Carcassone in Super League

[The Daddy3]

One for the treizistes.....Is Carcassone's bid to enter SL2 and SL proper in 5 years genuine? If so what's the thrust behind it, I understand they may have a sugar daddy.Wondering if the town as small as Carcassone can maintain a pro team. For this to work they should be linking up with Lezignan & Limoux and take in the whole region.In saying that I'd like to see Avignon in there first.

 

[miguel de cervantes]

Can't see it happening, even as an Aude team. Toulouse is the clear-cut and most obvious next step. I wouldn't even think about another team after that for a long time.

 

[langpark]

I think Toulouse and perhaps even Avignon could pull it off in the near future...

Forget mergers. That only works in places like Aus and the USA, not in places that have their own proud history stretching back longer than a century...

 

[miguel de cervantes]

I think Toulouse and perhaps even Avignon could pull it off in the near future...

Forget mergers. That only works in places like Aus and the USA, not in places that have their own proud history stretching back longer than a century...

League was only founded in the mid 1930s in France. I don't necessarily think it would be an issue with club pride or anything like that, more economical and population density reasons. A merger between a few towns is not a great setup. It would be like having a Dubbo/Orange/Bathurst team or something like that. Not great.

Toulouse does not have these issues.

 

[deal.with.it]

If you have Toulouse and Carcassone able to join Super League, why would they not think of going fully pro in a condensed French Comp, have Catalan join, and then try convince a few more sugar daddies to take it to an 8 team fully pro comp!
The costs you'd save on travel would be substantial.
I wouldn't think (I don't know) that Avignon and Lezignan would need a ridiculous amount of $ to go fully pro.
You just need to be smart about it, have the junior structure sorted, have ties to the Elite competition (only one elite competition with the establishment of a French Pro XIII) so you can pull semi-pro players, and stick to a 25 man pro squad.
Minimum wage of $50k for full pros.
Good luck.

 

[Foreign Legion]

Bring back PSG

 

[The Daddy3]

I think Toulouse and perhaps even Avignon could pull it off in the near future...

Forget mergers. That only works in places like Aus and the USA, not in places that have their own proud history stretching back longer than a century...

Catalan Dragons are a merged team so that blows your theory out the window.

 

[langpark]

Catalan Dragons are a merged team so that blows your theory out the window.

Which two teams merged? Two teams from completely different cities? You MUST have known what I meant when I said it wouldn't work... (I was referring to your idea to merge 3 completely different cities)

I'm surprised you didn't cite Hull as your example of a successful merger...

 

[The Daddy3]

St Esteve and XIII Catalan merged, two teams in the same city.

 

[langpark]

St Esteve and XIII Catalan merged, two teams in the same city.

yeah but you know what I meant, you were proposing 3 teams from entirely different towns merge, THAT is what I'm saying doesn't work...

so you had to go and use a technicality to try and blow my theory out the "window"

 

[langpark]

Aude Pays Cathare Rugby XIII announce first fixture against the Catalan Dragons
French Rugby League took a huge step forward today with the announcement of the first fixture for Chevaliers Cathares. The Cathares are an elite side composed of three of France’s most successful clubs: Lezignan, Carcassone and Limoux all based in the country’s Aude (11) department.
Nestled between the big cities of Perpignan, Toulouse and Montpellier, the Aude region is one of France’s strongest and longest standing Rugby League regions. The region provided four of France’s 17 man squad for their inaugural tour which saw them take on Wigan, London Highfield, Leeds, an RFL Selection at Warrington, Hull (the first ever victory for a France XIII) and Salford, lead by captain and dual code international Jean Galia. And perhaps more importantly the Carcassonne club gave birth to France’s greatest rugby league star the enigmatic Full-Back; Puig Aubert renowned for dropping goals from his own half, drinking large quantities of pastis and smoking cigarettes, sometimes on the rugby field.
Whilst today’s announcement had a slightly more professional feel, it was with a view to joining Europe’s professional and elite Rugby League competition in Super League. The joint venture has at the root of its’ targets; joining neighbouring Catalan Dragons in Europe’s premier competition. The three towns whilst small, together could be have a powerful and passionate collective fan base should they achieve their long-term goals.
For the meantime it is the intention that the three clubs shall continue to persevere with their own Elite 1 campaigns for this season and for the foreseeable future, whilst playing occasionally against touring representative sides.
They will face the Dragons in 2015 at Carcassone’s Stade Domec in a match being marketed as “Le Défi” (The Challenge) which will take place on the 24th of January.

http://the18thman.com/2014/12/09/aude-pays/