0
AUSSIES Matt Giteau and Drew Mitchell love it but life as a highly-paid Toulon star isn’t all sunshine, rainbows and million-dollar deals.
Just ask Wales fullback Leigh Halfpenny.
The British and Irish Lions star was signed by Toulon as the goal-kicking replacement for Jonny Wilkinson. But he is yet to turn out in the red and black as he continues to battle a groin injury.
Halfpenny now faces the very real possibility his contract may be torn up with enigmatic Toulon owner Mourad Boudjellal saying his club will conduct a thorough investigation.
“The problem that we have now is that we think he may have arrived at Toulon with that injury,” Boudjellal told French newspaper VarMatin.
“If this is the case, we haven’t ruled out terminating his contract. We’re conducting an investigation. We don’t feel like preparing Halfpenny for Wales, just for the Rugby World Cup.”
The Halfpenny situation comes on the back of conflicting reports about the post-World Cup future of Queensland Reds recruit James O’Connor.
The Reds believe they have signed O’Connor on a two-year deal but Boudjellal was having none of that, saying O’Connor would return to France following next year’s global showpiece.
“We always said James O’Connor had signed for three years at Toulon with a possible six months absence during the season to be able to play in the World Cup … so we respect what has been signed ... He is committed for two years after the Cup,” Boudjellal told Radio Monte Carlo.
What should be a worry to the Reds is that Boudjellal doesn’t like to be told no.
Boudjellal, who made his fortune in comic books, is currently exploring his legal options on the availability of Springboks Bryan Habana and Bakkies Botha, and Pumas backrower Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe.
The Springboks duo and Fernandez Lobbe are currently playing in The Rugby Championship, which wraps up with back-to-back games from Saturday week.
But Boudjellal is demanding the trio return to Toulon immediately and has threatened not to pay them should they fail to do so.
“There is something that is quite simple - they defend the colours of their country and are paid rather comfortably by Toulon,” Boudjellal told French media.
“The IRB decided the rules. That’s fine but I’m not here to fund South African and Argentine rugby and I will not.
“These players will return as we need them. If they do not and we receive no fee, they will not be paid by us because they will not be present in Toulon.
“We’ll see if the rules of the IRB prevail or if it is the rules of the Labour Code for French private enterprise. In any case, it is an aberration.
“We have reached a stage where we have to ask the opinion of the French law. Therefore, we will ask the French judges whether a foreign federation has the right to take my employees and force me to pay them.
“It’s just unthinkable we have players who are paid very well by us but cannot play them. Moreover, I have to pay the players replacing them. This is a double sanction.”
http://www.news.com.au/sport/rugby/l...1227061353616F
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Alison
