In short
Preview of Gallagher Premiership Rugby’s return at Twickenham, focusing on how tough the league is, what makes rugby mentally and tactically different, and what Red Bull’s Newcastle takeover could change.
Guests (backgrounds)
- Finn Russell (Scotland fly-half; Bath/Saracens; British & Irish Lions; married in summer).
- Maro Itoje (England/Scotland?; Saracens/Bath; Lions; line-out caller/second row; married recently).
- Lewis Rees-Zamit (Bristol Bears; former NFL player; returned after a late/partial pre-season; Wales international; comeback season).
- Dan McFarland (head coach, Newcastle Red Bull; previously coached in rugby; discusses Red Bull rugby identity).
Key claims
- Prem is extremely hard to win; rarely back-to-back champions; anyone can beat anyone.
- Mental skill: move on after mistakes; don’t dwell.
- Rugby is more “involved” than NFL because players can chase the ball and affect play.
- Red Bull brings “high energy” rugby plus data/marketing/medical/athletic expertise.
Notable examples
- Russell cites being charged down by Andy Christie after an early Bath game mistake; discusses smiling through errors.
- Rees-Zamit compares NFL (stop-start, quarterback-dependent touches) vs rugby free-flow; mentions losing 7kg for rugby after NFL.
- McFarland highlights access to Red Bull data scientists and marketing, claiming an unfair competitive advantage.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOThe Gallagher Premiership Returns
1:53 to 2:59
Discussion about the start of the domestic rugby season and upcoming matches.
“The captains are all here chatting to the media.”
Captains' Insights: Finn and Maro
2:59 to 4:25
Finn Russell and Maro Itoje share their experiences and camaraderie as teammates and rivals.
“but of course wearing their Bath and Saracen shirts.”
Mental Resilience in Rugby
4:25 to 7:27
Exploration of the mental attitudes athletes must adopt, especially after mistakes.
“Married this summer, you know, you're getting kind of very senior in the set-up.”
Changing Landscape of Rugby
7:27 to 12:39
Discussion on the evolving dynamics in rugby, including player movements and new influences.
“For me, there's no pressure on me trying to bring folk to the stadiums to watch or if they come thinking I have to put on a show for them.”
Personal Life and Changes
12:39 to 14:00
Finn shares personal updates following his wedding and the impact of marriage.
“He'll have a big impact and want to push there.”
Personal Life Changes for Finn Russell
14:00 to 15:00
Finn Russell discusses his recent wedding and its impact on his life.
“Okay, we've got a couple of minutes left.”
Reflections on Family and Future Rugby
15:00 to 17:40
Finn shares insights on family life, parenting, and his rugby career aspirations.
“We had our kids already, our couple of kids already.”
Introduction to Lewis Rees-Samit
17:40 to 18:11
Transition to a new guest, Lewis Rees-Samit, and his upcoming season.
“Yeah, I'll try a few different things, get a few more fans in and see what happens.”
Lewis Rees-Samit's Comeback Journey
18:57 to 21:03
Lewis discusses his journey back to rugby and expectations for the season.
“Louis Riesamit, welcome to the Sports Agents.”
Adapting from NFL to Rugby
21:03 to 24:26
Lewis reflects on the challenges of transitioning from NFL to rugby.
Show all 13 chapters
Current State of Welsh Rugby
24:26 to 28:01
Discussion on the improvements in Welsh rugby and upcoming challenges.
The Toughness of Premiership Rugby
28:01 to 31:48
Explore the competitive nature of Premiership Rugby and its unique challenges.
Introduction of Red Bull Rugby
32:27 to 36:52
Discuss the entry of Red Bull into rugby and its implications for the sport.
“A lot of our listeners will be quite aware of what Red Bull has done in other sports and in particular in football.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Maro Itoje:Queen Carvania stood haloed by the morning sun. An army hung on her every word.
0:08Finn Russell:My champions! I have sold my chariot on Carvana! Twas a lovely SUV, an inexplicably queenly offer. They're even coming to the castle to collect it! Tonight, we feast! An offer you can feast on. Sell your car today on Carvana. Pick up fees, may apply.
0:32Maro Itoje:This is a global production You barely ever see back-to-back winners of the Premiership so that just shows how tough it is to actually win it Anyone can beat anyone All these players that you've gone into battles with you've had your words or altercations on the field Certain players they're very different on the pitch as to what they are offered We're both top players for our clubs and country In the NFL unless the quarterback passes you the ball you're not necessarily touching the ball No, you can't go looking for the ball, whereas in rugby you can actually get involved in the game. I think it's one of the most important skills in rugby or in sport generally.
1:07Maro Itoje:Perhaps life, you know, things go wrong. You've got athletes who are weighing over 100kgs and running into each other more or less at full pace. We've got to give it our all every weekend and we owe it to our fans.
1:30Finn Russell:Hello and welcome to the Sports Agents. Today we're at Twickenham and the noise you can hear is the pitch being relayed. A lot of work going on here at HQ, as the England fans call it, getting ready for those autumn tests coming up. The pitch looks more like an equestrian arena. But today the whole place has been overtaken by rugby players who are starting their domestic season at the weekend because the Gallagher Prem is back. The captains are all here chatting to the media. and I'm delighted to say we're going to talk to a few of them as well. We're going to have Dan McFarland on the podcast, who is the head coach of Newcastle Red Bull.
2:04Finn Russell:And Red Bull, of course, have made a huge impact in football in the ownership of clubs, in terms of their identity, of what those teams look like, the coaches who've come from that original kind of Salzburg experiment, if you like, from Ralf Ranić down to Jürgen Klopp to now Matthias Geisler at Newcastle United. So will Newcastle Falcons, Newcastle Red Bull as they are now, have a similar impact on rugby. Then we're going to speak to Lewis Rees-Samit, the Welsh hero, a British and Irish lion at 20, went off to the NFL to see if he could make it as an American footballer and didn't go quite as far as he wanted, but he has learned a lot.
2:40Finn Russell:And he came back last season a little bit late, so perhaps didn't get that pre-season he wanted. And he describes this season as his comeback season. So what kind of impact can he have on domestic rugby this time around with Bristol Bears? But first of all, we're chatting to two great captains of Scotland and of England. Finn Russell and Maro Itoji sit down together, but of course wearing their Bath and Saracen shirts. Finn, Maro, welcome to the Sports Agents. Welcome back to the Sports Agents. Thank you. Happy to be back. Finn, where have you been?
3:08Louis Rees-Zammit:I'm not being invited on, I don't think so.
3:10Finn Russell:Well, you're here now, and we're glad to have you both together. Just before you walked in the door, Maro said, are we on together, Finn and I? And he looked slightly disturbed by that. And they said, no, it's okay, I like him, which is good. I guess that like and that cementing of your relationship would have been helped by a Lions tour.
3:27Louis Rees-Zammit:Yeah, we shared a room for a few days. It was at Melbourne, that was. I think it was. Yeah, we shared one of the two. We shared a room for a few days. Yeah, I think after having done a couple of tours, you get to know each other more, obviously.
3:39Maro Itoje:Good roommate? He's a good roommate. Finn, he's actually quite relaxed. He's quite a relaxed person for the most part, apart from on nights out.
3:56Finn Russell:I imagine it does show you a different side of a person that you have previously been ferociously competing against. Is it easy to go back to ferociously competing against them when it comes back to your league positions?
4:09Louis Rees-Zammit:Yeah, I'd say so. I think you change your mindset quickly, what the goal is of the Tour. It's tied to support each other and everyone wants to win the Tour. as much as you're fighting for positions within that everyone wants to win the series and come away with a series win so I think it's really good to get to know all the players on a personal level rather than just playing against them playing against certain players they're very different on the pitch as to what they are off it so you have to pick up on each other and get to know them He said you were very relaxed, what surprised you
4:41Finn Russell:about Maro?
4:42Louis Rees-Zammit:Maro's chilled as well he oversees what's going on but I suppose as a captain that was a job isn't it to oversee what's going on and try and steer the ship so was he asking you to kind of go and collect intel no i think it's more a lot of it's more just being on the same page as the 10 and the captain you've got to be on the same page and then and i know what's happening what's expected and especially when it gets to the the heated moments in the games uh as a second row you what you see of the game is very different to what i see out the back so so was your was your pillow talk rugby well it was a little bit of that but it was more
5:15Maro Itoje:just you know life you know getting to know each other and you know I agree with what what Finn was saying especially um like Captain 10 but I was also the line-out caller and the 10 so I I think we worked pretty well together over the tour and obviously it's not just you know this tour we've been on previous tours together so um yeah I've known Mr Russell for a while Mr Russell very formal isn't it?
5:44Finn Russell:You're getting to that age now. Married this summer, you know, you're getting kind of very senior in the set-up.
5:50Maro Itoje:I guess it just comes with the territory, you know, I guess we're both top players for our clubs and country and, you know, for the Lions as well. So, you know, you have that mutual respect and it's not just us who are in that, who fit that description, there are a number of other players and I think that's the beauty of the Lions is that there's all these players that you've competed against all these players that you've gone into battles with you know you've had your your words or you know altercations on the field but when it comes to that team that environment all of that is put aside for what what we're trying to achieve
6:33Finn Russell:achieve together do you feel that pressure though Finn sometimes that even you know you're wearing your Bath shirt today, whether you've got your Scotland shirt on, whether you're wearing a British and Irish Lions shirt, that you are somebody who can sell tickets?
6:46Louis Rees-Zammit:I wouldn't say there's pressure on that at all. It's more just maybe how I play. I think...
6:52Finn Russell:But you think to yourself, when you run out at the REC, think a lot of people are coming here because they want to see me do my mercurial wizardry kind of things that can change a game.
7:02Louis Rees-Zammit:Yeah, there's that, but I wouldn't say it's a pressure. It's more just what I play. I don't really think much of it. I think I've got my style of rugby that I play and it's probably changed a little bit since coming to Bath as it's different to France and it was at Glasgow. I think a big part of it is how you are on the pitch, maybe these individual moments, but if you're smiling and having fun out there, then that's what the fans like seeing as well. For me, there's no pressure on me trying to bring folk to the stadiums to watch or if they come thinking I have to put on a show for them. It's more just go out there, play my game.
7:37Louis Rees-Zammit:and that's what they're there to watch. They're not there to watch anything. They might have the expectations Finn might try something, but it's not anything that I put on myself. It's more just playing my game and if the chance comes to do something different, then I'll do it, but it's not something that I go into a game thinking I need to try and find a scenario for that.
7:54Finn Russell:You mentioned your smile. So can we talk about sometimes when your smile comes out in moments that other people want you to look cross or angry about, but you kind of smile your way through those difficult periods of a game. Is that kind of just, I don't know, is it something you purposefully do to try and relax yourself or is it almost like a slightly nervous smile?
8:16Louis Rees-Zammit:Yeah, I don't really know for it. It's just, I mean, no one goes out there to make mistakes. Everyone goes out there to play as well as they can and have as much fun as possible. I think, you know, I throw an intercept. I think, oh, I got charged on against Saracen as my first game, second game for Bath, actually. It was Andy Christie that did it. I tried a left footed chip over the top off the line out, Andy Christie charged it down, scores and I was chasing him back but I was never going to catch him so I was kind of laughing of course it had to be Andy Christie because we were teammates at Scotland, of course it had to be him that got it but then instantly it didn't really fuss me I just got on to the next thing and we got back into the game so I think mistakes obviously happen and the way I deal with it is by it's not by being hard on myself and being down on myself, I understand I've made a mistake but me being really negative mentally that's not going to have that good an effect or if I think I need to go to the next five rucks to try and get a counter ruck and get the ball back then I'm going to be out of position which then compromises the whole team so it's not something that I think about I just kind of I'm very good at just getting on to that next job whether it's not gone right or whether it's something that has been really good just getting back to that is that natural is it something that a psychologist had to work with yeah no nothing no psychologist I said to you I think it's maybe because I grew up playing with my my brothers my dad at sport and um you playing at Bridge of Allen golf course.
9:32Louis Rees-Zammit:You put a ball into the woods and they're all having a go at you. So then you have to have another one under that, not pressure, but that kind of mindset. Maybe I've just grown up developing that over time, playing with them, I'm not sure. But it's something that I've never had to really work on. I'm quite lucky, actually, that I've never had to work on that mindset of the game.
9:49Finn Russell:And I guess, Mara, that leads Finn to then be able to express himself in a way that other players who do struggle, and it is unusual, isn't it, to hear somebody have that kind of mental attitude naturally. You must have yourself come across players who really beat themselves up when things go wrong in a game.
10:04Maro Itoje:Yeah, you know, I think it's one of the most important skills in rugby or in sport generally, you know, perhaps life, you know, things go wrong. and if you dwell too much on the mistakes, if you dwell too much on what you did or the mistakes you've made, then it ultimately stops you from being present in the moment and affects what you do thereafter. So I guess the skill and the challenge for all athletes, but particularly in rugby, is move on. And I think, speaking here in the context of making a mistake. But it's also the same when you've done well. Like if you look at most teams, when are most teams most vulnerable is after they've scored because there's subconsciously still living in that high.
10:59Maro Itoje:So, you know, bad, good, move on. And I think that's a positive mindset to have.
11:06Finn Russell:Last season, it was perceived to be, or, you know, the general chat through the season was one of the most entertaining seasons in Prem Rugby history. And it produced every weekend, produced some absolutely brilliant matches, some great ebb and flow, some brilliant scorelines as well. Did it feel to you on the pitch that the product was as good as ever last season?
11:28Louis Rees-Zammit:Yeah, I'd say so. It was quite an up and down season for everyone, I think.
11:32Finn Russell:But that made it quite entertaining.
11:33Louis Rees-Zammit:I think it made it really exciting. You know, I think when we played U-Boys after Six Nations time, I think you were in the back of your head maybe thought you wouldn't have got top four and you then pushed to get back up there and you went on a real good run at the end of the year and I think that kind of showed throughout the whole year it was never the top two teams that stayed there the whole season and kind of went up and down a little bit which I mean I think that's really good for the sport for the fans watching it, it's unpredictable anyone can beat anyone on their day especially and yeah I think this year coming is going to be even more like that
12:07Finn Russell:Because Northampton have been very dominant have obviously had some big names kind of moving and there's a change happening. There's change always in rugby and the roster changes. Does it feel like there could be a new order this year?
12:20Louis Rees-Zammit:Yeah, I think you boys signed our powerhouse, Alfie Barbary, didn't you? I think, like you say, there's change everywhere. Like Northampton, a few players go, they brought a few in. I think every team does that. And I think there's quite a lot, this year there's a lot of key players that have been moving around. It's not just the odd player here and there. There's been a lot of key players in different teams that are moving. and players coming back, like Courtney Law has come back to the sale. He'll have a big impact and want to push there. So, yeah, I think it's got a good future ahead of it this year.
12:48Finn Russell:Well, we're going to chat a little bit later to Dan McFarland as well and obviously be interesting to see what happens with Newcastle and the influence of Red Bull there. Is that something when they took over that was quite exciting for you in terms of what the league could be and showing that interest from a group that has done so much in football to think they might then start injecting that into rugby?
13:09Maro Itoje:Yeah, I think with rugby over the last few years, there's been like a lot of negativity, particularly post-COVID, whether it's the finances, whether it's, you know, the lack of fans or attendances, all that kind of things. And so I think anything that shows positive steps forward And particularly the fact that Red Bull, they haven't just signed or bought Newcastle just to grow the brand. There's obviously a business incentive there as well. So I think that's a positive thing. I think that's a positive thing for the league. And I think it's a positive thing to signal to other investors on the direction of travel for rugby.
14:03Finn Russell:Okay, we've got a couple of minutes left. So let's do some personal stuff because big moments are happening in your lives. Finn, a giant wedding took place this summer. I mean, the social media was exceptional. So I feel like I was there. Thanks for the invite. In fact, Kenny just wished to remind you that you're still Sterling County's second favourite son. So has life changed? Do you feel different?
14:28Louis Rees-Zammit:Nah. Wow, profound, profound. No, I think we only got engaged 11 months before we actually got married, so we did it all quite quickly. And most of that organisation was due to Emma, obviously. But I think actually getting it, not out there, but actually coming and having the wedding, it's probably given us more breathing space now, that we don't have to think about all the different stuff you have to plan and pay for a lot of it. So yeah, no, I think it's not changed us as a couple or a family. We had our kids already, our couple of kids already. so that side of it hasn't changed at all.
15:05Finn Russell:We're not going to see a Mr Mature Finn Russell there in this season. We're not going to notice this different personality coming out.
Read the full transcript
15:12Louis Rees-Zammit:No, I think Bath probably did that itself because the nightlife's not the same as Paris.
15:18Maro Itoje:That's fair enough. Definitely not the same as Paris.
15:21Louis Rees-Zammit:No, I think it's great to get it done but it's not really going to change anything I don't think. I think I'll still be me and Emma will still be her obviously and the decisions when you have kids especially So the decisions you start making are mainly for the kids and for the family rather than for the individual.
15:37Finn Russell:You change dramatically from being a very self-centered, self-obsessed young rugby player to having to think about other people. So give Maro some tips. This is Maro's new world now.
15:48Maro Itoje:Yeah, so I very much look forward to it. And yeah, I think, you know, when we shared a room together in Australia, I saw him and his family and I saw his cute daughter. His cute daughter has a wonderful way of posing for photos. She has this amazing -
16:07Finn Russell:So you thought I'm going to get me one of those.
16:09Maro Itoje:She has, she does this thing. I don't know if she still does it, but I say, oh, let's take a photo. Then she just puts her thumbs up. Does she do that? She still do that.
16:17Louis Rees-Zammit:It was very - She goes around high-fiving all the fans and she walks around it on her own just high-fiving. I think I've seen social media. She wants to then sign it.
16:25Finn Russell:It's great to have at least part of your career, though, where your kids can enjoy what you're doing and hopefully be there for some more good memories. Does that include England going for another World Cup? Absolutely.
16:37Maro Itoje:Third time lucky. We've had a silver, a bronze, so it'll be great if you get a gold.
16:43Finn Russell:And can Scotland get... Yeah, we've had a quarterfinal before, so... It's come and get beyond a quarter-final.
16:51Louis Rees-Zammit:Yeah, I think we'll back to Australia for that, isn't it? It would be quite cool going back to Australia with the kids after being there only last year. See if they remember much of it or what they remember. But I think for Scotland it's a different structure in this World Cup. Assuming you get out of the groups, I think that's when it will really start with how the groups are this year. I think it's exciting, the travel will be, I'll have to take that into consideration obviously. So I think we started at East, then go West, then back to the East. But yeah, after being there for the Lions Tour, it was awesome.
17:23Louis Rees-Zammit:I think they set up really well for all the competitions, all the games that were in different cities. So I think it'll be really good next summer. And yeah, hopefully we can get past the quarters and see what happens from there.
17:34Finn Russell:Well, you've got a big Prem season, obviously, to go before then. So I wish you all the best of luck. And hopefully it's going to produce some great rugby and bring along even more new fans.
17:45Louis Rees-Zammit:Absolutely. Yeah, I'll try a few different things, get a few more fans in and see what happens.
17:49Finn Russell:Keep smiling, Finn, keep smiling. Always. Next up on the Sports Agents, we're going to chat to Lewis Rees-Samit, friend of the pod. Of course, we spoke to him when he just started his journey in the NFL. He is back now and is looking to make a huge impact this season for Bristol Bears. This really is his comeback season. He's had a full pre-seasons training, got his weight to where he wants it to be, although he has managed to avoid a Bronco. If you hear us mention Bronco and you've never quite understood what that is before, well, it is the ultimate fitness test for a rugby player. It involves a series of shuttle runs that are timed and there is a lot of bragging rights that goes around the time that you achieve on your Bronco.
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19:04Finn Russell:Louis Riesamit, welcome to the Sports Agents. And we're here at Twickenham. It's the buzz of the new season is upon us. Does it feel for you that this is really your kind of first season back? Because last year it was a bit late and you didn't get a full pre-season.
19:19Maro Itoje:Yeah, 100%. I think last year was more for me to settle into rugby again. Obviously being out of the game for a couple of years, joining a new team, new style of play, playing a different position, like all of that had a factor in probably my performances and stuff like that. So I think last year was a good year to settle in. But now I've got high expectations of myself for this year.
19:40Finn Russell:And of course, we had you on the sports agents when you were out stateside and you were getting ready for the pick for the draft and kind of not knowing how things were going to go and full of optimism and full of hope. And actually saying to us, you know, I've got to give it a shot. I want to see how it goes. So it didn't go necessarily all the way. But I'm sure you must have learned a lot about yourself.
20:02Maro Itoje:yeah I did I did learn a lot um obviously moving abroad um thankfully I had my family move for me which was which was very helpful and allowed me to settle in quicker but it was just the challenges I faced on the way or along the way um they were tough obviously never playing the sport before and um kind of diving in the deep end of competing against some of the best athletes in the world um it was tough but it definitely taught me a lot about the mental side of the game um you know you've got to be able to bounce back on many challenges you face and obviously that was one for me and now coming back to rugby um didn't have my best first year but I think again it's another challenge to to try and get back to my best rugby what was hardest getting back to playing
20:51Finn Russell:the sport or what you had done physically to change yourself for NFL and having to kind of adapt that uh or was it a combination of those probably a combination but more like my body and
21:02Maro Itoje:stuff because I played rugby since I was six years old like it was easier to adapt to the game it was more I mean I had to lose quite a bit of weight um like learn how to as silly as it sounds like catch pass and kick the rugby ball again like all of these things have a factor in it but um yeah I'd say they were the biggest challenges how many kilos did you have to lose so I lost seven kilos and i had to do it pretty quick so i only had like a three four week pre-season
21:32Finn Russell:right yeah so i had to lose a lot does it feel like your fitness at times last season was
21:37Maro Itoje:compromised yeah definitely at the start 100 um like when i was over in america i wasn't doing i probably hadn't run over 100 meters no consecutively so it's all explosive all explosive stuff all speed short sharp movements and then you come here and it's a lot of you know your
21:56Finn Russell:aerobic fitness do you have to do a bronco pre-season no i haven't i got to miss it
22:02Maro Itoje:yeah everybody else did yeah because the internationals we only got back last week right so the boys did it day one at bristol so i thankfully got to miss it and hopefully i don't have to do one but if you had to do a bronco oh it'd be terrible yeah like i'm not i'm fit but like all the turns I can't I can't do the turns so my back so are you running much longer than 100 meters these days yeah well maybe not but did did the explosive training and the speed the
22:33Finn Russell:plyometrics and all the stuff that you must have really done intensely that has it has it helped
22:37Maro Itoje:you though as an athlete yeah definitely um like I'm the same speed if not quicker I break a lot more tackles now i beat a lot more defenders my carry meter is a lot higher like compared to when i played rugby before so that all comes down to all the work i did over there and being as explosive i can so um yeah it's definitely benefited me going over there and coming back what's the main
23:01Finn Russell:difference in terms of the snc setup in nfl then to to what you'd find at bristol um it's a lot of
23:08Maro Itoje:work in the gym um like obviously we got to do a lot of work in rugby on the field right because we have to stay fit so more gym there more a lot more gym there because you have to be a lot stronger like some positions have to be a lot stronger than others you got i don't know 300 pound offensive linemen who have to lift a lot because they're about to block someone nearly the same size as them so the the lifting over there was a lot um compared to here but the
23:39Finn Russell:running was a lot more here and the actual time you're on the pitch doing plays how does that
23:43Maro Itoje:compare uh a lot more than we're on the field and do you do you prefer that in terms of creativity and keeping you interested yeah like i just prefer how like more fluid the game is like it's not a stop start um i still love watching the nfl like it's one of my favorite sports still um but in terms of actually playing and enjoyment i love the fact that it's like a free-flowing game and you can always get involved like off your own back like in the nfl unless the quarterback passes you the ball you're not necessarily touching the ball looking for the ball no you can't go looking for the ball whereas in rugby you can actually get involved in the game and um you kind of challenge yourself how many touches the ball am i going to have today whereas you can't really do
24:25Finn Russell:that but you left during a period that wales really really struggled and they and they obviously that that run came to an end against italy in the principality at the end of the six nations and the the relief that day in the stadium was tangible and it really did feel through the tournament
24:44Maro Itoje:that it was coming didn't it yeah it did it did um obviously we actually played here the first game and we weren't very good we played france and at home and again we weren't very good but from that game i think there was a change in mindset um defensively we were so much better we went to Dublin got very close like was in the game until the 75th minute Scotland I mean we probably should have won that game and then we obviously got the win against Italy so it was we were building throughout the tournament which was really nice and even from the autumn before we felt like we were always improving and we just want to continue that because we got a big year ahead and we got a World Cup.
25:26Finn Russell:Does it does it feel to you as somebody who's been there kind of through an iteration of Wales where Wales was very successful to where you are now that there is talent coming through and that because there's still a lot of problems in the regions in Wales yeah we won't talk about but yeah we're here to talk about Prem Rugby today and how positive that is but but in terms of how that feeds into the national side it still feels like there is talent yeah there is um and we've we've obviously got a very young squad as well so when after the World Cup in 23 obviously
25:57Maro Itoje:a lot of players left um and then we were just with like a very young squad so we didn't have many experienced boys in the team um which obviously usually helps the team a lot um which we were lacking but now i think just with just through playing games like boys have got you know 15 20 international caps from not having any in 2023 so like you you build experience in more games you play if you're lacking like the older heads already being there um so yeah we are building and you know we can all feel the buzz and uh the improvements um it's just about ultimately
26:35Finn Russell:getting wins now did you manage to turn any of your nfl friends onto six nations rugby during
26:41Maro Itoje:the season and a couple of them actually messaged me and and a couple of them from the jags want to come over to a game um they play their they play their games the london games um in a couple months actually or next month so um i'm gonna link up with a few of them and see if i got a game at the
27:00Finn Russell:same time and try and get them and were there any that you thought you'd be quite a good rugby player
27:03Maro Itoje:there are a couple yeah it's just you'd never know until they get the ball in their hands
27:09Finn Russell:um in terms of the match day experience there's a lot made of this about rugby and how rugby is sold to fans and certain clubs in the prem have you know different experiences don't they in their grounds to others and we're always being told that american sport does it best you know and american sport gives its fans this amazing and you're nodding almost like in agreement there there's a lot to be learned uh i imagine there's things that you probably would say to prem rugby you need to do this yeah what would that be
27:36Maro Itoje:i mean pre-match build-ups um obviously we like they have cheerleaders and like songs going on like throughout games and stuff which is probably a bit tough in rugby because this obviously play to play in american football between plays you can do that kind of stuff which is probably tough in rugby but like i'm not saying halftime shows but like you can still like the the big games we have so we did it at the principality last year that was really good at times at the principality it felt like it was a rugby match taking place at a rave yeah you have a dj there like it should be a whole experience of a day days worth with family and friends to to go enjoy yourselves not just going to watch a rugby match and i think that's why american sports do so well because they make a whole day out of it and the way they promote it is obviously second to none really yeah a lot a lot
28:28Finn Russell:a lot to be learned because obviously the product on the pitch I wonder what you felt last season there was so there was so many ups and downs it felt like the season was never kind of set that it was going to be Northampton you know there were teams breaking into the top four did it feel it
28:41Maro Itoje:changed a bit since you went away yes it's a tough league like anyone can beat anyone and we experienced that last year um and you barely ever see back-to-back winners of the premiership so that just shows how tough it is to actually win it um there's always a different top four like we were pretty hopeful of getting a top four and like we lose one or two games even though we've won the same as fourth place we haven't gotten a bonus point so like that in itself tells you how hard this league is and um that's what everyone wants everyone wants it to be competitive and we love that as players because we've got to give it our all every weekend and you know we got to give it to our we owe it to our fans who turn up every week to and do you
29:27Finn Russell:personally feel a bit more of that pressure being a name that gets attention and gets column inches and also is being brought in as a you know bristol aren't stupid you know they got you they knew they were going to get a lot of attention people want to buy tickets does that kind of weigh heavily at
29:42Maro Itoje:all uh i mean i try and not think about that stuff like i try and kind of let my rugby do the talking and I mean I just try my hardest every game and whatever comes from it then hopefully it's only good things so I try and take the pressure off my shoulders and just perform like I'm you know someone just trying to grow into the game
30:06Finn Russell:Do you want to be an entertainer though?
30:07Maro Itoje:Yeah I do love it yeah I do love it like you obviously get that in America as well like a lot of my teammates kind of had that personality last year I probably didn't show as much purely because my performances weren't as good but I'm hoping this year that it'll be a good year
30:26Finn Russell:So we're about to see the best of Lewis Rees I'm hoping so, yeah We'll sit here in 10 months time and you'll have scored how many tries what are we going for?
30:37Maro Itoje:Predictions
30:39Finn Russell:You said to me before you like quick fire questions so tries this season
30:42Maro Itoje:In the Premier Chef I'd say 13 minimum
30:46Finn Russell:them and where are bristol going to finish in the league this season i think we'll finish third or fourth and we'll get to the final and when anything can happen you'll be back here
31:00Maro Itoje:the beginning of june next year hoping so and wales uh no wooden spoon in the six nations is that the aim or is it higher than that the aim i mean it was higher than that last year so we can't let our standards drop. I think we shouldn't be looking anywhere near the wooden spoon. I think if you can finish midway third it would be a good effort from us.
31:28Maro Itoje:Yeah, we got the Blues away so we got Italy, France and Scotland away this year so it's going to be a bit tougher because we haven't got the three home games but we're confident.
31:38Finn Russell:Well, you sound very confident overall So it's good to see you back and feeling like you're ready to deliver your best.
31:44Maro Itoje:Yeah, I am. I'm ready.
31:46Finn Russell:Thank you so much. Thank you very much. Coming back on The Sports Agents. Next up, head coach of Newcastle Red Bull, Dan McFarland, on what Red Bull rugby might look like.
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32:26Finn Russell:Wayfair, every style, every home.
32:32Finn Russell:Dan, welcome to the Sports Agents. We're here at this press day for the Prem rugby season that's upon us um you've probably spoken to maybe a handful of other journalists and and podcasts before now small handful yeah you all talked out no not at all i'm glad to be here your pre-season
32:50Maro Itoje:personally has been going well has it yeah yeah exactly this isn't uh this isn't the tough bit of
32:56Finn Russell:the pre-season to be honest so no glad to be here now there's been so much interest in red bull getting into rugby over the last year i think for our podcast because we are a sports podcast not a rugby specific one. A lot of our listeners will be quite aware of what Red Bull has done in other sports and in particular in football. And I just wonder how much of the identity of Red Bull rugby will kind of reflect what they're doing in football. Has there been any kind of sense of that crossover?
33:28Maro Itoje:Definitely. I think, you know, it does what it says on the can and high energy rugby is what they're looking for. It's one of the reasons I'm so enthused by the challenge. Getting involved in a team, in a brand that wants to play this style of rugby is fantastic. And I know a lot of the energy and the buzz that goes around the pre-season comes from the idea that when Red Bull steps into a sport, it's because they want the excitement. Whether that's the individual athletes or whether that's the teams in terms of their ice hockey or their football, it'll be the same for rugby.
34:12Finn Russell:Do you have kind of ability to tap into their data? Because data is a big thing, isn't it, for rugby?
34:17Maro Itoje:Yeah, we have access to their ABC, we have access to their data scientists, their expertise in terms of the medical performance side of things, the athletic performance side of things, but also in their understanding of marketing and media. All these things they're fully bought into and we have access to. So that gives us probably an unfair competitive advantage over a lot of our competitors going forward.
34:50Finn Russell:You've alluded to it already in terms of building a team of players with an identity that you recognise as Red Bull. And it's not just data, obviously. the human side of being a rugby player is is never going to be something that you can ignore
35:03Maro Itoje:the human being that wears the shirt uh no totally well the you know it's a it's a physical sport gabby and and i've often heard um in in the past people talk about you've got to be really cool minded around uh sport and totally focused um almost cold in your decision making you just can't be that in rugby i don't believe that anyway because you've got um athletes who are weighing over 100 kilograms and running into each other more or less at full pace and by rationally speaking why on earth would you do that with a cool mind there's got to be something that's pumping in your veins that that makes it passionate that that means you've got to be um got to be involved in that and ultimately and when you're out there and you're playing and it's hard you've got to do those things, you know, you're probably having to do that because you stood next to your friend.
36:00Maro Itoje:You know, you don't do that kind of thing for strangers. You don't put your body on the line for strangers. Maybe some pride, but rugby is a team sport and everybody knows that it forms those kind of bonds where it's pretty special between the individual players.
36:16Finn Russell:Thanks for listening and watching today. I don't know about you, but I am revved up and very excited about what this Prem season has in store. A fit, highly charged Lewis Rezamet, no doubt. A chilled but still smiling Finn Russell. And who knows what fatherhood has done to the ferocity of Maro Itoji. And as for Newcastle Red Bull, I think that could be the most exciting thing of the lot. Because if they have an impact on rugby in the way they have on football, well, it can only be a good thing for this league, which seems to be growing in terms of its attractiveness and in terms of the strength and dynamism of the players every single season.
36:51Finn Russell:If you've got a question or you want to have your say on anything you heard today or anything at all, we love hearing from you. Of course, you can email us at the sports agents at global dot com or you can message us on Instagram at the sports agents. Until next time. Goodbye.
37:11Maro Itoje:This has been a global production. Queen Carvania stood haloed by the morning sun. An army hung on her every word.
37:23Finn Russell:My champions, I have sold my chariot on Carvana. T 'was a lovely SUV, an inexplicably queenly offer. They're even coming to the castle to collect it. Tonight, we feast. An offer you can feast on. Sell your car today on Carvana. Pick up these mail. Bye.
37:45Maro Itoje:Who says Halloween only lasts one day? With Wayfair, one night of Halloween becomes a whole season at home. From larger-than-life yard decor and moody lighting to festive accents for every room in the house, Wayfair has what you need to make Halloween feel like magic all in one place. Because the best Halloween memories aren't made in just one night. They're made all season long. Shop Halloween decor now at Wayfair.com. That's W-A-Y-F-A-I-R dot com. Wayfair, every style, every home.
From the publisher
Premiership Rugby is back — and it might just be the toughest league in English sport.
Brutal collisions, fierce rivalries and some of the biggest names in rugby. On this episode of The Sports Agents, we go inside the Gallagher PREM to discover what makes English club rugby so unforgiving — and why this season is one you cannot ignore.
England Captain and British & Irish Lions star Maro Itoje, Scotland superstar Finn Russell and Wales’ Louis Rees-Zammit join us to reveal what it really takes to survive — and thrive — at the very top of the game.
If you think you know Premiership Rugby, think again.
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