Pasilio Tosi giving back to community rugby

Pasilio Tosi playing for Paremata-Plimmerton in 2023. This Friday he will present his All Blacks jersey to his Wellington club, just down the road from where grew up in Levin. 

• By Adam Julian

It’s a Good Friday to be at Ngāti Toa Domain, Porirua. Paremata-Plimmerton will receive an All Blacks Test rugby jersey from prop Pasilio Tosi to hang with those already on display from legendary All Blacks prop Ken Gray and 1991 Rugby World Cup Black Fern Erika Rere, both also props. A blurb beside the jersey tells a story.

Pasilio Tosi was born and raised in Levin, where his parents, Pahulu and Foulata, worked as vegetable farmers. A dynamic and versatile prop, Tosi became All Black #1219 on 5 July 2024 during a 47-5 win over Fiji in San Diego.

His eighth Test, which opened the 2025 season, saw the All Blacks beat France 31-27 at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin. In that match, the All Blacks became the first international team to reach 500 Test wins.

In the 78th minute, while defending their try line, tighthead Tosi won a crucial scrum penalty after Australian referee Nic Berry was heard saying, “Loosehead collapsing.” Provence Rugby debutant Paul Mallez could not match the strength of the 193cm, 140kg Tosi.

Tosi was part of the Rotorua Boys’ High First XV that won the national championship in 2015. He made his first-class debut for Southland in 2018 through Marist, where he also won two Galbraith Shields.

Tosi played just seven matches over three seasons for the Stags before moving to Bay of Plenty in 2021. From there, he earned a Super Rugby contract with the Hurricanes in 2022. Encouraged by his friend Esi Komasavai, Tosi often played for Paremata-Plimmerton, a rarity for a professional but something he attributes to his improvement. In 2023, Tosi helped the  “Hammerheads” win eight games during their first Swindale Shield victory, which led to their first Jubilee Cup final.

Playing for Paremata-Plimmerton against Marist St Pat’s in 2023.

By the end of the 2025 season, Tosi had played 16 games for Paremata-Plimmerton, winning 12 of them and scoring seven tries. He’d also made 39 appearances for the Hurricanes, 27 for Bay of Plenty, and won 13 out of his 16 All Blacks Tests.

He credits much of his success to his partner Michelle and their four children: Pahulu, twins Jahkobi and Khainarli, and Zion.

The remarkable rise of Pasilio Tosi, 27, is one of the most colourful stories in recent New Zealand rugby history.

Rugby Start: “I caught the bug when I was eight years old. After two years at Horowhenua College, I was encouraged by Bay of Plenty Rugby Academy staff member James Potter (formerly of Petone) to attend Rotorua Boys’ High School if I really wanted to crack it. In 2015, we won the National Top Four title, beating Scots College from Wellington 36-27 in the final. I was a No. 8, but I didn’t actually get to play in the final. There was a rule that only three new-to-school players could play, so I had to sit out. I remember sitting atop the grandstand when our No.8 Kaydis Hona scored the winning try. I started barging people out of the way and ran onto the field. The whole school did during the game, but I was the first one to Kaydis.”

Note: In 2015, Rotorua Boys’ High School First XV won 22 of 25 games, earning their fourth national title after victories in 1998, 2002, and 2003. Fullback Issac Te Aute, playing his 82nd game for Rotorua in the 2015 final, was named man of the match and scored two tries, as did winger James Tofa. Te Aute later played for the All Blacks Sevens alongside Ngarohi McGarvey-Black. Tofa went on to play for Manawatū, and truck driver Kaydis Hona played for Mid Canterbury. The head coach was Ngarimu Simpkins, who had played as a tight forward and loose forward for Bay of Plenty, Poverty Bay, North Harbour and Ngāti Porou East Coast. For Scots, prop Alex Fidow scored two tries, bringing his total to 49 in 60 games for the First XV. He later played for Paremata-Plimmerton after stints with Wellington, North Harbour, and the Hurricanes. Future All Black Peter Umaga-Jensen also played for Scots.

Tosi joined other Rotorua alumni like Arthur Stone, Liam Messam, and Tom Donnelly in becoming a Rotorua Boys’ All Black. Chris Grinter, who was Rotorua’s headmaster from 1991 to 2004 and First XV coach from 1993 to 2003 and again in 2006, won 237 matches with his teams, who scored exactly 10,000 points. Grinter paid tribute to Tosi.

“He was a nice young man, a great team man, proudly Pasifika and popular among his peers. Big and strong, he ran powerfully, but it took him time to accept that he was a prop instead of a rampaging No.8.”

On Time In Southland: “The best thing about Invercargill was that I met my missus, Michelle. We worked together at the Loan Star. I didn’t know we had a thing for a year and a half. She plays rugby too. I made lifelong friends in Southland; they’re good people down there, but I had to leave if I wanted to become an All Black. I didn’t win a single one of my seven games with the Stags.”

Note: Southland’s coach was former All Blacks prop Dave Hewett. Similar to Tosi, Hewett initially cut his teeth in club rugby with the legendary Sydenham teams in Canterbury, which won 68 of 79 matches and four consecutive Metro titles between 1996 and 1999. After eight games (all losses) for South Canterbury in 1997, he made his Canterbury debut in 1998. Though he didn’t score a try in Red and Black, he won 41 times in 54 appearances, including NPC Premierships in 2001 and 2004. He played 70 games (53 wins) for the Crusaders between 1999 and 2005, winning Super titles in 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2005. His All Blacks career started in 2000 and ended at the 2003 Rugby World Cup. He won 19 of his 22 Tests and scored tries against Ireland (40-29) in 2001 and Italy (64-10) in 2002.

On Bay of Plenty: “In 2020, I joined the China Lions in the short-lived Global Rapid Rugby, which was funded by Perth mining billionaire Andrew Forrest. The Lions were supposed to be based in Hong Kong. Due to COVID, they were run from Rotorua instead. The coach was Bay of Plenty head Clayton McMillan, who offered me a place with the Steamers.

”Dan Cron and Richard Watt, a Pōneke legend, have played a big role in developing my game at Bay of Plenty. My preparation, fitness, diet, technical skills, tactics, and recovery – all of it changed because of them.”

Note: Since 2019, Bay of Plenty have won 50 of 80 games, making at least the NPC quarter finals in six of those seven seasons.

On Paremata-Plimmerton: “I can’t say enough good things about that club. Gerrard Fasavalu is a coach who truly cares about his players. When I arrived, I was struggling both financially and emotionally. They made sure my kids had food, connected me with great people, and helped me improve my game whenever they could.”

Note: Fledgling halfback Esi Komaisavai, later a Wellington Lion in 2025, worked and lived with Tosi in the Bay of Plenty and brought him to the “Hammerheads.” Charismatic coach Fasavalu, a 2019 Jubilee Cup winner with Norths, was turning a basket case into a powerhouse. Between 2015 and 2021, Paremata-Plimmerton won 8 out of 86 premier games. In 2022, they won four matches in a 13-game season. In 2024, they won 14 consecutive games and reached the coveted Jubilee Cup final for the first time. Tosi played in eight wins that season, gaining confidence and a de facto family that helped him reach greater heights. Tosi debuted for Parematta Plimmerton in a 43-18 win against Avalon in 2022. His last appearance was in a 2025 43-31 win against defending Juiblee Cup champions Old Boys’ University, in which he scored a try.  Fasavalu paid tribute to Tosi.

“It’s really special for the club to receive this taonga. We already have several of Ken Grey’s Test jerseys. Ken is our other All Blacks prop. The day Pasilio was first picked for the All Blacks was the date that Ken Gray passed away. How’s that for synergy?

“Pasilio is a huge part of the club. He arrives three hours before games to spend time with the junior players, coaching, joking around, and being a great role model. On the field, he was a force of nature at number eight until the Hurricanes asked for him to play prop. Sometimes, he even played both positions in the same game.

”I like him playing tighthead. He reminds me of Carl Hayman. In my view, that’s the most important position on the field. Pasilio knows how to use his size and dominate the scrum, which can win matches. Sometimes, when he faced a younger or smaller player, he would ease up and coach them instead. He picked his moments, but he just couldn’t bring himself to overpower a rookie.”

On Hurricanes: “I’m Hurricane #295, and I love this club—it feels like home. In 2025, I extended my contract until 2028. My breakthrough season was in 2024, when I played 16 games. We finished first in the round-robin, but sadly lost a home semi-final to the Chiefs.”

Playing for the Hurricanes against the Blues in 2025.

Note: Perhaps the most memorable game Tosi has played for the Hurricanes was a March 38-33 win over the Queensland Reds in Melbourne, where he scored the winning try six minutes into extra time. TAB odds on reserve Tosi achieving that feat were so long they didn’t exist. The Hurricanes had lost their only two previous extra-time contests. In a wild match, the Hurricanes led three times; the Reds led four times. The scores were level on five other occasions. Tosi broke the deadlock in the 86th minute. It was the Hurricanes’ 200th away game (93 wins). Tosi told RugbyPass at the time.

“I don’t want to take all the credit. Golden point was so fast, so desperate. Big ups to all the boys for keeping their composure, building phases, and putting me in the right place at the right time. All I did, literally, was catch the ball and fall over the line. “That description might change in 20 years with a few beers.”*

Tosi’s other tries for the Hurricanes are v Moana Pasifika (Won 53-12, Wellington, 2022), Melbourne Rebels (Won 47-20, Wellington, 2024) and Brumbies (Lost 28-35, Canberra, 2025)

On All Blacks Selection: “I wasn’t expecting it. I was waking up the kids when my phone rang from a random number – I usually don’t answer those. It was Razor, coach Scott Robertson. He said, “Congratulations, you’re in the All Blacks.” I couldn’t believe it. It was the best breakfast I’ve ever had with the kids; I was buzzing. The team was announced publicly about three hours later. I called my sister and asked her not to tell Dad, but to record his reaction as he watched it on TV. When my name was called, the look in Dad’s eyes was so special. I thought about my mum, who passed away in 2015. Those first few hours after making the All Blacks are crazy. Your phone doesn’t stop. I had to step back, take a deep breath, and remind myself I still had a job to do.”

On All Blacks Debut: “I played 25 minutes against Fiji in San Diego. It’s hard to put into words what it feels like to debut for the All Blacks. It’s different from any other game—nerves, excitement, a packed stadium. It all went by in a blur.”

On All Blacks Try: “My try came against Japan in the 33rd minute of a 64-19 win in Yokohama in 2024. All I did was catch the ball and fall over the line. The best part was being tackled by Warner Dearns, who’s now a good mate at the Hurricanes. I remind him about it every day.”

On All Blacks Forward Coach Jason Ryan: “He’s a great coach, and I have a strong personal relationship with him. He’s honest, which I really appreciate, and he cares a lot about his front rowers. He’s technical and tactical, but he also knows how to relax and just be a good guy.”

On All Blacks’ 500th Test Win: “That French team was a young one, written off by everyone with nothing to lose. They played without fear, and we had some good areas in that game, too. It felt like an important game.”

Note: July 5, 2025, Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin, New Zealand: 31 ( Will Jordan 2, Tupou Vaa’i, Jordie Barrett tries; Beauden Barrett 4 con, pen) France 27 (Michael Guillard, Gabil Villiere, Cameron Woki tries; Joris Segonds pen; Nolann Le Garrec 3 con, pen). HT: 21-13

The 65th Test between the All Blacks and France ended with the All Blacks claiming their 49th win. The result kept France from breaking the record for most consecutive Test wins against New Zealand. France had won the last three Tests in Paris, matching the three losses the All Blacks suffered in 1994 and 1995 at Christchurch, Auckland, and Toulouse. Paul Mallez, who was 24 years old, 180cm tall, and weighed 120kg when he debuted, was the loosehead prop that Tosi outmuscled to win his well-known penalty. Mallez, a 2019 World Rugby Under-20 Junior champion, began his professional career with Toulouse before moving to Provence Rugby in 2023.

This match was also the 50th Test the All Blacks have played in Dunedin. Their first game there was at Tahuna Park in 1905, followed by 38 matches at Carisbrook. Forsyth Barr Stadium hosted its first Test in 2012, and since then, 11 Tests have taken place there. New Zealand has only lost once at this stadium, to Ireland in 2022. Before that, their last defeat in Dunedin was against France at Carisbrook in 2009, where the All Blacks had won 35 of 42 Tests overall. This game was a big milestone for New Zealand rugby.

After 652 Tests since 1903, the All Blacks reached their 500th win. They have lost 129 times and drawn 23, giving them a winning percentage of 76.7 per cent, the highest among major Test nations. France is next with 460 wins from 829 games. Australian referee Nic Berry was in charge of his eighth Test involving New Zealand, but this was his first against France. In those matches, the All Blacks have had six wins, one draw, and a 24-22 loss to Australia in Brisbane.

On Toughest International Opponent: “Andrew Porter from Ireland. I played against him in a 26-13 win in Chicago in 2025. He’s a big guy, really tough to move, and always niggly.”

Note: Bushy-haired, tattoo-covered Andrew Porter, 30, packs in at 185cm and 125cm. As of February 2025, he had played 79 Tests for Ireland and won 60, including four victories and two tries against the All Blacks. Proter has been part of three Irish teams to have won the Six Nations and played all three Tests in Ireland’s 2022 series win against the All Blacks, New Zealand’s first loss in a home series since 1994. Additionally, he played in all three Tests in the British and Irish Lions series victory in Australia in 2025. With Leinster, he has won 79 of 91 matches. Since 2018, Leinster have won the United Rugby Championship (URC) five times and been European Cup finalists five times, winning the competition in 2018. Porter could squat 350 kg at just 20.

On Jamming With New Zealand Pop Stars Six60: Six60, that’s been a lot of fun. It all started in 2024, when they met the All Blacks for a promotional event. I’ve played guitar since high school, and they taught me a song that hadn’t been released yet, ‘We made it.’”

“Last year, I was in Geneva with Ethan de Groot, Fabian Holland, and Du’Plessis Kirifi for a three-day promotion with Tudor watches, who sponsor the All Blacks. Out of nowhere, Six60 messaged me on Instagram to ask if I wanted to join them for their November concert in Sydney. I don’t think they realised I was in Switzerland. I almost said no -not because I couldn’t go, but because I was so tired of long flights. Michelle told me, ‘You’re crazy, you have to do it.’ I’m glad I listened. The experience was amazing. I got to perform ‘We made it’ with them.”

*Super Rugby Extra Time Games: 1996-March 3, 2024

April 10, 2021: Chiefs 26 v Highlanders 23
Venue: Dunedin
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand)
Winning Score: Damian McKenzie penalty goal

April 11, 2022: Crusaders: 30 v Hurricanes 27

Venue: Wellington
Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)
Winning Score: David Havili drop goal.

March 25, 2022: Moana Pasifika 24 v Hurricanes 19
Venue: Auckland
Referee: Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)
Winning Score: Danny Toala try (Ironically, Toala was cut from the Hurricanes the previous season)

March 11, 2023, Force 21 v Moana Pasifika 18
Venue: Perth
Winning Score: Bryce Hegarty penalty goal. The Force had 13 players.
Referee: Jordan Way (Australia)

March 3, 2023, Hurricanes 38 v Reds 33
Venue: Melbourne
Winning Score: Pasilio Tosi try.
Referee: Jordan Way (Australia)

Tosi scoring his try for the Hurricanes Hunters in a 2023 match.