Rugby Union Weekly

4.4 (97)
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Ugo Monye, Chris Jones, Danny Care and Chris Ashton bring you special guests and cover the biggest stories in rugby union. We'd love to hear from you on the pod; email rugbyunionweekly@bbc.co.uk or search for 5 Live Sport on social media to send us a message.

6 HR AGO

Six Nations: Borthwick's backline reshuffle

Marcus Smith is back in the starting XV. Tommy Freeman moves to outside centre. Tom Roebuck get his first Test start, but there's no room for Ollie Sleightholme. All this and more for Ugo and Sara to discuss as Steve Borthwick names his England team to face Wales in Cardiff this Saturday. Ben Earl is also on the pod as we get his take on playing in Cardiff, facing the 'phenomenal' Jac Morgan and lining up alongside the Curry brothers once again.

46 min
1 DAY AGO

Six Nations: The Record Chasers

Bielle-Biarray, Penaud, Freeman… a few of the players who have made their try-scoring mark on this year’s Six Nations. With a number of individual records up for grabs on Super Saturday, Chris and Ashy discuss the men who have taken the Championship by storm. Tommy Freeman is our guest as he looks to become the first Englishman to score a try in every single round of the Six Nations. And we are joined by Bordeaux coach Noel McNamara who tells us what it is like to coach some of France’s most electric players, with Bialle-Biarray on the verge of tournament history and Penaud closing in on French rugby greatness.

47 min
2 DAYS AGO

The Nations Pod

Did we just witness one of the greatest away performances in Six Nations history? Chris, Gareth and Tom struggle to recall a more impressive display than France's dominant showing at the Aviva on Saturday. Have Ireland reached a stage where they must start introducing fresh talent? Tom questions whether England’s performance against Italy truly justifies the "love-bombing" they’ve received. Meanwhile, doubts are surfacing over whether Wales employed the right tactics in their loss to Scotland. Chris also highlights the debate around bonus points, as Wales could potentially finish above Italy in fifth place despite failing to secure a win.

59 min
3 DAYS AGO

Six Nations: The Weekend Review with Ashy and Dawson

Chris is joined by Ashy and Matt Dawson at Twickenham to reflect on the fourth weekend of the Men’s Six Nations. The guys discuss England’s 47-24 win against Italy, where Steve Borthwick’s side do enough to remain ‘in the hunt’ for the Championship going into the final weekend. And Wales v Scotland pales in comparison to France’s high quality win against Ireland to put the Championship in their hands, albeit without Antoine Dupont available. Looking ahead to the final weekend, Ashy and Daws have a sneaky feeling that Wales could do a number on England at the Principality, with Ollie Lawrence’s injury not helping either! And who could make a lasting impression on Andy Farrell in a bid to secure a place on the Lions tour?

48 min
4 DAYS AGO

France win in Dublin to take control of Six Nations

We’re in Dublin reacting to an extraordinary French victory to end Irish hopes of a Grand Slam and put themselves in pole position for the Six Nations title next week. Donncha O'Callaghan joins Chris to give the Irish perspective on a first home defeat in this competition for four years. We also hear from number 8 Jack Conan. Up in Edinburgh Johnnie Beattie and James Hook have their say on Scotland’s win over Wales which saw Gregor Townsend’s men clinging on at the end despite having led 35-8 at half time.

37 min
5 DAYS AGO

Six Nations: Ireland in Dublin, the ultimate challenge?

Is playing Ireland in Dublin the ultimate challenge in northern hemisphere rugby? Shaun Edwards thinks so, and we hear how he's been motivating himself and the French players ahead of Saturday's showdown in Dublin. Chris chats to Gavin Mairs, chief rugby correspondent for the Daily Telegraph, and senior writer at ESPN Tom Hamilton. We look at Fabien Galthie's mind games this week with his comments in the press about Sam Prendergast. And speaking of Prendergast, just how big a day is this for him in his burgeoning international career? There's more on France opting for a 7:1 split and do Scotland really have cause for concern this weekend?

34 min
6 DAYS AGO

Six Nations: Doris returns and France go 7:1

Chris is joined by Johnnie Beattie and French rugby journalist Paul Eddison to dissect the teams for round four. Does this France team need to win in Dublin to silence the French critics? There are plenty of talking points after Fabien Galthie named his team on Thursday, he's opted for a 7:1 split on the bench again and brought Romain Ntamack straight back in. We discuss Jamie Osborne's selection on the right wing and what Simon Easterby is hoping to gain from it. And how is Johnnie feeling about Wales visiting Murrayfield? Are there even nerves creeping in despite facing a team that's lost its last 15 matches?

44 min
6 MAR

Six Nations: Smith benched and Slade dropped

Will we finally see England's attack click? Marcus Smith drops to the bench and Elliot Daly starts at full-back for England's Six Nations clash against Italy this weekend. Danny and Sara discuss the changes Steve Borthwick has made, plus Fraser Dingwall joins the pod as he starts alongside Ollie Lawrence in midfield. We hear about the challenge that has kept the players entertained in camp during the Six Nations and how special it will be to line up alongside four Northampton team-mates on Sunday.

41 min

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At 25, Hannah’s life begins falling apart. An anonymous intruder has made her phone her enemy. Aided by the technology we all rely on, this intruder is watching Hannah, threatening her, even pretending to be her. Feeling increasingly unsafe, Hannah goes to the police, but they can’t stop it. Worse, they don’t even recognise it for what it is: stalking. Hannah doesn’t know for sure who is behind it all, but she suspects an older man she met more than two years earlier at London Fashion Week. Initially, he claimed to have been hacked. Even today, he disputes stalking her. To make sense of what’s happening Hannah turns to a woman she’s known since she was seven years-old, and who also happens to be an investigative journalist. Together with her “ex-step mum” Carole Cadwalladr, they set out to piece together something the police couldn’t: the true identity of Hannah’s stalker. Doing so means untangling a web of deception spanning continents. On her suspected stalker’s trail, Hannah realises nothing about them is as she first thought.

4.5 (43)

TRUE CRIME
Season 7: World of Secrets presents: The Six Billion Dollar Gold Scam. Also: Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods. Women accuse Mohamed Al Fayed of rape. And: The Abercrombie Guys. Investigating sexual exploitation claims against the former CEO of fashion giant Abercrombie & Fitch. Delve into a World of Secrets: the global investigations podcast from the BBC. Uncovering stories around the world and telling them, episode by episode, with gripping storytelling. Latest season: World of Secrets presents, The Six Billion Dollar Gold Scam. It was the biggest gold discovery in history…until it wasn’t. In 1995, Canadian mining company Bre-X announced to the world it had found a significant amount of gold deep in the jungles of Indonesia. Stock prices soared as investors worldwide fought to stake their claim. But when Bre-X’s chief geologist mysteriously fell from a helicopter over the jungle, the story of the billion dollar discovery began to unravel. Nearly three decades later, no one has ever been held accountable. Now, host Suzanne Wilton takes listeners from the jungles of Indonesia to small town Alberta, Canada, to investigate what really happened and find out more about the man behind the biggest goldmine fraud of all time. Produced for the BBC World Service and CBC by BBC Scotland Productions. The Six Billion Dollar Gold Scam was first published in May 2024. Previous seasons of World of Secrets: Season 6: The Bad Guru. A yoga school in London. A guru running from the police. How did Miranda get sucked in? Journalist Cat McShane investigates the international yoga movement headed by Gregorian Bivolaru, the spiritual guide arrested by French police in November 2023 and charged with human trafficking, organised kidnapping, rape and organised abuse of weakness by members of a sect. Season 5: Finding Mr Fox. Investigating a plot to smuggle around a hundred millions of dollars’ worth of drugs from Brazil to Europe and the miscarriage of justice that followed. But where is the man Brazilian police believe to be at the centre of it all? Season 4: Al Fayed, Predator at Harrods. Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al Fayed – then owner of Harrods, one of the most famous shops in the world – is accused of rape and attempted rape by women who worked for him. Now they refuse to be silenced any longer. Season 3: The Apartheid Killer. All the victims were black and the youngest was just 12 years old. Some relatives are still searching for the graves. They were killed during a three-year bloodbath in the 1980s, in the South African city of East London – by one person. He killed so many, he lost count. In piecing together this story, we expose the disturbed past and racial injustices of South Africa itself. Season 2: The Disciples. The cult of Nigerian prophet TB Joshua. A story of miracles, faith and manipulation, told by people from around the world, who gave up everything for one of the most powerful religious figures of the century. Lured by TB Joshua’s claimed healing powers, they live as disciples in a guarded Lagos compound, cut off from family and friends. Season 1: The Abercrombie Guys. An investigation into claims of sexual exploitation made against the former CEO of fashion giant Abercrombie & Fitch. He and his British partner were accused by several men, recruited for sex events they hosted around the world.

4.6 (78)

DOCUMENTARY
Peak Danger is Season 2 of Extreme, the BBC podcast about those who chase the impossible... who strive for superhuman status and refuse to accept that life has any limits. Every season tells an unforgettable, action-packed story about people who’ve pushed their minds and bodies to the very edge – but at what cost? A mountain of trouble... In August 2008, around 30 climbers took on K2. Over 2 disastrous days, 11 of those people would lose their lives. This is the story of what really happened. Sitting on the border between China and Pakistan, K2 is a perfect pyramid that pierces through the clouds. It looks like a kid’s drawing of a mountain…but this terrifying peak is anything but child’s play. Newlyweds Cecilie Skog and her husband Rolf Bae loved climbing mountains almost as much as they loved one another. In the summer of 2008, they embarked on a honeymoon like no other, when they decided to climb K2. What happened next would change their lives and the lives of everyone around them…forever. A devastating avalanche scatters high altitude climbers across K2’s steep slopes. Life and death rescue missions quickly get underway. Who can be saved… before time runs out? Historian and podcaster Natalia Mehlman Petrzela returns with a sky-high story of human vs nature, and of survival against all the odds. What does it really take to push yourself to the brink of human possibility? How does it feel to stand with the whole world at your feet? And is it ever worth risking death… in order to feel alive?

4.9 (7)

PERSONAL JOURNALS
'Jaw dropping', 'gripping', 'bingeable,' 'thrilling' - dramatic true stories and investigations that reveal how the world really works. Word of God: A billionaire family's mission to amass ancient biblical treasures leads to them getting caught up in an international web of looted artefacts, forgeries and criminal networks. Art sleuth Ben Lewis uncovers how the Green family - owners of America's Hobby Lobby craft stores - spent millions racing to gather biblical manuscripts and artefacts. Their unprecedented collecting spree - 40,000 items in just three years - triggers a government investigation and alarms biblical scholars worldwide. When papyrologist Roberta Mazza begins questioning the collection's origins, she finds herself drawn into an investigation stretching from the Vatican City through Istanbul to Oxford University's hallowed halls. Through exclusive access to key players, Lewis reveals how thousands of allegedly looted treasures were smuggled into America labelled as "ceramic tiles", whilst priceless items like ancient Babylonian tablets and early Christian manuscripts were acquired through suspicious means. As investigators close in and scholars expose forgeries, the story expands beyond looted antiquities to raise profound questions about faith, power and cultural heritage. A respected Oxford professor stands accused of betrayal, federal agents demand the return of prized possessions, and the museum's ambitious mission becomes entangled in the dark world of international antiquities trafficking. From Washington D.C. to the Vatican City, this is a story about what happens when religious certainty meets the dangerous world of ancient treasures.

4.8 (29)

TRUE CRIME
Americast is the authoritative US news and politics podcast from the BBC. Each week we provide audiences with the best analysis from across the BBC, with on-the-ground observations and big picture insights about the stories which are defining America right now. The podcast is hosted by trusted BBC journalists including the BBC’s North America editor, Sarah Smith, BBC Radio 4 presenter, Justin Webb, the BBC’s disinformation and social media correspondent, Marianna Spring, and BBC North America correspondent, Anthony Zurcher. As well as political analysis, we also specialise in social media. Each week Marianna Spring brings listeners the latest updates from the BBC’s Undercover Voters, our award-winning investigation into the content that is recommended to US voters on social media. The team is also joined by special guests each week, like CNN anchor, Christiane Amanpour, Emmy Award-winning TV host, Rachel Maddow, and Succession actress, J Smith-Cameron. Podcasts are published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. As well as being a podcast, we are also available every Friday on the World Service. Oh, and by the way, you can now listen to Americast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say ‘”Ask BBC Sounds to play Americast”. It works on most smart speakers. Every Monday we answer your questions on Americanswers, with some help from special guests, including Miles Taylor, who was chief of staff at the Department for Homeland Security during the Trump presidency before becoming a whistleblower. Got a question or a comment? Get in touch with us on email at Americast@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.

4.3 (88)

POLITICS
The day’s top stories from BBC News. Keeping you informed on the important global events, including the latest on US politics and developments in Ukraine and Gaza. Delivered twice a day at weekends, daily at weekends. Follow or subscribe, so you never miss an episode. Also listen to The Happy Pod, every Saturday, for the happiest stories of the week. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk

4.3 (116)

DAILY NEWS

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4.4

out of 5

97 Ratings

Less of the old women routine, more on the rugby please

09/12/2024

RugBob

Love this normally but the first half (yes a full half of the programme) of the latest episode on champions cup openers was nothing to do with the actual rugby and was all about tv channels. Stick to the rugby please.
Great pod

03/02/2022

tom bectiva fc under11

Can u please talk about 6 nations fantasy
State of England taking victory laps

23/10/2023

DOKeeffeIre

The host takes shots at Ireland. England played one real team this tournament. They lost. Ireland bet the same team. Make sure the draw wins your player of the tournament.
A great podcast

18/06/2020

Tom Perrin

Hi this is Tom Perrin living in Ireland but from England.I love rugby and support England. This podcast is one of my favourites and I’m always looking for the newest one. Please don’t take a summer break as these podcasts are fantastic. 😂You guys talk about great topics and the quiz is class. My favourite player is Sam Underhill as I love his Tackles and Tackling is also my strength within rugby. Any chance of maybe getting him on the Pod soon.

Channel

BBC
Creator

BBC Radio 5 Live
Years Active

2017 - 2025
Episodes

209
Rating

Clean
Show Website

Rugby Union Weekly
Provider

BBC Studios Distribution Limited has identified itself as a trader for this podcast and confirmed that this product or service complies with European Union law. Address 1 Television Centre 101 Wood Lane London London W12 7FA United Kingdom Phone Number +44 7590176301 Email bbcstudiosaudiodistribution@bbc.com