2023-05-29 19:21:27
In a press release on Monday, RC Toulon announced the departure of its world champion winger, a year before the end of the South African’s contract. “Rugby Club Toulonnais and Cheslin Kolbe have decided by mutual agreement to release each other from their commitments at the end of the 2022-2023 season. This allows Cheslin Kolbe to commit to a new project from the 2023-2024 season, “said the RCT in the said press release.
Kolbe, 29, 24 caps, who “should announce his future destination soon” further specifies the Var club, had however repeated lately that he intended to go until the end of his contract with the RCT, where he had arrived at autumn 2021 from Toulouse.
“I would have liked to stay in Toulon but the financial constraints of the clubs and the injuries made things difficult”, explains the South African, quoted in the press release. At the end of March, the pocket winger, 1.72m, 80kg, who scored 6 tries in 18 matches with Toulon this season, had suffered a sprained ankle, which had kept him away from the field for four weeks.
He was able to return in time to play in the Challenge Cup semi-final against Treviso, before becoming part of the starting XV who won the competition on May 19 in Dublin against Glasgow (43-19). At the end of the match, the South African seemed very moved, as he was also on Sunday evening, during the 26th and last day of the Top 14, for the victory of Toulon against Bordeaux-Bègles (35-19) at the Mayol stadium.
Although he was not expected to take part in the post-match celebrations paying tribute to the departing Toulon players, he waited in the hallway of the stadium with his wife before entering the field with her, splitting the guard of honor, when New Zealand fly-half Ihaia West was announced by the announcer.
A sort of farewell on the sly which surprised the Toulon supporters and further fueled the rumors of departure.
In an interview with AFP last February, he said he was frustrated by his first season on the Rade, due to too many injuries, before emphasizing his desire to honor the rest of his contract with the Var club.
“I’m still here, under contract until 2024 and I won’t be going to Japan. Nor elsewhere. I stay here. I am attached to this club, I like to play rugby here and I still have a lot to give to this jersey, ”he said.
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