The inside line on French rugby

Contact Zone Media is a boutique editorial consultancy providing high-quality sports and news reporting and editing, feature content, interviews, and research services for newspapers, magazines, digital publishers, broadcasters, governing bodies and commercial organisations looking for expert insight into French rugby and beyond.

‘Revamped’ France ready for WXV Global Series tour of New Zealand

France head to the southern hemisphere leg of their WXV Global Series campaign with something of a collective spring in their steps after their 21-5 victory over Canada at La Rochelle in September.

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Hamish Watson on Edinburgh exit and loving life in France

Hamish Watson’s rugby future changed over three hectic days in July.

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Tyler Ardron: ‘Maybe I should go for another year and do one more World Cup before I retire’

Tyler Ardron wasn’t supposed to be playing rugby this late in 2026. He should have hung up his boots in June, and was expecting to be taking things easy sailing around on a catamaran before settling into a proper job a year or so down the line.

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‘Frustrating but not worrying’: What success looks like for France at WXV Global Series

Francois Ratier and his team genuinely believe they have reason, despite the defeat, despite losing ranking ground to the top three, to be quietly content with their performance and where they stand on the route he’s taking them down. This is not a save point in his development game plan.

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Top 14 talking point: Video glitch try leaves Toulon fuming

French rugby’s new independent video referee system has been operational for just a few weeks. But a glitch at an inopportune moment means it is already the subject of controversy

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2026 WXV Global Series preview: France

France coach Francois Ratier's goal is not this year’s WXV Global Series. He's looking much further ahead. The immediate future matters – and he will want his players to compete – but his ultimate target is three years and half a world away

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Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle pull off remarkable comeback to beat Toulouse

Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle, roared on by a passionate full-house at Stade Marcel Deflandre, staged a rousing second-half fightback in their opening Top 14 outing of the new season

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Top 14 season 2026-27 preview: Which teams are tooled up to stop another Toulouse title?

The French top tier has flexed over the past two seasons, but Toulouse have been the one constant. Will the champions make history this season?

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ProD2 season 2026-27 preview: Club-by-club guide as French second tier kicks off

Some 83 days after Vannes beat Provence in Toulouse to win promotion to the Top 14 as ProD2 champions, and 75 after Provence lost their second chance to join the Breton side in the top flight, the ProD2 returns for the 2026-27 campaign.

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Racing quick to swoop for Ramos

Toulouse’s messianic former coach Guy Noves brushed off Thomas Ramos’s Racing 92 switch at the end of the 2026/27 campaign as part of the normal run of contractual events, but few Top 14 transfer stories are likely to be as significant – not for what it is, but what it possibly signals.

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Vernier back for Ratier’s France but Feleu will miss WXV Global Series

Gabrielle Vernier’s debut for JAECOO Premiership Women’s Rugby side Gloucester Hartpury looks set to be put on hold following her selection for the extended France squad for Les Bleues’ difficult WXV Global Series fixtures this September and October.

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Bordeaux need to seal deal for Louis

TO describe Louis Bielle-Biarrey as hot rugby property is an understatement so criminal it would go straight to the top of Interpol's most wanted list. He has scored 30 tries in 28 outings for Bordeaux and France this season.

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France’s Jalimack 2.0 experiment: ‘We speak the same rugby’

omain Ntamack and Matthieu Jalibert tested their fly-half / full-back fulcrum for a grand total of six minutes before its first official outing in France’s second Nations Championship outing against Australia at the weekend, according to reports in France.

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O’Gara turns it around as La Rochelle seal unlikely play-off spot

Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle will face Stade Francais for the second time in eight days next Sunday, after beating the Paris side 27-22 at Stade Marcel Deflandre on a dramatic final night of the regular Top 14 season to complete a remarkable late-season turnaround and qualify for the post-season race to the Brennus.

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Made in France: How the ‘JIFF’ rules transformed French rugby

Rugby has a love-hate relationship with change – just look at social media whenever new law trials are unveiled. Preferably from a safe distance. While some laws are ultimately scrapped after on-field testing, others become established, accepted, and fans slowly forget the brouhaha at their introduction.

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Contact Zone Media’s founder James Harrington has built a reputation as one of the leading English-language journalists covering French rugby.

Having lived in France since 2009, he is perfectly placed to offer unique expert insight and perspective on the Top 14 and ProD2, Elite 1, European competitions and international rugby, for traditional and digital media, providing breaking news and long-form features, match previews and reports, interviews, opinion pieces and broadcast research.

An all-round journalist and content specialist, he also provides general news and features, and production journalism services.

Clients include national and regional newspapers, websites, specialist publications, governing bodies, and traditional and digital broadcasters.

How I can help

Rugby Journalism

Match reports, features, interviews, news and opinion pieces and long-form editorial, covering every aspect of rugby in France.

General News & Features

France-based professional freelance English-language journalist for digital and traditional organisations, covering news and sports reporting, features, op-eds and interviews.

Editorial & Content

Digital and traditional copy-editing services, proofreading, and professional copywriting for business, websites, newspapers and magazines

Podcasts, Radio & TV

Expert French rugby analysis, including pre-match research, commentary assistance, and expert insight for podcasts, radio and television.

Broadcast Research

Comprehensive analysis, briefing documents and background information for television, radio and podcast productions.

Need Expert French Rugby Coverage?

Whether you’re looking for breaking news, exclusive editorial content, broadcast research, live reporting or expert analysis, Contact Zone Media provides trusted journalism and genuine insight into French rugby.