Episode 20: The Rugby Championship and Women's World Cup
How did Rugby Union make its way to the southern hemisphere? How does the game down south differ from the bruising northern style? And why, exactly, are New Zealand so damn good at it?
This week, we’re serving up a double helping of rugby. With the Rugby Championship kicking off this weekend and the Red Roses gearing up for their date with destiny next Friday, Ben dives headfirst into the pinnacle of southern hemisphere rugby, while Jack takes a quick look at the rise of the women’s game and the teams to watch at this year's World Cup.
There’s an unexpected shortage of English bias… swiftly undone by some unprovoked Jonny Wilkinson fawning. But Ben also waxes lyrical about the only man he rates higher than Wilko - one Daniel Carter - while both of us get misty eyed over the unstoppable force, icon and legend that was Jonah Lomu.
For newcomers, Jack crams everything you need to know about Rugby Union into a breathless three-minute bit for no reason whatsoever. For the seasoned fans, there’s plenty too - from Kiwis looking to snatch their crown back from South Africa, to Wallabies just praying to finish above Argentina, and England’s burning quest for revenge against the Black Ferns… with Canada waiting in the wings.
The Rugby autumn starts here - buckle up and enjoy the ride.
Popular Podcasts
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com