French rugby has changed the eligibility rule for it's international team, stipulating that players must have French passports if they're to be considered for selection.
The decision was announced at a meeting in Paris between the French Rugby Federation and World Rugby on Tuesday.
Currently, players are deemed eligible for French international selection after living in the country for three consecutive years.
However under the new changes, players must hold French passports and, under French law, they are only eligible to do so if they live in the country for over five years.
"Our real desire is to promote the French sector, and play as many French players as possible," former Toulon boss Bernard Laporte told World Rugby during their meeting.
France has been criticised in the past for flooding it's domestic leagues with foreign-born players which has been said to damage the international side. Former Blues and Hurricans winger David Smith was ruled ineligible for the French side earlier this year.
Countries are formally bound by World Rugby regulations when it comes to eligibility laws. However Laporte said that for the good of French rugby, it was important they enforced their own regulations.
"We told Rugby World that we had made a decision not to select foreign players even if the regulation allows us.
"The regulations could change, but in our minds we do not want to use it, except in case of force majeure, our real will is to favor the French players, to play as many French players as possible.
And be very careful about not impoverishing the Fijian federations, Georgian, Samoan, Tongan otherwise it impoverishes the international game, the interest is to have maximum competitive teams."
The decision will likely cause some initial drama with current international players like Noa Nakaitaci not holding a French passport therefore ruled ineligible for France ahead of the 2017 Six Nations.
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