France international Thomas Ramos' shock transfer confirmed by Toulouse

France full-back Thomas Ramos has agreed to a shock move, swapping Toulouse for Racing 92 when his contract runs out at the end of the season, his current employers have confirmed.

The 52-cap international will move to the French capital after the World Cup in Australia next year, but remaisn committed to Les Rouges et Noir until then.

“Thomas Ramos is one of the faces of Stade Toulousain. Beyond his immense talent, he is an exceptional competitor and a player whose high standards elevate the entire team,” said club president, Didier Lacroix.

“Seeing a player of his calibre leave is never insignificant, but it’s part of the life of a club and of elite sport.

“Until his departure, only one thing matters: achieving success together this 2026-2027 season.

“We know we can count on Thomas’s total commitment to continue writing the history of Stade Toulousain. ”

Ramos has been a mainstay of Toulouse’s four consecutive Top 14 title wins, scoring two tries in the 2024 final against Bordeaux, but his future now lies elsewhere.

The 31-year-old, who also plays fly-half, has made exactly 200 appearances for Toulouse, where he has spent the whole of his career except for a season at Colomiers in the Pro D2 when he was younger.

He admitted it was a tough decision to make, after so many successful years as a Toulouse player.

“This decision was particularly difficult to make. Stade Toulousain is my club, the one where I grew up, flourished, and experienced moments I will never forget,” he said.

“I have chosen to take on a new sporting challenge, with the desire to discover a new environment and continue my development.

“Even though our paths will diverge at the end of this season, the respect, gratitude, and attachment I have for Stade Toulousain will remain unchanged.

“Today, all my energy is focused on this final season in this jersey. I will give everything to help the club achieve its goals. ”

It is a move that will send shockwaves around French rugby, but one that had been on the cards after Toulouse allowed him to enter the final year of his contract without reaching an agreement on a new deal.

Ramos had been able to speak to rival clubs about a new deal since 1 July, and had been attracting interest from La Rochelle, but Racing were quickest off the mark and immediately lined him up for a move to Hauts-de-Seine.

RugbyPass understands that Toulouse, who were recently fined €2.88m (£2.47m) for salary cap breaches and breaches of the general obligation of transparency and cooperation, needed to let at least one of their big earners leave the club.

Ramos was understood to be keen to stay, but new regulations and the closing of some loopholes left their hands tied, and the only player safe from the axe was former England star Jack Willis.

This has allowed Racing to step in and pull off a coup that will be difficult to beat at any stage of the 2026-2027 transfer market, but could be surpassed if Henry Pollock leaves Northampton Saints.