French international centre Mathieu Bastareaud extended his club contract with Top 14 giants Toulon for a further five seasons, the club said on Thursday.
Bastareaud joined Toulon in 2011, and has played 119 games for them so far whilst winning the European Cup three times. The 27-year-old will now be pulling on the red and black Toulon colours through to 2021.
His contract is also the longest ever accorded to a player at Toulon under the reign of current club owner and bankroller Mourad Boudjellal.
“I love this player, he’s part of our history, he’s in our DNA and I just couldn’t let him play for someone else,” Boudjellal explained on Thursday.
“Other clubs were after him but he made the decision to stay at Toulon because he feels right here.”
Toulon manager and former France coach Bernard Laporte may be leaving his job at the end of the season but was equally delighted at the news.
“It’s good for the club and I’m happy for Mathieu too, it means he’ll end his career here. He’s a very nice guy,” Laporte said.