Confirmation that Australian international Matt Giteau has signed for Toulon is just the latest in a torrent of big-name stars heading to France in 2011.

Giteau's capture - confirmed by the player on his Twitter site - will see the 91-times capped Wallaby hook up with stars such as Jonny Wilkinson, Carl Hayman and Gavin Henson at what is fast becoming French rugby's answer to the Harlem Globetrotters.

The club is bankrolled by owner Mourad Boudjellal and he appears intent on turning them into Europe's premier club side.

They are already in this season's Heineken Cup quarter-finals - in their maiden appearance in the tournament - and they are also challenging for the Top 14 play-offs under the astute guidance of head coach Philippe Saint-André.

But ambitious Toulon are not alone in luring some of rugby's biggest attractions to Top 14 next season.

Welsh internationals James Hook and Lee Byrne have already signed with Perpignan and Clermont Auvergne respectively, while rumours abound that Mike Phillips and Shane Williams are set to join them.

Henson has already made the switch - to Toulon - while Alun Wyn-Jones became the latest Ospreys and Wales star to hint he would be crossing 'Le Channel' when he admitted to French interest in a weekend interview. Clermont and Stade Toulousain are reportedly tracking the highly-rated 25-year-old lock, who is out of contract at the end of the season.

And it now appears that Scottish international Max Evans has agreed a deal with Castres Olympique.

The 27-year-old met representatives of the Top 14 club after Scotland's recent Six Nations match with France in Paris, and Glasgow coach Sean Lineen has admitted that Evans will be playing in France next season.

Evans previously turned down a mega-bucks deal two seasons ago but it seems he is now prepared to move on, as confirmed by Lineen's comments in The Scotsman.

"Max has been another outstanding discovery for Glasgow and it is unfortunate that he is moving on. In saying that, Max has been a great servant to Glasgow and I wish him well for the future," said Lineen.

Glasgow chief executive Kenny Braille echoed Lineen's sentiments and also thanked Evans for his contribution to the club. 

If Evans does sign for Castres he will join fellow Scottish international Scott Murray at the Top 14 outfit - which is currently pushing to make the end-of-season play-offs and qualify for the 2011/12 Heineken Cup.

Top 14 League Table 2010/11

Giteau's capture by Toulon, meanwhile, is just the latest in a seemingly never-ending list of stellar arrivals at at the Cote d'Azur club, following the recent capture of Henson and French internationals Sébastien Tillous-Borde and Alexis Palisson.

The player himself confirmed the move on Twitter. "Signed for Toulon for 18 month deal after World Cup!", Giteau wrote. "Love the Brumbies and wanna make this yr as enjoyable as I can. Exciting times!", he added.

Giteau is due to captain ACT Brumbies on Saturday as they take on the Waikato Chiefs in the opening match of this season's Super Rugby. It will be his 90th Super Rugby appearance.

Giteau attended the same school in Canberra - St Edmund's College - as current Toulon scrum-half Matt Henjak and he can play at either fly-half or inside centre. He currently has 666 international points for Australia and comes from a sporting background as his father Ron Giteau was a rugby league player and his sister Kristy is a dual-code international for Australia.

Giteau's arrival is expected to be the first of several Australian signings in France, with Top 14 clubs keen to snap up the likes Rocky Elsom and his team-mates after the 2011 RWC.

Wyn-Jones, meanwhile, admitted to the possibility of a French move in an interview with Wales on Sunday.

"There has been interest from France, as there has been with other players," he confirmed. "In fairness to the Ospreys they approached me about a contract extension the week before the Magners League final last year, but that wasn't the best time to sit down and make decisions about the future. I put it off and I have been busy with the Ospreys captaincy and with Wales since then. I am in talks with the Ospreys but there has been interest from France," he added.

Elsewhere in France, Midi Olympique says Clermont's nine-times capped French international Benoit Baby, 27, has agreed a three-year deal to join Biarritz, who have also confirmed a contract extension for versatile back Marcelo Bosch. The Argentine has agreed a new two-year deal and becomes the sixth player to extend after the likes of Imanol Harinordoquy, Dimitri Yachvili, Iain Balshaw and Takudzwa Ngwenya.

SU Agen have also confirmed that 30-year-old Sylver Tian has joined them until the end of the season as a "medical joker". Tian arrives from financially-stricken Bourgoin as cover for the injured Agen winger Romain Edmond-Samuel. 

Bayonne have suffered a major injury blow following news that club captain Pepito Elhorga will miss the rest of the season after tearing a hamstring.

Full-back Elhorga picked up the injury during Bayonne's weekend win over Bourgoin, having only recently returned following a damaged shoulder.

Perpignan also had bad news on the injury front this week with lock Olivier Olibeau out for up to 10 weeks with a shoulder injury, while centre Jean-Philippe Grandclaude will be sidelined for six weeks with damaged knee ligaments. Both players picked up their injuries in the Catalans' 31-18 weekend win over SU Agen. 

SU Agen
Players Signed	Age	Position	Previous club	Nationality
Dewald Senekal *	30	Back row	Toulon	South African
Sylver Tian *	30	Full-back	Bourgoin	Ivory Coast
Hendro Scholtz *	31	Back row	Free State Cheetahs	South African
Out	Age	Position	Club	Nationality
-	-	-	-	-

 

Bayonne				Bayonne squad page
Players Signed	Age	Position	Previous club	Nationality
-	-	-	-	-
Out	Age	Position	Club	Nationality
Rémy Martin	31	Back row	Montpellier	French
Jean-Baptiste Peyras	26	Winger	Montpellier	French
Arnaud Heguy	26	Hooker	Biarritz	French

Biarritz Olympique				Biarritz squad page
Players Signed	Age	Position	Previous club	Nationality
Eusebio Guinazu *	29	Prop	Stormers	Argentine
Arnaud Heguy	26	Hooker	Bayonne	French
Benoit Baby	27	Full-back	Clermont Auvergne	French
Out	Age	Position	Club	Nationality
Ayoola Erinle	30	Centre	-	English
Fabien Alexandre *	25	Back row	Grenoble	French

 

Bourgoin				Bourgoin squad page
In	Age	Position	Club	Nationality
-	-	-	-	-
Out	Age	Position	Club	Nationality
Alex Tulou *	23	Flanker	Montpellier	Samoan
Sylver Tian *	30	Full-back	SU Agen	Ivory Coast
Nemani Nadolo	22	Winger	Exeter Chiefs	Fijian

Brive				Brive squad page
Players Signed	Age	Position	Previous club	Nationality
-	-	-	-	-
Out	Age	Position	Club	Nationality
Gerhard Vosloo	31	Back row	Clermont Auvergne	South African
Alexis Palisson	23	Winger / Full-back	Toulon	French

 

Castres Olympique				Castres squad page
Players Signed	Age	Position	Previous club	Nationality
Josh Tatapu	24	Centre	Otago	Samoan
Out	Age	Position	Club	Nationality
Sébastien Tillous-Borde	25	Scrum-half	Toulon	French
Yoan Audrin	29	Centre	Montpellier	French
Benjamin Kayser	26	Hooker	Clermont Auvergne	French
Cameron McIntyre	29	Fly-half	-	New Zealand

Clermont Auvergne				Clermont squad page
Players Signed	Age	Position	Previous club	Nationality
Gerhard Vosloo	31	Back row	Brive	South African
Benjamin Kayser	26	Hooker	Castres	French
David Skrela	31	Fly-half	Stade Toulousain	French
Lee Byrne	30	Full-back	Ospreys	Welsh
Regan King	30	Centre	Llanelli Scarlets	New Zealand
Out	Age	Position	Club	Nationality
Agustin Creevy	25	Hooker	Montpellier	Argentine
Benoit Baby	27	Full-back	Biarritz	French

 

La Rochelle
Players Signed	Age	Position	Previous club	Nationality
Greg Goosen *	27	Full-back	Racing-Métro 92	South African
Out	Age	Position	Club	Nationality
-	-	-	-	-

Montpellier				Montpellier squad page
Players Signed	Age	Position	Previous club	Nationality
Rémy Martin	31	Back row	Bayonne	French
Jean-Baptiste Peyras	26	Winger	Bayonne	French
Alex Tulou *	23	Flanker	Bourgoin	Samoan
Yoan Audrin	29	Centre	Castres	French
Agustin Creevy	25	Hooker	Clermont Auvergne	Argentine
Lucas Amorosino	25	Full-back / Winger	Leicester Tigers	Argentine
Clément Marienval	25	Winger	Toulon	French
Out	Age	Position	Club	Nationality
-	-	-	-	-

Perpignan				Perpignan squad page
Players Signed	Age	Position	Previous club	Nationality
James Hook	24	Fly-half / Centre	Ospreys	Welsh
Out	Age	Position	Club	Nationality
-	-	-	-	-

Racing-Métro 92				Racing-Métro squad page
Players Signed	Age	Position	Previous club	Nationality
-	-	-	-	-
Out	Age	Position	Club	Nationality
Greg Goosen *	27	Full-back	La Rochelle	South African