France Want Regular Lions Games - Benazzi

Third Test: Australia v British and Irish Lions

Venue: Accor Stadium, Sydney Date: Saturday 2 August Kick-off: 11:00 BST

Coverage: Live matter commentary and post-match study connected BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC iPlayer and online

The French Rugby Federation wants to "build thing for nan agelong term" pinch nan British and Irish Lions successful summation to nan projected warm-up matches for nan inaugural women's circuit successful 2027 and nan men's travel to New Zealand successful 2029.

The spot of nan nine crippled successful France and nan chance for Lions fans to travel nan squad astatine comparatively debased costs has accrued calls for it to beryllium added to nan Lions calendar.

"We commencement pinch this, but I don't want it to beryllium conscionable 1 shot," FFR vice-president Abdelatif Benazzi told BBC Sport astir discussions astir nan 2027 and 2029 fixtures.

"I deliberation we tin build thing for nan agelong term."

Former France guardant Benazzi and Nicolas Hourquet, nan FFR's head of world relations, met Lions officials successful Dublin past period earlier nan touring side's warm-up lucifer against Argentina.

Lions main executive Ben Calveley subsequently said he could "certainly understand" nan excitement astir a imaginable circuit of France.

"What's not to for illustration astir immoderate of those awesome clubs you could play against and immoderate of those awesome venues?" Calveley added.

During nan existent circuit of Australia, Lions officials put unit connected nan Wallabies to merchandise much high-profile world players for nan circuit matches amid concerns astir really competitory they would be.

The Lions hit Australia's 4 Super Rugby teams by an mean of 27.5 points, earlier sealing a bid triumph pinch triumph successful nan first 2 Tests against nan Wallabies.

Benazzi says France has nary volition of disrupting nan accustomed rotation of Lions tours, which alternate betwixt Australia, New Zealand and South Africa each 4 years.

Instead he hopes nan caller world calendar, that originates adjacent twelvemonth pinch nan first version of nan biennial Nations Cup, will create opportunities.

"Of course, we don't touch nan bequest successful nan southbound - you support that," added Benazzi.

"We person a batch of projects. We want to spot what to expect pinch nan United States - possibly we person a anticipation to play location - possibly successful Paris aliases London. We are conscionable reasoning astir ideas.

"If you person a nexus betwixt 2 institutions past it's easier to task what we want to do - a warm-up earlier nan tour, a typical crippled possibly each 4 years arsenic well, successful our ain countries aliases extracurricular for improvement of nan game."

A full-scale Lions circuit of France is an enticing prospect.

France's nationalist team, who won this year's Six Nations, are nan strongest they person been for a generation.

At nine level, Toulouse, Bordeaux-Begles and La Rochelle person won nan past 5 editions of nan Champions Cup, while nan likes of Toulon, Racing 92 and Clermont Auvergne besides connection high-quality, multi-national squads and atmospheric venues.

Interest successful rugby is beardown and increasing successful nan country, while nan Lions and their fans could recreation betwixt matches much easy than successful their accepted destinations.

However, location are sizeable governmental and logistical challenges.

The Top 14 play runs until nan extremity of June, eating into nan imaginable model for a tour. It besides puts a dense workload connected its players.

As portion of an statement pinch their clubs, France thin not to prime their apical players during nan summer, alternatively resting stars and processing depth.

A second-string France broadside pushed New Zealand adjacent successful 2 of nan 3 matches nan teams contested this summer.

However, Benazzi believes that a procreation of players eager for caller challenges and a revised attack to balancing nan demands of France's clubs and nationalist squad tin easiness immoderate problems.

"With nan Nations Cup [in which summertime results lend to a team's last standings] starting, we're looking for nan caller exemplary pinch nan convention and France," he said.

"We don't person only 25 players playing for nan French team, we build 50 players astir nan task and everyone has nan chance to compete and to play.

"We will find a equilibrium betwixt LNR and FFR.

"The youngsters now, they want thing much than accepted games. They want to compete and to meet nan large challenges. Now I deliberation they would hole for that [the Lions] for illustration it was a World Cup."

France scrum-half Nolann le Garrec, who played successful each 3 Tests against New Zealand, travelled to Melbourne to watch nan Lions' lucifer against a First Nations and Pasifika XV connected his measurement home.

If France do play nan Lions, it would beryllium for nan first clip since a 1989 fixture that was arranged to observe 200 years since nan French Revolution.

Benazzi, who won nan first of 78 France caps nan pursuing year, says it is simply a rivalry that is overdue a revival.

"My procreation missed a batch of things," he said. "Sometimes we travel backmost to enactment astatine location and missed nan crippled of nan world.

"I deliberation we've mislaid a batch of clip since 1989.

"The powerfulness of nan Lions is astonishing and we are, astatine nan aforesaid time, truthful adjacent to our neighbours, but truthful acold from this legacy.

"If we commencement again pinch a respectable task for everyone, we tin springiness our supporters and fans much dreams."