It’s not often that you get to see your tutor on TV, but that’s exactly what will happen for UCOL Te Pukenga sport and exercise students when Raphael Sa'u heads overseas for his first international boxing match.
Raph, who is a UCOL graduate himself, will be going to Queensland this month to fight Tevita Pangai Junior, an NRL rugby league star.
“It’s going to be a big event, with some great fighters and big names over in Aussie. I’m actually really excited for it - for one, I never thought I’d be fighting internationally this soon.”
Indeed, earning his first international fight only six months into his professional career is exceptionally fast progress. “It was never the plan! Being a pro never came to mind, but my coach offered me a paid fight and I thought, ‘Why not give it a go?’ Whatever happens, I’ll enjoy it.”
That being said, there’s been some very intense training to make it all happen. “It’s probably the hardest training camp I’ve ever had. I get up around 4.30am each day so we can fit in two sessions, one in the morning and another at night. The body’s definitely feeling it! But I also feel fitter and leaner than I have in the past, and when you feel that way you can enjoy the moment more.”
Somehow amongst all this, Raph is still managing to knock it out of the park in his three jobs - lecturing at UCOL, being head of strength and conditioning for the Palmerston North Boys’ High School First XV, and coaching at Zenith Fitness and Snap Back Boxing. “Yes I’m still doing all three of those, it’s a busy gig! But I enjoy it, I get bored easily so I have to keep my mind going. It is a go go go lifestyle at the moment, but this is the big year. I’m aiming to also do a New Zealand title fight at the tail end of this year.”
So what do his students think of it all? “They love it! A lot of my students in the last few cohorts were boxers or kickboxers anyway so they were into it, and those doing other sports still got caught up in the action.
“The thing about boxing is it’s just yourself - you’re the only one in the ring, and win or lose it’s all up to you and your effort. I enjoy that challenge, and the commitment it takes.
“I do sports like this for my students - I want to show them that if you work hard and build discipline, you can achieve anything you want to achieve. It doesn’t matter what sport it is, they’re young, and if they keep chipping away at it anything can happen.”
You can watch Raph’s fight through the STAN Sport app, streaming live the evening of the 23rd March.