What’s All The Ruckus?

This week we welcome Canadian Head Coach Steve Meehan onto the podcast. With over 20 years of coaching experience which has taken Steve from his native Australia to Bath in the English Premiership, Canadian fans will be eager to see how Steve can revolutionise the men’s team following their failed qualification for the 2023 World Cup.We discuss Steve’s ambitions with Canada for their upcoming Pacific Nations Cup campaign, the importance of qualifying for the 2027 World Cup and general developments happening within Canadian rugby. Check out www.AIMS.co.uk for all of your accounting, financial and business needs. X: @AllTheRuckusPod

We are back with a very exciting guest this week, with Hong Kong China hooker Alex Post on to talk all about their recent qualification to the 2027 World Cup (their first ever).Having played for his national team for over a decade, Post had plenty of insight on the progression of his nation and how they've reached this point.Lots on his own personal career and his club side Richmond as well after their promotion to the Champ.Check out www.AIMS.co.uk for all of your accounting, financial and business needs.X: @AllTheRuckusPod

We have Algeria head coach Adrien Buononato on the pod this week, to talk about their meteoric rise over the past year.They have risen up 10 places in the World Rankings and now sit in 43rd, and with a recent third place finish at the Rugby Africa Cup, things are looking positive for the nation.However, almost all of their international success has came from France-based players of Algerian descent, so we speak all about the problems that domestic rugby has over there and how Adrien is helping with it.Find out which former France international is potentially going to be playing for them soon as well.Thank you for listening !X: @AllTheRuckusPod

Today we have one of our most topical episodes of all time, because we have Zimbabwe player Matthew McNab on the pod to talk about their recent World Cup qualification.Matthew came back after two years away from Sables duty to help them get over the line against Namibia, which happened just over a week ago.We talk all about his personal career and how Zimbabwean rugby has progressed over the past few years.Plenty of insight from someone who has just helped his country to a first World Cup in 36 years.X: @AllTheRuckusPod

Apologies for a late upload, we had some technical issues when exporting the audio file, but they're all sorted now.This episode is definitely one that is worth the wait. We have a coach that has worked in Australia, USA, Germany and now Sweden in Karl Savimaki.Currently Sweden's assistant, we hear all about some of the best stories that he has had along the way. For a properly international outlook on rugby, take a listen to this.X: @AllTheRuckusPod

This week, we have someone involved in both one of the biggest names in rugby as well as one of the smallest.Gert Mulder is with the Blue Bulls organisation in South Africa, which includes URC side Vodacom Bulls, whilst also being the head coach of Pakistan.Rugby in Pakistan is extremely small despite the massive population, due in large part to the popularity of cricket.We speak all about his role and career and how Pakistan can develop the sport's popularity.Thank you for listening.X: @AllTheRuckusPod

We have our first ever World Cup winner on the podcast today, Graham Smith.Graham was part of the coaching staff that led England women's to the 2014 World Cup alongside head coach Gary Street.Now he is working with Estonia Rugby to grow the sport in a country that is a huge minnow within the Rugby Europe system.We speak all about his career to date, his work in Estonia and so much more.x: @AllTheRuckusPod

We have got a slightly different episode this week, which is not necessarily tier 2 but is an interesting rugby story from outside of what is usually reported.England's Visually Impaired (VI) team have been playing matches since 2019 and are celebrating their 10-year anniversary since being founded.Scrum-half Aaron Fowler has played every England game so far, with his side still being unbeaten.He spoke about everything VI rugby related and how the sport is developing.A really interesting episode about something not really spoken about.If you enjoyed this type of episode, let us know and we can do it more often.Contact them:Instagram: @virugby , @thechangefoundationOur socialsX: @AllTheRuckusPod

This week we have some Tier 2 royalty in former Tonga international and now assistant head coach, Nili Latu.Latu was once the record appearance holder for his nation (but has since been surpassed) and some of you may remember him for his time in the Premiership with Newcastle Falcons.He was always known for playing with passion and has now taken that into his coaching career.We spoke all about the issues regarding Tongan rugby and how the compete for players with so many being eligible for the All Blacks and Wallabies especially.A really good episode with a high profile guest.Socials:X: AllTheRuckusPod

We have our first ever repeat guest on this week, with Sweden head coach and friend of the pod Alex Laybourne joining us.Hugely appreciate him coming on at late notice, we originally had another guest but he had to pull out last minute (for good reason).A great catch up regarding what the Sweden national team and Alex have been up to in the three months since he last came on.Also, our X has been hacked for the last few days but we now have access back, still be wary if you get a message and don't give any personal details, but we will be back and positing on there.Launched a TikTok too which we will start posting on more going forward.Socials: x: @alltheruckuspodTikTok: @alltheruckuspod

We have one of our all-time favourite episodes, talking to the founder of the Federation of Lesotho Rugby, Dan Aylward-Mills.When he arrived in the country, only six people were throwing a rugby ball around on a tennis court.Now they are recognised by World Rugby, have a functioning domestic league and are close to having their first professional club.Find out how the story unfolded, with Dan admitting that a lot of it happened by accident.Socials:X: @AllTheRuckusPodTikTok: @alltheruckuspod

This week we have rugby sevens royalty, Mike Friday.A former played and head coach for England, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest ever head coaches in sevens due to his work with the USA, who he took from being relatively average to consistently competing at the top of the game.Also with experience coaching Kenya, Mike is extremely passionate about the global development of the game and using sevens as a vehicle to do so.Plenty of chat about where sevens is at right now, what has gone wrong, how Tier 2 can develop and so much more.Socials:X:@AllTheRuckusPodInstagram: @charlieelliottjourno

We have former Jamaica 7's player Rhodri Adamson on this week to talk about his career and what rugby is like in the Caribbean nation (apologies for the late upload).Given that 7's has recently been in a bit of turmoil following the announcement that Ireland are scrapping their programme, we wanted to get someone on who could speak about how important it is for tier 2 nations like Jamaica.Rhodri has played at 2x Commonwealth Games, 2x 7's World Cups and was part of the golden generation of Jamaican rugby.A great chat with someone who has had a really interesting career and has a lot of first hand experience with 7's.

This week we have Türkiye's captain and all-time leading try scorer, Mert Zabci.An absolutely brilliant guest who had plenty of stories about his own career and what it is like playing for a country that many won't have heard about in a rugby sense before.Born and raised in London, he also experienced not being allowed to play for his country in 2017, when his federation banned non-domestic players based from playing.Also, find out which Wallabies player watched him put on a MOTM performance in Norway.X: @AllTheRuckusPodInstagram: @Charlieelliottjourno

We are back with our weekly guest episode and we are staying in the Balkans to speak to Croatia head coach Anthony Posa.Of Croatian heritage, Posa played himself at a high level in his native New Zealand and played for Croatia, before becoming involved in the national team in a coaching capacity in 2014.Head coach since 2021, he spoke all about rugby in the country as well as the other jobs that he balances it with.Croatia are currently in the Rugby Europe Trophy, which is the secondary competition in the Rugby Europe system.A great chat with someone from a nation that is really on the rise in rugby terms.X: @AllTheRuckusPodInsta: @charlieelliottjourno