Steenkamp signs for Toulouse

Toulouse - European champions Toulouse on Wednesday announced the signing of four southern hemisphere players to bolster their line-up for next season.

Luke McAlister, Luke Burgess and Gurthro Steenkamp have signed three-year deals with the Top 14 leaders starting from next season, with Timoci Matanavou penning a two-year contract.

The four will join France flyhalf Lionel Beauxis, who has also agreed a three-year deal, and Nicolas Bezy, Jean-Marc Doussain and Russlan Boukerou, who have signed their first professional contracts at their formative club.

Scrumhalf Burgess, 27, will become the first Australian in over 60 years to play for Toulouse where he replaces New Zealander Byron Kelleher.

New Zealand utility back McAlister, 27, has 30 caps for the All Blacks and played in the 2007 World Cup. He returned to the Blues after a two-year spell with English side Sale between 2007 and 2009.

Prop Steenkamp, 30, voted South African player of the year in 2010, will also be heading to the southwest of France.

Fijian Matanavou, 26, is currently the top kicker in the French second division, where he has scored 16 tries in 25 games for Stade Montois, his club of the past three seasons.

Beauxis, 26, has played for Stade Francais since the 2006-2007 season, lining up in 120 Top 14 games. He has also won 15 caps for France, including the last World Cup.