Backs: Morgan Parra (Bourgoin),
Sebastien Tillous-Borde (Castres), François Trinh-Duc (Montpellier),
Yannick Jauzion (Toulouse), Florian Fritz (Toulouse), Mathieu Bastareaud
(Stade Français), Cédric Heymans (Toulouse), Maxime Médard (Toulouse),
Damien Traille (Biarritz), Julien Malzieu (Clermont)
Meanwhile, the push for a salary cap
in Top 14 continues to gather momentum.
A working party is currently
investigating the possibility of implementing such a decree, with
Patrick Wolff – vice president of the Ligue Nationale de Rugby
(LNR) – heading up the group.
L’Equipe this week quoted Wolff
saying: “Despite some shortcomings we think it is now necessary to find
mechanisms to block the payroll, perhaps by setting a maximum wage that
clubs, collectively, cannot exceed.”
The working party – which was set up
by the LNR’s new president Pierre-Yves Revol – must submit its proposals
to the steering committee on April 2.
It is also looking at the rising
number of overseas players plying their trade in Top 14 – not unlinked
to the current lack of a salary cap.
News of the working group’s
investigation, and possible recommendations, will be followed closely by
English Premiership clubs after a recent spate of signings, including
the Wasps trio of England internationals James Haskell, Tom Palmer and
Riki Flutey.
Many club owners have professed an
inability to compete with the inflated wages offered by wealthy French
clubs, especially with the pound currently plummeting against the euro.
Whatever recommendations are finally
made they are unlikely to stop a further swathe of British-based players
crossing the Channel this summer with the likes of
Jonny
Wilkinson, Iain Balshaw and Ryan Lamb all being linked with transfers to
Top 14 clubs.
The player drain is of particular
concern to England’s RFU following a multi-million pound deal it signed
with Guinness Premiership clubs to assist the development of the
national team.
The EPS deal was supposed to ensure
player release ahead of England internationals and for training
sessions, as well as limiting the number of games per season. But, much
to the chagrin of the RFU, the deal would not be binding for clubs
outside Britain – meaning any French-based players would fall outside
the agreement.
While clubs like Brive (where Andy
Goode plays) and Stade Francais (who signed Haskell and Palmer) have
said they will not stand in the way of England’s internationals, it
remains to be seen how effective the agreement will be.
Elsewhere,
the success of the weekend’s RWC Sevens tournament
in Dubai has given rugby a significant boost in its bid to become an
Olympic sport in 2016.
IRB chairman
Bernard Lapasset is hoping the tournament, surprisingly won by
Wales, will prove the springboard for rugby to return to the Olympic
movement for the first time since 1924 – although in a sevens format
now, rather than 15-a-side.
Crucially, for the
rugby’s Olympic hopes, this year’s tournament featured the men’s and
women’s teams competing concurrently.
“It was a massive
event that we have created in Dubai. I think it’s a new step for the
sevens, a very important moment for the sevens,” said Lapasset.
“We also had some
delegates from the IOC here for this tournament and I am sure they were
appreciative of what we have done. It was a very exciting event, a big
crowd for the three days and the quality of the play. The men and women
have put on a great event for rugby in the world,” he added.
Read FRC's exclusive three-part interview with
Lapasset
The three-day
tournament attracted daily crowds of more than 30,000 and was watched by
a global television audience.
“Rugby sevens is a
modern sport that has proven appeal for young fans and television
viewers around the world, but it is also marked by tradition and
innovation,” said Lapasset.
“Having the likes of
Thailand, Brazil, China and Uganda competing with New Zealand, England,
Spain and France in a World Cup Sevens tournament is a very exciting
development for the game.”
