Toulon claim Bakkies signature

[Bull]

Toulon - Rugby World Cup winner Bakkies Botha is joining Toulon and will arrive at the second division French club on February 26.

The 28-year-old Botha is set to sign for three months with a two-year contract an option.

Lock Botha, who plays for top South African outfit Bulls, will join up with compatriot Victor Matfield, one of the stars signed this season to make for a very impressive second row.

The 2.02m Botha, who weighs 120kg, has made 45 appearances for the Springboks.

Toulon are aiming to gain promotion into the French Top 14. They lead the second division by three points from Mont-de-Marsan.

The Bulls have neither confirmed nor denied the latest reports linking their star lock to the French club.

[/b]

http://www.news24.com/News24/Sport/Rugby/0...2272915,00.html

This is not good news for the Bulls who have now lost about 4 or 5 locks. :ranting:

 

[danny]

Lucky Toulon. Bakkies is a top lock and just the kind of player to make a big impact in France.

 

[candybum]

Lol dayum, what a rich club! where the money come from!? i'd like some

 

[Bull]

Bakkies saga turns nasty

Pretoria - The SA Rugby Union will report Bakkies Botha to the International Rugby Board if the Springbok lock turns out, without permission, for French club Toulon.

Christo Ferreira, Saru's manager of legal affairs, made this clear on Monday after an announcement on Toulon's website that Botha had signed a contract to play for the club.

According to the announcement Botha will join Toulon on February 26.

Botha is scheduled to return to Super 14 duty for the Bulls in a match against the Sharks at Loftus Versfeld on March 1.

Toulon's announcement was made despite the Blue Bulls Company's recent refusal to release Botha from his contract, which expires only at the end of 2011.

Botha also signed a new Springbok contract with SA Rugby recently.

Ferreira said on Monday no one could stop Botha if he wanted to go to France but he "would certainly not be able to play for Toulon or any other club as long as he is contracted to SA Rugby and the Bulls."

"The Bulls have already turned down his request to be released and SA Rugby will do the same. He needs a release to be registered as a player in France, and this (refusal) will leave him and Toulon stranded," Ferreira said.

"If Toulon go ahead with their intentions to play Botha without him being released from his contractual commitments in South Africa we certainly won't leave the matter there.

"We will lodge an official complaint to the IRB whose rules and regulations leave no doubts about contractual transgressions of this nature."

Blue Bulls business manager and media spokesperson Ian Schwartz said he had heard nothing from Toulon or Botha since the Springbok's initial request to be released was turned down.

"Officially we cannot react to media reports, which may be no more than mere speculation," Schwartz said.

[/b]

 

[Steve-o]

I was just about to ask about what will happen with contracts he already signed.

It would be terribly unethnical to let any player off his contract like this. He just signed a 4 year contract and now he wants skidaddle. Not a 2 year or 1 year contract, a FOUR year contract. Sorry Bakkie my boet, you and your agent put yourselves in this position.

These people are running a business (note 'Blue Bull Company') and in business you have contracts. They serve a purpose and if they let Bakkie go like this, they might as well close shop cause you run a business like that.

The only ethnical way he can leave is if Toulon put a transfer fee that both them and the Bulls agree on

 

[Stillknox]

Lol dayum, what a rich club! where the money come from!? i'd like some [/b]

Mourad Boudjellal (Toulon's president) is the creator/owner of a famous comic book publishing company and he is a millionnaire who likes to show off

He's hated or loved by many, a real 'character'... a local Donald Trump in some way.

Anyway having two world champion in the second row of a 2nd division team, it's simply amazing. [/size]