yanto

Maybe the resistance came from clubs and chairman for personal reasons? I think I have addressed that.

Just a ferry ride away. Easier to get to than Wigan on a Friday night for Hull fans ??

The way I see it,though I may be wrong, is that maybe the RLEF wanted evidence that this Euro XIII have the means to provide what they are promising. Here is a guy proposing to organise, run and fund a competition, with promised expansion in 2021, on a scale that would change the face of European RL forever. After all if the Euro XIII people have sat down with the RLEF and discussed their plans and how it is being financed then surely the RLEF would have snapped their hands off. No one would turn away this type of investment from the game. NO ONE. As a governing body I'm sure you would agree, before they give permission for its members to become involved in such a game changing plan, they have to make sure that it is a legitimate proposal. Maybe Euro XIII couldn't or wouldn't provide evidence that the finance, TV deal and government funding that is being proposed was in place ( or would be in place) to allow the competition to proceed. If this was the case then off course the RLEF are not going to sanction it on promises alone. Now if Euro XIII did prove the funding is in place and after background checks everything was above board and RLEF still turned this guy away for political or personal reasons then every member of the RLEF board should resign in the morning. What reasons would they have NOT to bring Dean Buchan into the fold and encourage him if his proposals passed scrutiny??

Common knowledge Dean Buchan . The quote "I can fund it myself" is his .

Not quite true. How can a guy who has only been on the scene a sort time.. any one hear of him before.. be frustrated. He ain't been around long enough to know what frustrated in RL terms even means. ?

Typical Brit.. Let's get loose in the Dam ?????

Eddie. The RFL who run the community game back home not just the pro game, are full members of the RLEF. Any clubs wanting to play overseas need to apply and fill out forms to get permission. Protocol mate. Even a Dutch club has to fill out forms to go and play in say Czech or Germany. Now if any club does not follow these simple rules then they are not sanctioned to play and this can cause a lot of problems. One Balkan League club arranged to play a friendly game against an unsanctioned club in the Lebanon last year. The fall out over this is still being felt by the club. These type of actions lead to rebel breakaway organisations and the game has seen to many of them over the years. What I am getting at is until the RLEF sanction the Euro XIII all the clubs are running a risk of being banned from playing in any RLEF competitions therefore basically destroying domestic leagues. Its not about being like union as you also ask. It's about structure and organisation which has taken twenty years to grow to what the RLEF is today mate. Its all uncertainty as it stands at the moment and I hope the clubs are aware of the possible consequences. Edit. I have been on the end of being banned by the RLEF and no teams were allowed to play against any Dutch clubs. I stood down for the good of the game but it took five years and a new board to bring Holland back into the RL family.

That's a serious invitation. Harwich to Hoek van Holland is easy for you.

Off course the teams are not worried. Along comes a White Knight out of the blue, who no one has ever had any dealings with or really ever heard of, offering them money to cover all their travel and hotel accomodtion, plus draft players to improve thier club. These are clubs that some cant even afford to travel within their home countries to complete fixtures but are now having a carrot dangled in front of them to travel all over europe at NO cost.....wow that is some incentive to sign up do you not think ??? Plus he has a signed TV contract for a European wide amatuer rugby league competition with clubs coming from nations that have no background to the game,dont know the game, and have no clubs such as Portugal and Austria . All you have to do is sign this form then we can announce your club as an entry. No questions need to be asked ,dont worry I have it all covered .Its ground breaking .!!!!!!! We have a great Facebook page .I am actually a very good media salesman,just check my Linkedin.I know how to promote and push forward my ideas,thats my job and I will also release some really great video introductions to the teams. Media promotion thats what I do. I am a businessman not a rugby league man really. But I have guys around me who know what they are doing. Whats the TV deal...how can we help to promote the game in our home country,,which channels in Europe will be showing the game,which games ,will we really be on TV...Off course I have a deal signed more details will be released later ..its all in hand .The Tv channels will love this. But pro teams like Toronto and Super league clubs like Catalan cant get a TV deal..how can an amatuer competition in its first year get such a deal.......just trust me on this. Erm hang on ..what about the cost of this, what will I have to pay , how much do I have to pay for these draft guys will the TV deal involve my club having to pay for it like they do for BAR TV in Australia .....dont worry we can sort that out later. Erm OK what about the standard of the draft players.....dont worry we have it sorted and they will improve the standards of your club. How long will they be at the club and how long will we have to pay for their keep.What happens if we lose the first game....It will all be explained later . What criteria do we need to meet for were we play, ...any rugby field will do What about the proposed "Fan membership" how will this work,....Its rugby league, show them the game and they will flock to support the clubs . Erm Ok what about insurance are we covered to play..off course dont worry . Is it RLEF sanctioned....why ? we dont need their sanctioning for a club competition. I am a bit worried about any hidden costs,when will we know how much its going to really cost us.....I have it all covered..trust me I have sponsors and TV and can afford to run this on my own. Who are the fifty other teams that have applied......Thats not for you to worry about..I have teams queing up to join. Im a bit worried about the likes of Serbia,Greece and Germany saying they dont want to be part of this......Yes thats their down fall..its a bit political.....they have plans to run their own competition under the RLEF...But I have seen their figures..its impossible ..wont work..they dont know what they are doing... This is what I have picked up talking to guys and also through my personal contact. Off course they dont have to be worried . Everything has been explained before they sign on the dotted line !!!!! I would be very worried if I had signed up without knowing the finer details. But again good luck to the eight teams that have been confirmed. Spent to much time on this ,its getting like Brexit ,everyone has their own opinion See you in Rotterdam next year Eddie for a few beers watching a game ?

Keep up mate. Skane Stags are keeping RL alive in Sweden and last summer went on tour to play in Poland. Most of the team would have represented Sweden v Nederlands as a curtain raiser to the HKR v Saints game but CV put payed to that. Maybe you have never heard of them in Norwich. Maybe you have never heard of any of the teams before they were announced. PS. Don't worry about them getting to Turkey Copenhagen Airport is just over the bridge ?

So the clubs are not getting "experienced rugby league players" to assist in the development of the home grown players. Its an "expansionist idea" to raise the standards in Europe not some freebie for low level guys who fancy a couple of week on the continent. No disrespect to those guys. If I was taking four draft players and paying for their upkeep I would expect them to be of a far higher level than my current squad. I was under the impression that was the aim of this draft system. To get quality guys in the 16 teams to assist the locals. So what benefit will the CLUBS get having spend money to look after these draft players. Asking for friend.

OK let's put it this way. I have the very professionally produced PDF telling us about the Euro XIII and what it hopes to achieve. I also have the official application form. I also have made contact with Euro XIII. It all sounds great but with one glaring omission.... DETAIL.

Eddie its not slating it. Its discussing. You put forward your opinion others put forward theirs. Believe me there are some experienced guys discussing this.. All are really hoping this comes off. It will be the biggest break through in the history of the game if it can be sustained, grow and become profitable. Nowt wrong with looking at all the angles pal.

Serious Eddie. The guy is willing to fly guys from RL hotbeds such as Atlanta and now Birmingham. Is the standard in the Midlands or Atlanta any higher than at Rotterdam or Brussels. I thought the draft was aimed at giving the clubs "experienced rugby league players" to help raise the standards. West Yorkshire lads could do that if the right boys took the opportunity. So the clubs will be paying for players, coming from the lowest levels of the amateur game, that may turn out to be no better than they guys they already have. Honest I'm really struggling to see the benefits.

As I keep saying Eddie Im not against this and I dont thing langpark is either, its just that being based on the continent and involved in the game ..no matter how little .. its a stuggle to see where the 50 odds clubs that applied come from and off the sixteen they still have another nine places to fill in the cup competition. Greece,Germany and Serbia have decided against entering any teams. The Turkish side has admitted its a "Rep" side so I cant see another Turkish club stepping up. Plans to form clubs in Portugal,Austria and Moldova is very ambitious but could be done . Add the Italian club yet to be announced and we now have eight that we know about with the three new sides mentioned in the pipeline. Double up in Spain and maybe Italy that will give us thirteen. Brussels is the only senior team in Belgium so I doubt another will pop up. Norway has nine clubs...Stavanger could surprise us or even Oslo but on feedback I think that would be pushing it. Sweden three clubs ...doubtful unless they combine. Poland...they seem to have dropped of a little. Can you see another Irish club stepping up ?? Amsterdam is a remote possability. BUT after Rotterdam anything can happen in crazy Holland . Ukraine have not be mentioned yet ..another possability. Malta ??? Bosnia seem to be aligned with Serbia so I would count them out. Denmark...is anything going on there ? same as Latvia and Bulgaria. Why would any English,Scottish or Welsh clubs enter...you even agree on that point. Albania have gone to join the Greek competition. Combination of a couple of Czech sides to form a Prauge select is a possability. Trying to get my head around which clubs could step forward to make up the nine still needed. Take away the countries that openly declined the invitation and anyone would find it hard to name fifty clubs in Europe. Any help on that marra would be appriciated. Be a nice research project for you ? You putting your money on Oslo...my bet would be an Italian side named next . On another note and this could be vital. The dates ,February and March ,are at the business end of the rugby union season and even though people maybe dont want to admit it a lot of continental clubs and even national sides rely heavily on union players stepping over once their season is complete. That could also have a massive affect on clubs entering the Euro XIII's. When is the next team to be named ??

Expanded after enquiries from over 50 clubs.

Feeder clubs exist now but not in name. From your local pub team to your NCL team to your League one team then if your good enough to Super League. All feeder clubs, that's where SL players come from. People still go and watch their club and accept better players will move on. Be a sad affair if people stopped going to watch because two or three players had the opportunity to play at a higher level. Oh players move on now.. Strange that. Down under do the clubs in the NSW Cup not have affiliation with NRL teams?? "The New South Wales Cup, along with the Queensland Cup, acts as a feeder competition to the National Rugby League premiership."

Team eight maybe the Italian representatives. Eight team comp ?? and even at that they will have done well . Its been a few days since the last club was named.

Read back to one of Eddie's comment.. Maybe on the other European comp thread. Can't be bothered to find it but if I remember it went something like if he won the lottery and set a team up he wouldn't be wasting his money in a euro competition.... Or very similar. That answer your question??

Serious?? I thought a lot of guys are asking HOW can it be a success. Don't think anyone has said they hope it fails.

As long as the 56 draft players are aware of what is expected that's great. We have actually had guys doing that for Den Haag out of the UK and Belgium.

Off course mate. As I have said. Looked into it. Your putting across the plus points I'm putting across from experience, reasons why I am surprised so many teams are apparently jumping on board. Budget of 20,000 would run the Dutch comp for four years. On another other view.. Don't use draft players so you have no costs, get drawn away in Dublin or Budapest or Valencia , no game to organise no costs and an all expenses paid ###### up with a game thrown in is also very tempting ???

Same here with the cricket and the Union but they will be contracted for a season or x amount of weeks. Or like some of the London RL clubs they will be on holiday and getting games in when they can. I don't think any will actually have been drafted.

Off course but when do these guys no longer become the responsibility of the clubs. Are the clubs having to find accommodation and expenses for the Draft players for the duration of their stay in Europe or until they are knocked out of the competition? What security do the draft players have that after one game they will be not be left with no accommodation or income after being promised a dream trip. Yes they may well be able to cover their time in Europe out of their own pocket but little things like this need set in stone and clubs have committed without knowing the finer details.

I'm based in Holland.I know quite a lot about the structures of the Dutch teams and domestic competition including the money behind the National governing body and the clubs. I ran a club that has appeared in every Dutch GF since the competition started five years ago. I set up and used to run the RL in the Netherlands. Its only a few weeks ago the Dutch clubs said no to this but now Pitbulls seem to have been turned. Thats what shocks me, plus a few other things regarding the structure of the Pitbulls which I won't disclose on here. I know, on a personal basis, quite a number of guys involved in these teams entering this new venture, not just Rotterdam . Some have been friends for a long long time. I have discussed this concept with them. After all this, and also taking into account the advice been handed out on this forum ? I made an "official" approach to the organisers and listened to what is on offer. Not for me. I would need to look at this again in twelve months to be convinced it is going to develop into a sustainable competition. Euro XIII were making deadlines my group believed were there to pressurise clubs to commit. It was like a intense sales pitch from a very convincing salesman may I add. I fear some clubs don't realise the commitment and hidden costs it is going to take just to take part in the 2021 knock out cup.