As the home nations gear up for their first World Cup warm-up matches, Matt Dawson, Sonja McLaughlin, Martyn Williams and Chris Jones try to work out which of the northern hemisphere sides has the best chance to win the Webb Ellis trophy. And we’ll go down under to work out why New Zealand’s air of invincibility might be slightly diminishing.

The Matt Dawson Rugby Show – We’re ready for Japan

From rugby legends, to Premier League managers &amp; beyond – the biggest names in sport tell us their stories.

Sports

Katie Smith is joined by the BBC's tennis correspondent Russell Fuller and Manuel Sanchez, sports correspondent for Spanish news agency EFE, to take a deep dive into the life and career so far of Spanish tennis prodigy Carlos Alcaraz. We discuss his past, his present and his future - ahead of what could be his first Grand Slam title on clay at the French Open, which starts on Sunday. You’ll hear from Carlos himself, his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, and the people who helped to shape him into the player he is today, including his junior coach Kiko Navarro and Jesus Garcia Pardo, who was a hitting partner for the then 12-14-year-old Alcaraz. Topics:
02:12 - introductions
07:20 - early childhood
12:21 - character and mentality
22:40 - relationship with coach Juan Carlos Ferrero
33:20 - maiden Wimbledon title

The Carlos Alcaraz One

From his training base in Jamaica, Zharnel Hughes sits down with Eleanor Oldroyd ahead of this summer's Paris Olympics.  He’s a double Commonwealth Games and European Championships gold medallist, and now he’s aiming to add an Olympic title to his collection.  He goes right back to the beginning - from when he first discovered he was pretty fast, to making the move to Great Britain, and moving on from the disappointment of missing Rio and false starts and team disqualification in Tokyo.  He also gives us a glimpse inside his mind when on the start line and discusses if it’s time for a new era of athletics. TOPICS 00'40 - Where it all started  02'30 - Life in Jamaica with Bolt, Blake and Weir 5'20 - Making the move to Great Britain in 2015  11'20 - Getting ready for the Olympics  13'00 - "Do you have something to prove this summer?" 15'30 - Memories of Tokyo 17'00 - Falling back in love with athletics 18'30 - "That's when you know it's showtime" 20'00 - Pre-race routines 23'00 - Living in the moment 26'00 - Breaking records & burgers and fries  31'00 - A new era for athletics? 33'00 - "The is your captain Zharnel Hughes"

The Zharnel Hughes one

Iain Carter speaks to 2023 Masters champion Jon Rahm ahead of this year’s tournament. 
The Spanish golfer reflects on last year’s win, talks about his aims to retain the green jacket, and discusses his decision to join LIV Golf in December. 
We also hear from golf journalists Ewan Murray and Bob Harig about the future of the game in the LIV Golf era. TIMECODES:
00:58 - Jon Rahm interview
13:55 - Reflection on the interview with Ewan and Bob

The Jon Rahm one

Helen Glover discusses her career as an Olympic Gold medal winner and also her aims for this summer's games in Paris. She talks about how she began her rowing career, the legacy that she hopes to leave and her greatest moments in life and her career. TOPICS
0 mins - Preparing for Paris
3 mins - Earning her place
5 mins - Juggling parenting with competition
10 mins - Helen's rowing beginnings
13 mins - "Work hard and you can do anything"
15 mins - Helen's first Olympic gold medal
20 mins - Helen's greatest moments
22 mins - Goals for Paris

The Helen Glover one

Darren Fletcher is joined by NFL Network's Adam Rank, former NFL player Jason Bell,  and NFL Broadcaster Greg Brady to preview this years Super Bowl between Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers. They hear from NFL star Patrick Mahomes and discuss their predictions for the game, whilst also touching on the frenzy surrounding Taylor Swift's relationship with Kansas tight end, Travis Kelce.

The Matt Dawson Rugby Show – We’re ready for Japan

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