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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 (@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.
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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.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cugj5a7rcbU
Comments on RugbyPass
Huge engine this guy and great to see him back ..The amount of clean outs he does at the ruck are ridiculous !!
3 Go to commentsThe level of desperation in this article is just embarrassing.
215 Go to commentsSome silly trolling in the comments.
8 Go to commentsEverywhere you turn some irish journo is advocating Ireland as the greatest, reasoning that the wc is a 4 year cycle event so, they say wc doesn’t matter it’s the rugby in between that should account for the accolade. If there was no wc then some substance could be gained, however in my opinion the moment that defined Ireland’s fate against the abs was 37 phases of repeated head bashing against a brick wall. If a change in strategy or a tinker with the game plan was executed then things could've been vastly different. And to point a finger the let down was in the hands of the number 10.
36 Go to commentsI have heard it asked if RA is essentially one of the part owners and I suppose therefor should be on the other side of these two parties. If they purchased the rebels and guaranteed them, and are responsible enough they incur Rebels penalties, where is this line drawn? Seems rough to have to pay a penalty for something were your involvement sees you on the side of the conned party, the creditors. If the Rebels directors themselves have given the club their money, 6mil worth right, why aren’t they also listed as sitting with RA and the Tax office? And the legal threat was either way, new Rebels or defunct, I can’t see how RA assume the threat was less likely enough to warrant comment about it in this article. Surely RA ignore that and only worry about whether they can defend it or not, which they have reported as being comfortable with. So in effect wouldn’t it be more accurate to say there is no further legal threat (or worry) in denying the deal. Unless the directors have reneged on that. > Returns of a Japanese team or even Argentinean side, the Jaguares, were said to be on the cards, as were the ideas of standing up brand new teams in Hawaii or even Los Angeles – crazy ideas that seemingly forgot the time zone issues often cited as a turn-off for viewers when the competition contained teams from South Africa. Those timezones are great for SR and are what will probably be needed to unlock its future (cant see it remaining without _atleast _help from Aus), day games here are night games on the West Coast of america, were potential viewers triple, win win. With one of the best and easiest ways to unlock that being to play games or a host a team there. Less good the further across Aus you get though. Jaguares wouldn’t be the same Jaguares, but I still would think it’s better having them than keeping the Rebels. The other options aren’t really realistic 25’ options, no. From reading this authors last article I think if the new board can get the investment they seem to be confident in, you keeping them simply for the amount of money they’ll be investing in the game. Then ditch them later if they’re not good enough without such a high budget. Use them to get Jaguares reintergration stronger, with more key players on board, and have success drive success.
11 Go to commentsYeah, and ours is waaay bigger than yours. Just as you's get a semi…oh hold on that never happens
36 Go to commentsLove watching
1 Go to commentsThe Melbourne Rebels lineout is a complete disaster so not surprisingly a kiwi coach of the Wallabies hires the worst lineout coach in the country and a foreigner to boot. No surprises whatsoever here…….
3 Go to commentsThank your for wasting 2 minutes of my life Daniel. There is a useful message in there somewhere but your delivery sucks.
7 Go to commentsBen Smith, you are cry baby
215 Go to commentsSux that homophobia is still a thing though. I wonder how many players who could have become legends never kept playing rugby because they felt unwelcome.
7 Go to commentsCrazy he’s only 28, feel like he’s been around forever - don’t mind the move, safe pair of hands and creates depth in a thin position for ABs. Hopefully aides Kemara’s growth also without thrusting too much responsibility on him
1 Go to commentsMen should show strength and be mean, but they should be able to show emotion to those close yo them in certain times, birth of your child, death of family, proud moment. This article is stupid
7 Go to commentsWhat a weak article…absolute drivel and clickbait, well done. Will stick to rugby365 thanks
7 Go to commentsHonest, discipline, humility… Priceless.
2 Go to commentsSo many excuses. No mention of the SA number 2 being taken out illegally in the 2nd minute. That act of foul play had a massive impact on the SA game. Face it, NZ play pretty dirty very regularly, and it’s only since 2016 they’ve been held to higher officiating standards via stricter officiating and TMO reviews. They deserved to have a man down. Sorry. Fix the yellow and red cards and NZ will win more RWCs. Plus, there WAS a knock on invalidating the one try, so it was NOT a try. Period. Here’s a Kleenex…
215 Go to commentsOverheard conversation between NZ and SA rugby fans everywhere: We’re the greatest! No! we’re the greatest! We’re the greatest! No we’re the greatest! Ireland are arrogant! True but they beat you! We’re the greatest! No! we’re the greatest! Etc. etc, etc.
36 Go to commentsTypical crap Aussie weather
11 Go to comments“If they’d have beaten England, I still feel we would have been talking ‘is this the best team ever,’ ‘is this the best team that’s ever played in the Six Nations'” he said. “I still think they’re not quite that good. I actually don’t think they’re that good.” So Trimble is saying he doesn’t think this is the best 6N team of all time. He is silent on if it is the best Irish team of all time. Can’t disagree with him. Just another misrepresentative clickbait headline from the guys at RP.
36 Go to commentsWow, do we really still have to listen to all the excuses and “unfairness” of it all. Even blaming the bounce of an egg shaped ball for the loss. But the article is about context, so what about the Springboks having to play the other 5 teams in the top 6 and still beating a comparatively rested AB team on a very empty tank.
215 Go to comments