On the first edition of Rugby Direct for 2022, co-hosts Elliott Smith (Newstalk ZB rugby commentator) and Liam Napier (NZ Herald chief sports writer) discuss the Silver Lake deal being all but approved (we've heard that before) and ask what it might mean for New Zealand Rugby as it grapples with the private equity age.

The World Nations Championship has returned to the negotiating table – is this what test rugby has been crying out for or is it the rich getting richer?

And as Super Rugby returns for 2022, Elliott and Liam assess the chances of the Kiwi sides in their round one matches and the season as a whole. Can anyone dethrone the Crusaders and Blues in 2022.