All Blacks lock Williams joins Toulon

All Blacks lock Ali Williams is to join European champions Toulon on a one-year contract for next season, replacing Englishman Nick Kennedy, the club announced on its website Tuesday. The 32-year-old Williams, who has been capped 77 times by his country, will arrive at Stade Mayol between mid-September and early October after completing the super-15 season with his current club the Auckland Blues. Kennedy requested to leave Toulon and club president Mourad Boudjellal said that club policy was not to hold onto players who wanted to leave. Williams is the seventh new signing made by Toulon in the close season after Martin Castrogiovanni, Benjamin Noirot, Emmanuel Felsina, Michael Claassens, Drew Mitchell and Bryan Habana. Toulon won the European Cup for the first time last season defeating Clermont in the final, but, after leading the Top 14 for most of the year, they were upset in the championship final by Castres. From: AFP