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On Sept 8, the men's rugby World Cup will start in France. The first match will be between France and New Zealand, but France may be feeling a bit nervous. Although it is a country with a small population, New Zealand has the best rugby team in the world.

Sione Multipola, 36, is a rugby player and coach from New Zealand. Rugby is the national sport in New Zealand. From the grassroots to the professional level, well-established pathways are in place for rugby, according to Multipola. And lots of kids start playing the sport from a young age, including himself. "I was inspired by my siblings and gathered with my friends just about every Saturday to play," said Multipola. Multipola said it's the sport's exciting nature that attracts so many players and fans. "Unlike soccer, where physical contact is limited, rugby's physicality adds an extra layer of excitement and intensity (强度)." This makes everything very unpredictable. And comebacks and last-minute victories are common,"keeping spectators on the edge of their seats".

The tackling aspect of rugby can seem dangerous, but Multipola makes sure that there are strict rules and guidelines in place for safety. "As a coach, I see new players feel scared about getting hurt," said Multipola,"but we teach them the rules and safe ways to tackle. Also when you expect to be tackled, it becomes less scary."

A good rugby player needs to be fast, strong and agile, said Multipola. And it's all about strategy, so you need to follow a good game plan and be prepared to make quick decisions.

The 20 teams playing at this year's Rugby World Cup — the tenth one to be held since 1987-have their game plans ready. Can New Zealand get the title for the fourth time? We'll have to wait and see

At the time, I thought I was killing it. I was making new friends and developing new interests. I joined the board of my children's school and packed my days with around 20 other activities to do. And then several events changed everything: pandemic restrictions (疫情限制), serious medical problems and losing my job. All these helped me see how burnt out I was.

All at once, I realized how good it felt not to be busy every second of every day. For the first time, I could carefully choose how I spent my days. Having to say no turned into the beauty of choosing to say no. Looking back, the pressure to say yes and smile was my choice. I felt obliged (有义务的) to say yes, from driving people to the airport to exchanging a carpool day, from attending charity events to seeing family every Friday night. I always wanted to solve everyone's problems and offered good solutions. I was everyone's cheerleader, but forgot how to cheer for myself along the way.

But saying no is being my own cheerleader. And it's not saying no to caring for family and friends, or helping someone out when they're in a pinch. Instead, it's a small change in mindset, taking a pause before agreeing. I take a breath, and check my energy and ability before jumping in.

Most importantly, I tell my kids there's nothing wrong with saying no. To give of yourself is important but to save yourself is important, too.