
Forty20 Rugby League Podcasts
A podcast about Rugby League from the people who bring you Forty20 Magazine. Hosted by Richard Shaw-Wright, Forty20 magazine's Phil Caplan and former Super League match official James Child, a weekly look at the world of Rugby League and the occasional special guest as well. Shortlisted for Best Rugby Podcast at the 2024 and 2025 Sports Podcast Awards.
Episodes
Forty20 LIVE: 29th June 2026
Record breakers, Magic makers, biscuit eaters.
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An Audience With Forty20 LIVE (Wakefield, 26th June 2026)
We were invited down to the monthly Wakefield Trinity Community Foundation Luncheon Club, and had to work for our dinner, as Denise Teal asked us some questions, with James on first, because we'd given him the wrong info, and Jayden Myers also joined us in the second half, with some tricky questions for us all...
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Forty20 LIVE: 22nd June 2026
RED HOT RUGBY LEAGUE CHAT! Cougar problems, Championship issues, a round of Super League happened, Power Rankings, Women of Steel and more. A veritable bran tub of a podcast.
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Forty20 LIVE: 15th June 2026
We had a busy weekend, but found the time to watch some Rugby League to talk about, catch up on the news, and have a chat with not Super League top try scorer Ryan Hall...
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Forty20 LIVE: 8th June 2026
Hackers and hacks talking close games, one not so, Paris, telly, tributes and stuff.
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Forty20 LIVE: 1st June 2026
Remembering John Kear, Wembley recollections and more...
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Forty20 Podcast: 25th May 2026
Retirements, strongest sides, Celtic success, Wembley....
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Forty20 Podcast - 19th May 2026
Vegas, Cartwright, Bans, Wigan Reserves, Matches.
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Forty20 LIVE: 11th May 2026
Challenge Cup Finals set, stories to tell, and those already told. Plus the news and other stuff....
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Forty20 Podcast: 4th May 2026
Some good games, some terrible, plenty of talking points and an intriguing weekend of Challenge Cup semi-finals to enjoy...
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Forty20 LIVE: 27th April 2026
One of those episodes where nothing seems to have happened, but actually has, including a new England coach, the latest from North Wales and the continuing mess of the Championship, the Women's launch, and action on the field.
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Forty20 at the Women's Super League Launch
The Women's Super League season is close, so, after a bacon sandwich or two, we spoke to some of the movers and shakers on, and off, the pitch...
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Forty20 LIVE: 20th April 2026
Questions, but no answers, on John Cartwright, Andrew Abdo's tour of the media, England's new coach, and actual rugby...
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Forty20 LIVE: 13th April 2026
Challenge Cup Quarters, Cartwright Carnage, and how best to react to stupid statements....James is back as well!
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Forty20 Podcast: 6th April 2026
John Davidson joins us to discuss the Easter weekend, with some cracking games, crowds, and talking points, the latest from the NRL/SL discussions, and all the other news that's fit to talk about...
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Forty20 Podcast: 30th March 2026
Ahead of Rivals Round, a bonkers set of games in Super League, coaching casualties, departures, arrivals and more...
PLUS: Paul Rowley and Jackson Hastings of St. Helens and Wigan's Matt Peet and Sam Walters look ahead to The Derby!
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Forty20 LIVE: 23rd March 2026
As Super League heads towards their 30s, we talk about a Giant lack of class, how the BBC going off air was the only positive for Castleford on Saturday, and plenty of other rugby things that happened....
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Forty20 LIVE: 16th March 2026
The lights are on, and we are home...Challenge Cup round-up, more from the NRL's Magic Money Tree, Huddersfield and stuff.
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Forty20 Podcast - 9th March 2026
A podcast of two, unequal halves, as we hand a debut to sports journalist Molly Fairhurst and chat about Halifax's return to the Championship, and that competition in general, as well at talks between the NRL and the RFL (or whoever) before James Child returns and we look over the action from the weekend, as Wigan and Leeds lead the way at the top of the very early table.
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Forty20 LIVE: 23rd February 2026
Hull KR are the Champions of the World, put on a great show, and there's plenty of unpredictable results in the Super League and Championship...
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Forty20 LIVE: 16th February 2026
James explains tripping, why Mikey Lewis SHOULD play in Thursday, superlatives for York, Warrington and Toulouse amongst others, and another mad week in the Championship all from the sponsor of Wakefield Trinity's newest signing....
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Forty20 LIVE: 9th February 2026 with Jamie Sandy!
An extremely special guest this week as 1986 Challenge Cup Final try scorer Jamie Sandy is over in the UK, and talks to us about loads of things and tells plenty of stories. A fun 80 minutes or so!
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Forty20 at the Super League Launch
Almost an hour of interviews form the Betfred Super League Launch event in Manchester, inclufing Elliot Minchella, Junior Nsemba, Jackson Hastings and Brian Carney (amongst others.)
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Forty20 LIVE: 2nd February 2026
JAMES CHILD IS BACK, and not just because it's Pride Month, honest. Loads more to talk about than we thought pre-show, including Oldham, Greater Manchester in general, whatever happened this week on the field, and the Challenge Cup upcoming...
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Forty20 Podcast in Liverpool - 26th January 2026
Monday was not a day to be travelling on the railways on routes that go through Huddersfield, but we did, and ended up in Liverpool!
You can hear our interviews with a host of names from St. Helens, but first, for those who don't, we have a chat while waiting for a delayed train home to talk through whatever went on last weekend...
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Forty20 Podcast with Catalans' Lindsay Anfield
After guiding York Valkyrie to back-to-back Grand Finals wins in 2023 and 2024, Lindsay Anfield announced her departure from the club at the end of 2025.
She's now taken up a new role at the Catalans Dragons, with the club making their Betfred Women's Challenge Cup debut this year against St. Helens and Huddersfield Giants.
We spoke to her about that move, where's the women's game is in Fra
Forty20 LIVE: 19th January 2026
The Championship is here, Shaun Wane steps aside and there's Challenge Cup action to enjoy this weekend...
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Forty20 Podcast - 12th January 2026
While we were in Wakefield for the Championship Season Launch, Phil dragged Serious About Rugby League and the Yorkshire Evening Post's Peter Smith for a chat about some Rugby League, with Featherstone Rovers and more on the agenda...plus, interviews from Salford, Oldham, Sheffield Eagles, Midlands Hurricanes and London Broncos!
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Gra
Forty20 LIVE: 5th January 2026
Rugby League is back this weekend (weather permitting) and we are as well. An hour of chat about stuff, as we try to work out what is happening. And a new feature....
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Forty20 - The 2025 Winners Show
2025. Quite a good year for Hull Kingston Rovers, Wigan Warriors and Halifax Panthers, and, having been at Wembley, and all three Super League Grand Finals, we've got the words of the winners here in celebration, and a few others as well!
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Grab the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/forty20-rugby-league-podcasts/id1434352
The 2025 Forty20 Christmas Show!
A quiz, a load of biscuits, special guests, and as little Rugby League as possible. Merry Christmas from us to you!
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Grab the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/forty20-rugby-league-podcasts/id1434352450
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0JPKZd2GZ9uK8XAbZmUVBP
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Forty20 Podcast - Golden Boots and a Golden Year
A double guest special in this episode, as first we welcome back Rob Hawkins, who, after winning the treble with Halifax Panthers, helped England to Ashes success in Australia to secure back-to-back Golden Boots.
Then, another returning guest, as author J.R. Rickwood talks about his book Year of the Cougars, Keighley's 1995 season, and more...
You can get the book here:
https://amzn.eu/d/
Forty20 Podcast with Phil Bentham
We're joined by the RFL's Head of Match Officials Phil Bentham to talk about the recent documentary - "Beyond the Whistle" - taking a look behind the scenes at the world of professional match officials.
Plenty to discuss, including how it came about, refereeing in the modern world, how the Premier League sees our video systems and how we're looking to improve in 2026, and plenty more besides.
If
Forty20 Remembers RLWC 2000 (+ MORE!)
Remember the 2000 Rugby League World Cup? It was rubbish, that's what we were told, but two men who were there in the thick of it (the press box) are here to dispute that.
Authors of Super League: The First Ten Years (still available somewhere) - our own Phil Caplan and Jonathan Doidge - reminisce over a tournament which was wet, expansive and won by Australia...
Jonathan will be hosting a r
Forty20 LIVE: 17th November 2025
An end of season review of sorts, as teams have started pre-season for 2026, we're ready for hibernation. Back live in January, but still more to come before the end of the year...
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Forty20 LIVE: 10th November 2025
It's over....and it went as expected. Or did it? Australia return with the Ashes again, England score two tries in three games, and Shaun Wane's in charge...
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Forty20 Podcast with Jamaica's Sophie Robinson
2020 feels like a long time ago, and that's when Sophie Robinson last joined us on the podcast. Since then, she's taken a break from playing, until returning for her Jamaica debut last week, but it's not the start of a comeback.
The former Leeds Rhino tells us what she's been up to, what's keeping her busy, the international game, how Jamaica fits in that and how, despite playing, she's back i
Forty20 LIVE: 3rd November 2025
The Ashes are going back to Australia, again, so is there anything we can do to change that going forward? Other Rugby League news and stuff as well, of course...
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Forty20 LIVE: 27th October 2025
It's The Ashes...and we're 1-0 down. What went wrong, and can we stop the Aussies? Probably not, but we're still looking forward to Everton on Saturday....and loads of other Rugby League topics.
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Forty20 LIVE: 20th October 2025
The Ashes are here, and so is James back in the studio, so we can talk about those, the changes to Super League, and everything else we can think of...
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Forty20 Podcast with Channy Crowl
"There's Only One Channy Crowl!" is the title of Channy Crowl's autobiography, as you could probably guess, and she joins the podcast to talk about it, representing her birth nation of Canada this autumn, 2025 for St. Helens, future plans and how she ended up on a TV quiz show, but can she get through our tough questions? A fun half hour!
You can find more details on how to buy the book on thi
Forty20 LIVE: 13th October 2025
A Grand Final, coaching changes, and Jake Connor isn't in the England squad, to the surprise of no-one, but hasn't stopped them being upset regardless...
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Forty20 LIVE: 6th October 2025
A proper Super Sunday of Rugby League to look back on, with champions crowned from Greater Manchester, Queensland and the South of France, a repeat Grand Final to look forward to, and concentrating as much as we can on, rather than off the field...
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Forty20 LIVE: 29th September 2025
Ahead of this weekend's Women's Grand Final, Richard de la Riviere from womensrl.com joins us to talk about that, and a very busy weekend on the pitch where there were comebacks galore, Leigh impressing across the park, Halifax winning the Wheelchair Grand Final and the most ridiculous try there's every been...
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Forty20 and the Dream Team
We were at the presentation of the 2025 Super League Dream Team this week, and spoke to a load of Rugby League people, so here they are!
00:00 Intro
00:41 Adrian Lam
04:16 Umyla Hanley
06:29 Daryl Powell
11:33 Mike McMeeken
15:58 Paul Wellens
18:50 Morgan Knowles
23:38 Brad Arthur
26:13 Lewis Martin
29:01 Denis Betts
35:05 Caitlin Casey
38:52 Craig Richards
43:04 Matt Peet
46:31 Wi
Forty20 LIVE: 22nd September 2025
Technical issues plagued the broadcast, but not he recording device, and, would you believe it, we're really excited and positive as the men's Super League play-offs begin, and we have the first Grand Final coming up on Sunday.
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Foty20 LIVE: 15th September 2025
Almost as long as Canberra vs. Brisbane, but you can decide if the quality matches that...
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Forty20 LIVE: 8th September 2025
Some weeks loads happens, some less so. Still, always plenty to talk about in the world of Rugby League, as the play-off picture is almost set for the men, is for the women, and heading towards a GF in the wheelchairs. The weather has turned...
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Forty20 Podcast with Becca Thompson
A midweek bonus for you as we're joined by former prop forward and current BBC Radio Cumbria commentator Becca Thompson to talk her transition from pitch to press box, following the Barrow Raiders through this Women's Super League season, how they've gone, the future in the North West, commentating without always having a summariser, and her future hopes...
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Forty20 LIVE: 1st September 2025
James Simpson-Hill joins us to talk Leeds' expulsion from the Wheelchair Super League play-offs , and much more, James Child makes an amazing entrance as we discuss Shaggate, and everything else going on this week...
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A. "A swing dance"
B. "Fine cut tobacco"
C. "A bird"
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Grab the podcast: https://podcast.sport-social.co.uk/podcast/
Forty20 LIVE: 26th August 2025
James returns to a week of a little bit of drama in the Wheelchair game, new coaches in the running game. League 1 exists, Woman of Steel shouts, gingers, boots as cups and the usual other stuff.
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Forty20 LIVE: 18th August 2025
We may have had internet issues at points, but the programme cannot be stopped!
The latest nonsense from Salford, a key reason why there shouldn't be too many worries about Sport England, and some actual Rugby League to talk about....
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Forty20 LIVE: 11th August 2025
Salford's situation
Arthur's seat remains at Headingley
We love S4C
Other stuff
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Forty20 LIVE: 4th August 2025
Not much new news, but plenty to talk about, but not bullies. John Davidson is back, and Phil and Richard try to keep him away from the biscuits and discuss all the latest in Rugby League.
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Forty20 LIVE: 28th July 2025
WHAT! A! SHOW!
James Child and John Davidson are both back with us as we start with tributes to Ray French, and the usual news and stuff, but, at 30 minutes or so in, Super League announces it will be expanding to 14 teams NEXT SEASON and all hell breaks loose....
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Forty20 LIVE: 21st July 2025
The future of TV, loads of talking points on the pitch, the new game and cake.
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Forty20 LIVE: 14th July 2025
We're outside, leaving behind the studio to head to King Alfred Fields, home of the North Leeds Leopards, where Phil knows people, and ambushes Sam Lisone!
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Forty20 LIVE: 7th July 2025
James returns as Danny McGuire goes....another load of RL things to talk about!
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Forty20 LIVE: 30th June 2025
Referee blaming is back, props scoring tries, Dagnall's deft touch and loads of other things we've forgotten about...
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Forty20 Podcast with Kelsey Gentles
A try scorer in York's Grand Final win in 2024, Kelsey Gentles is now a free agent, and joins us to talk about her return from injury, how that is dealt with in the women's game, how she's not made a decision on where to play next, international hopes, and Wembley as well, and much more with one of the effervescent stars of Rugby League!
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Forty20 LIVE: 23rd June 2025
Trying to stick to the stuff on the pitch, rather than anything else getting in front of cameras...
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Forty20 LIVE: 16th June 2025
No Wembley hangovers for Hull KR, Wigan's women and York, nor Saints women and Featherstone with them all winning, but what is going on at both Warrington, and Catalans, who appear to blame the Challenge Cup for their current form.
Praise for Halifax, as they head into the Wheelchair Super League season as Challenge Cup winners, and celebrations for Sir Billy Boston!
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Forty20 LIVE: 9th June 2025
After finals day at Wembley, what do you think we spend most of the programme talking about?
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Forty20: Phil Caplan in conversation with Tony Collins & Ian Francis
From Headingley, Forty20's Phil Caplan speaks to Professor Tony Collins about his new book, Roy Francis: Rugby’s Forgotten Black Leader, on the life and times of one of Rugby League's most significant historical figures, from his playing days, move into coaching and influence, as well as the issues he faced on and off the field.
They are also joined by one of Roy's sons, Ian, who shares some of
Forty20 LIVE: 2nd June 2025
An episode that genuinely goes on for longer than we thought, which we're blaming on James turning up about half-an-hour in. Everything that happened last week, that we watched, and Wembley thoughts...
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Forty20 LIVE: 28th May 2025
What happened last week on the pitch, Phil goes to London, Steve McNamara's in limbo, and the illustrious history of the Championship Shield...
VOTE: https://www.nationaltvawards.com/vote/category/authored-documentary
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Forty20's Celtic Cup Podcast
It's the Celtic Cup this Saturday, as Wales host Scotland and defending champions Ireland in Cardiff for three games of Wheelchair RL in one day.
Phil Roberts of Ireland and Wales' Alan Caron join us to look ahead to the event, and the state of the game in their nations.
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Forty20 LIVE: 19th May 2025
In a week where not much news has happened yet, Phil prepares to try a Lamington in London, Richard muses over buying a "Rudge Mode" t-shirt, a present arrives in the studio, and there's plenty of on -field action to go through as the Wembley line-up is complete, Hull KR and Wigan remain top, the Warriors Women impress again, and we all have a fun time.
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Forty20 LIVE: 12th May 2025
JAMES CHILD IS BACK! So, plenty to talk about with him, and where he's been, plus, Challenge Cup semi-finals and other bits and pieces.
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Forty20 LIVE: 7th May 2025
Some magic occurred in Newcastle, Cup excitement on the horizon, and news, of which, there isn't much.
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Forty20 Podcast with Emily Rudge
As the Women's Challenge Cup semi-finals approach this weekend, St. Helens forward Emily Rudge joins us on the podcast to discuss the game against York Valkyrie, "home advantage" and how that could be changed, the state of the women's game in general, England, Vegas and social media, for good and bad...
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Forty20 LIVE: 28th April 2025
The pre-Magic Weekend action, inconsistencies and why Catalans REALLY (we think) aren't in the Wheelchair Challenge Cup.
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Forty20 LIVE: 22nd April 2025
A special Tuesday edition of the programme in which we talk about the Easter Rugby League action, and wonder if the Catholic Church works like the RFL when choosing a new leader....
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Forty20 at the Inclusion Season Launch
With World Cups on the horizon in the Wheelchair and PDRL games in 2026, this season is another big opportunity for all those involved, on and off the pitch. Add in to that LDSL, and it was a busy morning when we went to the RFL's Inclusion Season Launch in Manchester...
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Forty20 LIVE: 14th April 2025
A lot of things have happened and a lot of things have not happened.
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Forty20 at the Women's Season Launch
We spoke to plenty of people at last week's Women's Season Launch in Leigh, and you can hear from them here!
York Valkyrie: Lindsay Anfield
St. Helens: Phoebe Hook & Craig Richards
Cardiff Demons: Ffion Jenkins
Sheffield Eagles: Andrea Dobson
Barrow Raiders: Amanda Wilkinson
Wigan Warriors: Denis Betts & Izzy Rowe
Leeds Rhinos: Bella Sykes & Lois Forsell
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Forty20 LIVE: 7th April 2025
People flock to see Challenge Cup rugby, we've been at a couple of launches, and some other stuff has probably happened we need to talk about...
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Forty20 Podcast with David Baines MP
Rugby League and Politics have gone hand in hand from day one, and before that meeting at The George in 1895.
Current Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for RL, which isn't easy to say, is MP for St. Helens North David Baines, who joined us to talk about what the group does, what they can't do, and his thoughts on the sport and relationships between it and those who run the country.
Learn
Forty20 LIVE: 31st March 2025
Kingston-upon-Hull lead the way, Will Pryce is back, a drop goal masterclass in France, but do we want them? (The French that is.) Also: more shenanigans.
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Forty20 LIVE: 24th March 2025
Another normal week in the world of Thoroughbred Rugby League, as Leeds geld Wigan, both Hull's impress, and there's some statements that you could say have come from the back end of a horse, but we, of course, wouldn't...
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