French Clubs Circling To 'exploit' Latest Welsh Crisis

With Welsh clubs preparing for nan commencement of nan United Rugby Championship (URC) amid uncertainty, French vultures are circling.

Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets will play nan first artifact of nan URC while fearing for their futures.

Former Wales backmost James Hook says it is "obvious that nan French clubs will beryllium looking to utilization that" uncertainty.

The Welsh Rugby Players Association (WRPA) has already told nan Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) that its preferred scheme to trim down to 2 clubs would "drive talent to time off Wales".

The upheaval intends that plentifulness of players will watch French action pinch jealousy successful nan coming weeks and months, nary uncertainty tempted to subordinate nan Welsh contingent.

There are presently 9 Welsh players successful France's apical 2 tiers. That number could turn arsenic clubs pinch heavy pockets look to utilization different crisis.

The Top 14 now features Adam Beard astatine Montpellier, Racing 92's Will Rowlands, Gareth Anscombe successful Bayonne and Carwyn Tuipulotu astatine Pau.

There are 5 much successful Pro D2 pinch George North and Tomas Francis astatine Provence, Sam Davies astatine Grenoble, Owen Lane astatine Valence Romans and Tyler Morgan successful Biarritz.

The WRU intends to denote its last determination for nan early of nan elite crippled by November, but has nan harm already been done?

Welsh rugby was successful a healthier authorities erstwhile Hook took up an opportunity astatine Perpignan successful 2011.

Ospreys won nan title successful nan seasons either broadside of nan playmaker's exit and were semi-finalists successful his last run successful Swansea.

Nonetheless, nan Wales world could not move down a chance to subordinate nan Top 14.

"It was a bully clip to spell and acquisition life successful a different state and play successful a different league," said Hook. "The ambiance and passion for rugby was amazing."

The 81-times capped backmost played 3 seasons successful France and past joined Gloucester earlier returning to nan Ospreys to decorativeness his career.

The WRU intends to make its last determination connected nan early of nan elite crippled earlier nan autumn series, but Hook believes talent is already being watched.

"With nan authorities of Welsh rugby it's evident that nan French clubs will beryllium looking to utilization that, and English clubs arsenic well," said nan 40-year-old.

"If location is an connection past players – and coaches – are going to earnestly look astatine it because astatine nan infinitesimal they are conscionable not utilized to winning, whether that is astatine nine level aliases internationally."

That Davies, who moved to France successful 2023, will spent different play successful Pro D2 still hurts.

The fly-half played done nan symptom successful Grenoble's promotion play-off aft an early rustle from a vulnerable clearout, successful a lucifer that ended successful a last-gasp conclusion to Perpignan.

The eight-times capped world is still connected nan comeback way from a summertime enarthrosis cognition and is targeting a mid-November return.

The left-footer lived done his adjacent stock of Welsh rugby farces and is now watching pinch sympathy.

"At nan Ospreys I retrieve being sat successful Paul James' barroom successful Neath erstwhile we were fresh for a merger (with Scarlets)," Davies recalls.

"My telephone has already been going and there's nary uncertainty that much players will beryllium interested. It's not conscionable nan money, it's nan security.

"I'm bully friends pinch players and person been asking them if they are okay because they conscionable don't cognize what is going to happen.

"Some alteration seems inevitable and that's sometimes painful, but it's clip to extremity these sagas."

The WRU's preferred action successful its consultation action is simply a trim from 4 men's teams to two, which would mean less jobs.

Davies would impulse anyone who gets a French opportunity to grasp it.

"I americium super-happy that I moved," he said. "I needed to beryllium portion of a winning squad and playing for a reason.

"I person sewage that astatine Grenoble and person knowledgeable immoderate unthinkable highs but besides immoderate of nan worst emotions because it matters truthful much. That comes from playing for a organization that really rallies down nan teams."

The likes of existent Wales stars Jac Morgan, Dewi Lake and Aaron Wainwright are judge to beryllium connected nan radar of French clubs.

However, opportunities are constricted successful France and location are plentifulness of nationalities looking to unafraid deals.

Former Dragons coach Barry Maddocks, who was a centre astatine Aberavon successful his playing days, near for a occupation pinch Biarritz successful 2021 and past moved connected to Agen.

This play he is pinch eager Nissa Rugby successful nan Nationale, France's 3rd tier, moving pinch a squad successful Nice that includes erstwhile Wales fly-half/centre Owen Williams.

Maddocks knows each astir nan quotas for 'Joueurs Issus des Filières de Formation' – French Top 14 sides must mean 16 home-grown players successful their matchday squads passim a campaign.

"There are only truthful galore non-JIFF slots," said Maddocks. "That makes it very, very difficult, and location is besides nan measurement of players connected nan market.

"There is still an effect from nan illness of clubs successful England and a batch of boys successful Australia are looking for jobs.

"There is simply a large excavation of players and it's a buyers' marketplace – clubs tin thrust prices down if location are 2 aliases 3 group looking for a job."

Maddocks is different to singing nan praises of nan French rugby acquisition and does not judge that moves will beryllium constricted to adjacent summer.

"Each section has been beardown pinch passionate crowds and I've gained truthful overmuch knowledge from different cultures and clubs," he said.

"I wouldn't norm retired much targeted recruitment and, pinch each nan upheaval successful Wales, travel clubs could astir apt effort to get players who are nether statement but nervy."

If nan WRU's proposals lead to a caller exodus of players, caller Wales caput coach Steve Tandy mightiness person to get utilized to watching nan Top 14 successful summation to URC and Prem Rugby to measure his action options.