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Ex-England lock David Ribbans named Toulon captain in role reversal

Toulon's South African lock David Ribbans reacts during to the French Top 14 rugby union match between Rugby Club Toulonnais (Toulon) and ASM Clermont Auvergne at Stade Mayol in Toulon, south-eastern France on June 2, 2024. (Photo by Nicolas TUCAT / AFP)

Former England second-row David Ribbans has been named Toulon captain for the upcoming season alongside former France skipper Charles Ollivon.

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The 28-year-old has not even spent a year at the Top 14 outfit yet having joined after the 2023 World Cup, but found himself captaining his new side not long after arriving at the Stade Mayol last season. He has now officially been given the role alongside Ollivon, who captained Les Bleus between 2020 and 2021.

Life on the Cote d’Azur has started swimmingly for the ten-cap England international, who was rewarded with a two-year contract extension in June that will run until 2028- effectively putting an end to his international career.

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      Ribbans will be reunited with two of his former England teammates Kyle Sinckler and Lewis Ludlam this season. Ribbans and Ludlam were also Northampton Saints teammates for six years before the lock’s exit.

      In a reversal of roles in France, Ludlam will now serve under Ribbans having previously been his captain at Franklin’s Gardens.

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      The English duo headline an extensive list of signings by the three-time European champions over the summer.

      Toulon have a tricky start to their Top 14 season with a trip to the Stade Marcel de Flandre on Sunday to face La Rochelle. The match will be a replay of last season’s semi-final qualifier, which Ronan O’Gara’s side won.

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      J
      JW 57 minutes ago
      'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

      Well a) poor French results doesn’t seem to effect the situation much. In fact one of the reasons given for this selection policy is that the French don’t tune in for foreign rugby content on the other side of the world, at a time when theyre not having their vino. So who would know the results? And b) this is the crux of the matter, they are legally abided to play them as part of WRs tier 1 reciprocal tours programme. The only real choice for the SH team is to treat it the same, which is fine when teams are happy to do that, but the AB’s have a totally anthesis policy/mentality so would never use the games in the same way.


      So alligned with b) the only real option is to complain to those in control. I suspect that’s why weve seen France reneging on the practice, and you can only be left to think that if they hadn’t reneged, WR would have done something more drastic about it. Which of course would mean not just telling them to bugger off when they want to tour, it’s no one playing them (from t1 at least) at all (assuming they have no interest in scheduling match’s outside the windows, like Ireland and NZ are doing).


      Then of course that means no involvement of France in the Nations Championship. Which means they are automatically the last ranked team in 6N to qualify, so the actual worst team in 6N gets to compete in it, making a mockery of the promotion and relegation WR wanted to happen between T1 and T2 for qualifying purposes. Yup, b) is just something nobody wants to happen. Well done FFR and LNR for making the tour work instead (how well is yet to be seen).

      112 Go to comments
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