All Black great Ma'a Nonu leaves Toulon for new role at South African club

All Black great Ma’a Nonu will join South African club Hollywood Bet Sharks after finishing his second stint with Top 14 club Toulon.

The 44-year-old will join the club as a ‘player mentor’ but it is uncertain whether that involves continuing his career on the field or retiring from playing

South African media have floated the idea of Nonu taking the field should Springbok midfielder Andre Esterhuizen be called up by the Boks.

“Ma’a Nonu will spend the next few months in Durban as part of a high-performance mentorship programme designed to accelerate the development of the club’s next generation of players by exposing them to one of the most successful leaders in world rugby,” the Sharks said.

It is believed Nonu’s relationship with Sharks head coach and former Springbok JP Pietersen is the catalyst for the move.

Nonu will work with contracted Boks like Eben Etzebeth and prop Ox Nche at the Sharks.

“The Sharks are one of the world’s most iconic rugby clubs and Durban has always been a special place for me to travel to,” Nonu said.

“This is a great opportunity to give back to the game. Working alongside the future stars of our sport is exciting, and I’m looking forward to doing everything I can to help the club during my time there.”