Here’s What The Racing & Stade Francais Merger Means For The Top 14

No it’s not April 1st.

Racing 92 and Stade Francais are set to merge next season in one of the most extraordinary developments in the history of the professional game. The two French giants, who are both based in Paris are to become one club, pooling all their huge resources together in a simply astonishing turn of events.

Reports in France say more details on the merger will be revealed by the presidents of Racing and Stade at a press conference on Monday afternoon.

A statement on the Racing website said:

“These two flagship clubs of Paris and the Hauts de Seine, beyond the sporting rivalry they have enjoyed, have many other similarities: a strong local and regional anchorage, a historic educational mission, ancestral ties with The Olympic movement or an inextinguishable will to progress in all areas.

“It is on the basis of these principles that the two clubs lay the foundations for a merger project by pooling their resources to better cope with the challenges of performance and education.

“This association, effective from next season, must give birth to a new club that will preserve the roots of Racing 92 as those of the Stade Français Paris while multiplying the means put at the service of youth and French rugby.”

So what does the merger mean for the Top 14? Rugby correspondent Gavin Mortimer is on the ground in France as and per usual has filled us in with the finer details of the merger.

First up the new club will indeed play their games at the Arena 92, Racing’s upcoming new state of the art stadium.

The new merged team will retain their spot in the Top 14, while the team that finished 13th in the table will play the losers of the PRO D2 final to determine who will take the extra spot in France’s top division.

As soon as we know more on this extraordinary turn of events we will be sure to update you.

Oh and guess who Stade’s last home game ever this season is against… You guessed it.