The Good, The Bad & The Rugby

What are the worst things you can do on the rugby pitch? Stamping, striking, gouging, headbutting? All these offences - and more - are in the dock as Alex, Hask and Ben play judge and jury and set about ranking the sport’s worst crimes. Most of these transgressions have faded out of the modern game, so Hask and Ben look back on their own time at the coalface, and Alex delves into the archives, to...

Hask and Alex dig a little deeper into the state of the game this week, with two guests who know more than most about what goes on inside rugby’s corridors of power. The former CEO of World Rugby, Brett Gosper, and ex-CEO of Quins and Melbourne Storm, Mark Evans, help the boys get to the heart of the many challenges facing rugby union’s administrators, including participation, TV rights, laws, the...

It’s a very busy studio this week, as Tinds, Ellis and Alex try to nail down what rugby’s trying to be and where it needs to get to. They’re joined by the President of Roc Nation, Michael Yormark, the sharpest dressed person to have ever graced the pod, and the man leading the charge to create superstars within the game. Dragons Rugby owner, David Buttress and Newcastle Falcons owner, Semore Kurdi...

Richie McCaw sets a high bar for the new year as our first guest in 2022. He relives many of the memorable moments from his stellar career, and reveals how the best players develop the mentality and resilience to not only get to the top but also stay there. Back-to-back World Cup wins as captain of the All Blacks, helicopter rescues after the earthquake in 2016 and his newfound passion for adventu...

Grab a turkey sandwich and your chrimbo jumper, and join the boys as they relive 2021’s best episodes and the most hilarious moments on the pod this year. Featuring a royal baby born on the bathroom floor, the biggest baby born in Zimbabwe, Dombrandt’s whip, Marler’s chopper, Dan Carter’s hair, BOD’s Monday Night Club, Greenwood’s lucky socks… and who could forget the force of the 70s cop duo, Piv...

No shortage of festive flair in the tinsel-decked studio this week as Alex, Hask and Tinds put on their best Christmas suits and chill out with a gin and tonic (or two) alongside Ben Kayser. This episode is all about listeners' questions - some are random and some are even about rugby - but if you want to know the club the boys would have one more game for, or which brand Hask would change his nam...

Alex and Tinds caught up with Eddie Jones at Pennyhill Park this week. They chatted about leadership, inspired by the England head coach's new book, and also looked at the future of Rugby and the promising young talent in the England set-up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Leinster and Ireland legend Shane Horgan joins Alex and Tinds back in the studio this week to look ahead to the next round of the Heineken Champions Cup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alex, Hask and Tinds travel to Dungannon RFC in Northern Ireland to host a live show with Ireland legends, Gill Bourke and Tyrone Howe. In this bonus episode, the boys are on the road to celebrate the return of grassroots rugby, on Vodafone’s Lions Legacy Tour. Gill relives some of her best moments in an Ireland and Baabaas jersey, and the team take a look at the state of the Irish Women's game. T...

Ellis Genge brings his mate Freddie Steward to meet Alex and Tinds this week. They celebrate Freddie’s sensational player of the match performances against both Australia and South Africa, and hear how his feet are firmly grounded living in student digs in Loughborough, listening to 80s disco. They also get into Leicester Tigers’ phenomenal start to the season, the culture of the club and Ellis’ l...

Alex, Tinds and Hask head to Twickenham ahead of England vs South Africa for a behind the scenes trot around HQ. They chat about all things game day; the prep, the characters, the emotion, the speeches, and of course, the fans. Tinds and Hask have never been so buzzed for an episode, so much so they threatened to come out of retirement... They also look back at the final weekend of Autumn Nations...

Alex, Mike and James are back with their team of the week in association with Amazon Prime Video after an enthralling final weekend of Autumn Nations action. Who makes the cut, who doesn’t……and why has everyone got bad hair? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bryan Habana and Dylan Hartley join Alex and Tinds at The Prince in Fulham to look ahead to England and South Africa’s first clash since the World Cup Final two years ago. We all know how that ended - but have England kicked on since then? They’re just as unpopular, apparently, so we find out why everyone hates England, and remind ourselves of one of the greatest head-to-heads of all time: Habana...

Alex and Mike select a XV from this weekend’s Autumn Nations Series, in the second of our special shows with Amazon Prime. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tinds, Alex and Ben have left the comfort of the studio in favour of The Prince, in Fulham. They’re joined by one of their favourite podcast guests, Jack Nowell, who gives them the lowdown on his Cornish pub, going on tour with Exeter and his work with Red Bull. The boys also look back at the weekend that was on the pitch and look ahead to what could be; with very little help from Jack who hasn’t...

In the first of our Autumn International special shows with Amazon Prime, Alex and Mike select a team of the week from the latest round of fixtures. As you can imagine, there wasn't a lot of agreement between the pair! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alex and Hask are joined in the studio at long last by their brother in arms, Ben Kayser, to talk to one of the greatest front rows to grace the scrum. Tendai Mtawarira, more commonly known as Beast, talks the boys through his journey to the top; moving to South Africa from Zimbabwe with next to nothing, almost having the Bok jersey ripped away from him forever, all before becoming one of South Af...

Alex, Hask and Tinds travel to Westbury RFC in Wiltshire to host a live show with Jason Robinson and Emily Scarratt. In this bonus episode, the boys are on the road to celebrate the return of grassroots rugby, on Vodafone’s Lions Legacy Tour. They talk about their grass roots memories, the volunteers that shaped their experience, career highs with the Lions, and the prospect of a women’s Lions tou...

The one and only Sonny Bill Williams drops in for a chat with Alex and Hask this week. The offload king, whose recent retirement has led him back to the boxing ring, reflects on his remarkable journey from humble beginnings to household name. We relive some of the unforgettable moments from an unforgettable career - but we also delve deeper. SBW explains why he went off the rails early on in his c...

James and Alex are celebrating Tinds’ birthday without him this week, as they get down to business with Quins Number 8, Alex Dombrandt. They relive the fairy-tale that was Harlequins’ premiership winning season last year, discuss the highs and lows of university rugby and look ahead to his hopes for the Autumn Nations Cup and beyond, with England. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastcho...

Tinds and Alex are a man down this week, as Hask has an early season break to rest his back. The pair are joined by Tinds’ '03 World Cup centre partner, Will Greenwood. Obviously, no conversation between the duo is complete without reliving the glory days on and off the pitch, but Will also opens up about the tough stuff; from struggling to find peace in retirement to the pain of losing a child. L...

In this special bonus episode, Hask, Tinds and Alex have swapped the comfort of the studio for the wild west of the Moonshine Saloon in central London. Ahead of the The Good, The Bad & The Rugby Poker Night, Tinds puts his high class poker skills on the line, while Hask relives some classic away day card games at the back of the bus. Join the boys on Monday 11th October for the online tournament…...

The boys are back for a brand new season! Alex, Mike and James are joined by a very chilly Ellis Genge who tells them all about his appointment as Leicester Tigers captain and their promising start to the season. The trio also make predictions for the Premiership title race, talk all things Rugby Championship and look ahead to a new year of GB&R. partypoker Promotion T&Cs: 18+. Eliminate star boun...

Alex and Mike are in the studio for an end of season review this week. The final Lions Test, the future of the infamous tour and the legend of Morné Steyn are all on the menu. The boys also reflect on the greatest moments on the pitch this season, the things they really want to see next season, and their favourite podcast episodes and guests so far. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastc...

Ellis Genge is back in the studio with Alex and Hask this week to look ahead to the final Test. The boys are joined by Premiership winning Harlequins line-out coach, Jerry Flannery, who has a unique insight into the Springboks camp and the mindset of the coaches; having worked alongside Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber at Munster. England camp is also on the menu, as Ellis reflects on his summe...