The wait is nearing its end for French rugby enthusiasts. With the new Top 14 season on the horizon, teams are entering the crucial pre-season phase, marked by a series of friendly matches. This period is fundamental for squads to fine-tune their operations before the intensity of competitive fixtures begins.
These `friendly` encounters serve a vital purpose: testing player fitness, integrating new signings, refining tactical plans, and shaking off the off-season rust. While the results hold little formal weight, they offer the first tangible look at how squads are shaping up before the real competition begins. Fans get a preliminary glimpse of team strengths and potential weaknesses.
Here is the current schedule of confirmed pre-season friendly matches for Top 14 clubs during August:
- August 15: Brive vs. Racing 92 (Biar-sur-Ser)
- August 21/22: Bayonne vs. Biarritz (Bayonne)
- August 22: Montauban vs. Castres (Montauban)
- August 22: Soyaux-Angoulême vs. Bordeaux-Bègles (Angoulême)
- August 22: Pau vs. Montpellier (Auch)
- August 22: Brive vs. Clermont (Brive)
- August 22: Perpignan vs. Toulon (Perpignan)
- August 23: Racing 92 vs. Stade Français (Châteauroux)
- August 28: Pau vs. La Rochelle (Mont-de-Marsan)
- August 28/29: Montauban vs. Bordeaux-Bègles (Location TBC)
- August 29: Castres vs. Harlequins (Mazamet)
- August 29: Perpignan vs. Montpellier (Perpignan)
- August 29: Clermont vs. Toulon (Issoire)
- August 29: Lyon vs. Zebre (Lyon)
These matches precede the official Top 14 season calendar announcement, which is expected in the coming weeks. The league crown was most recently claimed by Toulouse.
The pre-season friendlies provide a valuable, albeit preliminary, look at the state of the clubs. Fans can anticipate seeing their teams back in action soon as the countdown to the new Top 14 campaign continues.
