From the Chiefs and Waikato to the boxing ring and a knockout tournament for local clubs, Liam Messam has a story that goes well beyond the field.

Former All Black, one of the most capped Chiefs of all time, Waikato centurion, sevens captain, Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Hautapu clubman and boxer. Liam is now the athlete development and performance coach for the sevens, and the founder of 1082 Performance with his wife Monique. There’s plenty more to him than the resume.

This week, we welcome Liam into the ShedLife Studio for a great conversation with Jason Davis about club rugby, boxing, sevens, service and what it really means to give something back to the game.

Liam talks about getting players back to their local clubs, why he felt he couldn’t go back to his own after retiring, and the reunion that changed his mind. He tells the story of coming nearly last in every fitness test as a 16-year-old at a Gordon Tietjens camp, then being told he’d have been picked if he’d been fitter. He explains what it means to be a Chief, and why he says it’s bigger than winning and losing. He also goes through his boxing journey, including six rounds of sparring with a pro that left him feeling like a “walking punching bag.”

It’s a conversation with someone who has played at the top, still loves the grassroots, and is trying to make the game better for the next generation.