https://www.rugby-league.com/article/54 ... d-new-york Hemel application to relocate, where to? New York Application to join League one.

https://www.rugby-league.com/article/54 ... d-new-york Hemel application to relocate, where to? New York Application to join League one.

You have to worry about the "help to deliver the RFL's vision" comment.
Perhaps the RFL could publicly share "their vision".

The cash strapped game of RL now wants more trans-Atlantic clubs.

This will do wonders for the balance sheets of already cash starved UK clubs, especially in League 1

Looks like Hemel will be Canada 2 (but only the Pro entity, with the Amateur Side remaining in Herts) and the other one must be the Gym Teacher from Huddersfield's pitch, which I thought Nigel had already investigated?

The Problem for the League 1 sides, as well as some of the Championship sides, is that this may now become 2 or even 3 overseas trips a season, eating into work vacations etc and all with little if benefit to the game.

Assuming they work up the leagues it would mean only one overseas trip before they're promoted? If I was a league one player I'd bite your hand off for the chance to play a game in New York.

But the point remains, what are these clubs adding for the week to week fans, I don't know many RL fans that can afford a trip to Toronto, New York, Tolouse and Perpignan in a season.

You would have a point if every single RL fan went to every single away game in a season. But they dont.

Not to mention the actual cost or, is this being funded ala Toronto ?

Doesn't invalidate my question, what would New York ADD to RL?

What does any new club ADD to RL.

Hang on. First of all you said "what do they bring to the day to day fan", not to RL. Nice moving of the goal posts.

But I digress. What do they bring? We dont know yet. What we do know is that the game is dead in the uk. It will be semi pro within 2 years once sky dont renew the broadcasting so maybe its a last throw of the dice to see if the north american market can rejuvenate Skys interest in the game.

What do all the other League 1 teams add to RL?

Toronto have added newspaper column inches, an increase in televised matches and increased fans when playing away from home. If New York & Canada 2 can do the same I'm happy for them to be a part of the structure as long as they pay their own way and opposition teams expenses when they are at home.

However, at some point the North American franchises need to add a paying TV contract and to begin player development. The first is probably more important to us than the latter I'd suggest at this stage and I wouldn't expect any new franchises to be accepted in to the structure after these without increased TV revenues off the back of it.

Same has to be said of any new French sides wanting to joining the comp, The French clubs are at least supplying some players to UK clubs, but they need to provide a TV deal also, otherwise they are just taking the place of a pro club without offering enough in return.

Agree 100% with all of that, and with players in American Football coming out of ceollege it could be great for a USA international team, but as you say, not without a significant TV deal in America.

Just to put this into context. What sort of French TV contract have Catalan managed and how much is it worth.
I realise that they have been in SL since 2006 but are we really suggesting that Canada or The US are going to contribute significant sums of cash to add RL to their sporting portfolio ?

I believe the Catalan deal is worth zero as far as payment to Catalan is concerned - there is probably some value to Sky as they get a game free by swapping a couple of their own I believe and Catalan probably get better sponsorship off the back of it. But in terms of cash value of the rights, its nil.

I'm very much pro expansion, and want more French teams certainly, and North American teams in the game. However they do need to add value, whether that is in terms of player development or financial return (TV deal) or both. Otherwise they are taking players away from UK clubs and offering little back.

I'd accept Canada 2, New York and Toulouse in to the mix, as to have a paying TV deal off the back of 1 club in a territory is unrealistic, but to grow this number further, they need to offer a TV deal - otherwise they are a player drain.

To grow the sport we need to get to the point where we have a UK, North American & French TV deal coming in to the pot.

I get the dream and almost agree with you (in principle) but, it's not going to happen.
The French sides are in RL playing areas, with junior development etc and can play throughout the current season.
However, Toronto are just not in this category.
Effectively, they are taking the place of a UK/French side in the top flight and whilst, no doubt there is interest when they come over and play their games, primarily because of their huge salary spend which makes them a "big draw" but what is the actual plan for RL in UK/Europe.
IF there are to be 3 or 4 N. American sides plus 2 French sides in SL, are we to have just 6 UK clubs competing in the top flight and where are the players going to come from because it sure as hell isn't N. America.
We are in a catch 22, where the game needs more money and with the next Sky deal likely to be a reduction, just what do the RFL think the future of RL looks like.
The utter bull smidt about this fitting with the RFL plan really makes me cringe, especially when nothing is publicised about what the hell their plan is.
IMO this expansion, far from growing the game will probably be the death of it and with only half a dozen FT pro clubs in England, what happens next.
Is the Championship going to be a pop n crisps league ?? feeding the SL clubs the occasional player.
I've watched RL for over 50 years but it's time to do something else Big Nige and his successor have destroyed RL.

I can understand your concerns however at the moment with these teams in League 1 and the Championship any negatives they may bring by replacing a British club such as player production are virtually nil. So it’s not a risk at the moment.

Also I can’t agree in the slightest about Nigel Wood and the current RFL destroying RL. The RL clubs did that back in the 80’s and 90’s and we’ve been firefighting ever since.

never mind the fans some clubs will struggle to meet the financial demand

None of that seems to matter in the new "world" league.

With so few clubs turning a profit, especially as you go down the league pyramid, adding a couple of overseas trips each season could well make the difference between life and death.
In an ideal world, this wouldn't be too critical but, with where we are currently, we are far more likely to see more clubs go bust than to benefit from the big spending new boys.
Again, it seems like The RFL are happy to keep rolling the dice, without too much concern.
They appear to believe that RL is a major sport, with a budget to match. Mind you even they (the RFL) are blowing a fortune.





They missed the opportunity to have Toronto and Toulouse in SL during the restructure, which would have allowed everyone to see if Toronto really was workable but, our visionary leaders allowed that opportunity to pass us by.

Indeed.

The NFL can fill Wembley whenever they want, but the London Monarchs and the WLAF/NFL Europe vanished up their own bottoms with financing that we can never hope to match. The US TV markets lost interest nearly as quickly as they started showing games and that was when the Monarchs were playing in front of 40,000 a game....by the time they folded they were on fewer than 6,000.

What we have here is 2 more North American sides looking to join the European competition, with private financing in place (we assume) and an idea of how they will become self sufficient in a short space of time. The Problem is, that whilst the Monarchs would have benefited from the Channel 4 coverage of the NFL in previous years, these teams in NYC and Canada 2 are literally the same as christian missionaries heading to africa.....they are preaching to an audience with an already busy schedule of things to do in their leisure time and whom have no idea what Rugby League is. Even Toronto have had to get involved with the Union lot to achieve the smallest of footholds.

I am all for expansion, but it isn't going to save the game or secure a mega-bucks TV deal, at least not inside the next 10 years and what the game in Europe Needs now is a documented plan with accountability for it......not Hemel flogging their RFL membership to a group who think a local derby will "ignite interest".....the NFL threw Millions at the Claymores with the same goal......we all know where that ended up

Relocating a club is just stupid.

I know Hemel may not have masses of fans, but I'm guessing those fans it has that have been loyal for years will be lost to the sport if the relocation happens.

A NY team is interesting but like Toronto, they will only ever be a novelty like Catalans.

Catalans are a good side, but in all the years they have been in SL, has it really helped investment into the further development of their domestic league? Or has it just been a distraction and not really helped increase the following of the sport in France as a whole? You may point to Toulouse, but they have been on the fringes for as long as Catalans? Have Paris SG seen a big increase in support since the Catalans success?

Be interesting to see where the players come from for 2 further transatlantic teams.
Toronto seem to have taken the cream of the “not quite good enoughs”, so the pot seems a little low for another 50 or so

Indeed, and this is my concern, Toronto largely hoovered up the former SL players and still didn't get promoted.

Considering super league and rugby league in the UK in general is on life support, what have all SL clubs done to help investment into the further development of their domestic league or has it just been a distraction and not really helped increase the following of the sport in the uk as a whole?

It isn't SL's purpose to increase support or participation, that is down to the blazers at Red Hall, but all they want to do is keep a certain club happy.

Correct, just like its not Catalans purpose but that doesnt stop people claiming Catalans have done nothing