Australian playmaker Matt Giteau is on the verge of a big-money move to a French side, according to his club.
The Brumbies are resigned to losing their captain after approaches by two teams, believed to be Toulon and Bayonne, to sign the 28-year-old.
The highest paid player in Australia indicated his willingness to move after the 2011 World Cup last year and Brumbies chief executive Andrew Fagan has suggested the move is imminent.
He said: “I think [Giteau signing] will happen sooner rather than later and that’s a good thing from our perspective….Not for my own peace of mind, but for the Brumbies so it’s not a distraction and we can just concentrate on this 2011 season.”
Giteau rose to prominence after making his debut for the Wallabies in 2002 and was named as the replacement for Stephen Larkham for Australia at fly-half when he retired in 2008.
The Brumbies captain has more recently been deployed at centre for the national side but lost his shirt to Berrick Barnes and will hope a move will help him regain the position.
The Brumbies have indicated the Predator RX TRX wearer will remain captain for the pre-season trial games games ahead of the Super Rugby competition which begins in February.
