Catalans ask for Magic Weekend to be played in France

[The Hallucinating Goose]

42 minutes ago, Denton Rovers RLFC said:

Good comment. I'd actually spend a long weekend in France rather than go to Newcastle or Liverpool, in fact it's quicker for me to get to quite a few places in France than it is Newcastle. Montpelier is less than 2 hours from Gatwick, that's less than 4.5 total including train to Gatwick and getting their however long before boarding. By train (to Newcastle) it's still 4 hours for me and 5.5 by car.

Quite right and I think cost goes hand in hand with time as well. I've travelled all over the continent and one thing I notice everywhere is how cheap public transport is. 

Just had a quick look at some prices. I picked 16th-18th november as dates just so it seems I'm booking a decent amount of time in advance. 

A return on train from Hull to Liverpool is on average around £100, takes 3 hours and has a change involved. 

A Ryanair return flight from Manchester to Marseille on those dates (picked marseille cos it fell in those dates) is £23. £10 outbound, £13 inbound. Even with the cost of a train from there to toulouse or montpellier say, you are saving a lot of money (unless magic is in marseille of course) and having a nice visit to the south of France. 

I know what I'd prefer. 

[GUBRATS]

24 minutes ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

Quite right and I think cost goes hand in hand with time as well. I've travelled all over the continent and one thing I notice everywhere is how cheap public transport is. 

Just had a quick look at some prices. I picked 16th-18th november as dates just so it seems I'm booking a decent amount of time in advance. 

A return on train from Hull to Liverpool is on average around £100, takes 3 hours and has a change involved. 

A Ryanair return flight from Manchester to Marseille on those dates (picked marseille cos it fell in those dates) is £23. £10 outbound, £13 inbound. Even with the cost of a train from there to toulouse or montpellier say, you are saving a lot of money (unless magic is in marseille of course) and having a nice visit to the south of France. 

I know what I'd prefer. 

What's a train ?

[Denton Rovers RLFC]

7 minutes ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

Quite right and I think cost goes hand in hand with time as well. I've travelled all over the continent and one thing I notice everywhere is how cheap public transport is. 

Just had a quick look at some prices. I picked 16th-18th november as dates just so it seems I'm booking a decent amount of time in advance. 

A return on train from Hull to Liverpool is on average around £100, takes 3 hours and has a change involved. 

A Ryanair return flight from Manchester to Marseille on those dates (picked marseille cos it fell in those dates) is £23. £10 outbound, £13 inbound. Even with the cost of a train from there to toulouse or montpellier say, you are saving a lot of money (unless magic is in marseille of course) and having a nice visit to the south of France. 

I know what I'd prefer. 

Exactly, it's a good excuse to go somewhere different for a long weekend or even holiday and incorporate some rugby as well, it's not as if you even have to go for both days so family could go do something else whilst you support your team and then continue on your holiday, win/win IMO.

 

[Denton Rovers RLFC]

6 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

What's a train ?

 

[yipyee]

11 hours ago, Oliver Clothesoff said:

Trips to Perpignan, Toronto and a Magic Weekend in France within a nine month period in a predominantly working-class northern sport is farcical. 

Liverpool fans don't appear to struggle getting all over Europe for their adventures!! 

It's the average RL supporter that's farcical

[yipyee]

The point of Magic was to use it as a vehicle for expansion to showcase the sport in new areas.

It's purpose was not a nice weekend away for current fans although it's a nice bonus!

To play magic in or around the heartlands is farcical and a waste of the potential that magic holds! 

France is crying out for attention so we look the other way.

It's the same idiots who ignored the potential a new Manchester club with the fresh ideas and momentum would bring to the pro game!

RL is doomed if it continues down this course.

[whatmichaelsays]

1 minute ago, yipyee said:

The point of Magic was to use it as a vehicle for expansion to showcase the sport in new areas.

It's purpose was not a nice weekend away for current fans although it's a nice bonus!

It's literally the opposite. 

Magic Weekend exists because the Welsh tourist board wanted a way to fill hotel beds in South Wales. It was literally devised as a weekend away for RL fans. 

[yipyee]

2 minutes ago, whatmichaelsays said:

It's literally the opposite. 

Magic Weekend exists because the Welsh tourist board wanted a way to fill hotel beds in South Wales. It was literally devised as a weekend away for RL fans. 

It wasn't how it was marketed and coincided with a push for expansion in Wales with crusaders. The tourist board got on board as did the local authority.. 

That was when RL had vision and hope

[whatmichaelsays]

1 hour ago, yipyee said:

It wasn't how it was marketed and coincided with a push for expansion in Wales with crusaders. The tourist board got on board as did the local authority.. 

That was when RL had vision and hope

It's how it came to being, whatever the message in the press releases were. But whilst there might have been passing references to "expansion", it certainly wasn't or ever has been the main motivation. 

[Niels]

11 hours ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

Quite right and I think cost goes hand in hand with time as well. I've travelled all over the continent and one thing I notice everywhere is how cheap public transport is. 

Just had a quick look at some prices. I picked 16th-18th november as dates just so it seems I'm booking a decent amount of time in advance. 

A return on train from Hull to Liverpool is on average around £100, takes 3 hours and has a change involved. 

A Ryanair return flight from Manchester to Marseille on those dates (picked marseille cos it fell in those dates) is £23. £10 outbound, £13 inbound. Even with the cost of a train from there to toulouse or montpellier say, you are saving a lot of money (unless magic is in marseille of course) and having a nice visit to the south of France. 

I know what I'd prefer. 

If you use the train line and avoid peak times the cost is a lot cheaper. For me it would be £44.20 return those dates. There were plenty of tickets left at that price.

There are also other websites that offer cheap tickets.

I'm not being contradictory, just being helpful should you need to book in future. 

 

 

[The Hallucinating Goose]

1 hour ago, Niels said:

If you use the train line and avoid peak times the cost is a lot cheaper. For me it would be £44.20 return those dates. There were plenty of tickets left at that price.

There are also other websites that offer cheap tickets.

I'm not being contradictory, just being helpful should you need to book in future. 

 

 

Oh wait a minute, I see what I've done wrong, I wasn't paying attention and thought the £45 was just for the outbound journey... Idiot! Hahaha

Let me just assure you I am an experienced traveller and have negotiated some sodding dodgy booking websites before, Serbian and Hungarian railways being particular highlights, I will mark this one down as an hallucinatory error, though in my defence i was a bit distracted cos I was at work and my boss has caught me on my phone before and that woman can really shout! 

Anyway, point still stands I guess, still be half the cost to fly to South of France than to get train to Liverpool! 

[Omott91]

People in the Uk really are blessed when it comes to geography. So close to many exotic and famous holiday destinations that I believe Super league should take more advantage of. Down here in Australia the closest country is Nz and that is 3 hours flight away. It can take over 5 hours flight just to get out of the country heading west from the east coast. 

[Niels]

3 hours ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

Oh wait a minute, I see what I've done wrong, I wasn't paying attention and thought the £45 was just for the outbound journey... Idiot! Hahaha

Let me just assure you I am an experienced traveller and have negotiated some sodding dodgy booking websites before, Serbian and Hungarian railways being particular highlights, I will mark this one down as an hallucinatory error, though in my defence i was a bit distracted cos I was at work and my boss has caught me on my phone before and that woman can really shout! 

Anyway, point still stands I guess, still be half the cost to fly to South of France than to get train to Liverpool! 

Thanks for your interesting reply. 

I nearly did the same, it's confusing. 

Yes the rail fares are very expensive. I have a railcard which reduces the cost.l but it's still not cheap.

You make a good point.

 

 

[londonrlfan]

Paris or Marseille would be perfect, or even Nice or Lyon have good new stadiums. 

[Davo5]

1 hour ago, londonrlfan said:

Paris or Marseille would be perfect, or even Nice or Lyon have good new stadiums. 

All a marked improvement on Anfield

[Sports Prophet]

Play it at Camp Nou 

[Northern Eel]

On 19/09/2019 at 08:56, Oliver Clothesoff said:

Trips to Perpignan, Toronto and a Magic Weekend in France within a nine month period in a predominantly working-class northern sport is farcical. 

Trips to Perpignan, Toronto and a Magic Weekend in Liverpool within a nine month period in a predominantly working-class northern sport are potentially NOT cheaper than trips to Perpignan, Toronto and a Magic Weekend in France within a nine month period........

[The Future is League]

8 hours ago, Sports Prophet said:

Play it at Camp Nou 

That wouldn't benefit Rugby League in France, which the games there needs

[GUBRATS]

11 hours ago, Sports Prophet said:

Play it at Camp Nou 

Too big , and too far from France , if you are going to test the water in France , play it right in the centre of the French RLl supporting base , that is essentially Toulouse 

Possibly Montpellier as another option 

[Southerner80]

11 hours ago, Sports Prophet said:

Play it at Camp Nou 

Would make it a big event, a great place to travel to, and it's possible to get 60k plus over the two days. Issue will be if the cost of renting the stadium is exorbitant. 

Otherwise Toulouse and a 25k ideally 40k ground works. 

[GUBRATS]

5 minutes ago, Southerner80 said:

Would make it a big event, a great place to travel to, and it's possible to get 60k plus over the two days. Issue will be if the cost of renting the stadium is exorbitant. 

Otherwise Toulouse and a 25k ideally 40k ground works. 

The question is " what are you trying to achieve with a MW staged in France ? " , If it is , to help build the games profile within France then you need it as accessible to the existing French RL supporters as you can , then it's in France , in the heartlands , that's Toulouse or maybe Montpellier , you only need 25 K plus as you want it full , plus you won't have the numbers travelling from the UK 

Done as a repeat event every 4/5 years it has some scope to work 

[Tommygilf]

18 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

The question is " what are you trying to achieve with a MW staged in France ? " , If it is , to help build the games profile within France then you need it as accessible to the existing French RL supporters as you can , then it's in France , in the heartlands , that's Toulouse or maybe Montpellier , you only need 25 K plus as you want it full , plus you won't have the numbers travelling from the UK 

Done as a repeat event every 4/5 years it has some scope to work 

I wouldn't say "full" is necessary Gubrats, but 75%. The nature of magic, its moving crowds and unreserved seating doesn't lead itself towards capacity crowds.

[GUBRATS]

1 minute ago, Tommygilf said:

I wouldn't say "full" is necessary Gubrats, but 75%. The nature of magic, its moving crowds and unreserved seating doesn't lead itself towards capacity crowds.

As I said though , I doubt you have the same numbers from the UK , and I'd expect the French to probably mostly just do the one day , certainly be a good atmosphere with a full stadium 

[GUBRATS]

Just looked , the Stadium at Montpellier has just short of a 33K capacity , just about perfect I'd suggest 

[Sports Prophet]

On 21/09/2019 at 18:04, GUBRATS said:

Too big , and too far from France , if you are going to test the water in France , play it right in the centre of the French RLl supporting base , that is essentially Toulouse 

Possibly Montpellier as another option 

I don’t think it’s too big and I don’t care that it’s not in France.

Magic weekend is about being a carnival in new areas. Tick and tick.

Cheap to get to. A popular destination. Would be brilliant.