EPISODE 16: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with Dan Leo

GOLD DIGGER: The search for Australian rugby

Samoan international test rugby player, welfare advocate and now filmmaker Dan Leo never took any prisoners on the field and isn't afraid to hold back when it comes to speaking out. His debut film "Oceans Apart: Greed, Betrayal and Pacific Island Rugby" shone a light in 2020 on the darker side of rugby and pitted Dan directly at odds with some of the game's more influential bodies. He joins the pod to talk about the film, the impact it has had and the ongoing role he plays as the director of the Pacific Rugby Players Welfare group. We especially touch on the recent announcement of the Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika teams joining the 2022 Super Rugby season and the balance of excitement and caution that surrounds this watershed development.
We also hear about how he once played for Queensland, his club Sunnybank, that mighty Samoan victory of 2011 against the Wallabies on a Saturday afternoon in Sydney and get his honest opinion on why Australian rugby is struggling to connect with its base. It's an episode full of rugby and filmmaking and couldn't be a more perfect fit for this podcast. Put the kettle on, sit back and dig it in!