“When you look at the special players who’ve come from Polynesia and Polynesian backgrounds, they’ve really impacted the game and made it a better game.”

Polynesian athletes are 28 times more likely to play in the NFL. Their culture has had a tremendous impact on the game of football.  This documentary looks at the unsung heroes of the game.

If you're not familiar with the name Konecs we're sure you'll be familiar with his music.  He's the voice behind Tongan jam 'Ofa Mai' & features on the pop/reggae hit  'Chill' by DJ Noiz (see vid below)

The 24 year old Tongan grew up in Mangere, South Auckland and started making music at the age of 16.  He was discovered by Biordi Group Music late last year in October, signed to their label and now resides in Sydney to focus on his music & future.

The mini doco above shows a bit of his journey with the move over to Sydney & how he overcame addiction & dealt with cyber bullying after a negative Facebook post went viral.
Since moving he's been focused on not only his music but his mental & physical health.

His new single STRONGER talks about what he went through and how he came out of his dark place & drops this Friday the 18th. 

Follow Konecs on -
Instagram: @konecsmusic
Facebook: @konecs
Soundcloud: @konecs

TIANNA TUAMOHELOA 

Miss Nevada USA 2019 

Samoan / Tongan / African-American / Japanese / Irish

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I grew up a Military brat where both of my parents were in the United States Army. I was born in Fort Riley, Kansas, moved around to about 4 states from the South to the West Coast and finally my parents retired to Las Vegas, Nevada where we have lived for the last 14 years. Though my 3 brothers and I grew up in the mainland, we were always reminded of where we truly come from. My parents Simi, Jr and Salamasina Nomura McMoore Timu Tuamoheloa hail from Illilli, Utulei and Lealoaloa, American Samoa. My father is Samoan/Tongan/African-American and my mother is Samoan/Japanese/Irish. 

Guest writer:  TVNZ's Te Karere Reporter, Te Rina Kowhai 

DC's latest superhero movie 'Aquaman' has smashed NZ's box office record with the highest Boxing Day opening movie of all time. And it’s with no surprise here, with Aotearoa being the Polynesian hub in the world. However the film is not only making waves in Aotearoa but the world is also embracing the first-ever Polynesian superhero.

Forbes listing that the movie has topped US $1 billion worldwide, becoming Warner Bros. biggest global grosser to date.

And we can thank leading man, Hawai’i born actor Jason Momoa, for taking up the role and embodying the DC character, Arthur Curry a.k.a Aquaman whose original adaptation is a blonde haired, fair, white-skinned Caucasian man. Now portrayed as a brown skinned 6 ft 4, the half breed, part Atlantean and part human is now also of Polynesian descent.…more

Meet 11 year old Tongan actress/singer Visesia Fakatoufifita who plays the lead role of Annie in the 5th Avenue Theatre production (Seattle, USA) of "ANNIE" 

Her parents let her try out for Annie because they thought it would be good for her to be told "No" early in her acting career. Boy, did that plan backfire!

Jason goes home to Hawai'i and he takes us behind the scenes with him on the last stop of his Aquaman World Tour where he gives back to the Boys & Girls club in Nanakuli and has a special screening for his friends & family.

Visiting friends or family in the Pacific Islands this holidays?  Don't ruin the reunion by getting sick! 

Your body's resistance changes when you move or leave your country of origin.

This means travellers visiting friends and relatives in the Pacific Islands should be extra careful when heading back.  When you return home to the islands for a holiday, you may be more at risk of certain illnesses than you were in the past. 

Prevention is best when it comes to infectious diseases.

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Here are some safe travel tips:

Mosquitos that commonly spread dengue fever bite in the day.  Make sure you use insect repellant containing DEET* 

Water should be bottled or boiled even for brushing teeth.

Wash fruit in safe water and remember peeled fruit is best.

Freshly cooked hot food is best.  Be aware of raw seafood as this can be unsafe to eat.

Get vaccinated.  Find out from your doctor what you might need before your trip.

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Information above from the Auckland Public Health Service 

For more information search www.safetravel.govt.nz/health-and-travel

It's been another huge year for Samoan NFL player Juju Smith-Schuster.  At the end of last month, he was voted by his Pittsburgh Steelers team-mates as their 2018 MVP and today he was announced as the Polynesian Pro Football Player of the Year by the Polynesian Pro Football Hall of Fame for the 2nd consecutive year.

Check out his year in review in the video above.

The Polynesian Pro Football Player of the Year Award recognizes the most outstanding professional football player of Polynesian Ancestry.  Arizona Cardinals Offensive Guard Mike Iupati was selected as the inaugural recipient in 2015, Tennessee Titans Quarterback Marcus Mariota was selected as the recipient in 2016 and Smith-Schuster also received the award in 2017.…more

Our very own Tofiga Fepulea'i meets Jason Momoa in Sydney for the premiere of Jason's latest movie AQUAMAN.
Check out how Jason feels being the very first Polynesian Super Hero in this exclusive interview & Tofiga also gives us his Aquaman review.

Follow Jason BTS on his Aquaman world tour here. 

Full interview coming up on FreshTVs new season!

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Thank you Warner Bros for Aquaman interview & movie footage 

Thank you Undertow Media 

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Tofigas review Camera Operators - Danny Aumua & Junior Meredith 

Edited by Danny Aumua 

Jason Momoa is back in Hawai'i this weekend & hosted a private screening of 'Aquaman' for his family and friends & as a fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Club of Hawai'i (Check out his visit with them in his instagram post below - those Ula Loles tho!).

Hundreds of fans gathered outside the theatre to catch a glimpse of him.

He addressed the crowd saying "I'm so honoured to play this role because it represents all of us, all of Polynesia.  A wise man once told me, we as Polynesians - we're not separated by land but we're connected by water - Fijians, NZ the maoris, Tahitian, Kanaka Maoli, it's all one tribe, all one nation ...." 

Watch the rest of his speech in the vid above.