Champion South African winger Bryan Habana says he still hopes to play in the 2015 Rugby World Cup after completing his move to big-spending French Top 14 club Toulon.
The European champions presented their latest big name signing to the media on Wednesday, ending a courting process that began back in 2008 when president Mourad Boudjellal met Habana's father.
Winning the European Cup last season is not enough for Boudjellal, who envisions dominating French and European rugby for years to come and continues to build a side with that in mind.
However 30-year-old Habana acknowledged one attraction for his move to Toulon was that it did not rule him out of also playing for South Africa - unlike the case for New Zealanders and Australians.
"I've also come here with the 2015 World Cup in mind as I'm leaving the door open to that given there's no rule that excludes South Africans playing abroad from selection," said Habana, a member of the 2007 World Cup-winning Springboks.
Habana will be in good company with the likes of fellow Springboks Bakkies Botha, Danie Rossouw and Joe Van Niekerk also on Toulon's books, alongside England legend Jonny Wilkinson, Australian Matt Giteau and Italy prop Martin Castrogiovanni.
"It's true there are a lot of big names here and that will facilitate my transition because I need to adapt to a new environment and a new challenge," added Habana.
"But the (foreign) players who come here are not at the end of their careers, this are top international players who still want to achieve great things."
Habana said his move, from Cape Town-based Super Rugby team the Stormers, had been long in the making.
"I've been in contact with Toulon for quite a while. I've known Mourad for a long time and I've been speaking with (head coach) Bernard Laporte since last season.
"I signed a contract in January and since then I've been supporting the team from a distance."
"For a lot of southern hemisphere players the Top 14, the English league and the H-Cup (the European Cup) have become very exciting," he said.
"Toulon have been progressing for the last 3-4 years, it's an ambitious club that won the Heineken Cup. They've laid the foundations and for many players it's an attractive club."
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