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The Vincent Tshituka twist in Siya Kolisi's Parisian escape

Hollywoodbet Sharks' Vincent Tshituka with the trophy during the EPCR Challenge Cup Final match between Gloucester Rugby and Hollywoodbets Sharks at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 24, 2024 in London, England.(Photo by Rob Newell - CameraSport via Getty Images)

Siya Kolisi’s imminent return to the Sharks is set to encourage a host of French clubs to pursue a move for Vincent Tshituka, who is in the final year of his contract with the franchise.

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RugbyPass sources in France tell us that Toulon, La Rochelle, Pau, Montpellier and Toulouse all had the uncapped Congolese-born open-side flanker on their shopping list for next summer.

But they could offer him an immediate escape route using Kolisi’s imminent return as a wedge to praise open the departure gates despite his happiness to see out his contract in Durban.

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Philip Snyman on how BlitzBoks restore pride in the SVNS jersey

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Philip Snyman on how BlitzBoks restore pride in the SVNS jersey

Tshituka, 25, who played alongside younger brother Emmanuel at the Lions before his move to the Sharks in May 2022, can also play at No 8 and lock, making him even more attractive to French suitors.

The signing of Kolisi, as well as a heavy summer spending programme that has seen them bring in Springboks Jordan Hendrikse, Andre Esterhuizen, Jason Jenkins and Trevor Nyakane, has been costly for Sharks owner Marco Masott.

Ironically, Emmanuel, who can play anywhere across the back row, was also signed at the end of last season, adding to their squad’s embarrassment of riches.

And allowing Tshituka to leave for the French immediately instead of at the end of the season would at least allow them to recoup some money albeit a small fraction of what they have splashed out to avoid a repeat of last season’s disaster.

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A member of the side that beat Gloucester in the Challenge Cup final in May, Tshituka, has made 31 appearances for the Sharks and is likely to have won international honours but for South African government red tape.

Even though the family arrived in Johannesburg in 2002, they would need to be granted citizenship to launch a bid for a place in Rassie Erasmus’ squad.

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N
NB 49 minutes ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Nice bit if revisioniusm but that's all it is JW.


For your further education, I found the following breakdown of one prominent club's finances in the Top 14 [Clermont].


For Clermont (budget of €29.5 million for 2021-2022) :

- 20% from ticket sales

- 17% from the LNR (includes TV Rights, compensation from producing french internationals and other minor stuff)

- 5% from public collectivities (so you're looking at funds from the city of Clermont, the department of Puy-De-Dôme and the region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes)

- 4% from merchandising and events

- 3% from miscellaneous

- 51 % from sponsorships and partnerships. They've got 550 different partners. The main ones are CGI, Groupama, Limagrain/Jacquet, Omerin, Paprec, Renault and of course Michelin (not surprising since they're actually the founders of the club).


As you can see nothing comes from the FFR at all. The LNR is a separate entitiy to FFR and their aims frequently do not accord.


It is also why the European breakaway plotted by LNR and PR back in 2013 had nothing to do with the governing bodies of either England or France - and it most certainly did not have their blessing https://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/story/_/id/15331030/jean-pierre-lux-anglo-french-cup-detrimental-european-rugby


And from the horse's mouth [ex AB skipper Sean Fitapatrick] about the comp between Top 14 and Super Rugby:


"The Top 14 in France is probably the best rugby competition in the world at the moment, purely for the week-in, week-out.”


“I think the quality of players. They are bigger, they are faster, they are stronger. Which then carries on into the international game.”

Take it from someone who knows JW😅

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