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Euro XIIIs


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31 minutes ago, fighting irish said:

That sounds like the ''squash ladder'' I mentioned in an earlier post/thread. I like that idea. I liked the idea too of having International / rep sides in the Euro comp playing in the league. That way the domestic leagues would not lose a club to the  Euro XIII competition but maybe each club would lose just a few players to the National/rep team. This way, the rep teams could, if funded properly, play every week and be crowned European International Champions at the end. The incentive of being selected for their National team, to play in the European Championships would surely excite young players.

I see it as a way of having appropriate levels of opposition for each team. Stronger nations could have multiple teams spread across the division whilst weaker countries have 1. I also would restrict this to existing clubs except for in the most extreme cases where select Xiiis make sense.

So in the top division you could have Serbian, Greek, Welsh, French, English. Second division, Czech, Serbian, Ukrainian, French, Welsh. 3rd division, Scottish, Irish, Italian, Spanish etc on as far as you wanted. (They are just examples).

I see the EuroXIIIs as operating at somewhere at the mid to lower end of this spectrum currently; with the RLEFs ambitions aiming for the upper reaches. EuroXIIIs clearly has some teams with the higher ambitions than others and I think long term this tiered system would be beneficial to all parties. 

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Now I joined this thread really late, and to save me scrolling through all 43 pages would someone be kind enough to briefly answer the following questions.

1. How many of these 11 teams actually currently exist?

2. Where will the players come from?

3. Are there any sponsors, broadcasters, kit deals confirmed yet?

4. I’m assuming the players are amateur or at best part time, so logistically how is it planned to work with players getting time off work?

5. Where will the referees come from?

From what little I have read I’m open minded, part of me thinks this hasn’t a hope in hell of getting off the ground, part of me thinks that if enough people are committed then you never know what you might achieve.

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7 minutes ago, Oldbear said:

Now I joined this thread really late, and to save me scrolling through all 43 pages would someone be kind enough to briefly answer the following questions.

1. How many of these 11 teams actually currently exist?

2. Where will the players come from?

3. Are there any sponsors, broadcasters, kit deals confirmed yet?

4. I’m assuming the players are amateur or at best part time, so logistically how is it planned to work with players getting time off work?

5. Where will the referees come from?

From what little I have read I’m open minded, part of me thinks this hasn’t a hope in hell of getting off the ground, part of me thinks that if enough people are committed then you never know what you might achieve.

Careful now, asking questions will lead to you being labelled as negative. The answer to all of those questions is 'no one really knows'. 

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19 minutes ago, OriginalMrC said:

Careful now, asking questions will lead to you being labelled as negative. The answer to all of those questions is 'no one really knows'. 

And yet we have a couple of posters here who are cheerleaders for the concept even though they don't know the answers to those questions either.

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1 minute ago, Big Picture said:

And yet we have a couple of posters here who are cheerleaders for the concept even though they don't know the answers to those questions either.

If you’re referring to me as one of those, I’m not a cheerleader for it, I’m just open minded and really hope this crazy plan comes off. 

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28 minutes ago, Eddie said:

If you’re referring to me as one of those, I’m not a cheerleader for it, I’m just open minded and really hope this crazy plan comes off. 

I was also open minded but I cannot support a breakaway competition which is what this is. 

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14 hours ago, Oldbear said:

Now I joined this thread really late, and to save me scrolling through all 43 pages would someone be kind enough to briefly answer the following questions.

1. How many of these 11 teams actually currently exist?

2. Where will the players come from?

3. Are there any sponsors, broadcasters, kit deals confirmed yet?

4. I’m assuming the players are amateur or at best part time, so logistically how is it planned to work with players getting time off work?

5. Where will the referees come from?

From what little I have read I’m open minded, part of me thinks this hasn’t a hope in hell of getting off the ground, part of me thinks that if enough people are committed then you never know what you might achieve.

1. Rotterdam, Rhondda, Edinburgh, Vrchlabi, Brussels, Skane and Copenhagen are all pre existing (or at least revivals of formerly existing clubs). Valencia, Budapest, Dublin, Birmingham and Anadolu have never played in their domestic competitions (Valencia have played 1 game against Featherstone).

2. Your guess is as good as mine. Drafts supposedly but they seem to be all over the place in both aims and locales and the comp states it wants to develop European players though so???

3. There's apparently a kit deal and some sponsors. TV who knows, their ambition seems to have lessened on that front.

4. Entirely Amateur. Games will likely take place on weekends which in very Europe is feasible.

5. That's a very big question especially if they're at odds with the RLEF. EuroXIIIs control the Spanish and Italian federations, so perhaps their refs go around?

Edit I forgot to include Chisinau in the clubs section who I suppose come in the second group.

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3 hours ago, fighting irish said:

That sounds like the ''squash ladder'' I mentioned in an earlier post/thread. I like that idea. I liked the idea too of having International / rep sides in the Euro comp playing in the league. That way the domestic leagues would not lose a club to the  Euro XIII competition but maybe each club would lose just a few players to the National/rep team. This way, the rep teams could, if funded properly, play every week and be crowned European International Champions at the end. The incentive of being selected for their National team, to play in the European Championships would surely excite young players.

I confess, I do not like the idea.

I have not been involved for a while, so I could well be an old fogey here!

The logisitics of travel are huge and also we must consider what fixtures are cost effective and will appeal to people.

Red Star Belgrade have name recognition, and are huge to a soccer audience. However, if you are going for a snobby, foodie audience, an obscure Spanish or French side would be better. What I am suggesting is that the sport come second to the event.

"You clearly have never met Bob8 then, he's like a veritable Bryan Ferry of RL." - Johnoco 19 Jul 2014

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18 minutes ago, Bob8 said:

I confess, I do not like the idea.

I have not been involved for a while, so I could well be an old fogey here!

The logisitics of travel are huge and also we must consider what fixtures are cost effective and will appeal to people.

Red Star Belgrade have name recognition, and are huge to a soccer audience. However, if you are going for a snobby, foodie audience, an obscure Spanish or French side would be better. What I am suggesting is that the sport come second to the event.

That may well be true, but we have Rhondda, Vrchlabi and Anadolu in this up to press which doesn't really go with that approach.

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1 minute ago, Tommygilf said:

That may well be true, but we have Rhondda, Vrchlabi and Anadolu in this up to press which doesn't really go with that approach.

Tom, old chap, I can only assume you do not follow the news from Malmø. The place is abuzz with talk of Rhondda.

"You clearly have never met Bob8 then, he's like a veritable Bryan Ferry of RL." - Johnoco 19 Jul 2014

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42 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

4. Entirely Amateur. Games will likely take place on weekends which in very Europe is feasible.

5. That's a very big question especially if they're at odds with the RLEF. EuroXIIIs control the Spanish and Italian federations, so perhaps their refs go around?

Travelling from Dublin to Turkey doesn’t seem like a breeze, is it likely that all of the games take place on one weekend in one city, it may eliminate some of the travel difficulties and may reduce the number of refs required. Given that the origin of this idea is Valencia what odds that this is the chosen hub city for games?

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3 minutes ago, Oldbear said:

Travelling from Dublin to Turkey doesn’t seem like a breeze, is it likely that all of the games take place on one weekend in one city, it may eliminate some of the travel difficulties and may reduce the number of refs required. Given that the origin of this idea is Valencia what odds that this is the chosen hub city for games?

On the Euro XIIIs wiki page, Valencia is marked down as the venue for the final. There's no mention (yet) of city hubs for other rounds.

Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life. (Terry Pratchett)

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3 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

On the Euro XIIIs wiki page, Valencia is marked down as the venue for the final. There's no mention (yet) of city hubs for other rounds.

As I understand it Valencia is hosting final and semi finals, other rounds at "home" of first named club in each pairing of the draw, so if A played B it would be at A's ground.

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5 minutes ago, Styx said:

As I understand it Valencia is hosting final and semi finals, other rounds at "home" of first named club in each pairing of the draw, so if A played B it would be at A's ground.

But if you have 16 teams, 8 games played in 1 hub city, 4 Saturday, 4 Sunday could mean you only need 4 officiating crews. Playing at the home ground of the team drawn first means double the officials needed, plus maybe some visa issues too. I suspect that if this does get off the ground they will need to announce hub cities for the first 2 rounds as well as the semis and finals and to keep costs down, plus minimize visa issues, these hub cities will be ones which a. have an airport nearby which is serviced by a low cost airline and b. is in the EU. Suggestions anyone?

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33 minutes ago, Bob8 said:

Tom, old chap, I can only assume you do not follow the news from Malmø. The place is abuzz with talk of Rhondda.

I guess your average Swede will struggle a bit with the pronunciation of the 'dd' sound in Rhondda?

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44 minutes ago, Oldbear said:

Travelling from Dublin to Turkey doesn’t seem like a breeze, is it likely that all of the games take place on one weekend in one city, it may eliminate some of the travel difficulties and may reduce the number of refs required. Given that the origin of this idea is Valencia what odds that this is the chosen hub city for games?

Valencia is down for the semis and the final as it stands. 

The other games for next years cup are straight knockouts so its only 1 away trip for some

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3 hours ago, Big Picture said:

When a World Cup qualifier like this one only attracts 323 spectators, I wouldn't hold my breath about those gates if I were you.

 

I'm not holding my breath BP, I have no skin in the game, so don't need to worry. 

The gates I referred to is the cumulative sum of all the games in the competition and if they can build momentum between now and then in raising awareness then I'm reasonable confident they'll knock 323 into a cocked hat.

Anyway, don't forget, paying spectators are only one potential income stream for this tournament, there may be many others.

Some time ago one of our members asked me to define the difference between professional and amateur clubs. My response was, it depends on where the vast majority of clubs money comes from. If it comes from the players, the clubs members, their families and friends pockets, its an amateur club. If it comes from somewhere else, it can be a pro club.

My earlier point was that clubs may be self-funding for all we know. My own club would be happy to do that if the opportunity was attractive enough. I don't mean from a financial return-on-investment point of view I mean from the point of view of amateur lads, who love to play rugby league, are excited at the prospect of being involved in something new and Europe wide and who have a few quid tucked away for an adventure every year or two.

I don't know what you'd call them in Canada, swashbuckling, adventurers, trail blazers, larrikins, nut-jobs or good old fashioned pioneers. What I do know is that they are the kind of lads, that are great to be with and to be around, salt of the earth, competitors, of the RL ilk. The sort that make the world go round.

All you people, who are only interested in professional sport (for profit) just don't get, the reason why most people are involved - the Craic, the joy of it, the keen competition, the adventure of travelling, pulling your boots on and giving of it all you've got. Just being in it. I could go on but it seems to me that some in here have either forgotten what that feels like, or have never felt it in the first place.

I've never heard Dean Buchan mention ''making a profit'' he's running this thing on inspiration. 

 

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Hi everyone,

I'm Steve Bartlett, the General Manager of Rhondda Outlaws.  I've been following this thread for a while and I think its great to see healthy debate about something as new and exciting as Euro XIIIs.

I've decided to jump on now to offer myself up to answer questions because I can see there is some confusion around the competition and the motivation of clubs joining and I've also noticed some incorrect things being repeated and I don't want rumours to become 'the truth'.

So, ask me anything.  If I can answer I will.  Some things are commercially sensitive (either for the Euro XIIIs organisers or the Rhondda Outlaws) and some things aren't know to us yet so if your question falls in to that category, I'll let you know but other than that, I will try to be as open as possible.

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Hi Steve,

Thanks for making contact with us.

Some questions:

1. Is this being self-funded by clubs or will the costs be covered by individual backers/sponsors/statutory bodies?

2. Is there a plan beyond the first tournament?

3. Why doesn’t the RLIF seem to like this comp?

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1 minute ago, Man of Kent said:

Hi Steve,

Thanks for making contact with us.

Some questions:

1. Is this being self-funded by clubs or will the costs be covered by individual backers/sponsors/statutory bodies?

2. Is there a plan beyond the first tournament?

3. Why doesn’t the RLIF seem to like this comp?

Noswaith dda / Good evening,

The competition is fully funded.  That means all flights, accommodation, transfers and training facilities are paid for by the organisers (through outside investment & government funding).  As a club, we only have to cover the costs of our visas, insurance, food and beer.

There is a plan beyond 2021.  They are looking to introduce a league as well as the cup competition.

The RLIF (RLEF) are neither for or against this competition as far as I can see.  They are working with the Euro XIII organisers to see where their objectives align so they can work together.  If they find that they have areas they can work together, i'm sure they will.  Dean Buchan spoke more about this in an interview with Forty20 News: https://forty20.news/qa-euro-xiiis-general-manager-dean-buchan-part-two/

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