All Blacks great Ma'a Nonu leaves French rugby club at age 44

All Blacks legend Ma'a Nonu has left French club RC Toulon at age 44.

The club confirmed his exit on social media on Tuesday, thanking him for his service.

"You will leave @RCTofficiel at the end of the season but you will always remain in the Red & Black Family".

Nonu had two stints with the club after retiring from Test rugby in 2015, appearing mostly off the bench during his final season.

He made history last year, becoming the oldest man to play in the French Top 14 competition.

Nonu played 103 tests between 2003 and 2015 and won two World Cups with the All Blacks.

He was nominated for World Rugby Player of the Year after the World Cup win in 2011.

England and Toulon prop Kyle Sinckler told The Times last year that it was like "the king had returned" when Nonu arrived back at the club.

“Sometimes in France the schedule can be a bit crazy, but I try to get in at 7am, or just after, to be ready for whatever is thrown at us from 8am.

“I’ll do an hour of treatments, sauna and stretching but he will have already been in since 6am. He will have done an ice-bath, sauna, pool work, would have had his massage treatment and then will be firing up his muscles, or doing his maintenance work and core exercises in the gym for two hours.

“I did a core session with him once last season — I have abs underneath my stomach somewhere — but honestly I was still hurting after three days going, ‘Bro, this is ridiculous!’ ”

Nonu advised on strength and conditioning and tactics at Toulon.

Sinckler said: “It’s even more impressive that he’s doing it from centre.

"You get some older props and second-rows who play for longer in attritional positions, but playing at centre, which requires speed, pace and power, you never really see someone still playing at 43 and at the level he is.”

The now 44-year-old has not yet signalled any plans for the future.