Ex-Wales and Cardiff centre Halaholo retires

Mon, August 17, 2026 at 10:11 AM UTC

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Willis Halaholo made his Wales debut as a replacement against Scotland in 2021

Former Wales and Cardiff centre Willis Halaholo has ended his professional rugby career.

The 36-year-old announced his retirement on social media, saying "the mind is still keen to carry on but I think the body has had enough".

Auckland-born Halaholo qualified for Wales under residency rules and won the last of his nine Wales caps in April 2022. He went on to play three times for Tonga.

He began his career in New Zealand with Southland before spells with both Waikato and Hurricanes, where he won a Super Rugby title.

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He moved to Wales in 2016 to join Cardiff, playing more than 100 games for the Welsh region over an eight-year spell during which he was sidelined for 12 months with serious leg injuries.

Halaholo left the Arms Park at the end of the 2023-24 season to return to New Zealand with National Provincial Championship side Bay of Plenty.

"Not everyone gets to wear those jerseys," added Halaholo, who said he had been suffering with a series of niggling injuries.

He plans to turn his attention to coaching.

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Source: “AOL Sports”