Jarryd Hayne could replace Quade Cooper at French rugby union powerhouse Toulon
DEAN RITCHIE, The Daily Telegraph
July 27, 2016 9:00pm
FRENCH rugby union powerhouse Toulon have held top-level internal discussions about signing former rugby league superstar Jarryd Hayne in a straight swap for fellow Australian Quade Cooper.
Toulon have an import spot available since Cooper quit the club for a Super Rugby homecoming, and that could allow Hayne to sign a lucrative short-term deal in France and return to Australia early next season to restart his NRL career.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal Toulon, Clermont and Paris-based Racing Metro are all interested in securing Hayne.
The three Top 14 clubs have the money and clout to sign Hayne, while [??? missing word] may also be interested.
Well-placed French sources claim Toulon were “discussing” replacing Cooper with Hayne after the former Queensland Reds playmaker left the club just one season into a two-year deal.
Cooper is now weighing up offers from the Reds and Melbourne Rebels for next season.
If Hayne decides on a Toulon sojourn, he will join fellow Aussies Matt Giteau and Drew Mitchell already on the cashed-up club’s books
Eccentric Toulon owner, comic-book millionaire Mourad Boudjellal, has a history of signing the highest-profile rugby players in the world.
He is also not averse to signing rugby league players with no rugby experience after signing Sonny Bill Williams when he walked out on Canterbury in 2008.
Willie Mason and Luke Rooney also had stints at the club.
Racing Metro’s interest could potentially unlock a sizeable pay cheque given the Parisian club’s owner, Jacky Lorenzetti, is a notorious rival of Boudjellal and bidding wars between the two have produced huge salaries for the likes of Giteau and New Zealand legend Dan Carter.
Carter is the world’s highest-paid rugby player at more than $2 million a year. Giteau is next on an annual salary of at $1.4 million.
Hayne’s Australian options have narrowed after the NSW Waratahs declared they wouldn’t sign the former San Francisco 49er.
His former club Parramatta are interested in landing the Hayne Plane, especially once their 2017 salary cap picture becomes clearer when Kieran Foran officially departs the club.
St George Illawarra and the Gold Coast are also ready to have a sizeable crack at Hayne, but it’s believed he wants to remain in Sydney.
Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson confirmed they were out of the running for Hayne.
“We’re not chasing Jarryd,” Robinson said. “We’re close to full for next year. That’s where we’re at. We have been planning our fullbacks. We have Latrell Mitchell there and Michael Gordon coming in. We’re pretty clear on our recruitment.”
The French rugby season starts in August and runs until June. That could free Hayne up to compete, potentially, in the rugby league World Cup, to be staged in Australia after next season.
Hayne has told mates he would love to play in the World Cup.
English superstar Jonny Wilkinson coaches at Toulon while Ma’a Nonu, Bryan Habana and James O’Connor are currently also on the books.
