The rumor was insistent and he repeated that it was not true. But it is now official: Cheslin Kolbe will leave Rugby Club Toulonnais at the end of the season. “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, ”indicates the RCT, which failed to qualify this season for the final stages of the Top 14, finishing 7th despite its victory on Sunday over Bordeaux-Begles (35-19). The South African winger, who had revealed himself at Stade Toulousain, “should announce his future destination soon”, specifies the Var club. In a statement, the world champion Springbok winger said: “I would like to thank the club, my team-mates and all the supporters for the opportunity given to me to play in Toulon during these two seasons and that I enjoyed it very much. I would have liked to stay in Toulon but the financial constraints of the clubs and the injuries made things difficult.
In a post later on Twitter, he added, “The past two weeks have been very emotional for me and my family. Some may not understand, me neither, but as I was told “it’s a job”. I have to put my feelings aside. Nevertheless, I did my best. Sometimes our plans don’t always align with God’s plans for us.”
The South African seemed very moved on Sunday evening, during the 26th and last day of the Top 14, for Toulon’s victory against Bordeaux-Bègles (35-19) at the Mayol stadium. Although he was not expected to participate in the post-match celebrations paying tribute to the departing Toulon players, he had 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 had surprised the Toulon supporters and further fueled the rumors of departure. Confirmed on Monday.
After Toulon’s victory against Glasgow in the Challenge Cup final (43-19) on May 19, Cheslin Kolbe, in tears on the pitch, then confided in the mixed zone: “There was a lot of emotions. It was mainly because of the many injuries I had recently. Things didn’t go the way I wanted. I would have liked to be able to play every weekend with my club. But it didn’t happen that way… (…) As I often say, God has a plan for each of us. I kept faith in myself and worked hard.
A few days later, in the columns of Var Matin, he repeated his desire to stay in La Rade and to honor the last year of his contract. “I am in contract until 2024 and I hope to be able to go to the end of the latter. I want to stay in Toulon,” he assured. And to add, a little fatalistic: “I don’t control everything that will happen next. Because I’m not the only one to decide. And I imagine that many things come into play… But, as far as I’m concerned, I hope to go at least until the end of my contract, in June 2024. Will this be my last match? with Toulon on Sunday? I really hope not…”
As early as last summer, rumors had circulated about a departure from the world champion Springbok (29 years old, 23 caps) for the province of the Stormers, with an annual contract of 600,000 euros running over five seasons. More recently, in November, a Japanese team would have liked to enlist the South African international. According to information from Midi Olympique, the South African winger received 1.8 million euros annually in Toulon, against 600,000 in Toulouse, which had received compensation on his departure. The RCT will therefore see its payroll greatly reduced with the departure of the Bok.
Since his arrival in the Var in the summer of 2021, Cheslin Kolbe has multiplied the physical glitches (knee, broken thumb and jaw, sprained ankle). In two seasons, he will have played 31 matches with the RCT and scored 10 tries, far from his standards when he played for Toulouse, with whom he had won two Brennus (2019 and 2021) and a Champions Cup (2021).
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