Arundell's shock move to France a 'done deal' - report
Henry Arundell's rumoured move to the Top 14 is being reported as a done deal by the French media.
With the collapse of London Irish earlier this month, who won the race to sign Arundell was always going to be hotly contested and it appears that Parisian giants Racing 92 have pipped rival bids to the post.
French publication L'Equipe has confirmed the transfer, putting an end to the speculation surrounding the young England star's future. Arundell's signing with the Parisian club comes despite reports linking him with a potential move to Gallagher Premiership team Bristol.
By joining Racing 92, Arundell follows in the footsteps of several former London Irish players who have already secured their futures ahead of the upcoming season. The likes of Tarek Haffar, Tom Pearson, and Chunya Munga have secured new clubs this week, while Wallabies lock Adam Coleman looks like he is heading in the direction of Bordeaux Begles.
However, Arundell's move to the Top 14 league does pose a problem regarding his eligibility for future England selection. Under the current selection policies, players competing outside of England, including the Top 14, would be considered ineligible for national team selection in the upcoming season. This means that Arundell's chances of representing England in the near future are in serious jeopardy.
There could be a loophole available for the flyer, with the RFU already making exceptions for players whose Premiership club has collapsed, with the likes of Jack Willis initially being allowed to represent England despite playing for Toulouse following Wasps' crash last season.
Arundell's move is not an isolated case. Prominent players such as Joe Marchant, Jack Nowell, and Sam Simmonds have already been confirmed to be heading to France for the next season.
This trend raises questions about the sustainability and longevity of the current England selection policies. With a growing number of star players opting to ply their trade in France, including the rumoured departures of Harlequins flyhalf Marcus Smith and Saracens second-row Maro Itoje, it remains to be seen how long the existing selection policies will remain in place.
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> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
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