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The Bonus Point

The Bonus Point

Written by: Tj Olsen
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A transpacific rugby podcast connecting New Zealand’s elite game with the rise of rugby in the United States. Expect detailed breakdowns, tactical insight, and honest analysis across Super Rugby, the All Blacks, and MLR.

2026 Tj Olsen
Rugby
Episodes
  • The Search For An Edge - Episode 77
    Jun 11 2026

    In Episode 77, we break down a massive week in rugby, starting with the Super Rugby semi-finals, the big selection calls, and how the Australian teams have fared across the season. We also look at the launch of Super Rugby Aupiki and the exciting wave of new talent coming into the competition.

    In the second half, we shift to the All Blacks, with Tony Brown joining the setup and Kieran Read raising questions about whether New Zealand still has the same edge and belief that defines South Africa. To finish, we get into the Barbarians squad announcement, including TJ Perenara, Duhan van der Merwe, and Kyle Sinckler, plus what it means to see Scott Robertson back in that space.

    A big episode on finals rugby, national identity, and the players and teams shaping the next few weeks.

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    21 mins
  • Building the Eagles (w/ Rob Hammerschmidt & Scott Ferrara) — Episode 76
    May 28 2026

    In Episode 76, we’re diving deep into the state of USA Rugby with Rob “The Hammer” Hammerschmidt and Scott “The Big Guy” Ferrara from the Rugby Rant podcast. With the Eagles set for a huge summer of Test rugby, we break down the upcoming Nations Cup fixtures, talk through who should be in the 23 for the first match against Portugal in Denver, and look ahead to what this stretch means for the future of the national team.

    We also get into the current Major League Rugby season, including the latest standings, the teams building momentum down the stretch, and the ongoing challenges around viewing access and league growth in the U.S. From there, we zoom out to ask the bigger questions: is USA Rugby on track for 2031

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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • The Man in the Middle (w/ Caleb Greaves) - Episode 75
    May 12 2026

    If you’ve ever yelled at a ref… this episode might change your perspective. Or probably not as its a regular occurance amongst rugby fans. In this episode, we sit down with Caleb Greaves, a referee with 12 years of experience across five different associations and a current official in the North Harbour Premier Men’s competition Auckland, NZ. Caleb shares stories from the field, how referees manage chaos in real time, and why it might be one of the toughest jobs in sport. We also unpack his viral approach to recruiting new referees, including the now-infamous “do something dumb until someone signs up” challenge, + how the North Harbour Referees Instagram page is changing the perception of officiating. In the second half, we shift into Super Rugby — breaking down the state of officiating, the chaos at the breakdown, TMO influence, and how players are getting smarter at pushing the limits of the game. Our Bonus Point segment is a new segment we like to call “Whistle Blower” - Some quick fire questions and sure to be a doozy

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    55 mins
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