Stade Francais president Thomas Savare (left) and Racing 92 president Jacky Lorenzetti sparked protests after they announced the merger plans on 13 March

A proposed merger between top French sides Racing 92 and Stade Francais has been called off.

The clubs, who are based in Paris and play in the Top 14 league, announced their intention to merge six days ago.

However, Racing 92 president Jacky Lorenzetti said, in agreement with Stade president Thomas Savare, they were "giving this project up".

Stade Francais players began an open-ended strike last week, denouncing what they deemed a takeover in disguise.

They refused to train or play against Castres this weekend, forcing Saturday's game to be postponed, while the French league also called off Racing's game against Montpellier.

Stade Francais supporters demonstrated against the proposed merger at the club's stadium after the initial merger announcement.

"I heard and understood the strong reservations expressed in response to this project," added Lorenzetti.

"In any case, the social, political, cultural, human, and sporting conditions were not in place. Perhaps we had the right plan too soon, only the future will tell."

Players, officials and supporters from both clubs were taken by surprise by the initial announcement on 13 March, with Stade centre Jonathan Danty saying he and his team-mates, who were on international duty with France, thought it was "a joke".

The merger had yet to be ratified by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR), who met team representatives on Friday.

Another meeting was also scheduled for Monday, while LNR president Paul Goze and French federation boss Bernard Laporte were also going to meet later the same day.

New Zealand legend Dan Carter leads Racing's list of stars while Italy's Sergio Parisse is on Stade's books.

Stade Francais won the French Top 14 title in 2014-15, while Racing took over as champions the following year, though both are currently in the lower half of the division.

Racing's new 30,000-capacity stadium is due to be completed later in 2017 while their rivals have updated and expanded their Stade Jean-Bouin home to hold 20,000 fans in recent years.</s>Racing 92 and Stade Francais have announced that their proposed merger is off.

The two French powerhouses shocked the rugby world last week when they revealed plans to pool their resources from next term and form a Top 14 Paris super club.

However, the controversial move has now been called off, with Racing chief Jacky Lorenzetti saying: “I have decided to give up this beautiful project.”

The planned merger has courted criticism since last Monday’s announcement, which stunned players from both clubs, including those on international duty with France. On Wednesday Stade’s squad went on an ‘open-ended strike’, before later in the week staging a protest alongside supporters outside the headquarters of the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) in Paris.

The fall-out continued on Friday when both of the clubs’ respective Top 14 fixtures scheduled for this weekend were postponed. However, with further talks between Top 14 champions Racing and Stade having initially been scheduled for Monday, the two clubs announced on Sunday that the merger would no longer be happening.

Lorenzetti, whose club has the likes ex-All Blacks star Dan Carter on its books, said on the Racing website: “In agreement with (Stade president) Thomas Savare, the merger will not take place.

“We decided to bring Stade Francais Paris and Racing 92 together to create a great Ile-de-France club of tomorrow and ensure it of a long-lasting and brilliant future. I have decided to give up this beautiful project.”

Lorenzetti said that he had “heard and understood the strong reservations” raised by the plans but felt the majority would be in favour and that the advantages would outweigh the negatives. He also said that he “did not expect such resistance, especially internally!”

Stade also confirmed in a statement on their website that the merger was no longer taking place. Club president Savare said: “I heard the emotion, the surprise and the misunderstanding of the supporters, the players and the members of our association.

“I also heard their deep attachment to the independence of Stade Francais Paris, this attachment going before all other considerations. So we decided, in agreement with Jacky Lorenzetti, to put an end to this proposed merger.”</s>The shock proposed merger between Racing 92 and Stade Francais has been shelved.

Racing 92 owner Jacky Lorenzetti has gone on to the club's website to announce the coming together of Paris' two iconic rugby clubs for next season's Top 14 tournament will no longer happen after bitter reaction from Stade's players to the proposed move... and from some within Racing.

Lorenzetti and his Stade counterpart Thomas Savare are expected to hold a press conference on Monday morning to formally announce the merger is off after Saturday's Top 14 fixtures involving the clubs were postponed.

Stade, whose players went on strike over the planned merger, were due to play at Castres on Saturday late-afternoon while Racing were to play at Montpellier on Saturday evening.

And the Six Nations Championship on the weekend also saw a show of solidarity for the Stade players with Italian skipper and Stade No.8 Sergio Parisse wearing a club armband before their match with Scotland at Murrayfield.

In a statement on the club website Lorenzetti, said: "In agreement with Thomas Savare, the merger will not take place.

"We decided, with Thomas Savare, to bring Stade Français Paris and Racing 92 together to create the great France club of tomorrow and ensure it a long-lasting and brilliant future.

"I decided to give up this beautiful project.

"I sincerely believe that it was ambitious enough to garner the approval of the majority.

"I have heard and understood the strong reservations raised by this beautiful plan of union.

"In any case, social, political, cultural, human and sporting conditions are not fulfilled. Perhaps we were right too soon, the future will tell us.

"I did not expect such resistance, especially internally.

"The future of Stade Francais will be written without us, and I sincerely wish him all the best that can be hoped for by someone whom we have come to know more closely.

"I will, of course, continue to work to grow the Racing 92 with even more support on our training centre and our future Arena which will be delivered in a few months."</s>A planned merger between Parisian rugby powerhouses Racing 92 and Stade Francais has been cancelled amid strong opposition, Racing 92 president Jacky Lorenzetti said on Sunday.

'I have decided to give this beautiful project up,' Lorenzetti said in a statement.

Stade Francais players began an open-ended strike last week, denouncing what they called a takeover in disguise, while the French federation and the Paris mayor also opposed the merger.

Their plan, which aimed to create a superclub of the best local talent in the Paris region capable of attracting the best foreign players, proved to be a hugely divisive scheme.

But the move had been frowned upon in some quarters with France's Stade centre Jonathan Danty revealing that the news had sent shock waves through the Les Bleus camp and produced talk of strike action from players.

It was welcomed by the French league but earned the disapproval of the French Rugby Federation.

Earlier this week, representatives from both clubs met with League president Paul Goze and all parties, including some players and coaches, were set to meet again on Monday for further discussions.

Goze was also expected to talk about the issue with French federation President Bernard Laporte on Monday.

Stade Francais players had announced they would go on strike in protest, and the league decided to postpone both clubs' weekend games 'to give dialogue a chance.'

The presidents of both clubs believed a merge would help them compete with the powerhouse teams from the south such as Toulon and Clermont Auvergne.

But there would have been a number of jobs lost and it seems the vocal opposition has put a stop the the proposal.

Racing 92 are the reigning French champions and both clubs play in the top-tier Top 14 championship.

The teams won the inaugural French titles - Racing in 1892 and Stade Francais in 1893 - and have claimed 20 titles between them.

New Zealand great Dan Carter plays for Racing 92 and the fly-half also helped the club reach the European Cup final last season, where they lost to English side Saracens.</s>A proposed merger between top French sides Racing 92 and Stade Francais has been called off.

The clubs, who are based in Paris and play in the Top 14 league, announced their intention to merge six days ago.

However, on Sunday, Racing 92 president Jacky Lorenzetti said in a statement: "I have decided to give this beautiful project up."

Stade Francais players began an open-ended strike last week, denouncing what they deemed a takeover in disguise.

They refused to train or play against Castres this weekend, forcing Saturday's game to be postponed, while the French league also called off Racing's game against Montpellier.

"I heard and understood the strong reservations expressed in response to this project," added Lorenzetti.

"In any case, the social, political, cultural, human, and sporting conditions were not in place. Perhaps we had the right plan too soon, only the future will tell."

Lorenzetti and Stade president Thomas Savare sparked protests from fans and club officials with their announcement on 13 March.

Players and supporters from both clubs were taken by surprise by the initial announcement, with Stade centre Jonathan Danty saying he and his French team-mates thought it was "a joke".</s>A proposed merger between Top 14 rivals Racing 92 and Stade Francais has been called off following a fierce backlash against the plans.

An arrangement to bring the two Paris clubs together was revealed last week in a move that stunned the rugby world.

Fans and players of the two teams voiced their concerns at the proposals which were outlined by presidents Jacky Lorenzetti and Thomas Savare.

Following protests, strike action and the postponement of the clubs' league fixtures, it has been decided that the merger will no longer go ahead.

"I heard the emotion, the surprise and the misunderstanding of the supporters, the players and the members of our association," said Stade Francais chief Savare.

"I also heard their deep attachment to the independence of Stade Francais, this attachment coming above all other considerations.

"So we have decided, in agreement with Jacky Lorenzetti, to put an end to this proposed merger."

Racing president Lorenzetti added in a statement: "I have decided to give up this beautiful project. I did not expect such resistance, especially internally!

"Maybe we were right too soon. The future will tell us.

"I want to tell the big rugby family, the loyal partners of Racing 92, the supporters, the players, the sports and administrative staff of the two teams… it was not my intention to oppose one part of the family against the other.

"The future of Stade Francais will be written without us, and I sincerely wish them all the best having come to know them more closely."</s>PARIS (AP) — Stade Francais and Racing 92 won’t finally join forces to create a super rugby club in the Paris region.

Facing strong opposition from fans and players, both clubs’ presidents decided to scrap their planned merger.

Racing 92 President Jacky Lorenzetti said on the club’s website he “gave up on the merger with the Stade Francais Paris, in agreement with Thomas Savare,” the Stade Francais boss.

Their plan, which aimed to create a superclub of the best local talent in the Paris region capable of attracting the best foreign players, proved to be a hugely divisive move. It was welcomed by the French league but earned the disapproval of the French Rugby Federation.

Earlier this week, representatives from both clubs met with League president Paul Goze and all parties, including some players and coaches, were set to meet again on Monday for further discussions. Goze was also expected to talk about the issue with French federation President Bernard Laporte on Monday.

Stade Francais players had announced they would go on strike in protest, and the league decided to postpone both clubs’ weekend games “to give dialogue a chance.”

Racing 92 is the reigning French champion and both clubs play in the top-tier Top 14 championship. The teams won the inaugural French titles — Racing in 1892 and Stade Francais in 1893 — and have claimed 20 titles between them.

New Zealand great Dan Carter plays for Racing 92 and the flyhalf also helped the club reach the European Cup final last season, where it lost to English side Saracens.</s>A planned merger between Parisian rugby powerhouses Racing 92 and Stade Francais looks set to be cancelled amid strong opposition, the Racing 92 president Jacky Lorenzetti said on Sunday.

“I have decided to give this beautiful project up,” Lorenzetti said in a statement.

Stade Francais players began an open-ended strike last week, denouncing what they called a takeover in disguise, while the French federation and the Paris mayor also opposed the merger.
• This is a breaking news story … more to follow</s>PARIS, March 19 (Reuters) - A planned merger between Parisian rugby powerhouses Racing 92 and Stade Francais has been cancelled, Racing 92 president Jacky Lorenzetti said on Sunday, six days after the plan was first announced to fierce opposition.

"I have decided to give this beautiful project up," Lorenzetti said in a statement.

Stade Francais players began an open-ended strike last week, denouncing what they called a takeover in disguise, while the French federation and the Paris mayor also opposed the merger.

"I have heard and understood the reservations... the social, human, sporting conditions are not met. Perhaps we were right too soon," said Lorenzetti.

"The future of Stade Francais will be written without us and I wish them the best."

Stade Francais president Thomas Savare has said that he does not have the cash to keep the 14-times French champions afloat.

"We now have to build the future of this club in a collegial way," the head of the players' union and former Stade player Robins Tchale Watchou told Reuters.

After Stade Francais's players went on strike on Tuesday, the French League (LNR) postponed games featuring the two Paris clubs this weekend, having met team representatives on Friday.

Another meeting was also scheduled for Monday, with LNR president Paul Goze and French federation boss Bernard Laporte also due to meet in the evening.</s>PARIS: A planned merger between Parisian rugby powerhouses Racing 92 and Stade Francais has been cancelled amid strong opposition, Racing 92 president Jacky Lorenzetti said on Sunday.

"I have decided to give this beautiful project up," Lorenzetti said in a statement.

Stade Francais players began an open-ended strike last week, denouncing what they called a takeover in disguise, while the French federation and the Paris mayor also opposed the merger.
Racing 92 and Stade Français, two French rugby clubs, announce that they are calling off their proposed merger following widespread opposition to the project.