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French ProD2 outfit confirm signing of Wales great George North

George North of Wales looks on during the Rugby World Cup France 2023 Quarter Final match between Wales and Argentina at Stade Velodrome on October 14, 2023 in Marseille, France. (Photo by Paul Harding/Getty Images)

Provence Rugby have ended weeks of speculation by confirming the signing of Wales great George North ahead of next season.

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The winger turned centre will make the move from the Ospreys to team up with the ProD2 outfit in France on a two-year deal.

With his new club currently sit in second place in France’s second division, so it is still unclear as to what league the 121-cap Wales international will be playing in next year.

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    Provence shared a video message by North after the signing was announced, where he signed off with his French. He said: “I just want to send a quick message to say how excited myself and my family are about joining Provence Rugby next season. I look forward to coming down and meeting and starting an amazing journey together. A bientot a Maurice-David. Allez les noirs”.

    Provence CEO Denis Philipon said: “We met in George North a boy of incredible class, who immediately showed interest in the club’s project. His motivation is enormous. We are obviously very happy that he is joining us and we hope that he will thrill our supporters. His presence should allow us to take a very important step in our progress.

    “George is a great rugby player but also a great man. We hope that through his talent, his professionalism, his knowledge of the very high level and his popularity, he will contribute to positioning Provence Rugby as one of the major players in French rugby of tomorrow.”

    As the 31-year-old has more than 25 Wales caps, he will remain eligibile to represent his country next season despite playing abroad.

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    Comments on RugbyPass

    I
    Icefarrow 28 minutes ago
    Hurricanes suffer playmaker blow, experiment with loose trio for Tahs

    Who cares? Va’ai is only 1.97, yet he is the best lock at lineouts. Doens’t matter how tall they are so long as they win the ball, and do their job.

    9 Go to comments
    B
    Bina Heller 1 hour ago
    Mixed Wales update on availability of Josh Adams, Gareth Anscombe

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    4 Go to comments
    C
    CV 1 hour ago
    'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

    You can’t suddenly have a national club game in NZ. Still, our model in NZ is too expensive to run. 26 provincial unions, a Maori union a school union and probably a university union too, all held up by NZR if they make a loss, who would be in dire straits without the Silver Lake money themselves NZR contracts and pays our SR players… And one team has to bring most of the cash in by playing 13 or 14 tests a season. We can’t keep going like that.

    French club money hasn’t done much for their test sides because their clubs never cared much for the national team. They got foreign players in all the time (at the expense of home grown players) until they were forced by the FFR to select 15 home grown players for the matchday 23 in 2017. Only then they started to invest in academies. France have been in every U20 WC final since 2019 and only lost one. And the FFR and clubs actually started to work together, which resulted in France sending development sides on their July tours for years now. It’s only just started. French rugby is a beast and it’s awake now.

    Clubs in Europe are there for themselves, in every sport. Not for the national team. That’s the union’s or federation’s job. EPL clubs don’t care much about the FA either. Most only field 2 or 3 Englsh players every game.

    87 Go to comments
    C
    CV 2 hours ago
    'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

    I think we’ll find out in a few months. France will be competitive. Clubs don’t run players into the ground like they used and rest them more. Last weekend, Toulouse rested their test players against Bordeaux. No Ntamack, Mauvaka, Kinghorn, Capuozzo…. Bordeaux played LBB and Penaud, but took them off once they had a good lead.

    87 Go to comments
    C
    CV 2 hours ago
    'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

    A strong comp has the best players in it and they’re from everywhere. That doesn’t mean you win a WC… Based on your logic, England or Spain should win every FIFA WC and the US every basketball WC. They don’t. In latest FIFA WC final, only two players that came on the park, played in their domestic league (two Frenchmen), the others didn’t.

    5 out of 10 RWCs were won by teams with most of their players in SR, I would even argue 4 out of 10. For the first three SR did not exist, England won one, and of the last two SA won, they had their best players based outside SR with their 2019 win and weren’t even in SR for the last one.

    87 Go to comments
    J
    J Marc 2 hours ago
    'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

    Hum, maybe after answering every day to the same questions, players say what the journo wish to hear….

    87 Go to comments
    R
    Rodrigo N 3 hours ago
    Santiago Mare: 'We are the team that everybody wants to beat'

    Vamos Toto, vamos Pumas!!!!

    1 Go to comments
    G
    GP 4 hours ago
    Ioane Moananu didn't join the Crusaders 'to wait around'

    I will. I have heard a few people mention him.

    5 Go to comments
    A
    Andrew Nichols 5 hours ago
    Aaron Smith and ‘three or four other All Blacks’ keen to play for AUNZ XV

    Folau..Genia..Quade C and now Smith…any more pensioners want to front up?

    1 Go to comments
    H
    Head high tackle 6 hours ago
    'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

    Oh please!!!! Really????? So with 5mil people how do you expect NZR to suddenly have a club game that makes money? NZR does the best with its reality. And quite frankly its better than every other team in history.

    Look at all the French club resourses, English club money, Irish club money… Whats it done for their Test sides? Sweet FA. Money doesnt buy wins unless its heading into Wayne Barnes offshore bank account.

    87 Go to comments
    H
    Head high tackle 6 hours ago
    'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

    No doubt we will find out when we have a world club championship. I wonder if it will ever be held in NZ?

    So all those superior comps in the NH and they cant win world cups? What can you possibably base your strength of comp on? I base it on results and so far almost every world cup has been won by SR players

    87 Go to comments
    H
    Head high tackle 6 hours ago
    'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

    Geez mate if losing means you “didnt bother to look” at the opposition then Ireland didnt “Look” at the opposition in any world cup every. Nor France, Wales, Scotland,etc. At least England can say they “Looked” at the opposition at 1 WC I suppose.

    87 Go to comments
    H
    Head high tackle 7 hours ago
    'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

    Our 10s were all injured in that 2007 match. Who was going to take the drop goal? You seem obsessed with 2007. I prefer 1987 and 2011 when we beat France in the final to win world cups. Where was the french drop goal in 2011? Was that arrogance? Did they believe they could outscore NZ? was that arrogance or ignorance? You can bag out NZ all you want over 2007 but we can throw the exact same thing back at France over 2011 where they couldnt win. NZ beat them twice in that tournament.

    87 Go to comments
    H
    Head high tackle 7 hours ago
    'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

    There was no disrespect because they beat us. Youre making that up. There was a real determination to beat you at the WC. We respected Ireland rugby so much we had a specific plan to beat you at the 1/4 final. As soon as the draw was announced I was very keen to see us play you in that match. Your team showed nothing but disrespect with crass comments, arrogant post SA loss comments and critique of some of our best players. You earned our retaliation. That will forever be on you. Now that match was won by 4 points from memory but it was the best 4 point win Ive ever experienced. There is nothing better than beating the class clown/Bully, and particularly at a major game like a WC 1/4 final.

    No doubt you have special memories of Ireland wins and no doubt some of those will be wins against NZ, well this is, so far, my best memory against Ireland and even eclipsed the game where we scored after the siren and your boys charged the conversion way before it was taken. The miss would have meant your first win v NZ but Cruden slotted the second conversion to win the game.

    87 Go to comments
    H
    Head high tackle 7 hours ago
    'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

    Yep. Ireland got cocky and then got outcoached. Real pretty to watch after the arrogance they showed and after the BS they put out. Calling Cane a “Sh&T Richie” doesnt get more disrespectful and then YES they claimed they would see SA in the final. Etzebet was forced to retract and back away from his statement publicly. Never privately tho.

    Leaving Sexton on when he could hardly walk was funny. Coach didnt back his team. Just a couple of stars. Fell at the same hurdle as every other world cup. Now they are past their window and that makes me laugh because of the way their players and fans acted post winning in NZ.

    87 Go to comments
    R
    Rugby 101 - Ed Pye 7 hours ago
    Kyren Taumoefolau All Blacks stance splits opinions on eligibility

    Fair points JW - I just think the commercial value of a draft trumps all of the potential issues. Rugby is very slow when it comes to marketing and that is hurting it financially.

    33 Go to comments
    J
    JW 7 hours ago
    Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

    Lawrence had to be growing old on him. He’s like Rieko or Jordie, seems like he has all the potential to play well at that level.

    117 Go to comments
    H
    Head high tackle 7 hours ago
    'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

    Yes true but it wont be those players playing a semi or a final at the WC so what they learn is redundant I suppose. I just think their are many ways to prepare for test rugby and then there are differences in preparing for a 6 week world cup campaign. Most nations do this prep by touring together. France avoids their top guys touring together for any longer than a night away in England or Ireland etc.

    Yep we have a small pool in NZ so need to develop our players. I note Aus is sending more B teams away these days too.

    87 Go to comments
    J
    JW 7 hours ago
    Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

    Huh? Ali is nothing like a pom, where’d that come from? Just half the story?

    117 Go to comments
    H
    Head high tackle 7 hours ago
    'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

    Losing 3 finals eh. Only team to do that? Thats because by the time they get to the finals they are argueing with themselves or their coaches. They dont know how to tour together because they DONT tour together. The protected get protected until they get to semi finals or finals then lose it. Ill never forget 2011 when they were even talking about locking the coach out of the dressing room. Perhaps they may have won if they wernt constantly in-fighting.

    Constantly made play against the wind? Maybe the “Wind” is of their own making!

    87 Go to comments
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