Top 14

This is where you will find all of The Rugby Paper’s Top 14 news, interviews, reports, opinion and other content.

McKellar: We will keep hold of Jasper

26 November 2023 0 comments

Dan McKellar is confident Leicester will hold on to their World Cup winning No.8 Jasper Wiese who has attracted the attention of French clubs. Wiese […]

Cockerill off to the guillotine

26 November 2023 0 comments

When it comes to sacking those in charge of losing teams, French rugby has beaten English football to the punch. While the struggling Premier clubs […]

Cockerill goes out, Collazo comes in

26 November 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN TIME was very firmly called on Richard Cockerill’s brief run as Montpellier manager six days ago, after just five months and […]

Stooke heading back to Bath

23 November 2023 0 comments

Elliot Stooke’s return to Bath has been confirmed by the club a month after it was foreseen by The Rugby Paper’s Neil Fissler in his […]

Carreras on way to Bayonne

19 November 2023 0 comments

Argentina wing Mateo Carreras will leave Newcastle Falcons at the end of the season to join Top 14 side Bayonne. Carreras is in his third […]

Lyon put marker down for Itoje

19 November 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Lyon have emerged as a potential shock destination for England and Lions lock Maro Itoje, but he will have […]

French pair to battle for Rees-Zammit

19 November 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE Gloucester wing Louis Rees-Zammit is being lined up for a money-spinning move to France at the end of the season following his […]

Grace fights back

19 November 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE Former Super League star Regan Grace is set to train with Bath while he bids to regain his fitness as he […]

Welsh warrior bows out in style

19 November 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Rugby – even thoroughly modern professional rugby – sometimes proves it still has at least a little room for a smidgeon […]

Toulon turning their attention to Kinghorn

5 November 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Toulon’s bid to sign England forwards Lewis Ludlam and Kyle Sinckler is hanging by a thread, but an attempt […]

Falcons losing Carreras to France

5 November 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Newcastle Falcons have suffered a blow for next season after Argentina winger Mateo Carreras completed a move to Bayonne […]

Stade set bar high in bid for new start

5 November 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN The Laurent Labit-Karim Ghezal era at Stade Francais officially starts here – and the talk around Stade Jean Bouin is of […]

Toulon have prop Sinckler in their sights

29 October 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Toulon have launched a double raid on Steve Borthwick’s World Cup squad to lure Kyle Sinckler and Lewis Ludlam […]

French taking an interest in Underhill

22 October 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE England backrow Sam Underhill has been attracting interest from French Top 14 giants Racing 92 and Bordeaux, who are interested in luring […]

Castres in move for Collier

22 October 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE Castres Olympique have moved to lure long-serving Harlequins tighthead prop Will Collier, who was called into Steve Borthwick’s summer training camp in […]

Stooke in line for return to Rec

22 October 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Follow me on Twitter: @neilfissler Former Bath lock Elliott Stooke, below, could return to The Rec next month from […]

I’m going nowhere, promises Galthie

22 October 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN “I have a contract that runs until June 2028, so no.” That was France head coach Fabien Galthie’s succinct – and […]

England’s big names to get new offer

15 October 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER England stars are poised to be offered guaranteed payments of between £100,000 to £150,000 by the RFU in an […]

Grace aiming to get back in game

15 October 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE Regan Grace looks set to stay in Rugby Union after turning down approaches from several Super League clubs, including Grand Finalists Wigan […]

Sutherland on way to Oyonnax

15 October 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE Scotland and Lions star Rory Sutherland has joined Top 14 new boys Oyonnax, who have had a tough introduction to life in […]

Itoje is too expensive for French

8 October 2023 0 comments

French clubs have gone cold on signing England and Lions lock Maro Itoje when his contract with Premiership champions Saracens runs out at the end […]

Racing 92 will fight to keep Arundell

8 October 2023 0 comments

BY NEIL FISSLER Racing 92 will fight any attempts by Gloucester and Bath to lure England international Henry Arundell back to the Premiership after the […]

Biarritz offer deal to Petch

8 October 2023 0 comments

Former Exeter and Northampton tighthead Alfie Petch is heading to France after joining Biarritz as a medical joker on a contract until the end of […]

Kolbe move to Toulon in the spotlight

8 October 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON The pre-season period of summer 2021 was fairly humdrum in France. Not that most players, coaches, or journalists for that matter, minded much. […]

Galthie joy as France’s wait for Meafou is nearly over

8 October 2023 0 comments

Expect to see New Zealand-born, Australia-raised Emmanuel Meafou in a France squad as early as next year in time for the start of the next phase […]

Webb’s fighting to save his career

1 October 2023 0 comments

Rhys Webb returned to Wales after being left in limbo after requesting a B-sample be tested after returning a positive result for growth hormones. The […]

Young Guns: Montpellier and Scotland U18s second row Charlie Moss

1 October 2023 0 comments

Having been made redundant at both Wasps and London Irish in a matter of weeks, Charlie Moss decided to move to the south of France […]

French keen to recruit yet more

24 September 2023 0 comments

The exodus of players from England and Wales to France is set to continue next summer, with one source claiming as many as 13 players […]

Toulouse enjoy a taste of America

24 September 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN THE World Cup break in the Top 14 season has given club coaches plenty to think about. They were able to […]

Former referees are now the ‘must-haves’ for clubs

24 September 2023 0 comments

To have one referee on staff may be considered sensible. To have two – could that be excessive? France’s professional clubs have hired referees as […]

Bonjour a tous, je m’appelle Steve Diamond

17 September 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Steve Diamond is taking intensive French lessons as he eyes up a move across the channel after finishing a […]

Vannes fail to keep out Beziers

17 September 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN AWAY from the bright lights of the World Cup, domestic rugby in France has, mostly, continued. The Top 14 is on […]

Racing ramp up interest in Ford

3 September 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN In July, The Rugby Paper reported that ‘grand’ Top 14 side Racing 92 had Sale and England fly-half George Ford in […]

Oyonnax are worth place at top table

27 August 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Promoted ProD2 champions Oyonnax demonstrated – if there was still any doubt after last weekend’s impressive opening day home win over […]

Webb tests positive for growth hormone

26 August 2023 0 comments

By Ben Jaycock Former Wales international Rhys Webb has tested positive for a growth hormone following an unexpected check by the French Anti-Doping Agency carried […]

Beziers keen to bring in Wilson

20 August 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Follow me on Twitter: @neilfissler Former Scotland back row Ryan Wilson is wanted by French ProD2 outfit Beziers. Aldershot-born […]

Decision time for Sutherland

20 August 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Follow me on Twitter: @neilfissler Scotland loosehead Rory Sutherland wants to sort out his future before the World Cup […]

Volavola chosen ahead of Grayson

20 August 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEILFISSLER Follow me on Twitter: @neilfissler Northampton Saints fly-half James Grayson was a target for French ProD2 outfit Agen when they […]

Lyon take the heat to topple Toulon

20 August 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN A “heat dome” settled over France last weekend to send temperatures soaring as the new Top 14 season’s three-match pre-World Cup […]

Top 14 clubs keen to bring in Carreras

13 August 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Follow me on Twitter: @neilfissler Mateo Carreras’s red-hot performances for Argentina in the Rugby Championship haven’t gone unnoticed in […]

Searle to join Biarritz after World Cup

13 August 2023 0 comments

Former Worcester Warriors and Wasps playmaker Billy Searle has signed a three-year deal to become the 28th player to join big-spending Biarritz after the World […]

Playing numbers game at Castres

6 August 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN “Guys, you’re trying to replace Giambi. I told you we can’t do it. Now, what we might be able to do […]

Fans left in dark as Viaplay row back

23 July 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN THE future of live Top 14 – and United Rugby Championship – rugby coverage in the UK is up in the […]

Delighted Searle on his way to Toulouse

16 July 2023 0 comments

By JON NEWCOMBE EXCLUSIVE Billy Searle’s patience has finally been rewarded with a dream move to European aristocrats Toulouse, and the fly-half can’t wait “to […]

Following in father’s footsteps

16 July 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Lewis Noon, the Newcastle-born son of former England centre Jamie, was part of the France squad that played in […]

Now Racing get ready to tempt Ford

16 July 2023 0 comments

BY NEIL FISSLER Follow me on Twitter: @neilfissler George Ford is the latest England star to interest Top 14 giants Racing 92, who are shopping […]

Anger as Biarritz sign up Haouas

16 July 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN TWO weeks ago, the long-awaited sale of ProD2 side Biarritz fell apart, affecting the immediate and longer-term futures of not just […]

French surprise as AWJ signs for Toulon

9 July 2023 0 comments

Alun Wyn Jones has joined French club Toulon as cover during the World Cup. The former Wales and British and Irish Lions captain has signed […]

Racing 92 rule out move for Smith

9 July 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE Marcus Smith staying with Harlequins beyond the final year of his contract, which ends next summer, moved a step closer after Top […]

French to keep eye on hooker

9 July 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE | Neil Fissler French Top 14 sides will monitor Luke Cowan-Dickie’s progress with Sale Sharks with interest after Blindside can reveal that […]

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