207 Foreigners in Top 14

[beige]

Thursday 28th August 2008

Your eyes do not deceive you. The Top 14 kicked-off last Tuesday with no less than 207 foreigners in France's top division. Add to that another 165 étrangers in the ProD2 and you've got the makings of a hot debate.

The foreign 'invasion' of France continues - Saffers, Aussies, Kiwis, Englishmen, Georgians, Canadians, you made it - if there's a rugby playing nation out there, they've got an ex-pat rugby community in France.

From Paris to Perpignan, Biarritz to Bourgoin, 22 nations in all have representatives in L'Hexagone. South Africans lead the way; 48 of them ply their trade in the land of cheese and wine.

We'll save you from doing the maths, 207 foreigners (up from 185 last year) divided by 14 teams comes to an average of 14.78 per team. We're not in the habit of chopping players into little pieces, so lets call it 15. That's right, you could just about have a league in France made up entirely of foreigner players.

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[laura]

I don't even have a word to describe it That's alot of players!!!!

Is it due to the lack of ARC-level of competitions that players are heading North or does it come down the good old coinage that can't be earnt any where other than France.
Is it the fact that aren't enough contracts from SANZAR to keep our players here eg. Lachie Mackay, Brock James.
What is it that makes France so appealing to so many people from all over the world, I just don't get it!
Is their quality of rugby and competition far superior to anything that could be played elsewhere?
Is it that they are getting to play during the Southern Hemisphere's off season? Players like Michalak going back to France I understand but Joe van Niekerk?
Is it the 'retirement' to France thing, like George Gregan did? Get some good money for a year in France and then hang up the boots. Are there that many players retiring?

So many questions.....

[BLR]

Money, superior lifestyle, a chance to play with and against players you never would have been able to normally, more opportunity, less 'holier than thou' attitude by press scrutinising their every move. It can go on and on.

[Thequeerone]

More game time too - think 22 matches a year that's a whole lot less time in the gym.

[jargan83]

do the French worry that by importing foreign players their national side may suffer as a result, eg English Football side becasue the Premier League is full with foreign imports

[Wallyworld]

The small town of west wyalong [nsw] has provided three players to Pro 2 in france this season Graydon staniforth & wade grintell [excanberra raiders] are at aurillac whilst nigel staniforth has joined newly promoted bourg en bresse Last season at aurillac something like 20 out of the 32 squad were overseas players , mostly south africans as they dont count as imports Players came from nambia morocco romania canada wales & all the pacific islands so very multi cultural This will be graydons 3rd season there.