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'They said I'm old': Halaholo drops career hint after disappointment

By Josh Raisey
Wales player Willis Halaholo looks on during the International Match between Wales and Canada at Principality Stadium on July 03, 2021 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Former Wales centre Willis Halaholo has been left without a club following the Super Rugby Pacific squad announcements despite a standout season in the Bunnings National Provincial Championship.

The 10-cap international joined Bay of Plenty in July and enjoyed a remarkable season as his side reached the final, losing narrowly to Wellington 23-20.

Halaholo was a mainstay in the Bay of Plenty midfield, forming a crucial centre partnership with Emoni Narawa.

A return to Super Rugby looked on the cards for the 34-year-old, who represented the Hurricanes before joining Cardiff in 2016, but he has not been offered a deal ahead of the 2025 season.

In a comment on Instagram, Halaholo said that one club said he was "old", before hinting that his retirement may be imminent with by adding "better get on the tools".

Halaholo enjoyed a career-revival in his native New Zealand this year after leaving Cardiff at the end of last season.

The 105kg centre originally left the Welsh capital in the summer of 2023 while recovering from a rupture Achilles. But after training with Cardiff during the 2023 pre-season, he was handed a month-by-month deal in October last year, which became a short-term deal until the end of the season in January.