Rugby League International Federation chairman Colin Love has called on South Sydney to release Sam Burgess for England's international against France on June 12.

Wests Tigers second rower Gareth Ellis is expecting to play in the mid-season game at Leigh but the Rabbitohs are standing firm on Burgess because they have a league game against Brisbane a few hours later.

"The Federation will discuss it this week but I can tell you that we will be encouraging Souths to release him," Love told the Rugby League Week magazine.

Love, who will chair a meeting of the International Federation in Melbourne on Thursday, added: "I'll be speaking to (NRL chief executive) David Gallop about it because it involves the NRL but it is in players' contracts that they must be available for representative games."

Two years ago the international body intervened to force Leeds and Wigan to release New Zealand internationals Brent Webb and Thomas Leuluai for the Anzac Test in Sydney but coach Stephen Kearney chose not to select any Super League-based players for Friday's match because of the disruption caused by the long flight.