Indeed the Top 14 rugby league can be a highly charged, melodramatic affair. Games are frequently dominated by the home team, standing out globally for its predictability. Often the matches can be physically intense and even aggressively rough. However, the league also has moments of sheer brilliance, courtesy of the star-filled line-up. Unlike other leagues worldwide, the Top 14 displays unparalleled dynamism both on-field and off.
Following a brief summer recess, the Top 14 launches two weeks ahead of the United Rugby Championship (URC) and the Premiership. The commencing weekend typically features exhaustingly hot French weather, usual drama-heavy hype, teeming investments from television and deep-pocketed sponsors, and packed stadiums.
Recently, the National Rugby League approved a five-year television contract with Canal+ for a robust €696.8 million, stretching from 2027 till 2032. This agreement, which marks a 13.3 per cent increment from the four-year €454.4 million contract signed in 2021, will ensure an annual payment of €139.4 million to Top 14 teams along with €10.7 million annually to the 16 ProD2 clubs. This substantially boosts the standing of ProD2 as the wealthiest second-tier league worldwide.
Although not as openly discussed, experts infer that the URC and the Premiership collectively generate approximately €45-50 million each year. The URC’s prosperity and expected growth could lead to increased television revenue, while the troubled Premiership’s latest contract with TNT Sports appears to be priced lower for the upcoming two seasons.
Notwithstanding, the Top 14 had the most significant average attendance (15,253) of any competition beneath Test-level last season. The Premiership’s average attendance of 14,654 per game was influenced by three bankrupt teams from the past season – Wasps, Worcester, and London Irish. Therefore, the Top 14’s audience was spread over 188 matches, unlike the Premiership’s 93 games in their 10-club 2023-24 season.
Lastly, the URC observed a 3 per cent surge in overall attendance to 1.69 million during its 151 games the previous season, yielding an average audience of 11,200 per match.
The French rugby success story is all the more remarkable considering that during its long and exhausting 30-round regular season of 240 matches, the ProD2 attracted nearly 1.5 million spectators, averaging around 5,856 attendees for each match. Additionally, the French Rugby Federation instituted a third professional league for the 2021-22 season, dubbed Nationale, which sits between Pro D2 and Fédérale 1 in the team hierarchy. Biarritz nearly landed in the new Nationale last season, but found new footing under a leadership comprising former players, with previous Munster number 8 James Coughlan taking the reigns as the club’s director of rugby in the ProD2.
Fans in Ireland have unprecedented access to the Top 14, thanks to Premier Sports’ regular coverage of three games per round, delivered live or postponed, alongside a weekly highlights show. And teams from the provinces will be especially keen to scout potential opponents for the Champions Cup. In the coming months, Leinster will host Clermont after a January trip to La Rochelle, whereas Ulster will face off against Bordeaux/Bègles at home and Toulouse away, and Munster will host Stade Français before travelling to meet Castres in December. Connacht will encounter Top 14 teams Perpignan and Lyon in the Challenge Cup.
Ronan O’Gara’s significant accomplishments with La Rochelle are well-documented, while Noel McNamara continues an intriguing coaching stint at Bordeaux/Bègles. A less conspicuous yet noteworthy contribution is that of ex-Ulster, Ireland, and Lions lock Jeremy Davidson. After a three season spell as a player with Castres around the year 2000, Davidson embarked on a coaching career, first as an assistant with Castres in 2007. He went on to coach Ulster, Aurillac, Bordeaux-Bègles, Brive and Castres, demonstrating a remarkable resilience by steering Castres away from relegation two seasons back with a series of victories, and landing seventh place last season, drawing with Stuart Lancaster’s Racing 92, though narrowly missing the playoffs due to a point difference.
In his 15th year at the helm of the unpredictable French club rugby, he is commendable, even though this season starts on a rocky note for him, Lancaster, Siya Kolisi and the aftermath of a disappointing season in the City of Light. The team’s chances hinge upon the arrival of Owen Farrell; his absence from English duties might aid his adjustment and potentially impress his dad, opening doors for Lions’ acknowledgment for the Australia summer trip.
Farrell leads a massive exodus resembling wild geese from the Premiership, with Manu Tuilagi moving to Bayonne post their unsuccessful bid to acquire the more resilient Stuart McCloskey, Billy Vunipola transferring to Montpellier, Kyle Sinckler gravitating towards an ascendant Toulon and Mako Vunipola joining the recently elevated Vannes, a South American-flavoured club from Brittany all set to debut in the Top 14.
The last quartet of Champions Cup victories have all been clinched by French teams, manifest in Leinster’s hard-fought yet dignified defeat by Toulouse in the Champions Cup final after a nerve-wracking overtime in London last May. Toulouse went on to achieve their second ‘double’ in the last four seasons, their third overall, with a resounding 59-3 final win over Bordeaux-Bègles, marking the most decisive victory in the tournament’s 132-year existence. This brought them the 23rd French title, a new record, along with their sixth Champions Cup, another record.
The previous seasons’ success counted on the contributions of home-grown rookie players like Joshua Brennan, Mathis Castro-Ferreira and centre Paul Costes. Despite Japanese scrum-half Naoto Saito’s unexpected recruitment, the summer passed without turmoil. It’s solidly Toulousain. It seems that La Rochelle, Bordeaux-Bègles, Toulon, and Stade Français, last season’s familiar challengers, are in prime position to give competition. Stade Français’ recent purchase, outhalf Louis Carbonel from Montpellier, could boost the least potent offence from last season, supplementing Top 14’s top defence.
It appears unlikely that Clermont will make a significant rebound, while teams such as Lyon, which recently brought in Jono Gibbes in a part-time advisory role, alongside Perpignan, Pau, Bayonne, and Montpelier, led by newbie coach Bernard Laporte, may veer anywhere from potential playoff material to struggling to avoid relegation.
In contrast to past devastating losses, the previous season’s final seems to have motivated rather than daunted Bordeaux-Bègles, the recent destination for rugby player Joey Carbery. Gradually, the time when Paddy Jackson and Carbery were earmarked as successors to Johnny Sexton is fading. Now, upon shifting to Bordeaux-Bègles, Carbery could realistically face Jackson, aged 32, who was a standout player for Lyon in the prior season.
Last year’s semi-finals saw La Rochelle repeatedly thwarted by Toulouse, who clinched a 39-23 victory, leading up to the final. This marked La Rochelle’s fifth loss to Toulousse in knockout rounds within the past four seasons, including previous French Championships finals in 2021 and 2023.
Post their first Champions Cup successes in 2022 and 2023, it seemed as if O’Gara was tasked with a substantial restructuring job as the ageing team needed a refresh. However, the seasoned players have held their ground for the time being. The team has retained Uini Atonio (34), Réda Wardi (29), Levani Botia (35), Will Skelton (32), 31-year-olds Dillyn Leyds and Jack Nowell, centre-back UJ Seuteni, Gregory Alldritt and Irish lock Ultan Dillane, formerly of Connacht.
In terms of transfers, La Rochelle have been relatively quiet, the sole addition being 35-year-old ex-Wallabies lock Kane Douglas for the current season. Yet, O’Gara has set his sights onto the future, ensuring an impressive future addition with Nolann le Garrec, the outstanding scrum-half for Racing 92 and France, set to join the team at the end of this season with Tawera Kerr-Barlow’s contract set to expire.
However, for the current season, it’s back to the drawing board.
Prominent 2023-24 Top 14 transfers involve Bordeaux/Bègles bringing in Joey Carbery from Munster.
Bayonne has managed to secure Manu Tuilagi from Sale and Jonny Gray from Exeter. Meanwhile, Clermont welcomes Michael Ala’alatoa, formerly of Leinster. Montpellier sees the arrival of Billy Vunipola from Saracens, alongside Stuart Hogg, who is coming out of retirement. From Saracens too, Racing 92 acquires Owen Farrell. Toulon procures Kyle Sinckler from Bristol, Antoine Frisch from Munster, and Dan Brennan from Brive. Tokyo Sungoliath’s Naoto Saito is heading to Toulouse, while Vannes is set to receive Mako Vunipola from Saracens.