Rivalry Heat & Grassroots Explosions - Martin Pengelly & Rugby Riot's Zach Bateman

Martin Pengelly returns with his popular segment The National Maul to debate whether the historic Springboks vs. All Blacks match in Baltimore truly deserves the title of "rugby's greatest rivalry". Martin takes us down memory lane with high school battle stories and dives into MLR player overseas developmental moves. Later in the show, the heavy-hitting intro jingle ushers in Zach Bateman from Rugby Riot. Zach shares how his media movement is spotlighting the next generation of American talent and breaking big news about the upcoming American Club Series. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction & Catch-up 02:01 - The National Maul with Martin Pengelly: Rugby as a Martial Sport 08:24 - MLR Updates & Overseas Player Subsidies 12:44 - Springboks vs. All Blacks & Historic Rivalries 17:00 - Martin’s High School Rugby Stories 21:32 - Introducing Zach Bateman & Rugby Riot 24:30 - Shining a Spotlight on High School Rugby & Content Creation 29:40 - High School Rankings Algorithm & Hotspots 42:50 - Football Crossover Athletes in High School Rugby 48:20 - Breaking News: The American Club Series Showcase Links & Resources: Subscribe to The National Maul Substack: https://thenationalmaul.substack.com/ Subscribe to Rugby Riot Newsletter: https://rugbyriot.com/ Check out more rugby coverage: https://americanrugbyrising.com/ #Rugby #USARugby #RugbyRiot #TheNationalMaul #HighSchoolRugby #MLR #Springboks #AllBlacks —————————————— Connect with US Rugby Happy Hour: Twitter: https://x.com/AmerRugbyRising Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/americanrugbyrising/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmericanRugbyRising/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@americanrugbyrising Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@americanrugbyrising BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/americanrugbyrisin.bsky.social LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3OjEHf8 🎧 Listen to this and previous episodes of US Rugby Happy Hour on Youtube and your favorite podcast player today! iHeart: bit.ly/3A43Tff Apple: bit.ly/3Uuj9u7 Spotify: bit.ly/3ZxjAa0 Youtube: https://youtu.be/D2qTa6l54tc Like, follow, and subscribe and please leave a comment!! Check out americanrugbyrising.com for the latest on your USA Eagles, schedules, news and more! Hosts, Bill Baker and John Fitzpatrick are available for media opportunities and appearances. Contact information below. Bill Baker, an Emmy award winning editor and producer, has curated Eagles Overseas Rugby since 1996, providing updates and news stories about USA Eagles plying their trade around the world.  http://www.americanrugbyrising.com⁠ ⁠[email protected]⁠ John Fitzpatrick is the brain behind Rugby Morning, serving rugby news everyday via email newsletters to rugby fans around the world. [email protected] Martin Pengelly is a Washington-based reporter and editor. His “The National Maul” Substack about rugby in the US. His first book, Brotherhood: When West Point Rugby Went To War, is published by Godine. https://thenationalmaul.substack.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices