Rugby: the threat of dismissal of French clubs among the best All Blacks should be relaxed

A project to change the salary limits is planned to allow French clubs to remove the "famous players" to guarantee the signatures of the best black players.

The proposed changes will be discussed at a three-day meeting between the Top 14 and Pro D2 club presidents in Bordeaux next week. If these changes are approved, French clubs will have more money to attract the best players after the Rugby World Cup.

The plan, which will see the salary ceiling lowered between € 300,000 (NZ $ 495,960) and € 500,000 (NZ $ 826,495) from its current € 11.3 million (NZ $ 18,678,787), would already have the support of Mourad Boudjellal, Toulon, Laurent Marti and Yann Roubert of Lyon.

Presidents of high-level French clubs are expected to be easily persuaded to be part of the branded player system, many currently struggling to get big name signatures.

The salary cap, which had been introduced for the Top 14 and Pro D2 clubs in 2010, was originally put in place to avoid major financial difficulties for several clubs.

This season, the average wage bill for the Top 14 would be 8.5 million euros (14,047,950 NZD).

French clubs have been relentlessly pursuing All Blacks skipper Kieran Read, flanker Ardie Savea and veteran lock Sam Whitelock.

French newspaper L & # 39; Team reported this weekend that English and Japanese clubs were chasing the All Blacks captain and Racing 92 was ready to outbid any other club.

Read seems to want to test itself in France after the World Cup next year and it has been reported that a short-term compromise deal is about to be concluded.

Read says the Herald in November, he will put an end to his long and illustrious All Black career at the World Cup in Japan next year.

Last month, Midi Olympique announced that Ben Smith had signed a seven-month contract with Pau, which would begin after the World Cup.

Pau was also interested in the services of the All Blacks flanker, Ardie Savea, who has been linked for some time to a move abroad.

The French newspaper also reported that Toulon's big spenders were in talks with hurricanes Nehe Milner-Skudder and crusader center Ryan Crotty.

Last month, Beauden Barrett also spoke for the first time about a possible move to Japan after next year's World Cup, while Brodie Retallick also showed similar interest.