Leon Pryce - Director of Montpellier Sharks

[JonM]

26 minutes ago, JM2010 said:

Sticking pins in maps? Marseille, Lyon and Toulon already have teams. You might need to elaborate

As of course does Montpellier (Les Diables Rouges) - with mens, womens, u-17, u-15s and kids teams.

[Hela Wigmen]

53 minutes ago, JM2010 said:

Sticking pins in maps? Marseille, Lyon and Toulon already have teams. You might need to elaborate

It’s pins in maps stuff that any French thread gets hijacked into a “we need Big City A, B and C into Elite 1 and/or more clubs in the English leagues.” Why does everything have to become a Space League where people decide teams based upon pin sticking or their limited knowledge of cities in France? It’s tiresome. 

[JM2010]

Just now, Hela Wigmen said:

It’s pins in maps stuff that any French thread gets hijacked into a “we need Big City A, B and C into Elite 1 and/or more clubs in the English leagues.” Why does everything have to become a Space League where people decide teams based upon pin sticking or their limited knowledge of cities in France? It’s tiresome. 

Nobody has mentioned more clubs in the English leagues. We were discussing which cities that already have teams would we like to see in Elite 1 in the future. I have some knowledge as I have played in Elite 1 and actually played against Lyon

[Mumby Magic]

Can't believe he didn't pick up a job after Workington. Surprised he was axed there tbh.

[Hela Wigmen]

7 minutes ago, JM2010 said:

Nobody has mentioned more clubs in the English leagues. We were discussing which cities that already have teams would we like to see in Elite 1 in the future. I have some knowledge as I have played in Elite 1 and actually played against Lyon

Congratulations on doing exactly what I said about. I look forward to the next space league discussion when there’s another French thread. How about Paris, Bordeaux and Calais for the northerners, next time? 

[Mr Frisky]

59 minutes ago, Mumby Magic said:

Can't believe he didn't pick up a job after Workington. Surprised he was axed there tbh.

He did ok but he filled the team with his mates - aging ex-SL players at the expense of young local talent.

Towns current management have spent time getting all the best local talent into the club and seem to be putting some great foundations in place.

[Eddie]

18 hours ago, Man of Kent said:

Thought they were the New York of France, i.e. they don't really exist.

They’re in the third or fourth tier over there, definitely exist. 

[Eddie]

How about St Etienne, it’s an ex-mining area so great RL credentials, a ready made local derby with Lyon and they already have a cool band named after them, they could play in the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard. 

[Mumby Magic]

2 hours ago, Mr Frisky said:

He did ok but he filled the team with his mates - aging ex-SL players at the expense of young local talent.

Towns current management have spent time getting all the best local talent into the club and seem to be putting some great foundations in place.

I do appreciate that, however they nearly went up.

[Cumbrian Mackem]

35 minutes ago, Eddie said:

How about St Etienne, it’s an ex mining area so great RL credentials and they already have a cool band named after them, they could play in the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard. 

Bordeaux had a decent team post WW2 I believe and in 2007 the French National team played a test in the city against PNG that attracted nearly 5k.

Bizarrely the National team in 2012 played against Wales in Lens which is in northern France and attracted a crowd of nearly 12k.

[JM2010]

3 hours ago, Hela Wigmen said:

Congratulations on doing exactly what I said about. I look forward to the next space league discussion when there’s another French thread. How about Paris, Bordeaux and Calais for the northerners, next 

Stop derailing this thread with dreams about pins in maps!

[Eddie]

16 minutes ago, ShropshireBull said:

Try not to drift this too far away.  If Mont can get a team in élite 1 that would be a huge step forward for League in France.  I read somewhere that Carcasonne had a playing budget of €500,000 for this season.

So if we say you only want playing budget to be 65% of turnover means clubs need to generate €800,000. Hopefully big city teams have a chance to hit that over time.  

Why the obsession with big cities? It doesn’t matter where teams are if they’re well supported, Cas and Fev are far bigger than Sheffield Eagles, it’s not like Wigan is particularly big either. 

[Eddie]

1 minute ago, ShropshireBull said:

I am talking about France but honestly, commercial income. Sheffield havent had a proper home for years but when they do, they should be in a better position to find commercial sponsors. 

 

Yeah I was talking France too, with English examples. There’s no reason why RL in France can’t thrive in smaller places where it’s the biggest or second biggest ticket in town, it doesn’t have to be in big cities, just like the best clubs here aren’t all in big cities. 

[Eddie]

2 minutes ago, ShropshireBull said:

True but seeing as how the game here is declining in participation, tv deals and attendances, I dont think the inability to have a growing amount of city teams is good. 

Mind you,  York and Newcastle offer some hope. 

Are attendances declining? The tv deal was always going to be lower, especially with Covid, and participation numbers are still good for such a tough sport. 

[Cumbrian Mackem]

10 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Yeah I was talking France too, with English examples. There’s no reason why RL in France can’t thrive in smaller places where it’s the biggest or second biggest ticket in town, it doesn’t have to be in big cities, just like the best clubs here aren’t all in big cities. 

What’s the population of these towns that are the biggest ticket. 20k? 30k? 40k?

For French RL to become stronger then the talent pool needs to increase and that’s why the big cities of Toulouse, Montpelier, Lyon and Marseille etc need to be targeted.

[Mr Frisky]

1 hour ago, Mumby Magic said:

I do appreciate that, however they nearly went up.

Agree and as i said, he did ok and I used to enjoy watching his team, but long term he wasn't the answer. He had to commute a long way and didn't understand local RL at all or even League 1.

[JonM]

2 hours ago, Eddie said:

They’re in the third or fourth tier over there, definitely exist. 

Yes, there's two clubs. The original Montpellier XIII who play in Fédérale Poule A and the Sharks who play in DN, Poule C, although only one game got played in the 2020-2021 season and they struggled quite a bit in their first season.

[Eddie]

6 hours ago, Cumbrian Mackem said:

What’s the population of these towns that are the biggest ticket. 20k? 30k? 40k?

For French RL to become stronger then the talent pool needs to increase and that’s why the big cities of Toulouse, Montpelier, Lyon and Marseille etc need to be targeted.

Why do they? Aren’t lads from Limoux and Lezignan capable enough? 

[Eddie]

6 hours ago, ShropshireBull said:

To the first question: Sadly yes.  https://rugbyl.blogspot.com/search/label/UK Attendances?updated-max=2019-09-16T01:46:00%2B12:00&max-results=20&start=5&by-date=false&m=0

Yes tv down but could drop even lower and participation needs to grow where population growth is occuring or else we are shrinking. 

Anyway,  thats for another thread so gd luck to the sharks. 

That link is to English championship attendances 2017-19, and shows that they grew in that period? 

[Cumbrian Mackem]

20 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Why do they? Aren’t lads from Limoux and Lezignan capable enough? 

Not on their own they aren’t just like lads from pontefract, Leigh and barrow etc aren’t.
 

exposing the game to as many youngsters as possible has to be a good thing. No?

[Eddie]

45 minutes ago, ShropshireBull said:

If you read through the page you will see long term declines for clubs such as Wigan as well as the collapse of several teams outside SL.

Fair enough, Wigan (and Leeds’) attendance crashes are really concerning. Others (Hull, Wire, Saints, Cas, Catalans etc) are holding up nicely though. 

[Eddie]

46 minutes ago, Cumbrian Mackem said:

Not on their own they aren’t just like lads from pontefract, Leigh and barrow etc aren’t.
 

exposing the game to as many youngsters as possible has to be a good thing. No?

Yes of course, but there are loads of youngsters in small towns and rural areas and they’re no less important than kids from Marseille or wherever. 

[Cumbrian Mackem]

6 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Yes of course, but there are loads of youngsters in small towns and rural areas and they’re no less important than kids from Marseille or wherever. 

Mathieu Laguerre says hi.

nobody’s saying that the kids from the small towns and rural areas are less important mate but for France to progress they need to be mixed in with kids from Marseille, Toulouse and Lyon etc.

[The Daddy]

2 hours ago, Cumbrian Mackem said:

Mathieu Laguerre says hi.

nobody’s saying that the kids from the small towns and rural areas are less important mate but for France to progress they need to be mixed in with kids from Marseille, Toulouse and Lyon etc.

His Brother Benjamin says hi too

[Cumbrian Mackem]

42 minutes ago, The Daddy said:

His Brother Benjamin says hi too

2 of Marseille’s finest.