During the current tour of Australia, Lions officials put pressure on the Wallabies to release more high-profile international players for the tour matches amid concerns about how competitive they would be.

The Lions beat Australia’s four Super Rugby teams by an average of 27.5 points, before sealing a series win with victory in the first two Tests against the Wallabies.

Benazzi says France has no intention of disrupting the usual rotation of Lions tours, which alternate between Australia, New Zealand and South Africa every four years.

Instead he hopes the new global calendar, that begins next year with the first edition of the biennial Nations Cup, will create opportunities.

“Of course, we don’t touch the legacy in the south – you keep that,” added Benazzi.

“We have a lot of projects. We want to see what to expect with the United States – maybe we have a possibility to play there – maybe in Paris or London. We are just thinking about ideas.

“If you have a link between two institutions then it’s easier to project what we want to do – a warm-up before the tour, a special game maybe every four years as well, in our own countries or outside for development of the game.”

A full-scale Lions tour of France is an enticing prospect.

France’s national team, who won this year’s Six Nations, are the strongest they have been for a generation.

At club level, Toulouse, Bordeaux-Begles and La Rochelle have won the past five editions of the Champions Cup, while the likes of Toulon, Racing 92 and Clermont Auvergne also offer high-quality, multi-national squads and atmospheric venues.