France have added nine Top 14 finalists to their extended squad for the Nations Championship, including star scrum-half and captain Antoine Dupont.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Toulouse number nine has not played in the Southern Hemisphere since 2017, but looks set to end that streak this July after being called into the wider group.<\/p>\n
The new inclusions are not available for France\u2019s Nations Championship opener against the All Blacks, but are in contention for the latter two Tests against Australia and Japan.<\/p>\n
Antoine Dupont among nine Top 14 finalists called into France squad<\/p>\n
Dupont<\/a> is joined by fellow Toulouse men Kalvin Gourgues, Emmanuel Meafou, Romain Ntamack, Alexandre Roumat and Peato Mauvaka in the extended squad, with the Rouge et Noir securing their fourth successive Top 14 title in last night\u2019s 28-20 win, while Montpellier trio Auguste Cadot, Lenni Nouchi and Florian Verhageghe have also been added.<\/p>\n Want more from Planet Rugby? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for world-class coverage you can trust.<\/p>\n Of that cohort, Dupont, Gourgues, Meafou, Roumat, Mauvaka and Nouchi all featured in France\u2019s Six Nations title win earlier this year, while Ntamack returns to the Test side for the first time since the Autumn Nations Series back in November.<\/p>\n Toulouse v Montpellier: Five takeaways as Jack Willis follows in Jonny Wilkinson\u2019s footsteps on history-making evening for French aristocrats<\/a><\/p>\n Verhaeghe is also in line to win his first France<\/a> cap since 2023, while Cadot could make his Test debut following his inclusion in the extended group.<\/p>\n Updated France squad in full<\/p>\n Forwards: Moses Alo-\u00c9mile, Hugo Auradou, Demba Bamba, Esteban Capilla, Sipili Falatea, Marko Gazzotti, Micka\u00ebl Guillard, Oscar Jegou, Maxime Lamothe, Barnab\u00e9 Massa, Temo Matiu, Peato Mauvaka, Emmanuel Meafou, R\u00e9gis Montagne, Lenni Nouchi, Boris Palu, Jefferson Poirot, Alexandre Roumat, Tom Staniforth, Tevit Tatafu, Killian Tixeront, Reda Wardi, Florian Verhaeghe<\/p>\n Backs:\u00a0Theo Attissogbe, Fabien Brau-Boirie, Auguste Cadot, Nicolas Depoortere, Antoine Dupont, Mathis Fert\u00e9, Th\u00e9o Forner, \u00c9milien Gailleton, Kalvin Gourgues, Aaron Grandidier Nkanang, Antoine Hastoy, Matthieu Jalibert, Nolann le Garrec, Maxime Lucu, Yoram Moefana, Romain Ntamack, Damian Penaud, Max Spring<\/p>\n France\u2019s Nations Championship July Fixtures<\/p>\n New Zealand v France
Date:\u00a0Saturday, 4 July, 2026
Venue: One New Zealand Stadium, Christchurch
Kick-off: 19:10 (local), 08:10 (UK), 09:10 (France), 09:10 (South Africa), 17:10 (AEST), 16:10 (JST), 4:10 (Argentina),\u00a03:10 (July 5, EDT)
Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU)
Assistant Referees: Christophe Ridley (RFU), Katsuki Furuse (JRFU)
TMO:\u00a0Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
FPRO:\u00a0Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
Broadcasters:\u00a0ITV (United Kingdom), TF1 (France), Virgin Media Television (Republic of Ireland), Sky Italia (Italy), Wowow (Japan), Sky Sport (New Zealand), Nine Network \/ Stan Sport (Australia), SuperSport (South Africa)<\/p>\n