French Domestic Comp

[Ari Gold]

Found this on RLfans.com, very interesting

few things i noted:

- toulouse's budget is twice the size of any other team in the competition. AUS$2.4million

- More union players are switching to league, than league players switching to Union. This is a very good sign.

- Villeneuve have brought a player from the russian competition.

- An increasing amount of Foreigners playing in the French game, this can be something very good for the game as long as they keep it under control. Former NRL Players like Bosnich, Myles, Clayton, Mcdonald, Mueller, Lima will increase the standard of French RL.

 

[hgfds]

Last weeks 80:2 victory of toulouse over lyon is a concern are they simply going to run away with the comp for the next 3years as they prepare for super league,how many points will they put on the new teams marseille and carpentras?.marseille and lyon are 2 possible venues for the expanded 4 nations in 2009,hopefully they can get competitive quickly.

 

[carlnz]

Interesting Lyon have signed a player from Tonga!

 

[playdaball]

I remember in the late 70s/early 80s when the French domestic comp was pretty strong. Hopefully those days will happen once again. it would be great if they could turn the clock back to the 50s or pre WWII !

 

[t-ba]

Jeezus, is that Toulouses players budget? They're spending more than the NE/Manly sides of 2002-03 FFS!

Hopefully it's sustainable. That kind of money outdoes the budgets of some SL clubs!

 

[Jeffles]

Toulouse wants the second French SL licence. They are getting ready for it. Further, they are the biggest city there that has been in Elite 1 for more than three years. They've always been cashed up.

Marseille are up for the first time in a while. The FFR13 is counting on them and Lyon to cement a spot in the comp. Lyon have been given three years grace from relegation (I think this is the third year) for that reason. The Elite competition needs more big city teams to survive. Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Perpignan would ideally be joined by Paris, Bordeaux, Avignon, Nice and Montpellier. Slowly this will happen as big city clubs get their act together and realise they can pulll more cash than the small town clubs (Pia, Limoux etc are small country towns).

If you look to when the French comp was big you'd notice that the big city teams weree more prominent. The smaller town teams were still there but not in such numbers.

 

[yakstorm]

Lyon have been a poor team for the last few years, unfortantely the result between Toulouse and them isn't unexpected.

Good to see Toulouse having a budget which will allow them to compete with Les Catlans second side. Means that the French competition wont be dominanted by just one side.

 

[carlnz]

anyone got the first couple of rounds results?

 

[Kingbunny]

try the following site
http://www.infostreize.com/

 

[winnyason]

try this site as well eliterugby.com the crowds in marsellie are quite poor, however i see lyon got a win in first round.

 

[BatiFan]

Does anyone think that we will ever see a truly national league competition in France?

Featuring possible teams such as:

Toulouse, Perpignan, Avignon, Carcassonne, Lyon, Marsielle, Nantes, Cannes, Paris, Bordeaux, Narborne, Montpellier?

That would be 12 teams and represent a great geographical spread for the game in France. Anyone think this will become a reality in the future???

 

[Jackal Dog]

Wow from what I am seeing and hearing maybe it should of been Toulouse awarded the SL franchise now and UTC later? they certainly look like a pretty strong club, at least as strong as some of the lesser ESL teams.

 

[Jeffles]

The reason UTC's budget is small here is because they have top spend cashon SL. The gap isn't as big as the article makes out.

BatiFan, I don't know if a French comp would ever reach all those cities you mention but it is possible that the comp will sprread out more to consolidate on the old RL cities I mentioned above..

 

[LeagueXIII]

French clubs, and sport in general, are heavily funded by their municipal council. Mind you they do have a fair list of sponsors:

http://www.toulouse13.com/partenaires.asp

 

[carlnz]

Is this a professional competition or semi professional? because there is a bit of money in those budgets!!

 

[Jeffles]

Semi professional.

 

[AlbertRosenfeld]

The foreign players are geting the biggest money. Only one foreigner, the Toulouse Aussie half back, James Wynne (formerly at Newcastle, under Andrew Johns), are one of the keys to the side's success.

Toulouse's stocky winger Peter Lima (brother plays for Warrington?) has been in France for many years, is married to a French woman, and now counts as a local.

But the important thing in all this is that foreign players should be there to offer experience to help the growth of younger French players. This will not happen if the key positions of half and five eighth are both held by foreigners as is the case and has been the case for years at Toulouse. How can a talented teenage emulator of Julien Rinaldi or Maxime Greseque emerge? France needs more depth in the halves, and must find classy centres ASAP.

I would therefore propose strict rules:

1. Each club can have no more than five foreign players,

2. In each club no more than three foreign players can be either forwards or backs (ie two and three), and

3. A club cannot buy from abroad both a half back and a five eighth. One or the other.

 

[Ari Gold]

congrats to Lyon on winning their first game of season...

St.Gaudens 30 UTC 32
Villeneuve 22 Marseille 11
Lyon 19 Villefranche-Cahors 12
RC Carpentras 14-AS Carcassonne 42
X111 Limouxin 8-Toulouse Olympique 24
SM Pia 50-FC Lezignan 16

 

[ali]

Good to see that at least this round was fairly competive. Does anyone know if Roman O is getting on the field for Villenouve?

 

[joshreading]

I think they could find a whole team from Russia and how that would help th game