It was a rumour only, though. My guess is that this was considered before the decision to include 12 teams. The time for Toulouse to enter NL1 was 2 or 3 years ago when they applied but NL1 rejected them. Now, there would be no point. The teams they play are no better than the most of the French teams they usually play (as proved by previous French vs English club game results) plus, now, even when they do win the league, they do not move up into the superleague. For Toulouse to play in the NL1, would just be a waste of money for them as well as a drain on the French competition for no good reason.
This Toulouse situation really is getting so much like the Gold Coast bid it isnt funny. As long as the French test gets somewhere around the 7000 to 8000 spectator mark, which is what their realistic aim for average crowds should be, they should be certainties. I think that it will get that many people. Is any agency taking bets on their presence. if they are anything more than even money, they would be great value.