Racing Metro exit Paris for Top 14 opener

Jonathan Sexton has got an early taste of the idiosyncrasies of Racing Metro president Jacky Lorenzetti with the Paris club moving their first home match of the season 500km away to the seaside — because most of their supporters will be on holiday.

Sexton’s new club had requested that they be drawn away from home for the first round of the French Top 14, which starts in the middle of next month, because they feared they would not get a crowd as most Parisians are on vacation at that time.

Racing Metro officials were angry when they were drawn at home to Brive in the opening round and reacted by moving the match almost 500km away to La Rochelle.