Rassie's Springbok Squad + Dave Rennie's All Blacks & Nation's Championship!

David Pembroke and Ewen McKenzie open the floor to the third voice with a big fan-driven Q&A. The conversation starts with a look back at the great Randwick sides of the late 1980s, with Ewen reflecting on the depth, talent and standards of that era, and why those teams were so hard to beat. From there, the discussion turns to whether the Western Force and the revived Perth Bears could work together in Perth, and what real collaboration between rugby union and rugby league might actually look like.

The episode then shifts to Rugby World Cup 2027 and the challenge of selling the tournament to the broader Australian public. David and Ewen brainstorm who could be the right public face of the event, why the strategy has to reach beyond rugby’s existing fan base, and whether major AFL and NRL clubs could help bring new audiences into the tournament. The show finishes with a Nations Championship preview, including France touring New Zealand, Australia hosting Ireland, South Africa taking on England at Ellis Park, and why Dave Rennie’s All Blacks could be a real step up this year. There is also a reminder to sign up for The Big 3, Rugby Unity’s free weekly email digest, and to keep sending in questions and ideas from across the rugby world.

RUGBY UNITY LIVE! IN NEWCASTLE 10 JULY 2026: tickets.iwannaticket.com.au/event/hunter-rugby-luncheon-japan-v-ireland-61ffdo

SIGN UP TO THE BIG 3 HERE: tinyurl.com/big3rugbyunity 👈👈

Ask Eddie Jones and Ewen McKenzie anything! Fill out the form below 👇
tinyurl.com/rugbyunityquestions 👈👈

👉 Want more from Rugby Unity? .substack.com/

In this episode:
00:00 🏉 Ben Clark asks about the great Randwick teams
00:35 🏆 Ewen on eight premierships and Randwick’s golden era
01:05 🇳🇿 Randwick v the touring All Blacks remembered
01:35 ⭐ Ella brothers, Campese, Poidevin, Cheika and more
02:05 🧱 Why second grade depth made Randwick special
03:15 🐻 Could the Force and Perth Bears work together?
04:00 💼 Shared promotions, venues and talent pathways discussed
04:40 🌱 Why local talent matters most in Perth
05:30 🧠 Why Ewen is sceptical it happens quickly
06:20 🎟️ Who should be the face of Rugby World Cup 2027?
07:05 🎬 Jacob Elordi and other left-field options floated
08:05 📈 One and a half million tickets and the marketing challenge
09:00 🐎 Why Australia can still make RWC 2027 a major success
10:10 🏅 Ewen’s idea: use stars from other sports
11:05 🏟️ Could AFL clubs adopt World Cup teams?
12:15 🤝 Why cross-code support might be worth exploring
13:20 🌍 Nations Championship opening round preview begins
14:05 🖤 Can Dave Rennie’s All Blacks handle France?
15:00 🇦🇺 Australia v Ireland and South Africa v England spotlighted
16:05 🇿🇦 Rassie’s 51-man squad and 21 debutants discussed
17:20 📬 The Big 3 weekly digest gets another plug
18:00 💡 Rugby Unity calls for more fan questions and innovations

Call to action:
📌 Who should be the face of Rugby World Cup 2027, and which Nations Championship opener are you most excited to watch?

📩 Got a question? Email us: info@rugbyunity.com.au
🔔 !
📲 Follow us on socials → TikTok, Instagram, X, Facebook & LinkedIn @RugbyUnityPodcast