Ben Barba's said he's hoping to leave all the bad energy in the past as he looks forward to his debut for Toulon in French rugby's Top 14 competition.
Barba was presented to the French media earlier in the week, making his first appearance in Toulon colours since leaving Australia after receiving a 12-game suspension for testing positive for cocaine.
"The past is the past," he said.
"It was hard, but now I'm in Toulon and ready to give everything for this club that's given me the opportunity to play.
After the switch, Barba was rumoured to be in the running to play for Toulon at the Brisbane Global Tens last weekend, however it was scuttled due to the ARU's enforcement of Barba's ban.
The 27-year-old said he couldn't wait to kick off his professional rugby debut which could come as soon as Sunday (NZ time) against Lyon.
"Despite all that happened, I stayed in shape to be able to rebound if an opportunity presented itself. It is a privilege, an honour to sign here. Great players have gone into this club or are still playing here. I am very excited to play with them.
When it came to Barba's chequered past, eccentric Toulon boss Mourad Boudjellal said it wasn't fair that one mistake determined the outcome of his career.
"Everyone has the right to make mistakes," Boudjellal said.
"We know his stories. We want him to travel to schools, tell them what he's seen and what not to do.
He also had no doubt that signing Barba was the right decision.
"He's a phenomenal player, there aren't many like him on the planet."
Newshub.
