The Ruck
The TimesThe Ruck is the journalists' rugby podcast from The Times & The Sunday Times.
Join Alfie Reynolds, Alex Lowe, Will Kelleher and a selection of guests every week as they provide insight and reports throughout the season, including big-name interviews and forthright analysis.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
| Publishes | Twice weekly | Episodes | 588 | Founded | 10 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | RugbyNewsSportsSports News | |||
Listen to this Podcast
Latest Episodes
The Greatest Rivalry series is level at 1-1!
South Africa beat New Zealand in Cape Town and now attention turns to the third test in Johannesburg. Despite being a four match series, is the third test - which is the final one on South African soil - ... more
The first test between South Africa and New Zealand produced a famous win for the All Blacks. Can South Africa respond?
Was this the best thing for the four match series? Why has Rassie Erasmus named his team for the second test already despite inju... more
South Africa and New Zealand play the first test of their four match 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry' series this weekend.
Alfie is joined by Alex and New Zealand journalist Jamie Wall, who are both in South Africa, to look ahead to the series.
How big a... more
In episode 6 of our special series on the fierce rivalry between rugby’s superpowers, the sport is hurtling into the professional era.
South Africa are world champions after 1995 but New Zealand are on the verge of one of their greatest moments. We ... more
Key Facts
Similar Podcasts
People also subscribe to these shows.
Recent Guests
Hosts
Reviews
- Will Collier
Can we have more please, he’s exceptional, what a great catch for the Ruck.
Apple Podcasts5The back row chap
United Kingdom5 months ago - Brilliant pod
Thanks to all the team as a regular listener to a few rugby podcasts, what I like about this one is the journalistic approach I find it insightful in a way that I don’t necessarily find in other. The take on England this week was particularly interesting.
Apple Podcasts5agah1971United Kingdom6 months ago - Good listen
Don’t understand the low reviews, think they do a good job. Don’t always agree but generally balanced opinion. Now Stephen Jones has gone anyway
Apple Podcasts5"The Reducer"United Kingdom6 months ago - Stuart Barnes makes this a horrible listen
I normally enjoy listening to this podcast, it’s typically calm and coherent but that last two episodes with Stuart Barnes have made this intolerable. Talking over other hosts, antiquated views, unnecessarily vexatious commentary makes for an unpleasant experience.
Apple Podcasts2catkinryanUnited Kingdom6 months ago - Just one thing….
Please, please stop saying “go” and “going” when you mean “say” and “saying”. It’s really annoying!
Apple Podcasts3SirKieran
United States6 months ago
Listeners Say
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
Chart Rankings
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Apple Podcasts | #10 | United States/Sports/Rugby |
Apple Podcasts | #5 | United Kingdom/Sports/Rugby |
Apple Podcasts | #18 |  Canada/Sports/Rugby |
Apple Podcasts | #162 | United Kingdom/Sports |
Apple Podcasts | #21 |  Italy/Sports/Rugby |
Apple Podcasts | #25 |  Germany/Sports/Rugby |
Talking Points
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Audience Metrics
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
| Listeners per Episode | |
|---|---|
| Gender Skew | |
| Location | |
| Interests | |
| Professions | |
| Age Range | |
| Household Income | |
| Social Media Reach |
Frequently Asked Questions About The Ruck
What is The Ruck about and what kind of topics does it cover?
A rugby-focused, journalist-led show that blends hard analysis with on-the-ground reporting, interviews, and industry context. Episodes commonly tackle international comparisons, leadership debates, tournament formats, and club-level strategies, all through a Times/Sunday Times lens. It stands out for its candid, sometimes provocative conversations, strong panel dynamics among veteran correspondents, and a track record of high-profile guest insights that appeal to rugby professionals, execs, and serious fans seeking depth over hot takes.
Where can I find podcast stats for The Ruck?
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Ruck. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Ruck and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
How many listeners does The Ruck get?
Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The Ruck, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.
What are the audience demographics for The Ruck?
Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Ruck, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.
How many subscribers and views does The Ruck have?
To see how many followers or subscribers The Ruck has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.
Which podcasts are similar to The Ruck?
These podcasts share a similar audience with The Ruck:
1. Rugby Union Weekly
2. For The Love Of Rugby
3. The Good, The Bad & The Rugby
4. The EggChasers Rugby Podcast
5. The Counter Ruck: The Irish Times Rugby Podcast
How many episodes of The Ruck are there?
The Ruck launched 10 years ago and published 588 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
How do I contact The Ruck?
Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.
Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Ruck?
Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Ruck from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.
View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.
How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The Ruck?
Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Ruck. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.
What guests have appeared on The Ruck?
Recent guests on The Ruck include:
1. Sean Fitzpatrick
2. Alex Lowe
3. Jamie Wall
4. Rob Louw
5. Stu Wilson
6. Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe
7. Finn Smith
8. Elgin Alderman
To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.