Rugby Union Weekly

Zoe Harrison is on the Rugby Union Weekly after she scored a last-gasp intercept try as England defeated New Zealand at Twickenham. World Cup winner Kat Merchant joins Sara Orchard for reaction to another classic encounter between the Red Roses and Black Ferns. Attack coach Emily Scarratt is also on the pod who reflects on England extending their unbeaten run to 41 matches and the impact Shaun Edwards joining the coaching team.

Ugo and Sara are inside the Red Roses camp ahead of their showdown with the Black Ferns at Twickenham. What makes this the biggest rivalry in the women’s game? They chat to head coach about this and the appointment of legendary defence coach Shaun Edwards. Has he already made a big impression? Natasha ‘Mo’ Hunt is back on the pod. She shares her thoughts on the size 4.5 ball and asks for fans to manage their expectations from the players’ post-match. Ugo and Sara also sit down with Maud Muir and Sadia Kabeya to discuss line dancing and what three words best describe them off the field.

Who will be crowned champions? Who will be the four teams in the play-offs? Who will be named player of the season? Who was voted the best finisher in the league? These are just some of the questions put to the 10 Prem DORs in an anonymous survey ahead of the new season. Ashy, Danny and Chris pick through the results and give us their own big predictions. We ask whether Tommy Freeman is literally worth his weight in gold, and why wingers don’t become head coaches. Plus, we react to the news that legendary defence coach Shaun Edwards is joining the Red Roses on a short-term deal after leaving France. What will Edwards bring to the role? And will this lead to a role with the men’s team?

We have a bumper pod for you ahead of the new season, as Chris and Ashy chat to some of the biggest stars in the Prem. First up is England fly-half Fin Smith, who tells us he wants Northampton to become one of the greatest teams in Premiership history. But just how many more titles would they need to achieve that? And is Henry Pollock really worth a million pounds? Ashy gives his thoughts and shares an interesting take on the Pollock contract saga. Finn Baxter tells us what it’s like to watch a game of rugby with the Princess of Wales, Jack van Poortvliet discusses his England contract and holidaying in Rio, while Dafydd Jenkins talks to us about mauling up sand dunes on the beach in Devon. Louis Rees-Zammit speaks openly about his struggles last season after returning to the sport. Plus, we discuss his love of kicking and whether he’s going to become a long-distance kicker like Elliot Daly. We also hear about Ashy meeting the Queen, an awkward case of mistaken identity involving Dylan Hartley and Sir Jackie Stewart, and the most brutal pre-season fitness sessions.

After South Africa crushed the All Blacks to seal a 3-1 victory in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, Ugo, Danny and Chris debate how you beat the Boks, and if anyone can stop them winning a record third successive World Cup. We react to your messages following our exclusive with Conor O’Shea and get Danny’s take on Steve Borthwick’s contract extension. Will we see a Six Nations match in the USA? World Rugby is keen, with the 2031 men’s and 2033 women’s World Cup heading Stateside, but would it actually help rugby break America, or would the tournament be selling its soul? We also discuss the new 4.5 size ball that is being trialled in WXV as the Red Roses come from behind to beat Australia.