ESL all over Europe in 2009

[Coastbloke]

Probaly belongs in the UK section, but I thought it deserved a wider audience..

According to the BBC, the ESL will be played in England, France, Scotland, Wales and Spain for 2009...

Apparently Catalans are playing a competition match (I think against Warrington) in Barcelona in June...

Roll on Rugby League...!!

 

[rlo]

The story about Les Catalans playing in Catalunya (Spain's side) reached the Australian press a few years ago.

It would truly be amazing, but not at all impossible since there is some pan-Catalunian thing going on, so their Challenge Cup achievements must've been making waves on the other side of the border

 

[bartman]

Catalans have scheduled a game for Barcelona next season. It will be good for them to embrace the Spanish side of their home "turf".

Well three countries in Europe isn't bad... if not exactly all over Europe.

 

[yakstorm]

Catalans are taking 2 games on the road next season.

V Warrington - Barcelona's Olympic Stadium
V Hull FC - Beziers

 

[Evil Homer]

They're playing on June 20th. I still think it would have been better to host the game at FC Barcelona's Miniestadi, especially as Joan Laporte is apparently interested in RL after watching Catalans at Wembley last year, but progress is progress I guess.

 

[Coastbloke]

Catalans have scheduled a game for Barcelona next season. It will be good for them to embrace the Spanish side of their home "turf".

Well three countries in Europe isn't bad... if not exactly all over Europe.

I would have thought England, Scotland, Wales, France and Spain would be 5, although i concede not exactly ALL of Europe...

Maybe I was a tad to excited... :lol:

 

[bowes]

I would have thought England, Scotland, Wales, France and Spain would be 5, although i concede not exactly ALL of Europe...

Maybe I was a tad to excited... :lol:

England, Scotland and Wales are universally recognised as all part of the same country for everything except sport reasons

 

[Brycey]

The Scottish and Welsh have their own parliaments and judicial systems. They are self governed countries that happen to be apart of a higher government being the United Kingdom.

You may as well say the Commonwealth is all one country (imagine that RL side).

 

[rlo]

They're playing on June 20th. I still think it would have been better to host the game at FC Barcelona's Miniestadi, especially as Joan Laporte is apparently interested in RL after watching Catalans at Wembley last year, but progress is progress I guess.

How awesome would it be for rugby league to get some helping hand from leading Catalan figures i.e. whoever is FC Barcelona president. It's well establishe football is tops in Catalunia, but it hasn't stopped them from having a Barcelona basketball team

 

[bowes]

The Scottish and Welsh have their own parliaments and judicial systems. They are self governed countries that happen to be apart of a higher government being the United Kingdom.

You may as well say the Commonwealth is all one country (imagine that RL side).

Utter rubbish, there is no legal existance of England whatsoever (it's just classed as part of the UK) and the Welsh parliament is a regional government with the same sort of powers as the London assembly (they were going to have 8 other English regional governments but it got voted down) and the same generic UK laws. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own laws and parliaments to a degree, but no more independent rights than the states of Australia or the USA or the autonomous parts of Spain. Also in all international organisations (UN, EU, NATO etc.) without fail (possible exception of the Commonwealth, though even that's unlikely) they are classed as the UK and not separate 'countries'. Also the Commonwealth suggestion is ludicrous as our national parliament is UK wide but no Aussies, NZers etc

 

[brendothejet]

Utter rubbish, there is no legal existance of England whatsoever (it's just classed as part of the UK) and the Welsh parliament is a regional government with the same sort of powers as the London assembly (they were going to have 8 other English regional governments but it got voted down) and the same generic UK laws. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own laws and parliaments to a degree, but no more independent rights than the states of Australia or the USA or the autonomous parts of Spain. Also in all international organisations (UN, EU, NATO etc.) without fail (possible exception of the Commonwealth, though even that's unlikely) they are classed as the UK and not separate 'countries'. Also the Commonwealth suggestion is ludicrous as our national parliament is UK wide but no Aussies, NZers etc

For sporting purposes they are 'countries" however their governments are structured.

For the purpose of this thread it can be said, in a sporting context, that the ESL will be played across five sporting countries.

Even with your negative view of the situation you can't help but applaud the fact that the Super League, and indeed Rugby League is branching further and further from its native roots.

The fact that welsh, scots, spainards (catalunians (sp) ) English and French will all be able to witness the game is a great thing.

I don't here the people at Heineken calling it the UK, Ireland and France Cup in Rugby Union do you?

No it is reffered to as the European Cup. Much the same as Scotland, Wales, Ireland and England all compete in the Euro cup in soccer.

 

[bowes]

Even with your negative view of the situation you can't help but applaud the fact that the Super League, and indeed Rugby League is branching further and further from its native roots.

Nothing negative in not believing in made up countries.

But yeah good to see more people having the chance to see the game, though I don't like this obsession with expansion we can claim as a country being worth more, the vast majority of the UK population is in 'England' and the majority of that in areas with not even a semi-pro side, so to me any development's good but I'd rather see a SL club in Birmingham (population 1 million, 2.5 million urban area) than Edinburgh which is half that on both counts (though either would be great). I'd rather see the 7 games at Edinburgh split between 7 different expansion areas to get a bigger spread, but still a good step forward

 

[deluded pom?]

Someone on TRL came up with a good expansion vehicle for the UK. Take the two CC semifinals to a venue in the Midlands and make it a double header. There are several new grounds there and the two sets of supporters wouldn't have that far to travel. Throw in some locals (not literally :lol and I'm sure filling a 35,000 capacity venue would be feasible.