Taniela Tupou nears mega-money move after Australia pull out of the race for his services
Wallabies and Waratahs prop Taniela Tupou with an inset of Racing 92 boss Patrice Collazo
Powerhouse Wallabies prop Taniela Tupou is close to sealing a move to France, according to a report.
The 29-year-old has endured a tough run of form of late but has still been backed to star for Australia against the British and Irish Lions after being selected in Joe Schmidt’s squad.
The tighthead prop weighed up a move abroad following the collapse of the Melbourne Rebels last year but ultimately decided to remain in Australia and see out the final year of his contract.
Tupou closes in on French switch
Tupou has since garnered attention from clubs abroad who were vying for his services and while Rugby Australia were initially keen on keeping the 58-Test cap front-rower on their books, a report by ROAR Sports states they have now pulled out of the race for his signature.
In a move described as a gamble by the publication, Rugby Australia have opted to allow the front-rower to depart Australian shores particularly because he was not offered anything near his $1.2 million per-season deal that he signed last year.
This is part of an attempt to allow the prop to gain experience abroad and shave that massive salary off their payroll with the hope that he returns to his best and is still selected for the Wallabies going forward.
According to the report, French Top 14 giants Racing 92 have moved in to snap up his services with the club armed with a heavy purse following Owen Farrell’s return to Saracens after just one season.
It is reported that the Parisian side received a sum in the region of 200,000 euros from Saracens to release the former England captain from the final year of his contract to facilitate his return to London.
This came after Racing 92 also received a far more significant sum from the Sharks when Siya Kolisi also returned to South Africa after his underwhelming one season at the club, which concluded after their president Jacky Lorenzetti publically slammed the Springboks captain for being ‘overweight and transparent’.
Racing boss Patrice Collazo will hope that Tupou bucks the trend of high-profile and mega-money signings who have failed to perform to their potential in the blue and white jersey.
ROAR Sports states that the deal between Tupou and Racing 92 is moving closer to completion, particularly after Rugby Australia’s decision to no longer compete for his services.
While Schmidt has reluctantly selected overseas-based players, the Wallabies head coach is no longer restricted from picking those based outside of Australia. He will also be stepping aside in mid-2026 with Queensland Reds boss Les Kiss taking over from there and leading the team through to their home Rugby World Cup in 2027.
READ MORE: Owen Farrell joins Siya Kolisi on six mega-money ‘flops’ list at Racing 92
