Racing Metro and Stade Francais set to merge next season as Top 14's two biggest Parisian clubs decide to join forces

DAN CARTER'S club Racing Metro are set to MERGE with local rivals Stade Francais - in a move that has got the rugby world scratching its head.

The Top 14 clubs will join forces next season, but that will involve trimming two squads into one.

The bombshell announcement was made today - and they even unveiled a new club badge.

The two sides are old institutions in the French capital and both sides won the first two championships in French rugby in 1892 and 1893.

A statement said: "The association, effective from next season, will give birth to a new club that will preserve the roots of Racing 92 and those of Stade Francais, while multiplying their resources in youth and French rugby."

Fans of both clubs expressed their displeasure on Twitter.

One said: "They are completely sick," while another called it a "monstrous mess."

Both clubs, particularly Racing Metro, have been popular with British players.

Jonny Sexton, Olly Barkley, Dan Lydiate, Jamie Roberts and Mike Phillips have all played for Racing in recent years, while James Haskell played for Stade Francais.

Meanwhile, one punter writing a comment on l'Equipe compared it to merging Arsenal and Tottenham.

The two Parisian sides boast strong history, tradition and potent resources, but Stade president Savare and Racing chief Lorenzetti believe the two entities are now best served pooling resources.

France's Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) is expected to rubber-stamp the move, with an extra place in next season's division to be filled either via a play-off or offering another promotion spot from the second-tier ProD2.

Both presidents are understood to want a 'Galactico' style arrangement where they sign the best players in the world, attracting them with the lure of living in Paris with high wages.

But the merger would surely leave former Kiwi No10 Carter's future in doubt, with the World Cup winner's wages high on the payscale.

Carter tweeted last night after his side were defeated by 38-15 by La Rochelle, while Stade Francais lost 35-33 to Lyon.