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.

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.

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.”

pic.twitter.com/rjjPdMjjHN

— Mourad Boudjellal (@mouradhfc) 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.

“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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cugj5a7rcbU