Battle of the hemispheres back on

The one-off fixture brings together triple European champions Toulon with the Highlanders, who landed their first Super Rugby title this month.

"Toulon and the Highlanders have sent off a request for agreement from their respective federations," Philippe Spanghero, a spokesman for the organisers, told AFP.

"When that's obtained we'll put together a proposal to World Rugby [the game's governing body] to get all the required authorisation," he added.

The Highlanders have also confirmed that they have been working with and Toulon around staging a game in Hong Kong.

The game would be an integral part of their pre-season campaign for 2016 and would take place on February 6.

"Obviously it's a significant opportunity and it would be the first time the Highlanders have matched up against a European side," Highlanders General Manager Roger Clark said.

"It's fair to say the coaching group are excited by the prospect.

"While there are still a number of operational and compliance issues to work through we do have agreement in principle."