According to Ralph Rimmer (RFL) who was speaking on the radio prior to the 9's comp last night, the Championship will remain 'as is' for 2012 with just a few 'tweaks'.
Crowds are down and clubs are only guaranteed 12 home games. This is clearly unsustainable. All clubs should be guaranteed at least 15 or 16 home games.
If another French club take the place of Toulouse next season, will they also get the 3 year 'protection' from relegation ?? This protection hasn't helped Toulouse in building a competititve Championship squad for the last 3 seasons.
2009 - 10th
2010 - 8th
2011 - 11th (so far)

No french team in the Champ and use the £200k+ saved on travel to france to subsidise supporter travel to away games for all 21 Championship clubs

Or just give the season enough structure so clubs get a decent amount of home games and can make more than the mentioned 10 grand through the turnstiles, over the bar etc etc.

The clubs wouldn't get the £10k - it could only be used to subsidise travel. Extra away supporters would help increase income.

But I'm in total agreement with you regards league structure. Regular home games throughout the whole season are needed. Having no home game for several weeks is madness: people get out of the habit of going and easily find other things to do in the summer. (Late) changes to ko times and dates don't help - I haven't bought a season ticket for a few years now as I when buying I wouldn't know how many games I'd miss cos they'd been changed to thursday night!

Spot on , something I have advocated for before , the lack of away support and localised marketing are two area's the RFL could really help the Championship clubs with

I must've been seeing things when I looked at the LER 1 results this season and seen Toulouse/St-Gaudens mentioned every week in the win-loss column.

St. Gaudens have indicated that they're now in a position to go it alone again - Adam Innes announced as the new coach, not clear where they're going to recruit a competitive squad from. The joining of the two clubs was only ever a short-term fix - it made about as much sense as merging Sheffield & Huddersfield

So the question is whether TO drop out of championship, field a reserve side in LER, or join up with Toulouse Jules-Julien to field a team.

Yep jonM, it's complicated mate.

I'm on your side mate all the way.

I don't really understand the aim of some of this. Whilst I wholeheartedly support Catalans inclusion in the Super League, what is the aim for french rugby league? Is building a competitive league in france not the answer? I don't understand how creating multiple european leagues (toulouse in the national leagues etc) is helping the game grow in France?

Can anyone shed some light on it?

I think the original plan was to create a performance pathway beginning with players in the Elite league, progressing to the Toulouse side, being picked up by Catalans and then ultimately being picked for France. Nice idea in theory, but as France don't play (m)any games anyway....*





*Don't want to start another Exiles vs France debate

So essentially, good french players go to toulouse. Catalan pick them up if they're better than first thought and then they go into the France team? So all this is doing is creating multiple levels of feeder teams which doesn't grow the game in France.

Pretty much.

France are supposed to play Ireland & Scotland this Autumn and it looks like they're planning for France v England at Avignon on 21 October (Friday night game). Not sure whether that's going to be a full England side in a warm-up for 4 nations - or "England Knights". They got 14000 at Avignon for France/Ireland last year - hoping to get 17500 capacity for England match.

(France are playing England in an international tomorrow, as it happens - first of a 2 match women's rugby test series).

It would appear Toulouse have already decided what's happening

They are 52-0 down at half time at Fev

Toulouse for SL anyone ?

well, at least they are taking their destiny in their own hands

when you know you're playing in a no way championship, what's better ?

I THINK THE BEST IS TO QUIT NOW and take hollydays.

Well they improved in the 2 nd half , they only lost that 38-10

90-10 final score

If the RFL want to continue to have French teams in the British domestic leagues, then in future they should look at adding 3/4 teams to the competition... for me Toulouse on their own had it hard.

The drawbacks to this of course is 3/4 more teams to pay for.

Cracking idea , kill both the Championship and Elite 1 in one foul swoop

That's SLE's job!!!!!!

I thought you knew better

Sorry officer I won't let it happen again

Agreed


I really hope Lezignan don't replace Toulouse either.

Five tries in the first quarter of an hour. If the club [iare[/i to leave the Championship and players are leaving what's the motivation for Toulouse now?

You texting from the game?
Cougars up 52 - 6 at half time, just in case you're interested.

Even better idea, send Toulouse back to Elite 1 and let them build up the French leagues properly... I was never in favour of seeing a French club in the Championship. I dont know how the RFL came up with the idea of having a team with a smaller salary cap and much more travelling to do would improve the standards of the French game.

Perhaps the same kind of theory that says signing crocked past it holidaying pensioners from down under, in SL improves the English/GB international team