Rugby league players are using their own life experiences to help others.

THE Talk Your Walk Foundation received valuable publicity last month when its rugby league side met Joe Westerman’s ‘Legends’ team as part of the Castleford Tigers captain’s testimonial year.

It was a match played in tremendous spirit which was won by Westerman’s enthusiastic side.

Launched earlier this year by several exceptional Samoans – stemming from an informal chat over coffee involving the likes of Jesse Sene Lefao, Quentin Laulu Togagae and Suala Matagia – Talk Your Walk has quickly made an impact.

Much of the early focus has been on vital work in prisons and in schools, with an overriding theme being the mental (and physical) wellbeing of participants.

The rehabilitation of alleged offenders is a key issue and is led by Matagia, who has direct experience of incarceration and is determined to do all he can to ensure that others avoid having a similar experience. The Foundation aims to work with Criminal Social Justice on, primarily, the ‘Lost Boys’ initiative, which is geared to restoring the hope that has been lost among boys and young men in Britain today, and which is close to the heart of former England soccer manager Gareth Southgate.

The Foundation’s eight-week Offender Rehabilitation Program, meanwhile, aims to break the cycle of reoffending by helping participants build stronger mindsets, develop essential life skills, and create personalised plans for a better, brighter future. Matagi said: “Life’s like a game of two halves. The first half is everything up to now. Prison is your half-time to reflect, reset and refocus. But the second half? That’s still yours to win, if you’re willing to pick the ball up and run it straight.” 

Participants engage in structured sessions that foster self-awareness and help them explore personal experiences, choices, and behavioural patterns in a safe, non-judgmental environment. The intention is that they emerge with a personal action plan, built around achievable goals that promote a sense of ownership, structure, and future direction.

A further important aim of Talk your Walk is to do all it can to eradicate, as much as is possible, the blight of suicide, particularly among young men. 

Organisers are, following the success of the Joe Westerman game, setting about organising a series of further initiatives, and that match is likely to be followed by a similar event in the near future,

Enthusiasts have also been working hard in schools, with a particular focus on those establishments which are perceived to be in areas of social deprivation. During term time, the team enjoy a great reception from schools, with successful camps taking centre stage during the summer holidays. 

Talk Your Walk’s declared aim states: “Our mission is to empower individuals to unlock their full potential. Through inspiring programmes, cultural learning, and strong community support, we’re here to help you walk your path with confidence, purpose and pride. Your story is powerful, now let’s talk your walk together.”

That is entirely in accord with the shared philosophy of those who have launched the foundation, and the organisation’s focus is not solely on rugby league, but embraces all sports and, indeed, all walks of life.

Rugby league, for all that, is paramount in the lives of those behind Talk Your Walk, and regular Saturday morning tag rugby sessions are a real highlight including afterwards when, over the inevitable coffee, those new to the project are often emboldened to tell their own stories. 

That’s a great example of how the initiative can give people confidence, while Leadership and Resilience Workshops aim to instil that attribute in those who might struggle to speak in front of an audience, or who may feel, often wrongly, that they lack leadership skills.

Close ties are being formed with the charity Rugby League Cares while mentoring and coaching is another area to which great attention is being paid. Selling shirts, meanwhile, brings in vital revenue and the next target is Australia, where Jesse Sene Lefao is set to make a huge impression.

First published in Rugby League World magazine, Issue 512 (September 2025)