Fresh Off The Field

The inaugural netball Spirit Series is celebrating pride, culture and excellence for First Nations and Indo-Pacific communities. Teams from Fiji, PNG, Singapore and Australia are competing in Sydney in what doubles as an important prelude to World Cup qualification. We catch up with Fiji Pearls captain Elenoa Gukirewa on what it means to drive her team's rebuild. Tongan soccer coach Ms Melemoala S...

Inspirational swimmer Jacob Story will be flying the flag for the Cook Islands at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. We hear what it means for him to represent his people. We also get to know PNG hurdler Robert Oa, who will make his Commonwealth Games debut when it all gets underway later this month. Rugby's Nations Championship kicks off this week, with Fiji playing Wales in Cardiff, in a contest...

Samoan sailing star Vaimo'oi'a Ripley recounts her experience at the Paris Olympics, while also providing an update on her latest exploits in sailing on the Pacific. PNG u19's Football coach Mathew Witu offers insights ahead of the team's OFC u19's Championship Finals tilt in Samoa. Sporting star Tagaloa Lynetta Edward unpacks her role as Medical Coordinator of High Performance at Oceania Football...

Women's Fijian Drua captain Bitila Tawake candidly details time crunch and pressure of juggling her rugby commitments along with her pursuit of a degree. Tonga's Chef de Mission for the Commonwealth Games Roman Vaihu also joins the show, setting the scene for the team Tonga will send to Glasgow next month. World Cup fever continues in the Americas, as we inspect the New Zealand players with Pacifi...

One of sport's most prestigious prizes goes back up for grabs in the United States as the Men's FIFA World Cup takes centre stage. Across the Pacific, lines are being drawn and allegiances solidified, as everyone gets swept up by the hype of the tournament - particularly in the football-mad nation of Vanuatu. Also, former Fiji Bati and NRL star Kane Evans has been praised for his incredible braver...

A host of debutants have the Fijian Drua loaded with excitement ahead of their season opening contest in Sydney against the Waratahs this Saturday. Hear from a couple of players who are hyped to get on the park and challenge themselves against the comp's reigning champions.

Former Rugby League player Sione Finefeuiaki is using sport and his profile to make an enormous difference in Tongan communities through his foundation. The former Sea Eagles front rower joins the show to explain what his foundation does and how it assists budding athletes break through.

The Grand Final for the inaugural OFC Pro League is is now set, after an epic post-season phase in both the Challengers and Leaders groups. Also on this week's edition of Fresh Off the Field, we preview the Fijian Drua Women's team ahead of the Super Rugby Women's season which kicks off in a fortnight's time. It's been announced that Bitila Tawake will lead the side. And the Gold Coast is gearing...

The PNG Chiefs landed the prized signature of Rabbitoh and PNG Kumuls star Alex Johnston, aka the Lumi Prince!  We also cover the Nadi Junior Rugby Festival currently happening in Fiji and Papua New Guinea's 3v3 basketball bid for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. It's another episode jam-packed with Pasifika sports talking points. Co-hosts: Jamie Haro (PNG) & Taina Basiyalo (Fiji)

Plenty on the show today! We chat to Rachel Andrew, the captain of the Women's Vanuatu Cricket team after their huge recent upset win over Nepal. Kevin Senio, the Director of Rugby at Moana Pasifika, also joins to unpack some the under-reported issues and barriers related to running the Super Rugby Pacific franchise.  And Kiribati Tag is on the rise. We meet the person who got it all going. Co-hos...

The PNG Chiefs have secured their first recruit in a huge coup for the brand new NRL side coming into the comp in 2028, with Wests Tigers Jarome Luai sealing the deal. It's sent shockwaves across Australia and the Pacific. The 2026 Universal Weightlifting Cup is underway in Samoa, which draws into focus the importance of doping education and awareness for athletes right across the Pacific. Comment...

There are some big sporting events heating up in Australia and across the Pacific! The countdown is officially on for the opening Women's State of Origin clash. We also have the Oceania Women's Rugby Championships unfolding, with some big games on the horizon. And in the OFC U16's Women's Championships, it all comes down to one huge contest between PNG and the Cook Islands to see who reaches the F...

It's a sad day in rugby, after news Super Rugby Pacific team Moana Pasifika will disband at the end of the 2026 season. We break it all down on today's show. Dame Valerie Adams DNZM shares her passion for Tongan athletics on the show, while our other interview features Ana Rabuka amid celebrations at the recent Tok Sevens event in PNG. There's also plenty going on in the world of football across t...

There's plenty going on in sport around the Pacific, as Tonga gears up to host the Penina Pasifika Battle of the Pacific and PNG has world class cricketers in town for an ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier series, featuring plenty of Pacific nations. Fiji plays host to Round 5 in the OFC Pro League starting this weekend, while we also dissect a couple of heart-warming sport that remind us that sport can...

Under solidified leadership, Vanuatu is rising the footballing ranks, highlighted by the recent feats of their U16 Men's side. What changes have been made? We hear from Jordan Mitsos, their head of Talent ID for the Federation, who spoke to co-host Mel Fare. Mel is joined by Fiji broadcaster Taina Basiyalo, who dives into the latest on Fiji Men's Rugby coach Mick Byrne stepping down just 18 months...

Plenty of interesting rugby and soccer to sink our teeth into on this week's episode, as PNG's Patricia Keamo and Fiji's Lailani Burnes talk through some of the big sporting stories across the Pacific. New Caledonia's FIFA World Cup campaign continues, while PNG's Women's Football Head Coach Erickson Komeng talks through preparations for the Women's World Cup Oceania Qualifiers.  Lailani catches u...

Samoa takes focus, celebrating athlete Maika Pedro recent feats and also gearing up to host the upcoming Oceania Open, a huge wrestling event that's drawing some of the globe's best. The crew also break down the Fijian Drua's impressive win over the Brumbies in Ba, review the latest in world Rugby Sevens, look at some juicy boxing stories and look closely at Tonga's under-16 Football side looking...

PNG's gearing up for the ever-growing Sports Tok Sevens tournament, Vanuatu beach volleyball is going from strength to strength and Samoan-Australian boxer Jai Opetaia continues to prove he's one of the best boxers on the planet. Co-hosts Melissa Fare and Jamie Haro also unpack the troubling story surrounding Vanuatu's Women's Soccer team right now. A big edition of sporting news from across the P...

Errol Qaqa is Fiji's lone hurdles athlete, but he's doing whatever it takes to inspire Fiji's next generation. Similarly, basketballer Jordan Lum Kon is doing what he can to pave the way for a fresh wave of Fijian hoopers. And there has been some big rugby news across the Pacific this week. Host Sam Wykes is joined by sports journalists Taina Basiyalo from Fiji and Harriet Tuara from the Cook Isla...

PNG's Women's National Team in football are hoping they can realise their FIFA Women's World Cup dream and claim Oceania's qualifying spot. We hear from their captain Ramona Padio. Plus, we cover the resurgence of cricket in the Solomon Islands, along with a number of other stories making waves around the Pacific.

Tonga is embracing its Commonwealth Games campaign with beach and waterfront clean-ups across the island. We also reflect on breaking glass ceilings in sport, following the early retirement of Destinee Aiava. And the newest inductees into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame. Tongan media consultant and reporter Kalo Manu-Moli and former Fijiana representative turned media personality Lailanie Burn...

Vanuatu is swept up in chess hype, the Solomon Kings produced a huge upset in the OFC Pro League, the crazy similarity between F1 and badminton, plus PNG's inspirational milestone in basketball.  PNG sports journalist Jamie Haro and Vanuatu cricketer and commentator Melissa Fare team up with Sam Wykes to bring you the latest from the OFC Pro League, the 2026 Victor Oceania Badminton Championships,...

Having represented Samoa at the Olympics and currently part of the IOC Young Leader program, Peniamina Percival is pushing judo to the front in Samoan sport and has even set up a dojo in Tiapapata. Co-host Gabrielle Apelu chats to Percival about his story, why judo aligns with Pasifika culture and why more women should take up the sport. Sam Wykes is also joined by Fijian sports editor Talei Matai...

We've got plenty on today with more OFC pro League news as the second round begins, a look at the upcoming Kaiviti Silktails season plus news in the world of tennis, netball, rugby union, badminton and even Pasifika stars competing in the NFL Superbowl. With the Winter Olympics starting next week too, Sam Wykes looks back at one of the most iconic moments for Tonga with an oiled up flag bearer who...

Despite heavy rain in NZ, most of the OFC Pro League games went ahead to signal the start of this exciting new tournament for the region. Sam Wykes is joined by PNG journalist Jamie Haro and Vanuatu cricketer and commentator Melissa Fare to chat through the big moments in the Pro League as well as news in the worlds of athletics, footy, tennis and more. There's also two interviews for cricket fans...