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Stade Francais’ nine new signings include All Black Brad Weber

(Photo by Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)

Stade Francais have included All Blacks scrum-half Brad Weber in its nine-strong list of new signings for the 2023/24 Top 14 season. It was May 18 when the 32-year-old revealed he would be quitting the Chiefs and life in the Super Rugby Pacific tournament for a move to a European club and his destination has now been confirmed.

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A Stade Francais tweet read: “17 caps in the jersey of the All Blacks, nine seasons with the province of Waikato. The conductor and experienced co-captain of the Chiefs will be in charge next season.”

It was last month that Weber said in a statement: “It is with a heavy heart that I confirm that this season will be my last at the Chiefs, a team that has meant so much to me and my family over the past 10 years.”

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The signing of Weber emerged on Tuesday evening French time when Stade revealed its raft of new signings via their social media channels. The list read: Hugo N’Diaye (Rouen), Tanginoa Halaifonua (Grenoble), Andy Timo (Massy), Weber (Chiefs), Jules Gimbert (Bordeaux), Hugo Zabalza (Vannes), Zack Henry (Pau), Joe Marchant (Harlequins) and Pierre Boudenhent (La Rochelle).

Stade, whose 2022/23 Top 14 campaign ended with a play-off defeat to Parisian rivals Racing last Saturday, had begun the week by confirming its list of 13 players who will leave along with coach Gonzalo Quesada and assistant Laurent Sempere.

That full list read: Arthur Coville (Provence), Alex Arrate, Jame Hall (Racing), Marcis Kremer (Clermont), Sione Tui (Provence), Telusa Veainu (Sale), Harry Glover, Nemo Roelofse (Perpignan), Morgan Parra (Stade Francais coaching staff), Theo Dachary, Vincent Koch, Paolo Odogwu, Sitaleki Timani.

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Bull Shark 2 hours ago
Rassie Erasmus' Boks selection policy is becoming bizarre

To be fair, the only thing that drives engagement on this site is over the top critiques of Southern Hemisphere teams.


Or articles about people on podcasts criticizing southern hemisphere teams.


Articles regarding the Northern Hemisphere tend to be more positive than critical. I guess to also rile up kiwis and Saffers who seem to be the majority of followers in the comments section. There seems to be a whole department dedicated to Ireland’s world ranking news.


Despite being dialled into the Northern edition - I know sweet fokall about what’s going on in France.


And even less than fokall about what’s cutting in Japan - which has a fast growing, increasingly premium League competition emerging.


And let’s not talk about the pacific. Do they even play rugby Down there.


Oh and the Americas. I’ve read more articles about a young, stargazing Welshman’s foray into NFL than I have anything related to either the north and south continents of the Americas.


I will give credit that the women’s game is getting decent airtime. But for the rest and the above; it’s just pathetic coming from a World Rugby website.


Just consider the innovation emerging in Japan with the pedigree of coaches over there.


There’s so much good we could be reading.


Instead it’s unimaginative “critical for the sake of feigning controversial”. Which is lazy, because in order to pull that off all you need to be really good at is:


1. Being a doos;

2. Having an opinion.


No prior experience needed.


Which is not journalism. That’s like all or most of us in the comments section. People like Finn (who I believe is a RP contributor).


Anyway. Hopefully it will get better. The game is growing and the interest in the game is growing. Maybe it will attract more qualified journalists over time.

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