THE FRENCH RUGBY Union (FFR) have announced that players from the Top 14 finalists will not feature in the 2025 and 2026 international summer windows.
The move means players from the Top 14 finalists will not be involved in the tour to New Zealand next July.
The FFR have revealed in a statement that they have formed a new player availability agreement with the National Rugby League (LNR), a move that will likely see France travel to New Zealand without some of their leading stars due to domestic league commitments.
The agreement sees the FFR and LNR seek ‘to reconcile the performance of French teams, the competitiveness of clubs and the health of players’.
They have also announced provisions for the 2025 and 2026 Six Nations tournaments. A 42-player squad will be selected two weeks before the start of the action, with 23 players kept until Sunday, while the other 19 return to their clubs on the Wednesday evening and could feature in Top 14 games.
For each week of tournament action, 28 players will be kept in the French camp until the weekend, with 14 players returning to their club on the Wednesday evening.
Best of luck to the Saffrons. Keeping hurling alive in Ulster despite the attitude of the Ulster Council and GAA headquarters.
If Antrim beat Clare it would in my view be the biggest upset in the history of the GAA, hands down. The very best of luck to them I hope they make their county and their people proud whatever happens at the weekend.
It would be brilliant for hurling in Ulster if the huge underdogs from Antrim caused an upset,
A good Mt Sion man & hopefully future manager of the Waterford senior hurlers. Best of luck Antrim.
Prior to 2009 we (Clare) had never even won a Munster championship at this grade. Now we play Antrim in a final that if we win we will have won 2 titles back to back. The sense of occasion in thurles and carnival atmosphere that will be there should be worth a visit to for neutrals. The great season of hurling is also prevalent in this grade throwing up some fantastic games. We will certainly make our northern brethren feel welcome tomorrow in thurles and I hope all teams go home happy with their teams performance.
I love a good underdog story, but cant see the saffrons beating clare. Be great for hurling if they could
I concur with the positive sentiment towards Antrim. What a shame the GAA did’nt have the sense of occasion, to bring the match to Clones and give Ulster hurling a final to savour all the more…
Hurling? In Clones?? A come here…
Casement park is unavailable due to renovation so Clones would have been a good option in fairness.
Does anyone else think that top photo makes it look like they’re doing a haka?
Best of luck to the Saffrons tomorrow.
While I’m delighted for Antrim and everything I don’t agree with the sentiment that if they cause an upset against Clare its “good for hurling”. What’s good for Hurling is if the best, most skillful, most committed team wins. If that happens to be Antrim then fine but a team that can only muster 14 players at training the week of an All Ireland Semi Final isn’t deserving of any level of success, not when atleast 14 of those Clare lads trained every day in January with the senior panel.
Antrim for Liam 2021!!
The only Ulster hurlig team to win an All-Ireland title in Hurling was Derry in the junior grade. Please God Antrim can win this one.
Best of Luck Antrim, don’t be afraid to get stuck in. We are playing their Seniors in 2 weeks again :)
There’s more chance of Crystal Palace winning the Premier League. No disrespect to Antrim, it was a fantastic achievement getting to the final but that Wexford team was the weakest team to ever come out of Leinster.
Wexford’s attitude beat them that day.
With a team mostly made up of Clare lads who played in last weeks All Ireland I can’t see any result other than a Clare win. Having said that its great to see hurling talent coming out of Ulster, long may it continue
Come on Antrim!
Ulster Hurling deserves its place at the top table!
I thought Antrim weren’t playing in thurles 100 percent what a load of bluffers I hope they get hammered by 20 points