RL was more popular than RU until the 1960s?

[sigesige00]

I met a French sport writer and asked about RL and RU in France.  According to him, RL was more popular than RU until the 1960s in France.  Is that true?

 

And is RL still more popular than RU in French Catalunya?

[craig hamilton]

I recall that that the sport was very popular well into the 50s and 60s and IIRC, Puig Aubert was the first footballer of any code to be voted Sportsman of the Year by L'Equipe.

 

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

[Farmduck]

RL was suppressed by the Vichy Govt and the Nazi Occupation. That was when the French RU was granted exclusive use of the word "Rugby." This is why RL in France is called Jeu à Treize.

[Gambass]

I met a French sport writer and asked about RL and RU in France.  According to him, RL was more popular than RU until the 1960s in France.  Is that true?

 

And is RL still more popular than RU in French Catalunya?

Probably not and no.

 

I have quite a number of sport magazines from that time and it's quite clear that RU were more followed (championship vs championship; NT vs NT). Though, you might argue there was a journalist bias. An other metric, will be the number of players witch always was in favour of RU, albeit it was close at some point (24,500 vs 18,900 in 1954 for example)

 

Regarding the other question. The professionnal RU side playing in second division has a better attendance than the Dragons. There is also a few of reasonably supported semi-pro RU. Also, the numbers of RU players in the area is 3 times bigger than the number of RL players (although, football has more registered players than RU).

 

RL might never have been the favorite code of the french catalonians, but there really isn't a way to tell for sure.

 

PS: Yes, Puig-Aubert receveid the sportif de l'année award in 1951

PS2: The Fédération Fançaise de Rugby (RU) has alway be called that way since its birth in 1919.

[Futtocks]

 

Probably not and no.

 

I have quite a number of sport magazines from that time and it's quite clear that RU were more followed (championship vs championship; NT vs NT). Though, you might argue there was a journalist bias. An other metric, will be the number of players witch always was in favour of RU, albeit it was close at some point (24,500 vs 18,900 in 1954 for example)

 

Regarding the other question. The professionnal RU side playing in second division has a better attendance than the Dragons. There is also a few of reasonably supported semi-pro RU. Also, the numbers of RU players in the area is 3 times bigger than the number of RL players (although, football has more registered players than RU).

 

RL might never have been the favorite code of the french catalonians, but there really isn't a way to tell for sure.

 

PS: Yes, Puig-Aubert receveid the sportif de l'année award in 1951

PS2: The Fédération Fançaise de Rugby (RU) has alway be called that way since its birth in 1919.

 

There was a big swing towards RL in the 1930s, with clubs and individuals switching codes in big numbers. France's ban from international RU at the time would have also had an effect.

 

But, under Petain's government, successive sports ministers Jean Borotra and Jep Pascot took care of that. Borotra banned professionalism (but not for all sports), while Pascot (a former Rugby Union player, with all the agenda that implies) ensured that the obliteration of even the code's name and the confiscation of assets was completed to the best of his ability.

 

After the war, there was still enough mature and young players for France to continue as a strong RL nation for a few years, but the grass roots of the game, the facilities, the financial assets, the permission to teach the game in schools and even the sport's own name had been taken away, so RL got weaker and weaker as the century went on.

 

Maybe the French RL expected that, after the war, the decisions made by the collaborator government would be reversed. It would have been a reasonable assumption. But it took a long long time for any of these things to be addressed, because certain influential people were very happy indeed with the status quo.

[yanto]

There was a big swing towards RL in the 1930s, with clubs and individuals switching codes in big numbers. France's ban from international RU at the time would have also had an effect.

 

But, under Petain's government, successive sports ministers Jean Borotra and Jep Pascot took care of that. Borotra banned professionalism (but not for all sports), while Pascot (a former Rugby Union player, with all the agenda that implies) ensured that the obliteration of even the code's name and the confiscation of assets was completed to the best of his ability.

 

After the war, there was still enough mature and young players for France to continue as a strong RL nation for a few years, but the grass roots of the game, the facilities, the financial assets, the permission to teach the game in schools and even the sport's own name had been taken away, so RL got weaker and weaker as the century went on.

 

Maybe the French RL expected that, after the war, the decisions made by the collaborator government would be reversed. It would have been a reasonable assumption. But it took a long long time for any of these things to be addressed, because certain influential people were very happy indeed with the status quo.

That Futtocks is a very polite responce....fair play mate :-)

[Futtocks]

That Futtocks is a very polite responce....fair play mate :-)

Just the facts, ma'am.  

[Gambass]

Wich have nothing to do with the initial question, but nevermind...

[sigesige00]

RL was suppressed by the Vichy Govt and the Nazi Occupation. That was when the French RU was granted exclusive use of the word "Rugby." This is why RL in France is called Jeu à Treize.

 

"Jeu à Treize" means "13s game", right?  However, how to say RL 9s and 7s in français?

[Themusician_2]

No it wasn't, the club comp though was more popular then than it is now but more popular than FRR? Nope. The only assets that were taken were that of the FRRXIII. And that money went to the ministry of sport not FRR. The clubs were essentially forced to play union during the war. When the XIII was legal again most never returned to the XIII most stayed with the FRR. Teams like RC Nabonne, Club and Athlétique Brive Corrèze Limousin who previously played the xiii never came back they stayed with the FRR.

People over estimate the taking of FRRXIII's assets. The real damage was done when most league clubs never returned to the FRRXIII. Essentially FFRXIII could not re-create it's 1930s growth. I don't think league being banned from schools was not that huge of a deal most young french kids are playing rugby in 13 or xv at clubs most schools in France don't offer rugby of either code.

 

[Number 16]

On 02/08/2019 at 15:03, Themusician_2 said:

No it wasn't, the club comp though was more popular then than it is now but more popular than FRR? Nope. The only assets that were taken were that of the FRRXIII. And that money went to the ministry of sport not FRR. The clubs were essentially forced to play union during the war. When the XIII was legal again most never returned to the XIII most stayed with the FRR. Teams like RC Nabonne, Club and Athlétique Brive Corrèze Limousin who previously played the xiii never came back they stayed with the FRR.

People over estimate the taking of FRRXIII's assets. The real damage was done when most league clubs never returned to the FRRXIII. Essentially FFRXIII could not re-create it's 1930s growth. I don't think league being banned from schools was not that huge of a deal most young french kids are playing rugby in 13 or xv at clubs most schools in France don't offer rugby of either code.

 

Archaeologist?

[Tommygilf]

On 19/04/2015 at 05:08, sigesige00 said:

 

"Jeu à Treize" means "13s game", right?  However, how to say RL 9s and 7s in français?

Yeah literally "Game of 13", hence French RL fans being called Triestiezes - "Thirteeners". The French RL story really does amaze me every time I think about it.

Sevens is "Rugby a 7" in French. I have no idea how they would say RL 9s.

Edit: sorry just realised that was from 4 years ago haha!