Tj Va’a- What a Lad

TJ Va'a was a school boy star and one of the brightest prospects coming through NZ rugby. The reality of this sport is that not every gifted young player gets to have the careers that they all hope for and TJ certainly fits that category. He  played for the Wellington Lions as a teenager and also made the Hurricanes wider squad and he was well on his way to becoming a household name. Unfortunately straight after school he went on a shocking run of injuries which lead him to retiring at the young age of 21!

The challenges of the transition to life after rugby is incredibly tough even after a full career let alone it being taken away from you 3 years in while hardly getting a shot. TJ talks about all the battles he faced mentally with the situation he was in and shares so much good advice for anyone transitioning or struggling with mental health or injuries.

I really enjoyed this episode, I think plenty will benefit from it so if you do enjoy it please give it a share.