Umaga deal '90 per cent done'

Tana Umaga

WELLINGTON - The contract with former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga to play for French second division side Toulon is "90 per cent done", the club's co-president Mourad Boudjellal says.

Boudjellal told leading French sports publication L'Equipe yesterday Umaga, 33, could complete the switch by the middle of this week as talks with Umaga's agent Rob Brady continue.

"We have been discussing with him, via his agent, by mail and telephone for a month," said Boudjellal, a major shareholder of Toulon.

"We made an offer, they raised the bid and we will keep on talking.

"Tana Umaga is 90 per cent a Toulon player. But the remaining 10 per cent is the most difficult to finalise."

According to L'Equipe, Umaga and Toulon have agreed a salary which could net the former All Black around 350,000 euros ($727,000) a month.

Boudjellal and Stephane Lelievre, who share the club's presidency, will put 750,000 euros ($1.56 million) of their own money into the club's budget, which should reach the 6.9m euros mark by the start of next season.

"I will not give any numbers but it will be one of the biggest transfers in the history of French rugby," Boudjellal said.

Under the deal, Umaga is expected to be able to play for Wellington in this year's national championship and for the Hurricanes in the 2007 Super 14.

Brady would not comment on the L'Equipe report.

- NZPA