IT's absolutely staggering to see the amounts of money involved in Cheslin Kolbe's transfer from European champions Toulouse to Toulon. It's mind blowing, and also brilliant news for rugby that these sums of money are batted around in the sport. I couldn't be happier for Cheslin or any other player to command that sort of contract.
It's not so much the personal contract for Cheslin – believed to be around £1m per season – what's incredible about this deal is the amount of money Toulon are prepared to pay to buy him out of the remaining two years of his Toulouse contract – reportedly around £1.5m.
Kolbe, 27, is now level with world rugby's top earners – Bristol Bears wing Charles Piutau and South Africa fly-half Handre Pollard at Montpellier, with Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth (Toulon) just behind on £900k a year followed by Saracens pair Maro Itoje (£850k) and Owen Farrell (£750k).
In a business sense, where is the return on Toulon's initial outlay given the way they play compared to Toulouse? Toulouse are the best team in France and Europe – arguably the best club side in the world – and play incredible rugby.
Unless Toulon are planning on building a side exactly the same as Toulouse they will not get the best out of someone like Cheslin.
South Africa don't get the best out of him because of their strategy and the way they play.
However Toulouse were getting everything they possibly could out of him – and the other way round. Toulouse loved having Cheslin as a player and they saw his potential four years ago when he arrived from the Stormers yet to break into the South Africa side, having starred for their U20s and Sevens teams.
His partnership with Toulouse has been harmonious – Cheslin has been integral to them, and them to him.
So his decision to move is something we can only comment on if you've been in that situation yourself and I know I haven't, it's difficult to know what the emotions can be when weighing up a move like this. As a player you have to make the most of the opportunity you're given and it's a balance between the financials, the team, and lifestyle you and your family want.
But there's no doubt the Euro goes a long way in South Africa if and when Cheslin and his family move back there. Financially it's a wonderful move.
As a player we saw glimpses of Kolbe during the 2019 World Cup and during the Lions tour, and we will see glimpses during the Rugby Championship, it's just a shame he doesn't get more of the ball in a Bok jersey. His show reel would be out of this world.
His skillset is one of the best out there and seems to wrong-foot defenders at will. His step off either foot is quick as a snap –a click of the fingers and Cheslin has stepped and gone. His acceleration is exceptional, his top speed is decent and maintainable and he's one of the most elusive players today and probably that we've seen on the international scene. That makes him an incredibly valuable player.
He's under 5ft 8in but that doesn't stop him being a good defensive player – he'll always grab hold of an attacker, he's brave and has decent technique and gets stuck in. He has to be because not many players survive at the highest level if they can't defend – they can score as many tries as they like but if they aren't solid defensively they won't integrate too well into a new team. Cheslin has, does and will do wherever he plays. His move is brilliant news and I'm pleased for him and rugby in general.
When you look at his pathway from South Africa Sevens to the Stormers, then Toulouse and South Africa to become a World Cup winner and Lions series winner – did Sevens help him? The answer is undoubtedly yes.
The skillset of a Sevens player is generally greater than a XV aside player. The importance of and passing in Sevens is more acute and needs to be precise as it's a shorter game, with more space, and a mistake or lost opportunity has a bigger impact than in XVs.
I'm slightly surprised there isn't more crossover between Sevens and XVs in this country due to those high skillsets they have.
Ruaridh McConnochie is one of the most high profile players in recent seasons to switch from England Sevens to XVs when he joined Bath in 2018 and got himself into the World Cup squad the following year. Since then we've not seen too much of him due to injuries. I thought he would be a very simple answer to England's full-back issues but he didn't get that opportunity.
His skillset got him into the first-team at Bath very quickly and there's no reason why more of the backs cannot switch to XVs quite comfortably. However, early on in their careers, if there is a choice to be made it's a relatively simple one. If a player has the opportunity to play for a top side in the country as opposed to getting a Sevens contract and go round the world, I think all of them would take a XVs contract. It would have to be an extremely confident teenager to reject a Premiership offer in preference of a few years on the Sevens circuit first.
I wouldn't say Sevens is a natural pathway for players, it's just not big enough. Kolbe may have used the world circuit to show his skills but it was Toulouse who helped him become one of the best players in the world.
JEREMY GUSCOTT
