Toulon boss met secretly with Etzebeth in Paris

Cape Town - Eben Etzebeth’s deal with French club Toulon was finalised on the Springboks’ recent year-end tour to Europe.

It was confirmed on Thursday night that the burly lock had signed a two-year deal to join Toulon after next year’s Rugby World Cup in Japan.

Rumours of Etzebeth joining the Top 14 giants have been doing the rounds for some time, and according to French publication Rugby Rama, Toulon’s president Mourad Boudjellal met with Etzebeth in the week leading up to the Springboks' Test against France in Paris last month.

The report added that Boudjellal and Etzebeth met secretly in a room of the same hotel the Springboks had stayed in.

French publication Minute Sports Rugby also reported that the 26-year-old could earn in excess of €1 million (about R17 million) a year at Toulon.

Etzebeth’s contract with Western Province and the Stormers expires at the end of the 2019 season.

?? L’international sud-africain Eben Etzebeth s’est engagé avec le Rugby Club Toulonnais pour 2 saisons. https://t.co/VtF8WAYAmY

— RCT - RC Toulon (@RCTofficiel) December 13, 2018