Toulouse fined nearly €3m over salary cap breaches, Healy confirmed for O'Gara's La Rochelle

ROG REUNION: Ben Healy will hook up with Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle next season. Pic: Tom O’Hanlon, Inpho

Days after lifting the Bouclier de Brennus for a record-equalling fourth time in a row, newly crowned Top 14 champions Toulouse have been fined a total €2.88million for multiple salary cap offences.

The now 25-time French champions were sanctioned for exceeding the Ligue National de Rugby’s (LNR) salary cap in the 21/22, 22/23 and 24/25 seasons and for “breaches of the obligation of transparency and cooperation” during the 21/22, 22/23, 23/24, and 24/25 seasons.

The sanction includes €1.83m for salary cap breaches, and €1m for breaches of transparency obligations, while a previously suspended €50,000 fine linked to the transfer of Cheslin Kolbe to Toulon was reactivated.

The fine – linked to image rights for flanker Anthony Jelonch – is the fifth levied on the club over player payment issues in the past three years.

Their legal jeopardy may not end there. Toulouse also paid a ‘contribution’ to the LNR of €1.3million linked to the transfer of former international fullback Melvyn Jaminet from Perpignan – but that case is now being investigated by public prosecutors in France, which may lead to further charges.

But the fine handed down by the Salary Cap Commission is lower than the LNR had sought. In submissions to the commission it had suggested a total of €4.8million.

In 2020, Montpellier paid €3million in a mediated settlement for repeated salary cap breaches over three seasons.

From next season, salary cap infringements of more than €500,000 will be punished with a deduction of up to 15 league points, L’Equipe reported. That would have been enough to see Toulouse’s league total of 86 cut to 71, the same as seventh-placed Clermont.

Elsewhere in the Top 14, Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle confirmed their new senior signings for the 2026/27 campaign, which includes the arrival of Scotland and former Munster fly-half Ben Healy on a two-season deal.

Healy heads to Stade Marcel Deflandre as part of an eight-strong cohort of new arrivals, including Samoan star Theo McFarland, who joins from Saracens, promising second row Thomas Adélaïde, from Toulon, ex-Stormers’ utility back David Kriel and lock Salmaan Moerat – who arrives on the Atlantic coast of France despite suffering a neck injury, centre George Moala from Clermont, Brive prop Nathan Fraissenon, and Houston Sabrecats’ backrow Sam Tuifua.

Meanwhile, veteran Mont-de-Marsan scrum-half Christophe Loustalot joins the squad on a short-term medical joker contract, and – as O’Gara had suggested after his side’s post-season play-off defeat at Stade Francais – hooker Tolu Latu has signed a contract extension to remain at the club for one more season.

And 20-year-old fullback Martin Betsen, son of former France international flanker Serge, is one of 20 academy players who will train with the senior squad. As is Sacha Elissalde, the latest generation of the family dynasty at the club. Father Jean-Baptiste, grandfather Jean-Pierre, great-grandfathers Arnaud and Laurent, and great-uncle Lucien all played for the club.