{"podcast":{"title":"Rugby Unity","slug":"rugby-unity-7315104","podcast_index_feed_id":7315104,"rss_url":"https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/67b5539aef66dc14d103716d","website_url":"https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/contentrfc","image_url":"https://assets.pippa.io/shows/67b5539aef66dc14d103716d/1745993050152-0538e3c1-8b06-40b3-900a-3b037a8dc484.jpeg","author":"contentRFC","episode_count":144,"summary":"Hosted by Eddie Jones, Ewen McKenzie, and David Pembroke, Rugby Unity is the global rugby podcast that tackles the game’s biggest issues — on and off the field. This is where strong opinions meet smart analysis. Eddie Jones and Ewen McKenzie bring decades of international coaching experience at the very top level, while David Pembroke draws on 35 years as a rugby journalist and strategist. Together, they cut through the noise with insights you won’t hear anywhere else. Rugby Unity is more than a podcast. It’s a community of fans, players, coaches, and leaders committed to securing rugby’s future prosperity worldwide. One sport. Millions of voices. This is Rugby Unity. Get in touch: info@rugbyunity.com.au Have your question answered on the show: Rugby Unity Survey Get FREE exclusive content: Substack Dive into the world of rugby: YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-13T12:18:28.406382+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/rugby-unity-7315104"},"episode":{"title":"Does World Rugby needs fans on the board? Interview with United Rugby Fans founder Mark Philpott","slug":"does-world-rugby-needs-fans-on-the-board-interview-with-united-rugby-fans-founder-mark-philpott","published_at":"2026-03-20T00:04:36+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/rugby-unity-7315104/does-world-rugby-needs-fans-on-the-board-interview-with-united-rugby-fans-founder-mark-philpott","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/rugby-unity-7315104","url":"https://shows.acast.com/contentrfc/episodes/69bc8f147878605e114e55a6","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/67b5539aef66dc14d103716d/e/69bc8f147878605e114e55a6/media.mp3","summary":"David Pembroke is joined by Mark Philpott, a New Zealander based in Cancun who’s building United Rugby Fans, a fast-growing movement aimed at giving rugby supporters a real seat at the table with unions and World Rugby. Mark lays out why he thinks the game’s finances, grassroots infrastructure, and volunteer fatigue are the biggest pressure points, and why “fan empowerment” matters more than likes and clicks. They talk lessons from Football Supporters Europe, how fans ended the proposed Super League and earned a seat on UEFA’s board, and what rugby can copy to unlock smarter decision-making and better investment. Mark outlines URF’s plan to gather large-scale polling and survey data, plus early projects including a charity division, URF TV with Stacey Paetz, and a new global rugby book with contributors including Gordon Bray. The big question: can rugby act before a crisis forces change? ● United Rugby Fans aims for a seat at World Rugby ● Mark Philpott’s global nomad path to Cancun ● Grassroots rugby needs cash, facilities, and volunteer support ● Data, polling, and surveys to map fan priorities ● Football Supporters Europe model and UEFA board representation ● URF TV, charity work, book, and global awards PLUS: A practical debate on how rugby can grow revenue beyond the World Cup cycle. Check out United Rugby Fans here : https://www.urfans.org/ 👈 Ask Eddie Jones and Ewen McKenzie anything! Fill out the form below 👇 https://tinyurl.com/rugbyunityquestions 👈👈 👉 Want more from Rugby Unity? Subscribe to our Substack for exclusive content, blogs, behind-the-scenes insights, and full podcast access — all in one place: Rugby Unity | Substack   📧 Get in touch: info@rugbyunity.com.au Thanks to Eleven labs for providing a grant to Rugby Unity so that we can use their worl…","meta_description":"David Pembroke is joined by Mark Philpott, a New Zealander based in Cancun who’s building United Rugby Fans, a fast-growing movement aimed at giving rugby…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2652,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/rugby-unity-7315104/episodes/does-world-rugby-needs-fans-on-the-board-interview-with-united-rugby-fans-founder-mark-philpott/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/rugby-unity-7315104/does-world-rugby-needs-fans-on-the-board-interview-with-united-rugby-fans-founder-mark-philpott.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}