FULL INTERVIEW: Joshua Fusitu'a - NZ Rugby

This morning, Stace, Azura and Charlie caught up with Joshua Fusitu'a from the Blues Rugby team to chat about his recent concussion and we can make concussions impossible to ignore. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
The Flavor Podcast Network, the Flavor Breakfast podcast with Stace
Azorah and Charlie.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
Stace and I were lucky enough to catch up with
blues player Joshua Fussed Tour and we talked all things concussions,
which is huge, especially because you know, rugby and rugby
leg big parts of our you know, of our culture
of being in New Zealand, right yep, And.

Speaker 3 (00:26):
We want to make sure that we're all just doing
it better. I mean there's some things that worrying, like
Resmol's coming back for a second state of.

Speaker 4 (00:32):
A I don't know about that.

Speaker 3 (00:34):
So what we want you to do actually is to
listening to people who really know we've had this experience, right,
and we'll let you know how you can sport your
squad and be a winner as well.

Speaker 4 (00:42):
Yes, but this is Joshua Fussed Tour. Hey, guys, thanks
for having me.

Speaker 3 (00:46):
You're welcome. You're in the big time, so congratulations. And
the thing is when you're playing at that top level,
there's some things that we learn about how we.

Speaker 4 (00:55):
Need to look after ourselves.

Speaker 3 (00:56):
Right, So when we particularly want to talk about concon
what do you think you know, what have you experienced
in terms of getting a concussion, how do they identify it?
And then how are you sort of looked after in
the super rugby setup.

Speaker 5 (01:09):
A couple of weeks ago, I actually had a concussion,
got knocked out in a tackle and I'll game against
the Hurricanes and that was actually my first ever concussion.

Speaker 3 (01:20):
Oh wow, it's pretty amazing You've been able to go
that long.

Speaker 4 (01:23):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (01:23):
I genuinely thought like I was invincible, Like yeah, in
my head, I was like, no, no, no, I'm sweet.

Speaker 4 (01:28):
I'm sweet.

Speaker 3 (01:29):
So how did they how did they identify that you
had concussion? I mean, I know they go off and
what is it called, you know, do the the big check?
What do they do?

Speaker 5 (01:37):
Obviously there's physios and doctors on the side of the
field and they'll they'll look for signs that maybe you're
but dizzy, unbalanced, so that this is what I remember.
I remember running to the lineup and then once I
got off the field, they were telling me, nah, you're
stumbling going down.

Speaker 4 (01:53):
You were like, you know, running in zigzags. I was
real pussed.

Speaker 5 (01:56):
I was like, nah, I'm sweet, Like, don't do this
like this is Hurricanes Blues top of the table players.
I'm like, no, I'm sweet. This is the biggest game,
like I want to be playing in this.

Speaker 2 (02:06):
So you sound like pretty much every single person that's
on a rugby field, no matter whether it's Super rugby
or you know, playing laborer club. Yeah, that's I would
imagine their exact perspective. But it's so so important to
sort of strip away from that and really think about
long term because concussions they linger.

Speaker 4 (02:24):
Yea heah, one hundred percent.

Speaker 5 (02:25):
As a rugby team or rugby players, we spend so
much time together, like we build a bond. The one
thing the last thing you want to do is let
your team down. And I guess that's how a lot
of people feel if we're going off the field for
you know, an injury in this case of head injury,
we just don't want to let the team down, Like, yeah,
that's the last thing we want to do. And I
think that's what it's on a lot of people's minds.

(02:46):
It was definitely on my mind when I was going
off the field.

Speaker 3 (02:48):
But your mate's cure about you too, and they want
you to be good in the long term, and so
how have they supported you?

Speaker 4 (02:53):
They care a.

Speaker 5 (02:54):
Lot and obviously you know rugby's are contact sports, so
a lot of people have had concussions, so they were
just sharing this stories of you know, how how they
went through and then how they recover from it.

Speaker 3 (03:04):
You know, your a role model these days and the
role that you have, So what advice would you give
to other rugby players, you know, who have all those
feelings that you just described. I want to be there
or want to let my mates out. I think I'm okay.

Speaker 5 (03:15):
Trust the physios and doctors because you know, they know
what's best.

Speaker 4 (03:20):
They care for, you know, for you in the long term.

Speaker 5 (03:23):
And I guess in the heat of the moment, it's
kind of easy to just think about the short term,
which is the game and winning. But now your head's
so precious and you know you need you need.

Speaker 4 (03:33):
Your heads to do whole lot of things.

Speaker 3 (03:34):
So and even looking at for your mates. I know
one was identified he goes bro you were saying weird
things on the sideline when you came off. You know,
that's how my son had identified. So his friend said
he's not all good. So that's the other thing as well.
We can just look out for the signs in each other, right, yeah.

Speaker 5 (03:51):
One hundred percent, Like if you see it on the field,
making sure you're kicking up on them as well, but
like even mentioning.

Speaker 4 (03:56):
It to the ref like, oh, ref, like can we
stop the game?

Speaker 5 (04:00):
Yeah, he's not sweet and riffs are genuinely going to
stop the game if it's a has anything to do
with the head, because.

Speaker 4 (04:07):
It's such a serious matter.

Speaker 5 (04:08):
So yeah, mentioning it to the riff and making sure
you're just checking up on your mate as well.

Speaker 3 (04:13):
So yeah, we've learned more, so we're doing better.

Speaker 2 (04:15):
Yeah, thank you so much for taking the time to
come and talk to us today as well, and best
over luck.

Speaker 4 (04:21):
No, thank you, thank you for having me awesome and.

Speaker 3 (04:24):
I did the right thing, called you Joshua. I know
your mum Like, thank you more than josh.

Speaker 1 (04:28):
Thanks for listening to the Flavor Breakfast podcast. Catch a
new app here tomorrow, or listen live every weekday from
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