French clubs Toulouse and Toulon fined over Cheslin Kolbe transfer

French clubs Toulouse and Toulon have been fined by the by the French national league (LNR) for a lack of financial transparency regarding the transfer of World Cup winning Springbok star Cheslin Kolbe.

Toulouse has received a fine of €50,000, while Toulon faces a fine of €70,000 for their "failure to comply with the general obligation of transparency and cooperation" concerning the salary cap, according to the LNR.

The fine is connected to the transfer of the 30-year-old player from Toulouse in 2021, where he achieved success by winning the European title and the Top 14 championship twice during his four-season tenure, to Toulon.

Toulon, in response, stated that they maintain the right to appeal the imposed fine.

Following the World Cup, Kolbe departed Toulon and joined the Japanese team Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath, where South Africa successfully defended their title. Kolbe played a pivotal role in the Springboks' journey to securing the Webb-Ellis trophy.