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Welcome to the Offside Line Podcast with your hosts Peter Burns and David Barnes. In this weekly show we examine all aspects of Scottish rugby, from the grassroots level to the Test arena, and discuss the goings on in the wider global game – helped by a regular panel of special guests and featuring exclusive interviews. David Barnes has worked as a freelance rugby journalist since 2004 covering every level of the game in Scotland for publications including The Herald/Sunday Herald, The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, The Scotsman/Scotland on Sunday/Evening News, The Daily Record, The Daily Mail/Mail on Sunday and The Sun. He established the Offside Line in 2016 to provide high-quality, independent and up-to-date coverage of all aspects of Scottish rugby. In 2005 he co-authored Jim Renwick’s autobiography, Centre of Excellence, and in 2008 was shortlisted for Rugby Book of the Year at the British Sports Book Awards for The Accies: The Cradle of Scottish Rugby. He is the co-author of the critically acclaimed Behind the Thistle: Playing Rugby for Scotland and Behind the Lions: Playing Rugby for the British & Irish Lions. Peter Burns is a William Hill Sportsbook of the Year shortlisted author and the managing director of Polaris Publishing Ltd. He has written eleven sports books, including Behind the Thistle: Playing Rugby for Scotland, This is Murrayfield: 100 Years of History in 100 Matches, Behind the Lions: Playing Rugby for the British & Irish Lions, This is Your Everest: The Lions, the Springboks and the Epic Tour of 1997, When Lions Roared: The Lions, the All Blacks and the Legendary Tour of 1971 and The Men in the Arena: England, Australia and the Battle for the 2003 Rugby World Cup. He is also the author of the forthcoming children's book series, Shadow Thieves. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Check latest episodes from The Offside Line Podcast: The First for Scottish Rugby podcast

Clubhouse: Countdown to the Inter District Championship

2026/11/04

Eck Hinnigan and Rangi Jericevich step into the breach in place of Robin - it is a two man job - to help Barney and Stuart reflect on round nine of the league season and look ahead to the start of the Inter District Championship (IDC) on Friday night. Round one of the tournament (which will be played as a round-robin over the next three weekends) sees Edinburgh host The South at Stoneyhill (Musselburgh) and Glasgow & The West welcome Caledonia Reds to Braidholm (GHA), both kicking-off at 7.30pm. Rangi explains why he was such a big champion of reviving the IDC and the guys discuss whether that competition and/or the Scotland Club XV could/should be extended. This week’s podcast is sponsored by Ruck & Rack Vintage, Scotland’s home of affordable vintage rugby clothing. Whether it’s cotton jerseys, unique training tops, track jackets or their popular vintage mystery boxes, Ruck & Rack has you covered with options from over 20 international teams and all major leagues from just £12, making a vintage rugby top the perfect Christmas present for rugby-mad loved-ones. Shop online at ruckrackrugby.com, or visit their three Nations Championship pop-ups at The Pear Tree Pub in Edinburgh, during the games on the 7th, 15th and 21st of November. Get down early to browse the full range in the covered beer garden before they sell out! Use code OFFSIDELINE for 15% off your order. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All Blacks week, a shout-out to Robin the referee and have Edinburgh reverted to type?

2026/11/03

Burnsy and Barney catch up for a quick review of last weekend's Arnold Clark Premiership action, where Ayr delivered another statement win, and Hawick took a big step towards safety with their away win over Edinburgh Accies. They discuss how concerned we should be about Edinburgh's loss at Benetton, and celebrate Glasgow's free-wheeling start against Lions ... although they wobbles a but after the break. And, of course, it All Blacks week, with Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend having some big selection decisions to make as his team seek to break their age-old losing record against a depleted New Zealand side. This week’s podcast is sponsored by Ruck & Rack Vintage, Scotland’s home of affordable vintage rugby clothing. Whether it’s cotton jerseys, unique training tops, track jackets or their popular vintage mystery boxes, Ruck & Rack has you covered with options from over 20 international teams and all major leagues from just £12, making a vintage rugby top the perfect Christmas present for rugby-mad loved-ones. Shop online at ruckrackrugby.com, or visit their three Nations Championship pop-ups at The Pear Tree Pub in Edinburgh, during the games on the 7th, 15th and 21st of November. Get down early to browse the full range in the covered beer garden before they sell out! Use code OFFSIDELINE for 15% off your order. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clubhouse: Big hits, bad tips and a broken jaw

2026/10/29

Barney, Robin and Stuart catch up to look ahead to the final round of Arnold Clark Men's Premiership matches before the halfway-stage break for the Inter-District Championship. Ayr are back on top but face a tough assignment away to second-placed Melrose this weekend, while third-bottom Hawick have a chance to put further daylight between themselves and the relegation zone when they head to second-bottom Edinburgh Accies. It was close but no cigar for Glasgow Hawks again last weekend, this time away to city rivals GHA, but they face an even bigger challenge when an in-form Heriot's pitch up at Balgray this weekend. Meanwhile, fourth-placed Currie Chieftains will look to bounce back from last weekend's thumping defeat to Ayr when they host a GHA side looking to build some momentum and force their way into the play-off race. Kelso are on a high after knocking Melrose off top spot last weekend, but will be without influential backs Dwain Patterson and Archie Barbour when they head to Myreside to take on Watsonians. Plus, there's a look ahead to a potentially pivotal weekend across National One and National Two, with some intriguing top-of-the-table clashes on the cards. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Leatherbarrow from left field – Scotland squad reaction

2026/10/26

Barney and Burnsy are joined by friends of the show Mark Palmer of The Times and extraordinaire Craig Watson to chew over and digest Gregor Townsend's Scotland training squad selection for next month's Nations Championship Autumn Series, which will see New Zealand, Australia and Japan visit Murrayfield on consecutive weekends, followed by finals weekend in London on 27th-29th November. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clubhouse: Is it moving weekend in the Arnold Clark Premiership?

2026/10/22

Robin returns from a week off to jump right back into a fascinating weekend of Arnold Clark Premiership action. Reigning champions Ayr got a fright last weekend against bottom of the table Glasgow Hawks and now face their closest challengers in recent seasons, Currie Chieftains, who are a team on the mission. It could be a class for the ages at Millbrae! Meanwhile, it is derby day in Glasgow, Edinburgh and the Borders. Hawks will be looking to build on the promising performance when they head across the city to take on a GHA team who need to start winning soon or let their play-off hopes go. Edinburgh Accies will also be encouraged by their performance at Myreside last week when they head to Goldenacre to take on Heriot's. And top of the league Melrose head to Poynder Park for a match against a Kelso team talking down their chances ... but Stuart isn't buying that! The other top flight game of the weekend sees Watsonians head south to face Hawick. If you enjoy listening to us talk about Scottish rugby, you’ll find much more of it written up on our website, theoffsideline.com. That’s where our reporters cover the game at every level: Scotland, Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh, the Arnold Clark Premiership, men’s and women’s, and the club and age-grade game too. Visit us here to check out the subscription options today! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Road trips, rugby's complicated rules and Scotland squad selections

2026/10/19

Barney and Burnsy catch up to review last weekend's Arnold Clark Men's Premiership action, lament some horrifying score-lines in the Sarah Beaney Cup and reflect on Scotland Women extending their losing run to eight matches. Edinburgh had a frustrating night against Toulon at Hive Stadium in round one of the Challenge Cup on Friday, so the boys discuss whether it is just a hiccup or a return to the bad old days? Meanwhile, Glasgow Warriors played some scintillating rugby to get their Champions Cup campaign off to a flyer against Sale Sharks at the CorpAcq Stadium on Saturday afternoon with the boys celebrating the excellence of wingers Jamie Dobie and Kyle Steyn in particular. With several potentially key players racing to be fit in time for Scotland's Autumn Nations Championship campaign, national team head coach Gregor Townsend has pushed back his training squad announcement from Tuesday of this week (20th October) to next Monday (26th October). Who will make the cut? And who will be unlucky if they miss out? Could Dave Cherry be involved? Would the up and coming Jake Dalziel benefit from being involved or would his development be better served by pulling him out of the fast lane to let him spend some time getting used to the pro game at Newcastle Red Bulls next month? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clubhouse: Back from the break, straight into the breach

2026/10/15

After last weekend's welfare break, the Arnold Clark Men's Premiership returns. With Robin missing in action, Iain Heard steps back into the breach to join Stuart and Barney for a look ahead at this weekend's fixtures, which includes a Borders derby between top of the table Melrose and Hawick, a west coast clash at Balgray between defending champions Ayr and still winless Glasgow Hawks, and a capital city showdown at Myreside between Watsonians and Edinburgh Accies. Two teams with play-off aspirations but struggling for consistency this season meet at Goldenacre, when Heriot's host GHA. Meanwhile, a highly charged afternoon is on the cards at Malleny Park, when Currie Chieftains will look to pay tribute to club legend Ally Donaldson the day after his funeral in the way he would have appreciated most when they take on Kelso. The guys also run through National One and National Two with Stirling County and Highland, respectively, the teams to beat. This episode is sponsored by KubeNet - a multi-award winning technology solutions provider based in Glasgow. It's Cyber Security Awareness Month, making it the perfect time to take stock of your organisation's cyber defences. Championship-winning teams know success starts with a strong defence, and resilient businesses are no different. Our sponsors KubeNet provide managed IT services, cyber security solutions and proactive support to help keep your organisation protected against evolving threats. Don't wait until you've conceded a costly cyber attack. Get ahead of the game and strengthen your defence today. You can contact KubeNet at [email protected] to learn more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hook, line and Sinclair

2026/10/13

Hello Offside Liners and welcome to this week’s show. Barney and Burnsy get out of the studio to record a special interview with former Scotland U20s, Stirling County and Heriot’s second-row Adam Sinclair about his life and career, which has taken him from Bannockburn to South Africa, France and England (as well as the Scottish Premiership). They also review all the latest URC action, schoolboy rugby, Jake Dalziel’s Prem breakthrough and World Rugby law changes. This week we’re sponsored by Sterling Sinclair Group. As the undisputed masters of the Scottish self-storage and removals industry, the Sterling Sinclair Group delivers a complete one-stop shop experience across the nation. Through their strategic facilities – Perth Self Store, Edinburgh Self Store, and Stirling Self Storage – they provide secure, flexible space for every need. This expertise is seamlessly supported by Sterling Sinclair's premier fleet of 19 specialist vehicles, ensuring professional packing, removal, and shipping services. Furthermore, their Hiab Container Scotland division completes their comprehensive service by expertly selling and moving shipping containers throughout Scotland. Find all the details at sterlingsinclairremovals.co.uk which includes their storage options. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clubhouse: Making the most of the welfare break with a visit from the mad scientist

2026/10/08

Bob McKillop - head coach of Stirling County and the Edinburgh District team this season - joins the usual suspects to chew over the season so far at the top end of the club game and to look ahead the Inter District Championship which will run over consecutive weekends in November this year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The return of Scotland Sevens and missed deadlines

2026/10/06

Barney and Burnsy catch up to discuss the return of the Scotland Men's Sevens team this coming weekend, Edinburgh's gritty win over Stormers last Friday night and whether George Horne cost Glasgow Warriors a win over Ulster on Saturday evening. There's also a revelation about how a missed deadline by Barney gave Burnsy his big break in the literary world! This episode is sponsored by KubeNet - a multi-award winning technology solutions provider based in Glasgow. It's Cyber Security Awareness Month, making it the perfect time to take stock of your organisation's cyber defences. Championship-winning teams know success starts with a strong defence, and resilient businesses are no different. Our sponsors KubeNet provide managed IT services, cyber security solutions and proactive support to help keep your organisation protected against evolving threats. Don't wait until you've conceded a costly cyber attack. Get ahead of the game and strengthen your defence today. You can contact KubeNet at [email protected] to learn more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clubhouse: Arnold Clark Men's Premiership round six preview

2026/10/01

Barney is back from his golfing jolly to join Stuart and Robin as they look ahead to the final round of matches before the Arnold Clark Men's Premiership 'welfare' break. Game of the day looks like being at Myreside where Watsonians will look to bounce back from last weekend's agonising defeat at the Greenyards by getting the better of a Heriot's side on a high after becoming the first side to beat Ayr in a league match in just shy of two years. Elsewhere, Ayr and GHA will each look to exorcise the demons of last weekend's defeats when they meet at Millbrae, while still winless Glasgow Hawks face a tough trip to the Borders to take on Kelso at Poynder Park, and Edinburgh Accies welcome Melrose to Raeburn Place. The Hawick versus Currie Chieftains game has been postponed as a mark of respect following the new earlier this week that Currie stalwart Ally Donaldson had passed away following a short illness. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Scots teams off to a flyer in URC .... and has Ayr's bubble been burst?

2026/09/28

A short sharp pod to start the week with Barney and Burnsy catching up to celebrate two bonus-points wins on the road for the Scots teamson the opening weekend of the URC ... and four Irish defeats! Meanwhile, how much should we read into Arnold Clark Men's Premiership champions Ayr suffering their first league defeat in just short of two years against Heriot's at Goldenacre? Congratulations to Garioch whose perseverance in the Arnold Clark Women's Premiership was rewarded with a first win of the season over Cartha Queens Park on Saturday, but it was a disappointing afternoon for Scotland Women who couldn't build on a positive first half against Australia and ended up slumping to a third defeat in as many weeks at Hive Stadium. Finally, the boys reflect on the gut-wrenching news that Ally Donaldson – a Currie Chieftains and Scottish rugby legend – has passed away on Sunday evening following a short illness, aged just 60. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clubhouse: Arnold Clark Men's Premiership round five preview

2026/09/24

Barney has gone golfing so Iain Heard - former referee turned pundit and champion of the club game - steps into the breach, and there's some big games in the Premiership to look forward to this coming weekend, including Ayr taking their long winning streak on the road to Goldenacre where Heriot's await in what looks like being game of the day. Meanwhile Glasgow Hawks host Hawick at the other end of the table, there's a capital derby between Currie Chieftains and Edinburgh Accies at Malleny Park, in-formMelrose welcome Watsonians to the Greenyards, and it's GHA versus Kelso at Braidholm. There's also a top of the table clash in National One with second in the league Gala hoping to burst Stirling County's unbeaten bubble at Netherdale. And there's a fair old battle on the cards in the north with National Two leaders Highland heading to Countesswells to take on third placed Gordonians. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Struth Be Told: Edinburgh Rugby’s new season

2026/09/22

With the URC kicking off this weekend, Barney and Burnsy popped into the Edinburgh Rugby offices at Murrayfield to catch up with the club's managing director, Doug Struth, for a wide-ranging chat. Including: David Nucifora's role in recruiting three Australian assistant coaches this summer, why Jamie Ritchie heading to Glasgow was a surprise but not a disaster and the importance of A team games. There has been 60 percent turnover in rugby-facing staff over the summer, and Struth says there is a fresh buzz about the club ... but will that be evident against Ulster on Friday night? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clubhouse: Arnold Clark Men's Premiership round four preview

2026/09/17

Some huge games on the menu this weekend with Heriots' trip to the Greenyards to take on Melrose in a clash of two of the form teams in the league perhaps match of the day, although the basement battle between Edinburgh Accies and Glasgow Hawks could also be a gripping encounter. Barney, Stuart and Robin get together to look ahead at another exciting weekend of action in the top flight of men's club rugby in Scotland, and they also hear from Stirling County head coach Bob Mckillop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.