Toulon (AFP)

XV captain Charles Ollivon will wear Toulon's jersey for five more seasons, and Sergio Parisse, the Italian international, for another year, the harbor club announced on Friday.

For the RCT, the biggest transfer for this 2020-2021 season is the announced extension of the third wing line of the French team, figurehead of a workforce of 33 players where "the most important is now to strengthen the "Toulon identity", explained Patrice Collazo, the head coach, at the club's press conference.

Sergio Parisse, the third line Italian international center, who arrived from the Stade Français for a season in the summer of 2019, signed him for an additional year. Enough to shine on the field and why not win a last cape in the jersey of the Italian team, he who will be 37 years old in September.

With a total of 12 starts and only three recruits, including the versatile New Zealand three-quarter of Clermont Isaia Toeava, the RCT did not make any noise on the transfer market, recognized Laurent Emmanuelli, the sporting director: "C 'is a recruitment which may not seem flashy but which we assume, "insisted the former Toulon pillar.

"But it is a workforce capable of enabling us to achieve our objectives," assured the new club president, Bernard Lemaître, "who has become very cautious (in terms of recruitment) after very, very big disappointments."

If he did not give names, this formula was aimed in particular at New Zealand winger Julian Savea, who arrived in summer 2018 and finally left this summer, a year before the end of his contract, without having repeated the performances achieved during his 54 games in the All Black jersey.

Returning to training at the end of May, the Toulon players will leave for training in August, before training directed against a local club of Fédérale 1, Hyères or Carqueiranne, said Patrice Collazo. Then, before the start of the season scheduled for September 4, it will be two friendly matches, August 21 and 27, against Provence Rugby (Pro D2) and the Stade Français.

© 2020 AFP