Episode 32 - The Season Finale

In the final episode of this series,we reflect on their 32-episode journey, sharing highlights and gratitude for the incredible guests and grassroots rugby clubs that made it possible. Featuring updates on recent grassroots events, exciting future plans, and an upcoming lineup of fascinating interviewees, the episode captures the essence of their passionate community. They also discuss the state of rugby in England and Wales, upcoming women's rugby events, and new initiatives like a website, logo redesign, and potential Patreon for audience engagement. Tune in for a heartfelt conclusion and a glimpse of what's next for Rugby Through the League.

Transcript

: [00:00:00] Hello, and welcome to the final episode of Rugby Through the League's podcast in this series. , time has come. Obviously we had the New Beginnings episode the other day with, , Adam and Buster. Rugby Through The League's grassroots days have started again. So, we're moving forward, but obviously you can still catch us.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: , but yeah, it's been emotional. This, , first, first series obviously started April. We 32 episodes on the first run through. We've had some amazing guests along the way. , managed to get out to Grassroots Rugby and start that again before, , the end of this series. So, Buster was down at Southsea Nomads on Saturday, just gone.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: Got Adam going out to Hook and Odiham on Saturday, coming, against Gosport 2s. . Great to get back again amongst the grassroots rugby again because you guys really seem to enjoy that. [00:01:00] The biggest responses seem to be from the interviews with those that are involved in grassroots rugby as well. So yeah, it's really great to be back.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: So, to sort of put that out there and give, , give something that you guys want to see and give something back to the game as well, because the game at the minute, as you can see, , is on the up in most aspects, but also holding itself back. And we discuss this quite a lot, , on the pod and yeah, , , it's kind of a crossroads rugby.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: And, , hopefully we can help guide that through. with opening the door for grassroots clubs to, to put themselves in the shop window and get you guys down to, to other games outside of your mix as well because there is always a game on. There's pretty much barely a blank weekend in, , in the grassroots game, especially with, , women's games usually now being on the Sunday as well.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: So like , Havant women's being able to get down on the Sunday. , [00:02:00] you can go and see the men's , on a Saturday and still get a, get a women's game in on a Sunday as well. So, great to, great time to be in rugby and grassroots as well. And just want to say thank you to, to all the clubs that have accommodated us and all these starting , to get himself in the schedule for next year as well because I wouldn't be able to do it without you guys actually opening the doors and letting us in.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: So, Petersfield, Newbury, Gosport, Millbrook, you've all been a blinder getting that sort of summer, summer schedule available for me to, to try that. Flaming Unicorns as well for letting me do. throw my kit on and have a run around on a day that I wasn't planning. , and then recently, obviously, South Sea Nomads more than welcoming to Buster getting down there for his first attempt.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: And Lymington obviously had a bit of a trek. So Didn't manage to get as much info and, , and footage from them, but they've opened a door for us to go down there in the new year as well. , yeah, really good growing [00:03:00] list of people that want to come and allow us to come and bother them for a day and show, show what these clubs are about.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: And, , we've got the doubleheader coming up in Guernsey in January. I've managed to book me flights, , and Adam is in the process of that as well. for having me. We're hopefully going to complete the hat trick and get Buster there as well. So, all three of us can hopefully do a, do a full episode show together.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: The rugby return stuff, I know some of you might be wondering what's gone on with that. I've actually been out and about. , watching Spain national team recently. So unavailable for quite a few games due to that. I've been in the gym though. I've been getting myself into some sort of nick. , the Denia team's not gone too great at the minute.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: They lost at the weekend 83 nil to Akra. , who were basically a semi-professional side, so cricket score, but there's also, , a reason to a, to a [00:04:00] certain degree behind it, but a bit of a rebuild going on as well. And yeah, it's, , it's gonna be a hard, hard season now. Hope. I was expecting a little bit different after what I was told in the lead up, but I'm here, I'm playing and I wanna carry on and help try and change.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: The, , the dynamic of what's going on at the minute and little by little, still playing, still out there, still got the boots on and, , yeah, looking and enjoying it as well. Getting down there on a Tuesday, Thursday is completely different to, to not being able to do it. Obviously coaching as well. The Aguiles are flying.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: We're, with three wins from three. Schedules had to be rejiggled because obviously everything happened in Valencia, but we've got another game this Sunday coming up and a game Saturday. So we've got six games in the first, first league with three from three, , 48, 19 or 48, 26 at the weekend. , I wasn't obviously there because , I was [00:05:00] in Valladolid for the Spain Fiji game, so lads, lads are flying.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: , little bits that we need to keep working on. Availability is always difficult over here. It's, yeah, the, , the availability seems to be a common challenge for most clubs in Spain, which is no different to, to England as well. So, yeah, it's all fun and games and, , yeah. The, the Aguiles are flying, so we're happy with that.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: , just wanted to really run through this sort of episode and say, It's been a blast, we've had some great guests on all the way back to Episode 1 where we had Polly on. Hopefully got Polly coming back on on a couple of other episodes in the in the future as well because great, great rugby bloke and just a Another one that loves the game and loves trying to grow the sport , Liam Perkins, obviously at Petersfield Matt McLean at Petersfield done as an absolute solid coming on really early on the pod as well Great guests and great [00:06:00] content Havant obviously Will Knight coach Oz and Sean Shepp's coming on Great figures again from everyone that wanted to jump on.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: We had Kiano , from the India set up as well, , was another amazing one. Managing to get an England captain on pretty early doors as well. Michelle. So Russell Earnshaw, Warren Abrahams, Tom Martin from New Zealand, the All Black Sevens, obviously Dan Richmond coming on from, His many exploits and being on the, on the thing.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: Joe Batley, who recently missed out on the England A due to breaking his leg. , it's been a blast. There's so many, obviously it's pretty much 32, 32 episodes now and the list goes on and there's, there's bits that jump out and there's, there's bits that I could probably done better and better. And that's what I want this little break to do and go away and figure out how we can move forward.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: I've had a few issues with technicals and [00:07:00] not being here and going away and having to re record episodes twice or three times. Like with Darragh Coyle, I had to re do that episode and it's been a, it's been a journey and this, this first series has, has been a blast. I've loved it. Really want to be able to sort of put the right bits in place for the next time round.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: And obviously with Buster and Adam available as well, I think. Having the dynamic of two or three of us, or however we decide to do it when we interview some big guests coming up as well. , hopefully more out and about as well. Going to try and actually get out rather than just sitting in front of here and interviewing people.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: I think some of the episodes we can manage to get out in the field. So, yeah, it's um, it's going to be a, be a really exciting one coming up. And some really, really great guests and I'll keep banging on about them. Got an England manager or ex England manager coming on, current players, players that, , some other really obscure ones that you guys probably wonder why, but there's a bigger story behind it [00:08:00] as well, some, some ones that are going to be hopefully blockbuster for a few people.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: So yeah, I can't wait to, to get them in and get them recorded up. We're in the process of getting the website done. So the website's going to be going up. Logos being redone. , obviously it wasn't much uptake on how we planned on doing it. So we're going to take that back to the drawing board. So re logos can be redone.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: We're going to open up a stash, , website as well. So you guys can start getting some rugby through the leagues podcast stash to start representing to all those people that don't know who we are. , going to look at doing a Patreon or something like that. So you guys can get. come on as live audience or guests, et cetera, et cetera.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: So yeah, it's a big few plans coming on Buster and Adam. I'm obviously going to keep going strong with the, with the grassroots rugby stuff as a separate part of the content. Hopefully look to add a couple more in there. towards [00:09:00] in the closed season. So next season we might have another couple of presenters added onto the list and so we can get more coverage and more, more, more clubs involved.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: So that'd be great to To try and spread that a little bit further across. , we just want to know what you guys want as well. I think you're really enjoying the grassroots rugby, but if there's other bits that you think that we could potentially add value to the game, the door's open, just message us. I get quite a few messages of support.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: messages for bits. People want to come on board and jump on the pod and it's really really appreciated. The list is massive. I've got a massive list to sort of sit back and re put together of how we want to move forward and who we want to get on and people that want to come on is brilliant and now that we've got other aspects of it I think we can focus on other certain, certain people coming on, on certain, , certain strands of the [00:10:00] pod as well.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: So rather than coming on just filling up episodes, we can sort of actually allow them to shine a spotlight on us. So, yeah, it's going to be an exciting few months getting everything set, ready for the relaunch in Feb. We're going to have the Six Nations Fantasy episode, probably coming out mid Jan, I reckon.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: Just ahead of the start of the Six Nations at the end of Jan, so we want you guys involved in that as well. So we want to, we want to do the episode and we want to set the league up and we want you guys involved in the league. , We'll set up a little community whatsapp or something like that so everyone can take the piss out of each other, wind each other up, or however we want to do it, as long as we keep it friendly.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: And, who knows, maybe the winner of the league ends up coming on the pod or tells us where we're going in, , in a future episode. So, yeah, it'll be, , it'll be a good fun, get everyone involved. Adds a bit to the Six Nations. Obviously, [00:11:00] it's quite hard being an England fan at the minute and probably even worse being a Welsh fan.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: So, we've got to add some sort of jeer and, , and humour, hopefully, to the Six Nations that we've got ahead because I don't think it's going to get any easier because obviously Steve's just going to keep saying we're going to keep improving. At what point is that improvement actually going to come to anything?
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: Um,
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: I don't know. Everyone got tired of Eddie for a while, but Eddie had results for a period and we've got a very, very good team in England and it's not, it's not coming out the way probably a lot of people foresee. So it's going to be interesting to see if he makes the Six Nations. I doubt he will get sacked.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: I don't think the RFU have got the bollocks to make decisions like that. , that close to a Six Nations anyway, so. Yeah, whether Gatland makes it is another question though, because, , I think the time is narrowing, the [00:12:00] net is narrowing on, on, on Gats. I think him coming back was a poor choice on his behalf potentially.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: But Wales needed him, thought he was a solution and I don't think that has worked out how he planned or they planned. , there's something fundamentally wrong. down and up and up and down the chain there. But it's not just sat with Gats. It's not sat with any of them. I think there's a bigger problem with the whole of the Wales union set up at the minute.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: So I think that's something that's got to be rooted out before that can improve. Look at what happened to Australia. Look where they are now. They've come over here and caused significant damage to to Wales and to England and look very, very good after a sizable rebuild. So yeah, rugby's, rugby's changing, but as we all know, it's a four year cycle.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: So they could have peaked too early and maybe we're going to peak at the right time again. Who [00:13:00] knows? , let's hope it's that one and we win a World Cup, but the one World Cup that we have got a very, very good chance at is the women's and I can't wait to get that in and around the pod next, sort of next year time, because that's going to be sensational.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: Great viewing, looks like Ilona Maher is coming over to England to play, play a club rugby as well, potentially in the lead up to it as well, so that'll be good. Great to see her on the, on the stage. Obviously me and Matt Merritt spoke about. that the other week, what position she'll play. She, , as she said, she had already played center, , throughout her career and she's quite interested in playing eight.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: So me and Matt must have sort of had a premonition about that because she, she actually done that in a recent interview. So yeah, that could be really interesting to see what club would be able to fit her in as well with, , how much that would then [00:14:00] boom. , the women's game further within the UK because that's going to be box office seeing her come across obviously massive what's going on with her dancing with the stars at the minute as well.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: So that's really interesting to, to see how she's able to transfer that across , into the women's game and how that can continue to grow. 
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: . Just want to say thank you to everyone that started joining, , throughout, , whoever's followed, whoever's liked, whoever's commented, whoever's shared. Everything you guys have done has made this so much easier to keep going and, , and to obviously put the plans in place for the, for the next lot round.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: And really appreciate everyone that's, that watches or listens or tells other people about it. And all these grassroots clubs. Opening the doors to us to, to carry on growing the game for them and for us as a, as a pod as well. Really, really appreciative. , just want to try and keep, keep growing the game, [00:15:00] keep growing the pod, make sure we can keep pushing forward and yeah, allow it to eventually, who knows where it could go.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: Cause there's some, some great, great clubs out there. There's great fan bases. And hopefully we're, showing what the game's got to offer. And it's a slightly different way of, , of showing the game and how we support it. And we're, we're loving it. We're enjoying it. We love going to see these clubs and I sat there able to edit Buster's one on Saturday night and just sat there and just watching grassroots rugby through Buster being there as well.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: What? Everyone's voice and how they're excited to talk about their club. And yeah, it's going to be a great one to keep that message coming across and allowing people to talk so passionately about their club and the game we all love. So, yeah, I think on that note, [00:16:00] it's time to probably call the end of the series.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: , keep abreast of everything on Insta, on TikTok, we've got the Twitter, I don't know, we're going to revamp socials, the website. Try and really push forward with a lot of stuff, so YouTube's obviously going to hopefully get a bit more content coming out as well, so. But the, the email's out there as well, so rugbyTTL at hotmail.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: com at the minute, so if there's any bits you guys are interested in. Pops in your heads, drops a message, drops a message on Instagram, Facebook, all of them. We're, , we're available to, to talk to you. And, , hopefully you can give us some ideas or say actually I know somebody that wants to do this with the pod.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: So, we're more than welcome to open the door to Colabs and everything like that. We wanna, we wanna really help grow the game as well. And Adam going to Hook & Odiham. on Saturday. Saturday after he's got Farnham Tots as well. So that's going to be a blinder. [00:17:00] So Farnham's got their own podcast as well. So we're doing a , collaborative day with them.
carl_1_11-18-2024_212853: So that's going to be really good fun getting down there and talking to Farnham and Tots. I spoke to Tots the other day as well, and they've, they're flying at the minute. So it'd be great to see that top of the table clash. Adam and Buster obviously going together to U. S. Pompey. With the Isle of Wight visiting and it looks like they're on the shant afterwards, so we might even get a pod after dark version you never know like the old Hollyoaks but Yeah Can't wait to get the pod growing further and getting that game out there So for everyone that's joined, everyone that follows, everyone that subscribes, keep following Keep supporting, keep sharing Thank you and goodbye.