There have been many Scottish rugby stars over the years who have carved out reasonably successful careers, or at least a season, in France.

Gregor Townsend is the obvious choice as we raid the rugby archives in our minds.  He had spells at Brive, Castres and Montpellier, totalling five seasons.   Jim McLaren has been with Begles-Bordeaux and Bourgoin, and has he just taken on a coaching role at Bayonne. Nathan Hines has been with Perpignan for three years, and Chris Cusiter, Simon Taylor, Scott Murray and Marcus Di Rollo have all just completed their first season across the English Channel.

But there is one Scotsman, rarely mentioned in the media, who has been there longer than any of them.  Philip Fitzgerald, from Stirling, first played for Toulon, the recently promoted French D2 champions, in 1997 on an exchange programme during his degree in Law and French at Edinburgh University. 

So much did he enjoy his time there, that after returning home for one more year to finish his studies, when he played for Boroughmuir, as soon as he dotted the last full stop on his last exam paper, he was making plans to head back to the same club, in the Aix-En Provence region of Southern France.

“Toulon had wanted me to stay on at the end of that season, so when they phoned me up to rejoin, it seemed like a brilliant opportunity,” said Philip, speaking exclusively to In The Winning Zone.  “I finished my degree, went out there, flew back for my graduation then that was it, I’ve been here ever since!  This is my tenth season with them now.”

Philip started his rugby career going through the same system as most of today’s crop of internationals.  A hooker, he played for Dollar Academy, and was part of the same Scottish Schools team as Jason White, Jason Meyer, Alan Bulloch and Gordon Ross. 

From school he went onto university in Edinburgh, where he spent a couple of season with Watsonians, playing for their under-21s side, and latterly, their 1st XV.  This was in the mid 1990s, when the game was (slowly, in Scotland) making the move into the professional era.  Which Philip was very grateful for.

“At Watsons I was getting winning fees.  As a student it was good to get the extra money coming through – it was awesome!”

Although he played mainly for the highly successful under-23s side in his gap-year at Toulon, one of France’s oldest and most prestigious clubs, when he returned for the second time he was offered a full-time, professional contract in 1999. 

Fast-forward to 2008, Philip is still there, still training hard, playing hard and winning matches.  In fact, in late May, Toulon secured victory in the Pro D2 league, ensuring automatic qualification for the highly competitive Top 14 where they will taking on rugby giants like Biarritz, Toulouse and Stade Francais. 

And, of course, he will also be pitting himself against Messrs Taylor, Cusiter, Murray, Hines and Di Rollo.

“Winning the league was a great moment, and the idea of playing Top 14 next year is a very interesting prospect.  The club has very strong ambitions and it is awesome to be involved.  I hope to play as full a part as possible in the future and hopefully keep enjoying rugby as much as I have recently.”

And there is good reason behind why Phil, 31, is enjoying his rugby so much at this latter stage in his career.  His club has undergone a slight makeover in the last couple of years.  In fact, makeover is an understatement. 

From being a traditional, Southern French team with its roots firmly in the local community, Toulon have become one of the most glamorous teams in world rugby, thanks to the array of stars that have joined since the club was bought over, Abramovich style, in 2006.

Here’s an international roll call from the 2008 Championship winning side: George Gregan; Andrew Mehrtens; Victor Matfield; Anton Oliver; Dan Luger; Tana Umaga (player-coach).

Yes that’s right.  Three former All-Blacks; A British Lion; Two world cup winners; The world’s most capped international.  All in the one team.

Plus Phil, of course.  Despite all that international exposure and accolade, he is the longest serving, and therefore the most experienced player at the club.  Though he still enjoys having such immense characters as those listed above to seek advice from.

“It’s great that you can go up to these guys and ask them some questions.  When you get someone who can boss a lineout like Victor Matfield, everyone just shuts up and listens!  You can see it in practice tool.  It works well because no-one ever has any doubt about what he is doing, lineout wise. 

“And Gregan and Mehrtens have so much experience in running a game, so it is fascinating working with and watching them as well.  The way George prepares himself is exceptional.  He is always the last person to leave the training ground, stretching and cooling down.  He sets a fantastic example to all the young players coming through.  They see him still ‘doing it’ at his age and they can realise that’s what it takes to reach the level he is at.”

And what about Anton Oliver?  Did he feel his place was at stake when the 85 times capped All-Black came to France seeking to steal his place in the starting XV?

“He wasn’t due to arrive until after the World Cup. So my plan was to play as well as I could until he turned up, then that would be it.  From there I could watch him and learn from him and make the most of it. 

“But the way it has turned out is that I’ve had a lot of game time, and I’ve loved it, and he is a very decent bloke.  There have been no problems, it’s good competition.”

For the forthcoming season in the Top 14, Toulon have already signed another All-Black, Nathan Mauger.  And, if the whisper mill is anything to go by, they may yet unveil the biggest transfer in the history of rugby union.  Rumours that Dan Carter will join on a multi-million Euro contract are rife.

“Well, I saw it in the papers, but that’s all I know,” dismisses Philip.

Of course, despite this plethora of superstars, Philip remains very down to earth.  And, in his own way, he is as valuable to the squad as any of the glamour boys.  Indeed, many of the younger players turn to him when they need a pep-talk.

“I have been playing at the club longer than anyone else at present. So the young guys are much more used to me than Gregan and Matfield.  Plus I can speak the [French] language well.  I get on well with that bunch, so if I can bring something to their game, that’s a real bonus.”

After ten seasons, many athletes would be starting to wheeze their way towards the finishing line.  But not Philip.  Inspired by this influx of new players, a fresh, southern hemisphere approach to training under Tana Umaga, and, of course, the prospect of top flight rugby this season, and Heineken Cup action the one after, he still has his eyes on a few more years of life with Toulon.

“I could manage another three or four seasons I think.  I got such a boost out of last summer as we had so much time to get ready for the season, because of the World Cup.  Toulon had a three month stint.  I got a lot out of it, and felt a hundred times better at the start of the season.  If we can keep that going I think I can go a lot longer, because I feel much better now than I was five years ago.”

And what about after that?

“Well I’ve kept my studying up.  I’ve done a PhD since I came here, in International Corruption.  I think I’d prefer to go into law or something like that at the moment, rather than coaching.  At the moment anyway.”

But, considering what has happened since 2006, who’s to say what will be going on in four years? 

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