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Montpellier have demanded that France's rugby bosses pay their six-figure expenses for Saturday's postponed Top 14 clash with Racing 92. Last weekend's league matches involving Racing and Stade Francais were postponed by Top 14 organisers over the two clubs' now aborted plans for a merger. However, Montpellier have claimed that France's Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) forced them to prepare for their clash as usual. Now the European Challenge Cup champions are seeking reimbursement for preparation costs and lost revenue amid the growing fallout after Racing and Stade's mooted merger collapsed just days after its announcement. "Last Friday we were forced by a unilateral decision of the LNR bureau, at the request of Racing 92, not to play Saturday night," read a Montpellier club statement. "Nevertheless, the referee asked us to be present at the time of the match as if the match were to take place. We are still challenging the rationale for the LNR decision, which we are still seeking to justify, and we are now awaiting the position of the FFR (French Rugby Federation). "In any event, once the meeting between the President of the FFR and the LNR has taken place, the MHR (Montpellier Rugby) will continue the actions essential to the defence of its rights and in particular the reimbursement of all the expenses incurred as well as the lost revenue, which amounts to several hundred thousand Euros."
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