Coco Talanoa — Sports / Page 3

In the heart of Auckland, New Zealand, two siblings, Samalulu and Tuva’a Clifton, have been making a splash in the world of canoeing. 

Hailing from the villages of Malie, Fasito’o Uta, Lano and Safune, while their childhood was spent in Grey Lynn, Aotearoa the two have strong connections to their Samoan roots. 

“Fa’a Sāmoa has always been important to us. We both did bilingual education growing up at Richmond Rd Primary school as well as our growing up with our Samoan grandmother”

So when the time came to select the country they would represent in the upcoming Paris Olympics, choosing Samoa was a no brainer for them.

For Samalulu and Tuva’a, embracing their Fa’a Sāmoa identity has always been paramount. Their bilingual education and upbringing with their Samoan grandmother instilled a profound connection to their cultural roots. Representing Samoa holds special significance to the pair, Tuva’a stated 

The pair began their journey into canoeing by way of Surf Life Saving at Muriwai beach.…more

For the first time ever the NRL season will be kicking off on American Soil. The league is looking to grow the game internationally and have taken this as their chance to do so.

Games will be played at the home of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders where the Sea Eagles, Rabbitohs, Roosters, and Broncos will go head to head, at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Saturday, March 2 (local time).

Las Vegas is set to witness a massive week of rugby league events, including a Talent Combine aiming to discover four American athletes for potential inclusion in the NRL. The week also boasts a Las Vegas 9s tournament and various fan-centric activities leading up to the two NRL clashes at Allegiant Stadium.

The Games

Saturday, March 2

6:30 pm (local time) Manly Warringah Sea Eagles vs. South Sydney Rabbitohs

8:30 pm (local time) Sydney Roosters vs. Brisbane Broncos

Thanks to Westpac, any fan catching the match ball in the stadium gets to take it home.…more

Samoa comes alive with the sound of soccer as women kick the goals that matter in the Women's Olympic Football Tournament-Oceania Qualifier in Samoa this week!

The tournament features eight teams competing for an Olympic spot with competing teams include New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Tonga, American Samoa, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Samoa.

The competition winner will represent Oceania at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Samoa’s squad is dominated by international players with Samoan heritage coming from Utah, California, Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii.

As the only local player selected to represent her home nation, Repeka Asofa hopes that more local players will be selected for future sporting events.

“I feel blessed that God has gifted me with this talent so I can represent my people in this tournament,” she said.

However, she added that it wasn’t easy to get a spot on the team.

For the 23-year-old from Savaii, her family has been financially supported by her passion for football over the years.…more

FitTeens: A progamme run by youth, for youth.

15 Year old Roman Amosa is one of the head trainers of the fitness Progamme FItTeens. A programme that has created a safe space for young Pasifika youth across auckland to come together and keep in shape.

The programme began in November of 2023 with only 10 members, and has since grown to an impressive 50 FitTeens members. 

Roman takes multiple classes a week along with her sister Kaide, and fellow trainer Vincent Lee. 
The group are passionate about fitness and encouraging others to stay well. 

Youth from all around auckland travel to Zero to 100 Gym in Ormiston just to attend. It is their hope that they may one day expand enough to hold classes in North, West and South Auckland also.

Pacific and Māori players make up almost 50% of both the NRL and NRLW competitions, and last week saw the next generation showcase their rugby league talents on the big stage. 

Thousands poured through the gates at Navigation Homes Stadium in Pukekohe as it played host to the 2024 Pasifika Youth Cup (PYC) Under 18 Boys and Girls Festival. 28 games were played over five days with 13 teams competing across the Boys Championship Section, the Girls Section, and the Boys Premiership Section. Samoa, Tonga, Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) Māori, Niue, Fiji, Tokelau, and the Cook Islands were all represented by hundreds of young athletes who put on a fantastic display for those in attendance and those watching every game live on Sky.…more

Mark Hunt discusses if his legal issues with the UFC are over, his return to fighting, getting into bare-knuckle boxing, his current weight, getting offered to take a dive for a fight, if he has talked to BKFC, if he can still watch MMA, wanting to face Jake Paul, USADA leaving UFC, and more.

Tongan Heavyweight boxer Junior Fa sits down with us to talk preparations for his upcoming fight against Cuban fighter Frank Sanchez at the 'Day of Reckoning' PPV, and his picks for the rest of the card🥊🇹🇴

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Interviewer: Penina Momoiseā
Talent: Junior Fa
Editor: Anric Sitanilei

Public Interest Journalism funded by NZ On Air

The countdown to the Day of Reckoning showdown between heavyweight juggernauts Deontay Wilder and Joseph Parker continues with this round table Face Off special with Carl Frampton.

The two giants of heavyweight boxing do battle on December 23rd in Saudi Arabia LIVE on TNT Sports Box Office but things ramp up here just a week out...

Blues and All Blacks star winger Caleb Clarke donned the green jersey of the South Sydney Rabbitohs when he hit the field with the team during pre-season trainings, afterwards confessing a switch to Rugby League isn't something he'd rule out.

He'll spend a couple of days training with the NRL side as preparation for his final contracted season with the Blues in next year's Super Rugby Pacific competition, noting that switching codes and playing Rugby League would be 'a dream come true.'

“I find the game so much more enjoyable. Doing that session [on Tuesday], I respect it so much more because it’s so fast and you don’t have much time to think. We’ll definitely see what happens down the track,” Clarke says.

"Being around an environment with people I look up to and can learn from can bring the edge I want to get and take into this new season."

NFL Pro Bowl and Super Bowl-winning wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster discusses culture, family, faith, and what it means to be a Polynesian athlete.

Watch “Inside the Grind” with JuJu Smith-Schuster, hosted by Serafina Maulupe.