The Ruck
The podcast they play in heaven. Join Alfie, Alex, Will and Charlie along with the best of The Times and The Sunday Times rugby writers as they ruck over the best games and biggest names from the domestic season and the international calendar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Following Derby Weekend in the Gallagher Prem Alfie, Alex, Elgan and Barnsey look back on the action.
They pick through an entertaining round of matches which, despite the torrential conditions, produced some excellent match-ups!
What is going wrong for Sale and Saracens? Have Harlequins turned a corner? And, are Gloucester proving that they're the real deal?
Plus, the boys chat about Steve Borthwick's England training squ...
It's Derby Weekend in the Gallagher Prem!
So, Will and Alfie have travelled to Leicester to chat with tight-head Joe Heyes and Tigers' captain Ollie Chessum.
They preview their massive game against rivals Northampton Saints this weekend and chat about leadership, the club's DNA and why it's best to embrace the spice of a local derby.
Plus, why was Ollie grumpy? And, how will Joe get on with Will's history quiz?
Spain have launched their bid to host the 2035 Rugby World Cup!
The federations president Juan Carlos Martin 'Hansen' joins Alfie, Will and Elgan and explains why hosting the world cup would be transformative for rugby in the country. He also outlines plans for a professional Spanish franchise to join the URC and their hopes of competing in the 6 Nations.
Plus, in the Champions Cup it was a poor weekend of results for the Eng...
Following the third round of action in the Gallagher Prem Alfie, Will and Charlie review both the amazing matches on the pitch and the storylines off it.
Is Northampton 71, Bath 48 a good thing for the sport? Why are we getting so many crazy scorelines? And, does the league have an attendance problem?
Plus, issues with synthetic pitches, New Zealand winning the Bledisloe again and the Champions Cup returns.
Alfie, Will, Charlie and Elgan look back on the second round of action from the Prem.
Gloucester, Bristol and Bath remain unbeaten, whilst Sale picked up a hugely important victory away to Saracens.
Exeter and Harlequins both remain without a win, which club should be more concerned?
Are Harlequins in another crisis? What's so impressive about Bristol's defence? And, would a Prem Welsh XV beat an equivalent side from the U...
The opening weekend of the Gallagher Prem saw Gloucester, Bristol, Bath and Saracens all win away from home.
Alfie, Charlie and Elgan ask which result was the biggest statement and look back on all of the action.
Should Sale be worried after they lost at home to Bristol? How did Saracens manage an away win at Leicester despite having a 20-minute red card? And, is Henry Pollock worth £400,000 a year?
Plus, by beating South...
Gloucester begin their Gallagher Prem campaign away to Exeter Chiefs this weekend!
For a city with such a strong rugby history they have never won the Premiership and have only reached the play-offs once in the last fifteen years.
So will their fortunes change this season?
Alfie and Will are at Kingsholm to chat with Dewi Lake and Jac Morgan. The Welsh internationals joined the club this summer from the Ospreys. They chat ...
As we continue to build-up to the start of the new Gallagher Prem season, Alfie and Will are in the North-West.
They've made the trip to Sale Sharks to chat with new signings Alex Lozowski and Courtney Lawes.
Lawes returns to English rugby following two years playing for Brive in Pro D2. Will he return to the England squad in time for the 2027 World Cup? And why has he made the move to Sale?
Lozowski joins after ten years ...
It's the start of a new Gallagher Prem season!
Alfie and Will are at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, to look ahead to another campaign.
They're joined by Newcastle Red Bulls head coach Dan McFarland, Harlequins and England prop Fin Baxter and the Northampton Saints and England fly-half Fin Smith.
Will Newcastle - now into a second season under Red Bull ownership - have a more successful campaign? Can Harlequins bounce back fr...
Rugby's Greatest Rivalry concluded with the Springboks winning the fourth test in Baltimore to secure a 3-1 series victory.
Alfie, Alex, Charlie and Elgan look back on the epic contest and discuss the best approach for beating the Boks.
With the match taking place in the USA they ask why rugby is taking matches Stateside? Was the occasion a success? And, could a 6 Nations match really happen in the US? It follows the news las...
The third match in Rugby's Greatest Rivalry produced another brilliant test!
South Africa leads the series 2-1 after beating New Zealand 29-24. Attention now turns to the USA as the fourth test takes place in Baltimore.
But, does that matter? Were the three games in South Africa the ones the nations cared about most? And, how far ahead of the rest are the Springboks and All Blacks?
Alfie, Charlie and Elgan react to the 3rd...
The Greatest Rivalry series is level at 1-1!
South Africa beat New Zealand in Cape Town and now attention turns to the third test in Johannesburg. Despite being a four match series, is the third test - which is the final one on South African soil - the unofficial decider?
Alfie and Alex reflect on the second test including the controversial build-up, in which Rassie Erasmus made multiple changes to his matchday squad. Was th...
The first test between South Africa and New Zealand produced a famous win for the All Blacks. Can South Africa respond?
Was this the best thing for the four match series? Why has Rassie Erasmus named his team for the second test already despite injury concerns? And, how important was Saturday's victory for New Zealand under Dave Rennie?
Alfie and Charlie are in studio to analyse the key moments which led to the All Blacks' vi...
South Africa and New Zealand play the first test of their four match 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry' series this weekend.
Alfie is joined by Alex and New Zealand journalist Jamie Wall, who are both in South Africa, to look ahead to the series.
How big are the next four matches for rugby's two super-powers? How does it compare to when England took on the Boks just six weeks ago? And, why has there been a war of words this week in t...
In episode 6 of our special series on the fierce rivalry between rugby’s superpowers, the sport is hurtling into the professional era.
South Africa are world champions after 1995 but New Zealand are on the verge of one of their greatest moments. We hear from John Hart, who led the All Blacks on their 1996 tour of South Africa, as well as former players Sean Fitzpatrick, Ian Jones and Josh Kronfeld.
Was theirs the ...
In episode 5 of our special series on the fierce rivalry between rugby’s superpowers, Nelson Mandela walks free, apartheid crumbles and South Africa becomes a new country.
The Springboks and the All Blacks face off once more, with Mandela seizing the opportunity to help heal a wounded nation. With the 1995 World Cup reaching its final, two of the players - former Springbok Joel Stransky and All Black captain Sean Fitzpatri...
In episode 4 of our special series on the fierce rivalry between rugby’s superpowers, we focus on the most controversial rugby tour in history: the 1986 New Zealand Cavaliers.
Despite the global boycott, a group of rebel Kiwi players agree to tour South Africa. Former Springbok Schalk Burger Sr describes how he found out about the deal before any of his teammates - and why it opened a door to the players being paid.&n...
In episode 3 of our special series on the fierce rivalry between rugby’s superpowers, we are into the 1980s - a decade defined by rebellion.
The 1981 Springbok tour to New Zealand goes ahead despite an international agreement to stop sporting contact with apartheid South Africa. Unrest culminates in flour bombs being thrown out of aircraft at the players. Former Springbok Rob Louw reflects on matters on and off the pitch.
<...In episode 2 of our special series on the fierce rivalry between rugby’s superpowers, the former Springbok Morne du Plessis talks about the sheer, violent ferocity of test matches between South Africa and New Zealand.
For decades, these matches continue to be played among the shadows of race tensions in both countries. The introduction of apartheid adds pressure, boiling over in a boycott of the 1976 Montreal Olympic...
The Springboks and All Blacks share a rivalry like no other - and it’s about so much more than just the rugby itself. The real story goes back over a century of racism, rebel tours, politics and protest, fuelling fierce confrontations on the field.
With South Africa and New Zealand about to kick-off a four test series branded 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry', Alex, Will and Elgan bring you a special podcast series charting...
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