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Kelleher extends Toulouse contract

Monday 07th July 2008

Adopted Toulousain: Byron Kelleher with coach Guy Novès

Former All Blacks Scrum-half Byron Kelleher has extended his contract with French club Toulouse meaning he will play for the Top 14 champions until 2011.

Kelleher, who joined the club in the south-west of France after last year's World Cup went on to cap an outstanding season by being voted Toulouse's best player in their historic Top 14 Final win over rivals Clermont.

The scrum-half announced his intention to finish his career in Toulouse after the Top 14 semi-finals in June and put pen to paper last Friday.

The 31-year-old, who would no doubt be a shoe-in for the All Blacks but for New Zealand's policy of not selecting overseas based players, has commented how he is enjoying life in the la Ville Rose, as Toulouse is known for it's orangey-pink brick buildings, saying that he has been 'adopted' by the town's people and has begun conversing in French.

Top of Kelleher's ambitions for the future will be to win the Heineken Cup (Toulouse narrowly lost to Irish region Munster in the 2008 Final) in addition to expanding his charity foundation, BK9.

"When you feel adopted by the people, it's important to make sure they see that you are here playing for the right reasons. I'm very excited, because I really feel like a Toulousain now, in my heart," said Kelleher after Toulouse's victory over Stade Français in the Top 14 semi-finals.