UFC Fighters Tyson Pedro & Tai Tuivasa host their own podcast - the 'Halfcast Podcast' and have a special guest with them on their 3rd episode.

They talk to Mate Ma'a Tonga Prop Andrew Fifita about his decision to play for Tonga, his younger days growing up in West Sydney, gold teeth, KFC & that infamous disallowed try! 

The boys had another interview with him again more recently where they discussed their fights, Andrews first couple games this season with Cronulla, annoying media harassment and his decision to stick with Tonga for the remainder of his playing career!  Check it out in the video below .....

For more of the Halfcast Podcast interviews click here 

* PG recommended - coarse language 

Australian Rock Band 'Gang of Youths' received the most nominations at this years ARIA awards in Australia last week - 8 nominations in total - and they came away with 4 for Album of the Year, Best Group, Best Rock Album and Producer of the Year.

Two of the band are Pacific Island!  Lead Singer David Le'aupepe is Samoan/Jewish and guitarist Joji Malani is Fijian!

In his acceptance speech David said ...

"This country was built on a strong Indigenous people and on the backs of immigrants, to be heralded in the cultural and entertainment landscape in Australia is quite something.  

"The presumption of Pacific islanders is they play footy, do security or play R'n'B and that's just not the case."

Get to know some of Davids story in the video above.

David also stopped by the 13th floor to preview 3 new songs off their album "Go farther in Lightness" & also shared his views on youth suicide in the video link below:

https://youtu.be/IQm8ooEfLWY

By Johnny Se'evae Kosokoso 

With the semi finals done and dusted, the last hope for fans of a pacific team making the final for the very first time, went up in smoke when Mate Ma’a Tonga came tantalisingly close in the dying moments of semi final 2 against England. In what would have been the greatest come back in Rugby League World Cup history, the Tongan team had scored 3 tries in the last 7 mins of regular time, and had there been an extra minute on the clock, Tonga would have won the game, and the betting agencies would have been put out of business.

Yes it did end in controversial fashion, the match referee ruling a knock on by Andrew Fifita, instead of a one on one strip, that Fifita looked to have gone on and scored. The big question...........…more

Dinah Jane sang the national anthem unaccompanied at the Semi Final of the Rugby League World Cup where Mate Ma'a Tonga took on England on Saturday .... and she NAILED it.

She talks about what it meant to her grandfather when she sang it for the first time here

Tell us a little bit about yourself and why you started hair dressing?

My name is Celeste Agnes Nannette Read. That is a really European name for a girl from the villiage of Toomatagi in Apia. I was born in Pago Pago and then raised in Western Samoa until the age of 9, where my entire immediate family moved to Hawaii to support my mother at university and for a more progressive life. I have always been a resilient and resourceful child with a strong rebellious streak, and so at the age of 14, I was sent to live with my Palagi father in New Zealand. Arriving from Hawaii to Taumarunui was an eye opener, but I went with it, believing I would be there for a year. We soon moved to New Plymouth where I still live today.

Leaving school after 6th form was tough as it meant giving up on university and becoming an art teacher. I chose to become a hairdresser much to my Mothers dismay. (Not going to University was a big deal).…more

When you thought it couldn’t get any better, it just did. Renowned for their strikingly bold and beautiful pasifika prints, MENA have officially launched their summer collection for 2017.

After first being established in Samoa, 2002; now many moons later, MENA has found it’s way to the central suburb of Grey Lynn, Auckland. A family business run by four sisters (Agnes, Jackie, Gina, Charlene) and their mother (Mena Loheni), it was important for them to showcase more of their cultural pride through another unique collection.

The ‘Salamasina collection’ was named in honour of Queen Salamasina; a significant Samoan leader who held four chiefly titles that earned her the paramount status of Tafa’ifa.

Jackie Loheni expressed the meaning behind why it was important for her and her sisters to name this collection.

“We wanted to pay tribute to Salamasina but it was also a reflection on our customers too. Strong, working women.”

As well as beauty found within the clothing of this collection, MENA collaborated with Shahana Jewellery, a renowned pearl jeweler, who intergrated gorgeous pieces to match the attire.…more

Fabulous. Brilliant. Vibrant. Fun. A whole lot of “colossal” brought into one!

Fez Fa’anana, creative director of Breifs - Close encounters, has brought the magic to Auckland. A variety show that encompasses circus, drag, burlesque and comedy all through the art of theatre.

“It’s theatre in a bent, upside down world”. He chuckles.

A New Zealand born Samoan, raised in Australia, Fez felt responsible in portraying strong messages through his new show as an expression of protest and peace.

“For this show in particular, I wanted to address some of the crazy stuff that’s going on at the moment. Cars are being used as weapons, we’ve been questioned about equality and marriage; in Australia there’s uncertainty and un-rest in public spaces… …I just wanted to make a show to demonstrate how extraordinary we humans are.”

Being a Samoan bearded lady brings elements of uniqueness to a show such as this one.

“The Samoan culture is about reflecting your habitat and reflecting your lifestyle.…more

And so it comes to this. Kiwi supporters trying to dissect the results of the past two weeks. In this we can tell a couple of things. Firstly, they didn’t expect Tonga to win. Secondly, they didn’t expect Fiji to win either.

But the Bula boys with the most flamboyant afro’s in the competition showed the Kiwi’s that the Fee was in the Gee (Fiji), and unlike David Kidwell’s post match interviews, there was a coherency around this Fiji performance that will have the small islands partying into the wee hours of the morning.

As games go, this one was much tighter than the Kiwi/Tonga bash fest. This was an 80 minute mystery. The type of game that has sports betting agencies on edge. But more importantly, it was a game that proves the island teams are on the rise, and that the Kiwi fan base is in shreds.

Last week the Tongan fans packed the Hamilton stadium, outnumbering the kiwi supporters at least 20:1. This week it looked like I could count the Kiwi supporters on both my feet.…more

Watch as Tai "BAM BAM" Tuivasa starts off his journey embarking on his UFC debut 3 years ago.

The foboriginal (Samoan/Aboriginal) kid from the area will fight tomorrow morning on the UFC 254 prelims at UFC Fight Island. 

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