In 2020, the highest administrative court ruled in favor of the body managing professional rugby which was already contesting a unilateral decision by the Federation to extend the period of release of players for the benefit of the French XV.
In an exclusive interview given to Le Figaro, the president of the FFR put pressure on the League (the professional clubs) to obtain the provision of the best Blues for the new competition, the Nations Cup, which replaces this fall and therefore also next summer, the traditional tours of November and July. In the words of Florian Grill, either the LNR accepts the new requirements of the Federation, or the latter will apply “strictly in accordance with World Rugby Rule 9. supposed to force Top 14 clubs to release their players for international periods.
As soon as this declaration of war was known, the leaders of professional rugby informed Le Figaro what their response would be. It is based on a court decision, that rendered by the Council of State on October 9, 2020. The LNR was already contesting the right of the FFR “to unilaterally impose the implementation of World Rugby’s decision of July 30, 2020 extending the period of release of players for the benefit of their national team“. She then ordered the FFR to initiate a discussion, as provided for by the convention of the time.
« The internal regulations of the structure called World Rugby do not produce direct effect in national public law. »
Skip the ad
Requests deemed admissible by the Council of State. Which established case law favorable to the LNR. “The internal regulations of the structure called World Rugby do not produce direct effect in national public law. (…) It does not appear likely (…) to impose itself in domestic law as long as the only standard enforceable, to players and teams alike, is not modified by mutual agreement by the authors, the Federation and the League, empowered to decide.»
Also read
Rugby: the TF1 group recovers the rights to the 2027 World Cup and the majority of Les Bleus matches until 2029
«It follows that, to allow the extension of the period of availability as well as the number of matches likely to be played with regard to the conditions of provision of athletes selected for the French team, a modification of the relevant provisions of the agreement between the Federation and the League is, contrary to what the Federation maintains, necessary. These modifications can only be made by joint decision of the Federation and the League.»
Threat, response, standoff…
Florian Grill’s barely veiled threat to go into force if by chance the discussions with the League did not result in an expanded provision of internationals would therefore probably come up against a new referral to the Council of State with, most certainly, the same reason as in 2020. The LNR had contested the unilateral decisions of the FFR because “they cause excessive harm to the economic interests of professional rugby and threaten the sustainability of certain clubs as well as the health of players, exposing them to a very significant risk of injury“. The standoff, including the legal one, is only just beginning.
