French RUGBY CONNECTIONS with Veronique Landew & Bill Hooper

Games are still back on as far as we are aware and Bordeaux is still topping the Top 14! The  6 Nations are just round the corner and I can't help myself recalling THAT spell-binding game between France vs Wales last year to Mike...  We both review the numerous and high-profile transfers and I chat with Yannick Jauzion, former Bleus (73 caps) and Toulouse player about his life after rugby and...

On French Rugby CONNECTIONS, listen to part 2 of my chat with Yannick Jauzion, 73 caps playing with Les Bleus, and 12 years spent with Stade Toulousain. Regarding the Top 14, it was a brief rugby weekend as only 3 games were played last weekend, because of the new Covid variant. Enjoy French rugby CONNECTIONS with moi, Veronique Landew and Mike Pearce, the rugby podcast with the gallic twist,

On the French Rugby CONNECTIONS Podcast, this week, I chat with International Centre and former Toulouse player, Yannick Jauzion about his phenomenal try and that win against the All Blacks in the RWC in 2007 and also the "not so great match" playing against Les Anglais in Telstra Park in 2003 in the RWC  semi-final . Part 1 is unmissable and more rugby chat for next week with Yannick. M...

An early Xmas present has arrived for the French Rugby CONNECTIONS  podcast! We have reached the grand number of 10,000 listeners! A big thank you to all of our listeners as it means a lot to us! In this episode, we review the European Cup weekend and Mike comes up with some really interesting rugby stats from the first round. All quiet-ish on the French Rugby front except for the Omicron Covid va...

Mike and I preview the first Heineken and Challenge European  2021 tournament and focus our attention on Bordeaux vs Leicester and Cardiff vs Toulouse.  ONLY 18 MINUTES LONG THIS WEEK!  We discuss the players "to watch "in this competition. Enjoy this concise and joyful episode of French Rugby CONNECTIONS Podcast, the Rugby podcast with a gallic twist and French flair.

I speak with France's most capped player, Fabien Pelous, The lock who made 118 appearances for Les Bleus and He captained his country 42 times and won four Five or Six Nations grand slams in 1997, 1998, 2002, and 2004 and the Heineken Cup with Toulouse in 2003 and 2005. Fabien never won the World Cup, although he made it to the final in 1999, losing to Australia after a memorable 43-31 semi-f...

Sean Fitzpatrick is our guest on French Rugby CONNECTIONS and previews the epic game between Les Bleus vs the All Blacks on Saturday. He recalls his time playing in France in the same team as Philippe Saint Andre and the famous battle of Nantes. Double dose of French lessons for Mike Pearce and we provide our thoughts on the must-watch game in Stade de France on Saturday.  Enjoy French Rugby CONNE...

Unmissable! Kyran Bracken is eloquent, loquacious, and reminisces with great fondness the wild initiations games that he had to take part in Glasgow, teaching French to Philippe Sella and how great and solid the England team was in 2003. He reflects on Rugby used to be played and its changes since the professional era and the use of ....mobile phones too;-). Mike and I review the Top 14 and latest...

This week, the episode is short and sweet  (just like me;-) containing a  summary of the Top 14, and Mike and I preview  this weekend's games too. French lesson about essentials on how to order a  beer in French before a rugby game. No rugby guest this week, as I experienced technical difficulties during my chat with my mystery guest but he'll be back next week! French Rugby CONNECTIONS,...

Finally, mystery Rugby guest, David Campese aka Campo is on French Rugby CONNECTIONS. Charming, direct, and a great storyteller about his phenomenal career and playing against Les Bleus. He also shares his thoughts about the Modern Rugby and RWC2023!  Mike Pearce and I also review the Top14, and there is a BRAND new section to the French Rugby Lesson. Enjoy French Rugby CONNECTIONS, the rugby podc...

Mike and I review and comment, the 3rd day of the Top 14 on this episode. Last weekend was highly charged and with ups and downs for some French teams. This weekend will be a cracker as there are lots at stake! French Rugby lesson included in this episode, but our Rugby guest was unable to be there due to work commitments but will be there and squared next week:-). Enjoy French Rugby CONNECTIONS,...

This week, this episode is a short and sweet episode (just like me;-), with no Mike Pearce.....but instead I converse with Luke Pearce about the travails of becoming one of the talented International referees at such a young age: 33 years old and the importance of speaking French when officiating a European game in order to create better connections and a  smoother communications style with rugby...

Rugby Friends, Mike and I are back ! You will be served a quick overview of the Top 14, the latest news about French Rugby, and a bit of a banter *really ;-).  All in 20 mins. Enjoy! 

Last episode of Season 1 of French Rugby CONNECTIONS Podcast. Enjoy the Rugby stories narrated by Christian Califano, about his fiercest opponent in the England Team, playing for The Blues in New Zealand with Shaun Fitzpatrick, etc...and completing the Paris Dakar! Speak to you next year and if you've enjoyed listening to the French Rugby CONNECTIONS,  please buy us a coffee: https://www.buym...

I have a chat with the loquacious Christian Califano (part 1) aka Cali, 72 caps for Les Bleus, 6 French Championships, and Heineken Cup, winner. A true French Rugby Legend who reminisces about his best rugby memories playing for Les Bleus, Toulouse for 10 years and in the UK for Saracens and Gloucester. He shares some great anecdotes about Thomas Casteigneide, Martin Johnson, and his illustrious f...

A FIRST! French Rugby CONNECTIONS  episode under 20 mins! Enjoy with Moi, Veronique Landew, and Mike Pearce from the English Riviera, La cote D'azur Anglaise talk about the play-offs, the semi-finals, the access game won by Biarritz and a bit of ....Welsh football. Nearly the end of the season for the TOP 14 and....for the French Rugby CONNECTIONS Podcast. The ONLY Rugby podcast with the Fren...

So much passion and wisdom with Emile Ntamack about his time playing for Les Bleus, with Sella, Blanco, Benazzi, Galthie, Dominici, Castaignede, et al, and his time at Stade Toulousain and lifting the first Heineken Cup in 1996. Of course, we talk about his son, Romain who is currently extremely busy and focused and preparing for his next game. Mike Pearce is back from East Sussex and we relive th...

I have a great time chatting with Bruce Reihana, Rugby Legend, about his career in New Zealand, Northampton, and Bordeaux and coaching for Bristol Bears, his best rugby memory, and about his new role at Montpellier. I really liked how he compares rugby strategy with a chess game! What a great and true metaphor. Robbie Nock, an erudite rugby commentator joins me too to provide me with an insight in...

Rugby Friends, I had the great pleasure to speak with the talented Alex Lozowski about what it meant for him and his teammates to win the Challenge Cup, his life in La Belle France, embracing the French life by growing a moustache to look like a Frenchman (LOL) and the main differences between playing Rugby in the  Top14 versus the Gallagher Premiership. I am then joined by the iconic cameraman, S...

French Rugby CONNECTIONS episode is focused on the European Rugby Cup with the ever eloquent, loquacious, and passionate Martyn Hindley, PR and Communications Director at EPCR, who details what the European Cup is all about, the passion it stirs for its fans and players, the fights between the Samson and Goliath teams and that hard-won semi-final won between Bath and Montpellier. I also speak with...

Rugby Friends,  a short and sweet 25 mins episode this week (just like me;-) about the exhilarating battle happening in the Top 14 right now and the latest news about French Rugby. Mike talks about his forthcoming book "Hard men of French Rugby" and meeting with Guilhem Guirado which will feature in chapter 2 of his book and bumping into Lawrence Dallaglio at the Stoop and explaining to...

Rugby friends, Rugby Legend, Philippe Saint Andre is now back to being Director of Rugby for Montpellier and looking forward to the Challenge cup final with his stellar team. Philippe reminisces his best rugby memory and living and coaching in Gloucester and Sale too. Mike and I review the Euro weekend and the catch-up games for the last few games in the season 2021 of the Top 14. Crouch, bind, an...

More French and European Rugby news about the oval ball on French Rugby Connections Podcast with Veronique Landew and Mike Pearce, all in 30 mins! ENJOY the Welsh and the French Rugby banter, and yes we do talk about sheep, snails, and frogs too....Oh la la.

This week, we focus on Le  Crunch at the Women's six nations.  You will not believe how forceful and vigorous the Elite women Rugby players are on the pitch. England vs France final at the 6 women's six Nations will be live this Saturday, on BBC 2 at 2 pm. It will be a feat of grit and brutality and a  massive cracking game. France has to win to repair their last-minute loss last year ag...

BonjourFriends! RUGBY CONNECTIONS Podcast is here! Mike Pearce and I review the Champions Cup, 6 Womens' s Nations Cup, Top 14, and David Beresford who wrote a book "Brothers in arms" about his love for French Rugby Legends from the 70s and 80s takes me back to memory lane on a journey full of French Regional history and lots of wine and epicurean delights. Enjoy!