French poaching fears

WELSH rugby chief executive David Moffett is worried big-spending French clubs could poach all their best players and will raise the issue at the next Six Nations meeting.

“France are artificially inflating the transfer market. I don’t think it’s sustainable, but they have benefactors with deep pockets,” he said.

“I will make my concerns known to the French Union.” Stephen Jones, Gareth Thomas and Shane Williams are targets for French clubs.

Moffett has fears about what the financial domination of France and England in the northern hemisphere will do to the game.

“It’s not just Wales. If France target, say, Brian O'Driscoll, they'll get him, because they have the financial muscle. They don’t have any salary caps and seem to be a law unto themselves,” he said. “England and France are cash rich ... but it won’t do them much good if they have no-one to play.”