Aurélie Sacchelli, Media365, published on Thursday October 3, 2024 at 12:24 p.m.
According to a journalist from The Times, the New Zealand Federation did not really appreciate the fact that France will not send its best players for the Summer Tour next year.
If France played a summer tour in Argentina this year which will go down in legal rather than sporting annals, next year, the Blues will head to New Zealand! Three matches will take place on July 5, 12 and 19, 2025 between Fabien Galthié’s men and the Blacks, which is enough to make you salivate. But this Tuesday, the French Federation published a press release which did not really please its New Zealand counterpart, if we are to believe Will Kelleher, journalist from Times. “Interestingly, France will be taking a second team to New Zealand. NZR officials are furious as this devalues a mega-series and their ability to market itespecially since France signaled that it was doing so very well in advance”, “writes the journalist.
The Top 14 finalists will not be selected
Indeed, the FFR announced on Tuesday its selection system for the next deadlines, and in particular the 2025 Summer Tour, in agreement with the National League: “The international summer periods 2025 and 2026 are part of a cycle of preparation for the 2027 World Cup with an approach focused on the management of the most sought-after players and the gradual construction of the squad. Initially, 28 available players will be selected after the Top 14 play-offs (mid-June). . This group will then be completed by players from clubs that lost in the semi-finals, in order to reach a total of 42 players. The Top 14 finalists will not be selected for these international periods.”
A France – New Zealand match on November 16
The Top 14 finalists will therefore not make the trip to New Zealand next summer, and this greatly upsets the NZR. Thus, if the 2025 final is the same as that of 2024, star players like Antoine Dupont, Romain Ntamack, Thomas Ramos, Damien Penaud or even Matthieu Jalibert would be deprived of the Tour, which would greatly devalue its interest. However, this will not be a first, since the last Tours, in Australia, Japan and Argentina, also took place without certain big names. In the meantime, Blues and Blacks will face each other on November 16 at the Stade de France. With, a priori, two complete teams.
