French Top 14 club Toulon signed World Cup-winning Springbok winger Cheslin Kolbe from fellow Top 14 rivals Toulouse on a three-year contract in a move that stunned the rugby world.
Kolbe joined Toulouse in 2017 and won two French titles (2019, 2021) and the European Champions Cup (2021). The 27-year-old, who has earned a reputation as a star for both club and country, had two years left on his contract.
Kolbe thanked the club for believing in him, giving him freedom to play and offering an opportunity to be a part of its legacy.
“The time has come for me to say Au Revoir to one of the greatest chapters of all time,” Kolbe wrote in a post on social media.
“I don’t know where to start, because I never expected the end to come so soon. I hope you understand my decision to move on to Toulon was not easy. I want to express the greatest gratitude to the entire Toulouse community.”
“I will forever be grateful for everything I have learned and experienced with Stade Toulousain, the lessons learnt and the memories made stretch far beyond the rugby field.”
Kolbe will join up with fellow South Africans Quinn Roux and Cornell du Preez as well as fellow World Cup winner Eben Etzebeth.
Kolbe is currently representing the Springboks at the Rugby Championship where the 2019 champions will play games against hosts Australia and New Zealand.
Meanwhile, South Africa bade farewell to one of its Rugby Sevens stars and the second most-capped Blitzbok of all time as forward Chris Dry announced his retirement from international sevens.
The 33-year-old made his debut in 2010 and played in 74 HSBC Sevens Series tournaments (373 matches for the Blitzboks) scoring 98 tries. He won the HSBC Series twice and also claimed gold at the Commonwealth Games.
Dry said it was time to step away from the game citing age as a factor, difficulties in recovering from injuries and the need to give way for a younger generation to come through the ranks.
“Age did become a factor; it is harder and harder to keep pace with a game as fast as international Sevens,” Dry said.
“I also had hip surgery recently and it became quite a fight to keep up. Also, finishing off your career at the Olympic Games, knowing you left while still being selected for a squad was always the ideal for me. So, I leave happy and, on my terms.”
“I am grateful for being there so long, but the younger guys in the system also need the opportunity to play and develop and you need to create that space for them. With the Commonwealth Games and next year’s Rugby World Cup Sevens on the horizon, the best time for that to happen is now and I will not be blocking the next guy coming through from that opportunity to develop on the international stage.”
(Story compiled with assistance from wire reports)
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