Breakfast Bites - the FIJI & PACIFIC SPORTS NEWS Podcast - a TEIVOVO Digital Podcast #TeivovoRugby

Talofa, Ma’lele’i, Bula and welcome to Season 05 Episode 29 of Breakfast Bites by TeivovoSports.com – a wrap of Pasifika Peoples sports on a bright and sunny Monday morning 01 May 2023. Coming to you from paradise, on the 180th meridian in the middle of the Pacific Ocean! In rugby union: Team Fijiana Drua did Fiji proud yesterday, after they tackled themselves into the ground and persisted on attack to pull off a massive come-from-behind upset of the Super W Competition 2023 favourites, the New South Wales Waratahs in Sydney yesterday. This after three tough weeks of three straight losses in pool play, including to the Tahs 31-5 and having to be provided meals by Fijian families in Australia last week after the Fiji Rugby Union failed to fund them. Fijiana 20-17 New South Wales Waratahs. In Stellenbosch, South Africa, Tonga Men were crowned Challenger Series Champions and so qualify for the four-team play-off at the HSBC London 7s at the end of May despite Belgium pipping them 26-28 in winning the second tournament final. South Africa women captured back-to-back World Rugby 7s Challenger Series gold medals yesterday, to earn core status on the World Rugby 7s Series 2024. In rugby league: The NRL Top 8 after 9 Rounds: Brisbane Broncos in first place, Cronulla Sharks, South Sydney, Melbourne Storm, Sydney Roosters, Manly Sea Eagles, Penrith Panthers and the New Zealand Warriors hang on to 8th spot with the Dolphins next, the Parramatta Eels in 12th and the Cowboys in 16th. In SportsBiz: Number 1 NFL Draft pick 2023, Bryce Young proves yet again that it pays to play at Alabama. The former Alabama quarterback is expected to sign a four-year deal worth US$41.2Million, including a US$26.9M signing bonus, as the new face of the Carolina Panthers. Young has also agreed endorsement deals with Jordan Brand, Snickers, Beats by Dre, and sports drinks BodyArmor and Celsius. Since 2005, 41 Alabama players have been picked in the first round of the NFL Draft and made a combined US$1.3 billion. Alabama's Will Anderson was selected as in third pick of 2023 NFL Draft on Thursday night. And in boxing: The biggest event in bare knuckle fighting history, BKFC 41, delivered a wild day of action as combat sports legends poured out their blood in a vicious display that went to another level when Conor McGregor crashed the party and promised to join the sport. In football: New South Wales Police are investigating a horrific attack on a referee at a Men’s Premier League Club football game in Sydney on Friday night. The Daily Telegraph reported the referee suffered a broken jaw and had four teeth knocked out as a result of the attack. The newspaper further reports that the alleged attacker was a suspended player who was at the match as a spectator. Geez this player really should play rugby league to meet up with some Tongans and Samoans for a rumble! For TEIVOVOsports.com I’m Culden Kamea - Mahalo, vinaka and thank you. Please hit the subscribe button below if you would like to receive more Pasifika sports highlights on Breakfast Bites. And tank you all too mas for all your love and support. #BreakfastBites #TEIVOVOSports #TeivovoRugby #TeivovoDigital #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #Raka #team #rugbytraining #sports #FRU #Fiji

Talofa, Ma’lele’i, Bula and welcome to Season 05 Episode 28 of Breakfast Bites by TeivovoSports.com – a wrap of Pasifika Peoples sports on a bright and sunny Sunday morning 30 April 2023. Coming to you from paradise, on the 180th meridian in the middle of the Pacific Ocean! In rugby union: Led around the park by the astute boot of Beauden Barratt, the Blues won easily 30-14 against a lackluster Fijian Drua side in Lautoka yesterday. However, trailing at 14-30 in the second half, the Fijian Drua scored a spectacular try from a counter-attack started inside their 22M red zone, but which was called back by the assistant referee for a forward pass. I watched that passage of play several times in slomo and for the life of me cannot see that forward pass – in fact I would say that the Fijian Drua players were simply too fast in their running and inter-passing for the match officials, especially that touch judge. Meanwhile in the big clash of the Kiwi champions in Hamilton, the Chiefs 34-24 Crusaders, Rebels 43-33 Moana Pasifika and Queensland 31-17 Force. In Stellenbosch, South Africa the Women’s and Men’s semi-finals have been confirmed after a scintillating Day Two at the World Rugby 7s Challenger Series 2023. The Women’s semi-finals sees Belgium vs China, and Czechia vs South Africa, while in the Men’s semi-finals: Germany take on Tonga and Belgium play Chile tonight. The winner of this two-rounds Women’s comp based on aggregate points will secure entry to the HSBC 7s World Series 2024. Likewise for the Men, the competition winner based on aggregate points following this second tournament will enter a four-team play-off at the HSBC London 7s in late May with the winner achieving that coveted HSBC 7s World Series 2024 status. In rugby league: The Wests Tigers have produced the upset of the season stunning reigning NRL premiers the Penrith Panthers 8-12 in Bathurst last night. The incredible win was the Tigers’ first of the season and ended a 12-game losing streak that stretched back 273 days. It was built on the back of Tigers halfback Luke Brooks’ best performance in years - booting 40-20s either side of halftime which both lead to tries. The Dolphins once again gave away their opposition too much of a first half lead, with the Canberra Raiders scoring 18 unanswered points in the first 22 minutes of the game. While the Dolphins beat the Titans after trailing 26-0 at halftime last weekend, they couldn’t get the job done against Ricky Stuart’s men yesterday going down 30-31 in golden point time. Jack Wighton was in tears at full-time of the Raiders’ thrilling 31-30 golden point win over the Dolphins in Wagga Wagga yesterday. Wighton has endured an emotional week after telling teammates he was leaving at the end of the season after 14 years to join South Sydney. The Canberra star’s decision was heavily scrutinised and for which he copped racist abuse on social media – nothing changes. In SportsBiz: Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese announced yesterday that his federal government would pledge A$240Million towards building a new A$715M multi-purpose stadium at Macquarie Point, Tasmania. The Tasmanian State government will cover half of the cost, with the AFL contributing A$15M and the state government also borrowing A$85M to make it happen. For TEIVOVOsports.com I’m Culden Kamea - Mahalo, vinaka and thank you. Please hit the subscribe button below if you would like to receive more Pasifika sports highlights on Breakfast Bites. And tank you all too mas for all your love and support. #BreakfastBites #TEIVOVOSports #TeivovoRugby #TeivovoDigital #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #Raka #team #rugbytraining #sports #FRU #Fiji

Talofa, Ma’lele’i, Bula and welcome to Season 05 Episode 27 of Breakfast Bites by TeivovoSports.com – a wrap of Pasifika Peoples sports on another gloriously bright and sunny Saturday morning 29 April 2023. Coming to you from paradise, on the 180th meridian in the middle of the Pacific Ocean! In rugby union: Expect the Fijian Drua versus Blues Super Rugby Pacific game at 2.05pm today to be a cracker of a contest as the Kiwis try to out-muscle, out-dance and out-razzle dazzle the fired up Fijian Drua, in front of their crazy fans in the mid-afternoon heat of Lautoka. In other Super Pacific rugby results: The Hurricanes pipped the Brumbies 27-32 and the New South Wales Waratahs tripped up the Highlanders 20-21. Nine teams ended day one of the World Rugby 7s Challenger Series II in Stellenbosch, South Africa undefeated, as the quarter-finals begin to take shape. Chile provided a sensational last-second victory over first Challenger Series tournament champions Tonga 19-22. South Africa, Belgium, Czechia and China Women booked their spots in the last eight by winning all of their matches in their respective pools. In rugby league: The Newcastle Knights basically dropped their bundle last night, missing 44 tackles and 14 line breaks conceded in a woeful performance, where they let the Eels in for five tries before half time at CommBank Stadium, in what TV commentator, Michael Ennis called an “absolute bloodbath”. No doubt, fired up by calls from broncos fans for the NRL to investigate Souths shock deal with Jack Wighton, the Rabbitohs beat up the Broncos 6-32 in a fiery clash at Suncorp Stadium last night, with Campbell Graham scoring a hat-trick and Latrell Mitchell finishing them off with two tries and 16 points as Souths sent an ominous title warning to the rest of the NRL. Yeah don’t mess with us! In football: The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 is the most recent women’s sports property set to cash in big on its next media rights deal, estimated to be worth more than US$300Million, according to The Wall Street Journal — which would make it the most valuable women’s sports tournament in the world. Inspired by the 1.2 billion viewers for the 2019 tournament across all social and digital media platforms, FIFA began looking into the value of the Women’s World Cup as a separate property from the Men’s tournament. And in SportsBiz: The Kansas City Chiefs were the final team with Pick 31 in the first round of the NFL Draft 2023 yesterday and the Super Bowl Champions made a hometown pick, selecting Kansas State pass rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah. The Top 3 first round selections were: Pick 1 — Carolina Panthers selected Alabama Quarterback Bryce Young, Pick 2 — Houston Texans selected Ohio State Quarterback CJ Stroud and Pick 3 — Houston Texans (trade with Arizona Cardinals) selected Alabama Linebacker Will Anderson Jr – multi-millionaires all today. And in boxing: As the film of his life, "Big George Foreman," premieres, former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, George Foreman wants people to know that a relationship with Jesus is bigger than worldly fame. "You come to a point in your life and you realize the only important thing in your life is being an evangelist," the 74-year-old pastor told The Christian Post. "'Evangelistic' is the word that has been so powerful to me in my life," he continued. "If something happened to me tomorrow, I know I've done a good job, and I'm happy about that, trying to spell out to the world, 'Jesus Christ has come alive in me.'" Amen, hallelujah and have a great day! For TEIVOVOsports.com I’m Culden Kamea - Mahalo, vinaka and thank you. Please hit the subscribe button below if you would like to receive more Pasifika sports highlights on Breakfast Bites. And tank you all too mas for all your love and support. #BreakfastBites #TEIVOVOSports #TeivovoRugby #TeivovoDigital #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #Raka #team #rugbytraining #sports #FRU #Fiji

Talofa, Ma’lele’i, Bula and welcome to Season 05 Episode 26 of Breakfast Bites by TeivovoSports.com – a wrap of Pasifika Peoples sports on a glorious Friday morning 28 April 2023. Coming to you from paradise, on the 180th meridian in the middle of the Pacific Ocean! In rugby union: The Fiji Rugby Union has gone into meltdown after the Attorney General of Fiji Siromi Turaga stepped in and declared the Fiji Rugby Charitable Trust non-compliant with the Charitable Trusts Act. The end result – the Fiji Rugby Union Annual General Meeting scheduled for this weekend has been postponed – tomorrow in fact in Lautoka and all directors have reportedly resigned. Strong rumours had emerged around Fiji overnight that the Fiji Rugby Union Board was resigning en-masse before their Annual General Meeting tomorrow – so it’s happened. What about FRU President Voreqe Bainimarama? Only time will tell. In rugby league: The Sharks demolished the Cowboys 6-44 at PointsBet Stadium last night, with Nicho Hynes claiming the inaugural Paul Green Medal. But the win came with some concerns with Braden Hamlin-Uele and Briton Nikora leaving the field with leg injuries. The Cowboys have injury concerns of their own with skipper Chad Townsend picking up what looked to be a calf injury, while star second-rower Jeremiah Nanai was placed on report and sin-binned for a hip-drop tackle. Meanwhile, Dragons forward Francis Molo has been suspended and fined by the NRL in regards to an off-field incident last year. Molo was charged with stalking or intimidating with intent to cause fear of physical or mental harm in a domestic setting on December 17. The 28-year-old pleaded guilty and was sentenced to an 18-month conditional release order and was issued an apprehended violence order for a period of two years. In football: Man City crushed Arsenal 4-1 in a monumental top-of-the-table Premier League clash that has likely decided the outcome of the title race. City entered the game five points down on the Gunners, but Pep G’s men now sit just two points behind – and crucially, have two games in hand. The hosts were in complete control for almost the entire match, with the goals largely provided by Belgian midfielder Kevin de Bruyne – who else, who scored twice. And in SportsBiz: Planning on going to the Paris Olympic Games in 2024? In general, tickets cost about US$26 each, but some of the more popular events, like the Women’s 100M final tickets cost US$758 for the best seats. The best seats for the Men’s 100M final is even more expensive at US$1,076. I guess because Men are faster? Tickets for the opening ceremony range from US$99 to US$2,960 the most expensive tickets of the games. By June this year, the organizing committee plans for 5 million tickets to be sold — half of the total tickets available. And in boxing: Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya, who promotes Ryan Garcia, was not surprised with the news that last Saturday's mega-bout, between Garcia and lightweight rival Gervonta 'Tank' Davis, generated 1.2 million pay-per-view buys. The fight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, also banked a tremendous US$22Million at the gate - the fifth largest boxing gate in the city's history. The pay-per-view buys total was the largest since CANELO-GGG I in 2018. So at about US$50 a pop, that’s WOW about US$55M pay-per-view of which the boxers shared approximately half of that, so US$25M split between Davis and Garcia, not bad for a night’s work in boxing. For TEIVOVOsports.com I’m Culden Kamea - Mahalo, vinaka and thank you. Please hit the subscribe button below if you would like to receive more Pasifika sports highlights on Breakfast Bites. And tank you all too mas for all your love and support. #BreakfastBites #TEIVOVOSports #TeivovoRugby #TeivovoDigital #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #Raka #team #rugbytraining #sports #FRU #Fiji

Talofa, Ma’lele’i, Bula and welcome to Season 05 Episode 25 of Breakfast Bites by TeivovoSports.com – a wrap of Pasifika Peoples sports on a cloudy but bright Thursday morning 27 April 2023. Coming to you from paradise, on the 180th meridian in the middle of the Pacific Ocean! In rugby union: Strong rumours were swirling around the Kava bowls all around Fiji late last night that the Fiji Rugby Union Board is resigning enmasse before their Annual General Meeting in Lautoka on Saturday. What about FRU President Voreqe Bainimarama? Only time will tell. Meanwhile, more than 53,000 fans have bought tickets for England's Women’s Six Nations Grand Slam-deciding Test against France this Saturday - their first standalone Twickenham Test. Star England Centre, Emily Scarratt says playing in the 2022 Rugby World Cup final in front of a world-record crowd for a Women’s rugby game of 42,579 at New Zealand's Eden Park in Auckland was the game-changer. In rugby league: Do you believe Jack Wighton is taking a A$300,000 salary cut next season, as part of his shock move from Canberra to Souths? NRL Clubs are not allowed to ‘back-end’ deals which means the Club pays a player less in the first part of their contract and much more at the end of it. Broncos fans are calling the salary cap “a joke” and demanding that the NRL investigates whether the Rabbitohs have illegally structured Jack Wighton’s new deal which will see him take a A$300,000 pay cut next season. In football: Aston Villa moved up to fifth in the Premier League with a 1-0 win over Fulham on Tuesday, as Leeds and Leicester played out a 1-1 draw in the battle to beat the drop. Villa is now unbeaten in 10 games as they make a late push for Europe thanks to a remarkable turnaround since Unai Emery took over. And in SportsBiz: UFC owner Endeavor will sell its world-renowned IMG Academy campus in Florida, USA to Hong Kong-based private equity group BPEA EQT in a cash deal valued at US$1.25Billion. This comes three weeks after news broke that UFC was merging with WWE to create a new publicly traded company valued at US$21B. The IMG Academy placed more than 30,000 students on college sports rosters in 2022, caters to top youth athletes from the US and globally. In boxing: New Orleans police have issued an arrest warrant for UFC legend Nate Diaz, charging the UFC cult hero with second-degree battery after he featured in a viral street brawl video. The veteran warrior was seen choking out a man, who has since been identified as Rodney Petersen, a TikTok star known for looking like Logan Paul, the brother of Jake Paul. Why on earth would anyone want to look like either of the Paul brothers? For TEIVOVOsports.com I’m Culden Kamea - Mahalo, vinaka and thank you. Please hit the subscribe button below if you would like to receive more Pasifika sports highlights on Breakfast Bites. And tank you all too mas for all your love and support. #BreakfastBites #TEIVOVOSports #TeivovoRugby #TeivovoDigital #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #Raka #team #rugbytraining #sports #FRU #Fiji

Talofa, Ma’lele’i, Bula and welcome to Season 05 Episode 24 of Breakfast Bites by TeivovoSports.com – a wrap of Pasifika Peoples sports on a bright and sunny Wednesday morning 26 April 2023.   Coming to you from paradise, on the 180th meridian in the middle of the Pacific Ocean!   In brilliant news for Women’s rugby: World Rugby has announced “Accelerate”, a new framework for growth and targeted investment that will supercharge the development of Women’s rugby around the world.   A new targeted investment approach, “Accelerate” will see World Rugby partner with national unions, governments and like-minded brands to raise standards, on and off the field on the road to Rugby World Cup 2033 in the USA.   Initially focusing on 20 unions capable of qualifying for the Rugby World Cup 2025 in England, “Accelerate” will help build and co-fund programs, competitions, new roles, resources and support structures for partner national unions, increasing the capability and capacity needed to create a stronger, more competitive and sustainably growing Women’s game around the world.   Great news.   In rugby league: Jack Wighton has reportedly shunned an offer of A$4 million over four years to join Wayne Bennett at the Dolphins and an NRL record A$4.4 million four-year deal to finish his career with the Raiders in Canberra, to sign with the South Sydney Rabbitohs for four years.   And yesterday, the Storm beat a gutsy New Zealand Warriors 22-30 on the back of big shifts from Cameron Munster, Nick Meaney and Nelson Asofa-Solomona in a classic but brutal ANZAC Day clash at AAMI Park. The New Zealand Warriors deserved plenty of credit after a series of injuries reduced them to an empty bench.   And earlier at Allianz Stadium, a Luke Keary field goal in the 74th minute got the Sydney Roosters home 27-26 against Saint George Dragons after another ANZAC Day classic with nine tries scored in total.   In football: Tottenham sacked their interim Manager Cristian Stellini on Monday after Chairman Daniel Levy branded Sunday’s 6-1 defeat at Newcastle “wholly unacceptable”.   Stellini was only put in charge 29 days ago, after his former boss Antonio Conte left the Club. Stellini won only one of his four games in charge.   And in SportsBiz: The 2024 Paris Summer Olympics are still more than a year away, but organizers have received 4 million applications from fans, mainly from the UK and the US, for tickets in the most recent lottery.   The Olympics will cost an estimated US$4.7Billion to stage with the vast majority of revenue coming from media rights, sponsorships, tickets and merchandise sales.   In athletics: British great, Sir Mo Farah finished ninth in his final London Marathon on the weekend. The top three was rounded out by Kenya’s Geoffrey Kamworor and Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola, who had been left behind by the remarkable young Kenyan, Kelvin Kiptum who ran the second fastest time in history of 2:01.27 to win, shattering the course record, in an astonishing performance that at one stage threatened to break Eliud Kipchoge’s world best, finishing just 18 seconds short.   Run Forrest run.   For TEIVOVOsports.com I’m Culden Kamea - Mahalo, vinaka and thank you. Please hit the subscribe button below if you would like to receive more Pasifika sports highlights on Breakfast Bites. And tank you all too mas for all your love and support.      #BreakfastBites #TEIVOVOSports #TeivovoRugby #TeivovoDigital #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #Raka #team #rugbytraining #sports #FRU #Fiji

Talofa, Ma’lele’i, Bula and welcome to Season 05 Episode 23 of Breakfast Bites by TeivovoSports.com – a wrap of Pasifika Peoples sports on a beautiful Tuesday morning 25 April 2023.   Coming to you from paradise, on the 180th meridian in the middle of the Pacific Ocean!   In rugby union: Crusaders and All Blacks loosehead Prop George Bower joins his fellow Fijian and All Blacks Crusader, Sevu Reece ruled out for the rest of 2023 due to a serious knee injury.   Bower tore his anterior cruciate ligament during the Crusaders’ Round Six Super Rugby Pacific win over the Reds in Brisbane last month.   After watching the Fijiana Drua going down to the Queensland Reds in their last regular season Super W game 22-45 after a brilliant start, you have to wonder how much the morale of the team was affected by reports yesterday in local media in Fiji that Team Fijiana had to rely on donations of food to feed the team after the Fiji Rugby Union failed to fund them.   Meanwhile, major fireworks are expected in Lautoka this Saturday, not so much at Churchill Park, where the Fijian Drua takes on the Blues in the hot mid-afternoon sun; but more so at the Fiji Rugby Union Annual General Meeting at 10am with major unions wanting President Bainimarama and his Board of Directors out.   In rugby league: Are your ready for the NRL games of the ANZAC Round today?   Starting at Allianz Stadium at 4pm, we tip the Sydney Roosters to roo roo the Saint George Dragons, and at 7pm at AAMI Park in Melbourne, where the Storm have reshuffled their bench with Aaron Pene and Tyran Wishart joining the 17, and we tip Craig Bellamy’s team to woo woo the New Zealand Warriors.   In football: After their game finished goalless, Victor Lindelof scored the decisive spot-kick as Erik10’s team beat Brighton on penalties 7-6 at Wembley on Sunday.   The win sets up an FA Cup Final against treble-chasing Man City with Man U also on course for a domestic cup double.   In SportsBiz: According to latest news reports, Lionel Messi will be allowed to leave Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer in the summer, when the Argentine's contract expires, and Barcelona still dream of luring him back to Spain regardless of their woeful financial situation.   In boxing: Is Ryan Garcia just another pretty face on social media?   Many Mexicans have criticized Garcia for giving up too easily against Gervonta Davis in their super fight at a sold out T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas on Sunday.   In contrast to Gervonta Davis’ rough upbringing, with both his parents reportedly heavy cocaine users who spent time in prison, Garcia lived a very comfortable life in California.   “The Tank” meanwhile, has his own troubles with the law, with two upcoming court dates: one in his native Baltimore for a late-night hit-and-run that injured four people including a pregnant woman, and the other in Florida, for a domestic assault involving the mother of his child (charges that will almost certainly be dropped as she has recanted her testimony).   But for the moment, let’s put all this aside and give Gervonta Davis his dues - he has matured into an elite prizefighter, well on his way to being hailed as one of the all-time greats.   As they say in Vegas, “Winners are grinners!”   For TEIVOVOsports.com I’m Culden Kamea - Mahalo, vinaka and thank you. Please hit the subscribe button below if you would like to receive more Pasifika sports highlights on Breakfast Bites. And tank you all too mas for all your love and support.      #BreakfastBites #TEIVOVOSports #TeivovoRugby #TeivovoDigital #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #Raka #team #rugbytraining #sports #FRU #Fiji

Talofa, Ma’lele’i, Bula and welcome to Season 05 Episode 22 of Breakfast Bites by TeivovoSports.com – a wrap of Pasifika Peoples sports on another beautiful Monday morning 24 April 2023.Coming to you from paradise, on the 180th meridian in the middle of the Pacific Ocean!In rugby union: Following three days of energy-sapping action in Stellenbosch, South Africa, Tonga’s offensive firepower proved too strong for Germany as they scored four tries in their 26-14 victory to close out the event.Hostesses South Africa dug deep to turn in an impressive performance in the Women’s final, coming from behind to beat Belgium 10-17 sending their home supporters crazy.There is one remaining tournament in the Challenger 7s Series this coming weekend to decide who will qualify for the HSBC World Rugby 7s Series 2024.In rugby league: The Dolphins produced one of the greatest comebacks in NRL history to chase down a 26-0 deficit to stun the Gold Coast Titans 26-28 in the Suncorp cauldron yesterday.Euan Aitken scored with just five minutes to play, giving the Dolphins their first lead of the game, which they held on to for a famous victory.And after trailing 12-0 in the first half, the Tigers shocked their rapidly dwindling fan base actually roaring to lead 16-14 with eight minutes to go against Manly, before Jason Saab crossed for the Sea eagles 22-16 match winner.In football: Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney cried tears of joy as they watched Wrexham, who the duo bought in 2020, reach the English Football League for the first time in 15 years after a 3-1 win over Boreham Wood that secured the Welsh side’s passage to the fourth-tier of the English football pyramid in a finish a Hollywood script writer would struggle to match.In SportsBiz: The NFL held its inaugural player draft in 1936 in Philadelphia. There were no scouts, no players, no agents and no media.In fact, salaries were so meager that the first No. 1 overall pick — Heisman Trophy winner Jay Berwanger — chose to become a foam rubber salesman in Chicago rather than play pro football.This Thursday night, over 10 million viewers will tune in to ESPN for their 35 hours of coverage from 55 cameras and eight production trucks on the ground in Kansas City.In boxing: Up until yesterday morning, he was followed by over 16 million people on social media, but after the way that he was so easily taken apart by Gervonta Davis at T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas yesterday, what’s the bet Ryan Garcia has lost a few million followers to “The Tank”.As they say in vegas, “Winners are grinners!”For TEIVOVOsports.com I’m Culden Kamea - Mahalo, vinaka and thank you. Please hit the subscribe button below if you would like to receive more Pasifika sports highlights on Breakfast Bites. And tank you all too mas for all your love and support. #BreakfastBites #TEIVOVOSports #TeivovoRugby #TeivovoDigital #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #Raka #team #rugbytraining #sports #FRU #Fiji

Talofa, Ma’lele’i, Bula and welcome to Season 05 Episode 21 of Breakfast Bites by TeivovoSports.com – a wrap of Pasifika Peoples sports on another cloudy Sunday morning 23 April 2023. Coming to you from paradise, on the 180th meridian in the middle of the Pacific Ocean! In rugby union BREAKING NEWS: The Western Force have become just the second Australian team to post a win over a New Zealand Super Rugby team this season after beating the Highlanders 17-30 in front of a massive 8293 fans in Perth. This really puts the Fijian Drua wins at home to packed stadiums in Fiji in Super Rugby Pacific against the likes of the defending champions – the Crusaders and others into perspective. As per normal in the ANZAC rugby world, the Blues thrashed the New South Wales Waratahs 21-55 at Eden Park yesterday. In rugby league: A first-half hat-trick for Will Kennedy helped the Sharks to a 33-20 win over a “gritty” and undermanned Bulldogs in their ANZAC battle at Accor Stadium. The Bulldogs bounced back, but the Sharks kept them at bay to run out 13-point winners for their fifth win of the season. Meanwhile Kalyn Ponga made a strong return for the Newcastle Knights, who threw everything at the Cowboys in the final minutes in Townsville yesterday, but led by Valentine Holmes and Scott Drinkwater, the Cowboys held their nerves for a very satisfying 18-16 win at home. In football: Manchester United’s season of promise under Erik10 was handed a reality check as they were unceremoniously blown away 3 nil by Sevilla to crash out of the Europa League. And now a report from The Guardian claims that United plan to move ahead with a mass cleanout of up to 15 players including Jadon Sancho, Harry Maguire, Anthony Martial, Victor Lindelöf, Fred and Scott McTominay all facing the axe. In SportsBiz: He is followed by 9.6 million people on Instagram, on TikTok by an additional 5.3M fans. Then there’s his YouTube channel with 1.4M subscribers; “I grew up in a generation where everybody is on social media,” says the handsome and charismatic 24-year-old Ryan Garcia. “This is a dream come true and this is what I’ve dreamed of since I was a little boy,” Garcia said. “This is the biggest moment in sports right now. It means a lot. The magnitude of this fight is huge. Everything is on the line. I’m ready to dig as deep as I have to go. This moment is everything to me. I’ve envisioned this for years, and it’s finally here.” Watch out for Ryan Garcia against Gervonta Davis at T-Mobile Arena later today. In boxing: “It’s going to be crazy. Don’t blink your eyes, don’t get no popcorn, don’t get no drinks, none of that. Make sure you’re focused on the fight because it’s going to be punishment, knockout,” Gervonta Davis said when asked what he expects of the fight. Expect nothing but fireworks inside the ring today, with Garcia finishing four of his last five fights with a single punch while Davis also boasts serious knockout power! “Let’s get ready to R U M B L E” For TEIVOVOsports.com I’m Culden Kamea - Mahalo, vinaka and thank you. Please hit the subscribe button below if you would like to receive more Pasifika sports highlights on Breakfast Bites. And tank you all too mas for all your love and support. #BreakfastBites #TEIVOVOSports #TeivovoRugby #TeivovoDigital #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #Raka #team #rugbytraining #sports #FRU #Fiji

Talofa, Ma’lele’i, Bula and welcome to Season 05 Episode 20 of Breakfast Bites by TeivovoSports.com – a wrap of Pasifika Peoples sports on another cloudy Saturday morning 22 April 2023.   Coming to you from paradise, on the 180th meridian in the middle of the Pacific Ocean!   In rugby union: The Chiefs title quest marches on after they rolled the Fijian Drua 17-50 in the rain in Hamilton last night, to bank another bonus point win and strengthen their grip on top spot while extending their franchise record start in Super Rugby Pacific to eight unbeaten games.   In a nod to the brilliant flair they have injected into Super Rugby Pacific, Fijian Drua Wing Ilaisa Droasese claimed the try of the match after an 80M counter-attack following an error on attack by the Chiefs.   Other aspects of the Drua’s work, though, left a lot to be desired before they tackle the Blues this weekend.   The World Rugby 7s Challenger Series 2023 in South Africa to get into the HSBC World Rugby 7s Series from next year sees, in the Men’s semis: Belgium v Germany, Hong Kong China v Tonga and in the Women’s semi-finals: South Africa v China and Belgium v Poland.   Go Tonga go!   In rugby league: The Broncos dominated the first half scoring three tries in nine minutes and then held off a second-half comeback from the Eels for a 26-16 win in wet and wild conditions in Darwin.   Superman Payne Haas finished the game with 200 running metres, five tackle busts and 17 tackles without any misses.   The Eels scored two tries in the second half to get back into the game but it wasn’t enough to make up for a defensive horror show in the first 40 where they missed a total of 33 tackles to Brisbane’s 16 and 21 of those were in the first half alone.   In football: The US and Mexico have submitted a joint bid to co-host the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, against bids already submitted by Brazil, South Africa, and a joint bid by Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands.    The US, Mexico and Canada are already set to co-host the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup.   In SportsBiz: Manchester City is moving ahead with a US$373Million renovation of Etihad Stadium, including a capacity increase from 53,400 to around 61,000 seats, on an upper tier on the north stand, with a sky bar and roof walk above, a covered fan zone with food and drink outlets, a new Club shop and museum, a 400-bed hotel and an incubator for SMEs working with Man City, team owner City Football Group, and Etihad Campus partners.   In boxing: Ryan Garcia started boxing at the age of seven and became a 15-time US national amateur champion, amassing an amateur record of 230 fights with 215 wins and only 15 losses.   Although American by birth and nationality, Garcia often carries both the US and Mexican flags into the ring as he will this weekend against Gervonta Davis in their Lightweight super fight this weekend.   For TEIVOVOsports.com I’m Culden Kamea - Mahalo, vinaka and thank you. Please hit the subscribe button below if you would like to receive more Pasifika sports highlights on Breakfast Bites. And tank you all too mas for all your love and support.      #BreakfastBites #TEIVOVOSports #TeivovoRugby #TeivovoDigital #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #Raka #team #rugbytraining #sports #FRU #Fiji

Talofa, Ma’lele’i, Bula and welcome to Season 05 Episode 19 of Breakfast Bites by TeivovoSports.com – a wrap of Pasifika Peoples sports on a somewhat cloudy Friday morning 21 April 2023. Coming to you from paradise, on the 180th meridian in the middle of the Pacific Ocean! In rugby union: The New Zealand Warriors have lured dual international and former skipper Roger Tuivasa-Sheck back to the Club on a three-year deal, beginning in 2024. The 29-year-old left the NRL mid-2021 to join Super Rugby side the Auckland Blues and made his All Blacks debut against Ireland in July, 2022. Smart move! Twelve Men’s and 12 Women’s teams are competing in the World Rugby 7s Challenger Series 2023 in Stellenbosch, South Africa over the next two weekends. The Challenger Series was introduced in 2020 to boost Rugby 7s development globally and provide a pathway for promotion to the HSBC World Rugby 7s Series. Papua New Guinea are competing in the Women’s competition and I just have to ask, where are our Tongan and Samoan rugby-playing sisters? In the Men’s Challenger Series, Germany headline Pool A with Tonga, Zimbabwe and Belgium. Chile take on Hong Kong China, Papua New Guinea and Italy in Pool B, while in Pool C, Uganda are joined by Korea, Jamaica and Brazil. The winner of the Men’s competition will enter the HSBC London 7s in May with a chance to achieve the coveted HSBC World Rugby 7s Series status in 2024. Tongan Captain, Sione Tupou said: “We’re very grateful to be here. Our preparation has been good. Tonga has never played in the World Series. So for us it’s a huge opportunity to open doors for the younger generation back at home.” Well said. In rugby league: The Panthers looked to have won it when Stephen Crichton bagged his hat-trick in the 70th minute, but on the back of another Latrell Mitchell master class, South Sydney scored twice in the dying stages to steal an incredible 20-18 win at Accor Stadium last night and snap a five-game losing streak against Penrith. So the Rabbitohs poo-pooed the Panthers as we tipped, tonight the Eels to boo boo the Broncos in Darwin, the Sharks to bing bong the Bulldogs, the Cowboys to king kong the Knights in Townsville, the Dolphins to tutu the Titans at Suncorp on Sunday, the Tigers to moo moo Manly, the Roosters to roo roo the Dragons and the Storm to woo woo the NZ Warriors at AAMI Park. And finally this odd bit of sports news: A Scottish ultra-marathon runner has been stripped of her third place finish at the 80Km Manchester to Liverpool race on 7 April after she took a car ride for 4km of the race. The GPS data tracking on Dr. Joasia Zakrzewski showed that she suddenly sped up for a 4km stretch of the race, which cut her time by as much as 25 minutes, according to the BBC. The good doctor finished just 22 seconds behind the runner up in a time of seven hours and 25 minutes. Not sure what to make of that? Maybe she wanted to hit the finish line and rush off to the toilet or something? For TEIVOVOsports.com I’m Culden Kamea - Mahalo, vinaka and thank you. Please hit the subscribe button below if you would like to receive more Pasifika sports highlights on Breakfast Bites. And tank you all too mas for all your love and support. #BreakfastBites #TEIVOVOSports #TeivovoRugby #TeivovoDigital #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #Raka #team #rugbytraining #sports #FRU #Fiji

Talofa, Ma’lele’i, Bula and welcome to Season 05 Episode 18 of Breakfast Bites by TeivovoSports.com – a wrap of Pasifika Peoples sports on a bright and sunny Wednesday morning 19 April 2023. Coming to you from paradise, on the 180th meridian in the middle of the Pacific Ocean! In rugby union: Our world famous Super Rugby Pacific tips for this weekend: The Fijian Drua to Fabuloso the Chiefs in Hamilton on Friday, the Crusaders to Axion the Rebels, the Blues to Ajax the NSW Waratahs at Eden Park and the Highlanders to Janola the Force wherever they’re playing. In rugby league: Cowboys star Jason Taumalolo is expected to spend up to six weeks on the sideline after he undergoes knee surgery tomorrow. The Club has confirmed that Taumalolo suffered the knee cartilage injury earlier in the season but it had now reached the point where surgery was requited. NRL Round 8 games: Rabbitohs vs Panthers Thursday 7.50pm at Accor Stadium and Friday 8pm the Eels vs Broncos in Darwin. On Saturday we see the Bulldogs vs Sharks at 5.30pm at Accor Stadium and the Cowboys vs the Knights 7.35pm in Townsville. In football: Watch out for the UEFA Champions League Quarterfinals deciders today with Chelsea under Frank Lampard at Stamford Bridge, hosting 14-times and defending Champions Real Madrid, plus Italian giants Napoli clash with Milan who must be distracted by being up for sale. Only in America and only in Boxing: WBA Lightweight World Champion Gervonta Davis at 28-0 with a remarkable 26 KOs and challenger, Ryan Garcia at 23-0 with 19 by KO are all-in for this weekend’s 12-round super fight at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with the American duo both so confident of victory, they are both willing to lay down their entire guaranteed earnings of US$2.75Million in a winner-take-all bet over the result. In SportsBiz: Andrea Radrizzani is considering a bid for Inter Milan, valued at US$1.1Billion by Bloomberg. Radrizzani owns 56% of EPL Club Leeds, and a bid for Inter Milan could be contingent on him selling his stake in Leeds to the San Francisco 49ers NFL team, which already owns 44% of Leeds. The only spanner in the works is that Leeds are struggling in the EPL drop zone and if they get relegated, this deal goes down with them. We finish with the usually staid sport of Snooker where “Just Stop Oil” activists brought the Snooker World Championships to a halt in a dramatic invasion, with a 32 year old man climbing onto a table and covering it with orange paint powder, while a 52 year old woman attempted to glue herself to the table but was stopped by the referee in Sheffield England on Monday night, before they were both removed by security and arrested by South Yorkshire Police. Games were immediately suspended, with the players leaving the arena, to return later to resume play to a standing ovation from the crowd. What is unclear is whether the protesting couple are married, or whether the old lady was doing it just to impress her grandchildren? For TEIVOVOsports.com I’m Culden Kamea - Mahalo, vinaka and thank you. Please hit the subscribe button below if you would like to receive more Pasifika sports highlights on Breakfast Bites. And tank you all too mas for all your love and support. #BreakfastBites #TEIVOVOSports #TeivovoRugby #TeivovoDigital #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #Raka #team #rugbytraining #sports #FRU #Fiji

Talofa, Ma’lele’i, Bula and welcome to Season 05 Episode 17 of Breakfast Bites by TeivovoSports.com – a wrap of Pasifika Peoples sports on a cloudy Tuesday morning 18 April 2023. Coming to you from paradise, on the 180th meridian in the middle of the Pacific Ocean! In rugby union: Super Rugby Pacific games this weekend: The Chiefs host the Fijian Drua in Hamilton on Friday evening, followed by the Rebels against the Crusaders, the Blues versus the NSW Waratahs at Eden Park on Saturday at 7.05pm and then the Force-Highlanders somewhere way out west. In rugby league: Canberra Raiders star Jack Wighton has shocked Kangaroos and New South Wales Blues fans by quitting rep footy just two months after celebrating his 30th birthday. And this after he stunned his Club last month by announcing he was turning down his player option for 2024 to try the open market. Canberra responded with a four-year deal worth A$4.4Million but that’s still sitting on the table, with a host of Clubs, led by the Dolphins, interested in his services. Several Clubs are claiming that the NRL is scared to “censor” Canterbury Bulldogs GM and Channel NINE TV guru, Phil Gould for his comments made on television and social media recently. Gould, who is considered one of the smartest minds in the game, isn’t afraid to say what he really thinks about the game’s big talking points, with the NRL often in the firing line. In football: Lionel Messi scored again in Ligue 1 yesterday for PSG, marking his 495th goal across Europe's top leagues - Spain, Italy, Germany and France, except in the Premier League where the Argentine star has never been tested, unlike Cristiano Ronaldo who has scored as many goals in England, La Liga and Serie A before moving to play in Saudi Arabia. In SportsBiz: With an average purchase price of US$668, Game 1 of the first-round showdown in Sacramento between the Kings and Golden State Warriors is the priciest NBA playoff ticket ever, apart from the NBA Finals. The most expensive tickets are a whopping US$2,496 for two tickets nowhere near courtside. In Boxing: Fake boxer Jake Paul has announced he will return to the ring on 06 August against UFC legend Nate Diaz in a 84Kg boxing fight in Dallas, Texas. This after his first loss — a split decision to Tommy Fury in Saudi Arabia in February. Fury was the first real boxer Paul had fought after his early fake fights included wins against a fellow YouTuber, an ex-NBA player and former UFC fighters like 50-year old Anderson Silva. Fake, fake, fake what else can I say? For TEIVOVOsports.com I’m Culden Kamea - Mahalo, vinaka and thank you. Please hit the subscribe button below if you would like to receive more Pasifika sports highlights on Breakfast Bites. And tank you all too mas for all your love and support. #BreakfastBites #TEIVOVOSports #TeivovoRugby #TeivovoDigital #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #Raka #team #rugbytraining #sports #FRU #Fiji

Talofa, Ma’lele’i, Bula and welcome to Season 05 Episode 16 of Breakfast Bites by TeivovoSports.com – a wrap of Pasifika Peoples sports on another cloudy but bright Monday morning 17 April 2023. Coming to you from paradise, on the 180th meridian in the middle of the Pacific Ocean! And we start with the AFL – yep Aussie Rules that game for sissies, where Collingwood Football Club has issued an apology to former St Kilda star Nicky Winmar 30 years after the First Nations footballer was racially abused by spectators during an AFL game. Winmar and teammate Gilbert McAdam were subjected to racial abuse while warming up before Collingwood’s game against St Kilda at Victoria Park on 17 April 1993. During the game, Winmar famously lifted his jumper and pointed at his skin, resulting in one of the sport’s most iconic photos. Well done Pies and go brothers! In rugby union, in the Super W competition in Australia yesterday, the Waratahs pipped the Queensland Reds 30-31 and Team Fijiana went down 10-23 to the Western Force. In rugby league: Eels coach Brad Arthur has revealed superstar Reagan Campbell-Gillard spent a couple of days in hospital last week before checking out and biting the Bulldogs last night, in his best game of 2023 in their 30-4 win. RCG’s hard running and earth-shaking tackles set the tone from the opening minute, with the Eels enforcer racking up a game-high 161M run and seven tackle busts. Fijian flyer, Maika Sivo also scored a double. And the Raiders beat the Dragons 14-20 in an ugly win with Hudson Young scoring the match winning try before being sin-binned in the final minute, giving the Dragons a final shot but hey guess what – they fluffed it again. OK so we got the Storm Manly game wrong, but we tipped the Sharks over the Roosters, the NZ Warriors to curry the Cowboys, the Panthers to kebab the Knights, the Raiders beat the Dragons 14-20 and the Eels beat the Bulldogs yesterday. In football: Norwegian superstar, Erling Haaland equaled the Premier League record for goals in a 38-game season on Saturday as Man City closed the gap on leaders Arsenal to just three points. Haaland scored twice in the first half of City’s 3-1 win over Leicester to reach 32 goals — the same as Liverpool Pharaoh Mohamed Salah’s tally in 2017/18. Earlier, Aston Villa put themselves in the mix for a top-four finish, beating Newcastle 3-0 for a fifth straight league win. Villa are still six points off the top four, but are in red-hot form after a seventh win in eight games. However, Villa Manager, Unai Emery remains cautious about their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League saying, “We can think about a Europa League position but the top four is very, very difficult,” said the Spaniard. In Boxing: Englishman Joe Joyce has seen his world title hopes dashed after a shock sixth round loss to Zhilei Zhang of China in London yesterday, after the Referee called the contest off after Joyce copped a black right eye that was so badly swollen, it was completely shut. “I would like to apologise to all my fans and my supporters. I will be back,” Joyce said behind a pair of borrowed dark sunglasses. For TEIVOVOsports.com I’m Culden Kamea - Mahalo, vinaka and thank you. Please hit the subscribe button below if you would like to receive more Pasifika sports highlights on Breakfast Bites. And tank you all too mas for all your love and support. #BreakfastBites #TEIVOVOSports #TeivovoRugby #TeivovoDigital #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #Raka #team #rugbytraining #sports #FRU #Fiji

Talofa, Ma’lele’i, Bula and welcome to Season 05 Episode 15 of Breakfast Bites by TeivovoSports.com – a wrap of Pasifika Peoples sports on a wet and warm Sunday morning 16 April 2023. Coming to you from paradise, on the 180th meridian in the middle of the Pacific Ocean! In rugby union: In Super Rugby Pacific, the Chiefs hammered the Hurricanes 17-33 in the sun of all things in Wellington yesterday afternoon and the New South Wales Waratahs snapped a four-game losing run to Forrest Gump the Western Force 16-36 in Sydney last night. Today in Super W we tip the Waratahs to Coco Chanel the Queensland Reds and Fijiana to Wella shampoo the Western Force. Tongan powerhouse, Samisoni Taukei’aho has become the first All Black to recommit until the end of the next Rugby World Cup, signing a deal through to 2027. The 25-year-old made his debut for the All Blacks against Fiji in Hamilton in 2021 and has quickly established himself as the best Hooker in the three-time world champions’ starting XV. Taukei’aho is already in the history books after he equalled the record for most tries scored by an All Blacks forward in a calendar year when he crossed for seven tries in 2022. In rugby league: The New Zealand Warriors scrapped their way to a tough victory over the North QueensLand Cowboys yesterday afternoon at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland, which Coach, Andrew Webster conceded was a “hard watch”. The Warriors made 55 tackles in their own 20-metre zone in their 22-14 win after consistently handing the Cowboys strong field position. Phillip Sami soared above the pack to catch a bomb and score to get the Titans off to a dream start at Cbus Super Stadium yesterday, but the Broncos beat them 23-43 on the back of brilliant games from Reece Walsh and Payne Haas again. And Panthers superstar, Nathan Cleary booted a 39M field goal in golden point to win it 16-15 and break Newcastle hearts in a fiery clash in front of 26,084 fans at a pumping McDonald Jones Stadium last night. The game went to extra time after a frantic final 10 minutes saw things finish at 15-15 in regulation where Cleary struck a one-pointer to save the Panthers and send the game into golden point. In football: “You’re getting sacked in the morning’ was the chant by Brighton & Hove Albion fans to Frank Lampard after Chelsea slumped to a third consecutive defeat under his guidance, as Brighton produced a superb display at Stamford Bridge to win it 2-1. Meanwhile Ollie Watkins scored twice for a convincing 3-0 win for Aston Villa at home against Newcastle. In Boxing: Englishman Joe Joyce takes on Zhilei Zhang of China at the Copper Box Arena in London today as the Briton attempts to defend his undefeated record on the back of a win against former world champion Joseph Parker. Joyce is expected to take home US$3Million for this fight while Zhilei Zhang will earn US$1M. In the annual running of the Grand National at Aintree Racecourse in England, nine people were arrested after a large number of protesters attempted to gain entry to the track, with at least two affixing themselves to a jump using glue and lock-on devices, delaying the start of the infamously tough four-and-a-quarter-mile race. Following the delay, Corach Rambler won the famous race. Climate and animal rights group, Animal Rising said two horses - Dark Raven and Envoye Special died while racing at the three-day festival and 49 horses have died racing in Britain so far this year. For TEIVOVOsports.com I’m Culden Kamea - Mahalo, vinaka and thank you. Please hit the subscribe button below if you would like to receive more Pasifika sports highlights on Breakfast Bites. And tank you all too mas for all your love and support. #BreakfastBites #TEIVOVOSports #TeivovoRugby #TeivovoDigital #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #Raka #team #rugbytraining #sports #FRU #Fiji