France reject chance to play All Blacks in USA

NEWS: France has declined overtures from New Zealand to play a Test in the USA in the summer of 2025, the French Rugby Federation (FFR) president Florian Grill told AFP, confirming a report in the newspaper L’Equipe.

France is due to play a three-Test series against New Zealand but resisted a request to play the last of those matches in the United States.

“We considered that there was a double time difference to manage and a double change of season,” FFR boss Grill said.

“We consulted with our medical committee and it was not reasonable for the health of the players, as it could have caused injuries, and our priority is the health of the players.”

The All Blacks, who have now lost three in a row to France after going down 29-30 in Paris last month, played Fiji last July in San Diego and Ireland in 2016 in Chicago.

They will meet the Irish again in a Chicago rematch next November.

“We can imagine that it could be interesting for the New Zealanders and it’s not uninteresting (to us) either, given that the 2031 World Cup is in the United States,” said Grill.

“But we can find other opportunities to go to the United States without having a double time zone jump and also the issue of changing seasons.”

France will already be disadvantaged on the tour as they will not be taking players in action in the Top 14 Final on June 28, 2025.

They are also likely to rest some key players even if they do not take part in the Final.

The tour itinerary has not yet been released but the three Test matches are expected to be played on the weekends of July 5, 12, and 19.