Jamie Heaslip can be forgiven for thinking he should have waited. Back in 2019, he offered up a moment of Irish rugby Twitter folklore, asking his followers if he should start a podcast.
The resulting poll was infamously emphatic. 82 per cent of respondents told poor old Jamie they didn’t want to hear from him. Asked and answered. It’s just as well professional athletes are used to brutal honesty, be it from coaches, teammates or, in this case, fans.
Had he been a bit more patient, perhaps the former Leinster and Ireland number eight would have received his wish. Six years on, countless ex-teammates are now involved in podcasts.
In this parish, The Counter Ruck was formed in 2024 with Gordon D’Arcy as a contributor. Later that year, Tommy Bowe and Donncha O’Callaghan started The Offload. Since retiring midway through 2025, Conor Murray has linked up with BBC Northern Ireland for The Ireland Rugby Social. Dave Kilcoyne, another recent retiree, works with TalkSport Ireland on What the Ruck.
Ex-pros appearing on the airways to tal
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