French rugby league to launch 13 team summer pro league in 2014

[bowes]

Not necessarily. You could have the top 2 in SL compete with top 2 from the NRL in an expanded WCC, and then the remaining 8 SL teams go with the 8 French teams into a cup comp. 4 groups of 5, gives everyone 3 home games, with 2 from each group going into 1/4 finals, etc. Means the clubs get the games they need financially, but also with some variety.

Too many clubs unnecessarily excluded

 

[bender]

Too many clubs unnecessarily excluded

What if (for Example) the French competition was to include say London, Celtic, Salford and Castleford. This would strengthen the French competition so that they dont have to include too many teams, and help reduce some of the Superleague teams without alienating the supportors because those clubs with smaller clubs would still be large or semi large clubs (crowd wise) in the French competition. and this would give them a natural pathway to the eventual world club challenge which should eventually become the ultimate goal in rugby league. It would also give the French competition a European flavour, which i would have thought would be more attractive for TV.

 

[RedVee]

Funny post ^
I was thinking the other day when someone mentioned London was struggling, perhaps they and Barca could join this proposed French Pro league. Leave Catalan in the ESL though.

 

[Panfas]

Hope this comes to be would be great for the game. I would also like to see the WCC expanded to include the French champions in a 3 game series over 3 weeks in a host country, NRLvSL, SLvFR, FRvNRL with F&A declaring the winner

 

[Billythekid]

So what happens with Catalans? It seems as though France would be better off just having them in their own comp.

I realise none of this would probably be happen but it would be amazing to have a strong French and English comp. I also think something like the WCC would work so much better involving those comps than it currently does.

 

[Foreign Legion]

you could have to 2 pools of there 4 teams,

2 nrl clubs, minor premiers and grand final champions
2 Super league, challenge cup champions, grand final champions
2 french teams, minor premiers, grandfinal champions
1 New Zealnd warrirors
1 PNG Grandfinal champions

 

[bowes]

What if (for Example) the French competition was to include say London, Celtic, Salford and Castleford. This would strengthen the French competition so that they dont have to include too many teams, and help reduce some of the Superleague teams without alienating the supportors because those clubs with smaller clubs would still be large or semi large clubs (crowd wise) in the French competition. and this would give them a natural pathway to the eventual world club challenge which should eventually become the ultimate goal in rugby league. It would also give the French competition a European flavour, which i would have thought would be more attractive for TV.

:lol:

Aside from anything else there's been no SL club with Celtic in their name since 2009.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

:lol:

Aside from anything else there's been no SL club with Celtic in their name since 2009.

hehe, we could bring back Paris Celtic :lol:

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Start it off with 10/12 teams from the strongest and biggest eras and go from there.

Sorry small town/village teams, you've had a very very good run.

 

[langpark]

^ I'd been waiting for you to post here, you must have blown your load when you saw the thread title!

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

^ I'd been waiting for you to post here, you must have blown your load when you saw the thread title!

Not yet, but if it comes off and has backing with Television rights, I may just do exactly that ;-)

 

[CQ Italia]

Rome / Lazio in 15-20+ years time?

Although it is cheaper to go from Italy to the UK.

 

[winnyason]

Look the tv deal bein(al jazeera) is massive for the code in france, they will be televising nrl and state of origin, superleague, catalans games, rlwc and internationals. The thing short term i can see is a proper tv deal for france and yes having toulouse in superleague.
I would have liked to have seen this weeks euro challenge games in france in toulouse and carcasonne.
The pro summer league? i don't know have emailed well respected french league journo he is going to the toulouse v halifax game he is going to talk to carlos about the story if it is fair dinkum or larrat talking out of his arse.

 

[RedVee]

I wonder if there will be any discussion on this comp - if it happens - evolving from a French National Comp into something resembling an ESL 2nd Division? Promotion and relegation etc.

At first I would suppose neither the player standard or club financial standard would be high enough, but down the line a way perhaps Toulouse or someone would manage to step up, and perhaps London & Salford may fit better in this comp.
Otherwise, I wonder if there would be any appetite for a playoff between the British and French national (not ESL) comp winners? May put a few extra dollars in the coffers.

Just stargazing.

 

[bowes]

I wonder if there will be any discussion on this comp - if it happens - evolving from a French National Comp into something resembling an ESL 2nd Division? Promotion and relegation etc.

At first I would suppose neither the player standard or club financial standard would be high enough, but down the line a way perhaps Toulouse or someone would manage to step up, and perhaps London & Salford may fit better in this comp.
Otherwise, I wonder if there would be any appetite for a playoff between the British and French national (not ESL) comp winners? May put a few extra dollars in the coffers.

Just stargazing.

The winners played off today. The silly thing is the 2nd places played off, 3rd place and 4th English played Toulouse (given an automatic invite, also to Challenge Cup and NRC).

 

[IowaRL]

...and then three less obvious teams from the following, possibly Strasbourg, LIlle, Clemmont-Ferrand, Toulon, Nice, Tours, a second Paris team

Personally, I'd be in favor of a strasbourg team, but not for it's French RL history. A lot of the German teams which seem to pop up are just across the border. Provided the telecast is broadcast on both sides of the border, you may get a fair few German fans, as well as the potential to bring up German players who may be more likely to progress up the levels of talent with a somewhat "local" professional side.

 

[geordiesaint]

Look the tv deal bein(al jazeera) is massive
The pro summer league? i don't know have emailed well respected french league journo he is going to the toulouse v halifax game he is going to talk to carlos about the story if it is fair dinkum or larrat talking out of his arse.

It'll be interesting to hear the outcome of that conversation. I've heard via French posters on another forum, this is only an idea of Larrats and not something set in stone or really on the agenda at the moment.

 

[miguel de cervantes]

It'll be interesting to hear the outcome of that conversation. I've heard via French posters on another forum, this is only an idea of Larrats and not something set in stone or really on the agenda at the moment.

From the interview with Larrat it is definitely not set in stone but it definitely is on the agenda.

PS: Wow, a poster from southern Wales!

 

[welshmagpie]

From the interview with Larrat it is definitely not set in stone but it definitely is on the agenda.

PS: Wow, a poster from southern Wales!

Ermm Hellooooo :sarcasm: (Cardiff)

 

[miguel de cervantes]

Wow another one!