Rugby Lives

This week we meet Deborah Griffin, the first female president of the RFU, at her home club of Richmond FC to talk about her long rugby life, and how against all odds she established the women's Rugby World Cup.

Rugby Lives meet Mike Rayer at Goldington Road, the home of Bedford, where he has spent over 20 years at the helm. He talks the state of the Champ, promotion and relegation, retrospective tries and Frank Warren.

Former Harlequins, England and British & Irish Lions coach Bick Best joins Rugby Lives to talk about what it was like joining Harlequins as a working class youngster from East London, how he ascended to become head coach, then took on the mantle with England and the Lions, winning Grand Slams and almost toppling the All Blacks. With countless stories along the way, this is his Rugby Life.

Rugby Lives heads to Hamilton Rugby Club to meet two greats of the Scottish game, Gavin Hastings and Lee Cockburn, who tell tales of the winning Grand Slams for Scotland and what it was really like in the days of amateur rugby.This podcast was brought to you in partnership with Vodafone as part of the clubs.connected programme, providing Scottish grassroots rugby clubs with 12 months of free, high-speed broadband to enhance digital capabilities, such as live streaming, contactless payments, and improved guest Wi-Fi.

As part of the Vodafone clubs.connected programme, Rugby Lives headed to Linlithgow Rugby Club to meet Donna Kennedy, who has done more has for Scotland than any other player, and Matt Scott, who not only earned 40 caps for Scotland, but also won the Premiership with Leicester. This is their Rugby Lives.

A born and bred farmer, when rugby turned professional Kenny Logan's life became unrecognisable, from tending to his cows in rural Scotland to living it up in Chelsea and playing for the all-conqueuring Wasps. Now, having won 70 caps for Scotland and stared cancer in the face, we meet Kenny at the Coach Makers Arms in Marlybone to learn all about his Rugby Life.

The game's most prolific points machine, Leicester and England fullback Dusty Hare joins us on Rugby Lives to talk us through his career highs and lows. There's stories of Maurice Colclough, sheep farming, the Lions and what it takes to bring through the next generation. This is his Rugby Life.

Playing dustbin cricket in Trinidad, he couldn’t even dream of being Brian Lara because he wasn’t left-handed. Instead, he had to settle for playing rugby for England and becoming a European champion alongside some of the game’s greatest players, all while living in the south of France. So, tell us, Delon Armitage, where did it all go wrong? This is his Rugby Life.

This week we chat to Graham Dawe, the farmer who trained for two years straight to win his place in the England team, was part of the greatest Bath side ever, was in the thick of things at the Battle of Cardiff, and almost took Plymouth Albion to the Prem. This is his Rugby Life.

Former England and Bath prop Victor Ubogu joins us to talk us through his Rugby Life, from learning the game in the snow drifts of Devon to being part of one of the best club sides of all time at Bath, playing in two World Cups for England, turning up to training in a limousine and Shoeless Joe's.

Julian White has won a Rugby World Cup with England, three Premiership titles with Leicester Tigers and played for the British & Irish Lions, but now the fearsome prop forward spends his days farming his South Devon cows. We caught up with him at The Coachmakers Arms in Marylebone, along with chef director at Cubitt House pubs Ben Tish, to learn all about his Rugby Life.

From stories of the unbeaten 1974 Lions to Nelson Mandela, the state of English rugby, and how he was given a life ban from the sport, this is the Rugby Life of Fran Cotton.

A career that crossed borders into New Zealand, South Africa and Canada, brought 58 caps for England and and two British & Irish Lions tours, and the most memorable of international debuts thanks to Erika Roe, this is the Rugby Life of professional curry taster Peter Winterbottom.

The man behind the famous melee ahead of the 2018 Calcutta Cup, we talk to former Glasgow Warrior and Scotland flanker Ryan Wilson about his unusual route to professional rugby, dealing with ADHD and his new love of golf. This is his Rugby Life.

It hadn't even been a year since Wales had made history, winning a first Grand Slam since the 1970s in 2005 under Mike Ruddock, but Tom Shanklin, who had played a key role in Wales' rise back to the top, had a front row seat as it all fell apart, again. This is his Rugby Life. Follow the link to help rebuild Penarth Athletic Club -> https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/fc7d003113da7701a742ddf282f3af54

As one of the few players in Welsh rugby history to have won three Grand Slams and been on two Lions tours, former prop Adam Jones has solidified himself as a rugby legend. Now he has the chance to reflect on coming through at Neath, starring for Ospreys, and his experiences on two Lions tours to South Africa and Australia. This is his Rugby Life.

As possibly the greatest Lions tourist of all time, John 'Bentos' Bentley has plenty of stories to tell. From getting into a fight with Wade Dooley and thinking Jeremy Guscott was soft, to switching codes and scoring one of the greatest tries in Lions history. This is his Rugby Life.

From the delights of the early days of professionalism at Bramley Road to the heights of three Lions tours, Richard Hill takes us on his rugby journey. Hear about fights with Lydney RFC in the cup, being mistaken for the Fiji captain and why he never actually got his 2005 Lions call-up. This is his Rugby Life.

We kick off Series Two with former Wales and British & Irish Lion John Taylor, who remembers when he first came across JPR Williams, the victory of 1971, refusing to play against apartheid South Africa, rooming with the great Willie John McBride, and becoming mates with George Best. This is his Rugby Life.

This week we speak to Jill Douglas, the legendary presenter who's been part and parcel of the Six Nations since the late 1990s. From her upbringing in the rugby heartlands of the Scottish Borders, Jill tells us about her rugby folk singing father, her friendship with Doddie Weir, what happens when snooker players get angry, and why proper journalism matters. This is her Rugby Life.

This week we speak to a man who played for British & Irish Lions, won Grand Slams with England and was the body double for Hagrid in the Harry Potter movies, Martin Bayfield. We talk about his life in the wizarding world, almost landing the role of Darth Vader, and even some rugby too, from the legendary 90s England team to the heartbreak of retirement. This is his Rugby Life.

This week we're joined by Adam Bishop, a two-time winner of Britain's Strongest Man and former S&C coach at Harlequins. We ask him about his time in rugby, his target of deadlifting 505 kilos and who would be in a Strongman sevens team. This is his Rugby Life.

In a special episode of Rugby Lives we meet Bryn Meredith, the three-time British and Irish Lions tourist and truly one of the greats of the game. The 94-year-old tells us about growing under the shadow of World War Two, playing his first game of rugby in his school shoes, and why he would still, if asked, pull his boots on today. This is his Rugby Life.

The Irish-Italian comedian who sold out the Edinburgh Fringe, has played at the Proms, and recently scored his first try for new club Haringey Rhinos joins us to talk all things from rugby's sectarian divide in Northern Ireland to pissing off Piers Morgan. This is his Rugby Life.

This week we're in Westminster to meet the only sitting British MP to have played rugby for their country, Labour's MP for Gower, Tonia Antoniazzi. The former Wales prop shares stories of the early days of women's rugby, playing for Benetton Treviso and the 1998 World Cup. She explains why she's getting involved at the coalface for her beloved Scarlets, and how she's helping drive through change in the Welsh game. This is her Rugby Life.

Better known as Ben from BBC's Outnumbered, Danny Roche joins us to talk about suddenly becoming good at rugby, playing with future England stars and why he's still lacing up his boots today. And, of course, what it's like to be part of one of TV's most famous families. This is his Rugby Life.

Two Michelin-starred chef and lifelong Gloucester fan Tom Kerridge talks about his love for the Cherry & Whites, growing up in the west country and the role models he found at his local club. This is his Rugby Life.

Welcome to Rugby Lives, a brand-new podcast from the award-winning Rugby Journal, welcoming guests from beyond the sport to talk about their passion for the oval ball game.