Racing 92 and Stade Francais to merge

[saulan]

NEWS: TOP FRENCH RUGBY CLUBS RACING 92 AND STADE FRANCAIS, WHO BETWEEN THEM HAVE WON THE LAST TWO TOP 14 ***LES, ON MONDAY ANNOUNCED A SHOCK PLAN TO MERGE FROM NEXT SEASON.

Racing and Stade Francais are two of the biggest rivals in the French championship and the announcement came as a lightning bolt for European rugby.​

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"This association, effective from next season, will give birth to a new club that preserves the roots of Racing 92 and Stade Francais Paris, while expanding the means for youth and French rugby," said a statement announcing the plan.
Each has built, or is building a new stadium. Each has spent massively on star talent with Dan Carter at reigning Top 14 champions Racing 92 and Italian captain Sergio Parisse and rising French flyhalf Jules Plisson at Stade.
Both teams have been struggling this year however, with Racing 92 in seventh place - Carter was jeered off the field at the weekend - and Stade Francais in 12th.

No immediate details were given of how the grounds and teams would be used. Club Presidents, Jacky Lorenzetti of Racing and Thomas Savare of Stade Francais, champions in 2015, were to speak later Monday at a press conference.

But the deal will have massive implications for the Top 14 and European club rugby.

Racing were slumbering in France's second division when real estate billionaire Lorenzetti took them over in 2006. Savare, who made his name in finance and credit cards, took over Stade Francais in 2011 when they were threatened with bankruptcy and relegation.

The clubs have spent hundreds of millions of euros on redeveloping and new players since 2010.

Stade Francais's Jean Bouin stadium was redeveloped in 2013 and reopened with capacity increased from 13 000 to 20 000.

</content>Racing are building a new 220 million euro 32 000-seat stadium in the La Defense business district. It should have opened in January, but this has been put back to the end of the year.

http://www.rugby365.com/countries/france/77873-racing-and-stade-francais-in-shock-merger-bid

Well... that's a bit of a surprise.

 

[Midlander]

Wow

 

[ratsapprentice]

I posted this in the general rugby form on the basis that it might get more views there.

 

[gaston le gaff]

There's a press conference at 16.00 this afternoon not sure how i see this but both clubs get poor crowds for a Capital city, both have new grounds, Racing's is not quite finished yet and both club Pressies are meger rich, it could work andthey just bring 3 clubs up from the ProD2 to ajust the numbers back to 14, we will see how it all pans out but certainly interesting.

 

[munstermuffin]

What happens regards coaching and playing staff

 

[Midlander]

What happens regards coaching and playing staff

I presume there will be some big changes and lots of players on the Market

The new team have 3 international FH alone in Carter, Plisson & Steyn.

It will be interesting

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

A couple of weeks early for poisson d'avril, non?

Shows a real disdain for the fans of both clubs. I read that both averaged crowds under 10k last year. Strange there is such a disparity between their support and their success. And in a huge city too.

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A couple of weeks early for poisson d'avril, non?

Shows a real disdain for the fans of both clubs. I read that both averaged crowds under 10k last year. Strange there is such a disparity between their support and their success. And in a huge city too.

 

[Gavin]

Merge cancelled