The current Top 14 season kicked off on Saturday, September 4, 2022. It will end, for seven teams, on Sunday, May 28, 2023, when all matches on the final round of the campaign kick-off at the same time.
But for the top six sides, and the 13th-placed side in the French top flight, there’s still between one and three matches of post-season rugby to play. The campaign only winds up for the finalists, in Saint-Denis late on Saturday, June 17, when one side will lift the Bouclier de Brennus, and the now-ubiquitous Freed From Desire will play out for the victors and will be the soundtrack of frustrated disappointment for the losers.
Just 63 days later, on Saturday, August 19, the 2023-24 Top 14 campaign gets under way, for those players not involved in the World Cup.
It’s not the shortest period between domestic seasons in France – the 2016-17 campaign, for example, kicked off less than two months after a certain Dan Carter had guided 14-player Racing 92 to the Brennus in Barcelona at the end of the World Cup-affected 201516 season.
But it still doesn’t leave much time for players to rest and recuperate from one arduous campaign before they have to start prepping for another. Remember, in those 63 days, players will have to fit in a holiday, pre-season, and warm-up games.
Denne historien er fra April 09, 2023-utgaven av The Rugby Paper.
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Denne historien er fra April 09, 2023-utgaven av The Rugby Paper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Unbeaten Lymm put the Tykes on a leash
LYMM maintained their unbeaten start to the campaign, taking the major scalp of Leeds Tykes and ending the visitors' unblemished start.
Dramatic late win boosts leaders
A LAST-minute converted try saw Tonbridge Juddians snatch victory from the jaws of defeat at Barnes.
England need to be more consistent
I WAS at last week's game against the All Blacks and as much as I enjoyed my first visit to the stadium since the Six Nations, I couldn't help noticing a different attitude of those in control of the stadium's notification system which puts out messages to the crowd.
Cuthbert: Wales have to deliver
ALEX Cuthbert says the pressure on Wales is huge ahead of their opening Autumn Nations Series game against Fiji today.
Anyanwu heads the list of star attractions
TOP 14 transfer speculation is always thoroughly entertaining, and this season has so far been no exception.
Goldthorp can challenge Kildunne for No.15 spot
LOUGHBOROUGH Lightning head coach Nathan Smith is backing Fran Goldthorp to compete with Ellie Kildunne, right, for England's No.15 jersey.
Four-try David calls the shots for Bears
MILLIE David helped Bristol blow Leicester away after scoring four of their 10 tries at Welford Road.
Scott-Young keen to follow his father
TYPICAL of most Australians, Scott-Young Angus has fairly sunny disposition and the loose forward is confident that Saints can soon start to turn things around on the road.
When value for money is not part of the deal
ENGLAND'S bench strategy against New Zealand - goodbye \"bomb squad\", hello \"squib squad\"-has been investigated, psychoanalysed, convicted on all charges and mercilessly sentenced by the entire rugby world and its maiden aunt, so there is no earthly point in returning to the scene of the crime.
'I want to prove my worth to Bath'
OUT-OF-FAVOUR winger RuBath aridh McConnochie is hoping to use the Premiership Cup to lay down a challenge to Johann van Graan and make his selection claims impossible to ignore.
