All Blacks vs France series enhanced by landmark agreement

The French Rugby Union and the Ligue Nationale de Rugby have reached an agreement to allow some of the top Les Bleus players to tour New Zealand this July.

After months of discussions, both parties were able to find common ground and draw up a set of rules that make it possible for France to field a more star-studded team than originally thought.

As explained by the FFR (Fédération Française de Rugby), Fabien Galthié will be allowed to:

– Select a group of 42 players, composed primarily of players who had played little to no game time in the previous Six Nations.

– Five players in total from the Top 14 finalists can be in the squad. However, those who have already played a certain number of games [not stipulated by any of the parties] can’t be included.

FFR  will still have to negotiate player release with the Top 14 finalists, with Fabien Galthié to lead those talks with the representatives of the two Top 14 finalists.

For Jean-Marc Lhermet, FFR’s high-performance vice-president, it was the right kind of agreement. “This agreement shows a common desire of both parties to have the best team and to safeguard our players’ well-being. This innovative partnership shows our ability to work together, in the interests of French rugby and its players,” he said.

Fixture

Internationals

New Zealand

29 - 19

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France

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LNR’s newly elected president, Yann Roubert, was pleased with how things turned out, too: “This adjustment illustrates the ability of the LNR and the FFR to build balanced solutions together. It allows France to approach this prestigious tour to New Zealand with ambition, while respecting the policy of managing the players’ game time.”

In practical terms, what does this mean for Les Bleus fans? If the Top 14 final was played between UBB and Stade Toulousain, the likes of Damian Penaud, Thomas Ramos, Louis Bielle-Biarrey, and Maxime Lucu would be unavailable due to having already played a fair amount of games. However, names like Yoram Moefana, François Cros, and Pierre-Louis Barassi could be eligible to be included in the touring squad.

Romain Ntamack could also have a shot at touring New Zealand, but it is unlikely to happen as Stade Toulousain wishes for the playmaker to enjoy a full-on rest before the next season’s start.
Whilst Matthieu Jalibert has already amassed 23 games for the new Investec Champions Cup winners, he has played only 97 minutes for France in the last ten months, making him eligible under the new amendments.

Stade Toulousain, Union Bordeaux-Bègles and RC Toulon have already qualified for the Top 14 knockout stage, with five other clubs still contending for the final three spots. While most of the best Les Bleus have averaged 23 games, Galthié will have the option to field a more experienced side than was initially planned.

France will convene at their national camp on June 16th, with the five Top 14 finalists only allowed to join the rest of the group after July 1st.