"The podcast is a way of being able to bring the players and supporters closer together, and give them insight into what we are like as individuals away from the rugby pitch."
Josh Bassett
A popular Wasps podcast hosted by two of the club’s first team players has returned to the airwaves at its new state-of-the-art home in Leamington.
Tom Cruse and Josh Bassett recently visited 1 Mill Street - a next generation co-working complex in the town - to record an episode of their Any Sting Goes podcast in the building’s professional video and sound studio.
It’s set to be the first of many monthly episodes recorded by the duo at 1 Mill Street as part of a wider partnership between the complex and Wasps, which will provide the Club with access to meeting space, as well as collaborating on a series of unique networking events and workshops to engage local businesses and partners.
Cruse and Bassett created the Any Sting Goes podcast at the Club’s training ground 18 months ago, which provides a light-hearted look into day-to-day life behind the scenes at the Gallagher Premiership club, and has so far featured special guests such as Joe Launchbury, and BT Sport’s Martin Bayfield and Ben Kay.
Josh said: “The podcast is a way of being able to bring the players and supporters closer together, and give them insight into what we are like as individuals away from the rugby pitch.
“It was great to be back behind a microphone in such unbelievable surroundings at 1 Mill Street, where they have done a brilliant job with the studio.
“We now have state-of-the-art recording equipment and we’ve even got cameras so we can now film the podcast - we feel like we’ve really gone up in the world - they’re great facilities to be able to use and we’ll be making sure we can make the most of them.”
The opening of the video and sound studio at 1 Mill Street paved the way for the return of the Any Sting Goes podcast for the first time since February, which was initially halted due to Covid-19.
Tom aded: “It has been so long since we last recorded our last episode that we used our first visit to 1 Mill Street to talk about lockdown, the players that have left the club, the Gallagher Premiership final and the off-season before a nice little bit with myself at the end - but you’ll have to listen to it to find out what I’m talking about!
“Being able to record here just opens up so many more ways for us to develop the podcast.
“When we return to normality, we can look to bring in special guests both inside and outside of the rugby world, as well as using the studio’s screens to show us a live twitter feed so we can answer questions from supporters while recording.”
The complex - which is situated on the corner of Mill Street and Leam Terrace - recently opened its doors with Covid-secure measures in place.
As well as a video and sound studio, it includes 5G connectivity, hot desking, dedicated desks and flexible offices, a meeting area, flexible event spaces, and The Muse Coffee House.
Nigel Shanahan, founder of 1 Mill Street, commented: “We want 1 Mill Street to be a collaborative space that enables people, ideas and businesses to flourish by working together - and the building has been designed with this concept in mind.
“To have such a well-known name in Wasps using the complex is a real coup for us, and not only does it complement the mix of established and start-up companies that are already using the space, but will also help us to attract even more organisations in the future.”
The Any Sting Goes podcast can be subscribed to via all major podcast provider platforms.
For more information about 1 Mill Street, visit www.1millstreet.com
PICTURE CAPTION: Tom Cruse, Josh Basset and Connor Wilson (1 Mill Street).
