It's Monday, so it's time for The Wrap on 8/9 Rugby! This week, Geoff Parkes wades through the leaks, whispers, and non-arguments from last week's Shape of the Game conference, in which scrums were going to be killed off, but then weren't. North v South debates! open.substack.com/pub/89rugby/...

8/9 Rugby hit a big milestone this week, and way quicker than expected! Now, we'd love your help to help us build a great rugby community on top of the solid foundation laid over the last month. There's so much great rugby to talk about! Find us on Substack: open.substack.com/pub/89rugby/...

Some things are hard to keep a lid on, right? And do the starts of the Waratahs & Brumbies put pressure on the Qld Reds now? @BMcSport.bsky.social was joined on the AUS Rugby Scene by TV's Michael Atkinson for a closer look at #SuperRugbyPacific On 8/9 YouTube & all the pods youtu.be/sVaC2KNBVmg

New Australian column for @rugbypass.bsky.social is up today, and I'm sure there is going to be a time coming soon enough where it's not all about the Waratahs and Brumbies. But it does also feel like we need to strike while the iron's hot.. #SuperRugbyPacific www.rugbypass.com/plus/golden-...

New 8/9 Rugby! @ringo26.bsky.social joined @bmcsport.bsky.social to wrap up the first 3wks of the #SixNations Tired legs are now world-beaters. World-beaters now have tired legs. And Italy wore high school bomber jackets! 😆 Out on #89Rugby YouTube + pods everywhere youtu.be/J8XOmXhs8QA

New 8/9 Rugby! With @ringo26.bsky.social joining @bmcsport.bsky.social to wrap up the first 3wks of the #SixNations Tired legs are now world-beaters. World-beaters now have tired legs. And Italy wore high school bomber jackets! 😆 Out on #89Rugby YouTube + pods everywhere youtu.be/J8XOmXhs8QA

My long unawaited return to the airwaves!

It's notable that the Waratahs are playing Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii at 13 this season, and not at fullback. But are they getting the most out of him? @bmcsport.bsky.social rewatched his game against the Drua, to see how involved he was... #89Rugby on Substack: open.substack.com/pub/89rugby/...

How did your tipping go last week? A mixed return for the 8/9 Tipping Panel - but at least we beat the AI Bot! See who @bmcsport.bsky.social Geoff Parkes, Sean Maloney + Martin Devlin have lined up for #SuperRugbyPacific Rd.2 - and tell us you've picked! open.substack.com/pub/89rugby/...

New AUS Rugby Scene on #89Rugby! Geoff Parkes joined @bmcsport.bsky.social for a look back at Rd1 of #SuperRugbyPacific and all the surprises that came with it: strong performances, disappointing performances + refereeing fun! On 8/9 Rugby YouTube, Substack & pods everywhere youtu.be/vI9X0xVaDzU

When was the last time two Australian sides started #SuperRugbyPacific with such authority? Lots to like from the Waratahs & Brumbies, a little bit to do for the Reds & Force... Some thoughts on it all, for @rugbypass.bsky.social www.rugbypass.com/news/waratah...

NEW 8/9 Ep! Pat McCarry joins @bmcsport.bsky.social for a look back on #SixNations Rd.2 and all the Calcutta Cup goodness, Plus, can Ireland's determination to be better cancel out England's determination to be better this weekend? On 8/9 YouTube + pods everywhere www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nqh6...

NEW 8/9! Pat McCarry joins @bmcsport.bsky.social for a look back on #SixNations Rd.2 and all the Calcutta Cup goodness, Plus, can Ireland's determination to be better cancel out England's determination to be better this weekend? On 8/9 YouTube + pods everywhere www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nqh6...

Right, hands up who had the Waratahs and Brumbies winning with BPs on the weekend? No, neither did @BMcSport.bsky.social But as he writes today, the way both teams put the foot down in the second half to dominate the contest was hard to ignore #SuperRugbyPacific open.substack.com/pub/89rugby/...

Who's up for a Sunday #SuperRugbyPacific debrief? Reckon the theme for the weekend is: Unexpected! Love to hear your thoughts over at @89rugby.bsky.social on Substack! substack.com/profile/4347...

New episode of the AUS Rugby Scene is out! @seanny202.bsky.social joined @bmcsport.bsky.social to declare once and for all, that surely this HAS to be Australia's year in #SuperRugbyPacific! On the 8/9 YouTube + pods all over the place

#SuperRugbyPacific begins tomorrow night, and the 2026 season brings a new set of Law Variations. But what's in them? How will they work? That's where @robgmckay.bsky.social comes in, making his 8/9 Rugby debut to shed light on the new LVs open.substack.com/pub/89rugby/...

Always a great chat with Seanny, this one was no different..

New AUS Rugby Scene is out! @seanny202.bsky.social joined @bmcsport.bsky.social to declare once and for all, that this HAS to be Australia's year in #SuperRugbyPacific! On the 8/9 YouTube + pods all over the place youtu.be/guGBAfOn1cs

As if there's not enough happening this week, the first AUS column for @rugbypass.bsky.social dropped as well: "This season, the Australian teams can be grouped into two broad categories: the teams in a varying state of rebuild, and Queensland" #SuperRugbyPacific www.rugbypass.com/plus/opening...

New Ep! @bmcsport.bsky.social with @huwgriffinrugby.bsky.social wondering how on earth Scotland had so much ball and made NO line breaks!?! A Great Rugby Chat to ponder if actually, we're all estimating Italy?! On the 8/9 Rugby YouTube + pods everywhere: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDbl...

We've been looking forward to this, the debut of The Wrap, Geoff Parkes' long-running, widely read weekly column which you'll now find every Monday on #89Rugby And to bring in the New Year, GP has 'Wrapped' up the trans-Tasman summer in his unmistakeable style open.substack.com/pub/89rugby/...

The pre-season is nearly done, and over on the Substack page @bmcsport.bsky.social wrapped up the 'Is this their year?' series with the Brumbies and Force, which might join a few dots open.substack.com/pub/89rugby/...

Loved this chat with Ben, a perfect way to start the new weekly AUS Rugby scene program..

NEW! Not just a new episode, a whole new show! For the debut Ep of the AUS Rugby scene, @bmcsport.bsky.social was joined by Ben Darwin to see what the numbers and the draw says about the start of #SuperRugbyPacific in 2026 All draws definitely are not equal! www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNkF...

Fantastic to get the first @89rugby.bsky.social Rugby Episode for 2026 done and out there - the 8/9 evolution is now properly underway! Huge thanks to @charliemorgan.bsky.social for being first cab off the rank in the New Year.. #SixNations #89Rugby

Happy New Year! Ep.1 of the all new 8/9 Rugby is LIVE and out there, with the great @charliemorgan.bsky.social joining @bmcsport.bsky.social for a first look at the #SixNations for 2026 On the 8/9 YouTube + pods everywhere www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jo2...

New in 2026: the AUS Rugby scene! A new offering each week focussing more of the Australian teams, on the NZ teams too, and on #SuperRugbyPacific more broadly. The same 8/9 Rugby format, just looking more locally. We can't wait.

The evolution will be televised! @bmcsport.bsky.social has fired up YouTube & the pod platforms to explain what's coming in 2026 Lots, to sum it up: - 8/9 Rugby pod every Tues - the AUS Rugby scene every Wed (NEW!) - 8/9 Rugby on Substack w. Geoff Parkes #joinus www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaFr...

Following Geoff's great news this morning, @bmcsport.bsky.social is back with the next part in his pre-season series. And a warning to Reds fans desperate to hold onto the underdog tag, this one might not be for you 😜 #embraceit 89rugby.substack.com/p/is-this-th...

We've been quietly blown away by the reception to @89rugby.bsky.social Rugby on Substack, and so thank you if you're already part of the subscription base. Geoff Parkes will be dropping an update Note about his plans for The Wrap tomorrow, so drop by and have your say! 89rugby.substack.com

We've just launched @89rugby.bsky.social on Substack today, the subscriptions are flowing in, and so here's some new content! The first of a pre-season series to follow... Geoff Parkes & I looking forward to getting into it all! 89rugby.substack.com/p/is-this-th...

Subscribe to 8/9 Rugby on Substack now, and have full & free access to all our content through until mid-March, when nominal subs will come into effect. So come and join us, come and have your say on these and any topic you want to discuss. There's always plenty to talk about!

Really pleased to kick off *8/9 Rugby on Substack*! An idea @bmcsport.bsky.social & Geoff Parkes have had for a little while - where they and a list of contributors you know well cover off all the key issues in rugby in AUS, NZ and around the globe open.substack.com/pub/89rugby/...

👀 28/01/2026

So the Waratahs have handed down a four-week suspension to lock Miles Amatosero for his training track flurry of fists on new backrow recruit Angus Scott-Young… And if high tackle suspensions are reduced with ‘tackle school’, I guess that makes this program… ‘Fight Club’? 😂

So, I've done the Substack thing. Nothing happening yet, but stay tuned. Might be something cooking. Keen to learn more, keen to hear tips + recommendations. Anyone out there? bmcsport.substack.com?r=76t8h8&utm...

If you're a ball nerd - and I am - this is a fantastic read!

Excited to evolve the 8/9. Very much looking forward to what 2026 brings..

And scene. @bmcsport.bsky.social & @haribaldijones.bsky.social one last time, to outline how the 8/9 Combo came to be, what they loved so much, and what they miss the most now that it's coming to an end. On the 8/9 YouTube channels and pod platforms everywhere. www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0fn...

What better way to end than going back to the beginning - we all love an origin story. It was never dull and provided many an insight and guffaw. Thoroughly enjoyed sharing the ride with you @bmcsport.bsky.social and @haribaldijones.bsky.social. All the best with what comes next. Thank you.

I'm blown away by the reaction to the fairly significant @89combo.bsky.social news this week, and I must admit, it's giving me lots to think about around what life post- @haribaldijones.bsky.social looks like. Lots to think about. Which is actually pretty cool. www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0fn...

The finale. @bmcsport.bsky.social & @haribaldijones.bsky.social one last time, outlining how the 8/9 Combo came to be, what they loved so much, and what they miss the most now that it's coming to an end. On the 8/9 YouTube channels and pod platforms everywhere. www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0fn...

It's a bittersweet final week of the year for the 8/9 Combo. We'll wrap it all up on Wednesday with plenty of memories and laughs, and more of the back story of how the 8 and 9 came to combine..

After four years and more than 300 episodes together, @bmcsport.bsky.social & @haribaldijones.bsky.social have some news... youtu.be/H9LG1xmZlB4

Mitchell Starc has now faced more deliveries in this match than every England batter except Joe Root.

An open question for AUS rugby fans (or rugby fans in AUS) What's missing in our rugby coverage? What would we love to see, but can't really find? And is web/online the main source, or we exploring elsewhere now? Very slight @89combo.bsky.social motives, but I'm more curious than anything else..

So, pools locked in. Australia gets NZ, yay. But running 2nd in Pool A puts the Wallabies on the opposite side of the draw to Boks and ABs. ENG the likely QF opponent, you'd think... #RWC2027draw

The SANZAAR nations wrap-up pod, with @seanny202.bsky.social joining @bmcsport.bsky.social + @haribaldijones.bsky.social . Live on all the pods, too open.spotify.com/episode/7rp0...

'Like your partner who brings you flowers, but forgets to show up at the in-laws' @seanny202.bsky.social joined @bmcsport.bsky.social + @haribaldijones.bsky.social to wrap up the rugby year for the SANZAAR nations www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XdV...