The Ruck

3.5 (32)
Rugby
Updated Weekly

The podcast they play in heaven. Join Alfie, Alex, Will and Charlie along with the best of The Times and The Sunday Times rugby writers as they ruck over the best games and biggest names from the domestic season and the international calendar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2d ago

Wild scores and thin crowds: how healthy is the Prem?

Following the third round of action in the Gallagher Prem Alfie, Will and Charlie review both the amazing matches on the pitch and the storylines off it. Is Northampton 71, Bath 48 a good thing for the sport? Why are we getting so many crazy scorelines? And, does the league have an attendance problem? Plus, issues with synthetic pitches, New Zealand winning the Bledisloe again and the Champions Cup returns. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 5

Another Harlequins crisis and Venter bottles the media

Alfie, Will, Charlie and Elgan look back on the second round of action from the Prem. Gloucester, Bristol and Bath remain unbeaten, whilst Sale picked up a hugely important victory away to Saracens. Exeter and Harlequins both remain without a win, which club should be more concerned? Are Harlequins in another crisis? What's so impressive about Bristol's defence? And, would a Prem Welsh XV beat an equivalent side from the URC? Plus, after Brendan Venter changed his job title to 'Wine consultant' to avoid media duties, the boys discuss why it's an issue and what it reveals about the club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 28

Gloucester, Bristol or Pollock’s hair: Who made the biggest Prem statement?

The opening weekend of the Gallagher Prem saw Gloucester, Bristol, Bath and Saracens all win away from home. Alfie, Charlie and Elgan ask which result was the biggest statement and look back on all of the action. Should Sale be worried after they lost at home to Bristol? How did Saracens manage an away win at Leicester despite having a 20-minute red card? And, is Henry Pollock worth £400,000 a year? Plus, by beating South Africa did Australia show that they'll be a force at their home World Cup in 2027? And, should the Black Ferns have settled for a draw against the Red Roses? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 24

Welsh Chaos to Gloucester: Jac Morgan & Dewi Lake

Gloucester begin their Gallagher Prem campaign away to Exeter Chiefs this weekend! For a city with such a strong rugby history they have never won the Premiership and have only reached the play-offs once in the last fifteen years. So will their fortunes change this season? Alfie and Will are at Kingsholm to chat with Dewi Lake and Jac Morgan. The Welsh internationals joined the club this summer from the Ospreys. They chat about dealing with the chaos in Welsh rugby in recent years, why they moved to the Prem and the new initiation at Gloucester now that the infamous 'milk challenge' has been replaced with something else. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 23

From Sarries & Brive to Sale: Lozowski, Lawes & a possible England re-call

As we continue to build-up to the start of the new Gallagher Prem season, Alfie and Will are in the North-West. They've made the trip to Sale Sharks to chat with new signings Alex Lozowski and Courtney Lawes. Lawes returns to English rugby following two years playing for Brive in Pro D2. Will he return to the England squad in time for the 2027 World Cup? And why has he made the move to Sale? Lozowski joins after ten years with Saracens. He explains why it's a homecoming of sorts and what the club can achieve this season. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 21

Season Preview: Who will win the 2026/2027 Gallagher Prem?

It's the start of a new Gallagher Prem season! Alfie and Will are at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, to look ahead to another campaign. They're joined by Newcastle Red Bulls head coach Dan McFarland, Harlequins and England prop Fin Baxter and the Northampton Saints and England fly-half Fin Smith. Will Newcastle - now into a second season under Red Bull ownership - have a more successful campaign? Can Harlequins bounce back from last year's disappointment? And, will Northampton do a better job of defending their title than the last time they were defending champions? Plus, will Sale's blockbuster recruitment drag them back up the table? What will Saracens look like under Brendan Venter? And - the all-important question - who will win the league this year? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 14

Will a 6 Nations match happen in the USA?

Rugby's Greatest Rivalry concluded with the Springboks winning the fourth test in Baltimore to secure a 3-1 series victory. Alfie, Alex, Charlie and Elgan look back on the epic contest and discuss the best approach for beating the Boks. With the match taking place in the USA they ask why rugby is taking matches Stateside? Was the occasion a success? And, could a 6 Nations match really happen in the US? It follows the news last week that World Rugby is keen for a fixture to take place across the Atlantic. Plus, why have England given Steve Borthwick a contract extension? And the Red Roses were back in action and, as always, back winning. *** From captaining the England rugby team to tackling life's toughest challenges — including his recent MND diagnosis — Lewis Moody has always been a man of action. Don't miss Lewis in London on November 5th, where he'll be sitting down with Times rugby correspondent Alex Lowe to discuss his new book, Fronting Up. Expect an honest and deeply inspiring conversation exploring the mistakes, triumphs, and life lessons that forged a great man's mettle. For tickets, head to thetimes.com/events Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 7

Boks vs All Blacks: Does the 4th test count?

The third match in Rugby's Greatest Rivalry produced another brilliant test! South Africa leads the series 2-1 after beating New Zealand 29-24. Attention now turns to the USA as the fourth test takes place in Baltimore. But, does that matter? Were the three games in South Africa the ones the nations cared about most? And, how far ahead of the rest are the Springboks and All Blacks? Alfie, Charlie and Elgan react to the 3rd test and discuss whether other nations have a chance of beating South Africa. They also look ahead to the start of the WXV, react to Steve Borthwick's latest training squad and ask, 'What is the point of the Prem Cup?' *** From captaining the England rugby team to tackling life's toughest challenges — including his recent MND diagnosis — Lewis Moody has always been a man of action. Don't miss Lewis in London on November 5th, where he'll be sitting down with Times rugby correspondent Alex Lowe to discuss his new book, Fronting Up. Expect an honest and deeply inspiring conversation exploring the mistakes, triumphs, and life lessons that forged a great man's mettle. For tickets, head to thetimes.com/events Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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3.9 (194)

Daily News
Award-winning investigative and true crime podcasts. The Trial of Russell Brand is season 14 of Times Investigates. From war zones to suburban homes, pursuing brutal criminals and cult leaders, our podcasts go further than any other to uncover the truth. In season one, war correspondent Anthony Loyd investigates the fate of his colleague John Cantlie, who was kidnapped in Syria by Islamic State. In season two, crime correspondent John Simpson breaks down the wall of silence surrounding the killing of 14-year-old Corey Junior Davis In season three Berlin correspondent Oliver Moody uncovers the story of Hans Globke, the Nazi bureaucrat who laid the legal basis for the Holocaust - and helped build the modern German state In season four, columnist David Aaronovitch follows the trail of charm and deception left by businessman Lex Greensill through the corridors of power in Britain In season five, special correspondent Emily Dugan asks whether the wrong man was sent to prison for a brutal attack on a mother of two In season six, Middle East correspondent Louise Callaghan steps into the weird world of ‘kittens’, ‘lions’, and televangelism surrounding a cult leader In season seven, journalists Brenna Daldorph and David Aaronovitch explore the dark past behind some of Britain’s wealthiest stately homes In season eight, feature writer Andrew Billen exposes a very British scandal at the world-famous university college, Christ Church, Oxford In season nine, David Aaranovitch steps into the online world of Patriotic Alternative, a far-right group using the Covid pandemic as a recruiting tool In season ten, journalists Peter Gillman and Emanuele Midolo investigate the death of one of our own, David Holden, the reporter whose killing became a Cold War whodunnit In season 11, social affairs editor James Beal follows a trail leading from a quiet British town to frozen Canada, where he discovers a man allegedly selling death online In season 12, reporter Mario Ledwith returns to his hometown in Northern Ireland, seeking answers about the bloody 1987 Remembrance Sunday attack In season 13, The Sunday Times’s Insight team investigates how Nigel Farage came to depend upon a crypto enthusiast, gambler and convicted fraudster In season 14, journalists Rosamund Urwin and Charlotte Wace join Luke Jones to report daily from the trial of Russell Brand Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.8 (40)

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Two friends, too many opinions. Enjoy an unfiltered look at the ups and downs of life with Jane Garvey and Fi Glover - the kind of conversations that only happen Off Air. If you want to ask a question or get involved in the conversation, please email us: janeandfi@times.radio Follow our antics away from the mic on Instagram: @janeandfi Or join us on Times Radio every Monday to Thursday afternoon between 2pm and 4pm. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.5 (96)

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3.5

out of 5

32 Ratings

Just one thing….

Feb 24

SirKieran

Please, please stop saying “go” and “going” when you mean “say” and “saying”. It’s really annoying!
New fan

Jan 12

Eddie Panic

As a new fan, this is one of the pods I love to listen to every week. Keep it up.
Lost one listener

06/29/2025

JesseJ3015

Disappointing. Otherwise really solid, but the attack on Henry Pollock is too much. I would not have had him on tour, but to call him a joke and a terrible player is, itself, a joke. This podcast lost one listener today.
Cynical.

11/01/2023

Djbarra

I’m not a South African supporter but this podcast about the World Cup final is so cynical. A team won and the negativity around them from you guys I believe is extremely disrespectful. How can you complain about cards and then congratulate the referee…. You’re finding excuses to take away the boks win on one hand but celebrating the referee. You speak highly of New Zealand and every other country…. Pretty hateful to a team that had the hardest fought route to the final and deserves more than a one sided argument. If you want to be miserable and sour, this is tbe podcast for you. If you want to celebrate and live rugby, listen to a podcast that celebrates all of rugby, whether that’s running rugby, defensive rugby, low scoring games, chess battles, kick battles definitely don’t listen to this negative stuff

The podcast they play in heaven. Join Alfie, Alex, Will and Charlie along with the best of The Times and The Sunday Times rugby writers as they ruck over the best games and biggest names from the domestic season and the international calendar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.