Brent Pope (rugby analyst)

Brent Pope is a New Zealand born rugby analyst on RTÉ television.

Playing career

Brent Pope was selected in the 1987 New Zealand Rugby World Cup training squad, but had to withdraw from it before the tournament got underway due to an injury in the final trials. He played nearly 100 first class games for Otago winning a national championship title in 1991 and has represented Canterbury, South Island, New Zealand Universities, Leinster, All Black Trials, Barbarians and is a former captain of the Penquins. He came to Ireland in 1991 where he played for both St Marys and Clontarf RFC, later he successfully coached both clubs to 3 National Division titles, 3 All Ireland Floodlit Cups, and 2 Leinster Senior Cups. Brent is still the only Leinster based coach to have ever won the national first division title with St Marys RFC in 1999/2000, he also coached at senior provincal level with Leinster A in 2000.

Brent has worked for RTE sport for over 12 years and has also appeared in many crossover programmes such as The Restaurant, The Den, The Afternoon Show, The Hook and Popey Roadshow, The Late Late Show and various Travel programmes, Brent also starred as a singer in Charity Eurostar in 2007. Brent is a regular print journalist for the Evening Echo, Daily Mail and various other magazines such as Village and Emerald Rugby.

He is a regular feature on RTE radio, Newstalk 106 and Murray Deaker in New Zealand. Brent holds a Degree in Commerce and Marketing, and works in overseas property development, he has also published a series of award winning children's books for charity and is a regular after dinner speaker.