HARPIN' ON RUGBY

Summary

Over the course last week’s chat about Super Rugby Aotearoa with John Keenan of The Rugby Gods Podcast  we discussed some other things, so what I decided to do was hold over some of the extra content and use it for this week’s pod.  There are a few topics he went over like the different style of bonus point used in Super Rugby, how Jamison Gibson Park is perceived down in New Zealand and also the potential for the return of test rugby down there.

But he also had some questions for me – apparently it’s an interview he likes to give to every rugby fan he encounters online, so what I told him I’d do is have a look at them and give my answers in a separate pod.  I’ve listed the actual questions below.

Check out John Keenan’s The Rugby Gods Podcast here > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3aZoaC5b8cyNToOvF7W1BA

Jeff Pagano Interview – Topics

1. The Pro14 v Super Rugby

a) Similarities and differences

b) Super Rugby from an Irish perspective

c) The good, the bad (and the ugly) – what could / should be done?

2. The professional rugby world as Eastern and Western Hemispheres

a) The South African (Argentinian) problem / opportunity

– Time zones; a broadcaster’s best friend

– 7/8 Nations? 2024/25 South Africa (and Argentina?) in Europe?

b) Asia-Pacific Rugby

– Where does Japan fit in?

c) Club level (replacing Super Rugby)

– Australia (4/5), New Zealand (5/6), Fiji (1) 10/12 team Competition and The Japanese Top League

d) National level (replacing The Rugby Championship)

– Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Combined XV (Fiji, Tonga, Samoa) and Japan

3 Irish Rugby

a) The Pro14 franchises

b) State of the national club level – its future

c) The national team – thoughts

4 New Zealand Rugby

a) In general

b) Revenue / Contracts – partnerships (Japan / the USA) and ‘sabbaticals’

5. ‘The Spine’ 2-8-9-10-15

a) Still relevant?

b) Where do you see the game going?

c) Influential positions and strategy

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Summary

We’ve no particular theme for this Pod of Three, we’re simply sharing 3 quality clips from 3 quality rugby pods.  First we go stateside where Rugby Wrap Up talks to the commissioner of Major League Rugby about their version of the salary cap, then Loose Head has Squidge on his show to talk about the pitfalls of using rugby clips to help with content creation, and finally Ulster Rugby Lad talks to Mark Blair who was a lock on their Heineken Cup winning team from 1999.

1) Rugby Wrap Up : Major League Rugby Chairman of the Board, Errik Anderson Grilled, Aussie Super Rugby, Snyman Snipes

2) The Loose Head Postcast : The One With Squidge

3) Ulster Rugby Lad Podcast : Mark Blair

All content was reproduced with permission

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Summary

To help me set the scene to follow Super Rugby Aotearoa for the next few weeks, I had a chat with John Keenan of The Rugby Gods Podcast who has followed New Zealand rugby closely for years and provides some good insight to all five franchises, how the first half of the competition has gone, and also what we can expect from the remaining matches.

My Crusaders v Blues writeup is here > http://www.harpinonrugby.net/2020/07/crusaders-26-blues-15.html

Check out John Keenan’s The Rugby Gods Podcast here > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3aZoaC5b8cyNToOvF7W1BA

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Summary

Today’s theme is “Rugby History”.  First up we have Rugby Reloaded which is new to our PodOfThree stable and regularly covers the history of both union and league – in this one Tony Collins looks at the origins of the rivalry between the All Blacks and the Springboks.  Then The Dead Ball Area talks to former Samoa international Apollo Perelini about his career and finally the almighty Squidge continues his game by game retrospective on the 2011 Rugby World Cup by chatting to USA international Blaine Scully.

1) Rugby Reloaded : “All Blacks v Springboks: the struggle for rugby union supremacy in the interwar years”

2) Rugby Reimagined : “Apollo Perelini”

3) Squidge Rugby : “RWC2011 Retrospective #11 : USA 13-6 Russia”

All content was reproduced with permission

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Summary

On July 5, 2019 I launched this podcast by reading out my match writeup of Ireland’s win over New Zealand in November 2018.  Over the span of more than 50 episodes since, we had a disappointing World Cup campaign, 19 wins out of 19 for Leinster and a COVID-shortened season.  Now to celebrate the pod’s first anniversary as well as the start of Season 2, as part of our RetroRugby series I have chosen to feature that classic win once more and discussing it with me is Ciarán Duffy from Post To Post Sport.

The original Harpin writeup of IREvNZL2018 is here > http://www.harpinonrugby.net/2018/11/ireland-16-new-zealand-9.html

Links to all our #RetroRugby pods can be found here > http://www.harpinonrugby.net/2020/06/retrorugby-home-page.html

Ciarán Duffy’s PostToPost Sport can be found here > https://posttopost.sport.blog/

Twitter > https://twitter.com/posttopostsport

Facebook > https://www.facebook.com/PostToPostSport

Mental Health campaign > https://posttopost.sport.blog/mental-health/

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Summary

In the 10th instalment of our #RetroRugby series we look back at Toulouse v Leinster in the Heineken Cup quarterfinal of 2006.  Although it was to be a few years before the boys in blue saw European glory, this match was a crucial part of the evolution.  Discussing it with me is Cian O’Muilleoir of Laighin Pit and @RugbyKino fame.

You’ll find Cian on twitter here > https://twitter.com/rugbykino and also here > https://twitter.com/LaighinPit

And my new pod with Keego on the US Presidential election can be found here > https://anchor.fm/whatsthestorywith

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Summary

Today’s theme is “Kiwi influence”.  First up we have Pick & Drive Rugby from Australia talking about a round of matches from Super Rugby Aotearoa, then on Wind Yer Neck In, Niall Annett talks to Joe Schmidt about communicating with his squads, and finally the 2nd Row asks Jake Heenan about Connacht’s 2016 Championship winning season.

1. Pick & Drive Rugby : The Rise of The Blues!

https://open.spotify.com/episode/08uzzn0rZlqQmI3SEBZOvH?si=I-hThL6IRAqrBb_6YklokQ

2. Wind Yer Neck In : “Positive choices with Joe Schmidt”

3. The 2nd Row : “Jake Heenan”

All content was reproduced with permission

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Summary

This week my guest is Ian Frizzell, who has recently been appointed to the role of COVID-19 Club Safety Officer at Ballymoney RFC.  I got him on to tell us a bit about himself and how he got into rugby, about the club, and of course what the position entails.  And as he’s also a massive Ulster Rugby fan I couldn’t let him go without sharing his thoughts on their chances once provincial rugby kicks back into gear.

The IRFU guidelines on the COVID-19 Club Safety Officer can be found here > https://d2cx26qpfwuhvu.cloudfront.net/irfu/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/05141554/09-IRFU-ReturnToRugby-Guidelines-SafetyOfficers.pdf

The Ballymoney RFC video introducing Ian Frizzell as their officer is here > https://www.facebook.com/523977894295759/posts/3736436563049860/?vh=e&d=n

Ian Frizzell can be found on twitter as @rava_ian and his business website is here > https://frizzellsafetyservices.co.uk/

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Summary

Our theme today is “Coping with COVID19” and our sources are all non-rugby-focused podcasts talking to those involved in the sport.  First there’s The Sports Psychologist with Maire Treasa Ni Cheallaigh who’s guest is Dr Hannah McCormack the campaign manager for Tackle Your Feelings, a wellbeing initiative from Rugby Players Ireland.  Then Ulster and Ireland back row Claire McLaughlin is interviewed on the Best of Belfast about being a medical professional through the COVID time and also how it has affected her rugby, and finally the Irish Fire Podcast gets Jamie Heaslip to name a couple of coaches from his playing career who have helped him get through.

1) The Sports Psychologist : “Tackling Your Feelings, Rugby Style”

2) Best of Belfast : “Claire McLaughlin – Junior Doctor & Rugby Player”

https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/claire-mclaughlin-doctor-rugby

3) The Irish Fire Podcast : “Life After Rugby – The Jamie Heaslip Interview”

All content was reproduced with permission

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Summary

This week’s pod has three hats.  It’s episode 54 of the HarpinOnRugby Podcast.  It is also episode 9 of our #RetroRugby series where we look back over big matches from years gone by.  But most importantly, this features highlights from Episode 3 of a new Facebook Live venture between Harpin On Rugby and Three Blokes A Ball And BOD.  Myself and Big Joe Shep were honoured to welcome the great Mike Ross to discuss the 2011 Heineken Cup Final, and he gave us some great insights as to what was happening out on the pitch for that incredible 80 minutes.  If you’d rather watch the full show yourself there’s a link in the programme notes.

If you’d rather watch the full show it’s here > https://business.facebook.com/HarpinOnRugby/posts/4132825950068439?__tn__=-R

The “Rewatch Party” of the 2011 Heineken Cup Final from earlier in the week is here > https://business.facebook.com/threeblokesaballandbod/photos/a.735157696598487/3053342801446620/?type=3&theater

And you’ll find all pods from our #RetroRugby series here > http://www.harpinonrugby.net/2020/06/retrorugby-home-page.html

Produced in association with Big Joe Shep from Three Blokes, A Ball & BOD

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