Top 14 talking points: And then there were eight

With three rounds of the regular Top 14 season to go, eight teams are left in the hunt for just six play-off places

The other Kpoku brother

Quietly, and with little of the media fuss that has surrounded his brothers, Jonathan Kpoku is carving out a rugby career in France that he hopes will continue for a long time to come

Top 14 talking points: To the wire on a record-breaking weekend

Late drama and four away wins. French rugby's Top 14 had it all in the round before the Champions and Challenge Cup semi-final weekend

Top 14 talking points: La Rochelle want to believe again

France’s Top 14 returned with a Fan Days weekend to launch a two-match run before a hiatus for the Champions and Challenge Cup semi-finals.

Vannes, Montauban, Perpignan and French rugby’s play-off problem

French rugby is proud of its open pyramid structure that allows for any side to dream an impossibly big dream. In theory. But not, increasingly, in practice

Top 14 talking points: Cup knockout dress rehearsals

How France’s Top 14 sides got on in their last domestic game before the return of the Champions and Challenge Cups

Top 14 talking points: Results blueshift

A total 17 of the 34 players who took part in France’s Six Nations-winning campaign were straight back in domestic action this weekend, as the Top 14 returned

Top 14 talking points: Street smart La Rochelle crash Castres’ big birthday party

Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle snap a 56-day winless streak, Toulouse hit the big 100 for the season, and Toulon step-up for recuperating manager Pierre Mignoni

‘Sliding doors’ moments that changed Pau fullback Jack Maddocks’ life forever

A try scored by a fellow Australian halfway across the world brought Jack Maddocks to the shadow of the Pyrenees in 2021. This is the story of what happened next

Top 14 talking points: Managers feel February blues

Bayonne boss nears exit door after a back-to-back Top 14 defeats at home, while Toulon manager threatens to walk unless his side’s performances improve

Wales v France: how Les Bleus are shaping up for Cardiff

Injuries and returns after their Six Nations’ opening night win against Ireland mean France have some decisions to make in the days before they face Wales

Top 14 talking points: Defiant Toulouse damn the doublons

Toulouse marched on without their current French internationals, Clermont tripped up at Castres, Perpignan and La Rochelle paid heavily for early frailties, and penalties cost dearly Toulon on the final weekend of the Top 14 before a short Six Nations hiatus.

France

Top 14 talking points: Bayonne’s fortress breached 595 days later

Castres ended Bayonne’s 19-month Top 14 home run, Toulon continued theirs, Perpignan opened up what appears to be a crucial lead over Montauban at the bottom of the table, and Gregory Alldritt proved a point as La Rochelle went down fighting at Clermont.

France

Finally, could this be the dawn of the Age of Dupont-Jalibert for France rugby?

It has been a long time coming, but the 2026 Six Nations could be finally see France’s long desired scrum-half, fly-half partnership start to realise its immense potential

French Rugby Explained

Coaching Philosophies 101: Castres’ Steven Setephano

What drives Castres Olympique defence coach Steven Setephano

French Rugby Explained

French rugby. Explained. Dissected. Enjoyed

There’s rugby ... and, then, there’s French rugby Hello — as that big image at the top reads — and welcome to Le Rugby, a new guide through the strange and mysterious world of French rugby. This newsletter is for ... well... anyone and everyone interested in the game in France. As