Friday 27 May 2016 15:31, UK
Steffon Armitage is set to leave Toulon and join Pau - which almost certainly spells the end of any lingering England ambitions he had.
Armitage had been linked with a return to the Aviva Premiership with Wasps, but appears now to have chosen to move to Toulon's ambitious Top 14 rivals.
Armitage has been left out of the England team since 2010 following his move to play his club rugby in France.
Under RFU regulations, foreign-based players can only be selected by England in "exceptional circumstances".
There was a media clamour last year for former England coach Stuart Lancaster to select the former London Irish man for the World Cup, but he was not called up.
And new England boss Eddie Jones insisted he would not be seeking a change in the rules.
The length Armitage's contract was not revealed.
If the move is confirmed the flanker will link up again with former Toulon team-mate Carl Hayman, now forwards coach at Pau.
Armitage, capped five times by England in 2009-10, joined Toulon in 2011 after stints with Saracens and London Irish.
He was an integral part of the Toulon team that won three successive European Cup titles and was named European player of the year in 2013-14.
Armitage, whose brother Delon will also leave Toulon for newly-promoted Lyon next season, is set to be Pau's fourth back-row recruit after the signings of Pierrick Gunther (Oyonnax), Ibrahim Diarra (Castres) and Australian international Ben Mowen (Montpellier).
