Mathieu Bastareaud swaps France for US

Colin Newboult

Mathieu Bastareaud during RBS Six Nations Rugby Championship, Italia v Francia at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, on march 16, 2019 (Photo by Silvia Loré/Sipa USA)

France and Toulon centre Mathieu Bastareaud will play in Major League Rugby in 2020 after signing a one-year deal with Rugby United New York.

Bastareaud is set to play for Les Bleus in the upcoming 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. In the past, Bastareaud has captained the French side three times and has earned 54 caps for the national team, including playing in the 2015 World Cup which was hosted in England.

“I’ve decided to join New York after the World Cup,” Bastareaud told Canal+. “I wanted a change. It’s the best compromise for me in terms of my family life and life experience.”

Bastareaud has become a cult icon for the southern French outfit. He has played 206 times for Toulon and captained the side for the last five years, becoming known as a powerful runner, breakdown machine and defensive anchor for the side.

General manager James English said: “We’re very pleased to officially announce the signing of Bastareaud for the 2020 season, he’s a world class player. Details are being finalised but we are very excited to have him on loan from Toulon. He’s gonna bring a lot of experience and will be a big presence on and off the field for RUNY. This also gives us a great opportunity to further connect with our French fan base here in NYC.”