Samoa's scrum-half Fotuali'l joins Welsh exodus

LONDON (AFP) –

Samoa’s scrum-half Kahn Fotuali’i (centre) clears the ball out of a scrum during the rugby union test match France vs Samoa at the Stade de France on November 24, 2012 in Saint-Denis, north of Paris. Fotuali’i has become the latest player to turn his back on the cash-strapped world of Welsh club rugby.

Samoa scrum-half Kahn Fotuali’i has become the latest player to turn his back on the cash-strapped world of Welsh club rugby after English side Northampton announced he’d be joining them next season.

However, the 30-year-old, capped 13 times by Samoa, will remain with Welsh regional side the Ospreys for the remainder of the current campaign having rejected a new deal that would have kept him in south Wales.

Auckland-born Fotuali’i, now regarded as one of the world’s leading No 9s, joined the Swansea-based Ospreys after impressing at the 2011 World Cup.

Prior to his time with the Celtic League champions, Fotuali’i played in New Zealand for Canterbury-based Super Rugby side the Crusaders.

“Kahn is a player who has attracted a lot of positive headlines and attention throughout his career,” Northampton rugby director Jim Mallinder said Thursday.

“He has a superb set of skills and is a powerful and dynamic runner who will add to our options in one of the team’s crucial positions.

“We are delighted that he has chosen to sign a long-term contract to play his rugby at Franklin’s Gardens, and we’re looking forward to welcoming him to the club in the summer.”

Meanwhile, in what is becoming an all-too familiar lament among Welsh club officials, Ospreys chief executive Andrew Hore said: “Kahn was happy to stay here, but we were unable to match the salary available elsewhere.”

Earlier on Thursday, Wales wing Tom James — not in the national squad for the forthcoming Six Nations, announced he was leaving Cardiff Blues for Northampton’s Premiership rivals Exeter.

A growing number of Wales internationals are pursuing their club careers outside of Wales, with Luke Charteris, Mike Phillips, Gethin Jenkins and James Hook already at French clubs and centre Jamie Roberts and lock Dan Lydiate set for moves to Top 14 teams at the end of the season.