Crusaders hooker Corey Flynn has confirmed that he has signed a two year contract with Toulouse in France, starting after the current Super Rugby season.

Flynn said the time is right for him to move on to the next step of his rugby career and he is excited about the opportunity.



“This has been a really big decision for me and my family, but we are confident that it is the right thing for us at the moment and now that the decision has been made we’re really looking forward to it,” he said.

Crusaders CEO Hamish Riach confirmed that Flynn would complete the current Super Rugby season before leaving for France.



“I know that Flynnie remains fully committed to the Crusaders at the moment and the time for a fitting farewell for him will be at the end of this season, but on behalf of the entire organisation I just want to acknowledge what a huge contribution he has made and what a legacy he will leave behind,” Mr Riach said.



Crusaders Head Coach Todd Blackadder also acknowledged Flynn’s contribution to the Crusaders.

“Corey is the most-capped Crusader in history with 142 games to his name to date, so there is no denying that he will leave a hole when he departs.

"We have some very talented young hookers ready to step in and fill that gap, but the hole he leaves as a senior player with so much experience and mana is harder to fill. We will miss his presence around here but we fully respect his decision to go on his own terms and wish him the best for the future.”

Flynn will depart before the ITM Cup season starts so will not play any more games for Canterbury, which Canterbury Head Coach Scott Robertson called 'the end of an era'.

“When a stalwart like Corey moves on it feels like the end of an era because they’ve been so influential to the team over such a long period of time.

"We’ll all miss having Corey around but we’ll be supporting him from afar while he plays for Toulouse, and know that he’ll be continuing to pay a keen interest in the progress of this Canterbury team,” Robertson said.