And why not Carcasonne?

[miguel de cervantes]

I don't agree personally, but Carcassone has entertained ideas of a SL franchise.

Terre d'ovalie par excellence, l'Aude possède pas moins de trois clubs de XIII en élite : Carcassonne, Limoux et Lézignan. Pourtant, ce record départemental a son revers. Car, faute d'un véritable tissu industriel et donc de sponsors, les équipes sont à la peine. D'autant que les spectateurs se raréfient autour des pelouses. Seulement un millier en moyenne par match. Le club de Lézignan a même failli disparaître il y a quelques années. L'idée d'un rapprochement entre trois formations séparées seulement d'une trentaine de kilomètres refait donc régulièrement surface. Et elle alimente des forums sur le Net ou les conversations de bistro. A Limoux et Lézignan, côté dirigeants, l'enthousiasme n'y est pas, mais Carcassonne semble plus ouvert. Jean-Louis Gimenez, ancien joueur et ancien dirigeant limouxin, aujourd'hui proche du club de la Cité, a réalisé récemment une étude sur un projet de fusion. « C'est la seule solution, puisque nos clubs ne peuvent aligner que des budgets misérables avec quelques centaines de milliers d'euros et peinent à attirer de bons joueurs. » Jean-Louis Gimenez préconise le rapprochement d'au moins deux clubs-et des trois si possible-pour bâtir une équipe qui pourrait évoluer à Carcassonne, où se trouve le seul stade de la région doté d'un éclairage homologué. Pas simple lorsqu'on connaît l'attachement viscéral de chaque clocher à son maillot.
Mais les treizistes audois envient leurs homologues perpignanais, qui ont réussi, en rapprochant Saint-Estève et le XIII Catalan, à créer une équipe évoluant en Super League anglaise. Et ils savent que Toulouse envisage d'en faire autant. Dès lors, une fusion paraît inévitable pour offrir aux passionnés un spectacle capable de rivaliser avec les grandes villes voisines. L'idée de « monter » un dossier pour la Super League fait même son chemin. D'autant que Carcassonne possède de bonnes liaisons aériennes avec l'Angleterre et un bassin de population de 340 000 habitants, à peu près similaire à celui de Perpignan. Reste à trouver environ 5 millions d'euros, le minimum budgétaire pour évoluer dans le championnat anglais.

 

[International RL]

What is the strength of their arguments?

 

[aarondoyle]

Bablefish translation. You get the idea.

Ground of ovalie par excellence, the Aude does not have less than three clubs of XIII in elite: Carcassonne, Limoux and Lézignan. However, this departmental record has its reverse. Because, of a genuine industrial fabric and thus for lack of sponsors, the teams are with the sorrow. The more so as the spectators rarefy around the lawns. Only a one thousand on average per match. The club of Lézignan even failed to disappear a few years ago. The idea of a bringing together between three separate formations only of one about thirty kilometers thus remakes regularly surface. And it feeds from the forums on the Net or the conversations of bar. In Limoux and Lézignan, side leaders, enthusiasm is not there, but Carcassonne seems more open. Jean-Louis Gimenez, former player and former leader limouxin, today near to the club of the City, recently made a study on a project of fusion "It is the only solution, since our clubs can align only miserable budgets with a few hundreds of thousands of euros and pain to attract good players" Jean-Louis Gimenez recommends the bringing together from at least two club-and the three if possible-for building a team which could evolve/move in Carcassonne, where is the only stage of the area equipped with an approved lighting. Not simple when one knows the visceral attachment of each bell-tower to his shirt. But the treizists audois envy their counterparts perpignanais, which succeeded, by bringing closer Saint-Estève and the XIII Catalan, to create a team evolving/moving in Super League English. And they know that Toulouse plans to do as much of it. Consequently, a fusion appears inevitable to offer to impassioned spectacle able to compete with the large close cities. The idea "to assemble" a file for Super League makes even its way. The more so as Carcassonne has good air links with England and a basin of population of 340 000 inhabitants, about similar with that of Perpignan. Remain to find approximately 5 million euros, the budgetary minimum to evolve/move in the English championship.

 

[T to the T]

I think an Aude side playing primarily out of Carcassone and with road games in Narbonne and Lezignan could work

 

[langpark]

I'd way prefer Toulouse coz of the size of the place (obviously) because it has alotta potential to grow the game and impact more across France.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

It's probably a more realistic possibility than a team in Paris or any other big city but is well behind Toulouse. They'd need a new ground, plenty of cash and players. Smaller clubs, even if they are representing a big area and a number of towns, are less likely to have the financial backing needed and there is clearly not enough players up to SL for three teams. The stadium would need municipal support but that's possible. So basically, Toulouse whould be in next year and an Aude side could be number three if they can overcome those issues and that could take at least five or six years and even then they might be well behind in the pecking order for a franchise, especially when you look at the number of SL hopefuls these days.

 

[miguel de cervantes]

It's probably a more realistic possibility than a team in Paris or any other big city but is well behind Toulouse. They'd need a new ground, plenty of cash and players. Smaller clubs, even if they are representing a big area and a number of towns, are less likely to have the financial backing needed and there is clearly not enough players up to SL for three teams. The stadium would need municipal support but that's possible. So basically, Toulouse whould be in next year and an Aude side could be number three if they can overcome those issues and that could take at least five or six years and even then they might be well behind in the pecking order for a franchise, especially when you look at the number of SL hopefuls these days.

I think the order is pretty obvious, Toulouse MUST be the second team followed by Paris, and then Lyon (yes I'm thinking ahead a bit - by this stage a European League comp would most likely have superceded ESL). Carca is straddled by Toulouse and Perpinya and a team there would not serve much purpose in my opinion.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

1 at a time, Toulouse next when ever that is and then start working on another area.

Get a few teams up to SL standard within 10-15 years then let them go back to the LER comp and bring it up to SL standard.

 

[langpark]

1 at a time, Toulouse next when ever that is and then start working on another area.

Get a few teams up to SL standard within 10-15 years then let them go back to the LER comp and bring it up to SL standard.

If only it were that simple. It'd be like telling the Broncos to play in the Qld Cup to 'bring it up to NRL standard, which one team can't magically do, even if they somehow agreed to the move.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

If you get 3 or 4 teams up to SL standard, it won't take much to get the others to follow.

We don't know what teams will be in SL in 20 years time, it could have 1 French club or it could have 4, the NL's might even get a team or two in them.

If they can get a decent size audience watching the SL games in France, they might get a TV contract to show the local games if these teams go back to the LER.

What would be better?

Having just the SL in England, or working your way to having another pro comp in France like the Top 14 in union?

 

[westie]

Still think the ultimate goal should be a euro league with the top teams from many nations. Then domestic leagues. Basically what the top soccer clubs are asking for.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

I don't think there is any real benefit in three or four full time French clubs building themselves up to compete against the top English clubs only to be asked to go back and play in a French domestic comp, even if by then there is enough money to make it professional. The trend seems to be towards European leagues and I think we have to realise that it is the future for the best French clubs. Realistically, four fulltime French clubs is a long way off and getting to that point will mean possibly losing the likes of Carca, Lezingnan etc as top flight clubs to merged entities. The likes of Paris or Marseille or Montpellier, or Lyon are years off and will only happen if a lot of money comes into the game from somewhere. It's not impossible that a Paris SL side mide re-emmerge n 10 years or so though.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

If Toulouse can get a decent setup, that should pave the way for another club or two from the big cities.

I can see what you mean with the Euro League, but in the long run it would be better to have a pro French league, more players, more juniors, hopefully decent crowds and sponsorship, it could take a long time, but I personally hope they do try and get the French LER back up with the SL-NRL.

 

[AlbertRosenfeld]

Paris has an opportunity at the Stade Francais rugby union club's ground in southwest Paris. The owner of Stade Francais is an entrepreneur with no bias against league, who has welcomed the appearance of rugby league there.

The problem for a franchise in Paris at the moment is lack of financial backing and grass roots development.

But if Toulouse is given a franchise in 2009, and is successful, the publicity will help attract interest in creating a semi-pro club in Paris, with amateur clubs establlshed at the grass roots (to supplement the existing clubs Corbeil and Nanterre), with idea of building into a Super League club in the not too distant future.

If Toulouse is successful it can generate not only some greater national publicity for the game (which Les Catalans do not), but also the southern French players over time who will help establish a Super League club in Paris -- pending the emergence of Paris-based juniiors at the senior level.

The priorities need to be:

1. Toulouse
2. Paris
3/4. Lyon.
3/4. Marseille.
5. Bordeaux.

This is in fact the thinking of the leadership of the French Federation. Montpellier and Avignon are thought of more as newer recruits to a strengthened semi-pro LER, which will grow as professional opportunites are increased by more Super League franchises.

 

[bowes]

3/4. Marseille.
5. Bordeaux.

Those two clubs are dead solely from being pushed up the leagues too fast, forget it. Maybe one day an Elite side in each, but just an open age side from each would be good, with Elite 2 as a 3 year plan, Elite 1 in 6. Super League never

 

[bowes]

If you get 3 or 4 teams up to SL standard, it won't take much to get the others to follow.

If you put the Broncos, Cowboys and Titans in the Queensland Cup what would happen? They'd either smash everyone else to oblivion or collapse in standards. It wouldn't bring the whole league to near NRL standards and the Queensland Cup is a higher standard than the French Elite