French league plan changes

PLANS to streamline the French club championship will need to take into account France’s Test commitments in the buildup to the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

The French Rugby Federation said the plans by the National Rugby League (LNR) to combine the two current pools of eight clubs each into a 16-club championship in 2004/2005 and a 14-club league for the three following years risked hurting the French Test side.

A combined pool would lead to clubs playing 10 more matches a season and has led to threats of a strike by the player’s union leader and ex-Test prop Serge Simon.