BIG-SPENDING French club Toulon has given up on getting Sonny Bill Williams back on their books after the Rugby World Cup.
”Sonny Bill Williams c’est fini!” screamed the headline in Toulon newspaper Var Martin yesterday with the revelation that Williams won’t be returning to the club next season.
The three-Test All Black had been trying to keep all options open for his career after the World Cup in New Zealand.
But Toulon’s millionaire owner, Mourad Boudjellal, has officially shut one door by announcing that Williams won’t return to the south of France club, where he made the switch from league to rugby.
It was also reported that Williams’s side had broken off negotiations with Toulon, rather than the other way round.
While plenty of other clubs in Europe would love to sign Williams, not many would be able to afford his salary demands.
With Williams last week signing a huge deal with adidas, a sponsor of the All Blacks, and the midfield back pulling out of negotiations with Toulon, there could be grounds for optimism that he may decide to remain in New Zealand after the World Cup.
While Williams is off the radar at Toulon, another Kiwi could be on his way there.
Auckland-born Shontayne Hape, who played for the Warriors and Kiwis before switching codes and now plays rugby in the midfield for Bath and England, has broken off his negotiations for a contract extension with his club and is believed to be at the top of Boudjellal’s shopping list along with French international Mathieu Bastareaud, who plays for Stade Francais.
Williams was an interested spectator last night as his Crusaders teammates went down 22-24 to the Blues in Auckland. Tries to Andrew Ellis and Sean Maitland, plus four penalties from Daniel Carter, weren’t enough for the Crusaders, with the Blues notching three five-pointers through Keven Mealamu, Benson Stanley and Tony Woodcock, along with a hat-trick of penalties from Stephen Brett.