DSPN - Devlin Sports Podcast Network

On today's Rugby Roundtable, we’re covering two very different sporting flashpoints that somehow end up in the same place. Pressure, performance, and who really controls the narrative. We kick things off with the Coco Gauff racket smash at the Australian Open, and whether elite athletes should expect privacy anywhere off the court. Is it fair game, or are we crossing a line when emotion spills ove...

Is the All Blacks coaching process really as simple as we’re being told? We’re told to trust it, respect it, and be patient. But when you strip it back, there are some uncomfortable questions that refuse to go away. In this sermon, we dig into how New Zealand Rugby has arrived at this point, why timing matters more than people want to admit, and what the current criteria actually means for who can...

The All Blacks coaching conversation just shifted again, and we finally have some clarity. With New Zealand Rugby publicly outlining the criteria for the next head coach, the speculation is narrowing fast, and a few big names are already out of the race. Marty and TJ unpack Vern Cotter’s surprise decision to leave the Blues, what it means for the All Blacks shortlist, and why international coachin...

This one’s a proper rugby pub yarn. Tony Johnson joins us to tackle one of the biggest debates in New Zealand sport. Who are the greatest All Blacks captains of all time? No stats spreadsheets, no definitive rankings. Just leadership, mana, and the moments that define greatness. TJ and Marty work through names that shaped generations. From pioneers like David Gallaher, through statesmen such as Wi...

The inbox exploded and honestly, we’re not surprised. This week’s DSPN Mailbag takes on the All Blacks coaching fallout, the Razor decision, and the sheer volume of opinions flying around New Zealand rugby right now. Martin and Lachlan dig into everything from Wayne Smith’s reaction to Razor's departure, to the ongoing debate around player power, accountability, and whether this All Blacks group i...

Hurricanes preseason, Super Rugby Pacific playoffs, team culture and player development all come under the microscope as former All Black and current Canes assistant coach Cory Jane joins Martin Devlin on the DSPN. Cory breaks down how the Hurricanes have approached their summer, why connection and belonging inside the group matters, and how that culture held firm even when results weren’t coming....

Coming home is one thing. Coming home after nearly a decade in Europe is something else entirely. This week on DSPN, Martin sits down with Pita Ahki to talk about his long stint overseas, the grind of French rugby, and what it really takes to survive and thrive in a relentless competition. From winning titles in France to learning how to look after his body and mind over a ten month season, Pita o...

This one cuts through the noise. Tony Brown finally speaks, and in doing so answers just about every question New Zealand rugby fans have been asking for months. From his current commitment to South Africa, to his openness about wanting the All Blacks job, this was honesty you don’t often hear from someone in his position. We react to Tony’s interview with Mike Hosking on Newstalk ZB, unpack what...

Well, this one’s a proper rabbit hole. Scott Robertson is gone, the dust still hasn’t settled, and New Zealand Rugby feels more confused than confident right now. On this episode of DSPN's Rugby Roundtable, we unpack what’s really happened since the decision dropped. From the timeline around the All Blacks coaching review, to the growing assumption that Jamie Joseph is next cab off the rank, and t...

It’s been a bruising few weeks for everyone connected to the All Blacks, and today on DSPN, we’re not sugar-coating it. Martin opens with a sermon from the mountaintop, laying out a simple but serious wishlist for what comes next in New Zealand rugby. No corporate buzzwords, no fluffy slogans. Just three survival words that matter right now: experience, unity, and stability. We dig into why intern...

What actually happens when a top coaching job starts to unravel? And how much warning do you really get? Martin Devlin sits down with former Wales and Fiji coach Wayne Pivac for a wide-ranging and brutally honest conversation about elite rugby, leadership, and what life looks like after the biggest job of your career ends. Wayne reflects on his journey through international coaching, the realities...

Five days on from Scott Robertson’s removal, and the questions are only getting louder. On this episode of DSPN, we get stuck into what’s actually happened behind closed doors at the All Blacks, why the silence from Razor doesn’t sit right, and why fans deserve more than a PR statement. This isn’t about witch hunts or pitchforks. It’s about accountability, transparency, and respect for the jersey....

The All Blacks coaching bombshell is still reverberating, and we’re not done talking about it. With Scott Robertson out mid-cycle, questions around timing, process, player feedback and leadership are everywhere. Tony Johnson joins us to unpack what really drove the decision, why New Zealand Rugby felt they had no choice but to act now, and how much weight was given to performance versus trajectory...

We didn’t expect to be talking about this in January, but here we are. Scott Robertson is out as All Blacks coach, and the shockwaves are still rippling through world rugby. On this episode of DSPN, Marty goes global, checking in with South Africa, the UK, and Australia to unpack how this decision landed and what it means next. From Brenden Nel’s surprise in Pretoria, to Chris Jones’ blunt assessm...

This is one of the biggest days in New Zealand rugby history. Scott Robertson is no longer the All Blacks head coach, and for the first time ever, NZ Rugby has made the call to remove a coach mid-cycle. We go live as the news breaks, unpacking the statements from David Kirk and Scott Robertson, the review process, and why this decision was made now. There’s empathy first, because Razor is a good m...

This might be one of the biggest rugby stories New Zealand sees this year, and it’s only January. We break down everything we know so far about the All Blacks review into the 2025 campaign, the future of the coaching group, and why this process feels unlike anything we’ve seen before. With reports of deep player dissatisfaction, cultural issues, and serious questions around leadership, this is no...

Super Rugby is nearly back, and the pressure is already building. With preseason just around the corner, we sit down with Nigel Yalden to take a proper look at where the New Zealand sides are really at heading into 2026. From the Highlanders’ continuity and depth, to the Crusaders being ruthless when it matters most, Nigel breaks down why some teams are judged differently, and why expectations don...

This roundtable kicks off 2026 with the questions every rugby fan is already asking. What does this year actually hold, and how much hangs on what comes next? We dig into preseason predictions across Super Rugby and the Six Nations, debate who’s best placed to lift silverware, and look hard at why South Africa looms as the defining tests for the year ahead. If you want a benchmark for where the ga...

A brand new year, and plenty to talk about. We kick off 2026 by welcoming back Tony Johnson, as he joins Martin Devlin to lay out the five rugby storylines he’s most looking forward to this year. From Super Rugby and the Six Nations, to the All Blacks’ massive tour to South Africa, there’s no shortage of big questions. Tony shares his thoughts on the Crusaders as defending champions, the Highlande...

Happy New Year and welcome to 2026 on DSPN! We kick things off with a sermon from Marty that sets the tone for what might be the most important year New Zealand rugby has faced in a long time. This is a year of optimism, but also honesty. With a packed rugby calendar ahead, including Super Rugby, the Six Nations, major test matches and the long road toward the 2027 World Cup, we ask the big questi...

The 1996 All Blacks tour of South Africa remains one of the most important moments in New Zealand rugby history, and in this DSPN Summer Series episode, Sean Fitzpatrick explains why. Fitz takes Martin Devlin back inside that iconic tour, reflecting on what it meant to finally win a test series in South Africa after decades of heartbreak. He talks about the pressure of carrying history, the signif...

Running a Super Rugby franchise looks glamourous from the outside. The reality is a whole lot tougher. On the DSPN, Marty sits down with Hurricanes CEO Avan Lee as he prepares to step away after more than a decade in the role. Avan reflects on the highs of winning in 2016, the lows of recent financial pressure, and what it’s really like trying to balance performance, people, and profit in modern r...

What does it really take to be an All Black? According to Murray Mexted, it starts in the head. In this DSPN Summer Series chat, Marty catches up with one of New Zealand rugby’s most respected voices to talk frankly about where the All Blacks are at and where they need to go. Murray questions selection instability, constant experimentation, and the growing focus on fitness over mental toughness. T...

Is rugby still working the way we think it is? In this Summer Series episode of the DSPN, Martin Devlin and Mark Philpott from United Rugby Fans talk honestly about the state of the game, from grassroots clubrooms right through to the All Blacks. It’s a wide-ranging conversation about where rugby is thriving, where it’s broken, and why so many volunteers are holding the whole thing together with l...

Being a Warriors fan isn’t for the faint hearted. And few people understand that better than Zane, also known as The Warriorholic. In this chat on the DSPN, Marty catches up with one of the most passionate and positive voices in Warriors fandom. Zane talks about why perspective matters, how COVID changed the way he viewed sport, and why remembering players are people first has become central to ev...