And just how popular is Rugby League in Holland?

The problem with all these rapid expansion pipe-dreams is you need more than ambition and money to build a club. You need a culture and a tradition; you need the game to be played in schools and colleges and you need a fan-base of more than the few dozen (I suspect) who regularly attend games in Holland.

Absolutely.

Quite probably, however I'm sure there people rich enough in Holland to see a 5 million pound, 5 year gamble as peanuts, so you never know

I'm sure there are loads of people rich enough but I doubt if there are any stupid enough.

You mean like 90% of the owners of pro sports clubs owners in the world ? , there are plenty of stupid people about when sport is involved, is Roman Abramovich stupid?

Roman Abromovich bought a successful topflight club in one of the most lucrative leagues in the world complete with an established domestic and international fanbase, and a multi-million pound turnover. Personally I don't know the guy, but I suspect if you offered him a barely existent Rugby League club in a country with a barely existent league, virtually no turnover and a handful of fans he may be a bit more reluctant to flash the roubles.

Maybe on a different scale, but the principle is still the same, personnally i dont think it is a goer, but you never know

you could probably count the number of dutch RL players on one hand.

Yet by making this list, you're saying that Rotterdam will have a stronger bid than Bradford in ten years...

Yes but dont forget, the Bulls will have merged with Leeds or Keighley by then

The game is littered with case history. There's Celtic Crusaders, Paris St Germain. . . .erm . . . . Hmmmmmmmmm?

Sorry, but I think I do know.
Investors do frequently gamble, but not if the odds are astronomical. The chances of a Rotterdam Rugby League club providing a viable investment opportunity within the next 10 years are about as great as the chances of Accrington Stanley winning the Champions League. No business person would put a penny on it, let alone 5 million pounds.

I'll bow to your superior knowledge, so I'll expect the Spartans to be in SL in 2018 and relocated to Norwich by 2019

Just stick them in Super League now. Save us all a lot of time and bother.

Need to establish whether there's a dozen or more below average Aussie journeymen available from either the Queensland or NSW Cup first, so they can populate their squad like the rest of the SL whipping boy clubs do.

Do i detect a slight bit of cynicism creeping into this thread

Rotterdam Spartans in super league would inevitably = Rotterdam Average Aussie XIII

should be a close game with HKR then ?

Would Canabis smokeing be legal on the terraces. Rugby league would look odd stoned

Must admit I started this for a bit of a giggle and it's worked out well.

But I am rather pleased with the Cumbria Red Kites though, think it's a go-er.

It made me laugh

There isn't and they wouldn't.

Unfortunately my guess would be that this is a dodge by Sparta Rotterdam FC to get the council to fund their new ground and they will be looking at hockey, Baseball and RU also before considering RL.

It would be great if it happened but believe me there is very little interest in the game here. Check out the official Netherlands RL site for confirmation. Last updated in 2009.

As i said, it made me laugh

Dude.

On the contrary, I think it's great that Super League has the best interests of the game at heart as it endeavours to expand beyond the umbilical cord otherwise known as the M62. It has an unrivalled record of providing sundry Aussie jackaroos and south sea islanders with the opportunity to contiki-tour their way around Europe on the grog before they return to Bondi and the surf.

Situating SL clubs in places like Rotterdam makes it a lot easier for them as a starting point, once they get bored of London and completed their cultural rites of passage here. Anyhow, there isn't a Whinos-supporting Smokey TA type on this entire planet who would select places like Leigh, Fev and Wakey when they can book a long weekend break in exotic places like Rotterdam, Wrexham and Bristol instead.