Toa Halafihi, born on November 27, 1993, is a New Zealand-born Italian professional rugby union player who primarily plays as a number eight for Benetton in the United Rugby Championship.
He has also represented Italy at the international level, making his test debut against France during the 2022 Six Nations Championship. Halafihi has previously played for clubs such as Poverty Bay, Taranaki, Hurricanes, and Lyon.
Halafihi's rugby journey began in his hometown of Gisborne, New Zealand, where he attended Gisborne Boys' High School and played for their first XV rugby team. After completing high school, he played a season of Heartland Championship rugby with Poverty Bay in 2012 before moving to Taranaki to play club rugby with Spotswood United.
He made his provincial rugby debut for Taranaki in 2014, and in the following years, he became a regular player for the team. Halafihi's performances caught the attention of the Hurricanes, a Super Rugby franchise based in Wellington, and he was included in their squad for the 2017 season.
In terms of international representation, Halafihi was selected for the Emerging Italy 27-man squad for the 2021 end-of-year rugby union internationals. He received his first call-up to the Italian national team in February 2022, being selected by coach Kieran Crowley for the 2022 Six Nations Championship. He made his debut for Italy against France during the tournament.
Halafihi's club career has seen him play for various teams, including Taranaki, Hurricanes, and Lyon. He joined Lyon in 2017 as a medical joker for Carl Fearns and made 12 appearances for the team. He then returned to Taranaki for the 2018 Mitre 10 Cup before signing with Benetton Treviso in December 2018.
As of December 2019, Halafihi has made 15 appearances for Benetton, scoring 10 points. His hard ball-carrying style and skills as a loose forward have contributed to his success in the sport.
Ahead of the Rugby World Cup 2023, Halafihi has been named in the squad for Italy.
KG(24/06/2023)
Career
 |
Benetton Rugby No. 8 |
2019 - present |
 |
Hurricanes Blindside Flanker |
2017 - 2017 |
 |
Lyon No. 8 |
2017 - 2018 |
 |
Taranaki Blindside Flanker |
2014 - 2018 |
 |
Italy No. 8 |
2022 - 2024 |
