Antonio Shalfoon is someone who is a very different person off the field than he may seem on it. Known as a bit of a grub on the field, off the field he is one of the greats and his journey to professional rugby is as inspiring as any.

To start he wasn't offered his first full Super Rugby contract until the age of 26 after years of grinding away in club rugby, moving provinces to chase opportunities, and overcoming setbacks that would have made most people give up. Add to that Antonio opens up about the frightening story of being diagnosed with myocarditis, where he was told he may never play the game again.

Some other parts that stood out for me in this episode were…

- Hearing about the time he had a fight with a kids dad while playing Cricket

- Why he got punched in the head in his first Waikato training

- The scary heart condition that nearly ended his rugby career

- His pathway into the Crusaders and what kept him going

- His selection into the Maori All Blacks and what that mean for him

- Why he's signed in Japan for next season

And plenty more great yarns.

Antonio is exactly the type of person you want around a rugby team. He's funny, authentic, incredibly resilient and proof that there is no single pathway to achieving your goals. This was an awesome conversation and one I know you'll enjoy.

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