Tai Tupou grew up in West Auckland, tried out for the Warriors reserve grade and snapped his ankle in two places. That was the start of a long road back.

He went on to speak in schools for around a decade and to found the Last Chance Project, a Hamilton-based group where men check in with each other every week.

In this episode of ShedLife NZ, Tai sits down with Jason Davis for an honest conversation about growing up in a big Samoan family and the church, the pressure on his parents, and what sport can and can’t give you.

He talks about the years he now says he spent pretending everything was “sweet”, and the moment a workmate asked him how he was twice.

He talks about what changed it: faith, a counsellor, service and community.

He explains how a dinner with gym mates became the Last Chance Project, why it has that name, and the traffic light check-in (green, orange and red) that now runs weekly.

The team’s rule is simple: “our job is not to fix anybody, our job is to prove to people that I care.”

It’s also a conversation about the next generation. Tai talks about what kids ask when he visits their schools, the things parents and coaches say that stick for life, and why he believes you have to let kids fall.

He also talks about Messam-backed fundraising and a new club rugby tournament that supports the project.