Former Harlequins and London Scottish unfastened ahead Viliami Taulani will seemingly be part of the French Professional leagues subsequent season, with RC Narbonnais and US Carcassonne competing for his signature.
The 6’3, 118kg Tongan worldwide has been with out a membership since leaving Counties Manukau in 2024, and the potential transfer marks his first alternative to play in France.
The 28-year-old took a six-month break from rugby however is now able to return, with a Nationale/Professional D2 transfer on the playing cards.
Raised in New Zealand, Viliami Taulani performed for Auckland’s Manurewa Faculty earlier than becoming a member of Counties Manukau in 2016.
5 years later, he made a breakthrough when Clayton McMillan’s Waikato Chiefs chosen him, handing him a debut in opposition to the Blues in Could 2021. Sturdy performances at a provincial degree earned him his first call-up for the Tongan nationwide crew, and he was capped in opposition to the All Blacks in July 2021.
Nonetheless, his Southern Hemisphere profession was lower quick as Taulani obtained a proposal from Harlequins, becoming a member of the Premiership aspect in August of that 12 months. In his two-year spell with the London-based membership, the flanker featured in 16 video games earlier than being subsequently loaned to London Scottish. He then finally departed England to rejoin Counties Manukau in August 2023.
Taulani returned to the Take a look at match scene in 2024, efficiently scoring one attempt in Tonga’s 14-36 loss to Italy, though he didn’t function in Tonga’s November tour of Europe.
The flanker is seen as a precedence by each golf equipment, who purpose to strengthen their squads forward of a possible promotion into the Professional D2, with Tongan worldwide Siua Halanukonuka regarded as enjoying a key function in convincing his compatriot to hitch Carcassonne.
Narbonne and Carcassonne at the moment sit second and fourth, respectively within the Nationale and have a great probability of securing promotion again to the Professional D2.
Taulani is predicted to decide quickly, however clearly, France appears to be his subsequent vacation spot.
