So if a large city has a stadium and the location is good they should get a place in the top tier , even if that means dumping a club in the heartlands ?

Europe

I've got an idea, why not have this Paris club playing in the French league before we plonk them in to what is supposed to represent the European elite? I think RL is hugely devalued when it doesn't have the confidence to make clubs earn their place at the top table when in reality it should be the top 14 teams/clubs in Europe in that league. If that means having 12 northern clubs, Quins and Catalans (the latter two included because I think they're well worthy of their place) then so be it, but over time that would change, with the right assistance and guidance being given to all clubs outside of the top flight.

And again:-

Typically the answer for French rugby league already exists in their glorious past.

The model for the game in about the period 1945-55 should be given detailed and careful consideration by the French rugby league hierarchy.

Basically, this involves a structure along the lines of the following:

1. A Championship Top Division of about 12-14 clubs (played for the Max Rousie Shield).

2. A French Club Competition involving the broader rugby league club community in France, thus allowing the growth and encouragement of newer clubs (played for the Lord Derby Cup).

This is what French rugby league needs to get back to, first and foremost.

The ability to use the ESL as a further platform to publicise the game is all a bit of a modern bonus for French rugby league, which should be ADDED to the strength of the original base.

As for teams in the Championship, I don't know how I can be clearer about how unequivocal it is that it again be based around what I describe as the HAND of French rugby league's traditional strength, the five big cities over which rugby league has previously had influence: namely, and in no particular order - Paris, Mille, Lyon, Bordeaux and Toulouse.

This was the case in the period 1945-55. And should be now as well.

Added to this would be the passionate rugby de villages of Carcassonne, Perpignan, Albi, Avignon, Villeneuve and probably Lezignan, Cavaillon and Carpentras.

A return to the Cote Basque would also be in order, possibly through Pau or a Cote Basque XIII.

At this time (circa 1945-55), the French rugby league was also benefiting from regular matches in other major centres such as Nantes (as referred to in an earlier post), Grenoble and Limoges - as examples only.

The passionate underlying strength of the amateur game must be similarly invigorated. At its strongest this allowed clubs like Arcachon and especially Cahors and Lavardac to compete with the professional outfits.

All of this combined to the betterment of French rugby league to produce one of the great international sides in history in the same period (1945-55)...

What does this have to do with anything?

Was more directly relevant to the other threads in which it appeared, but is relevant to the overall structure of rugby league in France.

Thanks for the input.

I don't know what you are trying to suggest though? France does have a Championship and the Lord Derby Cup is still contested?

depends on which city and which heartland club

paris (stade francaise) / toulose offer more for SL than leigh / barrow etc.

it depends on the actual bids. Stade francaise Paris bid which has strong financial backing is clearly much better than a PSG. im not a fan of places like barcelona etc

widnes for example are a much stronger heartland club than barrow or leigh as well

its not as simple as your statement indicates

So Paris is good , but Barcelona is bad , just because you are not a ' fan ' of one of them , and you expect us to take you seriously

I was reffering to existing SL clubs not Championship clubs

So You suggest a large european city as long as they have a stadium and financial backing should replace who ?

If the RFL are serious about expanding in France then maybe they should be concentrating on building a French 'heartland'. The Dragons thrive on being Catalan and Toulouse are also part of this identity.

When I went to Beziers hast August to watch Cats play Hull FC there was a crowd of 9,800! And Beziers is an hour an a half from Perpignan where Cats' home is. The town had its annual festival then and displays of Catalan identity were all over the place. It was still evident when I visited Mille on the same holiday (now there's a place that just feels right for rugby league...).

And Barcelona is essentially Catalan - so there you are: build the Catalan thing Mr Lewis. Just think of those fabulous Magic Weekends!

it wouldnt, it would be judged on a number of things as has been said

why not, if they want to be playing SL rugby in a couple of years, why not tell them to get their youth structures sorted


not a squads worth no




yes, it shows we are willing to accept change and growth, 3 years in the championhip wasting time and money doesnt show commitment as much as you want to pretend it does! it doesnt show anything, its simply an arbitrary stipulation to placate the flat cappers, it means nothing and acheives nothing

frankly its a little pathetic the flatcappers can be bought off so easily with something so worthless

if a team has the potential support base, has the stadium, has the business plan, has the skills to execute it and the commitment and financial backing to do so then yes we should give them the opportunity of an SL side

so why hasnt it changed in over a hundred years?

since you cant read, wakey have to be out of SL next time.

and next time toulose and widnes have to be in, as well as probably paris.

My post was quite simply an attempt to get DM to post what you have , and then ask why the NRL havent done the same with the Wellington Orca's ?

He is a fan of expansion in Europe but not in Australaisia

Changing the point of the argument again Smokey , you know where I was going with that post

you were wrong

because the NRL have a faction (unbelievably) which is more parochial than anything we can muster in RL in this country

Ah … of course. Two people attending the same international match. It has to be a cospiracy.

Or a CONspiracy even

Read it more carefully.

Most of the teams required are absent.

Many of the areas previously with an influence have little or none.

This needs to change, through exposure, especially via TV.

The ESL should be fused to this structure, not replace it.

Etc.

A valid point, but there is more pressure in the Championship than in the academy league, which is why SL sides look to lending academy players to Championship clubs. Which suggests that the Championship is a better test of whether a club is ready for SL than having an academy side.

The Championship also gives them time to develop a home following and establish the idea before they join SL.

1 - You can have an exploratory meeting without deciding the outcome.
2 - I could see the RFL going two up two down with one Championship club what ticks all the boxes and the other being TO - even if they don't tick the boxes, but I'm not convinced. Personally I wouldn't want TO in the SL if they can't get their act together to perform at the Championship level. Looking at the French side vs Nz we saw that the players are there in France and TO could chose to sign an all-French side that could compete with the best. But they don't want to try that because it's a risk. How much more of a Risk will they have to go to to compete in SL?
3 - Barrow is an excellent idea, RL heartland, big money backer, expansion area.