Talking About A Carpool

The off-season isn't time off — it's the window that determines what kind of player you'll be when pre-season hits. ofahelotu and Semisi Telefoni break down exactly how to manage your mind, body, and nutrition during the break, drawing from the mistakes and wins across their own professional careers in Europe and the Pacific. WHAT'S COVERED: • Why mental rest is non-negotiable — an...

This week on Talking About A Carpool, hosts ofahelotu(Sydney, Australia) and Semisi Telefoni, aka "The Wine Chief"(Auckland, New Zealand), wrap up the 2025/26 European rugby season in their41st episode. They go deep on how professional rugby players should manage theoff-season — physically, mentally, and nutritionally — before closing out DaLatest Scoop with the Top 14 Grand Final and th...

This week on Talking About A Carpool, hosts ofahelotu (Sydney, Australia) and Semisi Telefoni, aka "The Wine Chief" (Auckland, New Zealand), wrap up a massive finals weekend across four major competitions — URC, Premiership Rugby, Super Rugby, and the Top 14 semifinals — before breaking down the freshly named All Blacks and Wallabies squads. It's a big one for the Pacific rugby commu...

Your rugby CV is the first thing a club, agent, or directorof rugby sees before they ever watch your highlights — and most players get itwrong. ofahelotu and Semisi Telefoni, aka "The Wine Chief", walk youthrough every section of a professional rugby CV, from profile basics topassport eligibility, strength stats, playing history, references, andhighlights footage. Whether you're tryi...

This week on Talking About A Carpool, hosts ofahelotu(Sydney, Australia) and Semisi Telefoni, aka "The Wine Chief"(Auckland, New Zealand), break down what's happening across the European rugbyfinals — Premiership, Top 14, and URC — before diving into the most practicalepisode of the season. The main focus is Da Kuleana: a step-by-step guide tobuilding a rugby CV that actually gets yo...

This week on Talking About A Carpool, hosts ofahelotu(Sydney, Australia) and Semisi Telefoni, aka "The Wine Chief"(Auckland, New Zealand), break down the business end of the European rugbyseason — Premiership Rugby, Top 14, Pro D2, and URC — before turning theirattention to the NRL State of Origin Game 2 squad announcements and the SuperRugby Pacific semifinals. It's a shorter episod...

Leaving home for rugby is one of the biggest decisions aplayer will ever make — and most of them make it without a roadmap. In thissegment, ofahelotu and Semisi Telefoni, aka "The Wine Chief", shareexactly what it cost them to go: the conversations with family, the emptyapartments after evening training, the payphone calls home, and the gap betweengetting paid and actually being a profes...

This week on Talking About A Carpool, hosts ofahelotu(Sydney, Australia) and Semisi Telefoni, aka "The Wine Chief"(Auckland, New Zealand), cover the business end of the European rugby seasonbefore getting into the conversation that matters most: what it actually coststo leave home for rugby. From empty apartments in Dijon to payphone calls tomum — this episode is for every player, parent...

Most rugby players don't plan for life after the game — because everything in the professional environment tells you to focus on right now. Semisi Telefoni, aka "The Wine Chief," is a Tongan New Zealander who played professional rugby in France for over a decade, and then did something very deliberate: he found his passion, used his rugby network to fund his education, competed for o...

This week on Talking About A Carpool, hosts ofahelotu(Sydney, Australia) and Semisi Telefoni, aka "The Wine Chief"(Auckland, New Zealand), open up about the weight of life off the field — ason's ankle operation, local derby prep, and three daughters representing atNetball Carnival. Then it's into the European rugby finals (Challenge Cup andChampions Cup), the Pro D2 barrage, and...

If you're a rugby league player — or the parent or coach of one — wondering whether rugby union is worth considering, this is the conversation you need to hear. ofahelotu (Sydney, Australia) tells his full story: from chasing the NRL dream in Victoria, to turning down a Raiders trial, to eventually becoming a professional Rugby Union prop who played in France. WHAT'S COVERED: • Why Victori...

This week on Talking About A Carpool, hosts ofahelotu (Sydney, Australia) and Semisi Telefoni, aka "The Wine Chief" (Auckland, New Zealand), dig into the European rugby finals weekend in Bilbao, break down the latest results from all five competitions, and explore the newly named 2026 State of Origin squads under the game's biggest eligibility rule change in decades. The centrepiece...

This week on Talking About A Carpool, host ofahelotu(Sydney, Australia) flies solo — Semisi Telefoni, aka "The WineChief" (Auckland, New Zealand), takes the week off. ofahelotu breaks downthe latest European rugby results across four competitions, then goes deep onwhat's really holding Australian rugby back, why Wallabies should be playing inEurope, and what a coaching change at Manl...

Grassroots rugby clubs in New Zealand and Australia are merging, shrinking, and disappearing — not because people stopped loving the game, but because not enough people are showing up for it off the field. This Da Kuleana breaks down exactly what parents, players, former players, and community members can do right now to keep their local club alive. If you came through a rugby club, owe something...

This week on Talking About A Carpool, hosts ofahelotu(Sydney, Australia) and Semisi Telefoni, aka "The Wine Chief"(Auckland, New Zealand), dig into the state of grassroots rugby and whateveryday people can do to keep it alive. From Champ Rugby standings andEuropean Champions Cup semi-finals, to a deep and practical conversation abouthow parents, players, and community members can show up...

Video review isn't just for professionals — it's one of themost powerful tools any rugby player can use to improve, and it's moreaccessible than ever. Whether you're coming off a loss, fighting for your spotin the squad, or preparing your pack for the week ahead, knowing how to watchand learn from footage is a skill in itself. ofahelotu and Semisi "TheWine Chief" Telefoni...

This week on Talking About A Carpool, hosts ofahelotu (Sydney, Australia) and Semisi Telefoni, aka "The Wine Chief" (Auckland, New Zealand), catch up over Anzac weekend — footy, family, brass bands, and winter sports kicking off — before diving deep into European rugby. The boys wrap the Premiership, URC, Top 14, and Pro D2 tables with their weekly tips tally, then close with a heartfelt...

Most young rugby players want to go pro — but very few understand what that actually requires before the contract arrives. This week's Da Kuleana breaks down the real daily and weekly demands of a professional rugby environment, and what uncontracted players in the 18–25 bracket need to start doing now — in training, time management, and mindset — to put themselves in the conversation. WHAT&#3...

This week on Talking About A Carpool, hosts ofahelotu(Sydney, Australia) and Semisi Telefoni, aka "The Wine Chief"(Auckland, New Zealand), dig into a big week in rugby — from the European clubseason heating up across the Championship, URC, and Top 14, to theheartbreaking news surrounding Moana Pasifika's future in Super Rugby Pacific. They also celebrate a milestone for the Pacific r...

If you're in Australia or New Zealand and you've never heard of the European Challenge Cup, you're not alone — but you're missing out on some of the best professional club rugby in the world. In this Da Kuleana, ofahelotu and Semisi break down exactly how the competition works, walk through its full 30-year naming history, and share first-hand playing stories from inside the compet...

This week on Talking About A Carpool, hosts ofahelotu (Sydney, Australia) and Semisi Telefoni, aka "The Wine Chief" (Auckland, New Zealand), celebrate Episode 30 with a packed show. They cover European rugby's business end — Championship Rugby, Pro D2, the Challenge Cup, and Investec Champions Cup quarter-finals — before turning to two big front-of-mind conversations: the rise of UFC...

Da Kuleana: The European Champions Cup Explained From Talking About A Carpool — Episode 28 If you've ever wondered why European club rugby is considered the pinnacle of the professional game — this is the episode to start with. The Investec Champions Cup brings together the best players from the world's top-ranked nations under one competition, and understanding how it works is essential f...

Talking About A Carpool: Episode 29 – European Rugby Results, Penrith Panthers, and the Michael Jackson Movie This week on Talking About A Carpool, hosts ofahelotu (Sydney, Australia) and Semisi Telefoni, aka "The Wine Chief" (Auckland, New Zealand), dig deep into the European club rugby season as the knockout rounds heat up, share their live quarter-final tips, and weigh in on two big p...

Da Kuleana: Rugby Opportunities Beyond Australia & New Zealand — Part 2 From Talking About A Carpool — Episode 28 You know how to catch, tackle, and scrum — but do you know where those skills can take you outside Super Rugby and the NPC? This Kuleana breaks down the professional and semi-pro rugby competitions across Asia-Pacific, the Americas, and South Africa so you can plan your next move,...

Talking About A Carpool: Episode 28 – All Blacks Coaching Overhaul & The Fighter's Dilemma This week on Talking About A Carpool, hosts ofahelotu (Sydney, Australia) and Semisi Telefoni, aka "The Wine Chief" (Auckland, New Zealand), break down Dave Rennie's newly appointed All Blacks coaching staff and ask the tough question: when should elite athletes walk away? From Israel A...