Perpignan close to signing Wales' Charteris

http://www.rugbyweek.com/news/article.asp?id=33069

Welsh international lock Luke Charteris looks set to join struggling French rugby giants Perpignan on a three year contract and be reunited with fellow Welsh international James Hook, a source close to the club revealed on Monday.

The 28-year-old Newport star - who impressed at the World Cup playing in all seven of their matches as they went out to France in the semi-finals - is the second recent recruit by the 2009 French champions after Tongan prop Sona Taumalolo joined.

Perpignan are in freefall having lost their last seven Top 14 matches after winning four of their first five, the most recent a 19-12 humbling by newly-promoted Lyon on Sunday.

The defeat left Perpignan - whose form has not improved since sacking coach Jacques Delmas a fortnight ago - third from bottom only three points above the relegation places and Lyon have a game in hand.

Will be gutted if this happens and (other than financially) think it will be a bad move for him.

Having been on the fringes of the Welsh squad for a few seasons he has now established himself as one of out 1st choice 2nd rowers so by moving outside Wales he would risk losing that due to avavilability issues.

I agree I think this would be the end of his Wales career, it's looking likely Hook has lost his Wales career now Perpignan have gone on record saying Hook will not be released for Wales pre 6 Nations training camp, if Hook isn;t going then neither is Charteris.

Would still be a bit of a surprise if they sign him this season considering reports are he's out for four months

If Charts goes then he doesn't deserve in, like all others who officially choose money over country. Strange considering his previous indications of wanting to stay, just as the Dragons wanted to keep him. So why couldn't it work? The world is becoming increasingly complicated it would seem

strangely, the same french newspaper was saying Charteris 3 years deal was done and dusted.

later on they were mentionning that USAP is targeting another Dragon player ie Aled Brew.

I wonder if his recent comments on the beeb are true, are regions really preferring to import foreigners than keep their welsh players?

Close to 30 and can double his money. Been at the region from the start. He owes the Dragons nothing and i can't blame him for taking the deal.

rhino:

I agree with you he has been at the Dragons from the start and won nothing at regional level. I am not sure he is going to the best club as he is joining the Dragons of France (if he goes) but if the money is there he may not care.

I suspect there will be more following but i have my doubts Brew will go as the Dragons base their play around him, when he went back to the Ospreys after the the loan period he went backwards and looked poor.

Dragons confirmed he's leavign at the end of the season.

Take note Roger Lewis.

Very gutted for the Dragons, they're losing a true talisman among their ranks. Shame that the vultures were in for him as soon as he made his first big splash for Wales and that Charts couldn't resist their pull.

The most important thing now is whether he lives up to his claim that he'll "insist" on the necessary Wales releases. I've had it with the French clubs bullying things into their ideal shape!

Maybe Charteris wants HC rugby...wait a minute.....

Why would he leave a team who have stuck with him through thick and thin? Perpignan does seem like an odd destination selection as they are hardly setting the world alight!

It's not good for Dragons though as they leave one of their star players and a potential draw for fans and sponsors alike.

Do the French clubs not have foreign player caps ?

Al these imports must have a knock on effect on the national game ?

beshocked wrote:

Why would he leave a team who have stuck with him through thick and thin? Perpignan does seem like an odd destination selection as they are hardly setting the world alight!
.

Charteris :

"Newport or the Pyrenees?"

"Newport or the Pyrenees?"

"Newport or the Pyrenees?"

"Newport or the Pyrenees?"


Aaaaaah, it's such a tough decision.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RC_Toulonnais

Munkian I know what you mean. Going from Toulon they have 24 foreign players!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_Perpignan

Perpignan have 12.

Racing Metro have 18.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racing_M%C3%A9tro_92


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stade_Fran%C3%A7ais

Stade Francais have 22.

munkian wrote:Do the French clubs not have foreign player caps ?

Al these imports must have a knock on effect on the national game ?

No because they're morally corrupt, being taken down the same route as football by big-spending board tycoons. But then the players are also to blame, as in football, for not being able to muster the gut to just say no. I don't recall Charts ever wanting away prior to now but now that a couple of places outside Wales have acknowledged his existence he just can't refuse. Says it all.

Strangely the French national side doesn't seem to be suffering at all, considering they've won a GS and been to a World Cup final, albeit very luckily, in the last two seasons.

beshocked wrote:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RC_Toulonnais

Munkian I know what you mean. Going from Toulon they have 24 foreign players!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_Perpignan

Perpignan have 12.

Racing Metro have 18.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racing_M%C3%A9tro_92


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stade_Fran%C3%A7ais

Stade Francais have 22.

That's mental ! How its not affecting their National game is amazing. Maybe playing with top class foreign imports ups their game ?

Knowsit17 wrote:

No because they're morally corrupt, being taken down the same route as football by big-spending board tycoons. .

I assume if a billionaire took over your club and had the clout to buy a Heineken Cup winning squad you would be dead against it?

Chunky Norwich wrote:

Knowsit17 wrote:

No because they're morally corrupt, being taken down the same route as football by big-spending board tycoons. .

I assume if a billionaire took over your club and had the clout to buy a Heineken Cup winning squad you would be dead against it?

I wouldn't support a team of foreigners, no. I'd might as well just 'support' whatever team was winning. If an investor pumped money into ground and training facilities and secured contracts for our best players I'd be chuffed however.

If I ran a club I wouldn't try to buy trophies, I can tell you that in all conviction. I'd exploit and focus on drawing the bulk of the squad from the academy and lower levels. Come to think of it France could find itself in a miserable position some years in the future as a result of it's academy structure being severely neglected in favour of the mercs. I hope that's what happens just to drive the point home.

I can't say how I'd react if billionaires began investing in the regions but needless to say if it happened and I went along with it I'd be no better.

I can't really accuse the French clubs of being naughty when my own club Saracens has I think 17 foreign players (Non EQ).

Munkian I think it depends if they are top class or not. It's the problem when sides bring in average foreigners.

Foreigners who add value to a league in my opinion are fine. International class or simply players who light up a league are what we want. It's the average foreigners who are the problem.

Talk about double standards.

I wonder how the French players feel when their clubs are investing in average joes from other countries.

What a Muppet

Obviously Hersh is wumming but in a strange way he makes a good but obvious point. Players aren't obviously necessarily going to gel/fit in or perform well at their new clubs.

There are so many factors like environment,motivation, team mates,coaches, etc. Charteris could be excellent for Dragons but average for Perpignan.

Will Charteris necessarily been a success at Perpignan? He should have stayed with Dragons in my opinion. He would have the adoration of the Welsh population, would have more Welsh caps and probably been able to enhance is reputation more.

In Perpignan how will he be able to enhance his reputation?

In Perpignan how will he be able to enhance his reputation?

By buying silk shirts and designer sunglasses with all the fat wads of Euros he'll be getting.

Surely 17 is an exaggerated number beshocked?! Sorry, I find it hard to determine what's sarcasm and what isn't on a forum.

I had my doubts on the Saffacens but at least most of their foreign players they discovered themselves and didn't buy them just because another club did the job for them. With Smit being the obvious exception, players like Brits, Joubert, Wyles, Burger etc were brought in not because they were certain hits but because Sarries judged them to be good players. Contrast this to Toulon who seem to be clogged up by stars who established themselves elsewhere. It's a disgusting attitude imho.

I feel Charteris couldn't have gone back on his previous statement (about wanting to stay) with any less subtlety. What will have changed? The money, that's what. That's his main motivation. Before the Perpignan offer he had never shown any intention of moving, he's been turned around entirely by a fatter paycheck.

I think his rant on foreign players in Wales forcing the Welsh ones out is just an excuse to be honest, what foreign player has ever challenged him for his place? While I'm glad he wants to continue being available for Wales, more so than Hook and Phillips evidently, and still rate him as a player, I've now lost plenty of respect for him as a person.

Knowsit17 No it isn't sarcasm. See for yourself. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saracens_F.C.

We do have a large squad though. Yes very true. We have developed those players you mention. One thing I would say is a lot of the players that Saracens recruit aren't just there for the money. Of course it's a factor but there's always a point to prove. E.g. a lot of fringe England players.

Guys like Joubert,Brits and Burger are good for the game of rugby in my opinion.

Also by the way Smit wasn't first choice pick. Saracens wanted Huia Edmonds initially. That deal broke down because Edmonds wanted to take part in the RWC.

It wouldn't surprise me if the likes of Brits,Burger and Joubert are lured overseas. I hope not but with the money the French clubs throw out....

Bringing in ageing foreigners is not good. Best to get them in their prime.

That's the thing wrong with Toulon. I know all about bringing in ageing stars looking for the paycheque.


Ideally you want all clubs to have a structure like Quins,Leinster,Munster etc but it takes time.

beshocked wrote:Obviously Hersh is wumming (No I'm Not) but in a strange way he makes a good but obvious point (I always do)