France flyhalf Frederic Michalak has signed a one-year contract to play for the Natal Sharks in South Africa after this year’s World Cup, Sud Radio reported on Friday.
The 24-year-old Toulouse playmaker will make an official announcement on his transfer at a press conference in Paris later on Friday.
Michalak is generally regarded as France coach Bernard Laporte’s first choice in the number 10 shirt but has been out of action since undergoing a knee operation in November.
He is not expected to return to action until mid-March at the earliest and will miss the entire Six Nations campaign.
Sud Radio said that Michalak, who has played 42 times for France, would join his new side after the World Cup if he is selected in the squad by Laporte and during July if he is not.
Toulouse manager Guy Noves said he was ”saddened to lose a player of such class” as Michalak.
”We were aware of his plans, so there’s no surprise. We would obviously have preferred to keep him.
”We know that our players are the target of big clubs and a star like him [Michalak] has no shortage of offers,” said Noves, citing the cases of former players like Thomas Castaignede, who left for English outfit Saracens, and Christian Califano, who joined Auckland Blues before heading for Saracens. — AFP
