Former Scotland Rugby Star Launches Online Platform to Mentor Young Players – Scottish Business News

A former Scotland rugby star has revealed his ambition to help young aspiring players ‘catch the eye’ of scouts for top teams and develop their game and character. 

Adam Ashe, 31, was famed for his all-action prowess in the number 8 position on the field for Glasgow Warriors and Scotland’s national side until suffering a serious ankle injury in 2017. 

A subsequent switch to coaching in the United States ignited a ‘passion’ in the sportsman-turned-businessman for ‘helping people and having an impact on their lives’.  

Since moving back across the pond to settle in Glasgow with wife, Alisa and their baby son, six-cap former Scotland forward Ashe has launched The Mental Framework – an online learning platform for aspiring rugby players aged 15-to-20 years old. 

From mindset tips to leadership skills and advice on how to ‘learn the game faster’, the former-pro says the practical lessons reveal things young players can do to catch the attention of decision-makers on whether they have what it takes to progress in their careers. 

Entrepreneur Ashe, originally from Alva, Clackmannanshire, opened up on his career change which also includes running and investing in a number of businesses, in the first episode of The Human First podcast with Adrian Murphy. 

Murphy is a financial planner and CEO of Murphy Wealth, a Glasgow-based wealth management firm that works with hundreds of families to achieve their ambitions through careful financial planning. 

His team of experts help several ex-professional athletes manage the transition following retirement and create a life after sport, something Ashe too has emulated in his post-rugby career. 

The Human First™️ podcast is a series from Murphy Wealth CEO Adrian Murphy, in which he discusses life, money, motivation, and family with some of the most prominent and recognisable faces in Scottish business and public life. 

Speaking on the podcast, Ashe explained how he ‘woke up and questioned’ his career following his horrific 2017 ankle injury, but a move to California and a stint at the newly formed LA Giltinis prolonged his playing career in Major League Rugby, where he enjoyed a title winning first season. 

Ashe, who announced his retirement from playing altogether in 2022 after suffering a neck injury, diverted his attention to coaching in LA with UCLA Bruins, before taking a similar role with Chicago Hounds a year later. 

He said: “I am really passionate about coaching. I did that for a year in Chicago after LA, but it was a very, very intense role and I had to think about whether a career in pro coaching was going to be best with a baby on the way.”

“The Mental Framework is practical lessons from an ex-professional rugby player around the things that these young players can do to catch the eyes of people who make the decisions on whether they can progress or not.

“It involves a lot of practical mindset lessons such as how to deal with the fear of making mistakes, how to communicate and how to lead a sports team. I will be moving in that direction and doing some consulting with schools and individuals who can take the course,” he added. 

Alongside his new mentoring venture, Ashe is still involved in Puresport, the CBD and wellness brand he founded with former Warriors teammate Grayson Hart that was born out of trying to ‘solve a problem in his own life’ – pain caused by the rigours of professional rugby – and Zappaty, a data sharing platform. 

He told host Murphy: “I had experienced a back-to-back ankle injury and had just had surgery. Around the 20-week mark, I was starting to wonder if this was a permanent injury, and if I would ever get back on the field.

“I was starting to research alternative health supplements, one of those was CBD. So, I tried it and it helped massively.

“It was a major turning point for me with that injury. Athletes at that point didn’t have access to it in the UK.

“I thought something could be done with bringing a product to the market. Players started using it and seeing the same benefits, and they started to share and talk about it. It came from solving a problem in my life.”

Ashe’s passion for helping others grow now extends far beyond the ruby field as he spends time investing in a number of start-up businesses.

Murphy said: “While many athletes come to us a little bit unsure of what to do next, Adam is very clear on what he wants from life.

“To build a hugely successful and game changing company while still playing professional sport is quite remarkable. 

“He has a fascinating story – and that’s why I launched this podcast, to speak to inspiring people and learn about what makes them tick.” 

The five-part The Human First™️ series includes interviews with guests including Sub Club founder and legend of the Scottish nightclub scene Mike Grieve; Michelin starred chef Lorna McNee;  Willo founder and pioneering rec-tech entrepreneur Euan Cameron; and architecture entrepreneur and Scotland’s Home of the Year judge, Danny Campbell. 

You can find out more about Murphy Wealth and the financial advice services the firm offers by clicking here, and you can listen to the 30 minute podcast in full by searching for Human First on all major platforms, including Spotify and YouTube.

For more information on Murphy Wealth, visit ​​murphywealth.co.uk. To find out more about The Mental Framework visit adam-s-site-5d11.thinkific.com/courses/the-mental-framework