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Toulon statement: The immediate effect signing of Jack Singleton

(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

French title chasers Toulon have snapped up the services of Jack Singleton, the England and Gloucester hooker, for the remainder of the 2023/24 campaign.

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Despite signing a contract extension with Gloucester last May, the three-cap hooker hasn’t been able to force his way back into George Skivington’s selection plans following last year’s serious leg injury that required surgery.

Singleton made his first appearance of the season off the bench last month in Gloucester’s home Gallagher Premiership hammering by Saracens and he then started the following week’s loss at Sale. However, he hasn’t made the cut since then and Skivington has now agreed to loan the hooker to Toulon for the rest of the current season.

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A statement read: “Rugby Club Toulonnais are delighted to announce the signing of Jack Singleton as a medical joker, strengthening its ranks at hooker for the remainder of the season. The arrival of the England international makes up for the various absences.

“Jack has forged his reputation through his performances across the Channel, including Worcester, Saracens and Gloucester, leading him to the XV of the Rose. Thus, the England international brings with him his international experience, but also his rugby and athletic qualities. Known for his power and agility, the English hooker shows versatility in different game situations.

“Jack could make his first appearance as early as Saturday at the Stade Mayol for the round nine Top 14 match against Section Paloise.”

Toulon sporting director Laurent Emmanuelli said: “Jack has a very good playing technique, in scrum, lineout and as a tackler. His precision and composure are undeniable assets in this position. Beyond his intrinsic qualities, he can easily demonstrate leadership on the field.”

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A Gloucester statement added: “Jack Singleton will head to the Mediterranean coast with immediate effect, returning to the Cherry and Whites ahead of the 2024/25 season.

“The 27-year-old hooker makes his way to France following a difficult year for him, having suffered a significant leg injury playing against Northampton Saints last season. He has spent the best part of 12 months diligently rehabbing with the Gloucester medical team.

“Jack has worked incredibly hard to return to full fitness following a nasty injury last season,” said Gloucester boss Skivington. “When this opening came up, we felt that it would be a good opportunity for Jack to get some regular rugby under his belt to help him get back to the levels we saw from him before his injury.

“With the injuries we had last season at hooker, we obviously brought in George McGuigan to support Santi Socino, and then we had Seb Blake impressively step up from the academy, so we feel that hooker remains a strong position for us. We wish Jack all the best in Toulon and we are looking forward to having him back with us in the summer.”

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J
JW 3 hours ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Ok, managed to read the full article..

... New Zealand’s has only 14 and the professional season is all over within four months. In France, club governance is the responsibility of an independent organisation [the Ligue Nationale de Rugby or LNR] which is entirely separate from the host union [the Fédération Française de Rugby or FFR]. Down south New Zealand Rugby runs the provincial and the national game.

That is the National Provincial Championship, a competition of 14 representative union based teams run through the SH international window and only semi professional (paid only during it's running). It is run by NZR and goes for two and a half months.


Super Rugby is a competition involving 12 fully professional teams, of which 5 are of New Zealand eligibility, and another joint administered team of Pacific Island eligibility, with NZR involvement. It was a 18 week competition this year, so involved (randomly chosen I believe) extra return fixtures (2 or 3 home and away derbys), and is run by Super Rugby Pacific's own independent Board (or organisation). The teams may or may not be independently run and owned (note, this does not necessarily mean what you think of as 'privately owned').


LNR was setup by FFR and the French Government to administer the professional game in France. In New Zealand, the Players Association and Super Rugby franchises agreed last month to not setup their own governance structure for professional rugby and re-aligned themselves with New Zealand Rugby. They had been proposing to do something like the English model, I'm not sure how closely that would have been aligned to the French system but it did not sound like it would have French union executive representation on it like the LNR does.

In the shaky isles the professional pyramid tapers to a point with the almighty All Blacks. In France the feeling for country is no more important than the sense of fierce local identity spawned at myriad clubs concentrated in the southwest. Progress is achieved by a nonchalant shrug and the wide sweep of nuanced negotiation, rather than driven from the top by a single intense focus.

Yes, it is pretty much a 'representative' selection system at every level, but these union's are having to fight for their existence against the regime that is NZR, and are currently going through their own battle, just as France has recently as I understand it. A single focus, ala the French game, might not be the best outcome for rugby as a whole.


For pure theatre, it is a wonderful article so far. I prefer 'Ntamack New Zealand 2022' though.

The young Crusader still struggles to solve the puzzle posed by the shorter, more compact tight-heads at this level but he had no problem at all with Colombe.

It was interesting to listen to Manny during an interview on Maul or Nothing, he citied that after a bit of banter with the All Black's he no longer wanted one of their jersey's after the game. One of those talks was an eye to eye chat with Tamaiti Williams, there appear to be nothing between the lock and prop, just a lot of give and take. I thought TW angled in and caused Taylor to pop a few times, and that NZ were lucky to be rewarded.

f you have a forward of 6ft 8ins and 145kg, and he is not at all disturbed by a dysfunctional set-piece, you are in business.

He talked about the clarity of the leadership that helped alleviate any need for anxiety at the predicaments unfolding before him. The same cannot be said for New Zealand when they had 5 minutes left to retrieve a match winning penalty, I don't believe. Did the team in black have much of a plan at any point in the game? I don't really call an autonomous 10 vehicle they had as innovative. I think Razor needs to go back to the dealer and get a new game driver on that one.

Vaa’i is no match for his power on the ground. Even in reverse, Meafou is like a tractor motoring backwards in low gear, trampling all in its path.

Vaa'i actually stops him in his tracks. He gets what could have been a dubious 'tackle' on him?

A high-level offence will often try to identify and exploit big forwards who can be slower to reload, and therefore vulnerable to two quick plays run at them consecutively.

Yes he was just standing on his haunches wasn't he? He mentioned that in the interview, saying that not only did you just get up and back into the line to find the opposition was already set and running at you they also hit harder than anything he'd experienced in the Top 14. He was referring to New Zealands ultra-physical, burst-based Super style of course, which he was more than a bit surprised about. I don't blame him for being caught out.


He still sent the obstruction back to the repair yard though!

What wouldn’t the New Zealand rugby public give to see the likes of Mauvaka and Meafou up front..

Common now Nick, don't go there! Meafou showed his Toulouse shirt and promptly got his citizenship, New Zealand can't have him, surely?!?


As I have said before with these subjects, really enjoy your enthusiasm for their contribution on the field and I'd love to see more of their shapes running out for Vern Cotter and the like styled teams.

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