Le Rouge Rugby Podcast

The show opens with a brief X-Men chat before discussing the latest news surrounding the Toronto Arrows Senior Academy. Then, Stu and Derek offer up their picks for the Top Six storylines over the first six weeks of the Major League Rugby season.

On the 201st episode, Stu and Derek say "thank you" and reflect on the first 5 years of Le Rouge Rugby! Then the boys recap the biggest news stories in Canadian rugby including reaction to the ARN article about a new RWC qualifying process, Christiaan Esterhuizen was named head coach of Pacific Pride, Maple Leaf 7s, the East Coast Rugby Championship, the national wheelchair rugby team, and a lot of Vancouver Highlanders news!

Le Rouge Rugby reaches the 200 episode milestone and we brought Dallas Jackals centre Mitch Richardson on to help us celebrate!

We dive into Richardson's start in rugby, being a day 1 Arrow, joining the Jackals, playing for Canada for the first time, Call of Duty, and so much more!

Stu and Derek recap an epic weekend for rugby in North America! There was plenty of Rugby news, but the best part was obviously the games! First the boys look at back-to-back SVNS stops in Vancouver and LA! Then, the MLR returned to action and Canadians were putting on a show!

It is the opening round of the 2024 Major League Rugby season! To mark the occasion, Stu and Derek are joined by Chicago Hounds flanker Lucas Rumball! The boys dive into a variety of topics including the new Rugby Canada test schedule, the best places to eat ramen, Rumball's favourite memories as a Toronto Arrow (may include another ramen based discussion), joining the the Chicago Hounds, and the week 1 match up with the Miami Sharks!

Stu and Derek are back to breakdown all the latest Canadian rugby news! They discuss a new CBA with Rugby Canada and the players, Pacific Four Series updates, online treatment of match officials, Sophie de Goede arrives at Vancouver SVNS, Vancouver Swans, Vancouver Highlanders, and more!

Stu and Derek give an update about the new Le Rouge Rugby podcast schedule! Then, it has been a busy news week in Canadian rugby. The boys get into the Pacific Four Series, a new women's competition, SVNS, wheelchair rugby, the American Raptors, MLR news, Highlanders' signings and more! Finally, Stu and Derek close out this episode with spoiler heavy review of the new Netflix series, Six Nations: Full Contact!

Stu and Derek dust off the mics and return from their holiday break! The boys dive into all the news they missed while they were away including Christmas gifts, the Rugby Canada strategic plan, Phil Mack promoted to attack coach, the sevens series, a wild MLR off-season, kitmas, and all the Canadian player signings!

Stu and Derek are joined by Curry Hitchborn and Ralph McRae to discuss their new club, the Vancouver Highlanders. The Highlanders aim to "advance the personal and professional development of the person through Rugby Union". Hitchborn and McRae discuss their Ten Commitments, the Rugby Players Challenge, the setup of the club, and what they are trying to achieve. Plus the origin of the logo, Gladiator, and dream opponents for the Highlanders.

The Toronto Arrows are folding. Stu and Derek give their instant reactions to the incredibly sad news.

Stu and Derek recap a busy weekend in Canadian rugby! First, the boys take a deep dive into Canada's 40-15 victory over Brazil to close out their 2023 test schedule. Then, Wheelchair Rugby Canada is dominating at the ParaPan Am Games, the latest Arrows signings, reality tv, the new MLR playoff format, Canadian University Men's Rugby Championship, and more!

In the first match after Rugby Canada re-signed Kingsley Jones, the men's national team loses Spain 40-22. Stu and Derek let out their frustrations with...well, just about everything. Then, they look at some Arrows signings and key departures before making some Canadian University Men's Rugby Championship predictions (that have already gone horribly wrong).

Stu and Derek open the show by discussing how World Rugby's ban on unofficial content is hurting game. Then it's on to New Zealand where Canada defeated France in the final round of WXV! The Arrows made some big re-signings and MLR made a big signing of their own!

The Springboks defeated the All Blacks 12-11 to win their 4th Rugby World Cup! Stu and Derek give their thoughts on the game and the Springboks' place in history. It was a busy week in Major League Rugby with plenty of Canadian player movement, a new Arrows coach, and the news of a change in format for 2024. In Rugby Canada news, the women's team lost to England in round 2 of WXV and the men's team announced the squad for the series in Spain.

It was a massive week of rugby news and the boys are here to break it all down! Wheelchair Rugby Canada won a silver medal at the International Wheelchair Rugby Cup! Jamie Cudmore is the new head coach of Top Gun, as Cory Hector moves to back to the MLR squad! Canada defeated Wales in the first match of WXV! Sophie de Goede is the greatest rugby player in the world! Stu and Derek reveal their strategies for watching a 2am start vs England on Friday! The new Nations Championship sucks! Oh, and the Rugby World Cup is happening!

The boys react to Rugby Canada extending Kingsley Jones' contract for another 2 years! The Arrows made some signings and we think the Rugby World Cup is still happening, but this episode is a Kingsley Jones rant.

Stu and Derek break down the latest group of Arrows signings and other news from across the MLR! The Rugby Network has a new subscription service, but it may not be in Canada. The Rugby World Cup is expanding to 24 teams. What does that mean for Canada? Finally, the boys predict the quarter-finals of the RWC!

Stu and Derek take a deep dive into Canada's 29-12 loss to the Red Roses in the WXV warm-up match. Derek explains why he hates the bunker before the boys get into Rugby Canada and MLR news. Finally, it is off to France for the latest RWC reaction and final group stage predictions.

Stu and Derek recap all the action at in France as the Rugby World Cup heats up. Canada falls to the Red Roses in a WXV warm up match. The Arrows re-sign Mitch Richardson and Jack McRogers. The boys then discuss the current state of Rugby World Cup coverage in Canada.

Stu and Derek react to South Africa joining Canada in the Olympic repechage tournament, Rugby World Cup results, Sam Malcolm re-signing, a classy move from the NOLA Gold, big MLR trades, new stadiums, and Stu's proposal for a major law change MLR.

Stu and Derek give their reactions to the opening weekend of the Rugby World Cup, the new Arrows logos, and a pair of article discussing the current state of North American rugby.

Stu and Derek ponder what the Arrows teaser announcement could possibly be and discuss Mike Sheppard's retirement. Then they welcome Arrows' 3rd round pick Monty Weatherall to the show. They discuss Monty's early rugby career, his grandfather's pace, moving to Canada, McGill rugby, playing rugby across Canada, getting drafted by the Arrows, and more!

Stu and Derek pay tribute to Arrows owner Bill Webb by reflecting on the impact he had on Canadian rugby and sharing stories submitted by listeners.

Stu and Derek are joined by Arrows' 2023 2nd round draft pick Louis Millet! We cover a wide range of topics including Millet growing up in Toulouse, Thierry Dusautoir, the diferences between Canada and France, learning a new language, Bishop's, Jack Shaw, actually benefiting from COVID, the MLR Draft, becoming an Arrow, thoughts on the future, and so much more!

Canada's Men's team dropped back to back games in Tonga this week. Stu and Derek break down the post-match reactions to the games more than the games themselves. They get into the Kingsley Jones of it all, Rumball's post-match interview, the lineups, and fan reactions. Then it's a quick look at an Arrows trade and some of the Canadians eligible for tonight's MLR Collegiate Draft.

The boys are back after a two week break and there is plenty of news to catch up on! Rugby Canada results, the Miami Sharks expansion draft, Pete Smith is out as Arrows head coach, two big Arrows trades, Rugby ATL relocation, and Barbenheimer! Did they miss something?

Stu and Derek breakdown a dominant win for Canada at the Pacific Four Series! They discus Sophie de Goede, Tyson Beukeboom's hat trick, the pack's brilliance, breakdown the tries, and look ahead to the clash with England! The Vancouver leg of SVNS returns! The boys look at the new branding and share some concerns about the new format. Finally, the MLR season has come to a close, which means it is awards season! Stu, Derek and the listeners make their selections for the annual Le Rouge Rugby Awards!

It was an absolutely unreal weekend for rugby in North America and the boys are here to break it all down. Stu and Derek start with the event surrounding the 2023 MLR Championship Final before diving into the game itself. They congratulate the 11 Canadians on the Free Jacks, discuss, the tries, the biggest plays, and the best storylines from the match! Then it is off to our Nation's capital for the Pacific Four Series, where the Black Ferns put on a show. However, despite the final scoreline, there is no denying that it was a great day for Canadian rugby.

The MLR Championship Final is set! The New England Free Jacks and San Diego Legion have been crowned Champions of their respective conferences. Stu and Derek break down both matches before Derek presents a theory on what makes both clubs so good. Then, it's a look ahead to the Pacific Four Series this weekend as Canada battles the Black Ferns in our nations capital. To close out the show, Stu goes on a rant about the new World League!

TOP GUN ARE THE 2023 COAST TO COAST CUP CHAMPIONS! Stu and Derek breakdown an exciting Coast to Coast Cup and discuss how they would like to see the tournament grow in the future! The first Rugby Canada men's squad of 2023 has be announced and the boys go on a deep dive by each position. The MLR Championship Series is underway with Old Glory DC and the Seattle Seawolves advancing. The boys break down each match and offer up their conference final predictions.

The 2023 Toronto Arrows season has come to an end. Derek and Stu break down the 26-24 loss to the NOLA Gold before performing the autopsy on the season. What went right? What went wrong? Who will stay? Who will go? The boys look ahead to a busy off-season for the Arrows. Then it's a look at the rest of MLR as the 2023 regular season winds down in an action packed weekend. Plus, the Coast-to-Coast Cup, Rugby Canada news, playoff predictions, and more!

The Toronto Arrows winless streak continued as they fell to the top ranked San Diego Legion. Stu and Derek are here to breakdown that match, the U20s, and the other MLR games from round 17.

Stu and Derek are here to breakdown ̶S̶p̶i̶d̶e̶r̶-̶M̶a̶n̶:̶ ̶A̶c̶r̶o̶s̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶S̶p̶i̶d̶e̶r̶-̶V̶e̶r̶s̶e̶ the Toronto Arrows 48-26 loss to the Houston SaberCats. The boys search for the positives in the match while also trying to determine what positives actually matter at this point in the season. The Arrows Sr. Academy also saw plenty of action this week as they scrimmaged with the Canada U20 squad and played a match against Rugby Quebec. Then, the U20's head south for the the first leg of the series with USA. Finally, it was a big weekend in MLR as the playoff races heat up on the pitch and the players push to unionize continues.

Stu and Derek take a deep dive into the Arrows 57-20 defeat at the hands of the New England Free Jacks. They begin by looking at where thing went wrong for the Arrows before taking some time to praise New England for their exceptional season so far. Then it's a trip around the league before breaking down the best (and worst) of the MLR heritage jerseys!

Can you believe it has already been a week since the Arrows played DC? Neither can we! Stu opens the show with a major announcement which leads to Derek (unsuccessfully) trying to improve rugby traditions. Then it's a deep dive into the Arrows 29-29 draw with Old Glory DC! What went well? What did not? Who has impressed over the past few games? All your questions will be answered. The biggest question we ask this is week is "does anyone in the East actually want to make the playoffs?" The boys recap a wild round 14 of MLR action. Then it is off to London where Alex Russell scored one of Canada's biggest tries in recent memory as the men's sevens team retained their core status on the Sevens tour!

The Toronto Arrows battled Rugby ATL to a 34-34 draw under the Friday Night Lights at York Lions Stadium. Stu and Derek take a deep dive into the match including the decision to go for points or the corner, legends reaching 50 caps, and more. Then it's a trip around the league where Michael Smith and Andrew Coe had incredible performances. Finally, it was a big week for Rugby Canada with the sevens, U20s, and a new High Performance Director.

The Arrows were on a bye week, but it was still an entertaining round of Major League Rugby action. Stu and Derek breakdown the 3.5 games from the weekend and highlight some Canadian performances. Then the boys are joined by the Arrows Academy director and head coach Cory Hector. We take a deep dive into Hector's career including some epic games at Guelph University, a full breakdown of the Arrows' Academy system, and the current U20 tour in Uruguay.

Stu returns from his hidden bunker wearing an Auston Matthews jersey because the Leafs won a playoff round! Meanwhile in the rugby world... the Toronto Arrows lost to NOLA Gold and it has Stu thinking ahead to 2024. The boys breakdown the game and all possible implications for the season going forward. Then it's a trip around the league plus some Rugby Canada news and predictions.

James Deeley returns for a 2nd extended and action packed episode! Before James and Derek get into the Arrows game, two coaches fought each other in the middle of the the pitch! The boys give their thoughts on a wild incident during the Ironworkers vs Sabercats match. Then it is back to your regularly scheduled programming. The Toronto Arrows lost to the Seattle Seawolves, but it was a much better performance and James and Derek find some positives. The Academy got their first win of 2023 in an exciting match with the Atlantic Selects. Then it's a trip around the rest of the league, highlighting some of the best Canadian performances from round 10 and some bold predictions for round 11.

On this episode, Derek is joined by the King of Rugby Sabermetrics James Deeley (@mlrstats)! Derek and James take a deep dive into the Arrows 80-5 loss to the New England Free Jacks and discuss some of the bigger picture surrounding the Arrows 2023 season so far. Then it's a trip to Top Gun as the Arrows Sr. Academy battled Rugby Quebec in an entertaining curtain raiser! The boys then recap a wild week 9 in the MLR and look at some of the best stats from the first half of the season! Finally, it's week 10 prediction time and Stu's whereabouts is revealed!

The Arrows finally had their home opener last weekend and D'Shawn Bowen stole the show! Unfortunately, Bowen's hat trick was not enough as the Arrows suffered a narrow 29-27 defeat to the New York Ironworkers. Stu and Derek break down the match including Top Gun references, an improved Arrows' attack, Bowen's performance, who else stood out, and more! Then it's a quick trip around the league before making some bold week 9 predictions.

Cover photo: Sam Buschbeck via torontoarrows.com

It's a packed episode of Le Rouge Rugby this week! Stu and Derek's favourite European clubs squared off in the Champions Cup and Derek is here to gloat! The Arrows were on the wrong end of the Dallas Jackals' first win in franchise history. The boys break down the match including the Canadians on the Jackals, the Arrows' attack, the top Arrows in the match, and the decision to go for the win. The Canadian women were victorious in their Pacific Four opener against the USA and Sophie de Goede is greatest rugby player on the planet! Then, it's a recap of the Sevens tour and more MLR predictions as the Arrows are ready to come home!

Stu and Derek take a deep dive into the Arrows 47-19 loss to the Utah Warriors. They discuss to on-going injury situation, the attack, shoutout to a handful of players that stood out, reienforcements, trades, and more. Then, it's a trip around the league to breakdown an exciting week 6 of MLR and the new City Edition Kits! The Arrows were not the only Canadian team in action as the Women's national team had a huge 66-7 win over South Africa!

Stu and Derek open the show by asking a very important question; are Ireland the Toronto Maple Leafs of rugby? Then it's a deep dive into the Arrows 29-3 loss to Old Glory DC and after 1-3-0 start how concerned should we be about the Arrows' attack? Then it is a trip around the league after a fun round 5 in MLR. Finally, they conclude with some of the biggest news stories including Chicago hosting the MLR Final, a Vancouver group seeks their Ryan Reynolds, and more Miami news.

Cover photo: Paris Malone

Sam Malcolm scored all 27 points in the Arrows 27-26 win over the Chicago Hounds! Stu and Derek are here to break down every detail of the historic performance, but first they take a look at the equally historic Battle of Thermopylae! After that is cleared up, they dive deep into the Arrows' win including Sam Malcolm's performance, the yellow cards, the brilliance of the pack, the attack, and other big individual performances. Then it's a trip around the league where they dive, Canadian milestones, Canadian tries,  and a huge win for the NOLA Gold.

Cover Photo: BHE Photos

With the Arrows on a bye week, Stu and Derek breakdown the biggest stories from week 3 in MLR action and the Vancouver stop on the Sevens Series. Then they are joined by Arrows' President and General Partner Bill Webb and Vice President and General Manager Tim Matthews. It's a deep dive into the business side of the Arrows including big off-season moves, the Hangar, plans for the academy sides, the partnership with TIRF, what fans can expect from the Arrows' match day experience, MLR expansion, and more!

The Toronto Arrows fell to Rugby New York Ironworkers 39-3 as they opened up their new stadium. Stu and Derek are here to break the game down. They get into the evolving injury situation, concerns about the attack, and how the bye week may be a blessing. Despite the loss, there were still plenty of positives and the boys shoutout some impressive Arrows' debuts. Then it is a trip around the league as they highlight some of the best Canadian performances from week 2, discuss George Killebrew's departure, the LA sevens, and week 3 predictions. 

The Toronto Arrows dropped their 2023 MLR season opener to Rugby ATL by a score of 17-10. Stu and Derek are here to break it all down! Should O'Leary start at flyhalf with Malcolm at fullback? Should the Arrows use the "I-formation" again? How did the set piece perform? What positves can be taken from this game? All these questions will be answered on this episode of Le Rouge Rugby!

Then it's a trip around the league as the boys breakdown each matchup, Canadian performance, and the major news stories from week 1 in the 2023 MLR season!

Dan returns for a special episode on the eve of the new Major League Rugby Season! Dan joins Derek and Stu as they completely overanalyze a Toronto Arrows pre-season lineup sheet. Derek is upset that neither Stu nor Dan has seen Any Given Sunday as the Miami Sharks enter MLR. Dan names his Canadian Prospect XV, an article that you can read now on our brand new website! That's right, head on over to lerougerugby.ca for all your Arrows and Canadian rugby news! 

Then it is time to preview the 2023 MLR season and some outlandish predictions are made! Finally, week 1 of the 2023 MLR season is upon us that means match predictions have returned!

Checkout our new website www.lerougerugby.ca

On this episode, Stu and Derek are joined by 2022 Arrows' captain Mike Sheppard. The boys take a deep dive into Sheppard's career, the evolution of the Ontario Blues into the Toronto Arrows, basically the entire history of the Toronto Arrows, his first international try, and the beginning of an MLR dynasty in 2023.