Laois Rugby Podcast with LaoisToday looking at the game locally and beyond with a selection of guests and special interviews. The Laois Rugby Podcast is brought to you in association with Peavoy Financial Planning
Promotion for Portlaoise RFC and Six Nations concludes for Ireland
After a bit of a break, the Laois Rugby Podcast returns and we have plenty to talk about.
Alan Hartnett is joined by Steven Miller as the pair begin by discussing Portlaoise RFC.
The club achieved Leinster League promotion at the weekend as Steven describes a thrilling encounter with Roscrea.
The lads also discuss the end of the Six Nations and how a campaign that began so badly, actually finished rather well.
The Laois Rugby Podcast with LaoisToday is brought to you in association with Peavoy Financial Planning. You can check out their website here. (https://www.peavoyfinancial.ie/)
11 Feb 2026
Bryan Croke - from Portlaoise to Boyne to London to Sydney and back again
There's not too many people can make a living from the sport they love.
But for Portlaoise man Bryan Croke, that's exactly what he's doing. Immersed in the game of rugby all his life, he has travelled the world, playing and coaching.
Now in his mid 30s, he's now back where he started, with Portlaoise Rugby Club. In this episode he joins us to chat about his life in the game, from beginning with Portlaoise as a 6-year-old, coming up through all the age grades, moving to play with Boyne, then Wimbledon in London, Randwick in Sydney, back to Naas and then Portlaoise again.
He also works full time with Leinster Rugby and is involved in coaching in Newbridge College.
A very enjoyable chat.
The Laois Rugby Podcast with LaoisToday is brought to you in association with Peavoy Financial Planning. You can check out their website here. (https://www.peavoyfinancial.ie/)
28 Jan 2026
A Towns Cup classic, schools update and a rugby debut for Alan
In the wake of Sunday's thrilling Towns Cup clash between Portlaoise and Portarlington, we were meant to have a proper rugby guest this week.
Instead we have Alan Hartnett, making his first appearance on the LaoisToday Rugby Podcast.
Steven looks back on his trip to Togher for that game between the two Laois rivals, who impressed him, how far Portlaoise can go and his take on some of the game's old traditions.
They also chat about Cistercian Roscrea's somewhat surprise win over Belvedere in the Leinster Schools Senior Cup, some of the Laois representatives on that team, and the young Laois man who will captain Rockwell in this year's Munster Schools Cup.
Alan also raises Steven's ire by suggesting that David Humphreys was better than Ronan O'Gara.
The Laois Rugby Podcast with LaoisToday is brought to you in association with Peavoy Financial Planning. You can check out their website here. (https://www.peavoyfinancial.ie/)
22 Jan 2026
Towns Cup memories, Portarlington v Portlaoise Take 2 and schools cup season
Portlaoise RFC president David Kerr and Cathal Bannon from Portarlington are the guests on our first Laois Rugby Podcast.
In a wide-ranging chat, the lads discuss their own background in the game, their current involvement as well as a myriad of other topics.
Cathal is a current coach with the Terenure College AIL team as well as their schools senior cup team and the Leinster U-18 setup. He is also a former player with Portarlington, Clontarf, Bective Rangers and Monkstown.
David played in two Towns Cup finals with Portlaoise in 1988 and 2001 and coached a number of teams in the club and is now in a representative capacity as club president.
With Portlaoise and Portarlington meeting one another in next Sunday's Towns Cup opening round a week after Portlaoise won a thrilling league game 31-21, that comes up for discussion too, as does the famous 2003 clash between the clubs.
The Laois Rugby Podcast with LaoisToday is brought to you in association with Peavoy Financial Planning. You can check out their website here. (https://www.peavoyfinancial.ie/)
15 Jan 2026
The Laois man working on his fourth British and Irish Lion's tour
Laois man Shane Whelan has a bird's eye view of one of the world's biggest sporting event this year.
As Director of Digital Marketing and Communictions with the British and Irish Lions, he's currently in Australia for this year's tour.
It's his fourth tour to work on, having been in Australia in 2013, New Zealand in 2017 and South Africa in 2021.
From Abbeyleix, he previously worked in communications roles with Basketball Ireland and the IRFU before moving to the role with the Lions where he oversees their considerable marketing, communications and social media operation.
On this week's LoveLaois Podcast he chats about what the role entails, the team he oversees, being in the dressing room for some of the big moments and being away from his family for long spells of time.
This episode was recorded on Tuesday of last week while Shane was in Brisbane ahead of the warmup game against the Queensland Reds.
They then moved to Sydney to play the NSW Waratahs on Saturday and they play the ACT Brumbies in Canberra this Saturday.
Indeed it's a tour that sees them traverse Australia - from Perth to Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide and Melbourne.
The first test against Australia takes place in Brisbane on July 19 with the second and third tests in Melbourne and Sydney on the subsequent Saturdays.
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