NRL Vs Vichy Collaborators

[Bezant]

It seems that there is a concerted effort being made by the Vichy Collaborators (French Union Clubs) to take a swipe at the NRL. The actions of ex-union players working at the French Consultate in London show that the targeting of NRL players is being supported at high levels in France. Is that a suprise as the Sports minister is the ex-French Union Coach!

Look I'm not inclined to conspiracy theories, and this may be the actions of a few French officials only, but the Vichy Collaborators have consistantly tried to undermine Rugby League ever since World War 2. Its not only historical. They have often been obstructionist to the development of French League over the last couple of years. Thankfully, due to the success of the Catalan Dragons, French League is reviving.

Flushed from the funds of the last Union World Cup they now seem to be targeting the NRL. So what can we do? Can we strike back in anyway? Do we just get our house in order and not worry about them? Do we promote our World Cup as much as possible and then help the English Super League promote Rugby League as much as possible in France to make the Vichy Collaborators more uncomfortable? Do we further promote the history behind Union's Collaboration with the WWII Vichy government to outlaw League in France?

With Sonny Bill having 'the Man' and the Vichy Collaborators in his corner fighting against League and its traditions what can we (i.e. the NRL and Rugby League fans) do to fight back?

For those of you who dont know the History behind the French Union's attempt to ban League look at the book "The Forbiden Game' following this link http://www.amazon.co.uk/Forbidden-Game-Untold-French-League/dp/1901347052

 

[thug jimmy]

is there somewhere i can actually buy that book?
would be a good read.

 

[Calixte]

Ha ha.

First you will have to deal with a bunch of rah rahs telling you you are paranoid and there was no Vichy alignment with union and RL wasn't banned and it was 60 years ago and it didn't hurt French RL etc. etc.

Of course, like most things education is a factor. If the NRL was to ensure that the players understood the history of union's attempts to wipe out rugby league, at least some may reconsider the issue of crossing codes.

That is those with some sort of depth of character anyway.

 

[Shorty]

I think that the French,after the recent RUWC have had a taste at competitive Rugby and want to strengthen their competition as a result.
They've found player market that rival countries of RU attempt to tap into but aren't extremely successful at(due to SC) and take advantage of it.

 

[Calixte]

If the French have done anything, they have probably sat back and reflected on the comparative records of the Kangaroos and the All Blecks.

In the case of the Kangaroos, a near unblemished record since 1978.

In the case of the All Blecks, choking for 21 years straight.

Who would you choose? :lol:

 

[Calixte]

is there somewhere i can actually buy that book?
would be a good read.

If you can find a copy, photocopy it and send it to Johns Magic...

He might learn something. :crazy:

 

[Heritage XIII]

Remember the last union organisation to waste their world cup profits on rugby league players....i do and they are still a third rate sport.:sarcasm:

 

[Yngwie_70]

Do you want to know the real problem with RL? Its focusing on every other sport other than league. When soccer reformed itself it focussed upon itself. AFL reformed the VFL and saw how it could do things better. The Super 14, to a lesser extent also looked introspectively. Yet here we are, trying to solve the ills of the game by looking at what Union is doing to us, AFL is taking the west of Sydney, Football is growing too fast. Why dont we all go to the fridge and open a can of harden the @#$% up! Look at Rugby League with it as the main focus. If we do need to look at other sports, take their good points and adopt them. But please, all the other crap, especially the history lessons about Vichy and whatever else, that needs to stop. Does anyone give more of a toss about French RL that French RU anyway?

 

[SaveTheChildren]

It seems that there is a concerted effort being made by the Vichy Collaborators (French Union Clubs) to take a swipe at the NRL. The actions of ex-union players working at the French Consultate in London show that the targeting of NRL players is being supported at high levels in France. Is that a suprise as the Sports minister is the ex-French Union Coach!

Look I'm not inclined to conspiracy theories, and this may be the actions of a few French officials only, but the Vichy Collaborators have consistantly tried to undermine Rugby League ever since World War 2. Its not only historical. They have often been obstructionist to the development of French League over the last couple of years. Thankfully, due to the success of the Catalan Dragons, French League is reviving.

Flushed from the funds of the last Union World Cup they now seem to be targeting the NRL. So what can we do? Can we strike back in anyway? Do we just get our house in order and not worry about them? Do we promote our World Cup as much as possible and then help the English Super League promote Rugby League as much as possible in France to make the Vichy Collaborators more uncomfortable? Do we further promote the history behind Union's Collaboration with the WWII Vichy government to outlaw League in France?

With Sonny Bill having 'the Man' and the Vichy Collaborators in his corner fighting against League and its traditions what can we (i.e. the NRL and Rugby League fans) do to fight back?

For those of you who dont know the History behind the French Union's attempt to ban League look at the book "The Forbiden Game' following this link http://www.amazon.co.uk/Forbidden-Game-Untold-French-League/dp/1901347052

The russians are coming

 

[Bezant]

Yngwie_70;

I agree we need to look inside for an answer which is why I have been advocating for the NRL to have an independent board on these forums. However if there is some basis for suspecting a concerted attack should we not contemplate what rugby League could possibly do about it? At least it looks like the NRL, through the various CEO sub-committees, is looking at issues.

By the way I definitely care French Rugby League as do plenty of other League fans in Australia, the UK and most of all in France. The success of the Catalans and Toulouse's imminent entry to NL1 is all good news for our Froggy cousins. The NRL is not the be all and end all of Rugby League.

SaveTheChildren: It the French troll; the Russians are fine. Some Russian Rugby teams even seem to be returning to League after the Russian Union suddenly found itself short of 1/4Million dollars that it was owed by FirePower! Remind me again how many people play AFL in France...:roll:

 

[Vimpy]

These "Vichy collaborators". How many of them are involved in union these days? Do they still have their own teeth and control of their bowel movements?

 

[Vimpy]

Ha ha.

First you will have to deal with a bunch of rah rahs telling you you are paranoid and there was no Vichy alignment with union and RL wasn't banned and it was 60 years ago and it didn't hurt French RL etc. etc.

Of course, like most things education is a factor. If the NRL was to ensure that the players understood the history of union's attempts to wipe out rugby league, at least some may reconsider the issue of crossing codes.

That is those with some sort of depth of character anyway.

Perhaps we should also educate Australia's youth and tell them not to ever visit Germany or buy German products because of their Nazi past?

Today's league and union players have absolutely zero connection or concern with events that happened over six decades ago.

 

[maccattack]

Do we further promote the history behind Union's Collaboration with the WWII Vichy government to outlaw League in France?
[/URL]

YES. THIS IS A VITAL PIECE OF THE PUZZLE.

The more people that know about this the better.

The effects are still with us and the wishes from RU are still the same. Anyone who says or believes otherwise are kidding themselves.

 

[Calixte]

Perhaps we should also educate Australia's youth and tell them not to ever visit Germany or buy German products because of their Nazi past?

Today's league and union players have absolutely zero connection or concern with events that happened over six decades ago.

Re- your first paragraph:-

As someone who understands a little about history, I think you will find that regarding Nazi atrocities during WWII, they have been well and truly exposed and documented. They have been widely publicised and in many cases reparations and other recompense has been made.

In the case of the treatment of French rugby league during WWII, the "sporting" (note that when you start your tirade) atrocities committed by union have been exposed and to some extent documented but never really fully publicised in the way they should be. If you think we won't do it here for younger fans who aren't aware, you are sadly mistaken.

Further, no recompense of any kind has ever been made to the French rugby league when all of its money and assets were seized and given to union. Only a moron could think that would have no effect. We are talking a considerable amount of money by today's standards.

Remember again I did not equate Nazi atrocities to the "sporting" atrocities of union - you first raised the connection. I also don't endorse your comments re- German products.

Re your second paragraph:-

See the above.

If players are included in the younger fans who don't know, their education should be brought up to speed as I have previously said.

They can then make their own call.

In my view, a player should factor in other considerations rather than purely dollars. The fact, in the case of SBW, that he is going to a code that tried to kill off the game he has played all his life (and that his family have devoted a large part of their life to) is valid and relevant.

Given you are a union troll and your intentions are dodgy at best, I don't imagine a great deal of this will resonate with you.

But as they say, you never can tell...

 

[Vimpy]

In my view, a player should factor in other considerations rather than purely dollars. The fact, in the case of SBW, that he is going to a code that tried to kill off the game he has played all his life (and that his family have devoted a large part of their life to) is valid and relevant.

Given you are a union troll and your intentions are dodgy at best, I don't imagine a great deal of this will resonate with you.

But as they say, you never can tell...

The key words here being "in your view", because those factors have absolutely zero influence on the decision-making process of modern players -- as evidenced by the willingness of some of league's biggest stars to jump ship at the drop of a dollar.

In every other sport I can think of, fans (and amateur players) follow the lead of the stars of the game, who set the trends. Only in league do a group of narrow minded, paranoid dinosaurs blame events upon which their generation had zero control for their current state.

You're talking about sport, FFS! It isn't as if anyone who played league was gassed for it, or was snatched from their parents and raised in an unfamiliar environment.

If players such as Sonny Bill Williams, Matt Rogers and Jason Robinson, all with blue-collar league pedigrees, can put a trivial incident of history behind them, shouldn't you? At the very least, you could show some consistency. Rogers was much admired as a league player, pilloried by league fans when he went to union, and now appears well settled back into his role in league. Shouldn't you be sending these "traitors" to Coventry?

 

[j5o6hn]

What and be the same as you Union Hypocrites,considering what Union did to League, the way Players and the League was treated here in the UK and South Africa,some of us have longer memories that convenient Union ones

 

[Vimpy]

What and be the same as you Union Hypocrites,considering what Union did to League, the way Players and the League was treated here in the UK and South Africa,some of us have longer memories that convenient Union ones

Union hypocrites? You mean like $BW, Gasnier, Tuquiri, Sailor, Rogers, Robinson, Thorn, Farrell, Cross ... I could go on, and on, and on ...

 

[Yngwie_70]

What and be the same as you Union Hypocrites,considering what Union did to League, the way Players and the League was treated here in the UK and South Africa,some of us have longer memories that convenient Union ones

The problem with this line of thinking though is, ,while you are worried about what the French did to Rugby league 2 generations ago, the other codes are taking territory. AFL is moving upwards like the cane toads moved in an opposite direction from QLD. Football is a behemoth. To think it will not impact kids playing RL is foolish. Do you think they empathise with rubgy league having to suffer the "atrocities" commited upon them.
Calixte, do you think that guys like SBW cares about history. He definitely isnt the sharpest tool in the shed and you are going to give him a history lesson so he can stay in RL. This has to be the most hilarious suggestion yet. "Hey guys, even though the money is better in French RL or English Super LEague, dont go there for the extra cash you will make, stay here and earn signinficantly less so that we can give you history lessons. May not pay the mortgage but you will be educated on the evil empire"

What a joke!

 

[Vimpy]

Well said.

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

The problem with this line of thinking though is, ,while you are worried about what the French did to Rugby league 2 generations ago, the other codes are taking territory. AFL is moving upwards like the cane toads moved in an opposite direction from QLD.

AFL has been moving for 20 years and has hit a wall, at the moment it's static. It can't pull a crowd on the Gold Coast and its ratings and crowds in NSW and Qld are as low as they've been for years.

Union is taking nothing and the A League is played in the Summer.

Who are we supposed to be worrying about again?

Football is a behemoth. To think it will not impact kids playing RL is foolish.

I'll assume you mean Soccer.

Soccer has always had junior numbers in this country that far outnumber the other codes.

Do you think it hasn't been impacting on Rugby League for 50 or more years already?