Rugby Rodeo

This week on Rugby Rodeo, Ellie Kildunne and Jess Breach are joined on the Rodeo sofa by one of the toughest, most inspiring athletes on the planet — Sophie Power.

Sophie is a world-leading ultra-marathon runner, Guinness World Record holder and a genuine trailblazer in endurance sport. She first became globally known after an extraordinary photo of her breastfeeding her three-month-old baby mid-race during a 100+ mile mountain ultra — an image later named by The Guardian as one of the photos that reshaped sport, sparking a global conversation about equality, motherhood and opportunity for women in sport.

Ahead of the release of her new autobiography The Power Within, Sophie takes us inside the wild world of ultra-running: what an ultra-marathon actually is, how you even begin to train for events that last days, and why her very first race was the infamous Marathon des Sables — a 250km, self-supported slog across the Sahara Desert in 40–50°C heat.

She opens up about “going to dark places”, the real dangers of extreme endurance racing (including a race that left her in a coma with a 50% chance of death), and the mental resilience needed to keep moving when your body wants to stop. We also dive deep into the story behind that iconic UTMB photo — why she raced while breastfeeding, what it cost her, and why pregnancy is still treated differently to injury in elite sport.

There’s also plenty on Sophie’s work beyond racing. She tells Ellie and Jess about her charity SheRaces, the SheRaces guidelines, and her mission to create fairer, safer and more inclusive start lines — from trail running to rugby pitches.

Settle back, enjoy — and make sure you’re subscribed.

'The Power Within' is out now at all good retailers and is also available in audiobook format. More information on Sophie's charity SheRACES can be found here: https://www.sheraces.com/
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This week on Rugby Rodeo, Ellie Kildunne and Jess Breach hand the reins over to you for a full-blown Listeners Questions Special.

Before diving into the inbox, the girls give a big PWR league roundup, with Saracens currently top, Gloucester-Hartpury ready to pounce, and a ridiculously tight scrap brewing from 3rd to 6th.

Then it’s over to your questions… and there are some absolute belters.

From picking a dream mixed touch rugby team (men AND women), bucket list dreams and who inspires their fashion choices… to big rugby talking points like the first-ever Women’s British & Irish Lions Tour, who wins the Men’s Six Nations 2026, and pre match meals..

And just when you think it couldn’t get more chaotic… Ellie and Jess go head-to-head in:

🧠💥 WRONG ANSWERS ONLY – wraps in hand, 30 seconds on the clock, Emma firing questions, and penalties paid in slaps...

Finally, it’s all about the grassroots love with shoutouts to:🏉 Bromley Girls U12s in the Kent Waterfall Final🏉 Strathmore RFC offering a FREE women’s rugby block🏉 Jakarta Bantengs hosting their first touch tournament🏉 Kings Norton Girls buzzing to be back🏉 And Belsize Park Women for being the ultimate rugby girlies 💙

Settle back, enjoy… and make sure you’re subscribed wherever you get your podcasts. Yeehaw 🤠🎧
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Ellie and Jess are fresh from their first week back in Red Roses camp at Pennyhill Park. They chat all things England camp life – why it’s happening now, what the focus is post-World Cup, who they were most excited to see, and how hard it is to reset motivation after such a massive goal. There’s fitness testing pain, tactical chats, team culture chat, and an honest look at what comes next on the road to the Six Nations. Plus, a full debrief on the Red Roses Gold Party, Windsor Castle adventures, listener questions covering everything from uncapped standouts and dream holidays to Nando’s spice levels, and shoutouts celebrating rugby from Argentina 7s to grassroots clubs smashing it at home.

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We’re back for 2026 🎉 Jess and Ellie ease into the New Year with a festive catch-up, January blues chat, and goals for the year ahead. The pair rewind to a huge night at SPOTY, reflect on what second place really meant, and hear from Ellie Kildunne MBE on finding out she made the King’s New Year Honours list. Plus, listener questions, England camp nerves, shout-outs from around the world, and a big thank you to Physique for supporting the show.
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It’s the final episode of the year and we’re going out with an absolute cracker.

This week, Ellie and Jess are joined in studio by Canada international scrum-half and Saracens star Liv Apps — one of the most exciting players in the women’s game right now. From RWC stardom to making an instant impact in the PWR, Liv opens up like never before.

Liv takes us through how her short-term move to Saracens came about and what life has been like settling into a new club and country. We rewind all the way back to her rugby beginnings in Canada, a nation where rugby isn’t always front and centre, and explore the journey that’s shaped her both on and off the pitch.

In a powerful and honest conversation, Liv shares her story of being diagnosed with alopecia at just seven years old, how it affected her growing up, learning to embrace her identity, and becoming a role model for young girls watching her perform on the biggest stages in world rugby. She also reflects on the heartbreak of the Rugby World Cup final, how she processes that experience now, and the advice she’d give her younger self.

This episode is brought to you by Physique Management. Use code Rodeo10 for 10% off at checkout
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