Rugby Direct

Dec 03 2024 158 ep. 34 mins 798

Rugby Direct Podcast artwork

Every week, Rugby Direct gives you the lowdown on all you need to know from the rugby world.

Whether it's the All Blacks, Black Ferns, NPC, Farah Palmer Cup, or just what's going down at the club grounds, we have you covered on your home for all things rugby.

Listen on iHeartRadio for every angle, every moment, and every opinion.

Copy RSS

Subscribe on Podcast Addict

Rugby Direct - Episode 148

Dec 03 2024 63 mins

On Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier wrap up the 2024 All Blacks season and hand out some awards from the campaign and get out their red pens and mark the season that was. We dig into the eligibility saga as it continues to rage around New Zealand rugby, ask whether Joe Schmidt will stay in charge of the Wallabies beyond the Lions series and also flag a potential job he c

Rugby Direct - Episode 147

Nov 18 2024 47 mins

This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith (in Turin) and Liam Napier review the All Blacks' 1-point loss to France in Paris and how the defeat changes the complexion of the end of year tour. We also look ahead to the final test of the year against Italy and consider the likely make-up of the 23. We also talk the news of Harry Plummer's impending departure from New Zealand Rugby, the

Rugby Direct - Episode 146

Nov 11 2024 39 mins

This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith in Paris and Liam Napier discuss the All Blacks' win over (now former) world number ones Ireland in Dublin - what it means in both the context of the tour and the year and how they managed to wear down Ireland. We also look ahead to the penultimate test of 2024 against France this weekend and ponder some selection headaches for the selectors

Rugby Direct - Episode 145

Nov 04 2024 31 mins

This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith in Dublin is joined by Liam Napier to reflect on the All Blacks' tight win over England at Twickenham and we break down the performance - the good and the bad. We also look ahead to Ireland and the remainder of this weekend's test matches as the end of year internationals ramp up. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati

Rugby Direct - Episode 144

Oct 28 2024 51 mins

This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier review the All Blacks win over Japan in Yokohama and look ahead to Sunday morning's big test against England, we also review the NPC final and sit down with New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson in London to chat some of the burning issues in the sport.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rugby Direct - Episode 143

Oct 23 2024 36 mins

This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith dials in from Tokyo to run through with Liam Napier the All Blacks team named for Saturday's test against Japan in Yokohama and what it means for the rest of the tour. We also preview the NPC final, discuss Rugby Sevens being given the heave-ho from the pared-back 2026 Commonwealth Games and big moves in the commercial arm of NZ Rugby.See om

Rugby Direct - Episode 142

Oct 13 2024 43 mins

This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier recap all the big news of the rugby world from the last fortnight - beginning with the All Blacks and All Blacks XV squads selected for tours north - who were the unlucky ones that missed out and who can count themselves lucky to be there? We review the Black Ferns' WXV1 campaign and assess their stocks a year out from the Ru

Rugby Direct - Episode 141

Sep 29 2024 42 mins

This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier review the second Bledisloe Cup test in Wellington with the All Blacks beating Australia and ending the 'Capital Curse'. We review the Rugby Championship as a whole, dish up some awards and look ahead to the end of year tour and what big calls the ABs selectors will have to make. We also ask if there is a Crusaders bias in th

Rugby Direct - Episode 140

Sep 22 2024 43 mins

This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier review the Bledisloe Cup opener in Sydney - and how the All Blacks nearly let what was heading for a comfortable win turn into a nervy defeat. We again try to answer what is going wrong in the last 20 minutes of test matches and what changes might be in the offing for Wellington. We run through a controversial ANZAC rugby sid

Rugby Direct - Special Edition: Bledisloe 1 Preview

Sep 19 2024 37 mins

Elliott Smith and Liam Napier are in Sydney this week for the opening Bledisloe Cup and in a crossover special, stopped by the ESPN Scrum Reset podcast studios to count down to Saturday’s match with Aussie rugby journos Sam Bruce and Christy Doran. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.