RFL short sightedness on England v France fixtures

[The Daddy]

The lack of vision and short sightedness from the RFL amazes me. They say that they lack incomes, they can't get competitive games for England without negotiating with Australia and New Zealand, yet they have had for years an opportunity to build up France, help them improve by giving them more fixtures. Why haven't they built up a rivalry? 

As I keep saying on this site they will get beat badly to begin with, but the long term objective of creating revenues and building the England brand is worth the short term pain. 

I've now read an interview with the head of French Rugby League Marc Palanques in Forty20 magazine who has confirmed that the RFL only want France to play England Knights and not the senior team. 

What type of vision or strategy is that? Where is the leadership? Where is the planning? 

 

[GUBRATS]

Did you see the match last time we played them , not good 

[Oliver Clothesoff]

I wouldn’t watch England v France if they played in my back garden. 

[The Daddy]

2 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

Did you see the match last time we played them , not good 

Did you read the post? 

[GUBRATS]

9 minutes ago, Oliver Clothesoff said:

I wouldn’t watch England v France if they played in my back garden. 

They did in mine , I went to the pub at half time 

[Damien]

And the RFL wonder why they have no money and few revenue streams. Internationals are one of the two main ways that the RFL can generate income but yet they largely neglect them and make little attempt to grow internationals with our closest real opposition. A game against France in France would attract a good crowd. A game against France in London, or somewhere else outside the heartlands, could attract a decent crowd too. However play it on a Wednesday night in Leigh and you get the results you deserve.

[GUBRATS]

8 minutes ago, The Daddy said:

Did you read the post? 

Yes , if we are to play France , play in France 

[GUBRATS]

1 minute ago, Damien said:

And the RFL wonder why they have no money and few revenue streams. Internationals are one of the two main ways that the RFL can generate income but yet they largely neglect them and make little attempt to grow internationals with our closest real opposition. A game against France in France would attract a good crowd. A game against France in London, or somewhere else outside the heartlands, could attract a decent crowd too. However play it on a Wednesday night in Leigh and you get the results you deserve.

Did you watch it ? , Was it because it was a Wednesday they were rubbish , or because they don't like Leigh ?

[The Daddy]

16 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

Did you watch it ? , Was it because it was a Wednesday they were rubbish , or because they don't like Leigh ?

You have the comprehension skills of a child. 

[The Future is League]

2 hours ago, The Daddy said:

The lack of vision and short sightedness from the RFL amazes me. They say that they lack incomes, they can't get competitive games for England without negotiating with Australia and New Zealand, yet they have had for years an opportunity to build up France, help them improve by giving them more fixtures. Why haven't they built up a rivalry? 

As I keep saying on this site they will get beat badly to begin with, but the long term objective of creating revenues and building the England brand is worth the short term pain. 

I've now read an interview with the head of French Rugby League Marc Palanques in Forty20 magazine who has confirmed that the RFL only want France to play England Knights and not the senior team. 

What type of vision or strategy is that? Where is the leadership? Where is the planning? 

 

Nothing surprises me at the lack of vision and leadership at the RFL nowadays.

It should be a given that England play France every year in France

[BallPlayingProp]

2 hours ago, The Daddy said:

The lack of vision and short sightedness from the RFL amazes me. They say that they lack incomes, they can't get competitive games for England without negotiating with Australia and New Zealand, yet they have had for years an opportunity to build up France, help them improve by giving them more fixtures. Why haven't they built up a rivalry? 

As I keep saying on this site they will get beat badly to begin with, but the long term objective of creating revenues and building the England brand is worth the short term pain. 

I've now read an interview with the head of French Rugby League Marc Palanques in Forty20 magazine who has confirmed that the RFL only want France to play England Knights and not the senior team. 

What type of vision or strategy is that? Where is the leadership? Where is the planning? 

 

Just had a look at the last couple of tests of England v France. We bang on about the Kangaroos not doing enough to expand international RL, but England are even bigger culprits.

I have long been an advocate of playing the French mid-season in France. I don't think you would need the NRL guys for two reasons, 1) it makes the game more competitive, 2) it gives aspirant England players a chance to stake a claim against those Aussie players.

Over the last ten years or so, here are the games v France (excluding WC, but including 2012 international series and 2009 Four Nations).

2008, France 12–66 England, Stade Jean-Bouin, Paris 7,600

2009, England 34–12 France, Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster 11,529

2010, England 60–6 France,  Leigh Sports Village, Leigh 7,951

2011, France 18–32 England,  Parc des Sports, Avignon 16,866 

2012 England 44–6 France, Craven Park, Hull 7,173

2012 England 48–4 France, Salford City Stadium, Salford 7,921

2015  England 84–4 France,  Leigh Sports Village, Leigh 8,380

2016 France 6–40 England Parc des Sports, Avignon 14,276

2018 England 44-6 France, Leigh Sports Village, Leigh 5,144

As we can see crowds (taken from Wiki - so excuse inaccuracies) and results are more respectable on the whole when played in France. 

Personally, if you're not going to include the English NRL players which as mentioned gives you a more even game you could hold it whenever and not in the NRL's international break.  

My preference would be around Bastille Day and maybe if it gains good traction you could double up and play one in England on or around St George's Day. The French get out and support their national team in whatever sport - see the Palanques interview you mentioned. France would hold their own and surely get better with this back-of-a-fag packet side I've put together.

Kherillah, Yaha, Gigot, Miloudi, Escare, Fages, Albert, Navarette, Pelissier, Bousquet, Julien, Garcia, Baitieri. Interchange: Robin, Simon, Goudemand, Nzoungou. 

Other possible inclusions: Springer, Barthau, Belmas, Marguerite, Cardace, Dezaria, Ader, Duport.

 

 

[ghost crayfish]

There should be two french clubs locked into super league, and at least one confirmed test between England and France every year. The repeated failure of the English rugby league authorities to achieve these relatively simple, but potentially extremely valuable steps is really poor. This year's test calendar is a case in point. The southern hemisphere able to schedule a viable, appealing 6 nation regional program, and the RFL has to reduce itself to manufacturing a GB tour and showing up uninvited. If they'd spent the last decade committed to nurturing France and Wales, or even stuck with the Exiles, they'd have local games to play. If they don't help get France up to speed soon, the test game could move on without them.

[The 4 of Us]

England V France at Wigan in World Cup 2013 had 22,000 and was a pretty competitive game. It can be done.

I would make the new Headingley and St Helens the grounds to alternate on an annual basis, with a second game between Toulouse, Perpignan, Avignon. 

You’ll soon build up the competitiveness and rivalry. Big issue for me would be getting Les Cats to release players regularly. 

[Kirmonds pouch]

Why is it the fault of the RFL - isn't it the job of the French to sort themselves out! Why should we be expected to carry a game is a first world nation. Everything needed to make the French game competitive is already there, its not our fault that the French administrations through the years have been corrupt or incompetent or both - they make the RL look super slick by comparison. This support the French thing is getting boring, they need to shape up or ship out at International level.

[Lowdesert]

13 hours ago, The Daddy said:

The lack of vision and short sightedness from the RFL amazes me. They say that they lack incomes, they can't get competitive games for England without negotiating with Australia and New Zealand, yet they have had for years an opportunity to build up France, help them improve by giving them more fixtures. Why haven't they built up a rivalry? 

As I keep saying on this site they will get beat badly to begin with, but the long term objective of creating revenues and building the England brand is worth the short term pain. 

I've now read an interview with the head of French Rugby League Marc Palanques in Forty20 magazine who has confirmed that the RFL only want France to play England Knights and not the senior team. 

What type of vision or strategy is that? Where is the leadership? Where is the planning? 

 

How are the RFL responsible?  Isn’t this really to do with collective long term planning and transparency across all nations playing RL?

Palanques is Vice President of the RLEF and also one of 5 members of a commission arranged by the RLIF.  Aren’t France, therefore, better placed to create their own International calendar? Palanques said that now France are ‘credible’ and being alongside the other 4 nations (England, NZ, Aus, and PNG) gives better opportunity, especially with communications between other nations, Palanques can identify opportunity for France.

None of this accounts for any Nation doing as they please though as, imo, the RLIF have no real clout.

France seem to be happy being France, improving their own structures, planning and players.  

 

 

[Number 16]

A mid-season test in France, against a full strength French team, should be a no-brainer. It would be a really good work out for England, especially if lacking the NRL players. 

Planned long enough in advance (yes, I know!) I see no reason why you couldn't get a couple of thousand England fans over and help fill a sell-out 18/20k stadium. 

Stick with that formula for 3/5 years.

[Southerner80]

1 hour ago, Number 16 said:

A mid-season test in France, against a full strength French team, should be a no-brainer. It would be a really good work out for England, especially if lacking the NRL players. 

Planned long enough in advance (yes, I know!) I see no reason why you couldn't get a couple of thousand England fans over and help fill a sell-out 18/20k stadium. 

Stick with that formula for 3/5 years.

Make it an event with curtain raisers ie women's and under 21s mens games beforehand, and hold it on a weekend where there is no SL games and place it in Toulouse or Avignon and yes make it a 3-5 year commitment. 

Hold it mid summer around Bastille day and make it a event about Celebrating RL in France. Ie the result of the game itself is secondary to the event itself.

It Dosent matter if France loose every year as long as crowds come and the games generate viewers. It would be great if France won however winning isn't vital to getting good gates. Italy do OK with their home games in the Union 6N, and they hardly win at all in the last 4 years!

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

16 hours ago, Damien said:

And the RFL wonder why they have no money and few revenue streams. Internationals are one of the two main ways that the RFL can generate income but yet they largely neglect them and make little attempt to grow internationals with our closest real opposition. A game against France in France would attract a good crowd. A game against France in London, or somewhere else outside the heartlands, could attract a decent crowd too. However play it on a Wednesday night in Leigh and you get the results you deserve.

Yep totally agree. Play it in Perpignan twice a year and get as many of the non French eligible Dragons in the French side. Also don't worry if the NRL won't release players, potentially a better game without them strengthening the England side

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

16 hours ago, GUBRATS said:

Did you see the match last time we played them , not good 

Australia might well be saying that about playing us ..apart from maybe 2 games in the last decade they have d***ed us over

[deluded pom?]

1 minute ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

Yep totally agree. Play it in Perpignan twice a year and get as many of the non French eligible Dragons in the French side. Also don't worry if the NRL won't release players, potentially a better game without them strengthening the England side

Anywhere but Perpignan IMO. It already gets a full home season of  Dragons' games. Take it elsewhere, Narbonne or Avignon.

[deluded pom?]

1 minute ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

Australia might well be saying that about playing us ..apart from maybe 2 games in the last decade they have d***ed us over

I thought we did quite well the last time we played the Aussies.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

Yep, that was one of the 2

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

1 minute ago, deluded pom? said:

Anywhere but Perpignan IMO. It already gets a full home season of  Dragons' games. Take it elsewhere, Narbonne or Avignon.

Surely to make money go where most fans are to get the best attendance....Perpignan for me

[deluded pom?]

Just now, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

Surely to make money go where most fans are to get the best attendance....Perpignan for me

Avignon usually attracts the better attendances in France. There is more to French RL than Perpignan.

[deluded pom?]

2 minutes ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

Yep, that was one of the 2

The game prior to that wasn't a battering either.