Rugby on the Radio

Recently I've been listening to Rugby Podcasts, which I have found to be both informative and provocative. To be quite honest until recently I had no idea that rugby podcasts even existed, but the internet has been proven to provide yet another valuable resource for those that search for it, and for free! Two of the most useful podcasts I found were Total Rugby and The Rugby Hour.

Total Rugby combines many aspects of rugby much in the same way as this site attempts to. The production is very well made and incorporates a variety current events and aspects of play with smooth sound effects and clear announcing. Listeners will never be bored as the typically 25 minute show quickly moves from one topic to the next, with brief musical interludes in-between. Content is useful for the beginner and most avid fan alike. In one show, the styles of play exhibited in the World Cup are discussed by various coaches, a subject a beginner could easily understand. The episode also delves into the recent statistics of national teams and several leagues. A quality that causes Total Rugby to rise a notch above its peers, however, is that it discusses how the ethics of rugby are translated into the real world. In another episode the brotherhood developed between the different racial groups on the South African team during their World Cup campaign is highlighted in light of it having considerable effects on the unity of the entire nation.

The Rugby Hour is an American production based out of Fairfax, Virginia. While the show is somewhat amateur in its production, the fact that it is American is important, especially for the purposes of this site. For Americans interested in rugby development, the site goes into detail explaining the places where rugby is increasing in popularity and where it could be improved. Some problems are present that listeners should be aware of. First, while there are no commercials during the show, the show does not start until around 3 minutes 40 seconds into the podcast. Don't turn the sound up too loud because there are several times when the microphone is spoken into from a very close distance, causing a spike in volume. Lastly, the show is 1 hour in length and has a surprising amount of time when nothing important is being said, so listeners may feel the need to skip ahead at times. These problems, though, speak more to the lack of a large listening audience than to the inherent ability of the producers, and with much confidence I believe that as demand grows for these types of shows quality will drastically improve. It is inspirational to see an independent American production succeed.

Whether you are in the mood for American or World Rugby news and information, both of these podcasts are invaluable resources.