Mixed updates for fans of #Top14 side Pau GOOD NEWS: No surgery needed for Emilien Gailleton. Out for 6/8 weeks rather than 4 months BAD NEWS: Joe Simmonds faces another 6 weeks out after a relapse of his calf injury www.rugbyrama.fr/2025/12/04/t...

Uini Atonio *could* return for La Rochelle against Leicester on Saturday, a few weeks earlier than expected www.rugbyrama.fr/2025/12/03/c...

Confirmed: Montpellier's Hugo Reus to Perpignan until the end of the season, after which he'll head to Bordeaux www.rugbyrama.fr/2025/12/02/e...

Scotland international Chloe Rollie on swapping the PWR and Trailfinders for France's Elite 1 and Rugby Club Toulon Provence Méditerranée www.rugbypass.com/news/i-neede...

French rugby at its Frenchest www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugby/...

Wait, what? www.rugbyrama.fr/2025/11/30/t...

Everyone's very excited about Antoine Dupont's Toulouse return - and quite rightly - but Saturday night's #Top14 match against Racing 92 will be emotional for another reason. It's Pita Ahki's last outing before he returns to New Zealand He's not played since Nov1, but Midol reckons he'll start

#Top14 side Toulouse to face hearing over Melvyn Jaminet's transfer on December 8. Possible sanctions may be severe www.lequipe.fr/Rugby/Articl...

I know everyone's all-in on international rugby right now, but away sides have won four of the six matches in France's #Top14 so far this weekend - with just Stade Francais v Toulon on Sunday to go. Me, on the action so far for @irishexaminer.bsky.social www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugby/...

Umm... www.rugbyrama.fr/2025/11/20/p...

Solar electricity production is so high that France is introducing summer peak hours, with cheaper periods during the day www.thelocal.fr/20251002/fra...

And here's the actual confirmed squad. Flament / Meafou return; Ollivon at 7; Gourges on the bench

Want to come and work at The Local? You'll be forced to pay attention to whatever the fuck is going on in 🇫🇷 politics, but other than that the job is a lot of fun - writing articles on a huge range of French subjects and being on Talking France podcast Paris-based, CDI, details 👇 #journojobs

Manny Edmonds to Carcassonne. That could be interesting www.uscarcassonne.com/2025/11/19/m...

#Top14 average crowd in the first block of 9 games: 15,285 - pretty much toe-to-toe with the average figure for 2024/25. #ProD2 average crowd after 10 matches: 6,162 - up 10% on the same period last season. A figure boosted, obviously, by the 30,000 at Vannes-Grenoble last Sunday

Seguret to La Rochelle, Gontineac to Castres - and sharpish, too, Rugbyrama reports www.rugbyrama.fr/2025/11/19/e...

Bib Theory squad for France's final November Test v Australia. Ramos; Penaud, Depoortere, Fickou, LBB; Ntamack, Lucu; Alldritt, Ollivon, Jelonch; Meafou, Flament; Montagne, Marchand, Gros Bench: Lamothe, Neti, Laclayat, Taofifenua, Auradou, Jegou, Jauneau, Gourgues Squad announced Thursday 11am

Rugby fans who live in countries where you can't watch the French #Top14... This might be of interest www.top14rugbytv.com

David Darricarrere out (well, reassigned) at Brive, replaced until the end of the season by ... sporting director Pierre-Henry Broncan. Expect, then, further coaching changes for the 2026/27 campaign www.lamontagne.fr/brive-la-gai...

More managerial movement in French rugby, as L'Equipe reports Fabien Gengenbacher has left his post as sporting director at Lyon www.lequipe.fr/Rugby/Actual...

Whispers surrounding the precarious nature of David Darricarrere's future as head coach at #ProD2 side Brive getting louder. A top brass meeting scheduled for tonight looks like it will be decisive

Late change: Manny Meafou has had to withdraw. Romain Taofifenua starts, Jimi Maximin comes onto the bench

Six changes in the starting XV, including the return of Charles Ollivon for the first time in nearly a year, and Greg Alldritt; and seven out of 8 on the bench, with Maxime Lamothe set to win his first cap

Confirmed: the France squad to face Fiji in Bordeaux this weekend

Confirmed: one more year at #Top14 side Montpellier for Billy Vunipola www.montpellier-rugby.com/news/billy-v...

Laurent Labit wants Perpignan off the foot of the #Top14 by the end of January. His first match in charge is the 'home' match against Montpellier in Beziers on November 22. www.lequipe.fr/Rugby/Actual...

Benjamin Urdapilleta's retirement is over. He's due to arrive in Perpignan this week to cover their injury crisis www.rugbyrama.fr/2025/11/12/t...

Not sure how much Rassie Erasmus gets paid, but after Saturday's showing he (and his coaching staff) deserves every Rand of it Fabien Galthie's tactical and substitutional choices proved costly #FRAvRSA uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/erasmus...

I don't know but this Belgium team seems hellbent in creating history... 😈 First round of the Rugby World Cup Final Qualification Tournament has wrapped up and here's my report about it www.rugbypass.com/news/colossa...

France squad confirmed for Saturday's match v South Africa. Per Bib Theory ... and the LNR's mistakenly sent early press release

*Bib Theory Update* France's possible starting XV for Saturday's Test against South Africa, based entirely on training bib numbers Ramos; Penaud, Barassi, Fickou (cap), Bielle-Biarrey; Ntamack, Le Garrec; Boudehent, Guillard, Jelonch; Meafou, Flament; Montagne, Marchand, Erdocio

And here's that expected confirmation from #Top14 side Perpignan of the new coaching set-up with Laurent Labit, Joe Worsley and Nicolas Nadau Meanwhile, Franck Azema's name is popping up in relation to Brive - where David Darricarrere is under pressure. www.usap.fr/articles/08B...

Joris Segonds is out with a knee injury. Galthie has called up Léo Barre

I know you're all internationally focused this weekend, but there's some #Top14 rugby taking place, too. And some of it didn't run according to plan... Me, for @irishexaminer.bsky.social www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugby/...

That'll be Antoine Dupont signing a contract extension at Toulouse through to 2031 on the Stade Ernest Wallon pitch in front of a full house at halftime, then

Fabien Galthie's second 42-player squad unveiled for the opening November international against South Africa. Some changes from the initial squad that trained at Marcoussis this week. Assuming no injuries among those playing this weekend, this is the 42 from which the matchday 23 will come

Pau's currently injured ex-England international scrum-half Dan Robson linked with a move to ambitious #ProD2 side Provence next season, according to reports in France. It's suggested he's overtaken Beziers' Samuel Marques in Philippe Saint-Andre's thinking

Castres have held off competition from Bordeaux and extended second row Tom Staniforth's stay at the club for one more season, through to 2027 castres-olympique.com/tom-stanifor...

Galthie's first 'protected players' list of the autumn: Aldegheri, Auradou, Barassi, Bielle-Biarrey, Boudehent, Cramont, Depoortere, Erdocio, Fickou, Flament, Gros, Guillard, Jegou, Jelonch, Le Garrec, Lucu, Marchand, Meafou, Montagne, Ntamack, Penaud, Ramos, Taofifenua

*Very* early Bib Theory - more Bib Hypothesis, really - France starting XV for the first of the November Tests v SA. Ramos; Penaud, Barassi, Fickou, Bielle-Biarrey; Ntamack, Le Garrec / Lucu; Boudehent, Guillard, Jelonch; Meafou, Flament; ​​Montagne, Marchand, Erdocio / Gros

Looks increasingly likely that Laurent Labit will become new head coach at #Top14 basement side Perpignan, while Joe Worsley is set to move from Brive to take charge of the Catalan defence, Rugbyrama reports www.rugbyrama.fr/2025/10/29/t...

Busy week in French rugby's rotating doors dept After #Top14 side Perpignan confirmed Franck Azema's departure on Monday, Midi Olympique reports summer head coach arrival Rory Teague has been relieved of coaching duties at #ProD2's Beziers, as has Johnny Howard www.rugbyrama.fr/2025/10/28/e...

#Top14 side Perpignan confirm the departure of manager Franck Azema, after 8 defeats and zero points in their first 8 games - the worst-ever start to a Top 14 season www.usap.fr/articles/0BF...

Matthieu Jalibert out for four weeks with a thigh injury picked up in the win over Bayonne, meaning he will miss France's entire November international period www.rugbyrama.fr/2025/10/27/t...

Franck Azema close to the exit door at #Top14 basement side Perpignan, following their eighth defeat in eight matches, reports Midi Olympique. Laurent Labit in pole position to take over www.rugbyrama.fr/2025/10/26/t...

FFR has confirmed Matthieu Jalibert is out of the initial week's training camp for the November internationals, along with Romain Taofifenua. Ugo Seunes rapid rise continues. He's called up in Jalibert's place, while Baptiste Pesenti comes in for Taofifenua

Called up to France on Wednesday. Played his first game of the season on Saturday night. Headed to FFR HQ on Sunday. Of course Maxime Lucu was in fine fettle. But there may be some not-so good Matthieu Jalibert news on Fabien Galthie's horizon www.therugbypaper.co.uk/latest-news/...

That was the #Top14 Saturday that was: La Rochelle win on the road for the first time this season And Lucu's back, which is good news for Galthie. But Jalibert's injury probably isn't Perpignan's woes deepen at Montauban Me for @irishexaminer.bsky.social www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugby/...

That was the #Top14 Saturday that was: La Rochelle win on the road for the first time this season And Lucu's back, which is good news for Galthie. But Jalibert's injury probably isn't Perpignan's woes deepen at Montauban Me for @irishexaminer.bsky.social www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugby/...

Samuel Bielle-Biarrey could make his first pro outing tonight after being named on the bench for #ProD2 side Grenoble's match against Carcassonne. He insists he's not as fast as his older brother, which would be the case for a fair few people