Did anyone see 'boots n all' last night? If you didn't they ran a 10 minute section all about Catalan celebrating it's 100,000th visiting fan during the recent Warrington game. As part of this they spoke briefly with 3 or 4 Warrington fans about how much money they had spent that day, in regards to their match ticket beer and food etc. The typical response was €100, €120 or one guy said €200. This is of course on top of their flights and hotels etc. So we could easily be looking at €300 to €400 per person to make the visit!!!!

Putting this together with them celebrating their 100,000th visitor it adds up to a whopping €30M to €40M Euros (GBP £25,000,000 to £35,000,000) of the Rugby league communities money being spent out there. So then Barry Mac (who I normally like) goes on to say 'what a wonderful greating the fans always get in the shops and bars in Perpignan, they have their shirts on behind the bars etc etc......' I bet they do, when we are pumping so much money into their local economy.

Bringing me on to my next point!! How many other better uses there are for the rugby league communities money. We all go on and on about supporting the youth coming through, better supporting British talent, local amateur teams with no funding, facilities for our national teams etc etc. Of course not forgetting good causes like the RL Benevolent fund, Steve Prescott Foundation, Adam Watene fund, etc etc.

In my humble opinion there are so many better uses of our hard earned money without taking this money out of our economy and out of the heartland RL community. Many such good uses as given above!

The next time we have an away game away from the M62 corridoor, think of the best way to use your money in support of the true RL community, our RL values and the future of the club you love.

Top post buddy. Never been to Catalan due to the shier expenses side to just 1 game.

100,000 British rugby fans helping the french economy when our own economy is on it's ar5e. How many French fans have come over here to watch the Catalan team





Sorry but having a French team in this competition does nothing for me

You won't need to worry about it from 2012

What a strange post. If the Steve Prescot Foundation or the Cas youth team agrees to take me to France I will part with £200, until then I would rather spend it on going to France.

Its called going on holiday FFS. What about all th people who go to Spain, Egypt, Greeece etc. Should they stay at home and put money into our economy. What a stupid thread this is.

Some fans go Friday,watch game Saturday and come back Sunday. I don't know about you but I don't call that a =#FF0000HOLIDAY.
But maybe you do

You've missed the point by a country mile!!!



The sport that we love is based around a competitive match being played in front of home and visiting fans. If supporters love the game half as much as they claim, then they will travel to support their team on away games. But at what point does it become too expensive? or not the best use of their money in truly supporting the game they claim to love, or indeed supporting their club?

Amongst the many other impracticalities of having an overseas team in the league, most of us can decide when and where we want to go on holiday without the RFL deciding that for us? Or maybe some can't!!!

If you're not too bright in life then let the RFL decide where you spend your money on holiday......in the meantime I'll put some money into the grass roots, and core values of our sport, so that you've got something to watch and say how deeply involved you are when your on holiday.

I call a weekend break a holiday yes.


And as for the basis of this thread: rugby league fans spend money in bars in rugby league heartland

wow!

Ad just for the sake of the obviously bigoted and thick OP - Perpignan is part of "the true RL community, our RL values" (unlike, say, …) – and when I spend an overnight at a game, whether I put money into a chain hotel in Leeds or Perpignan makes no difference to the "the future of the club I love".

My thoughts are a bit broader and wider, and are in regards to the game as a whole. The next generation of British players coming through etc.

Having a team in france in no way effects this

Who the hell are you to call the OP thick? Have your say on the matter but why fire insults around?

Somebody who's read his post. It's a stupid post. The conclusion I draw is that …

The idea that spending money in a pub in Widnes is somehow supporting "the true RL community, our RL values and the club you love (ie Cas)" and spending money in a bar in Perpignan isn't, is stupid. It's a thick idea.

Each time a visiting fan decides not to travel to an away game in the UK, or throw a few quid in the collection buckets for our juniors because....

a) He/she spent 300 or 400 notes in Catalan/France last week and is now skint.
or
b) He/She is lives in Catalan and doesn't travel to away games.

......tell me how much of that revenue your club can then invest in training home grown talent at your club, your academy team or any of the other good causes that I mentioned in my original post?

His post clearly means more then that. Stop acting like a kid.

i Cant help thinking this thread is motivated by " If they didn't exist we would not be fighting for a license "

Do you not think that having a successful French team generates more money for the RFL to invest into junior rugby across the UK and Europe.

If you think somehow the Develpoment of junior talet is suffering by the inclution of the French/ Welsh the i suggest you go have a look at Cas Panthers , Lock Lane, Fryston, Townville, Smawthorne, Oulton and the rest and you will see what i mean !!

No, not motivated by our fight for a license.....just an observation.

In terms of the success, it depends on what factors we are using to judge the success?? If we look at atendances, I get the gut feel that their ticket prices are heavily subsidised out there. If we look at their attendances for their away games, they bring less than an NL2 team would through our turnstyles.

So, I genuinely ask the question....how do they generate money for the RFL to then invest in youth development across Europe and the UK? It would appear more that it is us...the fans....and the RFL investing in Catalan...not the other way round!!

Following on from this idea then I suppose going to Wembley for the CC Final and Murrayfield or the Millenium Stadium for the Magic weekend is also something we should stop?

The point I dont understand is how not going to Catalans for £200 is going to put money in any of the local amateur sides pockets? Becasue I havent gone to watch Cas away at Catalans, am I going to go and watch Sherburn Bears juniors and put £200 in the field collection? Or perhaps buy £200 worth of raffle tickets?

I suppose the final issue is the Catalans region of France, is a rugby league heartland, and one thats struggling, and would struggle signifcantly more without the Dragons. Are we supposed to consign French RL to the dustbin and allow it to wither and die. Thats realy going to help strengthen the international scene.

The RFL don't force people onto planes do they? If its too expensive don't go! Simples.
Anyhow I prefer to spend my money on sex, drugs and rock and roll! And fish.

The same way as Quins and the crusaders(when in south wales not widnes sorry wrexham) by giving the league a wider appeal to sky views as has been previously noted most of sky viewers are from the south

Good point!

Here's a suggestion...the RFL should build a stadium in the North of England, to host such events, Internationals, regional finals etc etc.



True that is human nature! But if you've just blown a load of money on a trip to Catalan, then you're even less likely to throw a quid in the collection bucket for the juniors, and it's another excuse/reason to miss some other away game, to again save a few quid.



It's harsh...but yes I'd save a North of England team every single day of the week rather than a team in French Rugby League. Don't fool yourself and think that the French would do any different!!

In regards to the International scene, the fans have voted with their feet on the international scene.

Lets be clear, so that your point is relevant. You are talking about the sky viewers watching rugby league aren't you???? Not just the number of SKY viewers as a whole, which is obviously greater in the South due to the greater population of the south.

However, if they are not watching Rugby League on SKY, then how does it make a difference by Quins, Crusaders or Cataln playing?

I think we'd have to agree on having totally different ideas as far as these points go. Although I do agree its a shame we dont have our own Rugby League version of Twickenham in the north to generate cash from, I cant bring myself to agree with any of your other points.

Rugby League on tour, whereby a group of mates go on a trip to watch a game, somewhere out of the norm, be that France, Scotland, Wales or London. Having a good time, a few drinks and soaking up the drama of a RL occasion such as a cup final. Where the atmosphere is brilliant, with all the fans mingling together before, during and after the match, is one of the greatest treasures of our sport. If we were to simply host all these events at Elland Rd or Old Trafford, it would'nt be anywhere near the same, and in any case we still wouldnt get to keep any more money as the stadiums dont belong to the RFL.

I cant agree that by going away on a trip on the first weekend that I would be less inclined to put a couple of pounds in a field collection the week after for my local junior side, I suspect that some people will put their hand in their pocket and some people wont, regardless of where theyve been the weekend before.

Like it or not, the internationals generate much needed media coverage and money for the RFL, we need a strong French side to give us meaningfull matches that will spark public interest.

I think the differance between our opions boils down to looking at the big picture of proffesional RL as a whole, or purely focusing inwards with an 'I'm alright jack' attitude, that would ultimately lead to a smaller RL community.

Still its only a thought, and we're all entitled to our point of view, who's to say who's right or who's wrong.

Respected!

I've enjoyed a good few challenge cup wekends myself over the years, and like any good do!! It's what you make of it. I've had a great times at Grand Final nights, and a good atmosphere in Cardiff city centre. Must say, Murrayfield was disappointing!

Media coverage is much needed, but I'm not sure that the internationals generate it. We now have many media channels available to the the game, yet dwindling interest in the International stage. Not so sure how meaningful a game is against the French (England 60 - France 6 back in June), attendance 8,000 ish to me is not really tempting new spectators to the game. I suppose the number speak for themselves there.

Much of the models upon which the RFL are shaping our game are failing. Let's hope ours doesn't.

This entire thread confuses me. What's wrong with spending money watching your team away from home? Why would that money be better spent in a bar at a UK based RL club?

Each to their own, I've only been to Perpignan once, I had a great time and didn't see the money spent as a waste. The years I don't go, I spend the money I would have spent on a Perpignan trip on something else, usually paying an increasingly expensive food or fuel bill... I don't think anyone would spend their 'Perpignan money' on helping RL in some other way