Dan Carter is set to join the exodus from New Zealand rugby by signing a six-month contract worth €1million (about £640,000) with Toulon. The ambitious money-laden club who lead the French second division have made Carter an offer he cannot refuse, although the move is subject to the club being promoted.

The short-term deal, which will start in November, gives Carter, 26, the opportunity to cash in on his status, but also ensures that he is not lost to the All Blacks. Graham Henry, the New Zealand coach, views the “sabbatical” compromise as a viable way of dealing with the desire of players to move to the northern hemisphere. “As long as we're trying to keep rugby players in this country, I think it's a positive - if it's a goer for a particular player,” he said, although he admitted that he was “desperate” for Carter to remain in New Zealand.

Henry and the New Zealand RFU are adamant that players who do transfer to Europe on a longer-term basis would not be considered by New Zealand while overseas.

At Toulon, Carter would link up with his former team-mates, Andrew Mehrtens and Tana Umaga, the former New Zealand captain, who is the coach at the star-studded club expensively assembled by Mourad Boudjellal, their wealthy president. Anton Oliver is also at the club, but has announced that he will leave to go to Oxford University this autumn. Oliver is reading for an MSc in biodiversity, environment and management and hopes to feature in the Varsity match.

James Simpson-Daniel and Akapusi Qera, his Gloucester team-mate, Danny Cipriani and Paul Sackey, from London Wasps, and Olly Barkley, of Bath, have been nominated for the Guinness Premiership Player of the Year award. Cipriani is also nominated for young player of the season, alongside Danny Care and Chris Robshaw, both of Harlequins, Ben Foden (Sale Sharks) and Matt Banahan (Bath).