by Another week, another England international confirming a move to the Top 14. Kyle Sinckler along with Lewis Ludlam will be swapping the Premiership for Toulon, raising the number of players from England’s World Cup squad that will be turning out in France next season to nine. If Billy Vunipola completes a move to Montpellier it will be double figures and if his brother Mako joins him, France’s top two will be just shy of a full XV that represented England at the 2019 World Cup or the World Cup 2023. By anyone’s standards it is an unprecedented direction of travel.
It’s not that many of these players are great players – the Rob Andrew era at Toulouse in the early 90s shows that Englishmen have been moving across the Channel since even before the advent of professionalism – but the sheer number of people as well as their profile . The Irish Rugby Football Union’s decision to ban anyone playing outside of England from donning the rose red jersey in 2012 was made to ensure that a flood of players following the Jonny Wilkinson saga at Toulon was not just he seems powerless to stop it. obscure nouvelle.
Related: England internationals Kyle Sinckler and Lewis Ludlam have joined Toulon
While it is true to say that many of those making the move are on the wrong side of 30, players whose international careers were coming to a natural end and would probably not have offered the RFU “enhanced” contracts the next season, there are too many exceptions to be considered a rule. Owen Farrell is the most high profile departure but Henry Arundell, Joe Marchant and Jack Willis are all players with their best years ahead of them. They are the ones who will inspire the RFU the most.
Former England center Jamie Noon finished his career with spells at Brive and then Tulle and has since been employed as an agent in France. As a result he is in a better position than most to judge the growing numbers that follow in his footsteps and it is remarkable that the players themselves, rather than the French clubs, are engineering the moves.
“The French clubs are willing to get quality players but the UK seems more interested in going to France,” Noon tells the Guardian. “Sometimes when a player is released, they think: ‘I’ll just go to France and make more money.’ It doesn’t work like that. This year more than ever some really quality players want to come to France. They’re the ones who aren’t even necessarily out of contract, Owen has cut his contract to move so there’s a real desire to do something different.”
Looking at the reasons behind the exodus and some are clear. The World Cup cycle is still relatively new and it is possible that someone like Arundell will return to England in time to make the squad for the 2027 tournament. The financial benefits are clear, too, and perhaps more importantly the security placed available when Gaeil London, Wasps and Worcester still expressed. It is also significant that Premier League clubs are only allowed one marquee player as well as an understanding that careers are short.
“Japan is the richest league in the world so the players will make the most money over there but in terms of transfer and adaptation, France is a bit easier,” says Nóin. “The money is good, there are benefits and the league is competitive. The French leagues have financial police, they have to account for their money at the start of the season, they have to be able to prove that all this money is coming in to be able to offer these contracts to the players. . So it is definitely safer.
“And the great thing about the French contract offers is that they include accommodation. There are also tax breaks, so you pay less tax or there are tax benefits if you are married, if you have children. You can get called something deviationwhich also helps your tax allowance – that’s quite interesting, especially compared to UK rates.”
However, it is too simplistic to look at things only in cold, hard economic terms. “It’s also a beautiful place to be, the whole French lifestyle, rugby is very competitive and it’s definitely very attractive for someone who has that desire to be competitive and really push the boundaries with be able to test yourself at that level. ” says noon.
“Players more than ever this year are more open to exploration and they are not naive to think that they will be playing this level of rugby forever and if they can throw money in, they might bring money in sooner. Or they just want to do something different. I can speak from experience, I enjoy a change of scenery.”
To put the question another way, why are French clubs so happy to welcome an aging Englishman into a league that is one of the most successful in Europe? The answer may lie thousands of miles away as one only needs to glance at the squad lists to see how many of the All Blacks and Springboks – the type of players who would once lead France – who is trying for Japan. This makes the Top 14 a more attractive offer for English players.
“French clubs like a name, they like a CV with a lot to offer,” says Noon. “That’s the presidents too – they want to offer something to their supporters. They are certainly aware of it. They also know that in terms of being able to get the best players to France, Japan seems to be winning that battle at the moment.
“So, because England is only a stone’s throw away, it works well. It’s not like going to Kiwi or South Africa, they’re going to the basement bucket. These guys are still top class and still performing at a similar level.”
So far there has been little push back from France, no complaints about the English invasion although it was telling to hear LNR president Rene Bouscatel say back in December “it is good news for the attractiveness of our leagues , but it’s not necessarily good news. for rugby in the long term in general”. France also has a salary cap as well as rules that encourage clubs to select home-grown players. Accordingly, Noon strongly advises against anyone planning to go to France just to line their pockets during their career.
“I say this to a lot of players we move over here, the French approach to rugby and culture and philosophy is different to the UK,” he says. “You have to be open-minded, come with a desire to learn the way they do it and be involved. Sometimes it’s very different, sometimes it feels a little wacky but if you go with it then they respect it and they respect you a little bit more too. Instead of coming and trying to change things or complain, if you lean down and work hard on the language that will help in everyday life and within the team, they will love you for it.”
