Snakes and Ladders

This is the story of one of rugby's most notorious matches, told by those who were there. A European Cup quarter-final between Harlequins and Leinster was always going to be big - but nobody knew how big. Players from both sides including Ugo Monye and Brian O’Driscoll, commentators, coaches and referee Nigel Owens recall how events unfolded before, during and after the moment that Quins winger Tom Williams staggered from the field with fake blood dripping from his mouth. The Leinster officials see through the plot straight away - but can they expose the wrongdoing? To listen to the full series, search for Sport's Strangest Crimes on BBC Sounds.

Is the hype around Henry Pollock justified? Is he England’s next superstar? If you’ve lost heavily, should you be dancing with an opponent on TikTok? Sarah Bern and Jaz Joyce-Butchers went viral after England’s big win over Wales but some fans didn’t think it was appropriate. And as we head into the round of 16 of the Champions Cup, Mark McCall rests his big England stars for the trip to Toulon. Ugo, Chris and Ashy debate all this and more.

Sara Orchard is joined by former England flyhalf Katy Daley-McLean and former Wales international Philippa Tuttiett to reflect on England's 11-try thrashing Wales in front of a record crowd of over 21,000 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.

Sara Orchard and Philippa Tuttiett preview the second round of the Six Nations as England prepare to take on Wales at the Principality Stadium. Philippa and Sara discuss playing at the bigger stadiums but with less fans, versus smaller stadiums that is more likely to sell out. Sara has been into the England camp and caught up with centre Meg Jones who speaks very openly about the death of both her mum and dad last year and this being the first England match without them. Meg talks about what makes teammate Ellie Kildunne so good ahead of her winning her 50th cap this weekend and how she is feeling about playing at the Principality stadium. We also hear from Kayleigh Powell and how Wales are preparing as they head into this huge fixture. Plus Sara and Philippa chat how France are not at the level of England right now and how Scotland can take confidence from their win against Wales. Philippa also shares her views on Eoife Wafer and her potential to be a stand-out player for Ireland. This episode includes themes of addiction. If you've been affected by any of the issues discussed in this interview, BBC Action Line has links to organisations that can offer help and advice.

Sara and Ashy are in central London chatting to Lions head coach Andy Farrell and four of his assistant coaches in this bumper pod. Farrell tells us whether he will pick French-based players this summer, how many names are on his shortlist for captain and why a lack of Lions coaching experience won't be a problem for his team. Wiggy reflects on his rise through the coaching game and how his family reacted to the news. We also chat to Ireland scrum specialist John Fogarty who treats us to his best Andy Farrell impression. John Dalziel explains how proud he is to be on the Lions coaching ticket, but is feeling 'huge responsibility' to represent Scotland on the tour. There is no Wales representation among the coaching staff, but will that change between now and the end of June? Plus, Simon Easterby reflects on his stint as interim head coach at Ireland and how the experience will benefit him in Australia.

Chris, Danny and Ashy dissect a chaotic weekend of Premiership action. Records were broken at Ashton Gate, but are defences making it too easy? We have some breaking news regarding the Lions coaching staff and we attempt to set the scene ahead of Thursday’s RFU SGM.

The Red Roses won again, Scotland and Wales produced another thriller and Ireland pushed France all the way in Belfast. Sara rounds up the opening weekend of the Women’s Six Nations and we start in York. World Cup winners Kat Merchant and Katy Daley-McLean look back at England’s 30th successive Six Nations win. But why did their performance drop off so dramatically in the second half? And did the Helena Rowland experiment at fly-half work? Commentator Claire Thomas joins us as we look back at Scotland’s narrow win over Wales on Saturday. Scotland’s Helen Nelsen caught the eye and Sara explains why her performance reminded her of Katy in her prime. We talk Ireland too as head coach Scott Bemand says it's time to ditch the tag of 'plucky losers' after their defeat to France.

With round one of the 2025 Women's Six Nations about to start we check in with the players from England, France, Ireland, Scotland and Wales to see how preparations have gone. Sara Orchard and 2014 Rugby World Cup winner Kat Merchant are at the tournament launch to find out how strong the players are, as they discuss their weights sessions and who prefers arms or legs in the gym. There is also a round of 'rate it or hate it' to see which players know their Welsh cakes from their Irish stout. Zoe Aldcroft, Helen Nelson, Hannah Jones, Neve Jones and Manae Feleu are all in the hot seat. Jones also gives us the view from the Welsh camp after a difficult year for her side that sees new head coach Sean Lynn arrive in a Rugby World Cup year.

The 2025 Women's Six Nations is about to start with a Rugby World Cup also just around corner meaning the stakes are higher than ever. All the home nations are in action and Rugby Union Weekly catches up with all the head coaches: England's John Mitchell, Ireland's Scott Bemand, Scotland's Bryon Easson and Wales new coach Sean Lynn ahead of his first tournament fresh from leading Gloucester-Hartpury to their third PWR title. With England's Red Roses going for a seventh Championship title in a row, Sara Orchard and 2014 RWC winner Kat Merchant are at the tournament launch to discuss their chances along with France and Italy.

Rugby union was rocked to its core by an episode that involved deception, cover-ups, recriminations and life-changing consequences for those involved. Hosted by actor and award-winning documentary maker Ross Kemp, with reporting by BBC rugby union correspondent Chris Jones, this series uncovers new details and untold stories about the infamous ‘Bloodgate’ scandal.Kemp takes listeners on an intense journey into how a simple blood capsule triggered a series of events that shook the sport.At the heart of this story is Tom Williams, the young Harlequins player who found himself caught up in a scheme to cheat during a critical match. He opens up about his role in the cover-ups and the decision to blow the whistle on the whole operation, revealing the conspiracies, secret deals, and the aftermath. The podcast not only features interviews with rugby icons like Brian O’Driscoll, Shane Horgan, Ugo Monye, Nick Easter and referee Nigel Owens, who were on the pitch on that fateful day, but also esteemed journalists and investigators, who reveal how they exposed the plot and covered the messy consequences. To listen to the full series, search for Sport's Strangest Crimes on BBC Sounds.