Tana Umaga: podcast appearances and interviews

Jonathan Ionatana Falefasa Umaga, known as Tana Umaga, is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player. He served as the captain of the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks. Umaga played for the Hurricanes from the inception of Super 12 in 1996 and took over the captaincy of the team in 2003. In 2004, he was appointed as the All Blacks captain by coach Graham Henry. During his leadership, the team won 19 of 22 matches, including a series victory over the British & Irish Lions and a Grand Slam tour in 2005. He earned 74 Test caps and scored 36 tries before retiring from international rugby at the end of 2005. In 2007, he played four matches for the Wellington Lions in the Air New Zealand Cup, reaching 100 provincial matches, before transitioning into coaching roles. Umaga became head coach of Toulon in France in the 2008–09 season, guiding the team through a challenging period that included relegation fears. He temporarily returned to playing and later announced he would not continue as head coach beyond that season. After helping Toulon avoid relegation, he retired as a player and remained at the club as an assistant coach for backs. Umaga returned as a player in 2010 following a serious hip injury to another player. He then moved back to New Zealand to become a player-coach with Counties Manukau and participated with the Waikato Chiefs in the 2011 Super Rugby competition.