The Rugby Paper Podcast
The Rugby Paper Round Up is your weekly podcast bringing you the biggest stories, standout performances and key insight from across the rugby world. With insight from The Rugby Paper’s Assistant Editor Ben Jaycock and a special guest from the sport each week, they cover everything from the Prem and URC to the Champ, National Leagues, BUCS and the women’s game.
Your essential audio guide to the week in rugby.
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Episodes
Wednesday Oct 11, 2023
Wednesday Oct 11, 2023
The Rugby World Cup pool stages have come to an end, and what a way to finish! Portugal landed their first ever World Cup win, beating Fiji on Sunday night in a remarkable fixture in Toulouse. The result also spelled the end for Australia, with the Wallabies going out before the knockout stages for the first time in their history.
Quarter-finals are upon us, and boy do they look tasty! This episode discusses the fallout of the pool stages as well as looking ahead to four thrilling fixtures this weekend. Part way through the episode, host Ollie Little and experts Nick Cain, Brendan Gallagher and Nick Powell are joined by Wallaby great David Campese!
Monday Oct 02, 2023
Monday Oct 02, 2023
There is just one round of the Rugby World Cup pool stage remaining and it all hinges on week five! The headline from the last round of fixtures was New Zealand re-enforcing their credentials as title contenders with a crushing 96-17 win over Italy. Joining host Ollie Little and columnists Nick Cain, Brendan Gallagher and Chris Hewett to look at the significance of that win as well as look ahead to the blockbuster fixtures to come this weekend is All Black rugby legend, Sean Fitzpatrick.
Monday Sep 25, 2023
Monday Sep 25, 2023
The third weekend of the 2023 Rugby World Cup was absolutely blockbuster, with South Africa v Ireland living up to the hype whilst Australia sunk to a new low under Eddie Jones as a first ever pool stage exit looms large. Joining host Ollie Little and columnists Nick Cain, Brendan Gallagher and Chris Hewett is someone whose nation was on the wrong side of the result in the thriller in Paris on Saturday night: South Africa rugby legend Kobus Wiese.
Tuesday Sep 19, 2023
Tuesday Sep 19, 2023
Two weeks down and we can't wait for the next six! A polarising England performance and a historic win for Fiji among the headlines, the Rugby World Cup pool stage heads towards a pivotal weekend with blockbuster fixtures South Africa v Ireland and Wales v Australia. Joining host Ollie Little and podcast regulars Chris Hewett, Nick Cain and Brendan Gallagher for a cracking episode is Wales rugby legend James Hook!
Tuesday Sep 12, 2023
Tuesday Sep 12, 2023
France light up Paris. George Ford revives England. The battle of Bordeaux. How about that for an opening weekend?
Plenty of talking points as South Africa and France made statement wins over rivals Scotland and New Zealand in Pool A and Pool B, meanwhile on the other side of the draw England and Wales took massive steps towards the knockout stages.
Joining host Ollie Little and columnists Brendan Gallagher and Chris Hewett to reflect on the opening round is Scotland and British and Irish Lion centre and ITV commentator, Scott Hastings.
Wednesday Sep 06, 2023
Wednesday Sep 06, 2023
Here. We. Go. The Rugby World Cup 2023 is upon us, and we can't wait! It's time to look ahead the tournament as a whole, and true to Rugby Paper Podcast tradition, joining host Ollie Little and columnists Nick Cain, Brendan Gallagher and Chris Hewett for the big preview is England and British and Irish Lion legend Jerry Guscott.
In this blockbuster episode, the guys weigh up the pool stages, England's prospects as well as predicting their tournament winners, breakout stars and shock upsets.
Tuesday Aug 29, 2023
Tuesday Aug 29, 2023
We are just over a week away!
England's first ever loss to Fiji marked the low point of their World Cup preparations as Steve Borthwick has now run out of time to gain some sort of momentum ahead of their opening game against Argentina. Conversely, Scotland head into their pool of death clashes against Ireland and South Africa with three wins from four this summer and every chance of getting out of the group. Joining host Ollie Little, columnist Chris Hewett and Digital Editor Nick Powell to discuss Scotland's World Cup chances and England's woes is former fly-half Duncan Hodge.
Thursday Aug 24, 2023
Thursday Aug 24, 2023
Following their respective suspensions, Billy Vunipola and Owen Farrell will miss the start of the World Cup this year as England's preparations continue to falter. This means that England will be without their Number 8 and fly-half and captain for their opener against Argentina.
Today's special guest on the Rugby Paper Podcast is a former Saracens teammate of the banned pair and semi-finalist with Los Pumas.
Giving his take on Argentina's World Cup preparations and the Farrell and Vunipola sagas is, you guessed it, Argentina and Saracens legend Marcelo Bosch!
Tuesday Aug 15, 2023
Tuesday Aug 15, 2023
The Rugby World Cup 2023 draws ever closer and following another weekend of preparation fixtures, things are hotting up.
Eddie Jones named man-mountain Will Skelton Australia's captain for the tournament, omitting Wallabies greats Michael Hooper and Quade Cooper in a bombshell squad announcement.
In what can only be described as a box office podcast episode, joining host Ollie Little and columnists Nick Cain, Brendan Gallagher and Chris Hewett to discuss the Wallabies' chances of lifting the Webb Ellis trophy, the devolution of skills in modern rugby, Owen Farrell's red card and so much more is one of the greatest rugby players of all time and Australian rugby Hall of Famer, David Campese. Fasten your seatbelts!
Monday Aug 07, 2023
Monday Aug 07, 2023
Continuing our review series of the major nations in the lead-up to the World Cup later this year in France, today the guys look at champions South Africa, who defend their title after a turbulent and inconsistent four years. To do so, host Ollie Little and columnists Chris Hewett, Brendan Gallagher and Nick Cain are joined by one of the stalwarts of that 1995 World Cup-winning side, Hennie Le Roux.
At the end of the episode, the guys also scrutinise Steve Borthwick's World Cup squad selections so stay tuned for that!