PARIS - Toulon hooker Guilhem Guirado has been drafted into the France elite squad of 30 for the upcoming season, in preparation for the 2015 World Cup.
France's Guilhem Guirado (bottom) controls the ball against Australia during the third rugby union test match in Sydney on June 21, 2014
The elite squad will play a maximum of 30 matches (internationals, Top 14 and friendlies), from June 2014 to May 2015 in order to maintain their fitness levels ready for the World Cup.
Numerically, Guiardo takes the place vacated by Stade Francais full back Hugo Bonneval, who ruptured knee ligaments during the French tour of Australia in June and will be out of action until at least the Six Nations campaign in February 2015.
The 30-match quota does not include the French Championship play-offs or European Cup competitions, while players who play less than 20 minutes will not be counted as having played a match.
Elite group
Forwards (19): Thomas Domingo (Clermont), Vincent Debaty (Clermont), Benjamin Kayser (Clermont), Dimitri Szarzewski (Racing-Metro), Guilhem Guirado (Toulon), Nicolas Mas (Montpellier), Rabah Slimani (Stade Francais), Alexandre Flanquart (Stade Francais), Yoann Maestri (Toulouse), Pascal Pape (Stade Francais), Sebastien Vahaamahina (Clermont), Damien Chouly (Clermont), Antonie Claassen (Racing-Métro), Louis Picamoles (Toulouse), Antoine Burban (Stade Francais), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse), Bernard Le Roux (Racing-Métro), Yannick Nyanga (Toulouse), Fulgence Ouedraogo (Montpellier)
Backs (11): Maxime Machenaud (Racing-Metro), Morgan Parra (Clermont), Frederic Michalak (Toulon), Remi Tales (Castres), Francois Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), Mathieu Bastareaud (Toulon), Wesley Fofana (Clermont), Remi Lamerat (Castres), Maxime Medard (Toulouse), Brice Dulin (Racing-Métro), Yoann Huget (Toulouse)