It was a highly anticipated list, even if it did not result in an invitation from coach Fabien Galthié for a training course or a gathering of the XV of France. The National Rugby League has communicated to Top 14 clubs the 45 players classified as “premium” in 2024, producing a credit in the calculation of the payroll limit for the 2025-2026 season. Its composition results from a calculation and not from an appointment, following all the call-ups for the Blues matches during the calendar year 2024. To establish it, according to the document sent to the presidents, “the Premium list is made up of 45 players with the greatest number of days available for the French XV / unavailability for the club in the calendar year…”
Note that a player may appear on this list in the event that, “[il] was selected twice in the group of 28 players during the 2025 6 Nations Tournament”. This explains the presence of Parisian Paul Gabrillagues who had participated in the first two matches of the Tournament, Ireland and Scotland. Conversely, when reading the list, we may be surprised by the absence of Toulouse, Romain Ntamack from this list given his status. But the opener was injured for a very long time and never participated in any gathering in 2024. His club is the most represented with 11 registered, followed by the trio Bordeaux, La Rochelle, Racing 92 with 6 members, then we find Toulon with 4. Only Bayonne and Vannes do not have representatives in this list. At the start of the week, the presidents of Top 14 and Pro D2 met in Lyon to discuss the calculation and evolution of the Salary Cap. According to our information, a consensus has emerged on a form of status quo until 2027.
The list of 45 so-called premium players:
Toulouse (11) : Antoine, Dupont, Thomas Ramos, Peato Mauvaka, Julien Marchand, François Cros, Alexandre Roumat, Cyril Baille, Dorian Aldegheri, Matthis Lebel, Thibaud Flament, Emmanuel Meafou
Bordeaux (6) : Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Yoram Moefana, Maxime Lucu, Damian Penaud, Matthieu Jalibert, Maxime Lamothe
La Rochelle (6): Paul Boudehent, Uini Atonio, Georges-Henri Colombe, Grégory Alldritt, Reda Wardi, Jonathan Danty
Racing 92 (6) : Gaël Fickou, Nolann Le Garrec, Cameron Woki, Romain Taofifenua, Thomas Laclayat, Antoine Gibert
Toulon (4) : Charles Ollivon, Jean-Baptiste Gros, Antoine Frisch, Esteban Abadie
Lyon (3) : Sébastien Taofifenua, Mickaël Guillard, Léo Berdeu
Clermont (2) : Léon Darricarrère, Killian Tixeront
Pau (2) : Emilien Gailleton, Théo Attissogbe
French Stadium Paris (2): Léo Barré, Paul Gabrillagues
Castres (1): Gaëtan Barlot
Montpellier (1) : To be Nouchi
Perpignan (1): Posolo Tuilagi
