In New Zealand, the absence of French rugby stars tarnishes the reunion between the All Blacks and the French XV

The match had something to entice more than one rugby fan. On Saturday, July 5, the All Blacks will host the French men's rugby team in Dunedin, New Zealand, for the first of three highly anticipated test matches (9:05 a.m. Paris time). With a three-game losing streak against the French, including their 27-13 defeat in the opening match of the 2023 World Cup in France, the New Zealanders have every reason to seek revenge.

Yet, at the time of this reunion, a mixture of bitterness and resignation prevails among fans of the team with the fern. As it does every summer, the French Rugby Federation (FFR) has chosen to rest its so-called "premium" players – namely its headliners – after a trying season, and to embark on its summer tour with a largely revamped squad.

Facing a team that many are presenting as a "second" or even "experimental," the All Blacks know that any possible victory will be less resounding due to the absence of iconic players Antoine Dupont, Damian Penaud, Thomas Ramos, and Grégory Alldritt. And in the land of the long white cloud, anger is growing over this discredited match, something the French management accepts. "The French team has been operating like this for five or six years ," explains Abdelatif Benazzi, vice-president of the FFR in charge of international affairs. "We field the players who are in the best form, period. This is in no way a lack of respect towards our opponents."

The French decision, linked to a problem with an overcrowded schedule for Top 14 international players, is creating tension, as these matches are of importance beyond the sporting sphere in New Zealand. There, each test match represents a national event, essential to the financial stability of local rugby. While it remains a global benchmark in terms of training and performance, New Zealand rugby is going through a structural crisis. Thus, despite record revenue, New Zealand Rugby (NZR), the national federation, suffered a net loss of €10 million in 2024.

"The current system is no longer viable," admitted Mark Robinson, the body's chief executive, to public media outlet RNZ. In this context, the All Blacks' international tours and the image they enjoy constitute essential financial levers. The arrival of the prestigious French XV was supposed to boost ticket sales, television rights, merchandising, and commercial partnerships. But this seems difficult when the headliners of French rugby are not present.

In the New Zealand press, the indignation is palpable. "They are furious because it devalues ​​a mega series and their ability to market it." said journalist Will Kelleher on X. NZR had to revise its ambitions downwards: goodbye to the iconic Eden Park stadium in Auckland and its 50,000 seats. The matches against the "bis" Blues will take place in stadiums with a smaller capacity, such as the one in Dunedin (30,000 seats), on Saturday. The New Zealand authorities had also considered relocating one of the matches to the United States, a booming market, where the All Blacks are increasing their commercial operations, but the FFR opposed it, "for the health of the players" , confirms Abdelatif Benazzi.

"Unfortunately, we can't do better," replied French coach Fabien Galthié at a press conference on Thursday, declaring that he "understood" the New Zealand criticism - especially since France is the "only nation" to be deprived of its senior players during the summer tour, he specified. On this choice, the result of negotiations with the National Rugby League regarding the release of international players, The international federation, World Rugby, is holding back. It considers that these matches, organized outside its direct jurisdiction, do not justify its intervention.

Beyond the tensions it provokes, this controversy illustrates the divide between two rugby models. In the Southern Hemisphere, national federations retain control over the entire system, from clubs to national teams, with one stated priority: fielding the best players in the national team for each major competition. A strategy that is hurting clubs, at the opposite end of the spectrum from the power of the Top 14, considered the best championship on the planet.

In Europe, where seasons last nearly ten months, national competitions play a major role, and players benefit from collective bargaining agreements that strictly regulate their playing time. "We don't have an all-powerful federation. We have an autonomous professional league and a federation responsible for international players ," insists Abdelatif Benazzi. "Our first responsibility is to protect the players" – by ensuring that they do not play more than 25 matches per season (or 2,000 minutes of playing time), the limit set for players who have gone to New Zealand.