France may join expanded league Tri-Nations

[carlnz]

This is not new news but i cant believe this has made all the news papers around the Rugby League world and i even just saw it on Sky News (Aussie) during the sport!!

Look france will get beaten by 60 in the first year but you will see them become competitive over time. I still think PNG might be a better beat but hey lets work on one nation at a time.

 

[Quidgybo]

cONSIDERING THE sUPERLEAGUE IS SCRAPPING PROMOTION and relegation all the French have to do is prove over the next few years that they are viable on and off the pitch and they will be granted a franchise.

They don't really have to prove anything on the pitch. They have protection from relegation for their first three seasons - 2006, 2007 and 2008. That takes them thru to 2009 when the franchise system starts. The franchise allocation won't be decided by on field performance but by off field criteria and business plans. Provided they meet the off field criteria there is nothing to stop them being allocated one of the 12 or 14 franchises which will secure their position for another three years. The RFL know the obvious, if the off field structure is in good shape, the on field will eventually take care of itself - even if it takes a decade or more (hello Cowboys!)

Leigh.

 

[Ari Gold]

Yeah there were 2 articles on Fox Sports Active just on this very story, suprised me a lot cause i didnt think it'd be big news...

 

[Coastal Shark]

How about naming it the 'Allies Cup'.

 

[Quidgybo]

I still think PNG might be a better beat but hey lets work on one nation at a time.

PNG is a third world nation with a population of about 3m people. France is a first world nation with a population of about 60m people. Fast tracking by the RLIF has a strong chance of helping one of these two nations, while not even the Pope and his many powerful associates could help the other. IMHO the problems with developing the PNG national team have very little to do with RL or RL funding and very much to do with the fundamental problems of that country. While endemic corruption and poverty continue the PNG team will remain largely a bunch of awe struck amateurs on the international stage.

Leigh.

 

[borntoride]

I still think it will all backfire, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. I'm sure everyone will appreciate watching the French get pasted. Having 13 players in someone elses superleague doesn't constitute having a structured base for a national team. The money spent on Catalans should have been spent on promoting lower division teams and strengthening the league. Maybe the Catalans will be the "chelsea" of rugby league, the way sky sports carry on it wouldn't suprise me. A promotion relegation structure works fine, why change the league, just reward teams who get promoted enough so they have a chance of staying in the top flight. The premiership is far more successful than either rugby league or union and they keep the competition alive with the hope that teams can get in the top flight if they work hard. To close the doors on these opportunities will be a further detriment to the game. Not only that these decisions don't reflect what rugby league is about, giving one team all the advantages to make sure it succeeds because we want the french to get involved seems a bit of a farce. If Wigan had been relegated last season because the Catalans have immunity " what a joke" we would have been in real bother they're an historic club with big support and a backbone of the game in GB. Introducing the French has caused more problems and is expensive. Quad nations one day it will happen no doubt, Why don't they expand the superleague so the teams that hover in and out get in and the league just grew with a minimal amount of financial suport they could sign players and be competitive.

 

[Nook]

PNG is a third world nation with a population of about 3m people

Think its closer to six million and would be streets ahead of France in terms of RL playing numbers and fan base. But the rest is fair enough - economically and socially it is a basketcase and RL can't go too far with PNG untill that begins to change.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

How the f**k can Leigh do more for rugby league than Catalans? Leigh in SL=great for the small town of Leigh (which is basically Wigan anyway). Catalans in SL=great for French rugby league and therefore great for the international game as a whole.
Anyway Catalans wouldn't get any more money than Leigh (if it was in SL) or any other side in SL, travel is the only extra cost. They get an equal share of the Sky money, which I might add is increasing on the basis the game is spreading to new areas. Having Leigh in SL will hardly promt Sky to fork out a few more million pounds for TV rights. Might I add Catalans' crowd average for their first year in SL was better than Leigh's.
Giving Leigh, a small club that will never be any more than a little sister to Wigan, more money so they can sign more Aussies and still fail to remain in SL would be a far greater waste of money. Catalans are in SL for a reason and a very important one. If Leigh could offer what Catalans can they'd be in SL, but they're not.
*Note Leigh is just an example, but the same could apply to most other lower division clubs.

 

[bartman]

2009 is a fair way off. That's three full seasons away.

And someone has to come last in any tournament, may as well be France if their participation helps them become more competitive and build interest in the sport in their own territory.

Article talking up the boost to the local economy that Superleague has had in Perpignan:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/super_league/catalan/6130094.stm

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

I don't know why people are saying Sky want French teams in SL, it has nothing to do with TV, it's what the RFL want, it's their hobby.

Good luck to them, I can't wait to see the French playing with the top teams again.

It can only be good, any negatives will be forgotten when the positives are seen.

 

[langpark]

The matches will be played like this IMO:
Aus v NZ, London
England v France, Hull
England v Aus, City of Manchester Stadium
France v NZ, Perpignan, or possibly a bigger city (Bordeaux, Marseille maybe)
England v NZ, Elland Road
France v Aus, Toulouse

FINAL - Wembley? Old Trafford? Cardiff (if they are still GB)?

 

[Angry_eel]

i think this will be great for the game.

 

[Quidgybo]

*Note Leigh is just an example, but the same could apply to most other lower division clubs.

Yes I really wish we'd use a different example. I'm getting very confused about whether I should be offended or not by some of these posts.

Leigh.

 

[borntoride]

I think it would be great for the game if it works. Wake up look at les Catalans signings for the 2007 season 7 imported players only 2 new frenchies. They are not even French anymore they are just a bunch of ringins to preserve the team for 3 years using money provided by Sky sports. Paris St Germain eat your heart out here come Les Pattersons. They are only supposed to be protected for 3 years, my bet is by year 3 they will consist of even more foreign imports in a desperate bid to keep this frankenstein creation alive. THe french players will all be back at UTC. Maybe nice move for aussies who want to be europified, can't see any French team coming to the fore for at least 10 years, please disagree with me west tigers. As far as i'm aware saying to a fan of Leigh they are Wigans sister club would be asking for a fight, i'm sure that you would get your head punched in if you went around making such ludicrous remarks. Leigh has always had a great rivalry with Wigan and is actually closer to Warrington and Salford too other teams which have superleague status.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Out of a Squad of 25, 7-8 or even 9 non French-Catalonian players is quite good for the first couple of years, the Elite comp will get better as the youngs guys fight to make the Dragons, it's all good.

How many Kiwi's are running around in every club in Australia?

I don't hear anyone complaining about that, there are other French players in British RL, just because the media doesn't like to mention this, doesn't mean it isn't true.

We have two International PRO comps on Earth, of course most of the good players will go there, that's where the money is.

France has a team now, they have a plan, they have the help and they have the heart and history, why knock them for wanting to join the 21st century in regards to Rugby League, what are we meant to do, leave them where they are?

The other thing with this team is it is in French 13 heartland this time, not somewhere else where the game hasn't been big for a few decades.

France has everything you could want in regard to growing the game, don't miss this opportunity, we have before, this could be the last 1 for France.

Put it this way, in 15 years, could you imagine AUS-NZ-ENG-WAL-FRA-RUSSIA

Now that would be a good 6 nations.

When you look at that, Russia is the only one not moving forward good enough, but you can see the potential.

 

[borntoride]

No offense Parra but your dillusional. Russia?? Wales?? Wales is firmly rugby Union, no doubt they won't be joining. The Catalans squad will consist of 13 foreign players this season not 7 or 8 as you suggest in your thread. 5 of those are newly imported, this is because they are desperate not to be kicked out of the comp. No doubt they will survive on the basis they have been given enough money by rupert to sign whoever they like and play with a totally non french team.

 

[brendothejet]

No offense Parra but your dillusional. Russia?? Wales?? Wales is firmly rugby Union, no doubt they won't be joining. The Catalans squad will consist of 13 foreign players this season not 7 or 8 as you suggest in your thread. 5 of those are newly imported, this is because they are desperate not to be kicked out of the comp. No doubt they will survive on the basis they have been given enough money by rupert to sign whoever they like and play with a totally non french team.

You obviously don't know much about the rules of the ESL then.

You can't just sign up import players. There are quotas in lpace to stop that.

Also, the people running the team are French. They will want not only success on the field but development for the greater good of French RL to benefit juniors, local clubs, national side and game public profile.

To me you just sound like an ignorant, inward looking Northern Englishmen who can't be arse putting in a little bit of hard work to ensure the game continues to grow in a market with massive potential.

It is easy to sit around and criticise players, teams, officals and competitions. It is much harder to put your hand up, back an idea and start looking at ways to make it come true.

Whats more, nothing that anyone says on here is the bible as to what will happen. It is all just ideas. The majority of people bring ideas which take the game to new places, new people, new markets.

Your idea takes the game to a small town next door to wigan. A small town with a smaller crowd average.

If Les Catalans do for French RL what the Warriors did/do for NZ RL then the French will be back to world champions in no time.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Russia and Wales already play in the Challenge cup.


Wales are on there way right now building a strong team in the NL's over in England, only just missed out on promotion in their first year.

These things are already happening and if you can't or won't see them, too bad.

You either have to accept that these things are already happening, or you need to go and support union, now wambers-woods-insert other troll, nice try.

 

[ucantseeme]

I understand that Tonga gave France a walloping this year in some Federation Cup so shouldnt Tonga be ahead of France for inclusion in a tournament involving the big 3. Tonga would have more NRL & SL players to draw from than France would thus would be more competitive.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Yeah, if the clubs and big 3 would let them play.;-)

If we had a proper structure, we could see different teams all the time like the Cricket :x