Transfer river flows to France

France's Top 14 continues to attract players from all around the world and at an ever increasing pace. We take a closer look at who has gone where in what the French press are calling an “arms race” as every club, without exception, has reinforced its ranks with big name players and 'foreigners' in the front lines

France's Top 14 continues to attract players from all around the world and at an ever increasing pace. We take a closer look at who has gone where in what the French press are calling an “arms race” as every club, without exception, has reinforced its ranks with big name players and 'foreigners' in the front lines.

After a transfer season that saw some serious traffic, one would be forgiven for asking who isn't off to play in France next season.

To say there is a global mass exodus towards France might be a bit of an exaggeration, but since last year's World Cup, the trickle has become a torrent as the flow of players towards the Top 14 – especially from the Southern Hemisphere – intensifies.

A new trend is also emerging.

Players from the British Isles are jumping on the bandwagon as the attraction of the sunny Mediterranean and French cuisine is become an interesting counterweight to the power of the Pound.

The Super 14 however remains the favourite hunting ground, or should we say 'supermarket'. You can't blame the French clubs for waving their Euros: with the exception of a handful of superstars, pound-for-pound (no pun intended), Southern Hemisphere players are just plain cheaper than their French counterparts and often come with international experience. This time around they're even more attractive since they will immediately be fully operational under the ELVs.

Les Stars d'adord. There's no coincidence that the biggest names are heading for the Mediterranean coast. Take a look at a weather report for any given day in mid-winter and you'll notice that while the vast majority of Western Europe is covered with rain and cold, a small pocket of golden sunshine is ever-present on the French south coast where you'll find Toulon, Perpignan and Montpellier.

Of course Perpignan have stolen the limelight by replacing one of the world's best place-kickers (Percy Montgomery) with the world's best fly-half, Dan Carter. 700,000 Euros isn't bad for seven months in Catalogne. Those tapas are going to taste mighty good. They've also recruited centre Maxime Mermoz from Toulouse and wing Farid Sid, who returns from Brive.

The red carpet has been rolled out at big spending Toulon for Jerry Collins (reportedly for a whopping 1,2 million Euros for three years), who will join his cousin Tana Umaga in one of Europe's most beautiful and laid-back regions. He will team up with, amongst others, former Wallaby scrum-half Matt Henjak and Rugby League star Luke Rooney (from Penrith Panthers).

Victor Matfield might have packed his bags but the newly-promoted club have simply bought a new line-out combination from South Africa in the form of Stormers hooker Tiaan Liebenberg and locks Ross Skeate and Francois van der Merwe. Rumours have also all but been confirmed regarding the arrival of Springbok loose forward Joe Van Niekerk.

In between Perpignan and Toulon lies Montpellier who hooked the signature of former All Blacks scrum-half Justin Marshall on the very last day of the transfer window. Marshall versus Toulousain Byron Kelleher will be a highlight of next season. Marshall will be ably assisted by England centre Ollie Smith from Leicester, Argentinian Santiago Bottini from Béziers and Scottish international prop Bruce Douglas.

Travelling west, we come to Top 14 champions Toulouse whose coffers seem to know no bounds. They haven't bought many players to join their foreign legion and have kept a distinctly local flavour in their recruits. They welcome back home-grown talent in the form of star French fly-halves David Skrela (from Stade Français) and Frédéric Michalak who leaves the Sharks after just a year in the Durban sun.

Onward to the West coast and the Basque country where Biarritz and Bayonne have also been waving their cheque books around.

Former champions Biarritz will start their rebuilding process after a dismal season with no less than 50 players on their books! Crusaders prop Campbell Johnstone will be joined in the front row by French international Fabien Barcella from relegated Auch. England flank Magnus Lund is on his way from Sale, while fly-half Valentin Courrent catches the train from Toulouse.

Props seem to be the flavour of the month in the Basque country as Bayonne have snapped up Rodney 'Rodzilla' Blake from the Reds. France flanker Remy Martin is on his way from Paris.

Further north, Brive have possibly been the busiest of all. No less than fifteen new players will don the black and white stripes including Leicester half-backs Andy Goode and Christophe Laussucq (who will coach the forwards), Northampton locks Damien Browne and Christian Short, France lock Arnaud Mela from Albi, scrum-half Liam Davies and flank Alix Popham from the Scarlets, Argentinians Pablo Henn and Horacio Agulla, Western Force centre Lachlan McKay and South Africa loose-forward Gerhard Vosloo from Castres.

Up in Paris, Stade Français , who have resisted splashing out for many years, will reportedly pay Rugby Leaguer Mark Gasnier 600,000 Euros over two years to work under former Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie.

Argentinians Juan Manuel Leguizamon (loose-forward) and Ignacio Mieres (fly-half) arrive from London Irish and Leicester respectively while South African scrum-half Falie Oelschig quits Bloemfontein and the Cheetahs for the bright lights of the French capital.

Australasian front rowers are in high demand as newly promoted Mont-de-Marsan have signed Reds prop Ben Coutts while last season's table-toppers