English rugby's leading lights turn to France to escape financial strife

When England head to Lyon on Saturday to face France in a potential Six Nations title decider they will be shorn of four members of the side that took them to a surprise third place in the Rugby World Cup in October.

Lock Dave Ribbans, back-rower Jack Willis, centre Joe Marchant and winger Henry Arundell have left English clubs for outfits in the French Top 14 and are now ineligible for Steve Borthwick's side.

Greats of the English game such as Jonny Wilkinson, Steffon Armitage and Andrew Sheridan have made the same journey in the past but the financial problems engulfing the sport in the country are making more players look across the Channel.

Arundell moved to Paris' Racing 92 after London Irish went into administration, falling to the same fate as fellow Premiership clubs Wasps and Worcester Warriors as well as second-tier Jersey Reds.

The Premiership's salary cap for this term is 5 million pounds ($6.4 million) while it is set at 10.7 million euros ($11.7 million) in France's top two tiers.

Arundell, 21, has scored eight tries in 13 matches for Racing so far this season featuring alongside the likes of South Africa's two-time World Cup winner Siya Kolisi and against wingers such as Italy’s Ange Capuozzo and Teddy Thomas.

"The attraction is to challenge yourself against the best, because if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best," Arundell told reporters in late February.

"Even if I've been here for six months now, each week I go 'wow'," he added.

- 'Football, football, football' -

In late 2022, flanker Willis was unemployed after Wasps ceased to trade but was then offered a lifeline by record 22-time French champions Toulouse.

"I think sometimes people forget the situation in England... Only 14 months ago I lost my job," Willis told AFP in January.

"There was no money, no offers for me in England.

"People forget that quite quickly. This club has been amazing for me and I love it here," he added having won the 2023 Top 14 title.

Another Englishman based in Paris is fly-half Zack Henry, who joined Stade Francais this season after spells at Pau, Nevers and Leicester.

Henry originally arrived in France with then third-tier Rouen, joining the Normandy side after graduating from university in England.

"It's obvious why people leave because there were four clubs that disappeared, there's not much money or investment over there," fluent French speaker Henry told reporters two week ago.

"In England, a lot of people watch football. They love football, when you grow up there it's football, football, football.

"When I go home sometimes I go to the pub and people ask me 'There's professional rugby in England? I didn't know'.

"For now, rugby is better in France, in my opinion," the 29-year-old added.

Next season a further cohort of English players will head to France such as prop Kyle Sinckler, lock Courtney Lawes and potentially centre Manu Tuilagi, who were also part of last year's World Cup set-up.

Arundell will be joined in the leafy western suburbs of the capital by former England captain and the country’s leading points scorer Owen Farrell.

"I think it's the challenge of the competition," Racing director of rugby Stuart Lancaster said last month.

"You don't want to have finished your career having not put yourself in a different experience and challenge.

"Coming to the Top 14 is that different challenge, week in week out," the former England coach added.