Pelous Planning Industrial Action ?

France Six Nations skipper Fabien Pelous is ready
to lead a players’ strike over plans to streamline the domestic club championship.

The veteran lock, who also captains European champions Toulouse,
claims the
players have been overlooked in a new league set-up which could
involve 10
extra matches a season in the first year when the two pools are
combined to a
16-club league.
“If we have to strike, then we will,” he told l’Equipe
sports daily.

“We are not opposed to a single pool, it’s just the fixture
list that has
been produced. If being a professional player means clocking in at the
factory every day
then I don’t want any part of it.”

The French players’ union meets on Thursday to draw up its
response to
League president Serge Blanco’s plans for a 16-club championship in
2004/2005
and a 14-club league for the three following years.

Reports say the players might consider boycotting next season’s
European
Cup.
The French Rugby Federation has already said the National Rugby
League
(LNR) proposals have to take into account the Test calendar.

France play the United States and Canada in June and head coach
Bernard
Laporte wants a full-strength squad. Club coaches are furious at the
idea of
their senior players being forced to play two “meaningless”
Tests but Pelous
has defended Laporte.

“As an international player you wants to honour your country
in every
Test,” he said.

The FFR said a new club fixture list would have to take into
account the
France Test side’s commitments, the players’ physical well-being and
the
financial viability of clubs.

Officials from the FFR, LNR and players’ union were scheduled to
meet on
Friday to review the project.

AFP – 2004.