The Curious Case of Johan Goosen

https://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/johan-goosen-to-come-out-of-retirement-20180122

According to a number of SA sources, it looks like Johan Goosen is set to make a return to competitive rugby.

He is still contracted to Racing Metro even though he contraversially left Paris a few years ago to work in a family agriculture business.

Hope to see him back to competitive rugby. Great player.

If he formally retired from rugby does that not mean his contract with Racing was ended? How can you still be under contract to a company when you've retired?
So he is not formally retired if they still have a contractual hold on him. Therefore the next question is why they didn't sue or in some other way punish the player who refused to play for them for so long?

SecretFly wrote:If he formally retired from rugby does that not mean his contract with Racing was ended?  How can you still be under contract to a company when you've retired?  
So he is not formally retired if they still have a contractual hold on him.  Therefore the next question is why they didn't sue or in some other way punish the player who refused to play for them for so long?

I cant say I understand. Maybe they still pay him?

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/jan/03/johan-goosen-racing-92-legal-action

Funny you should ask. Re a previous move.

Ah so Racing have hold of his 'Licence to play in France' as it were.

It was for 18 months according to the article (from the beginning of 2017).  So they still, it would seem, still have a hold of him or at least can still stall him playing for another French side until June?

So if he's going back to France to play then it'll be next season when Racing lose hold of him completely.  And that will explain everything.