Episode 28 - Ryle Nugent

The 738am podcast - talking to people about stuff

Ryle Nugent is obviously well known for his commentary work on Irish rugby, and he combines that role with that of Head of RTÉ Sport so he's a busy man.Ryle and I go way back, to when we were in the last throes of our teenage years, studying Broadcasting and Journalism at Senior College, Ballyfermot. We go back to those old days, talk about the pedigree of some of the people we were in class with, remember when he mobilsed the troops against the college, and how he began his career in 98FM spinning tunes overnight.From there he got a job on the sports desk at 98, then left to present a kid's TV show called The Grip, and we chat about his move into reporting, being thrown in at the deep end as a commentator and how that became a huge part of his working life. We also touch on his other work behind the scenes and the challenges he faces as Head of RTÉ Sport – including the way the industry is changing and the recent controversy about John Giles and why decisions like that have to be made.He's very up front and open about it all, and it was great to catch up with him after quite a few years. You can follow Ryle on Twitter - @RyleNugentRTE.