Rugby Union Weekly

Sara sits down with Zoe Aldcroft after she was appointed Red Roses captain for 2025. Aldcroft tells us what it means to lead the team in a World Cup year and how supportive Marlie Packer has been since replacing her as skipper. We hear all about Aldcroft's leadership style and what motivates her to always go the extra mile. She also revisits the heartbreak of losing to the All Blacks in the last World Cup final and how it affected her love for the game. Head coach John Mitchell explains the reasons behind the change of captain and what qualities he admires most in Aldcroft. He also explains how he and the leadership group are dealing with being the 'hunted' at the upcoming World Cup.

Danny, Ashy, and Sara look back at a busy final weekend of the Champions Cup pool stages. They ask whether anyone can challenge Toulouse to lift the cup in May. Is Ashy’s European try-scoring record under threat after Damian Penaud scored six tries at the weekend. And the guys pay tribute to Anthony Watson who announced his retirement last week.

Ugo, Ashy and Chris are in Twickenham to bring you reaction to the news that Maro Itoje is the new England captain. It was the big headline as Steve Borthwick named his 36-man squad for the upcoming Six Nations. But with 88 Tests under his belt, why is now the time right for Itoje to lead the team? We hear about his interests off the field and why he is different to previous captains. Tom Willis made the cut but there is no place for Henry Pollock. So what will England's back row look like? We also pick our backline for England's opener against Ireland in Dublin and how to get the best out of Ollie Lawrence.

Danny is back from his weekend in Toulon and heads straight from the airport to join us Ashy and Chris for the pod. Danny reveals what Dan Biggar said to him on the pitch at the weekend and how difficult it is to find a restaurant in Toulon in January. Everyone is talking about Warren Gatland's Six Nations squad. There's an uncapped fly-half and plenty of experience returning to the fold but it's one or two surprise omissions that have raised a few eyebrows. We also look ahead to an intriguing final round of matches in the Champions Cup pool stage and look at who is best-placed to receive one of two golden tickets that guarantee a home advantage all the way to the final.

Danny has some big news for the pod and we round up an entertaining yet controversial weekend in the Premiership. There was a blockbuster at Franklin’s Gardens as Northampton edged past Bath at the death thanks to Finn Smith. Are the champions still in the play-off race despite being in eighth? Ollie Lawrence has apologised for his role in the incident with Alex Mitchell, but did the England centre overstep the mark? George Skivington's Welsh contingent continue to impress for Gloucester but which Premiership player is being held back by Wales' 25-cap rule? Ashy gives us an insight into French rugby as Owen Farrell is voted the worst signing of the season, plus Ilona Maher makes her Bristol debut and England are heading to Argentina for this summer.

Ugo, Ashy and Chris head into the studio in central London to record the last pod of 2024. Ashy gets a few Christmas gripes off his chest before we look ahead to a bumper year in 2025 and put our prediction skills to the test. Who will win the Six Nations and will we see a Grand Slam? And in what order will the home nations finish? We pick our Lions bolters and ask if there is anyone that can stop the Red Roses winning the World Cup. We also round-up a chaotic end to 2024 on the field as Exeter finally win a game, Bath put nearly 70 points on Saracens and Sale dominated Bristol at Ashton Gate. We also put forward a solution to solve the issues with the Champions Cup - remember you heard it here first!

Danny is the only one bringing the festive cheer to the pod as we discuss life as a rugby player at Christmas and how many eggs Ashy has with his Christmas dinner. Chris outlines a tumultuous few weeks for the RFU that has seen Tom Ilube resign as chairman and Sir Bill Beaumont appointed in his place on an interim basis. Warren Gatland is staying on as Wales head coach and has been challenged to deliver success in the Six Nations, but what exactly does that look like for a team that didn't win a match in 2024? Bristol win on the road again as they thrash Leicester at Welford Road. Can they go all the way this season, or will they need to tone down their attacking style?

Ashy critiques his son’s performance as one of the three Wise Men in his school’s nativity before we turn our attention to another weekend of Champions Cup action. It wasn’t without its issues again as a number of clubs heavily rotated their teams, but Northampton went fully loaded to Pretoria to face the Bulls and Tommy Freeman joins us to tell them all about their bonus-point win. Glasgow fell agonisingly short in Toulon and Toulouse ran riot in Exeter with Antoine Dupont getting one try closer to Ashy’s record. Away from the Champions Cup, Felix Jones has now officially left his role at the RFU. Can we expect him to pop up on the Lions coaching ticket next summer?

Chris and Ashy are back to preview round two of the Champions Cup and we find out what role Ashy's son is playing in his Christmas nativity. George Ford is on the pod ahead of Sale's big clash against Racing 92 on Friday. He also reflects on England's autumn and that drop goal against New Zealand. Could a dramatic schedule change reignite interest in the Champions Cup? And what are the big clashes to look forward to this weekend?

Ugo, Danny and Chris look back at the opening weekend of the Champions Cup. La Rochelle weathered the storm - quite literally - to beat Bath on the opening night, but did the first round manage to showcase the best of the competition? The pre-tournament favourites all won handsomely, but which British team has the best chance of going deep in the tournament? Henry Pollock continues to make waves, and at only 19 what is the best way to nurture him and the next generation of talent? We also hear all about Danny's experience of the Stade Dominique Duvauchelle and how many Christmas trees he has this year.

Sara takes the pod to Bristol to track down American rugby sensation Ilona Maher, who has just announced she will be playing in the PWR next year. Sara chats to her about her first impressions of British food - and the weather! Which Bristol team-mate has she already bonded with? And now she's converted from Sevens to 15s, where will she play? We also hear all about her amazing rise to become the most followed rugby player in the world, why she loves the sport and how she hopes to inspire the next generation of young girls to play rugby,

The Champions Cup is almost upon us, so Chris and Ashy take a look at the main runners and riders ahead of the opening weekend. Are the holders and six-time winners Toulouse the favourites? Or is it time for a new club to emerge to challenge for the prize? We hear from La Rochelle's Jack Nowell ahead of his trip to Bath with the French giants. He gives us a great insight into the brilliance of Ronan O'Gara and what life is like in France with his family having penned a new deal. What can we expect from the South African teams this year? And what about the Premiership clubs, can they reach the latter stage of the tournament like last season?

Ugo, Danny and Ashy are back on the sofa to discuss the return of the Premiership, but Ashy is surprised by what he saw over the weekend. Has the gap between the domestic and international game ever been greater? Newcastle won again and Exeter lost again. Gloucester and Bristol continue to thrill and both claimed impressive wins on the road. But it meant Joe Marler's farewell didn't go to plan. We look at Andy Farrell's to-do list as he starts work as the Lions head coach and ponder how Scotland players will be in his starting backline. Plus, there is some exciting news in the PWR as Bristol confirm the signing of American superstar Ilona Maher.

Chris, Gareth, and Tom convene for the last time this autumn. Gareth updates us on Wales' situation as the many reviews into various aspects of professional rugby continue. Is the RFU being unfairly scrutinised for revealing record bonuses for its executives as its financial affairs are made public? And with Ireland hosting Australia this weekend, Chris ponders whether the Wallabies have enough left in the tank to pull off a surprise win in Dublin.

Chris and Paul Grayson are at Twickenham to bring you reaction to England's dominant victory over Japan. It ended a run of five straight defeats for Steve Borthwick, but how happy is he with the team's progress this autumn? Jamie George is also on the pod and we get Eddie Jones' take on a tough day at the office for Japan and a less than ideal return to Twickenham for the former England head coach. We are also in Monaco for the World Rugby awards as Sara sits down with the men's and women's player of the year. South Africa forward Pieter-Steph du Toit claimed the men's award for a second time while Ellie Kildunne was crowned the best women's player after a stellar year with the Red Roses.

Chris, Tom, and Gareth are back for the penultimate pod of the autumn. They save the Wales chat for the end, as Gareth tries to make sense of the challenges facing the team. Chris questions whether England's coaching staff might be short on experience, while Tom argues that Scotland's clash with Australia is a must-win, believing it could define their entire year.

Is time running out for Warren Gatland? Wales have now lost 11 successive Test matches and conceded 50 points at home for the first time. Chris, Ugo and Ashy discuss what needs to change to get Welsh rugby back on track. Is the issue bigger than the head coach? England are also on a losing run. Are there still question marks around their identity under Steve Borthwick and is fitness one of the reasons behind their inability to close out games? Plus, the nominees for the World Rugby Awards are out and the Haka is back in the spotlight – quite literally!

Chris Jones, Chris Ashton and Matt Dawson react as England lose their fifth consecutive game as back-to-back world champions South Africa win at Twickenham's Allianz Stadium. Hear from captain Jamie George and coach Steve Borthwick. 08:20 Jamie George 13:45 Steve Borthwick

Chris, Tom and Gareth return after a clean sweep of defeats for the home nations. They begin with the narrative in Wales as more pressure is being heaped on Warren Gatland. Gareth asks whether the WRU are considering his future. Despite their poor showing against the All Blacks, Tom isn’t concerned for Ireland. And Chris tries to explain what is going on behind the scenes at England.

Chris and Ashy bring you a special pod looking ahead to England's massive game against the World Champions South Africa at Twickenham. You'll hear from Ellis Genge on the challenge of facing the Boks up front and how they've been picking themselves up after the shock defeat to Australia. We also Jerry Flannery on how special it is to be working with the double World Cup winners. Follow the Autumn Nations Series on BBC Sounds: Friday 15th November: Ireland v Argentina - 20:10 Saturday 16th November: Scotland v Portugal - 15:10 | England v South Africa - 17:40 | France v New Zealand - 20:10 Sunday 17th November: Wales v Australia - 16:10