Episodes

  • AUS Rugby scene: Coin flips & brotherly bragging rights with Jamie Wall

    AUS Rugby scene: Coin flips & brotherly bragging rights with Jamie Wall
    Apr 8 2026
    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 mins
  • Ep.9 – Good teams will miss Champions Cup semis with Caolán Scully

    Ep.9 – Good teams will miss Champions Cup semis with Caolán Scully
    Apr 7 2026
    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 mins
  • AUS Rugby scene: Enjoyment the winner in Super Rugby with Tony Johnson

    AUS Rugby scene: Enjoyment the winner in Super Rugby with Tony Johnson
    Apr 1 2026
    The great NZ commentator Tony Johnson joins Brett McKay on the AUS Rugby scene this week, for a timely perspective from over the ditch on Super Rugby Pacific and the view on the Australian teams in 2026. With a short round this Easter long weekend – which definitely does feel like a missed opportunity – there’s a couple of really interesting Round 8 games of importance for a few teams and for a few reasons. But clearly, there’s also been a great joy in the rugby we’ve seen played, and that will follow on the run to the finals now that we’re over the hump. #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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    50 mins
  • Ep.8 – Finally time to watch the Champions Cup with Riaan Louw

    Ep.8 – Finally time to watch the Champions Cup with Riaan Louw
    Mar 31 2026
    Riaan Louw, friend of the pod and star of the Rugby Update on YouTube is back with Brett McKay on 8/9 Rugby this week, because it’s time to get excited about the Champions Cup again. With the Round of 16 this weekend, and the Quarter Finals to follow next weekend, the Champions Cup has finally reached the point where many a rugby pundit and fan believe it should just start. 16 Teams, straight knockout, bing-bang-bosh, done in half the time. But we have what we have, and thus Riaan and Brett work through the four pools to recall who did what back in January and last year, arriving at the eight knockout games on this weekend. #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 we’re doing more 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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    37 mins
  • AUS Rugby scene: There is space there to burn with John Ferguson

    AUS Rugby scene: There is space there to burn with John Ferguson
    Mar 25 2026
    Rugby writer, analyst and YouTuber John Ferguson joins Brett McKay on the AUS Rugby scene this week, to have a good think about what we’ve seen in Super Rugby Pacific over the first six weeks of the competition. And with a look ahead at what’s coming for a few teams as well. The Hurricanes face all the other current top six teams over the next six week, for example. The Chiefs and Waratahs have harder looking draws coming up, too. The Fijian Drua suddenly look very vulnerable. Even before the halfway point of the year, the run to the finals looks like it will be intriguing. #rugbypodcast #89Rugby #SuperRugbyPacific Find John’s YouTube channel, Off the Ruck at https://www.youtube.com/@OfftheRuck 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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    40 mins
  • AUS Rugby scene: SRP “should be like a soap opera” with Jack Mesley

    AUS Rugby scene: SRP “should be like a soap opera” with Jack Mesley
    Mar 18 2026
    Super Rugby Pacific CEO Jack Mesley joins Brett McKay on the AUS Rugby scene, for a look under the hood of the premiere southern hemisphere competition and examine the broader state of the game. What’s made Super Rugby great this season has been the closeness, the unpredictability, the fact that top teams have all lost to teams below then on the table. But there’s always more than can be done, there’s nice-to-haves and even must-haves. There’s also priorities and limited investment opportunities. In a wide-ranging chat that covers off everything from Law Variations to fan engagement, from broadcast look & feel to backing the best match officials in the world, this is a chat in which you’ll learn something. #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 we’re doing more 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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    50 mins
  • Ep.7 – Exactly where we thought we’d be with Huw Griffin

    Ep.7 – Exactly where we thought we’d be with Huw Griffin
    Mar 17 2026
    Rugby YouTube star and wonderful content creator Huw Griffin is back with Brett McKay on 8/9 Rugby this week, to wrap up what has been universally decreed as the best Six Nations tournament ever. Ultimately, France claimed a successive title by beating England in the final game, but oh the drama to get there! And the subplots from this year’s tournament are endless: England’s worst ever Six Nations, Scotland’s close-but-maybe-still-so-far challenge, the rise of Italy, the life still in old Irish legs, and event the gradual but definite progress of Wales. It’s been a superb tournament, and Huw is the perfect person to wrap it all up. #rugby #rugbypodcast #89Rugby #internationalrugby #SixNations #Ireland #France #England #Scotland #Italy #Wales Find Huw on the HG Rugby on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HuwGriffinRugby 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 we’re doing more 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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    50 mins
  • the AUS Rugby scene: Has Zac Lomax saved the Western Force yet with Ben Smith

    the AUS Rugby scene: Has Zac Lomax saved the Western Force yet with Ben Smith
    Mar 11 2026
    Ben Smith from The West Australian newspaper joins Brett McKay on the AUS Rugby scene, to delve into the Western Force’s start to Super Rugby Pacific and take a look at a tough road ahead. And of course, to cover off on the biggest news in Australian rugby this week, the Force and Rugby Australia signing NRL star Zac Lomax for this year and next, and with immediate effect. The obvious questions are numerous: where does he play, how soon will he play, and has he fixed all the Force’s on and off-field issues yet? #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 we’re doing more 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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    43 mins