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Toulon's new NRL beast on why he chose the club and what position he wants to play
Fijian Top 14 star Levani Botia should not be surprised if a face from the past pops up to say hello at the weekend.
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La Rochelle’s centre-cum-flanker has made a storming start to the season, and could be in action when last season’s surprise Top 14 package travel to Toulon’s Stade Mayol – where former Fiji sevens team-mate Semi Radradra hopes to make a mark of his own.
And Radradra told reporters that he would be pleased to rekindle an old rugby friendship at the earliest opportunity.
The cross-coder was unveiled on Thursday at a press conference at Toulon’s Berg training ground. He revealed that the three-time European champions were the only union side in the north that he was prepared to cross hemispheres for.
He told the assembled journalists: “I wanted to play at this club because I heard it is the best club in Europe and I wanted to be part of this universe.
Photo: L'impressionnant Fidjien Semi Radradra a été présenté ! – https://t.co/hLz030p4tP pic.twitter.com/UkelFplAZy
— blog-rct.com (@Blog_RCT) September 28, 2017
“I know it has had a good record over recent years and heard the famous Jonny Wilkinson was here. I love being at this club. It’s the best in Europe and I’m fortunate to be part of it.”
The former Parramatta Eels’ winger has signed a contract to the end of the season, with an option for another year. But he insisted his first job is to break into the team rather than worry about what may happen when June 2018 rolls around.
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Commenting on reports in the Australian press that he has already decided to stay on for the second year of his contract, the 25-year-old said: “That’s what happens back home, in the media. I signed my contract last November and I’m happy. I want to be part of this team. It will be up to the club if they want me to stay on.
“I’m looking forward to focusing on this year. We’ll look again after that.”
He insisted that, despite just finishing a long NRL season, he was good to go in the Top 14: “The [NRL] season finishes this week, but we finished a while ago and my body feels alright. I started in November last year and finished just over a week ago. My body’s feeling really good.”
— Mourad Boudjellal (@mouradrct) September 27, 2017
There is speculation Toulon want to move the league winger to the midfield, where he would play alongside the likes of Ma’a Nonu, Mathieu Bastareaud and another club new boy, Malakai Fekitoa.
Radradra has no problem with that idea: “I grew up playing centre, at 13. I always played there as a kid – and played for Fiji in the Under-20 World Cup at centre. I prefer to play there.
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“Anyone would be fortunate to play alongside those players. It will be an honour to play alongside them.”
Even as a star in the NRL, Radradra said that his heart was in the fifteen-player game: “I grew up playing rugby union and wanting to play union. As soon as I signed the contract in November I was happy. I wanted to go back to union because I see myself as a union player. I was very excited.
“I know it’s not going to be easy. I’ve been watching the Top 14 back home. It’s pretty tough, – the competition’s very high and there’s a star player in every team. It will be a tough league to play in.
“When I started playing rugby league in Australia, I always told myself I always wanted to be the one on the field who was dominant, I wanted to be the best. It’s not going to be easy. It will take a lot of work and training.
“There are heaps of Fijian boys playing here in France and being successful – I’m just excited for the new journey and will try to play better every week.”
So, Botia better beware… The next time the two players meet, things might not be quite so friendly.
Comments on RugbyPass
The RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
1 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
2 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
2 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
2 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
21 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
21 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
4 Go to comments00 😍 U
1 Go to comments