Rugby: Threat of French clubs signing top All Blacks set to increase with plans to relax salary caps

Radical salary cap changes could mean huge money for clubs to chase top All Blacks. Photo / Photosport

A proposed change to salary caps is set to see French clubs remove "marquee players" in a move that could secure the signatures of top All Blacks.

The proposed changes will be discussed at a three-day meeting between the Top 14 and Pro D2 club presidents in Bordeaux next week. If approved, the changes would see more money on the table for French clubs to lure top players after year's Rugby World Cup.

The plan, which will see the salary cap lowered by between €300,000 (NZ$495,960) and €500,000 (NZ$826,495) from its current €11.3million (NZ$18,678,787), is said to already have the support of Toulon's Mourad Boudjellal, Bordeaux's Laurent Marti, and Lyon's Yann Roubert.

French club Toulon are chasing All Black Sam Whitelock. Photo / Photosport

It is expected that top-flight French club presidents will be easily persuaded into the Marquee player system, with many currently struggling to secure big-name signatures.

The salary cap, which was introduced for Top 14 and Pro D2 clubs in 2010, was originally set in place to avoid major financial difficulties for a number of clubs.

This season, the average payroll in the Top 14 is reported to be €8.5million (NZ$14,047,950).

Pau's efforts to lure Ardie Savea to southwest France have hit reportedly a snag. Photo / Photosport

French clubs are already relentlessly chasing All Blacks skipper Kieran Read, flanker Ardie Savea, and veteran lock Sam Whitelock.

French newspaper L'Equipe reported in the weekend that English and Japanese clubs have been chasing the All Blacks captain and Racing 92 are prepared to outbid any other club.

Read appears keen to test himself in France after next year's World Cup and it has been reported that a compromised short-term deal is close to being agreed.

Read told the Herald in November that he will bring down the curtain on his long and illustrious All Blacks career at the World Cup in Japan next year.

Last month Midi Olympique reported Ben Smith had signed a seven-month contract with Pau which would start after the World Cup.

Pau were also interested in the services of All Blacks flanker Ardie Savea who had been linked with a move overseas for a while now.

The French paper also reported that big spenders Toulon were in talks with Hurricanes outside back Nehe Milner-Skudder and Crusaders centre Ryan Crotty.

Last month Beauden Barrett also spoke out for the first time about a potential move to Japan after next year's World Cup while Brodie Retallick has also signalled a similar interest.