Kyle Sinckler to leave Bristol Bears for Toulon at end of season - 'Four years has flown by'

Bristol Bears have confirmed England international Kyle Sinckler has agreed to join French Top 14 side Toulon from next season.

The 30-year-old will bring his four-year stay with the club to an end at the conclusion of the current Gallagher Premiership Rugby campaign.

The move will also effectively end his hopes of adding to his 68 England caps. Under current RFU rules, players based overseas are not eligible for international selection.

Sinckler last featured for England at last year’s Rugby World Cup but was overlooked by head coach Steve Borthwick for the Six Nations.

Since joining from Harlequins in 2020, the front-rower has made 55 appearances for Bristol and helped the club claim a maiden European title.

“I just want to personally thank the Bristol community, [owners] the Lansdown family, [chairman] Chris Booy, Pat Lam and all the support staff for my time at Bristol,” Sinckler told the Bristol Bears website. “Four years has flown by.

“As we all know, I have had some difficult times and it probably took me longer to adjust than I would have liked, but I’m eternally grateful for the continued support the club and the fans have always shown me.

“I’m honoured to have played for a club that has such a close bond with the community. We have experienced some huge success - winning the Challenge Cup, finishing top of the Premiership, and reaching the Play-Off semi-finals two years consecutively.

“My focus remains on finishing the season strong with Bristol. We have five huge games left of the regular season in which I’m fully committed to delivering my best performances for the club.”

After a tricky start to the season, Bristol have won five of their last six Premiership fixtures, putting more than 50 points past Bath and leaders Northampton Saints during that run.

The Bears sit sixth in the table, just five points behind Exeter Chiefs in fourth with five games remaining in the race for the Play-Offs.

“Kyle has been a big part of our Bears journey on and off the field, during his four seasons here,” director of rugby Lam said. “He has dealt with his fair share of setbacks along the way, and I believe he is playing his best rugby which is a testament to his resilience and determination.

“Like everyone’s journey, there will always be a time it comes to an end and I know Kyle is desperate to finish his time at The Bears on a high and continue his impressive form until the end of the season.”

Toulon, who are fifth in the Top 14 with seven rounds of fixtures left to complete, are also reportedly close to signing England and Northampton flanker Lewis Ludlam.

- - -

TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.