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France wants to host 2025 World Cup

miguel de cervantes

First Grade
Messages
7,468
Nobody is saying don't project success, they are saying be reasonable. Learn to walk before you try to run.

Proving that they can find the investment to regularly host meaningful internationals would be a good start before trying to jump straight to the largest international competition.
fair point, but I guess they feel they could get better traction with a world cup than with a few one sided tests. what would possibly be better is a 50/50 split hosting with england, with deals encouraging travel across the channel in both senses. that could be well interesting, leveraging the popularity in england with the attraction of france and giving more reason for the french media to take interest. you think you could get good sponsorship for the implicit cross-exposure.
 

adamkungl

Immortal
Messages
42,955
Rugby League has been learning to walk before it runs for 120 years and people still think that ambitionless rubbish is the answer to growth
 

Eric F

Juniors
Messages
25
If Catalans win the Super League and Toulouse get promoted, it could do wonders for the sport in France.
 

Eric F

Juniors
Messages
25
I'd like to see the proposed venues. Final should be in Marseilles, or Toulouse if they build a larger stadium.
 

Billythekid

First Grade
Messages
6,560
Rugby League has been learning to walk before it runs for 120 years and people still think that ambitionless rubbish is the answer to growth

Ive been reading that same shit as long as I’ve followed league. Just for once can’t we be bold and push for growth.
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,405
Great news, excited already! Fly into Barcelona for a few days then hire a car and travel around Perpignan/ Toulouse/Carcassonne etc RLWC games. Hopefully the final is in Paris to finish the trip off and fly back from!
 

titoelcolombiano

First Grade
Messages
5,276
They should definitely be stronger but they aren't growing at the pace of the Pacific Island teams. At full-strength right now you'd think it is:

Australia
New Zealand
England
Tonga
Fiji
Samoa
PNG
Wales
France

Two SL clubs (providing Toulouse stays up) might mean that they leapfrog Wales and make them more competitive against PNG and Samoa but that's about it.
 

Hoofhearted

Juniors
Messages
719
They should definitely be stronger but they aren't growing at the pace of the Pacific Island teams. At full-strength right now you'd think it is:

Australia
New Zealand
England
Tonga
Fiji
Samoa
PNG
Wales
France

Two SL clubs (providing Toulouse stays up) might mean that they leapfrog Wales and make them more competitive against PNG and Samoa but that's about it.
Dont think they'll be getting past Samoa if they get their ducks in a row

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Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,405
France need to get around 30-40 players in SL/NRL for their intenrational game to lift. HAad because not many want to leave the beauty of the Sth of France for a spot in Huddersfield or Hull, cant really blame them!
 

titoelcolombiano

First Grade
Messages
5,276
France need to get around 30-40 players in SL/NRL for their intenrational game to lift. HAad because not many want to leave the beauty of the Sth of France for a spot in Huddersfield or Hull, cant really blame them!
I would think that a fair sprinkling of talent in the NRL is what will really lift the side to the next level, backed by a solid amount of depth in the SL. Look at the England squad from the last WC and how close they were to the Kangaroos with that same setup. France will never have the depth that England does but I agree with your assessment of 30 - 40 quality professionals, 10 or so in the NRL.
 

Coastbloke

Bench
Messages
4,051
I would think that a fair sprinkling of talent in the NRL is what will really lift the side to the next level, backed by a solid amount of depth in the SL. Look at the England squad from the last WC and how close they were to the Kangaroos with that same setup. France will never have the depth that England does but I agree with your assessment of 30 - 40 quality professionals, 10 or so in the NRL.

Re French in the NRL.

Is it pure snobbery?

Is it NRL snobbery that because of plain ignorance, NRL coaches just don't rate French players. I can only think of a handful of French players in the past 30 years or so that played NSWRL/NRL. Let's face it the vast majority of punters don't even rate the English game let alone France..

Is it French snobbery that because of the stereotype of the Australian RL player that they think they may not fit in. Completely different cultures? They don't seem to have a problem with England.

I agree it would be great to have at least 5 French players in the NRL. But who needs to come to the party?
 

Green_

Juniors
Messages
74
Re French in the NRL.

Is it pure snobbery?

Is it NRL snobbery that because of plain ignorance, NRL coaches just don't rate French players. I can only think of a handful of French players in the past 30 years or so that played NSWRL/NRL. Let's face it the vast majority of punters don't even rate the English game let alone France..

Is it French snobbery that because of the stereotype of the Australian RL player that they think they may not fit in. Completely different cultures? They don't seem to have a problem with England.

I agree it would be great to have at least 5 French players in the NRL. But who needs to come to the party?
Would have thought Theo Fages may have been on the radar of some NRL clubs prior to signing with Huddersfield, especially given the low depth of halves currently available.. Impressive resume: 200+ games, national captain, 2 x Grand Final wins, 1 x Challenge Cup win.
 

titoelcolombiano

First Grade
Messages
5,276
France need to get around 30-40 players in SL/NRL for their intenrational game to lift. HAad because not many want to leave the beauty of the Sth of France for a spot in Huddersfield or Hull, cant really blame them!
I would think that a fair sprinkling of talent in the NRL is what will really lift the side to the next level, backed by a solid amount of depth in the SL. Look at the England squad from the last WC and how close they were to the Kangaroos with that same setup. France will never have the depth that England does but I agree with your assessment of 30 - 40 quality professionals, 10 or so in the NRL.
Re French in the NRL.

Is it pure snobbery?

Is it NRL snobbery that because of plain ignorance, NRL coaches just don't rate French players. I can only think of a handful of French players in the past 30 years or so that played NSWRL/NRL. Let's face it the vast majority of punters don't even rate the English game let alone France..

Is it French snobbery that because of the stereotype of the Australian RL player that they think they may not fit in. Completely different cultures? They don't seem to have a problem with England.

I agree it would be great to have at least 5 French players in the NRL. But who needs to come to the party?
If we get a pool of 30 - 40 quality French players in SL that are making an impact, then the NRL clubs will sit up and take notice, just as they did with the class of 2017 Englishmen. England's starting World Cup team were littered with top quality talent playing in the NRL.
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,405
Co
Re French in the NRL.

Is it pure snobbery?

Is it NRL snobbery that because of plain ignorance, NRL coaches just don't rate French players. I can only think of a handful of French players in the past 30 years or so that played NSWRL/NRL. Let's face it the vast majority of punters don't even rate the English game let alone France..

Is it French snobbery that because of the stereotype of the Australian RL player that they think they may not fit in. Completely different cultures? They don't seem to have a problem with England.

I agree it would be great to have at least 5 French players in the NRL. But who needs to come to the party?
combination of no scouting in France, language barrier and like I said south of France is not a bad place to live!
 

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