Rugby Direct Newstalk ZB

This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier wrap a big week of rugby, beginning with the final round of the Super Rugby regular season and the quarter-finalists being set and the Crusaders missing the top 8 for the first time since 2015.

We also dig deep into the news the Melbourne Rebels will be axed at the conclusion of their current campaign, while NZR's governance has come and gone and there are still a lot of questions left unanswered.
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This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier count down to the crunch governance vote that will shape New Zealand Rugby, assess the fortunes of the Black Ferns and wrap up the penultimate round of Super Rugby.

We also dive into the new reports around the Springboks-All Blacks tours from 2026 and look back at a wild week for Rob Penney.
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Elliott and Liam catch up with legendary All Blacks halfback Aaron Smith on a range of topics after the completion of his first season playing for Japanese club Toyota Verblitz.

We reflect on Aaron's All Blacks career, his first season in Japan, the successors to him at halfback for the All Blacks, the continuing eligibility saga in New Zealand Rugby and the special plan he has for some of his jersey collection.
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This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier break down the news around Sam Cane's departure from New Zealand Rugby after this year and who leads the race to be both captain and openside flanker for the All Blacks in 2024.

We dig into the weekend that was in Super Rugby, with the Blues taking another step towards top seeding and we analyse a shock Black Ferns defeat to Canada.
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This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier run through the reaction from their interview with Chris Lendrum, specifically the desire to bring Richie Mo'unga back to new Zealand Rugby sooner rather than later.

We dig into the Blues going top of the ladder after denying the Hurricanes at Eden Park, as well as more questions on the Crusaders front after the Highlanders taught them a lesson or two under the roof in Dunedin.

We also dig into the Black Ferns and New Zealand under-20s posting impressive victories.
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On a special edition of Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier catch up with New Zealand Rugby's general manager - professional rugby and performance Chris Lendrum, canvassing a range of rugby topics.

We delve into how his job has changed over time, sabbaticals and whether contracting is working the right way for New Zealand rugby, whether players will be selected from offshore in the next while, the future of Super Rugby and NPC, the Olympics and plenty more across nearly an hour.
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