Ex-All Black Francis Saili in limbo as new French season kicks off

Former All Blacks midfielder Francis Saili is facing having to play for Biarritz in this season's Pro D2 after rumoured Top 14 moves failed to lead to anything concrete. It was June 8, following relegation to the second tier after a single year back in the French top flight, when Biarritz named Saili as one of the 19 players who would be leaving ahead of the 2022/23 season.

It was a curious inclusion as Saili still had two years to run on his existing contract at the Parc des Sports Aguilera-based club. Nevertheless, he was quickly linked with a switch to Bordeaux only for that possible move to swiftly fall by the wayside.

Rugbyrama.fr reported on June 24: “For several weeks, recruiters have been working on the arrival of Francis Saili but the last negotiations carried out this week have been unsuccessful. The Biarritz player, who will leave the club despite a current contract until June 2024, could suddenly return to New Zealand.”

Next on the negotiating circuit were Stade Francais, the Paris-based club that lost Fijian Waisea Nayacalevu to Toulon and ex-All Black Ngani Laumape to Kobe Steelers. Again, the contract buy-out demanded by Biarritz proved to be a move-ending impediment and Stade this week instead confirmed the signing of Jeremy Ward from the URC Sharks.

Having spent an extended off-season at home in New Zealand, Saili is now reportedly back in Biarritz and facing the prospect of eventually turning out for the club whose new Pro D2 campaign got underway on Thursday night with an 18-14 home win over likely promotion rivals Oyonnax.

The latest update on the Siali situation at Biarritz came from Midi Olympique. It read: “His name stirred the transfer market for several weeks and yet he was far from France. Several weeks late, the Biarritz centre, Francis Saili, found his Basque teammates last week. “Even if the possibility of a departure is still not excluded, the New Zealand international will start the season with the BOPB but it remains to be seen when.

“The player still has two years of contract with the Basque club. Courted for a time by the Union Bordeaux-Begles and then by Stade Francais, no club has yet paid the €400,000 requested by the Biarritz president, Jean-Baptiste Aldige, to release his player.

“Saili is still a Biarritz player and could well evolve in Pro D2 this season. Nevertheless, with this month's delay, the Basque staff could well voluntarily do without one of its major assets for many weeks.”