ShedLife NZ with Jason & Mates

Can the Chiefs finally bring home another Super Rugby title? With the new squads announced, plenty of Waikato talent getting opportunities and the All Blacks preparing to face Scotland, there's heaps to get into this week!Jason Davis and Quentin Hill are back for another ShedLife NZ Sport Weekly Wrap, covering the latest in New Zealand rugby, rugby league, boxing, cricket and local sport.🏉 CHIEFS & SUPER RUGBYThe new Super Rugby squads are out and we're taking a good look at the Chiefs' recruitment, the players coming in and whether this could be their year.There's also plenty to celebrate for Waikato rugby, with young players earning full contracts and wider training squad opportunities across Super Rugby.We look back at the NPC season, Canterbury's clinical performance against Northland in the final, and the local talent making a name for themselves.🏴 ALL BLACKS v SCOTLANDThe All Blacks are heading to Murrayfield and we're backing the boys to get the job done!We discuss the squad, potential selections, the battle for the number 10 jersey and our score predictions for Scotland.🏉 KIWIS & INTERNATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUEInternational rugby league has been brilliant to watch, with Tonga, Samoa and the Kiwis bringing some serious excitement.We talk about the incredible support from Pacific rugby league fans, the Kiwis' form and the possibility of an annual Tonga versus Samoa test series.🥊 BIG MONTH FOR NZ BOXINGThere's some great boxing coming up, including Francis against undefeated Australian Max McIntyre, plus the upcoming Rumble on the River and Chaos on the Coromandel events.We're also getting behind our mate KJ as he prepares to step into the ring for a groundsman versus groundsman showdown!🏏 AND PLENTY MOREWe catch up on the Black Ferns, the Black Caps, local rugby tens and the sporting stories happening around Waikato and across New Zealand.Who are you backing for Super Rugby next season? And what are your predictions for the All Blacks against Scotland?We love hearing your picks and getting amongst the discussion.🎙️ ABOUT SHEDLIFE NZ SPORT WEEKLY WRAPJoin Jason Davis and Quentin Hill each week as we catch up on the biggest stories in New Zealand sport. From the All Blacks and Super Rugby to rugby league, boxing, cricket and grassroots Waikato sport, we're here to celebrate the people, teams and communities that make sport great.Watch or listen on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.🌐 Website: https://shedlife.co.nz#ShedLifeNZ #AllBlacks #ChiefsRugby #SuperRugby #NZSport #WaikatoRugby #RugbyLeague #NZBoxing

From the Chiefs and Waikato to the boxing ring and a knockout tournament for local clubs, Liam Messam has a story that goes well beyond the field.

Former All Black, one of the most capped Chiefs of all time, Waikato centurion, sevens captain, Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Hautapu clubman and boxer. Liam is now the athlete development and performance coach for the sevens, and the founder of 1082 Performance with his wife Monique. There’s plenty more to him than the resume.

This week, we welcome Liam into the ShedLife Studio for a great conversation with Jason Davis about club rugby, boxing, sevens, service and what it really means to give something back to the game.

Liam talks about getting players back to their local clubs, why he felt he couldn’t go back to his own after retiring, and the reunion that changed his mind. He tells the story of coming nearly last in every fitness test as a 16-year-old at a Gordon Tietjens camp, then being told he’d have been picked if he’d been fitter. He explains what it means to be a Chief, and why he says it’s bigger than winning and losing. He also goes through his boxing journey, including six rounds of sparring with a pro that left him feeling like a “walking punching bag.”

It’s a conversation with someone who has played at the top, still loves the grassroots, and is trying to make the game better for the next generation.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro and Liam’s resume
01:11 Why Liam created 1082 Performance
03:28 The logo and what it means
04:43 Backing local: lion’s mane and creatine
12:11 The Movember Tens knockout tournament
20:57 Club rugby and the heart of the community
21:44 Feeling like he couldn’t go back, and the reunion
29:09 Telling club stories online and the Waitak Warriors
36:40 Backing the kids and the volunteers
41:09 Referees, sideline behaviour and what boxing teaches
49:35 How boxing started for Liam
51:21 Fight for Life and getting the bug
53:03 The crew in his corner
54:51 Six rounds in the ring with a pro
58:38 From Rotorua Boys’ High to the sevens
59:02 Camp with Titch and coming nearly last
1:05:01 “He forgot to turn it off”
1:10:41 Fozzy at the kitchen table and the road to the Chiefs
1:14:35 When Jonah turned up to his 21st
1:16:08 Hautapu and club rugby
1:18:51 Dave Rennie and building the Chiefs
1:24:00 What it means to be a Chief
1:28:00 Boxing, journeymen and respect
1:30:47 Tana Umaga as a Chief
1:32:53 Longevity over a long career
1:34:47 The Commonwealth Games
1:38:51 Leading the haka
1:43:54 Fight night and what’s next in the ring
1:45:35 The Battle of the Groundsmen
1:51:06 Backing local boxers and athletes
1:53:35 Ashleigh Hoeta and supporting local brands
1:55:15 Wrap up

Subscribe to ShedLife NZ for more great Kiwi conversations, sport, lessons and laughs.

#LiamMessam #ClubRugby #NZRugby #Chiefs #Boxing

From a sevens tournament with three yellow cards to the Ranfurly Shield and a Commonwealth Games silver medal, Declan O’Donnell has one of the most interesting careers in Waikato rugby.Declan thought he’d wrecked his chances when he picked up three yellow cards at a tournament in Australia. Instead, Gordon Tietjens loved his aggression, and a few months later he was scoring three tries in the Wellington Sevens final. Since then he has played for the Māori All Blacks, Waikato, the Chiefs and Taranaki, won a Commonwealth Games silver medal in Glasgow, and played rugby in the United States.This week, we welcome Declan into the ShedLife Studio for a great chat with Jason Davis about the sevens, Super Rugby, the NPC and what it really takes to make it, from the people who get you there to the injuries that nearly end it.It’s a conversation with someone who has been through the highs and the lows of professional rugby and still loves it.CHAPTERS00:33 Intro01:11 Three yellow cards and getting picked for Tietjens’ sevens05:28 Club hopping and the Mighty Team Cup academy07:09 First camp: beep tests, phosphate tests and the 80-60-4012:43 First tournaments and the Wellington Sevens final17:29 Growing up in Te Rapa and the 4am walks to training24:11 Hamilton Boys’ High and the start of a dynasty27:22 Rugby league temptation and the NRL pathway31:35 Loyalty, and turning down Canterbury35:19 The Commonwealth Games silver medal38:00 Tietjens, the golden era and the NZ rugby pathway41:33 Stepping up from club rugby to the NPC48:10 Getting called into the Chiefs50:17 The Devil’s Day and the mud run57:21 The marshmallows group and nutrition lessons61:03 Māori All Blacks, Jamie Joseph and the shoulder injury66:57 Injuries, rehab and looking after your body72:12 Inside the Commonwealth Games village73:06 Glasgow, the final against South Africa and the one that got away79:22 Moving to Taranaki and the knee injury93:37 Winning the Ranfurly Shield from 24-0 down98:25 The parade, and why provincial rugby matters102:25 Washington DC and rugby in the USA106:12 Why New Zealand players stand out overseas111:18 Life after rugby: study, teaching and the kids114:43 Wrap upABOUT SHEDLIFE NZShedLife NZ with Jason Davis is a Waikato-based podcast telling the stories of good people working hard.Every Sunday at 6:30pm NZ time, Jason sits down with athletes, coaches, community legends, tradies and business owners for long-form conversations about the moments that shaped them, the setbacks they got through and what they’ve learned along the way.Rugby, league, boxing, netball, arm wrestling, business and everything in between.Good people. Real stories. Useful lessons. Plenty of laughs.Find more from ShedLife NZ at https://shedlife.co.nzWatch on YouTube or listen through Spotify and Apple Podcasts under ShedLife NZ with Jason & Mates.#DeclanODonnell #NZSevens #WaikatoRugby #RanfurlyShield #CommonwealthGames

The All Blacks came flying out against the Wallabies, but what happened to that attacking spark in the second half?

And after a cracking Kiwis versus Kangaroos rugby league clash, how close are New Zealand to turning the tables on Australia?

Jason Davis and Quentin Hill are back for another ShedLife NZ Sport Weekly Wrap, covering a massive weekend of New Zealand rugby, international rugby league, Heartland rugby, NPC finals, boxing and basketball.

We kick off with the All Blacks against Australia. Beauden Barrett showed his class, the forwards were making metres and the opening 20 minutes looked outstanding. But the second half was a different story.

We look at the standout performances, the players making their mark and what the All Blacks need heading into their Northern Hemisphere tour.

Then it's into international rugby league, where the Kiwis and Kangaroos put on a brilliant contest. We also get into the rise of Tonga and Samoa, the passion of their supporters and why international rugby league is becoming such exciting viewing.

Closer to home, we're celebrating the King Country Rams bringing the Meads Cup back to the region! A huge achievement for King Country rugby, with a special nod to the players, supporters and everyone behind the team.There's also the big NPC final between Northland and Canterbury.

Can the Taniwha finish their remarkable run with the title? We're backing the Northland boys, making our score predictions and looking at what it will take to get the job done.

And there's plenty more happening around NZ sport.

From arm wrestling on school rubbish bins to playing Tai Kaliso in Gears of War, Maateiwarangi has one of the most unusual stories in New Zealand sport.

Aotearoa arm wrestling champion since 2012, four-time and current Oceania champion, six-time Australasian champion, Arnold Classic champion in 2017 and 2019, AWE Intercontinental champion in 2023, and New Zealand’s strongest bench press at 262.5kg. Maateiwarangi has achieved plenty, but there’s a lot more to his story than what happens at the arm wrestling table.

This week, we welcome Maateiwarangi into the ShedLife Studio for a great conversation with Jason Davis about arm wrestling, strength, tā moko, family, service and what it really takes to be the best in the world at something most people only know from a pub.

This is a conversation with someone who went from arm wrestling for beers to a Gears of War audition, and who still believes the greatest life is one lived in service of others.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro and Maateiwarangi’s titles

01:34 From arm wrestling to Gears of War

08:28 Rubbish bin arm wrestling and growing up10:17 The documentary that changed everything

12:20 Pub arm wrestling and the DJ who stonewalled him

18:39 Sons of Samson and learning to pull

25:19 How arm wrestling gave him direction

28:40 Old man strength and arm wrestling’s Olympic past

32:53 First trip overseas and pulling a legend

39:10 Larry Wheels in Dubai

43:29 Building a profile on social media

47:40 The strongest thumb in New Zealand

50:51 Bench press, Kiwi Strength and the 262.5kg

57:46 Losing 20kg and rethinking his training

1:00:41 Tā moko and finding balance

1:02:59 Giving back and serving others

1:07:10 Sponsors and how to start arm wrestling

1:08:55 Camaraderie and the world’s best

1:15:07 The story behind his name

1:17:01 What’s next: India and Indian clubs

1:19:40 Wrap upSubscribe to ShedLife NZ for more great Kiwi conversations, sport, lessons and laughs.

#ArmWrestling #GearsOfWar #Powerlifting #NZSport #Aotearoa

#AllBlacks #NPC #Rugby

The All Blacks answered all the talk about the Eden Park record with a statement win over the Wallabies. Did they just prove the fortress still stands?

This week on ShedLife NZ Sport Weekly Wrap, Jason Davis and Quentin Hill (now a father of two, congratulations Quentin) break down the All Blacks’ big win over an Australian side that arrived on a six-game winning streak. The forwards stood up, the Barrett brothers were all back in the squad, and both hosts picked Jordie Barrett as their man of the match.

Then the NPC and Heartland Championship get serious. Northland beat Tasman 26 to 21 to keep their fairy tale alive, Taranaki and Otago both won at home, and Canterbury ended Waikato’s season. The hosts talk through the semi-final picks, including Northland v Otago on Friday 16 October. In the Heartland semi-finals, Mid Canterbury beat Thames Valley, King Country beat North Otago, and Whanganui got home by a single point.

Jason also takes us inside the Waitak Warriors’ first-ever season in their district rugby league competition. It took 10 weeks from the first training camp to a grand final against the undefeated reigning champions, Mercury Bay. The Warriors led at half time before Mercury Bay hit back, and the final finished 38 to 24.

There’s plenty more across New Zealand sport. The Kiwis are about to kick off their league campaign, there was Bathurst heartbreak when the leader ran out of fuel, and the Black Ferns host France in Hamilton with a ticket giveaway. Jason also tells the story of a 120-year-old Sydney sports store and why backing your local team matters.

IN THIS EPISODE

🏉 All Blacks smash the Wallabies and the man of the match
🏟️ Can the All Blacks do it again in Australia? The hosts’ score picks
🏆 NPC quarter-final results and semi-final picks
📍 Heartland Championship semi-finals and the finals line-up
🏉 Waitak Warriors’ grand final: 10 weeks from first training to the final
🌏 Kiwis, Tonga and Samoa ahead of the league tests
🏁 Bathurst heartbreak
🎟️ Black Ferns v France in Hamilton and a ticket giveaway
🛍️ Why a 120-year-old Sydney sports store loves Warriors fans
🏃 Local sport, upcoming events and backing your team

CHAPTERS
00:00 Welcome and Quentin’s new arrival
01:15 All Blacks smash the Wallabies
05:41 NPC quarter-final results and semi-final picks
11:50 Heartland Championship semi-finals and finals picks
17:15 Waitak Warriors grand final
21:04 Kiwis and the Pacific nations
23:16 Bathurst and the Black Ferns v France preview
25:15 Sydney sports store and backing your team
28:18 Black Ferns score picks
29:18 Local sport and what’s coming up
33:00 Final thoughts

The NPC is down to its last four, the Heartland finals are set, and the All Blacks head to Australia with momentum. Who are you backing this weekend?

ShedLife NZ Sport Weekly Wrap is Jason Davis and Quentin Hill talking through the week that was across New Zealand sport. Rugby, league, NPC, local sport, picks and the stories we reckon are worth talking about.

New episodes drop Monday at 6:30pm NZT as part of ShedLife NZ with Jason & Mates.

#ShedLifeNZ #AllBlacks #Wallabies #BledisloeCup #NZRugby #NPC #HeartlandChampionship #NZSport

From representing South Africa to becoming a World Champion Silver Fern, Leana de Bruin has one of the great stories in New Zealand netball.

34 international tests for South Africa, 104 for New Zealand, a Netball World Championship, two Commonwealth Games gold medals and a return to the court at 48.

Leana has achieved plenty, but there's a lot more to her story than what happened on the netball court.

This week, we welcome former Silver Ferns defender Leana de Bruin into the ShedLife Studio for an awesome conversation with Jason Davis and Karl Johnson about netball, life, family, resilience and what it really takes to compete at the highest level.

This is a great conversation with someone who has experienced international sport from both sides of the Tasman and both sides of the South Africa and New Zealand rivalry.

Can the All Blacks keep their incredible Eden Park record intact against the Wallabies?

This week on ShedLife NZ Sport Weekly Wrap, Jason Davis and Quentin Hill get into the Bledisloe Cup clash, Australia’s five game winning streak and the All Blacks’ remarkable run at Eden Park.

We look at the injuries affecting New Zealand, the players coming back into the side and whether Eden Park can once again prove to be the difference. Quentin is confident, tipping the All Blacks to get it done 39 to 24.

We also get into Jason’s trip to Sydney for the NRL Grand Final, the atmosphere around the Warriors supporters and Daly Cherry Evans finishing his NRL career with a big moment late in the game.

There is plenty happening across New Zealand sport this week too.

IN THIS EPISODE

🏉 All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe Cup preview
🏟️ Can the All Blacks protect their Eden Park record?
🇳🇿 All Blacks injuries, returning players and team discussion
🎯 Quentin’s All Blacks score prediction
🏉 Jason’s trip to Sydney for the NRL Grand Final
🌏 Kiwis, Tonga and Samoa ahead of international rugby league
🏆 NPC and Heartland Championship results and finals picks
📍 Local rugby league finals in Thames
🌿 Black Ferns jersey and ticket giveaway
🏀 NZ Breakers update after their win over Adelaide 

CHAPTERS

00:00 All Blacks vs Wallabies and the Eden Park fortress
05:37 NRL Grand Final trip to Sydney
09:21 Rugby league and the Pacific nations
11:56 NPC and Heartland Championship wrap
26:56 Local footy and finals
28:47 Black Ferns giveaway
30:48 NZ Breakers and basketball
33:30 Final thoughts 

The All Blacks have built one of sport’s great home ground records at Eden Park, but Australia arrive with confidence and plenty to play for. Can the Wallabies finally break through, or does the fortress hold again?

ShedLife NZ Sport Weekly Wrap is Jason Davis and Quentin Hill talking through the week that was across New Zealand sport. Rugby, league, NPC, local sport, picks and the stories we reckon are worth talking about.

New episodes drop Monday at 6:30pm NZT as part of ShedLife NZ with Jason & Mates.

#ShedLifeNZ #AllBlacks #Wallabies #BledisloeCup #NZRugby #EdenPark #NZSport #BunningsNPC

Patrick Hedley joins Jason Davis on ShedLife NZ for a conversation about King Country rugby, life in the Heartland Championship, goal kicking, club rugby and what it means to represent the region you grew up in.Patty grew up in Te Kuiti before heading to the University of Waikato, where he played for Varsity. His rugby has since taken him through King Country, Hawke’s Bay and back into the Waikato club scene, including a championship season with Hautapu.In this episode we get into what Heartland Rugby is really like from inside the King Country Rams.Patty talks about the culture they have built, the crowds that turn up around the country, the rivalries between the regions and why playing for King Country carries a different feeling when your family, mates and community are right there behind you.We also get into his goal kicking.Patty has become known for being able to knock them over from just about anywhere, but there is no big secret behind it. He talks about spending hours kicking while his brothers were at training and how all those reps growing up became a big part of his game.There is plenty of wider rugby chat too.We talk about the future of NPC and Heartland Rugby, whether provincial rugby should have a bigger place in the New Zealand game, and why regional teams can create such a strong connection with their supporters.Patty also talks about players he has shared the field with who have gone on to higher levels, the influence of players like Damian McKenzie and Richie Mo’unga, and his own ambitions in the game.Right now, though, the focus is simple.Keep enjoying his footy, keep improving, help King Country chase the Meads Cup and take whatever opportunities come next.IN THIS EPISODE• What it is really like playing Heartland Rugby • Representing the King Country Rams • Growing up in Te Kuiti • University of Waikato and Varsity rugby • Winning with Hautapu • Building a strong team culture • How Patty developed his goal kicking • Heartland crowds and regional rivalries • The importance of provincial rugby in New Zealand • NPC and the future structure of the game • Players Patty looked up to growing up • His goals with King Country and what could come next ShedLife NZ with Jason Davis is about good people working hard, strong stories, useful lessons and real laughs.Watch or listen to the full episode on ShedLife NZ.

Ashleigh Hoeta is the first woman in the world to bench press over 300kg. She's a five-time New Zealand arm wrestling champion. A mother of two, currently studying to become a physio. But her journey to the top started with heartbreak, nearly ended before it began, and was carried by a promise she refused to break. In this episode of ShedLife NZ, Ashleigh sits down for a raw, honest conversation about everything it took to get here.

Before any of the records, Ashleigh was a gymnast on a genuine path toward the Commonwealth Games and Olympics, until a short-landed vault tore the ligaments in her foot and ended that dream for good. By her own admission, she's never fully gotten over it.

Then in 2020, she suffered a stroke. She describes the moment she tested whether her face still worked by looking in a mirror, only to discover one whole side hadn't moved. Had she gone to sleep that night without getting checked, the outcome could have been very different.

Two years later, with her father seriously unwell, Ashleigh made him a promise: she'd become New Zealand's top female powerlifter. He passed away just three weeks after she made that vow. When she finally achieved the goal, the footage shows her screaming, not in celebration, but in grief finally breaking free.

From there, Ashleigh explains how her coach turned that pain into fuel during training, the terrifying near-miss just a week before she set the world record, and how she stumbled into arm wrestling almost by accident, only to fall in love with a sport she says has a culture unlike anything else, where rivals become training partners the moment the match ends.

In this episode:

• Losing a gymnastics career that was heading toward the Commonwealth Games and Olympics
• The stroke, and how close it came to being fatal
• The promise made to her dying father, and what it cost to keep it
• Turning grief into fuel under the bar with her coach
• A near-miss a week before setting the world record
• Becoming the first woman in the world to bench over 300kg
• Falling into arm wrestling, and the humbling wake-up call in Turkey
• Why arm wrestling's culture of rivals-turned-training-partners is unlike any other combat sport
• Advice for young women thinking about getting into strength sport

This is a story about grief, resilience, and what it really means to keep a promise.

🎙️ ShedLife NZ
Long-form Kiwi conversations with good people working hard, the stories, lessons and laughs behind the life they are building.

👇 Let us know in the comments: Have you ever made a promise to someone that changed the course of your life?

Subscribe to ShedLife NZ for more Kiwi long-form conversations across rugby, sport, business, fighting and community.

#AshleighHoeta #Powerlifting #ArmWrestling #WorldRecord #KiwiStories #StrengthSport #LongFormPodcast #NewZealand