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Tom Hamilton, Senior Writer
British & Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell will be able to pick players based in France for the tour of Australia in 2025 meaning Owen Farrell will be eligible if he joins Racing 92 at the end of the season.
Owen Farrell has held talks with Racing 92 over a potential move from Saracens, a source has told ESPN, but if he moves to the Top 14, he will still be in the mix to feature for the Lions next year.
“We’ll consider everyone in regard to whether they will make a difference to the Lions touring party,” Andy Farrell said of those potential Lions based in France. “That’s all that matters.”
Andy Farrell, who was confirmed as Lions coach on Thursday, is yet to have a conversation with Owen — his son — over whether he will be available for selection.
Owen announced in November he was stepping away from England duty to prioritise his and his family’s mental wellbeing.
“It’s his choice,” Andy said of Owen’s decision. “He does what he thinks is right for him in that moment in time. You can’t go wrong in that regard, can you?”
Since that announcement, the news of Farrell’s potential switch to the Top 14 broke. There are several potential Lions players in France with Joe Marchant, Jack Willis and Henry Arundell all playing in the country.
Owen Farrell could yet join them at the end of the season if his move to Racing 92 goes through. “It’s a short career,” Andy said of those players who are playing abroad.
“You want to do things that float your boat and makes your family happy. It’s all about the memories you create, not just for yourself but for others as well.
“For some the thought of devoting yourself to one club is extra, extra special. Owen has that at Saracens but if things do change — and I don’t know whether they will or not — it’ll be for the right reasons or to do the right thing for whatever that person feels he needs to do to be happy.”
But the decision to pick Top 14-based players could give the Lions a selection headache. The Lions have a strategic partnership in place with the Gallagher Premiership and United Rugby Championship meaning players from both leagues will be available for the entire Lions tour next year.
Previously there has been some overlap at the end of the season, but a scheduling rejig has resulted in Andy Farrell having those in the Premiership and URC available from the outset.
But such a deal is not in place with the Top 14, meaning if a player is part of a team which reaches the final, then they would likely miss the first couple of matches in the tour. But Andy Farrell doesn’t see this as an issue.
“It’s about form, it’s about watching the game properly,” he said. “Selection, as far as that’s concerned, is the same as everyone else. No different.”
Ben Calveley, the Lions CEO, added: “We don’t have a policy that closes off anyone from being selected. If you just look at previous Lions tours, we’ve had people come on a tour who haven’t been playing for a national side.
“Will Greenwood [in 1997] is a great example, even though we are going back a way there. In 2021, Finn Russell was based in France, so we don’t have any restrictions on selection.”
The Lions have begun discussions with New Zealand Rugby over the 2029 tour but they are keeping open-minded over what tours will look like in the future, and potentially embracing new countries.
“We don’t have a long-term commitment in a contractual sense,” Calveley said. “We work out the best way to contract with a union on a tour-by-tour basis.
“We did an individual deal with the South African Rugby Union, we’ve done an individual deal with Rugby Australia, and have created a joint-venture. There are no long-term commitments in place, other than the Lions has a position in the calendar, that repeats every four years.
“We’re interested in establishing a relationship with teams in different geographies around the world, now don’t take that as me saying we’re going to tour somewhere else any time soon, but we’ve established a relationship with Japan three years ago, we’re playing Argentina in Dublin before we go to Australia.
“Becoming more of a global proposition, and develop relationships with different geographies is really important to us. There is a piece of work we’re about to start called the “Beyond 25 project”, which is about what the Lions can do differently in future.”