REPORT: The salary Kolbe will earn at Toulon
NEWS: Springbok superstar Cheslin Kolbe is set to earn a jackpot annual salary at Toulon.
Kolbe, who was a Toulouse player since 2017, was officially unveiled as a Toulon player on Friday.
✍️🆕 #𝙒𝙚𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙡𝙞𝙣 💎
💥Le @RCTofficiel est très heureux d’annoncer l’arrivée sur la Rade du Champion du Monde, d’Europe et de France en titre, @Cheslin_Kolbe11 🇿🇦
❤️🖤🗣️#AllezToulon pic.twitter.com/W8wMlgeFDg
— RCT – RC Toulon (@RCTofficiel) August 27, 2021
According to French media, Toulon will reportedly pay the soon-to-be 28-year-old an annual salary of €1million (ZAR17.5 million).
Kolbe flew out to Australia from Cape Town on Thursday ahead of the Springboks’ four remaining Rugby Championship matches, a trip that will be followed by November Test matches in Europe versus Wales, Scotland and England on successive weekends.
That type of absence was too much for Toulouse to feel they were getting sufficient bang for their expensive buck and Toulon have now stepped into the breach even though it won’t be until December at the earliest that the swashbuckling wing would be available to play for them.
Not only are Toulon reportedly willing to agree on a basic annual salary of €1million it is believed they also spent €1.8million [ZAR31.5 million] in buying out the remaining years of Kolbe’s current contract with Toulouse, the club with whom he has won two French league titles and a European Cup since his arrival there in 2017.
Merci Beaucoup @StadeToulousain ❤️🖤 pic.twitter.com/moTyyQOHid
— Cheslin Kolbe (@Cheslin_Kolbe11) August 27, 2021
After the announcement, Kolbe thanked Toulouse and their fans on social media.
“I will forever be grateful for everything I have learned and experienced with Stade Toulousain,” said Kolbe. “The lessons learnt and the memories made, stretch far beyond the rugby field.
“I would like to thank Stade Toulousain for the opportunity to be a part of their legacy and making history. Thank you for believing in me and giving me the freedom and joy to play at my best.
“I have made so many special and incredible memories, friends and ultimately friends that became family.
“Th ST brotherhood I will forever cherish. I love you my brothers and I will miss you the most.”
Toulon president Bernard Lemaitre was delighted with his spectacular piece of business, claiming: “The RCT is entering a new phase of its transformation undertaken in January 2020. After a major rescue, the club has carried out a renovation of its organisation and its managerial methods.
“At the same time, we built the RCT Campus, providing the club with unique facilities for the benefit of both the professional workforce and the training centre. Then, the signing of the five-year contract with Nike, the world leader in sports equipment, crowned all these efforts for which I thank my teams.
“Finally, in terms of sport, we have just proceeded with quality recruitment and the significant strengthening of professional staff and the training centre but aware of the need to be competitive in decisive matches, I decided to take it one step further.
“I am therefore pleased to announce the signing of an exceptional player at the RCT: Cheslin Kolbe, World, European and French champion, starting in the 2021/2022 season.
“The arrival of Cheslin Kolbe is written in golden letters in the history of the RCT. All together, WE ARE TOULON.”
Additional source: @RugbyPass
