Advertise on podcast: The Village Athlete Podcast

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Hosted by Rugby League legend Nigel Vagana and radio personality Sela Alo, the Village Athlete Podcast is dedicated to the Village. Unpacking and celebrating the cultural journey of Pasifika sportspeople worldwide. The Village Athlete will provide the wider Village with a deeper understanding of the cultural roadblocks and challenges, triumphs and tribulations faced by Pasifika athletes around the globe. We'll unlock the stories that connect community, culture, spirituality, humour and high performance to help inspire, educate and celebrate the global phenomenon that is the Village Athlete.

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Check latest episodes from The Village Athlete Podcast podcast

Episode 4. "Niko Jones"

2026/01/30

This is our final episode for this season. We chat with young Rugby player, Niko Jones. We yarn about his sporting journey, going through life as a Samoan with fair skin, and growing up under one of the greatest Rugby players in history.

Episode 3. "Eroni Clarke"

2026/01/23

On this episode with Eroni, we explore the early days of Eroni's Rugby career, his village that helped him succeed, and now being a father of a young All Black. This one goes deep, and we're here for it!

Episode 2. "Willie Poching"

2026/01/16

We have an insightful chat with Willie Poching about his love and passion for Rugby League since a school boy. He tells a funny story about how he deliberately dodged joining the First XV in school, his time in the 1995 squad for the then Auckland Warriors, living, playing and coaching in Wakefield in the UK, and adjusting to life back in Aotearoa. There are so many gems in this episode.

Episode 1. "Picking back up"

2026/01/08

We're back for a whole new season. On this episode, we pick back up where we left off. We recap our highlights from last season, and chat about some of the themes we'd like to get into this season. New chapter, new guests, same antics.

Episode 10. "We Made It"

2025/01/16

This is our last episode for the season. We look back at some of our favourite conversations and pick a part some of the big learnings we’ve come across. When we started this podcast, our goal was to have these convos so that the young athletes of today, and their village, know the go and what pitfalls to be wary of. We can’t thank you enough for all of the positive feedback we’ve received since we started. Thank you! We’ll be back in a few months for Season 2 and trust us – we’re coming back bigger.

Episode 9. "Fighting the Good Fight"

2024/12/26

We have the pleasure of chatting with Boxer, Kick Boxer, and Mixed Martial Artist, Genah Fabian. We chat about Genah's early beginning in Track & Field, the role her family/village played in those early days, navigating identity and her journey getting into combat sports.

Episode 8. "The Iceman"

2024/12/19

We're honored to have another legend on the poddy with us. The Iceman himself, La'auli Savae Sir Michael Jones. We unpack the term "Leadership" and what it means for athletes both on and off the field, and some important stories and recollections from Sir Michael Jones that left us in awe. There are so many gems on this episode!

Episode 7. "The Keyboard Warriors"

2024/12/12

In this episode, we unpack how professional athletes deal with the spotlight. Every public figure becomes an open target unfortunately. We talk about how to digest it, process it and hopefully deal with it. Nigel gives his take on some experiences he's had.

Episode 6.2 "The Great Tana Umaga"

2024/12/05

We continue the chat with the legendary, Tana Umaga. We break down the attitude it takes to maintain in a professional sports setting, the values and the tough decisions you will have to eventually make. We hope you enjoy this convo as much as we did.

Episode 6.1 "The Great Tana Umaga"

2024/11/28

We're really honoured to have the legend himself, Tana Umaga on today's episode. In Part 1, we talk about Tana's early beginnings in Rugby League, his upbringing and how he navigated the space of professional sport. Part 2 drops next week.

Episode 5. "Only The Lonely"

2024/11/21

When becoming a professional athlete, the road is lonely for most. We chat about the experiences of what Nigel went through and what Sela's son is currently going through on the journey to becoming a professional athlete.

Episode 4. "Why Can't We Be Friends?"

2024/11/14

This episode focuses on the friend's circle. It's important about the company you keep, it could make or break your path to success. We chat about the pros and cons on the type of support circle you have growing up.

Episode 3. "Tough Time Never Last"

2024/11/07

This episode goes deep about if "tough love" works or not. What helps success? It's a tricky balance and we unpack the conversation as parents. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did.

Episode 2. "Different Strokes"

2024/10/31

In this episode we have a good chat about cultural differences growing up. From the challenges of having different lunches from others in school, to being able to say "no". We unpack it all in this episode.

Episode 1.2 "The Big League"

2024/10/24

Part two of the Village Athlete continues the conversation around Nigel's early journey into a newly formed Warriors team. What that meant as a young Pacific Islander in a new setting now having to front media, travelling, and all the extras that come with being a professional athlete.