New Zealand Rugby has fired a serious warning shot: forecast losses of $66 million over five years, and a structure they say is unsustainable, even after banking $9 million from Baltimore. David Pembroke and Ewen McKenzie argue the game cannot keep operating in fragments, and ask what comes next: more All Blacks tests offshore, a Miami Rugby Championship match, or even a radical 2029 Lions series across Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland, Los Angeles and New York. They also preview the Ashi Super Dry Pacific Nations Championship final in Tokyo, tipping Japan to beat Fiji, plus USA v Canada in the double header. Then it’s a massive weekend for women’s rugby: England v Canada at Sandy Park, Australia backing up against France, Black Ferns v Scotland, and more, with World XV matches in Hong Kong feeding into 2029 Rugby World Cup qualification.
Also in this episode:
● Steve Hansen absent with new Manly Sea Eagles role
● World Rugby’s role questioned in NZR talks
● Ireland and Six Nations USA match speculation discussed
● Top 14 notes: Toulouse big win, La Rochelle form
● Wallabies squad picked by Les Kiss, flyhalf debate
● Refereeing, TMO momentum, and law interpretations debated
PLUS: The panel weighs tradition, fan connection, and commercial realities as rugby’s global calendar keeps shifting.
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