New Zealand Rugby boss Steve Tew believes French clubs are stocking up on overseas talent before French Rugby Federation president Bernard Laporte proposes rule changes which would limit overseas players competing in France.
Laporte is aiming to crack down on the number of overseas players eligible for France's Top 14 competition, but he has to wait 18 months before a rule change can be negotiated with the clubs.
Nearly 50 percent of the players contracted to the Top 14 are players that were born outside of France. More than 40 New Zealanders are currently contracted to a club in the tournament.
Tew told The AM Show on Friday he is confident the top clubs are "player-banking" before rules change.
"The reality is that we are seeing a number of international teams fulfil the eligibility criteria of what was three and now becomes five years," Tew told The AM Show.
"So you see a lot of foreign players or new national people playing for all those countries up in the north. Ideally, you want to see their national competition full of players eligible for the national side, and that is the problem the French have got.
"I know Bernard Laporte, who has recently taken over as the president, is going to look at that - but he has to go wait until the next time the license is renegotiated with the clubs, which is 18 months away.
"To us, it looks like they are player-banking at the moment."
But it is not just France Tew is worried, about as a number of high-profiled players are opting for the money in Europe over wearing the fern and representing New Zealand.
Over the last 12 months, 17 players - including seven All Blacks, such as Liam Messam, Seta Temanivalu, Liam Messam and Jerome Kaino - have said they're heading overseas after the current Super Rugby season.
"What we have seen in the last few months is the increase of money available particularly in England and France.
"They are targeting younger players and they are also offering longer contracts.
"We do feel that the heat has increased a little and that is always concerning, but we have a number of things in our favour and we have to keep building on those."
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