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Two years after leaving Toulon, All Blacks legend Ma’a Nonu will return to the Stade Mayol – the club have confirmed. The decorated All Black signs as a medical joker.
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A statement from Toulon reads: “In order to compensate for the injuries of Anthony Belleau and Julien Hériteau, the sports staff and President Bernard Lemaitre contacted the New Zealand center.
“After three seasons spent in Toulon between 2015 and 2018, the All-Black with 104 selections has signed up as an additional player, to bring all his experience to the Red & Black three-quarter line.
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“Ma’a Nonu will arrive in Toulon in the coming days and will participate in training from the past medical visit.
“The Rugby Club Toulonnais is delighted with the return to Toulon of Ma’a Nonu and hopes to share with him a very good 2020-2021 season.”
He originally joined Toulon after the 2015 World Cup. He played 77 times, and scored 14 tries, for the French club before returning to New Zealand at the end of the 2017/18 Top 14 season. He appeared in two Top 14 finals – in 2016 and 2017 – finishing on the losing side on each occasion.
Nonu had been linked with a return to the club last year, but it never materialized. Nonu is not playing any Mitre 10 Cup rugby this year and was somewhat of a surprising omission from Wellington’s team.
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Nonu is a veteran of 103 Tests and more than 300 professional games, winning World Cup titles in 2011 and 2015, five Tri-Nations or Rugby Championship titles and eight Bledisloe Cup series.
He played Super Rugby for the Hurricanes and Highlanders and spent three seasons with French club Toulon before joining the Blues last year. However he failed to win New Zealand selection for the 2019 World Cup in Japan.
The 38-year-old centre had played a successful season with the MLR side San Diego Legion, who will return to play in 2021.
