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Franck Azema to leave Toulon - report
By Ian Cameron
Franck Azéma is set to depart Toulon at the end of the current season, although the news has yet to be officially confirmed.
Rugbyrama report that the former Clermont coach revealed his departure to the RCT players during an exceptional meeting held on Thursday morning. This means that Azéma's partnership with RCT head coach, Mignoni, will only have lasted for a single season.
The news of Azéma's departure comes about a year and a half after he joined the Toulon. It is expected that an official announcement will be made shortly.
During the announcement to the Toulon players, Azéma revealed that he will be leaving La Rade for "family reasons". He will be moving to Perpignan where he will be taking over from Patrick Arlettaz as head coach. Arlettaz's departure has been confirmed since February of this year.
Azéma - a some time rugby league player - was part of the coaching staff that led USAP to win the Bouclier de Brennus in 2009. He will now be looking to bring his expertise to the Catalan team and help once again to bring similar success.
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Latest Comments
> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
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