Waikato Herald
  • Waikato Herald home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Locations

  • Hamilton
  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Matamata & Piako
  • Cambridge
  • Te Awamutu
  • Tokoroa & South Waikato
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Weather

  • Thames
  • Hamilton
  • Tokoroa
  • Taumarunui
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Waikato News

Crusaders call up former sevens star Toby Arnold for Super Rugby duty

Jesse Wood
By Jesse Wood
Waikato Herald·
21 Mar, 2024 11:10 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Former Bay of Plenty rep Toby Arnold, pictured at FMG Stadium Waikato in 2010, has been called into the Crusaders DHL Super Rugby Pacific squad on a short-term contract. Photo / File

Former Bay of Plenty rep Toby Arnold, pictured at FMG Stadium Waikato in 2010, has been called into the Crusaders DHL Super Rugby Pacific squad on a short-term contract. Photo / File

Former New Zealand Sevens star Toby Arnold could make his Super Rugby debut at age 36 after being called into the Crusaders DHL Super Rugby Pacific squad as an injury replacement.

“Great to have Toby Arnold with us on a short-term contract,” the Crusaders posted on social media.

“The Kiwi fullback and winger was a legend for Lyon, playing more than 220 games in the past 10 years. Before France, he was a regular starter with the All Blacks Sevens team,” the Crusaders spokesperson said.

He arrived at Crusaders HQ last week and was training with the team in place of Leigh Halfpenny, who was expected to return from injury later in the season.

Arnold would fit in well with several other veterans in the Crusaders DHL Super Rugby Pacific squad. Former England halfback Willi Heinz is 37, hooker Quentin MacDonald is 35 as is Joe Moody and former All Black Ryan Crotty, while former Welsh outside back Johnny McNicholl is 33.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Te Kūiti-born Toby Arnold told the Waikato Herald in November 2023, that he was “99 per cent sure” he’d retired after spending more than a decade with France-based Top 14 side Lyon Olympique Universitaire Rugby’s (LOU).

Arnold is LOU’s all-time top try-scorer of the professional era and played 232 times for the club.

A Bay of Plenty Steamers rep at the time, Arnold turned down a relieving role with the Chiefs in the 2012 Super 15 competition in favour of his third full season on the IRB world sevens circuit.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“There was never much communication coming my way from any of the Super 15 teams during or after ITM Cup so I guessed by that that I wasn’t really being looked at,” Arnold told the Rotorua Daily Post in November 2011.

“The Chiefs asked me to be involved in their wider training group but I turned it down — I made it pretty clear I’d rather play sevens and travel the world than hold a tackle bag in Hamilton all summer.”

Twelve years on, the veteran may finally have a Super Rugby chance during his swansong.

Jesse Wood is a multimedia journalist based in Te Awamutu. He joined the Te Awamutu Courier and NZME in 2020.


Stay up to date with the Waikato Herald and Te Awamutu Courier

Get the latest Waikato headlines straight to your inbox Monday to Saturday. Register for free today - click here and choose Local News.


Save

    Share this article

Latest from Waikato News

Waikato Herald

Tribesmen's alleged 'hotbox' murder after gang member's unauthorised online shopping

16 Jun 07:30 AM
Waikato Herald

Waihī house fire: Probe into cause of man's death

16 Jun 06:09 AM
Waikato Herald

'Quite fun': Hamish's quail egg business takes flight

16 Jun 12:09 AM

The woman behind NZ’s first PAK’nSAVE

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Waikato News

Tribesmen's alleged 'hotbox' murder after gang member's unauthorised online shopping
Waikato Herald

Tribesmen's alleged 'hotbox' murder after gang member's unauthorised online shopping

16 Jun 07:30 AM

Mark Hohua, known as Shark, was allegedly beaten to death by fellow gang members in 2022.

Waihī house fire: Probe into cause of man's death
Waikato Herald

Waihī house fire: Probe into cause of man's death

16 Jun 06:09 AM
'Quite fun': Hamish's quail egg business takes flight
Waikato Herald

'Quite fun': Hamish's quail egg business takes flight

16 Jun 12:09 AM
'Invitation to connect': Matariki Festival brings events to Waikato
Waikato Herald

'Invitation to connect': Matariki Festival brings events to Waikato

15 Jun 11:00 PM
How one volunteer makes people feel seen
sponsored

How one volunteer makes people feel seen

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Waikato Herald e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Waikato Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP