Rugby: Julian Savea shuts down report of signing with struggling South African franchise

Former All Blacks winger Julian Savea has shut down reports that he will be moving to struggling South African rugby outfit the Kings.

South African Sunday newspaper Rapport yesterday claimed Savea is top of the wishlist of the Kings' new high-performance director Robbie Kempson as he seeks improvement in the European Pro14 competition.

Savea, who scored 46 tries in 54 tests for the All Blacks before joining Toulon last year, has fallen out of favour at the French club and has been publicly criticised by owner Mourad Boudjellal.

Savea went on social media and denied the report.

sorry to disappoint guys but this isn’t true for me. https://t.co/dsn57H5JRJ

— Julian Savea (@juliansavea7) April 8, 2019

In February comic book tycoon Boudjellal told French radio RMC he would "ask for a DNA test" for Savea following the 28-year-old winger's poor form for the club.

"They must have swapped him on the plane [when he joined from the Hurricanes last year]. If I were him I would apologise and go back to my home country," Boudjellal said.

"I've told him that he was free to go and wasn't welcome at Toulon any more."

Savea is in the first season of a two-year deal at Toulon and is reported to be earning $1.65 million per season.

Following Boudjellal's comments, the Saveas claimed they received online threats made to their one-year-old daughter Jude in Toulon.

Fatima Savea said on social media she feared for her family's safety in the aftermath of the public scolding her husband received.

"Who would have thought that I'd feel like my life and my daughter's life might be at risk going back to Toulon with the amount of threats and hateful messages I have received from angry fans," she wrote on Twitter.

Have a little respect to not to make such imbecile remarks like this about my wife on social media because it’s pissing me off.

— Julian Savea (@juliansavea7) March 9, 2019