French RUGBY CONNECTIONS with Veronique Landew & Bill Hooper

A FIRST! French Rugby CONNECTIONS  episode under 20 mins! Enjoy with Moi, Veronique Landew, and Mike Pearce from the English Riviera, La cote D'azur Anglaise talk about the play-offs, the semi-finals, the access game won by Biarritz and a bit of ....Welsh football. Nearly the end of the season for the TOP 14 and....for the French Rugby CONNECTIONS Podcast. The ONLY Rugby podcast with the French Gallic twist between a French woman and a Welsh Rugby Journalist! 

So much passion and wisdom with Emile Ntamack about his time playing for Les Bleus, with Sella, Blanco, Benazzi, Galthie, Dominici, Castaignede, et al, and his time at Stade Toulousain and lifting the first Heineken Cup in 1996. Of course, we talk about his son, Romain who is currently extremely busy and focused and preparing for his next game. Mike Pearce is back from East Sussex and we relive the Heineken and challenge cup and we review the last weekend's games and the forthcoming ones. Enjoy French Rugby CONNECTIONS, the Rugby Podcast with the Gallic twist, with all the latest FRENCH RUGBY NEWS, 

I have a great time chatting with Bruce Reihana, Rugby Legend, about his career in New Zealand, Northampton, and Bordeaux and coaching for Bristol Bears, his best rugby memory, and about his new role at Montpellier. I really liked how he compares rugby strategy with a chess game! What a great and true metaphor. Robbie Nock, an erudite rugby commentator joins me too to provide me with an insight into the final weekend of the Top14 and Pro D2 before the playoff and all the scenarios that may happen for some mid-table teams, should they lose or win. SO THRILLING!  UNMISSABLE! French Rugby CONNECTIONS Podcast, the rugby podcast with the gallic twist.

Rugby Friends, I had the great pleasure to speak with the talented Alex Lozowski about what it meant for him and his teammates to win the Challenge Cup, his life in La Belle France, embracing the French life by growing a moustache to look like a Frenchman (LOL) and the main differences between playing Rugby in the  Top14 versus the Gallagher Premiership. I am then joined by the iconic cameraman, Steve Rouse aka "Bull" who tells me about the origin of his nickname, his vast collections of socks and bandanas, and being smashed off the touchline by Lawrence Dallaglio to World Cups, with many European Finals in between. Bull has been witness to some of the biggest rugby occasions...but it turns out, his heart is more grassroots, happy having a cider at Cornish Pirates as he is at HQ. UNMISSABLE! 
My co-host, Mike Pearce will be back next week and we'll be back with reviewing the penultimate Top14  weekend, my ritual French Rugby lesson and of course, I will have a chat with another Rugby guest. French Rugby  CONNECTIONS, the rugby podcast with the gallic Twist!

French Rugby CONNECTIONS episode is focused on the European Rugby Cup with the ever eloquent, loquacious, and passionate Martyn Hindley, PR and Communications Director at EPCR, who details what the European Cup is all about, the passion it stirs for its fans and players, the fights between the Samson and Goliath teams and that hard-won semi-final won between Bath and Montpellier. I also speak with the English-born Tom Dickson who has been living and supporting Toulouse for the last 16 years and his thoughts about French Rugby and the finals. As a former wine trader, he extols the virtue of exquisite wine in the world of Rugby in the rugby arena (many former players and Rugby VIPs own a few vineyards) and the danger of not insulating well enough a 21,000 Euros bottle of Grand Cru Romanée-Conti....Enjoy, French Rugby Connections, the Rugby Podcast with the Gallic twist! 

Rugby Friends,  a short and sweet 25 mins episode this week (just like me;-) about the exhilarating battle happening in the Top 14 right now and the latest news about French Rugby. Mike talks about his forthcoming book "Hard men of French Rugby" and meeting with Guilhem Guirado which will feature in chapter 2 of his book and bumping into Lawrence Dallaglio at the Stoop and explaining to me what the Gents etiquette are all about. LOL!!!
Enjoy, French Rugby CONNECTIONS Podcast, with Veronique Landew and Mike Pearce, the Rugby podcast with the gallic twist. 

Rugby friends, Rugby Legend, Philippe Saint Andre is now back to being Director of Rugby for Montpellier and looking forward to the Challenge cup final with his stellar team. Philippe reminisces his best rugby memory and living and coaching in Gloucester and Sale too. Mike and I review the Euro weekend and the catch-up games for the last few games in the season 2021 of the Top 14. Crouch, bind, and set! Enjoy our  Episode of French Rugby CONNECTIONS, the Rugby podcast with the gallic twist (and with a strong French accent);-)? You've been warned. Subscribe now to be one of the first to listen to the podcast.

More French and European Rugby news about the oval ball on French Rugby Connections Podcast with Veronique Landew and Mike Pearce, all in 30 mins! ENJOY the Welsh and the French Rugby banter, and yes we do talk about sheep, snails, and frogs too....Oh la la.

This week, we focus on Le  Crunch at the Women's six nations.  You will not believe how forceful and vigorous the Elite women Rugby players are on the pitch. England vs France final at the 6 women's six Nations will be live this Saturday, on BBC 2 at 2 pm. It will be a feat of grit and brutality and a  massive cracking game. France has to win to repair their last-minute loss last year against Les Roses. Emily Scarattt told me that after playing for Les Bleues, she feels like she's been run by a bus. Mike and I review the  Top 14 too which has been hit (encore une fois - another time again) by Covid 19, but we're nearly at the end of the season and it will be completed. A fierce battle at the top and at the bottom and in the meantime, in the Pro D 2, Vannes or Perpignan will be the team to get into the Top 14. I'm from Britanny ...so you know which team I support. Enjoy French Rugby Connections, the Rugby podcast with the Gallic twist!

BonjourFriends! RUGBY CONNECTIONS Podcast is here! Mike Pearce and I review the Champions Cup, 6 Womens' s Nations Cup, Top 14, and David Beresford who wrote a book "Brothers in arms" about his love for French Rugby Legends from the 70s and 80s takes me back to memory lane on a journey full of French Regional history and lots of wine and epicurean delights. Enjoy!