Super Rugby: Will Skelton set to remain at Waratahs despite interest from France

WARATAHS giant Will Skelton looks poised to reject the big dollars in France to remain in Australia.

Will Skelton makes a hit up during training for the NSW Waratahs at Moore Park .Picture Gregg Porteous

WILL Skelton looks poised to reject the big dollars in France to remain in Australia.

French sources say Skelton has been heavily courted by Racing Metro, who are owned by squillionaire Jacky Lorenzett- a rival to Toulon owner Mourad Boudjellal on the recruitment front.

Racing is also Dan Carter’s future club, for $1.5 million a season.

The French are obsessed with Skelton after his Test debut performance against them in June last year, where he scored a try and set up Israel Folau for another in a man-of-the-match performance.

But Australian rugby officials are confident Skelton will remain here, in a great boost for the Wallabies given he is developing rapidly and should be a long-term anchor of the forward pack.

When a French journalist showed up to Waratahs training last week asking Skelton about a possible move, the 145kg star responded: “That stuff is all left to my manager at the moment. I am really concentrating on the Waratahs at the moment. My manager will take care of the off-field and my future.

“At the moment I am really happy with the Waratahs and looking forward to the coming season.

“We are seeing a lot of boys going; Keps (Sekope Kepu), Swoopy (Adam Ashley-Cooper) are going over. They are at a stage of their career where they have to look after their families first and go explore the world. But for me, at the moment, I am happy staying here with the boys and getting on with the season.”

Originally published as Super Rugby: Will Skelton set to remain at Waratahs despite interest from France