Rugby Union Weekly

Sara, Ugo and Katy Daley-McLean are podding pitch side immediately after the Red Roses won an eighth successive Six Nations title and fifth Grand Slam. Given the injuries, absentees and retirements - is this the best one yet? And does this latest triumph now make the Red Roses one of the greatest sports teams of all time? We chat to England centurion Marlie Packer who tells us she isn’t going to hang her boots up any time soon. We also pick our player of the tournament and look ahead to WXV Global Series in the autumn. Are John Mitchell's England young guns ready for a shot at Canada and New Zealand?

Will England claim an eighth successive Six Nations? Or will France finally beat the Red Roses and claim a first title since 2018? Ugo, Sara and former Ireland international Anna Caplice look ahead to the big showdown in Bordeaux. Could England's leaky defence cost them on Sunday? Are England demanding too much of their star centre Meg Jones? Ireland’s first standalone fixture at the Aviva is expected to attract 30,000 fans. Anna explains what a watershed moment this will be for Irish rugby. Wales face Italy hoping to avoid another wooden spoon – can Sean Lynn finally deliver a first Six Nations win? Plus, should Ireland and Wales enter a team in the PWR? Will it help close the gap to England in the future?

It was a huge weekend in the race for the Prem play-offs as the top two both lost. Ashy, Danny and Chris dive into Leicester’s massive derby win over Northampton and discuss the electric atmosphere at Welford Road, the Tigers pack and if Henry Pollock needs to shake the pantomime villain image. Bath missed the change to go top after Exeter put them to the sword with an impressive second half display at Sandy Park. Are the Prem champions starting to run out of steam? Noah Caluori makes his pod debut fresh from an impressive Saracens win at Ashton Gate. He chats to us about his stunning breakthrough season and his ambitions with England ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup. We also dissect the RFU’s statement following the review into England’s Six Nations campaign. Why was the review so vague? Do fans deserve more transparency from the RFU? And what can we expect from Steve Borthwick’s side moving forward?

Former England international Katy Daley-McClean and ex-Black Fern Ruby Tui join Sara Orchard to review the Red Roses’ 61-33 thrashing of Italy in Parma.
John Harrison’s reigning world champions made it 37 consecutive wins across all competitions with a dominant display in their fourth bonus-point victory of this year’s competition.
That’s now 38 successive Six Nations wins, setting up what should be an epic grand finale in Bordeaux against France next weekend.
The panel discuss the entertainment value of games such as this, whether winning the Six Nations would really be more impressive than the World Cup – as England’s defence coach claimed pre-match, and the debutants who came on for the Roses.
Timecodes:
00:10 Ruby’s dramatic pod entrance
02:50 Are teams working England out, or is it just injuries letting teams score more?
05:00 How much credit do England deserve given the absentees?
06:00 How good were Lutui and Burns?
07:15 Ruby says England’s domination is ‘systematic’ like New Zealand’s Sevens team
09:55 A debut for Haidee Head qualifies for 5 different nations! What’s she like?
12:50 Ex-captain Marlie Packer’s 4-try haul
14:15 Would England fall apart without Amy Cokayne and Lucy Packer?
15:33 Zoe Harrison’s incredible kicking run ends
17:05 How did Italy come back from going 26-0 down inside the first 15 minutes?
18:50 Is Italy’s box-kicking boring or really smart?
20:15 Is Ellie Kildunne still settling into this new position?
22:50 Is this France’s best opportunity to beat England and get the Grand Slam?

Should the women’s game be using smaller balls? The debate is back on the agenda after Zoe Harrison’s interview with Sara about the decision to use size 4.5 balls at this autumn's WXV Global Series. Kat Merchant and Philippa Tuttiett give their views on ball trial, and discuss whether it is a backwards step for the game. We also examine the state of the women’s game in Italy as they prepare to face the Red Roses after an impressive victory over Scotland. Ticket sales for Ireland’s big date at the Aviva continue to fly off the shelf. Can Wales build on their bonus point against England and cause a big upset in Belfast?