July 30, 2025 • 9 mins
Lima Sopoaga is back!
8 years ago he departed our shores to play in the Premiership in England. From there he went on to do stints in France and Japan, and now he's back for the NPC.
One problem - he's not returning to Southland! He's a Mooloo now!
Lima spoke to D'Arcy Waldegrave on Sportstalk.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Darcy Wildergrave
from News Talk sed be.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Look at You taking me.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Charles's Texter and Darcy as Plato wrote, sound body, sound mine?
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Nice?
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Thank you Charles. It's till about of rugby now. Don't
call it a comeback. He's been away for years. That's
kind of a butchered version of an ol cool Jay song.
But his name is Lima Suppewanga. He went away asn't
all black and he's finally come back many many many
years later, and it's great to have him on the program.
(00:44):
Good evening, Lema, Good evening, mate.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Good to hear your voice again.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
It's been a long time. In fact, it's been what
eight years since you've been in New Zealand. You've been
playing your rugby all over the planet.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Mate.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
Welcome home, Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
It's good to be back. Though a little bit grayer
and u a little bit uh more stress some days
with three kids, but it's all good stuff.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
It's the spice of life mate, being dads, it's all
it's about. You're lucky you got that far, but you're
back now. You've played in UK for three years, a
couple of years in France a couple of years in Japan.
So why are you coming home? I'm presuming it's a
family situation.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Yeah, my wife and three kids moved home in the
second year of my contract in Japan, and so They've
stayed here for the last year, and I've kind of
gone back and forth, and yeah, I've kind of just
maybe decided that I'll hang around in New Yland for
a little bit and see what happens and just be
around my kids, you know, like for me that my
(01:47):
kids are the most important thing and watching them grow up.
So yeah, I've got a got a call from Ross
and he's asked if I help him out. So that's
what I've decided to do.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Ross Filipo being the head coach of the Mulu's White Cutle,
He's offered a position, a role does he expect from you?
Why did he approach you? Do you think, Lima, Yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Guess it's similar to crude And you know, you've got
a lot of young guys coming through itm CUP these days,
and you know, maybe I can share some of my
experiences with them and help these guys on their way
to you know, bigger and better things some of them
and this team will go and wear the black jersey
and some will go overseas and hopefully I can shed
(02:32):
some light on some of that and just help them
on their way and also learn from them too.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
And yes, it's great.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
To be back involved with the game, and it's exciting
to see how the season one unfold and I'm pretty
excited for it.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Are you comfortable in that space as an old school
guidance type of characters something sits well with you?
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Yeah, one hundred percent. I've been lucky as a young
kid as well. I've had great older guys in the
locker room who looked after me and helped me. And
I think it's when you have those experiences as a
young fella. The thing they always say to you when
you're young is has passed on the messages, you know,
like help those young guys come through. And it's it's
(03:16):
now my turn to to do that because I've had
some special people help me out, you know, your the likes.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Of sort of.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Them Tilada, Ronnie Soyala. When I first started the Lions,
guys like that and then went down to the Landers
and you know, Adam Thompson and Chris King, Jason Rutledge.
All those kind of guys have sort of shared their
knowledge of me over the years, and even guys overseas
in France and England and Japan. So I think that's
(03:47):
it's a great opportunity for me to do the same
for some of these guys and help even some of
the senior guys in the White Cuttle squad who are
who are who are established now and just helped help
them even more.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
What does our and Crudin make of this? You're a
couple of old stages and they're charging ford all that
you mentioned before. You need too old to play the game, right,
What is he closing in on seventy years old? That's kidding,
but he's still playing so you're still relevant, right, you
can still put a decent shift in.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Yeah, And that's what we're here to do. You know,
we're not just here to make up numbers. We're here
to compete and do our best for the team and
when a trophy for wakattal and that's what I think
we're here to do. And reconnect them with cruds is amazing,
you know, like we're both at similar stages in our lives,
both a little bit older and got kids and sort
(04:39):
of lived lived a little bit around the world and
had a broader perspective on life and footy. So it's
it's awesome to reconnect with Firm, especially that he's always
been a big help of my career and someone I've
always looked up to.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
When you look back, lean at your time overseas and
you've played in three distinctively different countries in the way
they apply their rugby, if you could, I know, it's
eight years and you can't really distill it into a sentence,
but looking through the UK, looking through France, looking through Japan,
what are the key lessons out of playing in those
various countries? But I'm sure they gave you something very
(05:16):
different with each experience.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
I think for me personally, as someone who come through
the bubble of being in all blacks and things like that,
is like the perspective it gave me was that rugby
is just a small part of your life. It's and
I think you can get lost in that, you know,
chasing a black jersey or or being into Barabian and
(05:39):
things like that, because in New Zealand, you know, ruby
consume you. But for me it's, you know, like rugby
is just what we do. It's not who we are,
and that for me sort of help shape my life
and the way I see it now. And it's a
small part of my life and that's something I really enjoy.
But it's not the be all and end or for me,
and it's not who I am as a person. It's
(05:59):
just something that I do for a living, and that's
really helped me along this journey.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Please, when you're giving advice to young player, can you
tell them not to up sticks and run off to
the other side of the world in their mid twenties.
I mean, we're still suffering from that one leaving that
was that worthwhile? That decision you made in the fullness
of time? Did you do the right thing? I?
Speaker 2 (06:19):
In my heart, that was what I wanted to do.
I became an all Black. I chased that dream. But
I also as a as a kid, I read books
and you know, watched TV and seen places on TV
that I wish I could have gone, and I wanted
to use Rabia as avenue to see the world. And
that's exactly what I did. Like, I've got a daughter
(06:40):
now who's seven eight in September, and I think she's
been to twenty seven different countries and that to me
is just as important as as putting on a black jersey.
And yeah, so for me, I think it's been able
to give me a great experience around the world and
helped shape me for the better.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
What's the best league to play in out of the
three that you've toppled around, and what one challenge you
the most gave you the biggest thrill made you think, Yeah,
Rugby's the game. Was there anyone add all and for
any particular reason.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Oh, it's just the top fourteen France. They just they
just know how to do it, you know, like you please.
You could be playing Bordo and Bordo nine pm Sunday night,
main game of the weekend and there's thirty five thousand
people there, you know, like just just a crazy league,
crazy fans, some of the best players in the world. Yeah,
(07:35):
it's just it's an incredible, incredible league and atmosphere.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
All of the reports have been saying that this is
a shock comeback. I know here in the office a
couple of days back when it first came up, I'm like, okay,
where did that come from? This been in the pipeline
for long or.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
No not really, to be honest. I've just been in
Hamilton just enjoying time my kids and my family and
doing a bit of training on the side. And I
actually just caught Floss in a pub one day after
playing a bit of golf with my father in law
and he just asked me what I was up to
and I said, ah, I'm not too sure. Just go
(08:14):
where the wind blows, really and he said, oh, well,
when you come down to White Katto and give us
a hand. We run pretty light, don't have a deep
squad and got a few injuries. And I said, oh,
if you're serious, And then he ran me a couple
of days later and told me to come down to
one Kado Stadium and I signed a one dollar contract.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
And here we are serious. One dollar contract. That's all
you cared about. I mean, you obviously made a wee
bit playing overseas, but it doesn't it's not about money,
is it.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
No, Yeah, that is exactly a one dollar contract. Then
you just get paid by the week. So if you
get called, you get you get paid some money. And
if you don't, then I just do the school run,
hang out with my wife and go coach a little
bit of kids. Football and that's about it.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Sound like a very calm, satisfied man in your job,
in your rugby and family life as well. Great to
catch up again, Lima. And I'm sorry about the hate mail.
It's going to turn up from Southland. But they don't forget, right, Oh.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
That's a good place, a lot of good people down there,
so they don't forget. And it's a place I hold
there to my heart.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talks
it'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Darcy Wildergrave
from News Talk sed be.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Look at You taking me.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Charles's Texter and Darcy as Plato wrote, sound body, sound mine?
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Nice?
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Thank you Charles. It's till about of rugby now. Don't
call it a comeback. He's been away for years. That's
kind of a butchered version of an ol cool Jay song.
But his name is Lima Suppewanga. He went away asn't
all black and he's finally come back many many many
years later, and it's great to have him on the program.
(00:44):
Good evening, Lema, Good evening, mate.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Good to hear your voice again.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
It's been a long time. In fact, it's been what
eight years since you've been in New Zealand. You've been
playing your rugby all over the planet.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Mate.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
Welcome home, Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
It's good to be back. Though a little bit grayer
and u a little bit uh more stress some days
with three kids, but it's all good stuff.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
It's the spice of life mate, being dads, it's all
it's about. You're lucky you got that far, but you're
back now. You've played in UK for three years, a
couple of years in France a couple of years in Japan.
So why are you coming home? I'm presuming it's a
family situation.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Yeah, my wife and three kids moved home in the
second year of my contract in Japan, and so They've
stayed here for the last year, and I've kind of
gone back and forth, and yeah, I've kind of just
maybe decided that I'll hang around in New Yland for
a little bit and see what happens and just be
around my kids, you know, like for me that my
(01:47):
kids are the most important thing and watching them grow up.
So yeah, I've got a got a call from Ross
and he's asked if I help him out. So that's
what I've decided to do.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Ross Filipo being the head coach of the Mulu's White Cutle,
He's offered a position, a role does he expect from you?
Why did he approach you? Do you think, Lima, Yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Guess it's similar to crude And you know, you've got
a lot of young guys coming through itm CUP these days,
and you know, maybe I can share some of my
experiences with them and help these guys on their way
to you know, bigger and better things some of them
and this team will go and wear the black jersey
and some will go overseas and hopefully I can shed
(02:32):
some light on some of that and just help them
on their way and also learn from them too.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
And yes, it's great.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
To be back involved with the game, and it's exciting
to see how the season one unfold and I'm pretty
excited for it.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Are you comfortable in that space as an old school
guidance type of characters something sits well with you?
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Yeah, one hundred percent. I've been lucky as a young
kid as well. I've had great older guys in the
locker room who looked after me and helped me. And
I think it's when you have those experiences as a
young fella. The thing they always say to you when
you're young is has passed on the messages, you know,
like help those young guys come through. And it's it's
(03:16):
now my turn to to do that because I've had
some special people help me out, you know, your the likes.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Of sort of.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Them Tilada, Ronnie Soyala. When I first started the Lions,
guys like that and then went down to the Landers
and you know, Adam Thompson and Chris King, Jason Rutledge.
All those kind of guys have sort of shared their
knowledge of me over the years, and even guys overseas
in France and England and Japan. So I think that's
(03:47):
it's a great opportunity for me to do the same
for some of these guys and help even some of
the senior guys in the White Cuttle squad who are
who are who are established now and just helped help
them even more.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
What does our and Crudin make of this? You're a
couple of old stages and they're charging ford all that
you mentioned before. You need too old to play the game, right,
What is he closing in on seventy years old? That's kidding,
but he's still playing so you're still relevant, right, you
can still put a decent shift in.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Yeah, And that's what we're here to do. You know,
we're not just here to make up numbers. We're here
to compete and do our best for the team and
when a trophy for wakattal and that's what I think
we're here to do. And reconnect them with cruds is amazing,
you know, like we're both at similar stages in our lives,
both a little bit older and got kids and sort
(04:39):
of lived lived a little bit around the world and
had a broader perspective on life and footy. So it's
it's awesome to reconnect with Firm, especially that he's always
been a big help of my career and someone I've
always looked up to.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
When you look back, lean at your time overseas and
you've played in three distinctively different countries in the way
they apply their rugby, if you could, I know, it's
eight years and you can't really distill it into a sentence,
but looking through the UK, looking through France, looking through Japan,
what are the key lessons out of playing in those
various countries? But I'm sure they gave you something very
(05:16):
different with each experience.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
I think for me personally, as someone who come through
the bubble of being in all blacks and things like that,
is like the perspective it gave me was that rugby
is just a small part of your life. It's and
I think you can get lost in that, you know,
chasing a black jersey or or being into Barabian and
(05:39):
things like that, because in New Zealand, you know, ruby
consume you. But for me it's, you know, like rugby
is just what we do. It's not who we are,
and that for me sort of help shape my life
and the way I see it now. And it's a
small part of my life and that's something I really enjoy.
But it's not the be all and end or for me,
and it's not who I am as a person. It's
(05:59):
just something that I do for a living, and that's
really helped me along this journey.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Please, when you're giving advice to young player, can you
tell them not to up sticks and run off to
the other side of the world in their mid twenties.
I mean, we're still suffering from that one leaving that
was that worthwhile? That decision you made in the fullness
of time? Did you do the right thing? I?
Speaker 2 (06:19):
In my heart, that was what I wanted to do.
I became an all Black. I chased that dream. But
I also as a as a kid, I read books
and you know, watched TV and seen places on TV
that I wish I could have gone, and I wanted
to use Rabia as avenue to see the world. And
that's exactly what I did. Like, I've got a daughter
(06:40):
now who's seven eight in September, and I think she's
been to twenty seven different countries and that to me
is just as important as as putting on a black jersey.
And yeah, so for me, I think it's been able
to give me a great experience around the world and
helped shape me for the better.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
What's the best league to play in out of the
three that you've toppled around, and what one challenge you
the most gave you the biggest thrill made you think, Yeah,
Rugby's the game. Was there anyone add all and for
any particular reason.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Oh, it's just the top fourteen France. They just they
just know how to do it, you know, like you please.
You could be playing Bordo and Bordo nine pm Sunday night,
main game of the weekend and there's thirty five thousand
people there, you know, like just just a crazy league,
crazy fans, some of the best players in the world. Yeah,
(07:35):
it's just it's an incredible, incredible league and atmosphere.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
All of the reports have been saying that this is
a shock comeback. I know here in the office a
couple of days back when it first came up, I'm like, okay,
where did that come from? This been in the pipeline
for long or.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
No not really, to be honest. I've just been in
Hamilton just enjoying time my kids and my family and
doing a bit of training on the side. And I
actually just caught Floss in a pub one day after
playing a bit of golf with my father in law
and he just asked me what I was up to
and I said, ah, I'm not too sure. Just go
(08:14):
where the wind blows, really and he said, oh, well,
when you come down to White Katto and give us
a hand. We run pretty light, don't have a deep
squad and got a few injuries. And I said, oh,
if you're serious, And then he ran me a couple
of days later and told me to come down to
one Kado Stadium and I signed a one dollar contract.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
And here we are serious. One dollar contract. That's all
you cared about. I mean, you obviously made a wee
bit playing overseas, but it doesn't it's not about money,
is it.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
No, Yeah, that is exactly a one dollar contract. Then
you just get paid by the week. So if you
get called, you get you get paid some money. And
if you don't, then I just do the school run,
hang out with my wife and go coach a little
bit of kids. Football and that's about it.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Sound like a very calm, satisfied man in your job,
in your rugby and family life as well. Great to
catch up again, Lima. And I'm sorry about the hate mail.
It's going to turn up from Southland. But they don't forget, right, Oh.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
That's a good place, a lot of good people down there,
so they don't forget. And it's a place I hold
there to my heart.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talks
it'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
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