Shows / Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct
Every week, Rugby Direct gives you the lowdown on all you need to know from the rugby world.
Whether it's the All Blacks, Black Ferns, NPC, Farah Palmer Cup, or just what's going down at the club grounds, we have you covered on your home for all things rugby.
Listen on iHeartRadio for every angle, every moment, and every opinion.
Episodes
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 151
This week on Rugby Direct, with Liam away in Saudi Arabia, Elliott Smith is joined by Nick Bewley standing in to look back at week two of Super Rugby as the…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 150
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier run their eye over the opening round of Super Rugby Pacific - is the competition officially 'back'. We…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 149
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier are back in the studio for 2025 and not a moment too soon as we reflect on the major rugby issues over…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 148
On Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier wrap up the 2024 All Blacks season and hand out some awards from the campaign and get out their red pens and…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 147
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith (in Turin) and Liam Napier review the All Blacks' 1-point loss to France in Paris and how the defeat changes the…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 146
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith in Paris and Liam Napier discuss the All Blacks' win over (now former) world number ones Ireland in Dublin - what it…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 145
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith in Dublin is joined by Liam Napier to reflect on the All Blacks' tight win over England at Twickenham and we break…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 144
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier review the All Blacks win over Japan in Yokohama and look ahead to Sunday morning's big test against…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 143
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith dials in from Tokyo to run through with Liam Napier the All Blacks team named for Saturday's test against Japan in…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 142
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier recap all the big news of the rugby world from the last fortnight - beginning with the All Blacks and…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 141
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier review the second Bledisloe Cup test in Wellington with the All Blacks beating Australia and ending…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 140
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier review the Bledisloe Cup opener in Sydney - and how the All Blacks nearly let what was heading for a…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Special Edition: Bledisloe 1 Preview
Elliott Smith and Liam Napier are in Sydney this week for the opening Bledisloe Cup and in a crossover special, stopped by the ESPN Scrum Reset podcast studios…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 139
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier are in Sydney and celebrate touching down by jumping straight into a podcast. They discuss the…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 138
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier assess another All Blacks' defeat to the Springboks, this time in Cape Town as opportunities go…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 137
This week on Rugby Direct, ZB's own Elliott Smith reviews the first All Blacks v Springboks test and unpacks what went wrong towards the second half the match…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 136
Elliott's landed in Johannesburg and he and Liam assess the stunning news that Leon MacDonald has quit the All Blacks coaching staff after just five tests…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 135
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier discuss the All Blacks' comeback victory over Argentina at Eden Park - and whether or not the team is…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 134
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier review the All Blacks' stunning defeat against Argentina in Wellington and dig into how it happened…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 133
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier return from a week off to talk the Black Ferns Sevens' gold medal in Paris and how to try and solve…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 132
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier discuss Ardie Savea's bombshell Super Rugby switch from the Hurricanes to Moana Pasifika and the…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 131
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier wrap the second test against England and discuss the All Blacks' game plan - or seeming lack thereof…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 130
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier assess the first All Blacks' test of the 'new era' and a tight win over England under the roof in…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 129
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier put forward their arguments for the first All Blacks team of the year and how the first test against…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 128
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier are in Christchurch following the All Blacks squad announcement and reflect on the five new names in…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 127
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier review the Super Rugby semi-finals as the Blues and Chiefs advance to Saturday night's decider, at the…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 126
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier assess the four Super Rugby quarter-finals from the weekend and say farewell to the Rebels (for good)…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 125
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier wrap a big week of rugby, beginning with the final round of the Super Rugby regular season and the…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 124
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier count down to the crunch governance vote that will shape New Zealand Rugby, assess the fortunes of the…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 123
Elliott and Liam catch up with legendary All Blacks halfback Aaron Smith on a range of topics after the completion of his first season playing for Japanese…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 122
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier break down the news around Sam Cane's departure from New Zealand Rugby after this year and who leads…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 121
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier run through the reaction from their interview with Chris Lendrum, specifically the desire to bring…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 120
On a special edition of Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier catch up with New Zealand Rugby's general manager - professional rugby and performance…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 119
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott and Liam discuss the latest in Super Rugby as the Hurricanes bounce back, the Blues find their way late against the Rebels…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 118
On Rugby Direct this week, Elliott and Liam debate whether the Hurricanes are still the Super Rugby favourites after their loss to the Brumbies, or whether the…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 117
This week on Rugby Direct, we review the round that was in Super Rugby as the Hurricanes and Blues continue to soar and the Crusaders and Highlanders flop…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 116
On the latest episode, Elliott and Liam ask... can anyone stop the Hurricanes this year? They review their win over the Chiefs as well as the other sometimes…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 115
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott and Liam review big wins for the Blues and Chiefs in Super Rugby Pacific, discuss the impending departures of Fergus Burky…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 114
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott and Liam discuss the big breaking news that former All Blacks scrum doctor Mike Cron is joining Joe Schmidt's Wallabies…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 113
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier dive into round five of Super Rugby Pacific as the Hurricanes continue to surge, the Chiefs and Blues…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 112
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier review the fourth round of Super Rugby Pacific, which has seen the Hurricanes continue their unbeaten…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 111
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier take a look at the Hurricanes being unbeaten in Super Rugby Pacific and the Crusaders yet to nab a…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 110
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott and Liam review Super Round in Melbourne, with three teams still unbeaten after the opening two weeks of the competition. We…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 109
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier review the opening round of Super Rugby Pacific and discuss the so-called mouth-guard controversy…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 108
On this special edition of Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier sit down with New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson to discuss a wide range of…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 107
On the first Rugby Direct for 2024, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier begin by looking back at a mega off-season of rugby news - from Joe Schmidt's appointment to…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 106
In the final edition of Rugby Direct for 2023, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier reflect on Ian Foster's tenure as All Blacks coach, with the benefit of a few…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 105
On the latest Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier reconvene three weeks on from the World Cup final - to talk the latest in rugby news including Rugby…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 104
On the latest (and final) Rugby Direct from Paris, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier review the Rugby World Cup final, won by South Africa 12-11 in Paris. We break…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 103
On the latest edition of Rugby Direct, the scene is set for the World Cup final and Elliott Smith and Liam Napier dive into the two sides named by the All…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 102
On the latest Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier review the contrasting ways the All Blacks and Springboks punched their tickets to the Rugby World…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 101
On the latest Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier check in from Paris after the All Blacks name their team to face Argentina in the World Cup…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 100
On the latest edition of Rugby Direct, it's bonjour once against from Paris as we say Au Revoir to the Irish and the hosts France on a big 100th episode of…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 99
On the midweek edition of Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith (Newstalk ZB ) and Liam Napier (NZ Herald) discuss the breaking news out of Paris that Mark Tele'a has…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 98
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier convene post midnight to discuss Portugal's historic win over Fiji at the Rugby World Cup, before…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 97
Elliott Smith and Liam Napier check in from Lyon to review the All Blacks side named to face Uruguay in their final RWC pool match (Live on Gold Sport and…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 96
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier are in Lyon and assess the All Blacks' big win over Italy and how it reshapes the Rugby World Cup - if…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 95
On this midweek edition of Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier assess the All Blacks side named to face Italy in their crunch World Cup Pool A match in…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 94
Elliott Smith and Liam Napier jump on for Rugby Direct from Lyon, as the All Blacks take a backseat for a few days with the Rugby World Cup ramping up with two…
- Rugby Direct
Rugby Direct - Episode 93
On the latest edition of Rugby Direct, Elliott and Liam check in from Bordeaux - to discuss and update the midweek happenings at the tournament in France. We…