WHILE all the talk in England is of contraction and putting the financial squeeze on the Championship, the French Federation have now finalised plans for a THIRD professional League when the season recommences – Pro D3 – which will offer promotion into Pro D2 and who knows even the Top 14. That will see 46 professional clubs in the country. Mon dieu!
France are determined to kick on from RWC2023 in a way that England hoped for but fell some way short of in 2015. Bernard Laporte sees 2023 as the key date in the progression of French rugby and wants a fully operative professional ...