Gaz and Dan hop back to 2009 — Portland, Oregon — for a trip down memory lane. It’s the World Handball Championships, where legends were made, friendships were forged, and the nights were almost as wild as the games. Expect nostalgia, chaos, and a few questionable memories.

Paul Brady got a 3rd title, Willie Polanco and Rookie Wright cleaned up the 1-Wall, and the English both landed on two feet and invented a banging new game!

We’re back — and this time, it’s all about Rugby Fives! 🧤

Ball Slaps hits the courts at the Rugby Fives London Open, one of the sport’s biggest and most historic tournaments. Host Dan Grant dives into the action, catching the atmosphere and chatting with players across generations.

Hear from:

• 🏆 Dan Tristao, multiple national champion and current no.2 player
• 🎙️ Charlie Brooks, multiple doubles national champion and all-round Fives powerhouse
• 🎾 Hamish Buchanan, retired legend and fan favourite
• 🔥 Freddie Hammond-Giles, one of the game’s rising stars
• ☘️ Terry Mcelvaney on transitioning from Gaelic Handball to Rugby Fives
• 🗂️ Plus, the RFA Secretary, giving us a rare look behind the scenes of the sport’s organisation

Expect competition, nostalgia, laughs, and a few bruised hands.

🎥 Watch on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

👉 Subscribe for more wall-hitting, glove-slapping madness!

Ball Slaps goes international! 🇪🇸
In this special live episode, we head to Tavernes Blanques just outside Valencia for the 1Wall World Tour Spanish Open. Joined by co-host Christian Blackaby, we soak up the sunshine, the atmosphere, and the chaos of one of the most vibrant stops on the wallball circuit.

We chat with:
🎙️ Shinan Zhang, captain of Team GB Women’s squad
🎙️ Chris Gavaghan, the voice of GAA Handball
🎙️ Sahil Shah & Penn Chai, who were about to face off in the Men’s B Final

Expect laughs, live energy, tournament insight, and plenty of ball slapping.

🎥 Watch on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.
👉 Subscribe for more global wallball adventures!

This week we’ve got the legend himself — Dan Tristao. He’s the current no.1 in Rugby Fives and one of the greatest players the game’s ever seen. We chat about how he first got hooked, his cheekiest wins, favourite memories, and what actually goes into training at the very top. Plus, he takes on YOUR questions in classic Ball Slapping style. Big shots, big laughs, big Dan energy.

In this episode of Ball Slapping, Dan and Gareth sit down with Camden Riviere — the current World Number 1 and defending World Champion in Real Tennis (also known as Court Tennis or Royal Tennis or Jeu de Paume).

Camden takes us deep inside one of the oldest, quirkiest, and most complex racket sports on the planet. From his early days in the U.S. to dominating courts around the world, we explore Camden’s journey, the bizarre beauty of the game, and what it takes to be the best in a sport most people have never even heard of.

We talk weird court architecture, ancient rules, rivalries, historic matches, and the mindset of a champion. Plus, Camden answers some great questions from the fans.

If you’ve ever wondered what sport Henry VIII would binge-watch, this is the one.

Welcome to the first ever episode of Ball Slapping—a podcast about the weird and wonderful world of ball sports where you hit things with your hands, a racket, or sometimes a frying pan. Dan Grant and Gareth Price dive into Fives, Wallball, and the chaos of Church Pelota. It’s niche. It’s nerdy. It slaps.