Lions tour is massive for me - Racing's Farrell

The French league season, with 26 regular season games for each team and a more extensive round of play-offs, places more workload on players than the Premiership

Owen Farrell says making the British and Irish Lions squad would be "massive" for him, but added that he is concentrating on adapting to life at Racing 92 for the moment.

The 33-year-old moved to the Parisian side in the summer, rendering him ineligible for England selection, but he could still be picked for the Lions' tour of Australia in the summer.

"It's a massive thing for any British player, but it's a long way away," said Farrell, who was part of the past three Lions tours.

"It's not something I'm thinking about at all at the moment. I'm busy trying to settle in here and do my best for Racing."

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell - Owen's father - will lead the Lions down under and there is precedent for players based overseas being picked in the squad.

Bath and Scotland's Finn Russell toured South Africa in 2021 when he was Racing 92's fly-half, while Leigh Halfpenny, then of Toulon, was included in the 2017 trip to New Zealand.

However, England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson turned down a place on the 2013 tour of Australia while playing his club rugby at Toulon, partly because of a calendar clash that could come into consideration once again.

The semi-final and final of France's Top 14 league season will be staged on 21 and 28 June respectively.

The Lions play Argentina in a warm-up match on 20 June and face Western Force in Perth on the same day as the Top 14's Stade de France showpiece.

Any player involved in the final would only become available to the Lions against NSW Waratahs on 5 July, a fortnight before the first Test against the Wallabies, leaving little time to integrate them into the squad.

Farrell came off the bench in the first two Tests against South Africa in 2021, but Finn Russell was preferred among the replacements for the decider, with the Scot coming on 10 minutes into a 19-16 defeat

Racing fell just short of the semi-finals last season, and are currently 10th in the early-season standings after three losses in their opening five games.

Farrell has started all five matches, but has allowed scrum-half Nolan Le Garrec to take many of the tactical decisions and, in recent matches, the goal-kicking duties.

"I don't think anybody's going to come in to a new club and be overpowering, speak too much," said Farrell who admitted he was carrying a "little knock" which had limited his kicking.

"It's been nice for me to find my way and listen a lot and get to understand what the club is about, and French rugby and French culture.

"We've a long way to go, a lot of potential and it's about expanding that as quickly as possible."

Farrell took a break from England duty for the duration of last year's Six Nations to "prioritise his and his family's mental well-being".

"Not yet, I've only just got here!" said the 33-year-old, when asked if he was missing England.

"I'm enjoying how different it is, the French way of life, it's nice.

"I've got a long way to go with the language. I'm enjoying trying to learn it but I still need to make a big effort."

Andy Farrell and his Lions coaching staff will likely be watching more players than ever in France this season, with a host of potential Lions at Top 14 clubs.

England back row Jack Willis and Scotland back Blair Kinghorn ply their trade at champions Toulouse, while prop Kyle Sinckler has impressed at Toulon since his summer move from Bristol.

Scotland scrum-half Ben White is a team-mate of Sinckler's at Toulon, while England wing Henry Arundell, like Farrell, opted for Paris and Racing.