Scotland scrumhalf Ben White to stay in France

Scotland scrum-half Ben White has secured his future with Toulon by signing an extension that keeps him in the red and black until 2026.

The 25-year-old talent switched to Toulon from now-defunct Gallagher Premiership outfit London Irish last year. White is clearly enjoying life in the south of France. Arriving fresh from his World Cup duties with Scotland he wasted little time in committing his immediate future to the club.

"I extended for two seasons at Toulon because I feel really good here," said White on Toulon's website. "The coaches are great, the players and supporters are incredible. I think there is something to do here. When I signed I didn't just want to come and play for a year and leave. I wanted to get involved, discover the culture, the language and develop as a player. For me it was the right place for that. The most important thing is to help the team to win.

"I want to be in a club that has big ambitions and Toulon is the right place to win trophies and be at the best level. For me, it's a great challenge to take on. The way the group welcomed me m made me want to extend. I haven't been here for long but I like getting to know the people here and creating links with them. I'm going to give everything for this club over the next two years. They trusted me and I want to give back to them,” concluded White.

In international terms, White rapidly became a key player for Gregor Townsend's Scotland since making his debut in 2022 and has now surpassed seasoned players Ali Price and George Horne for the number nine jersey for Scotland.

White left Leicester Tigers at the end of the 2020/21 season, before putting pen to paper on a deal with the Exiles. White had made history at Tigers, when he became the youngest player in Leicester's Premiership history when he came off the bench against Harlequins in September 2016, aged just 17 years and 151 days.

He made 71 appearances in all competitions for the Welford Road club.