We're keepin it Fresh with the Pacific Rugby League Teams - Fiji Bati, Toa Samoa & the Tonga Invitational XIII as they prepare to go up against each other + Australia in the Oceania Cup tests.

Go behind the scenes with them at training, the fan day at Mangere East Rugby League club and game day where Tonga made history beating Australia for the first time ever - catch the action here!

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Credits: 

Directors - Olly Coddington & Elizabeth Koroivulaono 

Camera Operators - Callum Thomas, Elizabeth Koroivulaono & Penina Momoisea 

Sound Operator - Callum Thomas 

* PG recommended - coarse language 

UFC Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and his coach Eugene Bareman interview each other at City Kickboxing in Auckland. 

They share their backgrounds and how they met, Eugene shares the beginnings of CKB with co-owner and coach Doug Viney, Izzy talks about why he chose CKB as his home gym, they talk the fight game and other world class fighters at the gym as well as Izzys career highlights.

Of the six New Zealanders currently signed to the UFC, five train out of City Kickboxing including Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya. Australian Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski also fights out of the gym.

A few of the CKB star fighters talk about why City Kickboxing is their home gym and what head coaches & CKB co-owners Eugene Bareman and Doug Viney are like as coaches.

“I won the fight, and I said to all my friends, ‘I’m never doing that again.’ It was terrifying. The anxiety before the fight, the uncertainty, the unknown, it was a totally different feeling to what I’ve experienced before. And then, I took another fight, took another fight.”

World champion Muay Thai fighter and mixed martial artist Genah Fabian has been a competitive athlete since she was six years old. She talks to Lani and Ben about how injuries that halted her track career as a teenager not only led her to pursue fighting as a profession, but also taught her valuable lessons about mental toughness, running towards fear and how to persevere when she might once have given up.

US college basketball player Alissa Pili has been named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year.

The young Samoan/Native Alaskan becomes the Trojans' first Pac-12 women's basketball Freshman of the Year recipient since 2009 (Briana Gilbreath).

She also becomes the first freshman to be named to the All-Pac-12 team since Oregon's Ruthy Hebard and Sabrina Ionescu in 2017. Pili led all Pac-12 freshmen in points per game (16.2) and rebounds per game (8.1) en route to the honor, also amassing a freshmen-best 11 double-doubles this season.

Michelle Smith, writing for WBB Notebook Pac12.com shares why she voted for Alissa for Freshman of the Year in the Post Season honours here: 

Alissa Pili, USC. There were higher-profile freshmen in this class. Stanford had a few, so did Oregon and Oregon State, but none did more for their team than Alaska native Pili, who has averaged 18.8 points a game in Pac-12 play on a super-young USC team that was hampered by injuries, but still proved a tough out in conference play.…more

Aliana Lefotu comes from a family of female wrestlers that have achieved much success at Golden Valley High School as sisters Avea (Class of 2017) and Arnae (Class of 2015) left their mark as Lady Bulldog legends.

“I am extremely grateful,” states the younger Aliana, “That I have come from a great line of tough girl wrestlers.”

Aliana has wrestled for 5 years, two years with the Top Dog Wrestling feeder program and the rest as a high school student at Golden Valley. As a sophomore, Aliana exploded onto the girls’ wrestling scene in Kern County as she accumulated a 42-12 record with 35 pins and a 2-2 record at the CIF State Tournament while wrestling at 131 pounds.

This year, Aliana has increased her intensity and focus, hoping to make a deep run at the CIF State Tournament.…more

This Samoan teen is on his way to the big time

Roderick Solo is a name familiar to some in rugby circles but the 2019 Ignite7 MVP is on his way to becoming a household name in no time.

Red Bull’s new mini-series ‘On The Rise’, profiles three of the six MVPs from the 2019 Red Bull Ignite7 tournament, all of whom earnt themselves a trial spot for the national rugby sevens development squads.

Roderick went on to play representative rugby, including being a standout player at the World Schools Condor Sevens tournament and also one of the top players in the New Zealand Secondary Schools side last year.

We wish him all the best as he trials for a spot in the New Zealand Sevens Development Squad.

Click here to watch Red Bulls full series

All Blacks flanker Ardie Savea chops it up with former NRL player Isaac John on his podcast 'The Ice Project' 

Ardie gives an injury update, shares about what it's like becoming an All Black, their Rugby World Cup loss, dealing with the media and why he started his own podcast, his clothing brand, mental health, the league switch to Samoa and a whole lot more! 

* PG recommended - coarse language 

Tongan/NZ basketball star & Oklahoma City Thunder centre Steven Adams chats with Ariel Helwani the night before UFC Fight Night in Auckland, New Zealand, and discusses his favorite UFC fighters.  

He shares the family connection with UFC Middleweight champ Israel Adesanya, Mark Hunt putting NZ on the map, the rise of MMA fighting in NZ and how great it is to see NZ hosting UFC fight nights.

Check out the time Izzy & Dan Hooker pulled up to Stevens charity event.  

ps Fun fact - Steven Adams sister Gabriella who went to school with Izzy is married to Toa Samoa & Huddersfield Giants Prop James Gavet.

Meet the Fijian teen chasing his rugby sevens dreams in New Zealand

"I was 10 when I came from Fiji to New Zealand. I didn't know how to speak English properly" - Jona Mataiciwa

Red Bull’s new mini-series ‘On The Rise’, profiles three of the six MVPs from the 2019 Red Bull Ignite7 tournament, all of whom earnt themselves a trial spot for the national rugby sevens development squads.

First up is proud Fijian Jona Mataiciwa who is based in Whanganui.  Red Bull talks with them about the sacrifices they have had to make to support their children’s dreams of becoming international rugby sevens representatives and other challenges along the way, including migrating from the Pacific Islands with young children.

Jona began playing competitive rugby soon after his family's move from Fiji, aged only 10.  Last year he helped lead his St. Kenitgren's team to the 1A final last year, with the side narrowly missing out against Hastings Boys High in the nationals.…more