Running with the Pack: The story of a business

By International Rugby Players

As Alistair Hargreaves and Chris Wyles were coming to the end of their careers, thoughts turned to what might be next.

Instead of doing an MBA, Wyles, a former USA captain, was convinced by his South African team mate to invest his time, money and energy into a beer, named after their club side Saracens.

Wolfpack Lager was born and it was time to put their money where their proverbial mouths were.

“It is a bit scary and intimidating but I think we saw it as an investment in our future,” said Hargreaves.

“We got some really good advice from business friends and mentors of ours who told us that the skills you learn in rugby are very valuable to businesses but unless you’ve exhibited them away from the field, they can be useless.”

“So we always thought that starting a business was really important for our development,” said Hargreaves.

Moving from selling beers out the back of a bus at Saracens home matches, the guys now have their own pub in London with Wolfpack stocked in 250 – 300 drinking spots around the UK.

Episode 13 of the Players Podcast is a great listen for players or fans interested in rugby, business, player transition or even just beer! Listen now on Spotify, iTunes or above on Soundcloud.

International Rugby Players

/ Contributor

Join the Conversation

Enter your email address and be the first to know about our news and events around the world.