French trip in doubt on eve of World Cup

A report that France want to pull out of their tour of New Zealand in 2007 comes as no surprise to the New Zealand Rugby Union, although it has heard nothing from the French.

Website planetrugby.com reported yesterday that the France Rugby Federation wanted the two-test tour cancelled so its players would be better prepared for the World Cup it hosts later that year.

It said FFR president Bernard Lapasset agreed with the wishes of the Six Nations Committee, which was seeking to have all tours by Northern Hemisphere teams cancelled in the 2 1/2 months before the World Cup. The six-week tournament begins on September 7.

NZRU deputy chief executive Steve Tew said the FFR had not yet made any such request to his organisation. However, he said the subject was sure to be raised at an International Rugby Board council meeting next month.

"It's not up to an individual country to pull out. This is all part of the IRB schedule," Tew said.

"There would need to be a serious discussion about any alteration to the schedule and would have to happen around the IRB table."

Tew expected the IRB would consider Northern Hemisphere requests to address the length of the "exclusion period" leading up to the World Cup when teams are not allowed to play international matches.

"There is some discussion around how long the period is," Tew said. "There is some thought we should be allowed to play some warm-up games a bit closer to the World Cup than we have in previous campaigns."

The main concern from major northern unions is that they will lose significant income in 2007 as the annual November series of tests are not scheduled to be played.

The All Blacks are also to host a test against Italy in mid-2007, as well as play the Tri-Nations series, which will have been expanded to comprise three tests against both Australia and South Africa.

Tew said postponing or cancelling scheduled tours was fraught with difficulties and had reciprocation and commercial implications.

- NZPA