The Rugby Paper Podcast

The sun has set on Rugby World Cup 2023, and in a thrilling finale the Springboks held onto their crown, edging out New Zealand by just one point.  This week's podcast looks back at the final and another iconic South Africa World Cup win as well as reviewing the tournament as a whole. To do so, host Ollie Little and columnists Nick Cain, Chris Hewett and Brendan Gallagher are joined by South Afric...

England so nearly pulled off a shock upset against the Springboks but it was Handré Pollard's boot that condemned the Red Rose to a semi-final exit at the hands of reigning champions South Africa.  And so, the Boks will face old rivals New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup 2023 final in Paris on Saturday. Joining host Ollie Little and the Rugby Paper experts Nick Cain, Chris Hewett and Nick Powell to...

Wow. Just wow. The Rugby World Cup 2023 quarter-finals certainly did not disappoint, with two all-time great matches in Paris accompanied by a couple of thrillers in Marseille. In the end the Southern Hemisphere continued to dominate at World Cups, with England now the only Northern Hemisphere side that remain ahead of the semi-finals.  Host Ollie Little is joined by the full house of Rugby Paper...

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 episo...

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 t...

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 Sat...

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 l...

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...

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, Engla...

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 o...

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 wit...

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 columnist...

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 Rou...

As we continue our overview of how the major nations are shaping up for the World Cup in France later this year, it's time to look at the number one team in the world, Ireland. Joining host Ollie Little and the full house of columnists in Nick Cain, Brendan Gallagher and Chris Hewett to discuss Andy Farrell's side's chances of breaking their World Cup hoodoo as well as his infamous confrontation o...

The Rugby Paper Podcast has officially entered its third season as we begin the run-up to the 2023 World Cup. The guys will be looking at the prospects of the major nations as we approach, and joining host Ollie Little and columnists Brendan Gallagher and Nick Cain to look at how Italy are shaping up is their fly-half and returning guest, Tommy Allan. The guys also look at tweaks in the England Wo...

On this week's edition of the podcast former Ulster, Ireland and British and Irish Lions winger Trevor Ringland MBE discusses playing for an Ulster team that won ten consecutive Interprovincial titles and an Irish team that won three Five Nations titles in the 1980s amidst the division of the troubles. Joined by Chris Hewett and Brendan Gallagher, the former UK Special Envoy to the United States o...

On this week’s edition of the podcast, Brendan and Chris assess Simon Halliday’s comments on the future of the English second tier, which featured on the front page of Sunday's edition of The Rugby Paper. We also keep an eye on the U20 Rugby World Cup and England’s squad for the main event, look ahead to the Rugby Championship, and finish by reminiscing about England’s Tour of Hell which ended 25...

This week on the Rugby Paper Podcast, joining host Ollie Little, columnists Nick Cain and Brendan Gallagher and Digital Editor Nick Powell, Mal O'Kelly discusses Leinster's trophy-less end to the season, Ireland's World Cup prospects and the current state of the breakdown in rugby. 

This week on the Rugby Paper Podcast, host Ollie Little is joined by columnists Brendan Gallagher, Nick Cain and Chris Hewett to discuss the format changes announced for next season's European Cup before having another crack at putting together an England XV for the 2023 World Cup, six months on from the last attempt!

London Irish have officially become the third club to be suspended from the Gallagher Premiership this season. The Exiles demise subsequently means that the English top flight now consists of just 10 teams. Joining host Ollie Little, columnist Brendan Gallagher and digital editor Nick Powell to discuss how he is processing it is none other than London Irish record try-scorer Topsy Ojo. 

In April earlier this year Bath and Clermont legend Nick Abendanon called time on a stellar 17-year career. Nick joins host Ollie Little as well as columnists Nick Cain, Brendan Gallagher and Chris Hewett to reflect on his career and also discuss the vast differences between the French and English domestic games.  The Rugby Paper was devastated to learn of the passing of its founder, David Emery,...

A memorable Gallagher Premiership season (for many of the wrong reasons) is done and dusted as Saracens have reclaimed their throne following a turbulent two  years. The season will be remembered for very different reasons however, as fears grow that London Irish will become the third club in seven months to drop out of the Premiership. Ollie Little is joined by Brendan Gallagher, Nick Cain and Ni...

It was a great weekend in Europe for French rugby with a resounding Challenge Cup win for Toulon and a one-point victory for La Rochelle in an all-time classic Champions Cup final. This week, the guys preview the Gallagher Premiership final between Saracens and Sale at Twickenham on Saturday. Joining host Ollie Little and columnists Chris Hewett, Nick Cain and Brendan Gallagher is Saracens and Eng...

World Rugby has announced its refereeing roster for the 2023 World Cup, and it was no surprise to see the highest-capped test referee of all time Wayne Barnes included. Wayne joins host Ollie Little and columnists Nick Cain, Brendan Gallagher and Chris Hewett to look ahead to his fifth World Cup as well as discussing the effects of social media on referees and his French language skills!

In a wonderfully chaotic episode of the Rugby Paper Podcast, host Ollie Little and columnists Nick Cain, Brendan Gallagher and Chris Hewett are joined by former England and Sale Sharks winger Mark Cueto. An episode initially planning to preview the Premiership semi-finals goes way off piste, discussing Sale and England controversy, Chris Ashton and much much more!