French Competitions 2021/22

[ATLANTISMAN]

4 hours ago, fcl said:

Toulon's plan is unknown: to start in Elite one, but with which players? I don't see 30 Elite level 1 players engaging with Toulon. The Montpellier project is still as fanciful as ever. In France, no club can have a project without being supported by a territorial organization (Community of towns, cities, departments, etc.) and this has never been the case with this obscure club. They even made false statements of support from these organizations to make sponsors believe they were credible.

A federation cannot be credible if it bets on these projects. For me, we must extend the area of influence of our sport in oil stains around our strongholds and stop dreaming of unrealistic projects in large cities where we do not have the human and financial means to exist. .

Totally agree FCL lets get things back on track in places like Carpentras/Le Reole/Tonnies/Cahors etc etc etc 

 

Paul

[audois]

It was good news to hear that basement club Palau will after all be there next season in Elite 1. A former Kangaroo forward Rodney Howe will take the reins.  Excellent news too with two main experienced cogs from St Esteve in captain Ugo Perez and utility player Alexis Merestra also on board.

Another St Esteve player is moving on in half-back/hooker Valentin Zafra going to join Elite 2 Pia. The Donkey's are I think going to try and get back into Elite 1 pretty soon. They have the history behind them and a refurbished stadium too. Pre- the Dragons the Catalan region had 4 of the Elite 1 sides Pia being one along with St Esteve, X111 Catalan and St Cyprien.

I was thiking that it would be useful to make Catalan treize even stronger than now by having 4 semi-pro-sides again behind the Dragons juggernaut. West of Perpignan up the Tet valley you find Ille sur Tet. They play in Elite 2 and have the two Margalet brothers back in harness for the new season after helping Lezignan win the Championship  this year. Thibaut Margalet was a fine mobile prop at the Dragons and surprisingly left them early. Another former Dragons player Pascal Jampy is involved these days at Ille-sur-Tet and inconic centre Vincent Duport runs a gymnasuim in the town too. In time maybe they could be the fourth team.

Elsewhere the Dragons Academy starting up their season at U19s.40 players are involved at this level. Bruno Castany is the Director of the Centre Formation and brought the group together to outline what the Academy is looking for. He said that the 2 objectives were in the short term to be an U23 player at the end of the first year and then make effective the full-time professional set-up  by the end of 3 years.

Edited July 21, 2021 by audois

[barnyia]

St gaudens have appointed the toulouse u19 coach as their head coach, the decision if toulon play in elite-1 is announced tomorrow. 

[The Daddy]

22 minutes ago, barnyia said:

St gaudens have appointed the toulouse u19 coach as their head coach, the decision if toulon play in elite-1 is announced tomorrow. 

Fingers crossed for some good news 

[Hvy wg]

Toulon will either play in elite 1 or the 3rd tier based on the fact Élite 12 has been announced and closed at 12 teams earlier.

Fine management as always.

[barnyia]

Don't worry heavy winger Toulon will take the place of lattes Montpellier in elite 2 before the season starts, 

[Hvy wg]

1 hour ago, barnyia said:

Don't worry heavy winger Toulon will take the place of lattes Montpellier in elite 2 before the season starts, 

They're a joke. A bunch of clowns we are.

[barnyia]

Palau broncos pull out of elite 1 and drop down to the third division, money problems and lack of players, 

Sad times hopefully Toulon will manage to play in elite-1 this season to keep the division at 10 teams. 

Things are very quiet at st gaudens too but hopefully just quietly getting things ready for the new season and not announcing signings or the players that are staying like other clubs are doing. 

[JonM]

8 hours ago, barnyia said:

Things are very quiet at st gaudens too but hopefully just quietly getting things ready for the new season and not announcing signings or the players that are staying like other clubs are doing. 

Think I'm right in saying they still don't have any juniors? Other clubs seem to fill gaps in the squad from the u-19s, St. Go not being able to do that means they always have to sign people from elsewhere, which must make it difficult.

[The Daddy]

Lambert Belmas has left Catalan Dragons and has now signed for Lezignan 

[Lowdesert]

9 hours ago, barnyia said:

Palau broncos pull out of elite 1 and drop down to the third division, money problems and lack of players, 

Sad times hopefully Toulon will manage to play in elite-1 this season to keep the division at 10 teams. 

Things are very quiet at st gaudens too but hopefully just quietly getting things ready for the new season and not announcing signings or the players that are staying like other clubs are doing. 

That’s a shame about Palau.

St.G are a club with potential to climb up a few more places imo.  

When do you start pre season Barny?

[barnyia]

23rd August if the date of 3rd October for the first game stays the same, jason baitieri has signed with lezignan according to the local paper and may be joined by micky mac and maloney . Would be great for elite 1 if it did happen, it would cost the club a far bit i reckon. 

[barnyia]

Youre right St gaudens don't have a u19s team, 

[The Daddy]

Lezignan must have a few bob available if they're able to bring in all those players 

[Heritage XIII]

Read St Gauden's have a new president. Was quite a well established businessman with offices in Paris but couldn't read rest of article-paywall

[ATLANTISMAN]

Shame about Palau however I am not surprised they have been punching way above their weight.

I was up mountain hiking in the Pyrenees on Saturday and got chatting to a school teacher from Paris who informed me that Perpignan council is now (Since the last election) been under the control of the vile National Front was wondering how this could affect things rugby wise in the city down the line.

 

Paul

Edited July 28, 2021 by ATLANTISMAN

[Henson Park Old Firm]

1 hour ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

Shame about Palau however I am not surprised they have been punching way above their weight.

I was up mountain hiking in the Pyrenees on Saturday and got chatting to a school teacher from Paris who informed me that Perpignan council is now (Since the last election) been under the control of the vile National Front was wondering how this could affect things rugby wise in the city down the line.

 

Paul

No worse then a socialist government...Pol Pot, Stalin, Ceausescu

Edited July 28, 2021 by Henson Park Old Firm

[GeordieSaint]

38 minutes ago, Henson Park Old Firm said:

No worse then a socialist government...Pol Pot, Stalin, Ceausescu

Not sure either type of governance is what we want in rugby league playing areas. Fingers crossed it doesn't affect the wonderful local support to Catalan and the game in that part of France.

[ATLANTISMAN]

1 hour ago, GeordieSaint said:

Not sure either type of governance is what we want in rugby league playing areas. Fingers crossed it doesn't affect the wonderful local support to Catalan and the game in that part of France.

I went on line this morning and saw a couple of recent articles about it one in the FT + some local stuff a few pictures of meetings etc.

No-one of any rugby note in any of them (Thank goodness) the vast majority of local rugby league sponsors and persons with involvement from memory were mainly either in the centre right or centre left parties (Nothing extreme) I have been told that the NF received strong backing from the local fruit farming community.

 

Paul

[Eddie]

So Elite 1 could be a 9 team competition this season? Doesn’t sound good, hopefully someone can step up. 

[Pen-Y-Bont Crusader]

2 hours ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

Shame about Palau however I am not surprised they have been punching way above their weight.

I was up mountain hiking in the Pyrenees on Saturday and got chatting to a school teacher from Paris who informed me that Perpignan council is now (Since the last election) been under the control of the vile National Front was wondering how this could affect things rugby wise in the city down the line.

 

Paul

As an aside whereabouts where you hiking ? I go to the Pyrenees every summer but not this one sadly .

[GeordieSaint]

Just now, Pen-Y-Bont Crusader said:

As an aside whereabouts where you hiking ? I go to the Pyrenees every summer but not this one sadly .

Aiguestortes National Park over the border near Vielha is the place to go... 

[Pen-Y-Bont Crusader]

9 minutes ago, GeordieSaint said:

Aiguestortes National Park over the border near Vielha is the place to go... 

Looks stunning. I’ll add a visit there for 2022.

[barnyia]

If Toulon pull through it will be a ten team comp, the fixtures should have been published early this week, but nothing has been sent yet, I think st Gaudens should be fine, new president, new coach, a couple of good overseas signings I've heard, but a few players have left too, if only the teams could convince some of the ex U19s players from places like Lézignan, Perpignan, Avignon etc to move over there for a couple of seasons instead of going to local third division clubs to play with their mates, alot of these kids could do a decent job in elite1. 

[GeordieSaint]

1 minute ago, Pen-Y-Bont Crusader said:

Looks stunning. I’ll add a visit there for 2022.

When travelling from France, I've always gone from St Gaudens to Vielha, to get a bit of a RL feel to the trip. Then stayed in Taull and gone walking around the reservoir Cavallers; some big 3000m peaks (Besiberri/Punta Alta/Comalaforno) to climb/admire. Then back to Toulouse... be perfect trip when TO are in SL!