France enact special measures with 'protected player list' of 33 to target 2027 World Cup

The French Rugby Federation (FFR) has reportedly enacted special measures with the Top 14 clubs for the first time to protect “33 premium players” over the coming season into the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

For the first time the player load of France national players will be managed in accordance with the agreement to ensure that France has every opportunity to win the Rugby World Cup in Australia.

The ‘protected status players’ must be given a weekend off every four matches, or two match days in an eight-week span over this season by the Top 14 clubs.

The trade off is that France will have a selection cap and the 33 players can only play nine Tests over the international windows leading into the World Cup.

This includes November’s Nations Championship finals window (4 Tests), the Six Nations (5), and the warm-up internationals (3) leading into the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

It was during the warm-up internationals in 2023 where France lost flyhalf Romain Ntamack to a serious knee injury, which resulted in the Toulouse star missing the entire World Cup. At the time he was one of the world’s premier No.10s.

They also lost key big man Paul Willemse, with the South African-born lock ruled out of the entire tournament before the opening match with a thigh injury.

Prop Cyril Baille and flanker Anthony Jelonch were picked in the World Cup squad despite still recovering from injury. Baille missed the opening stages of the World Cup after injury in the warm-up games, while Jelonch had ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in February during the Six Nations.

French publication Midi Olympique has obtained the full 33-player list which reportedly includes 13 from Toulouse; heavyweight stars like Antoine Dupont, Romain Ntamack, Thomas Ramos, François Cros, Thibaud Flament, and Emmanuel Meafou.

European champions Bordeaux have six players protected including many of France’s backline weapons Damian Penaud, Louis Bielle-Biarrey, and flyhalf Matthieu Jalibert.

Toulon veteran pair Gael Fickou and Charles Ollivon are included along with Racing 92 lock Romain Taofifénua who was famously red carded in France’s 2019 quarter-final against Wales in Japan.

While scrumhalf Nolann Le Garrec and flanker Paul Boudehent are included from La Rochelle, one of the biggest omissions is their teammate Gregory Alldritt who has 58 Test caps. Bordeaux’s Maxime Lucu, expected to be the back up for Dupont, is also excluded.

The protected player list is meant to manage workload specifically which is why some senior players are not included, FFR determining they do not need it.