South African winger from Toulon Cheslin Kolbe, world champion with the Springboks in 2019, will leave Toulon after two lackluster seasons on the Rade and before the end of his contract, thanking France “which has been ( his) house for six years” but that he should find at the World Cup in the fall.
“I would have liked to stay in Toulon but the financial constraints of the clubs and the injuries made it difficult,” explained the South African, without giving further details.
His transfer from Toulouse to Toulon in the summer of 2021 was presented at the time as one of the most expensive in the history of rugby, but the winger (29 years old, 24 caps) never really succeeded to meet the expectations of the Var club, in particular because of too many injuries.
“The 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 season. -2024,” the RCT said in a statement on Monday.
Kolbe, who “should announce his future destination soon” according to the Var club, had however repeated lately that he intended to go until the end of his contract with the RCT, which ended the 2022-2023 season on Sunday in the 7th place.
– “That’s life” –
At the end of the day, in a message on his Instagram account, the former Stormers player (2013-2017) then Toulouse (2017-2021), where he had scored 31 tries in 82 matches, hinted at his bitterness.
“These two weeks have been full of emotions for me and my family. Some may not understand, me neither, but as they say + it’s the business that wants it + (and) I have to put my feelings aside”, writes the South African with fire support, who should participate in the fall in the World Cup in France.
“It’s not easy for me to say goodbye, but that’s life. France has been our home for 6 years, my 3 children (were born there) (…) and it will always be our home . I hope it’s not a goodbye but that we will see each other again soon. Thank you again, I would have hoped for a better ending”, he adds.
At the end of March, the pocket winger (1.72 m, 80 kg), who will have signed “only” ten tries in 31 matches in the jersey of the RCT, had suffered a sprained ankle, which left him had been 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).
– Guard of honor –
At the end of the match, Kolbe had seemed very moved, as he was also 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 the New Zealand opening half Ihaia West was announced by the announcer, noted an AFP journalist.
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 go to Japan. Or anywhere else. I’m staying here. I’m attached to this club, I like playing rugby here and I still have a lot of things to give to this shirt,” he said.
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