Big French merger is off

Racing 92 and Stade Francais have announced that their proposed merger is off. The two French powerhouses shocked the rugby union world last week when they revealed plans to pool their resources from next term and form a Top 14 Paris super club.

On Wednesday Stade’s squad went on an “open-ended strike” before later in the week staging a protest alongside supporters outside the headquarters of the Ligue Nationale de Rugby in Paris.