fcl

To believe that the problem is simply a matter of seasonality to attract media attention is utter nonsense! The primary issue is the perception of our league in relation to the Dragons and Toulouse. For our supporters, players, etc., the Super XIII clubs are only the third tier of French rugby league. Our players would rather be on a Championship bench than play in Super XIII. Holding a Super XIII final as the opening match is absurd and disrespectful to our clubs. This has generated costs of at least €20,000. A final in the south can attract over 10,000 spectators and receive greater media coverage. But to achieve this, we need to cultivate local talent, not be afraid to distribute invitations to young people, etc.

I handle visas for my club. There are three ways to go about it: The first, and correct, method is to initiate the foreign worker entry procedure by drawing up an employment contract, then applying for a work permit, and finally a temporary worker visa through an appointment in the player's country of origin. Given the processing times of the French administration, this is a procedure that takes several months. (To be sure of having the player in September, the process should be started now). The processing time is longer depending on the country and sometimes even the region where the player is located (shorter wait times in Perth than in Sydney, and for Fijians, it involves going through Indonesia...). The second method is for the player to apply for a working holiday visa. This is faster, but the player needs to be able to handle it independently. the player must provide a clean criminal record, insurance, a return ticket, a local address, etc. Be aware that there are quotas for young workers based on nationality. The third method, which is widely used by clubs, is very unpredictable and depends on the local prefecture and the club's relationship with the authorities. The player arrives on a tourist visa and applies for regularization once they arrive. For Pia, which has very good relations with the authorities, this doesn't seem to be a problem. In the Aude region, it's a bit more complicated; not all clubs are treated equally. The last option is the "talent passport" visa for players with an international reputation. It's a very practical visa, but my prefecture don't want the hassle of issuing them. It's a shame because it makes it easy to bring their families over, which isn't the case with other visas. Finally, some clubs register amateur players when they are actually professionals (Pia and Avignon, to name a few). I don't know how they manage to stay within the law... If you need help, you can contact me.

doublon

Nature abhors a vacuum...

Against: Albi, Pia, Lezignan, Limoux, St Gaudens, and Villefranche; the rest voted for, but to varying degrees. In France, clubs primarily fund the federation and therefore logically have the right to say no, especially when they represent the majority. The presidents of these clubs are respectable and respected business leaders. This very top-down and almost dictatorial desire to impose these choices is not viewed favorably. This desire for change is not based on any feasibility study, etc., just an idea to accommodate professional clubs with their contracts and save a club accustomed to both titles and bankruptcies. Regarding aligning with you or the Australians, you cannot ignore climate change; playing in the summer will become virtually impossible, especially for semi-professional players and clubs without adequate facilities, managed by volunteers. Furthermore, the stadiums are owned by the local councils: staff are on vacation in the summer, there are watering restrictions (last year, FC Lezignan couldn't train on the pitches from August to October), and even if the conditions are favorable, they use this time to let the grass rest (reseeding, etc.). Another factor is that clubs often have teams for all age groups from U7 to U19. Playing in the summer would mean separating the Super XIII category from the others, and in particular the U19s, who generally play as the opening match for the first team. Having them play separately would mean additional costs but would likely lead to a mass exodus of these players to neighboring rugby union clubs, which will continue to play in the winter and are even considering shortening the season to avoid the extreme heat. The clubs are not opposed to change or a desire for progress; quite the contrary. But they want it to be based on a process of consultation, studies, etc. That choices be made based on the general interest and not those of a minority, including clubs that don't even play in France... Furthermore, a year ago, Baloup wanted to expand the league to 12 teams. We learned indirectly in February that he wanted to revert to 8 clubs, and he also mentioned keeping some clubs in large or medium-sized cities, suggesting that the others, if they wanted to stay, could simply merge, with the completely unrealistic example of Lézignan-Limoux playing in Montpellier... This conflict could, however, serve to create a true League of Clubs, not just a commission under the control of the federation, as is currently the case. Semologically, in France, there are precise definitions for cities. Any municipality with a population of 2,000 or more is considered a city. Within this category, there are differences between isolated and rather rural towns (small towns like Limoux) and towns that are local urban centers (like Lézignan, Carcassonne, Albi, etc.), large cities (Avignon, Perpignan) or even metropolises (Marseille, Toulouse).

And here in France, since we're smarter than everyone else, the federation wants to play in the summer... Yesterday it was 39°! According to projections of temperature and climate evolution, in 10 years Perpignan will have the current climate of Valencia in Spain and in 2050 that of Alicante.

Extensive lobbying was undertaken by the "XIII Actif" association, notably by Cliff Spracklen, an Englishman who recently passed away. This effort led to the reinstatement of the name "rugby league" and subsequently resonated with the Minister of Sport at the time, the communist Marie-Claude Buffet, who produced a report on sport under Nazi occupation. Successive presidents of the French Rugby League Federation (FFR13) since C.Zalduendo are determined to avoid any conflict with the XVs (rugby union) and maintain close ties with that federation. The current president, for example, would like to prioritize rugby league sections within XVs clubs in large cities, to the detriment of traditional clubs in small or medium-sized towns. Therefore, there is no question of demanding compensation, especially since, having studied the matter somewhat, there is no proper inventory of rugby league assets prior to their confiscation.

I think you misunderstand the organization of the FFR13. Here, the president is not an employee but an elected official who must have a full list of staff (secretary, treasurer, etc.). The list must be gender-balanced, and the candidates must be registered with a club, committee, etc., but not be salaried employees.

In my opinion, he's going to try to force his way through. He's only going to resign after the World Cup, as if he'll get a free trip. The most damaging thing is that currently, no one in French rugby league seems to have the leadership and intellectual qualities to be a good president.

Rugby à XIII français : réforme ou pression politique ? Le rugby à XIII français est confronté à un nouveau débat majeur sur sa réforme. Le président de la Fédération, Dominique Baloup, affirme que « si nous ne changeons pas, nous sommes condamnés » et présente la mise en place d'un nouveau calendrier et d'une structure plus professionnelle comme essentielle à sa survie. L'un des principaux arguments est que, sans alignement sur le calendrier international, l'Angleterre et l'Australie ne pourront pas véritablement aider le rugby à XIII français. Mais cet argument n'est valable que s'il existe des garanties claires : investissements, matchs programmés, visibilité télévisée, sponsoring et perspectives concrètes. Si le message se résume à « il faut d'abord changer les choses, et l'aide viendra peut-être ensuite », alors ce n'est pas une stratégie, c'est un pari. L'idée la plus controversée est le passage à une saison estivale. Ses partisans affirment qu'elle réduirait la concurrence et rendrait le sport plus attractif. Ses détracteurs soutiennent le contraire : en France, l'été rime avec vacances, festivals, tourisme, chaleur, diminution du nombre de bénévoles et de joueurs disponibles, et toute une économie locale rythmée par l'année scolaire de septembre à juin. Un autre problème majeur réside dans le manque de preuves. Il n'y a eu ni audit indépendant sérieux, ni étude économique détaillée, ni modélisation financière rigoureuse des clubs, ni plan clair concernant les droits télévisuels ou le sponsoring, ni garantie de survie des clubs existants durant la transition. La situation s'est tendue car les clubs du Super XIII auraient voté sur la proposition, avec seulement 3 voix pour et 8 contre. Malgré ce rejet clair, le président de la fédération continue d'avertir que le rejet de la réforme signifierait la mort du rugby à XIII français, et a même laissé entendre qu'il pourrait démissionner si elle n'était pas adoptée. La question centrale est donc simple : S’agit-il d’une réforme sérieuse fondée sur des preuves, ou d’une pression politique basée sur la peur ? Le rugby à XIII français a sans doute besoin de changements. Mais réformer toute la structure nationale sans données, sans garanties ni soutien des clubs risquerait de détruire le fragile tissu amateur qui permet encore à ce sport de survivre en France. Interview of the french president D.Baloup : https://www.lindependant.fr/2026/05/04/rugby-a-xiii-dominique-baloup-presse-le-virage-strategique-pour-eviter-le-decrochage-13354969.php

Sauf grosse surprise (défaite de Carcassonne sans bonus lors de la prochaine journée) SAMEDI 16 OU DIMANCHE 17 MAI 2026 LIMOUX - ST ESTÈVE XIII CATALAN ALBI - AVIGNON DEMI-FINALES SAMEDI 23 OU DIMANCHE 24 MAI 2026 CARCASSONNE – ALBI ou AVIGNON PIA – ST ESTÈVE XIII CATALAN ou LIMOUX

Souvent des faillites (Carcassonne a changé 3 ou 4 fois de nom) c'est pour cela qu'ils n'ont pas les memes logos. Pour Pia le club SM.Pia etait porté pâr la communauté de communes Salanque Mediterrannée (SM) alors que maintenant ce n'est que le club des Baroudeurs

Insupportable

MERCI ! I hope this will be beneficial for the French XIII as a whole. In particular, we will have a larger group of high-level professional players, it will no longer rely solely on the Dragons and the level of the French team will be a little more competitive.

If the RFL refuses Toulouse's promotion to French rugby league, it would be almost equivalent to the injustice we suffered when rugby league was banned by the Vichy government. The M62 administrators will have to be responsible for their choice.