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'They said I'm old': Halaholo drops career hint after disappointment
By Josh Raisey
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.
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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.
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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.
Hopefully you saved some up and haven't spent it all yet mate!
I thought he showed a lot of class, commitment and capacity in this year's NPC. Would be a good influence on some younger SR mid-fielders. NZR is all over the place with the SR squads.
He's trying to get a spot in the toughest league in the rugby world, talking about pushing sh!t uphi!!