What is a player Licence A, Licence B, and Licence C in France?
France has become a popular destination for rugby players.
Rugby players from all over the world compete to get an opportunity to play in one of the world’s greatest rugby nations. Oval15 offers an array of opportunities at a variety of levels for players in competitions such as Top 14, Pro D2, Nationale, Nationale 2, Federale 1 & 2, as well as French Academies.
There is much confusion regarding how players qualify to play in France, as well as which category they are considered. This article explains what a Licence A, Licence B, and a Licence C player is, and which category players fall under.
Licence A:
Licence A is where players are considered as a “local player” meaning clubs can register as many Licence A players as they like in their squads.
The following players are considered a “Licence A” player:
1. Any player with French nationality.
2. Any player with a parent or grandparent of French nationality.
3. Any player, regardless of nationality, who has held an active FFR license for at least five consecutive seasons in France (played 5 consecutive seasons in France).
4. Any player, regardless of nationality, who has completed military service in a unit of the French army or who has obtained refugee status.
5. Any player, regardless of nationality, who has spent at least 3 consecutive seasons:
– in a training center approved by the Ministry of Sports under an approved training agreement and whose training content (school, university or professional) has been validated by the FFR/LNR Training Commission for each of the 3 seasons; OR
– in a training center certified by the FFR under a registered training contract.
Licence B:
Each league in France has different restrictions in terms of the number of players they are able to register who are considered a Licence B Player.
A Licence B player, is a player who is a national of a Member State of the European Economic Area or a member of a country that has signed an association or cooperation agreement with France or the European Union* and who does not meet any of the criteria for obtaining a type A qualification.
List of States (EUROPE):
– European Economic Area (or similar): Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain.
States having signed an association or cooperation agreement with France or the European Union:
– Algeria, Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, Fiji, Georgia, Kenya, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Samoa, South Africa, Tonga, Tunisia, Uganda, Ukraine, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Other countries include:
Andorra, Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Iceland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland.
Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Uzbekistan, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo (Brazzaville), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Gabon, Gambia Ghana, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Micronesia (Federated States of), Mozambique, Nauru, Niger, Niue, Palau, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, Sao Tome and Principe, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Tanzania, Chad, East Timor, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Togo, Vanuatu.
Licence C:
Licence C players are considered as a player who is not a national of a Member State of the European Economic Area or of a State that has signed an association or cooperation agreement with France or the European Union and does not meet any of the criteria for Licence A.
Examples would be: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Japan, New Zealand, United States of America, Uruguay.
Source: https://www.ffr.fr/TITRE II – GESTION DES ASSOCIATIONS ET DES MEMBRES DE LA F.F.R.
