XIII Actif Seeks Compo For French RL

[ILLAWARRA RUGBY LEAGUE]

XIII Australia is an organisation pushing for a return of assets ceded to rugby union during the Nazi occupation of wartime France.
Amazingly, whilst the Web Of Steel has been given some great coverage by the likes of RLW and Rugby League Review, every request for publicity drawing attention to the theft from rugby league has been met with silence. This is despite the potential to give rugby league the biggest shot in the arm for a century, should the campaign be successful.
There have been pushes at parliamentary levels in both the UK and France by the English branch of the organisation, led by Cliff Spracklin. This now has dragged on for years and time is starting to become a major enemy.
The group's argument is basic and straightforward. Everything that was taken from league and handed to union must be returned with interest and compensation. Jewish grandchildren of people who were robbed during the holocaust, who proved with documentation that it occured, have been compensated. We feel it is as simple as that.
Andrew Carr, a Wests Tigers fan, is studying journalism at McLeay College and is hoping to write on the situation during his course. We are hoping others can get on board and bombard the media and politicians until they take notice and are looking to set up an infrastructure that will include national spokesperson, media liason etc.
The reason it is so crucial to help out the French is that it will not only give all Aussie players further employment opportunities, but will also have other benefits. Not the least having the game break out of the southern French villages in which it is currently restricted to.
Read more on the situation at - www.concreteboots.com/XIII.htm
Mail me at illawarrarl@yahoo.com.au if you wish to be involved.

 

[brendothejet]

I hate to say this,

but,

If tomorrow the French government turned around and said "sorry League. Here you go. Have all your toys back," it would almost destroy the game.

How many people in france would be pissed of at their Union/Soccer ground being taken away, or at the millions of taxpayer dollars that would be forked out.

Do you think they would congregate in the streets to cheer as one? I don't.

They should be seeking an official apology from the government and some federal funding deal for the next 50 years, considering thats how long it was since the war.

To try and take back the assets is futile.

 

[Sam_the_man]

Fighting the war against rugby league?????

Sounds like an anti league web site.

However i like the idea that your putting forward, this has long been a bug bare of mine the whole vichy France thing and what was done to rugby league durring WW2.

I've pasted along the web address to a journalist here in New Zealand, who knows he may be able to shine more light on it.

 

[ocko]

without approving of what may have happened to league in france at the hands of the vichy regime, it's time to get over it and start focusing on the present and future of the game in france. This culture of victimhood does intl rl no good.

 

[Sam_the_man]

without approving of what may have happened to league in france at the hands of the vichy regime, it's time to get over it and start focusing on the present and future of the game in france. This culture of victimhood does intl rl no good.

It's called redressing the balance and getting justic for a historic wrong. Rugby league will never and has never been a victim, any player that players rugby league is as tough as they come.
League will move on when the wrongs are righted.

 

[Sam_the_man]

I hate to say this,

but,

If tomorrow the French government turned around and said "sorry League. Here you go. Have all your toys back," it would almost destroy the game.

How many people in france would be pissed of at their Union/Soccer ground being taken away, or at the millions of taxpayer dollars that would be forked out.

Do you think they would congregate in the streets to cheer as one? I don't.

They should be seeking an official apology from the government and some federal funding deal for the next 50 years, considering thats how long it was since the war.

To try and take back the assets is futile.

Did league die when it had it's stadiums taken away from it....stadiums that large amounts of money had been spent on? Just as rugby league people had to get over it 60 years ago when there assets were taken so will modern folk if they had there stadiums RETURNED to there rightful owner.
If you have your property taken illigally don't you want to get it back?

 

[brendothejet]

The problem is whetehr we like it or not its been done.

The true judge of character for our sport is how we conduct ourselves in response. If you'll notice I suggested long term funding for the sport secured to payback some of the damage.

I ask you this:

Just what the hell is the FFR13 going to do with a bunch of empty stadiums dotted across france?

You think the fans that supported the now homeless soccer teams will just say "oh k. lets watch rugby league. o h wait aminute...there isnt a team for mile s aruond!"

Lets take back all the money, all the stadiums and find every decsendant of a RL player who stoped playing rugby league and force them to stop what they are doing and play rugby league....

 

[Sam_the_man]

The problem is whetehr we like it or not its been done.

The true judge of character for our sport is how we conduct ourselves in response. If you'll notice I suggested long term funding for the sport secured to payback some of the damage.

I ask you this:

Just what the hell is the FFR13 going to do with a bunch of empty stadiums dotted across france?

You think the fans that supported the now homeless soccer teams will just say "oh k. lets watch rugby league. o h wait aminute...there isnt a team for mile s aruond!"

Lets take back all the money, all the stadiums and find every decsendant of a RL player who stoped playing rugby league and force them to stop what they are doing and play rugby league....

Thats simply mate, you leave the soccer team to play in it's stadium and the French league charges a rental on it thus securying there long term finacial future for the game there. But then league had that option taken from it by union 60 years ago.

 

[T to the T]

Out of interest, does anyone know which stadiums/etc was stolen off League vy the Vichy regime?

 

[Coastbloke]

I'm a big fan of French League, and love reading about it.

Would love to be able to see some highlights.

I also think that there ought to be some sort of compensation for the crimes of WW2.

One thing I've always been interested in knowing though. How was French rugby league at it's most powerful 10 years after the years of Vichy Govt..??

 

[Sam_the_man]

I've explained this to that weird Frenchy that comes on here saying he is a league man but defends union like his life depends on it.

The reason they were strong ten years after the end of the Vichy era is because there young men had either returned from union or the or POW camps BUT the infostructure of league had been torn to shreds with the next level of young players taken from league and now firmly entrenched in union. With no junior program in place and the structure of a professional sport all but gone is it any wonder that the next level of players coming through after the end of the war.

 

[ILLAWARRA RUGBY LEAGUE]

Apologies to the people I promised to contact over this issue last week. I've had some computer problems. I don't have time to answer to the other posts but will do so as soon I get an hour spare later this week.

 

[westie]

If anyone has any detailed historical info or is keen to get involved... give us a shout out please.

 

[rugby13france-livrade+sav]

Read this:

http://forums.leagueunlimited.com/showthread.php?t=143181

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interdiction_du_rugby_%C3%A0_XIII_par_le_r%C3%A9gime_de_Vichy

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Révolution_nationale#La_politique_sportive

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/FFR_XIII

Remarks:
- the French Historians of the French rugby write it is the Prime Minister Camille Chautemps who gave, on 12 Jan 1938, the Official French Republic's Agreement/Recognition
- the socialist minister of physical education was not in favor of the Recognition (French RL held a semi professional branch, the socialists were for "The Sport For All" without professionals,
- the Prime Minister Camille Chautemps (Radical socialist being the center left being the immediate right handside of the socialists, the immediate left handside of the socialist was the communist party) was a Former Stade Français Elite RU Player.

 

[ILLAWARRA RUGBY LEAGUE]

Obviously when you have an agenda, the thing to do is put a series of extreme demands that can be used to compromise with. To suggest we would like stadiums back in non-league towns is absurd. It is the revenue from these that should be part of the compensation package. But even that specifically is not as important as compensation in general, and more importantly recognition from the EU and French government that a serious crime was commited against our beloved sport.

The best the group can really hope to achieve is to push at a diplomatic level so the French can at least put forward a case for some form of compensation.


"it's time to get over it and start focusing on the present and future of the game in france. This culture of victimhood does intl rl no good."

It's not over -the game is suffering TODAY as a result and the opportunity for a wonderful experience has been robbed from may Australian players. 60 years is nothing. The Moors occupied Spain for 800 YEARS - did the Spanish say - bugger it, it was 800 years ago lets get over it? No, they stood and fought and fought and fought until the occupation was over. This is just one example of many peoples who suffered under oppression for 500+ years.

What we (people who support this cause) must do is continue to push the reality to as many people as possible. We need to attract people who can get attention - a good looking young woman would have a much better chance to get on the footy show. Three minutes there would be worth a thousand emails. I suggest ringing sports talk shows on top of this.

Alos, Gordon Tallis has shown contempt for union in the past - I will try to hunt down him and see if he would like to help out. Any other current or former first grader will also help.

I ran into a girl from Narbonne, who is going back for Xmas in a few days. She was aware of the situation and I've asked her to see what the feeling is around SW France - every little bit can only help.

This is not the end, it's only the beginning of a campaign that will not go away. I'm not sure how it will pan out or even how to co-ordinate it, I only know it will be done in some form or another.

 

[brendothejet]

. The Moors occupied Spain for 800 YEARS .

I'm sorry, the correct answer says, Moops.

 

[Sam_the_man]

Hey rugby13france-livrade+sav, i have news for you and your union loving friends....Actif XIII is not going to go away. We're serious in what we are doing and the group of people that Illawarra rugby league is gathering is only going to get bigger and bigger until the whole world knows the disgusting hidtory rugby union is hiding in France and for that matter world wide.

 

[westie]

Does any one have Cliff Spracklen's contact details?

 

[Calixte]

You can contact him via totalrl forum at first instance.

 

[rugby13france-livrade+sav]

Hey rugby13france-livrade+sav, i have news for you and your union loving friends....Actif XIII is not going to go away. We're serious in what we are doing and the group of people that Illawarra rugby league is gathering is only going to get bigger and bigger until the whole world knows the disgusting hidtory rugby union is hiding in France and for that matter world wide.

Very funny new foreign member of 13.Actif, i appreciate your knowledge of the FRL, of the period 1940 to 1949, of the FRL today, of the French laws.

Despite much noise you make on vichy, normal you know nothing and you have no evidence on your hand -65 years after, you are the type of RL fans (knowing nothing, having no evidence) which are arrogant and fascist like the fascits of 1940-
You make much noise but you are not concerned, it is the FRL and its authorities. The FFR.13 prefers the statute of Sport de Haut Niveau and the grants for a minimun 300.000 Euros per year since 1971 from the French Republic [little reminder: as per the French laws it doesn't comply to have it but it have it (vichy compensation)] than a claim without evidences, no certified figures. If you hold the evidences (documents you have) i will transmit the documents at the FFR.13, it will be very happy.

Continue to make much noise, continue working in favor of RU and,
as you hold no evidences you the specialist of the FRL, of the French laws, if you want i can inform 1 to 5 MP to require a revision or cancellation of the statute of Sport de Haut Niveau in favor of FFR.13 (bye bye the grants and other facilities given by the Republic, bye bye the annual vichy compensations)
:lol: :lol:


As you are a specialist of the French RL, is it this the FFR.13 -FRL- championship for the grassroots relating to the season 2006-07 ??
Minimes (25 or 26 teams) = players of 13 and 14 years old
Ligue Aquitaine
1 union Pujols + SA Villeneuve
2 Trentels
3 union Ste Livrade + Le Mas
4 Tonneins

Ligue Midi-Pyrénées
5 RC Albi
6 Réalmont
7 Lescure
8 RC Aussillon-Mazamet
9 Villefranche Aveyron
10 union Belberaud + Ayguesvives
11 Toulouse Olympique
12 Toulouse Jules Julien

Ligue Languedoc-Roussillon
13 Lézignan XIII
14 union Toulouges + Catalan XIII
15 XIII Catalan
16 Limoux XIII
17 St Estève XIII
18 MJ Carcassonne XIII
19 union Salses + Pia XIII

Ligue Paca
20 Carpentras
21 union Entraigues + Vedéne
22 St Martin de Crau
23 Marseille Avenir
24 Apt
25 Avignon
26 Salon

Ligue Rhône Alpes
none

Ligue Paris-Ile de France
none


Cadets (24 teams) = players of 15 and 16 years old
Ligue Aquitaine
1 union Pujols + SA Villeneuve
2 union Ste Livrade + Le Mas
3 Trentels

Ligue Midi-Pyrénées
4 union St Gaudens + Plaisance
5 RC Aussillon-Mazamet
6 Toulouse Olympique
7 Villefranche Aveyron
8 RC Albi

Ligue Languedoc-Roussillon
9 Lézignan XIII
10 union Toulouges + Catalan XIII
11 XIII Catalan
12 Limoux XIII
13 Salses XIII
14 Ille XIII
15 SM Pia XIII
16 MJ Carcassonne XIII

Ligue PACA
17 Carpentras
18 union Entraigues + Vedéne
19 St Martin de Crau
20 Marseille Avenir
21 Apt
22 Avignon

Ligue Rhône Alpes
23 Lyon-Villeurbanne

Ligue Paris-Ile de France
24 Grigny


Juniors Division 1-2-3 (19 teams) = players of 17 to 19 years old
Ligue Aquitaine
1 Trentels
2 Pujols
3 Girondins Bordeaux

Ligue Midi-Pyrénées
4 RC Albi
5 Villefranche d’Albi
6 Lescure
7 Ramonville

Ligue Languedoc-Roussillon
8 Ille
9 Montpellier
10 Saint Estève
11 Le Barcares
12 XIII Catalan
13 Toulouges

Ligue PACA
14 Avignon
15 Entraigues
16 Apt
17 Cavaillon

Ligue Rhône Alpes
none

Ligue Paris-Ile de France
18 Corbeil
19 union Châtillon + Paris 13


Juniors Elite (12 teams) = players of 17 to 19 years old
1 Lézignan
2 U.T.C.
3 St Gaudens
4 Limoux
5 Carpentras
6 Toulouse Olympique
7 Pia
8 AS Carcassonne
9 Villeneuve
10 union Villefranche Aveyron + Cahors
11 union Méditérranée RL
12 Lyon-Villeurbanne
:shock: