Talking About A Carpool

About Talking About A Carpool

Talking About a Carpool takes you inside the real rugby journey. From schoolyard dreams to the professional stage, we unpack what it’s like to chase a contract overseas. Hear stories, lessons, and insights on pathways through Europe’s top competitions — Top 14, ProD2, Premiership, Championship, URC, and the European Cups. Whether you’re a young player, parent, or fan, this podcast helps you understand the opportunities, challenges, and choices behind pursuing rugby abroad — told with honesty, experience, and a carpool vibe.

Publisher

Talking About A Carpool

Category

sports

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

25 Sept 2025

Latest episode

6 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

65 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   6 Oct 2026

   Talking About A Carpool: Episode 44 – European Rugby Results, NRL Grand Final & RLWC 2026

   This week on Talking About A Carpool, hosts ofahelotu (Sydney, Australia) and Semisi Telefoni, aka "The Wine Chief" (Auckland, New Zealand), cover European rugby results across five competitions, review the NRL Grand Final, preview Bledisloe Cup One at Eden Park, and break down the Rugby League World Cup 2026 squad announcements. Segment 1: Talk Story Starts at (0:12) Semisi shares highlights from a long weekend — Amandine's under-16 Auckland rugby tournament where her side finished runners-up, sparking memories of the hosts' own Auckland representative days and a young Jonah Lomu signing jackets at a tournament. Ofahelotu celebrates his niece's wedding photos and pregnancy announcement, and recounts taking his three daughters to the NRL Grand Final in Sydney. Segment 2: Da Latest Scoop Starts at (6:39) The hosts run through European rugby results across five competitions — Premiership, URC, Top 14, Pro D2, and Championship Rugby. No Champions Cup or Challenge Cup fixtures this week. Premiership Rugby — (6:40 to 9:15) Gloucester lead the table after putting 48 points to nil on Harlequins, Leicester edge Newcastle 24-19, and Bristol pump defending champions Northampton 41-26. Bath and Exeter round out the top four, with no relegation confirmed this season. URC (United Rugby Championship) — (9:15 to 11:10) Glasgow and Ulster play out the first draw of the season at 33-all, Sharks stay undefeated at 2-nil, Edinburgh beat Stormers 17-13, and Munster edge the Bulls 26-22. The hosts flag the growing frustration with refereeing decisions across the game (10:30). Top 14 — (11:10 to 13:32) Round five sees Bordeaux smash Lyon 51-28, Racing demolish Perpignan 55-25, Pau win 43-40 in Normandy, and Castres fall 7-8 in a tight result. Toulouse sit top with 19 points, Pau second on 18, with Toulon struggling at 13th and Vannes yet to register a win. The hosts note the growing Pacific presence in French rugby. Pro D2 — (13:32 to 15:40) Pro D2 didn't play last weekend so the table is unchanged. The hosts look ahead to Mont-de-Marsan vs Brive and Angoulême vs Provence. The rugby awards ceremony in Paris is discussed, with Jack Willis from Toulouse named Top 14 Player of the Year. Championship Rugby — (15:40 to 17:20) Round three sees Coventry smash Nottingham with Seli Naiyalo grabbing a hat-trick in a 10-try rout, Cornish Pirates edge Ealing Trailfinders 35-33, Worcester win at Richmond 45-26, and Blackheath — the world's oldest club — claim their first win back in the second tier. Worcester lead the table after three rounds. Segment 3: Hot Topics Starts at (18:00) The hosts review the NRL Grand Final — the Roosters' dominant win over the Knights, Kalyn Ponga's brilliance, Daly Cherry-Evans finishing his NRL career with a title, and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii's remarkable transition from union to league and his upcoming move to Japan. At (24:50) they preview Bledisloe Cup One at Eden Park, where the All Blacks haven't lost since 1994 — covering team news, Dave Rennie's return against his former side, and both hosts' predictions. At (33:10) they turn to the Rugby League World Cup 2026, discussing squad announcements for Tonga, Samoa, and the Kangaroos, and announcing a Sips & Scrubs tour to the Hunter Valley for the Tonga vs Samoa match. Da Kuleana: We are currently extracting Da Kuleana segments from our past full episodes and releasing them as standalone uploads. Once the back catalogue is complete, Da Kuleana will return to the full episode in a refined and improved format. Keep an eye on the feed for those drops. Outro Starts at (43:48) The hosts wrap up, share what's on for the week — school holidays, a rowing camp, and ofahelotu flying to Auckland for the Bledisloe. They invite listeners to email questions and tease next week's coverage of the Rugby League World Cup opener. Follow us: IG & TikTok: @talkingabouta.carpool YouTube: @talkingaboutacarpool Email your questions: talkingaboutacarpool@gmail.com

2. 

   29 Sept 2026

   Talking About A Carpool: Episode 43 – Euro Rugby Round One, NRL Prelims & Wallabies Upset

   This week on Talking About A Carpool, hosts ofahelotu (Sydney, Australia) and Semisi Telefoni, aka "The Wine Chief" (Auckland, New Zealand), cover the opening rounds of five European club rugby competitions, break down a massive NRL preliminary finals weekend, and unpack the Wallabies' big win over the Springboks. Segment 1: Talk Story Starts at (0:00:00) The AFL grand final comeback by the Brisbane Lions, daylight savings in Auckland, and a look ahead at the NRL prelims and the Wallabies-Springboks test. Segment 2: Da Latest Scoop Starts at (0:02:25) Premiership Rugby — (0:03:00) to (0:08:23) Sale v Bristol, Northampton v Newcastle, a viral Bath intercept try, and Michael Vunipola's Leicester debut after his move from Vannes. URC — (0:08:23) to (0:13:50) All South African sides win round one, Leinster upset by the Lions, and the WRU's plan to cut Welsh pro sides from four to three. Top 14 — (0:13:50) to (0:16:49) Toulouse lead the table, Vannes still searching for a win, and La Rochelle's young side at Pau under Ronan O'Gara's philosophy. Pro D2 — (0:16:49) to (0:22:39) Oyonnax, Brive, and Provence unbeaten. Nevers winless. War stories from the Oyonnax away trip and a book recommendation from the Wine Chief. Championship Rugby — (0:22:39) to (0:26:45) Worcester top, Ealing unbeaten, Bedford Blues bottom. The new promotion model and why financial protection for clubs matters. Segment 3: Hot Topics Starts at (0:28:30) RWC 2031 in the US under threat and 2035 bids from Spain, Italy, Japan, and the Middle East. NRL prelims — Newcastle's stunning 12-man upset of Penrith and the emotion of their first grand final in 25 years. Wallabies' 42-17 win over the Boks overshadowed by referee comms failures. Rugby Australia devaluing the Schoolboys jersey and New Zealand rugby's financial struggles and Super Rugby format review. Da Kuleana: We are extracting Da Kuleana segments from past full episodes and releasing them as standalone uploads. Once the back catalogue is complete, Da Kuleana returns to the full episode in a refined format. Keep an eye on the feed. Outro Starts at (0:57:48) The Wine Chief's upcoming VIP wine tasting, Sips and Scrubs at Tonga v Samoa in Hunter Valley, and your Q&A invitation. Follow us: IG & TikTok: @talkingabouta.carpool YouTube: @talkingaboutacarpool Email your questions: talkingaboutacarpool@gmail.com (mailto:talkingaboutacarpool@gmail.com)

3. 

   21 Sept 2026

   Talking About A Carpool: Episode 42 – Season 2 Kickoff: European Rugby, All Blacks vs Springboks & Pacific Nations

   This week on Talking About A Carpool, hosts ofahelotu(Sydney, Australia) and Semisi Telefoni, aka "The Wine Chief"(Auckland, New Zealand), kick off Season 2 with a full wrap of European rugbyresults across seven competitions, the All Blacks' historic tour of SouthAfrica, Pacific Nations Cup, and the Warriors' sold-out NRL clash at Eden Park.They also share what's ahead this season — sharper weekly episodes, standaloneKuleana uploads, and new resources for players and families navigating therugby journey. Segment 1: Talk Story Starts at (0:11) The boys are backafter a long break, catching up on life, family, and work. Ofahelotu and Semisishare updates on the upcoming Sips & Scrums tour to Hunter Valley withwinemaker Pierre Durand, plus plans to catch the Tonga-Samoa match in Sydney. Segment 2: Da Latest Scoop Starts at (5:10) Pro D2 roundfour sees Oyonnax, Provence, and Brive all unbeaten while Nevers and Béziersstruggle at the bottom. In Top 14, Racing Metro stun La Rochelle 20-10 away,Lyon start strong with three wins, and Vannes sit bottom after promotion. ChampRugby round one kicks off with Worcester on top after beating Bedford.Premiership and URC both launch this weekend — including Saracens vs Leicesterand a massive URC opener with Leinster vs Glasgow. Segment 3: Da Big Wave Starts at (23:16) The All Blacks'first tour of South Africa in 30 years — four provincial tour games and fourtest matches. The hosts break down the scrum battles, including RassieErasmus's tactical camera-angle play, the split-trophy concept held together bymagnets, and the Springboks taking the series 3-1. Pacific Nations Cup wrapswith Japan beating Fiji 20-15 for their first title since 2019, while Tonga andSamoa have been moved to the Tier 2 World Rugby Nations Cup — the hosts sharewhy that matters for Pacific rugby development. The Warriors' sold-out 50,000crowd at Eden Park against the Newcastle Knights gets a full review, includingthe fan base the club has built and what the NRL can learn from it. Outro Starts at (55:11) Season 2 is here — expect sharperweekly episodes, standalone Kuleana uploads from past episodes, and newsupporting documents for players navigating agents, finances, and club life.Email your questions to talkingaboutacarpool@gmail.com (mailto:talkingaboutacarpool@gmail.com). Follow us: IG & TikTok: @talkingabouta.carpool YouTube:@talkingaboutacarpool Email your questions: talkingaboutacarpool@gmail.com (mailto:talkingaboutacarpool@gmail.com)

Contact Talking About A Carpool

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.