External links
- Danny Toala at ItsRugby.co.uk
| Forwards | |
|---|---|
| Backs | |
Head Coach: Seilala Mapusua | |
| Date of birth | 26 March 1999 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of birth | Hastings, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 95 kg (209 lb; 14 st 13 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Hastings Boys' High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Danny Toala (born 26 March 1999) is a professional rugby union player, who currently plays as a midfield back or fullback for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby. [1] He was born and raised in New Zealand, but has represented Manu Samoa internationally, for which he is eligible due to his Samoan heritage.
Danny Toala attended Hastings Boys' High School, where he played First XV rugby alongside future Hawke's Bay teammates Devan Flanders, Folau Fakatava, Lincoln McClutchie and Kianu Kereru-Symes. He helped his team to two National Top 4 finals, narrowly losing the first 13 – 14 to Mount Albert Grammar School in 2016, [2] but winning the second a year later against Hamilton Boys' High School 25 to 17 after an undefeated season. [3]
Both in 2016 and 2017, Toala was named in the Hurricanes U18 squad. [4] [5]
On 7 August 2017, the Hawke's Bay Rugby Union announced that four players of that year's successful Hastings Boys' High School First XV side, including Danny Toala, had signed with the union for the 2018 and 2019 Mitre 10 Cup seasons. [6] Toala made his Magpies debut on 30 September 2018 against Canterbury. [7] He has since re-signed with Hawke's Bay for 2020 and 2021. [8]
Although he had played just four games for the Magpies, the Hurricanes announced on 24 April 2019 that they had signed Toala until 2021, considering him "a real stand-out for the Hurricanes Hunters and Under-20 sides". [9] On 3 June 2019, Toala was called into the Hurricanes squad as an injury replacement for their game against the Lions in South Africa. He made his debut for the Hurricanes on 9 June 2019 in Johannesburg and earned his first Super Rugby start a week later against the Blues in Wellington. [10] [11]
Due to being given limited playing opportunities, Toala only played four games for the Hurricanes during his 3 years at the franchise.
On 26 October 2021, Moana Pasifika announced that the new franchise had signed Toala for the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season. [12] He made his debut for his new team in their inaugural Super Rugby game on 4 March 2022 against the Crusaders. [13]
In 2016, following his first successful First XV season playing for Hastings Boys' High School, Toala was named in the New Zealand Barbarians Schools' team that played matches against Australian Schools and Fiji Schools. He scored a try in both games. [14]
The following year, Toala was named in the New Zealand Secondary Schools team for a three-match international series in Australia. [15] He played in two games, including a 34 – 11 victory over Australian Schools, and kicked nine conversions. [16] [17]
Toala was a member of the New Zealand Under-20 side that competed in the 2019 Oceania Rugby Under 20 Championship. [18]
On 2 June 2022, Toala – who is of Samoan descent – was named in the Manu Samoa squad for the first time. [19] He made his international debut on 2 July 2022 against Australia A in their first game of the 2022 Pacific Nations Cup, which they won 31–26. [20]
Lolagi Visinia is a rugby union player, who currently plays as a wing or fullback for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby and Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition. He was born and raised in New Zealand, but has represented both New Zealand and Manu Samoa internationally.
Ereatara Enari is a rugby union player, who currently plays as a halfback for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby. He was born and raised in New Zealand, but has represented Manu Samoa internationally, for which he is eligible due to his Samoan heritage.
Jonah Lowe is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a wing or centre for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition and for the Highlanders in Super Rugby.
Isaia Walker-Leawere is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays as a lock for the Hurricanes in Super Rugby and Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition.
Marino Mikaele-Tu'u is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a loose forward for Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars in the Japan Rugby League One competition.
Folau Fakatava is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for the Highlanders in Super Rugby and Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition.
Henry Stowers is a New Zealand born, Samoan rugby union player who plays for the Benetton Rugby in the United Rugby Championship. His playing position is flanker. He is also a Samoan international.
Pouri Rakete-Stones is a New Zealand rugby player who plays as a prop for the Hurricanes in Super Rugby and Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition.
Devan Flanders is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a loose forward for the Hurricanes in Super Rugby and Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition.
Moana Pasifika is a rugby union team made up of players from various Pacific Island nations as well as New Zealand or Australian born players of Pasifika heritage, including Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and the Cook Islands.
Sosefo Losino 'Apikotoa is a rugby union player, who currently plays as a prop for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition and for Anthem Rugby Carolina in Major League Rugby (MLR). He previously played for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby. He was born and raised in New Zealand, but represents Tonga internationally, for which he is eligible due to his Tongan descent.
Sione Tuipulotu is a Tongan rugby union player, who currently plays as a lock or loose forward for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition and Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby.
Neria Fomai is a rugby union player, who currently plays as a centre or wing for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition and for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby. He was born and raised in New Zealand, but has represented Manu Samoa – for which he is eligible due to his Samoan heritage – both in the fifteen-a-side form of the game and rugby sevens.
Tyrone Thompson is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a hooker for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition and the Chiefs in Super Rugby.
The 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season is the 27th season of Super Rugby, an annual rugby union competition organised by SANZAAR between teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Samoa and Tonga. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the previous seasons were replaced with Super Rugby Unlocked, Super Rugby Aotearoa and Super Rugby AU in 2020, and Super Rugby Aotearoa, Super Rugby AU, and Super Rugby Trans-Tasman in 2021. The 2022 edition will revert to a 12-team competition, with a single pool replacing the geographical conference system, as well as introducing a new name for the reformatted competition. The season is expected to run from 18 February, with the final to be played on 18 June - culminating before the start of the mid-year international window.
Lincoln McClutchie is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a first five-eighth for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition and San Diego Legion in Major League Rugby.
Jacob Devery is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a hooker for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition and the Hurricanes in Super Rugby.
Josh Kaifa is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a loose forward for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition and Zebre in the United Rugby Championship.
Tom Parsons is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a lock for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition and Urayasu D-Rocks in Japan Rugby League One.
Kianu Kereru-Symes is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a hooker or Prop for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition and the New England Free Jacks in Major League Rugby (MLR) in the United States. He has previously played for the Hurricanes in Super Rugby.