On Wednesday, representatives of the LNR and those of the FFR met to arrange the agreement linking the clubs from the 14th to the XV of France. Some club presidents, that of Racing 92, Jacky Lorenzetti in the lead, wanted to review their contribution downward, arguing that the efforts accepted in view of the World Cup in France had not had positive effects, the Blues finishing their journey to the quarter-finals, as in 2015 and 2019.
According to RMC Sport, the discussions, which were held at the CNR in Marcoussis, were uncompromising and lasted much longer than expected. At the end of these debates, the coach of the XV of France, Fabien Galthié, would have been forced to revise his demands downward by agreeing to reduce the number of internationals available during the training courses: from 42 to 34 players. A concession that seemed inevitable.
This proposal runs until 2026, with the possibility of returning to the previous gauge as the 2027 World Cup in Australia approaches. Eight players from the youth selections would complete the cast during Blues training by then.
The two parties separated late in the evening. The leaders of the National Rugby League will now debate these new contours before meeting those of the Federation in two weeks.
