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This week on Talking About A Carpool, hosts ofahelotu(Sydney, Australia) and Semisi Telefoni, aka "The Wine Chief"(Auckland, New Zealand), wrap up the 2025/26 European rugby season in their41st episode. They go deep on how professional rugby players should manage theoff-season — physically, mentally, and nutritionally — before closing out DaLatest Scoop with the Top 14 Grand Final and their team-of-the-season picksacross every competition they followed. It's a fitting send-off for a big firstseason of the show.
Segment 1: Da Kuleana [Off-Season Management forProfessional Rugby Players] Starts at (3:34) Ofa and Semisi break down what aprofessional off-season actually looks like — and why most players get itwrong. They cover mental rest and fully switching off from rugby, how to bestrategic when catching up with family and friends back home, managing physicalconditioning without going backwards, and the emotional trap that hits everyPacific player when they get home: the food. Real stories from their owncareers — including weight gained, mental breakdowns during pre-season, and theone off-season Ofa got it right — make this the most practical guide tooff-season management you'll hear told from people who've actually lived it.The key message: it's not about getting ready, it's about staying ready.
Segment 2: Da Latest Scoop Starts at (32:48) Toulouseclaimed their fourth consecutive Top 14 title, defeating Montpellier 28–20 inthe grand final. The boys break down the match — Peato Mauvaka's double, JackWillis's five jackals and try-saving tackles, and why Toulouse remain thedynasty of French rugby. They also share their team-of-the-season picks acrossevery competition followed this year: Premiership Rugby (Northampton/Bath),Championship Rugby (Worcester/Ealing), Top 14 (Toulouse/Stade Français), Pro D2(Vannes), United Rugby Championship (Leinster), Investec Champions Cup(Bordeaux), and Challenge Cup (Montpellier/Exeter). The season's unofficialEuropean team of the year? Bordeaux.
Outro Starts at (56:18) Ofa and Semisi reflect on 41episodes, share their gratitude, and lay out what's coming during theoff-season: Pacific Nations Cup coverage (Tonga, Samoa, and Fiji all in actionfrom 4 July), a 2026/27 season preview, Rugby League World Cup content, and allthe unpublished Kuleana episodes dropping on YouTube. They close the seasonwith a prayer of thanks. Next up: Pacific test rugby reviews and teamselections — send your questions through.Follow us: IG & TikTok:@talkingabouta.carpool YouTube: @talkingaboutacarpool Email your questions:talkingaboutacarpool@gmail.com
