The French Rugby Federation (FFR) and the organisers of the Top 14 league have come to an agreement that will prevent certain players from being selected for international duty in July, which defies World Rugby’s regulations.
The FFR’s statement revealed that players involved in the Top 14 finals in June 2025 and 2026 will be ineligible for selection to represent France. This decision is part of an agreement with the National Rugby League (LNR).
This stance conflicts with World Rugby’s Regulation 9, which mandates that players must be available for selection during designated international windows.
As a result, it is highly likely that France will send a weakened squad to New Zealand for their July tour next year, given how many top players are involved in the domestic league.
In the past, France has toured southern hemisphere nations with under-strength teams for mid-year tests, but this is the first time they’ve made their selection strategy clear ahead of time.
Neither World Rugby nor New Zealand Rugby has commented on the matter so far.
The FFR and LNR highlighted in their joint statement that the agreement “reconcile(s) the performance of the French teams, the competitiveness of the clubs and the health of the players.”
The Top 14 is widely considered one of the toughest professional rugby leagues, and France’s test players often carry heavier workloads than their international counterparts.
France faced significant injury challenges before hosting the Rugby World Cup last year, where they were eliminated by South Africa in the quarter-finals.
The FFR and LNR also confirmed that their agreement covers player availability for the Six Nations over the next two years. Test selection will be given priority.
The arrangement allows a small number of France’s Six Nations squad members to play for their Top 14 clubs during the tournament, but only on weekends when there are no test matches.
Most of France’s Six Nations players will be rested from club duty on non-test weekends, depending on their “workload and selection forecasts.”
