Anton Segner

Anton Segner (born 24 July 2001) is a German rugby union player, who currently plays as a loose forward for Auckland in the National Provincial Championship and the Blues in Super Rugby.

Early career

Prior to 2017, Segner was playing for SC 1880 Frankfurt, one of the most traditional clubs in Germany's domestic Rugby-Bundesliga competition. He quickly established himself as one of the leading figures in the youth set-up of the club and went on to win numerous German youth championships. He also captained his team, while being one of the youngest members. Segner played for the Germany Under 16 national squad in 2016. He didn't play for the Under 18 team though, as he continued his stay in New Zealand.

In 2017, Segner was on a six-month stay in New Zealand  – after being offered a scholarship by Nelson College – when he was picked for the school's first XV team. He then went on to captain the Nelson College top side in 2018 and led them to their first UC Championship title in twelve years in 2019. In 2018, Segner made the Crusaders Under 18 squad and made his debut for the New Zealand Schools team against Tonga. In 2021, he was named captain of the Crusaders Under 20 side for the Super Rugby Aotearoa Under 20 competition.

Senior career

At just 19 years of age, Segner was named in the Tasman Mako squad for the 2020 Mitre 10 Cup, signing a two-year deal with the province. He made his debut for the Mako in Round 7 against Southland in a 47–10 win for the side at Trafalgar Park. Segner became the first German to win a Mitre 10 Cup title when Tasman won the 2020 Mitre 10 Cup, beating Auckland 12–13 in the final at Eden Park, with Segner coming off the bench in the second half. Segner had a stand-out season during the 2021 Bunnings NPC as the Mako made the Premiership final before losing 23–20 to Waikato.

In October 2021, Segner signed a three-year deal with Super Rugby franchise the Blues. He made his debut for the side in Round 2 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season against the Hurricanes.

After four seasons playing for Tasman, Segner not only re-signed with the Blues for a further two seasons; he also decided to make Auckland his permanent home by signing with the Auckland NPC team for two years. He made his debut for the province on 9 August 2024 against Wellington.

International career

In May 2021, Segner was named in the New Zealand Under 20 squad. However, due to the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, both the 2021 Oceania Rugby Under 20 Championship and World Rugby U20 Championship were cancelled. Instead, the team played a series of four matches on home soil, including one international match against the Cook Islands national team.