Pacifique XIII - A huge boost for French RL?

[unapologetic pedant]

On 24/05/2020 at 10:59, foozler said:

In that case there will be some cracking tunes on the stereo in the changing room.

Not exactly performance-enhancing, but my selection would be "Acid Eiffel".

[kiwis 13 6]

20 hours ago, Themusician_2 said:

Sébastien Vahaamahina

Had Never heard of Sebastien Vahaamahina before but according to Wikipedia from New Caledonia but Polynesian Wallis & Futuna background, played for Perpignan & France at Union. Im starting to think the indigenous Melanesian Kanak people of New Caledonia may not be into rugby? This side could recruit some Melanesian PNG players to help promote the game in the Indigenous Kanak community. They will be no shortage of Wallis & Futuna professional rugby players with links to New Caledonia to recruit from. The amount of pro rugby players of wallis & Futuna background Via New Caledonia in French Rugby kinda reminds me of Polynesian players in the NRL in Australia Via New Zealand.

https://theconversation.com/from-the-pacific-islands-to-france-migration-hope-and-deceit-in-the-rugby-industry-67343 

Edited June 3, 2020 by kiwis 13 6

[Yakstorm]

Testing Day scheduled for the Solomon Islands this Friday

https://pacifique13.com/en/2020/06/07/pacifique-treize-to-host-testing-day-in-honiara/

[DoubleD]

1 hour ago, Yakstorm said:

Testing Day scheduled for the Solomon Islands this Friday

https://pacifique13.com/en/2020/06/07/pacifique-treize-to-host-testing-day-in-honiara/

Interesting that they're targeting 16-22 age bracket only

[Southerner80]

39 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

Interesting that they're targeting 16-22 age bracket only

I think it makes sense as they are maybe looking for players with development potential, so the younger age bracket makes sense.

With 25 year olds you would need them to be the finished article and would not be so willing to invest a few years in developing them as players. 

[Yakstorm]

The fact the club won't be admitted to the Intrust Super Cup until 2023 at the earliest is another reason it would be targeting younger players.

A 25 year old now would be 28 when Pacifique Treize hope to take the field, which unfortunately for many people is a bit too late to be making one's first grade debut.

[Yakstorm]

 

[Yakstorm]

Story about the Pacifique Treize in Sunday's Courier Mail.

[Yakstorm]

Further news relating to Pacifique Treize:

Solomon Islands Rugby League endorse bid:
https://www.asiapacificrl.com/2020/07/02/solomon-islands-rugby-league-announces-support-for-pacifique-treize/

Second Training Day in Noumea:

 

[Yakstorm]

 Some big news:

https://pacifique13.com/en/2020/07/08/pacifique-treize-granted-affiliate-status-with-ffrxiii/

https://www.intrl.sport/news/pacifique-treize-granted-affiliate-status-with-ffrxiii/

https://www.ffr13.fr/actualite-a-la-une/pacifique-lassociation-sportive-pacifique-xiii-voit-le-jour/

 

Quote

The Fédération Française de Rugby à XIII (FFRXIII) has this month granted l’Association Sportive Pacifique XIII (Pacifique Treize) official affiliate status to deliver Rugby League to the French Pacific Territories. 

The affiliation enables l’Association Sportive Pacifique XIII (A.S. Pacifique XIII) to run Rugby League competitions and high performance programmes within the territories of New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna and French Polynesia including but not limited to, the Thirteen-a-Side, Nine-a-Side, Touch, Beach and Wheelchair variations of the code.

 

Players taking part in the programmes and competitions run by A.S. Pacifique XIII will be registered as participants of the FFRXIII and thus also eligible for the Federation’s own high performance programs, including selection for French Representative teams, including the Les Chanticleers.

 

The initial Board Members for A.S. Pacifique XIII, who will be charged with laying the foundations across the French Territories, will be Manuel Jalabert (President), Laurent Garnier (Vice-President), Zach Davis Hancock (Secretary) and Fraser Kendal.

 

Commenting on the announcement, Vice-President Laurent Garnier, expressed his delight at the opportunities this affiliation will open up for the Pacifique Treize bid.

 

“As a former player and coach in France and Australia, and a TV commentator for Rugby League, I am delighted with the opportunity this will give young talents in the French territories of the Pacific. We believe that we will be able to create a high-performance culture which will allow us to develop the local talent, and provide long term success for not only Pacifique Treize, but also the French National team.”

 

Noumea based, Manual Jalabert, added further his support and excitement for the project.

 

“This initiative is a great springboard for the youth of the French-speaking Pacific islands and also for French Rugby League. Indeed, Australia is a major nation in the sport and offers us the opportunity to participate in one of the biggest championships in the World will provides new and beautiful opportunities for our youth.”

 

A.S. Pacifique XIII will coordinate all programmes within the French Territories of New Caledonia, Wallis & Futuna and French Polynesia in partnership with the Pacifique Treize bid team, whilst all activities performed within Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands will be coordinated by the Vanuatu Rugby League (VRL) and Solomon Islands Rugby League (SIRL) respectively.

 

The Pacifique Treize Bid team has set its sights on joining the Queensland Rugby League's Intrust Super Cup competition in 2023.

 

[Yakstorm]

 

[audois]

On 15/06/2020 at 13:35, Yakstorm said:

Story about the Pacifique Treize in Sunday's Courier Mail.

Laurent Garnier is a French Catalan. Coached Carcassonne a few seasons back. Last year he brought over two aspiring French half backs to partake in a Youth Training Camp at Melbourne Storm. Dimitri Pelo also played 87 games for the Catalans Dragons between 2007-10. What's amazing here is a second-tier competition demanding over £1 million start-up. If only..

[The Daddy]

12 minutes ago, audois said:

Laurent Garnier is a French Catalan. Coached Carcassonne a few seasons back. Last year he brought over two aspiring French half backs to partake in a Youth Training Camp at Melbourne Storm. Dimitri Pelo also played 87 games for the Catalans Dragons between 2007-10. What's amazing here is a second-tier competition demanding over £1 million start-up. If only..

Do you think this initiative is going to produce players for France's national team? 

[The Rocket]

3 minutes ago, The Daddy said:

Do you think this initiative is going to produce players for France's national team? 

I was going through the populations of the countries involved: New Caledonia   285 000   ;   Vanuatu       290 000 ;   French Polynesia    280 000 ;     Solomon Islands       670 000 ;    Fortuna and Wallis Islands 12000.   These countries typically have young demographics so I expect with a total population of over 1.5 million that there is a very large potential player pool. This combined with very good pathways into a highly professional Rugby League system i.e. Australia/Queensland , we may well see a good quantity of French eligible players coming through.

[JM2010]

2 hours ago, The Rocket said:

I was going through the populations of the countries involved: New Caledonia   285 000   ;   Vanuatu       290 000 ;   French Polynesia    280 000 ;     Solomon Islands       670 000 ;    Fortuna and Wallis Islands 12000.   These countries typically have young demographics so I expect with a total population of over 1.5 million that there is a very large potential player pool. This combined with very good pathways into a highly professional Rugby League system i.e. Australia/Queensland , we may well see a good quantity of French eligible players coming through.

If this just produced 4/5 NRL players every few years if would massively benefit the French national side

[The Rocket]

18 minutes ago, JM2010 said:

If this just produced 4/5 NRL players every few years if would massively benefit the French national side

Good evening Jim,  how about 4/5 players every year . It`s midnight over here , I`m off to bed .    Hooroo.

[JM2010]

4 minutes ago, The Rocket said:

Good evening Jim,  how about 4/5 players every year . It`s midnight over here , I`m off to bed .    Hooroo.

Not sure what your point is

[DoubleD]

5 hours ago, The Rocket said:

I was going through the populations of the countries involved: New Caledonia   285 000   ;   Vanuatu       290 000 ;   French Polynesia    280 000 ;     Solomon Islands       670 000 ;    Fortuna and Wallis Islands 12000.   These countries typically have young demographics so I expect with a total population of over 1.5 million that there is a very large potential player pool. This combined with very good pathways into a highly professional Rugby League system i.e. Australia/Queensland , we may well see a good quantity of French eligible players coming through.

How many of those would qualify for the French National side though? As far as I’m aware, the Solomon Islands has no links at all with France, whilst Vanuatu play independently as a country

[audois]

7 hours ago, The Daddy said:

Do you think this initiative is going to produce players for France's national team? 

More opportunities - why not. Broadening horizons. Two decades ago Guisset returned from a year in Canberra to play at Warrington and Elima went straight from U16s to join Castleford and then Wakefield. Miloudi I think needed to get away from Perpignan and seems maturing across the Atlantic under Brian McDermott. His talented younger brother can play a bit too. Maybe he could look at Ottawa as a start.

Edited July 12, 2020 by audois

[The Rocket]

7 hours ago, JM2010 said:

Not sure what your point is

It`s Morning, I`m just typically being a little over optimistic.

[Yakstorm]

I'm not sure the concept is going to be producing 4-5 NRL quality players every couple of years, especially as there are a lot of foundations still to be laid in New Caledonia, Wallis & Futuna and French Polynesia especially, but one of the aims of the bid is to also help strengthen the French National team. 

Naturally there are a few ways this can be done, firstly simply providing another option for French talent to Develop in a Professional structure is going to help grow the pool.  France has shown consistently at the junior age levels it can compete with the likes of Australia, New Zealand and England, however one of the reasons why their performance deteriorates (In my opinion) is the lack of opportunities for these players.

Toulouse and Catalans can only do so much in terms of picking up the next bunch of potential stars.   Naturally Ottawa coming into the mix helps with another French speaking Franchise that French players can consider joining, whilst hopefully Pacifique XIII can also be a realistic options for players to consider.

The fact that the Pacifique Treize team will be playing in an Australian competition and be under the noses of NRL scouts will hopefully see some French players get picked up and pushed into the NRL system.

Naturally if Pacifique Treize can develop domestic talent as well, this will of course help France as well.  The team wants to get the code into the schools and junior systems across the five territories it will be representing, and if it can convince some of the steady flow of players from the likes of NC who currently go on to play Union in mainland France to play League it is bound to surface a few players that can go on to represent the Les Chanticleers. 

[Yakstorm]

https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/421341/pacific-rugby-league-hopefuls-not-letting-covid-slow-them-down

[The Rocket]

5 minutes ago, Yakstorm said:

https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/421341/pacific-rugby-league-hopefuls-not-letting-covid-slow-them-down

I watched the highlights of the Digicel Cup the other day and If Pacific Treize can start throwing up talented footballers like those on show,  should be really good news for French League.

[Yakstorm]

 

[Yakstorm]

First training session involving the Pacifique Treize Nouméa training squad. Focus is on introducing young athletes in the region to the rules and techniques of the code in coordinated weekly sessions before a High Performance Programme is rolled out in 2021.