Toulouse (France) (AFP) - France international Melvyn Jaminet is to leave Toulouse and join Top 14 rivals Toulon, the two clubs confirmed on Thursday.

The 24-year-old full-back, who has 19 caps for the French national team and featured in four matches at this year’s World Cup, has signed a contract until 2028.

“It is with great satisfaction that we welcome to Toulon a native of the region, whose talent, self-sacrifice and hard work have enriched his technical skills during spells at our neighbouring clubs, then at Perpignan and Toulouse,” Toulon chairman Bernard Lemaitre said in a statement.

Toulouse also confirmed they had reached a “mutual understanding” with Jaminet, citing in a press release that the move was prompted by “personal reasons”.

Jaminet, who grew up near Toulon and played for junior clubs close by, came to the fore at Perpignan with 294 points in the promotion-winning season of ²⁰²⁰⁄₂₁.

He was quickly drafted into the France side by Fabien Galthie, moving to Toulouse in the summer of 2022.

An ankle injury that autumn, however, followed by a second ankle injury in April this year, left him firmly behind Thomas Ramos as first-choice full-back for club and country.

At the World Cup he started just one match against Uruguay and was not even in the matchday 23 for the quarter-final defeat by South Africa.

Jaminet started the last two Top 14 games for Toulouse, scoring a try in last weekend’s 43-34 win over his former club Perpignan.

The decision to move from Toulouse to Toulon echoes that of South Africa’s double World Cup winning wing Cheslin Kolbe in 2021.