POC to sign for Toulon

partyguinness

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/pro12/paul-o-connell-to-sign-two-year-deal-with-toulon-1.2229754?mode=sample&auth-failed=1&pw-origin=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fsport%2Frugby%2Fpro12%2Fpaul-o-connell-to-sign-two-year-deal-with-toulon-1.2229754


Fair play to him if it's true and the very best to luck. It will be a great experience for him and his family. He deserves a change of scenery and the end of an era in Munster (I am a Munster fan).

May even extend his Irish career to the next Lions tour...;)

Thank you Paulie.

ps Title should say POC not PIC but cant change it.

runswithascript

They are at least related :pac:

redmca2

Who is PIC ????

runswithascript

redmca2 wrote: »

Who is PIC ????

That is, I think, Paul O'Connell playing Azog the White Orc in the movie the Hobbit

On a more serious note, I wish Paul the very best of luck at Toulon.

.ak

Thoroughly deserves a big load of cash to end his career with. Hope they give him his weight in gold.

runswithascript

.ak wrote: »

Thoroughly deserves a big load of cash to end his career with. Hope they give him his weight in gold.

That is a lot of gold.

Tefral

An end of an era for Munster fans. Im assuming he will retire from International rugby after the world cup, so an end of an era there too.

He fully deserves it. If rumors are true its €1.2m for two years. Fair play to him.

Im off to Belfast tomorrow to watch the final and it will be a privilege to see him play for Munster one last time.

I think he looks closer to hell boy myself

thomond2006

Makes perfect sense for POC and Toulon. POC gets probably another medal or two and a big salary and Toulon replace the experience lost with Botha and Williams retiring.

Akrasia

Thanks Paul
Please go easy on us in next years champions cup final

"putain agression maniaque"

partyguinness

Akrasia wrote: »

Thanks Paul
Please go easy on us in next years champions cup final

Good to see Wasp supporters amongst us...:D

galwaylad14

Huge money and he deserves every penny of it.

Just a quick one though, is that tax exemption still in place about players getting some percentage of their tax back if they finish their career in Ireland?

So isn't he giving up on a lot of that "free" money by not just staying with Munster as I'm sure he's on fairly big money there as it is? Or is it the case that the money tied up in this deal is so much as to make that rebate virtually irrelevant?

Also would ye expect him to continue playing for Ireland?

Buer

Tax exemption not affected any longer. I would say he'll call it quits for Ireland.

thomond2006

The deal would definitely on condition that POC retires from Ireland post-RWC. There's no way Toulon are going to pay €1.2m to a 35 year old (36 in October) who could get injured with Ireland.

Plus, as we've seen with Sexton, being with Ireland means you're away from home and family for at least two months?

MarinersBlues

Should be fine for the tax front.
Pick whatever 10 years he wants once he returns from France

Section 12 of the Finance Act, 2002 introduced Section 480A into the
Taxes Consolidation Act, 1997 to provide relief on retirement for
certain income of sportspersons specified in Schedule 23A of the
Taxes Consolidation Act, 1997. The relief, given by way of repayment
of tax, takes the form of a deduction from earnings and can be claimed
for any 10 years of assessment chosen by the taxpayer from the period
comprising the year of retirement and the preceding 14 years of
assessment.

partyguinness

galwaylad14 wrote: »

Huge money and he deserves every penny of it.

Just a quick one though, is that tax exemption still in place about players getting some percentage of their tax back if they finish their career in Ireland?

So isn't he giving up on a lot of that "free" money by not just staying with Munster as I'm sure he's on fairly big money there as it is? Or is it the case that the money tied up in this deal is so much as to make that rebate virtually irrelevant?

Also would ye expect him to continue playing for Ireland?

In terms of playing for Ireland- I imagine that the 'understanding' is that he retires from international. Just my thoughts. For that money, they can't have him disappearing off for 10 weeks for six nations with the risk of serious injury. When POC gets injured he does it good and proper.

stephen_n

Worst kept secret in rugby. Great to see him get a big pay day, thoroughly deserved, great addition for Toulon and a huge loss for Munster/Ireland.

P_1

Well earned payday and a chance to add le Brennus to his glittering trophy cabinet. Now lest hope his last game in red has him lifting a silver trophy and his last one in green a gold one.

GavMan

Very favorable tax exemptions in France I believe too so he should get to keep a lot of that wedge over there too

partyguinness

I know everyone keeps going on about the money but it also a great experience personally and professionally.

Larbre34

Hope the body holds up, health more important that wealth after this. Good luck to him

thomond2006

Larbre34 wrote: »

Hope the body holds up, health more important that wealth after this. Good luck to him

I don't think they will overwork him. They will have four other senior locks (Suta, Taofifenua, Mikautadze, Lassalle) while Manoa and Gorgodze can also play there.

Buer

partyguinness wrote: »

I know everyone keeps going on about the money but it also a great experience personally and professionally.

Precisely. Who wouldn't want a couple of years in Provence? As demanding as the standard is in Toulon, it won't be any higher than POC is used to asking of himself as well as the fact that he's very unlikely to play as much as he does now.

Botha and Williams have only started 14 and 15 games respectively for Toulon this season. POC is at 22 already this season.

More pay, less work in the sunshine of southern France....I believe this is what we call a no brainer.

Buer

thomond2006 wrote: »

I don't think they will overwork him. They will have four other senior locks while Manoa and Gorgodze can also play there.

Don't expect that thinking to filter into the minds of those who will always bang that drum regarding the T14.

total former

GavMan wrote: »

Very favorable tax exemptions in France I believe too so he should get to keep a lot of that wedge over there too

I don't think so; IIRC Francois Hollande made a big deal out of taxing the bejeesus out of soccer players before the last election, I doubt rugby players have it any easier.

thomond2006

Buer wrote: »

Don't expect that thinking to filter into the minds of those who will always bang that drum regarding the T14.

Sorry, you're right. POC is going to be flogged like Sexton. He won't last three months in France.

irishbucsfan

Well looks like Toulon just became a lot of people's favourite French rugby team for next season...

blinding

Playing in a different environment and different coaching could be very beneficial if Paul ever considers going into coaching .

I hope he has a great couple of years and a great fining with Ireland.

Sangre

total former wrote: »

I don't think so; IIRC Francois Hollande made a big deal out of taxing the bejeesus out of soccer players before the last election, I doubt rugby players have it any easier.

I think that is only because they earn over €1M a year and there is a 75% tax rate or something. Hollande wasn't willing to give soccer players them a special exemption. Open to correction though.

adrian522

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Well looks like Toulon just became a lot of people's favourite French rugby team for next season...

Really? I wouldn't have thought so. Not mine anyway. The ability the buy up the best players is not how I base who I like in sports teams.

GavMan

total former wrote: »

I don't think so; IIRC Francois Hollande made a big deal out of taxing the bejeesus out of soccer players before the last election, I doubt rugby players have it any easier.

I don't have time to look it up but I had a conversation with a member of Leinster Professional Rugby Committee and his take on it was that combined with our rules changing on retirement and a favorable French system, Sexton would get to keep a good chunk of his salary from France and that France was going to be a real option for guys at the end portion of their career.

total former

Sangre wrote: »

I think that is only because they earn over €1M a year and there is a 75% tax rate or something. Hollande wasn't willing to give soccer players them a special exemption. Open to correction though.

Yeah that's correct, so what I mean is that I don't think there is any special tax exemption for sportspeople there.

That said, their taxes are probably still lower than Ireland...

thomond2006

I thought that 75% tax rate wasn't brought in in the end?

Podge_irl

thomond2006 wrote: »

I thought that 75% tax rate wasn't brought in in the end?

It was, on anything over 1M. It was a complete disaster and was dropped.

thomond2006

Chiocci, Guirado, Ma'afu, POC, Taofifenua, Lobbe, Armitage, Manoa
STB, Cooper, Habana, Giteau, Nonu, Mitchell, Halfpenny

Not bad. :pac:

artvandelay48

adrian522 wrote: »

Really? I wouldn't have thought so. Not mine anyway. The ability the buy up the best players is not how I base who I like in sports teams.

Oh come on. People (especially Thornz) are being too harsh on Toulon. Yes, they have galacticos but they seem to have one of the best sets of fans in rugby. I'd love to be a player walking through the guard of honour on the way to the game each week. Plus they adore the players, bought or not.

If you want to hate on someone, save your ire for Saracens; second-rate "galacticos", financial cheaters, and chant stealers.

Podge_irl

I don't "hate" Toulon, but they leave me rather cold.

freedominacup

If any man has earned a deal like this it's Paulie. Best of luck to him. I hope he makes out like a bandit. International retirement has to be part of the deal.

ronanc1000

Delighted for Paul. To be part of such a high calibre of players I believe he would have regretted if he had not signed. He himself is top class and should mix with the best and Toulon will most likely go on and win another European Cup or two!

Sun, Sand and more Silverware for the Big man.

razorblunt

Best of luck to him and well deserved, not a bad way to roll out your days, Shaw, Botha and Williams all had good experiences.

I'll have to take an active interest in Toulon now, you didn't think about that Paulie did you?

lbj666

I think its more than just the money, sunshine and more medals that appeals to him.

The whole player welfare thing has treated him really well and the biggest reason why he is still playing and can go for another 2 years. But part of him must have been going insane because there was so much minding himself for ireland and bigger munster matchs and the half arsed nature of some of the stretchs of the pro12 season.

He will be rested every other week in toulon but its the only place where he can experience a proper a proper week to week clubs season ,where every game is important, competitive, full house, proper atmosphere, none of the lulls you get as a contracted international.

awec

Swapping the sunny skies and glorious beaches of Limerick for the doom and gloom of the south of France. Don't know what he's thinking tbh.

adrian522

artvandelay48 wrote: »

Oh come on. People (especially Thornz) are being too harsh on Toulon. Yes, they have galacticos but they seem to have one of the best sets of fans in rugby. I'd love to be a player walking through the guard of honour on the way to the game each week. Plus they adore the players, bought or not.

If you want to hate on someone, save your ire for Saracens; second-rate "galacticos", financial cheaters, and chant stealers.

I think they've bought the last 3 European cups and will probably keep on winning them for the foreseeable future.

I don't hate them particularly, it is the way of modern sport.

But they are long , long way from being a favorite team of mine just because they signed Paul O'Connell.

efb

May it build him a suitable nest egg for his retirement.

Great servant to Munster and Irish Rugby

Rigor Mortis

Wish he wasnt going to a team that i really dislike, but glad he gets the opportunity to cash in. He has been an inspiration.

Mahatma Geansai

This makes me sad.

partyguinness

Money grabbing selfish turn coat bastard turning his back on Ireland and Munster.

How dare he do this after everything Irish rugby has done for him..:mad:

Surprised this comment has not surfaced so I just put it out there...:D

connemara man

A great servant to Munster, Ireland, and the game in general I wish him all the luck in the world over there.

Flanman91

POC leaving Munster. Truly the end of an era "an era I've grown up in and don't know rugby without him". When I think of Munster I think of POC. It will be a very sad day for Munster and all of Ireland when he plays his last game for one of our province's and I hope he gets the send off he has earned. Hope you make a killing in France and finish off injury free ready to take over the reigns of Irish rugby somtime down the track.

buck65

What a gentleman and a great player. Delighted for him, great to see him off last week. Sad to think of all the Munster greats I have witnessed departing in the past 3 years or so. Will we ever see their like again?

Flipper22

adrian522 wrote: »

Really? I wouldn't have thought so. Not mine anyway. The ability the buy up the best players is not how I base who I like in sports teams.

He's right, as an Ireland fan I won't be able help but support Toulon if POC is playing. Except when playing an Irish team obviously.