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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 and for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition. He was born and raised in New Zealand, but has represented Manu Samoa internationally, for which he is eligible due to his Samoan heritage.

Early career

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, but winning the second a year later against Hamilton Boys' High School 25 to 17 after an undefeated season.

Both in 2016 and 2017, Toala was named in the Hurricanes U18 squad.

Senior career

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. Toala made his Magpies debut on 30 September 2018 against Canterbury. He has since re-signed with Hawke's Bay for 2020 and 2021.

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". 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.

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. He made his debut for his new team in their inaugural Super Rugby game on 4 March 2022 against the Crusaders.

International career

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.

The following year, Toala was named in the New Zealand Secondary Schools team for a three-match international series in Australia. He played in two games, including a 34 – 11 victory over Australian Schools, and kicked nine conversions.

Toala was a member of the New Zealand Under-20 side that competed in the 2019 Oceania Rugby Under 20 Championship.

On 2 June 2022, Toala – who is of Samoan descent – was named in the Manu Samoa squad for the first time. 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.

Reference list

1. "Moana Pasifika Squad Announcement 2024". Moana Pasifika (Press release). 9 November 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
2. "Magpies 2024 NPC squad confirmed". Hawke's Bay Rugby Union (Press release). 29 July 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
3. @hbmagpies (31 July 2024). "Squad 2024". Retrieved 1 August 2024 – via Instagram.
4. "Mount Albert Grammar win national 1st XV title". Stuff New Zealand. 6 September 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
5. "Hasting Boys' High School complete their perfect season with national 1st XV title". Stuff New Zealand. 10 September 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
6. "Hurricanes Youth Rugby Council name strong U18 team to play Crusaders U18". College Sport Media. 14 July 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
7. "Hurricanes Under 18 Team For 2017 Announced". Hurricanes Youth Rugby Council. 13 July 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
8. "Exciting young talent commits to Hawke's Bay Rugby". Hawke's Bay Rugby Union. 7 August 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
9. "Danny Toala Hurricanes Player Profile". Hurricanes. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
10. "Former Hastings Boys' High talent re-signed for Magpies". Hawke's Bay Rugby Union. 23 July 2020. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
11. "Young trio signed by Hurricanes until 2021". Hurricanes (Press release). 24 April 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
12. "Replacements called to join Hurricanes squad in South Africa". Hurricanes (Press release). 3 June 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
13. "Toala to take on SBW and possibly Nonu". Hawke's Bay Today. 14 June 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
14. @MoanaPasifika_ (26 October 2021). "YOU ASKED, WE LISTENED! AFIO MAI LOLAGO & DANNY!" (Tweet). Retrieved 7 November 2021 – via Twitter.
15. "Moana Pasifika named for historic debut against Crusaders". Moana Pasifika (Press release). 2 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
16. "NZ Schools and Barbarians Schools teams named". allblacks.com (Press release). 26 September 2016. Archived from the original on 16 November 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
17. "New Zealand Schools' and New Zealand Schools' Barbarians named". Rugby Heartland. 24 September 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
18. "Victories for NZ Schools' and NZ Schools' Barbarians". allblacks.com (Press release). 3 October 2017. Archived from the original on 4 October 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
19. "NZ Schools victorious over Australia Schools". allblacks.com (Press release). 7 October 2017. Archived from the original on 7 October 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
20. "New Zealand Under 20s named for first tournament of 2019". allblacks.com (Press release). 5 April 2019. Archived from the original on 5 April 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
21. Manu Samoa (2 June 2022). "Manu Samoa Head Coach, Vaovasamanaia Seilala Mapusua announces his squad for the up-coming Pacific Nations Cup (PNC) 2022 in July to be held in Fiji" (Tweet). Retrieved 2 July 2022 – via Twitter.
22. Manu Samoa (30 June 2022). "Team Naming: Your Manu Samoa vs Australia A" (Tweet). Retrieved 2 July 2022 – via Twitter.

External links

• NZ Rugby History profile
• Danny Toala at ItsRugby.co.uk

• 1999 births
• Living people
• People educated at Hastings Boys' High School
• New Zealand rugby union players
• Samoan rugby union players
• Samoa international rugby union players
• Rugby union fullbacks
• Hurricanes (rugby union) players
• Hawke's Bay rugby union players
• Moana Pasifika players
• Rugby union players from Hastings, New Zealand
• 2023 Rugby World Cup players