The Adventures of Stuart Hogg - Good Bad Rugby Podcast #6 

Wow.....Hoggy came across as such a lovely bloke. Brilliant. What a very watchable episode.

This is what every fan craves. Honest and personal accounts of life as a professional player in a comfortable setting where you can use the word ballbag.

Doesn't matter which country you support you want Hogg in the Lions squad!

Really enjoyed the commercial element of this episode that Alex was pursuing. Good to hear from the journalist and player perspectives on why player interviews are so dull, typically. It’s frustrating when you know there are so many bright, intelligent, characters in the game but now I have a better understanding of this after Stuart’s point - Going outside the party lines can potentially create added pressure on you/the team. Topics like this are why this podcast, and Alex (I’m not his mother btw) are so good.

Great work from Alex Payne- a genuine, no holds barred interview. More of that please. Good to hear some forthright opinion from him too. Re: growing the game. You can host more international matches in neutral locations (Ie. All Blacks playing in Hong Kong, Ireland in Chicago)/start grass roots initiatives/put more games on free TV- but nothing will grow the game as quickly, cost-effectively & to the same magnitude as a global superstar. Look at what Michael Jordan did for basketball. The game didn’t change. Jordan was the difference and took the game to a totally different level. The only viable candidates are Faz & maybe Kolisi. Faz would have to totally change his approach to media & his commercial relationships. Thinking about past superstars, they’re usually in the best 5 players in the world, outspoken or controversial in the media, good looking, and willing to sell boots/shirts/cars/aftershave/video games on behalf of multi-national conglomerates (and rightfully make themselves a load of cash in the process). Hask has said it many times- There are no commercial brains in world rugby. Maybe that needs to change first. From what Hogg said, the message from the top down is “keep your mouth shut”.

Not the usual banter, but very honest without throwing anyone under the bus. Hogg seems so open that if you'd have asked the right(wrong) questions you could have ruined him. This episode will hopefully help you get interesting guests that distrust the media on.

My english patriotic picks aside, this guy is my favourite rugby player. The lad just has the X factor on the pitch. Great interview aswell🔥

The show has gone leaps and bounds since HOR , credit to you boys 👌🏻

Great bloke very much welcome in Devon

Another top pod guys. Love listening to Hoggy speaking just like a normal top bloke rather than what you see in press conferences. Seems like a genuine great fella, hope he does get the Lions gig...was so disappointing seeing him leave the last tour like that. And Payno, I know you’re upset about the “itch that scratch” thing, but try not to worry about it 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Finally. A Scotsman on the podcast. None on House of Rugby, but a true icon on this one. Loved it!!! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

4 months later and he's a premiership, european, and Calcutta champion. Crazy. Also did Tinds partly convince hoggy to go to bath? Very insightful interview.

Payno always does a great job of asking thought provoking questions, loving every episode guys keep it up

I enjoyed this. Stuart came across so well and it shows the respect and craic you can have between Scots and Sassenachs

Easily one of the most exciting players to watch and an all round world class talent

Just about to watch the pod.. hopefully Stuart shines & shows the world what he (and rugby in general) has to offer - can't wait.!!!

It was a nice change to hear Alex digging deeper and expressing his opinions more than usual. Keep up the good work gents. Another top episode!

Another fantastic listen/watch, the quality just keeps on coming!

Yet another great episode. Open and honest and not promoting a book.With the exception of the political episode with Dylan Hartley this series has been fantastic.

Tremendous. Love the Anglo/Celt interplay. More please!

Obviously he had a bit of a drop off the last couple of years (although seems to be re surging now) but back in 2017/18 I had Reiko Ioane penned in as becoming the next Rugby Superstar.

Rally good getting the business insight from Alex. On the interviewing though remember Ellis Genge was himself in the post match interview and got absolutely bagged for it.

Rugby is a team sport. So much more than Association Football, gridiron, cricket, baseball or basketball. Add that to the increased technical focus, improved tactics and improved physical training makes the emergence of a star on the level of Jonah Lomu very unlikely. Global Super star teams are however possible and the Allblacks are living example. Club/provincial teams can rise to that level if they toured more outside their traditional competition's.

Truly interesting to hear his take on media duties. Totally understandable too. Great show as usual and Stuart was a great guest. Onwards and upwards fellas.

Another good episode. Seems like a top bloke

Hogg is playing the best Rugby of his life so far........ Exeter might be the catalyst here!!

Rugby Superstars.... Look no further than Sonny Bill.... Can't believe you forgot him!

Quality each week!! Thanks again!

Great podcast , Hoggy came across really well. Would like to see a Podcast with Geeks and discuss the passion he brought to being a Lion.

You set a very high bar lads with brilliant interviews but this was hard work. Keep that bar high!

Another great episode. Thanks guys.

Another great show. You guys should try to get Tommy Seymour on.

class chaps! great listen

Brilliant episode again.

Thank you. Really enjoyed this one.

A decent rugby video game would help creat a rugby superstar

as a loyal saints fan i would like to say, yes, if you lose to us you definitely are doing something wrong!

Jonah and The Whale.... Alex has been reading his Old Testament again...

A lot more people play rugby here in the states than people realize. The professional game just needs to be marketed more here and it could take off

Great episode!

FAF in the Timotei advert (other shampoos are available)

Media coverage is a funny thing. The most read rugby story of the last few years would be the Folau controversy. Do we want that type of attention. The most viewed rugby videos are fights/huge hits but the IRB is moving in the opposite direction towards family friendly stuff. Maybe we need to ramp up the aggro. Give some of the players tapes of Ric Flair instead of boring media management training. A lot of the players are middle/upper class bores though.

Think the lack of a superstar is probably just down to how many postions there are and the many differing skill sets in rugby as apposed to football for example

Great episode 👌

Great craic

Why did they ignore Sonny bill Williams tho?

RE: Insta followers, maybe fairer to compare to cricketers, perhaps not Kohli, but Jimmy Anderson has half a million followers, Joe Root has 730k

You just know that someone is now going to pull his hair in the game to get him riled.

I'm a Glasgow Warriors fan and I found this quite depressing. I would love us to have a real dynasty (like Leinster) but something wrong is going on and our best players are leaving and not being replaced. The fact that the SRU allow this to happen shows real lack of ambition, apart from South Africa, what other tier one nations allow their best players to ply their trade 'overseas' ? No wonder we're (relatively speaking) rubbish.

I think Hogg has copied Payno’s gorgeous hairline?

The fact there isn’t a stand alone region that dominates club rugby is why, the divide between Northern and Southern Hemisphere club rugby means there won’t be a global superstar. Europe is the global hub of football, if you’re a world class South American, African etc you end up in Europe and South American and African fans will follow that. You need that cross hemisphere exposure - arguably Sam Burgess at the Rabbitohs was a bigger global star than any union player since Carter

Didn’t realise daniel radcliffe played rugby.

If Sonny Bill stayed in Rugby Union i think he would have become that superstar but didn't commit. Currently i'd say Maro Itoje is the most marketable but talented rugby player in the world

Rugby teams could invite a RU-vid star down to the club to do a training session (pay them a few quid), have a bit of a laugh and be exposed to millions. There's so much that could be done......

Probably will Farell is that he is unliked outside of England...Have to be a likeable person to be a global star like Lomu

I don't think there is a rugby superstar and hasn't been since Wilkinson. When you say Serena, lebron, Brady and ronaldo, everybody knows who they are, while if you asked somebody in America for instance who farrell or Carter is, they probs wouldn't have a clue unfortunately. I think we do need a superstar to take the game to a wider level.

Payno misses the point comparing followings of le Bron and Ronaldo...you have to compare relative following vs following in that sport itself.... Then he talks about growth ...but football is already a leading global sport .... Ronaldo will have contributed to some growth but not a great deal... It was already there.... IMO it isn't relevent to compare in any event.... Behaviours of role models are key... Standards they drive...commitment to mastery... Rather than media interest or social media following....

Every now and again, I keep thinking Mrs Doubtfire is speaking.

First Nause ;) ....... Sadly ...

Tinds trying to defend Farrell is very predictable, but Alex is right he just doesn't help himself with his style of play and just all around surliness and lack of engagement! Is it any wonder he is probably the most hated player outside of England, it's alright saying he's a great lad behind the scenes but the paying fans don't believe it which is sad because he's a great player!

Israel Folau proves it, if you say 1 thing out of the mainstream views, that's the end of your career

Interesting chat about who can be the global pin boy for rugby. I think Tindal is wrong about Farrell. He doesn't have global appeal and being "a good bloke" isn't enough. He is a seriously good player but he doesn't have charisma, isn't an out an out winner (McCaw, Wilkinson) or a great story (like Kolisi), a humanitarian (Pocock) nor does he have outrageous skills like Lomu, Carter in the past or even Kolbe.

Conspiracy theory.. JK Rowling is the rugby nause

Owen Faz learn't how to tackle at St pats get over it!!

Tindall: Kolisi will get “OtHeR” people that don’t watch the game Everyone: BLACK PEOPLE