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  • Ep.12 – Japan League One State of Play with Simon Strachan

    Ep.12 – Japan League One State of Play with Simon Strachan
    2026/05/05
    Gain Line Analytics co-founder Simon Strachan joined Brett McKay on 8/9 Rugby this week, to dig into the current state of play around League One in Japan. Following on from last week’s MLR State of Play, Simon provides great insights into how League One came about, the structures of corporate rugby in Japan within sport and business, how changes to League One player classification are impacting the competition, and how the 2026 season will play out with one round remaining before the promotion/relegation games and the finals to follow. #rugby #rugbypodcast #89Rugby As promised! The Toshiba Brave Lupus player profile pics: https://www.bravelupus.com/member/ Find us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get your podcasts Social media: search for ‘8/9 Rugby’ on Twitter, Bluesky, LinkedIn, and on Instagram, too And please do check out and subscribe to 8/9 Rugby on Substack: https://89rugby.substack.com/ Find Brett on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport Music: "Up Above" by Letter Box (via YouTube Creator Studio) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    49 分
  • AUS Rugby scene: There is SO MUCH rugby content now with Ollie Silverton

    AUS Rugby scene: There is SO MUCH rugby content now with Ollie Silverton
    2026/04/29
    Australian-based content creator and podcast producer Ollie Silverton joins Brett McKay on the AUS Rugby scene this week, for some thoughts on the success of Super Round, and some insight into just how much rugby content is available now. Ollie was a co-founder of some of the biggest rugby podcasts in the world, from The Rugby Pod in 2015 to Kick Offs & Kick Ons more recently. He was also a key producer for much of the Stan Sport Rugby programming in their early years. Still heavily involved in rugby, Ollie loved everything about Super Round in Christchurch, still harbours thoughts for a ‘Bula Round’ in Fiji, and can’t wait for a bumper Super Rugby Round 12 this weekend! #rugbypodcast #89Rugby #SuperRugbyPacific Find us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get your podcasts Social media: search for ‘8/9 Rugby’ on Twitter, Bluesky, LinkedIn, and on Instagram, too And please do check out and subscribe to 8/9 Rugby on Substack: https://89rugby.substack.com/ Find Brett on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport Music: "Up Above" by Letter Box (via YouTube Creator Studio) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    38 分
  • Ep.11 – MLR State of Play with David Lawrence

    Ep.11 – MLR State of Play with David Lawrence
    2026/04/28
    US-based podcaster and commentator David Lawrence joined Brett McKay on 8/9 Rugby this week, for a deeper dive into the current state of play around Major League Rugby in the United States. MLR had one of the roughest off-seasons in the history of professional rugby at the end of their 2025 season, when four clubs – Utah, Houston, NOLA, and Miami – all announced they were suspending operations for 2026, and two further clubs in San Diego and Los Angeles merged. What was an eleven-team, two conference competition is now six teams dotted to all corners of the USA. So how is MLR travelling now, just over a month into the 2026 season? Is this the reset the league needed, will any of those clubs return, and what does it all mean for USA Rugby, who will host a Rugby World Cup in just over five years’ time? #rugby #rugbypodcast #89Rugby Find David’s ‘Scrum of the Earth’ podcast, along with his MLR-focussed pod, the ‘Maul Street Journal’ wherever you get your podcasts. Find us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get your podcasts Social media: search for ‘8/9 Rugby’ on Twitter, Bluesky, LinkedIn, and on Instagram, too And please do check out and subscribe to 8/9 Rugby on Substack: https://89rugby.substack.com/ Find Brett on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport Music: "Up Above" by Letter Box (via YouTube Creator Studio) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    44 分
  • AUS Rugby scene: NSW could do the funniest thing in Super Round with Martin Devlin

    AUS Rugby scene: NSW could do the funniest thing in Super Round with Martin Devlin
    2026/04/22
    New Zealand broadcaster and host of the popular DSPN podcast Martin Devlin joins Brett McKay on the AUS Rugby scene this week, to look ahead at the return of Super Round after a wild Round 10 last weekend. A round that had everything saw Moana Pasifika put up way more fight than expected, we had the first edition of extra time for the season in Hamilton, the Fijian Drua enjoyed a first away win in Australia, and the Western Force claimed another scalp. That puts all eyes onto the return of Super Round in Christchurch, and their brand new, magnificent stadium just blocks from the city centre. And imagine this: the NSW Waratahs causing a massive boilover to kick it all off, beating the Crusaders to return to the top six. Just imagine it. #rugbypodcast #89Rugby #SuperRugbyPacific Find the DSPN on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@DevlinSportsPodcastNetwork, and wherever you get your podcasts. Find us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get your podcasts Social media: search for ‘8/9 Rugby’ on Twitter, Bluesky, LinkedIn, and on Instagram, too And please do check out and subscribe to 8/9 Rugby on Substack: https://89rugby.substack.com/ Find Brett on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport Music: "Up Above" by Letter Box (via YouTube Creator Studio) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    55 分
  • AUS Rugby scene: Moana Pasifika situation to force Super Rugby’s hand with Elliott Smith

    AUS Rugby scene: Moana Pasifika situation to force Super Rugby’s hand with Elliott Smith
    2026/04/15
    New Zealand rugby commentator Elliott Smith joins Brett McKay on the AUS Rugby scene this week, with news of Moana Pasifika’s demise dominating all discussion around the competition. Please note, Moana Pasifika confirmed their intentions to disband at the conclusion of the 2026 season soon after this episode was recorded, and before it was released, but the concerns expressed and thoughts on the way forward remain valid. This does feel like a tipping point for Super Rugby Pacific, and it’s inherent on Rugby Australia and New Zealand Rugby that all options are not properly explored for the competition to regain lost ground. #rugbypodcast #89Rugby #SuperRugbyPacific Find Elliott hosting the Rugby Direct podcast, along with Liam Napier wherever you get your podcasts. Find us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get your podcasts Social media: search for ‘8/9 Rugby’ on Twitter, Bluesky, LinkedIn, and on Instagram, too And please do check out and subscribe to 8/9 Rugby on Substack: https://89rugby.substack.com/ Find Brett on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport Music: "Up Above" by Letter Box (via YouTube Creator Studio) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    42 分
  • Ep.10 – Like putting on warm socks with Charlie Morgan

    Ep.10 – Like putting on warm socks with Charlie Morgan
    2026/04/14
    Charlie Morgan from The Times joined Brett McKay on 8/9 Rugby this week, to wrap up a truly intriguing weekend of Champions Cup Quarter Finals action across Europe, and setting up a couple of spicy Semi Finals in early May. The four matches were all gripping in their own right, and gripping for different reasons, as clashes of style and pace met head-on to find out who advances. And the Semis are set up beautifully, with representation from the URC, the Premiership and the Top 14, and probably most of who everyone expected to be there. Includes a quick wrap of the Challenge Cup QFs too, with those Semis almost certainly not including who most expected to be there. #rugby #rugbypodcast #89Rugby Find us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get your podcasts Social media: search for ‘8/9 Rugby’ on Twitter, Bluesky, LinkedIn, and on Instagram, too And please do check out and subscribe to 8/9 Rugby on Substack: https://89rugby.substack.com/ Find Brett on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport Music: "Up Above" by Letter Box (via YouTube Creator Studio) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    52 分
  • AUS Rugby scene: Coin flips & brotherly bragging rights with Jamie Wall

    AUS Rugby scene: Coin flips & brotherly bragging rights with Jamie Wall
    2026/04/08
    New Zealand rugby writer and fellow Substacker Jamie Wall joins Brett McKay on the AUS Rugby scene this week, with the curiosities of a short round over a long weekend quickly fading with the arrival of some stonking contests this weekend. If Round 8 felt a bit one-sided, Round 9 will be anything but, with at least three games looming as genuine coin-flip contests. Are the Drua still so invincible at home? What money a golden point draw between the ‘Canes and Blues? And surely the Reds have to bounce back, right? Good luck tipsters… #rugbypodcast #89Rugby #SuperRugbyPacific Find Jamie’s new Substack page: https://jamiewallrugby.substack.com/ Find us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get your podcasts Social media: search for ‘8/9 Rugby’ on Twitter, Bluesky, LinkedIn, and on Instagram, too And please do check out and subscribe to 8/9 Rugby on Substack: https://89rugby.substack.com/ Find Brett on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport Music: "Up Above" by Letter Box (via YouTube Creator Studio) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    42 分
  • Ep.9 – Good teams will miss Champions Cup semis with Caolán Scully

    Ep.9 – Good teams will miss Champions Cup semis with Caolán Scully
    2026/04/07
    Irish rugby writer and podcaster Caolán Scully joined Brett McKay on 8/9 Rugby this week, to dig deep into a big first weekend of Champions Cup knockout stages. The eight Round of 16 games saw some blowouts and high-scoring games as it often does, but throughout the weekend there were some fantastic contests and results that probably don’t do what we saw on the field justice. And importantly, it’s left rugby fans with four properly mouth-watering Quarter Finals this weekend coming. #rugby #rugbypodcast #89Rugby Find us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get your podcasts Social media: search for ‘8/9 Rugby’ on Twitter, Bluesky, LinkedIn, and on Instagram, too And please do check out and subscribe to 8/9 Rugby on Substack: https://89rugby.substack.com/ Find Brett on both Twitter and on BlueSky: @BMcSport Music: "Up Above" by Letter Box (via YouTube Creator Studio) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    53 分