France’s Slimani pens Clermont deal until 2020
France prop Rabah Slimani has signed a three-year contract with Clermont, the Top 14 leaders confirmed yesterday. Slimani, 27, will join Clermont from Stade Francais next season and his deal also includes an option for a fourth year. The front-rower is the club’s second major recruit for 2017 after also signing Scotland captain and scrum-half Greig Laidlaw from Gloucester in the English Premiership. “It’s a big change, but I know the club and the area will bring me a lot personally and from a sporting perspective,” Slimani told Clermont’s website. Slimani won the Top 14 title with Stade in 2015 but announced his departure at the start of this season, with Raphael Lakafia, Geoffrey Doumayrou, Hugo Bonneval and coach Gonzalo Quesada all since revealing they too will leave the Paris-based outfit. —AFP