Wonderful breakdown of all things English and European rugby. As someone who continuously searches for good rugby content in the USA, this one is the most informative. Worth a listen each week no question. Chris Jones is the go to for English rugby info and if you have the opportunity to listen to him, you take it!

I am a Brit living in the US and this podcast keeps me in touch with rugby which is what I miss the most loving out here . Love the banter and rugby discussion. You guys should get a leave pass and get out to the US for a live pod . Vegas thoughts?

I’ll declare that as a Welshman this review will be seen by many as an easy maybe unjust criticism but the podcast is too England centric. Clearly leaning on location and Ugo’s relationships (West London and Quins) but all non Aviva or English topics seem to be box ticks rather than journalism for all. I for one do not care about being inside the England camp or want to listen to Danny Care become a host because he is mates with Ugo. Either become an England only podcast (that’s ok) or represent the country better. As an addition, now we have Chris Ashton on there. Jobs for the boys. Ashton proves that his rugby knowledge outside of it being his job, is subjective to the point of not informative. His defence of the Saracens “cheating” on this pod shows this in abundance.

I love the Pod, but D.C. just cannot tell his co-presenter to F off. I get that he’s the player and Jonesie is not, but if he can’t take the ribbing that he readily gives out, he’s got to go. Ashie in for D.C. please.

Too partisan, too much banter, too improvised. The Alex Corbisiero podcast is way better - more balanced, more interesting.

I love the podcast, you guys are awesome. I’m American, I play rugby with nodaway county rfc and the Kansas City blues, and also went to England for 3 weeks in 2017 and played with derby rfc. I had a few questions that I obviously don’t expect you to answer but would be honored if you did... what’s the best town or city in the uk for rugby? Besides Twickenham, what’s your favorite stadium you have played in? ...and if you had to play rugby outside of England, where would you like to play? Also if you do answer my questions it’d be awesome if you would shout out Nodaway (nah-duh-way) county rfc... but if you don’t I still love the pod and will listen to every episode!

Please keep Chris Ashton on the pod, even if Ugo comes back. Like the game itself, if you’re out of the team and your understudy does an awesome job, then they own the shirt......

The explosion of other rugby podcasts for the RWC makes me appreciate the quality of this one all the more. Professional, smart, funny, concise. Great when we were in Japan for the first pool games - great now cheering on Wales from California. Keep Chris Ashton too - it takes a village.

Probably willing the typhoon to hit just so he can poke Ryan Wilson! On a serious note, love the banter and all the brilliant coverage you guys provide. My rugby sanity from Chicago where they throw and catch a ball but call it football 🤦🏼‍♂️

Moved to NYC a couple of years ago..this has become a staple every week to keep intouch with the rugby goings on. Enjoyable every week. Thanks for all the hard work.. Shout out to all those at Warlingham RFC back home

Can you please talk about the rugby !! I’m not interested in Japanese toilets or who is rooming with who. Thank you ! Tom Huxtable

Love the Pod, born and raised in Essex a Quins fan playing with Rockford Rugby (unbeaten in 2 years) and now living in Florida. Wanted to add to the comments made around Jamie George’s full 80minute performance. I am pretty sure that he would have come off after 70 minutes for Tom Woolstenscroft however he came onto the flank after 69 minutes to replace Skelton. Saying that, if Woolstenscroft had of replaced George then would Saracens have still won?

Let me say I’m a fan of the show and of the presenters. As we know there are a few other rugby pods knocking about which i think have highlighted some of the weaknesses of this format. It may well be that those are deliberate differences versus weaknesses but I’ll offer the POV as encouraged nonetheless. This pod isn’t ‘balanced’ in the sense that Ugo is a dominant voice despite it not being an interview format. Chris doesn’t act as a stage hand like Alex Payne or Andy Rowe - Chris participates more as a commentator except he’s not on equal footing and therefore insufficient as a foil to Ugo. The addition of Danny has definitely helped but like Chris, he is subject to bit-part contributions or cut-off early. If you were to see any validity in the above then the task is made harder by the absence of comedy which provides easy entertainment value but of course not everyone’s a comedian. For me that means you need to have more debate and contrasting viewpoints which aren’t really present here for the reasons above. Ugos perspective is very dominant within this format (not others like BT Sport) but it’s delivery is often labored and there’s a lack of nuance to the points or conclusions. There are a lot of people who disagree with things Ugo would say are self-evident facts or absolutely necessary (rule changes, referee decisions etc.)That would be interesting to hear but there’s a lack of real debate in the current format. Perhaps worse it’s also difficult to hear other people’s opinions aired in full - removing any chance of a debate actually ensuing. I think there’s an opportunity to make a few tweaks that could have a big impact on listenership overall. Appreciate the work

Chris, Ugo and Danny, A great blog. Listen to it in the car braving the spectacularly awful Washington DC traffic. You capture the intelligence, humour and unique mateship of the greatest sport. Well done. Really like your attention to the women’s game. More on the Southern Hemisphere would be good though! As an Aussie ex-player now engaged in coaching and refereeing in the US, I am impressed how the game is growing over here, especially sevens and women’s rugby. Definitely support your idea to visit. Can save you some cash by putting you up at our place. Shout out please for Alexandria Rugby. Great breeding ground for new players. Cheers, Charlie Tapp

Listen every week from Orlando Florida - superb pod - great coverage for all home nation - Ugo is mr neutral - excellent presenter

I listen every week driving back from work in New Jersey USA. The show is by far the best way to keep in touch with happiness on the other side of the pond - a great show. Now relocating to Hong Kong and will continue to listen with interest every week. A shout out to my old club Percy Park RFC in North Shields. Michael Davidson

Cheers gents on your authentic brand of analysis, rapport, and repartee - certainly on all things rugby but also beyond and in the broader context of sheer conversational entertainment. I especially appreciate your coverage of the women's game and other corners of the rugby world (LGBT, player welfare/retirement, emerging nations) that traditionally don't get the media treatment. A couple nagging issues from accross the pond (forgive my ignorance): 1. What's the deal with Rory Cockott's arm? I don't mean to pathologize, but I must know and the internets bear no fruit on this issue. Fantastic player. 2. Would love to hear from some of the USAnian expats playing in the RFU; maybe Wyles as he's probably just lying about these days. 3. How will full-time contracts for English Women's team shape the rest of the international women's set-up? 4. Chris Jones will kindly note that achillese injuries take on average 4-6 weeks recovery. I'm counting is all I'm saying. 5. Would be lovely to hear more about parenting as a professional player, such an interesting topic. How does one find time? How can players support their partners effectively with such a regorous training/traveling/playing schedule? 6. What's the nicest thing you're willing to say to each other on air? Cheers again gents, give a shout if you're in the DC area. GO RENEGADES!

I am huge fun of the pod all the way in San Francisco awaiting the rugby sevens World Cup. Due to time zone difference and rugby’s struggling popularity compared to other sports in the US, the pod makes up for all the banter and punditry post game and pregame that I would share with my mates in Kenya and South Africa. I also watched all June tests all weekend. Shout out to Jambazi RFC and Columbia Lions RFC Raphael Junior

Great topics of conversation with excellent detail. Awesome guests, and lovely little tidbits from Ugo/DC on professional life and “rumours” in the market place. Keep it up!

Love talking harlequins. Love the sound of their own voice. Let the interviewees speak!

Absolutely superb.

As an American who grew up in England and moved back to the states, I lost interest in the premiership due to lack of coverage over here. With the combination NBC picking up premiership, and six nations rights as well as this pod coming out once a week, I am back to being a true rugby fan again. The back and forth between Chris and Ugo is so entertaining and insightful. Really touching on every single aspect of the game. Keeps you hooked from start to finish. If you ever need a place in New York to record an episode, you can always use my place! Coffee and tea available as well!

Living in the shadows of Mt. Rushmore in the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota the weekly diet of Chris/Ugo keep me informed of what’s going on amongst egg-chasers, it’s witty, educational and encompasses Premiership, Pro14, Top14 and Women’s...them and the fact each week I can stream all 6 Aviva games on NBC keep me from having to read up on local rodeo or high school wrestling...keep it up boys (also is it me or does Danny Care seems natural at your gig doesn’t he?) Mike Thompson (Hill City, SD...avid Wasps fan from the Loftus Road days). PS...does any one else see that the two best defensive coaches in the 6N both played in the same Wigan team 30 years ago, maybe Eddie Jones should hire Martin Offiah.

Disappointed with this podcast. Very heavy English bias for a bbc platform, with limited insights into the game. Reminds me of the type of punditry John Inverdale comes out with. This is genuinely disappointing as there are very few rugby podcasts to listen to and I would hope for better from the bbc (Matt Dawson’s show set the benchmark for a quality rugby show, more like that please!).

Have thoroughly enjoyed listening for the most part, but do have to ask whether more could be done to make the podcast feel a bit more representative of the sport across the whole of the UK? This is after all, a BBC Five Live podcast, not a Harlequins Old Boys or Clapham Rugby podcast, which it can feel like at times. We all get that the Premiership is the biggest draw in terms of listeners, but the Pro14 could benefit from more coverage over time perhaps. In the Six Nations debrief, all sorts of negative analysis of the refereeing of the breakdown (because England were completely outplayed at the breakdown for three straight matches.) One has to wonder if the same concerns would have arisen on air if England had again won the Championship? Good work guys but please consider how balanced the coverage/reportage truly sounds to non-English ears...

I listen every week from New York where it isn’t easy to find live rugby on TV so the pod has been invaluable in staying connected to the game. Chris, Ugo & Danny, I would gladly host you all for an episode in Manhattan & take you out for a game of touch rugby on the Hudson & a few beers afterwards. I have imported tea and Neurofen from the UK so you’ll be looked after! Keep up the good work!

As an Irish rugby supporter some fair and honest commentary on all 6 nations. Well done guys and well done the BBC. Ps Tadhg Furlong is the best tight head in the world :)

Love the show, live in Denver CO and rely on your show to get some great insight on what’s happening in Rugby back home. Would love to know your thoughts on how many English players would make a Lions 2019 tour squad and what your starting XV would be for a first test post 2018 6 Nations

Living in LA, official home of the world’s worst traffic 7 years in a row, this podcast is fabulous for getting me through my miserable, sun soaked commute. I said greatest podcast but in fairness, it is the only one I have ever subscribed to so it is possible - in fact highly likely - that there are at least 50 other podcasts out there that are significantly better with higher quality hosts. But if you are in the market for a mediocre, rugby themed podcast that becomes available every Monday, then look no further. My one suggestion is that while the addition of Danny Care has really raised standards, he appears to be the only one of the three hosts with a full time job so perhaps he could just be brought on as a ‘finisher’ with 20 minutes to go. Typically Ugo is struggling to hide his contempt for Chris’s rugby analysis at this point in the pod and Chris himself is falling back on childhood reminiscing. The injection of energy that a fresh Danny Care would bring could be all that is required to drag us all across the line with a successful conclusion to a great pod, as opposed to the slight sense of relief that I am left with currently that it is finally over. Other than that, top broadcasting lads! Simon, Thousand Oaks, California

Listen to the pod every week on the way to work. Fantastic, entertaining and insightful. Shoutout to the Houston Sabercats trying to get off the ground in the new Major League Rugby league. Hopefully the league will succeed and rugby will become more widespread in the USA. I’m originally from the Isle of Man!

I listen from the Cayman Islands and have a stag planned for 3-6 August in Vegas... We can discuss hierarchy of room choice anon.

But I do get tired of Chris Jones’ self-aggrandizing, self-reverential “I’m a professional journalist” posturing. He takes himself way too seriously at times and it adds an unnecessary edge to the podcast that isn’t needed; Ugo is extremely knowledgeable and amiable bloke who needs someone to goad him at times but not in the supercilious way Jones sometimes does it.

Bring on the real DC!

Danny Care doing a great job Ugo but how about aiming a little higher and getting Anthony Watson as co host? As a Bath And NY Giants fan living in New Jersey he would be awesome 😀 Love the show!

Ugo, Chris, and now Danny Care help introduce me to rugby. I am an American living in Italy who started watching the game in the spring just before this summer’s Lions Tour. Since then I have enjoyed the insights from the podcast and look forward to it each week. I can’t wait to see the 6 Nations in person when Scotland face Italy in Rome in March!

As an ex-pat living in the US this is the best way to keep up on all the action in the world of rugby union. Very insightful, amazing guests, and great banter. Although definitely needs more Danny Care!

Thoroughly enjoy listening to you all during my drive home from work in Tampa, Florida every Monday evening. Love to humour and laughs. Danny is great, he doesn’t interrupt Ugo like Chris always does LOL 😉 Da iawn pawb! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏉 Sam

How did it take Danny Care co-hosting for me to discover this podcast? As an American it's always a bit of a challenge to keep up with the rugby I love in the UK, so I was excited to give the podcast a listen. I'm hooked! Please convince DC to be a permanent fixture... He is doing an amazing job! Top notch, great insight and the Danny/Ugo banter in first class!

Gentlemen, What in the San Hill is going on over there? I submitted the Christmas shout out request below. My four year old son and I listened to the entire pod on Christmas Day but didn’t hear our club in the list. Thanks for the giant lump of coal on Christmas Day boys. “Definitely my favorite pod of the week. I wanted to throw my university club here in the USA to the Christmas call out. The George Washington University Rugby Football just celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. 50 years of rugby here in the nation’s capital, Washington DC. If you’re on this side of the pond during the season you’ll have to come to a game: We alumni do a proper USA tailgate (grilling sausage and drinking beer) before every home match. Keep up the good work! PS. Ugo and Care in 2018!!” Justin Bedard

Entertaining podcast, part rugby review/part comedy. Sometimes there is a language barrier, because American English and UK English has serious differences in slang. But seriously, I've been listening for about 6-months now, and I've found this podcast helpful in understanding rugby better due to Ugo's connections, player interviews, etc. (Rugby is a growing youth sport in America, and most of the parents have limited knowledge/exposure to the game). Hey Chris, can I get a shout out (American slang!) to Atlanta Youth Rugby in your Christmas roll call, my son's club which has grown to 140+ players in 6-years?

Hey guys, love the podcast! My dad introduced me to it -- thanks Dad -- and we always debrief after each week's episode. Can't wait for 6 Nations coverage, especially of the women's matches, please and thank you! So important for young female rugby players to hear the game being promoted for them. My current club: Washington, DC Touch Rugby Club.

I don’t mind this POD and sometimes I love it. But other times, It leaves me rolling my eyes and skipping ahead or turning off. First of all... we get it gents, you love a 5 star rating! Who doesn’t like to bask in self recognition and glorification of a job well done! But cut it down, would you? After the 3rd or 4th review by Barry an expat living in obscurity and how you keep him from the edge of a Michael Douglas: Falling Down moment, due to a lack of rugby chat on his way to work; it has me looking for an alternative. What I do love is the clout these boys have in guests. The episodes with Billy Vunipola, Marler and Sinckler (before the lions) and Maro’s first interview are all fantastic. Ugo is well connected in the game still so I love his ability to get to top level pros on the POD. Chris does a decent job of backing it up with his investigative journalism. I will say, both these boys have useless chat and The Rugby Pod (Big Jim and Golden) would slaughter them! Jokes aside. Ok POD but you CAN do better

Love the pod. Great round-up that helps keep a Brit abroad informed on the great game. But, get off the fence! I get that you need to keep guys you might criticize on-side, but they are grown-ups. Don’t say it might be this, it might be that, take a view. I’ll listen whatever, but that’s my 2 cents/pence worth.

My dad works in Brussels. he is depressed by Brexit. Only the pod keeps him going. he recently turned 50 but reckons he could still beat Ugges in a race, well, Chris maybe... Keeping on rocking. The Savage

I had to switch to the other BBC Rugby podcast when the article about university initiations started, may come over as fun but it's not really what i want to hear. The analysis is usually quite good but needs to improve on the content.

One of the best rugby pods out there. A great combination of insight and analysis from two likeable characters. Ugo is as much of a pleasure to hear off the pitch as he was to watch on it. Thanks for the great content. Ben

Fellas - thank you. Brilliant rugby banter and makes me look forward to Mondays. As an ex-pat in the US, this podcast let’s me feel like I’m down the pub chatting with my mates. Fair play and keep up the good work!

Love listening to you guys. In America it’s hard for us to get the aviva premiership, but listening to you guys I get the best news! Thanks guys.

Interesting podcast. Would like to hear more about the Pro12, now Pro14, not just the English Premiership.

Chris and Ugo are really fun to listen to. I listen to several pods here in the US, where following rugby isn't easy, and I think this is my favorite. I'm always excited to see a new episode pop up.