Hvy wg 1,892 Posted November 16, 2016 Report Share Posted November 16, 2016 Saluzzo Roosters will be a part of French National 2 division this year! They will be in the "PACA" division, from Avignon to Nice. Link to post Share on other sites
londonrlfan 1,305 Posted November 16, 2016 Report Share Posted November 16, 2016 Awesome. Will there be Italian players involved in the team? Link to post Share on other sites
Futtocks 15,656 Posted November 16, 2016 Report Share Posted November 16, 2016 Great news. Hope it works out. "Men will be proud to say 'I am a European'. We hope to see a day when men of every country will think as much of being a European as of being from their native land." (Winston Churchill) Link to post Share on other sites
JonM 2,853 Posted November 16, 2016 Report Share Posted November 16, 2016 They have already played a couple of friendlies against St. Martin de Crau & Carpentras. It's about a 5 hour drive, so they've been staying over in Avignon on Saturday nights and were guests at the recent France/England game. http://www.ffr13.fr/actualite-international/un-club-italien-integre-le-championnat-francais-de-dn2/ I believe it's an existing rugby union club which has been participating in Italian RL and has formed a separate section which wanted to play a full season of RL. Their captain played in the recent Italy/Belgium game. Link to post Share on other sites
Exiled Wiganer 3,597 Posted November 16, 2016 Report Share Posted November 16, 2016 This is brilliant news. Bravissimo!!! Link to post Share on other sites
MidlandsJohn 14 Posted November 16, 2016 Report Share Posted November 16, 2016 What kind of standard is this league like? Are we talking village teams or are there a few Elite 1/2 reserve sides involved? Link to post Share on other sites
The Future is League 2,907 Posted November 17, 2016 Report Share Posted November 17, 2016 Good positive Rugby League news. Link to post Share on other sites
Yakstorm 1,564 Posted November 17, 2016 Report Share Posted November 17, 2016 Fantastic news. The quality of DN2 - PACA would be significantly higher than the FIRL local competition, exposing the Italian players to a better playing standard. Hopefully we will see over time the Italian team also add sides to the Age based competitions in that PACA region. PACIFIQUE TREIZE: Join the team by registering as a fan today at pacifique13.com Link to post Share on other sites
JonM 2,853 Posted November 17, 2016 Report Share Posted November 17, 2016 What kind of standard is this league like? Are we talking village teams or are there a few Elite 1/2 reserve sides involved? It's the lowest level in France. Reserve teams from Caumont & St. Martin de Crau, plus Vedene. The worrying thing is that team numbers in France keep falling year after year - fewer than 70 adult teams in the country now. There is also talk about Brussels taking part in the Paris area competition. As this now includes Nantes in Brittany and only 1 Paris Club, travel distances could be quite big. Link to post Share on other sites
Hvy wg 1,892 Posted November 17, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2016 The worrying thing is that team numbers in France keep falling year after year - fewer than 70 adult teams in the country now. There is also talk about Brussels taking part in the Paris area competition. As this now includes Nantes in Brittany and only 1 Paris Club, travel distances could be quite big. Say thanks to the previous administration that made the costs skyrocket. Nantes is not in Brittany, it is in Pays de la Loire. I'm telling you because there's actually very agressive people about this. Link to post Share on other sites
JonM 2,853 Posted November 17, 2016 Report Share Posted November 17, 2016 Nantes is not in Brittany, it is in Pays de la Loire. I'm telling you because there's actually very agressive people about this. Ha, yes, I know :-) Actually, it seems like the situation in the north of France is not very good. The plan for the first part of the season was to play a series of triangular 9's tournaments every couple of weeks, potentially involving 3 Paris clubs plus Nantes & Brussels, but only Chatillon were able to find 9 players. Link to post Share on other sites
langpark 1,116 Posted November 17, 2016 Report Share Posted November 17, 2016 Awesome. Will there be Italian players involved in the team? Is that a serious question?? Link to post Share on other sites
deluded pom? 6,619 Posted November 17, 2016 Report Share Posted November 17, 2016 Is that a serious question?? I thought the use of the word Americans love to use was bad enough. Link to post Share on other sites
MatthewWoody 646 Posted November 17, 2016 Report Share Posted November 17, 2016 I had not seen this thread so I opened another one in the Rugby XIII section. I'll try to cancel that one. Toronto Wolfpack Global Ambassador Link to post Share on other sites
MatthewWoody 646 Posted November 17, 2016 Report Share Posted November 17, 2016 I'm gonna talk to their press officer this afternoon, to set up an interview about their championship, how and why they're doing it. Of course it's a good news, as it gives the players the chance to play RL all the season. Step by step. It had been already announced, although unofficially, by FIRL's president in an interview. Toronto Wolfpack Global Ambassador Link to post Share on other sites
londonrlfan 1,305 Posted November 17, 2016 Report Share Posted November 17, 2016 Is that a serious question?? Yes of course it was. I wanted to know if it was going to be genuine Italians, or a team of Aussie Italians. Link to post Share on other sites
westlondonfan 751 Posted November 17, 2016 Report Share Posted November 17, 2016 This is good news I think. I don't mind a team of mainly heritage players if this sort of thing is going on at the same time. Link to post Share on other sites
Evil Homer 1,186 Posted November 17, 2016 Report Share Posted November 17, 2016 Yes of course it was. I wanted to know if it was going to be genuine Italians, or a team of Aussie Italians. Link to post Share on other sites
deluded pom? 6,619 Posted November 17, 2016 Report Share Posted November 17, 2016 Yes of course it was. I wanted to know if it was going to be genuine Italians, or a team of Aussie Italians. It's low level French RL. A team of Aussie Italians would waltz through the league. Link to post Share on other sites
londonrlfan 1,305 Posted November 17, 2016 Report Share Posted November 17, 2016 It's low level French RL. A team of Aussie Italians would waltz through the league. I would have thought they were trying to get up to Elite 1, I guess not then. Shame none of these players were involved in WCQ. Link to post Share on other sites
langpark 1,116 Posted November 17, 2016 Report Share Posted November 17, 2016 Yes of course it was. I wanted to know if it was going to be genuine Italians, or a team of Aussie Italians. None of the Italian heritage players actually live or play in Italy. This team, like all teams in Italy will be 100% Italian, with the ocassional expat amongst them. Link to post Share on other sites
Hvy wg 1,892 Posted November 17, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2016 None of the Italian heritage players actually live or play in Italy. This team, like all teams in Italy will be 100% Italian, with the ocassional expat amongst them. I hope, in a few years time, to see a couple Italian Italian-grown players in the Elite 1. Link to post Share on other sites
Henson Park Old Firm 587 Posted November 17, 2016 Report Share Posted November 17, 2016 I hope, in a few years time, to see a couple Italian Italian-grown players in the Elite 1. so does the Italian national team Link to post Share on other sites
Wiltshire Warrior Dragon 1,216 Posted November 17, 2016 Report Share Posted November 17, 2016 I think that whether or not you think having Australians in the team is a 'good thing' depends on why they might be in a team like this. If they have come across specifically to play rugby league, then one or two might be a good thing, but no more (and even that that small number would need to be set in the context of the capabilities of the French teams against whom they are playing) On the other hand, if Aussies have come across to pursue other careers and want to play TGG purely as recreation, then I don't have a problem with their being included. On the contrary, it would be good to have their expertise and amateur enthusiasm. To put it another way, if I went to live in Australia and was banned from playing table tennis (which I currently do in the heady heights of Salisbury & District League Division 2) simply because I was Scottish, then I would feel pretty miffed! Link to post Share on other sites
JonM 2,853 Posted November 17, 2016 Report Share Posted November 17, 2016 I would have thought they were trying to get up to Elite 1, I guess not then. Shame none of these players were involved in WCQ. It's an Italian rugby union club from a small town in NW Italy where the coach and some of the players have decided they really want to play RL. They have taken part in some RL in Italy and their captain played for the Italy 'A' team against Belgium in Monza, before the full Italy team played Wales. They want to play a fuller season, so have entered the French league at the lowest level, probably similar to the London merit league. They got beaten pretty easily by the u-19 side of one of the French clubs they played, in one of their friendlies, think they had some impromptu coaching at their friendlies too. This is a bunch of amateur Italian sportsmen playing for fun. Not sure how they're funding their stopovers in France, but it's a long way from elite, world cup etc etc. Nice for the French clubs too, they get to say they're playing international matches. Link to post Share on other sites
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