France’s top players set to miss Nations Championship opener against All Blacks in Christchurch
Wednesday, 21 January 2026
The French, appropriately, have a saying that goes, “plus ça change, plus la même chose”. It translates simply to this: the more things change, the more they stay the same.
It could well be the catchcry of French rugby, too, with confirmation this week that despite World Rugby’s best attempts to add interest to the sagging July and November test windows, Fabien Galthié’s squad will once again head to New Zealand for their July 4 opener without a large contingent of their leading players.
The only difference is this time the fixture is part of the opening round of the new Nations Championship which will see the northern and southern hemisphere nations face off in an official competition to decide the world’s best test team.
The 12-team competition is part of World Rugby’s attempt to provide legitimacy to, and heighten interest in, the annual July and November test windows that see the two hemispheres do battle. Tests will now accrue points, with the top two sides facing off in a money-spinning grand final at the end of November.
The French have provided a figurative shrug of the shoulders to that, with the national federation (FFR) and club competition (LNR) this week announcing their latest agreement which will continue to see players from the Top 14 final unavailable for the opening international of the July window.
That this year’s fixture is against the All Blacks, in the first test under their new head coach following the dramatic off-season sacking of Scott Robertson, in the first international to be played at the new Christchurch stadium, clearly matters not a jot to the French.
By continuing to schedule the Top 14 final in the week immediately preceding the July test opener, the French have ensured a swag of their stars and other first-choice performers will not be available for at least the first match of the window. In this case it is one of the pivotal contests of the new championship and could go a long way to deciding the top teams from the respective divisions.
It’s almost certain, for example, Les Bleus will be without superstar halfback Antoine Dupont who has never played a test in New Zealand. He is the standout figure in the stacked Toulouse team that leads the Top 14, and is considered a hot prospect to contest the final.
That would also rule out other leading French figures such as scrum-half Thomas Ramos, lock Thibaud Flament, hooker Julien Marchand, flanker Anthony Jelonch, centres Romain Ntamack and Pierre-Louis Barassi, and forwards Cyril Baille, Emmanuel Meafou, and Paul Graou.
Star wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey's Bordeaux-Begles, along with Pau and Stade Francais, are considered the other leading contenders to reach the Top 14 decider on July 27.
Of course, sending a virtual B team to face the All Blacks in July is nothing new for the French who have long been compromised by the scheduling conflict with the club finale. Last year Galthié brought a squad of largely second-stringers to New Zealand and were swept 3-0 by the All Blacks, despite them being highly competitive in each contest.
The French have lost their last dozen tests on the bounce to the All Blacks in New Zealand, with their last victory (27-22) coming at Carisbrook in Dunedin in 2009.
The player release deal between the two French organisations will run until 2031 and is set to be ratified at their respective annual meetings on February 4.
'It's the right compromise to be able to have the best league in the world and the France national team in a position to win a Rugby World Cup,' they said. 'It's a principle of intelligence and co-operation between the France coaches and the club coaches.“
France will open the defence of their Six Nations title campaign against Ireland in Paris on February 5.