Rugby Through The Leagues Podcast
A Rugby Podcast that wants to shine a light on all of Rugby outside of the Mainstream.
Rugby Through The Leagues Podcast
Rugby TTL - Series 2 - Episode 35 - Sam Hollingsworth
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Sam Hollingsworth on swapping the RFU Championship for Spain's División de Honor — from Nottingham Rugby to VRAC Quesos Entrepinares in Valladolid, an ACL rupture that nearly ended it, and what English players really need to know about Spanish rugby.
In this episode of Rugby Through The Leagues, fly-half Sam Hollingsworth opens up on the full journey: school rugby, Worcester academy opportunities, senior stints at Coventry, Broadstreet, Birmingham Moseley and Rotherham Titans, four seasons at Nottingham Rugby in the Championship, and the ACL injury that became the turning point in his career.
We get into the mental side of ACL rehab while holding down a professional contract, the loneliness of long-term injury, and how that experience shaped the decision to move abroad. Sam breaks down why he chose VRAC in Valladolid over other offers, what División de Honor actually compares to in the English pyramid (spoiler: top National 1 / bottom Championship intensity), and the gap in week-to-week consistency between the top and bottom of Spanish rugby.
He also unpacks the ABC squad licensing rule, how clubs balance foreign players with Spanish-qualified talent, the U23 pathway, and why loan systems vs in-house development is the next frontier for Spanish rugby. Then there's the Copa del Rey final at Estadio José Zorrilla in front of 20,000 — Sam's account of the atmosphere, the celebrations, and what it tells you about where Spanish rugby is heading.
Off the pitch, Sam talks learning Spanish on the training ground, raising a multilingual family in Castilla y León, and his new coaching venture, Coached by Sam — online video analysis and 1-to-1 skill development for fly-halves and aspiring players who don't have access to elite coaching.
Whether you're a player considering a move to Spain, a coach interested in international pathways, or a fan tracking the rise of tier 2 and tier 3 rugby nations, this is essential listening.
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⏱ CHAPTERS
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00:00 Career Turning Point
00:03 Meet Sam Hollingsworth
02:16 Nottingham and the Championship
03:10 Climbing the Leagues
05:48 COVID and Breaking Through
07:41 ACL Injury Breakdown
09:54 Rehab and the Mental Battle
12:59 Choosing Spain — The Offers
16:09 Spain Level Comparison
19:00 League Consistency Issues
20:37 The ABC Rule and Squad Building
23:10 U23 Pathway Levels
25:35 Loans vs Development
26:39 Spanish Rugby Momentum
27:30 Copa Del Rey Atmosphere
29:15 Spanish Celebrations
29:49 Learning Spanish On-Field
32:49 Family Multilingual Life
34:20 Coaching Vision Online
37:51 Video Analysis Mindset
42:04 Move to Spain Advice
43:02 Final Wrap and Plugs
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🏉 FOLLOW SAM HOLLINGSWORTH
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📸 Coached by Sam (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/_coachedbysam
💼 LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/sam-hollingsworth-7b18791a9
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📲 FOLLOW RUGBY THROUGH THE LEAGUES
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🔔 Subscribe for more interviews from grassroots, tier 2 and emerging rugby nations across the global rugby pyramid
🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/rugbyttl
📸 Instagram: @rugby.ttlpod
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🏷 ABOUT THE PODCAST
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Rugby Through The Leagues tells the stories you don't hear on mainstream rugby coverage — players, coaches and clubs from across the global rugby pyramid. From the Championship and National Leagues in England to División de Honor in Spain, Top 14 academies, Major League Rugby, and every emerging nation pushing for Tier 1 status.
#RugbyTTL #SpanishRugby #VRAC #DivisionDeHonor #ChampionshipRugby #ACLRecovery