Fresh Off The Field

Eva Karpani grew up with a single mother and eight siblings and as she seeks out more about her Tongan side, a humbling recent highlight was the trip with the QLD Reds to play against Tonga Lofa and seeing her beautiful people. We hear about the trip, why she chose rugby union as a youngster and the full circle opportunities she's had to help discover more about her Tongan culture.

Tiana Fidow fills in for Bobby Macumber and is joined by Melissa Fare in Vanuatu to talk football and initiatives to improve gender perceptions in sport in the country. Also on the show is co-host Jamie Haro from Papua New Guinea to chat rugby league, volleyball and plenty more.

The Fiji Baby Pearls warmed up for the Youth Netball World Cup by hosting Australia, NZ and Singapore in Suva and coach Simone Nalatu and netballer Varanisese Vula chat about the experience. Vula tells us what it means to represent her country and Nalatu, a netball legend in Fiji, details why these testing games will help the future of the sport in Fiji.

Joining Bobby Macumber this week is Patricia Keamo with plenty of PNG news and a chat with their new men's football coach. Alongside them is our first i-Kiribati co-host, Teitirake Teanoa which is super exciting!

Ongiou Timeon couldn't throw a shot put far at all when he first begun but now he's proudly representing Kiribati in Paris at the Paralympics. Living with vision impairment and in a country where shot put's aren't readily available or the right weight, Timeon has overcome serious challenges and is excited to inspire others in his home nation.

Bobby Macumber is also joined by Priestley Habru with all the Solomon Islands news, Finau Vulivuli with plenty of Fijian updates and a chat with Peter Longman about developing female commentators from the Pacific.

Fresh off a debut Olympics where she carried the Palau flag in the opening ceremony, sprinter Sydney Francisco tells us about her race, what happened when she met one of the world's greatest sprinters and why she couldn't talk to media afterwards. We also hear about her excitement and plans for the next Pacific Mini Games in her hometown of Koror in Palau in 2025.

We also hear from Indra Singh and Jamie Haro for plenty more sporting action in Fiji, PNG and across the Pacific.

Playing rugby league wasn't on Maatuleio Fotu-Moala's radar a few years ago, but after flying over from NZ to train with the Dragons she's the latest Tongan to debut in the NRLW. Fotu-Moala grew up in a strict Tongan house and with footy on a Sunday, it was a no go zone for most of her youth. Fast forward to now and Leio has played for the Mate Ma'a Tonga and is hungry for more.

Bobby Macumber is also joined by Marian Kupu in Tonga and Talei Matairakula in Fiji to discuss the world of sport across the Pacific.

We’re in the latter half of the Olympics, closing in on the events our Pasifika athletes excel in! Bobby brings in another journalist from Paris, Solomon Islands woman Elizabeth Osifelo, to fill us in on highlights and the latest news happening over there. 

Patricia Keamo and Fia Liakong return to chat about the latest sporting news in Papua New Guinea and Samoa, as well as battle it out in Fresh off the Dome, where someone learns that confidence isn’t always key.

Olympic fever has swept across the world and Bobby Macumber fills you in on all the Pacific Island nations competing at Paris 2024. Bobby also chats to Fijian sailor Sophia Morgan who has come a long way since her fear of water to now being a two time Olympic sailor.

Co-host Kalo Moli reflects on the recent QLD Reds trip to Tonga including hearing from a couple of players involved, Pua Pedro from Tuvalu joins us for the first time on the show and we check in with Fijian journalist Sereana Salalo in Paris to get the latest updates on all our Pasifika athletes at the Games.

Georgia-Leigh Vele discovered an old journal not long ago where as an 8-year-old her number one dream was to attend an Olympic Games. This week she will fulfill that childhood dream and even get to carry the Papua New Guinea flag in the Opening Ceremony so we chat about her story, the pride in her country and this huge honour. We also hear about what it's like dating another professional athlete and her new tattoo representing her culture.

Also along for the ride is Talei Matairakula and Melissa Fare to wrap up the enormous amount of sport from across the region.

After competing at the 2022 Commonwealth Games as a 15-year-old, Lanihei Connolly is feeling more experienced but just as nervous for the Paris Olympics. The teenager will lineup for the Cook Islands in the swimming and is hoping to inspire the next generation of young Pasific Island girls to achieve their wildest dreams.

Patricia Keamo and Finau Vulivuli talk Olympics too for PNG and Fiji and help Bobby cover plenty more sports in the Pacific including Rugby Union, State Of Origin, tennis and football.

Annie Shannon grew up playing tennis in Fiji and it took her all the way to a College in the US as a teenager. These days Shannon has shifted her focus to coaching and making sure the next generation of Fijian and other Pacific Island tennis players can compete with the best up and comers around the world.

Indra Singh and Kalo Manu-Moli join Bobby to chat about the biggest stories in Fiji, Tonga and across the region and we hear a few more amazing interviews from athletes who competed at the Micronesian Games in the Marshall Islands in June.