Toby Bell: the bench try that won Canterbury's first Ranfurly Shield defence of 2026

With 18 minutes left at One NZ Stadium on 15 August 2026, Bay of Plenty had drawn level at 28-28 and the Ranfurly Shield, won by Canterbury in Dunedin only six days before, was in danger of leaving Christchurch at the first defence. The try that settled it came from a 21-year-old replacement from Kerikeri. Toby Bell took a pop pass against the grain in the 71st minute and ran in untouched, his first try for Canterbury, and the last score of a 33-28 win. This is the story of a Northland boy who went south to the Crusaders Academy, and who is in the Crusaders midfield for 2027.

Where he comes from

Bell was born on 14 December 2004, according to his Crusaders profile, which lists him at 189 centimetres and as a midfielder. He went to Kerikeri High School in the Bay of Islands, and he is Ngā Puhi: New Zealand Rugby gave both his school and his iwi when it named him in a national age-grade sevens team in December 2022.

RUGBE could not find a published account of his junior club rugby in Northland, or of his First XV years at Kerikeri. He is not related to the Crusaders and All Blacks hooker George Bell, or to the Otago hooker Henry Bell, as far as any source RUGBE read shows.

The Blues pathway and a national sevens jersey

Kerikeri sits in the Blues region, and in September 2022 the Blues named Bell in their Under 18 Development Squad. The Blues pointed out that its 52 players came from as far north as Kerikeri High School and as far south as Aorere College in South Auckland. The squad gathered at Mount Albert Grammar School from 1 to 5 October 2022 and played the Chiefs there on 4 October 2022.

That December he wore a national badge. New Zealand Rugby named him in the New Zealand Māori Under 18 Ngā Whatukura (Boys) Sevens team for the 2022 World School Sevens in Auckland on 17 and 18 December 2022, coached by Karna Luke. The same release named a New Zealand Under 18 Boys side that included Isaac Hutchinson, Maloni Kunawave and Xavier Tito-Harris, all of whom later played Super Rugby.

South to the Crusaders Academy

After school Bell moved to Christchurch and into the Crusaders Academy. In February 2023 the Crusaders named him in their 53-player Under 20 extended squad, and his Wikipedia entry records him in the Crusaders Under 20 side in 2024, the year that team won its first Super Rugby Under 20 title, beating the Chiefs 31-17 in wet conditions in Taupō, as New Zealand Rugby reported on 25 March 2024.

On 31 May 2024 New Zealand Rugby named its squad for the World Rugby Under 20 Championship. Bell was not in the travelling group, but he was one of six non-travelling reserves.

Canterbury

Bell's first game for Canterbury came off the bench on Wednesday 28 August 2024 against Hawke's Bay in Christchurch. He wore No. 23 in a side that had the former All Black Ryan Crotty at second five-eighth and James White at first five, and Hawke's Bay won 27-21. RugbyPass's season figures credit him with ten minutes on the field that night.

He was named in Canterbury's squad for the 2025 NPC and played twice. The first was off the bench on 20 September 2025 against Otago in Christchurch, a 38-36 defeat in which Otago took the Ranfurly Shield. The second was his first start, eight days later and close to home, at second five-eighth against Northland at Semenoff Stadium in Whangārei on 28 September 2025. ESPN's match data shows him playing 65 minutes before James Cameron replaced him with the score 12-12. The match finished 19-19, Northland drawing level with a try and conversion in the last two minutes.

A first Super Rugby contract

On 6 November 2025 the Crusaders named their squad for 2026, and Bell was one of six young players given their first full Super Rugby contracts, with Louie Chapman, Maloni Kunawave, Liam Jack, Manumaua Letiu and James White. The club said all six were products of the Crusaders Academy. Of Bell it said his promotion reflected his growth through the national development pathway and the Academy, and it told fans to "expect big things from this sharp centre."

In the first pre-season game, on 30 January 2026 against the Highlanders in Timaru in front of a sold-out crowd of 4,500, he started at No. 12 alongside Braydon Ennor. After a long run by Chay Fihaki, he spotted a gap and sliced through it for the Crusaders' second try. The Crusaders won 33-10.

Crusader number 307

Bell had to wait for his Super Rugby chance. A concussion appeared beside his name on the club's injury list in March, and he was not in the original 23 named on 15 April 2026 for the Round 10 game against the Western Force in Perth. Then Fihaki withdrew. As rugby.com.au reported on the night, Sevu Reece moved into the starting side and Bell came onto the bench.

On 18 April 2026 at HBF Park, Perth, he made his Super Rugby debut. ESPN's match data shows him coming on in the 69th minute for Johnny McNicholl, with the Crusaders leading 26-24. Two minutes later the Wallabies prop Harry Johnson-Holmes scored in his 100th Super Rugby game, and the Force held on to win 31-26. The Crusaders' own report noted it was only the Force's fourth win over them in Super Rugby history. Bell became Crusader number 307.

It was his only Super Rugby appearance of 2026. By the team naming of 20 May 2026 the club was listing him out for the rest of the season with a shoulder injury.

The Shield try

Bell was back for Canterbury in the 2026 NPC, the province's first season at One NZ Stadium, the covered ground the Crusaders had moved into in April. Canterbury beat Auckland 38-31 there on 1 August 2026, then took the Ranfurly Shield off Otago, 19-15 in Dunedin on 9 August 2026.

The first defence came on 15 August 2026 against Bay of Plenty. Dallas McLeod scored twice and Jone Rova once as Canterbury raced ahead, and Ngane Punivai added a fourth try early in the second half. Bay of Plenty kept coming. Benet Kumeroa scored twice, Lucas Cashmore once, and when Reon Paul crossed with 18 minutes to go, the scores were level at 28-28.

The decisive moment, as the NPC's own round report described it, came after Canterbury worked through several phases towards the line. Bell, on as a substitute, was put away by a pop pass against the grain and ran in. It was his first try for Canterbury. Bay of Plenty pushed hard, Canterbury held on, and the province had its first successful Shield defence of the year. The report called the result "the red and black's first successful Ranfurly Shield defence."

The Shield went north five days later, when Northland won 36-12 in Christchurch on 20 August 2026. Bell also came off the bench in the 40-26 loss to Taranaki in New Plymouth on 29 August 2026 and the 36-14 win over Waikato in Hamilton on 5 September 2026. RugbyPass's figures credit him with five NPC appearances in 2026. Canterbury went on to win the title, beating Northland 43-24 in the final at One NZ Stadium on 26 October 2026; Bell was not in the matchday 23 for the final.

Where he is now

Bell has not played a Test for any country.

When the Crusaders named their 2027 squad on 28 October 2026, he was one of five midfielders, alongside the new signings Jake Te Hiwi and Corey Evans, Leicester Fainga'anuku, and Cooper Roberts, promoted from the wider training group. Three of the midfielders he trained with in 2026 have gone. The captain, David Havili, confirmed in June 2026 that he was leaving for Japan; Dallas McLeod has gone to Exeter and Braydon Ennor to France. The new head coach is Scott Hansen, Crusader number 25 and an assistant at the club from 2020 to 2023, who takes over from Rob Penney.

Bell will be 22 when the 2027 season starts.

Career at a glance

Canterbury and Crusaders appearance figures are RugbyPass season totals to the end of the 2026 NPC; the try is confirmed by the NPC's round report and Wikipedia's match record.