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Mourad Boudjellal has bankrolled Toulon’s rise from France’s lower leagues to triple European Cup champions
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Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal remains keen for the three-time European champions to join the Aviva Premiership.
Boudjellal has had an ongoing and often bitter battle with organisers of the Top 14 – France’s premier domestic competition – about matters such as the 10million euro (£7.7million) salary cap, and most recently, new rules that were introduced last summer regarding player bonus payments.
Toulon’s expensively-assembled squad is packed with world stars like Bryan Habana, Matt Giteau, Leigh Halfpenny, Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe and Duane Vermeulen.
“Toulon in the Premiership?” said Boudjellal.
“Why not? The English championship will overtake the French championship, so globalisation would be fun!
“The English and French should work together so the clubs’ problems are taken into consideration by the federations.
“World Rugby shouldn’t be able to decide when the federations take my players and organise their international games with my players.”
The Premiership currently comprises 12 clubs, with a salary cap of £5.1million per club, plus two excluded players whose salaries sit outside the cap.
That base level figure rises to £6.5m next season, then £7m for 2017-18.
