The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word BALLGAMES
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
B
A
L
L
G
A
M
E
S
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Rugby and Poole, we hear" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case rugby and poole, we hear = ballgames.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does BALLGAMES mean?
BALLGAMES noun- Any game played with a ball.
- A specific contest or match between teams playing such a game, in particular a baseball game.
- A sport played in the Aztec and Mayan civilizations; Mesoamerican ballgame.
- Affair, issue, matter, subject, story, topic.