Outside Centre: Rugby's new territories

The episodes are dropping thick and fast now. In today's episode we chat to Welsh & British Lion superstar Jamie Roberts, who also comes with unique qualifications as a Cambridge graduate and trained doctor. Jamie is an excellent advocate for the modern player, speaking eloquently but also openly and honestly about the challenges they face, along with the game itself. He also takes us through some fond memories playing for the Lions and some big Welsh victories over England. Believe it or not, we have more content coming for you. The Welsh team move on to their next destination but in comes Georgia for their first bilateral tour to Australia and we have a great guest lined up from the Georgian Rugby Union to tell us about it. Credit to Abi Tierney and John Anderson for arranging Jamie's appearance, and to Cameron McFarlane for the episode graphics. Learn more about the Rugby Club of Victoria: https://www.rugbyclubvic.com/

In today's episode, we get the Welsh perspective on the upcoming series directly from the Chief Executive Officer of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), Abi Tierney, who is accompanying the team on tour and bringing her family for their first trip to Australia. Abi started with the WRU in January 2024, following a distinguished in public service in the United Kingdom, which included ensuring passport renewal kept pace with demand in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. She shares her early thoughts on the administrative side of rugby, tells us what makes each of the Welsh regions so special, as well as the gameday experience under the roof of the famed Millenium - now Principality - Stadium and gives an insight into the personal of Wales' legendary coach, Warren Gatland. DON'T MISS: Wallabies v Wales preview dinner with special guests, Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt & Wales coach Warren Gatland. 10 July at the Olympic Room, Melbourne Cricket Ground. https://www.rugbyclubvic.com/event-details/wallabies-v-wales-test-match-preview-dinner

Ahead of RWC 2023, we take a closer look at the teams you won't know so much about. Our second episode focuses on rugby in Africa, which will be represented by defending champions and direct qualifiers, South Africa, as well as their neighbours Namibia, who won the 8-team qualification tournament last year. Our guests today are the captain of the Ugandan national team, Magomu Ivan, and Harry Jones, who talks us through Namibian rugby, as well as what is holding the rest of the continent back when it comes to qualifying for rugby world cups. Special shout-outs from our chat with Magomu go to Namilyango College, St Marys College Kisubi (aka SMACK) and Pirates Rugby club, as well as his fierce opponents, Heathens and KOBs Rugby Club. NOTE: Outside Centre Enterprises will be in France for part of the tournament, so if you are looking to create or partner up for audio content around the event, get in touch via one of the below methods. Episode highlights: [2:00] Magomu Ivan, Captain – Uganda mens' XVs national team [20:00] Harry Jones, contributor – The Roar Follow/connect with us on Instagram: @outsidectrpodcast Follow/connect with us on Twitter/X: @outsidectrpod Follow/connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/outside-centre-enterprises/?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_search_srp_all%3BCW1ODyb0S9W1UFyIaLIzVw%3D%3D or search "Outside Centre Enterprises" Email the show: outsidecentrepod@outlook.com Follow Magomu on Twitter/X: @ivan_magomu Follow Harry on Twitter/X: @haribaldijones

This week we are fortunate to speak with leading global 7s referee Paulo Duarte just before his departure to Los Angeles for the final stop of the HSBC 7s World Series for 2021-22. Paulo's face will be instantly recognisable to 7s fans, with career highlights including the 2020 Olympics held in Tokyo in July 2021, the world tour and many European events. We speak to Paulo about life on the refereeing circuit, his experiences in dealing with less experienced players and countries, with referee criticism and his advice for aspiring referees too! And we de-bunk some of the myths and mysteries of the differences between 7s and XVs! NOTE: Next week we are scheduled to speak with a prominent lawyer connected to rugby. Contact the show with any questions or suggested topics via the various handles below! Key Segments: [4:30] Getting his start in rugby [7:15] Learning the rules of rugby and the differences across regions [17:15] The refereeing fraternity and the challenges of criticism and feedback in the modern era [25:00] The weird and wonderful differences of 7s and XVs [34:45] Paulo's career highlights including the Olympics and the world tour [41:45] Some fun questions to get Paulo's vision for the game [52:00] Paulo's advice for aspiring referees Follow us on Twitter: @OutsideCTRpod Follow us on Instagram: @outsidectrpodcast Connect with us on LinkedIn: "Outside Centre: Rugby's new territories" Email: outsidecentrepod@outlook.com

This week we venture to Hong Kong, catching up with Sports Editor of the South China Morning Post, Josh Ball, in the wake of their RWC 2023 qualifying defeat to Tonga which sent the Pacific Island nation through to the final tournament in France. Luckily Hong Kong have another chance to qualify, but we don't waste the chance to hear about the toll of COVID on professional sport on the island, learn more about what makes the famed HK 7s event tick and get the full picture on the rather impressive grassroots rugby structure they have in place. Key Segments: [3:00] Professional & semi-pro sporting landscape in Hong Kong [5:15] The famed Hong Kong 7s [12:30] COVID-19 and the full magnitude of it's impact on sport on the island, and the full grassroots structure of rugby in Hong Kong, as well as the big clubs and the standard of facilities [22:15] Women's rugby in Hong Kong [24:00] Hong Kong's qualification campaign for RWC 2023, including the narrow defeat of South Korea and the competitive effort against Tonga last weekend [35:30] Looking ahead to the final repechage competition, and Josh's thoughts on global game development Follow us on Twitter: @OutsideCTRpod Follow us on Instagram: @outsidectrpodcast Connect with us on LinkedIn: "Outside Centre: Rugby's new territories" Email: outsidecentrepod@outlook.com

This week our guest is leading broadcaster Dallen Stanford, who calls RWC and HSBC Series 7s matches for World Rugby, as well as Major League Rugby and USA Eagles fixtures. In this first part, we recap last week's big return bout between USA and Chile which saw Los Condores qualify for their first ever RWC appearance (and which Dallen called live from Colorado); we also cover the state of play in American rugby including the MLR and debunk some of the myths about the relationship between the USA's professional men's XVs competition and the results of the men's national team. Don't forget, you can catch Dallen's work on Twitter and Instagram, as well as the Rugby Hive website (www.rugbyhive.com). **In the show we reference a documentary series called RugbyTown USA, which you can find on YouTube and – in some cases – via your local cable broadcaster** Key Segments: [4:45] Dallen's review of the match – and the occasion – in Colorado, from his bird's eye seat in the broadcast booth. [14:15] A few of the challenges being navigated by World Rugby to get qualifying matches played in this current cycle (scheduling, formatting and access to broadcast coverage). [19:00] The focus on American rugby, in particularly the MLR, and Dallen's life as broadcaster in the pandemic era. Follow us on Twitter: @OutsideCTRpod Follow us on Instagram: @outsidectrpodcast Connect with us on LinkedIn: "Outside Centre: Rugby's new territories" Email: outsidecentrepod@outlook.com

This week, Chilean-based Argentine sports journalist and photographer Matías Matus Acebo reports in on last week's first leg of the RWC qualifier between Chile and USA in rainy Santiago as well as previewing the return bout this weekend in Glendale, Colorado. He also provides his take on the early success of Selknam in the Superliga Americana de Rugby (SLAR) and the exciting news this week of the revival of the World Rugby Challenger series for emerging 7s countries, for which Chile will host the first match-round. Follow us on Twitter: @OutsideCTRpod Follow us on Instagram: @outsidectrpodcast Connect with us on LinkedIn: "Outside Centre: Rugby's new territories" Email: outsidecentrepod@outlook.com

Here we threw a few miscellaneous topics at our man to get the Latin American perspective on the growth of the game and how the national teams of Chile & Uruguay (Los Condores & Los Teros) are shaping up ahead of some big upcoming fixtures. Key Segments [0:00] USA vs Chile, preview of RWC 2023 qualifiers in July (and comparison in standard between MLR & SLAR) [5:15] Los Teros of Uruguay, how are they looking for RWC 2023 and their upcoming test series against Japan [9:15] Spain's potential expulsion from RWC 2023 and the issue of naturalised players in new territories. [13:30] Potential expansion of the Rugby World Cup to 24 teams, and the possibility of the mooted global nations tournament. Follow us on Twitter: @OutsideCTRpod Follow us on Instagram: @outsidectrpodcast Connect with us on LinkedIn: "Outside Centre: Rugby's new territories" Email: outsidecentrepod@outlook.com

This week we journey back to where it all started, in South America, to speak with Victor Ramalho, of Portal do Rugby and matchday caller for ESPN Brazil, in his final days as an 'outsider' before commencing a new role within Brasil Rugby. With season 2 of the Superliga Americana de Rugby (SLAR) having just concluded, we get an update on the state of play there in the wake of a season that featured some surprising outcomes, as well as what other progress is being made in places like Peru and Bolivia. We also get a picture on the evolution of women's rugby (spoiler: it's a different hierarchy to the males) and the role of multi-sport events such as the Pan-American Games in growing rugby in the region. In the second part of the show, we discuss rugby in Brazil, including the Olympic legacy, the continental dominance of Brazil's women and the progress of the country's predominant professional side, Cobras XV. Key Segments [5:30] Intro to Victor, how did he get into rugby and how he built his digital business, Portal do Rugby. [10:45] Victor's big-picture review of season 2 of SLAR, and what it means for South American Rugby going forward, as well as his vision for the future. [25:00] Peru and the other non-SLAR countries, their place in the landscape, and the role of the Pan-American games in growing and spotlighting rugby. [29:30] The role of 7s rugby in South America and the importance of Olympic funding towards game development. [33:30] Rio 2016: the Olympic legacy in Brazil. [36:30] Women's rugby in Brazil, going from strength-to-strength and great opportunity to qualify for RWC 2025. [42:30] The story of Brazil's best women's team, Melina Rugby Clube. [45:30] Cobras XV, Brazil's main professional side, their progress in SLAR and the unique challenges of the local structure. [54:45] Brazil in the Rugby World Cup one day? Follow us on Twitter: @OutsideCTRpod Follow us on Instagram: @outsidectrpodcast Connect with us on LinkedIn: "Outside Centre: Rugby's new territories" Email: outsidecentrepod@outlook.com

In the first part of this interview, Korean-born, American-raised Tokyo Olympian Andre Jin Coquillard tells his incredible story. From getting into rugby in high school, playing collegiate-level and even professional rugby on the west coast of the United States (for Berkeley & the Seattle Seawolves respectively) to coming back to his homeland and spearheading a 7s program that has resulted in qualification for two of the sport's biggest competitions. He also walks us through the establishment of Korea's first professional competition, the OK Savings Korean Rugby Super League and his unique multi-faceted role in bringing it to life. Articulate, well-spoken, multi-lingual and with a phenomenal knowledge of the game, Andre is a talent to watch out for in rugby and will be pivotal in growing the sport in an enticing market like Korea. Key Segments [8:00] Andre's start in professional rugby, in the USA, and his views of their hosting of the 2031 (M) and 2033 (F) Rugby World Cups. [13:15] Andre's introduction to Korean rugby and responsibilities off the playing field (broadcasting and player advocacy via the Asia Rugby Players' Council), and the challenges facing Asian rugby in the wake of COVID-19. [28:15] Korea's very first formal rugby competition, the OK Savings Bank Korea Super League Follow us on Twitter: @OutsideCTRpod Follow us on Instagram: @outsidectrpodcast Email: outsidecentrepod@outlook.com

Bonus drop from our interview with Fernanda (Ft Rocky the Chihuahua): who won the qualifying tournament and how have the smaller countries in the region navigated the post-COVID pandemic recovery? Follow us on Twitter: @OutsideCTRpod Follow us on Instagram: @outsidectrpodcast Email: outsidecentrepod@outlook.com

This week we journey to Mexico to catch up with Fernanda Vazquez, former player turned administrator turned broadcaster, who's just returned from covering the North American qualifying series for this year's Rugby World Cup 7s in the Bahamas. Fernanda shares her experiences managing her team in an environment where facilities and resources – especially for female teams – were scarce, as well as her time as a participant in World Rugby Women's Executive Leadership Scholarship program. We also hear the beautiful stories behind the names of the national team 'Las Serpientes' and her club side, Wallabies RFC (this one will surprise you) and her vision for the game in Mexico going forward. To close, we learn about Mexico City's iconic Estadio Azteca and the beautiful Caribbean Island of the Bahamas were she was able to bring the RWC qualifying series to life. Key Segments [6:00] Getting started in rugby, her team (Wallabies RFC – yep, you read that right) and the challenges for women to play rugby [12:00] World Rugby's Womens' Executive Leadership Scholarship, and taking steps into broadcasting [20:45] The Mexican rugby landscape [28:00] The benefits/opportunities to Mexico of 1) two RWCs and an Olympics taking place in the USA over the next decade and 2) the professionalisation in the USA (MLR) and South America (SLAR) [35:15] The stories behind the Mexican national jersey and team name, as well as the iconic Estadio Azteca [41:45] The experience of commentating the recent RWC 7s qualifying event in the Nassau, Bahamas. Dream job much? NOTE: There will be a couple of bonus episodes this week, including one where your host explains the difference between 7s and XVs for those who are less familiar with rugby. Stay tuned! Follow us on Twitter: @OutsideCTRpod Follow us on Instagram: @outsidectrpodcast Email: outsidecentrepod@outlook.com