Although I agree in principle with P/R, I just dont think it works with a sport where it is looking to expand.

The first thing that any organisation wants is stability and even IF a club could start at the bottom (Like Toronto or Toulouse, in their second coming), the risk of relegation and the hit that they would take financially, seems to make the gamble too big.
Having said that, if the new clubs coming in are heavily bank rolled, perhaps they can throw enough money at their clubs to "guarantee" promotion to and survival in the top flight.

The one certainty is thet RL simply has to grow, just to lift it's profile or, we will be left with a fringe sport along the M62 corridor.

THe franchise model still seems the best wat forward but, with some more stringent management from the RFL

We ARE a fringe sport along the m62 corridor.

And is that where the sports ambitions should start and finish ?

Even football, probably the globes "biggest" game is trying to expand but, many RL fans would rather our game shrink back into the heartlands and then complain that we dont have any money and never get any media exposure etc, etc.

The game is being played up and down the UK, we just lack the vision to capitalise on this

Without decent exposure, how do we attract more players, sponsors etc into the game or, should we be happy as a "pub" sport.

This.

As a non-Brit I could not vote, but I would have voted remain. I am for expansion, especially in France, Canada and the USA. If we can get a number of professional clubs into Super League from France (Toulouse, Avignon, Paris), Canada (Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver) and the USA, then our game will explode internationally. I foresee the much promised USA professional league (announced by David Niu before it ever had a chance), as the outcome of a successful televised expansion of the game into France and Canada.

I would rather see SL thrive in it's current first, it's hardly going from strength to strength at the minute is it? on which would perhaps be a basis for major expansion if it was. Too many loons like Jean who want to run before you can walk...it's the walking part that RL has never quite been able to manage unfortunately when it comes to growing the sport.

Pretty much the same as me. I voted remain, want the RFL to focus on improving the current competition (bring more money in primarily), whilst organically growing the sport away from the M62.

As much as some seem to hate it*, I think the current format of the competition is the best of both worlds - providing P&R whilst not having the ridiculous situation of yoyo clubs we had with 'true' P&R before licensing. We just do an abysmal job of selling the sport as it currently is.

*[size=85or literally anything the sport tries to do with the format[/size

I heard an advert on Talksport this morning advertising tickets for the upcoming four nations, first such advert i have heard or seen besides the usual generic emails sent out to people who have purchased tickets before. Bit late in the day if you ask me, shouldn't the RFL have been hitting this promotional campaign as soon as the venues were decided? it just looks like we are desperate to flog tickets we can't get rid of rather than a real event you need to get on board with before tickets go quickly. This for me is just one big area we are a million miles behind other sports in and have to get right to grow.

I voted remain (twice now) and so am the grey Labour supporter whose actions were misunderstood by the media.

I want to know why we cannot grow in the major cities; the exceptions are Hull and Leeds. Salford is not Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool failed and London seems to never get going.

Bradford has 50k more people in it than Hull. Not sure that makes it a major city mind...

Unfortunately what really needs to happen to the sport IMO won't be liked by many. It needs to be a closed shop of either 10 (with scope to grow) or 16 teams. No P&R, franchises only (done properly this time). Mergers would be welcomed.

& while I voted Leave in the Euros I voted Leave/heartlands on this thread as there wasn't a Leave/Heartlands 1st/Slower expansion option.

While I will welcome Toulouse Olympique & Toronto *despite shady approach to player signings*, I will only welcome them if done the right way IMO, i.e working through the grades (as they will) rather than the carte blanche 6 year free ticket to SL Catalans were gifted.

While I wouldn't want to expel Catalans, I would have prefered that they came in via the proper pathway as T.O & T.W will do, therefore not costing an established RL Club their place.

Done.

Properly done franchises ?

I assume you mean pick a location and hope somebody is willing to stump up some cash ?

Voted leave
Want global expansion
RL is not an "M62" sport; it is played nationally in the UK and displays its zenith in Australia.
Should be compulsory for all RL pitches globally to be marked out as they are in NRL. It's a key part of the RL brand.
All RL rules/interpretations globally should be exactly the same with RFL, RLEF, RLIF following on from the NRL after consultation between all these parties.
Follow soccer-P&R to be a permanent feature at all levels.
Ban propelling ball back with the hand at the play the ball. i.e. compel use of the foot.

Well here goes my two penny's worth

Voted Leave
(We managed quite well before we joined and I am sure we will manage quite well when we leave)
Rightly or wrongly Rugby League is still classed as a northern working mans game supported by flat cap, whippet walking, tripe eating miners.
Not saying I agree with it, but the world is missing out on a sport that can challenge any full blooded contact sport ever invented. (their loss)
On expansion where do want to go?
Fast forward 20 years do we really want a Superleague table consisting of the following:
Wigan Warriors
Torronto Centurions
Catalan Dragons
Moscow Madmen
Vancouver Seals
New York Giants
San Fransisco Saints
Toulouse Olympique
1 from Italy ?
1 from Germany ?

Who on earth is going to be able to follow their team.
Like I said where do we want to go and where do we stop.

Its all well and good promoting RL all over the country / world but lets look at recent events:
Teams gone:
Carlisle
Bramley
Blackpool
Chorley
Runcorn

Dont forget the all singing all dancing franchise system that was going to save the world

PSG - Gone
Gateshead - Gone

Teams struggling
York
Sheffield

I will not confess to knowing the answers but when we have the RL top brass who cant even sort out disiplinary action fair and consistantly what chance do we have.

I will just keep supporting my club and allow much cleverer men sort it all out and good luck to them because its not a job I would fancy

No offence to anyone thats just my opinion

Regards and stay safe

Really!



=#0000BF[size=85% difference between UK GDP per capita and EU founding members' (EU6) and EU5 (excludes Luxembourg), 1950 - 2011[/size

We were in terrible relative economic decline - which was halted by accession to the EEC.

Thanx Ghost

But what exactly are you showing me ??

We didn't "manage quite well before we joined". We were consistently economically outperformed by the EEC countries before we joined, and afterwards performed at the same level as them.

The EEC/EU represents countries coming together, ceding small, really very small, amounts of sovereignty for mutual prosperity and to act as a safeguard for peace. The latter bit tends to be forgotten nowadays but we surely can't forget the first and how badly the UK did before we joined.

I wouldn't bother fella. Leavers don't do facts, it's scare mongering.

Far too many other variables to acuratly use this as a definite reason

Never mind the graph, have you got [iyour[/i country back?

Surely, what we (RL) should be aiming for is to have a strong RL set up in as many countries as possible all over the world.
The inclusion of Catalan and Toulouse should be a stepping stone towards setting up a full time professional league in France and Toronto's inclusion, the first step in establishing RL in Canada (and then hopefully break into the US.

Currently we have single clubs from other countries trying to climb the league(s) and make it into SL.

Is this the right vehicle for expanding the game and will it eventually lead to establishing the game in other parts of the world.

There is massive novelty value in some of the expansion clubs but, to sustain them properly, over the long term, should they all be aiming for SL or, should there be a different plan.

Although travel to different countries is easier and cheaper than it has ever been before, having clubs in the same league travelling 1000's of miles to play a game is not sensible on a regular basis. Therefore, its time for the games administrators to set out their plan and then make it happen.

What is happening currently although exciting and new, looks like the strategy is being done on the back of a beer mat in the pub on a Saturday night, without proper thought for the future of the game bothe overseas and in the UK.

I reckon the graph is showing the correlation between custard and jellyfish!

There is a thread in the Sin Bin for a purely political discussion

I thought it represented hair loss rates for Leigh/Salford/Wakey/KR fans.