Quote ="TimmySmith"The popular one for many is the week in Lloret De Mar and jump on the bus up to Perpignan. I've flown into Carcassonne a few times as you can pick flights up for around £100 return if the dates are kind, a nice drive down to Perpignan too. That might be a good one for anyone looking to go to the Toulouse game as you get much cheaper flights and similarly only around an hour and a half away.'" I wouldn't rush to book Toulouse just yet as things are going pear-shaped for them before the season has even started... https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/ru ... n-22819368

Quote ="TimmySmith"The popular one for many is the week in Lloret De Mar and jump on the bus up to Perpignan. I've flown into Carcassonne a few times as you can pick flights up for around £100 return if the dates are kind, a nice drive down to Perpignan too. That might be a good one for anyone looking to go to the Toulouse game as you get much cheaper flights and similarly only around an hour and a half away.'" I wouldn't rush to book Toulouse just yet as things are going pear-shaped for them before the season has even started... https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/ru ... n-22819368

Quote ="FIL"I wouldn't rush to book Toulouse just yet as things are going pear-shaped for them before the season has even started... https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/ru ... n-22819368'" Weirdly just been reading this, very interesting. Not what you'd want to see so close to the season

Quote ="FIL"I wouldn't rush to book Toulouse just yet as things are going pear-shaped for them before the season has even started... https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/ru ... n-22819368'" Weirdly just been reading this, very interesting. Not what you'd want to see so close to the season

https://twitter.com/M_Shaw1/status/1484 ... 55721?s=20 Very interesting. Absolutely nothing to go on but should Toulouse not be able to field a side come the start of the season, are we going to see Fev/Leigh replace them?

https://twitter.com/M_Shaw1/status/1484 ... 55721?s=20 Very interesting. Absolutely nothing to go on but should Toulouse not be able to field a side come the start of the season, are we going to see Fev/Leigh replace them?

We'd probably be in a similar position if players were given the same choice of vaccinate or leave.

It certainly gives a newly promoted side some additional headaches to begin their first SL campaign

Surprised Toulouse haven't snapped up Hampshire.

Are you?

Does he strike you as the sort of players to move to France, seems to much of a home bird to me.

If Tomkins can settle in Perpignan, why not ?

I’m only going on what people say, he’s a home boy I’m led to believe. I’d do it but I’m not him, some people are happy where they are.

I may be totally wrong he just doesn’t strike me as the type.

Can't see your logic here, what do you base that on?

I know what you mean, I'm with you. I can't see why anyone wouldn't strongly consider it, RL careers don't last forever and the chance to live and play some rugby in the South of France for a year or two would be class.

Just that he was always said to be a Wigan lad etc, etc but, obviously he got a gig down under and is now playing for a French side.
Ultimately, it's down to whether a player wants to go (and has an offer to play)
With Tomkins, at the time, the 3 brothers were all playing for Wigan and looked very settled. Of course it's all changed now.

He was born in Milton Keynes.
Family moved when he was young but still not to Wigan.
Moved to Wigan for his rugby career

Played for New Zealand Warriors.

So he's probably OK with France.

He was a Warrington fan as a child. His connection to Wigan is purely for rugby, as his dad got sick of driving to Wigan St Pats from where they lived so moved closer. As far as I'm aware, he has no family roots in Wigan at all.

Ryan, however, is a Wakey lad through and through.

Wasn't Hampshire rumoured to be anti-vax?

That would put paid to most UK clubs being interested in him, never mind a French club, where he would be unable to play at all, under current French rules.

I've no horse in this race and Hampshire is no longer a Wakey player.
I was merely answering Chizzy's post.

Mind you, anyone has the potential to take a job in new territory, anyone.
Sometimes it's the wierdest things that make someone take that leap into the unknown.
Having said that, family is a huge factor.

Is anyone going over for the game ?

The problem is its hard to commit with all the questions on covid still unresolved.
I know we are easing restrictions but France aren't yet I don't think.
Time will tell.

Finding flight's aint easy either. Perpignan direct doesn't seem possible so, it looks like Girona is the only possibility ?

I'm done with booking trips only for them to be cancelled. If I go it'll be a last minute booking, which is a shame as it'd be nice to have something to look forward to.

Girona and Carcassonne are usually the more reasonable flights.

Yeah, we've done the lot over the years but, with it being so early in the year, options are massively limited.

That's exactly how I feel.

It’s funny looking at the political climate and reporting from the other side of the world... the French certainly don’t look the stupid ones and the British leader is viewed as a clown!

I’ll keep most of my personal opinions to myself as this is a trinity forum... but I will say we are planning a big trip to the ‘25 World Cup and won’t be returning to the UK unless there are big changes.

It’s not that Bojo isn’t a clown I get that but I’m not sure how the French and Macron in particular don’t look stupid.

We seem to have little or no problems with the rest of Europe post Brexit, the EU itself is a different issue. The French however have been petty on every level and have actually helped Boris which I’m sure was not the intention.

I travel a fair bit and I’m amazed how popular the Brits are with almost everyone except the Brits themselves (excluding the French). Especially in America and parts of Europe where Brexit is seen as an heroic act by many who wish there own nations would.

Of course it depends on your point of view and the people you hang out with and I suspect we are very different on that.

However as I’ve mentioned many times I grew up in Bathurst NSW and visit occasionally our relatives and friends. They hate the way Australia is now and detest the current government as anti democratic. They seem to be in the majority especially after the governments handling of Covid.

As I say it’s often based on your social group but it tickles me that so many Aussies hate their government for being almost the exact opposite of Boris, whilst so many Brits put forward Australia as a shining example.

FWIW Australia now depresses me in a way I never thought it would. It’s lost all its character and every time I go it seems to be morphing further into a Disney version of West coast America. It’s nothing like the tough independent minded place I once knew but is now the capital of woke. Fine if you’re woke but these days I find Blighty, warts and all, a far better place. Boris is not Britain, he’s just a really poor Tory PM.

Oh well

Your observations are relevant... many Australians brought up under the ‘white Australia’ banner are very disillusioned with the path the country has taken ... and it’s still probably the most racist country I’ve ever been in, but, I’ve only been here 13 years but have witnessed considerable change...

...the safeguards against political corruption for example are far more stringent... simply because political corruption was a cancer in state and federal government...

Government procurement for another example has many many checks and balances ... sadly the caliber of politician here is not good... naive at best ... incompetent at worst. I watch the political scene very closely both here and in the UK and until 2016 I held similar views on both countries... now... I wouldn’t return to the UK for a kings ransom.

I agree Johnson is not Britain... but I see his attitude pervading many aspects of British society.

Aus isn’t perfect (as is commonly claimed on Australian media) and certain sections of the society are despicable, avoidable and should be challenged, but it’s home and I love my life in the country.