Sam Hollingsworth on swapping the RFU Championship for Spain's División de Honor — from Nottingham Rugby to VRAC Quesos Entrepinares in Valladolid, an ACL rupture that nearly ended it, and what English players really need to know about Spanish rugby.

In this episode of Rugby Through The Leagues, fly-half Sam Hollingsworth opens up on the full journey: school rugby, Worcester academy opportunities, senior stints at Coventry, Broadstreet, Birmingham Moseley and Rotherham Titans, four seasons at Nottingham Rugby in the Championship, and the ACL injury that became the turning point in his career.

We get into the mental side of ACL rehab while holding down a professional contract, the loneliness of long-term injury, and how that experience shaped the decision to move abroad. Sam breaks down why he chose VRAC in Valladolid over other offers, what División de Honor actually compares to in the English pyramid (spoiler: top National 1 / bottom Championship intensity), and the gap in week-to-week consistency between the top and bottom of Spanish rugby.

He also unpacks the ABC squad licensing rule, how clubs balance foreign players with Spanish-qualified talent, the U23 pathway, and why loan systems vs in-house development is the next frontier for Spanish rugby. Then there's the Copa del Rey final at Estadio José Zorrilla in front of 20,000 — Sam's account of the atmosphere, the celebrations, and what it tells you about where Spanish rugby is heading.

Off the pitch, Sam talks learning Spanish on the training ground, raising a multilingual family in Castilla y León, and his new coaching venture, Coached by Sam — online video analysis and 1-to-1 skill development for fly-halves and aspiring players who don't have access to elite coaching.

Whether you're a player considering a move to Spain, a coach interested in international pathways, or a fan tracking the rise of tier 2 and tier 3 rugby nations, this is essential listening.

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⏱ CHAPTERS
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00:00 Career Turning Point
00:03 Meet Sam Hollingsworth
02:16 Nottingham and the Championship
03:10 Climbing the Leagues
05:48 COVID and Breaking Through
07:41 ACL Injury Breakdown
09:54 Rehab and the Mental Battle
12:59 Choosing Spain — The Offers
16:09 Spain Level Comparison
19:00 League Consistency Issues
20:37 The ABC Rule and Squad Building
23:10 U23 Pathway Levels
25:35 Loans vs Development
26:39 Spanish Rugby Momentum
27:30 Copa Del Rey Atmosphere
29:15 Spanish Celebrations
29:49 Learning Spanish On-Field
32:49 Family Multilingual Life
34:20 Coaching Vision Online
37:51 Video Analysis Mindset
42:04 Move to Spain Advice
43:02 Final Wrap and Plugs

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🏉 FOLLOW SAM HOLLINGSWORTH
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📸 Coached by Sam (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/_coachedbysam
💼 LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/sam-hollingsworth-7b18791a9

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📲 FOLLOW RUGBY THROUGH THE LEAGUES
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🔔 Subscribe for more interviews from grassroots, tier 2 and emerging rugby nations across the global rugby pyramid
🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/rugbyttl
📸 Instagram: @rugby.ttlpod

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🏷 ABOUT THE PODCAST
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Rugby Through The Leagues tells the stories you don't hear on mainstream rugby coverage — players, coaches and clubs from across the global rugby pyramid. From the Championship and National Leagues in England to División de Honor in Spain, Top 14 academies, Major League Rugby, and every emerging nation pushing for Tier 1 status.

#RugbyTTL #SpanishRugby #VRAC #DivisionDeHonor #ChampionshipRugby #ACLRecovery

Copa del Rey winner Vidal Souza joins Rugby Through the Leagues to break down Alcobendas' historic 40–39 derby final win over Cisneros, and how a season of late losses transformed into a championship-winning clutch mentality.

In this episode, Vidal opens up on the bench impact, endgame composure, and team connection that defined Alcobendas' Copa del Rey campaign — plus his rugby journey from León through Italy, Spain, Ireland, and into the Brazil national team and Cobras XV. We cover his switch to hooker, why he's re-signing with Alcobendas, and what's next as the club enters the División de Honor playoffs against La Vila.

We also dig into the wider state of Spanish rugby: the league's growing competitiveness, the rise of Elite A, Spain's World Cup qualification, and what it all means for the future of the sport on the Iberian Peninsula.

If you follow Spanish rugby, División de Honor, or rugby in emerging nations — this one's essential listening.

⏱ TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Clutch Mentality Intro
00:16 Podcast Welcome Guest
00:58 Copa del Rey Thriller
02:24 Winning Tight Games
05:54 Rugby Journey Origins
08:22 Contracts & Club Culture
10:25 Rugby vs Career
12:59 Playoffs Focus: La Vila
14:58 Stopping The Maul
18:50 4G vs Grass
21:20 Wild División Season
24:22 Spain Rugby Rising
27:02 Elite A Closing Gap
30:08 Career Highlights & Farewell

🏉 ABOUT RUGBY THROUGH THE LEAGUES
Rugby Through the Leagues is the home of grassroots and tier 2/3 rugby — bringing you the players, coaches, and stories the mainstream rugby media overlooks. From Spain and Portugal to Uruguay, Brazil, Kenya, Fiji, Samoa, and beyond.

🔔 SUBSCRIBE for more interviews with players and coaches shaping the next era of global rugby.
👍 LIKE if you enjoyed this conversation with Vidal.
💬 COMMENT — who should we interview next from the División de Honor?

📲 FOLLOW RUGBY THROUGH THE LEAGUES

#SpanishRugby #CopaDelRey #Alcobendas #DivisionDeHonor #VidalSouza #RugbyTTL #RugbySpain #Cisneros #LaVila #BrazilRugby #CobrasXV #Rugby #WorldRugby #Tier2Rugby #RugbyPodcast

Tier 2 & Tier 3 Rugby’s Future: Rugby Europe, MLR, World Cup 2031/2035 & Growing the Game | w/ What’s All the Ruckus

Rugby TTL hosts Charlie from the What’s All the Ruckus podcast to discuss why they focus on tier two and tier three rugby, the lack of mainstream coverage, and how journalism and podcasting can spotlight overlooked nations and stories. They talk about guest interviews (including Finnley Harrison) and the balance between exposure and “clickbait” via outlets like The Ruck. The conversation explores where tier two/three rugby could be in 2, 5, and 10 years, the limits of the Nations Cup, the importance of Tier 1 ‘A’ sides, and the need for better calendars, promotion/relegation clarity, and marketing. They cover MLR stability, Super Rugby Americas growth and broadcast access, Rugby Europe Super Cup funding, potential competition restructuring, and the potential impact of USA 2031 and Spain 2035 World Cups.

00:00 Podcast Collaboration Intro
00:44 Why Cover Tier Two
01:56 Grassroots Sports Magic
03:12 Guests And Ruck Debate
06:26 Interviewing Finnley Harrison
08:18 Future Of Tier Two Rugby
09:27 Nations Cup And B Teams
13:21 USA Rugby And MLR Reset
15:48 Super Rugby Americas Growth
19:26 2035 Spain World Cup Dream
21:37 Rugby Europe Super Cup Funding
24:31 Restructuring Rugby Europe
26:08 Fixing Tier Two Calendar
27:10 League Model Proposal
28:28 Travel And Notice Boost
29:27 Showcase Friendlies Examples
32:21 Marketing Beyond Rugby Bubble
37:14 Changing Rugby Perception
40:55 Atmosphere Pricing Lessons
43:59 Favorite Guests Stories
47:52 Ultimate Guest Dreams
49:56 Where To Find The Pod
51:47 Final Thanks And Signoff