Australia fly-half Quade Cooper has signed a two-year contract to play for Top 14 champions Toulon.
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Capped 52 times by the Wallabies, the 27-year-old Cooper will join his new teammates during the summer to prepare for the 2015-16 season.
In particular he will link up with former Australia playmaker Matt Giteau, who has been instrumental in guiding the French club to this season’s European Champions Cup final.
.@RCTofficiel add @QuantasWallabies fly-half @QuadeCooper to their squad for next season: http://t.co/ZAJWyyrE2h pic.twitter.com/bWgzh1nP8Y
— Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) April 24, 2015
The wealthy Cote d’Azur side are currently seeking a second straight Top 14 and European Cup double.
“He has been a player we have been keeping an eye on for several years now, and would have arguably been rated the best player in the world after the last World Cup were it not for injury,” said Toulon chairman Mourad Boudjellal.
“At 27-years-old, he is coming to Toulon to become the player that the whole world wants to see.”
Cooper is currently playing for the Queensland Reds, but he broke a shoulder blade earlier this month and will be out of action for up to two months.
Earlier this week, the Australian Rugby Union announced a major change to its Test squad selection policy five months before the World Cup, opening the door to foreign-based players being selected.
32 – Since the start of last season @QuadeCooper has beaten 32 defenders in @SuperRugby, more than any other @Reds_Rugby player. Stepping.
— OptaJonny (@OptaJonny) April 24, 2015
He becomes the latest Australia international to announce they are moving abroad after this year’s World Cup, following establised Test players like Will Genia, James Horwill and Adam Ashley-Cooper.
Meanwhile, Top 14 leading duo Toulon and Clermont return to domestic duties today with one eye on their European Champions Cup final on May 2.
Leaders Toulon and second-placed Clermont play La Rochelle and Castres respectively, but face the dilemma of choosing between much needed points to secure a semi-final play-off spot and the desire to rest players.
“Obviously, we are thinking about next week,” admitted Clermont lock Sebastien Vahaamahina, who is one of the 12 players who will be given a break.
Elsewhere, second-bottom Bayonne, who have won just once in their last four games, host Grenoble today desperately looking for a win to preserve their hopes of Top 14 rugby next season.
Fellow strugglers Lyon, sitting at the bottom of the table seven points behind Bayonne, face Bordeaux-Begles.
Meanwhile, Montpellier head to Brive looking for a win to boost their chances of competing in the play-offs while Racing Metro, fourth, go head-to-head with sixth-ranked Oyonnax.