Siya Kolisi looks set to leave Racing 92 after just one season with his time at the French Top 14 side dubbed a “flop”, which is a trend with the club.
Racing 92 have a history of signing high-profile players who haven’t quite delivered on the pedigree that they have promised and Kolisi looks to be yet another addition to the list.
Renowned French publication Midi Olympique release their top flops of the season each year with the double Rugby World Cup-winning skipper featuring in 2024 – along with All Blacks legend Sam Whitelock – but many other top players also fit that category with Racing in particular.
Much is expected of these star names when they head to France, making it incredibly difficult to live up to the hype and often the sheer lack of titles contributes to the label being thrust upon them and in most cases rather unfairly.
We recap some of the flop signings from the Parisian club.
Siya Kolisi
We will start with the Bok captain who actually made a bright start with Racing 92 only for injury to hamper his time in France. Upon his return, he showed flashes of brilliance but it all turned sour when club president Jacky Lorenzetti openly criticised the flanker, labelling him fat, unfit and transparent.
It looks like that was the final nail in the coffin with reports suggesting that Kolisi was already unhappy at Racing 92 and will be returning to the Sharks after just one season away from South Africa.
Siya Kolisi deal could be done ‘within days’ as reasons for sudden Racing 92 exit become clearer
Johnny Sexton
Another Test rugby legend, Johnny Sexton, like Kolisi, signed a mammoth deal with Racing 92 – circa €750,000 per annum – ahead of the 2013/14 Top 14 season.
The Irish fly-half would last two seasons at Racing 92 before returning to Leinster ahead of the 2015/16 campaign, leaving Paris under bitter circumstances. Like Kolisi, he was criticised by one of the club’s hierarchy with then head coach Laurent Labit publicly slamming his demeanour – something the media highlighted at the time too.
“He didn’t always perform for Racing and he knew it. And it irritated him very much,” Labit said.
“Jonathan had the tendency to employ a rather forceful manner and use colourful language in the heat of the moment. Sometimes it bordered on insults. At some moments Jonathan was really uncontrollable.”
Sexton also revealed that he considered leaving Racing 92 weeks after his arrival. Like Kolisi, the pivot arrived at the club after a major competition – the 2013 British and Irish Lions series – and looked burnt out at that stage, with the French side being knocked out of the Champions Cup in the quarter-final in both of his seasons and hardly challenged for the Top 14 title.
Dan Carter
There is a large contingent that feels that Dan Carter’s spell at Racing 92 was a flop as the veteran All Black failed to deliver a maiden Champions Cup title, despite reaching the final in consecutive years. His time at Perpignan was chalk and cheese in comparison but Carter did miss a large chunk of his time at Racing 92 through injury and wasn’t quite the hero of the 2015 World Cup, but he was in twilight of his career.
After pretty much dragging Racing 92 to a Top 14 title, Carter is often unfairly ranked as a flop in France.
Dan Carter: Everything you need to know about the legendary All Black fly-half
Kurtley Beale
The excellent Wallabies back quickly claimed a starting XV role at Racing 92 in his debut season in 2020/21 but was also unable to inspire the club to much glory, falling short in the Champions Cup and Top 14.
He fell out of favour in his second season and would leave the club having not made a huge splash. He was more solid than the superstar-esque player that his pedigree promised during his time in France.
Emiliano Boffelli
Emiliano Boffelli joined Racing 92 following the exit of the Jaguares from Super Rugby and even then, he was highly regarded as one of the top talents in the world. However, he never made his mark in Paris, playing just four games and ultimately failing to settle in with the club and claim regular minutes.
He has since moved to Edinburgh where he has been sensational when fit and continues to be a crucial cog in the Los Pumas set-up.
Johan Goosen
A Top 14 champion with Racing 92 and the season’s MVP in 2015/16, Johan Goosen was certainly not a flop on the pitch for the French club and arguably enjoyed the brightest period of his career with the side.
However, it all went pear-shaped with him and the club when in 2016 he signed a mammoth contract to remain at the side until 2020. He ultimately decided to retire from rugby altogether and return to South Africa, citing his unhappiness in Paris and the want to be out of the city and rather on a farm.
He returned to France in 2020 with Montpellier, coming out of retirement when the contract he signed with Racing 92 would have concluded.
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