We're delighted to announce that Ireland's most-capped rugby player, Brian O’Driscoll, has re-signed his exclusive partnership with the Off The Ball team as Newstalk’s premier rugby correspondent for the next two years.
Following a successful first year of commentary from the rugby star we are delighted to have him on board. Brian will be part of the Off The Ball team every second Friday - starting this week - to talk about all the latest sporting news with Rugby World Cup a major focus over the next six weeks.
We are carrying comprehensive coverage and analysis of Rugby World Cup 2015 on Newstalk with Keith Wood, Liam Toland, Shane Jennings and more joining Brian O’Driscoll and the Off The Ball team behind the mic with daily updates and opinion on air and on Newstalk.com. Our live European Rugby commentaries will also return this season with live coverage of Munster and Leinster over the opening two rounds of the EPCR Champions Cup this November.
Over the past year Off The Ball listeners have enjoyed the insights and knowledge of the former player with Brian bringing his 15 years of stellar international rugby experience to the airwaves. With a stack of medals to his name and a Player of the Decade title from Rugby World Magazine, Brian’s opinions and perspectives are highly respected in the rugby world and will be of great interest as Ireland go in search of their first ever Rugby World Cup title.
Speaking to Newstalk sports editor Adrian Barry on Off The Ball, Brian commented; "I’m delighted to be back with Off The Ball. It’s pretty daunting coming out of professional rugby after 15 years and getting into punditry, sitting on the other side of the fence but I have to say I’ve really enjoyed the radio side of things. The team is a laugh and every Friday night offers something different so it’s pretty exciting!"
Brian O'Driscoll, Adrian Barry and Garrett Harte
Brian also had his say on some of the Rugby World Cup action so far, adding: "I thought Jared Payne had a super solid game against Canada and was very effective defensively. I thought he had huge energy and was exactly what Joe would be looking for from his 13. He probably deserves a rest this weekend and he’s fortunate because the talk is that Robbie Henshaw is now fit again so Joe has the luxury of resting Jared and probably playing Darren Cave at 13. He’ll probably give the likes of Tommy Bowe and Simon Zebo a run and maybe Rob Kearney will get another outing because he’s only played two games. I’d say there will be wholesale changes this weekend with a view to being able to load the bench just in case things don’t quite go to plan."
Commenting on the partnership, Newstalk Editor in Chief Garrett Harte said, "We’ve had a fantastic first year with Brian being part of the Off The Ball team. He’s a great asset for us – his knowledge of the sport is unparalleled, and he brings a unique insight into the players’ thinking. We look forward to Brian’s insightful contributions for the next few years."
Adrian Barry said, "We have really enjoyed having Brian on the team over the past year and we’re delighted he’ll be staying on. This rugby season will be busy with the Rugby World Cup taking place over the next six weeks and then the RBS 6 Nations back in action in early 2016 and we know that our listeners really value Brian’s understanding of the game."
You can tune into Ireland’s most popular sports show, Newstalk’s Off The Ball, Monday to Thursday from 7-10pm, Fridays from 7-9pm, Saturdays from 1-6pm and Sundays from 12-6pm.
You can also keep up to date with Brian's analysis on Off The Ball via our dedicated podcast series.
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
