More than the Score

BBC World Service
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Unexpected questions and beyond the scoresheet chat. A multi-sport global podcast from the BBC World Service, every weekday. Every Monday to Friday, More than the Score tells stories beyond the scoreline from all over the world of sport. From the Winter Olympics to the Super Bowl, the Australian Open to the Diamond League, and netball to Formula 1. We've got interviews with extraordinary athletes like Ivory Coast legend Yaya Toure, boxing royalty Cecilia Braekhus and cycling sprint king Harrie Lavreysen, as well as the experts working behind the scenes, from the referees who run VAR to the coaches keeping athletes in peak form. Plus, we've got the expertise of the BBC's top journalists, who share their insights from decades of covering sport at all levels. And if you've got your own take on the stories we cover, we'd love to hear from you. Email morethanthescore@bbc.co.uk, or WhatsApp us on 0044 800 032 0470. You can find more information, along with our privacy notice, on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/morethanthescore

  1. How Italy's men changed their Six Nations narrative

    9 HR AGO

    How Italy's men changed their Six Nations narrative

    Italy's men's international rugby team have gone from perennial Six Nations strugglers to talk of one day winning the competition. In the not-too-distant past, they were almost certain to be awarded the wooden spoon for finishing bottom of the table behind England, France, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. In fact, throughout much of the late 2010s and the early 2020s, there was plenty of demand for Italy to be removed from the tournament, and a relegation and promotion system brought in to make up for their record 18 campaigns propping up the rest. Francesco Palma, editor-in-chief at OnRugby.it and a contributor to Gazzeta dello Sport tells Ade Adedoyin how the arrival of Gonzalo Quesda as head coach in 2024, coupled with an exciting crop of young players, including Tommaso Menoncello, has changed the mentality of the side and its supporters. Rugby Union Correspondent at the Times, Mark Palmer, explains why Italy's impressive win over Scotland in the opening round of the 2026 Six Nations was not considered to be the huge upset it would have been five years ago and proves the side is heading in the right direction ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup. Every Monday to Friday, More than the Score tells stories beyond the scoreline from all over the world of sport. From the Winter Olympics to the Super Bowl, the Australian Open to the Diamond League, and netball to Formula 1. We've got interviews with extraordinary athletes like skimo star Emily Harrop, snowboarding icon Scotty James and cycling sprint king Harrie Lavreysen, as well as the experts working behind the scenes, from the referees who run VAR to the coaches keeping athletes in peak form. Plus, we've got the expertise of the BBC's top journalists, who share their insights from decades of covering sport at all levels. And if you've got your own take on the stories we cover, we'd love to hear from you. Email morethanthescore@bbc.co.uk, or WhatsApp us on 0044 800 032 0470. You can find more information, along with our privacy notice, on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/morethanthescore

    19 min
  2. What draws Sweden's footballers to England's WSL?

    1 DAY AGO

    What draws Sweden's footballers to England's WSL?

    England's Women's Super League, or WSL, is one of the richest leagues in women's football, with players from many countries - but it's proven particularly attractive for Swedish footballers. Twenty-three Swedes play across the league, including such names as Manchester United's Fridolina Rolfo and Hanna Lundkvist, as well as Arsenal's Stina Blackstenius. But has that damaged Sweden's own league, the Damallsvenskan, and what does the flow of players to other countries mean for the country's youth development? Swedish football journalist Amanda Zaza and Mia Eriksson, communication manager at Swedish side Linköping, join the BBC's Sophia Hartley to discuss the qualities that make Swedish players so attractive to WSL clubs, whether the number of players moving abroad is having an effect on Swedish domestic football, and if the country's top clubs, like Häcken and Hammarby, are still forces to be reckoned with in Europe. Every Monday to Friday, More than the Score tells stories beyond the scoreline from all over the world of sport. From the Winter Olympics to the Super Bowl, the Australian Open to the Diamond League, and netball to Formula 1. We've got interviews with extraordinary athletes like skimo star Emily Harrop, snowboarding icon Scotty James and cycling sprint king Harrie Lavreysen, as well as the experts working behind the scenes, from the referees who run VAR to the coaches keeping athletes in peak form. Plus, we've got the expertise of the BBC's top journalists, who share their insights from decades of covering sport at all levels. And if you've got your own take on the stories we cover, we'd love to hear from you. Email morethanthescore@bbc.co.uk, or WhatsApp us on 0044 800 032 0470. You can find more information, along with our privacy notice, on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/morethanthescore

    22 min
  3. Smriti Mandhana is BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year

    2 DAYS AGO

    Smriti Mandhana is BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year

    World Cup-winning cricketer Smriti Mandhana has been named BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year for 2025 - the first cricketer to win the award. As vice-captain, she helped her country to win the 2025 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup, scoring 434 runs across the tournament. Mandhana was chosen by a distinguished grand jury comprising tennis great Leander Paes, Paralympic medallist Deepa Malik and World Championship long-jump medallist Anju Bobby George. Smriti Mandhana explains why she hopes her achievements can inspire India's next generation, while Sophia Hartley is joined by BBC News India's Ishadrita Lahiri to tell us more about the award and the other notable winners at the event in Delhi. Every Monday to Friday, More than the Score tells stories beyond the scoreline from all over the world of sport. From the Winter Olympics to the Super Bowl, the Australian Open to the Diamond League, and netball to Formula 1. We've got interviews with extraordinary athletes like speed skating legend Arianna Fontana, snowboarding icon Scotty James, and Albania's teen skiing star Lara Colturi, as well as the experts working behind the scenes, from the choreographers who design figure skating routines to the people who prepare the field for the Super Bowl. Plus, we've got the expertise of the BBC's top journalists, who share their insights from decades of covering sport at all levels. And if you've got your own take on the stories we cover, we'd love to hear from you. Email morethanthescore@bbc.co.uk, or WhatsApp us on 0044 800 032 0470. You can find more information, along with our privacy notice, on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/morethanthescore

    21 min
  4. Emily Harrop: Skimo's top racer aims for Olympic history

    3 DAYS AGO

    Emily Harrop: Skimo's top racer aims for Olympic history

    Emily Harrop is the dominant force in the sport of ski mountaineering, or skimo – an intense, demanding discipline that combines cross-country and alpine skiing. The French racer has won the sport's overall and sprint World Cup titles for the past four seasons, and as skimo joins the Olympic programme at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, Harrop is the hot favourite to become its first gold medalist. Raised in the French Alps by two English parents, Emily Harrop began her sporting life as an alpine skier, but took up skimo aged 20. Eight years later, she's preparing for the race of her life, while also dealing with the pressures that come with her sport receiving more attention than it ever has before. Earlier this year, Emily Harrop talked to the BBC's Ed Harry about her journey through sport, her approach to skimo training, the role that the French military has played in developing her as an athlete, and what it's like growing up with British parents in France - as well as what she's drawn from both cultures. Harrop also explains why she hopes ski mountaineering will show audiences a new way of looking at the mountains Every Monday to Friday, More than the Score tells stories beyond the scoreline from all over the world of sport. From the Winter Olympics to the Super Bowl, the Australian Open to the Diamond League, and netball to Formula 1. We've got interviews with extraordinary athletes like speed skating legend Arianna Fontana, snowboarding icon Scotty James, and Albania's teen skiing star Lara Colturi, as well as the experts working behind the scenes, from the choreographers who design figure skating routines to the people who prepare the field for the Super Bowl. Plus, we've got the expertise of the BBC's top journalists, who share their insights from decades of covering sport at all levels. And if you've got your own take on the stories we cover, we'd love to hear from you. Email morethanthescore@bbc.co.uk, or WhatsApp us on 0044 800 032 0470. You can find more information, along with our privacy notice, on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/morethanthescore

    20 min
  5. Why biathlon's been the talk of the Winter Olympics

    4 DAYS AGO

    Why biathlon's been the talk of the Winter Olympics

    Sturla Holm Laegreid won a bronze medal in the men's 20km biathlon at the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina - then tearfully confessed to TV cameras that he had cheated on his girlfriend, and wanted to reconcile with her. It was the most unexpected moment of the Games, and suddenly put biathlon in the headlines all over the world. And that's not the only controversy that's put the spotlight on biathlon in the past fortnight. French biathlete Julia Simon has won two golds at the Games so far, only a few months after being found guilty of theft and credit-card fraud after using bank cards belonging to a teammate and a French team staff member without their permission. After winning the women's 15km individual race, she very publicly made a shushing gesture in the direction of a journalist who'd criticised her. It's led to biathlon receiving global attention like never before. Will that be good for the sport's future, and can it capitalise on its profile outside the Olympic window? Jens Friberg is a sports journalist who's covering the Winter Olympics for the Norwegian newspaper VG. He explains how much biathlon matters in Norway, the most successful nation in Olympic biathlon history, and how the death of Norwegian biathlete Sivert Bakken in the run-up to the Games has affected both the sport and the country. Will Prov is an English podcaster who covers the biathlon circuit in his podcast The Biathlon Podcast. He discusses some of the biggest Olympic biathlon stories that have received slightly less attention during the Games, including the historic triumph of Italy's Lisa Vitozzi, and shares how a BBC TV programme was responsible for drawing his attention to the sport in the first place. Every Monday to Friday, More than the Score tells stories beyond the scoreline from all over the world of sport. From the Winter Olympics to the Super Bowl, the Australian Open to the Diamond League, and netball to Formula 1. We've got interviews with extraordinary athletes like speed skating legend Arianna Fontana, snowboarding icon Scotty James, and Albania's teen skiing star Lara Colturi, as well as the experts working behind the scenes, from the referees who run VAR to the coaches keeping athletes in peak form. Plus, we've got the expertise of the BBC's top journalists, who share their insights from decades of covering sport at all levels. And if you've got your own take on the stories we cover, we'd love to hear from you. Email morethanthescore@bbc.co.uk, or WhatsApp us on 0044 800 032 0470. You can find more information, along with our privacy notice, on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/morethanthescore

    25 min
  6. Dave Ryding's Olympic farewell

    13 FEB

    Dave Ryding's Olympic farewell

    Dave Ryding is the only British Alpine skier to ever win a World Cup race. His 2022 victory in the slalom at Kitzbuhel also saw him become the oldest man to ever win a World Cup slalom, aged 35. Ryding's career started years later than those of his peers, and in very different circumstances to skiers from the traditional Alpine superpowers. Dave learned to ski as a teenager on the plastic dry slope at Pendle in Lancashire, a world away from the snowy mountains where he would make his name more than a decade later. Through years of persistence and struggle, he finally reached the top of the sport, having taken a journey unlike any other. Now, aged 39, Dave Ryding is set to bring a close to his racing career in the men's slalom at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Earlier this year, he spoke to former British Olympic skier Chemmy Alcott for the BBC's Ski Sunday programme about his decades in the sport, revealing what first brought him to the plastic slope that would change his life. Dave also shares how running a cafe with his wife played a major role in shaping his sporting success, and looks to what the future might bring when he crosses the finish line for the final time. Chemmy also joins the BBC's Ed Harry to discuss the qualities that enabled Dave Ryding to reach unprecedented heights for a British skier, and the legacy he now leaves for the sport. Every Monday to Friday, More than the Score tells stories beyond the scoreline from all over the world of sport. From the Winter Olympics to the Super Bowl, the Australian Open to the Diamond League, and netball to Formula 1. We've got interviews with extraordinary athletes like Albania's skiing star Lara Colturi, snowboarding icon Scotty James and cycling sprint king Harrie Lavreysen, as well as the experts working behind the scenes, from the referees who run VAR to the coaches keeping athletes in peak form. Plus, we've got the expertise of the BBC's top journalists, who share their insights from decades of covering sport at all levels. And if you've got your own take on the stories we cover, we'd love to hear from you. Email morethanthescore@bbc.co.uk, or WhatsApp us on 0044 800 032 0470. You can find more information, along with our privacy notice, on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/morethanthescore

    28 min
  7. When does football punditry go too far?

    12 FEB

    When does football punditry go too far?

    Earlier this month, Liverpool and Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk commented that some former footballers who now work as pundits go too far in their criticism of young players. Speaking to Sky Sports' Gary Neville, he argued that "sometimes criticism also goes into being clickbait, saying things to provoke things, and without thinking about the repercussions for the mental side of players, and especially the younger generation, who are constantly on social media." Van Dijk's words have sparked plenty of debate among fans and pundits alike, but where does the line lie between fair comment and criticism for criticism's sake? Are pundits too hungry for headlines, or are players too sensitive to feedback? Former Scotland international Pat Nevin has worked in the media for three decades, following a distinguished playing career for clubs including Chelsea, Everton and Tranmere Rovers. He tells John Bennett how he was able to ignore media criticism during his own playing career, and says that there's now more pressure on pundits to have stronger opinions to keep their names in the public eye. Marcel van der Kraan, the chief sports editor for Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, compares the tone of punditry in the Netherlands to that in the UK, and explains the kind of criticism Virgil van Dijk has faced from big names in Dutch football during his career. He also argues that the press risk damaging the careers of promising young managers by expecting too much from them too early in their careers. Every Monday to Friday, More than the Score tells stories beyond the scoreline from all over the world of sport. From the Winter Olympics to the Super Bowl, the Australian Open to the Diamond League, and netball to Formula 1. We've got interviews with extraordinary athletes like Albania's skiing star Lara Colturi, snowboarding icon Scotty James and cycling sprint king Harrie Lavreysen, as well as the experts working behind the scenes, from the referees who run VAR to the coaches keeping athletes in peak form. Plus, we've got the expertise of the BBC's top journalists, who share their insights from decades of covering sport at all levels. And if you've got your own take on the stories we cover, we'd love to hear from you. Email morethanthescore@bbc.co.uk, or WhatsApp us on 0044 800 032 0470. You can find more information, along with our privacy notice, on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/morethanthescore

    19 min

  8. 11 FEB

    How cloned horses conquered polo

    Polo is one of the world's oldest team sports, believed to have origins that date back more than 2,000 years, in which two teams of horse riders compete to hit a ball against posts at either end of a playing field. It might not seem like a place for innovation - but over the past decade, polo has been transformed by the use of cloned horses. At the heart of the cloning boom is Argentinian Adolfo Cambiaso, the man regarded as polo's greatest ever player. A decade ago, he took to the field with six identical horses, each cloned from his favourite mare, Cuartetera. Cambiaso and his cloned horses now dominate the sport - but what does that mean for the future of equine sports, and how far might people be willing to go in search of the "perfect" polo horse? The BBC's Marnie Chesterton has been to Argentina to see the polo fields and scientific laboratories where this story has played out. She talks to Ed Harry about how the experiment began, the big money that it's attracted, and the ethical concerns it's raised. You can hear Marnie's documentary, Game of Clones, in the BBC World Service's Documentary Podcast. Every Monday to Friday, More than the Score tells stories beyond the scoreline from all over the world of sport. From the Winter Olympics to the Super Bowl, the Australian Open to the Diamond League, and netball to Formula 1. We've got interviews with extraordinary athletes like Albania's skiing star Lara Colturi, snowboarding icon Scotty James and cycling sprint king Harrie Lavreysen, as well as the experts working behind the scenes, from the referees who run VAR to the coaches keeping athletes in peak form. Plus, we've got the expertise of the BBC's top journalists, who share their insights from decades of covering sport at all levels. And if you've got your own take on the stories we cover, we'd love to hear from you. Email morethanthescore@bbc.co.uk, or WhatsApp us on 0044 800 032 0470. You can find more information, along with our privacy notice, on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/morethanthescore

    21 min
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About

Unexpected questions and beyond the scoresheet chat. A multi-sport global podcast from the BBC World Service, every weekday. Every Monday to Friday, More than the Score tells stories beyond the scoreline from all over the world of sport. From the Winter Olympics to the Super Bowl, the Australian Open to the Diamond League, and netball to Formula 1. We've got interviews with extraordinary athletes like Ivory Coast legend Yaya Toure, boxing royalty Cecilia Braekhus and cycling sprint king Harrie Lavreysen, as well as the experts working behind the scenes, from the referees who run VAR to the coaches keeping athletes in peak form. Plus, we've got the expertise of the BBC's top journalists, who share their insights from decades of covering sport at all levels. And if you've got your own take on the stories we cover, we'd love to hear from you. Email morethanthescore@bbc.co.uk, or WhatsApp us on 0044 800 032 0470. You can find more information, along with our privacy notice, on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/morethanthescore

Information

  • Creator
    BBC World Service
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    121
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © (C) BBC 2026
  • Show Website
    More than the Score

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