke song is Carrie
Underwood's Before He Cheats, and she recently celebrated her birthday.
(01:45):
But she's the oldest twenty three year old you've ever met.
She somehow prefers phone calls to texts, shopping in store
to online, and she loves staying in with the book.
Next thing She's gonna tell us She's taken up knitting
and staring out at the lawn.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
It's Olivia Leatherman.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Hi, Olivia Helthough, actually I dochet. I'm working on a project.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
Here are there we go?
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Yeah, we're gonna there we go. Okay, we are going
to club.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Okay, we're gonna dive into how you're the oldest twenty
three year old I've ever heard of. Later, but thank
you for joining us and getting us pumped for the
upcoming Rugby World Cup in England. It's kicking off later
this month. We can all watch it live on Paramount Plus.
But if we're gonna watch it, we need to understand it.
So y'all have to help us with some of the basics. Katie,
can you explain the format for this World Cup tournament?
(02:29):
Just like pool play, how you advance all that good stuff.
Speaker 5 (02:33):
Yeah, So we have pool plays. So there's four pools
and you play each team in your pool. Our first
game is against England in two weeks, and then we
moved to Australia and then Samoa and then based on
how that goes, we you go to quarterfinals, semifinals, finals.
(02:53):
First three games are the most important to us right now.
Big game against England and then we go from there.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Okay, so it's similar to the soccer or footy World
Cup that we're all sort of aware of. You got
to get out of your pool and then you start
to get into the elimination rounds. Olivia, can you help
us understand the difference between rugby fifteens and rugby sevens?
What's the basic gist of both of those kinds of rugby?
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Yeah, so sevens is seven v seven and those are
fourteen minute games, so those go buy a lot quicker
and you can play more than one in a day,
and fifteen's is fifteen v fifteen and they're eighty minute games.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
And then the set pieces also look a little bit different.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Yeah, the scrums are eight versus eight and a scrum
in fifteens, and then in sevens the scrums are three
B three.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
So set pieces are things that we might be familiar
with in soccer, like corner kicks or things where the
whistle has blown, everybody stops and then you do something
that you've already written up the x's and oh's of,
And there's a variety of kinds in rugby. But what
are the biggest skill sets in fifteens versus seven does
one prioritize fast players or versatile players or players who
(04:05):
have more endurance? Is there a big difference in who
might start in fifteens versus sevens, Olivia?
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Yeah, so I'd say fifteen's is a little bit more
position specific. So like a prop, for example, is not
necessarily going to be your fastest player out there. They're
going to be typically the stronger player, and they're in
the front row of the scrum, so that's their biggest job.
Speaker 4 (04:31):
Is just being able to scrum.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
Well, you know, and we have like our flat half,
who is like our most tactical position on the field,
is like our big playmaker, decision maker, and then you
have like the wings who are really finishing plays off
for us and scoring the tries.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Okay, so taking a swing at this, props are kind
of like linemen, and the second one you said, it's
kind of like a quarterback, and the third one kind
of like wide receivers.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
Yeah, I say so, okay.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Katie, we all watched the Olympic rugby that was sevens,
but in the World Cup there's actually fifteens and sevens
that are competed.
Speaker 5 (05:12):
So for fifteens it's every four years and sevens is
every four years, so it's kind of like the summer
and Winter Olympics where it goes like every two years.
We did have because of COVID, we had it at
another year for last World Cup, so this has been
like a three year cycle, so usually it kind of changes.
And then with also with the men, it kind of
(05:35):
it's like you have like a World Cup like every
year every two years.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
So okay, cool and are a lot of the same
people doing the fifteens and the sevens or at the
very very highest level do people start to really specialize
and only focus on one.
Speaker 5 (05:49):
I think it's the mixture of both. You know, we
have a few sevens players on our team right now.
But it depends on what year it is for World Cup.
So if it's a fifteen, some people focus more a
little bit more on fifteen's. If it's seven's, they focus sevens.
If the Olympics comes like it just depends on that year.
But it's usually a lot of our wings and are
(06:12):
like our backs and sometimes our back row. That kind
of enter switch between the two styles of rugby.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
Cool, okay, so Olivia, you're both props. You mentioned sort
of like the lineman up front do a lot of
your work in the scrum or the word that my
friend invented scruddle, which is both a huddle and a scrum.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
So are you tight heads or loose heads? And what's
the difference?
Speaker 4 (06:35):
Ironically we are both.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
We are, but.
Speaker 4 (06:41):
There is a difference.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
Uh, loose head, you're on the left side of scrum and.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
Trying to figure out how your head free.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Yeah, your head is free, like you're on the more
open side, whereas tight head you're in between two other players.
Your head goes in between two other players, so you're
like trapped in if that makes sense.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
Like shoulder to shoulder, pushing against someone all the time.
Speaker 4 (07:11):
Yeah, got it?
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Okay, so quite literally, tight head.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
Or yeah, I'd say they both require different like technical
skill sets, Like just because you can play one, does
it mean you can play both. Like they both require
especially at the international level, they both require different skill sets.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
So I've been working on learning how to play both.
And I will tell you that it is different. It's
not a same.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Well that brings me to the beginning.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
So, Katie, how did you start playing rugby and how
did you figure out like that this was a great
sport for you and a fit for what you were
good at.
Speaker 5 (07:51):
Yeah, so my dad played rugby, and I think that's
a big reason why my mom was like, yeah, we
could wait a few years so you can start playing
rugby because my dad would come home with ah, he
couldn't even walk up the stairs some games. Granted he
was getting a little bit older, but yeah, I didn't
start playing rugby until I got into college. I tried
(08:14):
really hard when I was younger. I used to Irish
dance and at the Irish Center they had rugby like practices,
and I was really trying to get my dad to
sign me up, but my mom, I think we were
just rushed so much that day, and my dad's like, okay,
we need to actually between me and my sister, he's like,
we have so many sports, we need to get you going.
So then when I got to college, one of the
(08:37):
girls in my science class, her roommate was playing rugby
and she goes like, oh, yeah, you should try it out.
And I was at that time doing club cross country,
so I was like, you know, let's try this out,
and fell in love with it. I think I called
my dad right away and I was.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
Like, this is the best sport ever. And he was just.
Speaker 5 (08:54):
Like, I've told you this so many times and he
was so excited, and yeah, just kind of from there,
I just kept playing and I was awesome. Was really
really lucky to have a great foundation.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Yeah, what about you, Olivia.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
Yes, I was in high school and I played soccer
and I swam, and I was like looking for like
a third sport to like fill that last, you know, season.
And one of my friends played for the guys team
and he was recruiting for the girls team, and I
was like, you know, I feel like this would be
a lot of fun. So I went and tried it out,
and I think like my first or second practice actually
(09:29):
got concussed.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
And so I was out for right.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
So it was out for quite a while, but I
ended up like sticking with it, and yeah, I had
a lot of fun, and I'm really glad I tried
it out.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Katie, when you were coming up because your dad played,
did you have rugby players you could admire and look
up to even as a kid or when you got
to college or was it hard to try to find
sort of the role models in the sport.
Speaker 5 (09:56):
To be honest with you, my dad played to like
maybe I was like ten years old, and I think
that's when my sister and I. Oh, granted he was
getting older so it was a little bit rough. But
I used to just watch games and like I didn't
really think much of it. I think I was just
playing with my sister. I I was in a million
(10:20):
other sports, so I wasn't really focused on rugby at
that time. But once I could start focusing, I did.
I used to go to some like watch some games
with him, and then I would start to like see
these players and be like, oh, that's really cool. But no,
not really, like not when I was just just I
just wasn't focused on it.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Yeah, Olivia, how about you are there like all time
favorite rugby players that you'll look up to.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
I don't think like when I was like playing in
high school, like it was just like such a for
fun thing for me that like I wasn't really I
didn't really watch too much international rugby when I was
growing up, so I didn't really have Yeah, and I
think also at the time, at least for women's rugby,
it was it wasn't as easily accessible. So yeah, I
(11:06):
don't think I ever really had that player who stuck
out to me, I used.
Speaker 5 (11:12):
To watch a lot of like the like the old
men's games, like that's what like, you'd watch whatever. There
wasn't a lot of women's games that were always broadcasts.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
We got to take a quick break when we come
back more with Olivia and Katie back in a jiff.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
All right, Well, now.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
We do get to watch this upcoming Rugby World Cup
and Olivia team USA. The Eagles get started against the
home team of England.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
That's one of the three opponents in your pool.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
So how tough will it be facing England at home
in front of their fans in the very first game.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
Yeah, I think it'll be tough.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
I mean every game is tough, but I think there's
just it's like an incredible opportunity to play that opening game,
and yeah, I think that energy will be pretty electric.
But at the end of the day, it will be
a tough game, and I think that will have to
definitely be level headed going into the game and trust that,
you know, we are prepared because we've been preparing for
(12:16):
a long time. So yeah, I think just trusting that
we're prepared and trusting a system.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
Katie, who are some of the expected favorites in the tournament.
Speaker 5 (12:25):
England is probably one of them. We're in there. We're
also in that country. New Zealand is always a top
for Canada. I think since the last World Cup it's
just been a lot of growing that there's a lot
of teams that will probably put a big foot on
the or put their foot out there. So there's a
(12:46):
lot there's a few teams that I think and I
think there will be will be some surprises.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
So yeah, over three hundred and thirty thousand tickets sold,
probably more by the time this runs, more than double
the previous Women's Rugby World Cup totals, so Olivia. What's
been the biggest driver of new interest in rugby across
the world?
Speaker 3 (13:05):
I think just you know, obviously Alona mar has been
like a huge driver in that, Like just her presence
on social media during the Olympics I think really drove that.
But then also I think like we're just having as
a society just like a change in starting to follow
women's sports. And I think Caitlyn Clark definitely I started
(13:25):
that drive like just for women's sports as a whole,
which has been really cool. So I think a lot
more people are starting to follow women's sports because it
is fun, it is exciting, and rugby is a really
awesome sport and a really empowering sport for women. So
I think people are starting to realize that and are
wanting to invest their time and their money into it.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
Yeah, obviously, Alona mar it's a combination of her personality,
her social media, her ability, and then of course the
bronze that came at the Olympics, which was so huge
for the US and really helped Americans sort of like
get on board with this women's team. Katie, You've been
at this for a long time. How is it balancing
the excitement and enthusiasm that the team must have for
(14:10):
Alona and bringing so much attention with the sort of
weirdness of it being this one person from the team
that's out there sort of representing everybody. Is it hard ever,
whether that's in terms of jealousy of her attention or
whether it's wanting people to know more about the rest
of the team.
Speaker 5 (14:29):
No, I think it's been great. I think Low. You know,
obviously Low has so much spotlight on her, but she
also shows that spotlight to her teammates, so like I
she'll just if we're walking through this campus, like people
will be like, oh, like, oh, it's low and she'll
be like, oh, hey, these are my teammates, and you know,
(14:52):
she doesn't just bring that spotlight. I'm so happy she
brought so much spotlight to the sport. But she's also
bringing so much spotlight to other players, and not just
from our country, other countries, because there are a ridiculous
amount of talent in this pool of women that is
here just front with rugby and everything. So it's been amazing.
(15:12):
I think she's shown so much light to the sport
and it's cool to see, you know, little kids, girls
and boys be like, I want to play rugby because
they see her, like even if she's from Dancy with
the Stars in Canto and they see her holding up
the dog like it's enough. Yeah, Like they just see
that and they want to keep trying, so like they
(15:34):
want to do this sport that she is involved in.
So it's just been great all around.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
It's obviously brought a lot of attention to the sport
in the States, but it still seems like the most
viable way to be a professional is overseas Olivia.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
Both of you are playing on teams in England.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Obviously, World Elite rugby started and is trying to get
going in the States, but it's not really fully professional
the same way what you're doing overseas is. So how
is it have to go across the pond and play
in England Olivia?
Speaker 3 (16:03):
Yeah, it's a wonderful experience.
Speaker 4 (16:05):
I'm not gonna lie.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
At first, I was really closed off to the idea.
I never wanted to leave home. I then I took
the opportunity that was given to.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
Me and I have really loved it. I'm not gonna lie.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
It's always tough being away from home and away from
your family, but I think my life over in England
has been great, and I've met some really great friends,
and I get to experience new things and new cultures,
and I think overall it's a great experience, and the
rugby has been great, you know. Still having a full
(16:41):
time training environment and a very high level training environment,
training with internationals from all over the world is a
great experience and it has helped me and my rugby a lot.
Speaker 4 (16:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
I've seen a lot of your posts on Instagram just
talking about all the travel in the countries and places
that you get to visit and where rugby has brought,
which is really cool. Obviously, Katie, the same for you.
First of all, is Sale as magical as it looks
in your photos? Or are you just a dynamic photographer?
Speaker 5 (17:09):
It's even more magical. I'm not gonna lie. Pictures don't
even do it justice.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
It looks so delightful.
Speaker 5 (17:15):
It is, honestly Sale. It's a suburb of Manchester, so
where I was pretty lucky to live, maybe fifteen minute
tram ride into the city, so you kind of get
the best of all worlds. Canals amazing, coffee's great, food's amazing,
rugby's amazing. Ten out of ten place. I'm not gonna lie.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
You're making me want to go.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
But also you play in women's lead rugby for the
Boston ban Cheese. What's the biggest difference right now that
you see in this up and coming league here in
the US versus more established stuff across the pond.
Speaker 5 (17:50):
You know, I think that's probably the only really well,
there's differences, but I think the main one is that
this was the first year. Honest the PWR has been
It's been for long years, but I think four five
years in like this certain system, So I think WR
(18:12):
is great. Getting all a bunch of the talent with USA,
it's just going to take a few more years to
keep the ball rolling and getting it more professionalized than everything.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
So PWR is a premiership women's rugby out across the Pond,
and that's been around for a while.
Speaker 5 (18:32):
Yeah, twenty seventeen is when it started, but there's been
so much history, That's what I'm trying to say. There's
a lot of history of women's rugby before that, So
it's kind of like we're just America is doing the
same thing. We're just starting to get more professionalized, getting
more people and getting more of the public to see that.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
Olivia, what do you wish more people knew about rugby
in the States as we get prepared for this World Cup?
Speaker 3 (18:56):
I think that I wish people knew that it's physical,
but it's dynamic, and I think that there's a lot
of really wonderful personalities that are behind the players who
step out onto the field each game. You know, a
lot of the players are funny and just have great personalities,
and I think a lot of people would enjoy to
see more of Katie.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
Do you have any advice for the rookie You've been
at this for a handful of years.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
This is Olivia's first World Cup. What does she need
to know?
Speaker 5 (19:25):
Oh, she's she's learning it as she goes. I think,
just enjoy it. These tournaments are like pressure cookers a
little bit like physically, emotionally mentally, So it's just like
making sure that you have a you can take care
of yourself, and you have to rely on your teammates
and just knowing that everyone is there for you. Because
(19:48):
this we're just starting and we've been with each other
for I think six seven weeks and we're at that
halfway part where we're like, oh, this is, this is
We're feeling it, but just knowing that your teammates are
there with you and just be excited for it. It's
like World Cups are fun, so much, so much, so
much excitement Olivia.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
What can our listeners read, watch, or listen to to
get themselves ready for the World Cup? Is there a
great resource where they can kind of give themselves like
a quick study and get ready to watch.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
I'm pretty sure YouTube has a few, just like rugby
videos that really explain it pretty well and pretty quickly
that I think could be a good resource for people
who don't know much about rugby or anything at all.
Speaker 5 (20:33):
You might not know what's going on in rugby. I
don't think my mom even knows what's going on in rugby,
and she's been involved with it for over maybe thirty
five years. So just have fun watching.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
Yeah, you'll figure it out as you go. Basically, yeah, yeah, Olivia.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
I was reading about this flashing led mouthguard that's gonna
be worn during the World Cup. It's gonna kind of
light up if a player gets head impact during a match,
and it will be read. If the impact is severe
enough that it could potentially cause a concussion, the referee
is going to stop play, the player has to go
off get assessed for a head injury, and they sort
(21:10):
of work by measuring how much your head moves up
and down or rotates during a collision. What do the
players think about this technology and the opportunity for the
officials to kind of potentially pull you if something serious happens.
Speaker 4 (21:24):
Overall, I think the mouthguards are a good thing.
Speaker 3 (21:27):
I think that having a piece of technology that will
alert the med staff or visibly be seen that there
was high impact to someone's head, I think will be
really beneficial for the long run. I think some players
feel a little iffy about them sometimes just because like
(21:48):
if there's like a misreading and they have to be
taken out of the game for an HIA. Also, the
hias are sometimes a little bit of a tough test
because you get taken off. You know, you're adrenaline, like
really running, and you're being asked these questions and you're
not necessarily in like a calm state where I think
some people aren't necessarily in the best position to like
(22:10):
answer the questions. But I think ultimately at the end
of the day, the mock carts are really good and
we'll do a lot for the game and people's safety.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
Head injury assessment HIA is what you're talking about. Yeah,
I mean, Katie, it's obviously can be a violent sport,
can be a dangerous sport. We know in other more
highly publicized and covered sports like the NFL, there's a
lot of conversation about head injuries. What's the larger conversation
(22:40):
in women's rugby about of course wanting to play and
you know, do your thing, but also protect yourself.
Speaker 5 (22:48):
I think the biggest thing that we do to protect
our head is just learn how to fall correct, like
the right way and how to tackle correctly.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
Like we do.
Speaker 5 (22:58):
There's a lot of technique you can just tackle and everything,
because that is like the biggest thing to help with
those injury injuries to the head. There's a lot of
technology out there that some people wear scrum caps and
some people There's all different things that people do, but
(23:19):
I think the biggest thing is just knowing how to
tackle correctly and knowing how to fall and that mouthguard
because that mouthguard does help you with like the biting
down which can also cause those head head injuries. So
biggest thing is just, yeah, learn how to tackle and fall.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
Yeah, learn how to fall for life in general.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
Yeah, all right, before we let you go, you have
to do our version of bench start cut. It is good, gooder, goodest.
So nothing has to be cut. You just go something's good,
something's gooder, and something is the very best.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
It's goodest.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
So scoring a try, nailing a killer drop goal, or
a juicy tackle, Olivia, give me those good good or goodest.
Speaker 4 (24:06):
Well, I can't say I'll be hitting many a drop goals.
I'll say that's good.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
Scoring a try would probably be goodest, and then a
tackle will be gooder, gooder.
Speaker 5 (24:20):
How about you, Katie, I am with the good with
the drop goal. I don't think I should ever be
drop kicking a ball. I think gooder would be scoring
a try and goodest would just be nailing a tackle.
Speaker 2 (24:39):
Yeah, spoken like a true prop.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
If I know anything about being a prop, which I don't,
but I gathered that your job would be to hit.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
The snot out of people a lot.
Speaker 5 (24:49):
Yeah. Yeah, that's one of the top five things to
do as a prop. I won't lie. Well.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
Thank you guys so much for giving me some time
as we get ready for the World Cup. We can't
wait to watch, and I do love how Alona has
been taking every opportunity, whatever stage she's on, whatever post
she's making, to try to draw attention to this event
for everybody to really get involved and start watching the
US at more than just the Olympics. So good luck
to both of you. We're looking forward to watching the
(25:16):
eagles fly.
Speaker 4 (25:17):
Thank you so much, Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
Thanks so much to Olivia and Katie for joining me
from across the pond. We got to take another break
when we come back. A skateboarder on a mission to
raise money does her big one welcome back slices. We
love that you're listening, but we want you to get
(25:43):
in the game every day too, So here's our good
game play of the day. Make time on your schedule
to watch Olivia and Katie in action. The Women's Rugby
World Cup kicks off on Friday at two thirty pm Eastern,
with the tenth ranked US facing the hosts world number
one England in pool play. You can watch that one
live on CBS Sports or streaming on Paramount Plus. We'll
(26:04):
link to the full World Cup schedule in our show notes.
And we always love to hear from you, so hit
us up on email good game at wondermedianetwork dot com
or leave us a voicemail at eight seven two two
oh four fifty seventy And y'all, I tell you every time,
don't forget.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
To subscribe, rate and review.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
Just scroll down to those stars, click five and say
something nice about us.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
It's so easy.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
Watch the first woman to skateboard across America rating one
hundred eighteen out of one hundred eighteen days of kick
pushing and Kickin' ass review. Twenty nine year old Brook Johnson,
a woman from Seattle, completed her journey across the US
on August fifteenth and yes slices. She did it all
on a skateboard. Johnson started her three thousand and ninety
(26:47):
one point seven mile quest in Venice, California, and for
one hundred eighteen days she rode her four wheels toward
the East Coast, finally finishing in Virginia Beach.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
Now why'd she do it all? The challenge was in.
Speaker 1 (26:59):
Memory of for he step dad, Roger, who passed away
from a spinal cord entry. She spoke to Wavy News
in Virginia Beach about her motivation, saying, quote, I promised
him I would skate across America to raise money for
his recovery. Unfortunately we lost him during that period of time.
I told him I would get a world record in
his name, and so we would raise money and we
would get this world record end quote.
Speaker 2 (27:20):
And she did both.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
Her goal was to raise fifty thousand dollars for Wings
for Life USA Spinal Cord Research Foundation, and per the
updated donation page, she crushed it. Brook's efforts helped to
raise over fifty four thousand dollars. Brook, you're officially a badass.
You made that promise, set that goal and skated right
by it.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
Hats off to you and slices.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
The donation page is still live, so we'll link to
it in our show notes in case you want to
show a little love. Now it's your turn rate and review,
but really do it like right now, Go.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
Do it now. Thanks listening, See you tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (27:58):
Good game, Olivia and Katie, Good game, Brooke Hugh, the
fact that scruttle isn't a thing yet. Good Game with
Sarah Spain is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership
with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us
on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get
your podcasts. Production by Wonder Media Network, our producers are
(28:20):
Alex Azzie and Misha Jones. Our executive producers are Christina Everett,
Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan and Emily Rudder. Our editors are
Emily Rutter, Britney Martinez, Grace Lynch, and Gianna Palmer. Our
associate producer is Lucy Jones. Production assistance from Avery Loftus
and I'm Your Host Sarah Spain
Host
Sarah Spain
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