November 3, 2024 • 23 mins
Maia Roos has rapidly ascended through the rugby ranks since debuting for the Auckland Storm in 2019. A talented athlete and leader, she served as Head Girl at Tamaki College and played two matches for the NZ Barbarians in 2020. Maia was also part of the inaugural Blues women’s team, further establishing her presence in the sport.
Roos made her Test debut for the Black Ferns against England in Northampton in 2021. As a key member of the team, she contributed to their victory in the Rugby World Cup 2021, culminating in her nomination for World Rugby’s 15’s Breakthrough Player of the Year following a standout tournament.
In 2023, Maia Roos made history by becoming the youngest captain of the Black Ferns at just 21 years old. She led the team against her country of birth, the USA, and guided them to victory in the 2023 Pacific Four Series. Her leadership qualities were further recognized when she was named co-captain of the Blues for the 2024 Super Rugby Aupiki season, alongside Ruahei Demant.
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from newstalk s EDB. Follow
this and our wide range of podcast now on iHeartRadio.
Real Conversation, Real Connection. It's Real Life with John Cowen
on news talk s EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Today.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Welcome to Real Life.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
I'm John Cowen.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
My guest tonight is a Black Fern star who works
out by lifting trophies over ahead and hugging the King
Kirana Maya, Cavana, Kolani russ Hi. John, a wonderful career
and you're only twenty three. I mean, it's been going fantastically.
You've already captained our national women's rugby team, the Black Ferns,
(00:56):
and the Blue Super Rugby Opeky team, and being in
the team that won the Women's Rugby World Cup and
the twenty twenty three Pacific four Series title. I mean, wow,
it's a pretty amazing. And yet I've heard you say
you weren't that great at sport at school. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
Man, when you say all of those, it's kind of
crazy to think about all those accomplishments.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
I'm talking about me.
Speaker 4 (01:21):
Yeah, yeah, I wasn't actually very good at all at sports.
I loved having a go and I think that was
my point of difference. And yeah, just the love of
playing games, being with my friends kept me in sport
and helped me make new friends. And I guess that's
why I've been able to advance so much and be
(01:42):
able to connect with so many people and get in
these opportunities.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Yeah, I sometimes wonder about parents on the sideline, who
are the sort of the winning is everything mentality? You
don't You probably didn't have that.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
Not at all. My mom and my family loved coming
to my games and they just loved seeing me have fun.
My school team we weren't the best, but then the
culture that we had off field, driven by one of
my dear coaches, Doris, Yeah, it was just so special.
And yeah, I wasn't that competitive. I am competitive now,
(02:20):
which was important and high performance sport. But yeah, it's
just the love of the game that keeps me going
and that's why I play.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
Yeah, so parents take note. It's getting your kids to
love the sport, not just not seeing every You know,
everything has to be when when when it's great? And
you played other sports.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
Yeah, so many other sports. Rugby was not like to
make it, and rugby wasn't a dream of mine. I
played softball, We jammed cricket at school. Volleyball. I really
liked playing volleyball. That was my sister's sports, so I
copied her a little bit in that. Yeah, just anything
that got me on the field, on the court, running
around with my friends, and.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
The skills sort of crossed over.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Yeah, I reckon, I'm a lock now, so that involves jumping.
Thank you volleyball, So that helps me in there.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
You're always look like they're having a great time. I
mean because of your position at the top there. You're
often pushed in front of the camera to say something
at the end of the game, and you've always got
a grin on your face and it looks like you're
having the time of the time of your life. What
is it that you really enjoy about about your life
as a professional sports study.
Speaker 4 (03:26):
I think half of it after the games is the
amount of caffeine that's in my body.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Nah.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
But yeah, just like the highs and the lows and
being able to experience those high highs with people I've
worked really hard with every single day, seeing the sacrifices
that my friends take, and I guess knowing what I've
done to get into that position.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
So the passion, The passion of your teammates sort of
inspires you as.
Speaker 4 (03:56):
Well, so much. When they asked who inspires us, I
always say my teammates. Yes, I guess because we're together
every single day. We see how much of a grind
we do, and it's hard to look past the people
who are right next to you.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
So it's not just the fun of kicking a ball
around and having a run around. It's actually this drama,
that exciting drama, the drama that sounds good. But what
about you can't love everything about it? How do you
find training hard?
Speaker 4 (04:27):
Training is so hard. We've got a new trainer this year,
Brad Anderson. He's got one of the best rapports. If
you look at his track record, it's so good. And
he kills us, He kills you, He kills us, but
he is making us tanks. Every day when we go training,
we are dying. But we know that it's like a
(04:48):
greater picture.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
So you must on some days turn up thinking I
don't want to do this. So what does he do
that gets you out there killing yourself? What does he
yell at you?
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Do?
Speaker 3 (05:00):
You know? What does he do? Nah?
Speaker 4 (05:02):
It's just he says I need you here with me.
You need to do this for each other, and if
we're going to win another World Cup, we need to
push here so that we can get the treats later.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Right, Okay, So yeah, that sounds like a great thing.
How about the travel professional sports stars? You spend an
awful lot of time probably sitting in departure lounges and
crammed into cars and buses and stuff. Does that grind
you down?
Speaker 4 (05:31):
Sometimes? Sometimes I get sick of traveling in that. But
then it just takes like my family to humble me.
They go, one day, you're not going to be doing this,
and so just make the most of it. We're so spoilt.
We're going to fly business class do stuff that so
many members our own families and so many people around
the world don't get experience. And so I guess just
(05:52):
taking a moment to realize how privileged we are, it
just snaps you right back in the place.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
You've mentioned family so often already tonight you must miss
them like heck when you're away.
Speaker 4 (06:04):
Yeah, very grateful for my phone, Grateful for face times,
a messenger. That's a real easy way for us for
me to keep contact with my family. My family to
send me photos of what's going on at home, and
just feel a bit of home when I'm away.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
As your cat learned how to FaceTime a little bit.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
My brother just sets up the phone and she just
sits there and I get to talk to her. She
gets very angry when I'm away for a long time,
but this time we're actually gone for like six weeks
this time. Usually she doesn't come back to be my
friend for like a week. But she said right next
to my head when I got home the night after.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Oh, that's nice. That's good.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
Nice, that is really good.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
I can't imagine. I'm a dog man myself things like this,
But you know cats now, and you do all these things.
You have the occasional cuddle with the kings, Yeah, I
got that one. How did that? You know, you probably
(07:07):
were coached beforehand about what would be proper and appropriate
and everything like this. So how did it just sort
of tumble into a scrum with the king in the middle.
Speaker 4 (07:16):
Well, we were all like split into groups of six,
and then somehow we ended up with Asia, one of
the loudest, most if you know, she's crazy, and so
we got the briefing. They said, okay, you need a
bow or your curtsey to the king and you need
to address him by saying your majesty. And then when
he came around, we did our bow, we did our curtsy,
(07:38):
and then Asha just goes. We were wondering if we
could have a hug too, and then we just all
piled it and if she was getting one, we're all
getting one.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
I see you coming in from the left hand side
around the shoulder.
Speaker 4 (07:52):
Hold him because they bumped him backwards down.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
I was going to say, what would happen if you
threw him backwards onto the floor.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
I'm in that's something I don't want to know.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Well, thank goodness that you caught the king and held
him up, probably like in a line out, sort of lifted
him up. You have a little more. Do you feel
that the training that you're getting is developing the whole
Maya Kavanaklani Russ or is it just your physical side?
Speaker 4 (08:19):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Everything everything gets developed.
Speaker 4 (08:22):
Yeah, got discipline in the reps that you don't want
to do. When we have our trainings by ourselves, no
one's watching, and so we could just not do it,
or we could do half reps. But yeah, it's just
developing that, like discipline, integrity and resilience.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
Okay, I'm talking more about sort of a psychology and yeah,
and developing a career and things like that. Do they
work on that with you as well?
Speaker 4 (08:47):
We have an amazing mental skills coach in Saunders. He's crazy,
but he is so helpful. Yeah, he helps all the
girls who have one on ones with us, and he
presents like plans at the beginning of the week of
our mindset for the week. That's really cool.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
So probably having a little bit of a wheelspin here
thinking what that might mean, you know, so what would
be a sort of like a mindset goal for a week.
Speaker 4 (09:16):
So we have like themes our overall theme is serve
the friend right now.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
So everything that serve the FOD.
Speaker 4 (09:24):
Yeah, we want to serve the friend. Make sure that
we're leaving the jersey in a better place than where
it is right now for the coming generations or more
girls who come into the team. And so each week
we've been having like feel the friend, so like feel
what it means to be a black friend, feel the
friend on our jersey when we take our rats on
the field to ground ourselves and yeah, just that kind
(09:46):
of stuff.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
Okay, all coming back to us, like you were saying before,
your relationship with the others and the team, but even
thinking of a head. I know because I've been watching
a few YouTube videos of you and I noticed one
of the things you talked about was yet, And I thought,
where does that type of idea come from? Tell us
what tell us about there?
Speaker 4 (10:05):
Yeah, so I guess that's a mindset training, Yeah, yeah,
I reckon Yeah, yeah, the growth mindset and so just
knowing that nothing is fixed and that I might not
be the best at kicking yet when you say yeah,
it like adds another layer of possibility and that it
(10:27):
could happen if you work hard enough.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
For so that's sort of a bit of an antidote
to being into dumping on yourself, like I suck at this,
but I'm no good at that yet. Yeah. Okay, no,
well that's great. Are you tough on yourself?
Speaker 4 (10:41):
I'd say, sir, yep, yeah, I feel like it's realistic
though in a way, yes, I think I know how
good I can be, and so when I'm not performing
how I want to, I know it's not at the level.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
Well that's that self criticism if it's realistic, and you
add a yet on the end, it stops it being
a toxic downer where it just adds to stress and
and everything like that. So yeah, that's cool. Yeah. One
of as I say, I've been watching videos and one
of the things I reckon I've seen in you is
(11:15):
that your instinct is your first instinct is to be shy,
to be focker marth, you know, and the camera comes
on you or something off and put the hand over
the face and then you seem to switch on. And
I'm just wondering whether that's sort of some self coaching
you do where you just say, hey, no, I can
be confident in this. Is that? Would that be right?
Speaker 4 (11:37):
Yeah, I'd say sir. It takes me a bit to
warm up into things, and I guess when all the
tensions on me, I'm not really one for that.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
Yeah, So.
Speaker 4 (11:47):
Just knowing that I need to answer these questions yes
gets me into it.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
Well, good on if feeling brave enoughter capping into the
studio tonight and answering my questions. If you've just tuned in.
My guest tonight is Black Fern star Maya Cavana Khalani
Russ and we'll be back with her afterwards, talking about
an exciting program that she's involved with that's helping kids
who are struggling with their mental health. This is real life.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
I'm John Cown.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
This is News Talks.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
He'd be intelligent interviews with interesting people. It's real life
on News Talks.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Be Welcome back to real life.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
I'm John Cown talking with Blackburn Stark, Maya Cavanni, Khalani Russ.
And what are we listening to there?
Speaker 4 (12:46):
We're listening to prom by Scissa.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
Okay, look you can see how old I am. I've
got no idea what this says? Why you would have
picked it? What is it? How about it that made
you choose it? Tonight?
Speaker 4 (12:59):
Yeah, I just love the song. That album came out
in twenty seventeen.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
I would say for you that means it's old school.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
I would have been a year eleven. And yeah, I've
just listened to this song every year. It's one of
my favorites from one of my favorite albums, and I
guess every year that I grew up, it takes on
a different meaning. Just talks about like the bittersweet feelings
of growing up and changing and changing relationships with friends, family, everything.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
Yeah, it's becoming an adult is quite tough.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
Really, that's scary.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
You've you have a lovely relationship with your mum. And
one of the nicest I've mentioned before that I've been
stalking you looking at these videos on YouTube, and one
of the nicest ones is you telling your mom that
you become captain and you know, and just the encouraging
sounds and you know that just the relationship you have,
(13:56):
it's wonderful. You started your life in America. I did
How did that happen? I mean, you don't have much
control over it.
Speaker 4 (14:04):
Yeah, you know, I just decided. This is about my
mom and my dad. They met in the States at
a university in Hawaii, and then my brother and sister
were actually born in Hawaii. They moved over to Utah
and then that's where I was born. Stayed down til
I was seven, until we decided to make them move
over to New Zealand. And yeah, I guess for a
(14:24):
change of scene, be able to meet all my family,
grow my knowledge of my own culture on my Coel
Island side, and yeah, just be able to experience on
outside of the world.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
So you've got this ki We culture, Cook Island culture,
American culture, and I guess if you're in Utah, Am
I right? And assuming your Latter Day Saints I am indeed.
Speaker 4 (14:48):
Yeah, so growing up in the Aldis Church, so many
of my values I built from there, And yeah, I
guess it's for me into the kind of person I
am today.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
Now.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
Spending your first years in Utah in a Mormon community
very then shifting to gi be a little bit different.
Speaker 4 (15:11):
It's a little bit of a culture shock.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
No, yeah, Lena, this is a lovely place, by the way,
but it's just a bit different from what imagine Salt
Lake City is.
Speaker 4 (15:20):
Yeah, big culture shock. I came from the States. I
did not know there was like these kind of communities,
this kind of town you could live so close to
the ocean. But I loved it. It's so cool. And
being able to experience everything I have because we've moved
here is a real big blessing.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
Are you still within a Latter Day Saints church and community?
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Yep?
Speaker 3 (15:46):
I went to church this morning, and so in the
sort of the pressure of the life that you're in,
because it's a pretty fast moving world that you're moving in. YEA,
what part does your faith play? Does it?
Speaker 4 (16:01):
That's so important? I guess I wake up every morning
and start with prayer just to start my day. So
I can feel in a way, I think like lots
of people talk about doing gratitude in that, but I
feel like that comes when I pray, just like saying
everything that I'm grateful for and thanking a higher power
for what I have.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
Yeah, sounds like a mindset tool.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
Yeah, actuals.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
Yeah right now, Tammicky College, that figure is bigger in
your world too. And you've already mentioned Doris Doras Tofa
Tale and she was a black fan as well.
Speaker 4 (16:40):
She was, She's done so much and she inspires me
to want to be able to give back to my community.
Her love of the community, her love of the game
and growing it for young women, especially in her tongue
in community and in our Glenniness community was so prominent
(17:02):
and it's inspiring to me. And she's who I want
to try.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
To be, like, just have a role model. And you
went back and worked with her.
Speaker 4 (17:13):
Yes, I was a community angel me and I'm sure
you're an angel.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
But what's a community what's a community angel?
Speaker 4 (17:19):
A community angel? So we went back to Sunkee College
and there was like a real bad wagging problem during
that year, and so we were just there to make
sure the kids went to class and if they weren't
going to class, see if there was a reason for that,
And it might have been they were struggling mentally and
they couldn't do the work at that time and they
(17:40):
just needed someone to talk to. And so I was
that person. Me and my best friend Leanna, she's a
black fan as well. We did that role together and
so we were just another set of ears that they
could talk to.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
Well, I imagine if a couple of black ferns turn
up at your door and say, why aren't you at school?
You could haul them up, You could haul them back.
Speaker 4 (17:56):
We had to do some tasting actually and needed to
have my GPS on for that.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
Well that sounds wonderful, but it sort of led quite naturally,
I guess into this new reject tell us. It's called
Mindset Engage. What is Mindset Engage?
Speaker 4 (18:15):
Mindset Engage is actually a really cool initiative run by
New Zealand Rugby. We just want to make sure that
people everywhere in New Zealand have the resources to be
able to make sure that they are feeling okay, that
they can reach out if they're not feeling okay, and
just giving them the tools on how to do that,
(18:36):
and giving other people tools on how to help people
who might need help.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
Okay, so a mental health program, and I mean there's
people that have been going into schools and there's experts
and resources and schools. What's what difference do you think
it makes having the messages coming from a young person
and a sports star.
Speaker 4 (19:00):
Oh that's a good question. Actually, I like to think
I'm quite relatable and yeah, I go through my own
mental health struggles and so I.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
Feel like, okay, that would be relatable. Yeah, yeah, so
you have so you have had challenges in the area yourself. Yea.
Speaker 4 (19:22):
Everyone has hard years, hard times, and everyone needs someone
to talk to. And I think that it's really important
that people know that it's okay to do that and
that it's good and to just have the confidence that
even though it's really hard to do so sometimes that
there's people who are there who want to help you
(19:43):
and want to see you doing well.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
Yeah. Teenagers have a tough time, don't they. They And
while you're going through school, you saw friends that.
Speaker 4 (19:52):
Were Yeah, it was real hard for my school in
the years I was going to school. There's quite a
few source sights so yeah, I say that. Yeah, and
one of my good friends and Iraq your team, she
passed away due to that, and it was just like
(20:15):
it was scary. Yeah, we were young. I was in
year eleven, my other friends were in year ten, and
it was a new experience. We didn't know how to
handle it. And so it's changed us and it's yeah,
just been a real difficult thing that we've had to
process growing up.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
And that's something that's motivated you to be involved in
this program. And yeah, yeah, okay, I was looking at
the meaning of your name and the Maya is the
warrior part and the Kavana Kalani is the sun breaking
through the clouds yep. And I can see the warrior
of the sports field, but I can see the sun
(20:57):
breaking through the clouds for young people when you're doing
this program. It's a beautiful thing that you're involved in.
Speaker 4 (21:02):
Thank you. That's actually really nice.
Speaker 3 (21:03):
And you've been into schools already to do this yep.
Speaker 4 (21:06):
So I've been able to go back to my schoo
full Tnky College and talk to our girls and that
was like a full circle moment for me. It was
so special to be able to deliver something that I
know would have helped me when I was their age.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Yeah, so that's that's really cool. So what what what
sort of things work for you in centering your your
own mental health. You've talked about how you start your
day with prayer, You've talked about this mindset stuff. What
else sort of helps you when you're feeling.
Speaker 4 (21:37):
Down, talking talking to my friends, just getting out all
of my thoughts so that it's out a lot of
the time things can and like get bothered up in
my head and I just get real cloudy, and just
to be able to share it and cry and let
(22:00):
out everything that I'm feeling is what gets me.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
A lot of people that would be envious that you've
got mates that you can do that, and that's something
that I guess comes with the culture in the sports culture.
By the way, folks, if this is maybe a bit
triggering listening to you, if you're experiencing stress or anxiety,
or low moods, or thoughts of self harm, or just
need someone to talk to, you can free call or
(22:26):
text one seven three seven one seven three seven and
chat to a trained professional. And a visit to your
doctor is never a bad place to start as well.
So so yeah, just in case we've lent on some bruises.
As we've been talking about this one seven three seven,
don't hesitate, do call it. It's been lovely talking to
(22:46):
you and you've picked another song for us to listen to.
What is it it's going to be that we're listening.
Speaker 4 (22:50):
To Crawl by Madison Brian Ward and what's that about?
It's about Yeah, I guess God just like feeling that.
So it's like just trusting that there's a great plan
and that there are struggles but we can get through it.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
And yeah, my guest tonight has been Blackpooon star Maya
Kavana Klani Russ and it's been an absolute pleasure. Thank
you so much.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
Thank you for more from News Talks at b Listen
live on air or online, and keep our shows with
you wherever you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio
You're listening to a podcast from newstalk s EDB. Follow
this and our wide range of podcast now on iHeartRadio.
Real Conversation, Real Connection. It's Real Life with John Cowen
on news talk s EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Today.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Welcome to Real Life.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
I'm John Cowen.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
My guest tonight is a Black Fern star who works
out by lifting trophies over ahead and hugging the King
Kirana Maya, Cavana, Kolani russ Hi. John, a wonderful career
and you're only twenty three. I mean, it's been going fantastically.
You've already captained our national women's rugby team, the Black Ferns,
(00:56):
and the Blue Super Rugby Opeky team, and being in
the team that won the Women's Rugby World Cup and
the twenty twenty three Pacific four Series title. I mean, wow,
it's a pretty amazing. And yet I've heard you say
you weren't that great at sport at school. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
Man, when you say all of those, it's kind of
crazy to think about all those accomplishments.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
I'm talking about me.
Speaker 4 (01:21):
Yeah, yeah, I wasn't actually very good at all at sports.
I loved having a go and I think that was
my point of difference. And yeah, just the love of
playing games, being with my friends kept me in sport
and helped me make new friends. And I guess that's
why I've been able to advance so much and be
(01:42):
able to connect with so many people and get in
these opportunities.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Yeah, I sometimes wonder about parents on the sideline, who
are the sort of the winning is everything mentality? You
don't You probably didn't have that.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
Not at all. My mom and my family loved coming
to my games and they just loved seeing me have fun.
My school team we weren't the best, but then the
culture that we had off field, driven by one of
my dear coaches, Doris, Yeah, it was just so special.
And yeah, I wasn't that competitive. I am competitive now,
(02:20):
which was important and high performance sport. But yeah, it's
just the love of the game that keeps me going
and that's why I play.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
Yeah, so parents take note. It's getting your kids to
love the sport, not just not seeing every You know,
everything has to be when when when it's great? And
you played other sports.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
Yeah, so many other sports. Rugby was not like to
make it, and rugby wasn't a dream of mine. I
played softball, We jammed cricket at school. Volleyball. I really
liked playing volleyball. That was my sister's sports, so I
copied her a little bit in that. Yeah, just anything
that got me on the field, on the court, running
around with my friends, and.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
The skills sort of crossed over.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Yeah, I reckon, I'm a lock now, so that involves jumping.
Thank you volleyball, So that helps me in there.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
You're always look like they're having a great time. I
mean because of your position at the top there. You're
often pushed in front of the camera to say something
at the end of the game, and you've always got
a grin on your face and it looks like you're
having the time of the time of your life. What
is it that you really enjoy about about your life
as a professional sports study.
Speaker 4 (03:26):
I think half of it after the games is the
amount of caffeine that's in my body.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Nah.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
But yeah, just like the highs and the lows and
being able to experience those high highs with people I've
worked really hard with every single day, seeing the sacrifices
that my friends take, and I guess knowing what I've
done to get into that position.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
So the passion, The passion of your teammates sort of
inspires you as.
Speaker 4 (03:56):
Well, so much. When they asked who inspires us, I
always say my teammates. Yes, I guess because we're together
every single day. We see how much of a grind
we do, and it's hard to look past the people
who are right next to you.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
So it's not just the fun of kicking a ball
around and having a run around. It's actually this drama,
that exciting drama, the drama that sounds good. But what
about you can't love everything about it? How do you
find training hard?
Speaker 4 (04:27):
Training is so hard. We've got a new trainer this year,
Brad Anderson. He's got one of the best rapports. If
you look at his track record, it's so good. And
he kills us, He kills you, He kills us, but
he is making us tanks. Every day when we go training,
we are dying. But we know that it's like a
(04:48):
greater picture.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
So you must on some days turn up thinking I
don't want to do this. So what does he do
that gets you out there killing yourself? What does he
yell at you?
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Do?
Speaker 3 (05:00):
You know? What does he do? Nah?
Speaker 4 (05:02):
It's just he says I need you here with me.
You need to do this for each other, and if
we're going to win another World Cup, we need to
push here so that we can get the treats later.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Right, Okay, So yeah, that sounds like a great thing.
How about the travel professional sports stars? You spend an
awful lot of time probably sitting in departure lounges and
crammed into cars and buses and stuff. Does that grind
you down?
Speaker 4 (05:31):
Sometimes? Sometimes I get sick of traveling in that. But
then it just takes like my family to humble me.
They go, one day, you're not going to be doing this,
and so just make the most of it. We're so spoilt.
We're going to fly business class do stuff that so
many members our own families and so many people around
the world don't get experience. And so I guess just
(05:52):
taking a moment to realize how privileged we are, it
just snaps you right back in the place.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
You've mentioned family so often already tonight you must miss
them like heck when you're away.
Speaker 4 (06:04):
Yeah, very grateful for my phone, Grateful for face times,
a messenger. That's a real easy way for us for
me to keep contact with my family. My family to
send me photos of what's going on at home, and
just feel a bit of home when I'm away.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
As your cat learned how to FaceTime a little bit.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
My brother just sets up the phone and she just
sits there and I get to talk to her. She
gets very angry when I'm away for a long time,
but this time we're actually gone for like six weeks
this time. Usually she doesn't come back to be my
friend for like a week. But she said right next
to my head when I got home the night after.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Oh, that's nice. That's good.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
Nice, that is really good.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
I can't imagine. I'm a dog man myself things like this,
But you know cats now, and you do all these things.
You have the occasional cuddle with the kings, Yeah, I
got that one. How did that? You know, you probably
(07:07):
were coached beforehand about what would be proper and appropriate
and everything like this. So how did it just sort
of tumble into a scrum with the king in the middle.
Speaker 4 (07:16):
Well, we were all like split into groups of six,
and then somehow we ended up with Asia, one of
the loudest, most if you know, she's crazy, and so
we got the briefing. They said, okay, you need a
bow or your curtsey to the king and you need
to address him by saying your majesty. And then when
he came around, we did our bow, we did our curtsy,
(07:38):
and then Asha just goes. We were wondering if we
could have a hug too, and then we just all
piled it and if she was getting one, we're all
getting one.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
I see you coming in from the left hand side
around the shoulder.
Speaker 4 (07:52):
Hold him because they bumped him backwards down.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
I was going to say, what would happen if you
threw him backwards onto the floor.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
I'm in that's something I don't want to know.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Well, thank goodness that you caught the king and held
him up, probably like in a line out, sort of lifted
him up. You have a little more. Do you feel
that the training that you're getting is developing the whole
Maya Kavanaklani Russ or is it just your physical side?
Speaker 4 (08:19):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Everything everything gets developed.
Speaker 4 (08:22):
Yeah, got discipline in the reps that you don't want
to do. When we have our trainings by ourselves, no
one's watching, and so we could just not do it,
or we could do half reps. But yeah, it's just
developing that, like discipline, integrity and resilience.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
Okay, I'm talking more about sort of a psychology and yeah,
and developing a career and things like that. Do they
work on that with you as well?
Speaker 4 (08:47):
We have an amazing mental skills coach in Saunders. He's crazy,
but he is so helpful. Yeah, he helps all the
girls who have one on ones with us, and he
presents like plans at the beginning of the week of
our mindset for the week. That's really cool.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
So probably having a little bit of a wheelspin here
thinking what that might mean, you know, so what would
be a sort of like a mindset goal for a week.
Speaker 4 (09:16):
So we have like themes our overall theme is serve
the friend right now.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
So everything that serve the FOD.
Speaker 4 (09:24):
Yeah, we want to serve the friend. Make sure that
we're leaving the jersey in a better place than where
it is right now for the coming generations or more
girls who come into the team. And so each week
we've been having like feel the friend, so like feel
what it means to be a black friend, feel the
friend on our jersey when we take our rats on
the field to ground ourselves and yeah, just that kind
(09:46):
of stuff.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
Okay, all coming back to us, like you were saying before,
your relationship with the others and the team, but even
thinking of a head. I know because I've been watching
a few YouTube videos of you and I noticed one
of the things you talked about was yet, And I thought,
where does that type of idea come from? Tell us
what tell us about there?
Speaker 4 (10:05):
Yeah, so I guess that's a mindset training, Yeah, yeah,
I reckon Yeah, yeah, the growth mindset and so just
knowing that nothing is fixed and that I might not
be the best at kicking yet when you say yeah,
it like adds another layer of possibility and that it
(10:27):
could happen if you work hard enough.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
For so that's sort of a bit of an antidote
to being into dumping on yourself, like I suck at this,
but I'm no good at that yet. Yeah. Okay, no,
well that's great. Are you tough on yourself?
Speaker 4 (10:41):
I'd say, sir, yep, yeah, I feel like it's realistic
though in a way, yes, I think I know how
good I can be, and so when I'm not performing
how I want to, I know it's not at the level.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
Well that's that self criticism if it's realistic, and you
add a yet on the end, it stops it being
a toxic downer where it just adds to stress and
and everything like that. So yeah, that's cool. Yeah. One
of as I say, I've been watching videos and one
of the things I reckon I've seen in you is
(11:15):
that your instinct is your first instinct is to be shy,
to be focker marth, you know, and the camera comes
on you or something off and put the hand over
the face and then you seem to switch on. And
I'm just wondering whether that's sort of some self coaching
you do where you just say, hey, no, I can
be confident in this. Is that? Would that be right?
Speaker 4 (11:37):
Yeah, I'd say sir. It takes me a bit to
warm up into things, and I guess when all the
tensions on me, I'm not really one for that.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
Yeah, So.
Speaker 4 (11:47):
Just knowing that I need to answer these questions yes
gets me into it.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
Well, good on if feeling brave enoughter capping into the
studio tonight and answering my questions. If you've just tuned in.
My guest tonight is Black Fern star Maya Cavana Khalani
Russ and we'll be back with her afterwards, talking about
an exciting program that she's involved with that's helping kids
who are struggling with their mental health. This is real life.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
I'm John Cown.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
This is News Talks.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
He'd be intelligent interviews with interesting people. It's real life
on News Talks.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Be Welcome back to real life.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
I'm John Cown talking with Blackburn Stark, Maya Cavanni, Khalani Russ.
And what are we listening to there?
Speaker 4 (12:46):
We're listening to prom by Scissa.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
Okay, look you can see how old I am. I've
got no idea what this says? Why you would have
picked it? What is it? How about it that made
you choose it? Tonight?
Speaker 4 (12:59):
Yeah, I just love the song. That album came out
in twenty seventeen.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
I would say for you that means it's old school.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
I would have been a year eleven. And yeah, I've
just listened to this song every year. It's one of
my favorites from one of my favorite albums, and I
guess every year that I grew up, it takes on
a different meaning. Just talks about like the bittersweet feelings
of growing up and changing and changing relationships with friends, family, everything.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
Yeah, it's becoming an adult is quite tough.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
Really, that's scary.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
You've you have a lovely relationship with your mum. And
one of the nicest I've mentioned before that I've been
stalking you looking at these videos on YouTube, and one
of the nicest ones is you telling your mom that
you become captain and you know, and just the encouraging
sounds and you know that just the relationship you have,
(13:56):
it's wonderful. You started your life in America. I did
How did that happen? I mean, you don't have much
control over it.
Speaker 4 (14:04):
Yeah, you know, I just decided. This is about my
mom and my dad. They met in the States at
a university in Hawaii, and then my brother and sister
were actually born in Hawaii. They moved over to Utah
and then that's where I was born. Stayed down til
I was seven, until we decided to make them move
over to New Zealand. And yeah, I guess for a
(14:24):
change of scene, be able to meet all my family,
grow my knowledge of my own culture on my Coel
Island side, and yeah, just be able to experience on
outside of the world.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
So you've got this ki We culture, Cook Island culture,
American culture, and I guess if you're in Utah, Am
I right? And assuming your Latter Day Saints I am indeed.
Speaker 4 (14:48):
Yeah, so growing up in the Aldis Church, so many
of my values I built from there, And yeah, I
guess it's for me into the kind of person I
am today.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
Now.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
Spending your first years in Utah in a Mormon community
very then shifting to gi be a little bit different.
Speaker 4 (15:11):
It's a little bit of a culture shock.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
No, yeah, Lena, this is a lovely place, by the way,
but it's just a bit different from what imagine Salt
Lake City is.
Speaker 4 (15:20):
Yeah, big culture shock. I came from the States. I
did not know there was like these kind of communities,
this kind of town you could live so close to
the ocean. But I loved it. It's so cool. And
being able to experience everything I have because we've moved
here is a real big blessing.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
Are you still within a Latter Day Saints church and community?
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Yep?
Speaker 3 (15:46):
I went to church this morning, and so in the
sort of the pressure of the life that you're in,
because it's a pretty fast moving world that you're moving in. YEA,
what part does your faith play? Does it?
Speaker 4 (16:01):
That's so important? I guess I wake up every morning
and start with prayer just to start my day. So
I can feel in a way, I think like lots
of people talk about doing gratitude in that, but I
feel like that comes when I pray, just like saying
everything that I'm grateful for and thanking a higher power
for what I have.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
Yeah, sounds like a mindset tool.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
Yeah, actuals.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
Yeah right now, Tammicky College, that figure is bigger in
your world too. And you've already mentioned Doris Doras Tofa
Tale and she was a black fan as well.
Speaker 4 (16:40):
She was, She's done so much and she inspires me
to want to be able to give back to my community.
Her love of the community, her love of the game
and growing it for young women, especially in her tongue
in community and in our Glenniness community was so prominent
(17:02):
and it's inspiring to me. And she's who I want
to try.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
To be, like, just have a role model. And you
went back and worked with her.
Speaker 4 (17:13):
Yes, I was a community angel me and I'm sure
you're an angel.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
But what's a community what's a community angel?
Speaker 4 (17:19):
A community angel? So we went back to Sunkee College
and there was like a real bad wagging problem during
that year, and so we were just there to make
sure the kids went to class and if they weren't
going to class, see if there was a reason for that,
And it might have been they were struggling mentally and
they couldn't do the work at that time and they
(17:40):
just needed someone to talk to. And so I was
that person. Me and my best friend Leanna, she's a
black fan as well. We did that role together and
so we were just another set of ears that they
could talk to.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
Well, I imagine if a couple of black ferns turn
up at your door and say, why aren't you at school?
You could haul them up, You could haul them back.
Speaker 4 (17:56):
We had to do some tasting actually and needed to
have my GPS on for that.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
Well that sounds wonderful, but it sort of led quite naturally,
I guess into this new reject tell us. It's called
Mindset Engage. What is Mindset Engage?
Speaker 4 (18:15):
Mindset Engage is actually a really cool initiative run by
New Zealand Rugby. We just want to make sure that
people everywhere in New Zealand have the resources to be
able to make sure that they are feeling okay, that
they can reach out if they're not feeling okay, and
just giving them the tools on how to do that,
(18:36):
and giving other people tools on how to help people
who might need help.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
Okay, so a mental health program, and I mean there's
people that have been going into schools and there's experts
and resources and schools. What's what difference do you think
it makes having the messages coming from a young person
and a sports star.
Speaker 4 (19:00):
Oh that's a good question. Actually, I like to think
I'm quite relatable and yeah, I go through my own
mental health struggles and so I.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
Feel like, okay, that would be relatable. Yeah, yeah, so
you have so you have had challenges in the area yourself. Yea.
Speaker 4 (19:22):
Everyone has hard years, hard times, and everyone needs someone
to talk to. And I think that it's really important
that people know that it's okay to do that and
that it's good and to just have the confidence that
even though it's really hard to do so sometimes that
there's people who are there who want to help you
(19:43):
and want to see you doing well.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
Yeah. Teenagers have a tough time, don't they. They And
while you're going through school, you saw friends that.
Speaker 4 (19:52):
Were Yeah, it was real hard for my school in
the years I was going to school. There's quite a
few source sights so yeah, I say that. Yeah, and
one of my good friends and Iraq your team, she
passed away due to that, and it was just like
(20:15):
it was scary. Yeah, we were young. I was in
year eleven, my other friends were in year ten, and
it was a new experience. We didn't know how to
handle it. And so it's changed us and it's yeah,
just been a real difficult thing that we've had to
process growing up.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
And that's something that's motivated you to be involved in
this program. And yeah, yeah, okay, I was looking at
the meaning of your name and the Maya is the
warrior part and the Kavana Kalani is the sun breaking
through the clouds yep. And I can see the warrior
of the sports field, but I can see the sun
(20:57):
breaking through the clouds for young people when you're doing
this program. It's a beautiful thing that you're involved in.
Speaker 4 (21:02):
Thank you. That's actually really nice.
Speaker 3 (21:03):
And you've been into schools already to do this yep.
Speaker 4 (21:06):
So I've been able to go back to my schoo
full Tnky College and talk to our girls and that
was like a full circle moment for me. It was
so special to be able to deliver something that I
know would have helped me when I was their age.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Yeah, so that's that's really cool. So what what what
sort of things work for you in centering your your
own mental health. You've talked about how you start your
day with prayer, You've talked about this mindset stuff. What
else sort of helps you when you're feeling.
Speaker 4 (21:37):
Down, talking talking to my friends, just getting out all
of my thoughts so that it's out a lot of
the time things can and like get bothered up in
my head and I just get real cloudy, and just
to be able to share it and cry and let
(22:00):
out everything that I'm feeling is what gets me.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
A lot of people that would be envious that you've
got mates that you can do that, and that's something
that I guess comes with the culture in the sports culture.
By the way, folks, if this is maybe a bit
triggering listening to you, if you're experiencing stress or anxiety,
or low moods, or thoughts of self harm, or just
need someone to talk to, you can free call or
(22:26):
text one seven three seven one seven three seven and
chat to a trained professional. And a visit to your
doctor is never a bad place to start as well.
So so yeah, just in case we've lent on some bruises.
As we've been talking about this one seven three seven,
don't hesitate, do call it. It's been lovely talking to
(22:46):
you and you've picked another song for us to listen to.
What is it it's going to be that we're listening.
Speaker 4 (22:50):
To Crawl by Madison Brian Ward and what's that about?
It's about Yeah, I guess God just like feeling that.
So it's like just trusting that there's a great plan
and that there are struggles but we can get through it.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
And yeah, my guest tonight has been Blackpooon star Maya
Kavana Klani Russ and it's been an absolute pleasure. Thank
you so much.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
Thank you for more from News Talks at b Listen
live on air or online, and keep our shows with
you wherever you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio
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