Albi, Avignon & Villenueve

[The Daddy]

All playing really well so far this year. It's nice to see new names doing so well and not the usual Aude teams. 

All three have stated their intentions to join the English league system so their improvement is much needed. 

My question, which of these clubs should be the next to step up? 

Avignon have a ready made SL quality stadium, Albi seem to be well organised and have alot of impetus behind them, Villenueve have been given a boost by the return of Dave Ellis, they would probably rebrand as Aquitaine and play in Agen. 

Is there an appetite for another French team? Which of these clubs have the right management to cope in the UK lower leagues? 

[bowes]

Carcassonne and Avignon I think would be worth having in the Championship. Beyond them I think clubs may as well stay in the French league 

[wackojacko]

Ultimately Avignon is by far the largest of the three, is in an area that's already producing a fair few pros and has attracted big numbers for internationals. If there was the backing there then it would appear to be the obvious next choice. Great weekend away too

[Gerrumonside ref]

Would love to visit Avignon - reckoned to be the cultural centre of Provence.

Plenty to see and do apparently.

[langpark]

Why are RL fans so quick to say: Get them into Super League!  Like it's that easy or a guaranteed success?

I see it everyone.  Avignon won a match!?  Get them in Super League!  Saluzzo have joined the bottom tier of French Rugby League!?  Get them in Super League!!

Just give them to time and let them grow naturally over time.  Plus I am a firm believer that one day France can and will sustain a pro League of their own.  Their top 2 teams are already gone, if 4 or 5 get pinched, it will suddenly make that impossible.

[Wellsy4HullFC]

4 minutes ago, langpark said:

Why are RL fans so quick to say: Get them into Super League!  Like it's that easy or a guaranteed success?

I see it everyone.  Avignon won a match!?  Get them in Super League!  Saluzzo have joined the bottom tier of French Rugby League!?  Get them in Super League!!

Just give them to time and let them grow naturally over time.  Plus I am a firm believer that one day France can and will sustain a pro League of their own.  Their top 2 teams are already gone, if 4 or 5 get pinched, it will suddenly make that impossible.

Or...

If they keep joining the English system, they can eventually have enough quality clubs to break off into their own conference, which would ultimately be better than a sub-par pro league starting from scratch.

[Wellsy4HullFC]

12 hours ago, The Daddy said:

All playing really well so far this year. It's nice to see new names doing so well and not the usual Aude teams. 

All three have stated their intentions to join the English league system so their improvement is much needed. 

My question, which of these clubs should be the next to step up? 

Avignon have a ready made SL quality stadium, Albi seem to be well organised and have alot of impetus behind them, Villenueve have been given a boost by the return of Dave Ellis, they would probably rebrand as Aquitaine and play in Agen. 

Is there an appetite for another French team? Which of these clubs have the right management to cope in the UK lower leagues? 

I've never heard anything of Albi wanting to enter the English league? Only Carcassonne/Aude, Avignon and Villeneuve.

[Coffs]

Villeneuve-sur-Lot is lovely place but not very big. The stadium is quite a way outside the town centre with once smallish stand with some changing sheds underneath. Everyone brews a local moonshine down there which is lethal!

[Manfred Mann]

You don't need small villages as clubs in the English leagues. By all means charming towns like Avignon and Albi, but no to little Villeneuve. After all, Villeneuve will never have the financial resources or fan base to compete in Super League.

[Celt]

4 hours ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

Would love to visit Avignon - reckoned to be the cultural centre of Provence.

Plenty to see and do apparently.

World Cup game there in 2013, France-NZ. What a weekend. One of the best RL trips I have ever been on.

[The Daddy]

Avignon beat Albi 38-36 at Parc des  Sports in a top of the table clash 

[Lowdesert]

3 hours ago, Coffs said:

Villeneuve-sur-Lot is lovely place but not very big. The stadium is quite a way outside the town centre with once smallish stand with some changing sheds underneath. Everyone brews a local moonshine down there which is lethal!

They could draw a few in from surrounding towns and Agen,  but there is scope at the stadium for development.  It’s location is fine.

[Lowdesert]

1 hour ago, Manfred Mann said:

You don't need small villages as clubs in the English leagues. By all means charming towns like Avignon and Albi, but no to little Villeneuve. After all, Villeneuve will never have the financial resources or fan base to compete in Super League.

Agree with that.  If they were in Agen, then that could be a different story but they aren’t.

[JM2010]

I'd like to see the French eventually get their own full time competition but that obviously requires investment and substantial TV contracts. 

[Wellsy4HullFC]

8 minutes ago, JM2010 said:

I'd like to see the French eventually get their own full time competition but that obviously requires investment and substantial TV contracts. 

...which could be achieved by having some marketable clubs to sell to a French TV station. Those clubs could be grown and developed in the English leagues one at a time.

[JM2010]

Yeah I think that including them in the British system would help the clubs grow and once the game in France is in a strong enough position they could have their own stand alone professional competition or a SL conference. 

If either of those could be achieved I'd like elite 2 to be used in the same way as League 1 has been for the French teams,  with Italian and maybe Spanish teams entering and building to try and achieve promotion 

[Wellsy4HullFC]

The aim should be to get clubs to a SL level one at a time; and when there's enough, separate into conferences then.

The aim (which I keep hearing from those against allowing foreign teams into our league) shouldn't be too try and make a pro league outright. There aren't the clubs, the investors or the interest and it would fail immediately. It's just not a viable strategy. If it won't work for NFL, it's not going to work for rugby league!

[Lowdesert]

Isn’t the French idea to get a stronger French League, rather than flooding the English leagues?

To get French clubs to SL Standard, through the L1-Champs Route, TO excluded, will take donkeys years.  Existing French clubs used to get some great crowds.  If they can get the answer to reversing back to that trend, that would be better.

[BJW]

Villeneuve population about 23000, Albi 46000 and Avignon 91000. From the three Avignon seems best prospect based on ground, player production and ability to attract crowds. Presume Albi would take games to larger Sports Park stadium and Villeneuve would use Agen however.

Lack of referees not confined to France but always a worry. Having seen some 'feisty' L2 clashes can understand the lack of attraction in taking up the whistle.

[absentee thoughtlord]

On 12/16/2017 at 10:37 AM, wackojacko said:

Ultimately Avignon is by far the largest of the three, is in an area that's already producing a fair few pros and has attracted big numbers for internationals. If there was the backing there then it would appear to be the obvious next choice. Great weekend away too

Lovely city with bagloads of heritage. Make a cracking weekend away.

But Carcasonne must surely have the best backdrop of any League ground in the world. The citadel is breathtaking (and municipal camping very reasonable if my memory serves me correctly, if visiting fans fancy that sort of thing!)

[wackojacko]

1 hour ago, absentee thoughtlord said:

Lovely city with bagloads of heritage. Make a cracking weekend away.

But Carcasonne must surely have the best backdrop of any League ground in the world. The citadel is breathtaking (and municipal camping very reasonable if my memory serves me correctly, if visiting fans fancy that sort of thing!)

The ground is definitely in a better location in Carcassonne but I preferred Avignon as a city. Pretty sure there might be some grounds in the PNG Highlands with some stunning backgrounds.

[The Daddy]

3 hours ago, BJW said:

Villeneuve population about 23000, Albi 46000 and Avignon 91000. From the three Avignon seems best prospect based on ground, player production and ability to attract crowds. Presume Albi would take games to larger Sports Park stadium and Villeneuve would use Agen however.

Lack of referees not confined to France but always a worry. Having seen some 'feisty' L2 clashes can understand the lack of attraction in taking up the whistle.

I believe the wider catchment area of Vaucluse is nearly 600,000 so that population is alot higher, same with The Lot-et-Garonne which is over 300,000 and the Tarn where Albi is based is nearly 400,000 all substantial catchment areas and large enough to support a pro team. 

[BJW]

8 minutes ago, The Daddy said:

I believe the wider catchment area of Vaucluse is nearly 600,000 so that population is alot higher, same with The Lot-et-Garonne which is over 300,000 and the Tarn where Albi is based is nearly 400,000 all substantial catchment areas and large enough to support a pro team. 

All 3 areas could support a team, just a matter of attracting bums on seats. Backer(s) also needed, be it local/regional council, company(ies) or individual. Many of the other code clubs in France are playthings of rich men who regard it as cheaper than soccer. (Toulon a perfect example of this.)

All 3 relatively easy to reach from UK with either rail or air links and have been to all 3 and seen them have 'home' games at more than one ground. (Villeneuve played their Pathe TV games at Agen as floodlights not good enough at Villeneuve.)

[The Daddy]

17 minutes ago, BJW said:

All 3 areas could support a team, just a matter of attracting bums on seats. Backer(s) also needed, be it local/regional council, company(ies) or individual. Many of the other code clubs in France are playthings of rich men who regard it as cheaper than soccer. (Toulon a perfect example of this.)

All 3 relatively easy to reach from UK with either rail or air links and have been to all 3 and seen them have 'home' games at more than one ground. (Villeneuve played their Pathe TV games at Agen as floodlights not good enough at Villeneuve.)

Your quite correct, all these clubs need is a pivotal figure like Carlos Zalduendo or a Bernard Guasch. 

[absentee thoughtlord]

3 hours ago, wackojacko said:

The ground is definitely in a better location in Carcassonne but I preferred Avignon as a city. Pretty sure there might be some grounds in the PNG Highlands with some stunning backgrounds.

Oh, I'm sure there are. But I bet the wine list is dreadful.