Top 14 rule changed to benefit young French players

The Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) have announced a major overhaul with regards to the youth contracts for the foreign players.

According to the new rule, the foreign players, who were awarded with youth contracts will no longer be in the same bracket as the JIFF players – joueurs issus des filières de formation, also know as the academy trained players.

For a youth player to be part of the JIFF now, he has to be associated with the French Rugby Federation for atleast five years by the age of 23 or else should have worked with the board's accredited centre for three years by the age of 21.

Each team in the Top 14 will now have to contain 12 out of their 23 (55 percent) matchday squad as JIFF players which will benefit French rugby grow wider and the remaining overseas young players will now be listed as foreigners for the 2017 season.

The previous season of Top 14 was won by Racing 92, which was also their sixth title in the history of the tournament.