Rugby World Cup winner Julian Savea is heading back to New Zealand after parting ways with French side Toulon.
Savea joined Toulon from the Hurricanes in 2018, but failed to make the desired impact at the French club.
Savea announced his ‘bittersweet’ departure on Instagram with reports in France indiciating he’s turned down offers from both the Premiership and Top14 to head home.
“Thank you to those who have supported me over the past two season here at RCT. I will forever be thankful for this experience and my time in Toulon,” he said.
“Very bittersweet moment not getting to end the season the way I wanted to, but also very excited for this next journey ahead of me. I want to thank all my brothers that I’ve played with over the past two seasons, you guys are very special to me and I’ve made some life long friendships I will cherish forever.
“I want to thank @rctofficiel, the coaching staff and the management for always being good to us. It’s been a long journey and not a pretty one either but the highs definitely outweigh the lows,” he added.
Leicester Tigers are one of the biggest clubs in the world and it is hard for any rugby player to reject a chance to play in a historic club like Tigers.
However, there have been some truly world class rugby stars s who have rejected the opportunity to ply their trade at Welford Road.
1. Damian McKenzie
The All Blacks star was reportedly in ‘advanced talks’ with Tigers over a proposed move in 2017 according to The Rugby Paper. When asked about the transfer, the 22-year-old avoided the question, which only fuelled speculation, but the deal was never complete with McKenzie eventually signing a new deal to stay in New Zealand.