France should be in the Tri Nations next year

[carlnz]

I am going to put my head out on the block (even before the France vs England match) and state France should be in the Tri Nations next year.

Of course they are going to take a couple thrashings, but it will expose them to top class footy for a month plus media coverage back home.

They way I would have it is each team plays each other once, with the top two teams going through to the final. So already the length of the competition drops from 7 weeks to 5 weeks.

Also after watching the Cook Islands vs NZ Maori, I think they have an excellent idea in having U18’s playing the curtain raisers. Thus getting all the top up and coming players out there on tours and mixing it with the big boys providing development mainly for the French.

You could take it another step by saying the last placed nation in the Tri Nations has to play the winner of the European Cup with the winner partaking in the next Tri Nations.


It’s all good and well that NZ and Aus have taken this competition to a new level, but this will only make the gap bigger between them and PNG, Wales and France.


I guess after tomorrows match, and games against NZ and Aus we will find out where France are in terms of development in the top flight.

 

[Der Kaiser]

They have a team in Super League now and have another in Toulouse that are heading that way!I agree they should be in the Tri Nations as it will get better coverage in france and offer them more experience.I think your suggestion of one game is also good.

 

[hgfds]

Would be fantastic to see france in the trinations,with nz 2hrs in front of us we could have a double header on the box,eg nzvs france followed by aus vs gb fantastic viewing,with the esl not finishing to mid october and gb not entering until the last wek of october how would they fit it in?

 

[Sun_Down]

IMO, and its only an opinion. France being shown off in Australia could do wonders for the International game. Its not like they will get thrashed either.

 

[carlnz]

Do you think it would attract more Rugby pleayers back to league in france??

On the timing of the Tri Nations, why not hold it during the season? With the final a week after the ESL GF?

 

[PARRA_FAN]

Needs more time.

We havent seen much of France, and not enough to say that theyre competitive. Nevertheless, we'll see how they'll go against England and Australia.

 

[lockyno1]

Needs more time. Full-strength sides would beat them easily currently.

 

[yakstorm]

Its a question of what France want. France would be competitive in the Tri-Nations, but at the same time I cant' see them winning any games against the big 3 in 06. If France are prepared to as such be the team who occupies the bottom of the Tri-Nations ladder, well I say bring them in, but they for their own pride, might want to wait till the 2009 Tri-Nations and come in with a chance of even making the final.

 

[Sun_Down]

Its a question of what France want. France would be competitive in the Tri-Nations, but at the same time I cant' see them winning any games against the big 3 in 06. If France are prepared to as such be the team who occupies the bottom of the Tri-Nations ladder, well I say bring them in, but they for their own pride, might want to wait till the 2009 Tri-Nations and come in with a chance of even making the final.

But would it benefit their World Cup campaign if they were brought in next year instead of 2009?

 

[Unknown Pleasures]

I think it would be beneficial to bring them in before the 2008 WC. Maybe 2007 is more realistic though and maybe they should still field a B side in the Euro Nations Cup.
Until they come into the Tri-Nations (or Four Nations), they need to play as mnay games against the BIG Three as possible.

 

[Sun_Down]

I think it would be beneficial to bring them in before the 2008 WC. Maybe 2007 is more realistic though and maybe they should still

No Tri-Nations in 2007

 

[yakstorm]

Well France are meant to be touring down under next year and they will most likely play GB and the touring Kiwis in 07, so they really wont be missing out on too much.

 

[griff]

Should France play regular competitive matches against the big 3, definitely. But I don't think this needs to be as part of the Tri-Nations. Adding France and having an annual 4 nations tournament will further marginalise all the other test playing nations.

 

[Jackal Dog]

Yes the French should be added as soon as possible in preparation for the next World Cup, cause at the moment how many teams can win it? only 3. Who cares if they don't win a game yet the experience will do them good and they will probably be more competitive than Italy and Scotland are in the RU 6 Nations.

 

[hutch]

i think eventually they should be there, but how do they fit in. do we only play each other once, therefore playing only 3 group games, or twice having 6 group games each. this means the 4nations will run over 7 weeks which would be too long for the players, where as if we only play each other once, we lose money and the excitement of the return leg.

 

[Jackal Dog]

Name bigger squads and rotate players, simialr to RU. The first few legs can be played between France/GB and AUS/NZ in their respective hemisphere before they tour and most importantly rotate the location of the tournament between Southern/Northern Hemisphere every year.

 

[sooperdooper]

no as it would not be the tri nations, it would have 4 tri = 3

 

[c_eagle]

Who do we kick out?

 

[AlbertRosenfeld]

Having four nations does not make it a longer tournament. Just eliminates the bye for the other three each week. Each nation plays each other twice over the same number of weeks.

But here is the surprise. With a fourth team, instead of six games we have twelve games! Double the profit and double the audience for international rugby league. Two games each weekend.

Five games in New Zealand, seven games plus the final in Australia. Four at Telstra, three at Suncorp.

Final at Telstra. Make that final a double header with playoff for third place.

Four Nations will be great preparation for the World Cup. Will show the ARL what needs to be done by 2008.

Many French rugby union players will defect if France is elevated to such a status in 2006. Many of the hundreds of thousands who play rugby union, but have no chance to join the French national rugby union team, will want the chance to tour Australia and New Zealand. That will be wonderful for the French youth as well --- assuming that the French Federation and clubs can start to behave more professionally in the field of youth development, coaching, refereeing, and in finding club sponsorship.

 

[Sun_Down]

Four at Telstra, three at Suncorp.

Final at Telstra. Make that final a double header with playoff for third place.

You cant be serious...:?

Dont like the idea of another test being a curtain raiser to the final either.