Rugby: Toby Arnold — from Te Kūiti to Top 14 side’s try-scoring record holder

Top 14 side Lyon Olympique Universitaire Rugby’s (LOU) all-time top try-scorer of the professional era, and Ōtorohanga College alumnus Toby Arnold has retired after a career spanning over 16 years.

Te Kūiti-born Arnold, 36, represented the Bay of Plenty Steamers and New Zealand Sevens, and played 232 times for LOU.

The outside back was due to retire last year, but couldn’t resist one last stint for his beloved club, covering for players involved in the World Cup.

In late September he was also selected for the Barbarians, grabbing a try in the 52-35 loss to Munster.

On Saturday was his final match in front of his home LOU crowd at the Matmut Stadium in Gerland, during the 36-32 loss to Stade Francais.

He donned the No 15 jersey and was joined in the back three by another former Bay of Plenty rep, Monty Ioane.

Arnold is a legend of LOU rugby with over 10 seasons under his belt there, winning two French Pro D2 championship titles, a Challenge Cup in 2022, and scoring 75 tries in his 232 appearances.

“I’m 99 per cent sure I’ve retired. It would be hard for me to play for another club here in France. The plan is to stay in Lyon until July next year to allow our kids to finish out the school year here.

“It’s been an incredible journey, just feeling very grateful to have been adopted by Lyon.”

The crowd, supporters and club members all showed their gratitude towards Arnold after he lapped the stadium one last time.

“Toby is certainly an excellent player, with consistent high-level performances! But this is a great guy, humble and absolutely kind. Bravo for all that you have given and brought to the LOU. You will definitely leave a big void behind,” said one LOU fan on Instagram.

Arnold was certainly not forgotten back home in the King Country, as Ōtorohanga’s Ben Hetet took to Facebook with great pride for his fellow college rep.

“Legend Toby Arnold, the best send-off I’ve ever seen, period. An amazing decorated career and best player I’ve ever seen from Ōtorohanga — ever — real talk.”

Former Bay of Plenty Steamers coach and ex-All Black Kevin “Herb” Schuler once described Arnold as “a young skinny kid from Te Kūiti”, who had an exceptional mixture of X factor, speed and communications skills.

Fresh out of high school, Arnold headed over the Kaimāis to play for Tauranga Sports in 2006, spending time with the Bay of Plenty Development side.

He appeared on the first-class scene in 2007 with the Bay of Plenty Steamers, scoring a try within his three appearances.

During the next four seasons, he would go on to amass another 38 caps for BOP as a regular starter, scoring a further eight tries.

A wizard in both the sevens and 15s formats of the game, Arnold broke into the international sevens circuit in 2009 and was part of New Zealand’s 2010 Commonwealth Games gold-winning team in Delhi, India.

He became a mainstay in the squad alongside the likes of DJ Forbes, Tomasi Cama and Tim Mikkelson, before suffering a grade-three ACL tear at the 2012 Wellington Sevens.

Many will remember the white screen-printed “Arnold 10″ on the back of his regular jersey.

Forced to undergo a frustrating journey back to the field after two operations and months of rehabilitation, 25-year-old Arnold had to rethink his future and give up his Olympic sevens dream for financial assurance.

Signing a two-year deal with French club LOU from 2013, Arnold joined the likes of former Blues rep Lachie Munro and Les Bleus legend Sebastien Chabal.

After being relegated from the Top 14 in 2012, LOU were a second-division side in the Pro D2.

They returned to the Top 14 in the 2016-17 season, with Arnold playing a massive part in this.

Long-time Tauranga Sports and Bay of Plenty teammate James McGougan remembers when the “green” Arnold showed up in 2006 — a quiet, dreadlocked young kid.

“Coming from the King Country, he was quite shy and reserved. That sort of not held him back, but he didn’t get decent footy in for a season or two. But when he did, far out, he was a real mature presence at fullback or on the wing for us,” McGougan said.

The pair spent plenty of time together along with former Te Awamutu Sports, Tauranga Sports, Waikato and Bay of Plenty winger David “DJ” Johnston.

McGougan and Johnston jokingly gave Arnold a hard time at first and there were plenty of stories the trio shared.

“Me and DJ sort of took him under our wing, we were his dads when he came to Tauranga,” McGougan said.

“When he was brought into the [Bay of Plenty] Development side in 06, I had my old ute and I ripped the back seat out because he was a cheeky prick, and made him sit on the steel out to Te Puke each Monday and Wednesday night.”

McGougan said Arnold was courageous and naturally fit — everyone could see that he “had it”.

“Toby was a bit like a Christian Cullen for us. He was wicked under the ball and under pressure and had heaps of courage on defence.

“It didn’t take long to see his class come through in that first season. Back then Bay of Plenty was saturated with good Māori and Polynesian outside backs. I think back to our club days and there was always Toby and Matt Hodson, our two little outsides. Two little Pākehā boys, but they absolutely lit the competition up, it was unreal.”

When McGougan was with the Gallagher Chiefs in 2009-10, he always thought that Arnold “would have fit into that mould so well”.

“He had amazing balance, quick as hell, gutsy and could read the game. After he’d had a season or two with the Bay, he’d push into the pivot role and distribute really well, he was real calm under pressure,” McGougan said.

“We didn’t really get to see him shine until he went over to France. I would have loved to see him stick around and have that sort of career in New Zealand.

“He’s still talked about fondly at Tauranga Sports when we have our catch-ups. When he’s back, it’s good to see him and we try to get him into the fun games we have. Everyone at the club still talks of Tobs in really high regard, which is really cool.

“[It’s been] wicked to see the last of the boys still having a runaround, seeing the career he’s had is just wicked.”

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

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