France officially to bid to host 2025 Rugby League World Cup

[The Rocket]

26 minutes ago, Scubby said:

I hope there is a laissez-faire attitude to this from one-eyed professional club competitions and they let the IRL assess and ratify this bid (on its merits) asap. The French will need every day of a 3-4 year lead in to make this a success. 

LOL, dream on mate, PVL and Troy Grant go back 20 years to Grant`s time as Minister for Racing and Gambling and V`landy`s position as CEO of NSW Racing.

Tabcorp over here recently knocked back two $11b takeover bids and went for a $3-4b deal with Matt Tripp (CEO of Melbourne Storm) because V`landy`s as CEO of Tabcorp`s biggest customer, Racing NSW again, wanted it that way. And that`s a fact. When Grant left politics within months V`landy`s had arranged him a cruisy job on some racing body or other.

No mate I doubt there will be any laissez-faire economics here, the Australians will be up to their eyeballs in it.

[Scubby]

16 minutes ago, The Rocket said:

LOL, dream on mate, PVL and Troy Grant go back 20 years to Grant`s time as Minister for Racing and Gambling and V`landy`s position as CEO of NSW Racing.

Tabcorp over here recently knocked back two $11b takeover bids and went for a $3-4b deal with Matt Tripp (CEO of Melbourne Storm) because V`landy`s as CEO of Tabcorp`s biggest customer, Racing NSW again, wanted it that way. And that`s a fact. When Grant left politics within months V`landy`s had arranged him a cruisy job on some racing body or other.

No mate I doubt there will be any laissez-faire economics here, the Australians will be up to their eyeballs in it.

And last to agree to it.

[Damien]

20 minutes ago, The Rocket said:

No mate I doubt there will be any laissez-faire economics here, the Australians will be up to their eyeballs in it.

They weren't even up to their eyeballs in it for the 2017 World Cup based in their own country. Relying on people on the other side if the world, with no or little understanding of France, is a recipe for disaster.

France as a country have hosted many big events, they are not clueless when it comes to this. What they do need to do is get government support, which they have alluded to, and get quality French people involved. I have every confidence that Lacoste is a man with contacts who makes things happen and will do that.

Also they need to leverage expertise and the lessons from this years world Cup and 2013. 2013, 2017 and 2021 all show you get what you put in and that the world cup can't be treated as an afterthoughtor inconvenience. Invest the time and money and that reaps benefits.

[Damien]

1 hour ago, Scubby said:

I hope there is a laissez-faire attitude to this from one-eyed professional club competitions and they let the IRL assess and ratify this bid (on its merits) asap. The French will need every day of a 3-4 year lead in to make this a success. 

The Australians can't wait to get shot of having to host the 2025 World Cup, as would be the case based on the normal alternating cycle to date. I have no doubt that even if the French bid is mildly credible that Australia will want it to happen.

[The Rocket]

2 minutes ago, Damien said:

They weren't even up to their eyeballs in it for the 2017 World Cup based in their own country. Relying on people on the other side if the world, with no or little understanding of France, is a recipe for disaster.

France as a country have hosted many big events, they are not clueless when it comes to this. What they do need to do is get government support, which they have alluded to, and get quality French people involved. I have every confidence that Lacoste is a man with contacts who makes things happen and will do that.

Also they need to leverage expertise and the lessons from this years world Cup and 2013. 2013, 2017 and 2021 all show you get what you put in and that the world cup can't be treated as an afterthoughtor inconvenience. Invest the time and money and that reaps benefits.

In fairness, it was Bennett, with Grant, who approached the French consulate over here and had several meetings about French Government involvement in 2025, whether they had been in contact with Lacoste before that I don`t know, probably not given the approach was made in Oz.

About 2017, as a international League tragic my sons and I watched it all and really enjoyed it, the low-light being the performance of the Kiwis the highlight Tonga and just watching the international teams. But to be perfectly honest I don`t ever remember thinking what a non-event it was, maybe over here we`re conditioned not to expect big crowds. Perhaps for you over there the optics weren`t great, but I don`t, as I said, remember ever thinking what a dud.

 

[Damien]

23 minutes ago, The Rocket said:

In fairness, it was Bennett, with Grant, who approached the French consulate over here and had several meetings about French Government involvement in 2025, whether they had been in contact with Lacoste before that I don`t know, probably not given the approach was made in Oz.

About 2017, as a international League tragic my sons and I watched it all and really enjoyed it, the low-light being the performance of the Kiwis the highlight Tonga and just watching the international teams. But to be perfectly honest I don`t ever remember thinking what a non-event it was, maybe over here we`re conditioned not to expect big crowds. Perhaps for you over there the optics weren`t great, but I don`t, as I said, remember ever thinking what a dud.

 

Bennett has always been a strong advocate of the international game and was instrumental in the starting of the Four Nations in an attempt to get regular internationals again.

Grant is a NRL stooge who has done nothing but push the NRL agenda since taking charge. Word for word repeating the rhetoric given for years by the NRL and prioritising what they want and not what is best for the international game. That is not what the head of the IRL should do. I have no doubt that France is only being pushed so Australia don't have to host it in 2025. Now that said if it means France host it and the game can be rejuvenated there I am more than happy with that outcome.

Yes I enjoyed the 2017 World Cup because I love international Rugby League. However the games in Australia didn't grip attention and even supposed RL fans, the NRL centric type, were criticising them. It felt like an afterthought with little in the way of building up the event. The games in PNG and in NZ featuring Tonga were the highlight, take them away and the picture is completely different. It also didn't return the profits that Australia promised. 2008 in Australia felt like great progress and like the tournament had been elevated after the 2000 shambles, 2013 felt like huge progress again, 2017 was all just a but meh and like no real effort was put in.

[ATLANTISMAN]

4 hours ago, The Frying Scotsman said:

The last World Cup to be held (partly) in France had a game in Avignon. Probably the most successful French based match on the competition, I know because I was there. It doesn't even make your fantasy list of 16(!) locations.

I am fully aware of how it works there thanks - I work in France myself, and am employed in sport. 

Most minor sports (and Rugby League is very minor here - it gets zero nationwide media coverage) have a region that steps up and offers to host a championship, (European, under age, whatever) backs it, supports it, makes stadia/facilities available etc. Even with the new "super regions" we could safely say that the RLWC would be big enough to need more than 1 region, so it would probably be spread across 2 or 3 regions, who would collectively step in and become partners/sponsors. 

AVIGNON is on the list and down as a Qtr final venue

 

 

[ATLANTISMAN]

5 hours ago, Cumbrian Mackem said:

Couldn’t a 2025 RLWC game in Roanne or any other French city or town for that matter be used to reignite or kickstart interest of RL in these towns&cities?

YES it would and the new president of the FRL is intelligent enough to know that the only way the game will expand and get back to its passed glories is THINK BIG

 

Paul

[ATLANTISMAN]

5 hours ago, Cumbrian Mackem said:

Couldn’t a 2025 RLWC game in Roanne or any other French city or town for that matter be used to reignite or kickstart interest of RL in these towns&cities?

YES it would and the new president of the FRL is intelligent enough to know that the only way the game will expand and get back to its passed glories is THINK BIG

 

Paul

[Big Picture]

6 hours ago, ShropshireBull said:

And that is strike 3.  I don't know whether you are this tediously pedantic in real life to not understand the concept of an expression and seem to have an awful tone for a discussion platform. 

I'll answer than ignore you from now.  Because stadiums of full or near full capacity generate a better atmosphere in the ground thus making hospitality and game sponsors an easier sell. 

2nd,  it creates the image on tv of being highly in demand or important to a casual viewer than a stadium at 50% capacity.  Thus being more likely to retain eyeballs and again attract further sponsors to French RL going forward.  

I agree that it's a better atmosphere, but a small crowd is still a small crowd and potential sponsors would surely care most about the size of the crowd, how much they paid for their tickets, etc.  Those are what would tell them how much they'd stand to benefit from backing the game.

[Big Picture]

4 hours ago, Cumbrian Mackem said:

If that’s the case why not give 10-15k away to the under 18’s and hope for a similar amount of paying customers in a 30-40k stadium?

The free tickets should be for kids who come with their parents who pay for their own tickets, that way potentially the parents see it as a good deal and you double the crowd.

[ATLANTISMAN]

France has the potential to have some huge crowds the way it works is the town hall will commit to the costs and buying loads of tickets these are then distributed to families FOC.

Unlike the UK freebies in France have a near 100% take up.

Nothing wrong with that who cares who would pay for them

 

Paul

[Eddie]

For what it’s worth, I’d forget about Paris and keep the lot in the South. Also wouldn’t bother with the Velodrome, far too big, the final somewhere like Toulouse or Montpellier would be fine, it doesn’t need 40k crowds, 20k sell outs for the big games would be great. 

[Hela Wigmen]

The French have proven they’ll travel for big events, the Camp Nou game where French RL shut for the weekend as the example. If we can’t then add in more U.K. travellers and aim for 40k as a very basement figure, it’s depressing. 

[Eddie]

2 minutes ago, Hela Wigmen said:

The French have proven they’ll travel for big events, the Camp Nou game where French RL shut for the weekend as the example. If we can’t then add in more U.K. travellers and aim for 40k as a very basement figure, it’s depressing. 

For the group games?

[Hela Wigmen]

2 minutes ago, Eddie said:

For the group games?

For the Final. 

 

[Scubby]

9 minutes ago, Hela Wigmen said:

The French have proven they’ll travel for big events, the Camp Nou game where French RL shut for the weekend as the example. If we can’t then add in more U.K. travellers and aim for 40k as a very basement figure, it’s depressing. 

Coupe de monde final is something that can be easily sold to neutrals. If they were bold enough they could hold it in Paris and with UK fans alone would probably pick up 10k.

The natural solution for the final IMO is the Stade Velodrome in Marseilles. It is an amazing stadium and 65k is a perfect size fitting of a final. It is close enough to the heartlands for coach trips and such and the south is a rugby area (both codes).

[Cumbrian Mackem]

7 minutes ago, Scubby said:

Coupe de monde final is something that can be easily sold to neutrals. If they were bold enough they could hold it in Paris and with UK fans alone would probably pick up 10k.

The natural solution for the final IMO is the Stade Velodrome in Marseilles. It is an amazing stadium and 65k is a perfect size fitting of a final. It is close enough to the heartlands for coach trips and such and the south is a rugby area (both codes).

I like your ambition but I’d look at holding the final at Montpelier HSC ground which has a capacity of 33k. It also has history of hosting RL games.

Id also use PSG’s parc des princes for the opener.

[Eddie]

34 minutes ago, Scubby said:

Coupe de monde final is something that can be easily sold to neutrals. If they were bold enough they could hold it in Paris and with UK fans alone would probably pick up 10k.

The natural solution for the final IMO is the Stade Velodrome in Marseilles. It is an amazing stadium and 65k is a perfect size fitting of a final. It is close enough to the heartlands for coach trips and such and the south is a rugby area (both codes).

65k is massive, is Old Trafford even going to sell out for this year’s final? And why would they have it in Paris if all the fans are 500 miles away.  Around 40k would be ideal I think, but in absence of somewhere suitable a sold out Toulouse or Montpellier (both c.33k) would be better than 40k rattling around in the Velodrome.  

[Scubby]

4 minutes ago, Eddie said:

65k is massive, is Old Trafford even going to sell out for this year’s final? And why would they have it in Paris if all the fans are 500 miles away.  Around 40k would be ideal I think, but in absence of somewhere suitable a sold out Toulouse or Montpellier (both c.33k) would be better than 40k rattling around in the Velodrome.  

France has not hosted a major tournament in 50 years. If the RLWC 2021 is a success then 60k is bare minimum. It would be a government funded event with women's, men's, youth, wheelchair etc. We are not talk and the FFRXIII knock about or the NRL's p*ss poor 2017 effort.

[GeordieSaint]

19 minutes ago, Eddie said:

65k is massive, is Old Trafford even going to sell out for this year’s final? And why would they have it in Paris if all the fans are 500 miles away.  Around 40k would be ideal I think, but in absence of somewhere suitable a sold out Toulouse or Montpellier (both c.33k) would be better than 40k rattling around in the Velodrome.  

Why wouldn’t Old Trafford sell out? It did in 2013. If restrictions allow, it’ll be full. The sport needs to have a bit of confidence; and 2025 in France will a great success I have no doubt.

[Cumbrian Mackem]

21 minutes ago, Eddie said:

65k is massive, is Old Trafford even going to sell out for this year’s final? And why would they have it in Paris if all the fans are 500 miles away.  Around 40k would be ideal I think, but in absence of somewhere suitable a sold out Toulouse or Montpellier (both c.33k) would be better than 40k rattling around in the Velodrome.  

I’d bite your hand off for 40k in Marseille!!!

[Scubby]

1 minute ago, GeordieSaint said:

Why wouldn’t Old Trafford sell out? It did in 2013. If restrictions allow, it’ll be full. The sport needs to have a bit of confidence; and 2025 in France will a great success I have no doubt.

Yes France 2025 will be a huge success if UK 2021 is a success. 

[Oxford]

5 minutes ago, ShropshireBull said:

I was putting the final in Marseille in my hypotethical France 2025, or you make it the opener so France play and you can fill it. Might be a bit weird to then have the final in say Montpellier or Toulouse but who cares.

I went opener in Toulouse (35k).

Quarters: Perpignan (13 k) , Paris (Stade Jean-Bouin 20k)

, Avignon (17k)  , Montpellier (15k)

Semi : Toulon (15k) and Lyon (25k)

Final : Marseille 67k 

 

8 minutes ago, Oxford said:

I think you might be confusing English fans who you can never be sure will turn up with the French (They're the ones still in the EU)

Other than that would a French WC be in the Summer?

[theswanmcr]

1 hour ago, ShropshireBull said:

I was putting the final in Marseille in my hypotethical France 2025, or you make it the opener so France play and you can fill it. Might be a bit weird to then have the final in say Montpellier or Toulouse but who cares.

I went opener in Toulouse (35k).

Quarters: Perpignan (13 k) , Paris (Stade Jean-Bouin 20k)

, Avignon (17k)  , Montpellier (15k)

Semi : Toulon (15k) and Lyon (25k)

Final : Marseille 67k 

I love World Cup planning!

I too think Marseille is too big. The difference with France compared to previous main hosts is that everyone knows they haven’t got a hope of making the semis or final. So those later games need to be a bit more realistic for me.

So yeah Toulouse for the opener is a great shout and the hosts biggest game. I’d think about taking the host’s second second game in Paris.

Can’t argue with your quarters really. Semis not sure but tricky to think of alternatives. For the final I’d head back to Toulouse (35k is fine).