The Ruck

Northampton Saints are the champions of England! They beat Exeter Chiefs 26-17 in the final to be crowned champions for the second time in three years. Alfie Reynolds, Alex Lowe and Charlie Morgan look back on the match and ask what does it mean for Northampton? Does this cement them as the latest dynasty in English rugby? Will Exeter be able to bounce back from this defeat? And, why is it that the Prem final always delivers such a great occasion? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Northampton Saints will play Exeter Chiefs in the Prem final on Saturday. Alfie and Will are at Sandy Park in Devon as they look ahead to the match and chat to Exeter's Director of Rugby Rob Baxter and winger Olly Woodburn. They discuss whether Northampton Saints will win a second title in three years or whether Exeter are about to finish a remarkable run to the title. Baxter chats about his pride in getting the club back to the final and what they have learnt from their previous trips to Twickenham. Whilst Olly Woodburn discusses last minute drop goals and celebratory ski goggles. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Northampton will face Exeter in the Prem final! Charlie Morgan and Will Kelleher join Alfie Reynolds to look back on the semi-final weekend which produced two excellent matches as Northampton beat rivals Leicester and Exeter produced a comeback to win away against Bath. Despite all their success under Rob Baxter, was this one of Exeter's great days? They became only the 7th team in Prem history to win away from home in a semi-final. Have they played their final already? Or can they produce another remarkable result? Northampton will look to cement themselves as the dominant side in England when they make the trip to Twickenham next weekend. How impressive is it for them to be back in the final again? Plus, could Maro Itoje really miss England's matches this summer? *** Allianz Future Fund | Allianz Insurance Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Prem rugby semi-final line-up is confirmed: Northampton hosts rivals Leicester and Bath play Exeter. Alfie Reynolds, Alex Lowe and Charlie Morgan preview the semi-finals and ask is this the hardest season to predict who will make the final? Could an away side get a rare victory? They also discuss the teams near the bottom of the league. Who had the most disappointing campaign? And who has reasons to be optimistic? Plus, Andy Farrell has signed a contract extension to remain Ireland head coach until 2031. How big a blow is that to England and the RFU? And what does it say about the appeal of the England head coach job? *** Allianz Future Fund | Allianz Insurance Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With one week of the regular season remaining Alfie, Will and Elgan look ahead to the final weekend in the Prem. They chat about the crunch fixtures as Bath host Leicester and Exeter play Saracens and ask who will make it into the play-offs? With Bristol now out of the running for the top four they ask what next for the club? Is this another season of underachievement? And, have Sale hit rock bottom following their last-gasp defeat away to lowly Newcastle? Plus, Saracens and England full-back Elliot Daly chats to Will and Elgan about his latest injury set-back, the departing Mark McCall and Saracens' push for the play-offs. And, Worcester have won the Champ, Jo Yapp will be the first coach of the British & Irish Lions women's team and is Shaun Edwards departing France? *** Allianz Future Fund | Allianz Insurance Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alex and Will are in Bilbao to reflect on the Champions Cup final! Bordeaux have won back-to-back titles to join the elite sides in European Club rugby. What makes them so special? It is now 6 years in a row that a French club have been crowned Champions of Europe, how can anyone catch them? What does this defeat mean for Leinster? Their 5th Champions Cup final defeat in a row and is this one the most damaging of the lot? Plus, do EPCR need to do more 'destination' cities for their finals? And will we see a World Cup in Spain!? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steve Borthwick's latest England training squad includes Benhard Janse Van Rensburg, who has qualified on residency grounds. Does it make sense for him to be parachuted directly into the set up? Or is it a bad look for the RFU and their talent pipelines? Alfie Reynolds, Charlie Morgan and Will Kelleher chat about that and the news that South African sides might pull out of the Champions Cup. Is this a good or a bad thing for the competition? Bordeaux attack coach Noel McNamara speaks to Will ahead of the Champions Cup final this weekend as they take on Leinster. The lads reflect on the end of the Women's 6 Nations as the Red Roses won the title again. And, they review a 'disgraceful' defeat for Bristol in the Prem as Pat Lam's side conceded over 90 points. *** Allianz Future Fund | Allianz Insurance Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Despite England having their worst ever men's 6 Nations campaign why has an RFU review backed Steve Borthwick in his role as head coach? Alfie, Alex and Will discuss the RFU's decision, what needs to change for England and why the review process if so secretive. Plus, they chat about whether Cornish Pirates will become a Prem club after they acquired funding from an American private equity group, the latest twists and turns in the race for the play-offs and Elgan joins them to look ahead to a grand slam decider in the Women's 6 Nations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bordeaux and Leinster reached the Champions Cup final after defeating Bath and Toulon, respectively. The defending champions Bordeaux now have a chance to win back-to-back titles, while Leinster will hope to finally end their Champions Cup drought. But were Bath hard done by? It appeared that match officials were not shown replays for some high tackles. Was this the case? Is it a problem unique to matches broadcast in France? Or is it a wider issue that needs fixing? Plus, they discuss both semi-finals in detail, including Leo Cullen's bizarre, 6-minute, loaded answer in his press conference. And, they look ahead to a big weekend in the Prem. *** Allianz Future Fund | Allianz Insurance Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shane Christie was one of the brightest rugby stars in New Zealand before suffering multiple concussions, leading to a brain injury that would slowly take everything from him. And his experience is far from unique. In this deeply personal account, David Walsh talks to Shane's former partner, Holly Parkes, to ask, What happened? What does Shane's story reveal about the sport he loved deeply? And can rugby survive the fallout? This is part one of a two-part special investigation into the crisis facing this global game. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory *** Allianz Future Fund | Allianz Insurance Guest: Holly Parkes Host: David Walsh, chief sports writer, The Sunday Times Producer: Sophie McNulty We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com Read more: Two friends, two suicides. How did rugby let this happen? Clips: Harlequins - YouTube. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The British & Irish Lions are exploring the possibility of touring Japan, Argentina or France. Is this a dangerous erosion of tradition? A shameless money grab? Or a brilliant thing to propel the Lions into a "different stratosphere"? And, what would it mean for the traditional tours to New Zealand, South Africa and Australia? Alfie, Alex and Will are in studio to discuss the future of the Lions and ask what do they want to be in the professional era? Elgan looks back on the latest round of the Women's 6 Nations and they discuss the latest action in Prem rugby and look ahead to Bath's trip to Bordeaux in the Champions Cup. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was a week of contrasts in both the Prem and Women's 6 Nations. In the Gallagher Prem the league continues to attract new investment but Sale were humiliated at home on Sunday, whilst Gloucester, Newcastle and Harlequins also suffered heavy defeats. Was that down to a lack of jeopardy due to no relegation? Or other factors? Scotland v England at Murrayfield set a new record attendance for a standalone women's sporting event north of the border. But, on the pitch are the sides further apart than ever after England's thumping win? When will the Red Roses next lose? Plus, Joe Launchbury chats to Alfie & Will after he announced he would retire from rugby at the end of the season. *** Allianz Future Fund | Allianz Insurance Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alfie Reynolds, Elgan Alderman and Charlie Morgan look back on the Champions Cup quarter-finals. They ask which was better...Bath and Northampton's epic high-scoring tussle at The Rec? Or the heavyweight clash between Bordeaux and Toulouse? Was Henry Pollock unlucky to be shown a yellow card so late in the contest? And, despite defeat, will Northampton be confident of getting revenge in the Prem final? Are Leinster going under the radar and could they actually win the Champions Cup this season? And, the boys look back on the opening round of the Women's 6 Nations as the Red Roses made it 34 wins in a row! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The last-16 of the Champions Cup delivered! Following an exciting weekend Alfie Reynolds, Elgan Alderman, Alex Lowe and Mark Palmer look back on the action. They chat about the competition finally bursting into life with some excellent matches including, the Stormers narrow defeat to Toulon and Bath getting past Saracens. Elgan was in France to see Toulouse and Bordeaux dismantle Bristol and Leicester and asks if anyone can stop the two giants of French rugby? Mark reflects on the fortunes of Edinburgh and Glasgow and whether Franco Smith's team could really go all the way and actually win the tournament? Plus, what now for the Red Roses? Seven months on from winning their home World Cup, they begin their 6 Nations campaign on Saturday, aiming to win an 8th straight title! *** Allianz Future Fund | Allianz Insurance Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following a trio of showpiece matches at big stadiums in the Gallagher Prem Alfie, Will and Charlie are back in studio to review the action. They discuss Geoff Parling's fiery altercation with broadcaster TNT before Gloucester vs Leicester and ask was the head coach right or wrong? And, does it summarise rugby's battle between traditionalists and those trying to modernise the game? They also ask whether neutral semi-finals would be a good thing or damaging to the jeopardy in the season. Castres tight-head prop, and Times columnist, Will Collier joins the boys to look ahead to the Champions Cup last-16. How important is an away win this weekend for the competition? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sir James Dyson has become a 50% shareholder at Bath, so what does that mean for the club and for English domestic rugby? Will it cement the clubs place at the top of the PREM for years to come? And it will it encourage further investment into the league? Alfie Reynolds is joined by Alex Lowe, Charlie Morgan and Will Kelleher to answer all those questions and chat about the return of the Prem. With Saracens' defeat is it now 5 teams vying for a spot in the top 4? Why are Harlequins lacking such an identity? And, was Chris Boyd at The Stoop having started in his new role with Gloucester? 'Detective Charlie' has the answer. Plus, Will interviews Gloucester and England centre Seb Atkinson. *** Allianz Future Fund | Allianz Insurance Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 2026 6 Nations is over! One of the great championships went down to the final kick of the final match. Thomas Ramos knocked over a penalty to break English hearts and deny Ireland the title. The morning after the events in Paris, Alex Lowe, Charlie Morgan and Will Kelleher join Alfie Reynolds to look back on an incredible finale and the tournament as a whole. Where on earth has that England performance been? Does it soften the blow of England's worst ever 6 Nations campaign? France are the champions but did they limp over the finish line? Did Scotland have a successful campaign or should they be disappointed by not winning four matches? And how significant a moment was Wales' win against Italy on the final weekend? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Super Saturday is almost here as the 2026 6 Nations reaches its conclusion. Who will win the title as France, Scotland and Ireland are all in the running? In a championship that has had plenty of twists and turns, will there be another shock on the final weekend? Alfie, Will and Alex are outside a Parisian cafe to look ahead to the weekend. They dive deep into England's struggles by tackling a mountain of listener questions and explaining what has gone wrong for Steve Borthwick's side. Will he remain as the head coach? Will they stick to the kick heavy gameplan? And, is Lee Blackett having any impact as attack coach? Plus, who will win between Ireland and Scotland in Dublin? The winners will go to the top of the table ahead of France v England. And, can Wales win in the 6 Nations for the first time in three years or will Italy win to have their best ever championship? *** Allianz Future Fund | Allianz Insurance Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What a weekend of 6 Nations action! Italy recorded their first-ever win against England, Scotland produced one of their best performances to put 50 points on France and Wales continued their revival in defeat to Ireland. Alfie, Elgan and Charlie look back on all the action and ask where this weekend ranks all-time in 6 Nations history? They also discuss what makes Scotland so impressive after their victory gives them a shot at the title on Super Saturday? How damaging was the defeat for France and what does it mean that they will miss out on a Grand Slam for the second year running? Plus, how will England regroup after their defeat in Rome? *** Allianz Future Fund | Allianz Insurance Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

England have lost to Italy for the first time! Following a historic day in Rome, Alfie Reynolds and Will Kelleher are in the Stadio Olympico to unpack an incredible occasion and hugely damaging England defeat. What does the future hold for Steve Borthwick? Can he continue as England head coach? How can a team that won 12 matches in a row suddenly look so lost? They also heap praise on Italy and discuss why this is a significant moment for Italian rugby and the 6 Nations as a whole. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.