Wasps confirmed Tuesday that England internationals Riki Flutey, James Haskell and Tom Palmer would all be joining French clubs next season.
Flutey's move to Brive - who already have England fly-half Andy Goode in their squad - was confirmed by the Top 14 side on Monday, while forwards Haskell and Palmer will be leaving the English champions to join Paris-based Stade Francais.
The trio's departures could represent the start of a concerning trend for both the English Premiership and England manager Martin Johnson.
French clubs are not bound by a salary cap such as exists in the Premiership and so, aided by a favourable exchange rate, can offer far higher wages than their cross-Channel rivals.
Wasps executive chairman Mark Rigby said: "It does raise great concern that French clubs can now blow the English clubs away when it comes to salaries and it is clear that in financial terms we are no longer on a level playing field."
When they move to France, Haskell, Flutey and Palmer will no longer be bound by the eight-year, 110 million pounds international access deal agreed by England's governing Rugby Football Union (RFU) and the 12 Premiership clubs, who receive financial compensation for players selected by England.
They will have to be released for Tests under International Rugby Board (IRB) regulations but their new employers will be under no obligation to make them available for additional training weeks.
The new agreement was designed to ensure England's players were in the best possible shape for international rugby, which now includes an annual end-of-season tour as well as the November internationals and Six Nations.
But the culmination of the French championship has often clashed with England touring schedules.
"It is an enormous worry for us," RFU chairman Martyn Thomas told Tuesday's London Evening Standard. "The French clubs pose a major danger."
The RFU is now considering setting up a 'fighting fund' to help Premiership teams, hit by the falling value of the pound compared to the Euro, hold on to their best players.
"If we were to get to a situation where there are half-a-dozen players based over in France, it would undermine the whole concept of the elite player agreement," Thomas added before the Wasps's trio's moves were all confirmed.
Wasps chief executive Tony Copsey said the salaries reportedly being offered by French clubs were "just not sustainable, except with the backing of a very rich individual".
But several leading French clubs, as well as those with ambitions to join the elite, do have wealthy benefactors.
For example, Stade Francais are backed by Max Guazzini, who made his fortune in commercial radio, while Brive, who as well as Goode, have former England internationals Steve Thompson and Ben Cohen in their squad, are owned by millionaire businessman Daniel Derichebourg.
Ambitious Racing Metro, presently well clear at the top France's second division, announced Monday they were contemplating signing both England's 2003 World Cup-winning outside-half Jonny Wilkinson, who is currently injured, and South Africa centre Francois Steyn.
They can think about such high-profile moves is because they are bankrolled by Jacky Lorenzetti, also the owner of France's biggest estate agency group.
However, not all the traffic in the professional era has been one way with several France internationals appearing in the Premiership.
But, unluckily for Wasps, the confirmation they were losing three key players at the end of the season came on the same day as their captain and former France skipper Raphael Ibanez announced his immediate retirement from rugby following a series of concussions.
Copyright 2009 AFP Global Edition
