After a disappointing World Cup campaign, calls were made for the NRL to invest in the future of French rugby league. Now, those hopes are set to be answered.

France conceded over 150 points in their first two group-stage matches to Samoa and England, before losing to Lebanon in heart-breaking fashion as Arthur Mourgue’s failed chip-and-chase landed straight into the arms of Abbas Miski, who sealed the win in golden point.

Through the tournament, both head coach Laurent Frayssinous and captain Ben Garcia made a passionate plea to the NRL asking for support, and it now looks like the Australian competition will get involved.

Per The Daily Telegraph, ARLC chairman Peter V’Landys, who is also a key figure in the NRL-Super League deal, has held talks with French higher-ups and Trent Robinson, who is the French Director of Rugby as well as being the Sydney Roosters’ boss.

V’Landys managed to negotiate the biggest TV rights deal in NRL history earlier this season, so with cash flow aplenty, he is keen to see the northern hemisphere grow as much as its southern counterparts.

”France is high on our agenda,” V’landys told The Daily Telegraph. “They came out to Australia, and we met with Trent Robinson and indicated we would like to help them.”

Robinson also spoke to the same masthead, who added: “I’ve had good conversations with Peter and Dean Bosnich [NRL’s general manager of game development].

“Dean played and coached in France. We are planning to meet in a couple of weeks to create a vision for the French Federation and the NRL, which is very important for us.”

It is understood that a deal with the French rugby league authority is separate from the NRL-Super League deal, with French funding set to occur regardless of what happens between the NRL and the RFL.

At present, both Catalans and Toulouse have to cover travel costs for away teams, whilst Toulouse joined York last season in only receiving half of the central funding distribution.

The deal is also set to help the French Elite XIII competition, which is a league that runs through the winter and has a number of high-profile ex-Super League and NRL players involved.

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