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Successful French Top 14 rugby club Toulon hasn’t done itself any favours in recent weeks as the Quade Cooper saga continues to draw on.
International players flock to the French competition for the great financial benefits and the easy French lifestyle. Toulon is attractive also for its amazing roster of players and continued success.
However, recent times have shown up the dark and arrogant side of Toulon. It’s not the glamorous club that Drew Mitchell and Matt Giteau know and would describe.
Qaude Cooper’s future contractual arrangement hasn’t helped the situation. Toulon is under the impression that he is a done deal, but others including the ARU and seemingly Cooper himself do not agree. Toulon then flexed its muscles with a financial threat directed squarely at Cooper and the ARU.
Copper might not worry too much about being as poor as Greece, but the club doesn’t fill the rugby community with any great confidence that it has players in the forefront of its mind. It is important to note that the details over Coopers contract situation are not totally open and Cooper cannot be totally removed of blame from the saga.
Rugby and its players have become commodities that generate big dollars for broadcasters, club owners and national bodies. However, Toulon seems to have lost touch with the spirit of the game and the competing desires of players in the modern context. We continue to place a high level of importance on international rugby fixtures, so it seems Toulon, the clubs and World Rugby bosses need to have a good chat about the existence and importance of both mediums.
Just recently Toulon have threatened to terminate Wales fullback Leigh Halfpenny’s contract if he decides to tour with Wales in 2016 rather than play for the club. Rugby organisations such as the ARU have had to come to terms with the fact that these foreign clubs are attractive to their players. They have accepted the draw that European and even Japanese club rugby continues to have in the Southern Hemisphere and elsewhere.
The ARU finally shifted its position on foreign player eligibility for the Wallabies, following the Springboks and All Blacks lead on flexible contracting models. Isn’t it about time these clubs came to the table to respect the complex and difficult situation that players face between their careers, financial stability and obtaining the ultimate feat of playing rugby, national selection.
The importance of representing one’s country at the pinnacle of rugby and any sport is an idea that I believe is still strong in Australia. It is most definitely strong in New Zealand.
How can Toulon expect to recruit, retain and build on their success when they go about threatening players with sanction, redundancy and financial ruin? I bet they will probably do just fine.
However, reputations can be built and destroyed quickly. If you were an Australian player thinking of making the switch to France you might not be calling Mourad Boudjellal too quickly after these recent episodes.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.