House of Rugby JOE

Alex, James and Mike are re-united for the final show of series two ahead of a short summer break. They discuss why NFL players are more athletic than their rugby counterparts, pick a starting Lions 15 for the opening game of next summer's tour, talk best guests, biggest moments and there's a surprise guest who literally drops in through the roof. And look out for 'Best Of' episodes beginning next week.

Alex and James are joined again by the Leicester and England prop Ellis Genge who talks emotionally about unions, pay cuts and players strikes as he looks to shelve plans for a new representative body for players. Plus, he discusses his views on statues, racism in the game, and looks back on things that friends and teammates have said to him that have made him feel uncomfortable.

Alex is joined by the assistant manager of London Scottish to talk about life in the Championship, the upcoming battles against Saracens, moving away from full-time to part-time and the challenges ahead for rugby clubs in the second tier post covid. Plus, what happens when you play a team made up of future All Blacks, and what happened to Romania's Cristian Raducanu.

Alex and Mike are joined by the former England skipper Will Carling for a wide ranging conversation about the game. From national team captaincy at 22, to World Cup Finals, tears, tantrums, Jonah Lomu, 57 old farts, Lions' disappointments, going into hiding, and what it means to really love the game, this is one episode you won't want to miss.

Alex is joined by Jeremy Drake, club captain and starting hooker for one of the most unique rugby clubs in the world. Wakatipu sits just under the southern alps on New Zealand's South Island. Its squad is made up of locals and tourists, many of whom play whilst they're on holiday or working in the local ski resorts, and their numbers have included former All Blacks captain Justin Marshall and his international teammate and current Highlanders centre Michael Collins. Take a trip to the other side of the world to find out a little more about what makes Kiwi rugby so special in our latest House of Rugby Short.

Alex and James are joined from Sydney by Sam Burgess for an explosive and hugely revealing episode in which nothing is off the table. Sam talks for the first time about the real reasons why the 2015 World Cup was a disaster, who was to blame, who was playing politics and who was scheming behind the scenes. Plus, he discusses retirement, Russell Crowe, Taylor Swift, hanging out with DiCaprio and winning titles with the Rabittohs.