The XV of France in preparation in Nice, in January 2020. -

Frederic DIDES / SIPA

Discussions between the National Rugby League (LNR) and the French Federation (FFR), meeting Wednesday morning in video-conference, "move forward" to try to resolve their dispute over the duration of the availability of internationals, a- we learned from a source close to the case.

"It's progressing, the exchanges were more peaceful" between the two bodies of French rugby, said this source to AFP after the meeting, without specifying the content of the discussions.

The two parties will continue to discuss internally, before new exchanges on Thursday morning which should make it possible to find a solution.

Wednesday's meeting, which was attended by FFR president Bernard Laporte, his LNR counterpart Paul Goze and club representatives, was to prepare a common ground on the duration of the provision of players for the XV of France.

A friendly of the XV of France against Wales with players from Pro D2?

via @ 20minutesSport https://t.co/eDLK0HS2Rg

- 20 Minutes Sport (@ 20minutesSport) October 13, 2020

The LNR, which oversees the professional championships, and the FFR, responsible for the national selection, are in conflict over the number of matches for which the internationals must be released by their club.

The FFR has scheduled six meetings from October 24 to the weekend of December 5-6 as part of the international autumn window extended by World Rugby due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The clubs, employers of the players, and the LNR had agreed to make the internationals available for a maximum of five matches.

According to the

Rubgyrama

site

, the clubs and the League have accepted the six matches of the Blues, in exchange for arrangements to limit the damage.

Three avenues would have been mentioned: Allow only three or four matches maximum per player, against five previously, make the players available to clubs on the weekend of November 7, during which there is no international match, and recover the players not selected by the coach from the middle of the week, so that they can play at the weekend.

Laporte's letter to club presidents

A meeting of Top 14 club presidents is scheduled for late Wednesday afternoon to discuss the points discussed Wednesday morning between the LNR and the FFR.

An official communication should take place on Thursday.

On Saturday, the boss of the FFR, Bernard Laporte, wrote to these presidents to inform them that the internationals who would not respond to their summons against the XV of Wales on October 24, the first of six scheduled matches, could not play in a club , based on a point in the World Rugby regulations.

Friday, the Council of State, seized by the League, had returned the two bodies back to back, considering that a modification of the number of meetings of the XV of France could not be done without the common agreement of the two parties but also, and above all, only after modification of an agreement binding them.

The Blues must meet in Marcoussis from Monday, October 19 to prepare for the meeting against the Welsh.

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