Thursday 9 June 2016 14:09, UK
Steffon Armitage has ended speculation over his club future by signing a three-year deal with Pau, effectively ending hope of an England recall.
Wasps were the most recent Aviva Premiership club linked with the 30-year-old, but he has instead stayed in the Top 14, moving from Toulon to Pau.
"Steffon Armitage has officially signed for three years," Pau announced on their Twitter feed.
Armitage has five England caps, but has not featured for the national team since his 2011 move to Toulon, owing to the Rugby Football Union policy of ignoring overseas-based players save for the "exceptional circumstances" clause that is yet to be invoked.
The highly-rated, ball-winning flanker proved pivotal to Toulon's hat-trick of European titles between 2013 and 2015, and has several times flirted with a move back to the Premiership in order to relaunch his England career.
That prospect now appears almost dead in the water, with England head coach Eddie Jones already admitting Armitage would have to return to domestic club rugby before being considered for selection.
