[urlhttp://www.rugbyleagueplanet.com/RLP/Articles/2011/Dutch-aim-for-Super-League-in-Ten-Years-271211.htm[/url



This is excellent news. I can certainly see the Super League of the 2021-23 licensing period shaping up as follows, with a 'Groningen Magic' weekend in early May-time:

Avignon Bisons
Bristol Sonics
Calder Crusaders
Catalan Dragons
Hull RL
Leeds Rhinos
Limerick Shamrocks
London Broncos
Manchester-Salford Reds
Rotterdam Spartans
St Helens
Toulouse Olympique XIII
Warrington Wolves
Wigan Warriors

Have I had something of a Life on Mars moment and woken up in 1995?

My only concern in that list is the use of the doomed name "crusaders".

The rest of it is fine. Nailed on. All of it.

Apart from the teams you've omitted, it looks good to me.

What about Welsh + Scottish teams?

Seriously? RL has a minimal presence in the Netherlands, there isn't a substantial domestic competition and they aren't even recognised as RLEF observer members yet. At least they are ambitious I guess.

I would expect the Welsh and Scottish teams to be building towards an eventual 'Celtic Conference' of Super League, to be integrated 2024-2026 alongside the Limerick Shamrocks and the Dublin Emeralds.

During the period I refer to, however, they'd be operating in a revamped Super League II competition:

AS Carcassonne
Cumbria Red Kites
Edinburgh Eagles
Fife Lyons
Halifax
Leigh Centurions
London Skolars
North Wales Crusaders
Sheffield Eagles
South Wales Scorpions
Vaucluse Faucons
Widnes Vikings

Quite like this actually but I could imagine places like Wales having an SL team before a Netherlands team.

Like their ambition and hope they can replicate their ideas

Starbug on a Super League thread?!

I didnt realise they had been given a spot already?

I think they'd get the nod as long as the finances were in place. They're part of a prosperous new territory for RL but have the advantage of providing a lucrative derby with Hull RL.

By 2024, I expect the following...

1. Widnes Vikings to merge with South Wales Scorpions and North Wales Crusaders to become Widnes Viking Crusader Scorpions.

2. Manchester Salford Reds to merge with Salford Lads Club to become Salford Lads Reds.

3. Edinburgh Eagles to merge with Fife Lyons and Cliff Lyons to become Sheffield Eagles who will then merge with Huddersfield Giants to become Huddersfield/Sheffield Giants before becoming Huddersfield Giants by 2025.

4. Hull and Hull KR to merge then split into Hull and Hull KR.

5. AS Carcassone and any other french fancy to be swallowed up by Catalan Dragons.

6. Limerick Shamrocks to merge with Junction 32 of the M62 and be called Castleford Tigers.

7. Rotterdam Spartans to financially fold within 12 months whilst Hull and Hull KR provide one way tickets on P&O Ferries to over half the Spartans players whose unpaid contracts were terminated.

8. Cumbria Red Kites to get the book thrown at them for breaching the salary cap in 2024, docked 6 points and a further 6 points in 2025. Thrown out and split into Workington, Whitehaven and Barrow to play in the Championship.

9. Wakefield Trinity Wildcats to replace every failed venture between now and 2024.

10. London Broncos to merge with London Skolars to become London Broncos with an increased merged average attendance of 2,854 by 2026.

The title is Rotterdam for Super League. I thought that might have scared you off

No it made me laugh

I can't see it. After all, I thought Hull KR's terrace didn't meet SL criteria?

Apparently the Akkies are hopeful of playing them according to that link. I've not heard anything (I do live in Hull again to be fair), but if that's our tour destination for next year then in totally on it!

Think they're a tad over-ambitious though. Really can't see it happening, as a club that is aiming to be undefeated in its first year is certainly setting the bar way too high in my opinion.

Apparently, there are people who have commented on this thread who 'arent against expansion, just want it to be done properly, with a club building up through the leagues'.

Strangely this thread becomes another excuse for the usual suspects to try and use some 'hilarious' alliteration whilst nicknaming imaginary teams they have made up.

It seems odd to me that these people who 'arent against expansion, just want it to be done properly with a club building up through the leagues' havent mentioned that it is










Its almost like they have done exactly what would be expected of a club 'doing it properly and building through the leagues' yet shockingly enough the usual suspects still find reason to criticise, I wonder why?

Any club which isnt aiming to be undefeated every single year is setting the bar way to low in my opinion.

Nothing wrong with ambition, if they dont aim for super league in 10 years then they definitely wont be, if they do but only make it to being a strong championship club with good crowds and 10-15 dutch players then that will still be a fantastic success, if they do make it to SL, all the better.

Great news - so who will this revolution be funded by exactly and will all these clubs be full time pros ? or will the RFL or RLEF or whoever be subsidising the transport costs which will make the Toulouse adventure look like a trip to the local !
Just wondering like ?

A German club must be a contender in that timeframe and with that level of optimism.

If it were based near Düsseldorf, then there'd be a nice arc from there up to Rotterdam and on to Hull. Instead of the sport being seen as tied to the M62, it could be seen tied to European routes E20 and E31.

With a bit of planning, they could place clubs on rough a circle around Europe - just add a club in South Wales and one near to Luxemburg, then I think it could be done

I can tell everybody is board to death but do we have to dream up this rot roll 0n the start of the season please

Goals need to be realistic and attainable. Every team should WANT to be undefeated, but their aim needs to be achievable otherwise their sense of direction could be lost straight away as well as their motivation.

Think S.M.A.R.T.


If they are way off SL by year 7, then setting the bar too high may put people off believing the hype. That's my main concern, that clubs aim too high from the off, get everyone's hopes up and then come way way short and that's what they're remembered for, thus creating a negative vibe. If they aim smaller in shorter spaces of time and achieve them, they will build momentum.

But for all I know, they could have a great plan. I'm sceptical about that, but they could do and hopefully I'll find out more if Akkies do go there

Lets leave the life lessons from 6th form tutors for a while.

If they are way off then they change their aim. Aiming low isn’t pragmatic, its just unambitious.

Any club that can guarantee the finances to run in SL for 5 years up front should be given the opportunity, without having to work their way through the Championship, however that guarantee needs to be in the form of a cash bond payable back over that 5 year period ,not just a promise as in thecase of the CC

How you fit a club into SL in this way is another issue , and this is just my opinion and actually bugger all to do with me

Brilliant thread