Serbia seeking RFL admission

[Perth Red]

From Facebook


Official Statement - League One Decision

Red Star Belgrade RL management and the board have unanimously agreed that in 2020 we will seek investment to enter the RFL system in League 1.

Red Star Belgrade RL have held general discussions and believe there is strong potential for our bid once it is formally submitted.

As part of our charter, we will outline the following to our fans and members:-

A. We will only submit an application once we have what we believe is sufficient investment and sufficient membership to show that we are a club with a long term future.

B. Upon the submission, the RFL will then review our submission, conduct all relevant due diligence and seek a vote of the existing clubs in the RFL structure.

Why are we making this information public?

If you want rugby league to expand, we are a club who seek to grow the game by investing in players and infrastructure in Serbia. Our rules as a club will require consistency and minimum numbers of Serbian players in our squad and in our game day lists.

If you believe this is a good cause and you want to see more international expansion of the game, we urge you all that now is the time to make your voice heard.

To our friends and supporters in the UK, if you believe we will add to the strength of the game in the UK through our brand, and our promise to support, develop and nurture the grass roots levels of the game we also urge you to support in any way you can.

We love the game of rugby league and want to see it rise in popularity. We hope to be a model of future expansion across Europe.

If you believe in us, please let us know!

 

[Foreign Legion]

https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-lea...q3atd0tKnHhM-0t4YBIQ_FkY3wlY4xx_yYyRra8hgervc

Red Star Belgrade, a club famous for lifting football's European Cup three decades ago, have confirmed they will make a bid to join the third tier of English rugby league.

The Serbian side last year competed in England's Challenge Cup competition for the first time.

They intend to join League One as early as 2021, which would put them just two promotions away from Super League.

Red Star "believe there is strong potential" for their inclusion.

In a statement, the club said they have "held general discussions" and are working towards making a formal submission.

"We love the game of rugby league and want to see it rise in popularity," the club added.

"We hope to be a model of future expansion across Europe."

Red Star were inspired to enter the Challenge Cup - rugby league's oldest competition - in 2019 after French side Catalans Dragons became the first club outside England to win the trophy.

By starting in League One, Red Star will be looking to emulate Canadian club Toronto Wolfpack, who will make their Super League debut in 2020 after two promotions in three seasons.

The Wolfpack will be the first side from across the Atlantic to play in Europe's top rugby league competition, with their move prompting expansion bids from New York and Ottawa.

 

[Perth Tiger]

With NY, Ottawa, Valencia and Red Star all looking to enter in 2021, it is an opportunity to look at the structure of SL and possible create a SL2. Invite say the top six English clubs that want to compete and can afford it, so including London and maybe even scholars, add Toulouse and maybe another French entry. Then maybe have another 1 or 3 spots for other entries like Ireland or Wales and you could have something that could grow pretty quickly.

but it would require courage, foresight, good planning and access to lots of investors, all of which RL are lacking.

I know this is dreaming but if ever RL was going to take a chance it should be when 4 outside teams each with their own funding sources applying to join in 2021

 

[RL The greatest game]

This shows the value of a sport that is played worldwide on a serious basis and not a local comp with no international following

 

[Perth Red]

I think we need to see if Toronto survive more than a couple of seasons in SL before getting too excited!

 

[titoelcolombiano]

With NY, Ottawa, Valencia and Red Star all looking to enter in 2021, it is an opportunity to look at the structure of SL and possible create a SL2. Invite say the top six English clubs that want to compete and can afford it, so including London and maybe even scholars, add Toulouse and maybe another French entry. Then maybe have another 1 or 3 spots for other entries like Ireland or Wales and you could have something that could grow pretty quickly.

but it would require courage, foresight, good planning and access to lots of investors, all of which RL are lacking.

I know this is dreaming but if ever RL was going to take a chance it should be when 4 outside teams each with their own funding sources applying to join in 2021

I don't mind this idea. Are you talking a second division SL or a comp running parallel so we had an English SL and an international SL?

If the latter you could have a baseline starting point in 2021:
Toronto
Toulouse
Ottowa
New York
Valencia
West Wales (funding might be a stretch)
South Wales (funding might be a stretch)
Catalan

Over time bolster the comp numbers with quality French entries with the odd ambitious North American and European (non-French) clubs joining in also. This would give us a third pro-comp for players.

 

[Perth Red]

It'd actually be better and more realistic to see a French pro league with a few Nth American and other European clubs in it. But even that is a pipe dream given lack of revenue of clubs.

 

[adamkungl]

Regardless of the specifics of Belgrade, New York, Valencia, any of them - what's increasingly clear and urgent is that the RFL needs a vision and roadmap for what the sport looks like in 5,10,20 years.

They can either take it upon themselves to be the pinnacle of Northern hemisphere rugby league, and the work and rewards that come with that, or wash their hands of it and suggest a different vision.
But the decision rests with them, and a clear path has to be taken. This adhoc make it up as they go progress has a very limited shelf life before it becomes unworkable.

 

[Perth Tiger]

I don't mind this idea. Are you talking a second division SL or a comp running parallel so we had an English SL and an international SL?

If the latter you could have a baseline starting point in 2021:
Toronto
Toulouse
Ottowa
New York
Valencia
West Wales (funding might be a stretch)
South Wales (funding might be a stretch)
Catalan

Over time bolster the comp numbers with quality French entries with the odd ambitious North American and European (non-French) clubs joining in also. This would give us a third pro-comp for players.

Was more a 5 minute thought bubble , I was thinking of it as SL separating completely from the RLF and creating a SL2 that could have P&R. With the international teams applying it would be a chance to kick start it as a continental/northern hemisphere comp. But could operate on any level.

But more to the point I was trying to make, @adamkungl nailed it. If ever there was a time for the authorities to sit back and evaluate the game to plan out future directions, surely it would be when we now have at least 4 international teams applying to join