France

Rugby has been given a wake-up call as the FIFA World Cup has expanded to 48 teams. Tuesday’s announcement that the 2026 FIFA World Cup would be increased from 32 to 48 participants sees it having more than double that of rugby’s showpiece event. FIFA World Cup Expansion The FIFA …

World Rugby is on the verge of changing the player eligibility law to 5 years. Rugby’s global governing body is pushing through legislation that will change Regulation 8. A special meeting is scheduled to take place this month in San Francisco with an announcement of new policies expected to follow. …

Clermont are on the brink of a fly half injury crisis. Argentine star Patricio Fernández has been ruled out for 8-10 weeks. With the imminent selection of Camille Lopez for the Six Nations the Central French club is facing the prospect of having no available specialist fly half. Fernández suffered …

Americas players are spread thinly through most of the Top 14 this week, with half of the 10 likely to play named in one game. Lyon is set to welcome Bordeaux to Matmut Stadium on Friday evening with Francisco Gómez Kodela holding down the tighthead side of the scrum in …

Argentine second row Leandro Cedaro will be moving from La Rochelle to Agen next season according to the French press. The 28-year-old is originally from the Regatas club in Resistencia but qualifies for Italy through ancestry and won a single cap for the Azzurri against Scotland in 2013. Despite showing …

Felipe Berchesi will ring in the New Year with a cast on his forearm after having surgery to mend a broken bone while playing for Carcassonne against Dax on December 9. The Uruguayan goal kicker will spend several weeks on the sidelines with a return unlikely before late February. It’s a …

The pools for the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup have now been determined. While the draw took place last month, three spots were still to be determined in regional qualifying matches. Those have now been completed and all 12 teams are now ready to begin their tournament preparations. Spain took …

It hasn’t taken long for David Tameilau to make his mark on French rugby, and if reports out of the French media are correct his stay in the Pro D2 might not be long either. After joining Narbonne in October as a medical joker for the injured David Penalva, Tameilau …

There will be no ‘Pool of Death’ for Americas teams when the HSBC Sevens Series resumes in Wellington on January 28. After a rough start to the 2016-17 season, all three Americas teams at the tournament will be looking for a lift in fortunes, and the draw has certainly offered …

Americas teams found more frustration in Cape Town with the USA tying for 7th spot, Argentina clocking out in 10th, and Canada again topping the bottom bracket in 13th. The glory went to England who upset home team South Africa to claim the title for their first tourney win of …