The Counter Ruck: The Irish Times Rugby Podcast
by The Irish Times
Is this your podcast?Insights from recent episode analysis
Audience Interest
Podcast Focus
Publishing Consistency
Platform Reach
Insights are generated by CastFox AI using publicly available data, episode content, and proprietary models.
Most discussed topics
Brands & references
Total monthly reach
Estimated from 30 chart positions in 30 markets.
By chart position
- 🇩🇪DE · Rugby#10300K to 1M
- 🇺🇸US · Rugby#25100K to 300K
- 🇨🇦CA · Rugby#6230K to 100K
- 🇦🇺AU · Rugby#7930K to 100K
- 🇬🇧GB · Rugby#8330K to 100K
- Per-Episode Audience
Est. listeners per new episode within ~30 days
513K to 1.6M🎙 ~2x weekly·227 episodes·Last published yesterday - Monthly Reach
Unique listeners across all episodes (30 days)
1.0M to 3.3M🇩🇪30%🇺🇸9%🇪🇸9%+27 more - Active Followers
Loyal subscribers who consistently listen
410K to 1.3M
Market Insights
Platform Distribution
Reach across major podcast platforms, updated hourly
Total Followers
—
Total Plays
—
Total Reviews
—
* Data sourced directly from platform APIs and aggregated hourly across all major podcast directories.
On the show
From 31 epsHosts
Recent guests
Recent episodes
As Leo Cullen prepares for his final season in charge, why haven't Leinster strengthened?
Sep 11, 2026
Unknown duration
Why are New Zealand embarking on their own Lions tour?
Aug 7, 2026
Unknown duration
The AFL comes for Irish rugby
Jul 31, 2026
Unknown duration
Where do Ireland go from here?
Jul 21, 2026
46m 37s
Reaction: New Zealand ease to victory over Ireland
Jul 18, 2026
18m 42s
Social Links & Contact
Official channels & resources
Official Website
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| Date | Episode | Topics | Guests | Brands | Places | Keywords | Sponsor | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9/11/26 | As Leo Cullen prepares for his final season in charge, why haven't Leinster strengthened? | John O'Sullivan joins Gordon D'Arcy and host Nathan Johns to discuss his recent chat with Leo Cullen as he heads into his final season as Leinster head coach.Several successors have been discussed on this podcast and elsewhere, but is there one potential candidate that could provide the continuity Leinster will need?And why have the province brought in so few new faces while their rivals have added squad depth?Plus, as New Zealand and South Africa head into the fourth and final test of their much-hyped 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry' series, the panel mull over what they've learned a year out from the World Cup.Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | — | ||||||
| 8/7/26 | Why are New Zealand embarking on their own Lions tour? | As world rugby moves away from multi match tours, instead preferring the nations championship, two of its biggest brands are going the other way. Ditching traditional southern hemisphere competitions, New Zealand are embarking on a lions style tour of South Africa. Is this good for the game or a shameless cash grab, two bigger nations going out on their own? South African journalist Daniel Gallan joins Nathan Johns to discuss.Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | — | ||||||
| 7/31/26 | The AFL comes for Irish rugby | Noah Byrne, a member of the Irish U20s, recently opted to move to Aussie rules instead of taking a Leinster academy contract. Is a move like this, often seen in GAA circles, going to become more prevalent in rugby, or are we dealing with a fascinating one off?Produced by Andrew McNair and John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | — | ||||||
| 7/21/26 | Ireland rugbyseason review+3 | Nathan JohnsGordon D’Arcy+1 | The Irish TimesAcast | — | Irelandrugby+4 | — | 46m 37s | ||
| 7/18/26 | rugbyIreland+4 | Gordon D’Arcy | The Irish Times | New ZealandIreland | IrelandNew Zealand+6 | — | 18m 42s | ||
| 7/17/26 | rugbyIreland+4 | Nathan JohnsJohn O’Sullivan | The Irish TimesAcast | IrelandNew Zealand | IrelandAll Blacks+5 | — | 23m 52s | ||
| 7/14/26 | Irish rugbyvictory analysis+3 | Gerry Thornley | IRFULeinster+1 | AucklandIreland | Irish rugbyGerry Thornley+5 | — | 32m 04s | ||
| 7/11/26 | Ireland rugbyJapan rugby+5 | Gordon D’ArcyJohn O’Sullivan+1 | The Irish TimesAcast | IrelandJapan+1 | IrelandJapan+8 | — | 22m 08s | ||
| 7/10/26 | Ireland rugbyteam rotation+4 | Brett Igoe | IrelandEddie Jones+3 | — | Irelandrugby+5 | — | 29m 52s | ||
| 7/7/26 | Ireland rugbyNations Championship+4 | Gerry Thornley | The Irish Times | AustraliaSydney+2 | IrelandAustralia+8 | — | 37m 31s | ||
Want analysis for the episodes below?Free for Pro Submit a request, we'll have your selected episodes analyzed within an hour. Free, at no cost to you, for Pro users. | |||||||||
| 7/4/26 | rugbyIreland vs Australia+3 | Gordon D’ArcyJohn O’Sullivan | The Irish TimesAcast | IrelandAustralia | IrelandAustralia+6 | — | 26m 49s | ||
| 7/2/26 | rugbyIreland+4 | Jonathan Drennan | Sydney Morning HeraldThe Irish Times | SydneyDublin | rugbyIreland+5 | — | 24m 19s | ||
| 6/30/26 | Under-20s World Championshiprugby+4 | Gordon D’ArcyJohn O’Sullivan | Ireland U20sToulouse+1 | IrelandEngland+1 | Ireland U20sEngland+7 | — | 30m 25s | ||
| 6/26/26 | Who to look out for in Ireland U20s at the World Cup | No Irish senior rugby this weekend but Ireland U20s do get their World Cup campaign underway in Georgia on Saturday. John O’Sullivan joins Nathan Johns to pick through the players to keep an eye on and Ireland’s hopes while we also look back on the 10-year anniversary of the stellar Ireland group that both beat New Zealand and reached the U20s World Cup final.Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | — | ||||||
| 6/22/26 | Why is Leo Cullen leaving Leinster? | Monday saw Leinster announce that Leo Cullen will leave the province once his contract expires at the end of next season. Gerry Thornley joins Nathan Johns to pick through why he’s going and who could replace Cullen atop the Leinster tree.Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | — | ||||||
| 6/19/26 | Leinster win back-to-back URC titles | Reaction: Leinster outclass the Bulls to win URC crown Gordon D’Arcy and Nathan Johns pick through Leinster’s URC final victory over the Bulls.After Champions Cup disappointment in Bilbao, Leo Cullen’s side have ended the year with silverware after a comprehensive victory over the South African outfit. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | — | ||||||
| 6/18/26 | What to make of Andy Farrell's Ireland squad to tour Australia and New Zealand | Shorn of multiple players due to injury, Andy Farrell has named his group to tour Australia and New Zealand this summer. Gordon D’Arcy and John O’Sullivan join Nathan Johns to pick through who is in and who might consider themselves unlucky. Plus, we build up to the URC final as Leinster and the Bulls name their teams for Friday night’s decider.Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | — | ||||||
| 6/12/26 | James LoweLeinster+5 | John O’Sullivan | LeinsterMunster+2 | — | James LoweLeinster+5 | — | 28m 43s | ||
| 6/9/26 | URC finalLeinster rugby+4 | Gordon D’Arcy | LeinsterStormers+4 | Cape Town | LeinsterURC final+6 | — | 39m 54s | ||
| 6/5/26 | Leinster Rugbytactical analysis+3 | Sam Larner | LeinsterJacques Nienaber+1 | — | Leinsterrugby+5 | — | 31m 44s | ||
| 6/2/26 | URC quarter-finalsLeinster rugby+3 | Gordon D’Arcy | ConnachtMunster+4 | — | LeinsterConnacht+7 | — | 35m 29s | ||
| 5/29/26 | rugby tacticsChampions Cup+5 | Brett Igoe | LeinsterBordeaux+8 | — | BordeauxLeinster+7 | — | 20m 00s | ||
| 5/26/26 | rugbyLeinster+4 | Nathan JohnsGordon D’Arcy | LeinsterUlster+2 | — | LeinsterUlster+4 | — | 38m 49s | ||
| 5/23/26 | Champions CupLeinster+5 | Gerry Thornley | LeinsterUlster+3 | Bilbao | LeinsterUlster+6 | — | 28m 28s | ||
| 5/21/26 | European rugby finalsLeinster+4 | Gordon D’Arcy | LeinsterBordeaux+2 | — | LeinsterEuropean hoodoo+5 | — | 25m 29s | ||
Showing 25 of 228
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Chart history for The Counter Ruck: The Irish Times Rugby Podcast
Peaked at #5 in Ireland, top 10 in 2 of 31 tracked markets, currently #5 in Ireland.
| Market | Genre | Peak | Current | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | — | #5 | #5 | — |
| Germany | — | #10 | #10 | — |
| HU | — | #12 | #12 | — |
| MY | — | #16 | #16 | — |
| Spain | — | #17 | #17 | — |
| Finland | — | #21 | #21 | — |
| PL | — | #23 | #23 | — |
| PT | — | #24 | #24 | — |
| United States | — | #25 | #25 | — |
| SA | — | #26 | #26 | — |
| AT | — | #27 | #27 | — |
| South Korea | — | #27 | #27 | — |
| Italy | — | #28 | #28 | — |
| BE | — | #28 | #28 | — |
| India | — | #29 | #29 | — |
| Netherlands | — | #39 | #39 | — |
| Norway | — | #42 | #42 | — |
| Sweden | — | #43 | #43 | — |
| Denmark | — | #48 | #48 | — |
| CH | — | #49 | #49 | — |
Chart Positions
31 placements across 30 markets.
Chart Positions
31 placements across 30 markets.