This week we are fortunate to speak with leading global 7s referee Paulo Duarte just before his departure to Los Angeles for the final stop of the HSBC 7s World Series for 2021-22. Paulo’s face will be instantly recognisable to 7s fans, with career highlights including the 2020 Olympics held in Tokyo in July 2021, the world tour and many European events. We speak to Paulo about life on the refereeing circuit, his experiences in dealing with less experienced players and countries, with...

This week we complete our chat with Chilean-based rugby journalist and photographer, Matías Matus Acebo, who helped us preview their decisive RWC win over the United States. Three weeks on, ‘Matt’ tells us the impact the surprise victory has had on the ground in Chile, the opportunities stemming from it and the challenges which lie ahead. We also check in with his preparations for the imminent World Rugby 7s Challenger series event in Santiago, get his perspective on the trajectory of Latin...

This week we venture to Hong Kong, catching up with Sports Editor of the South China Morning Post, Josh Ball, in the wake of their RWC 2023 qualifying defeat to Tonga which sent the Pacific Island nation through to the final tournament in France. Luckily Hong Kong have another chance to qualify, but we don’t waste the chance to hear about the toll of COVID on professional sport on the island, learn more about what makes the famed HK 7s event tick and get the full picture on the rather...

In a real treat for 7s fans, we get Dallen’s thoughts ahead of the upcoming HSBC series finale in Los Angeles, the RWC 7s World Cup in Cape Town and the Commonwealth. Prior to that, we quiz our man on his experiences in Japan in 2019 as well as his thoughts on some other key structural issues in world rugby and some specific to the USA. To close the show, our host downloads his observations after the European qualifiers for the RWC 7s were confirmed in a qualifying tournament in Bucharest...

This week our guest is leading broadcaster Dallen Stanford, who calls RWC and HSBC Series 7s matches for World Rugby, as well as Major League Rugby and USA Eagles fixtures. In this first part, we recap last week’s big return bout between USA and Chile which saw Los Condores qualify for their first ever RWC appearance (and which Dallen called live from Colorado); we also cover the state of play in American rugby including the MLR and debunk some of the myths about the relationship between the...

Yes, that just happened! Chile are now in group D for next year's Rugby World Cup in France, alongside England, Japan, Samoa and their neighbours, Argentina, after defeating the USA over 2 legs. To celebrate, we've pulled together the highlights of our three South American rugby experts to appear on the show this year, and re-cap their thoughts on Chilean rugby and their expectations going into that match.  Key segments: [4:45] Ignacio Chans, El Observador, Uruguay, March 2022 [7:10]...

This week, Chilean-based Argentine sports journalist and photographer Matías Matus Acebo reports in on last week’s first leg of the RWC qualifier between Chile and USA in rainy Santiago as well as previewing the return bout this weekend in Glendale, Colorado. He also provides his take on the early success of Selknam in the Superliga Americana de Rugby (SLAR) and the exciting news this week of the revival of the World Rugby Challenger series for emerging 7s countries, for which Chile will...

In a bit of a bonus drop, our host takes a quick pause from a summer holiday to bring you all the latest happenings with our emerging nations and their Rugby World Cup aspirations, with this upcoming weekend – and the next one – being critical for qualifying. Key Segments [0:00] Americas region qualifying: Chile vs USA this weekend in Santiago (followed by a return leg in Glendale, Colorado on July 16. (Check out Ep 4 for a profile of the USA’s prospects, and Eps 1 & 10 to get an...

Here we threw a few miscellaneous topics at our man to get the Latin American perspective on the growth of the game and how the national teams of Chile & Uruguay (Los Condores & Los Teros) are shaping up ahead of some big upcoming fixtures. Key Segments [0:00] USA vs Chile, preview of RWC 2023 qualifiers in July (and comparison in standard between MLR & SLAR) [5:15] Los Teros of Uruguay, how are they looking for RWC 2023 and their upcoming test series against Japan [9:15]...

Victor called the title decider for ESPN Brasil and tells us the story of how it all went down in this short re-cap. Plus we revisit the pre-tournament prediction of our inaugural guest, Ignacio Chans. Follow us on Twitter: @OutsideCTRpod Follow us on Instagram: @outsidectrpodcast Connect with us on LinkedIn: “Outside Centre: Rugby’s new territories” Email: [email protected]

This week we journey back to where it all started, in South America, to speak with Victor Ramalho, of Portal do Rugby and matchday caller for ESPN Brazil, in his final days as an ‘outsider’ before commencing a new role within Brasil Rugby. With season 2 of the Superliga Americana de Rugby (SLAR) having just concluded, we get an update on the state of play there in the wake of a season that featured some surprising outcomes, as well as what other progress is being made in places like Peru and...

In the second part of this interview, Andre starts by updating us where women’s rugby is at Korea and what would be necessary for it to succeed. We then hear the story of Korea’s participation in the Tokyo Olympics, the whirlwind of being outsiders to qualify to matching it on debut with the mighty New Zealand All Blacks 7s team in the unique environment of crowdless stadiums (due to COVID-protocols). Finally, we hear about Korea’s upcoming attempts to qualify for the holy grail, the Rugby...

In the first part of this interview, Korean-born, American-raised Tokyo Olympian Andre Jin Coquillard tells his incredible story. From getting into rugby in high school, playing collegiate-level and even professional rugby on the west coast of the United States (for Berkeley & the Seattle Seawolves respectively) to coming back to his homeland and spearheading a 7s program that has resulted in qualification for two of the sport’s biggest competitions. He also walks us through the...

May 15 saw the first ever clash between two fully professional rugby sides both representing the Pacific Islands. To toast this occasion, Fijian broadcaster Lailanie Burnes joins the show to review the match and tell us how she’s seen the Drua’s debut season, on and off the field. Before we get to the Drua, we also pay homage to the Fijiana’s successful Super W campaign, as well as both Fijians 7s teams who competed at the Tokyo Olympics (with both medalling) and hear about the growth of...

Bonus drop from our interview with Fernanda (Ft Rocky the Chihuahua): who won the qualifying tournament and how have the smaller countries in the region navigated the post-COVID pandemic recovery? Follow us on Twitter: @OutsideCTRpod Follow us on Instagram: @outsidectrpodcast Email: [email protected]

Ever get a little lost amidst all the different World Cups and tournaments our guests talk about? Your host tries to clear it up for you in this special bonus drop. Follow us on Twitter: @OutsideCTRpod Follow us on Instagram: @outsidectrpodcast Email: [email protected]

This week we journey to Mexico to catch up with Fernanda Vazquez, former player turned administrator turned broadcaster, who’s just returned from covering the North American qualifying series for this year’s Rugby World Cup 7s in the Bahamas. Fernanda shares her experiences managing her team in an environment where facilities and resources – especially for female teams – were scarce, as well as her time as a participant in World Rugby Women’s Executive Leadership Scholarship program. We also...

Here’s a little bit more from Ridzal Saat, telling us about the pandemic rebound in Singaporean club rugby and why he likes the national test jersey. Follow us on Twitter: @OutsideCTRpod   Follow us on Instagram: @outsidectrpodcast   Email: [email protected]

On this week’s show we speak to our first guest from the administrative side of rugby, Ridzal Saat. Ridzal is responsible for game development and partnerships within Asia, meaning he is connected to the game across the continent. In an expansive chat, we learn about the challenges pre- and post-COVID, the role of Japan in Asian rugby and which other national unions are progressing. We also take a look ahead to the qualifying events for the RWC 2023 and RWC 7s 2022 and get a regional...